Current Affairs in English – January 10 2023

January 10, 2022

National Events:

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan:

• The anthem, mascot, and a ‘smart torch’ for the fifth edition of the youth games were unveiled by Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Bhopal on 7 January 2023.
• A drone show was organized forming a sprinting cheetah, maps of India and Madhya Pradesh, and ‘Khelo India Youth Games 2022’. The Games will be organized in eight districts of Madhya Pradesh from January 30.

MGNREGS:

• The Kerala Cabinet has approved a scheme for the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) workers to get benefits like pension and medical assistance.
• With this, Kerala became the first state to have a welfare board for the beneficiaries of employment guarantee programs in the country. At least 26.71 lakh laborers of MGNREGS will be benefited from the scheme.

POWERGRID:

• Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) has been ranked 1st in Services Sectors across categories in January 2023.
• The results were published in the Public Enterprises Survey 2021-2022 by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), Ministry of Finance, Government of India. The Power Grid Corporation Ltd was incorporated on 23rd October 1989 under the Companies Act 1956.

Talcher:

• Union Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya has announced that the country’s first-ever coal gasification based Talcher Fertiliser plant in Odisha will be ready by October 2024.
• The use of coal in alternative usages like in the gasification technology to produce urea will also reduce the carbon footprints on the environment.

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance:

• ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has announced the launch of its 360 Financial Protection with its digital first campaign featuring cricketer Suryakumar Yadav.
• The company also provides 360-degree financial protection against any unfortunate event, critical illnesses, and accidents. Suryakumar has emerged as a consistent batter in the white ball format since his international debut.

Paytm Payments Bank:

• Paytm Payments Bank has received the RBI’s nod to appoint Surinder Chawla as its Managing Director and CEO in January 2023.
• Chawla was working with RBL Bank, where he served as Head of Branch Banking and focused on expanding the CASA base, fee revenue, and cross-selling across channels. Paytm Founded: August 2010. Paytm CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma.

Cherchera festival:

• Traditional Cherchera festival was celebrated in Chhattisgarh on 6 January 2023. The festival is celebrated on the full moon night of ‘Paush’ Hindu calendar month in the happiness of taking the crops to their homes after cultivation.
• People donate green vegetables along with paddy on this day. According to mythological belief, on this day Lord Shankar begged from Mata Annapurna.

DPIIT:

• Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is organizing Startup India Innovation Week from 10th to 16th January 2023. The purpose is to celebrate the Indian Startup Ecosystem and National Startup Day (16th January 2023).
• Startup India Innovation Week 2023 will involve knowledge sharing sessions for entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, and other enablers.

EPFO:

• The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) conducts ” Nidhi Apke on 10th of every month all fiel offices.
• With this program, EPFO aims to expand its reach and attract more participation. Nidhi Aapke Nikat not just addresses subscribers’ issues, but also invites their suggestions and sensitise stakeholders about new initiatives.

Tamil Nadu Events:

StartupTN:

• Global Tamil Angels platform launched on 9 Jan 2023 The platform was launched at the “Global Startup Investors Summit, co-organized by the Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission and FeTNA International Tamil Entrepreneur Network.
• The platform, hosted by StartupTN, allows Tamil Nadu-based start-ups to connect with potential investors from the global Tamil diaspora. At the Summit, an American Tamil Fund was also announced.

International Events:

World Hindi Day:

• World Hindi Day is celebrated on Jan 10 every year to mark the importance and celebrate Hindi as a language. It was started to mark the anniversary of the first time Hindi was spoken in the United Nations General Assembly in 1949.
• On January 10, 2006, the World Hindi Day was celebrated for the first time. In the year 1975, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi inaugurated the first World Hindi Conference.

New chips act:

• Taiwan passed the new Chips Act on 9 January 2023 which let local chip firms turn 25 % of their annual research and development expenses into tax credits.
• Chip companies in Taiwan can also claim tax credits on 5% of the annual costs of buying new equipment for advanced process technologies. Any credits earned, however, cannot exceed 50 % of the total annual income taxes.

India & UK:

• The governments of India and the UK on January 9, 2023 launched Young Professionals Scheme. The scheme allows up to 3,000 degree-holding citizens aged between 18 and 30 to live and work in each other’s countries for a period of 2 years.
• The scheme was announced in November 2022 at the G20 summit in Bali, is part of the India – UK Migration and Mobility MuU signed in May 2021.

FDA:

• The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved lecanemab drug, developed by Eisai and Biogen , for the treatment of Alzheimer’s. It is 2nd drug to receive such approval. Lecanemab is a monoclonal antibody that targets amyloid beta protein.
• By binding to and neutralizing this protein, it aims to reduce the formation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain.

Kilauea volcano:

• Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupts again after September 2021. The eruption started January 5, 2023 at the volcano’s crater. It last erupted in September 2021 and continued for 16 months before it took a pause in December 2022.
• The volcano Kilauea is among the most active ones on the planet. It is a shield volcano, which is a type of volcano composed of fluid lava and characterized by its vast lava flow.

India & Panama:

• India and Panama have signed a MoU to enhance cooperation in the training of diplomats. It was signed on the sidelines of 17th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas in Indore, in January 2023.
• During the meet, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, along with his Panama counterpart Janaina Tewane Mencomo, also discussed the opportunities for economic, health, finance and people to people linkages.

AC Charania:

• An Indian-American aerospace industry expert, AC Charania, has been appointed as NASA’s new chief technologist.
• He will serve as principal advisor to Administrator Bill Nelson on technology policy and programmes at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. Prior to joining NASA, he served as vice president of product strategy at Reliable Robotics.

Sports Events:

Chetan Sharma:

• Chetan Sharma was reappointed as the chairman of the senior selection committee on 7 January 2023. He is a former Indian cricketer and politician who played Tests and ODIs as a fast bowler for the Indian cricket team.
• He was the first man to take a hat trick in the ODI world cup and achieved this feat in the 1987 Reliance World Cup against New Zealand. BCCI President: Roger Binny.

Tallon Griekspoor:

• The Netherlands Tallon Griekspoor won his maiden ATP World Tour title in Men’s singles category in Pune on 7 January 2023. He defeated France’s Benjamin Bonzi to win his maiden ATP World Tour title.
• It was the 27th edition of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP)’ s 250 events, the only ATP tournament played in India , and was held from 2 to 7 January 2023.

Novak Djokovic:

• Novak Djokovic, on January 8, 2023, won the Adelaide International men’s singles title. The 21-time Grand Slam winner won the match by defeating America’s Sebastian Korda in the final.
• Djokovic also equalled Rafael Nadal’s tally of 92 ATP singles titles in the Open Era. The 2023 Adelaide International is a tennis tournament being played in Australia.