Daily GK Update- 12th Mar, 2023

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. RBI approves reappointment of Sumant Kathpalia as MD, CEO of IndusInd Bank: RBI has approved the appointment of Sumant Kathpalia as MD and CEO of IndusInd Bank for two years from 24 March 2023. RBI's confirmation comes nearly six months after the bank's board of directors had cleared another term for Kathpalia. He has been an MD & CEO of the bank since March 2020. Before this role, he served as Head of the Consumer Bank at IndusInd Bank. He has been instrumental in setting up several new businesses to cater to the needs of SME segments.

 

2. Uttarakhand becomes 1st state to start insurance scheme for sericulturists: Uttarakhand has become India's first state to launch the Resham Keet Bima scheme for sericulturists. In the first phase of this pilot project, 200 sericulturists from five blocks of four districts -- Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, and Nainital -- have been insured from the ill effects of climate change, scarcity of water, and other hazards. This scheme will be run under Saral Krishi Beema.

Uttarakhand CM: Pushkar Singh Dhami; Governor: Gurmit Singh

 

3. Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag, Tehri top landslide index: ISRO report: According to the Landslide Atlas report, prepared by the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of ISRO, the Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand has the maximum exposure to landslide risk in the country. Tehri district (Uttarakhand) ranked second on the list of landslide-prone districts. As per the State Emergency Operation Centre data, Uttarakhand reported 253 landslides between 2018 and 2021. Kerala's Thrissur and Palakkad districts ranked 3rd and 5th respectively.

 

4. NITI Aayog releases Task Force report to make Gaushalas economically viable: The Task Force report titled “Production and Promotion of Organic and Bio-fertilizers with Special Focus on Improving Economic Viability of Gaushalas” was released by NITI Aayog. It suggested measures to make Gaushalas economically viable, address the problem of stray and abandoned cattle, and utilization of cow dung and cow urine in the agriculture and energy sector. It provides factual estimate of operating and fixed costs and other Gaushalas issues.

 

5. Odisha announces Rs 500 crore worth livelihood scheme for tribals: Odisha's state cabinet led by CM Naveen Patnaik has announced a new livelihood and income-generating scheme for the tribal people with an outlay of Rs 500 crore for three years (2023-24 to 2025-26). The livelihood cluster development initiative will be implemented by the ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare dept under Mukhya Mantri Janajati Jeebika Mission. The state-funded scheme will be implemented in 119 tribal sub-plan (TSP) blocks.

 

6. Government to provide financial support to eligible agencies to promote GI: The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has issued operational guidelines, that the government will provide financial assistance to eligible agencies for undertaking initiatives for the promotion of Geographical Indications (GIs) products. It can be extended to eligible agencies as 100% grants in aid for the promotion of GIs. DPIIT is an arm of the commerce and industry ministry. It deals with investments and intellectual property rights.

 

7. West Bengal urged Centre to allow poppy cultivation: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged the Centre to allow poppy (Posto) cultivation in the state, insisting that delicacies prepared with its seeds are integral to the Bengali cuisine. Delicacies prepared with poppy seeds are integral to Bengali cuisine and poppy seeds are costly as it is cultivated only in a few States. At present, opium poppy cultivation is permitted in Selected Tracts in three States namely Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

 

8. New health programme ‘Arogya Mahila’ launched for women in Telangana: Telangana Health Minister T Harish Rao has launched a new health programme for women, named ‘Arogya Mahila’, on the occasion of International Women’s Day. Under the programme, tests would be conducted for women every Tuesday initially in 100 health centres and medicines provided to them free of cost. The women, if necessary, would be sent to ‘referral hospitals’ for further medical care. Harish Rao also to be launched the scheme ‘Nutrition kit’ would be started for the benefit of pregnant women after the Sri Rama Navami festival to be celebrated later this month. The ‘Nutrition kit’ would comprise several items, including ghee and protein mix powder.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. World off-track to cut 30 per cent sodium intake by 2025: WHO: According to the WHO Global Report on Sodium Intake Reduction, two million deaths can be prevented by 2025 and seven million by 2030 if policies recommended by WHO to reduce sodium intake are implemented. The world is off-track to achieve its global target of reducing sodium intake by 30% by 2025. The global average salt intake is estimated to be 10.8 grams per day (more than double the WHO recommendation of fewer than 5 grams of salt per day (one teaspoon)).

 

2. Rajkumar Singh participated in 19th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting: Minister of State for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh has participated in the 19th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting virtually from Bangkok. The meeting was hosted by Chair Thailand. During the meeting, the Ministers approved several documents including rules of Procedure for Core BIMSTEC Mechanisms, Sectoral BIMSTEC Mechanisms and BIMSTEC’s External Relations for submission to the 6th BIMSTEC Summit. The meeting also approved the draft Host Country Agreement between India and the BIMSTEC Secretariat for establishing BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate in India.

 

 

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Australia’s Shaun Marsh announced retirement from first-class cricket: Former Australia opener Shaun Marsh has announced his retirement from first-class cricket after 22 years with Western Australia and 38 Tests for Australia. Marsh appeared in 38 Test matches for Australia, beginning with an away match against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in September 2011. In his Test career, he has amassed 2,265 runs, including six centuries and ten half-centuries. Marsh made his first-class debut in 2001 at the age of 17. Marsh, who turns 40 in June, represented Australia in all three formats, scoring over 12,000 runs in first-class cricket, including 32 centuries. He also holds the record for most runs for Western Australia in all formats: 12,811 runs in 236 matches.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Punjab National Bank signs MoU with Central Warehousing Corporation: Punjab National Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central Warehousing Corporation to facilitate financing under e-NWR (Electronic Negotiable Warehousing Receipt). Aim: To provide easy access to finance to farmers/ food processors/ traders against the pledge of agriculture commodities stored in CWC warehouses CWC is a statutory body under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. Minister of Consumer Affairs: Piyush Goyal

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. India won Golden & Silver Star at ‘Golden City Gate Tourism Awards: India’s Ministry of Tourism has won the Golden and Silver Stars at The International ‘Golden City Gate Tourism Awards 2023’ in ‘TV/Cinema Commercials International and Country International’ Category at ITB, Berlin. The awards were received by Arvind Singh, Secretary (Tourism) at ITB (Internationale Tourismus-Börse) Berlin, the world’s largest annual tourism trade fair. The Golden City Gate tourism multi-media awards are given annually in various categories related to the tourism and hospitality sectors. The ‘Golden City Gate’ is a creative multi-media international competition for countries, cities, regions and hotels. The entries received for the awards are judged by an international jury comprising film and tourism experts.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Olympic Diving Champion, Pat McCormick passes away: American Olympic athlete Pat McCormick died at 92 in California due to health-related problems and dementia. She won the women’s 3-meter springboard and 10-meter platform competitions at the 1952 Olympics in Finland. She was honored by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) with the James E. Sullivan Award - amateur athlete of the year in 1956. She was the 2nd woman to win the award after Swimmer Ann Curtis(1944). She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame

Daily GK Update- 11th Mar, 2023

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Rohit Jawa appointed as the CEO of Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL): Rohit Jawa has been appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) of Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) with effect from 27th June 2023 He is presently the Chief of Transformation for Unilever and has been appointed for 5-year. He will succeed Sanjiv Mehta, who was the part of Hindustan Unilever since 2013. He will also join Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE). HUL is India's largest fast moving consumer goods company headquartered in Mumbai.

 

2. IIM Ahmedabad conference on 'FinTech: Innovation, Inclusion and Regulation': Misra Centre for Financial Markets and Economy (MCFME) at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), along with Centre for Advanced Financial Research and Learning (CAFRAL) has organized 'International Research Conference on FinTech: Innovation, Inclusion, and Regulation'. It is a two-day conference for bringing top researchers, practitioners, and regulators from across the globe together to deliberate on key issues of FinTech.

 

3. Two-day G20 flower festival begins in New Delhi: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has inaugurated two-day G20 Flower Festival has been being organized at Delhi’s Connaught Place for highlighting the vibrancy of G20 members and guest countries. G20 countries like Japan, Singapore, and the Netherlands are participating in it. Flower plants of different colours and varieties are being displayed in different forms and installations to showcase the diversity of the Indian subcontinent.

 

4. Vote Fest 2023 inaugurated in Bengaluru to create awareness on election: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel has inaugurated Vote Fest 2023 to create awareness on the election process in Bengaluru.

They also inaugurated ‘Electhon 2023’, which is a 30-hour hackathon for securing the electoral future. The fest seeks people's suggestions on improving voter turnout, ensuring the registration of new voters, and how to ensure the involvement of urban youth in the democratic process.

 

5. Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen Internship-2023 in J&K: Directorate of Rural Sanitation, Jammu and Kashmir has launched Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen Internship-2023 for engaging the youth enrolled in colleges and universities, as well as research scholars, who are interested in working in rural areas. It will provide an opportunity for young minds to gain valuable experience, develop their skills, and contribute meaningfully towards the implementation of the SBM (G) Phase II.

 

6. 3rd Session of the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction concluded: Third Session of the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR) has been concluded in New Delhi today. Organized by: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM). NPDRR was comprised of 4 Plenary Sessions, 1 Ministerial Session, and 8 Thematic Sessions with more than 1200 subject experts, practitioners, academicians and delegates.

 

7. Women and Nation Building: 1857 to the Republic exhibition held at Delhi: Arjun Ram Meghwal has inaugurated the exhibition titled ‘Women and Nation Building: 1857 to the Republic' at National Archives of India, New Delhi on 133rd Foundation Day of National Archives of India. The exhibition highlights the contributions of women in nation building and freedom struggle from 1857 in an interesting manner like Durgawati Devi and Kasturba Gandhi.

It also presents a selection of original documents drawn from the attics of the archival repository.

 

8. Siddhartha Mohanty appointed as the interim chairman of LIC: Siddhartha Mohanty has been appointed as the interim chairman of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) for three months with effect from March 14, 2023. He is presently a managing director and chief executive officer (MD & CEO) of LIC Housing Finance. Currently, Bishnu Charan Patnaik, Ipe Mini, Siddhartha Mohanty, and Raj Kumar are the Managing Director of LIC. Chairman of LIC: Mangalam Ramasubramanian Kumar.

 

9. Amit Shah virtually inaugurated development project in Ahmedabad: Home Minister Amit Shah has unveiled multiple development works worth Rs 154 cr of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority. Among which the biggest work is inauguration of a new over-bridge at Sanathal Junction on Sardar Patel Ring Road at a cost of Rs100 cr project. Shah also inaugurated Smart schools in Chandkheda, Sabarmati, Shela, Thaltej, and Sarkhej.

 

10. Piyush Goyal chaired the 6th meeting of NSAC: Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal has chaired the 6th meeting of the National Startup Advisory Council (NSAC) in New Delhi. NSAC is playing an important role in identifying areas of intervention for the expansion of the startup ecosystem and ideating and nurturing national programs under the Startup India initiative. With the theme of India@2047, NSAC will plan upon matters important for evolution of Indian startup ecosystem. The Central Government had constituted the NSAC to advise the Government on measures required to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation and startups in the country resulting in sustainable economic growth and large-scale employment opportunities.

 

11. Defence Ministry signed contract with HAL to procure 6 Dornier aircraft: The defence ministry has signed a contract for procurement of six Dornier-228 aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at a cost of ₹667 crore. The addition of the six aircraft will further bolster the operational capability of the IAF in remote areas. The Dornier-228 aircraft is a highly versatile multi-purpose light transport aircraft. It has been developed specifically to meet the manifold requirements of utility and commuter transport as well as for maritime surveillance. The aircraft was used by IAF for route transport roles and communication duties. Subsequently, it has also been used for training of transport pilots of the IAF. The ministry also finalized a contract with Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T) for the acquisition of three cadet training ships worth over ₹3,100 crore.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Xi Jinping elected as President of China for historic third term: Xi Jinping has secured an unprecedented third term as the President of China and has been re-elected as the General Secretary of the Communist Party for five-year. Nearly 3,000 members of China's rubber-stamp parliament, National People's Congress (NPC), voted unanimously for Xi Jinping to be president.

Apart from him, Zhao Leji has been elected as the new parliament chair and Han Zheng as the new vice president.

 

2. India signed MoU with US for semiconductor supply chain: India has signed an MoU with the United States for a semiconductor Supply Chain and Innovation Partnership following the Commercial Dialogue 2023. The MoU seeks to establish a collaborative mechanism between the two governments on Semiconductor Supply chain resiliency and diversification in view of the US’s CHIPS and Science Act and India’s Semiconductor Mission. In this context, both sides announced the launch of a new Working Group on Talent, Innovation and Inclusive Growth under the Commercial Dialogue. This will further the cooperation on startups, SMEs, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, including in digital and emergent technologies.

 

3. Rajkumar Singh participated in 19th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting: Minister of State for External Affairs Rajkumar Ranjan Singh has participated in the 19th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting virtually from Bangkok. The meeting was hosted by Chair Thailand. During the meeting, the Ministers approved several documents including rules of Procedure for Core BIMSTEC Mechanisms, Sectoral BIMSTEC Mechanisms and BIMSTEC’s External Relations for submission to the 6th BIMSTEC Summit. The meeting also approved the draft Host Country Agreement between India and the BIMSTEC Secretariat for establishing BIMSTEC Centre for Weather and Climate in India.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Australia’s Shaun Marsh announced retirement from first-class cricket: Former Australia opener Shaun Marsh has announced his retirement from first-class cricket after 22 years with Western Australia and 38 Tests for Australia. Marsh appeared in 38 Test matches for Australia, beginning with an away match against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in September 2011. In his Test career, he has amassed 2,265 runs, including six centuries and ten half-centuries. Marsh made his first-class debut in 2001 at the age of 17. Marsh, who turns 40 in June, represented Australia in all three formats, scoring over 12,000 runs in first-class cricket, including 32 centuries. He also holds the record for most runs for Western Australia in all formats: 12,811 runs in 236 matches.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Govt releases Rs 1.4 trillion monthly instalment tax devolution to states: Central government has released Rs 1,40,318 crores as monthly instalment for March towards tax devolution to states, which is much more than the normal monthly devolution of Rs 70,159 crore made for states. This is in line with the commitment to strengthen the hands of states to accelerate their capital and developmental expenditure, an official statement said. Uttar Pradesh has received the highest instalment of Rs 24,783 crore among all states.

 

2. IDFC Mutual Fund rebrands itself as Bandhan Mutual Fund: IDFC Mutual Fund has been rebranded itself as Bandhan Mutual Fund and its schemes will reflect the new name with effect from March 13, 2023. IDFC Mutual Fund has also unveiled a new logo as the company was acquired by Bandhan Financial Holdings-led consortium in April 2022 Scheme of the fund house will be renamed to replace the word ‘IDFC’ with ‘Bandhan’. Unitholders of IDFC MF would continue to benefit from the same high‐quality investment approach.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. India won Golden & Silver Star at ‘Golden City Gate Tourism Awards: India’s Ministry of Tourism has won the Golden and Silver Stars at The International ‘Golden City Gate Tourism Awards 2023’ in ‘TV/Cinema Commercials International and Country International’ Category at ITB, Berlin. Arvind Singh, Secretary (Tourism) at ITB (Internationale Tourismus-Börse) Berlin, the world’s largest annual tourism trade fair, received the awards. The Golden City Gate tourism multi-media awards are given annually in various categories related to the tourism and hospitality sectors. The ‘Golden City Gate’ is a creative multi-media international competition for countries, cities, regions and hotels. An international jury comprising film and tourism experts judges the entries received for the awards.

Daily GK Update- 10th Mar, 2023

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Citi appoints Bhanu Vohra as head for commercial banking in India: Citi group has named Bhanu Vohra as the head of Citi Commercial Bank (CCB) business in India. He has replaced Tushar Vikram, who is now the global head of healthcare for CCB. He will report to Ashu Khullar (Citi India CEO) and Rajat Madhok (head of Citi Commercial Bank Asia Pacific). The Citi Commercial Bank business addresses the banking and financial services requirements of emerging large corporates and mid-market enterprises.

 

2. Axis MF appointed B Gopkumar as CEO of Axis Securities: B Gopkumar (MD & CEO of Axis Securities) has been appointed as the new CEO of Axis Mutual Fund. He would replace Chandresh Nigam who has stepped down as the CEO. Nigam's tenure will be ended April 30, 2023, and Gopkumar will take over on May 1, 2023, for a 3-year term. Gopkumar has been in charge of Axis Securities since October 2019. In addition, the fund house also appointed Ashish Gupta to be its new chief investment officer.

 

3. Army installed tallest Iconic National Flag in hilly Doda district, J&K: In Jammu & Kashmir, the Indian Army installed the tallest ‘Iconic National Flag’ in the hilly Doda district. The tricolour has been installed on a 100 feet-high pole, the highest Tricolour in the Doda district. General Officer Commanding of the Army’s Delta Force Maj Gen Ajay Kumar unfurled it. He also honoured the next of kin of soldiers who had died in the service of the nation. The Flag is a tribute to the countless soldiers of the Chenab Region who have made the ultimate sacrifice while safeguarding the unity and integrity of the nation. Doda district of Jammu Division was once a hotbed of terrorists. But the situation has altogether changed with people working closely with security agencies and Government in maintaining peace and ensuring the development of the Chenab region.

 

4. Colonel Geeta Rana became the first woman officer to command a field workshop: Colonel Geeta Rana of the Indian Army’s Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) has become the first woman officer of the Indian Army to command a field workshop on the forward front in Eastern Ladakh. Rana is currently a Colonel in the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME). The Indian Army has also approved women officers to take up the role of commanders. After this Colonel Geeta has become the first woman officer to achieve this achievement. Colonel Geeta will command the independent field workshop deployed along the China border.

 

5. Neiphiu Rio became the CM of Nagaland for the fifth time: Neiphiu Rio was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Nagaland for a record fifth term in Kohima. The state will have two deputy chief ministers, one each from alliance partners NDPP and BJP. The assembly elections were held on a total of 60 seats in Nagaland. In which NDPP-BJP got 37 seats, in which NDPP got 25 seats and BJP got 12 seats. After this, the coalition government of NDPP and BJP has been formed.

 

6. 10 March – CISF Raising Day: The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Raising Day is celebrated every year on March 10 to commemorate the establishment of the CISF in 1969. The CISF is a premier central armed police force under the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is responsible for providing security cover to various public sector undertakings, airports, seaports, power plants, and other important infrastructure projects across the country. The CISF was established on March 10, 1969, under an Act of Parliament with a few battalions.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Ram Chandra Paudel elected as the third President of Nepal: Senior Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Paudel (78) has been elected the third President of Nepal. He defeated CPN-UML Vice-chair Subash Chandra Nembang. He won the presidential elections with 33,802 votes, while his opponent received 15,518 votes. The President is elected by an Electoral College consisting of the members of the Federal Parliament and the Provincial Assembly. The tenure of Bidya Devi Bhandari as Nepal's President will be ended on March 12.

 

2. International Day of Women Judges 2023: March 10: The International Day of Women Judges is observed every year on March 10 to honour all-female judges who have taken the lead in the fight against social injustice. This day is being observed with the campaign “Women in Justice, Women for Justice”. It is a symbolic day for the fight for gender equality and the fight against gender-based discrimination. In April 2021, UNGA enacted resolution 75/274 designating March 10 as the International Day of Women Judges

 

3. NASA, Italian Space Agency join hands to monitor air pollution: NASA has partnered with the Italian Space Agency,  Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI) to build and launch MAIA (Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols) missions. Aim: To investigate the health impacts of air pollution in the world’s most populated cities. It is the first mission of the agency whose primary goal is to benefit societal health and will launch before the end of 2024. It will consist of the PLATiNO-2 satellite (provided by ASI), and a science instrument (NASA).

 

4. Colombia opens military service to women for first time in 25 years: Colombia has opened military service to women for the first time in 25 years. A cohort of 1,296 women has been enlisted in Colombia’s Army in February 2023. Colombia has long had compulsory military service for men ages 18 to 24. The army relies heavily on those young recruits to staff bases, protect infrastructure and carry out administrative tasks, while its professional soldiers confront drug trafficking gangs and rebel groups. This year, officials allowed females in the same age range to voluntarily join the military, in what the army says is part of an effort to strengthen the role of women in its ranks.

 

5. ISRO received Indo-US jointly developed NISAR satellite: The US Air Force handed over NISAR, an earth observation satellite jointly developed by NASA and ISRO, to the Indian space agency. A US Air Force C-17 aircraft carrying the NASA-ISRO synthetic aperture radar (NISAR) has landed in Bengaluru. The satellite is an outcome of a collaboration between the American space agency NASA and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The satellite is expected to be launched in 2024 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh, into a near-polar orbit. It will be the first radar of its kind in space to systematically map Earth, using two different radar frequencies (L-band and S-band) to measure changes in the planet’s surface less than a centimetre across.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Axis Bank, ITC partner to offer rural lending products to farmers: Axis Bank and ITC (FMCG) joined hands to offer lending products and services to farmers who are a part of ITC's agriculture ecosystem. Aim: To enable the bank to reach out to the unserved and under-served farmers across rural regions. The bank will offer credit facilities for rural lending products like Farmer Funding loans & Gold Loans. The bank will also leverage ITC-MAARS (Meta Market for Advanced Agricultural Rural Services) to address farmers' financial needs.

 

2. Bank of Baroda board approves 49% stake divestment in BFSL: In an exchange filing, the Bank of Baroda has informed that the bank's board has approved divesting up to 49% stake in subsidiary BoB Financial Solutions Ltd. Currently, BOB holds 100% of the total equity share capital of BFSL. BFSL, a registered non-banking financial institution, is primarily involved in credit cards and merchant-acquiring businesses. Bank of Baroda MD & CEO: Sanjiv Chadha; Chairman: Hasmukh Adhia BoB HQ: Vadodara

 

3. FinMin tightens definition of beneficial owners under PMLA: The FinMin has tightened the definition of beneficial owners under the anti-money laundering law, mandating reporting entities to collect information from their clients. Beneficial Owners: Any individual or group holding 10% ownership (earlier 25%) in the client of a reporting entity The reporting entities are banks and financial institutions engaged in real estate and jewellery sectors. They also include intermediaries in casinos and crypto or virtual digital assets.

 

4. BSE, NSE shortlists 5paisa, HDFC Sec, others as qualified stock brokers: Stock exchanges BSE and NSE have designated 15 trading platforms as Qualified Stock Brokers (QSBs) with effect from July 1, 2023. These shortlisted stock brokers are required to meet enhanced obligations and discharge additional responsibilities. Some of the notable stock brokers in the QSB list are Zerodha Broking, 5Paisa Capital, HDFC Securities, IIFL Securities, ICICI Securities, Motilal Financial Services, Kotak Securities, and Sharekhan among others.

 

5. Yes Bank and Aadhar Housing Finance ink co-lending partnership: Yes Bank has partnered with Aadhar Housing Finance Ltd to offer home loans at competitive interest rates to customers from lower and middle-income groups. This partnership is in accordance with the co-lending framework of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Under this framework, the RBI enables banks and non-banking companies to jointly bring forth financial solutions that cater to the requirements of unserved and underserved sections of society.

 

6. Ujjivan Small Finance Bank launches “Unpause Initiative”: Ujjivan Small Finance Bank has launched the ‘Unpause Initiative’ to assist women who have taken a career break and are now ready to return to the workforce. The initiative is part of the bank's commitment to promoting workplace diversity and inclusion. The bank’s employees participated in a 3 km walk from its registered headquarters in Koramangala to support an initiative. Ujjivan SFB has also announced a special Hiring Drive and Employee referral program for women.

 

7. Kotak AMC financial literacy campaign for women: To drive the culture of digital literacy among the women fraternity on this year’s International Women’s Day, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company has launched a digital campaign called ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’. The campaign calls for digital inclusion of all with the hashtag, #IncludeAll. The digital campaign showcases Kotak group’s women employees sharing their stories about supporting and empowering other women in their lives by imparting them knowledge of digital literacy. On this Women’s Day, Kotak Mutual Fund through its campaign wants to spread the message that it is equally important for other women’s categories, especially domestic help and servants, to become digitally literate, which will help them in their day-to-today lives. MD & CEO of Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company -Nilesh Shah

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. India Bags Golden & Silver Star at ITB, Berlin 2023: The Ministry of Tourism of India has bagged a Golden & Silver Star at The International ‘Golden City Gate Tourism Awards 2023’ at ITB, Berlin 2023.Category: TV/Cinema Commercials International and Country International Arvind Singh, Secretary (Tourism) received awards on 8th March 2023 at ITB, Berlin. The Golden City Gate Tourism Multi-media Awards are given annually in various categories related to the Tourism and Hospitality sectors.

 

2. WINS Awards 2023 launched by MoHUA: The Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri has launched the ‘Women Icons Leading Swachhata’ (WINS) Awards 2023. Aim: To recognize celebrate and disseminate inspiring and exemplary initiatives in urban sanitation and waste management by women-led organizations and individual women. The applications are open from 8th March to 5th April 2023.   Applications for the Awards are open to SHG, Micro-enterprises, NGOs, Startups, and Individuals.

Daily GK Update- 9th Mar, 2023

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. ISRO receives Indo-US jointly developed NISAR satellite: The US Air Force handed over an earth observation satellite, NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) to ISRO on March 8, 2023.A US Air Force C-17 aircraft carrying the NISAR has landed in Bengaluru, Karnataka.It was jointly developed by NASA and ISRO.This satellite will be used by ISRO for a variety of purposes including agricultural mapping, and landslide-prone areas.It is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observatory. It will map the entire globe in 12 days.

 

2. Captain Shaliza Dhami becomes first woman to command combat unit in IAF: Group Captain Shaliza Dhami (Ludhiana) has been selected by the Indian Air Force to take over a frontline combat unit's command in the western sector.She becomes the first woman officer in the history of the IAF to be given the frontline combat unit command.Currently, she is posted in the operations branch of a frontline command headquarters. She also served as flight commander of a Chetak unit at the Hindon air base— both firsts for an IAF woman officer.

 

3. Maharashtra to introduce 4th women's policy: Maharashtra Deputy CM, Devendra Fadanvis has informed that the state government will introduce the fourth women's policy.Aim: To give more opportunities to womenState Government initiative:To introduce a rehabilitation scheme for those above 18 years old girls from the orphanage.To start a Hirkani Room(Kaksha) for breastfeeding mothers at the police station. Govt also proposed to provide equal and dignified positions to women in all sectors. 

 

4. PM Modi to inaugurate 3rd Session of NPDRR: PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 3rd Session of the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR) in New Delhi on March 10, 2023.Theme: Building Local Resilience in a Changing ClimateThe Home Ministry, National Disaster Management Authority, National Disaster Response Force, and National Institute of Disaster Management jointly organize it. It will comprise four Plenary Sessions, one Ministerial Session, and eight Thematic Sessions.

 

5. No Smoking Day 2023: March 8: No Smoking Day is observed on the second Wednesday of March.In 2023, No Smoking Day falls on March 8.Aim: To encourage people to quit smoking and raise awareness about its harmful effects on their healthThis year’s theme is: “Stopping smoking improves your brain health". The United Kingdom witnessed that people in the country are getting addicted to smoking. Earlier, it was celebrated on the first Wednesday of March as it began on Ash Wednesday.

 

6. ISRO carries out controlled re-entry experiment of decommissioned satellite: ISRO has successfully carried out an "extremely challenging" controlled re-entry experiment of the decommissioned orbiting Megha-Tropiques-1 (MT-1) satellite. The final impact region estimated is in the deep Pacific Ocean within the expected latitude and longitude boundaries. The low Earth satellite was launched on October 12, 2011. It is a joint satellite venture of ISRO and the French space agency, CNES for tropical weather and climate studies.

 

7. Yaoshang festival begins in Manipur: The Yaoshang festival has begun on the 7 March and will continue for five days in Manipur. It is celebrated for five days in spring, starting on the full moon day of the month of Lamda (February-March). The festival is celebrated by the Meetei who are predominantly Hindu and it is celebrated at the same time as Holi. However, during the Yaoshang festival, apart from playing with colour, the festival also witnessed a number of cultural and religious activities for five days.

 

8. Manik Saha sworn in as chief minister of Tripura for second time: Manik Saha has been sworn in as the new chief minister of Tripura for the second consecutive term. Tripura governor Satyadeo Narain Arya administered the oath to him at Vivekananda Maidan in the capital city of Tripura, Agartala. In 2022, he was made the chief minister after replacing Biplab Deb.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Australian PM Anthony Albanese arrives in India for four-day visit: Australian PM Anthony Albanese arrived in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on a state visit to India on March 8, 2023. During his four-day tour, he will also visit Mumbai and Delhi as well. He will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhawan on 10th March and call on President Droupadi Murmu. He will hold the Annual Summit with PM Modi to discuss areas of cooperation under the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

 

2. J&K govt launches plantation drive on International Women's Day 2023: Jammu and Kashmir's government has celebrated International Women's Day 2023 (March 8) by organizing a plantation program under the theme “Ped Lagao Beti Ke Naam”. The initiative involved women and girls in afforestation, environmental conservation, and creating awareness. Over one thousand saplings of various species were planted along the National Highway Ring Road NH-44, at Chak Avtara Panchayat of Bishnah Tehsil of Jammu district.

 

3. ECI to host the 3rd International Conference: The Election Commission of India (ECI) hosted the 3rd International Conference in virtual format on 09 March 2023. Theme: Inclusive Elections and Elections Integrity ECI is leading the Cohort on Elections Integrity which was established as a follow-up to the ‘Summit for Democracy’ held virtually in December 2021. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel addressed the Conference.

 

4. Arun Subramanian becomes 1st Indian-American judge at New York Court: Indian-American Arun Subramaniam has been confirmed as the first South Asian District Judge for the Southern District of New York. Senate Majority Leader Senator Chuck Schumer confirmed the nomination of Mr. Subramanian by a vote of 58-37. South District New York notably has one of the largest South Asian-American populations in the country. Arun Subramanian currently serves as Chairperson of Susman Godfrey’s 2022 Pro Bono Committee and is also a longtime Director of the Columbia Law Review.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Trade in crypto currency to be covered under India's money laundering laws: As per the Finance Ministry notification, the exchange between virtual digital assets and fiat currencies, the exchange between one or more forms of virtual digital assets, and the transfer of virtual digital assets will be covered under the money laundering act. The safekeeping or administration of virtual digital assets and the participation in financial services related to the offer and sale of virtual digital assets will also come under the preview of the Act.

 

2. Sebi puts restrictions on cos opting share buyback via stock exchange route: SEBI has imposed restrictions on the placement of bids, price, and volume for the companies undertaking share buyback through the stock exchange route, effective on March 9, 2023. A company will not be able to purchase more than 25% of the average daily trading volume of its shares in the 10 trading days preceding the day in which such purchases are made. The company will not place bids in the first 30 minutes and the last 30 minutes of the regular trading session.

 

3. Kotak AMC financial literacy campaign for women: On International Women’s Day 2023, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company (AMC) launched a digital campaign called ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’. Aim: To drive the culture of digital literacy among the women's fraternity The campaign calls for the digital inclusion of all with the hashtag, #IncludeAll. The digital campaign showcases Kotak group’s women employees sharing their stories about supporting and empowering other women in their lives.

 

4. Max Life partners with Ujjivan SFB to offer life insurance solutions: Max Life Insurance and Ujivan Small Finance Bank have partnered to offer life insurance offerings to Ujjivan SFB’s customers. Through this partnership, both will offer a range of savings, protection, retirement, and group life insurance plans to Ujivan SFB customers. Max Life Insurance Company Limited is a joint venture between Max Financial Services Limited and Axis Bank Limited.

 

 

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Bollywood actor, director Satish Kaushik passes away: Bollywood actor-director Satish Kaushik passed away at the age of 66 in Delhi due to cardiac arrest. Kaushik was an alumnus of the National School of Drama (NSD) and the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). He was known for his iconic roles in Mr. India, Tere Naam, Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja, Deewana Mastana, Brick Lane, Saajan Chale Sasural among others. Kaushik is fondly remembered for penning the dialogues for the 1983 cult classic "Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron".