NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. ISRO
successfully launches LVM 3 -M3 rocket with 36 satellites: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully
launched India's Launch Vehicle Mark (LVM) 3 -M3 satellite with 36
satellites of the One Web India-2 mission from the second launch pad
of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre Sriharikota. With this launch, OneWeb
will have 616 of its satellites in orbit. The 43m-tall launch vehicle has
successfully completed the three stages in the prescribed time limit including
the involvement of the ignition of the cryogenic engine.
2. NIUA
organized first Urban Climate Film Festival under U20 events: The first Urban Climate Film Festival under U20 engagement
events was organized by the National Institute of Urban Affairs
(NIUA) from 24-26 March 2023. A curated selection of 11 films from
nine countries was showcased in the festival to create wider awareness of
the impact of climate change on life in cities. The festival was organized
with support from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the French
Development Agency, and the European Union.
3. Minister
Bhupender Yadav launched Aravali Green Wall Project: Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender
Yadav launched the Aravalli Green Wall Project, a major initiative to
green the 5 km buffer area around the Aravalli Hill Range in four states (Haryana,
Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Delhi). He also unveiled the National Action Plan
to Combat Desertification and Land Degradation Through Forestry
Interventions and a FAQ on Agro-forestry published by the Indian Council
of Forestry Research and Education.
4. NGT slaps ₹10 crore penalty on Kerala government for
failure to protect Ramsar sites: The
Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal in New Delhi has slapped
a penalty of ₹10 crore on the Kerala government for its failure to
check the indiscriminate pollution of the Vembanad and Ashtamudi lakes, listed
as Ramsar sites. The penalty imposed on the basis of the ‘polluter pays
principle’ had to be deposited in a ring-fenced account to be operated under
the authority of the Chief Secretary.
5. Government launches DigiClaim platform for farmer
insurance claims: Agriculture
Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar has introduced a new platform called
‘DigiClaim’ on the national crop insurance portal. This platform is aimed at
expediting the disbursement of insurance claims to farmers who have availed
themselves of crop insurance. To demonstrate its effectiveness, the Minister
used the platform to transfer a total insurance claim of Rs. 1,260.35 crore to
insured farmers in several Indian states, including Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh,
Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, and Haryana, with a single click. In
the current system, there have been several instances of insured farmers’
claims being delayed due to a variety of factors. Taking cognizance of farmers’
welfare and to expedite the claim disbursal process, the Agriculture Ministry
has come up with the DigiClaim module.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. World
Theatre Day 2023: 27th March: The international theatre
community and ITI centers celebrate World Theatre Day on March
27th every year to raise awareness about their importance in entertainment
and the changes they bring to society. The theme for 2023 is "Theatre
and a Culture of Peace." The International Theatre Institute founded World
Theatre Day in 1961. ITI is a worldwide organization that promotes
international exchange in theatre arts and promotes the values of UNESCO.
2. Egypt joins BRICS bank as new member: Egypt has joined the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB). The
African-Arab nation became an NDB member on February 20, though a formal
notification was issued on March 22. The New Development Bank was set up by
BRICS nations on the basis of the intergovernmental agreement signed at the
sixth BRICS summit in Fortaleza in July 2014. The upcoming BRICS Summit,
scheduled to be hosted by South Africa in August, is anticipated to promote
intra-BRICS trade using national currencies, allowing member nations to
safeguard their foreign exchange reserves.
3. Former Brazilian Prez Dilma Rousseff elected as new
President of NDB: New Development Bank
(NDB) has announced that former Brazilian President Dilma Vana
Rousseff has been elected as the new President of the Bank, replacing
Marcus Troyjo. NDB, also known as the BRICS bank is a multilateral financial
institution set up by the five BRICS countries including Brazil, Russia, India,
China, and South Africa. The economist, Dilma Rousseff, served as the President
of Federative Republic of Brazil between January 2011 to August 2016. Rousseff
was elected the President of Brazil for two consecutive terms.
4. 25 March – International Day of Remembrance of the
Victims of Slavery: International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the
Transatlantic Slave Trade is observed every year on March 25. Objective –
To raise awareness of the history of the transatlantic slave trade, its impact
on the modern world, and its legacies, including racism and prejudice. Theme
2023 – Fighting Slavery’s Legacy of Racism Through Transformative Education It was
established in 2007 with the adoption of General Assembly resolution 62/122.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1. Mumbai
Indians lift Women's Premier League trophy 2023 final: Mumbai Indians have won the inaugural Women's Premier League
final, held at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai from 4-26 March 2023. They defeated
Delhi Capitals by 7 wickets. Mumbai Indians captain: Harmanpreet Kaur
Awardees:
· Most valuable player of the tournament: Hayley Matthews
· Orange cap: Meg Lanning
· Purple Cap: Hayley Matthews
· Emerging Player of the season: Yastika Bhatia
· Fairplay award: Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals
· Catch of the season: Harmanpreet Kaur
2. Nikhat
Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain won gold at Women's Boxing Championships: Indian Women Boxer, Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain have
managed to win a gold medal at the Women's World Championships
2023. Nikhat Zareen won gold in the 50kg light flyweight division after
defeating two-time Asian champion Nguyen Thi Tam of Vietnam by 5-0 Lovlina
Borgohain has secured her first gold at the competition after
settling for bronze in the 2018 and 2019 editions. She defeated Australia's
Caitlin Parker in the 75kg middle-weight category.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. MGNREGS
wage rates revised by up to 10% for 2023-24: The
Centre has notified a hike in wage rates up to 10% under the rural
job guarantee program, MGNREGS for 2023-24 with Haryana having
the highest daily wage at ₹357 per day and Madhya Pradesh
and Chhattisgarh the lowest at ₹221. The wage hikes, which range from ₹7
to ₹26, will come into effect from April 1, 2023. It is a flagship program
aimed at enhancing the livelihood security of households in rural areas by
providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment.
2. ICICI
Lombard becomes first to offer 'Anywhere Cashless' feature: ICICI Lombard General Insurance launched the ‘Anywhere
Cashless’ feature for health insurance
policyholders to avail of cashless facilities at any hospital. The
feature will be subject to the hospital’s acceptance of the cashless facility. Policyholders
must inform the company 24 hours prior to the date of admission by giving basic
information about the patient, policy details, hospital name, diagnosis, and
treating doctor, among others.
3. IDFC First Bank joined hands with Crunchfish to
facilitate offline payments: IDFC FIRST Bank has
teamed with Crunchfish to participate in the RBI’s pilot programme to
facilitate offline payments. This initiative will provide access to digital
payments even when there is no network.
The
Swedish company Crunchfish introduced this one-of-a-kind digital payment system
for merchants and customers as part of the RBI’s Regulatory Sandbox Program. This
project will allow offline retail payments in India’s payment ecosystem using a
Digital Cash platform. IDFC FIRST Bank will be one of the first few banks to
participate in HDFC Bank’s pilot initiative.
AWARDS AND HONOUR
1. Assam
NGO wins Children’s Champion Award 2023:
An NGO from Assam’s Pathsala, Students’ Welfare Mission, which has
been working for special and autistic children, was conferred with
the Children’s Champion Award 2023. The Mission popularly known as
Tapoban has been awarded in the health and nutrition category. The founder
president of the Mission, Kumud Kalita, received the award that carries Rs
75,000, a certificate and a plaque. This award was instituted by the Delhi
Commission for the Protection of Child Rights.
2. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman conferred Special
literary award: The Foundation of SAARC Writers and
Literature (FOSWAL) conferred a special literary award on Bangabandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The award has been conferred for his trilogy- The
Unfinished Memoirs, The Prison Diaries and the New China 1952. The award has been
given to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for outstanding literary excellence
for his trilogy. Terming the trilogy written by Sheikh Mujib as a political
document and a human testament, the citation said it is written with love and
compassion by a man who changed the course of history and led his people to
freedom.
OBITUARIES
1. Actor
Innocent Vareed Thekkethala passes away:
Renowned Malayalam actor ‘Innocent’ Vareed Thekkethala passed away at 75. He
joined the film industry in 1972 with the movie 'Nrityashala' starring Prem
Nazir and Jayabharathi. He acted in over 700 films and was known for his comic
roles. He was also a former Lok Sabha MP. He had won the 2014 Lok Sabha
elections as an independent candidate backed by the Left Democratic Front, from
Chalakudy.
He also acted in a few Hindi films, notably 'Malamaal Weekly'.
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