Daily GK Update- 16th Mar, 2023

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Govt appoints Deepak Mohanty as PFRDA chairman: Deepak Mohanty has been appointed as the chairman of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). He replaced Supratim Bandyopadhyay, whose term ended in Jan 2023. Before this, Mohanty was a former executive director of the Reserve Bank of India. He was appointed PFRDA member (Economic) in August 2020 for a period of three years or till attaining the age of 62 years. PFRDA was formed in 2003 to promote and develop the pension industry.

 

2. Gaganyaan mission allocated Rs 9023 crore to achieve its objectives: The government has allocated a budget of Rs. 9023 Crore towards achieving the objectives of Gaganyaan mission. Scope of Gaganyaan program: To demonstrate human spaceflight capability to Low Earth Orbit and safe return ISRO is also developing indigenous technologies for Human rated launch vehicle, Life Support System, Crew Escape System, Ground Station Network, Crew Training and Recovery. The Union MoS, S&T, Dr. Jitendra Singh informed in Lok Sabha.

 

3. India joined Sea Dragon exercise 2023: The third edition of the Sea Dragon exercises is being started in the USA (host) from March 15-30, 2023. It is a coordinated multilateral anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercise for long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft. In this exercise, Indian Navy participated with its P8I aircraft, which arrived at Guam, USA on 14 March 2023. Apart from India, US Navy with P8A, Japan with P1, Canada with CP 140, and South Korea with P3C participated.

 

4. Minister Narender Singh Tomar inaugurates “AgriUnifest” in Bengaluru: Union Minister of Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar has inaugurated a 5-day cultural program“AgriUnifest” in Bengaluru. This program was organized by Bangalore Agricultural University in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). It was participated by students from 60 State Agricultural Universities/Deemed Universities/Central Universities participated. Aim: To integrate Indian agriculture by connecting various Indian cultures

 

5. REACHOUT scheme implemented by the Ministry of Earth Sciences: MoS (I/C) Earth Sciences Dr. Jitendra Singh has informed in Lok Sabha that REACHOUT is being implemented by the Ministry of Earth Sciences for capacity building. REACHOUT: Research, Education, and Training Outreach. It is an umbrella scheme of the following six sub-schemes: R&D in Earth System Science International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography Program for Development of Skilled manpower in Earth System Sciences Outreach and awareness KRCNet BCWC

 

6. 'Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2022' released: Union Minister Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Parshottam Rupala unveiled the department’s annual publication, the ‘Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2022’. Total milk production in the country during 2021-22 is 221.06 million tonnes. Top 5 Producing States: Milk: Rajasthan (15.05%), UP (14.93%), MP (8.06%), Gujarat (7.56%) and Andhra Pradesh (6.97%). Egg: Andhra Pradesh (20.41%), TN (16.08%), Telangana (12.86%), WB (8.84%) and Karnataka (6.38%)

 

7. Anurag Thakur inaugurated 16th meeting of SCO Youth Council: The 16th meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Youth Council was held in hybrid mode in New Delhi under the chairship of India. Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur inaugurated the meeting of the SCO Youth Council. During the meeting, the SCO Member States shared information on the activities of the SCO Youth Council in 2022-2023. They noted the high level of participation and the interest shown by the youth delegates of the SCO member states in the discussion held during the Conference. They also noted the promising enthusiasm shown by the youth delegates to engage in community development activities for the betterment of the society.

 

8. 3rd Divya Kala Mela inaugurated at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh: Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel has inaugurated the 3rd Divya Kala Mela at Bhopal. The government is aiming to achieve holistic and all-round development so that the disabled can participate equally in this process. Goods from across the country, including food items, are exhibited at the fair. Organized by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, this art fair will run till 21 Mar 2023. The four finance corporations under the ministry provide financial assistance to artisans and other beneficiaries.

 

9. OpenAl launched ‘GPT-4’ with higher accuracy: The artificial intelligence research company behind ChatGPT, OpenAI has unveiled its new and more advanced model called GPT-4. The latest version is more creative and accurate in its response and has better problem-solving capabilities than ChatGPT. According to OpenAI, GPT-4 is a “large multimodal model”, which cannot outperform humans in real-world scenarios but can exhibit “human-level performance on various professional and academic benchmarks”.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. US Senate confirms Eric Garcetti as Ambassador to India: The United States of America (USA) Senate approved the appointment of Eric Garcetti as the next US Ambassador to India. His appointment will now fill in the key diplomatic position that had been vacant for more than two years. His nomination was confirmed via a 52-42 vote, which was pending before the US Congress since July 2021. Kenneth Juster was the last occupant of the ambassadorial residence of the US in New Delhi, who stepped down in January 2021.

 

2. NASA unveils new generation of spacesuit for humanity's return trip to Moon: NASA unveiled a new generation of spacesuit for humanity's return trip to the Moon. This spacesuit comes with specialist features to support astronauts as they conduct scientific experiments on the lunar surface. The prototype is said to be a better fit for female space travelers. NASA hopes to have the updated suit ready for the Artemis III mission to the Moon in 2025. A well-fitting suit is crucial to prevent excessive fatigue and at worst, physical harm.

 

3. India and World Bank signs loan agreement for Green NH Corridors project: India and the World Bank have signed a loan agreement to construct the Green National Highway Corridors Project in four States. Four states: HP, Rajasthan, UP, and Andhra Pradesh The agreement has been signed to construct 781 kilometers, with loan assistance of 500 million dollars. The total project cost is over 7,662 crore rupees. Objective: To demonstrate safe and green highways keeping in view climate resilience and the use of green technologies

 

4. US recognizes McMahon Line as international border: The US has formally recognized the McMahon Line as the international boundary between India’s Arunachal Pradesh and China. The US has also rejected Beijing’s claim that the northeastern state falls under Chinese territory. A bipartisan resolution acknowledged Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of India.

The resolution, titled ‘Reaffirming the state of Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory and condemning the People’s Republic of China’s provocations in South Asia'.

 

5. India world’s largest arms importer: SIPRI Report 2023: According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s (SIPRI) 2023 report, India will become the world’s leading arms importer in 2022. India remained the world’s largest arms importer from 2018 to 2022 followed by Saudi Arabia. According to this report, between the years 2013-17 and 2018-22, India’s arms imports have decreased by 11 percent. Russia was India’s largest arms supplier in the periods between 2013-17 and 2018-22. But Russia’s share of arms imports to India fell from 64 to 45%. While France emerged as the second-largest arms supplier to India followed by the US. The US had the world’s largest military expenditure, accounting for 40%of the global share, followed by Russia (16%), and France (11%).

 

6. March 15 – World Consumer Rights Day: World Consumer Rights Day is observed every year on 15 March. Objective – to raise awareness about consumer rights and promote consumer protection. The day is also an opportunity to denounce market injustices and celebrate solidarity within the international consumer movement. Theme 2023 – Empowering Consumers Through Clean Energy Transitions The origins of World Consumer Rights Day dates back to March 15, 1962, when US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy addressed the US Congress on the importance of consumer rights. The first World Consumer Rights Day was observed on March 15, 1983, and since then, organizations like Consumer International have celebrated the occasion by holding events and campaigns to safeguard consumer rights.

 

 

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Commercial Bank 'first in Qatar' to launch UPI remittance service to India: Commercial Bank, a digital Bank in Qatar has announced to launch of Unified Payment Interface (UPI) remittance service to India. With this decision, this bank becomes the first bank in Qatar to offer this service. Customers can use Commercial Banking digital platforms to initiate UPI payments using UPI-ID. The transactions can be completed within 60 seconds and are available 24/7. UPI is a convenient payment system that allows customers to transfer money in real time.

 

2. Wholesale inflation falls to two-year low of 3.85% in February: Wholesale Price-based Inflation (WPI) has been eased to two years low of 3.85% in February 2023 against 4.73% recorded in January 2023. It will primarily contribute to the fall in the prices of crude petroleum, food products, electronics, chemicals, and electrical equipment. In February, fuel and power rose 14.82 percent as compared to 15.15 percent in January this year and food index stood at 2.76 percent against 2.95 percent in preceding month. Annual retail inflation (CPI) eased to 6.44 percent in February this year, helped by a fall in the price of food items.

 

3. RBI allowed banks from 18 countries to trade in rupee: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has permitted banks from 18 countries to open Special Vostro Rupee Accounts (SVRAs) to settle payments in rupees. These 18 nations include Botswana, Fiji, Germany, Guyana, Israel, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, New Zealand, Oman, Russia, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, and the United Kingdom. The SVA process began in 2022 when RBI announced, “it has been decided to put in place an additional arrangement for invoicing, payment, and settlement of exports/imports in INR [Indian rupees.”

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. RBI's Shaktikanta Das named 'Governor of the Year' by Central Banking: The Reserve Bank of India Governor, Shaktikanta Das was awarded the title 'Governor of the Year' for 2023 by Central Banking. Reason: For his leadership during difficult periods, such as the failure of a significant non-banking company, COVID-19 pandemic, and the inflationary effects caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine The National Bank of Ukraine was also awarded the Central Bank of the Year award. Central Banking is an international economic research journal.

 

2. Tamil writer Sivasankari to be awarded Saraswati Samman for 2022: Tamil writer Sivasankari has been selected for Saraswati Samman for the year 2022 for her book Survya Vamsam. This is a book of memoirs in Tamil language and was published in 2019. Saraswati Samman: It was instituted by the K.K. Birla Foundation in 1991. It is recognized as the most prestigious and the highest literary award in the country. It carries an award money of 15 lakh rupees, a Citation, and a Plaque.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Veteran actor Sameer Khakhar passed away: Veteran actor Sameer Khakhar, best known for his role in the 1980s classic Nukkad passed away at 71. He rose to fame with his roles in TV shows ‘Nukkad’ and ‘Circus’. He was also featured in ‘Shrimaan Shrimati’, and ‘Adaalat’. He also played vital roles in films, including ‘Hasee Toh Phasee’, ‘Jai Ho’, and ‘Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi’. He was last seen in the OTT series ‘Farzi’.

Daily GK Update- 15th Mar, 2023

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Govt appoints two Managing Directors at LIC: The government has appointed two Managing Directors (MD) of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) - M Jagannath and Tablesh Pandey. M Jagannath took the charge as MD on March 13, 2023. Before this, he was working as the Zonal Manager of South Central Zone, Hyderabad and While Tablesh Pandey is an Executive Director at the Central office of LIC in Mumbai and will take charge on April 1, 2023. Pandey will replace present managing director B C Patnaik.

 

2. DRDO successfully conducts flight test of Power Take off Shaft on LCA Tejas: DRDO has successfully conducted a flight test of the Power Take Off (PTO) Shaft on Light Combat Aircraft (LCA Tejas) Limited Series Production (LSP)-3 aircraft in Bengaluru. The PTO shaft is indigenously designed and developed by the Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (CVRDE), Chennai. The PTO shaft is a critical component in the aircraft. It supports the requirements of future fighter aircraft and their variants and offers competitive costs.

 

3. Atal Innovation Mission launches ATL Sarthi: Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) - NITI Aayog launched ATL Sarthi. It is a comprehensive self-monitoring framework to strengthen the ecosystem of Atal Tinkering Labs. Atal Innovation Mission has established Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATL) in schools to foster curiosity, creativity, and imagination in young minds. ATL Sarthi is a charioteer and will enable the Atal Tinkering Labs to be efficient and effective. Mission Director AIM, NITI Aayog: Dr. Chintan Vaishnav

 

4. Mary Kom, Farhan Akhtar roped in as brand ambassadors of Women's Boxing: The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) appointed legendary boxer MC Mary Kom and actor Farhan Akhtar as the brand ambassadors of the IBA Women’s World Championships 2023. BFI also unveiled the title sponsor, Mahindra Automotive for the event. The championship is scheduled from March 15 to 26 at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi. India is hosting the World Championships for the third time. President, Boxing Federation of India: Ajay Singh

 

5. 13th edition of Exercise Bold Kurukshetra concluded: The 13th edition of a bilateral armour exercise, EX Bold Kurukshetra, between India and Singapore was concluded on March 13, 2023, at Jodhpur Military Station, India. The ten-day-long joint training that commenced on March 5, fostered a common understanding of mechanized warfare in emerging threats and evolving technologies. It involved soldiers from the 42nd Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment and Armoured Brigade of the Indian Army.

 

6. BIS launches 'Learning Science via Standards' initiative for students: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has launched the ‘Learning Science via Standards’ series for students. Focus: Aimed to use scientific concepts, principles, and laws to help students understand their practical applications in manufacturing, functioning, and testing of quality characteristics of different products This series is in a continuum with an earlier BIS initiative under which ‘Standards Clubs’ are being established in educational institutions.

 

7. IIT Guwahati partnered with Sathya Sai Hospital for cardiac research: The Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati has signed an MoU with Sri Sathya Sai Heart Hospital, Ahmedabad to foster Cardiac research. It was signed to provide digital transformation, degradation, and information sharing related to cardiac diseases. In collaboration with IIT Guwahati, we are looking forward to proceed with an R&D-led approach to find the cause of cardiac diseases and prevent it by sharing knowledge with respective stakeholders. The Government of Assam has also inked an MoU with the Hospital to conduct sophisticated heart surgeries on 500 children

 

8. India’s retail inflation drops to 6.44% in February 2023: According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, India’s consumer price inflation (CPI) based inflation eased marginally to 44 percent in February 2023. This is lower than 6.52 percent in January but still above the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) upper tolerance limit of 6 percent. The rural inflation was 6.72 percent and urban inflation was 6.10 percent. The combined food inflation was also near 6 percent limit at 5.95 percent. It was 6 percent in January. The RBI has raised its benchmark repo rate by 250 basis points since May last year. According to reports, there is expectations of another 25 basis points hike to 6.75 percent in April before it hits the pause button. The RBI earlier lowered the CPI forecast to 6.5 percent for the current fiscal from 6.7 percent. Before that in December, the inflation was at a one-year low of 5.72 percent.

 

9. Shreya Ghodawat appointed as India’s ambassador of ‘She Changes Climate’: Climate entrepreneur Shreya Ghodawat has been appointed as India’s ambassador for She Changes Climate. The global non-profit organization launched a special initiative for International Women’s Day titled ‘Embrace Equity’ that aims to amplify the voices of women around the impacts of climate change. The campaign promotes the role of women in accelerating climate change. According to UN Women, more than 150 countries have laws that discriminate against women.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. World Consumer Rights Day 2023: March 15: World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated on March 15 every year to raise awareness about consumer rights and promote consumer protection. 2023 Theme: Empowering Consumers Through Clean Energy Transitions This day was first observed on March 15, 1983, which was inspired by US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy's US Congress address on March 15, 1962. He addressed the issue of consumer rights and laid emphasis on its importance.

 

2. OpenAI launches 'GPT-4' with higher accuracy: The artificial intelligence research company, OpenAI has unveiled its new and more advanced model called GPT-4. The latest version is more creative and accurate in its response. It has better problem-solving capabilities than ChatGPT (developed by OpenAI). GPT-4 is a large multimodal model, which cannot outperform humans in real-world scenarios but can exhibit “human-level performance on various professional and academic benchmarks.

 

3. India signed MoC with Sweden to promote research networking: India and Sweden signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) to strengthen cooperation and promote research networking between research institutions from both countries. The MoC aims to promote mobility funding opportunities in both countries. It will facilitate academic cooperation through mobility activities as well as through seminars, workshops, and conferences This partnership will take forward joint Science and Technology efforts particularly in smart cities, Al, and many more.

 

4. International Conference on ‘Buddhist Heritage’ begins in New Delhi: An international conference on ‘Shared Buddhist Heritage’ started in New Delhi. It is being organized with a focus on India’s civilizational connection with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) nations 2023. India is also going to host SCO Tourism Ministers’ Meeting (TMM) on 17th -18th March 2023 in Kashi. The conference on ‘Shared Buddhist Heritage’ is a first-of-its-kind event under India’s leadership of SCO. It brings together Central Asian, East Asian, South Asian and Arab countries on a common platform to discuss ‘Shared Buddhist Heritage’. The SCO countries comprise of member states, observer states and dialogue partners, including China, Russia, and Mongolia.

 

5. 14 March – International Day Of Action For Rivers: The International Day of Action for Rivers is observed every year on March 14 to raise awareness of how crucial rivers are to our daily lives.

The day also seeks to spread awareness about unequal access to clean water and the growing pollution of freshwater habitats like rivers as a result of blatant human activity. This year the 26th International Day of Action for Rivers is being celebrated. Theme 2023 – Rights of Rivers The first International Day of Action for Rivers was observed in March 1997.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Mahindra Auto becomes title sponsor of IBA Women’s Boxing Championship: The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) has signed Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. as its title sponsor for the International Boxing Association (IBA) Women’s World Boxing Championships 2023. MC Mary Kom and Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar were also appointed brand ambassadors for the championship. The tournament will be held from 15 March 2023 in Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, New Delhi. India is hosting the event for the third time in its history.

 

2. Ashleigh Gardner & Harry Brook won ICC Player of the Month for February: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the winners of the ICC Player of the Month awards for February 2023. Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner was named the ICC Women’s Player of the Month, and England’s Harry Brook was named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month. Ashleigh Gardner was awarded the award for her performance in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 held in South Africa.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Wholesale inflation falls to two-year low of 3.85% in February: Wholesale Price-based Inflation (WPI) has been eased to two years low of 3.85% in February 2023 against 4.73% recorded in January 2023. It will primarily contribute to the fall in the prices of crude petroleum, food products, electronics, chemicals, and electrical equipment. In February, fuel and power rose 14.82% as compared to 15.15% in January 2023. While the food index stood at 2.76% (Feb 2023) against 2.95% (Jan 2023). Retail inflation (Feb 2023): 6.44%

 

2. RBI has allowed banks from 18 countries to trade in rupee: RBI has granted approval to foreign banks in 18 countries to open Vostro accounts to settle international trade in rupees. 18 Countries: Botswana, Fiji, Germany, Guyana, Israel, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, New Zealand, Oman, Russia, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, and UK MoS Finance, Bhagwat Karad informed in the Rajya Sabha. In July 2022, govt informed that it would set up a mechanism to settle international trade in rupees.

 

3. CCI approves Reliance’s acquisition of METRO Cash & Carry India: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved Reliance Industries Ltd to acquire the German firm Metro AG's wholesale operations in India for ₹2,850 crore. On 22 December 2022, Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL) signed definitive agreements to acquire a 100% equity stake in Metro Cash & Carry India Pvt Ltd. Metro started operations in India in 2003 as the first company to introduce a cash-and-carry business format in the country.

 

4. Suryodaya Small Finance Bank launched Blossom Women’s Savings Account: Suryoday Small Finance Bank has launched a new savings account for women customers called the Blossom Women’s savings account. The account is designed to provide women with a safe and secure platform to save and grow their money with best of the interest rate and a wide range of exclusive benefits and privileges. Suryoday Small Finance Bank has announced the launch of ‘Blossom Women’s Savings Account’ with 7 percent per annum interest rate with monthly interest credit. Additionally, specially designed RuPay Platinum Debit Card offering discount on shopping and online purchases will also be available with the account. CEO of Suryoday SFB – R Baskar Babu

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Tamil writer Perumal Murugan's novel longlisted for Booker Prize 2023: Tamil writer Perumal Murugan's novel 'Pyre' has been selected for the International Booker prize longlist for 2023. This book is a translation of his original Tamil book 'Pukkuli' which tells the story of an inter-caste couple who elope, setting in motion a story of terrifying foreboding. Aniruddhan Vasudevan translated this novel into the English language in 2016. Prize money: £50,000, will be split equally between the author and translator.

 

2. Gyan Chaturvedi awarded Vyas Samman 2022 for ‘Pagalkhana: Noted Hindi writer Dr. Gyan Chaturvedi’s 2018 satirical novel, Pagalkhana, has been selected for the 32nd Vyas Samman 2022. Instituted by the KK Birla Foundation in 1991, the annual Vyas Samman is given to an outstanding Hindi literary work by an Indian citizen published during the last 10 years. It carries an award money of ₹4 lakh. After considering the works published during 2012-2021, a selection committee headed by eminent litterateur Prof Ramji Tiwari picked Dr. Chaturvedi’s Pagalkhana (mental asylum) for the prestigious Vyas Samman. Besides the Vyas Samman, the KK Birla Foundation has also instituted Saraswati Samman and Bihari Puraskar. While the Saraswati Samman, which carries an amount of ₹15 lakh, is given to an outstanding literary work of an Indian citizen in any of the languages included in Schedule VIII to the Constitution of India and published during a period of 10 years, the Bihari Puraskar with an amount of ₹2.5 lakh is meant for Hindi/Rajasthani writers of Rajasthan.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Veteran actor Sameer Khakhar passes away: Actor Sameer Khakhar, best known for his role in the iconic television show Nukkad, has died at 71 due to respiratory and other medical problems. He rose to fame with his roles in TV shows ‘Nukkad’ and ‘Circus’. He was also featured in ‘Shrimaan Shrimati’, and ‘Adaalat’. He also played vital roles in films, including ‘Hasee Toh Phasee’, ‘Jai Ho’, and ‘Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi’. He was last seen in the OTT series ‘Farzi’.

Daily GK Update- 14th Mar, 2023

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Ministry of Jal Shakti to Identify 75 Water Heritage Sites: The Ministry of Jal Shakti had constituted a committee to identify 75 Water Heritage Structure (WHS) in reference to 75 years of India's Independence. A total of 421 nominations were received and out of which, Committee has recommended 75 water heritage structures. It includes 5 WHS from Gujarat and 4 WHS from Andhra Pradesh. At present, there is no central fund allocated/disbursed for the maintenance of these sites.

 

2. India to host SCO Tourism Ministers’ Meeting 2023 in Kashi: India will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Tourism Ministers’ Meeting (TMM) on 17th -18th March 2023 in Kashi (designated as the first cultural capital of the SCO). During TMM, the Tourism Joint Action Plan on the Development of Cooperation in Tourism among SCO member countries would be adopted. India will also host the SCO Food Festival in Mumbai from 13-19 April 2023.

India is the current chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

 

3. India remains world’s largest arms importer: SIPRI Data: According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report, despite an 11% drop in arms import between 2013-17 and 2018-22, India remained the world’s largest arms importer from 2018 to 2022 followed by Saudi Arabia. Russia was India’s largest arms supplier in the periods between 2013-17 and 2018-22. But Russia's share of arms imports to India fell from 64 to 45%. While France emerged as the second-largest arms supplier to India followed by the US.

 

4. SIBC, Maharashtra Govt sign MoU in sustainable infrastructure and Defence: Sweden India Business Council (SIBC) has signed an MoU with the Maharashtra government for cooperation in waste to energy, sustainable infrastructure & transportation, defense manufacturing, and investment. The MoU was signed between SIBC and Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) in the presence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Both have also agreed to work together to explore and facilitate funding opportunities.

 

5. Ashok Leyland unveils all-women production line at Tamil Nadu plant: Heavy commercial vehicle maker Ashok Leyland has unveiled a new production line that would produce engines at its manufacturing facility in Hosur completely operated by women employees. The initiative to introduce an all-women production line is to promote women empowerment and encourage them take up roles in the manufacturing industry. Ashok Leyland, the flagship company of Hinduja Group, has set up this new line with 80 women employees. This initiative is in line with our brand philosophy of ‘Koi Manzil Door Nahin’ as we aim to upskill and generate employment for these women.

 

6. Sumant Kathpalia reappointed as MD & CEO of IndusInd Bank: Reserve bank of India had approved the re-appointment of Sumant Kathpalia as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the bank for a further period of 2 years with effect from March 24, 2023. Sumant Kathpalia is a career banker with years of experience in large multi-national banks such as Citibank, Bank of America and ABN AMRO, prior to joining IndusInd Bank. Kathpalia has led several roles in his 30-year career. Established in 1994 by Srichand P Hinduja, the name IndusInd Bank was inspired by the Indus Valley Civilisation.

 

7. Mohit Joshi appointed as MD and CEO of Tech Mahindra: Tech Mahindra announced that former Infosys President Mohit Joshi has been appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company for a period of 5 years, effective from 20 December 2023. Mohit Joshi will take over the charge from C P Gurnani after his retirement. Joshi has also worked for the largest corporations– Infosys, ANZ Grindlays, and ABN Amro Bank. He was the Vice Chair of the Economic Growth Board of the CBI (Confederation of British Industry). He was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2014.

 

8. Centre signed Rs 934 crore deal with HSL to Refit INS Sindhukirti Submarine: The Ministry of Defense has signed a contract for General Refit of INS Sindhukirti Submarine at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam at a total cost of Rs 934 crore. Sindhukirti is 3rd Kilo Class Diesel Electric Submarine. After completion of refit, Sindhukirti will be combat-worthy and will join the active submarine fleet of the Indian Navy. This refit has been offloaded to develop alternate repair facility for submarines and is a further step towards undertaking Medium refit with Life Certification at HSL. The project involves more than 20 Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and would lead to employment generation of 1,000 man-days per day for the project duration.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Multilateral Naval Exercise La Perouse 2023 Commences: The third edition multi-lateral maritime exercise La Pérouse 2023 started between the navies of India, Australia, French, Japan, and the United States in the Indian Ocean Region from 13-14 March 2023. It is a biennial exercise, conducted by the French Navy. Aim: To enhance maritime domain awareness and optimize maritime coordination amongst the participating navies in the Indo-Pacific Region India's INS Sahyadri and fleet tanker INS Jyoti have participated.

 

2. Asia's first woman loco pilot, Surekha Yadav will operate Vande Bharat: Asia's first female locomotive pilot, Surekha Yadav is now operating the Vande Bharat Express. She operated Vande Bharat Express from Solapur to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminal (CSMT) in Maharashtra. She hails from Stara, Maharashtra, and become the country's first female train driver in 1988. She had won many awards at the state and national levels so far for her achievements. Union Minister of Railway: Ashwini Vaishnaw

 

3. India and Sweden signed MoC to promote research networking: India and Sweden signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) to strengthen cooperation and promote research networking between research institutions from both countries. Aim: To promote mobility funding opportunities in both countries It facilitates academic cooperation through mobility activities as well as through seminars, workshops, and conferences. This partnership will take forward joint Science and Technology efforts particularly in smart cities, AI, and many more.

 

4. World Food India-2023 to take place in New Delhi: The second edition of ‘World Food India-2023’ will be organized from 3-5 November 2023 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The event will be organized by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India. During the event, Union Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras outlined pivotal elements of the WFI-2023 as Millets- ‘Shree Anna-The Super Food of India’, Innovation and Sustainability ‘Green Food’, White Revolution 2.0, making India an export hub and focuson technology and digitisation.

 

5. India & Australia sign audio-visual co-production agreement: India and Australia have signed an audio-visual co-production agreement that seeks to offer filmmakers financial incentives amounting to up to 30 percent of the expenditure incurred in the respective countries. The agreement was signed by I&B Secretary Apurva Chandra and Australian High Commissioner Barry O’Farrell. Australia is the 16th country with which India has a co-production agreement that would benefit mainly small filmmakers keen on shooting movies, web series, advertisements or carrying out post-production work or visual effects in that country. India has audio-visual co-production agreements with Italy, the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, Germany, Brazil, France, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Canada, China, South Korea, Bangladesh, Israel, Russia and Portugal.

 

6. Asia’s largest tulip garden in J&K to open to the public on 19 March: The Indira Gandhi Tulip Garden, which is Asia’s largest tulip garden in Kashmir, will open to the public on March 19, 2023. The garden spread between Dal Lake and Zabarwan Hills. This garden is spread over 1050 kanals (52.5 hectares. It started with 50,000 tulips, then 3.50 lakh tulips and now we have 15 Lakh. Besides 1.5 million Tulips of various colours and hues, the garden, also known as Siraj Bagh, will have other spring flowers like hyacinths, daffodils, muscari and cyclamens on display.

Formerly known as Siraj Bagh, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden was opened in 2008 by then chief minister of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state Ghulam Nabi Azad.

 

7. India & France conducts Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX): Indian Navy’s indigenously built Guided Missile Frigate, INS Sahyadri participated in the Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) with French Navy (FN) ships in the Arabian Sea. French Navy (FN) ships FS Dixmude, a Mistral-class amphibious assault ship, and FS La Fayette, a La Fayette class frigate participated in the exercise. The exercise witnessed a wide spectrum of evolutions at sea which included cross deck landings, boarding exercises and seamanship evolutions. The seamless conduct of the exercise reaffirmed the interoperability and high level of cooperation between the two navies.

 

8. Exercise ‘La Perouse’ between navies of India, US, Japan, France, UK and Australia begins: The third edition of the multilateral exercise ‘La Perouse’ was held in the Indian Ocean Region.

Personnel, ships and integral helicopters of the Royal Australian Navy, French Navy, Indian Navy, Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force, Royal Navy, and the United States Navy participated in Exercise La Perouse. The biennial exercise La Perouse is conducted by the French Navy and aims to enhance maritime domain awareness and optimise maritime coordination amongst the participating navies in the Indo-Pacific region. Indian Navy’s indigenously built guided missile frigate INS Sahyadri and fleet tanker INS Jyoti participated in the third edition of the multilateral exercise.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Virat Kohli becomes 2nd-highest run scorer against Australia: Star Indian batter Virat Kohli has surpassed legendary West Indies Brian Lara to become the second-highest run-scorer against Australia in international cricket. Lara, on the other hand, scored 4,714 runs in 82 matches (Tests and ODIs) against Australia. He notched up 12 tons with the best score of 277. The leading run-scorer against Australia is legendary Sachin Tendulkar. In 110 matches and 144 innings, Tendulkar scored 6,707 runs at an average of 49.68. With 20 tons and 31 fifties, Sachin had the best individual score of 241* against Australia.

 

2. Prithviraj Tondaiman won bronze in trap shooting in Doha: India’s Prithviraj Tondiman has won the bronze medal at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup 2023 in Doha, Qatar. Two-time world champion Oguzhan Tuzun (Turkey) won gold with a score of 33/35, while Great Britain’s Matthew John took silver with a score of 30/35. This was India’s first medal at the ISSF World Cup, which is currently taking place.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. IREDA received ‘Infrastructure Finance Company’ status from RBI: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) granted an ‘Infrastructure Finance Company (IFC)’ status to Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA). Earlier, it was classified as an Investment and Credit Company (ICC). With the IFC status, IREDA will be able to take higher exposure in RE financing. It will also help the company to access a wider investor base for fund mobilization, resulting in competitive rates for fundraising. Chairman of IREDA: Pradip Kumar Das

 

2. 38.58 crore loans extended since inception of MUDRA Yojana: According to the Mudra portal (as of 27.01.2023), more than 38.58 crore loans have been extended since the inception of the Scheme in April 2015. Out of this, over 26.35 crore loans have been extended to Women Entrepreneurs (68%). SC/ST/OBC category borrowers received 19.84 crore loans (51%). As per the Ministry of Labour survey, PMMY helped in generating 1.12 crore net additional employment in the country from 2015 to 2018.

 

3. Suryoday Small Finance Bank launches special women’s savings account: Suryoday Small Finance Bank has launched a new savings account for women customers called the Blossom Women’s savings account. Features: Women can earn up to 7% interest rate per annum An exclusive and free Rupay Platinum Debit Card that rewards women customers with discounts and cashback. Monthly Interest Pay-out in the account One complementary account for child (Savings Aditya Account) Average Monthly Balance (AMB) of ₹10,000 CEO of Suryoday SFB: R Baskar Babu

 

4. India's retail inflation drops to 6.44% in February 2023: According to the data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), India's retail inflation has lowered to 6.44% in February 2023 from 6.52% in January 2023. But it remained above the upper band of the 4+/- 2 percent medium-term target of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for the second consecutive month. While food inflation eased marginally to 5.95 percent in February 2023 from 6% in January 2023, inflation for cereals, milk, and fruits picked up.

 

5. After Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank collapse: New York-based Signature Bank was shut by regulators in the US, becoming the second bank in the country after Silicon Valley Bank. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has been appointed as a receiver, which typically means it will liquidate the bank’s assets to pay back its customers, including depositors and others. The standard insurance amount from FDIC is $250,000 per depositor, per bank, for each account ownership category.

 

OBITUARIES

 

1. Japanese Nobel-winning novelist Kenzaburo Oe passes away: Japanese novelist, Kenzaburo Oe passed away at the age of 88 on March 3, 2023, due to age-related issues. He was known for his pacifist and anti-nuclear views. He was honoured with the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1994 for creating "an imagined world, where life and myth condense to form a disconcerting picture of the human predicament today". His notable works are 'A Personal Matter' and 'The Silent Cry'.

Daily GK Update- 13th Mar, 2023

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. First SAI 20 Senior Officers Meeting begins in Guwahati: As part of the G20 summit, the first Supreme Audit Institution 20 (SAI20) Senior Officers Meeting is being organized in Guwahati on March 13 and will continue till March 15, 2023. Theme 2023: Blue Economy’ and ‘Responsible Artificial Intelligence Aim: To bring together an ecosystem wherein SAIs are active partners in governance, promoting transparency and accountability. SAI20 meeting was chaired by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Girish Chandra Murmu.

 

2. PM Modi dedicates Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway in Karnataka to nation: PM Modi has dedicated the 10-lane and 118-km-long, Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway in Karnataka to the nation. It was constructed at a cost of over 8400 crore rupees. It will reduce the travel time between Bengaluru and Mysuru from three hours to about 75 minutes and boost connectivity and socio-economic growth in Karnataka. He also laid the foundation stone for the Mysuru-Kushalnagar highway. He also inaugurated the World’s longest railway platform at Hubballi station.

 

3. Central Railway achieves 100 % electrification of broad gauge network: The Central Railway has achieved 100% electrification of its broad gauge network of 3,825 kilometers. The CSMT-headquartered zonal railway informed that the 52-kilometer Ausa Road-Latur Road stretch in the Solapur division was the last non-electrified section and its electrification was completed in March 2023. This move helps in reducing carbon footprints of 5.204 lakh tonnes every year as well as savings of 1670 crore rupees.

 

4. New initiative 'beggar-free city' started in Nagpur: A new initiative called 'beggar-free city' has been started in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Commissioner of Police of Nagpur City, Amitesh Kumar informed that notification of 144 CrPC has been issued in this regard. Notices have been served to people. The Nagpur police will strictly enforce this and begging will not be allowed in public places. This is the joint venture of Nagpur City police and Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) social welfare department.

 

5. Nitin Gadkari unveiled first methanol run buses in Bengaluru: Union Minister for Road and Transport Nitin Gadkari unveiled Bengaluru’s first methanol-run buses. The project is aimed at reducing the level of emissions and the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) NITI Aayog, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Ashok Leyland are conducting the project together.

The concept of the ‘Methanol Economy’ is being actively pursued by China, Italy, Sweden, Israel, the US, Australia, Japan, and many other European countries. In the pilot project, the BMTC is planning to launch 80 buses that will run on methanol fuel and 20 Ashok Leyland buses will also be introduced in the initial phases. As part of the project, the Indian Oil Corporation will provide free diesel and methanol for three months. Methanol can be blended with gasoline or used as a standalone fuel in vehicles with modified engines. It has a high octane rating, which means it can improve engine performance and reduce harmful emissions.

 

6. First Supreme Audit Institution (SAI20) meeting begins in Guwahati: The first Supreme Audit Institution 20 (SAI20) Senior Officers Meeting (SOM) has begun in Guwahati with the themes -‘Blue Economy’ and ‘Responsible Artificial Intelligence’. The SAI20 is aimed at bringing together an ecosystem wherein SAIs are active partners in governance, promoting transparency and accountability. The delegates from G20 member countries, guest countries, and other International Organisations would attend the SAI20 event. SAIs of Australia, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Oman, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and UAE will be participating in person.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India and Australia sign audio-visual co-production agreement: India and Australia signed an audio-visual co-production agreement to offer filmmakers financial incentives amounting to up to 30% of the expenditure incurred in the respective countries. The agreement was signed by I&B Secretary Apurva Chandra and Australian High Commissioner Barry O'Farrell. Australia is the 16th country with which India has a co-production agreement. It would benefit mainly small filmmakers keen on shooting movies in that country.

 

2. India, US sign MoU to build resilient supply chain in semiconductor sector: India and the US inked an initial pact on increasing private-sector cooperation in the area of semiconductors.

The two countries would facilitate business opportunities and develop an ecosystem with a view to reducing their dependency on China and Taiwan. Both sides have agreed to set up a semiconductor sub-committee, led by the Department of Commerce for the US side and MeitY and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for the Indian side.

 

3. World Food India-2023 to take place on 3-5 November in New Delhi: The second edition of 'World Food India-2023’ will be organized from 3-5 November 2023 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The event will be organized by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. During the event, Union Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras outlined pivotal elements of the WFI-2023 as Millets- ‘Shree Anna-The Super Food of India’, Innovation and Sustainability ‘Green Food’, White Revolution 2.0, making India an export hub and focus on technology and digitisation.

 

4. IRCTC to start ‘Bharat Nepal Ashtha Yatra Tour’: Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) announced to run on 31 March 2023, “Bharat Nepal Ashtha Yatra” tour package. It will run under the Bharat Gaurav Tourists train which will showcase four important pilgrimage and heritage destination in the 10 days tour. The Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train launch is in line with the Government of India initiative “Dekho Apna Desh” to promote special interest circuits in domestic tourism. The train will depart from Jalandar but have boarding from Delhi Safdarjung. The departure date of the Bharat Nepal Ashtha Yatra is from 31 March 2023. The destinations that will be covered in this 10 days tour are: Ram Janmbhoomi temple, Hanuman Garhi, SaryuGhat, Nandigram in Ayodhya; Pashupatinath Temple, Darbar Squire, Swaymbhunath Stupa in Kathmandu; Tulsi Manas temple, SankatMochan temple, Kashi Vishwanath Corridor and temple, Ganga Aarti at VaranasGhat in Varanasi; and Ganga – Yamuna Sangam, Hanuman temple in Prayagraj.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. India's digital payments market will more than triple to $10 trillion: According to the report, released by PhonePe and Boston Consulting Group, India's digital payments market will more than triple from $3 trillion to $10 trillion by 2026. In 2015, the Indian government launched its Digital India program, with the objective to achieve a “faceless, paperless and cashless” status for financial transactions at the grass-root level. NPCI launched UPI in 2016, which enables inter-bank transactions through mobile devices instantly.

 

2. Kochi Metro becomes first in country to accept e-rupee for parking fee: In an initiative to promote Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), Kochi Metro has started accepting digital currency in its parking facilities. With this, Kochi Metro is the first Metro in the country to accept CBDC. The program was inaugurated at the parking facility in Thykoodam and system would be introduced in all other parking areas of the Metro soon The program was introduced in association with IDFC FIRST Bank partnered with Anantham Online, a technology startup

 

3. PNB signed MoU with Central Warehousing Corporation to facilitate farmers’ financing: Punjab National Bank has signed an MoU with Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) to facilitate financing under e-NWR (Electronic Negotiable Warehousing Receipt). The partnership is aimed at providing easy access to finance to farmers/ food processors/ traders against the pledge of agriculture commodities stored in CWC warehouses.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. RRR Naatu Naatu wins Best Original Song at the 95th Academy Awards: RRR’s Naatu Naatu has created history by winning the prestigious Academy Awards 2023 in the Best Original song category. The music of Naatu Naatu was given by M. M. Keeravani and Lyrics by Chandrabosedouble-dagger. While India's The Elephant Whisperers (directed by Kartiki Gonsalves) won the award for Best Documentary Short Subject.

Best Actress: Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once)

Best Actor: Brendan Fraser (The Whale)

 

2. British Architect David Chipperfield won Pritzker Prize 2023: British architect Sir David Chipperfield has won the Pritzker Architecture Prize 2023, arguably the highest international honour in the discipline. David Chipperfield is the 52nd winner of the award, established in 1979. Francis Kéré (Germany) was awarded the prize in 2022, and Anne Lacton (France) and Jean-Philippe Vasal (France) in 2021. The 45th Pritzker Prize ceremony honoring David Chipperfield will be held in Athens, Greece in May 2023.