Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has launched the Learning – Teaching Material called ‘Jadui Pitara’ for Foundational Stage as envisaged under National Education Policy 2020 in New Delhi. ‘Jadui Pitara’ is a play-based learning-teaching material tailored for children between the age group of 3-8 years. It has been developed under the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF-FS). Key features of Jadui Pitara:
It applies to Class 1 & 2 also (age 6-8).
It is available in 13 Indian languages.
It comprises of playbooks, toys, puzzles, posters, story books etc. as well as reflecting local culture, social context and languages.
Learning and Development in 5 domains: Physical Development, Socio-emotional and Ethical Development, Cognitive Development, Language and Literacy Development, Aesthetic and Cultural Development, Positive Learning Habits has been included as another domain of development at this stage. It will be made mandatory in at least 1,200 central government-run schools from upcoming academic session. National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF-FS): NCF-FS was launched by Ministry of Education in October, 2022 and accordingly, NCERT has developed the Learning – Teaching Material (LTM). NCF-FS emphasises play based learning for foundational stages.
The Union Cabinet chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the extension of the term of the 22nd Law Commission of India, headed by retired High Court Chief Justice Rituraj Awasthi, upto 31st August, 2024. The tenure of 22nd Law Commission of India ends on 20th February, 2023. Law Commission of India: The Law Commission of India is a non-statutory body constituted by the Government of India from time to time. It works as an advisory body to the Ministry of Law and Justice.
The first Law Commission of independent India was established in 1955 for a three-year term.
The first Law Commission was established during the British Raj era in 1834 by the Charter Act of 1833 and was chaired by Lord Macaulay. Composition: Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 4 info@practicemock.com 9319314079 Full-time Chairperson; Four full-time Members (including Member-Secretary); Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs as ex-officio Member; Secretary, Legislative Department as ex officio Member; and Not more than five part-time Members. Other cabinet approvals:
Cabinet has approved the signing of the Air Services Agreement between the Government of India and the Government of Co-operative Republic of Guyana. The new Air Services Agreement will provide enabling environment for enhanced and seamless connectivity while providing commercial opportunities to the carriers of both the sides.
Cabinet has approved the ratification of three Protocols on Article 3 bis and Article 50 (a) & Article 56 relating to amendments in the convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention), 1944.
The Agricultural and Process Food Export Development Authority (APEDA) has recently participated in the 28th edition of Gulfood 2023, which is a platform that connects food and beverage sectors around the globe, held in the UAE.
India has participated in GULFOOD with the theme focused on export promotion of millets and its value added products.
A Millet gallery has been prepared to showcase Millets and its products by the start-ups and new entrepreneurs to provide them a platform to showcase their quality products.
APEDA has signed an MoU with Government of UAE through its nodal agency Al Dhara Holding SP LLC for procurement of food and food products from India as well as to sell to buyers in UAE as a part of UAE food security strategy and DP World FZE, a subsidiary of Government of Dubai.
APEDA has also signed an MoU with Lulu Hypermarket for export promotion of millets in the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCCs). The MoU aims to promote millet products and value-added products in international markets. Key facts: India ranks 8th with share of 2.33% in the global agri exports. India’s total Agri Export is USD approx. 50 billion in 2021-22 with a contribution of more than 51% share by APEDA’s agricultural and processed food products export in the Indian agri export basket during 2021-22.
The seventh edition of the Asia Economic Dialogue (AED) has been held from 23rd February to 25th February in Pune, Maharashtra. It is the annual flagship event of the Ministry of External Affairs on Geoeconomics, co-hosted in collaboration with Pune International Centre. The principal theme for 7th AED is ‘Asia and the Emerging World Order’. The 7th AED also focusses on themes such as Global Growth Prospects, How the Global South Will Shape the G20 Agenda and the Metaverse. Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 5 info@practicemock.com 9319314079 More than 44 speakers from various countries including Brazil, the US, the UK, South Africa, Bhutan, Maldives, Switzerland, Singapore and Mexico have participated in this dialogue.
The Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud has announced that the Supreme Court of India will adopt a “Neutral Citation System” for all its judgments.
A neutral citation means that the court will assign its own citation, distinct from those given by traditional Law Reporters.
Neutral Citation is a unique court-assigned reference number for a judgment in a common law jurisdiction. Law Reporters are periodicals or annual digests that publish judgments, often with an editorial note to make it accessible for lawyers to refer to precedents. Notably, the Delhi, Kerala, and Madras High Courts have already introduced neutral citation. Supreme Court of India: It came into existence on 26th January, 1950 and is located on Tilak Marg, New Delhi. It comprises the Chief Justice and 33 other Judges appointed by the President of India. It is the highest judicial court and the final court of appeal under the Constitution of India, the highest constitutional court, with the power of judicial review. Articles 124 to 147 in Part V of the Constitution deal with the organisation, independence, jurisdiction, powers and procedures of the Supreme Court.
The first I2U2 Business Forum has been held in Abu Dhabi, UAE from 21st February to 22nd February 2023.
India has been represented by Dammu Ravi, Secretary (economic affairs), Ministry of External Affairs.
The forum discussed building integrated agricultural facilities across India.
Senior private and public sector representatives from the four nations participated in the forum and discussed opportunities for cooperation between the business communities. On the sidelines of the first I2U2 Business Forum, India has joined the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM4C), which was launched by the UAE and the US at COP26 in November 2021. I2U2: The I2U2 Grouping was formed during a conference of the Foreign Ministers of four countries, India, Israel, the USA, & the UAE in October 2021 to deepen technological and private sector collaboration in the region and tackle transnational challenges in six focus areas water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security.
The 19th Annual Zone III Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) conference has been inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in Gangtok, Sikkim. Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 6 info@practicemock.com 9319314079
The two-day Conference has discussed on many issues ranging from making parliament and assembly more accessible to the public.
Drug abuse and the way forward and Cyber Bullying are the core issues discussed in this conference. CPA India Region: The executive committee of the CPA India Region consists of the CPA India Regional Chairperson and six members. Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla is its current Regional Chairperson. CPA India Region is divided into 4 zones: Zone -1: Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Jharkhand, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh Uttaranchal, West Bengal (8 Branches) Zone -2: Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Puducherry (UT), Tamil Nadu, Telangana (8 Branches) Zone- 3: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura (8 Branches) Zone- 4: Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan (7 Branches)
The Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong has announced the launch of inaugural “Maitri Cultural Partnerships” to promote increased exchange and collaboration between the Australian and Indian creative industries. The Maitri Cultural Partnerships grant round is divided into three programmes:
Maitri Cultural Partnerships Major Collaboration Grant: It will support major Australian cultural organisation collaboration to engage Indian partners with a funding up to USD 250,000.
Maitri Cultural Partnerships Visual and Performing Arts Grants: It will supports First Nations’ participation (funding up to USD 250,000).
Maitri Cultural Partnerships Collaboration Grants: It will back small to medium-sized Australian cultural organisations and community groups collaboration with a funding of up to USD 70,000.
The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) scientists have developed three climatesmart varieties of wheat. These varieties are characterised by “mild vernalisation requirement” i.e., need for a certain minimum period of low winter temperatures for initiation of flowering. Three varieties are: HDCSW-18 (officially notified in 2016), HD-3410 and HD-3385.
HD-3410 (released in 2022), has higher yield potential (7.5 tonnes/hectare) with lower plant height (100-105 cm).
HD-3385 is least lodging-prone and most amenable for early sowing. Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 7 info@practicemock.com 9319314079
The Ministry of Culture has recently organized a year-long festival from 26th February 2023 to commemorate the 284th birth anniversary of Sant Sewalal Maharaj. The Indian government has been celebrating his birth anniversary for the first time.
STATES AFFAIRS
Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has inaugurated the four-day National Horticulture Fair (NHF) 2023 in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The NHF 2023 has been organized by the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (ICAR-IIHR) in collaboration with the Society for Promotion of Horticulture (SPH); BESSTHORT, a Technology Business Incubator ICAR-IIHR; ICAR-ATARI Bengaluru and leading development departments serving for horticulture. Theme 2023: “Innovative Horticulture for Self-Reliance” The NHF 2023 aims to showcase and demonstrate latest technologies viz, vegetable and medicinal crop varieties for import substitution, leaf curl virus resistant chili varieties, flower waste utilization, terrace gardening solutions for urban horticulture, production technologies for exotic fruits such as Kamalam (dragon fruit) and avocado and cost effective traps for management of invasive pests etc.
The Cabinet of Madhya Pradesh, headed by Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has approved the Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana to empower women at every level. Under this scheme, married women aged between 23 and 60 years, will be offered financial assistance of Rs.1000 per month. The scheme aims to ensure the all-round development of women in MP, their economic independence, better health, and nutritional level.
The Ministry of Culture has organized the First G20 Culture Group (CWG) meet in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh from 22nd to 25th February 2023. The theme is “Protection and Restitution of Cultural Property”. During the meeting, an exhibition titled “Re(ad)dress : Return of Treasures” at the Maharaja Chhatrasal Convention Centre (MCCC) has been inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Chauhan and the Minister for Culture G. Kishan Reddy. Four priority areas of India’s CWG include:
Protection and Restitution of Cultural Property
Harnessing Living Heritage for a Sustainable Future
Promotion of Cultural and Creative Industries, and Creative Economy
Leveraging Digital Technologies for the Protection and Promotion of Culture Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 8 info@practicemock.com 9319314079 The Culture Working Group will have four meetings and they will be held in Khajuraho, Bhubaneshwar, Hampi and the final location (yet to be decided).
Kerala High Court has recently published two of its recent judgements in the state’s vernacular language, Malyalam. The judgements were passed by a division of Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly in January 2023, and the same were made available in Malayalam on the High Court’s website recently. With this development, Kerala HC has become first in India to publish its judgements in the regional language. As per the report, 1,091 judgements of the Supreme Court were released in Odia, Garo, and other regional languages on Republic Day 2023.
The Government of West Bengal has recently launched a portal called ‘Apan Bangla’ for non-resident Bengalis residing in other Indian states and other countries to communicate with the West Bengal during emergency. The portal will provide a platform for the non-residents to virtually participate in state organized programmes like business summit and cultural programmes.
“Horaglanis populi”, a new species of catfish with no eyes and blood red body, has been discovered in Kerala by an Indo-German team of researchers, led by Rajeev Raghavan from the University of Kochi, Kerala and Neelesh Dahanukar from Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR).
This marks the 4th Horaglanis species endemic to the southern Indian state of Kerala.
The other 3 Horaglanis species endemic to Kerala are: Horaglais abdulkalami; Horaglanis alikunhi, and Horaglaris Krishnai.
This species is considered to be at high risk of extinction.
Indian Railways has completed the electrification of entire broad gauge network in Uttar Pradesh with the completion of electrification of Subhagpur-Pachperwa Broad Gauge (BG) route in North Eastern Railway. This will improve rail connectivity in the region and the speed of trains.
Highly Utilized Network (HUN-5), Jhansi-Muzzaffarpur-Katni is also fully electrified now.
With this, Indian Railways has completed electrification of broad gauge routes in six zonal railways – East Coast Railway, North Central Railway, North Eastern Railway, Eastern Railway, South Eastern Railway, West Central Railway.
Indian Railways has electrified 85% of Route Kilometer (RKM) and is rapidly progressing to complete Mission 100% Electrification and become the largest green railway network in the world. Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 9 info@practicemock.com 9319314079
Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in India to have organized cultivation of Liquorice (Mulethi). For the first time, planting material of Mulethi have been distributed to the farmers to cultivate it commercially. Currently, Mulethi is largely imported in India from other countries like Afghanistan, Nepal, and China. Mulethi (Glycyrrhiza glabra):
Mulethi, commonly known as licorice, is a sweet-tasting perennial shrub.
The roots have a sweet taste due to the presence of glycyrrhizin, which is 50 times sweeter than sucrose.
It has been traditionally known and used as medicine in Ayurveda (known in Ayurveda as ‘Yashtimadhu’) for rejuvenation.
Mulethi herb can treat asthma, cough, cold, sore throat, and other respiratory ailments.
It is used to flavor candies, tobacco, and alcohol, artificial and natural sweeteners.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved the renaming of Aurangabad city as ‘Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar’ and Osmanabad city as ‘Dharashiv’ in Maharashtra.
The new name of Aurangabad ‘Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar’ is derived from ‘Chhatrapati Sambhaji’, the eldest son of warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and the second ruler of the Maratha state. Sambhaji Maharaj was executed on Aurangzeb’s orders in 1689.
Dharashiv, a new name for Osmanabad, is derived from the name of a cave complex near Osmanabad city.
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has held the 47th meeting of the Executive Committee of NMCG under the chairmanship of G. Asok Kumar, Director General, NMCG. During the meeting, 9 projects worth around Rs.1278 crore have been approved for pollution abatement in Ganga Basin and Ghat Development. Out of them, 7 pertain to abatement of pollution in the Ganga Basin and 2 to ghat development. List of Projects Approved:
Project in West Bengal worth Rs.123 crore has been approved for creation of a 13 MLD STP and a 300 KLD decentralized STP at Chakdaha Municipal Town
In Uttar Pradesh, three projects worth Rs.422 crore has been approved including a project to divert 13 drains by augmenting the sewage treatment capacity of Salori STP by 43 MLD in Prayagraj
Another project in UP for rejuvenation of River Kali East by development of in-situ Constructed Wetland System at 8 locations in Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Hapur and Bulandshahar has been approved costing Rs.95.47 crore
For ghat development in Bihar, one project for the development of Atal Ghat Manjhi, Saran, Bihar has been approved at an estimated cost of Rs.10 crore Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 10 info@practicemock.com 9319314079
A project for development of two Sewage Treatment Plants (10.91 MLD and 10.66 MLD) for pollution abatement in River Ganga at an estimated cost of Rs.94.12 crore has been approved for Lakhisarai town in Bihar.
In Madhya Pradesh, a major project costing Rs.511 crore has been approved to abate pollution in Rivers Kahn and Saraswati in Indore.
For the monitoring of industrial pollution, a project titled ‘Pollution Inventorization, Assessment and Surveillance on River Ganga Basin (PIAS) piloted by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has been approved at an estimated cost of Rs. 114.42 crore. National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG): It was registered on 12 August, 2011 as a society under the Societies Registration Act 1860. It serves as the implementing arm of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA), which was constituted under the provisions of the Environment Protection Act (EPA), 1986. It is headquartered in New Delhi.
The Kerala government has launched a robotic scavenger, ‘Bandicoot’, in Guruvayur in Thrissur district, Kerala. With this, Kerala has become the first state to use robotic scavenger to clean manholes.
The Bandicoot has been launched under the Guruvayur Sewerage Project in Thrissur district by the Kerala Water Authority (KWA), as part of the 100-day action plan of the state government.
‘Bandicoot’, the world’s first robotic scavenger, has been developed by Kerala-based Genrobotics, a Technopark-based company, to eliminate manual scavenging.
The robotic Tron Unit is the major component of Bandicoot. It enters the manhole and removes sewage using robotic hands, similar to a man’s limbs.
The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India (North), in association with Real Sports India along with local administration, Amazing Bhaderwah Tourism Association (ABTA), has organised the maiden 1st Snow Marathon in Bhaderwah, Jammu on 26 February 2023. The marathon has been flagged off by Vishesh Mahajan, Deputy Commissioner/DM, DODA Aim: To celebrate 75 years of India’s Independence, G20 India Presidency, Dekho Apna Desh, Yuva Tourism Club and Fit India Movement besides boosting the spirit of marathon adventure among travellers and adventure enthusiasts across the country. Over 130 runners have participated in the marathon from across the country. Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 11 info@practicemock.com 9319314079
The Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent comprising 145 Air Warriors have departed Air Force Station Jamnagar to participate in ‘Exercise Cobra Warrior’ at the Waddington Air Force Base of the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom.
The Exercise Cobra Warrior is a multilateral Air exercise in which Air Forces from Finland, Sweden, South Africa, United States of America and Singapore will also be participating alongside Royal Air Force and IAF.
The exercise is scheduled from 06 to 24 March 2023.
This year, the IAF is participating in the exercise with five Mirage 2000 fighters, two C-17 Globemaster III and an IL-78 mid air refueller aircraft.
The aim of the exercise is to participate in diverse fighter aircraft engagements and learn from the best practices of various Air Forces.
The 3-day Ellora Ajanta International Festival 2023 has been held in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly known as Aurangabad), Maharashtra from 25th to 28th February
The Union State Minister for Finance Dr. Bhagwat Karad has inaugurated the festival.
The festival is a celebration of the cultural heritage and diversity of the region and promises to be a feast for the senses.
The festival featured a range of events, including live music performances, dance shows, art exhibitions, and food festivals.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the ‘Barisu Kannada Dim Dimava’ cultural festival at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi, Dellhi. The festival aims to celebrate the culture, traditions, and history of Karnataka. It is in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’. “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat” scheme: It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Ekta Diwas, 31st October 2015, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. The scheme was launched to celebrate the cultural vibrancy of India while establishing a strong mechanism to inculcate nationalism and cultural awareness among the citizens of our nation. The key aim is to promote the Indian ideology of “Unity in Diversity” India.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh has inaugurated the International Bio resource Conclave & Ethno Pharmacology Congress at the City Convention Centre, Imphal, Manipur.
The “International Bio-resource Conclave 2023” along with the 22nd Congress of the International Society for Ethno-pharmacology and the 10th Congress of Society for Ethnopharmacology (ISE SFEC-2023) has been held in Manipur.
This is the first time, since Independence, North East Region (NER) organized an International Conference on Biotechnology.
The theme 2023 is “Reimagine Ethnopharmacology: Globalisation of Traditional Medicine”. Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 12 info@practicemock.com 9319314079
The Institute of Bio-resources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) has organized the Conference in collaboration with Society for Ethno-pharmacology, India and International Society for Ethno-pharmacology, Switzerland.
The Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma has laid the foundation stone of 5-tonneper-day-capacity Compressed Biogas (CBG) Plant, North East India’s first CBG plant, at Damora Pathar, Sonapur in Kamrup district in Assam.
The plant is being built by businessmen Pankaj Gogoi and Rakesh Doley under the name Redlemon Technologies.
The plant is proposed to be operational from November 2023. The biogas unit in Sonapur, Assam, is being set up under the Centre’s Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAK) scheme.
The Chief Minister of Karnataka Basavaraj Bommai has confirmed that the first Marina of India will be constructed in Byndoor, Udupi district, Karnataka. He has announced this while addressing a function “Seven Wonders of Karnataka” organized by the Tourism department, Government of Karnataka. The project will help in boosting coastal tourism.
Researchers from Kerala has discovered a new species of cuckoo bee named ‘Thyreus narendrani’. The species is collected from a kole wetland ecosystem in Malappuram district and the Christ College campus at Irinjalakuda. The species is named after the late T.C. Narendran, Professor of Zoology. The new discovered species ‘Thyreus narendrani’ is a member of the Apidae family of the Hymenoptera order.
Union Minister for Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh has inaugurated various facilities worth Rs.120 crore at the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad, Haryana. He has also inaugurated a Medical Research Centre which is a 50 bedded hospital and will have facilities for conducting clinical research such as observational cohort studies and phase 1 & phase 2 clinical trials.
The first Missile cum Ammunition (MCA) Barge, Yard 75 (LSAM 7) has been launched by Rear Admiral Sandeep Mehta at Guttenedevi, launch site of SECON, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. This Barge is being built with a service life of 30 years. The MCA Barge will provide impetus to Operational commitments of the Indian Navy by facilitating Transportation, Embarkation and Disembarkation of articles / ammunition to IN Ships both alongside jetties and at outer harbours. Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 13 info@practicemock.com 9319314079
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently (Feb 2023) laid the foundation stone and inaugurated multiple development projects worth more than Rs.3,600 crore in Shivamogga, Karnataka.
He has laid the foundation stone for two railway projects in Shivamogga which include Shivamogga – Shikaripura – Ranebennur new Railway line and Koteganguru Railway coaching depot.
He has also laid the foundation stone for multiple road development projects to be developed at a cumulative cost of more than Rs.215 crore.
He has also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multi-village schemes worth more than Rs.950 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
He has also inaugurated 44 Smart City Projects worth more than Rs.895 crores in Shivamogga city.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has announced the appointment of Indo-Canadian Afshan Khan as the Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement. She will coordinate the implementation of the SUN Movement through its 3rd phase i.e. 2021-2025. She will succeed Gerda Verburg of the Netherlands. SUN Movement:
SUN stands for ‘Scaling Up Nutrition’.
The movement is led by 65 countries and 4 Indian states (Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh).
The movement aims to eradicate all types of malnutrition by 2030.
It works to achieve sustainable and equitable reductions in malnutrition and nutrition justice for all.
The State Space Corporation ROSCOSMOS (Roscosmos), the Russian Space Agency, has launched a Soyuz MS-23 Spacecraft to bring back 3 Astronauts stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) due to the coolant leak on their original return capsule, Soyuz MS-22 capsule. The unmanned Soyuz MS-23 has been launched from Baikonur Space Centre in Kazakhstan and had been placed in Orbit.
The South Korea & Nigeria have officially been added to the grey list, a list of countries that are failing to combat money laundering and terrorism financing, during the 2nd plenary session of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) under the Presidency of T. Raja Kumar of Singapore. FATF has removed Cambodia and Morocco from the grey list. Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 14 info@practicemock.com 9319314079 FATF has also suspended Russia’s membership stating that Russia’s war in Ukraine violated the FATF’s principles to promote security, safety, and the integrity of the global financial system.
Gabon, Jamaica, and Sri Lanka have recently (Feb 2023) collaborated to remove mercury from hazardous skin lightening products. The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury. It was adopted in 2013. The convention has set a limit of 1mg/1kg (1ppm) for mercury in skin lightening products.
Russia has decided to suspend participation in New START treaty for nuclear arms control with the USA. New START: The New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) was signed in Prague in 2010. It is a treaty between US and Russia for reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. It caps the number of strategic nuclear warheads that the United States and Russia can deploy, and limits the use of missiles that can carry atomic weapons.
Tokamak Energy Limited, a fusion power research company, has built the world’s first set of new-generation High-Temperature Superconducting (HTS) Magnets to be assembled and tested in fusion power plant-relevant scenarios. The new Demo4 facility from Tokamak Energy will consist of 44 individual magnetic coils made using 38 kilometres (km) of ground-breaking HTS tape, which carries currents with zero electrical resistance and requires 5 times less cooling power than traditional superconducting materials.
REPORTS & INDICES
The Cross Dependency Initiative (XDI) has released the ‘Gross Domestic Climate Risk Assessment 2023’. As per the assessment, Asia dominates the list of provinces at risk with more than half (114) of the top 200 in 2050 in this region, with special focus on China and India.
As per the analysis, 80 percent of the top 50 most at-risk states and provinces in 2050 are in China, US and India.
The Top 50 list covers 29 such regions in China, 9 in India, and 3 in the United States.
After China, India has the highest number of states i.e. nine in the top 50, which include Bihar (22nd spot), Uttar Pradesh (25), Assam (28), Rajasthan (32), Tamil Nadu (36), Maharashtra (38), Gujarat (48), Punjab (50) and Kerala (52). Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 15 info@practicemock.com 9319314079
Highly developed and globally significant Asian economic hubs in the top 100 for damage risk include Beijing, Jakarta, Hồ Chí Minh City, Taiwan and Mumbai. This is the first time there has been a physical climate risk analysis focused exclusively on the built environment, comparing every state, province and territory in the world.
The first Global Assessment of Soil Carbon in Grasslands report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has measured stocks of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) in both semi-natural and managed grasslands. Key highlights:
Grasslands, contain approximately 20% of world’s SOC, have suffered losses because of human activities such as intensive livestock grazing, agricultural activities etc.
Most of world’s grasslands have a positive carbon balance, meaning land is stable or wellmaintained.
Negative carbon balance was found in East Asia, Central and South America, and Africa south of Equator.
SOCs are not included in national climate plans due to lack of incentives for farmers to improve management practices and difficulty in accurately monitoring SOC stocks. Soil Organic Carbon (SOC): SOC is carbon held within the soil that is measurable. It helps in improving soil biological, chemical, and physical properties, water-holding capacity, and structural stability. SOC is a cost-effective nature-based solution to mitigate effects of climate change by reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide
The Botanical Survey of India (BSI) has published a new report titled ‘Rhododendrons of Sikkim and Darjeeling Himalaya- An Illustrated Account’, which lists 45 taxa of rhododendrons.
As per the report, the Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas are home to more than one-third (34%) of all Rhododendron types found in India.
There are 132 taxa (80 species, 25 subspecies and 27 varieties) of rhododendrons found in India.
Of the 45 taxa recorded in the publication, 24 are found in the Darjeeling Himalayas and 44 in the Sikkim Himalayas. Rhododendron:
Rhododendron is a genus of flowering plants that includes about 1,000 species.
It is primarily native to the temperate regions of Asia, North America, and Europe, as well as to the tropical regions of Southeast Asia and northern Australia.
Rhododendrons are evergreen or deciduous shrubs or small trees, with woody stems and broad, leathery leaves.
It is considered an indicator species for climate change. Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 16 info@practicemock.com 9319314079
As per the data released by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) equity inflows has declined 15% year-on-year to USD 36.75 billion during the first three quarters (April-December) of Financial Year 2022-23 (FY23). Recipient of FDI in April-December FY 2023:
The Computer software and hardware manufacturing are the highest recipient of FDI at USD 8.07 billion.
Services sector (encompassing financial, banking, insurance, and outsourcing, among others) at USD 6.56 billion.
Telecommunications – USD 5.33 billion
Trading sectors – USD 4.14 billion Top investment in April-December FY 2023: Countrywise: Singapore is the top investing country with equity inflows of USD 13.07 billion. This is followed by the USA, Mauritius, the UAE, etc. Statewise: Maharashtra has continued to be the most favoured destination of investors, receiving USD 10.76 billion, followed by Karnataka with USD 8.77 billion and Delhi with USD 6.11 billion.
As per the recent data of Bloomberg, the United Kingdom (UK) has become the world’s 6thlargest equity market by surpassing India for the first time in almost 9 months (Since May 2022).
The combined market capitalization of primary listings in the UK, excluding ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) and ADRs (American Depositary Receipt), reached about $3.11 trillion, some $5.1 billion higher than their Indian equivalents.
India’s stock market remains behind the UK due to a weaker rupee and falling share prices of companies in the Adani Group amid allegations of stock manipulation and accounting fraud by US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research.
As per the Mercom India report titled ‘Mercom India Solar Market Update’, India’s solar capacity installations has increased by 27% to 13 gigawatts (GW) during the calendar year (CY) 2022 compared to 10.2 GW installed in CY 2021.
The solar capacity installations in 2022 were the highest ever recorded in India.
The country’s cumulative installed solar capacity now stands at 63 GW.
During 2022, large-scale solar projects accounted for 87 percent of the installations.
India’s large-scale solar project pipeline stood at 58 GW, with another 51 GW of projects tendered and pending auction.
Rajasthan, Karnataka and Gujarat were the top three states for cumulative large-scale solar capacity, accounting for 54 percent of installations in the country as of December 2022. Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 17 info@practicemock.com 9319314079
The 11th edition of the International Intellectual Property Rights Index 2023 has been released by the United States (US) Chamber of Commerce. The index evaluates IP rights in 55 global economies across 50 unique indicators. The index aims to help nations navigate toward a brighter economic future marked by greater innovation, creativity, and competitiveness.
The United States of America (USA) has topped the index, followed by the UK, and France.
India has been ranked 42nd with an overall index score of 38.64%.
In 2022, India was ranked 43rd .
India’s unemployment rate (UR) or proportion of persons aged 15 years and above has declined to a five-year low in July-June 2021-22 to 4.1 percent from 4.2 percent in July-June 2020-21, as per the 5th Annual Report Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) issued by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). The UR for male was 4.4% and for female was 3.3% in July-June 2021-22. The WPR (Worker Proportion Ratio) has increased to 52.9% in 2021-22 from 52.6% in 2020-21. It was 50.9 per cent in 2019-20. The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) has increased to 55.2% in 2021-22 from 54.9% in 2020-21. It has also increased among males to 77.2% in 2021-22 from 77% in 2020-21. It rose in females to 32.8% in 2021-22 from 32.5% in 2020-21. Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS): It was launched in 2017 by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). It is conducted to estimate the key employment and unemployment indicators (viz. Worker Population Ratio, Labour Force Participation Rate, Unemployment Rate) in the short time interval of three months for the urban areas only in the ‘Current Weekly Status’ (CWS). It is conducted to estimate employment and unemployment indicators in both ‘Usual Status’ and CWS in both rural and urban areas annually.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a report titled ‘Trends in maternal mortality 2000 to 2020’, which tracks maternal deaths nationally, regionally, and globally from 2000 to 2020. The report states that around 287000 women died from a maternal cause in 2020, which is approximately 800 deaths every day and one every 2 minutes.
Nigeria has the highest estimated number of maternal deaths in 2020 with approx. 82000 (28.5%) maternal deaths.
Second to Nigeria, India accounted for 8.3% of global maternity deaths i.e. around 24 000 in 2020.
India is followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (22 000) (7.5%), and Ethiopia (10 000) (3.6%) of global maternal deaths, respectively. Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 18 info@practicemock.com 9319314079 As per the report, the global maternity mortality rate (MMR) has dropped by 34.3% (onethird) over a period of 20 years. The Global MMR dropped from 330 deaths per 100000 live births in 2000 to 227 in 2015, to 223 in 2020. Note: Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.1 is to reduce maternal mortality to less than 70 maternal deaths per 100 000 live births by 2030.
As per the ASSOCHAM-Crisil Ratings report, Assets Under Management (AUM) of Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) is estimated to grow 9.8 percent in FY23 to Rs.1,19,000 crore after a period of relative stagnation.
The AUM stood at Rs.1.09 lakh crore in FY22.
Between fiscals 2014 and 2018, AUM had grown at a steady pace (from Rs.42,000 crore to Rs.95,000 crore), initially driven by the supportive regulatory environment for banks to sell bad assets. Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC): An Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC) is a company incorporated under the Companies Act and registered with Reserve Bank of India under section 3 of The Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002. It is a specialized financial institution that buys the NPAs or bad assets from banks and financial institutions so that the latter can clean up their balance sheets.
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES & PROGRAMMES
The Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implemntation (MoSPI) Rao Inderjit Singh has released the Revised Guidelines on Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS)-2023.
The Minister has also launched the new Web-Portal, for implementation of the Revised Fund Flow Procedure under MPLADS.
The new MPLADs guidelines and the web portal will come into effect from 1st April 2023. The revised set of guidelines aims to broaden the scope of the Scheme so as to enable the MPs (Member of Parliament) to recommend the developmental works as per the changing needs of the community; with an emphasis on improving the functioning, implementation and monitoring of the MPLAD scheme. Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS):
MPLADS is a centrally sponsored plan scheme fully funded by the Government of India. It was launched on 23rd December 1993. Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 19 info@practicemock.com 9319314079
The objective of MPLAD Scheme is to enable the Members of Parliament (MPs) to recommend works of developmental nature with emphasis on the creation of durable community assets based on the locally felt needs.
Under it, MPs receive Rs.5 crore each year in two instalments of Rs.2.5 crore each.
Every year, MP shall recommend atleast 15% of MPLADS funds for areas inhabited by SC population and 7.5% for areas inhabited by ST population.
The funds under MPLADS are non-lapsable.
The District Authority is responsible for overall coordination and supervision of works under scheme at district level.
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) is responsible for policy formulation, release of funds and prescribing monitoring mechanism for implementation of the scheme.
The Government of India (GoI) has observed the 4th anniversary of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) on 24th February 2023.
PM-KISAN is a central sector scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
The scheme has become operational from 1st December 2018.
It was launched on 24th February 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.
Under the scheme, the Centre transfers an amount of Rs.6,000 per year, in three equal instalments, directly into the bank accounts of all landholding farmers irrespective of the size of their land holdings.
So far, 11.78 crore farmers have received benefits under this scheme.
Rs 1.82 lakh crore have been distributed to the beneficiaries under this scheme. Out of this amount, Rs 1.29 lakh crore has been distributed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Note: The Centre has allocated Rs 60,000 crore for the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) in the Union Budget 2023-24.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
BEML Limited, a ‘Schedule A’ company under the Ministry of Defence (MoD), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) led SPV for constructing the Bahrain Metro Rail Project Phase-1. The project involves the construction of a 30 km network with 20 stations.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the SEED partnership have launched the ‘SDG Agrifood Accelerator Programme’, an instrument Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 20 info@practicemock.com 9319314079 designed to help agrifood system start-ups develop their businesses while contributing to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The programme acknowledges that all 17 SDGs are interconnected and addresses challenges across a broad range of goals, from no poverty and zero hunger to good health, gender equality and climate action.
Operating across 8 countries in Africa and Asia, the 12 SMEs who joined the Programme have been pioneering solutions designed to transform agrifood systems while improving the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in their communities. SEED: It is a global partnership for action on sustainable development and green economy. It was founded at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, New Zealand has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), Mumbai, the largest and the most renowned cancer care hospital and research centre in India, to engage in long-term cooperation in cancer care and explore ways to enhance cancer care using digital health.
The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has received the Indian Technical Standard Order (ITSO) authorisation from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for its indigenously developed Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR).
CVR and FDR are popularly known as ‘Black Boxes’.
CVR and FDR are used to record critical flight parameters and audio environment in a crash proof memory which is later used for investigation of aircraft incident or accident. The ITSO is a minimum performance standard for specified materials, parts, processes, and appliances used on civil aircraft.
The Dholera Special Investment Region (SIR) near Ahmedabad, Gujarat has been chosen by the joint venture (JV) of Indian conglomerate Vedanta and electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn to set up their semiconductor and display manufacturing facility.
This is India’s first semiconductor manufacturing facility.
The project is in the advanced stage of evaluation by the Government of India (GoI). Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 21 info@practicemock.com 9319314079 In September 2022, the Gujarat government and the Vedanta-Foxconn JV signed an agreement for the JV to invest Rs.1,54,000 crore in the establishment of a semiconductor and display manufacturing facility.
Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a defence public sector undertaking (PSU), has signed two Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme, networking and security on the sidelines of Aero India 2023. First MoU:
It has been signed with the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), DRDO, for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme.
The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft is a 5th generation, multi-role, all-weather fighter aircraft designed with high survivability and stealth capability. Second MoU:
It has been signed with Cisco for long-term strategic co-operation in the areas of networking, collaboration and security, among other associated services.
Under this MoU, Cisco will set up a Cisco Network Training Academy at the BEL Academy for Excellence (Nalanda), Bengaluru.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Guwahati, IIT Gandhinagar and NIT Calicut to establish ‘BIS Standardization Chair Professor’ at these institutes. This MoU will strengthen and enhance the standards formulation activity by facilitating Research & Development (R&D) projects, and encourage involvement of young minds in the area of standardization process.
The Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC) of Seychelles to promote collaboration between the two Centres towards enhancing maritime domain awareness, information sharing and expertise development. The MoU has been signed by Captain Rohit Bajpai, Director, IFC-IOR and Captain Sam Gontier, Director, RCOC. IFC-IOR: It is hosted by the Indian Navy. It was established by the Government of India at Gurugram, Haryana on 22 December 2018 to enhance collaborative maritime safety and security in the Indian Ocean Region in line with India’s vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).
CarDekho, an online used-car marketplace, has on-boarded Delhi-based Medulance, an ambulance service provider, on its platforms to provide emergency medical services. This partnership will enable its users to call for an ambulance from the app and website. Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 22 info@practicemock.com 9319314079
CSC Academy, a subsidiary of Common Service Centre e-Governance Services India Limited, has collaborated with NIELIT (National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology) to enhance digital literacy and skill development in India. Under this MoU, CSC Academy and NIELIT will work together to develop and implement training programs in various fields of technology, such as Skill Development, Virtual Academy, Accreditation and Facilitation Centre, Faculty Development Program, Digital and financial inclusion, etc. NIELIT (National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology): It is a premier institute in the field of information technology and is affiliated with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India. The organization provides training and certification programs in various fields of technology and aims to create a digitally literate society in India.
ICOMM Tele Limited, a group company of Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd (MEIL), has tied up with UAE-based small arms company CARACAL to manufacture small arms in India under the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ initiatives.
This is the first-ever Transfer of Technology (ToT) in defence articles by CARACAL.
The pact has been inked at the 16th edition of IDEX 2023 in Abu Dhabi, UAE, one of the largest tri-service defence exhibitions in the world.
Singapore-based RBB Ship Chartering Pte Ltd (RSCPL) has become the first ship leasing operator at the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
RSCPL has received the maiden provisional license for the ship leasing business in February and is planning to commence commercial operations by next month.
The license has been granted in February 2023, and before March, commercial operations are expected to begin.
Infosys Limited, an Indian multinational information technology company, has tied-up with Microsoft Corporation, an American multinational technology corporation, to help accelerate enterprise cloud transformation globally.
The India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IBRAFE, Brazil to establish co-operative actions to contribute to the food security of both countries. IBRAFE is the Brazilian Institute of Beans, Pulses and Special Crops. The MoU has been signed at the 6th edition of the Pulses Conclave held in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 23 info@practicemock.com 9319314079
The Board of Investment of Sri Lanka has issued a letter of approval to India’s Adani Green Energy Limited for two wind power plants to be set up in Mannar and Pooneryn areas of Sri Lanka with a total investment of USD 442 million. The wind power projects will generate about 350 megawatts of power and will be commissioned in 2 years and will be added to the national grid by 2025.
Ola Electric Mobility Private Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Tamil Nadu to build the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) hub with an investment of Rs.7,610 crore ($920 million) to localize the supply chain for cleaner transport. The EV hub with an integrated two-wheeler, electric car and lithium-cell Gigafactories with a capacity of 20 GW will be set up in SIPCOT Bargur, Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu.
The Bihar cabinet has approved USD 50,000 (about Rs 41.41 lakh) for developing an early warning system for dense fog and cold wave conditions in collaboration with the US National Center for Atmospheric Research (US-NCAR). The aim of the Early Warning Systems is to avoid or reduce the damages caused by extreme weather conditions.
The Government of Bangladesh has inked a country partnership agreement with the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to facilitate enhanced solar energy development in Bangladesh. The agreement will be implemented by December 2026. Featured Projects under the Agreement:
12 trolley-mounted solar irrigation systems of 2 kW each for the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI).
12 portable 2 kW solar paddy threshers.
1.5 kW of solar-powered drinking water.
Installation of any one railway rooftop solar project on platforms.
Installation of two rooftop solar projects with a combined capacity of 22 kW.
The Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for domestic manufacture and supply of its Long-Range Artillery Weapon System (LORA) for Indian Tri-services. LORA:
It is a short-range, road-mobile, ground and sea-launched solid fuelled ballistic missile developed and operated by Israel. Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 24 info@practicemock.com 9319314079
LORA system provides ballistic assault capabilities for multiple ranges (maximum range 280km) with a precision level of 10 meters CEP (Circular Error Probability).
It uses Inertial Navigation System/Global Positioning System and TV for terminal guidance, with possible in-flight maneuvering capability.
It can carry a warhead of upto 600 kg.
The Government of Uttar Pradesh has signed a Memorandum of Association (MoA) of Rs 5,472 crore with Tata Technologies to upgrade 150 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across 75 districts in UP with modern infrastructure, industry-oriented courseware, training, and support for advanced equipment and software as per industry 4.0.
The Kerala Tourism has collaborated with the United Nations (UN) Women to boost women-friendly activities in tourism. The agreement has been signed at the first-ever Global Responsible Tourism Summit held in Kumarakom, Kerala. This agreement will be implemented by the Responsible Tourism Mission of Kerala.
ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales, Sociedad Anonima (YPF SA), Argentina to enhance cooperation in the areas of upstream oil and gas opportunity exploration and development, promote investment and cooperation, and forge closer ties between research and training centres.
Gopalan Aerospace India Private Limited has signed a Joint Venture (JV) with Slovakiabased Magic Trading Corporation Inc. (MTC), a self-regulatory organization (SRO), and DEFSYSTECH S.R.O. for the development of precision drones in India. Gopalan Aerospace has also signed a joint venture with Omnipol Group, a partner of Czech government institutions and NATO in the field of defence and security, to integrate Passive Radars for the Indian Defence Industry in border regions.
BANKING & FINANCE
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has proposed to provide USD 20-25 billion resources over the next 5 years to advance India’s aspirations for fast, inclusive, and green growth.
ADB started operations in India in 1986.
ADB’s current India portfolio comprises 64 projects worth about USD 16 billion across transport, urban, energy, human development, agriculture and natural resources, and finance sectors.
Axis Bank has enabled real-time cross-border transactions using the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) Network following the integration of UPI-PayNow. Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 25 info@practicemock.com 9319314079
Axis Bank will act as the settlement bank for peer-to-peer foreign inward remittance transactions initiated through PayNow by the Liquid Group in Singapore.
Currently, Axis Bank will settle these transactions to beneficiaries holding an account with or are registered on the UPI App of the six banks — SBI, IOB, Indian Bank, ICICI, DBS and Axis Bank.
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has recently reduced the waiting period for National Pension Scheme (NPS) subscribers for processing partial withdrawal requests to T+2 years (after two days of the request) across all Central Record Keeping Agencies (CRAs). Earlier, it was T+4 years. A subscriber of NPS can withdraw less than 25% of the funds. However, this shall be done only after 10 years.
NSE Indices Limited, a subsidiary of National Stock Exchange (NSE), has launched India’s first ever Municipal Bond Index, ‘Nifty India Municipal Bond Index’, at a Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) workshop on Municipal Debt Securities in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
The index will track the performance of municipal bonds issued by Indian municipal corporations across maturities and having investment grade credit rating.
Presently, the index has 28 municipal bonds issued by 10 issuers all having credit rating in the AA rating category.
The index constituents are assigned weights based on their outstanding amount.
Policybazaar, in partnership with Niva Bupa Health Insurance and Tata AIA, has developed a new unique solution ‘Health, Wealth, and Life Solution’ to provide the benefit of health insurance, life insurance as well as return on investment. The new health + wealth + life offering integrates the benefits of ULIP (Unit Linked Insurance Plan) and health insurance, thereby delivering protection against death and disease as well as enabling wealth creation for customers.
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has collaborated with the General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) to develop a urine-based tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis or screening. This diagnosis will make testing faster and more affordable than the existing point-of-care diagnostic kits available for various diseases such as blood glucose monitors.
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has listed the first Green Bonds on its platform. These Green Bonds are issued by the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC), marking the first-ever green bond issue by a municipal corporation in India. Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 26 info@practicemock.com 9319314079 This issue will provide momentum for the advancement of green financing and aid in India’s goal of moving towards clean and sustainable energy. Green bonds are debt securities designated to finance environment-friendly projects.
Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) has launched its own private cloud infrastructure, “Mahabank Nakshatra”, to facilitate high-performance cloud capabilities for digital infrastructure and hosting applications of the bank. The cloud platform will strengthen asset monitoring mechanism via predictive machine learning model.
Kotak Mahindra Bank has introduced an integrated banking portal named ‘Kotak fyn’ to provide digital banking and value-added services to its business banking and corporate clients.
The portal will offer services across all products, including trade & services, account services, payments, and collections and make banking seamless for the bank’s clients.
The portal will assure paperless transactions and will offer the facility to unify data across multiple product-specific portals and back-office systems to create a single view of transactions, positions and balances, enabling self-service and driving operational efficiency.
As per the research report by the State Bank of India (SBI) Ecowrap, India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for Q3 FY23 is estimated at 4.6%. For the whole FY23, the GDP is estimated to grow between 6.8% and 7%. This estimate is based upon an in-house SBI Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model. ANN is a computational network model that has artificial neural networks like biological neurons that are linked to each other in various layers of the network.
Karnataka Bank has won the ‘Prathista Puraskar’ under ‘Digidhan Awards 2021-22’ by the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for achieving target with highest percentage in BHIM-UPI transactions in private sector bank category.
The 1st G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting has been held in Bengaluru, Karnataka from 24-25 February 2023. The meeting has been co-chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Dr Shaktikanta Das, Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The discussions of the 1st G20 FMCBG meeting are intended to provide a strategic roadmap for the various work streams of G20 Finance Track in 2023. The meeting is presided by 2 nd Finance and Central Bank Deputies Meeting held in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 27 info@practicemock.com 9319314079 Group of Twenty (G20): The G20 or Group of Twenty is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union. It works to address major issues related to the global economy, such as international financial stability, climate change mitigation, and sustainable development. It was founded on 26 September 1999. Note: India assumed the G20 Presidency for a year, from 1st December 2022 to 30th November 2023.
Karnataka Bank (KBL), a leading Private Sector Bank, has entered into a co-lending agreement with Paisalo Digital Limited (PDL), a Non-Deposit taking NBFC registered with the Reserve Bank of India, to provide financial support to small income segment and to give impetus to the Micro & Small Enterprise (MSEs) Segment of the country.
Niva Bupa Health Insurance has launched a health insurance plan ‘ReAssure 2.0’ which is a plus variant of its current ReAssure plan. Key features of ReAssure 2.0:
The first of its kind indemnity plan offers lock-in of entry age until a policyholder makes his/her first claim, thereby helping customers save on premiums.
This plan offers ‘live healthy’ benefit that gives premium discount of up to 30% on policy renewal basis health points earned.
The product is available as an individual, multi-individual and family floater starting from Rs.5 lakh to Rs.1 crore for the age bracket of 18 years to 65 years.
Central Bank of India has inked a co-lending deal with Moneywise Financial Services Private Limited (MFSPL), a non-banking financial company, to offer MSME Loans at competitive rates. The loans will be subject to compliance with the applicable laws and guidelines issued by Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
SBI Mutual Fund has launched the SBI Dividend Yield Fund, an open-ended equity scheme that will invest at least a minimum of 65% of the assets into equity & equity related instruments predominantly into dividend yielding companies. The benchmark of the fund is the NIFTY 500 TRI. The investment objective of the scheme is to provide investors with opportunities for capital appreciation and/or dividend distribution.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Indian educationist and social worker for the promotion of indigenous languages in Odisha Dr. Mahendra Kumar Mishra has been awarded the International Mother Language Award 2023 by Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka.
He is the first Indian to receive this award. Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 28 info@practicemock.com 9319314079
He has worked over three decades on the language, culture and education of the marginalised languages of Odisha. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has conferred the two national awards and two international awards to four recipients in Dhaka. 1) Bangladeshi nationals Habibur Rahman and Ranjit Singha are given the national awards. 2) Mahendra Kumar Mishra and Mother Language Lovers of World Society, Vancouver, Canada are conferred with the international awards. International Mother Language Award: It was instituted in 2021 by UNESCO. It is given in recognition of the extraordinary contribution to the preservation, revitalization and development of mother languages. Note: International Mother Language Award is observed annually on 21st February.
A noted writer V Madhusoodanan Nair has won the Jnanappana Award for 2023, instituted by the Guruvayur Devaswom Board. The award carries a cash prize of Rs.50,001, a 10 gram gold locket engraved with an image of Guruvayurappan and a plaque. The award was instituted in the memory of ‘Poonthanam Namboothiri’, a famous poet and a devotee of Guruvayurappan (Kerala).
The Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) 2023 has been held in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is conducted on annual basis by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation which is established by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The Indian drama film ‘The Kashmir Files’ has won the ‘Best Film’ award at the festival. This film has been directed by Indian filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri. The film ‘RRR’, directed by SS Rajamouli, has won the International Film of the Year Award.
Category
Winners
Outstanding Contribution in the Film Industry
Rekha
Best Film
The Kashmir Files
Most Versatile Actor of the Year
Anupam Kher for The Kashmir Files
Best Actor
Ranbir Kapoor for Brahmastra: Part 1
Best Actress
Alia Bhatt for Gangubai Kathiawadi
Best Director
R Balki for Chup: Revenge of The Artist
Most Promising Actor
Rishab Shetty for Kantara
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Manish Paul for Jugjugg Jeeyo
Best Web Series: Rudra
The Edge of Darkness
Critics Best Actor
Varun Dhawan for Bhediya
Film of the Year
RRR
Television Series of the Year
Anupamaa
Best Actor in a Television Series
Zain Imam for Fanaa: Ishq Mein Marjawaan
Best Actress in a Television Series
Tejasswi Prakash for Naagin
Outstanding Contribution in the Music Industry
Hariharan Anantha Subramani
Best Male Singer
Sachet Tandon for Maiyya Mainu
Best Female Singer
Neeti Mohan for Meri Jaan
Best Cinematographer
PS Vinod for Vikram Vedha
The Jury Committee chaired by Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union Minister of State (MoS) for Parliamentary Affairs, has chosen a total of 13 Members of Parliament (MPs) and two parliamentary committees for the Sansad Ratna Award 2023, with a lifetime award being presented for the first time this year. The 13th edition of the Sansad Ratna Awards 2023 will be presented on 25th March 2023 in New Delhi. Sansad Ratna Awards 2023:
The awards were instituted in 2010, inspired by the teachings of former President APJ Abdul Kalam. The awards were started with support from IIT Madras.
NTPC Limited, India’s largest power generating company, has been ranked as the top Independent Power Producers and Energy Traders Globally in the S&P Global Commodity Insights Top 250 Global Energy Company Rankings-2022. These rankings are based on four key metrics: asset worth, revenues, profits and return on investment.
NTPC currently contributes 24% of the total electricity produced in India.
NTPC is targeting non-fossil fuel-based capacity to make up nearly 50 percent of the company’s portfolio by 2030.
Sajjan Jindal, Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of Mumbai-based JSW Group, has won the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2022 India at the 24th EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards ceremony held in New Delhi, Delhi. He has been recognized for his exceptional journey in scaling the global conglomerate with a presence in steel, cement, infrastructure, energy, and paints to revenues of USD 22 billion, globally employing over 40,000 people. Other winners at the 24th EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards:
Category
Winners
SpecialJuryAward
Deepak Bagla, MD & CEO of Invest India
LifetimeAchievement Award
KP Singh, Chairman DLF Group
Start-up
Mahesh Pratapneni, Co-founder and Group CEO of MedGenome
FinancialServices
V Vaidyanathan, MD & CEO of IDFC FIRST Bank
Energy,Real-estate& Infrastructure
Irfan Razack, Chairman & MD of Prestige Group
Manufacturing
Pradeep Kheruka, Executive Chairman of Borosil Group
Services
Pawan Jain, Chairman of Safexpress
ConsumerProducts& Retail
Ravi Modi, Chairman & MD of Vedant Fashions
The 2nd edition of the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) report has been released by Dr Bibek Debroy, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), during the ‘TheIndiaDialog’ conference organised by Institute for Competitiveness and US-Asia Technology Management Center, Stanford University. The report has been authored by Amit Kapoor, Chair, Institute for Competitiveness, Natalia Chakma, Researcher, Institute for Competitiveness, and Sheen Zutshi, Research Manager, Institute for Competitiveness. The report is prepared by the Institute for Competitiveness.
The report tracks states’ and UTs performance in achieving universal foundational learning by 2026-27.
The report captures the role of language in education and focuses on improving the learning outcomes using appropriate assessments and medium of instruction.
The report presented an FLN Index 2022, which is the indicator of literacy among children below 10 years of age. 5 pillars of FLN Index are: Educational Infrastructure, Access to Education, Basic Health, Learning Outcomes and Governance. Top-3 Ranking (Index on Foundational Learning).
Category
State
FLNScores2022
Small State
Punjab
64.19
Kerala
58.42
Goa
51.05
Large State
West Bengal
54.48
Maharashtra
52.78
Tamil Nadu
52.23
UT
Puducherry
54.76
Delhi
52.13
Jammu & Kashmir
50.75
North Eastern
Sikkim
56.75
Mizoram
48.31
Manipur
47.17
It is the ability of a child (between the ages of 3 and 8 years old) to read basic texts and do basic mathematical problems such as addition and subtraction. It is one of the main elements of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The President of India Droupadi Murmu has presented the Sangeet Natak Akademi’s Fellowships (Akademi Ratna) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puruskar) for the year 2019, 2020 and 2021 in New Delhi.
Nine eminent personalities have been given Akademi Ratna in the field of performing arts and a total of 128 artists from the field of music, dance, theatre, traditional, folk, and puppetry have been given the Akademi Puraskar.
The Akademi’s fellowship (Akademi Ratna) carries a purse money of Rs.3 lakh and Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) carry a purse money of Rs.1 lakh. The award also carries a Tamrapatra and Angavastram.
Winners
Field
Saroja Vaidyanathan
Bharatnatyam dancer
Sadanam Krishnan Kutty
Kathakali dancer
Darshana Jhaveri
Manipuri dancer
Chhannu Lal Mishra
Classical vocalist
Swapan Chaudhuri
Tabla player
AKC Natarajan
Carnatic clarinet player
TV Gopalakrishnan
Hindustani musician
Tijan Bai
Folk singer
Bharat Gupt
Musicologist
The 6 th Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) Film Awards 2023 has been held at the Beverly Wilshire in Los Angeles, USA. Telugu blockbuster “RRR”, directed by SS Rajamouli, has lifted five trophies at the 2023 HCA Film Awards. RRR has won the Best International Film, Best Action Film, Best Stunts, Best Original Song, and the honorary Spotlight Award at the ceremony.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
J.P. Nadda, President of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has launched a book titled as “Modi: Shaping a Global Order in Flux” in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.
The book has been edited by Sujan Chinoy, Vijay Chauthaiwale, and Uttam Kumar Sinha.
The foreword is written by S Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, Government of India.
The publisher of the book is Wisdom Tree.
PERSON IN NEWS
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) have approved to extend the tenure of C B Ananthakrishnan, Director (Finance) of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) (additional charge) for a period of 6 months with effect from 1st February 2023. He assumed the additional charge of the post of CMD following the superannuation of R Madhavan as CMD of HAL on 31st July 2022.
Rajesh Rai has been appointed as the Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of Indian Telephone Industries Limited (ITI Limited), a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Department of Telecommunication (DoT). He has been appointed for a period of 5 years with an immediate effect.
Sanjay Nayar, a global financial markets expert, has been appointed as the new VicePresident of the Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), a nongovernmental trade association.
Justice Sanjay Kumar Mishra, who hails from Odisha, has been sworn in as the 14th Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court. Governor of Jharkhand CP Radhakrishnan has administered him the oath of office. After the superannuation of Justice Ravi Ranjan on December 2022, the post of the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court became vacant.
Comptroller and Auditor General Girish Chandra Murmu has been selected as External Auditor of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva for a four-year term from 2024 to 2027. He will replace the incumbent External Auditor of ILO, Jose Callangan Calida, Chairperson of the Commission on Audit, the Supreme Audit Institution of Philippines.
Lt General RS Reen has been appointed as the Director-General (DG) of the Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA). He is a 1986-batch officer. He is an alumnus of Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 34 info@practicemock.com 9319314079
Dr K Govindaraj, Karnataka MLC and current President of the Basketball Federation of India, has been unanimously nominated to take over as the President of FIBA Asia, a zone within the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).
He has replaced Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani of Qatar.
He has become the 1 st Indian to be elected as FIBA Asia President.
OBITUARIES
Noted Mohiniyattam exponent Kanak Rele has recently passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She was born on 11th June 1937 in Gujarat, British India. She was awarded the first Guru Gopinath National Puraskaram of the Government of Kerala. She was the founderdirector of the Nalanda Dance Research Centre and the founder-principal of the Nalanda Nritya Kala Mahavidyalaya in Mumbai. “Me and My Mohini Attam” is the biography of Kanak Rele authored by her niece Radha Khambati. Awards & Honours:
Gaurav Puraskar (Govt. of Gujarat): 1989
Padma Shri: 1990
Kalidas Samman (Govt. of Madhya Pradesh): 2006
Padma Bhushan: 2013 Mohiniyattam: It is a classical dance form of Kerala. It is performed by women in honour of God Vishnu in his incarnation as enchantress Mohini. Conventionally a solo dance performed by female artists, it emotes a play through dancing and singing. Instruments used: Maddalam, Mridangam, Veena, Kuzhitalam or Cymbals, Edakka etc. It has its roots in sage Bharata Muni’s text called ‘Natya Shastra’
Indian agriculturist, politician & educationist Devisingh Ransingh Shekhawat has recently passed away in Pune, Maharashtra. He was the husband of the former President of India Pratibha Patil and former Gentleman of India (2007-12). He was born in 1934. He also served as the first gentleman of Rajasthan and also as mayor of Amravati (1991-92). He was a member of the Indian National Congress (INC).
SPORTS
Indian Chess player N.R. Vignesh, from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, has become India’s 80th Chess Grandmaster after defeating International Master (IM) Ilija Schneider of Germany at Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 35 info@practicemock.com 9319314079 NordWest Cup 2023 held at Bad Zwischenahn in Germany. He became the Grandmaster after crossing 2500 in the live ratings. N.R. Vignesh has also become the 29th Grandmaster hailing from Tamil Nadu. Note: M Pranesh from Tamil Nadu became India’s 79th Chess Grandmaster in January 2023.
The Australian women’s national cricket team, led by Meg Lanning, has won the 8 th edition of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s Twenty20 (T20) World Cup 2023 by defeating South Africa women’s team, led by Sune Luus, by 19 runs in the finals held in the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town, South Africa. This marks the 6th and 3rd consecutive ICC Women’s T20 World Cup title of Australia. Player of the series: Ashleigh Gardner of Australia Most runs: Laura Wolvaardt of South Africa Most wickets: Sophie Ecclestone of England Highest score: Muneeba Ali Siddiqui of Pakistan Note: Bangladesh will host the 9th ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2024 and England will host in 2026.
IMPORTANT DAYS
World Thinking Day, formerly Thinking Day, is observed annually on 22nd February by the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) across 150 countries. The day is observed to think about fellow brothers and sisters around the world, address their concerns and understand the true meaning of guiding. 22nd February was chosen as the date to celebrate Thinking Day because it was the birthday of both Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scout Movement, and Olave Baden-Powell, who was World Chief Guide. Theme 2023: “Our World, Our Peaceful Future” The day has been observed since 1926 and is celebrated as a day of international friendship.
The Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) has observed its 45th Foundation Day on 22nd February 2023. AEPC is the official body of apparel exporters in India, under the aegis of Ministry of Textiles, which provides invaluable assistance to Indian exporters as well as importers/ international buyers.
Established: 1978
Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana
Chairman: Narendra Goenka Weekly Current Affairs February 2023 Week – 04 iia www.practicemock.com 36 info@practicemock.com 9319314079
Central Excise Day is observed annually across India on 24th February to commemorate the Central Excise and Salt Act, which was enacted on 24th February 1944. The day is observed to encourage the employees of the excise department to carry out the central excise duty in a better way.
World NGO Day is observed annually on 27th February to recognise, celebrate and honour non-government and non-profit organisations. The day was first observed by the United Nations in 2014.
National Protein Day is observed annually across India on 27th February to educate people on the benefits of consuming protein-rich foods.
The year 2023 marks the fourth year of National Protein Day celebration in India.
Theme 2023: “Easy Access to Protein for All”
The day was first observed in 2020.
National Science Day is observed annually on 28th February to commemorate the discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’. The day is observed to create awareness on the importance of science.
The Government of India designated 28 February as National Science Day (NSD) in 1986.
On this day Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’ for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930.
Theme 2023: “Global Science for Global Wellbeing”
Rare Disease Day (RDD) is observed annually on the last day of February to raise awareness for rare diseases and improve access to treatment and medical representation for individuals with rare diseases and their families. This year, the day falls on 28th February.
The day was first launched by European Organisation for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS) and its Council of National Alliances in 2008.
