Current Affairs Yearbook 2022 www.parchamclasses.

in

Contents
Important Days ........................................................... 1 State News ................................................................. 21
Books And Authors ...................................................... 4 National News ........................................................... 33
Awards ........................................................................ 6 International News .................................................... 46
Appointments ........................................................... 12 Defence & Science Tech ............................................ 51
Obituaries .................................................................. 16 Banking ...................................................................... 57
Ranking & Index News .............................................. 18 Sports......................................................................... 60

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Important Days
DATE DAY THEME/ REMARK
DRDO Day Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
1 Jan (65th Foundation DRDO founded:1958
day) Dr Sameer V Kamath, Chairman, DRDO
4 Jan World Braille Day Marks the birthday of Louis Braille, creator of braille language. Observed since 2019
Commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to Mumbai on 9
January 1915.
NRI (Non-
Theme: “Diaspora: Reliable Partners for India’s Progress in Amrit Kaal”. It was first
Resident Indian)
9 Jan celebrated in 2003.
Day or Pravasi
17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention organized from 8-10 January 2023 in Indore
Bharatiya Diwas
Chief Guest: Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the President of Cooperative Republic of
Guyana
In 1975, the first-ever World Hindi Conference took place in Maharashtra’s Nagpur on
January 10
World Hindi Day was first celebrated in 2006. Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan
10-Jan World Hindi Day
Singh adopted it.
Theme 2023 – Hindi: Traditional Knowledge to Artificial Intelligence.
National Hindi Day on September 14.
11- 17 National Road
Organised by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
Jan safety week
birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda
National Youth
12-Jan Celebrated since 1984
Day
26th edition ,Theme – ‘Viksit Yuva Viksit Bharat’
initially called Armistice Day. celebrated to honour the sacrifice of our veterans in
Armed Forces serving the nation.
14-Jan
veteran day Field Marshal KM Cariappa, the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed
Forces retired on 14 January 1953.
Observed in Gujarat's Ahmedabad, since 1989
International Kite
14-Jan Popularly called Makar Sankranti - marks the end of winter as well as the beginning of
Day
longer days on account of the sun's northward journey.

Different Names of Sankranti Festival in Different States

• In UP and Gujarat, the festival is known as Uttarayan or Kicheri.
• In Odisha, it is called Makara Chaula
• In Bihar - Til Sakraat or Dahi Chura.
• Kerala - Makaravilakku.
• Karnataka - Suggi.
• Tamil Nadu - as Pongal
• In Maharashtra and Goa - Haldi Kumkum or Maghi Sankrant.
• In Himachal Pradesh - Magha Saaji.
• In Assam - Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu.
• In West Bengal - Poush Sankranti.

DATE DAY THEME

15-Jan Indian Army Day In recognition of Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa's (then a Lieutenant General) taking
over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army in 1949.
15-Jan Foundation Day of Its inception 148 years ago on 15 January 1875.
India Headquarters – New Delhi
IMD works under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

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Meteorological
Department (IMD)
16 Jan National Startup Objective – To promote and encourage upcoming businesses in the country. On
Day January 15, 2022, PM Modi first announced the adoption of the day. To celebrate
this day, the Ministry of Commerce has organized Startup India Innovation Week
from 10 to 16 January 2023.
19-Jan 18th National National Disaster Response Force was formed in 2006 under the Disaster
Disaster Response Management Act.
Force (NDRF) It functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Raising Day Director General of NDRF - Atul Karwal
21-Jan Manipur, The government of India granted their statehood on January 21, 1972, under the
Meghalaya, and North Eastern Region (Reorganization) Act, 1971.
Tripura Statehood
day
23-Jan Parakram Diwas He was born on January 23, 1897, at Cuttack in Odisha and his birthday is being
(126th Birth celebrated as ‘Parakram Divas’ (day of valor) since 2022.
anniversary of
Netaji Subhas
Chandra Bose)
24-Jan International Day UNESCO dedicated this day on 24th of January 2023 to Afghan girls and women.
of Education to
Afghan Girls
24-Jan National Girl Child Started by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Government of
Day India in 2008
24-Jan International Theme 2023 – To Invest in People, Prioritise Education
Education Day It was announced by the United Nations General Assembly on 3 December 2018
(4th Edition)
National Education Day in India - 11 November.
24-Jan Foundation Day of The initiative to celebrate ‘Uttar Pradesh Day’ was taken by the then Governor
Uttar Pradesh Ram Naik in 2018.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh was known as United Provinces. On January 24, 1950, it was
recognized as Uttar Pradesh.
The main theme of the ‘Uttar Pradesh Day’ 2023 is ‘Investment and Employment’.
25-Jan National Tourism Theme 2022 - Rural and Community Centric Tourism
Day
25-Jan National Voters Theme 2023 – Nothing Like Voting, I Vote For Sure
Day Marks the Foundation day of Election Commission of India (1950). Started in 2011
25-Jan Himachal Pradesh 53rd Statehood Day
Statehood Day It was on this day in 1971 that Himachal Pradesh became the 18th state of India.
After India’s independence, Himachal Pradesh was formed on 15 April 1948, by
uniting 30 hill princely states of the region.
It was granted the status of a Union Territory on November 1, 1956.
26-Jan International Theme 2023 – Nurturing the next generation: promoting a culture of knowledge-
Customs Day sharing and professional pride in Customs
World Customs Organization (WCO) was established on January 26, 1953.
26-Jan 74th Republic day Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950 replacing the
2023 Government of India Act (1935) as the governing document of India.
2021- No Chief Guest (Due to Covid-19)
2022-No Chief Guest (Due to Covid-19)
2023-Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi
1950- President Sukarno (Indonesia)
27-Jan International In honour of 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust and millions of other Nazism
Holocaust victims under the Hitler regime between 1933 and 1945.
Remembrance Day Theme 2023: Home and Belonging
2023

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28-Jan Data Privacy Day Theme 2023 – Think Privacy First

Was initiated by the Council of Europe in 2006.
29-Jan World Leprosy Day Theme 2023 – Act Now. End Leprosy
(last Sunday of Hansen’s disease or Leprosy is an infectious disease caused by slow-growing
January) bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae.
30-Jan Martyrs Day or Mahatma Gandhi was assasinated on January 30, 1948.
Shaheed Diwas And on March 23, the British hanged —Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, and
Sukhdev Thapar—to death.

Quick Recall Test

1.Which day is observed as ‘National Tourism Day’?

• 24 January
• 25 January
• 27 January
• 28 January

2. 9 January is observed as :
• Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas
• Data Privacy Day
• National Voters Day
• National Startup Day

3. 24 January is observed as:

• Armed Forces veteran day
• National Tourism Day
• National Girl Child Day
• National Youth Day

4.Which day is observed as ‘Parakram Diwas’?

• 15 January
• 23 January
• 25 January
• 29 January

5. What was the theme of the ‘National Voters Day’ 2023?

• To Invest in People, Prioritise Education
• Nothing Like Voting, I Vote For Sure
• Making Elections Inclusive, Accessible, and Participatory
• None of the above

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Books And Authors

Shashi Tharoor’s latest book Ambedkar: A Life launched
Other notable books of Shashi Tharoor: Riot (2001), Why I Am A Hindu (2018), The Paradoxical Prime
Minister (2018), India: From Midnight to the Millennium (1997)

Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi released book 'Chief Minister's Diary No.1’
• Ranjan Gogoi - member of the Rajya Sabha
• This book containing the account of events of the first year in office of
Assam CM, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma.
• The book featured accounts of daily activities he undertook as a Chief
Minister.

Historian Sanjeev Sanyal released his new book ‘Revolutionaries

Noted economist and popular historian Sanjeev Sanyal released his new book titled “Revolutionaries:
The Other Story of How India Won Its Freedom”.
It is based on the revolutionary movements related to the struggle for Indian Independence.
Some of Sanyal’s books include – Land of the Seven Rivers, The Ocean of Churn, India in the Age of
Ideas, and The Indian Renaissance.

Dhoni releases autobiography of Prof. K.K. Abdul Gaffar

An autobiography of Techno-educationalist, Professor K.K. Abdul Gaffar 'Njaan
Sakshi’ (me as the witness) was released by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
It will provide an insight into the journey of Prof. Gaffar and how education and
students have changed over the time.
The first copy of this book was received by Marwan Al Mulla, the CEO of Dubai
Health Authority (DHA).

Mansukh Mandaviya released a book titled Braving A Viral Storm

• Health and Family Welfare Minister, Mansukh Mandaviya has officially launched the
book titled Braving A Viral Storm: India’s Covid-19 Vaccine Story.
• It was co-authored by Aashish Chandorkar and Suraj Sudhir.
• This book has explained the growth of India as a self-sufficient nation where all
sections of society contributed to fighting the pandemic.

A new book ‘India’s Knowledge Supremacy: The New Dawn” released

A new book titled “India’s Knowledge Supremacy: The New Dawn” written by Ashwin
Fernandes was released globally.
This book was launched by Minister of Education - Dharmendra Pradhan

Que: Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex has released his memoir titled “Spare”. The book has been
written with the assistance of whom?
Ans: J. R. Moehringer / जे आर मोह(रंगर (American novelist)
• The book reveals the details of Harry’s relationship with his father, King Charles, his elder
brother, Prince William, and other members of the royal family.

Que:Who has written the book ‘COACHING BEYOND: My Days with the Indian Cricket Team’?
Ans: R. Kaushik & R. Sridhar
The book primarily reflects on R. Sridhar’s seven-year coaching tenure with the Indian cricket team
as its fielding coach
The book also covers Virat Kohli's journey, Rishabh Pant's development and the team's progression
towards the number 1 Test ranking

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Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik releases ‘Hockey & India — A Golden Legacy’ book by Sportstar on
Indian hockey
The book traces the roots of the game and its growth in India through the ages.
The book chronicles India’s eight gold medals at the Olympics.

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Awards
RRR wins Best Original Song for ‘Naatu Naatu’ at 2023 Golden Globe Awards
SS Rajamouli's "RRR" has won the 2023 Golden Globe Awards for the best original
song–motion picture for "Naatu Naatu" track.
The movie was also nominated for the 'best picture-non English’.
This track was composed by veteran music director, MM Keeravaani and sung by Kala
Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj
80th Golden Globe Awards

Best Film Drama: The Fabelmans

Best Actress :Cate Blanchett, “Tár
Best Actor :Austin Butler, “Elvis

CJI Chandrachud conferred with 'Award for Global Leadership’

by the Harvard Law School Center.
Reason: In recognition of his lifetime service to the legal profession in the country and
around the world.
The award was presented to him at an online event on January 11, 2023.
He took over as the 50th CJI on November 9, 2022.
He obtained an LL.M. degree and a Doctorate in Juridical Sciences (SJD) from the Harvard Law
School.

Que: In January 2022, who won the first Dr Patangrao Kadam Memorial Award?
Ans: Adar Poonwalla
• Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India has
received Patangrao Kadam award for contribution in the fight against COVID-19.
• Patangrao Kadam was an Indian politician from the state of Maharashtra and the
award has been set up in his memory.
Extra Fact:
• Prabhu Chandra Mishra was awarded Atal Samman Award for his excellence in
field of science & research on 27 December 2022.

Odisha wins World Habitat Award 2023 for its JAGA Mission
Odisha government’s slum improvement and land titling programme, JAGA Mission has
won the UN-Habitat’s World Habitat Awards 2023. This year it was awarded the bronze medal.
This is the second time after 2019 that the programme has received the UN-Habitat’s World Habitat Award.
This award is given by World Habitat, a United Kingdom -based organization, in partnership with United Nation (UN)-
Habitat, every year, in recognition of innovative, outstanding, and revolutionary ideas, projects, and programmes
from across the world.

JAGA Mission Plan of the Odisha Government

The Govt. of Odisha in May 2018 launched JAGA Mission based on the Odisha Land Rights to Slum Dwellers Act,
2017”.

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It is the world’s largest slum titling and upgradation initiative.

It aims to make Odisha the first state in India to be slum free by the end of
2023.
• Chief Minister of Odisha: Naveen Patnaik
Dr. Tapan Saikia to receive Assam highest civilian award
‘Assam Baibhav
Assam CM, has selected 21 personalities for the Assam
State Civilian Awards 2022.
The State’s highest civilian award, ‘Assam Baibhav’ to Dr.
Tapan Saikia for his contributions in the field of cancer
care.
Assam Saurav (Assam second highest civilian award) was conferred to Krishna Roy; Gilbertson Sangma; Nayanmoni
Saikia; Dr. Binoi Kumar Saikia and Dr. Shashidhar Phukan (5).
Asom Gaurav (third highest civilian award) will be conferred to 15 people.
The Assam State Civilian Award is conferred in 3 categories- Assam Vaibhav, Assam Saurav and Assam Gaurav. Ratan
Tata was given Assam Vaibhav for 2021.

Govt names 27 overseas Indians for 2023 Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards
The awards were conferred by the President Droupadi Murmu at 17th edition of the
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention held at Indore in Madhya Pradesh from January
8-10, 2023.
President of Guyana Mohamed Irfaan Ali was the chief guest this year.
PBW 2023 theme: Diaspora: Reliable Partners for India's Progress in Amrit Kaal

Director Aparna Sen received lifetime achievement award at Jaipur Film Fest
15th edition of Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF) from 6th to 10th Jan, 2023.

Indian peacekeepers honoured with UN Medal for Exemplary Service

At a special award ceremony in Upper Nile, 1,171 peacekeepers from India deployed with
the United Nations Mission in South Sudan were awarded the United Nations Medal for
their exemplary service.
For the first time, a woman officer of the Indian Army, Major Jasmine Chatha, led the
parade of the Indian contingent at the award ceremony in Upper Nile.
India is one of the largest troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping missions
UN peacekeeping began in 1948 when the UN Security Council authorised the deployment of UN military observers
in the Middle East.
It deploys soldiers and police from all over the world for peacekeeping.

Manohar International Airport in Goa wins Best Sustainable Greenfield Airport

Award
under Aviation Sustainability and Environment at the ASSOCHAM 14th International
Conference-cum-Awards for Civil Aviation 2023
The Union Cabinet on 04 December 2022 approved the renaming of the Greenfield
International Airport at Mopa as 'Manohar International Airport - Mopa' in memory
of late Manohar Parrikar, former Défense Minister and four-time Chief Minister of
Goa.

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R Vishnu Prasad Honoured as 'Most Eminent Scientist of the Year 2022’

The award recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions in various fields, including
culture, science, sports, and innovation.
R Vishnu Prassad, a scientist with 69 patents has been honored with the Indian Achievers Award at
Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi by Anurag Thakur.

Dr Prabha Atre awarded Pt Hariprasad Chaurasia Lifetime Achievement Award

The award was conferred by Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde to her in Mumbai.
She is an Indian classical vocalist from the Kirana Gharana.
She has been awarded Padma Shri (1990), Padma Bhushan (2002), and Padma
Vibhushan (2022) by the Government of India.

Miss USA R'Bonney Gabriel crowned Miss Universe 2022

At the 71st Miss Universe pageant organized in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The crown was presented to her by India’s Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu who had won in 2021
Only two Indians before Ms. Sandhu had won the title of Miss Universe - Sushmita Sen in
1994 and Lara Dutta in 2000.
Divita Rai of India reached the top 16, but she was unable to advance further.
The first Miss Universe pageant was held in 1952 in Long Beach, California. Armi Kuusela of Finland won the first
Miss Universe title.

DNPA announces Digital Impact Award 2023

The Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) has announced the first Digital Impact awards 2023 in eight
categories (Best Use of Digital Media)
1. For Human Resource Development & Education – DIKSHA
2. For Health – CoWIN App
3. Financial Reforms – Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
4. For Sustainability and Environment Protection – CAMPA (e-green watch portal)
5. To Promote Ease of Business – E-governance Portal.
6. For Ease of Living –Digilocker
7. For Women & Child Welfare Reforms – (A) Poshan Tracker App (B) Himmat Plus App
8. For Governance & Administrative Reforms –
A) GST Portal B) One Nation One Ration Card Yojana

Rajamouli's film RRR wins ‘Critics' Choice Award’ in 2 categories

Best Foreign Language Film and Best Song.
The film 'Rise, Roar, Revolt' ie RRR recently received the Golden Globe Award
for the song 'Naatu Naatu’.
The song 'Naatu Naatu' is composed by MM Keeravani and sung by Kaal
Bhairav and Rahul Sipligunj.

M Yeoh becomes first Asian to bag Oscar nomination for Best Actress
for her movie “The ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once”.
Malaysian descent, Michelle Yeoh has also won the Golden Globe Award in the
Best Actress category

Thiru Nadesan awarded Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award 2023

for his contribution towards community welfare.
He actively promotes business and cultural exchanges between India and Sri Lanka.
He is the second member of Indian diaspora from Sri Lanka to receive the honour.
Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas convention held in Indore.

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Dr Sanduk Ruit conferred with Bahrain's ISA Award for Service to Humanity
Dr Sanduk Ruit (Nepalese ophthalmologist) was awarded the top civilian award of Bahrain - the ISA
Award for Service to Humanity.
He made modern eye care affordable and accessible to countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
He was awarded Padma Shri (2018), the Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia (2007) and the
Ramon Magsaysay Award (2006)

Indian films bag award for best scriptwriter and best actress at 21st DIFF
In the Asian Film Competition section at the 21st Dhaka International Film Festival
organized from 14-22 Jan 2023.
Aparajito (directed by: Anik Dutta) won the best scriptwriting award.
Ketaki Narayan won the best actress award for Prappeda (directed by: Krishnendu
Kalesh).

Subhash Chandra Bose Disaster Management Award-2023

Awarded to:
1. Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA)
Established in 1999, OSDMA had worked effectively during various cyclones like
Hudhud (2014), Fani (2019), Amphan (2020) and Odisha flood (2020).
2. Lunglei Fire Station, Mizoram
Lunglei Fire Station responded efficiently and effectively to a massive forest fire on
24 April 2021 in the uninhabited forest areas that surrounded Lunglei town and
spread to more than 10 village council areas.

Subhash Chandra Bose Disaster Management Award

This is an annual award announced on the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose (23 January).
Rs 51 lakh cash and a certificate is given in the institutional category and Rs 5 lakh cash and a certificate in the
individual category.

President of India conferred the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2023 on 11 children on 23rd Jan
This year, 6 boys and 5 girls are among the awardees
The Government of India confers the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP) award to children for their
exceptional achievements.
The awards are conferred upon children in the age group 5–18 years for their excellence in six categories:
1) Art and Culture
2) Bravery
3) Innovation
4) Scholastic
5) Social Service
6) Sports
Each awardee of the PMRBP is given a medal, a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh, and a certificate.

Aska police station of Odisha's Ganjam district became the country's number one police station
awarded by Home Minister Amit Shah during the DGSP/IGSP conference 2022 held at National Agricultural Science
Complex, New Delhi.
Aska police station got this title in the annual ranking of police stations for the year 2022.
Gangapur police station in Odisha's Ganjam district awarded second best
Banbasa police station in Champawat district of Uttarakhand third best station.
The rank is decided on the basis of 165 different parameters such as crime rate, investigation
and disposal of cases, infrastructure and public service delivery.

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President Murmu approves 412 Gallantry Awards to Armed Forces personnel

President Droupadi Murmu on 25 January approved 412 Gallantry
awards, on the eve of the 74th Republic Day.
These include 6 Kirti Chakras, including 4 posthumous, and 15 Shaurya
Chakras including 2 posthumous.
These include one Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry), 92 Sena Medals,
including four posthumous, one Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry), seven
Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry) and 29 Param Vishisht Seva Medals.
The Kirti Chakra is India's second highest gallantry award after the
Ashoka Chakra. The Shaurya Chakra is the country's third highest
gallantry award.
The President has also awarded the President's Tatrakshak Medal to Indian Coast Guard personnel for conspicuous
gallantry, exceptional devotion to duty and distinguished service.

Kirti Chakra Awardees

• Major Shubhang of the Dogra Regiment from Indian Army
• Naik Jitendra Singh of the Rajput Regiment from Indian Army
• Jammu and Kashmir police constable Rohit Kumar (Posthumous)
• Sub Inspector Deepak Bhardwaj (Posthumous)
• Head constable Sodhi Narayan (Posthumous)
• Head constable Shrawan Kashyap (Posthumous)

Padma Awards 2023

Union ministry of home affairs announced the Padma Awards on the eve of
the 74th Republic Day
106 Padma Awards including 3 duo cases (in a duo case, the Award is
counted as one)
6 Padma Vibhushan,
9 Padma Bhushan
91 Padma Shri Awards.
19 of the awardees are women
2 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI
7 Posthumous awardees.

Padma Vibhushan (6)

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Padma Bhushan (9)

Padma Shri (91)

The prominent names include:
stockbroker Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, Rasna founder Areez Khabatta, RRR
music composer M M Keeravani, Ghazal singers Ahmed Hussain and Mohd
Hussain, and Bollywood actor Raveena Tandon

Etikoppaka Toys Craftsman : Selected For Padma Awards

Etikoppaka toys are traditional toys made by artisans of Etikoppaka village
located on the banks of Varaha River in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra
Pradesh.
These toys are made out of wood and are coloured with natural dyes derived
from seeds, lacquer, bark, roots and leaves.
The artisans mainly use the wood from trees known as ‘ankudu’ (Wrightia
Tinctoria) that is soft in nature.
These toys have no sharp edges. They are rounded on all sides. Etikoppaka toys received Geographical Indication (GI)
tag IN 2017.

Padma Awards, which were instituted in the year 1954, are announced every year except for brief interruption(s)
during the years 1978 and 1979 and 1993 to 1997.
The award is given in three categories:
• Padma Vibhushan for exceptional and distinguished service;
• Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of a high order; and
• Padma Shri for distinguished service.

Harish Damodaran awarded the Gaja Capital Business Book Prize 2022
• Indian Express journalist, Harish Damodaran was awarded the Gaja Capital Business
Book Prize 2022 for his book 'Broke to Breakthrough’.
• Gaja Capital Business Book Prize: It was instituted in 2019.

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Appointments
G Kamala Vardhan Rao appointed the chief executive officer of FSSAI
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI):
• Set up under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
• Set up on 5 September 2008.
• It comes under the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
• Headquarters: New Delhi

Dinesh Kumar Shukla assumes the charge as the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board
• for a period of three years.
• The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board was constituted on November 15, 1983, by the
President of India under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 to carry out certain regulatory and
safety functions.
• Headquarters of AERB: Mumbai

Ajit Kumar Saxena assume charge as the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of

MOIL
• Ajit Kumar Saxena will remain in office till his retirement, 31st December
2025 or until further notice.
MOIL
• MOIL is a Schedule “A” Miniratna Category-I Company under the Union Ministry of Steel. It was
originally incorporated as Manganese Ore (India) Limited in 1962 and its name was changed to MOIL Limited
during 2010-11.
• The company operates 11 manganese ore mines in India. It has 7 mines located in the Nagpur and Bhandara
districts of Maharashtra and four in the Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh.
• At present the Government of India owns 53.35% shares in the company, Government of Maharashtra
(5.96%), Government of Madhya Pradesh (5.38%) and Public (35.31%).
• Headquarters: Nagpur, Maharashtra

BSE appoints Sundararaman Ramamurthy as MD, CEO

• for a five-year term with effect from January 4.
• The post has been vacant since July when the then MD and CEO Ashish Kumar Chauhan
resigned from the post to join the National Stock Exchange (NSE).
• Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)
• Established in 1875 as the Native Share and Stock Brokers' Association, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) is
Asia's first exchange and the largest securities market in India.

Ajay Kumar Srivastava to take over as the MD and CEO of the Indian Overseas Bank
• from 1 January 2023.
• He will replace Partha Pratim Sengupta whose tenure ends on 31 December 2022.

Indian Overseas Bank

• It is a public sector bank owned by the government of India
• The Indian Overseas bank was founded by M. Chidambaram Chettyar in 1937.
• It was nationalized by the government of India in 1969.
• Headquarters: Chennai
• Tagline of the bank: Good People to Grow With

CRPF DG Sujoy Lal Thaosen takes additional charge as BSF chief

• He replaced Pankaj Kumar Singh, who retired on December 31, 2022.
About BSF:

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• It was raised in 1965, after the India-Pakistan war.

• It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces.
• Other Central Armed Police Forces are: Assam Rifles (AR), ITBP, CISF, CRPF, NSG and SSB.

Air Marshal Pankaj Mohan Sinha assumes command of the IAF Western Command
Air Marshal Pankaj Mohan Sinha succeeds Air Marshal S Prabhakaran who
superannuated on 31 December 2022 .

Indian Air force (IAF) and its command structure:

• It was set up on 8 October 1932. It comes under the Union Defence Ministry.
• President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Air Force.
• Every year October 8 is observed as Air Force Day.
• Chief of Air Staff: Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari

S. No Command Headquarters
1 Western Air Command Delhi
2 South-Western Air Command Gandhinagar
3 Central Air Command Prayagraj
4 Eastern Air Command Shillong
5 Southern Air Command Thiruvananthapuram
6 Training Command Bengaluru
7 Maintenance Command Nagpur

Election Commission appoints Maithili Thakur as Bihar's state icon

• She will create awareness among the voters for their participation in the electoral process.
• She was recently selected for the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar of the Sangeet Natak
Akademi for her contribution to the folk music of Bihar for 2021.

Captain Shiva Chauhan becomes the first women officer to be operationally deployed in
Siachen
Captain Shiva Chauhan became the first woman officer to be operationally deployed at the
highest battleground in Kumar Post on the Siachen glacier.
The Siachen glacier lies in the Karakoram Range .It is 75 km (47 miles) long, which makes it the
second longest nonpolar glacier in the world, after Fedchenko Glacier in Tajikistan.

BharatPe appoints Nalin Negi as interim CEO

BharatPe has appointed current chief financial officer (CFO), Nalin Negi as the interim chief executive
officer (CEO).
He has replaced Suhail Sameer, who stepped down from the position.
BharatPe was founded in March 2018.
BharatPe Board Chairman: Rajnish Kumar

Paytm bank receives RBI nod to appoint Surinder Chawla as new CEO
• Paytm Payments Bank CEO, Satish Kumar Gupta was retired in October 2022.
• Since then, Deependra Singh Rathore has been serving as interim CEO of the
payments bank.

Que:Who has been elected as Chairman of the All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC)?
Ans:Saiyam Mehra
for a period of two years (2023-24).

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GJC represents over 6,00,000 industry players comprising manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, distributors,
laboratories, gemologists, designers and allied services providers.

Govt extends RBI Deputy Governor Michael Debabrata Patra tenure by one year
with effect from January 15, 2023.
The three other deputy governors of RBI are M K Jain, M Rajeshwar Rao and T Rabi Sankar.

Justice N. Kotiswar Singh appointed as acting Chief Justice of Gauhati HC

The Central government has appointed Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh as the acting
Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, effective from January 12.
While Supreme Court judges retire at the age of 65 years, high court judge retire at 62.

Que:Who takes charge as first woman Chief Secretary of Telangana?

Ans:Santhi Kumari
Senior IAS Officer A Santhi Kumari has been appointed as the new Chief Secretary of Telangana.

Captain Surbhi Jakhmola, 1st woman officer posted on foreign assignment at BRO
An officer of the 117 Engineer Regiment of the Indian Army
She has been deployed by BRO under Project Dantak in Bhutan.
BRO is entirely under ministry of defence since 2015.
Recently, the Indian Air Force recently deployed Squadron Leader Avani Chaturvedi, a woman
fighter pilot, to Japan for Veer Guardian 2023 exercise, held from January 12 to 26.

BRO Formation – 7 May 1960

Headquarters – New Delhi
Director General – Rajeev Chaudhary

Former BSF chief Pankaj Kumar Singh appointed as Deputy NSA

Former Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF), Pankaj Kumar Singh was
appointed as the Deputy National Security Adviser (NSA) in National Security Council
Secretariat for two years.
Pankaj Singh is considered the architect of police reforms in the country.
National Security Adviser - Ajit Doval

Que:Who has been appointed as the new Ambassador of India to the

Republic of Armenia?
Ans:Nilakshi Saha Sinha
In addition, M Sreedharan has been appointed as the next
Ambassador of India to Azerbaijan.

IIM Ahmedabad appoints Professor Bharat Bhasker as the new Director

for five years, effective from March 1, 2023.

Tata Trusts appoints Siddharth Sharma as new CEO

Also, Aparna Uppaluri as the Trust's Chief Operating Officer (COO). Tata Trusts has created the
COO post for the first time.
Their appointment will come into effect from 1 April 2023.
Siddharth Sharma will succeed N Srinath, who stepped down from the CEO's post in 2022.

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Que: Who has been appointed as the Director of the National Health Authority?
Ans: Praveen Sharma
For five years
National Health Authority (NHA) is the apex body responsible for implementing India’s
flagship public health insurance/assurance scheme called “Ayushman Bharat Pradhan
Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana” under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

Ex-SC judge AK Sikri appointed Administrator of Shooting World Cup 2023

He has been appointed by Delhi High Court to oversee the utilization of funds for the
upcoming International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup, which is
scheduled in India in March.
ISSF is the governing body of Olympic shooting events in rifle, pistol, and shotgun
disciplines, and of several non-Olympic shooting sport events.

Vikram Dev Dutt appointed as Director General of DGCA

with effect from February 28, 2023.
He will be succeeding the incumbent DGCA chief, Arun Kumar.
He was appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director of Air India Ltd in 2022.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
• It is a statutory body and formed under the Aircraft (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
• It investigates aviation accidents and enforces all regulations related to aviation.
• It registers and provides certificates to civil aircrafts.

NMDC signs up Champion Boxer Nikhat Zareen as its Brand Ambassador

Hyderabad-based Navratna mining PSU NMDC Limited, formerly National Mineral Development
Corporation:
Headquarters: Hyderabad
Founded: 1958
Nikhat Zareen was born in Nizamabad, Telangana.
She became the fifth Indian woman to win a boxing world championships gold medal, after Mary
Kom, Sarita Devi, Jenny RL and Lekha KC
Medal won by Nikhat Zareen
Gold medal : World Boxing Championships 2022, Istanbul
Gold medal : Commonwealth Games 2022, Birmingham
Bronze medal : Asian Boxing Championships 2019, Bangkok

Naresh Lalwani takes charge as General Manager, Central Railway

He replaced Ashok Kumar Mishra, General Manager, Western Railway, who was also holding the
additional charge of Central Railway.

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Obituaries
Kashmir's first Jnanpith awardee, Prof Rehman Rahi passes away
• He received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his collection of poems ‘Nawroz-i-
Saba’ in 1961.
• He was honoured with the country's highest literary award, the Jnanpith, for his
work "Siyah Rood-e-Jaerenn Manz" in 2007.
• He has also awarded Padma Shri in 2000 by the govt of India.
• In 2019, author Amitav Ghosh was felicitated with 54th Jnanpith Award. He became the first English
language writer to become a Jnanpith laureate.
• Assamese poet Nilmani Phookan Jr won the 56th Jnanpith Award and Konkani novelist Damodar Mauzo won
the 57th Jnanpith Award.
• It is sponsored by the cultural organization Bharatiya Jnanpith.
• It was instituted in 1961, and the first award was given in 1965.

Former Pope Benedict XVI passes away at Vatican city

• Pope Benedict XVI led Catholic Church for less than eight years until, in 2013,
he became the first Pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415.

Pritzker winning Japanese architect, Arata Isozake passes away

He was awarded the awarded the RIBA Gold Medal in 1986 and the Pritzker
Architecture Prize in 2019.
First awarded: 1979
Francis Kéré becomes first African to win Pritzker Prize 2022

Gujarat's first woman chief secretary Manjula Subramaniam passes away

She was appointed as the first woman chief secretary of Gujarat in 2007.
PM Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat then.

Former Union Minister Sharad Yadav passed away

Former Union Minister and RJD leader Sharad Yadav passed away.
Sharad Yadav had represented the Madhepura Lok Sabha constituency (Bihar) four times
(1991, 1996, 1999 and 2009).
Elected MP twice from Jabalpur(1974,1977) in Madhya Pradesh.
He was also elected Member of Parliament from Badaun, Uttar Pradesh.
He was elected as a member of the Lok Sabha from three states

Father of laparoscopic surgery Tehemton Udwadia passed away

He was the 1st surgeon in India to introduce laparoscopy in
surgery in 1972, and the 1st to perform laparoscopic surgery
in the developing world in 1990.
The doctor was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the country’s
third-highest civilian award, in 2017.
In 2002, he was awarded the Padma Shri for his
contributions to the field of medicine.
Laparoscopy is a type of surgical procedure that allows a
surgeon to access the inside of the abdomen (tummy) and
pelvis without having to make large incisions in the skin.

Renowned Assamese poet Nilmani Phukan passes away

Jnanpith awardee (56th Jnanpith award) – awarded in 2022
for the year 2021

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He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1981 for his poetry collection 'Kabita'.
Padma Shri in 1990.
Damodar Mauzo recipient of 57th Jnapith Award.

Bharatanatyam dancer & guru Lakshmi Viswanathan passes away

Awards - Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Kalaimamani from the Tamil Nadu government
Additional Fact:
Subbulakshmi was an Indian Carnatic singer from Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna (1998), India's highest
civilian honour.

Padma Shri awardee Prabhaben Sobhagchand Shah passed away

She was a social worker from the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli,
Daman, and Diu.
In 2022, she was awarded the Padma Shri.

Noted architect Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi passes away

Awards - Padma Bhushan (2020), Pritzker Architecture Prize (2018), Padma Shri
(1976)
He was credited with designing some of the most iconic structures in the country
such as IIM Bangalore, NIFT Delhi, and CEPT University in Ahmedabad.
He also worked under Le Corbusier and also contributed to the planning of
Chandigarh

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Ranking & Index News

Henley Passport Index 2023
• Japan retained top position as the most favourable passport in the world - visa-
free entry to 193 global destinations.
• Japan is at the top for the fifth year in a row.
• Singapore and South Korea are joint second in the ranking, followed by Germany
and Spain.
• Compared to last year India's position has improved by two points. India is at
85th position in the ranking.
• An Indian passport holder can travel visa-free to 59 countries, although in 2022
the number was 60.

India Surpasses Japan to become 3rd Largest Auto Market Globally

• In a major development, India has surpassed Japan in terms of auto sales last year
to become the third-largest auto market globally for the first time.
• India’s total sales of new vehicles stood at around 4.25 million units, based on
preliminary results, topping the 4.2 million sold in Japan.
• Maruti Suzuki, India’s largest carmaker
• China continued to lead the global auto market, while US remained second

Bangalore, Delhi one of the Top-Performing Global Airports of 2022

• Cirium issued a list of the top-performing global airports of 2022
• Bangalore’s Kempegowda International Airport stood 2nd, whereas Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International
Airport acquired the 7th spot.
The top 7 Rankings :
1. Tokyo, Japan – Haneda Airport
2. Bengaluru, India – Kempegowda International Airport
3. Salt Lake City, USA – Salt Lake City International Airport
4. Detroit, USA – Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
5. Philadelphia, USA – Philadelphia International Airport
6. USA – Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
7. Delhi, India – Indira Gandhi International Airport

Global Fire Power Index 2023

• India ranked as the 4th most powerful army in the world out of 145 countries
• Ranking based on troop strength, national resources, financial status,
logistics and geographic scale.
• Top - United States of America, followed by Russia and China
• Turkey most powerful country in the Middle East and North African region
• Egypt most powerful Arab country in terms of its military power.

TCS, Infosys rank among the most valuable IT services brands globally
• According to Brand Finance’s rankings for 2023, four Indian companies have
featured in the list of the world’s top 10 most valuable IT service brands.
• Four Indian companies are TCS (2), Infosys (3), HCLTech (8), and Wipro (9).
• Accenture has succeeded in retaining its position as the most valuable IT
services brand for the fifth consecutive year.

WEF’s Gender Gap Reports : Changes

• The World Economic Forum (WEF) will take into account the participation of women at the panchayat level
to rank countries in its future Global Gender Gap reports.
• This will improve India’s position at the global level. Currently India ranks 135 out of 146 in the 2022 Gender
Gap report

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• Global Gender Gap Index is the longest-standing index which tracks progress towards closing Gender gaps
over time since its inception in 2006
• The World Economic Forum is an international non-governmental organisation based in Switzerland.
• It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab.

Survival of the Richest Report : Oxfam

• According to a new study by Oxfam International, the richest 1%
of people in India now own more than 40% of the country’s
total wealth, while the bottom half of the population together
share just 3% of wealth.
• The study, titled “Survival of the Richest,” was released on the first day of the World Economic Forum
Annual Meeting.
• The report also highlights the impact of gender inequality on earnings.
• It states that female workers earned only 63 paise for every 1 rupee a male worker earned.

India surpasses China to become most populous country in the world

• According to World Population Review (WPR), India has surpassed China as the world’s most populous
nation.
• According to official announcements, India's population is a little over 5 million,
compared to 141.2 million declared by China on 17 January.
• India, with 50 percent of its population below the age of 30, is poised to be the
fastest growing major economy in the world
• India, the third largest economy in Asia, is currently self-sufficient in food
production.
• India ranks second in terms of production of rice, wheat and sugar.
• Apart from being a major importer of edible oils, India is also the largest consumer of sugar.
• India is the third largest market for the purchase of crude oil, the second largest consumer of steel and gold.
• In addition, India is the third largest domestic aviation market in the world.

Reliance Jio is India’s strongest brand, ranked 9th globally: Brand Finance Report
• According to the report ‘Global 500 – 2023’ published by Brand Finance.
• Jio was placed ahead of brands like EY, Coca-Cola, Accenture and Porsche
• The report titled ‘Global 500 – 2023’ is published annually and ranks the world’s
most valuable and strongest brands.

50 ASI-protected monuments disappear

• According to the Ministry of Culture report titled ‘Issues relating to Untraceable
Monuments and Protection of Monuments in India’ submit to the Parliamentary
Standing Committee, 50 of India’s 3,693 centrally protected monuments have
gone missing.
• The rapid urbanisation has engulfed 14 monuments.
• As many as 12 monuments have been submerged by the constructions of reservoirs and dams, while 24
have gone missing.
• Only 248 monuments are protected by security guards.

ONGC top profit making public sector enterprises in 2021-22

• According to the government of India’s Public Enterprise survey 2021-22, ONGC
was the top profit making central public sector enterprises (CPSE) in 2021-22.
• After ONGC the other most profit making CPSE were Indian Oil Corporation,
Power Grid, NTPC and SAIL.
• The net profit of operating public sector enterprises jumped 50.87 per cent to Rs 2.49 lakh crore during
2021-22. It was Rs 1.65 lakh crore in 2020-21.
• Major loss-making CPSEs were Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), Mahanagar Telecom Nigam Ltd (MTNL), Air
India Assets Holding Ltd, and Eastern Coalfields Ltd.

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Uttar Pradesh tops charts for mobile gaming destination in India

• Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the top destination for mobile gamers, followed by
Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Bihar, and West Bengal, according to India Mobile
Gaming Report 2022 by gaming platform Mobile Premier League.
• India’s gaming market was worth $USD 2.6 billion in the financial year 2022 and it
will reach $8.6 billion by 2027 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27
percent.

17th Annual Education Report (ASER), 2022

• Released by NGO Pratham- highlights the impact on education during pandemic.
• ASER has been conducted every year since 2005 in all rural districts of India. It is the
largest citizen-led survey in India.
Key Findings of the Report:
• Government schools saw a sharp rise in enrolment for the first time in 16 years
• Basic literacy levels of children have taken a big hit, with their reading ability dropping to pre-2012 levels
• Number of children enrolled in government schools increased from 65.6% in 2018 to 72.9% in 2022.
• Percentage of girls in the age group of 11-14 years who were out of school declined from 4.1% to 2%
• The decrease is even sharper among older girls in 15-16 years age group, from 13.5% in 2018 to 7.9% in 2022
• According to the report, the average teacher attendance has increased from 85.4% in 2018 to 87.1% in 2022.
• The number of schools with girls' toilet facilities has increased from 66.4% in 2018 to 68.4% in 2022.
• There has been an increase in the number of schools having drinking water availability.

All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2020-2021

• The Ministry of Education (MoE) released the All India Survey on Higher Education
(AISHE) 2020-2021, covering all higher educational institutions located in Indian
Territory and imparting higher education in the country.
• Highlights:
• The total enrollment of students in higher education has increased to nearly 4.14
crore in 2020-21 from 3.85 crores in 2019-20.
• Female enrolment has increased to 2.01 crore from 1.88 crores in 2019-20.

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State News
J&K govt to host its maiden SARAS Fair 2023 from February 4 to 14
The fair would be organised at Bagh-e-Bahu, Jammu.
In the fair artisans and women self help groups from across the country will showcase their
crafts, handcrafts, handloom and foods.
The national level food and cultural fair will showcase unique and famous indigenous
products from different states and union territories of the country.
It is organised under the guidance of the Ministry of Rural Development.

Hydro Tourism to be developed at NHPC Dam, near Alchi, Leh

Ladakh Tourism department has collaborated with National Hydroelectric Power Corporation
(NHPC) to develop Hydro tourism at world's highest hydro power project on the Indus river, near
Alchi in Leh.
Aquatic sports like Jet Skiing, Motorboating, Ice Skating during winter, and boating during
summer season will be rolled out in a phased manner.
Similarly, tourism department is also introducing border tourism in cooperation with Fire and
Fury Corps of Indian Army.

Lt Governor R K Mathur launched ULPIN in Ladakh

Ladakh Lieutenant Governor R K Mathur has launched the Unique Land Parcel Identification
Number (ULPIN) in Leh.
The 14-digit ULPIN would help in the digitization of land records and also reach a conclusive
land titling - including settling and expediting land-related disputes in court

HCHF and Ladakh Tourism Dept organized annual Ethnic Mamani Festival
The annual Ethnic Mamani Festival was organized at Historical Styangkung Village and
Chiktan Shagaran by the Himalayan Cultural Heritage Foundation (HCHF) and Ladakh
Tourism Department.
The Steyangkung village:
This village is being developed as one of the well-maintained heritage villages in Ladakh.
During Mamani Festival, people would exchange food with their relatives and neighbours
and worship a variety of spirits.

Himachal Pradesh targets to be first 'green energy state' by 2025

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu
The state government would invest in solar plants and will install 500 MW solar projects
during the year 2023-24.

Himachal Pradesh govt restores old pension scheme

The Old Pension Scheme assures life-long income, post-retirement, which is equivalent to 50% of the last drawn
salary. Government bears the pension expense.
Employees also get the benefit of the revision of Dearness Relief (DR)
Moreover, under the OPS, there was the provision of the General Provident Fund (GPF). The scheme was
discontinued in 2004.
The Central Government introduced the National Pension System (NPS) with effect from January 2004 (except for
armed forces).
NPS is being implemented and regulated by PFRDA (Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority) in the
country.
The All-Citizens Model of the NPS allows all citizens of India (including NRIs) aged between 18 - 70 years to join NPS.
It is a participatory scheme, where employees contribute to their pension corpus from their salaries, with matching
contributions from the government.

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Even private individuals can opt for the scheme.

Uttarakhand Govt abolishes system of revenue/Patwari police

All the revenue villages will now be under the regular policing system.
It was introduced by the British in the hilly state 150 years back. Under the system the civil
officials/patwari of the Revenue department had the power to investigate and arrest the
offenders just like police.
According to the government the revenue police lacked the necessary skill required for
criminal investigations.

The 'Soul of Steel' challenge launched in Uttarakhand

• launched on January 14, to test endurance at high altitude.
• Location: Nanda Devi National Park.
• The Indian Army has signed an MoU with CLAW (Conquest land air and
water) Global to promote adventure sports in Uttarakhand and promote
tourism in the border states.
• The CLAW Global was set up in January 2019 by Major (retd) Vivek
Jacob, a retired para special forces officer.
• Apart from life skill training and youth development, it will promote adventure tourism in Uttarakhand
globally.

Uttarakhand passed the Women's Reservation Bill

• Uttarakhand Governor Gurmeet Singh has given assent to a bill providing for 30% horizontal reservation for
domiciled women citizens of the state in public services and posts.
• The bill known as the Uttarakhand Public Services (Horizontal Reservation for Women) Bill 2022 was passed
by the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly on November 30 during the winter session.

Luminous Power Technologies to build India's first green solar panel factory in Uttarakhand
The new manufacturing plant located in Rudrapur is expected to be fully operational
by the end of 2023.
The facility will help enable a solar generation capacity of 500 MW per annum, which
can be scaled up to 1 GW.
The plant has been certified as a green facility by the Indian Green Building Council
(IGBC) and will reduce CO2 emissions by over 70 million tonnes per year.
CEO and Managing Director of Luminous Power Technologies – Preeti Bajaj

Construction of "Bajrang Setu" to be completed by July 2023

Asia's second and country's first cable suspension bridge "Bajrang Setu" is being
constructed at Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, and will be completed by July 2023. This bridge is
coming up next to the famous 90-year-old Laxman Jhula. Laxman Jhula was closed in 2022
as it wasn't safe for pedestrians anymore. However, it will not be removed and will be
preserved as a heritage.The construction of the new bridge would cost Rs 67 crores.

North India’s largest floating Solar project inaugurated

The Governor of Punjab, Banwari Lal Purohit inaugurated North India’s largest floating
Solar project of 2000 kWp at Water Works in Chandigarh.
The project is designed and executed by CREST (Chandigarh Renewable Energy and
Science & Technology Promotion Society).
It will generate a minimum of 35 Lac Units (kWh) of Solar Energy per year with 20%
module efficiency.

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The first-ever “National Genome Editing & Training Centre” inaugurated at Mohali
Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated “National
Genome Editing and Training Centre (NGETC)” at National Agri-food Biotechnology Institute
(NABI) Mohali in Punjab.He also inaugurated the 4-day International Conference on Food
and Nutrition Security 2023.

National Genome Editing and Training Centre (NGETC)

The center will help in improving crops in present climate scenarios and making them more tolerant to changing
environmental conditions.It will also empower young researchers by providing them training and guidance regarding
its application in crops.

What is Genome Editing?

Genome editing, also known as gene editing, alters the deoxy-ribonucleic acid (DNA) of an organism. These
technologies allow genetic material to be added, removed, or changed at particular locations in the genome.

Ghaziabad-Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay section becomes the longest fully Automatic Block Signalling (ABS) section of
Indian Railways
Length 762 KM
ABS has been commissioned on 268 Route Kilometer (RKM) during 2022-23.
With the implementation of automatic signalling, there will be an increase in capacity resulting in the introduction of
more train services.

What is Automatic Block Signalling (ABS)?

Automatic Block Working is a system of train working in which movement of the
trains is controlled by the automatic stop signals. These signals are operated
automatically by the passage of trains into through and out of the automatic
signalling sections. ABS makes it possible for trains travelling in the same direction
to safely follow each other without the risk of rear-end collisions. This makes the use
of an ABS system very cost-effective and leads to an increase in capacity.

Military Tattoo & Tribal Dance Festival-2023

The Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs jointly organized Military Tattoo and
Tribal Dance Festival – Aadi Shaurya – Parv Parakram Ka at Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New
Delhi on the 23rd January 2023. Aim - to remember the sacrifices of the country’s brave hearts
and celebrate the rich cultural heritage, and to celebrate together the bravery of Netaji Subhas
Chandra Bose.

President Murmu inaugurates Samvidhan Udyan in Jaipur

President also virtually laid the foundation stone for the 1,000 MW Bikaner Solar
Power Project in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The project is being implemented by state-
owned energy firm SJVN Limited through its subsidiary. The project is expected to
be commissioned by March 2024 The maximum usage charges have been set at Rs.
2.57 per unit, which will provide cheaper electricity to consumers. In addition to
helping the government achieve its renewable energy target of 500 GW by 2030, the project will also reduce carbon
emissions by 27,85,077 tones.

President Murmu inaugurated the 18th National Jamboree of the Bharat Scouts and Guides in
Rajasthan
At Rohat in the Pali district of Rajasthan. The 7 day event was hosted by Rajasthan after 66 years,
last time it was in 1956. The first National Scout and Guide Jamboree was held in Andhra Pradesh
in 1951. Theme - Progress with Peace The Jamboree is a National level gathering of the Scouts
and Guides conducted once in 4 years or to mark special occasions.

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Founder of the Scout and Guides movement

The Boy Scout movement was started by Major General Baden Powell of the British Army in
1907. The girl’s guide’s movement was started by Major General Powel sister’s Agnes Baden
Powell in 1910 Bharat Scouts and Guides Movement
After Independence the Bharat Scouts and Guides was set up in 1950 as a registered society
under Societies Registrations Act 1860. It is a totally voluntary, non-political and secular
organisation. The purpose of the Movement is to contribute to the development of young
people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual potentials as individuals, as
responsible citizens and as members of the local, national and International communities.

Rajasthan becomes first State to implement blindness control policy

to ensure the “right to sight”.
This drive aims to reduce the rate of blindness and bring light into the lives of people
suffering from visual impairment The prevalence rate of blindness was 1.1% in 2020, aimed
to bring it down to 0.3% through the policy The State government would mandatorily run
keratoplasty centres for cornea transplants and eye banks in medical colleges

Que: In which state of India did the first IVF unit for animals start?
Ans: Gujarat's Amreli
India got its first In vitro fertilization (IVF) mobile unit for animals in Gujarat's Amreli. The mobile IVF lab was
inaugurated by union minister Purushottam Rupala.The IVF mobile van was "dedicated in a joint venture of the
Government of India and Amar Dairy."

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel inaugurates 2023 International Kite Festival

• in Ahemdabad, organised from the 8th to 14th January, 2023.
• The theme of this festival was held with the theme of G20 - 'One Earth, One Family,
One Future'.

Vidisha becomes first Indian district to implement state-of-the-art 5G use cases proposed
by startups
• Vidisha, an aspirational district of Madhya Pradesh became the first ever district in
India for on ground deployment of innovative 5G use cases offered by startups.
• This feat has been achieved through a joint initiative of Vidisha district
administration and Center for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), Department of Telecom (DoT) under the
guidance of Additional Secretary (Telecom) and Administrator USOF.
• This has been accomplished to accelerate digital transformation across socio-economic verticals.

What is 5G technology?
The fifth generation mobile network is called 5G.
The 5G network will operate in the millimeter-wave spectrum (30-300 GHz) which can send huge amounts of data at
very high speeds.
It is the newest upgrade in Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband networks.
Internet speeds in the high-band spectrum of 5G have been tested to exceed 20 Gbps (gigabit per second).

"Vigyanika — Science Literature Festival" event held in IISF, Bhopal

organized on 22 - 23 January as a part of the 8th India International Science Festival (IISF).
The 8th IISF is being jointly organized by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Ministry of Science and Technology and
Vigyan Bharati. Theme - “Moving towards Amrit Kaal with Science, Technology and Innovation”.
Vigyanika is being organized with the objective of promoting science through science poetry, multilingual scientific
literature, science drama and folk art and showcasing the rich heritage of India by inculcating scientific temper
among the masses. IISF is being organized annually since 2015.

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Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced Ladli Bahina Scheme
to provide Rs 1,000 per month to women from financially poor background in the state,
where the Assembly polls are due this year-end.
A sum of Rs 60,000 crore will be spent on this scheme in five years.
Poor women from all sections can benefit from this scheme even if they have been
receiving benefits of other welfare programmes.

Madhya Pradesh government launched Chief Minister's Residential Land Rights Scheme
Mukhyamantri Bhumi Adhikar Yojna launched from Bakpura Panchayat of Tikamgarh district
on 4 January 2023.
The scheme will be launched in the entire state.
Each beneficiary family will be given a plot of about 600 square feet for construction of houses
under various schemes including Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

Varanasi Cantt Railway Station awarded ‘Eat Right Station’ with a 5-star rating
certification by FSSAI
‘Eat Right Station’ certification is provided by FSSAI to railway stations which set the
standard in providing safe and nutritious food to the passengers.
Other railway stations with this certification
The other railway stations with this certification include Anand Vihar Terminal Railway
Station (Delhi), Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Mumbai), Mumbai Central Railway Station
(Mumbai), Vadodara Railway Station, Chandigarh Railway Station, Bhopal Railway Station.

What is FSSAI?
• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is an autonomous statutory body established under the
Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSS Act).
• Formed:2008
• Under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
• Headquarters: Delhi
• Chairman: Shri Rajesh Bhushan

Que: In which state is the Korwa Ordnance factory situated where the production of Kalashnikov AK-203 assault
rifles began?
Ans: Uttar Pradesh
The manufacturing of Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles has recently started in Amethi,
Uttar Pradesh by an Indo-Russian joint venture.
Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited plans to ensure 100 percent production of AK-203
rifles in India.
India is the first country to start production of the world famous brand AK-200-series
assault rifles.
The AK-203 assault rifle is considered to be the latest and most advanced version of the AK-47 rifle.
This variant will replace the Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) 5.56×45mm assault rifle, which is currently being used
by the Army, Navy and Air Force besides other security forces.

Bihar Government begins caste survey in State

Started on 7th January and will end on 31 May 2023. About five lakh people have been
employed to carry out this entire process.
This caste survey will help in taking the required measures for the upliftment of the
deprived sections.
The state government will spend Rs 500 crore from its contingency fund for this exercise.

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What is caste based census?

In independent India, data on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has been published in every census from 1951
to 2011, but no data on other castes has been published.
Every census until 1931 contained caste figures.
Although, in 1941, caste-based data was collected but not published.
In the absence of such a census, there is no proper estimate of the population of OBC and others.
The Mandal Commission estimated the OBC population at 52%.

Chhattisgarh celebrates traditional ‘Cherchera’ festival

• at Dudhadhari Math in Raipur.
• This traditional festival is celebrated on the full moon night of ‘Paush’ Hindu
calendar month.
• It is celebrated in the happiness of taking the crops to their homes after cultivation.
• According to mythological belief, on this day Lord Shankar had begged from Mata Annapurna, so people
donate green vegetables along with paddy on this day.

'Rare orange coloured bat' spotted in Chhattisgarh's Kanger Ghati National Park
Known as 'painted bat’ – this species is globally endangered.
Sscientific name - 'Kerivoula picta’.
This species is commonly found in Bangladesh, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
In India, this bat has so far been seen in the Western Ghats, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha and Kanger
valley of Chhattisgarh.
Kanger Valley National Park
established in 1982.
The name of this national park is derived from the Kanger River. This park is located in the Bastar district of
Chhattisgarh, which is spread over an area of about 200 square kilometres.
Due to its high biodiversity it has been designated as a Biosphere Reserve.
The national park is famous for its limestone caves which also provide a suitable habitat for bats.
Other 2 National Parks of Chhattisgarh
• Indravati National Park
• Guru Ghasidas National Park

Talcher Fertiliser plant in Odisha will be ready by October 2024

It will be the largest and first coal gasification plant in India. When operational, the
plant will help us reduce our dependence on urea imports.
The urea plant being constructed at a cost of about 17,000 crore rupees will benefit
the farmers across the country besides generating local employment and boosting local economy.
Coal India Ltd, the Gas Authority of India Ltd, and the National Fertiliser Corporation are supporting the setting up
the Talcher Fertiliser plant

What is Coal Gasification?

• Process: Coal gasification is a process in which coal is partially oxidised
with air, oxygen, steam or carbon dioxide to form a fuel gas.
• This gas is then used instead of piped natural gas, methane and others
for deriving energy.
• Production of Syngas: It produces Syngas which is a mixture consisting
primarily of methane (CH4) , carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2),
carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapour (H2O).
• Syngas can be used to produce a wide range of fertilizers, fuels,
solvent and synthetic materials.

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'She Feeds the World' program launched in West Bengal

launched by PepsiCo and CARE in India - initially in 2 districts of West Bengal.
Aim - to improve the status of over 48,000 women. More than 1.5 million people of West Bengal
will benefit from this program.
The main objective of this program is to increase crop yield, increase income of women of BPL
families, ensure access to healthy and balanced diet as well as provide training to women on
sustainable agriculture.
In developing countries, women make up about half the number of men in agricultural work and work 13 hours
more per week than men.

Gangasagar Mela 2023

• Annually held on Sagar Island on the southernmost tip of West Bengal, to celebrate Makar
Sankranti.
• The Gangasagar pilgrimage and fair is the second largest congregation of mankind after the
triennial ritual bathing of Kumbha Mela.

Assam: Men marrying girls below 14 to be booked under POCSO Act

Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act
POCSO Act of 2012 defines a child as an individual under the age of 18 and it
criminalises sex between an under-age child and an adult.
The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 will be used to prosecute men who
marry girls between the ages of 14 and 18 and required legal action would be
taken against them
The legal age for marriage is 18 years for women and 21 for men.
"The Panchayat Secretaries of the villages in the state will also be designated as child marriage prohibition officers.

Gurung community in Sikkim celebrates its New Year festival Tamu Lhosar
• The Gurungs are hill people living on the southern slopes of Himalayan
Mountains in central Nepal.
• Their origins are uncertain, although they are of Mongoloid stock and their
ancestors may have migrated to their current location from Tibet around
2,000 years ago.

Ethnic Composition of Sikkim:

• There are three ethnic groups in Sikkim- Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalese.
• The Lepchas are basically Buddhist and Christian. Bhutias are the people originally from Kham area in Eastern
Tibet who follow Lamanism.

Imoinu Iratpa festival celebrated across Manipur

The Meitei community of Manipur celebrated Imoinu Iratpa festival every year.
They regard the Imoinu goddess as a goddess of wealth and prosperity.

Manipur celebrates Gaan Ngai festival

• Zeliangrong community of Manipur celebrated the Gaan Ngai festival
on 4th Jauary 2023.
• This festival also marks the end of the year when the farmers have
stored their food grain in their graneries.
• They show their gratitude by offering to the almighty a good harvest
and praying for a better life.
• The Zeliangrong community comprises Rongmei, Liangmei, and Zeme tribes.

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Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurates Marjing Polo statue in Manipur

122-foot-high Sagol Kangjei Statue at the Ibudhou Marjing complex in
Imphal, Manipur.
Sagol Kangjei: It is the name of the game of polo played in Manipur.
Modern polo is said to have originated from Sagol Kangjei, a sport
indigenous to Manipur, in which players ride horses, specifically the Manipur
Ponies, which are referenced in records dating back to the 14th century.
Marjing is considered the God of polo and features a pony as his carrier.

India’s First Centre of Excellence in Online Gaming to be set up in Shillong

• Digital India Startup Hub through Software Technology Parks of India (STPI)
will set up India’s first centre of excellence for online gaming in Shillong by
March
• The Center of Excellence in Shillong is expected to catalyse startups and
entrepreneurs from India's Northeast to build the next generation online
gaming ecosystem.
• MeitY will also set up a state-of-the-art facility under the National Institute of Electronics and IT (NIELIT) in
Shillong to impart training on digital skills.
• A 10-acre campus will soon be prepared for this.

Kota tribe of the Nilgiris celebrated Aiyanoor Ammanoor festival

It is celebrated for a week.
During this festival, this tribe collects clay to make pottery. The pot-making ceremony is
held once every two years.
After making an earthen pot, they open their temple and then prepare food in this earthen
pot and serve it to the whole village.

Other major tribal festivals

Medaram Jatra festival - It is the second largest fair in India celebrated for four days by the Koya tribe, the second
largest tribal community of Telangana.
Bhagoria festival - This is a major tribal festival celebrated in Madhya Pradesh(Bhil Tribe).
Mim Kut Festival - This festival is celebrated by the Kuki tribe of Mizoram.
Sarhul festival - This is the biggest nature festival celebrated by the tribal society. Which is celebrated in Jharkhand.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh inaugurates steel arch Siyom Bridge

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has inaugurated the 100-metre, Siyom Bridge in Siang
district of Arunachal Pradesh.
• This bridge will open an alternative route to the India-China border.

Parshuram Kund Festival

• to be celebrated from 12 to 16 January 2023.
• in the Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh
• It is also known as the Kumbh of the Northeast.
• It is dedicated to a mythological figure sage Parshuram.
• The project “Development of Parasuram Kund is sanctioned under the Pilgrimage
Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive’ (PRASHAD) Scheme of the
Ministry of Tourism.

Noble’s Helen Butterfly:

Extremely rare Noble’s Helen butterfly was recorded for the first time in India from the Namdapha National Park in
Arunachal Pradesh.

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Noble’s Helen butterfly:

• It is a swallowtail butterfly with a wingspan of 100–120 mm.
• It has an extra white spot in the dorsum of the forewing.
• Scientific name: Papilio noblei
• They are found in Myanmar, Hubai (China), North Thailand, Laos, Cambodia,
Vietnam.
• The species is known to be very rare in occurrence in its previously known
ranges.

Namdapha National Park:

• It lies on the international border between India and Myanmar (Burma) within Changlang District in the state
of Arunachal Pradesh.
• The Namdapha protected area is located between Dapha Bum ridge of Mishmi Hills, of North Eastern
Himalayas and Patkai Ranges.

India's deepest metro station to be built at Pune Civil Court

Pune's Civil Court interchange station will be 108.59 feet deep with a ceiling of 95 feet.
It will be used as an interchange facility for an underground station on the Pimpri-Chinchwad-Swargate route.
The metro will be completed in February 2023 and will start in March.
The ceiling of the station will be so high that natural sunlight will fall on the floor of the station. Civil Court Station
would be the only station with such a unique feature.
The headquarters of Pune Metro will also be built at the station.

Khadi Fest-23 inaugurated in Mumbai

Manoj Kumar, Chairman, Khadi and Village Industries Commission, inaugurated the
Khadi Fest- 23 which will run from January 27 to February 24, 2023 at the Khadi and
Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Headquarters in Mumbai.
Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)
established in 1957 under the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act 1956.
It is under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
It is responsible, along with other agencies, for the planning, promotion, organisation and implementation of
programs for the development of Khadi and other village industries in rural areas.

US to support restoration of Hyderabad's Paigah tombs

Financial assistance of $250,000 (through the US Ambassador's Fund for Cultural
Preservation) will be provided by the US for the conservation and restoration of 6 Paigah
tombs built in the 18th-19th centuries in Hyderabad.
The project will be implemented by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
Paigah Tombs Complex is a protected complex of the Department of Archaeology,
Government of Telangana.
The Paigah Tomb (or Tomb Shams al-Umra) is a mausoleum belonging to the nobility of the Paigah family, who
served the Nizam of Hyderabad (Asaf Jahi dynasty).
The Paigahs claim to be descended from Hazrat Umar bin al-Khattab, the second Caliph of Islam.
The construction of this mausoleum was started by Nawab Tegjung Bahadur in 1787 and later his son Amir-e-Kabir I
helped in its construction.
It is believed that the architectural style of the mausoleum is unique in the whole world.
The mausoleum is decorated with lime marble and shows a mixture of Greek, Persian, Mughal, Rajasthani, Asif Jahi
and Deccani architecture.

Hyderabad selected to host WEF Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has chosen Hyderabad to set up its Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
focused on healthcare and life sciences.

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The announcement was made after the Telangana government and the World Economic Forum
signed a cooperation agreement during the Forum's annual meeting in Davos recently.
Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) Telangana will be an autonomous, non-profit
organisation that will focus on healthcare and life sciences.

What is the fourth industrial revolution?

The Fourth Industrial Revolution represents a fundamental change in the way we live, work and connect with each
other.
The key technologies involved are cloud computing, big data, cyber security, simulation, additive manufacturing and
Internet of Things (IoT).

Other industrial revolution

First Industrial Revolution (in the 1800s): Water and steam power were used to mechanize production. An example
of this is the steam engine.
Second Industrial Revolution (early 1900s): It used electricity for mass production. Electricity is an example of this.
Third Industrial Revolution (late 1900s): Electronics and information technology were used to automate production.
Computers and the Internet are examples of this.

Visakhapatnam Railway Station awarded 'Green Railway Station Certificate’

Visakhapatnam Railway Station under East Coast Railway has been awarded the 'Green
Railway Station Certificate' with the highest Platinum rating by the Indian Green
Building Council (IGBC) for adopting green concepts.
The Green Railway Station Rating System has been developed by the Environment
Directorate of Indian Railways in collaboration with IGBC.
The system addresses national priorities such as water conservation, waste
management, energy efficiency, limited use of fossil fuels, minimal reliance on the use
of natural materials, and health and well-being of users.

Centre approved Karnataka's Kalasa-Banduri drinking water project

• The project is aimed at facilitating drinking water in drought-hit northern
Karnataka by diverting water from Mahadayi river (also known as Mandovi).
• Maharashtra and Goa have opposed the move.
• The Central Water Commission (CWC) has approved the diversion of 1.72 TMC
water from Kalsa Dam and 2.18 TMC water from Bhandura Dam.
• The project proposes to divert water from two tributaries of the Mahadayi river (also known as Mandovi) –
Kalasa and Banduri – to the Malaprabha river,
• Water to be provided to regions in Dharwad, Belagavi, Bagalkote and Gadag among others. These areas
together make up the country’s second most arid region after Rajasthan.
• The Mahadayi river originates in Karnataka and has a basin area of 2,032 sq km. Of the total area, 375 sq km
lies in Karnataka, 77 sq km in Maharashtra and remaining 1580 sq km is in Goa.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah lays the foundation stone of the Central Detective Training Institute (CDTI) at
Devanahalli, Karnataka
• This will be the 6th CDTI of the Bureau of Police Research & Development
under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs
• The objective of the CDIT is to provide training to the police personnel up
to Deputy SSP rank.
• The first CDTI was set up in Calcutta in 1958.
• Others are at Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Jaipur and Ghaziabad.

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Que:India’s first 3x platform wind turbine generators (WTG) have been installed in which state?
Ans: Karnataka
ReNew Power has installed India’s first 3x platform wind turbine generators (WTGs) in Gadag,
Karnataka. The new wind turbine generators will be a part of the country’s first ‘Round the Clock’
renewable energy project, combining wind, solar and a battery energy storage system (BESS).
This project will produce energy to power over 1 million households in India annually.
Sumant Sinha, Chairman & CEO, ReNew Power

International Trade Fair on Millets and Organic Products held in Bengaluru

The 4th International Trade Fair of Millets and Organics Products began on 20 January 2023 at
Tripuravasini, Bengaluru.
This three-day fair is organised by the Department of Agriculture and the Government of Karnataka.
Consumption of millets is a solution to malnutrition, which will also benefit farmers for better livelihood and
increased income.

India as the Global Hub for Millets

In India, millet is primarily a kharif crop, requiring less water and agricultural inputs. According to the Food and
Agriculture Organisation, global millet production in 2020 was 30.464 million metric tonnes (MMT), of which India
accounted for 41 percent of the total millet production. The Government of Karnataka has been a pioneer in the
promotion of millets. The first millets and organic fair was held in 2017, the second and third editions were held in
Bengaluru in 2018 and 2019.

Silent Valley bird species increased to 175

• The bird survey was held in the last week of December 2022
• To mark the 30th anniversary of the first bird survey in Silent Valley, which was
held in the last week of December 1990.
• The survey was held in association with the Kerala Natural History Society.

Silent Valley National Park

The Silent Valley National Park is located in Kerala's Nilgiri hills. It was first explored by botanist
Robert Wight in 1847. The Bhavani River, a tributary of the Kaveri River, and the Kunthipuzha River,
a tributary of the Bharathappuzha river, both have their origins in the area around Silent Valley.

The world's first museum of palm leaf manuscripts established in Thiruvananthapuram,

Kerala
The museum, which is the world’s first of its kind, contains 187 manuscripts and other
artefacts related to the former Travancore kingdom from 650 AD until the end of the 19th
century. The museum gives a glimpse of the administrative, socio-cultural and economic
aspects of the Kingdom of Travancore. Apart from manuscripts, the museum also has
information about the famous Battle of Colachel, in which the heroic king Anijam Tirunal
Marthanda Varma (1729-58) of Travancore defeated the Dutch East India Company. Dutch expansion in India was
halted by the victory of the Raja of Travancore in 1741, and under Marthanda Varma, Travancore became the first
state in Asia to stop the expansionist thinking of a European power

Kerala becomes country’s first fully digital banking state

Kerala is also the only State in India that has declared ‘the right to Internet’ as a basic right of
its citizens
The ambitious Kerala Fibre Optic Network (KFON) project of the state government was
announced recently.
The K-FON will ensure internet facility to everyone in the state either for a cheaper price or for free-of-cost.

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Dangerous ‘Norovirus’ found in Kerala

Ernakulam district of Kerala has reported two cases of highly-contagious norovirus
Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that is also called “stomach flu”. Norovirus was
previously known as Norwalk virus when it was first identified in Norwalk in 1929.
Gastroenteritis illness due to this virus had been initially described as “winter vomiting
disease” due to its seasonal emergence in winters. As per WHO, an estimated 685 million cases of norovirus has
been found each year with 200 million instances among children under the age of five

Kerala's Kollam becomes first constitution literate district in India

This achievement is the result of a seven-month long constitutional literacy campaign
Under this campaign, more than seven lakh families of the district are being educated on the
basic principles of the Constitution.

Kerala enters Guinness Book of World Records for goals scored

• by taking 4,500 penalty kicks in 12 hours.
• The Department of Sports and Youth Affairs organized the event to set the Guinness
record for a Dream Goal penalty shootout organized in Manjeri, Kerala.
• Many football lovers, students, teachers and others enthusiastically queued up to
take the penalty kicks.
• Capital – Thiruvananthapuram
• Chief Minister – Pinarayi Vijayan
• Governor – Arif Mohammad Khan

Wayanad becomes the first district in the country to provide basic documents to
all tribals
Kerala's Wayanad district has become the first district in India to provide basic
documents and facilities like Aadhaar card, ration card, birth/death certificate,
election ID card, bank accounts and health insurance to all tribals. as part of Akshaya Big Campaign for Document
Digitization (ABCD) campaign. The campaign was launched in November 2021 with the objective of ensuring basic
documents for all citizens of Scheduled Tribe communities from Thondarandu Gram Panchayat.

Kerala first in other areas too -

Kerala was declared as the first state to enable digital banking service.
Dharmadum constituency of Kerala has become the first full library constituency in India.

Kollam district of Kerala has become the first constitution literate district in the country.
India's first carbon neutral farm at Aluva in Ernakulam district of Kerala.
Kerala has become the first state in India to implement a uniform price of gold across the state.

One Liner NEWS

• Election Commission launches 'Mission-929' to take voter turnout in Tripura to over 90
• Hyderabad to become India’s first city with 100% sewerage facilities by May 2023/
• Jammu and Kashmir becomes the first Indian Union Territory to completely shift to e-governance mode

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National News
PM Modi addressed 108th Indian Science Congress on January 3, 2023
Theme 2023: Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women
Empowerment
organised at Rashtrasant Tukdoji Maharaj Nagpur University
The first session of the Congress was held in 1914.

India’s first underwater metro to be in operation by December 2023

According to the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation, India’s first underwater metro
service, the East-West Metro Corridor project is expected to be completed by
December 2023.
The East-West corridor of the Kolkata Metro is 15 Km-long and spans from Salt Lake
Stadium to Howrah.
First metro in India, Kolkata Metro which started its operation 24 October 1984
between Dum Dam to Tollygunge. It was started with the help of the Soviet Union.
Largest metro rail in operation in India, Delhi Metro (390.14 km). It started operation
on 24 December 2002.
Smallest Metro- Ahmedabad metro,6 km
The metro rail systems in operation in India are in the cities of Ahmedabad, Bengaluru,
Chennai, Delhi, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kanpur, Kolkata, Kochi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Noida, and Pune.

Ministry of Rural Development launches Prajjwala Challenge

Has been launched under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission
Aim: To invite ideas, solutions and actions that can transform rural economy
The broad categories: Focus on Women and Marginalized section of community; Localised Models; Sustainability;
Cost Effective solutions; Multi sectoral ideas and solutions
Top 5 ideas will be rewarded with Rs. 2 Lakh each
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission
It is a centrally sponsored programme, launched by the Ministry of Rural Development in June 2011.

PM Modi to launch world’s longest river cruise from Varanasi to Assam on 13 January
Cruise from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh
This will be the single largest river journey by a single river ship in the world.
The cruise, which has been named ‘Ganga Vilas cruise will cover 4000 Kilometers along
27 river systems, including Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly, Brahmaputra, and West Coast
Canal in 50 days.
The cruise is expected to be run on a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
The government’s Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has signed an
agreement with Antara Luxury River Cruises and JM Baxi River Cruises for the
initiative.
Union Minister for Port, Shipping and Waterways: Sarbananda Sonowal

‘SMART’ program launched for Ayurveda professionals

• The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and the Central Council for Research in
Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) have launched ‘SMART’ program.
• 'SMART' refers to ‘Scope for Mainstreaming Ayurveda Research in Teaching Professionals’.
• Aim: To boost scientific research in priority healthcare research areas through Ayurveda
colleges and hospitals.
• The program was launched by Vaidya Jayant Deopujari (Chairman, NCISM) and Prof.
Rabinarayan Acharya (DG, CCRAS).

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Coffee export increased by 1.66% to 4 lakh tonne in 2022: Coffee Board of India
mainly due to the increase in instant coffee exports and re-exports.
The total export in 2021 was at 3.93 lakh tonnes.
Italy, Germany and Russia are the major export destinations for the Indian coffee.
India exports both Robusta and Arabica varieties of coffee and also instant coffee.
Coffee Board of India - head office at Bangalore(1942).

Union cabinet approves Rs 2,614.51 crore investment in the 382 MW Sunni Dam
Hydro Electric Project
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
The 382 MW Sunni Dam Hydro Electric Project is being developed by Sutlej Jal Vidyut
Nigam limited (SJVN) on Sutlej river in the Shimla and Mandi districts of Himachal
Pradesh. The project on completion is expected to generate 1,382 million units of
electricity annually.
He also laid the foundation stone of 210 MW Luhri Stage-1 on river Sutlej and 66 MW
Dhaulasidh project being built on Beas river .All the projects are being developed by
SJVN.

Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVN)

It is a Mini Ratna Category-I Central public Sector Enterprises Company under the Union Ministry of Power.
The company is a joint venture of the Government of India and Himachal Pradesh government with the government
of India holding the majority shares. It was set up in 1988 for hydroelectric power generation and transmission.
SJVN is presently implementing or operating power projects in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Maharashtra,
Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam, Odisha, Mizoram and Madhya Pradesh in India
besides neighbouring countries of Nepal and Bhutan.
Chairman and Managing Director: N L Sharma

Union Government approves National Green Hydrogen Mission

with an initial outlay of 19,744 crore rupees.
Aim: To make India a Global Hub for production, utilisation and export of Green Hydrogen.
Main Objective of the National Green Hydrogen Mission
The aim of the National Hydrogen Mission is to enable India to meet its climate change
target of net zero carbon emission by 2070 and make India a production and export hub of
hydrogen fuel.
Achieve the capacity to produce 5 million tonnes of green hydrogen per year by 2030 ,
Capacity addition of 125 GW of renewable energy by 2030.
Reduction in carbon dioxide emission of nearly 50 Million Metric Tonne per annum by 2030.
Reduction in fossil fuel imports worth Rs 1 lakh crore by 2030.
To attract investment over Rs.8 lakh crore in the sector.
Target of creation of over 6 lakh jobs in the sector by 2030.

1st All India Annual State Ministers Conference on Water

held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh on 5th & 6th January, 2023.
The Government is deliberating on the preparation of the Action Plan and Vision Document of
India@2047.
Theme: Water Vision @ 2047

Government approved BIND Scheme

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved Central Sector ‘Broadcasting Infrastructure and
Network Development’ (BIND) Scheme with an outlay of 2,539.61 crore rupees up to 2025-26.
Aim: For the infrastructure development of Prasar Bharati i.e. All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD).

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The Scheme will increase coverage of AIR FM transmitters in the country to 66% by geographical
area and 80% by population up from 59% and 68% respectively.
The scheme is also focusing on development of high-quality content for both domestic and
international audience. To ensure this DTH capacity will be upgraded.
All India Radio, officially known since 1957 as Akashvani, is the national public radio broadcaster
of India and is a division of Prasar Bharati. It was established in 1936.

Health Minister chairs a high level meeting to eliminate Kala-azar from the country by 2023
Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya chaired a high-level meeting with four states of Bihar,
Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal governments to review the elimination of Kala-Azar from the country by
the year 2023.
There has been 98% decline in kala Azar cases from 2007 (44533) till Nov 2022 (834)
Global status of Kala-Azar
About 90 percent of global cases of kala-azar in the year 2021 were found in eight
countries – Brazil, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan.
India accounts for 11.5 per cent of the total cases reported globally.
Bihar and Jharkhand currently account for more than 90 percent of Kala-azar cases.
What is Kala-azar?
It is also known as black fever and Dumdum fever.
The disease is the second largest parasite killer in the world after Malaria.
It is a Neglected Tropical Disease affecting about 100 countries including India.
Symptoms
Fever, weight loss, fatigue, anaemia, and swelling of the liver and spleen.
Transmission
It is caused by protozoan parasites of the Leishmania genus.
It migrates to the internal organs such as the liver, spleen and bone marrow.
National Kala-azar Eradication Program
India's National Health Policy, 2002, set a target of eliminating Kala-azar by 2010, which was revised in 2015.
India signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh and Nepal to eliminate Kala-azar
from the South-East Asia region.

Foreign universities will need UGC nod to set up campuses in India

• The initial approval will be for 10 years.
• Foreign universities with campuses in the country will only be allowed to offer
full-time programmes in physical mode (No online or distance learning).
• University Grants Commission's (UGC) Chairman, M Jagadesh Kumar

6th Edition of ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’:

‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ (PPC) - an interactive program that brings together students, teachers,
and parents to discuss anxieties related to exams and life after school
held on January 27 at the Talkatora Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the event
The Department of School Education and Literacy within the Ministry of Education has
organized the event successfully for the past five years.

India to host the ‘Voice of the Global South Summit’

a special virtual Summit on 12th and 13th of January 2023
The theme of the Summit - 'Unity of Voice, Unity of Purpose.
More than 120 countries were invited for this summit.
The summit is India's attempt to provide a common platform to discuss concerns
affecting developing countries.

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26th National Youth Festival -2023

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai released the logo and mascot of the
National Youth Festival to be held in Hubballi-Dharwad twin cities from the 12th to
16th of January in Karnataka.
The event was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 12th January 2023.
The theme - Vikasit Yuva-Vikasit Bharat.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh releases theme of National Science Day 2023
• Theme 2023: Global Science for Global Wellbeing
• National Science Day is celebrated every year on the 28th February to celebrate the
discovery of the Raman Effect by Indian Physicist Sir C V Raman.
• The 12th World Hindi Conference will be organised in Fiji by the Foreign Ministry in
collaboration with the Fiji government from February 15 to 17, 2023.
• World Hindi day Theme 2023: "Hindi – Traditional Knowledge to Artificial Intelligence"

PM Narendra Modi virtually inaugurates Global Investors Summit in Indore

two-day Global Investors Summit in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
Theme of the Global Investors Summit is ‘Madhya Pradesh - a future-ready state’.
Environmental protection has been taken care of in this summit that will be completely
based on Carbon Neutral and Zero Waste.

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY)

The new integrated food security scheme has been named as PM Garib Kalyan Anna
Yojana ((PMGKAY) to provide free food grains to Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and
Primary Household (PHH) beneficiaries.
This integrated scheme will strengthen the provisions of National Food Security Act
(NFSA), 2013 in terms of access, affordability and availability of food grains to the poor.
The implementation of this new scheme has started from January 1, 2023, which is
benefiting more than 80 crore poor people.
The central government will spend over Rs 2 lakh crore in 2023 as food subsidy under NFSA and other welfare
schemes to ease the financial burden of the poor.

PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana ((PMGKAY)

It is a part of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) to help the poor fight the battle against Covid-19.
Its nodal Ministry is the Ministry of Finance.
Under this scheme, the government provides additional free of cost 5 kg per person per month food-grains
(rice/wheat) to around 80 crore beneficiaries of National Food Security Act (NFSA) including the Direct Benefit
Transfer (DBT) beneficiaries.
The PMGKAY has now been linked with One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) plan where migrant workers can get
the benefit of the scheme through any ration shops in India.

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) adds Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) on the
list of protected plants under Schedule III of the Wildlife (Protection) Act
As per the new order, those who uproot or destroy the Neelakurinji plant will
invite a fine of ₹25,000 and three years’ imprisonment.
Neelakurinji is an endemic plant found in a small stretch in the Western Ghats,
from the Mangaladevi hills to the Nilgiris hills. (blooms once in 12 years)
The new order will help in protecting the plant and its habitats.
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

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14th edition of the World Spice Congress (WSC) to be held in Mumbai

• The 14th edition of the World Spice Congress (WSC) is to be held in Mumbai
from 16-18 February 2023.
• Objective – To open up newer opportunities to promote the international
trade of Indian spices.
• The theme of the WSC 2023 is VISION 2030: S-P-I-C-E-S (Sustainability,
Productivity, Innovation, Collaboration, Excellence and Safety).
• The WSC is organized by the Spices Board of India.
• Maharashtra is one of the leading states producing spices. It is the largest producer of turmeric in India.
Maharashtra produces two GI-tagged turmeric varieties (Waigaon Turmeric, Sangli Turmeric)and one GI-
tagged chilli variety (Bhiwapur Chilli).
• Coastal areas of Maharashtra are also known for the production of GI-tagged Kokum. The state is one of the
largest exporting hubs for spices.
• The first WSC was held in 1990 and has seen 13 successful editions ever since in the past 3 decades.

Indian Railways to start 'Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC Tourist Train' between Ayodhya to Janakpur
• The train "Shri Ram-Janaki Yatra: Ayodhya to Janakpur", will cover two most
important pilgrimage sites of India and Nepal - Ayodhya and Janakpur.
• The initiative aims to strengthen bilateral relations between India and Nepal and
promote cultural ties between the two countries.
• This train will be operated by Railway's PSU - IRCTC.
• The state-of-the-art Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC Tourist Train will depart from Delhi on
17th February, 2023 for a 7 days all inclusive tour.

Que: In how many districts was Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Mela, PMNAM conducted?
Ans:242
several local businesses, companies, and organisations were invited to be part of the
mela and provide apprenticeship opportunities to India’s youth.
For candidates who are Class five to Class 12th pass outs and have skill training
certificates, or ITI Diploma holders or graduates
The government is striving to train 1 million youth per annum through apprenticeship
training and to fulfil this mission PMNAM is being used as a platform to increase the
participation of establishments and students.

First G-20 meeting to take place in Puducherry on Jan 31

• Representatives of different countries will participate in the meeting and many
important decisions will be taken.
• Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan
• Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy
• Kolkata will host the first meeting on the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion.

First Education Group of G-20 countries to meet in Chennai from 31st January to 2nd February
i) 1st Health Working Group Meeting in Thiruvananthapuram (18-20 Jan)
ii) 1st Education Working Group Meeting in Chennai (31 Jan to 2 Feb)
iii) 1st Employment Working Group Meeting in Jodhpur (side event) (2-4 Feb)
iv) 1st Energy Working Group Meeting in Bengaluru (5-7 Feb)
v) 1st Environment and Climate Working Group Meeting in Bengaluru (8-10 Feb)
vi) 1st Tourism Working Group Meeting at Rann Of Kutch (8-10 Feb)
vii) 1st Agriculture Working Group Meeting in Indore (13-15 Feb)
viii)1st Culture Working Group Meeting Khajuraho (side event) (23-25 Feb)

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PM Modi flagged off Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam Vande Bharat Express

• Secunderabad (Telangana) with Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) .
• It is the eighth Vande Bharat Express
• The first Vande Bharat train was launched in 2019, between New Delhi and Varanasi.

India will be covered by Doppler Weather Radar network by 2025

Announced by Earth Sciences Minister, Dr. Jitendra Singh at the 148th Foundation Day of the
Indian Meteorological Department.
Aim: To predict extreme weather events more accurately
It will enhance weather monitoring capabilities and benefit the farmers to contribute
significantly to the economy.
IMD also commissioned four Doppler Weather Radars (DWRs) in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and
Kashmir.
These were installed at Surkanda Devi in Uttarakhand, Jot and Murari Devi in Himachal and Banihal Top in Jammu
and Kashmir.
Director General of IMD Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra

What is Doppler Weather Radar?

It is a special type of radar that uses the Doppler effect to generate velocity data about objects at a distance. It is
designed to improve accuracy in long range weather forecasting and monitoring

What is Radar (Radio Detection and Ranging)?

It is a device that uses electromagnetic waves in the microwave region to detect the location, height, intensity, and
speed of moving and non-moving objects.

What is the Doppler effect?

It refers to the change in wave frequency during the relative motion between a wave source and its observer.
It was discovered by Johann Doppler, who described it as a process of increasing or decreasing the luminosity of
stars depending on the relative motion of the star.

ASI discovers two 1200-year-old miniature stupas at Nalanda

Discovered by the Patna Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) near
the Sarai Tila mound within the complex of the world heritage site 'Nalanda
Mahavihara' in Nalanda district of Bihar.
The figures of Buddha are shown on the stupa carved out of stone.

About the Stupas

• stupa - hemispherical structure symbolising the burial mound of the Buddha.
• It rose to prominence after the advent of Buddhism and reached its peak during the reign of Ashoka.
• Stupas evolved from chortens in Tibet and pagodas in East Asia.
Nalanda Mahavihara site complex
• Nalanda was a Mahavihara, a large Buddhist monastery in the ancient kingdom of Magadha (modern Bihar).
• It is considered by historians to be the world's first residential university and one of the largest centres of
learning in the ancient world.
• It was established during the Gupta Empire period.

FSSAI issues regulatory standards for Basmati Rice for first time
• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
• As per these standards, Basmati rice shall possess the natural fragrance
characteristics of basmati rice and be free from artificial coloring.
• These standards will be enforced from August 1.

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• Basmati rice is a premium variety of rice cultivated in the Himalayan foothills of the Indian subcontinent and
is universally known for its long grain size, fluffy texture, and unique inherent aroma and flavour.
• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
• set up under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
• Founded – 5 September 2008
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Under – Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
• Chairperson – Rita Teaotia

PM announces ‘Aarogya Maitri’ project to provide medical supplies to developing nations

India will provide essential medical supplies to developing countries affected by natural disasters or humanitarian
crises.
PM announced it at the Concluding Session of the two-day virtual ‘Voice of Global South Summit’.
India will also set up a ‘Global South Center of Excellence’ for research on development solutions which can be
scaled up and implemented around the world.
During the Covid pandemic, India's 'Vaccine Maitri' initiative supplied vaccines made in India to over 100 countries.

National Council of Education Research and Training notified India's first

National Assessment Regulator "PARAKH“
with the aim of setting up assessment guidelines for all boards.
It will also conduct periodic learning outcome tests like National Achievement
Survey (NAS) and State Achievement Survey.
PARAKH stands for Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge
for Holistic Development.

Objective of PARAKH:
Uniform Norms and Guidelines: To lay down norms, standards and guidelines for student assessment and
assessment across all recognized school boards in India.
Improvement in assessment pattern: It will act to encourage school boards to change their assessment pattern
towards meeting the skill requirements of the 21st century.
Reducing disparity in evaluation: This will bring uniformity across state and central boards that currently follow
different standards of evaluation, leading to wide disparities in marks.
Benchmark Assessment: This framework will address the issues contained in the National Education Policy (NEP)
2020.

Tourism Ministry to organize 1st Global Tourism Investors Summit

from 10th to 12th April 2023 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
Aim: To bring together global policymakers and business leaders to understand and explore
Tourism Business opportunities in India
Focus: Promoting India as an investment destination for travel, tourism, and hospitality

India produces record over 5,000 lakh metric tons (LMT) of sugarcane in sugar season
2021-22
According to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
Sugar sector is now self-sufficient with no subsidy
During 2021-22, revenue of more than ₹ 20,000 crore made by sugar mills/distilleries
from sale of ethanol
India has emerged as the world’s largest producer and consumer of sugar as well as the
world’s 2nd largest exporter of sugar after Brazil, in Sugar Season (Oct-Sep) 2021-22.

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ECI hosted 2nd International Conference in New Delhi

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) has hosted the 2nd International Conference in New Delhi, India from
23-24 January 2023.
• 2023 theme: Use of Technology and Elections Integrity
• Inaugurated by Chief Election Commissioner, Rajiv Kumar.
• Around 43 Participants from 17 Countries including Angola, Argentina, Australia, Croatia, Indonesia,
Mauritius, Nepal, Philippines, and Suriname have joined the conference.

PM Modi releases special Rs 75 coin to mark 75 successful years of NCC

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 28 January released a special day cover and a
commemorative specially minted coin of Rs 75 denomination on the occasion of 75
successful years of the National Cadet Corps (NCC).
NCC rally was organised on the occasion of 75 years commemoration at Cariappa Maidan,
Delhi on 28th January.
196 officers and cadets from 19 foreign countries participated in the rally.

National Cadet Corps (NCC)

The NCC was formed in 1948 on the recommendation of H N Kunzru Committee-1946 under National Cadet Corps
Act, 1948.

NCC is the largest uniformed youth organisation in the world.

It is a voluntary organisation in which cadets are recruited from high schools, colleges and universities across India.
The motto of NCC is “Unity and Discipline”.
The Defence Ministry deals with NCC at the National level and the Education Ministry deals with NCC in all States.
Headquarters - New Delhi
Director General - Lt Gen Gurbirpal Singh

Ministry of Shipping, Waterways and Ports launches 'Bharat Pravah' initiative

Shipping, Waterways and Ports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has launched the initiative ‘Bharat
Pravah-India along its Shores’.
Objective - to highlight the importance of rivers-ports-shipping in the everyday life of the common
man through literature, dialogue and communication.
It will highlight the challenges, policy issues and future goals relating to the maritime sector.
Government is seeking that all ports to prepare a master plan to become mega ports by 2047.

Importance of Ports in India:

India has 7,500 km of coastline, 14,500 km of navigable potential waterways and strategic locations along major
international maritime trade routes.
About 95% of India's trade by volume and 65% by value is done through sea transport facilitated by ports.
India does about 35% containerization, while other developing countries do 62% to 65% containerization.
Currently, India does more bulk shipping than using containers, although we are making rapid progress towards
containerization.
India's share in global trade is only 2%. The trade balance is in favor of imports. India ranks 44th in the Logistics
Performance Index.

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Film ‘Toolsidas Junior’ screened at SCO Film Festival 2023

National Award-winning movie “Toolsidas Junior” screened at the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization Film Festival in the Children Focus Section.
The festival took place from January 27 to January 31 in Mumbai.
‘Toolsidas Junior’ won two National Awards at 68th National Film Awards 2020 -
Best Hindi Film and Special Mention in Child Actor Category for the leading child
actor Varun Buddhadev.
The film was produced by Ashutosh Gowariker, Sunita Gowariker, Bhushan
Kumar, and Krishan Kumar, and directed and written by Mridul Toolsidass.

About Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)

Founded – 2001
Headquarters – Beijing, China
Secretary General – Zhang Ming (China)
Member Countries – 9 (Iran, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan & Uzbekistan)
SCO Summit 2021 – Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
SCO Summit 2022 – Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
SCO Summit to be hosted by the Indian side in 2023
The founding members (5) of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) were China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan.
India and Pakistan officially joined this organization in 2017

PM Modi named 21 islands of Andaman & Nicobar after Param Vir Chakra awardees
The largest unnamed island will be named after the first Param Vir Chakra awardee, while
the second largest unnamed island will have its name after the second Param Vir Chakra
awardee, and so on.
Earlier, in 2018 Ross Islands was renamed as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep;
Neil Island and Havelock Island were renamed as Shaheed Dweep and Swaraj Dweep.

1st Param Vir Chakra awardee — Major Somnath Sharma (Hero of 1947 war)

About Gallantry Awards:

• The gallantry awards are announced twice in a year — first on the occasion of the Republic Day and then on
the occasion of the Independence Day.
• Post-Independence, first three gallantry awards namely Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra and Vir Chakra
were instituted by the government of India on January 26th 1950 which were deemed to have effect from
August 15th,1947.
• Thereafter, other three gallantry awards — the Ashoka Chakra Class-I, the Ashoka Chakra Class-II and the
Ashoka Chakra Class-III — were instituted in 1952, which were deemed to have effect from August 15, 1947.
• These awards were renamed as Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra respectively in January
1967.

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Centre nominates Assam’s Charaideo Maidams for the UNESCO World Heritage Site status
Charaideo Maidams are the burial mounds of Ahom royalty, commonly known as pyramids of
Assam
The ‘Maidams’ was first listed in the tentative list of UNESCO’s World Heritage site in April
2014
The UNESCO team will visit Charaideo in September and it is expected to be declared a World
Heritage site by March 2024.

‘Maidams’, the original capital of the Ahom Kings built by Chaolung Sukhapa the founder of the dynasty in about
1229 CE. Charaideo was the first capital established by king Sukapha.
Charaideo is a blend of three Tai words Che-Rai-Doi. Che means Hillock, Rai means Shinning and Doi means town. It
means ‘Shinning City’ on the Hillock.
Sukhapa changed the capital many times but Charaideo remained the symbolic center as it contains sacred burial
grounds of Ahom kings and queens. It was the place of Ahom worships and subsequently, it became the place of
ancestral Gods.
24 tombs (Maidams) of Ahom kings and queens at Charaideo hillocks are usually compared to the Pyramids of Egypt
as both the structures were used for burial purpose, made in a triangular shape and having very high social as well as
historical values

Union Ministry of Tourism participates in FITUR, the world's largest International Travel Exhibition in Madrid
Feria Internacional del Turismo or FITUR was hosted in Spain from January 18-22.
India's participation in FITUR is important for promoting tourism.
The India Pavilion was inaugurated by Dinesh K Patnaik, Indian Ambassador to Spain.
The Indian delegation, led by Rakesh Kumar Verma, Additional Secretary in the Tourism Ministry.
The first Global Tourism Investors Summit will be organised by the Ministry of Tourism in New Delhi from 10 to 12
April.

Union Petroleum Minister flags off low carbon cruise on Mahabahu Brahmaputra
Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep S Puri
inaugurated the demo-run of Inland Water Vessel (named 'SB Gangadhar’) powered by
Methanol blended Diesel (MD15).
Methanol is a low carbon hydrogen carrier fuel produced from high ash coal, agricultural
residues, CO2 from thermal power plants and natural gas.
This is the best route to meet India's commitment to COP 21.
Although slightly lower in energy content than petrol and diesel, methanol can replace both these fuels in the
transport sector, energy sector and retail cooking

NITI Aayog's 'Methanol Economy' program aims to reduce India's oil import bill, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
and convert coal reserves and municipal solid waste into methanol.
India Energy Week 2023 (IEW 2023) to be held in Bengaluru from 6-8 Feb 2023.
About India Energy Week
It is the first major event under India's G20 Presidency, which follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pledge at
COP26 to cut India's emissions to net-zero by 2070.
Organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas,
It is officially supported by the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI).

“U-WIN” platform launched to keep digital records of immunization of women and

children in the country
• Launched by Union Health Ministry
• As a pilot project in two districts of each state and union territory of the country.

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• Every pregnant woman will be registered on this digital platform and records of her vaccination will be
maintained. Later a record will be kept of their offspring and their vaccinations at the time of birth and later.
• The platform is based on Co-WIN, the government's digital infrastructure in India's fight against COVID-19.
• Vaccination appointments can also be booked through U-Win.
• With this, once the entire vaccination program is digitised, the beneficiaries will get the certificates
immediately and they can also download them if they want. These certificates will be kept in Digi-Lockers.

Ministry of Tourism organised six - day mega event “Bharat Parv”

at the Lawns and Gyan Path in front of Red Fort, Delhi from 26 to 31 January, 2023, as part of the Republic Day
Celebrations.
Nodal Ministry for the event - Ministry of Tourism
The event included display of the best Republic Day parade tableaux at the venue, cultural performances by
States/Uts, an All India Food Court and an All India Crafts Bazaar
A total of 23 tableaux – 17 from states and Union territories and six from various ministries and departments –
depicting India's vibrant cultural heritage, and economic and social progress were part of the parade on the Kartavya
Path.
Bharat Parv was earlier held in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 and 2021 (virtually)

Republic Day 2023: This year's parade witnessed multiple events for the first time
This was the first Republic Day celebrations hosted at the ceremonial boulevard after
Rajpath was renamed to 'Kartavya Path' last year.
For the first time, during Republic Day Parade, 12 women riders were part of the Border
Security Force's (BSF) camel contingent and 16 march contingents of the
armed forces.
The old howitzers with 25-pounder guns, which traditionally thundered during
the 21-gun salute during Republic Day celebrations, were replaced by 105 mm
Indian field guns this year.
A team of "Daredevils" motorcycle riders from the Corps of Signals, co-led by a
woman officer, Lt Dimple Singh Bhati, became part of the parade for the first
time.
Nine Rafale aircraft and the Navy's IL-38 participated in the air show for the
first time.
Besides the IL-38 aircraft, the formations like 'Bheem' and 'Vajrang'
showcased over the Kartavya Path for the first time.
It is the first time that the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdel
Fattah el-Sisi, has been invited as the chief guest on the Republic Day.
A military contingent from the Egyptian Army also participated in the
Republic Day parade for the first time.
Newly appointed Agniveer was also a part of the parade for the first time.
The Narcotics Control Bureau also presented a tableau for the first time.
Garud Special Forces of the Indian Air Force are participating for the first time in the Republic Day parade. Squadron
Leader Pritam Singh Jaitawat led the Garud team as part of the IAF contingent

Govt renames Delhi's Mughal Gardens as 'Amrit Udyan'

The Central government on 28 January renamed the Mughal Gardens in New Delhi's
Rashtrapati Bhavan as 'Amrit Udyan'.
On the occasion of 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav', the President of India has given a common
name to Rashtrapati Bhavan Gardens as Amrit Udyan.
The Central Government had last year renamed Delhi’s Rajpath as “Kartavya Path”.

About Mughal Gardens

The Mughal Gardens were designed by Edwin Lutyens in 1917, and the first saplings were planted in 1928–1929.

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Lutyens brought together two different horticultural traditions, the Mughal style and the English flower garden, for
the gardens.

Monument Mitra Scheme

Culture Ministry will launch a new version of the Monument Mitra scheme by partnering
with private industries for the maintenance of one thousand ASI monuments.
The private sector will revamp the monuments as a part of their Corporate Social
Responsibility.
‘Monument Mitra' is the term coined for an entity partnering with the government under the 'Adopt A
Heritage' project.
Objective - to develop monuments, heritage and tourist places across India by inviting corporate entities, public
sector companies or individuals to 'adopt' them.
Recently the Monument Mitra scheme was shifted from Ministry of Tourism to Ministry of Culture.

3rd INTERPOL Young Global Police Leaders Programme (YGPLP) held in New Delhi
from 25 January to 2 February 2023 in New Delhi, India.
Theme - Building trust in an age of disinformation and deepfakes
It was virtually addressed by INTERPOL Secretary General, Jurgen Stock
The major objective of this program is to build trust among the public-police as well as international police forces.
It is being organised by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
CBI Director: Subodh Kumar Jaiswal

International Criminal Police Organisation/Interpol

established in 1923 with the aim of facilitating criminal investigation across the world.
Interpol consists of 195 countries including India.
Headquarters – Lyon, France
Chairman – Ahmed Nasser Al-Raisi
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in India is the associate agency of Interpol.

India, South Africa sign MoU to introduce 12 African Cheetahs annually over next eight to ten
years
As per the agreement, an initial batch of 12 cheetahs will be brought from South Africa to India
during February 2023.
These cheetahs will be joined by eight cheetahs brought to India from Namibia during 2022.
The last cheetah of the country was found dead in the year 1947 in Chhattisgarh and in the year
1952 it was declared extinct in the country.

Think-20 group meeting conducted in Bhopal

On 16-17 January 2023 in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
Think-20 was launched by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj
Singh Chouhan.
Theme of the meeting - "Global Good Governance with an
Environment-Friendly Lifestyle, Moral Values and Well-Being".

G20 in News (All Meetings are Under the Presidency of G20 by India)
Think-20 Meeting – Bhopal (16 – 17 January 2023)
First G-20 Meeting – Puducherry (31 January 2023)
First G20 Health Working Group meeting - Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala (18-20 January 2023).
First Meeting of the Youth-20 Group – Guwahati (6 – 8 February 2023)
First G-20 Environment Meeting – Bengaluru (9 -11 February 2023)
Business-20 (B-20) Inception Meeting – Gandhinagar (22- 24 January 2023)
Secretariat for Science 20 (S20) Meeting – IISc Bengaluru

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Short News
• ISRO 'Shukrayaan' mission to planet Venus reportedly shifted to 2031
• The American India Foundation (AIF) has inaugurated India’s first STEM Innovation and Learning Center
(SILC) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• A Rajasthani film "Nanera" directed by Dipankar Prakash was awarded the 'Golden Kailasha' award for the
best film at the Ajanta-Ellora Film Festival.

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International News
Chris Hipkins replaced Jacinda Ardern as Prime Minister of New Zealand
• Jacinda Ardern had announced her resignation
• New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean and is the sixth-
largest island country by area.
• Capital: Wellington

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sworn in as 39th president of Brazil

• He is the first Brazilian president to have been elected to a third term in office.
• Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world area wise after Russia,
Canada, China, and the United States.
• It covers almost half of the South American Continent.
• 60% of the Amazon rainforest which is considered the lung of the
earth lies in Brazil.
• Capital: Brasilia
• Currency: Brazilian Real

Petr Pavel, former chairman of the NATO Military Committee, became the President of the
Czech Republic
• Pavel has repeatedly expressed his support for providing military
and humanitarian aid to Ukraine during the Russia–Ukraine conflict.
• Prime Minister - Petr Fiala
• Capital - Prague
• Currency - Czech koruna.

Que: Nguyen Xuan Phuc has announced his resignation recently. He is the president of which country?
Ans: Vietnam
• He announced his resignation amid the ongoing anti-corruption drive.
• He had served as Prime Minister of Vietnam from 2016 until April 2021.
• Capital- Hanoi
• Currency- Vietnamese dong

Clare Lombardelli appointed as OECD Chief Economist

• with effect from 2 May 2023
• Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
• OECD HQ: Paris, France

Indian-American Raja J. Chari nominated as US Air Force brigadier general

• US President Joe Biden has nominated Indian-American astronaut Raja J. Chari for the
appointment to the grade of Air Force brigadier general.
• His appointment will have to be confirmed by the Senate, which approves all senior
civilian and military appointments
• Currently, he is working as the Crew-3 commander and astronaut at Johnson Space Center, NASA

India deploys a platoon of women peacekeepers to the UN Mission in Sudan

• In the Abyei region of Sudan as part of the Indian battalion in the United Nations Interim
Security Force (UNISFA).
• It is India's largest single contingent of women peacekeepers in a UN
mission since it deployed its first all-women contingent to Liberia in 2007.
• In 2007, India became the first country to deploy an entirely women
contingent for a UN peacekeeping mission.
About UN Peacekeeping
• UN peacekeeping began in 1948 when the UN Security Council authorised the deployment of UN military
observers in the Middle East.

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• It helps to bring countries from conflict to a difficult path of peace.

• It deploys soldiers and police from all over the world for peacekeeping.
• India is one of the largest military and police contributors to UN peacekeeping operations.
• There are currently more than 5,700 Indian peacekeepers deployed in nine of the 12 UN peacekeeping
missions.

Que: Which country inaugurated the Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA), with the support of China?
Ans: Nepal
• Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachand inaugurated the country’s third
international airport in Pokhara built with Chinese assistance.
• The Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA), a flagship project of Nepal-China
Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation, was constructed with Chinese loan
assistance.

China becomes the first country in Asia and second in the world to launch Hydrogen powered Train
• Germany was the first country to introduce hydrogen powered trains in September 2022.
• Chinese company CRRC Corporations ltd built a train that has a top speed of 160 KM per hour and can run
without refuelling for 600 Km .
• Hydrogen powered Trains
• Hydrogen is considered to be the green fuel of the future.
• The hydrogen fuel cell uses hydrogen and air to generate electricity. The combination of
air and hydrogen will produce water as a by-product which is released by the Train.
• India is committed to achieve zero net carbon emission by 2070.
• Hydrogen Train in India
• As per Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, India will most likely get its first-ever indigenous Hydrogen trains
by December 2023.

China building dam on Yarlung Zangbo river near Indian border

• Recently it has been revealed through a satellite picture that China is building a new dam on the Yarlung
Zangbo (Brahmaputra) river in Tibet near the tri-junction of India, Nepal and Tibet, which remains a matter
of concern for India.
• By increasing the construction activities in the areas adjacent to the Indian border, China is installing military
equipment and its related equipment there.
Yarlung Zangbo (Brahmaputra) River:
• Origin Source:- Mansarovar Lake
• Total length 2,880 km.
• Tibet:- 1,700 km.
• Arunachal Pradesh and Assam :- 920 kms.
• Bangladesh:- 260 km.

China’s population drops for first time since 1961

• The biggest decline in the population of China has been recorded after the year 1961.
• Negative population growth has now started in China. The death toll in China is more than the number of
children born.
• According to the China’s National Bureau of Statistics China’s population declined by roughly 8,50,000 to
1.41175 billion at the end of 2022.
• In China, 9.56 million people were born in 2022, while 10.41 million people died.
• China's birth rate last year was 6.77 births per 1,000 people, down from 7.52 births in 2021, the lowest ever.
• The number of Chinese women of childbearing age, which the government defines as 25 to 35, has declined
by nearly 4 million.
• This has caused domestic demographers to worry that China will grow old
before it gets rich, slowing the economy as revenues decline and increasing
government debt as health and welfare costs rise.
• The main reason for China's population decline is the one-child policy
implemented between 1980 and 2015.

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• Additionally, higher education in China is very expensive, which has prohibited many Chinese people from
having more than one child.
• Local governments have introduced measures to encourage people to have more children from 2021,
including tax cuts, longer maternity leave and housing subsidies.

Que: Which country will introduce its stamp with Jawaharlal Nehru’s portrait on its 75th Independence Day?
Ans: Sri Lanka
• 4 February commemorates the country’s political independence from British rule in 1948.
• Current Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe

Indian High Commission to establish Hindi Chair at Sabaragamuwa University

• The Indian High Commission has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to
establish a Hindi Chair at Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka.
• The Hindi chair will help in familiarizing students with India, its history, and culture as well
as pave way for popularising Hindi by deputing Indian faculties.

Que: India is set to start supplying diesel to which country through a Friendship pipeline?
Ans: Bangladesh
• The India-Bangladesh Friendship pipeline (IBFPL) will start supplying diesel to
Bangladesh on an experimental basis for June this year.
• About 131.5 kilometre long pipeline is funded by India. Out of this, 126.5 kilometre
pipeline is in Bangladesh and 5 kilometre line is in India.
• The international pipeline will carry diesel from the Siliguri based marketing terminal of the Numaligarh
Refinery Limited to Parbatipur depot of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC).

India-Egypt signed MoU between Prasar Bharati and National Media Authority of Egypt
• Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur and Foreign Minister Sameh Hassan Shoukry,
Government of Egypt signed the MoU.
• Under this MoU, broadcasters of both the countries will exchange their programs on bilateral basis in
different genres of sports, news, culture, entertainment and many other fields and these programs will be
broadcast on their radio and television platforms.
• The validity of this MoU will be for three years.
• Currency: Egyptian pound

Egypt plans to allot land to Indian industries in Suez Canal Special Economic Zone
• The trade between India and Egypt currently exceeds $3.15 billion.
• Egypt welcomes the flow of more Indian investments and promises to provide incentives
and facilities in accordance with applicable regulations and framework.
• PM Modi and President of Egypt agreed to encourage businesses to explore mutually
emerging economic and investment opportunities.
• Egyptian President El-Sisi, who arrived in Delhi on a three-day visit to India, attended the Republic Day
celebrations as the chief guest.
The Suez Canal
• It is an artificial sea-level waterway running north to south from the Isthmus of Suez in Egypt to connect the
Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.
• This canal separates the continent of Africa from Asia.
• It provides the shortest sea route between Europe and the lands surrounding the Indian and Western Pacific
Oceans.
• The Suez Canal is one of the busiest trade routes in the world. About 12% of the world's total trade passes
through this canal daily.

India signed an agreement with Austria for migration and mobility

• India and Austria have signed five agreements
• There is an agreement on ‘Migration and Mobility’ for people who want to work in Austria and who want to
come to India for business, or who come here as students and professionals.

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• Another agreement is on the ‘Working Holiday’ program that will enable Indian students in
Austria to work for 6 months.
• This is the first India-Austria EAM-level visit in the last 27 years which took place in 2023 against
the backdrop of 75 years of diplomatic relations.
• Capital- Vienna
• Currency- Euro
• President – Alexander Van der Bellen

India signs MoU with Panama to enhance cooperation in training of diplomats

• The agreement was signed by EAM, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Panama's Foreign
Minister
• Both countries have also discussed the opportunities for greater economic, health, finance and
people to people linkages.
• Panamanian Minister has also joined the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention in Indore.
• Panama is the southernmost nation in Central America.
• The country is known for the Panama Canal, a man-made waterway that opened in 1914. This canal passes
through the country, connecting the Caribbean Sea (Atlantic) with the Pacific Ocean.
• Currency - Balboa

India identifies two lithium and one copper mine in Argentina

• The Center sent a team of three geologists in November last year to "assess potential lithium
deposits" in the Latin American nation.
• Australia is currently the top lithium producer globally, while Argentina is the fourth in the
world.
• Together with Argentina, Chile and Bolivia, it forms the 'Lithium Triangle'.
• America and China are also its major producers.
• Presently India is dependent on imports for these minerals.

Brazil declares medical emergency in Yanomami territory

• Due to the reports of children dying of malnutrition and other diseases caused by illegal gold
mining.
• Reason: To restore health services to the Yanomami people
• Yanomami territory is the country's largest indigenous reservation bordering Venezuela. The government
announced food packages that will be flown to the territory where some 26,000 Yanomamis live in a region
of rainforest and tropical savanna the size of Portugal. Yanomami has been invaded by illegal gold miners for
decades.

South Africa to host 15th BRICS summit in August 2023

• The 15th annual BRICS summit will be held in Durban, South Africa
• BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
• BRIC was founded in 2006 and later, in 2010, South Africa was included and it
became BRICS.

Croatia adopts euro, entered borderless Europe club

• Croatia has adopted the euro as its currency with effect from 1 January 2023 and become the 20th member
of the eurozone.
• Croatia entered the EU in 2013.
• It becomes 27th country to join Schengen area.
• Schengen Area: comprises 27 European countries that have abolished all passports and border control at
their respective mutual borders
• Eurozone: It is officially called the euro area.
• Croatia located in Balkan Peninsula.
• Capital: Zagreb
• Currency :euro

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EU Inaugurates First Mainland Satellite Launch Port

• European officials and Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf inaugurated the EU's first mainland
orbital launch complex
• The European Union is looking to boost its ability to launch small satellites into space with
a new launchpad in arctic Sweden.
• The new facility inaugurated at the Esrange Space Center near the city of Kiruna, Sweden,
will complement the EU's current launching capabilities in French Guiana.
• European Union (EU)
• It is an international organisation made up of European countries, which was formed in 1993.
• Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
• European Commission President: Ursula Von der Leyen

World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2023 organized in Davos

• The five-day annual meeting of 53rd edition of the World Economic Forum (WEF) from16-20 January 2023 in
Davos, Switzerland.
• Theme - ‘Cooperation in a Fragmented World’.
• Aim: To address the pressing issues the world is facing and promote innovative solutions
World Economic Forum (WEF)
• WEF is a Swiss non-profit organisation.
• Establishment: 1971
• Headquarters: Cologny (Switzerland).
• Founder and Executive Chairman: Klaus Schwab.
Major reports published by WEF
• Global Gender Gap Report
• Global Risk Report
• Global Travel and Tourism Report
• Energy Transition Index (ETI)
• Global Competitiveness Report

UNESCO designates Ukraine’s Odesa a World Heritage in Danger site

• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) had
designated the historic center of Odesa, a strategic port city on Ukraine’s Black Sea
coast as a World Heritage in Danger site.
• The status was awarded by a UNESCO panel meeting in Paris.
• This status will help to protect Odesa’s cultural heritage, which has been under threat
since Russia’s invasion and enable access to financial and technical international aid.

Que: Recently, India has announced the donation of 12,500 doses of pentavalent vaccines to which country?
Ans: Cuba
• The pentavalent vaccine provides protection to a child from five life-threatening
diseases Diphtheria, whooping cough (Pertussis), Tetanus, Hepatitis B and Haemophilus
influenzae type b (Hib).
• Capital- Havana
• Currency- Cuban Peso
• President– Miguel Diaz-Canel
• Official language– Spanish

World’s first vaccine for bees in the US

• Bees play a very important role in pollination of plants, and currently bees
are most affected by foulbrood, a disease caused by bacteria.
• The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted a
conditional license to a vaccine, developed by US-based biotech company
Talon Animal Health.
• Also this is the world’s first disease prevention drug introduced for bees.

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Defence & Science Tech

21st edition of naval exercise VARUNA between India and France
• organized on the Western Seaboard from 16 -20 January 2023.
• It is the Bilateral Naval Exercise between India and France.
• This edition witnessed participation of indigenous guided missile stealth destroyer
INS Chennai, guided missile frigate INS Teg, maritime patrol aircraft P-8I and
Dornier, integral helicopters and MiG29K fighter aircraft.
• It was initiated in 1993 and was christened ‘VARUNA’ in 2001.

Indian Navy conducts “AMPHEX 2023” mega exercise in Andhra Pradesh

• a six-day-long mega biennial tri-services amphibious exercise 'AMPHEX 2023' near
Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh from January 17 to 22, 2023.
• The military exercise was organized between the Indian Navy, Army, and IAF.
• It took place amid growing concerns over China’s increasing military forays into the
Indian Ocean
• The last edition of the exercise was conducted off Andaman and Nicobar Islands
from 21 to 25 January 2021.
• Chief of the Three Armies
• Army Chief - General Manoj Pandey
• Chief of the Air Staff – Air Marshal Vivek Ram Choudhary
• Navy Chief – Admiral R Hari Kumar
• Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) - Lt Gen Anil Chauhan

BSF conducts 'Ops Alert' exercise

Ahead of Republic Day, Border Security Force (BSF) started an "Ops Alert'' exercise with an
aim to enhance security along the India-Pakistan border in the Kutch district of Gujarat and
Barmer in Rajasthan.
The 'Ops Alert' exercise commenced on January 21 and continued till January 28” all along
the Indo-Pak international border from Sir Creek (marshy area) to the Rann of Kutch in
Gujarat and Barmer district of Rajasthan

Indian Air Force to conduct ‘PRALAY’ exercise in Northeast

Amidst the ongoing standoff with China, the Indian Air Force is going to conduct a major
exercise named 'Pralay’ in Northeast India from February 1 to 5.
The exercise will be conducted in preparation for another Air Force exercise named 'Eastern
Akash', an annual command-level exercise, to be held in the first week of February.
Indian Air Force has recently deployed and activated S-400 air defence squadrons in the region which can intercept
any enemy aircraft or missile from a distance of 400 kms.

Indo-Egypt Joint Training Exercise ‘Cyclone-I’

The Indian and the Egyptian Armies conduct the first-ever joint exercise Cyclone-I, in Jaisalmer,
Rajasthan for 14 days.
India-Egypt
• Exercise Desert Warrior - between the Air Forces of the countries.
• India and Egypt manufactured Helen-300 jointly
• 2022 marked the 75th year of India-Egypt relations
• Trade between India and Egypt was 7.26 billion USD in 2021.
• India has invited Egypt President Fattah al-Sisi as the chief guest on 2023 Republic Day.

Indian Navy's flagship maritime exercise TROPEX 2023 held in the Indian Ocean
Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (Tropex-23) Indian Navy’s largest war game
TROPEX-2023 is being organised over a period of three months from January to March.

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The TROPEX exercise is held once every two years.

Apart from the Indian Navy the exercise will involve their participation with assets from the Indian Army, Air Force
and Coast Guard.
The first exercise was held in January 2019.

Veer Guardian 2023

It is a maiden joint air exercise between India and Japan
held from 12-26 January 2023 at Hyakuri Air Base in Omitama, and the Iruma Air Base in Sayama.
The participating IAF contingent will include four Su-30 MKI, two C-17 & one IL-78 aircraft.
Sukhoi-30MKI Squadron Leader Avani Chaturvedi, the country’s first woman fighter pilot, who was
a part of the Indian contingent in this aerial wargame, becomes 1st woman pilot to take part in
war games abroad
• Avani was declared as the first woman combat pilot along with two of her cohorts,
Mohana Singh Jitarwal, and Bhawana Kanth.
• In 2018, Avani became the first Indian woman pilot undertake solo flight in MiG-21
aircraft at the Jamnagar airbase.
• Avani was also awarded with the Nari Shakti Purashkar by President Ram Nath Kovind in March 2020.
• Additional Facts:
• Shivangi Singh : first women Rafale jet pilot
• Bhawana Kanth: First woman fighter pilot to take part in republic Day parade (2021)

Recent Exercises

16th edition of India & Nepal Joint Training Excercise Surya Kiran conducted in Saljhandi, Nepal

India & Kazakhstan joint military exercise KAZIND 2022 conducted in Umroi, Meghalaya

7th edition of US-India Naval Exercise Sangam held in Goa

The Annual Joint Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Exercise ‘Samanvay 2022’ conducted at Air
Force Station, Agra.

Army organised ‘Sainya Ranakshetram 2.0’ Seminar-cum-workshop On Cyber-security Threats

The second edition of “SAINYA RANAKSHETRAM 2.0” was organized by the Indian Army under
the aegis of HQ Army Training Command from October 2022 to January 2023.
Sainya Ranakshetram is a Hackathon which seeks to identify cyber security challenges and
jumpstart the development of innovative solutions.
The winners of the event were felicitated by Gen Manoj Pande (Chief of the Army Staff).

Government starts process to buy 100 more K9-Vajra

The Défense Ministry has initiated the process to procure 100 more K-9 Vajra self-propelled
howitzers, which are made in India by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) using technology transferred
from South Korean defence major Hanwha Defence. The K-9 Vajra is a 155 mm, 52-calibre
tracked self-propelled howitzer built by L&T (based on its K-9 Thunder).The 100th gun was
delivered to the Army in February 2021, the contract for which was signed in May 2017.

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India to send three person to 6,000 meter below sea level under Samudrayaan Mission
A vehicle named MATSYA 6000 will carry three people to search for mineral resources
Earth Sciences Minister Dr Jitendra Singh. The vehicle is being designed and developed by the
National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai. It can bear 12 hours under normal operation and
96 hours under emergency for human safety.

Samudrayaan Mission
It is a part of the Deep Ocean Mission.
It was announced by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT)
It aims to develop a self-propelled manned submersible to carry 3 humans to a depth of 6000 meters in the ocean
with scientific sensors and equipment for deep sea exploration.

What is the Deep Ocean Mission?

It was approved by the Ministry of Earth Sciences in June 2021.
It aims to explore deep sea marine resources, develop deep sea technology for sustainable utilization of ocean
resources and support the blue economy initiatives of the Government of India.
The cost of the mission is about Rs 4,077 crore over a period of five years and will be implemented in phases.

ICG ship ‘Kamla Devi’, last vessel of FPV series, commissioned

Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) ICG ship 'Kamala Devi' was commissioned in Kolkata
Designed, built and delivered by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd
ICGS Kamla Devi will patrol the seas and undertake anti-smuggling, anti-poaching and search and
rescue operations when required. A passenger-cum-cargo ocean going ferry 'MV Ma Lisha' built by
the shipyard for the Republic of Guyana was also flagged off. This is the first such ship built by a
Défense Public Sector Shipyard for export to a Latin American country

India successfully carries out test launch of Prithvi-II ballistic missile

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully launched Short-Range
Ballistic Missile (SRBM), Prithvi-II from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha coast.
Range: 350 km
The Prithvi-II class is a single-stage liquid-fueled missile with a payload of 500–1000 kg. has warhead
mounting capability.
The missile system is capable of hitting targets with a very high degree of accuracy.
Prithvi was the first missile developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).
The 5 missiles (P-A-T-N-A) developed under this program are:
Prithvi: Short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile.
Agni: Surface-to-surface medium-range ballistic missile i.e. Agni (1,2,3,4,5).
Trishul: Short-range surface-to-air missile.
Nag: Third generation anti-tank missile.
Akash: Medium-range surface-to-air missile.

Fifth Kalvari class submarine “Vagir” inducted into Navy

The fifth Kalvari class submarine "Vagir" commissioned by the Indian Navy on 23 January 2023.
Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar attended the event as the chief guest.
Formerly Vagir was commissioned on 01 November 1973 and decommissioned on 07 January 2001
after three decades of service.
Again 'Vagir' submarine which was launched on 12 Nov 2020 has the distinction of being completed in the shortest
construction time among all indigenously built submarines so far.
It is capable of attacking underwater or on the surface with torpedoes and tube-launched anti-ship missiles.

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Project-75
• Aimed at indigenous construction of 6 Kalvari (or Scorpene) class diesel-electric attack submarines through
technology transfer from Naval Group of France.
• The submarines are being constructed at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai.
• 4 Submarines- INS Kalvari, Khanderi , Karanj and Vela have already been commissioned.
• The 6th Submarine INS Vagsheer is undergoing sea trials since April 2022.

Union Health Minister unveils world’s first intranasal COVID19 vaccine, iNNCOVACC
• Union Health Minister, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya has unveiled the world’s first
intranasal COVID-19 vaccine "iNNCOVACC" in New Delhi.
• iNNCOVACC is the world’s first intranasal COVID19 vaccine to receive approval for
the primary 2-dose schedule, and as a heterologous booster dose.
• It is developed by Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) in collaboration with
Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance.

IIT Madras develops BharOS - India's Indigenous Mobile Operating System

• BharOS can be installed on commercial off-the-shelf handsets.
• It provides access to trusted apps from organization-specific Private App Store
Services (PASS).
• It comes with No Default Apps (NDA), which means that users are not forced to
use apps that they may not be familiar with or that they may not trust.
• Developed by: JandK Operations Private Limited

Startup firm IG Drones develops India's first 5G-enabled drone

This drone has been named Skyhawk.
The Skyhawk can fly for about five hours with a payload of 10 kg, as this drone is also equipped
with capabilities like artificial intelligence and thermal imaging.
This drone can travel 100 km in 12 to 15 minutes. IG Drones is an India-based tech company providing drone survey,
mapping and inspection services. Its headquarter is located in New Delhi.

ISRO, Andhra University set up equipment to predict rip currents at sea

Indian Space and Research Organization, National Centre for Earth Sciences (NCES), and the Andhra University (AU)
have researched and concluded that constant rip current zones at Rushikonda beach and RK Beach have become a
danger to the beach visitors.
Over 200 people have drowned in sea at various beaches in and around Visakhapatnam during 2012 to 2022
Majority of the death has been due to the presence of rip currents.
The equipment will be used to alert the local marine and local police in the coastal areas.
Rip currents are powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water which moves from shore towards sea. The rip
currents are so powerful that they pull people away from the shorelines towards sea.

Indian Army inaugurated first-ever two-storey 3-D printed dwelling unit at

Ahmedabad Cantt.
• The dwelling unit has been constructed by the Military Engineering Services
(MES) in collaboration with MiCoB Pvt. Ltd. incorporating the latest 3D Rapid
Construction Technology.
• The disaster-resilient structures comply with Zone-3 earthquake specifications
and green building norms.

Technology for Air Quality Monitoring System launched by MeitY

The Secretary, MeitY, Alkesh Kumar Sharma has launched the Technology for Air Quality Monitoring System (AI-
AQMS v1.0) developed under MeitY supported projects in New Delhi.

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Center for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Kolkata has developed an outdoor air quality monitoring
station in collaboration with TeXMIN, ISM, Dhanbad. It has been developed under the 'National Program on
Electronics and ICT Applications in Agriculture and Environment (AgriEnIcs)'.It will monitor environmental pollutants
which include parameters like PM 1.0, PM 2.5, PM 10.0, SO2, NO2, CO, O2, relative humidity etc. for continuous air
quality analysis of the environment.

MeitY’s R&D Institute SAMEER signs MoU with Siemens Healthineers

SAMEER has signed a memorandum of understanding with Siemens Healthineers to make
available low-cost MRIs, a step towards affordable healthcare, and diagnostic access for
every Indian. SAMEER is specialized in RF Microwaves Radar and Communication Systems.
It is India's premier R&D Institute of the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY). SAMEER is
the acronym for Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research.

Yellow Band Disease : Destroying Corals in Thailand

Corals of eastern Thailand are getting affected by Yellow band disease which is killing
corals over vast stretches of the sea floor. Yellow-band disease named for the colour
it turns corals before destroying them, was first spotted decades ago and has caused
widespread damage to reefs There is no known cure for this disease and corals will
not be restored once they get infected by this disease. Scientists believe overfishing,
pollution and rising water temperatures because of climate change may be making
the reefs more vulnerable to yellow-band disease.

GJ 1002 b and c: Two New Planets

An international group of researchers has recently discovered the presence of two
planets with masses comparable to that of the Earth in orbit around the star GJ 1002.
The two new planets are named, GJ 1002 b and GJ 1002 c. These planets lie in so-
called habitable zones, within which water could be found in liquid form, and which is located in the immediate
vicinity of the star due to its low luminosity.The two planets were discovered using the radial velocity (RV) method.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope discovers new exoplanet named LHS 475b
LHS 475b is roughly the same size as Earth, with a diameter of 99% that of Earth.
It is a celestial, rocky planet located approximately 41 light-years away from Earth in the
constellation Octane. It differs from Earth in two respects - it completes one orbit in only two
days and it is hundreds of degrees hotter than Earth.

Exoplanet:
Exoplanets are planets that orbit other stars and are away from our solar system. The first confirmation of the
detection of an exoplanet was in the year 1992. According to NASA, more than 5,000 exoplanets have been
discovered so far. Scientists believe that there are more planets than stars because at least one planet orbits each
star.

NASA’s Geotail Mission Operations Come to an End After 30 Years

It was the first joint mission operation of the NASA-JAXA
Reason: Failure of the spacecraft’s remaining data recorder.
This mission was launched on July 24, 1992. While one of Geotail’s two data
recorders failed in 2012, the second had continued to work. It was originally
slated for a four-year run, but the mission was extended due to its high-
quality data return. Geotail gathered an immense dataset on the structure
and dynamics of the magnetosphere, Earth’s protective magnetic bubble.
The mission made important contributions to our understanding of how
the solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetic field to produce magnetic
storms and auroras

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JUICE Space Mission of Europe to be launched in April 2023

The European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) will be launched from the
agency’s spaceport in French Guiana, on Ariane 5, in April 2023.
The spacecraft is to explore the moons of Jupiter, namely Ganymede, Europe, and Callisto.
If launched in April 2023, the satellite is expected to enter Jupiter orbit by 2034 and will be
deorbited in 2035.

JUICE is to be the first satellite from the earth to enter the orbit of Ganymede.
The mission will characterise these moons as both planetary objects and possible habitats,
explore Jupiter’s complex environment in depth, and study the wider Jupiter system as an archetype for gas giants
across the Universe
It will also study the polar regions and the magnetosphere of the planet

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Banking
India’s real GDP is expected to grow 7% in 2022-23, as per the First Advance
Estimates of National Income released by National Statistical Office (NSO).
Released by National Statistical Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation
The RBI and the World Bank have projected 6.8 per cent and 6.9 percent GDP
growth, respectively, in FY23.
The Asian Development Bank has kept India growth forecast unchanged at 7%
for 2022-23.
The IMF too had reduced India’s growth prediction for FY23 to 6.8% from 7.4% projected in July 2022.

RBI to issue green bonds in two tranches of Rs 8,000 crore each

The Reserve Bank of India said that maiden Sovereign Green Bonds (SGrBs) would be issued in two tranches of Rs
8,000 crore each on January 25 and February 9.
The central government is issuing these sovereign green bonds as part of its total market borrowing. These bonds
are being issued to promote green infrastructure.
The Central Government had released the framework of Sovereign Green Bond on 9 November 2022.

What are Sovereign Green Bonds?

These are bonds that are used by the government to finance projects that have
a positive impact on the environment.
The Green Bond was launched in 2007 by the European Investment Bank and
the World Bank.
A Green Bond is an instrument that helps in raising funds for green projects.
Funds from these bonds will be invested in public sector projects that help reduce
carbon intensity.
These bonds fall into 9 broad categories. Some of these are projects like renewable
energy, energy efficiency, clean transportation, green building.
The government aims to attract foreign investors through these bonds.

World Bank predicts India’s economic growth to slow to 6.9% in FY23

This is much lower than the 8.7% growth achieved by the country in the
previous financial year (FY2021/22).
Report title: Global Economic Prospects Report
The World Bank has also predicted that global growth in 2023 would slow to
1.7% from the 3%.

Que:Which Indian public sector bank got the approval from RBI to hold special rupee Vostro accounts of three banks
from Sri Lanka?
Ans: Indian Bank
A vostro account in local currency would allow Sri Lanka to import from India without dipping into its declining dollar
supply. The INR vostro facility is part of the special trade settlement mechanism finalised by the RBI in July 2022.

The arrangement allows Indian importers to deposit rupees in vostro accounts that overseas banks open with banks
in India and clearing of dues to Indian exporters from the surplus balances in the vostro accounts.

India and ADB sign loan agreements to boost infrastructure sector in India
India has signed various loan agreements with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to boost the infrastructure sector
in the country.
A loan agreement of 350 million US dollars was signed to improve connectivity in Maharashtra.

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Govt also signed agreement worth 300 million US dollars to upgrade over 300 Km of State highways and district
roads in Assam.
A 220 million dollar loan agreement was signed to improve energy security, and resilience of the power sector in
Tripura.
$350 million loan to expand metro rail network in Chennai

Govt approves incentive scheme for promotion of RuPay Debit Cards

The Union Cabinet has given its approval to the incentive scheme for the promotion of
RuPay Debit Cards and low-value BHIM-UPI transactions.
The scheme has a financial outlay of 2,600 crore rupees.
Aim: To help in building a robust digital payment system.
Besides, the Cabinet has also given its approval to rename the National Centre for
Drinking Water, Sanitation, and Quality at Joka, Kolkata as Dr. Syama Prasad
Mookerjee National Institution of Water and Sanitation.

States’ gross fiscal deficit set to fall in 2022-23: RBI

According to the RBI report, the Gross fiscal deficit (GFD) of states is budgeted to
narrow to 3.4 % of GDP in 2022-23 from 4.1% in 2020-21.

What is Gross Fiscal Deficit (GFD)?

GFD measures the overall financial health of the state government and is
calculated by subtracting total revenue from total expenditure.
A decrease in GFD is generally considered a positive sign as it indicates that the
state government is able to balance its revenue and expenditure more effectively.

India to become $26 trillion economy by 2047: EY report

The report also pointed out that India’s per capita income would cross $15,000, making it
among the top developed economies.
According to the report certain factors have contributed to bring India to a position of high
and sustainable growth – including accelerated pace of economic reforms in critical areas such
as social inclusion, financial inclusion, fiscal, physical and digital infrastructure.
It is important to note that according to figures from the IMF - a decade ago Indian GDP was
the 11th largest globally. And recently India’s economy had overtaken that of United Kingdom
to become the 5th biggest in the world (in terms of size)

Government’s efforts
• Government's focus on increasing the country's digital infrastructure
• Efforts towards e-governance
• A strong digital payment ecosystem
• Introduction of digital services in almost all domains
• Large telecom subscriber base of 1.2 billion
• 837 million internet users, etc.

Focus Areas
• macroeconomic stability,
• more energy independence,
• ease of doing business,
• power sector reform

What is EY report?
Launched in 2011, EY Reporting is EY Global Assurance’s insights hub.

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UN predicts India’s growth to moderate to 5.8% in 2023, in its World Economic

Situation and Prospects 2023 report.
The United Nations has slashed India’s growth forecast by 20 basis points to 5.8
percent for the 2023 calendar year.
Reason: Higher interest rates and recession risks in the developed world weighing
on investment and exports.
The report has projected that global trade will contract 0.4 percent and the world
economy will grow at 1.9 percent in 2023.
For the fiscal year 2023-24, the agency kept its growth forecast unchanged for India at 6 percent.

Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) launches “Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0”
“Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0”- A District Outreach Program for expanding its presence in more than 685 districts of the
country.
The objective of this program is to reach all the districts of the country on the same day i.e. 27th of every month.
About EPFO
• Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is a statutory organisation set up under the Union ministry
of Labour and Employment was set up in 1951 by an Ordinance issued by the President.
• Later Parliament passed the Employees' Provident Funds Scheme, act 1952.
• It is the country’s largest social security organisation.

NSE becomes world's largest derivatives exchange for 4th straight year
According to the Futures Industry Association (FIA), the National Stock Exchange of India
(NSE) emerged as the world's largest derivatives exchange in 2022, in terms of the number
of contracts traded.
In 2022, the daily average turnover of the exchange reached Rs 470 crores. This is the
fourth consecutive year when the exchange earned the top spot.
In addition, the exchange was ranked third in the equity segment by the number of trades
(electronic order book) in 2022.
NSE HQ: Mumbai

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Sports
Sania Mirza announces her retirement from professional Tennis
• She will retire at the WTA 1000 event in Dubai in February 2023.
• In 2005 she became the first Indian to win a WTA singles title
• She broke into the top 30 by 2007 and reached her career-high ranking of world
number 27.
She won 3 Mixed Doubles Grand Slams:
• Australian Open in 2009, and the French Open in 2012 Mahesh Bhupati
• 2014 US Open with Brazilian tennis player Bruno Soares
• She won three Grand Slam doubles titles with Swiss legend Martina Hingis - Wimbledon in 2015, US Open in
2015 and Australian Open in 2016
• Sania Mirza achieved World no.1 ranking in doubles category

Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open 2023 title

• Novak Djokovic (Serbia) won the Australian Open title for the 10th time by defeating Stefanos
Tsitsipas in the first Grand Slam Australia Open of 2023.
• He has so far won 22 Grand Slam titles:
• 10 Australian Open titles in 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023.
• 2 French Open in 2016 and 2021,
• 7 Wimbledon - 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022
• 3 US Open in 2011, 2015, 2018.
Australian Open 2023 Women's singles winner
• Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus defeated Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan.
• Sabalenka has won a Grand title for the first time.

Indian pair of Yuki Bhambri, Saketh Myneni wins Bangkok Open2023 tennis title
organized in Thailand.

Victor and Akane won the Malaysia Open Badminton title

• Two-time world champion and defending Olympic champion Victor Axelsen (Denmark)
• and world champion Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) have won the men’s and women’s singles
titles respectively in Malaysia Open Badminton 2023.

Yonex- Sunrise India Open 2023

• The India Open, officially known as Yonex- Sunrise India Open 2023 held in New Delhi from
17th - 22nd January 2023.
• Organized at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall.
Winners:
• Men’s - Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Thailand) defeated Viktor Axelsen (Denmark)
• Women’s - An Seyoung (Korean) defeated Akane Yamaguchi (Japan).
Who Won the India Open Badminton Tournament in 2022?
• Men’s singles – Lakshya Sen (India)
• Women’s singles – Busanan Ongbamrungphan (Thailand)
• Men’s doubles – Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty (India)

Germany beat Belgium in the finals to lift the Hockey World Cup 2023 title
• FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India.
• Germany defeated Belgium by 5-4 in the penalty shootout.
• With this win, Germany became the fourth team to have won three or more hockey World Cup titles, after
Pakistan, Netherlands, and Australia.
• List of the winners:
• Best Player: Niklas Wellen (Germany)
• Best Goalkeeper:Vincent Vanasch (Belgium)
• Fair Play Award: Belgium

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FIH Partners with JSP Foundation for Hockey Development and Men’s World Cup
• The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has signed a partnership with JSP
Foundation for its development programs and FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World
Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela as a Global Partner.
• JSP Foundation is the social arm of Jindal Steel & Power.
• Chairperson of JSP Foundation: Shallu Jindal
• President of International Hockey Federation: Tayyab Ikram

Barcelona won the Spanish Super Cup for 14th time

• Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 3-1 in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)
• Real Madrid has won the Super cup 12 times so far.
• This competition is being played since 1982.

France captain Hugo Lloris retires from international football

• Lloris represented France in four World Cups and three Euros and captained Les Blues to the
World Cup trophy in 2018.
• Lloris made his debut for Les Blues in 2008.

Lionel Messi chosen as the best player for 2022 by International Football Federation History
and Statistics (IFFHS)
• IFFHS was the first to create the Award of THE WORLD’S BEST PLAYER in 1988.

DEXA: BCCI introduces new selection criteria for Team India

• To review the team's performance in 2022, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
president Roger Binny and secretary Jay Shah met India captain Rohit Sharma, head
coach Rahul Dravid, selector Chetan Sharma, National Cricket Academy (NCA) director
VVS Laxman
• The new criteria have been brought in to ensure the fitness of players before their
selection as the team has been facing a serious injury crisis for the last one year.

What are the new selection criteria?

• Yo-Yo test
• 'DEXA’

What is a Yo-Yo test?

• The Yo-Yo test is an aerobic endurance fitness test that involves running between markers placed 20 metres
apart at increasing speed.
• The test was introduced during Virat Kohli's tenure as India captain and initially the passing score was 16.1,
which was increased to 16.5.

What is Dexa?
• DEXA, also called 'bone density test', is an X-ray technique used to measure bone strength.
• From this it can be ascertained whether there is any risk of breaking or losing bones of the test taker or
whether a player is at risk of fracturing any part of the body.
• It also helps measure body composition and record body fat and muscle mass.

Surya Kumar Yadav becomes fastest player to reach 1,500 runs in T20I
• Fastest in terms of balls faced. He took only 843 balls to reach this landmark.
• However, he is the third-fastest batter to reach the 1,500-run mark in terms of innings. In
45 matches and 43 innings, Suryakumar has scored 1,578 runs at an average of 46.41.
• The fastest batters to reach this landmark are Indian batter Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Australian
veteran Aaron Finch and Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, who all took 39 innings to score
1,500 runs in T20 International cricket.
ICC awards 2022

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• Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy (cricketer of the year):

• Babar Azam (Pakistan)
• Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy (Women's Cricketer of the Year):
• Natalie Sciver (England)

Men's Test Cricketer of the Year: Ben Stokes (England)

Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year: Babar Azam
Men's T20 International Cricketer of the Year: Suryakumar Yadav (India)
Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year: Natalie Sciver
Women's T20 International Cricketer of the Year: Tahlia McGrath (Australia)
Men's Emerging Cricketer of the Year: Marco Jansen (South Africa)
Women's Emerging Cricketer of the Year: Renuka Singh (India)
David Shepherd Trophy (Umpire of the Year): Richard Illingworth (England)
Spirit of Cricket Award: Aasif Sheikh (Nepal)

Shubman Gill broke records of Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar

• Shubman Gill has become the fifth Indian player to score a double-hundred in the One
Day International (ODI)
• He did this in a match against New Zealand.
• Shubman has also become the youngest player (23) in the world to score a double
century in ODIs.
• He also broke the records of Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli, and became the fastest Indian batsman to
score 1000 ODI runs in 19 innings.
• Shubman Gill has joined an exclusive club of five Indian batsmen to score a double century along with Sachin
Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan.
• India’s Sachin Tendulkar is the first batsman to score a double century in ODI format. He achieved this feat in
2010 by scoring 200 runs against South Africa.
• India's Rohit Sharma is the batsman with the most (3) double centuries in ODI cricket.

Hashim Amla announced retirement from all forms of cricket

• South Africa’s second-highest Test run-scorer of all time.
• He became the first and only South African batsman to score a triple century in Test
Cricket.

Que: The former captain of the women's Australian cricket team, Belinda Clark bronze statue
is unveiled in which stadium?
Ans: Sydney Cricket Ground
• Clark became the first cricketer to score a double-hundred in one-day internationals
when she made an unbeaten 229 against Denmark in 1997

India wins the inaugural Women’s U19 T20 World Cup title
• India defeated England by 7 wickets in the final to win the first-ever ICC
Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2023
• 1st Edition - held in South Africa.
• BCCI secretary, Jay Shah announced a cash reward of ₹5 crores for the entire
India squad.
• Player of the Tournament - England captain Grace Scrivens
• Player of the Match: Titas Sadhu (India)
• India's Captain for U-19 Women’s T20: Shafali Verma

Viacom18 bags Women's IPL media rights

• Viacom 18 has won the bid for the media rights for the Women’s IPL for Rs 951
crore for five years.
• The auction for the T20 League was conducted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Mumbai.

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• BCCI will launch the Women's Indian Premier League in March 2023.
• BCCI president: Roger Binny

Women's IPL garners bids worth Rs 4,670 cr

• Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Adani Group, and
Capri Global won the bid for the inaugural edition.
• The teams will be based in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Lucknow
respectively.

Pranesh from Tamil Nadu becomes 79th Grand Master Degree of India
78th grandmaster of India: Koustav Chatterjee (west Bengal)

Koneru Humpy wins Silver at the World Chess Blitz championship

• In the women's section of the FIDE World Blitz Chess Championship held in Almaty,
Kazakhstan.
• Kazakhstan Winner.
• Koneru Humpy had won the World Rapid Chess Championship 2019.
• The men’s section was won by Magnus Carlsen.
• He became the first player in chess history to hold the Classical chess world
championship, Rapid world championship and the Blitz world Championship at the
same time
World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship 2022
• The International Chess governing body FIDE organises World Rapid and Blitz chess championship at the end
of the year. This year it was held in Kazakhstan's capital Almaty from 26-30 December 2022.
World Rapid Chess Championship
• Men’s title was won by No.1 Magnus Carlsen of Norway. It was the 4th time that Carlsen has won the Rapid
title.
• The women's title was won by the Chinese Grand Master Tan Zhongyi.
• Savitha Shri of India won the Bronze medal in the world Rapid section.

FIDE World Championship 2023 is due to take place in Astana, Kazakhstan, from April 7th to May 1st.

Only three Indian’s Viswanathan Anand, Koneru Humpy and Savitha Shri have won medals at the FIDE World Rapid
and Blitz chess championship.
Viswanathan Anand won the Gold medal in World Rapid and Bronze medal in World Blitz Championship 2017.
FIDE
• The International Chess Federation or French acronym FIDE is an international organization that was set up
on 20 July 1924 in Paris, France.
• It is the international body which governs world chess championships.
• President of FIDE: Arkady Dvorkovich,
• Headquarters of FIDE: Lausanne, Switzerland

Divya Deshmukh becomes the youngest to retain the National women’s chess title
• Ten months after becoming the youngest National women’s chess champion,
Divya Deshmukh (from nagpur) now holds the distinction of being the
youngest to retain the premier title.
• Title: Woman Grandmaster (WGM) (2021)

Khelo India Youth Games 2022 torch, theme song and mascot unveiled
• 5th Khelo India Youth Games to be hosted by Madhya Pradesh from 31 January 2023 to 11
February 2023.
• State Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the mascot and theme song.

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• The mascot is 'Asha'. While the theme song is 'Hindustan Ka Dil Dhadka Do...' sung by singer Shaan.
• The torch of Khelo India Youth Games was named Amarkantak, on which the figure of Maa Narmada is also
engraved.
• For the first time water sports namely Kayaking Canoeing, Canoe Salaam and Fencing are added to Khelo
India Games.
• The 4th Khelo India Youth Games was held in Panchkula (Haryana) from 4 to 13 June, while some matches
were also played in Chandigarh.

Edition Host City Winner Runner-up

2018 New Delhi Haryana Maharashtra
2019 Pune Maharashtra Haryana
2020 Guwahati Maharashtra Haryana
2021 Panchkula Haryana Maharashtra

National Sqay Championship

• The 23rd National Sqay Championship was organized by the SQAY Federation of India and
hosted by Jammu and Kashmir SQAY Association
• J&K got 1st place in over all medal tally, Andhra Pradesh remained 2nd and Odisha clinched
3rd place in the championship.
• Sqay is an ancient traditional martial art of Kashmir

National Men’s Boxing Championship 2022

• 6th Elite Men’s National Boxing Championship
was held in Hisar, Haryana.
• Shiva Thapa, Mohammad Hussamuddin win gold medals in 63.5 kg and 57 kg
categories resp.
• Services Sports Control Board (SSCB)
• team won the champion, Railway team stood 2nd and Punjab stood 3rd place

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