Daily Current Affairs January 19 2023

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

ASI unearths two 1200-year-old miniature stupas at Nalanda:

• The Patna circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) unearthed two miniature votive stupas dating back 1200 years during landscaping work near the Sarai Tila mound within the grounds of “Nalanda Mahavihara,” a world heritage site in the state’s Nalanda district.
• The stupas, carved from stone, depict Buddha figures.
• These two votive stupas (offered in fulfilment of a vow) were discovered by the ASI officials during landscaping near Sarai Tila mound within the premises of ‘Nalanda Mahavihara’.
• Beginning in the 7th century CE in India, small miniature terracotta stupas became popular as votive offerings.
• Devout pilgrims visiting various holy sites and temples throughout Asia would either purchase small votive offerings or make their own
• The Nalanda Mahavihara site comprises the archaeological remains of a monastic and scholastic institution dating from the 3rd century BCE to the 13th century CE.
• It includes stupas, shrines, viharas (residential and educational buildings) and important artworks in stucco, stone and metal.
• Nalanda stands out as the most ancient university of the Indian subcontinent.
• It engaged in the organized transmission of knowledge over an uninterrupted period of 800 years

Padho Pardesh scheme discontinued by MoMA:

• The Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) has discontinued the scheme of interest subsidy on education loans for overseas studies for students belonging to minority communities (Padho Pardesh).
• All banks were notified by the Indian Banks’ Association last month about the discontinuation of the Padho Pardesh Interest Subsidy Scheme from 2022-23.
• The scheme so far was being implemented through Canara Bank, the designated nodal bank.
• The existing beneficiaries as on March 31, 2022, will continue to receive the interest subsidy during the moratorium period of the loan, subject to compliance with the extant guidelines, according to the Association’s communication to Banks.
• The reason why the scheme has been discontinued could not be ascertained.

About the scheme

• Under the scheme, interest payable by the students availing education loans as prescribed under the Education Loan Scheme of the IBA for the period of moratorium (that is course period, plus one year or six months after getting a job, whichever is earlier) shall be borne by the Government of India.
• After the period of moratorium is over, the interest on the outstanding loan amount shall be paid by the student, through the existing Educational Loan Scheme.
• The Candidate will bear the Principal instalments and interest beyond the moratorium period.
• As per the scheme, the total income from all sources of the employed candidate or his/ her parents/guardians in case of an unemployed candidate shall not exceed ₹6 lakhs per annum.
• Thirty-five per cent of seats are earmarked for girl students.
• In case of the non-availability of girl students, seats can be transferred to boy students.
• As per MoMA’s latest annual report, during the year 2020-21, an amount of ₹20 crore was released to Canara Bank for reimbursement of interest subsidy of fresh plus renewal candidates under the Scheme.

NCERT notifies India’s first national assessment regulator:

• The National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) has notified India’s first national assessment regulator, PARAKH, which will work on setting norms, standards and guidelines for student assessment and evaluation for all recognised school boards in the country.
• The regulator aims to set up assessment guidelines for all boards to help remove disparities in scores of students enrolled with different state boards.
• PARAKH has been launched as part of the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 which envisaged a standard-setting body to advise school boards regarding new assessment patterns and the latest research, and promote collaborations between them.
• The Centre will also manage India’s participation in international assessments such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), stated the expression of interest issued by NCERT last September.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

Delhi Most Polluted City In India In 2022: CPCB Data                               

• According to an analysis of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, Delhi was the most polluted city in India in 2022 with PM 2.5 levels more than double the safe limit and the 3rd highest average PM10 concentration.
• According to the NCAP (National Clean Air Programme) tracker, PM2.5 pollution in the national capital has reduced by over 7% in 4 years, from 108 micrograms per cubic metre in 2019 to 99.71 micrograms per cubic metre in 2022.

Key Highlights : 

Top 10 most polluted cities in 2022 for PM 2.5 :

1.   Delhi (99.71 micrograms per cubic metre)

2.   Haryana’s Faridabad (95.64 micrograms per cubic metre)

3.   Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad (91.25 micrograms per cubic metre)

4.   Patna, Bihar

5.   Muzaffarpur, Bihar

6.   Noida, Uttar Pradesh (UP)

7.   Meerut, UP

8.   Gobindgarh, Punjab

9.   Gaya, Bihar

10.            Jodhpur, Rajasthan

Top 10 most polluted cities in 2022 based on PM 10 :

• Ghaziabad (217.57 micrograms per cubic metre)
• Faridabad, Haryana (215.39 micrograms per cubic metre)
• Delhi (213.23 micrograms per cubic metre)
• Noida,UP
• Patna, Bihar
• Meerut, UP
• Muzaffarpur,Bihar
• Durgapur,West Bengal
• Jodhpur, Rajasthan
• Aurangabad, Maharashtra
• For both PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations, the majority of cities in the top 10 most polluted list are from Uttar Pradesh (UP).
• In 2021, Ghaziabad was the most polluted with respect to PM2.5 levels while it ranked 3rd in terms of PM10 levels.

About NCAP Tracker : 

• NCAP Tracker is a joint project of news portal Carbon Copy and a Maharashtra-based start-up ‘Respirer Living Sciences’ and is designed to track India’s progress in achieving clean air targets.
• The country’s current annual average safe limits for PM 2.5 and PM 10 are 40 ug/m3 and 60 ug/m3.
• The Centre launched NCAP on January 10, 2019 to reduce PM2.5 and PM10 levels in 102 cities by 20% to 30% by 2024 (with 2017 being the base year).
• For analysis, the NCAP tracker has only taken into account non-attainment cities which recorded a monitoring uptime of more than 50%.
• According to a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), 4 years since the introduction of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), India’s first national policy on curbing air pollution, air quality has improved in only 49 out of 131 cities in FY 21-22, compared to the previous year.
• Only 38 of the 131 cities that were given annual pollution reduction targets under agreements signed between State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs), Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and the Centre managed to meet the targets for FY 21-22.
• The NCAP, announced 4 years ago, covers 132 of India’s most polluted or so-called non-attainment cities
• This is defined as a city whose air quality did not meet the national ambient air quality standards from 2011 to 2015.
• The NCAP aims to bring a 20%-30% reduction in pollution levels from PM2.5 and PM10 particles by 2024, using 2017 pollution levels as a base.

About PM2.5 :

• PM2.5 is tiny particulate matter that is less than 2.5 microns in diameter and can enter the lungs and bloodstream.

About CPCB : 

• Established : 22 September 1974
• Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi, India
• Chairperson : Shri Tanmay Kumar
• The CPCB of India is a statutory organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Mo.E.F.C.C.)

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

Indian Bank to hold special Rupee Vostro accounts of 3 Sri Lanka banks

• Indian Bank has received the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regulatory approval to hold special rupee Vostro accounts of 3 banks from Sri Lanka.
• The public sector bank, which has had a long presence in the South Asian island nation, is expected to activate the special Vostro accounts in about a week.

About the Vostro account : 

• A Vostro account in local currency would allow Sri Lanka to import from India without dipping into its declining dollar supply.
• The INR Vostro facility is part of the special trade settlement mechanism finalised by the RBI in July 2022.
• The Vostro accounts would also help Sri Lanka to utilise the rupee lines extended by India.
• It would contribute towards stabilising the Lankan economy.

Key Highlights :

• Indian Bank opened its first overseas branch in Colombo in 1932.
• Till now, the State of India (SBI) is the other domestic institution with which a Sri Lankan bank has opened a Vostro account.
• In 2022, as the currency market in Sri Lanka ran out of dollars, most banks in India virtually stopped discounting letters of credit (LC) issued by banks in Lanka.

About Indian Bank : 

• Established : 1907
• Headquarters : Chennai, Tamil Nadu
• CEO: Shri Shanti Lal Jain
• Tagline : Your Own Bank, Banking That’s Twice As Good

NueGo Forms Strategic Partnership with Paytm for online bus ticket booking

• India’s first premium electric intercity coach services brand, NueGo, has partnered with Paytm, India’s leading payments and financial services company and the pioneer of QR and mobile payments, launching a convenient bus ticket booking facility for its customers.

About the Partnership : 

• This partnership would allow commuters to digitally reserve the seat of their choice in all NueGo buses across India, providing a seamless digital booking experience.
• Paytm will enable commuters to book tickets without being physically present inside the bus or at the ticket counter, making the travel experience even more seamless.

About NueGo : 

• NueGo, the flagship inter-city electric mobility coach brand of GreenCell Mobility is currently playing across India primarily on the Bhopal-Indore, Delhi-Chandigarh and Delhi-Jaipur routes.

Aim : 

• To provide exceptional ride quality and in-cabin experience for inter-city travellers while ensuring a safer and greener ride.

About Paytm :

• Founded : 2010
• Headquarters :  Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
• CEO : Vijay Shekhar Sharma

Amazon Pay & TSSPDCL join hands to simplify electricity bill payments for customers

• Amazon Pay announced an association with Telangana Southern State Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL) to simplify electricity bill payments for TSSPDCL customers.
• With this association, Amazon aims to make electricity bill payments instant, convenient, and rewarding for millions of customers.

About the Association : 

• Through this association, TSSPDCL customers can now pay their electricity bills on Amazon using Amazon Pay without any convenience fee and experience secure and seamless transactions without the hassle of standing in billing queues.
• The customers also can earn cash backs on their first bill payment and exciting rewards on their future bill payments.
• After filing the necessary details, customers can choose their preferred payment modes such as UPI, Amazon Pay Later, Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Amazon Pay Balance, or Net-banking to instantly complete the transaction.

About TSSPDCL : 

• Founded : 2 June 2014
• Headquarters : Hyderabad, Telangana, India
• Chairman & Managing Director : Sri G.Raghuma Reddy
• TSSPDCL is among the largest electricity billers in India as it caters to 9.2 million customers across 15 districts in Telangana

Russia’s second-largest bank VTB launches direct payments in Rupees

• VTB – Russia’s second-largest bank has launched a mechanism to receive direct payments in Rupees discarding the conventional mechanism involving Dollars and Euros, in a major boost to the India-Russia trade.
• With this, Russian SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) will now be able to transact in INR, thus simplifying the payments while dealing with their Indian trading partners.
• The mechanism of direct settlements allows fixing the price of a product and the payment in the national currency, and to receive individual quotes on market terms.
• It also eliminates preliminary coordination of the
• 9 Russian banks, including VTB, opened special Vostro accounts in India to facilitate Russian-Indian trade in November 2022.

About VTB Bank : 

• Founded : 1990
• Headquarters : Moscow, Russia
• President and Chairman of the Management Board : Andrey L. Kostin

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

Apax Partners to sell its entire stake in Shriram Finance

• Private equity firm Apax Partners, through its arm Dynasty Acquisition, to sell its entire 4.63% stake in Shriram Finance for a total value of up to ₹2,250 crores and a floor price of ₹1,300 per share.
• Dynasty Acquisition, which held 1.73 crore shares of Shriram Finance, had acquired the stake in Shriram City Union Finance from TPG Capital in 2015.

About Shriram Finance :

• MD and CEO of Shriram Finance : YS Chakravarti
• Shriram Finance has three major non-promoter shareholders: Piramal Group, private equity company TPG, and Apax Partners.
• Shriram Finance is owned by the three companies collectively to the tune of 15%.

ONGC Videsh retakes 20% stake in Sakhalin-1 oil and gas fields of Russia   

• The overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) has re-taken a 20% stake in the Sakhalin-1 oil and gas fields in the far east region of Russia.
• Sakhalin-1 is a large oil and gas field in far-east offshore Russia, spread over 1,140 square kilometres, which includes three offshore fields namely Chayvo, Odoptu and
• The Sakhalin-1 project is operated by Exxon Neftegas (ENL), a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil which holds a 30% participating interest.
• The project is estimated to hold approximately 2.3 billion barrels of oil and 17.1 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) in recoverable reserves.
• The other former foreign shareholders in the project – Japan’s Sodeco consortium and ONGC Videsh – were asked to apply to the Russian government to regain their shareholdings in the project.
• OVL acquired a 20% stake in the project in July 2001.

About ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) :

• OVL is a Miniratna Schedule “A” Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) of the Government of India (GoI) & is the wholly owned subsidiary and overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC).
• It comes under the administrative control of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
• ONGC Videsh is the second largest petroleum company in India, next only to its parent ONGC.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

India’s exports drop 12.2% in December, trade deficit inches up:

• India’s merchandise exports contracted 12.2 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in December to $34.48 billion as slowing external demand amid recession fears in developed economies continued to weigh on outbound shipments, the data released by the commerce and industry ministry showed.
• Still in the first nine months of the current financial year, exports grew nearly 9 per cent.
• The latest decline in the value of outbound shipments can also be attributed to the statistical effect of a high base because December 2021 witnessed the second-highest monthly exports in the previous financial year at $39.3 billion.
• Imports last month also contracted 3.46 per cent to $58.24 billion, amid falling commodity prices.
• The trade deficit widened to $23.76 billion, against $21.06 billion in November last year but was still lower than the all-time high of $29 billion in September.

India’s fiscal deficit for FY23 is estimated at Rs 17.5 lakh crore, FY24 Rs 17.95 lakh crore: SBI

• The upcoming Indian budget for 2023-24 will be a challenging one for the government to follow the roadmap for fiscal consolidation amidst a global environment of declining inflation, a top economist of the State Bank of India in a report.
• For India, this could make things difficult to set a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) number significantly higher than 10 per cent, with a deflator of about 3.5 per cent.
• But this could also mean a higher GDP growth than anticipated at about 6.2 per cent.
• The fiscal deficit of the Indian government for FY23 will be about Rs.17.5 lakh crore.
• According to Dr. Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Adviser, SBI, for FY23, total receipts of the Government would be higher than the budget estimates (BE) by around Rs 2.3 lakh crore, on account of higher direct tax receipts (about Rs 2.2 lakh crore), higher GST receipts (Rs 95,000 crore) but lower dividends (about Rs 40,000 crore), lower fuel tax net of cess (Rs 30,000 crore) and lower disinvestment receipts (about Rs 15000-20,000 crore).
• According to the report, the government can give a hard push to Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY), by encouraging fresh registrations in a mission-drive mode, allowing one-time registrations for all leftover cases up to 12 years.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Govt extends tenure of Bank of Baroda MD and CEO Mr Sanjiv Chadha 

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of the Department of Financial Services for extending the term of managing director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr Sanjiv Chadha for about 5 months till 30 June, 2023.
• Meanwhile, the Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB), the headhunter for directors of state-owned banks and financial institutions, recommended the elevation of Executive Director (ED) Mr Debadatta Chand as managing director of Bank of Baroda.
• Besides, the Bureau recommended Union Bank of India ED Rajneesh Karnataka for the position of MD & CEO in Bank of India.
• The Bureau in November 2022 suggested the name of K Satyanarayana Raju for the position of MD and CEO of Canara Bank.
• FSIB is headed by former secretary of, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Bhanu Pratap Sharma.

About BoB : 

• Founded : 20 July 1908
• Headquarters : Vadodara, Gujarat, India
• Tagline : India’s International Bank

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Startup firm IG Drones develops India’s first 5G-enabled drone – Skyhawk  

• Startup firm IG Drones, which was born out of the Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) campus in Odisha’s Sambalpur has developed a 5G-enabled drone named Skyhawk that is capable of vertical take-off and

About the drone : 

• The drone can be used in defence and medical applications.
• The drone can carry a 10 kg payload and has an endurance of around 5 hours.
• As it’s a VTOL (Vertical Take-off and Landing), it can be operated from any terrain without the need for a conventional runway.
• It is equipped with capabilities like artificial intelligence and thermal imaging.
• It is also capable of operating through satellites in case an internet link is not available.
• The drone is IP67 rated and can be controlled through a combination of NavIC + GPS navigational satellites which remain connected in the upper range of 50 to 60 in case of failsafe activation.
• The drone can travel 100 km in 12 to 15 minutes at its maximum speed.

About IG Drones

• IG Drones is an India-based tech company providing drone survey, mapping and inspection services.
• Chief Administrative Officer : KC Sahoo
• Headquarters :  New Delhi, Delhi, India

NASA analysis- 2022 Fifth Warmest Year on Record, Warming Trend Continues

• According to an analysis released by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the earth’s average surface temperature in 2022 tied with 2015 as the fifth warmest year on record.

Key Highlights : 

• According to scientists from the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), NASA’s leading centre for climate modelling, Continuing the planet’s long-term warming trend, global temperatures in 2022 were 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit (0.89 degrees Celsius) above the average for NASA’s baseline period (1951-1980).
• The past 9 years have been the warmest since modern record-keeping began in 1880.
• According to NASA, this means Earth in 2022 was about 2 degrees Fahrenheit (about 1.11 degrees Celsius) warmer than the late 19^th-century average.
• NASA scientists, as well as international scientists, determined carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions were the highest on record in 2022.
• The reason for the warming trend is that human activities continue to pump enormous amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and the long-term planetary impacts will also continue.

About NASA : 

• Founded : July 29, 1958
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
• Administrator : Bill Nelson

Tech Mahindra & Microsoft join hands to bring Cloud-powered 5G Core Network Modernisation to Telecom Partners 

• A leading provider of digital transformation, consulting, and business re-engineering services and solutions, Tech Mahindra and Microsoft, have announced a strategic collaboration to enable cloud-powered 5G core network modernization for telecom operators globally.

Key Highlights : 

• The 5G core network transformation will help telecom operators to develop 5G core use cases and meet their customers’ growing technological (Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), IoT (Internet of Things), and edge computing) requirements.
• It will further enable us to modernise, optimise, and secure business operations and develop green networks with reduced costs and a faster time to market.
• As a part of the collaboration, Tech Mahindra will provide its talent expertise, comprehensive solutions, and managed services offerings like “Network Cloudification as a Service” and AIOps to telecom operators for their 5G Core networks.
• The partnership is in line with Tech Mahindra’s NXT.NOWTM framework, which aims to enhance the ‘Human Centric Experience.

About Tech Mahindra :                                           

• Founded : 24 October 1986
• Headquarters : Pune, Maharashtra, India
• Chairman : Anand Mahindra

• Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer : CP Gurnani

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Writer K Venu received Federal Bank Literary Award 2023:

• Noted writer K Venu was conferred with Federal Bank Literary Award 2022 for his autobiography ‘Oranweshananthinte Katha.
• Venu received the award from Balagopal Chandrasekhar, Chairman and Independent Director of Federal Bank, at a special event held as part of the Kerala Literature Festival.
• Nandakumar V, Executive Vice President & Head – Branch Banking and Regi CV, Kozhikode Zonal Head, Federal Bank handed over the prize money. Writer M Mukundan presided over the function.
• ‘Oranweshananthinte Katha’ was chosen by the judging panel comprising writer and literary critic KC Narayanan, Sunil P Ilayidom and PK Rajashekharan.
• 10 works were shortlisted for the award.
• Judging panel member P K Rajashekaran commented that the essence of the book brought back the memory of the most intense political timeline in the modern history of Kerala.
• This is the first-ever literary award constituted by the Federal Bank.
• The award was announced by Nandakumar V, Executive Vice President & Head – Branch Banking.
• Chairman Balagopal Chandrasekhar delivered the keynote address.
• The literary community of Kerala has produced rich literature over the years that makes us all proud.
• By constituting the award, Federal Bank aims to celebrate the diversity of contemporary literature and recognise writers for their cultural contributions

Naanera bags Golden Kailasha award in Ajanta-Ellora film festival:

• Naanera, a Rajasthani film directed by Deepankar Prakash, bagged the Golden Kailasha award for the best movie at the Ajanta-Ellora film festival.
• Naanera (Grandfather’s House) revolves around Manish.
• Naanera also bagged awards for best director, best screenplay, best editor
• The best picture award, announced by FIPRESCI India jury N Vidyashakar, included a trophy and a cash prize of Rs one lakh,
• Kannada film Koli Esru (chicken curry), won awards for best child artist (Apeksha Chorna Halli) and best actress for Akshatha Pandavapura.
• The film revolves around a young mother in the village who goes out of her way to fulfil her daughter’s wish to eat chicken curry.
• Best actor prize went to Jeetu Kamal for the Bengali film Aparajito.
• Kamal played the role of Indian cinema legend Satyajit Ray in the film which traces the journey of the director as he worked on his debut 1955 film Pather Panchali.
• As many as 55 films were screened in this five-day film festival.
• The event was organized after a break of two years of the Pandemic.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Congress MP from Jalandhar Santokh Chaudhary Passed away

• Congress Member of Parliament (MP) from Jalandhar, Punjab Santokh Singh Chaudhary, Passed away at the age of 76 while taking part in the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

About Santokh Singh Chaudhary : 

• He was a former Cabinet Minister of Punjab and a member of parliament from Jalandhar (Lok Sabha constituency).
• He won the 2014 Indian general election and the 2019 Indian general election being an Indian National Congress (INC) candidate.

Prince William’s Godfather and Last King of Greece Constantine II Passed away

• Godfather to Prince William & Last King of Greece Constantine II Passed away at the age of 82.

About Constantine II : 

• Constantine was born in Athens on June 2, 1940.
• When Constantine was an infant, the royal family fled Greece during the German invasion of World War II, moving to Alexandria (Egypt), South Africa.
• Constantine II, the 2nd cousin of Britain’s King Charles III, is the only son of King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece.
• At the 1960 Rome Olympics, he participated in sailing and won a gold medal in the Dragon class along with 2 other Greek sailors.
• He married Princess Anne­Marie of Denmark in 1964.
• He was elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee and became an IOC Member in 1963 and served until 1974.

Renowned scientist & former Keltron chairman Dr AD Damodaran passed away             

• Renowned scientist and former chairman of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) -National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram Dr A D Damodaran passed away at the age of 87 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

About Dr A D Damodaran : 

• In the initial phase of his career, A D Damodaran served at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.
• He became the chairman of Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation (KELTRON).
• He chaired the Science, Technology and Environment Committee (STEC), the former version of the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE).
• His areas of interest covered food nutrition and nutraceuticals, advanced materials and intellectual property rights. 

Daily CA on January 19:

• The Patna circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) unearthed two miniature votive stupas dating back 1200 years during landscaping work near the Sarai Tila mound within the grounds of “Nalanda Mahavihara,” a world heritage site in the state’s Nalanda district.
• The Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) has discontinued the scheme of interest subsidy on education loans for overseas studies for students belonging to minority communities (Padho Pardesh).
• The National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) has notified India’s first national assessment regulator, PARAKH, which will work on setting norms, standards and guidelines for student assessment and evaluation for all recognised school boards in the country.
• India’s merchandise exports contracted 12.2 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in December to $34.48 billion as slowing external demand amid recession fears in developed economies continued to weigh on outbound shipments, the data released by the commerce and industry ministry showed.
• The upcoming Indian budget for 2023-24 will be a challenging one for the government to follow the roadmap for fiscal consolidation amidst a global environment of declining inflation, a top economist of the State Bank of India in a report.
• Noted writer K Venu was conferred with Federal Bank Literary Award 2022 for his autobiography ‘Oranweshananthinte Katha.
• Naanera, a Rajasthani film directed by Deepankar Prakash, bagged the Golden Kailasha award for the best movie at the Ajanta-Ellora film festival.
• According to an analysis of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, Delhi was the most polluted city in India in 2022 with PM 2.5 levels more than double the safe limit and the 3rd highest average PM10 concentration.
• Indian Bank has received the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regulatory approval to hold special rupee Vostro accounts of 3 banks from Sri Lanka.
• India’s first premium electric intercity coach services brand, NueGo, has partnered with Paytm, India’s leading payments and financial services company and the pioneer of QR and mobile payments, launching a convenient bus ticket booking facility for its customers.
• Amazon Pay announced an association with Telangana Southern State Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL) to simplify electricity bill payments for TSSPDCL customers.
• VTB – Russia’s second-largest bank has launched a mechanism to receive direct payments in Rupees discarding the conventional mechanism involving Dollars and Euros, in a major boost to the India-Russia trade.
• Private equity firm Apax Partners, through its arm Dynasty Acquisition, to sell its entire 4.63% stake in Shriram Finance for a total value of up to ₹2,250 crores and a floor price of ₹1,300 per share.
• The overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) has re-taken a 20% stake in the Sakhalin-1 oil and gas fields in the far east region of Russia.
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of the Department of Financial Services for extending the term of managing director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr Sanjiv Chadha for about 5 months till 30 June, 2023.
• Startup firm IG Drones, which was born out of the Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) campus in Odisha’s Sambalpur has developed a 5G-enabled drone named Skyhawk that is capable of vertical take-off and
• According to an analysis released by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the earth’s average surface temperature in 2022 tied with 2015 as the fifth warmest year on record.
• A leading provider of digital transformation, consulting, and business re-engineering services and solutions, Tech Mahindra and Microsoft, have announced a strategic collaboration to enable cloud-powered 5G core network modernization for telecom operators globally.
• Congress Member of Parliament (MP) from Jalandhar, Punjab Santokh Singh Chaudhary, Passed away at the age of 76 while taking part in the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
• Godfather to Prince William & Last King of Greece Constantine II Passed away at the age of 82.
• Renowned scientist and former chairman of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) -National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram Dr A D Damodaran passed away at the age of 87 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.