Daily Current Affairs January 22 & 23 2023

 CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti: 23rd January

• Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti 2023 is observed on the 23rd of January 2023.
• In Cuttack, Orissa/Odisha, on January 23, 1897, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was born. Janakinath Bose and Prabhavati Dutt were his parents.
• With the motto “Delhi Chalo,” Netaji organized and oversaw a 5,000-man army known as the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army) in Southeast Asia during World War II in 1942.
• To win over the people in his native Bengal, he also started a new political party called “the Forward Bloc.”
• According to reports, on August 18, 1945, a plane crash near Tohuku, Japanese Taiwan, caused Netaji to suffer third-degree burns.
• The posthumous 125th birthday of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose will be commemorated starting on January 23, 2021, according to a press announcement from the Indian government’s Ministry of Culture on January 19, 2021.
• To honor Netaji’s sacrifice and enormous contribution to the Indian independence cause, this event was given the name Parakram Diwas (or Parakram Divas), which means “Day of Courage” or “Day of Valor.”

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Government to combine Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) with Ayushman Bharat:

• The National Health Authority (NHA) is in the process of integrating the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)
• This is aimed at creating digital health identification of CGHS beneficiaries and storing their digital health records, thus ensuring quick treatment to the needy
• So far, around 100 million health records have been linked to ABDM.
• CGHS was started in 1954 to provide comprehensive healthcare to central government employees and pensioners and their dependent family members.
• The scheme currently covers more than 4.1 million beneficiaries in 75 cities.
• Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) is a 14-digit number that allows citizens to access and manage their medical records digitally.
• It creates comprehensive medical history across healthcare providers with citizens sharing relevant health records with ABDM-registered healthcare providers digitally.
• The NHA, the implementing agency of ABDM, had in July 2022 announced the expansion of its digital health ecosystem by integrating digital health applications.
• In 2021, the health ministry shifted the CGHS to NHA’s IT platform to deliver healthcare services to eligible beneficiaries seamlessly.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

Kerala’s Wayanad becomes 1st district in the country to provide basic documents to all tribal people

• Kerala’s Wayanad becomes the first district in the country to provide basic documents and facilities such as Aadhaar cards, ration cards, birth/death certificates, election ID cards, bank accounts, and health insurance to all tribal people.

Key Highlights : 

• The Wayanad district administration has attained the creditable achievement by providing 1,42,563 services to as many as 64,670 tribal beneficiaries as part of the Akshaya Big Campaign for Document Digitisation (ABCD) campaign. 
• This includes ration cards to 15,796 families, Aadhar cards to 31,252, birth certificates to 11,300, voters’ identity cards to 22,488, and digital locker facilities to 22,888 persons through the ABCD campaign.
• The drive was launched in November 2021 at Thondernad grama panchayat.

Aim of the campaign : 

• To ensure basic documents to all citizens belonging to the Scheduled Tribes (ST) communities, the documents are digitized and saved in DigiLocker accounts opened for them.
• Apart from the basic documents, other services such as income certificates, ownership certificates, age certificates, and applications for new pensions are also provided at the camps.

About Kerala : 

• Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan
• Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
• Capital : Thiruvananthapuram
• Airport: Kannur International Airport, Cochin International Airport, Calicut International Airport
• Ramsar Sites : Vembanad, Ashtamudi & Sasthamkotta Lakes
• National Park: Silent Valley National Park, Eravikulam National Park

Centre approves ‘Apple Cluster’ for Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district

• The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) approved an “Apple Cluster” for Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district under the Cluster Development Programme.
• This was announced during a daylong conference on the ‘India Cold Chain Conclave’.
• The Conclave was organized by the Ministry in conjunction with the D. Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) & National Centre for Cold Chain Development (NCCD) in New Delhi, Delhi.

Key Highlights : 

• The Shopian apple cluster envisages the development of Shopian apple on 3 verticals including pre-production-production, post-harvest management, value addition and logistics, marketing, and branding to make it globally competitive.
• The project is estimated to cost Rs 135.23 crore, of which, about Rs 37.05 crore would be provided by the Ministry as grant-in-aid.
• The project is expected to be implemented in 4 years.

About J&K :

• Lieutenant Governor: Manoj Sinha
• Capital: Srinagar, Jammu
• National Park: Kishtwar High Altitude National Park, Kazinag National Park, Dachigam National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Ramnagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE

LIC launches guaranteed return life insurance plan – Jeevan Azad

• The Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India has launched Jeevan Azad (Plan No. 868), aimed at individual savings and life insurance.
• The plan offers an attractive combination of protection and

About Jeevan Azad : 

• LIC Jeevan Azad is a limited-period payment endowment plan that provides financial support for the family in case of unfortunate death of the life assured during the policy term.
• The plan addresses the liquidity needed through a loan facility.
• It also provides a guaranteed lump sum amount to the surviving life assured on the date of maturity.

Features : 

Sum Assured : 

• The minimum basic sum assured under LIC Jeevan Azad Plan is Rs 2 lakh and the maximum basic sum assured is Rs 5 lakh.
• The policy can be taken for a term of 15 to 20 years.

Premium Payment Term Calculation : 

• The premium paying term is calculated as the policy term minus 8 years.

Premium payment Intervals : 

• Premium can be paid regularly at yearly, half-yearly, quarterly, or monthly intervals.

Age Limit : 

• The minimum age of entry is 90 days completed and the maximum age at entry is 50 years.

Death Benefit :

• The death benefit is payable on the death of the life assured during the policy term after the date of commencement of risk but before the date of maturity.
• The death benefit shall be “Sum Assured on Death” which is defined as higher than ‘Basic Sum Assured’ or 7 times of Annualised Premium.
• The Death Benefit shall not be less than 105% of ’Total Premiums Paid’ up to the date of death

About LIC : 

• Founded: 1 September 1956
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Chairperson : M R Kumar

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

ESAF Bank bags Inclusive Finance India Award 2022:

• ESAF Small Finance Bank has bagged the prestigious Inclusive Finance India Awards 2022 for its contributions to advancing the goal of financial inclusion and supporting inclusive growth.
• Paul Thomas, MD, and CEO, of ESAF Bank, received the award from Anantha Nageshwaran, Chief Economic Advisor at the 19th Inclusive Finance India Summit held in New Delhi.
• The Inclusive Finance India Awards is an initiative of ACCESS Development Services constituted in 2009 in partnership with HSBC India.
• This award is a recognition of ESAF’s unique spectrum of Financial Inclusion projects ESAF Dhansree, ESAF Udyog Jyothi, LSEDP (Local Sustainable Economic Development Project), ESAF Balajyothi, ESAF Vayojyothi, and ESAF Garshom.
• The Inclusive Finance India Awards initiative aims to celebrate and encourage deserving institutions to continue to enhance outreach to the poor by way of motivating management and staff through recognition of their painstaking efforts and enhancing the credibility of the institution, thereby making it more attractive for funding.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

IPA, RIS sign agreement to set up Centre for Maritime Economy and Connectivity:

• An agreement was signed between the Indian Ports Association (IPA) and Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) for setting up a Centre for Maritime Economy and Connectivity.
• The Memorandum was signed in the presence of the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal.
• Sonowal stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is witnessing great changes, particularly in the infrastructure and policy areas.
• Further, Sanjeev Ranjan, Secretary at Ports, Shipping and Waterways complimented the both IPA and RIS teams for the effort put in for setting up the center.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND REPORTS

Jio is India’s strongest brand, ranked ninth globally:

• Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio is the strongest brand in India and ranked ninth among the world’s strongest brands, according to a report published by Brand Finance.
• This makes ‘Jio’ ahead of brands like EY, Coca-Cola, Accenture, and Porsche, and behind the likes of Google, YouTube, Deloitte, and Instagram.
• The report titled ‘Global 500 – 2023’ is published annually and ranks the world’s most valuable and strongest brands.
• With a Brand Strength Index of 90.2, Jio is the only brand among the world’s strongest 25 brands, according to the Brand Finance listing
• Brand Finance was in Davos to launch its Brand Guardianship Index 2023 at an exclusive event hosted in association with Deloitte during the World Economic Forum.
• Brand Finance announced the rankings of the world’s top 100 CEOs and host a panel discussion alongside global leaders on the topic — Building sustainability into the organizational culture and brand strategy.
• Brand Finance is headquartered in London.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

EESL CEO Vishal Kapoor takes over as CEO of CESL

• Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Energy Efficiency Services (EESL), Vishal Kapoor took over the additional charge of CEO of Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL).
• He Succeeds Mahua Acharya, who resigned from the post on Dec 01, 2022.

About Vishal Kapoor : 

• Vishal Kapoor served as a joint secretary in the Ministry of Power (MoP), Government of India (GoI).
• He joined EESL on November 2, 2022.
• He led various government interventions, schemes, and reforms in the power distribution sector.
• He played an instrumental role in formulating the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme for the Operational and Financial turnaround of distribution utilities.

Vodafone Idea appoints Sujeet Sharma As VP-Active Network And Commercial

• Sujeet Sharma has been appointed as Vice President – of Active Network, Commercial of Vodafone Idea. 
• He will oversee the procurement for the company.
• Before Vodafone Idea, he served Bharti Airtel for 15 years and he last held the position of VP & Head of Infrastructure Procurement and Operations.
• He joined Airtel in 2007 as Senior Manager in the Supply Chain Department and moved on to roles like Deputy General Manager, and General Manager in the Department.
• Before joining Airtel, he worked for 6 years at Idea Cellular, where he began as a senior executive – materials in 2001.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

Tata Boeing Aerospace delivers first fuselage for 6 AH-64 Apache to Indian Army

• Tata-Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL), an Indo-American defense and aerospace joint venture firm, has delivered the first fuselage (the central part of an aircraft or helicopter, to which the wings and tail are connected), for the six AH-64 Apache attack helicopters ordered by the Indian Army.
• The first Apache is scheduled to be delivered to the Indian Army in Feb 2024.

Key Highlights : 

• The TBAL facility in the Indian city of Hyderabad is the global sole source supplier for Apache fuselages and has produced complex aero-structures for Boeing 737 and 777 aircraft.
• So far, the TBAL plant in India has supplied more than 190 fuselages.
• India operates 4 classes of aircraft from Boeing,
• The C-17 Globemaster III strategic transporter
• The P8I Poseidon multi-role maritime mission aircraft
• The Chinook heavy-lift helicopter 
• The Apache attack helicopters
• More than 1,275 units of the Apache helicopters are in operation, accumulating more than 9 million flight hours globally, of which 1.3 million have been in combat.
• The Indian Army’s 6 Apaches are the second fleet of Apaches ordered by India, as the Indian Air Force had taken delivery of 22 AH-64-E variants of the Apache chopper in 2020.

Note : 

• Tata Group recently won the ‘Supplier of the year award 2022 from Boeing, among more than 11,000 suppliers worldwide.
• Boeing India President: Salil Gupte

About TASL : 

• Founded: 2007
• Headquarters: Hyderabad, Telangana, India
• MD & CEO : Sukaran Singh
• Chairman: Vijay Singh
• The TASL is an Indian aerospace manufacturing, military engineering, and defense technology company.
• It is a joint venture between Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and aircraft manufacturer Boeing Company.

Inaugural Edition of Indo-Egypt Joint Training Exercise Cyclone – I Commenced in Rajasthan

• The first edition of a joint exercise between the special forces of the Indian Army and the Egyptian Army named “Exercise Cyclone-I” is being conducted at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.

Aim : 

• To boost the defense cooperation between India & Egypt.

About Cyclone – I : 

• The 14-day long exercise engages both the contingents to advance special forces skills such as Sniping, Combat Free Fall, Reconnaissance, Surveillance & Target Designation, and sharing of information on weapons, equipment, innovations, tactics, techniques & procedures.
• Exercise “Cyclone – I” is the first exercise of its kind bringing the special forces of both nations on a common platform.
• The participants would also undertake joint planning and drills for Special Forces operations in a mechanized warfare setting as well as surgical strikes on terrorist camps/hideouts to include sniping of High-Value Targets.

Additional Info : 

• Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi will be the 1st Egyptian President and the 5th leader from the Middle East to grace the Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest.

About MoD : 

• Union Minister: Rajnath Singh
• Minister of State: Ajay Bhatt
• Defence Secretary: Giridhar Aramane

About Egypt : 

• President : Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
• Prime Minister : Mostafa Madbouly
• Capital: Cairo
• Currency: Egyptian pound

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

IIT Madras develops India’s Indigenous Mobile Operating System – BharOS 

• Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras)-the incubated firm has developed an Indigenous Mobile Operating System named ‘BharOS’ that can benefit India’s 100 crore mobile phone users.
• The BharOS was developed by JandK Operations Private Limited (JandKops), which has been incubated at IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation.
• The Foundation is funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India (GoI), under its National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NMICPS).

About BharOS:

• The software can be installed on commercial off-the-shelf handsets.
• It provides a secure environment for users and is a significant contribution towards ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• It provides access to trusted apps from organization-specific Private App Store Services (PASS).
• It comes with No Default Apps (NDA), which means that users are not forced to use apps that they may not be familiar with or that they may not trust.
• Bharos provides ‘Native Over The Air’ (NOTA) updates that can help keep devices secure.
• NOTA updates are automatically downloaded and installed on the device without the user needing to manually initiate the process.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Virat Kohli back in top-five in ODI rankings:

• Former India skipper Virat Kohli, who scored two centuries and scored 283 runs in three matches against Sri Lanka, jumped two places to break into the top five in the latest ICC ODI rankings.
• Kohli now has 750 points and has second-placed Rassie van der Dussen (766) and third-placed Quinton de Kock (759) in his sights, while Pakistan skipper Babar Azam remains way out in front with 887 points.
• Kohli has the opportunity to close the gap further in the ongoing three-match ODI series against New Zealand.
• Kohli’s team-mates Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj, and Kuldeep Yadav have also moved up in rankings.
• Gill, who hit his maiden ODI century in India to complement his fifty during the series, has moved up 10 spots to 26th.
• The young Indian opener scored 207 runs at an average of 69.
• Siraj, who emerged as the leading wicket-taker in India’s 3-0 series win against Sri Lanka, climbed 15 spots to rise to third on the list for ODI bowlers with his nine scalps.
• The performance helped Siraj improve to a career-best rating of 685 points and close in on pace-setters Trent Boult (730) and Josh Hazlewood (727).
• Kuldeep Yadav was also rewarded for his five wickets from just two matches against Sri Lanka, with the left-arm spinner moving up seven spots to 21st in the latest rankings for bowlers.

Jnanpith winning Assamese poet Nilamani Phookan passed away

• Renowned Assamese poet and Jnanpith winner Nilamani Phookan passed away at Guwahati, Assam at the age of 89.

About Nilamani Phookan : 

• Phookan was born in Dergaon in the Golaghat district, of Assam.
• He started his career as a lecturer at Arya Vidyapeeth College in Guwahati in 1964, where he worked until his retirement in 1992.

Notable Works : 

• Surya Heno Nami Ahe Ei Nadiyedi (“The sun is said to come descending by this river”), 1963.
• Manas-pratima. Guwahati Book Stall, 1971.
• Phuli Thaka Suryamukhi Phultor Phale (“Towards the Blooming Sunflower”), 1971.
• Silpakalar Upalabdhi Aru Ananda is one of his important books on art criticism.

Awards & Honors : 

• In 1981 he was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in Assamese for his poetry collection, Kavita (Kobita).
• He was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1990 for  Literature & Education.
• He received the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, the highest literary honor in India, given by Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters in 2002
• Phookan has won the 56th Jnanpith Award, India’s highest literary award, for the year 2020.
• He was the third Assamese poet, author, and writer after Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya and Mamoni Raisom Goswami to win the Jnanpith Award.

US Rock Legend David Crosby Passed Away

• United States (US) Rock singer, David Crosby passed away at the age of 81.

About David Crosby : 

• David Crosby was born on August 14, 1941, in Los Angeles, California, U.S
• He was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter.
• He was the son of Oscar-winning Hollywood cinematographer Floyd Crosby.
• He was a founding member of both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash
• He was one of the most influential rock singers of the 1960s and ’70s.
• He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with two different groups.
• He was known for his intricate vocal harmonies, unorthodox open tunings on the guitar, and incisive songwriting.

Awards & Honors : 

• He was awarded the Grammy for Best New Artist of 1969 for his debut album “I See You”

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHOR

R.Kaushik and R. Sridhar wrote the book ‘COACHING BEYOND: My Days with the Indian Cricket Team.’

• ‘COACHING BEYOND: My Days with the Indian Cricket Team,’ published by R. Kaushik and R. Sridhar, provides an inside look at the Indian cricket team.
• The book focuses on R. Sridhar’s seven-year term as fielding coach for the Indian cricket team.
• The book is anecdotal rather than technical, presenting an insider’s perspective of Indian cricket’s meteoric growth.
• The book details Virat Kohli’s journey, Rishabh Pant’s development, and the team’s ascent to the number one Test position.

ABOUT THIS BOOK

• Coaching Beyond reflects primarily on R. Sridhar’s seven-year coaching tenure with the Indian cricket team as its fielding coach.
• This book isn’t as technical as it is anecdotal.
• It throws light, for instance, on how Virat Kohli overcame a dismal Test series in England in 2014 to smash four hundred in as many matches in his next overseas outing, in Australia.
• It also traces Rishabh Pant’s journey toward becoming the ferocious ball-striker and outstanding gloveman he is today while delving into the minds of players and the support staff to analyze India’s progression toward the number 1 Test ranking.
• Revelations of behind-the-scenes parleys jostle with the then head coach Ravi Shastri’s motivational skills in a riveting read that provides an insider’s account of the rise and rise of Indian cricket.

Daily CA on January 22 & 23:

• Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti 2023 is observed on the 23rd of January 2023.
• The National Health Authority (NHA) is in the process of integrating the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)
• ESAF Small Finance Bank has bagged the prestigious Inclusive Finance India Awards 2022 for its contributions to advancing the goal of financial inclusion and supporting inclusive growth.
• An agreement was signed between the Indian Ports Association (IPA) and Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) for setting up a Centre for Maritime Economy and Connectivity.
• Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio is the strongest brand in India and ranked ninth among the world’s strongest brands, according to a report published by Brand Finance.
• Former India skipper Virat Kohli, who scored two centuries and scored 283 runs in three matches against Sri Lanka, jumped two places to break into the top five in the latest ICC ODI rankings.
• ‘COACHING BEYOND: My Days with the Indian Cricket Team,’ published by R. Kaushik and R. Sridhar, provides an inside look at the Indian cricket team.
• Kerala’s Wayanad becomes the first district in the country to provide basic documents and facilities such as Aadhaar cards, ration cards, birth/death certificates, election ID cards, bank accounts, and health insurance to all tribal people.
• The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) approved an “Apple Cluster” for Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district under the Cluster Development Programme.
• The Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India has launched Jeevan Azad (Plan No. 868), aimed at individual savings and life insurance.
• Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Energy Efficiency Services (EESL), Vishal Kapoor took over the additional charge of CEO of Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL).
• Sujeet Sharma has been appointed as Vice President – of Active Network, Commercial of Vodafone Idea. 
• Tata-Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL), an Indo-American defense and aerospace joint venture firm, has delivered the first fuselage (the central part of an aircraft or helicopter, to which the wings and tail are connected), for the six AH-64 Apache attack helicopters ordered by the Indian Army.
• The first edition of a joint exercise between the special forces of the Indian Army and the Egyptian Army named “Exercise Cyclone-I” is being conducted at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.
• Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras)-the incubated firm has developed an Indigenous Mobile Operating System named ‘BharOS’ that can benefit India’s 100 crore mobile phone users.
• Renowned Assamese poet and Jnanpith winner Nilamani Phookan passed away at Guwahati, Assam at the age of 89.
• United States (US) Rock singer, David Crosby passed away at the age of 81.