Year 2023 Recap

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•Important Events Worldwide

February 6, 2023, marked a dark day in Turkey and Syria as two powerful earthquakes, a
7.8 magnitude followed by a 7.5 magnitude, ripped through the region, claiming over
55,000 lives and leaving over 100,000 injured. Entire cities were reduced to rubble, with
thousands of buildings collapsing while people slept within. Millions were displaced, forced
to flee their homes and seek shelter in tents or cars.

April
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A violent power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary
Rapid Support Forces (RSF), erupted on April 15, 2023. The conflict was triggered by RSF
attacks on government sites, with intense fighting in Khartoum and Darfur. Disagreements
over the integration of the RSF into the military and control over economic sectors fueled
the conflict.

May

Charles, the longest-serving Prince of Wales in British history, was crowned king of the
United Kingdom at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023. His ascension to the throne
followed the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, after a record-breaking
70-year reign. The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla was a blend of tradition
and modernity.

June

After 22 months of all out war, the situation in Ukraine remains in a fragile and volatile
state. The year saw oscillating fortunes, with Ukrainian counteroffensives in June reclaiming
territory in the east, followed by a brutal Russian push back. The fighting currently centers
on the Donbas region, with both sides locked in grueling trench warfare amid a second
winter of fighting.

On June 18, 2023, the submersible Titan, operated by OceanGate Expeditions, lost contact
during a dive to the wreck of the Titanic. Over the next four days, the world waited with
bated breath to learn the fate of the five-person crew who were on a voyage to explore the
famed ocean liner. The US Coast Guard reported finding debris from the Titan that
suggested a rapid implosion, a violent inward collapse of the vessel due to deep-sea
pressure.

August

Beginning on August 8 and 9, wildfires erupted on the islands of Maui and Hawaii. Fueled
by dry conditions, strong winds, and human activity, the blazes tore through lush forests
and tourist havens. . The inferno raged for days and claimed the lives of 100 people, leaving
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many others injured and displaced. The economic impact was staggering, with estimates
exceeding $5.5 billion in damages.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified former Pakistan PM Imran Khan for
five years from holding any public office after his conviction in the Toshakhana case. Two
months later, the supremo of Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif
returned to Pakistan. The two major political events will decide the political future of
Pakistan in the upcoming elections set to take place on February 8 next year.

October

On October 7, 2023, Palestinian militant group Hamas crossed over from the Gaza Strip to
launch a stunning coordinated attack by land, sea and air on Israel. The deadly assault lit
the fuse for a war that has claimed the lives of over 19,000 Palestinians and Israelis,
including civilians, journalists, and UN workers. The war has led to a severe humanitarian
crisis in Gaza, with shortages of food, water, and medical supplies, and a collapsed
health system.

November

COP28 marked a historic departure from the traditional approach to climate change by
addressing its root cause. When activists and diplomats gathered in Dubai for the UN
climate summit in November, prospects for significant progress seemed dim amid renewed
Middle East conflict and geopolitical tensions. The agreement was, endorsed by the 198
parties.

Major Events in India

Gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead in the
presence of police personnel and media persons on Saturday (April 15) in Prayagraj, Uttar
Pradesh. Three men posed as journalists and shot the two brothers from a close range. The
killing was captured live on camera even as the two brothers were answering questions
being posed by reporter. India becomes most populous country in the world. According tot
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he United Nations data, India has surpassed China to become world's most populous
nation with 142.86 crore people. China has a population of 142.57 crore, according to the
UN world population dashboard. According to the Pew Research Centre, India's population
has grown by more than one billion people since 1950.

May

On May 28, 2023, PM Modi inaugurated India's new Parliament building. During the
ceremony, Modi unveiled a plaque dedicating the building to the nation. He also received a
gold-plated sceptre called "Sengol" from Adheenam priests and placed it near the Lok
Sabha Speaker's chair as per tradition. The Central Vista Project is a massive
redevelopment project in New Delhi that includes the construction of the new Parliament
House and the reconstruction of several other government buildings and public spaces.

August

Gandhi’s membership was reinstated days after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction in
a criminal defamation case filed by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader. On March 24,
the secretariat issued an order disqualifying Gandhi. The new order withdrew the previous
one. Gandhi is also now eligible for the return of his bungalow.

Fulfilling the dream of 140 crore Indians, the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on 23rd August
touched down on the surface of the Moon after its 41-day odyssey. Chandrayaan-3 is the
most ambitious project of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) so far. With this
landing, India has scripted a history and joined the ranks of the United States, China, and
the former Soviet Union (now Russia) as the fourth nation to master the technology of soft
lunar landing and first country to land on South Pole.

September

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an explosive announcement in the House of
Commons on Sept. 18, saying there were "credible allegations'' that Indian agents were
behind the assassination of a Canadian Sikh separatist leader. The revelation has strained
ties between the two countries, with New Delhi calling the accusation "absurd. India's
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government on Sept. 21 confirmed that it had "temporarily" stopped issuing visas for
Canadian citizens due to "security threats being faced by our High Commission and
consulates in Canada," marking an escalation of the two countries' war of words over
Nijjar's death.

November

It was India's biggest geopolitical win of 2023. Not only successfully hosting the summit,
India got all the leaders with disparate views on a single platform to issue a statement.
India became the voice of the global South. It also became the voice for the African nations
because for the first time, the African Union was made a permanent member of the G20.
The African Union became a full member of the G-20 here on , September 9, 2023.

With 41 workers walking out of the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakashi on Tuesday
evening, their 17-day ordeal in the dark under-construction passage that started early in
the morning of November 12, the day of Deepavali, finally came to an end, spelling success
for one of the most challenging and dangerous rescue operations taken up in India.

Tech & Economy

Layoffs in tech are nothing new, but an industrywide trend took off in 2022 as companies
reconciled a return to many pre-pandemic consumer behaviors after hiring sprees became
commonplace early in the COVID era. In 2023, layoffs across the sector have only
accelerated. As of November 2023, tech firms had laid off a total of more than 240,000
employees this year, up 50% from job reductions the year before.

March
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In early March, Silicon Valley Bank became the largest bank to fail in a decade and a half.
More so than Signature and First Republic, two other banks that also collapsed early in
2023, Silicon Valley Bank was known for being a financial institution of choice across many
tech companies and venture capital firms.

July

Elon Musk’s rebranding of Twitter as “X” began at the tail end of July 2023. The social media
platform now sports a new “X” logo on its mobile apps for iPhone and Android, following an
earlier change to its website and Twitter accounts. Musk originally bid farewell to the
Twitter brand on July 23 in a flurry of tweets.

September

In September, JPMorgan Chase & Co. said it will add Indian government bonds to its
benchmark emerging- market index from June 2024, which is a much-anticipated
move expected to invite further foreign investment into India's domestic debt market. As
stated in a recent release by JPMorgan, India's local bonds will be incorporated into the
Government Bond Index-Emerging Markets (GBI-EM) index and its index suite.

October

Infosys founder Narayana Murthy suggested a 70-hour work week for “youngsters” to make
the country competitive globally. While some corporate leaders endorsed Murthy’s “sane
advice” at a time when “we are in a nation-building stage”, others said productivity not
linked to hours employees put in.

November

At an inaugural AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park, home of Britain's World War Two
code-breakers, political leaders from the United States, European Union and China agreed
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on Wednesday to share a common approach to identifying risks and ways to mitigate them.
The summit has brought together around 100 politicians, academics and tech executives to
plot a way forward for a technology.

In November, the board of OpenAI, the company behind generative artificial intelligence
(AI) chatbot ChatGPT, unexpectedly ousted the firm's CEO and co-founder, Sam Altman.
Within days, Altman had joined Microsoft, which previously invested $13 billion in OpenAI
.12 Just days later, OpenAI announced that Altman would return as its CEO and that the
company's board had been shuffled.

Major Bills Passed

•The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill - July 27

The Bill aims to curb film piracy by penalising offenders with up to three years in prison and
50/0 of production costs.. The legislation also expands the number of age ratings available
to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). However, the government has
chosen to retain the censorship powers of the CBFC.

•The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 - August 02

This Bill seeks to amend the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 to make it applicable to certain
types of land. The Bill also exempts certain types of land from the purview of the Act. These
include land within 100 kilometers of the country's border needed for national security
projects, small roadside amenities, and public roads leading to habitation.

•The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill - August 03

Another Act to replace an old colonial law, this legislation decriminalises certain provisions
in the old law to aid ease of doing business. The Bill seeks to simplify the online process of
title verification and registration of periodicals by the Press Registrar General of Registrar
of Newspapers for India (RNI). The Bill has provisions related to the circulation and
verification of newspapers.
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•The Govt of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 - August 08

It seeks to amend the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991. It
empowers the Central Government to make rules in connection with the affairs of the
Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, including the functions, terms and other
conditions of service of officers and employees. It also provides for the constitution of the
National Capital Civil Service Authority.

•The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill - August 09

About six years after the Supreme Court held privacy to be a fundamental right under the
Constitution, the government brought in the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, which
requires companies to better protect digital data obtained from individuals. Firms are liable
to pay a fine up to 050 crore for failing to protect user data or for defaulting on disclosure
requirements.

•Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam - September 22

Call it The Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam or women's reservation Bill or by its official name,
The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty Eighth) Amendment Bill, 2023, this key
amendment ensures 33% reservation to women in parliament and State Assemblies.
However, the provisions of this Bill are unlikely to see the light in the upcoming general
elections as It will come into effect only after the delimitation exercise.

•The Post Office Bill - December 04

The Bill replaces the colonial-era Indian Post Office Act, 1898. While the government claims
the new legislation will improve the efficiency of Postal Department, the Opposition has
raised concern over privacy and state surveillance. Per the provisions of the Bill, an
officer-in-charge can open, intercept or detain any postal article if they suspect that it could
be a threat to security or public safety.

•The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 - December 11

This Bill amends the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. The 2019 Act amended
the Second Schedule of the 1950 Act to specify the total number of seats in the Jammu and
Kashmir Legislative Assembly to be 83. This Bill increases the total number of seats to 90. It
also reserves seven seats for Scheduled Castes and nine seats for Scheduled Tribes.

•Criminal Law Amendments - December 20

The Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita Bill, 2023; the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second)
Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, 2023 - together will replace the
legacy Indian Penal Code of 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure of 1973, and the Indian
Evidence Act of 1872.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 🎊