Current Affairs in English – March 24 2023

March 24, 2023

National Events:

Covid-19:

• India has seen a surge in daily Covid-19 infections, with 349 cases of the newly detected XBB1.16 variant, which may be responsible for the recent increase in cases.
• According to data from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), Maharashtra has the highest number of XBB1.16 variant cases with 105 cases, followed by Telangana with 93 cases, Karnataka with 61 cases, and Gujarat with 54 cases.

CrickPe:

• BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover’s Third Unicorn on 23 March 2023 launched a cricket-focused fantasy sports app called CrickPe.
• It is the only fantasy cricket app in the world where with every match, the actual playing cricketers, cricketing bodies, and real team owners win cash rewards, along with the fantasy game-winners.

 “Most silent ship in the country”:

• Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), a shipbuilding company in India, has launched INS Androth, a vessel claimed to be the “most silent ship in the country” for the Indian Navy.
• The vessel is the first in a series of eight anti-submarine warfare shallow-watercraft to be delivered to the navy. The ships will be used for patrolling, search and rescue operations, and other military missions.
• The INS Androth has been designed to accommodate 50 crew members and is equipped with state-of-the-art communication systems, radars, and sonars to detect and track enemy submarines.
• The ship also features a stealth design that reduces its acoustic signature, making it difficult to detect underwater.

Konkan 2023:

• The annual bilateral maritime exercise called Konkan 2023 was conducted between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy from 20th to 22nd March 2023 off the Konkan coast in the Arabian Sea. The Royal Navy is the United Kingdom’s naval warfare force.
• The exercise involved INS Trishul, a guided missile frigate, and HMS Lancaster, a Type 23 guided missile frigate, and aimed to improve cooperation and learn best practices through various maritime drills.

Defence Ministry & BEL:

• The Indian Defence Ministry has recently signed two contracts with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) worth more than Rs 3,700 crore, with the aim to enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Air Force.
• Under the Buy Indian – IDMM (Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured) category, both projects are part of the ongoing vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
• The first contract, worth over Rs 2,800 crore, involves the supply of Medium Power Radars (MPR) ‘Arudhra’, which have been designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and will be manufactured by BEL.
• The second contract, with a cost of approximately Rs 950 crore, relates to Radar Warning Receivers (RWR).

NISAR:

• Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State for Science & Technology, announced in the Rajya Sabha that NASA and ISRO have collaboratively built an earth science satellite called NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar).
• The satellite’s primary objectives are to design, develop, and launch a dual-frequency (L and S band) radar imaging satellite, and to explore new application areas using L & S Band microwave data, particularly in surface deformation studies, terrestrial biomass structure, natural resource mapping and monitoring, and research on the dynamics of ice-sheets, glaciers, forests, oil slicks, etc.

State Youth Policy and a Youth Portal:

• MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan unveiled the State Youth Policy and a Youth Portal on 23 March 2023. He also informed that the State Level Youth Commission will be reconstituted by April 5.
• He also announced the implementation of Mukhya Mantri Yuva Kaushal Earning Scheme. Under this, an amount of at least Rs 8000 will be given to the youth every month on the basis of learning and earning.

Assam Rifles:

• Assam Rifles- considered the oldest and most decorated Para Military Force of the country, celebrated its 188th Raising Day on 24 March 2023.
• Assam Rifles was raised on March 24, 1835. During 2022-23, three battalions received Chief of the Army Staff Unit Citation and five Battalions received General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Unit Citation.

World TB Summit:

• PM Narendra Modi addressed the One World TB Summit in Varanasi on 24 March 2023. He also dedicated and laid the foundation stone of various projects worth more than 1,780 crores rupees on the occasion.
• He laid the foundation stone of the Passenger Ropeway from Varanasi Cantonment station to Godowlia. India will be the third country in the world where the ropeway is used for public transport.

Multi Domain Air-Land Exercise Vayu Prahar:

• Indian Army and the Air force jointly conducted a Multi Domain Air-Land Exercise Vayu Prahar along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern command in March 2023.
• The exercise enables coordination and rehearsal amongst various agencies for quick mobilization, transportation and deployment of forces within a theatre that can be executed across theatres.

‘DigiClaim’:

• Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar launched National Crop Insurance Portal’s (NCIP) digitized claim settlement module ‘DigiClaim’ in New Delhi on 23 March 2023.
• It was launched under the ambit of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). Under the module, claims will be disbursed electronically, which will benefit the respective farmers of six states.

‘Sagar Manthan’:

• Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal on 23 March 2023, launched the Real-time Performance Monitoring Dashboard ‘Sagar Manthan’. It is a Digital platform having all the integrated data related to the ministry and other subsidiaries.
• The dashboard will transform the workings of various departments by improving well-coordinated real-time information.

“National Conference on Biomass 3P – Pellet to Power to Prosperity”:

• Union Power & New and Renewable Energy Minister R. K. Singh will inaugurate the “National Conference on Biomass 3P – Pellet to Power to Prosperity” in New Delhi on 24 Mar 2023. It is being hosted by National Mission on Use of Biomass in Thermal Power Plants (SAMARTH).
• The conference aims to foster an enabling environment to boost co-firing of biomass pellets in Thermal Power Plants in India.

UP Quality Mission (Gunvatta Sankalp):

• The Government of Uttar Pradesh and Quality Council of India, on 23 March 2023, launched the UP Quality Mission (Gunvatta Sankalp) at Lucknow, U.P. It was inaugurated by Deputy CM of UP Brajesh Pathak and launched by the Minister of Cooperation J. P. S. Rathore.
• It aims to contribute to the state’s vision of becoming a knowledge superpower and adopting transformative digitalisation.

United Nations 2023 Water Conference:

• The United Nations 2023 Water Conference is being held from March 22 to 24 in New York, USA. It is the first summit on water in 50 years and is being hosted by Tajikistan and the Netherlands.
• The conference seeks to bring greater focus on water, which is a critical foundation for many of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, including health, food, gender equity and the environment.

Tamil Nadu Events:

Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Bill:

• Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has re-adopted the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games Bill, 2022 (L.A. Bill No. 53 of 2022). The Bill was first adopted in the Assembly on October 19, 2022.
• This is the second time the Tamil Nadu Assembly has re-adopted a Bill returned by the Governor.

International Events:

UNESCO:

• 26% of the world’s population does not have safe drinking water and 46% lack access to safely managed sanitation, according to a report published by UNESCO at the UN 2023 Water Conference in New York.
• The global urban population facing water scarcity is projected to double from 930 million in 2016 to 1.7 to 2.4 billion people in 2050.

“A giant red planet outside the solar system”:

• NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope made another out-of-this-world discovery called “A giant red planet outside the solar system”. The study is published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
• The planet is considered to be a “young planet” at only 150 million years old and that’s why the sky appeared turbulent. It also discovered clear detections of water, methane, and carbon monoxide.

World Tuberculosis Day:

• World Tuberculosis Day is observed on March 24th every year to raise awareness about the global epidemic of tuberculosis (TB) and efforts to eliminate the disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) aims to end the TB epidemic by 2030.
• The organization works with governments, non-governmental organizations, and other partners to increase access to TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, and to develop new tools and strategies for TB control.
• On World Tuberculosis Day, organizations and individuals around the world organize events and activities to raise awareness about TB, its causes, symptoms, and treatment, and to promote efforts to eliminate the disease. The day provides an opportunity for people to come together and take action to help end the TB epidemic.

International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims:

• On the 24th of March every year, the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims is commemorated in honor of Monsignor Óscar Arnulfo Romero, who was assassinated on this day in 1980.
• Monsignor Romero was passionately involved in speaking out against the infringement of human rights suffered by the most marginalized people in El Salvador.

Kitty O’Neil:

• Kitty O’Neil, a famous American stuntwoman and actress who was deaf from a young age, was commemorated by Google on her 77th birthday anniversary with a doodle featuring her in a yellow jumpsuit.
• She went on to become one of Hollywood’s most famous stunt drivers. Google celebrated Kitty O’Neil’s 77th birth anniversary with a doodle that depicted her in a yellow jumpsuit.
• Despite being deaf since childhood, she became a well-known stunt driver in Hollywood and held the women’s absolute land speed record until 2019.