Current Affairs in English – March 16, 17 2023

March 16-17, 2023

National Events:

Uttarakhand government:

• The Uttarakhand government presented a Budget of 77,407.08 crore rupees for 2023-24 on 15 March 2023. Rs 10459.55 cr have been allocated for education and youth welfare which is the largest allocation.
• The Budget has a revenue surplus of 4,309.55 crore rupees. There is an increase of 18.05 percent in the total budget expenditure as compared to previous financial year.

Merchandise exports:

• India’s merchandise exports fell for a third consecutive month in February2023. Exports declined 8.8% to $33.88 billion in February and the trade deficit came in at $17.43 billion.
• Between April-February 2022-23, the country’s merchandise exports increased 7.55% to $405.94 billion. Merchandise trade deficit in April-February stood at $247.5 billion, up 43.5%.

Ajanta Neog:

• Assam Finance Minister Ajanta Neog tabled the budget for 2023-24 in the assembly on 16 March 2023. Mukhya Mantri Ayushman Asom Yojana will be started in the state.
• The scheme will enable 27 lakh families to avail 5 lakh rupees worth of cashless treatment, making it the largest health insurance scheme in the country. The government also announced to launch of Mukhya Mantri Awaas Yojana.

National Vaccination Day: 16 March

• On 16 March every year, National Vaccination Day is observed in India to increase awareness for the eradication of polio from the planet earth.
• It was first observed on 16 March 1995 when the first dose of Oral Polio Vaccine was given. In 1978, an enhanced programme was begun, which included Typhoid and DPT immunizations (Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus).

“AgriUnifest”:

• Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar on 15 March 2023, inaugurated “AgriUnifest” in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• It is a 5-day cultural program, organized by Bangalore Agricultural University in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). More than 2500 students from 60 State Universities/Central Universities have participated.

“Innovation in Consumer Tech”:

• Ujjivan Small Finance Bank’s Hello Ujjivan app won the 13th Aegis Graham Bell Awards in the “Innovation in Consumer Tech” category in March 2023.
• The award is an initiative of Aegis School of Data Science, under the Min of Electronics & Information Technology to foster an innovative culture in India. It is the 1st mobile banking app in India that enables speech, visual, and vernacular features.

India and the World Bank:

• India and the World Bank have signed a loan agreement for the construction of the Green National Highway Corridors Project in four states.
• These states are Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. The agreement has been signed for the construction of 781 kilometers in these States, with loan assistance of 500 million dollars.

7th International Diabetes Summit 2023:

• The 7th International Diabetes Summit 2023 organized by Chellaram Diabetes Institute was inaugurated on 15 March 2023 in Pune, Maharashtra.
• The three day summit is focused on talks on managing diabetes complications, cost-effective diabetes care, new advances and role of technology in diabetes management. More than 2000 delegates are attending the event.

PFRDA:

• Deepak Mohanty has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Pension Fund Regulatory & Development Authority (PFRDA). He will hold this post from the date of assumption of charge till attaining the age of 65 years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
• Prior to this, he was the Whole-Time Member (Economics) of PFRDA for two years overseeing regulation of pension funds.

Gaganyaan:

• First abort mission of Gaganyaan in May 2023. The first of the four abort missions for India’s maiden human spaceflight Gaganyaan is planned for May 2023.
• The first test vehicle mission, TV-D1, is planned in May 2023, followed by the second test vehicle TV-D2 mission and first uncrewed mission of Gaganyaan (LVM3-G1) in the first quarter of 2024. The Human-rated Launch Vehicle Systems (HLVM3) are tested and qualified.

Daljit Singh:

• Lieutenant General Daljit Singh has taken over as the director general of the Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS), India’s senior-most military doctor.
• Before being promoted to the top post, Singh was serving as the director general medical services (Army). He was appointed honorary surgeon to the President in November 2021.

 ‘Exercise Sea Dragon 23’:

• The Indian Navy deployed a P8I aircraft to Guam, USA, on March 14, 2023, to participate in the third edition of ‘Exercise Sea Dragon 23’, a coordinated multi-lateral Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) exercise for Long Range MR ASW aircraft organized by the US Navy.
• The exercise, scheduled from March 15 to March 30, 2023, will focus on coordinated ASW tactics among the participating countries and will involve advanced ASW drills.

BIS:

• The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) on 15 March 2023, launched the ‘Learning Science via Standards’ series for students.
• The initiative focuses on lesson plans that use scientific concepts, principles, and laws to help students understand their practical applications in manufacturing.
• Under the initiative, ‘Standards Clubs’ are being established in educational institutions across India.

Reliance Industries:

• Reliance Industries-backed JioCinema has signed up cricketer Suryakumar Yadav as its brand ambassador on. It is owned by Viacom 18 Media Pvt Ltd., a subsidiary of TV18.
• JioCinema is the digital streaming partner of Indian Premiere League (IPL). Surya Yadav is managed by Rise Worldwide, also backed by Reliance Industries Ltd.

Phooldei festival:

• The Phooldei festival was celebrated at Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha Bhawan on 15 March 2023. The children showered flower petals on the Vidhan Sabha premises.
• Known as the harvest festival of Uttarakhand, Phool Dei is an auspicious folk festival which welcomes the spring season in the state. The festival is celebrated on the 1st day of the Hindu month, Chaitra.

FSIB:

• Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) on 16 March 2023 recommended the name of Indian Bank executive director Ashwani Kumar for the post of managing director of UCO Bank.
• Prior to joining Indian Bank, Kumar was serving as chief general manager of Mumbai Zone of Punjab National Bank (PNB). FSIB is headed by ex-secretary, Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Bhanu Pratap Sharma.

Luxor Writing Instruments Private Limited:

• Luxor Writing Instruments Private Limited signed cricketer Virat Kohli as its new brand ambassador on 17 March 2023.
• He will be the face of its products across its stationery range. Luxor also partnered with German pen company, Schneider to bring the best of German engineering to deliver the finest writing performance.

Indira Gandhi International Airport:

• Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport has received the award for the Best Airport in India and South Asia by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax.
• Singapore’s Changi Airport is named the World’s Best Airport of 2023 followed by Doha Hamad airport. As per the report, Delhi airport is the only Indian airport to feature on top 50 airports across the world.

‘Geoffrey Bawa: It is Essential to be There’:

• The National Gallery of Modern Art and the High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi inaugurates the exhibition ‘Geoffrey Bawa: It is Essential to be There’ on 17 March 2023.
• Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of Indo-Lanka Diplomatic Relations, the event will celebrate the Cultural Exchange Programme between both countries. Over 120 documents from the Bawa archives will be on view.

‘Governor of the Year’ 2023:

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das has received the ‘Governor of the Year’ 2023 Award by the international publication Central Banking on 17 March 2023.
• He has been given the award for steering the financial markets through multiple crises including the pandemic and the inflation due to the war in Ukraine.

Ministry of Steel:

• Ministry of Steel on 17 March 2023 signed MoUs with selected companies under the Production-linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for specialty steel in New Delhi. A total of 57 MoUs with 27 companies were signed during the event.
• Production-Linked Incentive scheme aims to boost domestic manufacturing and cut down import bills by encouraging local companies to set up manufacturing units.

CISF:

• Union Home Ministry on 17 March 2023 announced a 10 percent reservation for former Agniveers in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
• Former Agniveers would get relaxation in the upper age limit and will also be exempted from Physical Efficiency Test. As per the notification, the upper age limit for candidates of the first batch of Agniveers shall be relaxed by up to five years.

ICMR:

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) approved test kit developed by KRIYA Medical technologies which can detect influenza H1N1, H3N2, Yamagata and Victoria sublineages, Covid-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
• The kit has a cycle time of 27 minutes and the time around 50-60 minutes for the results to be read which can enable an immediate line of treatment.

‘Sagar Parikrama’:

• Union Minister Parshottam Rupala will inaugurate the Phase-IV of ‘Sagar Parikrama’ in Karnataka on 18 March 2023. It will cover the stretch of Uttar Kannada on 18th March 2023 and on 19th March 2023 Udupi followed by Dakshan Kannada.
• It aims to resolve the issues of the fishers and other stakeholders and facilitate their economic upliftment through various fisheries schemes and programs.

Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu:

• Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu presented the budget for financial year 2023-24 in the state assembly on 17 March 2023. 1000 crore has been allocated for the replacement of 1500 diesel buses.
• A 25,000 subsidy on the purchase of an electric scooter has also been announced for 20,000 girls. Kangra will be developed to become Himachal Pradesh’s tourist capital.

TCS:

• Indian software service provider Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on 16 March 2023, announced that TCS MD & CEO Rajesh Gopinathan has resigned. TCS board has appointed K. Krithivasan as the Chief Executive Officer Designate, with effective from 16 March 2023.
• Gopinathan has stepped up after a 22-year career with the company and spent six years as the MD and CEO of the company.

Chandrayaan-3:

• Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft successfully completed the essential tests that validated its capability to withstand the harsh vibration and acoustic environment during its launch. These tests were conducted in March 2023 at the UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru.
• The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is a composite of three modules i.e. Propulsion Module, Lander Module, and the Rover module.

Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya:

• Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya on 16 March 2023, flagged off 75 trucks with Tuberculosis (TB) awareness messages across the country in New Delhi.
• Currently, 71000 Ni-Kshay Mitras are supporting over 10 lakh TB patients through nutritional support. Under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, the Minister also distributed Nutritional Baskets to TB patients.

Indian Navy:

• A P-81 aircraft of the Indian Navy arrived at Guam, USA on March 15 to participate in ‘Exercise Sea Dragon 2023, conducted by the United States Navy from March 15-30, 2023.
• It is the third edition of the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercise for long-range maritime reconnaissance (MR) ASW aircraft. It focuses on coordinated anti-submarine warfare among the participating countries.

DDU-GKY:

• Ministry of Ayush and the Ministry of Rural Development on 16 March 2023 signed an MoU to empower rural youth by skilling.
• It was signed to impart training to rural poor youth and women for the Ayush healthcare system under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya-Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY). It will also empower self-help groups of women in self-employment and skill development.

26th Convocation of Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth:

• Union Minister for Ayush Shri Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the 26th Convocation of Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth (RAV) on 16 March 2023.
• He also inaugurated the 8th National Seminar on the topic ‘Usage of Trina Dhanya (Millets) in contemporary lifestyle’ in New Delhi. The session discussed ways to document and publish a maximum number of case reports based on ayurvedic practices.

INS Dronacharya:

• President Droupadi Murmu presented the President’s Colour to INS Dronacharya in Kochi on March 16, 2023. The President’s Colour is considered the highest honour that the President bestows on a unit for exceptional service to the nation.
• INS Dronacharya is the nodal centre for training Sagar Prahari Bal and the Navy’s centre for training several Indian Ocean Region (IOR) nations.

Global Millets Conference:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Global Millets Conference in New Delhi on 18th March 2023. The two-day global conference will have sessions on the promotion and awareness of millets among producers, consumers, and other stakeholders.
• Based on India’s proposal, the year 2023 was declared the International Year of Millets (IYM) by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

B20:

• Sikkim hosted a B20 or Business20 meeting under India’s G20 presidency on 16 March 2023 in Gangtok. It was the third of four B20 events organized in the Northeast region.
• B20 is the official G20 dialogue forum with the global business community and among the most prominent engagement groups of the G20. Startup20 events are also scheduled on the 18th and 19th of March in Gangtok.

Tamil Nadu Events:

 ‘Tamil Nadu Organic Farming Policy 2023′:

• Chief Minister Stalin released the ‘Tamil Nadu Organic Farming Policy 2023′ to promote agriculture. The aim is to promote exports and increase farmers’ income.
• Organic farming practices include soil fertility conservation, biodiversity conservation and provision of safe, healthy food.

Mega food park:

• Union Minister of State for Food Prahalad Singh Patel said that a mega food park in Tamil Nadu has been approved for 16 cold storages.
• Out of which, 16 integrated cold storage facilities, 11 agro processing units, 32 agro food processing units, 9 production and marketing linkages for agricultural produce and 2 vegetable markets have been approved.

International Events:

Credit Suisse:

• Credit Suisse, Switzerland’s second-largest banks’ shares fall around 20% on 215 March 2023. A media investigation published in February 2022, dubbed “Suisse Secrets”.
• The report alleged that more than 18,000 bank accounts dating back to the 1940s showed Credit Suisse held more than $8 billion in the accounts of criminals, dictators, and rights abusers.

SCO:

• India has invited Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif to attend the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to be held in New Delhi in April 2023.
• India currently holds the presidency of the SCO, which comprises China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The foreign ministers’ meeting is also scheduled for May 2023 in Goa.

OneWeb & ISRO:

• OneWeb, the Low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite company, will launch 36 satellites with Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO on 26 March 2023. The launch aims at completing the first-generation LEO constellation and enabling the initiation of global coverage in 2023.
• The mission marks OneWeb’s second satellite deployment from India with the collaboration between the UK and India.

Freddy:

• Tropical Cyclone Freddy hit the coast of Southern Africa in March 2023, killing more than 220 people in Malawi, Mozambique, and Madagascar.
• It is also set to be the longest-ever recorded tropical cyclone and has the highest-ever recorded accumulated energy for a storm. Freddy developed off the coast of Australia and crossed the entire south Indian Ocean to reach Malawi.

US Senate:

• The US Senate on 15 March 2023, formally recognised the McMahon Line as the international boundary between India’s Arunachal Pradesh and China, and rejected China’s claim over Arunachal Pradesh.
• Hagerty, former US ambassador to Japan, along with Jeff Markley, co-chair of the Congressional Executive Commission on China, had first introduced the resolution in the Senate.

India and Luxembourg:

• Celebrating 75 years of friendship, India and Luxembourg launched a Joint Commemorative Stamp on 15 March 2023. India and Luxembourg have longstanding cooperation in the steel sector.
• Luxembourg Company Paul Wurth Company has been in India for the last 20 years. Earlier, the 12th Asia-Europe Foreign Ministers Meeting held in Luxembourg from November 4-7, 2015.

Eric Garcetti:

• Eric Garcetti, President Joe Biden’s close aide, will be the next US Ambassador to India after the Senate confirmed his nomination.
• The Senate voted 52-42 to confirm the former Los Angeles mayor’s nomination on 15 March 2023. The United States has not had an ambassador to New Delhi since January 2021. Biden had nominated Garcetti for the post in July 2021.

Honeywell International HON:

• Honeywell International HON announced that company current president and chief operating officer, Vimal Kapur, will succeed Darius Adamczyk as the new chief executive officer (CEO), effective Jun 1.
• He has also been named to the board of directors of HON as of March 13. He has 34 years of experience working for Honeywell across multiple business models, sectors, geographic locations, and economic cycles.
• “The adoption of Accelerator and standardisation of global business models to enable maximal performance in each business segment” will be Kapur’s primary areas of attention as CEO.

GPT4:

• GPT4, the most recent release of OpenAI’s large language model, which powers popular apps like ChatGPT and the new Bing, has been announced.
• According to San Francisco-based research company OpenAI, GPT-4 is more advanced than the previous version and has been trained on more data, costing more to operate.

RBI & Central Bank of the UAE:

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Central Bank of the UAE have signed MoU to promote innovation in financial products and services.
• As per the MOU, both central banks will work together to explore Central Bank Digital Currencies and investigate interoperability between the CBDCs of CBUAE and RBI. They will conduct proof-of-concept and pilot tests of the bilateral CBDC bridge.

NASA:

• NASA has unveiled a new generation of spacesuit for humanity’s return trip to the Moon. The design of the spacesuit comes with specialist features to support astronauts as they conduct scientific experiments on the lunar surface.
• The prototype is said to be a better fit for female space travellers. Existing spacesuits worn by US space travellers have not been fully redesigned since 1981.

Ravi Chaudhary:

• The United States Senate has confirmed Indian origin Ravi Chaudhary as the Assistant Secretary of Air Force for Energy, Installations, and the Environment. Chaudhary will be the first Indian-American to serve as an Assistant Secretary of the Air Force.
• Chaudhary served as an active duty Air Force pilot between 1993 and 2015, conducting numerous combat missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Sports Events:

Gianni Infantino:

• Gianni Infantino was re-elected as FIFA president until 2027 by acclamation, after highlighting his strong financial performance as a reason for keeping a CEO in their position for life.
• The decision was made by the congress of 211 member federations, who have seen their annual funding from FIFA increase from $250,000 to $2 million since Infantino’s first win in 2016.
• Following the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, FIFA now has $4 billion in reserves, and it conservatively predicts a record revenue of at least $11 billion from the 2026 men’s World Cup, which will be hosted in North America.

RCB:

• The news is about the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) partnering with Equitas Small Finance Bank as their banking partner for the IPL 2023 season.
• This partnership means that Equitas Small Finance Bank will provide a range of banking services to RCB, including salary accounts, forex, and other related financial services.

Sampanna Ramesh Shelar:

• Swimmer Sampanna Ramesh Shelar has become the fastest Indian in under-21 group to swim across the Palk Strait from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka to Dhanuskodi in Tamil Nadu on 17 March 2023.
• He created this record by completing the distance of 29 Kms in 5 hours and 30 minutes. The previous record was 8 hours and 26 minutes.