Current Affairs in English – February 10 2023

February 10, 2022

National Events:

Dr. A.B.K. Prasad:

• Veteran Journalist Dr. A.B.K. Prasad has been chosen for the prestigious “Raja Ram Mohan Roy National Award” for excellence in Journalism. Prasad has the honour of being the editor of all mainstream journals of Andhra Pradesh.
• He served as Chairman of Official Language Commission during 2004 to 2009 in united Andhra Pradesh. Award will be given by Press Council of India on 28 Feb 2023.

ESD:

• Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has partnered with Samsung Semiconductor India Research to promote research and development in the field of on-chip Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Protection.
• ESD is a sudden and momentary flow of electric current between two electrically charged objects. Electrostatic Discharge Protection protects the equipment from electromagnetic waves.

Quality Council of India:

• India’s national accreditation system under Quality Council of India, has been ranked 5th in the world in Global Quality Infrastructure Index (GQII) 2021.
• GQII ranks 184 economies in the world on the basis of quality infrastructure (QI). India’s overall QI system ranking continues to be in the Top 10 at the 10th position. The 2021 rankings are based on data till the end of December 2021.

Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav-2023:

• Union Ministry of Culture is going to organise Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav-2023 at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, from 11th to 19th February 2023.
• The Mahotsav aims to promote National Unity and integrity through cultural exchange. More than 350 folk and tribal artists from all over India along with local folk artists, transgender and differently-abled artists will be participated.

Skye Air:

• Skye Air launched India’s First Traffic Management System for Drones. It will allow drone operators to plan routes, make flight plans and assess risks before running drone-based operations.
• The solution, called Skye UTM, is a first-of-its-kind for India. Skye UTM is a Cloud-based aerial traffic management system that integrates unmanned air traffic with manned aviation airspace.

MobiKwik:

• MobiKwik has become the first fintech apps to support RuPay Credit Cards on UPI. The integration is in line with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Reserve Bank of India’s vision to boost credit card acceptance across merchants that are not part of the credit ecosystem.
• RuPay Credit Card are issued by all major banks (private and public sector) in the country.

K.M. Mammen:

• MRF Ltd. Chairman and Managing Director K.M. Mammen was presented the ATMA Lifetime Achievement Award by Maruti Suzuki India MD Hisashi Takeuchi.
• Award was presented at Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA) Annual Conclave 2023 in New Delhi on 8 Feb 2023.Mammen received award in recognition for his distinctive leadership qualities and invaluable contribution to the tyre industry.

Lithium:

• Geological Survey of India (GSI) has for the first time found lithium deposits in India. As per GSI, Lithium resources of 5.9 million tonnes have been found in Salal-Haimana area of Reasi District of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Lithium deposits are very critical for India as the government has been focussing on electric cars. Lithium is a non-ferrous metal and key component of EV batteries.

ISRO & Indian Navy:

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) partnered with the Indian Navy to push forward the Gaganyaan mission.
• ISRO along with the Indian Navy carried out the initial recovery trials of the crew module that will splash down in the ocean after re-entering Earth’s atmosphere from space. The trials were conducted in the Water Survival Test Facility (WSTF) of the Indian Navy at Kochi.

YouGov Report:

• According to YouGov Report released in February 2023, more than a third of urban Indians have claimed that their disposable income has decreased in the last 12 months.
• Their major expenses are around buying health insurance (26% of income), savings (33%), and investments for the future (21%). Most Indians are making investments in pension-related stocks and schemes.

Making the Digital Ecosystem Disabled Friendly:

• WhatsApp has been named India’s most accessible app for persons with disabilities in a report titled “Making the Digital Ecosystem Disabled Friendly” released in February 2023.
• The report by the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, evaluated the accessibility of ten of the most popular apps across various categories, including messaging, online payments, transport, e-commerce, and food delivery.

Appasaheb Dharmadikari:

• On 8 February 2023, the Maharashtra government announced that renowned social worker, preacher, and reformer Appasaheb Dharmadikari would be honored with the Maharashtra Bhushan award for the year 2022.
• His father Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari has also conferred the same award in 2008 by then-chief minister Ashok Chavan. Appasaheb was honored with Padma Shri in 2017.

Tamil Nadu Events:

Lekshmana Chandra Victoria Gowri:

• Assistant solicitor general Lekshmana Chandra Victoria Gowri was appointed as the additional judge of Madras High Court on 7 February 2023.
• She was administered the oath of office by Acting Chief Justice of Madras High Court Justice T Raja. Besides Gowri, Pillaipakkam Bahukutumbi, Kandhasami Kulandaivelu, Ramachandran Kalaimathi, and K Govindarajan Thilakavadi were also appointed.

International Events:

EESL:

• Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a Public Sector Undertaking under Ministry of Power, signed a MoU with Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle Joint Business Council (JBC).
• MoU was signed during G20 Energy Transitions Working Group meeting held in Bengaluru from 5-7 Feb 2023. MoU aims to further promote the adoption of energy efficiency and sustainable practices in the region.

World Pulses Day: 10 February:

• The United Nations General Assembly has designated 10 February as World Pulses Day to recognize the importance of pulse crops. Pulses are the edible seeds of leguminous plants cultivated for food.
• In 2013, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming 2016 as the International Year of Pulses. “Pulses for a Sustainable Future” is the theme for World Pulses Day 2023.

Joe Acaba:

• NASA has appointed veteran astronaut Joe Acaba as chief of the Astronaut Office at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in Feb 2023. He is the first person of Hispanic heritage selected to lead the office.
• He served as a mission specialist and flight engineer and supported the first resupply spacecraft launched in 2012, the Dragon of SpaceX. He has also participated in spacewalks.

Operation Dost:

• Operation Dost is a rescue operation initiated by the Government of India to aid Syria and Turkey, after an earthquake hit both countries on 6 February 2023.
• Under the operation, India has deployed a field hospital, supplies, and rescue personnel to the earthquake-stricken countries of Turkey and Syria.
• The C17 Globemaster aircraft of the Indian Air Force has also been deployed in the operation.

Quad:

• The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad on 8 February 2023, launched a public campaign ‘Quad Cyber Challenge’ to improve cyber security across their nations.
• The Quad has invited Internet users across the Indo-Pacific and beyond to become part of the challenge and practice “safe and responsible cyber habits. The Quad comprises India, United States, Japan and Australia.

Digital Silver:

• MMTC-PAMP, a joint venture between state-owned MMTC Ltd and Switzerland-based bullion brand Products Artistiques Metaux Precieux (PAMP), on 9 February 2023, announced the launch of digital silver.
• The digital silver can be purchased for as low as Rs 1. MMTC-PAMP is the first Indian gold and silver refiner to get international accreditation from the London Bullion Market Association.

Qualcomm Technologies:

• Qualcomm Technologies has introduced the world’s first satellite-based two-way capable messaging solution for premium smartphones, called Snapdragon Satellite, on 9 February 2023.
• The Snapdragon Satellite will offer global connectivity using mobile messaging from around the world, beginning with devices based on the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform.

Sports Events:

ICC T-20 Women’s World Cup:

• The ICC T-20 Women’s World Cup is to begin in South Africa on 10th February 2023. This is the first time that the tournament is taking place in an African nation. The matches will be played in Cape Town, Gqeberha, and Paarl.
• The final will be played on 26th Feb 2023 at the Newlands Stadium. A total of 10 teams are participating and a total of 33 matches will be played during the event.