Daily GK Update- 6th Apr, 2023

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Suzlon board appoints J P Chalasani as Chief Executive Officer: The board of members of Suzlon Energy has appointed J P Chalasani as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company with immediate effect, i.e. from 5th April 2023. He has replaced Ashwani Kumar, who resigned from the post on account of personal reasons. He had been Group CEO of Suzlon from April 2016 to July 2020 and continued as Strategic Advisor to the Suzlon Group thereafter. He was also the Group CEO and Managing Director of Punj Lloyd.

 

2. India Justice Report 2022 released: According to the India Justice Report (IJR) 2022, an initiative of Tata Trusts, Karnataka emerged at the top among the 18 large and mid-sized states with a population of over one crore. Tamil Nadu ranked second, followed by Telangana, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh. Small States (population less than 1 Crore): Sikkim (top), followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Mizoram Four core pillars of the justice system: Police, Prisons, Judiciary, and Legal aid

 

3. I&B Ministry, Amazon collaborate to boost India’s creative economy: The Information & Broadcasting Ministry and Amazon India have signed a collaboration agreement to boost India's creative economy. Amazon Prime Video will sponsor scholarships, create internship programs and job opportunities for students of the FTII and Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute. International Film Festival of India Award-winning films and films produced as part of India’s international co-production treaties will be onboarded by Amazon Prime Video.

 

4. Govt forms panel to examine stalled real estate projects: The Ministry of Union Housing and Urban Affairs has set up a 14-members committee to examine stalled real estate projects and recommend ways to complete them. Headed by: Amitabh Kant (India’s G20 Sherpa and the former CEO of NITI Aayog) Other members: NOIDA CEO, Finances Services secretary of the Union Finance Ministry, Corporate Affairs secretary, chairperson of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India, and other officials.

 

5. Govt unveils plans to add 250GW renewable energy capacity in next five: The government has announced a plan to add 250 GW of renewable energy capacity in the next five years to achieve its target of 500 GW of clean energy by 2030. The government has decided to invite bids for 50 GW of renewable energy capacity annually for the next five years (2023-28). These annual bids of ISTS (Inter-State Transmission) connected renewable energy capacity will also include setting up of wind power capacity of at least 10 GW per annum.

 

6. Punjab government launched Punjab's 'CM di Yogshala' programme: The Punjab government has launched the 'CM di Yogshala' program and portal in Punjab. Aim: To create a mass movement to carve out a healthy and prosperous Punjab The initiative was initially launched for four cities of the state: Patiala, Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Phagwara The formation of these Yogshalas will be under a pilot project. Trained Yoga instructors will impart free Yoga training to people in open parks and other public places. Punjab CM: Bhagwant Mann

 

7. India plans green hydrogen incentives of at least 10% of cost: India plans to give green hydrogen fuel producers incentives worth at least 10% of their costs under a $2 billion scheme by the end of June 2023. The govt has approved a 174.9 billion rupee incentive plan to promote green hydrogen to cut CO₂ emissions and become a major exporter in the sector. The cost of manufacturing green hydrogen in India is about Rs 300/ kg and the government will give incentives worth at least Rs 30/kg for the production of green hydrogen fuel.

 

8. Mumbai to soon get fifty 24×7 Food Trucks across seven zones: Mumbai city will soon get at least 50 food trucks that would function round the clock across all seven zones in the city. Each of the six zones can now operate as many as seven food trucks, and the seventh zone would be permitted to operate eight food trucks. These food trucks can operate 24×7 and sell any kind of food. They would require permission from health and fire brigade officials and the approval of a monitoring committee at the ward level. The spot for the food truck should preferably be near a high football area or a university. They cannot be set up within 200m of a restaurant. The food trucks will not sell any raw vegetables or fruits. Last year, Manish Sisodia, the then Deputy CM of Delhi has announced that Delhi would be the first in the country to bring a food truck policy on the lines of US and the UK.

 

9. IIT Kanpur host Y20 Consultation under G20 Presidency of India: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur organized the Youth20 (Y20) Consultation under the G20 Presidency of India. The two-day event was attended by more than 1,200 youth delegates from across India and abroad. The Y20 Consultation is a platform that brings young people together to connect, share ideas and experiences, and deliberate on finding innovative solutions to pressing global concerns. The Y20 Consultation, under the aegis of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, is a pan-India activity in the run-up to the final Youth-20 Summit to be held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India elected to UN Statistical Commission: India has been elected to the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC) for a four-year term beginning on 1 January 2024. India received a resounding 46 out of 53 votes, ahead of South Korea (23), China (19), and UAE (15). India was elected by secret ballot while Argentina, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Ukraine, the United Republic of Tanzania, and the United States of America were elected by acclamation. UNSC is the highest body of the global statistical system.

 

2. India Bhutan plans to set up first Integrated Check Post: Indian PM Narendra Modi holds a bilateral meeting with King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck in New Delhi on April 5. The two sides will set up the first integrated check post (ICP) along the border near Jaigaon and Phuntsholing. The two sides agreed to find a technically sound and cost-effective way forward for the Punatsangchhu-I plant. They also agreed to expedite the operationalization of the third international internet gateway for Bhutan.

 

3. International Day of Sport for Development and Peace: April 6: The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) takes place on April 6 to celebrate the role of sports and physical activity in our lives across the globe. 2023 theme: Scoring for People and the Planet On August 23, 2013, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 67/296 to proclaim April 6 as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. This day was supported by the International Olympic Committee.

 

4. Kenya to launch its first operational satellite on 10 April: The Kenya Space Agency is set to launch the country’s first operational earth observation satellite on 10 April 2023. Taifa-1, or one nation in Swahili, is scheduled to be launched on board the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The observation satellite is “fully designed and developed” by Kenyan engineers and will be used to provide data on agriculture and food security, among other areas. Egypt was the first African country to send a satellite into space in 1998. In 2018, Kenya launched its first experimental nanosatellite from the International Space Station.

 

5. Paris to ban e-scooters: Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo pledged to ban rented e-scooters from the French capital after a huge majority of residents backed the move. In a non-binding referendum, 89.03% of 103,084 votes cast were opposed to the freestanding scooters, which are booked on a short-term basis through apps. There were only two options, “for” or “against.” E-scooters launched in Paris in 2018, but in 2020 the number of firms with operating licenses was cut to just three: Lime, Dott, and Tier. The city also added conditions such as a 20-kilometer per hour speed limit and designated scooter parking areas. Customers who leave scooters outside these areas face a fine. Critics of the scooters say they clutter up pavements and roads, but also raise safety concerns. There were 459 accidents involving e-scooters or similar vehicles in Paris last year, including three fatalities, according to a Reuters report

 

6. India-U.S. air exercise ‘Cope India’ to begin from 10 April: The Air Forces of India and the U.S. are set to conduct the Cope India exercise from 10 to 21 April 2023 at the Kalaikunda airbase in West Bengal, with Japan as an observer. The `Cope India’ exercise will “further enhance operational capability and interoperability between the two air forces”. Japan, significantly, will also take part as an “observer” in the exercise, which will witness “air combat and mobility elements” operating from multiple air bases like Kalaikunda, Panagarh, Agra and Hindon. The Japanese Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) participated in Cope India as an observer for the 1st time in Dec 2018.

 

7. 5 April – International Day of Consciene: International Day of Conscience is observed every year on 5 April to mark the value of the human conscience. It came into existence on July 25, 2019, by UN General Assembly under UN resolution 73/329. Theme 2023 –Building a Culture of Peace According to the United Nations, peace is more than just the absence of disagreements and conflicts; it is a constructive, dynamic, participatory process that is intimately linked to democracy, justice, and development for everyone.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Weightlifter Sanjita Chanu banned for four years for failing dope test: Two-time Commonwealth Games Champion Indian weightlifter Sanjita Chanu has been handed a four-year ban by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for failing a dope test. Sanjita had tested positive for an anabolic steroid — Drostanolone Metabolite — that features in the World Anti-doping Agency’s (WADA) prohibited list. Sanjita had won gold in 48kg ahead of Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. At the 2018 edition of the CWG in Gold Coast, she was crowned champion in the 53kg category.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. RBI keeps repo rate unchanged at 6.50%: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced its bimonthly monetary policy and kept the repo rate unchanged at 6.50%. The GDP is expected to jump 6.5% in the current financial year. Retail inflation is expected to moderate to 5.2% in FY2023-24. The standing deposit facility (SDF) would remain unchanged at 6.25%, and the MSF rate and the bank rate at 6.75%. In Q1FY24, CPI-based inflation is expected to be 5.1%. The real GDP growth in 2022-23 was 7%.

 

2. Canara Bank launches Premium Payroll Account: Canara Bank has introduced a “Premium PayrollPackage” for Salary account holders with competitive features. This product has been designed to meet all Banking requirements of Salaried Customers. The features such as free Term Life Insurance, Insta over Draft, free Personal & Air Accident Insurance coverage, Premium Cards are some of the unique features of the product apart of the other various features offered.

 

3. ADB cuts India GDP growth forecast to 6.4% for FY24: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has slashed its India growth forecast for FY24 to 6.4 percent from 7.2 percent estimated earlier, citing risks arising from global and domestic factors. ADB has also highlighted that India’s GDP will rise in FY25 to 6.7%. While inflation will likely moderate to 5% in 2023-24, assuming moderation in oil and food prices. Inflation will be at 4.5% in FY25.

 

 

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Bihar West Champaran ‘Mircha’ rice gets GI tag: Bihar's West Champaran was awarded the GI tag for its 'Mircha' rice. The size and shape of the grain appear like that of black pepper, hence it is known as Mircha or Marcha Rice. This rice is famous for its aroma, palatability, and its aromatic chura (rice flakes) making qualities. The cooked rice is fluffy, non-sticky, sweet, and easily digestible with a popcorn-like aroma. The GI tag is valid for a period of 10 years following which it can be renewed.

 

2. MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh to receive MCC honorary life membership: Former Indian cricket team captain, MS Dhoni was named among the five Indians to have been inducted with the Marylebone Cricket Club’s (MCC) honorary life membership. Other four Indian Cricketers: Yuvraj Singh, Maithali Raj, Suresh Raina, and Jhulan Goswami MS Dhoni had featured in 538 international games across formats, scoring over 17,000 runs during the same.

Yuvraj Singh was an integral part of the Indian team that won the first T20 World Cup in 2007.

 

3. Kiran Nadar conferred with France’s highest civilian award: Philanthropist and art collector Kiran Nadar was conferred “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur” (Knight of the Legion of Honour) by French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain. The highest French civilian award comes in recognition of Nadar’s outstanding contribution in the field of art, her commitment to providing greater access to culture both nationally and internationally, and her leading role in fostering Indo-French cultural ties. Nadar, chairperson of the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) — a philanthropic initiative in art — and a trustee of the Shiv Nadar Foundation has played a vital role in advancing Indo-French cultural ties, and artistic cooperation.