CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE
NSE lists first ever green bonds issued by Indore Municipal Corporation
- The Indore Municipal Corporation’s Green Bonds have been listed on National Stock Exchange (NSE), marking the first-ever green bond issue by a municipal corporation in India.
What are Green Bonds?
- Green bonds are debt securities designated to finance environmentally friendly projects.
- In 2008, the World Bank issued its first green bond in response to such increasing demand.
Key Highlights :
- Municipal bonds provide an alternative means of financing for urban local bodies and reduce dependency on central and state grants.
- Most urban infra bonds can be categorised as green bonds since the proceeds are primarily directed towards energy, transport, water management, sewage treatment and energy-saving.
- Green Municipal bonds will also attract new foreign investors who specialise in sustainable financing and invest in projects with environmental, social and governance considerations.
- The public issue of Indore Municipal bonds received an overwhelming response, with an overall subscription of 91 times the issue size.
- The global green bond market has surpassed the milestone of 2 trillion USD in terms of cumulative green bond issuance.
- In India, corporates, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and financial institutions have issued green bonds worth approximately 8 billion USD during 2019-2022.
About NSE :
- Founded : 1992
- Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- MD & CEO : Ashishkumar Chauhan
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS
Power Minister launches SADUN to modernise power distribution utilities in South Asia:
- RK Singh, the minister of power and new and renewable energy, has launched the South Asia Distribution Utility Network (SADUN), which aims to modernise distribution of utilities in South Asia via knowledge sharing among the region’s discoms.
- SADUN is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Power, USAID and PFC.
- USAID had conceptualised SADUN in January 2020 based on a consensus among the participants over a need for an initiative which focused on distribution network in the region.
- Apart from enabling knowledge sharing among discoms and enhancing focus on distribution issues at the regional-level, the network aims to enable utility-to-utility (U2U) connect to reap the benefits of aggregation.
- USAID has already shared a white paper on SADUN with member nations to “get their concurrence on the blueprint of the network” and move ahead in “the process of implementation.”
About The delegates at the event included
- Sonam Tobjey, CEO of Bhutan Power Corporation; Bikash Dewan, MD of DPDC in Bangladesh; Ajwad Mustafa from Maldives’ Ministry of Environment, Climate Change & Technology and MPDUK Mapa Pathirana, Secretary at the Ministry of Power & Energy of Sri Lanka.
- Union power secretary Alok Kumar and USAID’s mission director Veena Reddy were also present at the event.
CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS
World’s first global summit on Responsible AI in the Military kicks off in The Netherlands
- The world’s first international summit on the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military (REAIM) 2023 commenced in The Netherlands.
About REAIM 2023 : ·
- REAIM 2023 brings together governments, corporations, academia, startups, and civil societies to raise awareness, discuss issues, and possibly, agree on common principles for deploying and using AI in armed conflicts.
- Themes:
- Mythbusting AI: Breaking Down the Characteristics of AI
- Responsible deployment and use of AI
- Governance frameworks
- India wasn’t part of this summit.
- The conference, co-hosted by South Korea, hosted 80 government delegations (including those from the US and China), and over 100s of researchers and defence contractors.
- REAIM 2023 brought together governments, corporations, academia, startups, and civil societies to raise awareness, discuss issues, and possibly, agree on common principles for deploying and using AI in armed conflicts.
About Nethe therlands :
- Prime Minister : Mark Rutte
- Capital : Amsterdam
- Currency : Euro
UAE & India launch the UAE Chapter of the Business Council to Boost Bilateral Trade & Investment
- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and India have launched the UAE India Business Council – UAE Chapter (UIBCUC) to strengthen economic ties and support their joint mission to increase bilateral trade and investment.
- Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade has launched the UAE India Business Council – UAE Chapter (UIBC-UC) in Dubai.
- The launch of the UAE Chapter coincides with the 1st anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries on February 18, 2022.
About UIBCUC :
- The UIBC-UC is well positioned to assist the 2 governments in attaining their goals and using the full potential of the UAE-India relationship.
- It has a shared goal of expanding bilateral trade to $100 billion and attracting $75 billion in investment from the UAE to India.
- The Council brings together key partners and stakeholders from both countries and will provide valuable policy guidance while encouraging innovative collaborations between Emirati and Indian businesses.
- UIBC-UC will be the counterpart organisation for the UIBC India Chapter.
- UIBC-UC will operate under the supervision of the UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry and is registered with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce as a legal and financial entity.
- The UIBC-UC will have its office in Dubai.
- Faizal Kottikollon of Kef Holdings has been appointed as the Chairman of UIBC-UC.
- Major General (Retd.) Sharafuddin Sharaf, the Chairman of the UIBC (India Chapter), will serve as the Vice Chairman.
About UIBC-UC :
- UIBC-UC was established in New Delhi in 2016 after UIBC was launched by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Cabinet Member and Smt Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs of India.
Key partners and stakeholders :
- Sovereign Wealth Funds from the UAE and large conglomerates from India such as – TATA group, Reliance, and Adani,
- Tech innovators – OLA, Zerodha, and EaseMyTrip.
The founding members of the UIBC-UC from the UAE side
- Mubadala – Sovereign Wealth Fund of the UAE, Wizz Financial, DP World, EMAAR, Emirates Airlines, Emirates NBD Bank.
The founding members of the UIBC-UC from Indthe ian side
- TATA, Reliance, and Adani, OLA, Zerodha, Udaan, and EaseMyTrip.
- Prominent Indian entrepreneur-led corporations based in the UAE such as KEF Holdings, Buimark Corporation, Apparel Group, EFS and Lulu Financial.
CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS
Odisha’s Initiative to end Child Marriage
- Odisha has been taking a long-term approach to bring about behavioral and social change regarding to ending over the past 4-5 years.
- Odisha recorded an overall decline in the prevalence of child marriage: from 21.3% in National Family Health Survey-4 to 20.5% in NFHS-5.
- On the occasion of the International Day of Girl Child on 11th October, 2020, the Department of Women and Child Development and Mission Shakti, Government of Odisha launched “Advika – Every girl is unique”, a new programme for the adolescent girls of the state.
About Advika – Every girl programme :
- Advika – Every Girl is Unique initiative is to reduce risks and vulnerability of all adolescent girls in the age group of 10-19 years.
- It was launched in a state webinar by Hon’ble Minister Women and Child Development of Odisha.
- It will be implemented through Anganwadi centres across 30 districts and municipal corporations of the state.
- It is a comprehensive package consisting of Anganwadi Pocket Book, Kishori Kalender and Kishori Barta,Tiki mausi Multimedia Package.
- The programme is an initiative of the State for the development and empowerment of adolescent girls between the ages of 10-19 years.
- It makes them self-reliant, empowered and sustainable by renewing commitments towards adolescent girls.
- In 2021, the Central government sought to introduce the Prevention of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill 2021, to raise the manageable age for women across all religions, from 18 to 21 years.
- Recently, the tribal-dominated Gajapati district in Odisha was declared ‘child marriage free’, becoming the second such district in the state after Ganjam.
About Odisha :
- Governor: Ganeshi Lal
- Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik
- Capital : Bhubaneswar
- National Parks : Simlipal National Park, Bhitarkanika National Park
- Wildlife Sanctuaries : Tikarpada Wildlife Sanctuary, Chilika Wildlife Sanctuary, Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary
NGT fines Delhi government ₹2,232 crore for poor waste management
- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a fine of ₹2,232 crore on the Delhi government for damage caused to the environment due to improper solid and liquid waste management.
- It has also set up a panel under Lieutenant-Governor VK Saxena to oversee the capital’s solid waste management.
- The Bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel asked the Delhi government to pay the fine within a month and credit it to a ring-fenced account from which funds would be withdrawn only for waste management.
Key Highlights :
- In October,2022 the NGT had levied an environmental compensation of ₹900 crore on the National Capital Territory for 3 crore tonnes of undisposed waste in the city’s three landfills.
- The committee has been tasked with dealing issues related to solid waste management, including setting up new waste processing facilities, augmenting existing waste processing facilities and reducing legacy waste. Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar will be the convener of this committee, led by Mr. Saxena.
About NGT :
- The NGT has been established under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010.
- It draws inspiration from India’s constitutional provision of (Constitution of India/Part III) Article 21 Protection of life and personal liberty, which assures the citizens of India the right to a healthy environment
- The Tribunal comprises the Chairperson, the Judicial Members, and Expert Members.
About Delhi :
- Governor : Vinai Kumar Saxena
- Chief Minister : Arvind Kejriwal
- Capital : New Delhi
- Wildlife Sanctuaries : Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, National Chambal Sanctuary
49th edition of ‘Khajuraho Dance Festival’ 2023 kicks off in Madhya Pradesh
- Madhya Pradesh (MP) Governor Mangubhai Patel inaugurated the 7-day long 49th Khajuraho Dance Festival-2023 at the world famous tourist destination Khajuraho, Chhatarpur district, MP.
- This festival will conclude on 26 February 2023.
- Under the Department of Culture, the festival is being organised with the joint efforts of Ustad Allaudin Khan Academy of Music and Arts, Department of Tourism, Archaeological Survey of India, World Dance Alliance and Chhatarpur District Administration.
About Khajuraho Dance Festival :
- The MP Rupankar Kala Puraskar will be presented at the function and an exhibition of artefacts has also been set up.
- It is the country’s premier festival focusing on Indian classical dance forms, which is renowned nationally and internationally.
- Khajuraho Dance Festival was started in 1975.
- Art exhibitions from various countries including India, art-marts, interactions between artists and craftsmen and national exhibitions of terracotta and ceramics as well as a fair of traditions and skills will be major attractions during the dance festival.
Other Key Highlights :
- Under the chairmanship of India in G-20, the first meeting of the Culture Working Group (CWG) is also being held in Khajuraho from 23 to 25 February.
- At the inauguration of the festival, MP Vishnu Dutt Sharma also presented Madhya Pradesh State Rupankar Kala Puraskar 2023 to 10 artists.
About MP :
- Governor : Mangubhai C. Patel
- Chief Minister : Shivraj Singh Chouhan
- Capital : Bhopal
- National Park : Dinosaur National Park, Sanjay NP, Madhav NP
- Wildlife Sanctuary : Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, National Chambal Sanctuary, Ken Ghariyal Sanctuary
- Festivals : Lokrang Festival,Chethiyagiri Vihara Festival,Bhagoria Haat Festival
- Dance : Jawara, Lehangi, Tertali
Kerala High Court becomes first in India to publish judgments in regional language
- The Kerala High Court (HC) has published two of its recent judgments in Malayalam thereby becoming the first High Court in the country to publish it in a regional language.
- The judgments were passed by a division bench of Chief Justice Manikumar and Justice Shaji. P, Chaly in January, was made available in Malayalam on the High Court’s website.
- The development comes a day after the Supreme Court launched a trial of a live transcription service to transcribe its proceedings using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology powered by Natural Language Processing.
- As a first step towards the same, 1,091 judgments of the top court were released in Odia, Garo and other regional languages on Republic Day.
About Kerala :
- Chief minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
- Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan
- Capital : Thiruvananthapuram
- National Parks : Eravikulam National Park, Silent Valley National Park
- Wildlife Sanctuaries : Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
Justice Shri Sanjaya Kumar Mishra sworn in as 14th Chief Justice Of Jharkhand High Court
- Justice Shri Sanjaya Kumar Mishra was sworn in as the 14th Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court (HC).
- Governor P. Radhakrishnan administered the oath of office to Chief Justice Mishra.
- Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh read out the warrant of appointment issued by President Droupadi Murmu.
- The Union Ministry of Law and Justice issued a notification regarding the appointment of justice Mishra as the chief justice of the high court.
- The post of the chief justice of the Jharkhand High Court was lying vacant after the superannuation of justice Ravi Ranjan on December 19, 2022.
About Shri Sanjaya Kumar Mishra :
- Sanjaya Kumar Mishra hails from Odisha, India.
- Mishra, 61, was a judge at the Uttarakhand High Court & he was appointed as the Acting Chief Justice on December 24, 2021 and held the office till June 28, 2022.
About High Courts of India :
- The high courts of India are the highest courts of appellate jurisdiction in each state and union territory of India.
- Judges in a high court are appointed by the president of India in consultation with the chief justice of India (CJI) and the governor of the state under Article 217 of the Constitution.
BCCI chief selector Chetan Sharma resigns
- The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief selector Chetan Sharma resigns from his post and resignation has been accepted by BCCI Secretary Jay Shah.
About Chetan Sharma :
- Chetan Sharma is a retired Indian cricketer and former chief national selector in BCCI who played Tests and One Day Internationals (ODIs) as a fast bowler for the Indian cricket team.
- In December 2020, he was selected as Chairman of the selection committee of the Indian cricket team.
- Chetan Sharma is India’s first bowler to take a hat-trick in the ODI World Cup.
- In January,2023 Chetan Sharma was re-appointed as a chief selector by the BCCI.
- Earlier, in November 2022, he was removed from the post of Chief Selector after India’s performance in the T20 World Cup in Australia.
About BCCI :
- Founded : December 1928
- Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- President : Roger Binny
CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS
INS Sumedha Visits Abu Dhabi To Participate In IDEX And NAVDEX 23
- Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sumedha has participated in NAVDEX 23 (Naval Defense Exhibition) and IDEX 23 (International Defense Exhibition) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
- The exercise will be held from 20 to 24 February 2023.
- The ship’s participation in two leading regional naval and defence exhibitions will showcase the strengths of India’s indigenous ship building and underscore the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’.
About INS Sumedha :
- INS Sumedha is the 3rd ship of the indigenously built Saryu class Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel (NOPV) and was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 7 March 2014.
- It is built indigenously at Goa Shipyard Limited & is equipped with an impressive array of weapons and sensors.
- The ship is fitted with an impressive array of weapons and sensors, can carry an integral helicopter and boasts of long endurance.
- INS Sumedha is a highly potent warship, which can be deployed for various operational missions.
- Its excellent capability reflects the capabilities of the Indian naval shipbuilding industry.
Other Key Highlights :
- The defence ties between the two countries were elevated to the level of ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ during the visit of Sheikh Mohamed, the current President of UAE, as the chief guest on the occasion of Republic Day celebrations in January 2017.
- The inaugural edition of the bilateral Exercise Zayed Talwar between the Indian Navy and the UAE Navy was also conducted in March 2018 with an aim to enhance interoperability between the two navies, with the last edition being in August 2021.
About Ministry of Defence :
- Union Minister : Rajnath Singh
- Minister of State : Ajay Bhatt
- Defence Secretary : Giridhar Aramane
CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
India first hybrid sounding rocket launched in Chengalpattu
- India’s first hybrid sounding rocket made by the school students from various states launched as part of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Satellite Launch Vehicle Mission 2023 from Pattipulam Village in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu (TN).
- It was launched in the presence of Tamilisai Soundararajan, Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.
- The Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Satellite Launch Vehicle Mission- 2023 has been launched by Martin Foundation in association with Dr APJ Abdul Kalam International Foundation and Space Zone India.
- APJ Abdul Kalam International Foundation (AKIF) was launched on 11th October 2015.
Key Highlights :
- The rocket can be used for research into weather, atmospheric conditions and
- The reusable rocket has been made by the selected top 100 students & 5,000 students were involved in the project. ·
- The selected students designed and constructed a student satellite launch vehicle (rocket) and 150 PICO satellite research experiment cubes that contained different payloads
- The student team included 200 from the fishermen’s community in TN and
What is a Hybrid propellant rocket?
- A hybrid-propellant rocket is a rocket with a rocket motor.
- It uses rocket propellants in 2 different phases: one solid and the other either gas or liquid, which react to form exhaust gases suitable for rocket propulsion.
World’s highest weather station rebuilt on Mount Everest
- The World’s highest altitude weather station has been rebuilt on Mount Everest.
- World’s highest weather station was destroyed due to hurricane- winds on Mount Everest.
- A team of scientists and Sherpa have again placed its new version & the group has been led by a 31-year-old electrician and mountain guide Tenzing Gyalzen Sherpa.·
About the reinstallation of World’s highest weather station :
- A team of mountaineers and scientists of National Geographic Society (NatGeo) have placed a new weather station at 8,810 metres, just 39 metres (128 ft) below Everest’s summit.
- In May 2022, the team started cleaning up the destroyed Balcony’s weather station and assembling its upgraded version.
- Carrying different components of the weather station, the team reached Bishop Rock on May 9 in the chilly winter at -40°C (-40°F).
- The reinstallation work of the world’s highest weather station was launched as a part of National Geographic and Rolex’s ‘Return to Everest Expedition’ in May 2022.
- Tenzing, Matthews, and Perry with the help of 12 other Sherpa worked to install this weather station.
- Previously, the weather station was located on Everest’s “Balcony“, around 400 metres lower than the new one.
- Notably, it was the first-ever terrestrial weather station that was placed above 8,000 metres.
- The information from the weather station will make an impact on the lives of around 1.6 billion people.
About Mount Everest :
- The world’s highest peak, Mt. Everest is located between Nepal and
- Its total height is 8,849 metres.
- It is known as Sagarmatha (Goddess of the Sky) in Nepal & Chomolungmai(Goddess of Mother of the World) in
CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS
Prime Minister Hasina honours Dr. Mahendra Mishra with the International Mother Language Award in Dhaka
- Indian educationist and social worker for the promotion of indigenous languages in Odisha Dr. Mahendra Kumr Mishra was conferred the International Mother Language Award by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka.
- Mishra is the first India to receive this award.
- Mishra has worked over three decades on the language, culture and education of the marginalised languages of Odisha.
- The award instituted in 2021 by UNESCO is given in recognition of the extraordinary contribution to the preservation, revitalization and development of mother languages.
- Prime Minister Hasina conferred the two national awards and two international awards to four recipients in Dhaka.
- Bangladeshi nationals Habibur Rahman and Ranjit Singha were given the national awards, while Mahendra Kumar Mishra and Mother Language Lovers of World Society, Vancouver, Canada were conferred with the international awards
About UNESCO:
- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture.
- Headquarters: Paris, France
- Founded: 16 November 1945, London, United Kingdom
CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT
India, Seychelles sign pact on information sharing in maritime security
- In order to further the existing cooperation in the realm of maritime safety and security, IFC-IOR signed an MoU with Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC), Seychelles.
- The MoU signed by Captain Rohit Bajpai, Director, IFC-IOR and Capt Sam Gontier, Director, RCOC aims to promote collaboration between the two Centres towards enhancing maritime domain awareness, information sharing and expertise development.
- IFC-IOR, hosted by the Indian Navy, was established by the Government of India at Gurugram on 22 Dec 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).
- To enable better correlation, compressed information cycles and timely inputs, IFC-IOR also hosts International Liaison Officers (ILOs) from partner nations.
- This approach will allow the Centres to effectively develop a common maritime understanding to counter non-traditional maritime security threats such as piracy and armed robbery, human and contraband trafficking, Illegal Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing, arms running, poaching, maritime terrorism, etc with a special focus on the Western Indian Ocean.
Uber signs MoU with Tata Motors to bring 25,000 EVs on platform in India
- Uber has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Motors to bring 25,000 electric vehicles onto the platform.
- This agreement is both in alignment with India’s vision to reach net zero by 2070 and Uber’s commitment to 100% zero-emission vehicle rides by 2040.
- This deal between a ride-hailing app and India’s top carmaker is the largest EV commitment ever of this kind.
- Tata Motors will begin deliveries of “XPRES-T EVs to Uber fleet partners in a phased manner starting this month.
- The partnership will aid the electrification of Uber service across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad
- Earlier, Tata Motors also partnered with BluSmart Mobility to expand the Electric Vehicles fleet in Delhi NCR
About UBER:
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
- Founders: Travis Kalanick, Garrett Camp
- Founded: March 2009, San Francisco, California, United States
- CEO: Dara Khosrowshahi
About TATA Motors:
- Founded: 1945, Mumbai
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- Founder: J. R. D. Tata
Abu Dhabi defence firm signs MOU with India’s HAL at UAE’s defence expo
- At the International Defence Expo and Conference, Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), an aerospace company in India, and EDGE, the top defence company in the UAE, inked a Memorandum of Understanding (IDEX).
- The agreement is inked to investigate potential areas of collaboration, such as the collaborative development of missile systems and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones).
- The use of HAL’s small gas turbine engines on EDGE’s guided missiles, the use of EDGE’s GPS jamming and spoofing devices on HAL’s platforms, and prospects for additional knowledge sharing are among the topics that the two businesses will discuss.
- At EDGE and HAL’s state-of-the-art facilities in the UAE and India, the two businesses will also investigate ways to work together on mission computers, training programs, and the use of additive manufacturing of metallic parts.
- The agreement was signed at INDEX, which is known as one of the biggest tri-service defense shows in the world with Dubai’s EDGE and India’s HAL.
- IDEX-2023 will be held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from February 20–24.
- Sunjay Sudhir, the Indian ambassador to the UAE, stopped by IDEX, the country’s premier defence exposition.
- In the ongoing defence exhibition, other businesses have also signed contracts. For instance, the first-ever Transfer of Technology (ToT) in defence products was agreed upon by ICOMM, a group business of Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd. (MEIL), and CARACAL, an EDGE entity based in the UAE.
About UAE:
- Capital: Abu Dhabi
- Currency: United Arab Emirates Dirham
- Prime minister: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
About HAL:
- Founder: Walchand Hirachand
- Headquarters: India
- Founded: 23 December 1940, Bengaluru
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS
Tilottama Sen wins bronze medal in Women’s 10m Air Rifle at ISSF World Cup at Cairo in Egypt:
- Indian teen Tilottama Sen has won bronze medal in the women’s 10m Air Rifle at ISSF World Cup at Cairo in Egypt.
- The 14-year-old Sen won second bronze for India, fifth overall after ending the top eight ranking round with a score of 262.
- She missed out on the gold medal match by the narrowest possible margin of 0.1.
- Great Britain’s Seonaid Mcintosh won gold and Switzerland’s Olympic Champion Nina Christen came second to win silver.
- The third day of the event was yet another profitable day for India with Rudrankksh Patil earlier winning gold in the men’s Air Rifle.
- India is placed comfortably on top of the medal tally with three golds, with Hungary, Britain and Slovakia winning the other three awarded.
- Four more finals are scheduled in the next couple of days.
About ISSF:
- The International Shooting Sport Federation is the governing body of the Olympic shooting events in rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines, and of several non-Olympic shooting sport events.
- Headquarters: Munich, Germany
- President: Vladimir Lisin
- Founded: 1907
Vignesh and Visakh NR become India’s first brothers to become Grandmasters
- India’s chess player Vignesh NR has become India’s 80th Grandmaster after he defeated Germany’s IM Ilja Schneider and won the 24th NordWest Cup 2023 at Bad Zwischenahn in Germany.
- The Chennai boy reached the milestone after crossing 2500 in the live ratings.
- Vignesh’s elder brother Visakh NR had become India’s 59th GM in 2019.
- Thus, Visakh and Vignesh become India’s first brothers who are Grandmasters.
- The Southern Railway employee immediately had to leave for his next tournament 8th Noisiel Open 2023 in France.
- Vignesh earned his first GM-norm at Qatar Masters in 2015 at the age of 17 years.
- A little over one and a half years later, he scored his second GM-norm at 24th Abu Dhabi Masters in 2017.
- He secured his final GM-norm at 1st Gujarat GM Open 2018.
- A fourth GM-norm was scored at Asian Continental 2019 at Xingtai, China.
About FIDE:
- Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
- President: Arkady Dvorkovich
- Founded: 20 July 1924, Paris, France
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHOR
JP Nadda launches book ‘Modi: Shaping a Global order in flux’
- BJP national president JP Nadda launched a book “Modi: Shaping a Global Order in Flux” in Chanakyapuri.
- While addressing the readers, Nadda said, “This book is going to open a debate on how PM Modi has taken a decision which has changed India’s image worldwide. It’s necessary to understand what was the image of India before Modi ji came to power
- Book is forewarded by Union External Affair Minister S. Jaishankar.
- Editors are Sujan Chinoy, Vijay Chauthaiwala, and Uttam Kumar Sinha.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS
Central Excise Day 2023: February 24
- Every year February 24 is celebrated as the central Excise day all over the world.
- The day is being celebrated to honor the service of the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) to the country.
- The Central Excise Department was one of the oldest departments in India which was established in the year 1855, under the British Raj.
- “The Central Excise Act” or “The Central Excise and Salt Act” was regulated in the year 1944, in which year for the first time Central Excise Day was celebrated but later in the year 1996 these acts got some changes.
- For the Central Excise Officers under the Union Government the “Power to Arrest” was given in the year 1973, which in the year 2013 was given to the Service Tax Matters.
- In this act, at first, there were 67 items mentioned about the Excise Duties which now approximately reach the number 1000 almost.
- After the year 2017, July, and the appearance of GST the Central Excise department only focus on Petroleum and Liquor products to get the tax on perfect assurances.
- In recognition of the establishment of laws, the CBEC has celebrated Central Excise day since the passing of the salt act which was signed into law on February 24, 1944.
Daily CA One – Liner: Feb 24
- RK Singh, the minister of power and new and renewable energy, has launched the South Asia Distribution Utility Network (SADUN), which aims to modernise distribution of utilities in South Asia via knowledge sharing among the region’s discoms
- Indian educationist and social worker for the promotion of indigenous languages in Odisha Dr. Mahendra Kumr Mishra was conferred the International Mother Language Award by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka
- In order to further the existing cooperation in the realm of maritime safety and security, IFC-IOR signed an MoU with Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC), Seychelles
- Uber has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Motors to bring 25,000 electric vehicles onto the platform.
- At the International Defence Expo and Conference, Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), an aerospace company in India, and EDGE, the top defence company in the UAE, inked a Memorandum of Understanding (IDEX).
- Indian teen Tilottama Sen has won bronze medal in the women’s 10m Air Rifle at ISSF World Cup at Cairo in Egypt.
- India’s chess player Vignesh NR has become India’s 80th Grandmaster after he defeated Germany’s IM Ilja Schneider and won the 24th NordWest Cup 2023 at Bad Zwischenahn in Germany
- BJP national president JP Nadda launched a book “Modi: Shaping a Global Order in Flux” in Chanakyapuri
- Every year February 24 is celebrated as the central Excise day all over the world
- The Indore Municipal Corporation’s Green Bonds have been listed on National Stock Exchange (NSE), marking the first-ever green bond issue by a municipal corporation in India.
- The world’s first international summit on the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military (REAIM) 2023 commenced in The Netherlands.
- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and India have launched the UAE India Business Council – UAE Chapter (UIBCUC) to strengthen economic ties and support their joint mission to increase bilateral trade and investment.
- Odisha has been taking a long-term approach to bring about behavioral and social change regarding to end child marriage over the past 4-5 years.
- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a fine of ₹2,232 crore on the Delhi government for damage caused to the environment due to improper solid and liquid waste management.
- Madhya Pradesh (MP) Governor Mangubhai Patel inaugurated the 7-day long 49th Khajuraho Dance Festival-2023 at the world famous tourist destination Khajuraho, Chhatarpur district, MP.
- The Kerala High Court (HC) has published two of its recent judgments in Malayalam thereby becoming the first High Court in the country to publish it in a regional language.
- Justice Shri Sanjaya Kumar Mishra was sworn in as the 14th Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court (HC).
- The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief selector Chetan Sharma resigns from his post and resignation has been accepted by BCCI Secretary Jay Shah.
- Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sumedha has participated in NAVDEX 23 (Naval Defense Exhibition) and IDEX 23 (International Defense Exhibition) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
- India’s first hybrid sounding rocket made by the school students from various states launched as part of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Satellite Launch Vehicle Mission 2023 from Pattipulam Village in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu (TN).
- The World’s highest altitude weather station has been rebuilt on Mount Everest.
CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE
NSE lists first ever green bonds issued by Indore Municipal Corporation
- The Indore Municipal Corporation’s Green Bonds have been listed on National Stock Exchange (NSE), marking the first-ever green bond issue by a municipal corporation in India.
What are Green Bonds?
- Green bonds are debt securities designated to finance environmentally friendly projects.
- In 2008, the World Bank issued its first green bond in response to such increasing demand.
Key Highlights :
- Municipal bonds provide an alternative means of financing for urban local bodies and reduce dependency on central and state grants.
- Most urban infra bonds can be categorised as green bonds since the proceeds are primarily directed towards energy, transport, water management, sewage treatment and energy-saving.
- Green Municipal bonds will also attract new foreign investors who specialise in sustainable financing and invest in projects with environmental, social and governance considerations.
- The public issue of Indore Municipal bonds received an overwhelming response, with an overall subscription of 91 times the issue size.
- The global green bond market has surpassed the milestone of 2 trillion USD in terms of cumulative green bond issuance.
- In India, corporates, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and financial institutions have issued green bonds worth approximately 8 billion USD during 2019-2022.
About NSE :
- Founded : 1992
- Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- MD & CEO : Ashishkumar Chauhan
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS
Power Minister launches SADUN to modernise power distribution utilities in South Asia:
- RK Singh, the minister of power and new and renewable energy, has launched the South Asia Distribution Utility Network (SADUN), which aims to modernise distribution of utilities in South Asia via knowledge sharing among the region’s discoms.
- SADUN is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Power, USAID and PFC.
- USAID had conceptualised SADUN in January 2020 based on a consensus among the participants over a need for an initiative which focused on distribution network in the region.
- Apart from enabling knowledge sharing among discoms and enhancing focus on distribution issues at the regional-level, the network aims to enable utility-to-utility (U2U) connect to reap the benefits of aggregation.
- USAID has already shared a white paper on SADUN with member nations to “get their concurrence on the blueprint of the network” and move ahead in “the process of implementation.”
About The delegates at the event included
- Sonam Tobjey, CEO of Bhutan Power Corporation; Bikash Dewan, MD of DPDC in Bangladesh; Ajwad Mustafa from Maldives’ Ministry of Environment, Climate Change & Technology and MPDUK Mapa Pathirana, Secretary at the Ministry of Power & Energy of Sri Lanka.
- Union power secretary Alok Kumar and USAID’s mission director Veena Reddy were also present at the event.
CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS
World’s first global summit on Responsible AI in the Military kicks off in The Netherlands
- The world’s first international summit on the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military (REAIM) 2023 commenced in The Netherlands.
About REAIM 2023 : ·
- REAIM 2023 brings together governments, corporations, academia, startups, and civil societies to raise awareness, discuss issues, and possibly, agree on common principles for deploying and using AI in armed conflicts.
- Themes:
- Mythbusting AI: Breaking Down the Characteristics of AI
- Responsible deployment and use of AI
- Governance frameworks
- India wasn’t part of this summit.
- The conference, co-hosted by South Korea, hosted 80 government delegations (including those from the US and China), and over 100s of researchers and defence contractors.
- REAIM 2023 brought together governments, corporations, academia, startups, and civil societies to raise awareness, discuss issues, and possibly, agree on common principles for deploying and using AI in armed conflicts.
About Nethe therlands :
- Prime Minister : Mark Rutte
- Capital : Amsterdam
- Currency : Euro
UAE & India launch the UAE Chapter of the Business Council to Boost Bilateral Trade & Investment
- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and India have launched the UAE India Business Council – UAE Chapter (UIBCUC) to strengthen economic ties and support their joint mission to increase bilateral trade and investment.
- Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade has launched the UAE India Business Council – UAE Chapter (UIBC-UC) in Dubai.
- The launch of the UAE Chapter coincides with the 1st anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries on February 18, 2022.
About UIBCUC :
- The UIBC-UC is well positioned to assist the 2 governments in attaining their goals and using the full potential of the UAE-India relationship.
- It has a shared goal of expanding bilateral trade to $100 billion and attracting $75 billion in investment from the UAE to India.
- The Council brings together key partners and stakeholders from both countries and will provide valuable policy guidance while encouraging innovative collaborations between Emirati and Indian businesses.
- UIBC-UC will be the counterpart organisation for the UIBC India Chapter.
- UIBC-UC will operate under the supervision of the UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry and is registered with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce as a legal and financial entity.
- The UIBC-UC will have its office in Dubai.
- Faizal Kottikollon of Kef Holdings has been appointed as the Chairman of UIBC-UC.
- Major General (Retd.) Sharafuddin Sharaf, the Chairman of the UIBC (India Chapter), will serve as the Vice Chairman.
About UIBC-UC :
- UIBC-UC was established in New Delhi in 2016 after UIBC was launched by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Cabinet Member and Smt Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs of India.
Key partners and stakeholders :
- Sovereign Wealth Funds from the UAE and large conglomerates from India such as – TATA group, Reliance, and Adani,
- Tech innovators – OLA, Zerodha, and EaseMyTrip.
The founding members of the UIBC-UC from the UAE side
- Mubadala – Sovereign Wealth Fund of the UAE, Wizz Financial, DP World, EMAAR, Emirates Airlines, Emirates NBD Bank.
The founding members of the UIBC-UC from Indthe ian side
- TATA, Reliance, and Adani, OLA, Zerodha, Udaan, and EaseMyTrip.
- Prominent Indian entrepreneur-led corporations based in the UAE such as KEF Holdings, Buimark Corporation, Apparel Group, EFS and Lulu Financial.
CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS
Odisha’s Initiative to end Child Marriage
- Odisha has been taking a long-term approach to bring about behavioral and social change regarding to ending over the past 4-5 years.
- Odisha recorded an overall decline in the prevalence of child marriage: from 21.3% in National Family Health Survey-4 to 20.5% in NFHS-5.
- On the occasion of the International Day of Girl Child on 11th October, 2020, the Department of Women and Child Development and Mission Shakti, Government of Odisha launched “Advika – Every girl is unique”, a new programme for the adolescent girls of the state.
About Advika – Every girl programme :
- Advika – Every Girl is Unique initiative is to reduce risks and vulnerability of all adolescent girls in the age group of 10-19 years.
- It was launched in a state webinar by Hon’ble Minister Women and Child Development of Odisha.
- It will be implemented through Anganwadi centres across 30 districts and municipal corporations of the state.
- It is a comprehensive package consisting of Anganwadi Pocket Book, Kishori Kalender and Kishori Barta,Tiki mausi Multimedia Package.
- The programme is an initiative of the State for the development and empowerment of adolescent girls between the ages of 10-19 years.
- It makes them self-reliant, empowered and sustainable by renewing commitments towards adolescent girls.
- In 2021, the Central government sought to introduce the Prevention of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill 2021, to raise the manageable age for women across all religions, from 18 to 21 years.
- Recently, the tribal-dominated Gajapati district in Odisha was declared ‘child marriage free’, becoming the second such district in the state after Ganjam.
About Odisha :
- Governor: Ganeshi Lal
- Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik
- Capital : Bhubaneswar
- National Parks : Simlipal National Park, Bhitarkanika National Park
- Wildlife Sanctuaries : Tikarpada Wildlife Sanctuary, Chilika Wildlife Sanctuary, Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary
NGT fines Delhi government ₹2,232 crore for poor waste management
- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a fine of ₹2,232 crore on the Delhi government for damage caused to the environment due to improper solid and liquid waste management.
- It has also set up a panel under Lieutenant-Governor VK Saxena to oversee the capital’s solid waste management.
- The Bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel asked the Delhi government to pay the fine within a month and credit it to a ring-fenced account from which funds would be withdrawn only for waste management.
Key Highlights :
- In October,2022 the NGT had levied an environmental compensation of ₹900 crore on the National Capital Territory for 3 crore tonnes of undisposed waste in the city’s three landfills.
- The committee has been tasked with dealing issues related to solid waste management, including setting up new waste processing facilities, augmenting existing waste processing facilities and reducing legacy waste. Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar will be the convener of this committee, led by Mr. Saxena.
About NGT :
- The NGT has been established under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010.
- It draws inspiration from India’s constitutional provision of (Constitution of India/Part III) Article 21 Protection of life and personal liberty, which assures the citizens of India the right to a healthy environment
- The Tribunal comprises the Chairperson, the Judicial Members, and Expert Members.
About Delhi :
- Governor : Vinai Kumar Saxena
- Chief Minister : Arvind Kejriwal
- Capital : New Delhi
- Wildlife Sanctuaries : Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, National Chambal Sanctuary
49th edition of ‘Khajuraho Dance Festival’ 2023 kicks off in Madhya Pradesh
- Madhya Pradesh (MP) Governor Mangubhai Patel inaugurated the 7-day long 49th Khajuraho Dance Festival-2023 at the world famous tourist destination Khajuraho, Chhatarpur district, MP.
- This festival will conclude on 26 February 2023.
- Under the Department of Culture, the festival is being organised with the joint efforts of Ustad Allaudin Khan Academy of Music and Arts, Department of Tourism, Archaeological Survey of India, World Dance Alliance and Chhatarpur District Administration.
About Khajuraho Dance Festival :
- The MP Rupankar Kala Puraskar will be presented at the function and an exhibition of artefacts has also been set up.
- It is the country’s premier festival focusing on Indian classical dance forms, which is renowned nationally and internationally.
- Khajuraho Dance Festival was started in 1975.
- Art exhibitions from various countries including India, art-marts, interactions between artists and craftsmen and national exhibitions of terracotta and ceramics as well as a fair of traditions and skills will be major attractions during the dance festival.
Other Key Highlights :
- Under the chairmanship of India in G-20, the first meeting of the Culture Working Group (CWG) is also being held in Khajuraho from 23 to 25 February.
- At the inauguration of the festival, MP Vishnu Dutt Sharma also presented Madhya Pradesh State Rupankar Kala Puraskar 2023 to 10 artists.
About MP :
- Governor : Mangubhai C. Patel
- Chief Minister : Shivraj Singh Chouhan
- Capital : Bhopal
- National Park : Dinosaur National Park, Sanjay NP, Madhav NP
- Wildlife Sanctuary : Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, National Chambal Sanctuary, Ken Ghariyal Sanctuary
- Festivals : Lokrang Festival,Chethiyagiri Vihara Festival,Bhagoria Haat Festival
- Dance : Jawara, Lehangi, Tertali
Kerala High Court becomes first in India to publish judgments in regional language
- The Kerala High Court (HC) has published two of its recent judgments in Malayalam thereby becoming the first High Court in the country to publish it in a regional language.
- The judgments were passed by a division bench of Chief Justice Manikumar and Justice Shaji. P, Chaly in January, was made available in Malayalam on the High Court’s website.
- The development comes a day after the Supreme Court launched a trial of a live transcription service to transcribe its proceedings using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology powered by Natural Language Processing.
- As a first step towards the same, 1,091 judgments of the top court were released in Odia, Garo and other regional languages on Republic Day.
About Kerala :
- Chief minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
- Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan
- Capital : Thiruvananthapuram
- National Parks : Eravikulam National Park, Silent Valley National Park
- Wildlife Sanctuaries : Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
Justice Shri Sanjaya Kumar Mishra sworn in as 14th Chief Justice Of Jharkhand High Court
- Justice Shri Sanjaya Kumar Mishra was sworn in as the 14th Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court (HC).
- Governor P. Radhakrishnan administered the oath of office to Chief Justice Mishra.
- Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh read out the warrant of appointment issued by President Droupadi Murmu.
- The Union Ministry of Law and Justice issued a notification regarding the appointment of justice Mishra as the chief justice of the high court.
- The post of the chief justice of the Jharkhand High Court was lying vacant after the superannuation of justice Ravi Ranjan on December 19, 2022.
About Shri Sanjaya Kumar Mishra :
- Sanjaya Kumar Mishra hails from Odisha, India.
- Mishra, 61, was a judge at the Uttarakhand High Court & he was appointed as the Acting Chief Justice on December 24, 2021 and held the office till June 28, 2022.
About High Courts of India :
- The high courts of India are the highest courts of appellate jurisdiction in each state and union territory of India.
- Judges in a high court are appointed by the president of India in consultation with the chief justice of India (CJI) and the governor of the state under Article 217 of the Constitution.
BCCI chief selector Chetan Sharma resigns
- The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief selector Chetan Sharma resigns from his post and resignation has been accepted by BCCI Secretary Jay Shah.
About Chetan Sharma :
- Chetan Sharma is a retired Indian cricketer and former chief national selector in BCCI who played Tests and One Day Internationals (ODIs) as a fast bowler for the Indian cricket team.
- In December 2020, he was selected as Chairman of the selection committee of the Indian cricket team.
- Chetan Sharma is India’s first bowler to take a hat-trick in the ODI World Cup.
- In January,2023 Chetan Sharma was re-appointed as a chief selector by the BCCI.
- Earlier, in November 2022, he was removed from the post of Chief Selector after India’s performance in the T20 World Cup in Australia.
About BCCI :
- Founded : December 1928
- Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- President : Roger Binny
CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS
INS Sumedha Visits Abu Dhabi To Participate In IDEX And NAVDEX 23
- Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sumedha has participated in NAVDEX 23 (Naval Defense Exhibition) and IDEX 23 (International Defense Exhibition) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
- The exercise will be held from 20 to 24 February 2023.
- The ship’s participation in two leading regional naval and defence exhibitions will showcase the strengths of India’s indigenous ship building and underscore the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’.
About INS Sumedha :
- INS Sumedha is the 3rd ship of the indigenously built Saryu class Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel (NOPV) and was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 7 March 2014.
- It is built indigenously at Goa Shipyard Limited & is equipped with an impressive array of weapons and sensors.
- The ship is fitted with an impressive array of weapons and sensors, can carry an integral helicopter and boasts of long endurance.
- INS Sumedha is a highly potent warship, which can be deployed for various operational missions.
- Its excellent capability reflects the capabilities of the Indian naval shipbuilding industry.
Other Key Highlights :
- The defence ties between the two countries were elevated to the level of ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ during the visit of Sheikh Mohamed, the current President of UAE, as the chief guest on the occasion of Republic Day celebrations in January 2017.
- The inaugural edition of the bilateral Exercise Zayed Talwar between the Indian Navy and the UAE Navy was also conducted in March 2018 with an aim to enhance interoperability between the two navies, with the last edition being in August 2021.
About Ministry of Defence :
- Union Minister : Rajnath Singh
- Minister of State : Ajay Bhatt
- Defence Secretary : Giridhar Aramane
CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
India first hybrid sounding rocket launched in Chengalpattu
- India’s first hybrid sounding rocket made by the school students from various states launched as part of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Satellite Launch Vehicle Mission 2023 from Pattipulam Village in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu (TN).
- It was launched in the presence of Tamilisai Soundararajan, Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.
- The Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Satellite Launch Vehicle Mission- 2023 has been launched by Martin Foundation in association with Dr APJ Abdul Kalam International Foundation and Space Zone India.
- APJ Abdul Kalam International Foundation (AKIF) was launched on 11th October 2015.
Key Highlights :
- The rocket can be used for research into weather, atmospheric conditions and
- The reusable rocket has been made by the selected top 100 students & 5,000 students were involved in the project. ·
- The selected students designed and constructed a student satellite launch vehicle (rocket) and 150 PICO satellite research experiment cubes that contained different payloads
- The student team included 200 from the fishermen’s community in TN and
What is a Hybrid propellant rocket?
- A hybrid-propellant rocket is a rocket with a rocket motor.
- It uses rocket propellants in 2 different phases: one solid and the other either gas or liquid, which react to form exhaust gases suitable for rocket propulsion.
World’s highest weather station rebuilt on Mount Everest
- The World’s highest altitude weather station has been rebuilt on Mount Everest.
- World’s highest weather station was destroyed due to hurricane- winds on Mount Everest.
- A team of scientists and Sherpa have again placed its new version & the group has been led by a 31-year-old electrician and mountain guide Tenzing Gyalzen Sherpa.·
About the reinstallation of World’s highest weather station :
- A team of mountaineers and scientists of National Geographic Society (NatGeo) have placed a new weather station at 8,810 metres, just 39 metres (128 ft) below Everest’s summit.
- In May 2022, the team started cleaning up the destroyed Balcony’s weather station and assembling its upgraded version.
- Carrying different components of the weather station, the team reached Bishop Rock on May 9 in the chilly winter at -40°C (-40°F).
- The reinstallation work of the world’s highest weather station was launched as a part of National Geographic and Rolex’s ‘Return to Everest Expedition’ in May 2022.
- Tenzing, Matthews, and Perry with the help of 12 other Sherpa worked to install this weather station.
- Previously, the weather station was located on Everest’s “Balcony“, around 400 metres lower than the new one.
- Notably, it was the first-ever terrestrial weather station that was placed above 8,000 metres.
- The information from the weather station will make an impact on the lives of around 1.6 billion people.
About Mount Everest :
- The world’s highest peak, Mt. Everest is located between Nepal and
- Its total height is 8,849 metres.
- It is known as Sagarmatha (Goddess of the Sky) in Nepal & Chomolungmai(Goddess of Mother of the World) in
CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS
Prime Minister Hasina honours Dr. Mahendra Mishra with the International Mother Language Award in Dhaka
- Indian educationist and social worker for the promotion of indigenous languages in Odisha Dr. Mahendra Kumr Mishra was conferred the International Mother Language Award by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka.
- Mishra is the first India to receive this award.
- Mishra has worked over three decades on the language, culture and education of the marginalised languages of Odisha.
- The award instituted in 2021 by UNESCO is given in recognition of the extraordinary contribution to the preservation, revitalization and development of mother languages.
- Prime Minister Hasina conferred the two national awards and two international awards to four recipients in Dhaka.
- Bangladeshi nationals Habibur Rahman and Ranjit Singha were given the national awards, while Mahendra Kumar Mishra and Mother Language Lovers of World Society, Vancouver, Canada were conferred with the international awards
About UNESCO:
- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture.
- Headquarters: Paris, France
- Founded: 16 November 1945, London, United Kingdom
CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT
India, Seychelles sign pact on information sharing in maritime security
- In order to further the existing cooperation in the realm of maritime safety and security, IFC-IOR signed an MoU with Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC), Seychelles.
- The MoU signed by Captain Rohit Bajpai, Director, IFC-IOR and Capt Sam Gontier, Director, RCOC aims to promote collaboration between the two Centres towards enhancing maritime domain awareness, information sharing and expertise development.
- IFC-IOR, hosted by the Indian Navy, was established by the Government of India at Gurugram on 22 Dec 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).
- To enable better correlation, compressed information cycles and timely inputs, IFC-IOR also hosts International Liaison Officers (ILOs) from partner nations.
- This approach will allow the Centres to effectively develop a common maritime understanding to counter non-traditional maritime security threats such as piracy and armed robbery, human and contraband trafficking, Illegal Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing, arms running, poaching, maritime terrorism, etc with a special focus on the Western Indian Ocean.
Uber signs MoU with Tata Motors to bring 25,000 EVs on platform in India
- Uber has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Motors to bring 25,000 electric vehicles onto the platform.
- This agreement is both in alignment with India’s vision to reach net zero by 2070 and Uber’s commitment to 100% zero-emission vehicle rides by 2040.
- This deal between a ride-hailing app and India’s top carmaker is the largest EV commitment ever of this kind.
- Tata Motors will begin deliveries of “XPRES-T EVs to Uber fleet partners in a phased manner starting this month.
- The partnership will aid the electrification of Uber service across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad
- Earlier, Tata Motors also partnered with BluSmart Mobility to expand the Electric Vehicles fleet in Delhi NCR
About UBER:
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
- Founders: Travis Kalanick, Garrett Camp
- Founded: March 2009, San Francisco, California, United States
- CEO: Dara Khosrowshahi
About TATA Motors:
- Founded: 1945, Mumbai
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- Founder: J. R. D. Tata
Abu Dhabi defence firm signs MOU with India’s HAL at UAE’s defence expo
- At the International Defence Expo and Conference, Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), an aerospace company in India, and EDGE, the top defence company in the UAE, inked a Memorandum of Understanding (IDEX).
- The agreement is inked to investigate potential areas of collaboration, such as the collaborative development of missile systems and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones).
- The use of HAL’s small gas turbine engines on EDGE’s guided missiles, the use of EDGE’s GPS jamming and spoofing devices on HAL’s platforms, and prospects for additional knowledge sharing are among the topics that the two businesses will discuss.
- At EDGE and HAL’s state-of-the-art facilities in the UAE and India, the two businesses will also investigate ways to work together on mission computers, training programs, and the use of additive manufacturing of metallic parts.
- The agreement was signed at INDEX, which is known as one of the biggest tri-service defense shows in the world with Dubai’s EDGE and India’s HAL.
- IDEX-2023 will be held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from February 20–24.
- Sunjay Sudhir, the Indian ambassador to the UAE, stopped by IDEX, the country’s premier defence exposition.
- In the ongoing defence exhibition, other businesses have also signed contracts. For instance, the first-ever Transfer of Technology (ToT) in defence products was agreed upon by ICOMM, a group business of Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd. (MEIL), and CARACAL, an EDGE entity based in the UAE.
About UAE:
- Capital: Abu Dhabi
- Currency: United Arab Emirates Dirham
- Prime minister: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
About HAL:
- Founder: Walchand Hirachand
- Headquarters: India
- Founded: 23 December 1940, Bengaluru
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS
Tilottama Sen wins bronze medal in Women’s 10m Air Rifle at ISSF World Cup at Cairo in Egypt:
- Indian teen Tilottama Sen has won bronze medal in the women’s 10m Air Rifle at ISSF World Cup at Cairo in Egypt.
- The 14-year-old Sen won second bronze for India, fifth overall after ending the top eight ranking round with a score of 262.
- She missed out on the gold medal match by the narrowest possible margin of 0.1.
- Great Britain’s Seonaid Mcintosh won gold and Switzerland’s Olympic Champion Nina Christen came second to win silver.
- The third day of the event was yet another profitable day for India with Rudrankksh Patil earlier winning gold in the men’s Air Rifle.
- India is placed comfortably on top of the medal tally with three golds, with Hungary, Britain and Slovakia winning the other three awarded.
- Four more finals are scheduled in the next couple of days.
About ISSF:
- The International Shooting Sport Federation is the governing body of the Olympic shooting events in rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines, and of several non-Olympic shooting sport events.
- Headquarters: Munich, Germany
- President: Vladimir Lisin
- Founded: 1907
Vignesh and Visakh NR become India’s first brothers to become Grandmasters
- India’s chess player Vignesh NR has become India’s 80th Grandmaster after he defeated Germany’s IM Ilja Schneider and won the 24th NordWest Cup 2023 at Bad Zwischenahn in Germany.
- The Chennai boy reached the milestone after crossing 2500 in the live ratings.
- Vignesh’s elder brother Visakh NR had become India’s 59th GM in 2019.
- Thus, Visakh and Vignesh become India’s first brothers who are Grandmasters.
- The Southern Railway employee immediately had to leave for his next tournament 8th Noisiel Open 2023 in France.
- Vignesh earned his first GM-norm at Qatar Masters in 2015 at the age of 17 years.
- A little over one and a half years later, he scored his second GM-norm at 24th Abu Dhabi Masters in 2017.
- He secured his final GM-norm at 1st Gujarat GM Open 2018.
- A fourth GM-norm was scored at Asian Continental 2019 at Xingtai, China.
About FIDE:
- Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
- President: Arkady Dvorkovich
- Founded: 20 July 1924, Paris, France
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHOR
JP Nadda launches book ‘Modi: Shaping a Global order in flux’
- BJP national president JP Nadda launched a book “Modi: Shaping a Global Order in Flux” in Chanakyapuri.
- While addressing the readers, Nadda said, “This book is going to open a debate on how PM Modi has taken a decision which has changed India’s image worldwide. It’s necessary to understand what was the image of India before Modi ji came to power
- Book is forewarded by Union External Affair Minister S. Jaishankar.
- Editors are Sujan Chinoy, Vijay Chauthaiwala, and Uttam Kumar Sinha.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS
Central Excise Day 2023: February 24
- Every year February 24 is celebrated as the central Excise day all over the world.
- The day is being celebrated to honor the service of the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) to the country.
- The Central Excise Department was one of the oldest departments in India which was established in the year 1855, under the British Raj.
- “The Central Excise Act” or “The Central Excise and Salt Act” was regulated in the year 1944, in which year for the first time Central Excise Day was celebrated but later in the year 1996 these acts got some changes.
- For the Central Excise Officers under the Union Government the “Power to Arrest” was given in the year 1973, which in the year 2013 was given to the Service Tax Matters.
- In this act, at first, there were 67 items mentioned about the Excise Duties which now approximately reach the number 1000 almost.
- After the year 2017, July, and the appearance of GST the Central Excise department only focus on Petroleum and Liquor products to get the tax on perfect assurances.
- In recognition of the establishment of laws, the CBEC has celebrated Central Excise day since the passing of the salt act which was signed into law on February 24, 1944.
Daily CA One – Liner: Feb 24
- RK Singh, the minister of power and new and renewable energy, has launched the South Asia Distribution Utility Network (SADUN), which aims to modernise distribution of utilities in South Asia via knowledge sharing among the region’s discoms
- Indian educationist and social worker for the promotion of indigenous languages in Odisha Dr. Mahendra Kumr Mishra was conferred the International Mother Language Award by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka
- In order to further the existing cooperation in the realm of maritime safety and security, IFC-IOR signed an MoU with Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC), Seychelles
- Uber has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Motors to bring 25,000 electric vehicles onto the platform.
- At the International Defence Expo and Conference, Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), an aerospace company in India, and EDGE, the top defence company in the UAE, inked a Memorandum of Understanding (IDEX).
- Indian teen Tilottama Sen has won bronze medal in the women’s 10m Air Rifle at ISSF World Cup at Cairo in Egypt.
- India’s chess player Vignesh NR has become India’s 80th Grandmaster after he defeated Germany’s IM Ilja Schneider and won the 24th NordWest Cup 2023 at Bad Zwischenahn in Germany
- BJP national president JP Nadda launched a book “Modi: Shaping a Global Order in Flux” in Chanakyapuri
- Every year February 24 is celebrated as the central Excise day all over the world
- The Indore Municipal Corporation’s Green Bonds have been listed on National Stock Exchange (NSE), marking the first-ever green bond issue by a municipal corporation in India.
- The world’s first international summit on the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military (REAIM) 2023 commenced in The Netherlands.
- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and India have launched the UAE India Business Council – UAE Chapter (UIBCUC) to strengthen economic ties and support their joint mission to increase bilateral trade and investment.
- Odisha has been taking a long-term approach to bring about behavioral and social change regarding to end child marriage over the past 4-5 years.
- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a fine of ₹2,232 crore on the Delhi government for damage caused to the environment due to improper solid and liquid waste management.
- Madhya Pradesh (MP) Governor Mangubhai Patel inaugurated the 7-day long 49th Khajuraho Dance Festival-2023 at the world famous tourist destination Khajuraho, Chhatarpur district, MP.
- The Kerala High Court (HC) has published two of its recent judgments in Malayalam thereby becoming the first High Court in the country to publish it in a regional language.
- Justice Shri Sanjaya Kumar Mishra was sworn in as the 14th Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court (HC).
- The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief selector Chetan Sharma resigns from his post and resignation has been accepted by BCCI Secretary Jay Shah.
- Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sumedha has participated in NAVDEX 23 (Naval Defense Exhibition) and IDEX 23 (International Defense Exhibition) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
- India’s first hybrid sounding rocket made by the school students from various states launched as part of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Satellite Launch Vehicle Mission 2023 from Pattipulam Village in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu (TN).
- The World’s highest altitude weather station has been rebuilt on Mount Everest.
CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE
NSE lists first ever green bonds issued by Indore Municipal Corporation
- The Indore Municipal Corporation’s Green Bonds have been listed on National Stock Exchange (NSE), marking the first-ever green bond issue by a municipal corporation in India.
What are Green Bonds?
- Green bonds are debt securities designated to finance environmentally friendly projects.
- In 2008, the World Bank issued its first green bond in response to such increasing demand.
Key Highlights :
- Municipal bonds provide an alternative means of financing for urban local bodies and reduce dependency on central and state grants.
- Most urban infra bonds can be categorised as green bonds since the proceeds are primarily directed towards energy, transport, water management, sewage treatment and energy-saving.
- Green Municipal bonds will also attract new foreign investors who specialise in sustainable financing and invest in projects with environmental, social and governance considerations.
- The public issue of Indore Municipal bonds received an overwhelming response, with an overall subscription of 91 times the issue size.
- The global green bond market has surpassed the milestone of 2 trillion USD in terms of cumulative green bond issuance.
- In India, corporates, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and financial institutions have issued green bonds worth approximately 8 billion USD during 2019-2022.
About NSE :
- Founded : 1992
- Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- MD & CEO : Ashishkumar Chauhan
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS
Power Minister launches SADUN to modernise power distribution utilities in South Asia:
- RK Singh, the minister of power and new and renewable energy, has launched the South Asia Distribution Utility Network (SADUN), which aims to modernise distribution of utilities in South Asia via knowledge sharing among the region’s discoms.
- SADUN is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Power, USAID and PFC.
- USAID had conceptualised SADUN in January 2020 based on a consensus among the participants over a need for an initiative which focused on distribution network in the region.
- Apart from enabling knowledge sharing among discoms and enhancing focus on distribution issues at the regional-level, the network aims to enable utility-to-utility (U2U) connect to reap the benefits of aggregation.
- USAID has already shared a white paper on SADUN with member nations to “get their concurrence on the blueprint of the network” and move ahead in “the process of implementation.”
About The delegates at the event included
- Sonam Tobjey, CEO of Bhutan Power Corporation; Bikash Dewan, MD of DPDC in Bangladesh; Ajwad Mustafa from Maldives’ Ministry of Environment, Climate Change & Technology and MPDUK Mapa Pathirana, Secretary at the Ministry of Power & Energy of Sri Lanka.
- Union power secretary Alok Kumar and USAID’s mission director Veena Reddy were also present at the event.
CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS
World’s first global summit on Responsible AI in the Military kicks off in The Netherlands
- The world’s first international summit on the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military (REAIM) 2023 commenced in The Netherlands.
About REAIM 2023 : ·
- REAIM 2023 brings together governments, corporations, academia, startups, and civil societies to raise awareness, discuss issues, and possibly, agree on common principles for deploying and using AI in armed conflicts.
- Themes:
- Mythbusting AI: Breaking Down the Characteristics of AI
- Responsible deployment and use of AI
- Governance frameworks
- India wasn’t part of this summit.
- The conference, co-hosted by South Korea, hosted 80 government delegations (including those from the US and China), and over 100s of researchers and defence contractors.
- REAIM 2023 brought together governments, corporations, academia, startups, and civil societies to raise awareness, discuss issues, and possibly, agree on common principles for deploying and using AI in armed conflicts.
About Nethe therlands :
- Prime Minister : Mark Rutte
- Capital : Amsterdam
- Currency : Euro
UAE & India launch the UAE Chapter of the Business Council to Boost Bilateral Trade & Investment
- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and India have launched the UAE India Business Council – UAE Chapter (UIBCUC) to strengthen economic ties and support their joint mission to increase bilateral trade and investment.
- Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade has launched the UAE India Business Council – UAE Chapter (UIBC-UC) in Dubai.
- The launch of the UAE Chapter coincides with the 1st anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries on February 18, 2022.
About UIBCUC :
- The UIBC-UC is well positioned to assist the 2 governments in attaining their goals and using the full potential of the UAE-India relationship.
- It has a shared goal of expanding bilateral trade to $100 billion and attracting $75 billion in investment from the UAE to India.
- The Council brings together key partners and stakeholders from both countries and will provide valuable policy guidance while encouraging innovative collaborations between Emirati and Indian businesses.
- UIBC-UC will be the counterpart organisation for the UIBC India Chapter.
- UIBC-UC will operate under the supervision of the UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry and is registered with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce as a legal and financial entity.
- The UIBC-UC will have its office in Dubai.
- Faizal Kottikollon of Kef Holdings has been appointed as the Chairman of UIBC-UC.
- Major General (Retd.) Sharafuddin Sharaf, the Chairman of the UIBC (India Chapter), will serve as the Vice Chairman.
About UIBC-UC :
- UIBC-UC was established in New Delhi in 2016 after UIBC was launched by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Cabinet Member and Smt Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs of India.
Key partners and stakeholders :
- Sovereign Wealth Funds from the UAE and large conglomerates from India such as – TATA group, Reliance, and Adani,
- Tech innovators – OLA, Zerodha, and EaseMyTrip.
The founding members of the UIBC-UC from the UAE side
- Mubadala – Sovereign Wealth Fund of the UAE, Wizz Financial, DP World, EMAAR, Emirates Airlines, Emirates NBD Bank.
The founding members of the UIBC-UC from Indthe ian side
- TATA, Reliance, and Adani, OLA, Zerodha, Udaan, and EaseMyTrip.
- Prominent Indian entrepreneur-led corporations based in the UAE such as KEF Holdings, Buimark Corporation, Apparel Group, EFS and Lulu Financial.
CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS
Odisha’s Initiative to end Child Marriage
- Odisha has been taking a long-term approach to bring about behavioral and social change regarding to ending over the past 4-5 years.
- Odisha recorded an overall decline in the prevalence of child marriage: from 21.3% in National Family Health Survey-4 to 20.5% in NFHS-5.
- On the occasion of the International Day of Girl Child on 11th October, 2020, the Department of Women and Child Development and Mission Shakti, Government of Odisha launched “Advika – Every girl is unique”, a new programme for the adolescent girls of the state.
About Advika – Every girl programme :
- Advika – Every Girl is Unique initiative is to reduce risks and vulnerability of all adolescent girls in the age group of 10-19 years.
- It was launched in a state webinar by Hon’ble Minister Women and Child Development of Odisha.
- It will be implemented through Anganwadi centres across 30 districts and municipal corporations of the state.
- It is a comprehensive package consisting of Anganwadi Pocket Book, Kishori Kalender and Kishori Barta,Tiki mausi Multimedia Package.
- The programme is an initiative of the State for the development and empowerment of adolescent girls between the ages of 10-19 years.
- It makes them self-reliant, empowered and sustainable by renewing commitments towards adolescent girls.
- In 2021, the Central government sought to introduce the Prevention of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill 2021, to raise the manageable age for women across all religions, from 18 to 21 years.
- Recently, the tribal-dominated Gajapati district in Odisha was declared ‘child marriage free’, becoming the second such district in the state after Ganjam.
About Odisha :
- Governor: Ganeshi Lal
- Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik
- Capital : Bhubaneswar
- National Parks : Simlipal National Park, Bhitarkanika National Park
- Wildlife Sanctuaries : Tikarpada Wildlife Sanctuary, Chilika Wildlife Sanctuary, Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary
NGT fines Delhi government ₹2,232 crore for poor waste management
- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a fine of ₹2,232 crore on the Delhi government for damage caused to the environment due to improper solid and liquid waste management.
- It has also set up a panel under Lieutenant-Governor VK Saxena to oversee the capital’s solid waste management.
- The Bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel asked the Delhi government to pay the fine within a month and credit it to a ring-fenced account from which funds would be withdrawn only for waste management.
Key Highlights :
- In October,2022 the NGT had levied an environmental compensation of ₹900 crore on the National Capital Territory for 3 crore tonnes of undisposed waste in the city’s three landfills.
- The committee has been tasked with dealing issues related to solid waste management, including setting up new waste processing facilities, augmenting existing waste processing facilities and reducing legacy waste. Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar will be the convener of this committee, led by Mr. Saxena.
About NGT :
- The NGT has been established under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010.
- It draws inspiration from India’s constitutional provision of (Constitution of India/Part III) Article 21 Protection of life and personal liberty, which assures the citizens of India the right to a healthy environment
- The Tribunal comprises the Chairperson, the Judicial Members, and Expert Members.
About Delhi :
- Governor : Vinai Kumar Saxena
- Chief Minister : Arvind Kejriwal
- Capital : New Delhi
- Wildlife Sanctuaries : Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, National Chambal Sanctuary
49th edition of ‘Khajuraho Dance Festival’ 2023 kicks off in Madhya Pradesh
- Madhya Pradesh (MP) Governor Mangubhai Patel inaugurated the 7-day long 49th Khajuraho Dance Festival-2023 at the world famous tourist destination Khajuraho, Chhatarpur district, MP.
- This festival will conclude on 26 February 2023.
- Under the Department of Culture, the festival is being organised with the joint efforts of Ustad Allaudin Khan Academy of Music and Arts, Department of Tourism, Archaeological Survey of India, World Dance Alliance and Chhatarpur District Administration.
About Khajuraho Dance Festival :
- The MP Rupankar Kala Puraskar will be presented at the function and an exhibition of artefacts has also been set up.
- It is the country’s premier festival focusing on Indian classical dance forms, which is renowned nationally and internationally.
- Khajuraho Dance Festival was started in 1975.
- Art exhibitions from various countries including India, art-marts, interactions between artists and craftsmen and national exhibitions of terracotta and ceramics as well as a fair of traditions and skills will be major attractions during the dance festival.
Other Key Highlights :
- Under the chairmanship of India in G-20, the first meeting of the Culture Working Group (CWG) is also being held in Khajuraho from 23 to 25 February.
- At the inauguration of the festival, MP Vishnu Dutt Sharma also presented Madhya Pradesh State Rupankar Kala Puraskar 2023 to 10 artists.
About MP :
- Governor : Mangubhai C. Patel
- Chief Minister : Shivraj Singh Chouhan
- Capital : Bhopal
- National Park : Dinosaur National Park, Sanjay NP, Madhav NP
- Wildlife Sanctuary : Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, National Chambal Sanctuary, Ken Ghariyal Sanctuary
- Festivals : Lokrang Festival,Chethiyagiri Vihara Festival,Bhagoria Haat Festival
- Dance : Jawara, Lehangi, Tertali
Kerala High Court becomes first in India to publish judgments in regional language
- The Kerala High Court (HC) has published two of its recent judgments in Malayalam thereby becoming the first High Court in the country to publish it in a regional language.
- The judgments were passed by a division bench of Chief Justice Manikumar and Justice Shaji. P, Chaly in January, was made available in Malayalam on the High Court’s website.
- The development comes a day after the Supreme Court launched a trial of a live transcription service to transcribe its proceedings using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology powered by Natural Language Processing.
- As a first step towards the same, 1,091 judgments of the top court were released in Odia, Garo and other regional languages on Republic Day.
About Kerala :
- Chief minister: Pinarayi Vijayan
- Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan
- Capital : Thiruvananthapuram
- National Parks : Eravikulam National Park, Silent Valley National Park
- Wildlife Sanctuaries : Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
Justice Shri Sanjaya Kumar Mishra sworn in as 14th Chief Justice Of Jharkhand High Court
- Justice Shri Sanjaya Kumar Mishra was sworn in as the 14th Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court (HC).
- Governor P. Radhakrishnan administered the oath of office to Chief Justice Mishra.
- Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh read out the warrant of appointment issued by President Droupadi Murmu.
- The Union Ministry of Law and Justice issued a notification regarding the appointment of justice Mishra as the chief justice of the high court.
- The post of the chief justice of the Jharkhand High Court was lying vacant after the superannuation of justice Ravi Ranjan on December 19, 2022.
About Shri Sanjaya Kumar Mishra :
- Sanjaya Kumar Mishra hails from Odisha, India.
- Mishra, 61, was a judge at the Uttarakhand High Court & he was appointed as the Acting Chief Justice on December 24, 2021 and held the office till June 28, 2022.
About High Courts of India :
- The high courts of India are the highest courts of appellate jurisdiction in each state and union territory of India.
- Judges in a high court are appointed by the president of India in consultation with the chief justice of India (CJI) and the governor of the state under Article 217 of the Constitution.
BCCI chief selector Chetan Sharma resigns
- The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief selector Chetan Sharma resigns from his post and resignation has been accepted by BCCI Secretary Jay Shah.
About Chetan Sharma :
- Chetan Sharma is a retired Indian cricketer and former chief national selector in BCCI who played Tests and One Day Internationals (ODIs) as a fast bowler for the Indian cricket team.
- In December 2020, he was selected as Chairman of the selection committee of the Indian cricket team.
- Chetan Sharma is India’s first bowler to take a hat-trick in the ODI World Cup.
- In January,2023 Chetan Sharma was re-appointed as a chief selector by the BCCI.
- Earlier, in November 2022, he was removed from the post of Chief Selector after India’s performance in the T20 World Cup in Australia.
About BCCI :
- Founded : December 1928
- Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- President : Roger Binny
CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS
INS Sumedha Visits Abu Dhabi To Participate In IDEX And NAVDEX 23
- Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sumedha has participated in NAVDEX 23 (Naval Defense Exhibition) and IDEX 23 (International Defense Exhibition) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
- The exercise will be held from 20 to 24 February 2023.
- The ship’s participation in two leading regional naval and defence exhibitions will showcase the strengths of India’s indigenous ship building and underscore the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’.
About INS Sumedha :
- INS Sumedha is the 3rd ship of the indigenously built Saryu class Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel (NOPV) and was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 7 March 2014.
- It is built indigenously at Goa Shipyard Limited & is equipped with an impressive array of weapons and sensors.
- The ship is fitted with an impressive array of weapons and sensors, can carry an integral helicopter and boasts of long endurance.
- INS Sumedha is a highly potent warship, which can be deployed for various operational missions.
- Its excellent capability reflects the capabilities of the Indian naval shipbuilding industry.
Other Key Highlights :
- The defence ties between the two countries were elevated to the level of ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ during the visit of Sheikh Mohamed, the current President of UAE, as the chief guest on the occasion of Republic Day celebrations in January 2017.
- The inaugural edition of the bilateral Exercise Zayed Talwar between the Indian Navy and the UAE Navy was also conducted in March 2018 with an aim to enhance interoperability between the two navies, with the last edition being in August 2021.
About Ministry of Defence :
- Union Minister : Rajnath Singh
- Minister of State : Ajay Bhatt
- Defence Secretary : Giridhar Aramane
CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
India first hybrid sounding rocket launched in Chengalpattu
- India’s first hybrid sounding rocket made by the school students from various states launched as part of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Satellite Launch Vehicle Mission 2023 from Pattipulam Village in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu (TN).
- It was launched in the presence of Tamilisai Soundararajan, Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.
- The Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Satellite Launch Vehicle Mission- 2023 has been launched by Martin Foundation in association with Dr APJ Abdul Kalam International Foundation and Space Zone India.
- APJ Abdul Kalam International Foundation (AKIF) was launched on 11th October 2015.
Key Highlights :
- The rocket can be used for research into weather, atmospheric conditions and
- The reusable rocket has been made by the selected top 100 students & 5,000 students were involved in the project. ·
- The selected students designed and constructed a student satellite launch vehicle (rocket) and 150 PICO satellite research experiment cubes that contained different payloads
- The student team included 200 from the fishermen’s community in TN and
What is a Hybrid propellant rocket?
- A hybrid-propellant rocket is a rocket with a rocket motor.
- It uses rocket propellants in 2 different phases: one solid and the other either gas or liquid, which react to form exhaust gases suitable for rocket propulsion.
World’s highest weather station rebuilt on Mount Everest
- The World’s highest altitude weather station has been rebuilt on Mount Everest.
- World’s highest weather station was destroyed due to hurricane- winds on Mount Everest.
- A team of scientists and Sherpa have again placed its new version & the group has been led by a 31-year-old electrician and mountain guide Tenzing Gyalzen Sherpa.·
About the reinstallation of World’s highest weather station :
- A team of mountaineers and scientists of National Geographic Society (NatGeo) have placed a new weather station at 8,810 metres, just 39 metres (128 ft) below Everest’s summit.
- In May 2022, the team started cleaning up the destroyed Balcony’s weather station and assembling its upgraded version.
- Carrying different components of the weather station, the team reached Bishop Rock on May 9 in the chilly winter at -40°C (-40°F).
- The reinstallation work of the world’s highest weather station was launched as a part of National Geographic and Rolex’s ‘Return to Everest Expedition’ in May 2022.
- Tenzing, Matthews, and Perry with the help of 12 other Sherpa worked to install this weather station.
- Previously, the weather station was located on Everest’s “Balcony“, around 400 metres lower than the new one.
- Notably, it was the first-ever terrestrial weather station that was placed above 8,000 metres.
- The information from the weather station will make an impact on the lives of around 1.6 billion people.
About Mount Everest :
- The world’s highest peak, Mt. Everest is located between Nepal and
- Its total height is 8,849 metres.
- It is known as Sagarmatha (Goddess of the Sky) in Nepal & Chomolungmai(Goddess of Mother of the World) in
CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS
Prime Minister Hasina honours Dr. Mahendra Mishra with the International Mother Language Award in Dhaka
- Indian educationist and social worker for the promotion of indigenous languages in Odisha Dr. Mahendra Kumr Mishra was conferred the International Mother Language Award by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka.
- Mishra is the first India to receive this award.
- Mishra has worked over three decades on the language, culture and education of the marginalised languages of Odisha.
- The award instituted in 2021 by UNESCO is given in recognition of the extraordinary contribution to the preservation, revitalization and development of mother languages.
- Prime Minister Hasina conferred the two national awards and two international awards to four recipients in Dhaka.
- Bangladeshi nationals Habibur Rahman and Ranjit Singha were given the national awards, while Mahendra Kumar Mishra and Mother Language Lovers of World Society, Vancouver, Canada were conferred with the international awards
About UNESCO:
- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture.
- Headquarters: Paris, France
- Founded: 16 November 1945, London, United Kingdom
CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT
India, Seychelles sign pact on information sharing in maritime security
- In order to further the existing cooperation in the realm of maritime safety and security, IFC-IOR signed an MoU with Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC), Seychelles.
- The MoU signed by Captain Rohit Bajpai, Director, IFC-IOR and Capt Sam Gontier, Director, RCOC aims to promote collaboration between the two Centres towards enhancing maritime domain awareness, information sharing and expertise development.
- IFC-IOR, hosted by the Indian Navy, was established by the Government of India at Gurugram on 22 Dec 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).
- To enable better correlation, compressed information cycles and timely inputs, IFC-IOR also hosts International Liaison Officers (ILOs) from partner nations.
- This approach will allow the Centres to effectively develop a common maritime understanding to counter non-traditional maritime security threats such as piracy and armed robbery, human and contraband trafficking, Illegal Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing, arms running, poaching, maritime terrorism, etc with a special focus on the Western Indian Ocean.
Uber signs MoU with Tata Motors to bring 25,000 EVs on platform in India
- Uber has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Motors to bring 25,000 electric vehicles onto the platform.
- This agreement is both in alignment with India’s vision to reach net zero by 2070 and Uber’s commitment to 100% zero-emission vehicle rides by 2040.
- This deal between a ride-hailing app and India’s top carmaker is the largest EV commitment ever of this kind.
- Tata Motors will begin deliveries of “XPRES-T EVs to Uber fleet partners in a phased manner starting this month.
- The partnership will aid the electrification of Uber service across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad
- Earlier, Tata Motors also partnered with BluSmart Mobility to expand the Electric Vehicles fleet in Delhi NCR
About UBER:
- Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States
- Founders: Travis Kalanick, Garrett Camp
- Founded: March 2009, San Francisco, California, United States
- CEO: Dara Khosrowshahi
About TATA Motors:
- Founded: 1945, Mumbai
- Headquarters: Mumbai
- Founder: J. R. D. Tata
Abu Dhabi defence firm signs MOU with India’s HAL at UAE’s defence expo
- At the International Defence Expo and Conference, Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), an aerospace company in India, and EDGE, the top defence company in the UAE, inked a Memorandum of Understanding (IDEX).
- The agreement is inked to investigate potential areas of collaboration, such as the collaborative development of missile systems and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones).
- The use of HAL’s small gas turbine engines on EDGE’s guided missiles, the use of EDGE’s GPS jamming and spoofing devices on HAL’s platforms, and prospects for additional knowledge sharing are among the topics that the two businesses will discuss.
- At EDGE and HAL’s state-of-the-art facilities in the UAE and India, the two businesses will also investigate ways to work together on mission computers, training programs, and the use of additive manufacturing of metallic parts.
- The agreement was signed at INDEX, which is known as one of the biggest tri-service defense shows in the world with Dubai’s EDGE and India’s HAL.
- IDEX-2023 will be held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from February 20–24.
- Sunjay Sudhir, the Indian ambassador to the UAE, stopped by IDEX, the country’s premier defence exposition.
- In the ongoing defence exhibition, other businesses have also signed contracts. For instance, the first-ever Transfer of Technology (ToT) in defence products was agreed upon by ICOMM, a group business of Megha Engineering and Infrastructures Ltd. (MEIL), and CARACAL, an EDGE entity based in the UAE.
About UAE:
- Capital: Abu Dhabi
- Currency: United Arab Emirates Dirham
- Prime minister: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
About HAL:
- Founder: Walchand Hirachand
- Headquarters: India
- Founded: 23 December 1940, Bengaluru
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS
Tilottama Sen wins bronze medal in Women’s 10m Air Rifle at ISSF World Cup at Cairo in Egypt:
- Indian teen Tilottama Sen has won bronze medal in the women’s 10m Air Rifle at ISSF World Cup at Cairo in Egypt.
- The 14-year-old Sen won second bronze for India, fifth overall after ending the top eight ranking round with a score of 262.
- She missed out on the gold medal match by the narrowest possible margin of 0.1.
- Great Britain’s Seonaid Mcintosh won gold and Switzerland’s Olympic Champion Nina Christen came second to win silver.
- The third day of the event was yet another profitable day for India with Rudrankksh Patil earlier winning gold in the men’s Air Rifle.
- India is placed comfortably on top of the medal tally with three golds, with Hungary, Britain and Slovakia winning the other three awarded.
- Four more finals are scheduled in the next couple of days.
About ISSF:
- The International Shooting Sport Federation is the governing body of the Olympic shooting events in rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines, and of several non-Olympic shooting sport events.
- Headquarters: Munich, Germany
- President: Vladimir Lisin
- Founded: 1907
Vignesh and Visakh NR become India’s first brothers to become Grandmasters
- India’s chess player Vignesh NR has become India’s 80th Grandmaster after he defeated Germany’s IM Ilja Schneider and won the 24th NordWest Cup 2023 at Bad Zwischenahn in Germany.
- The Chennai boy reached the milestone after crossing 2500 in the live ratings.
- Vignesh’s elder brother Visakh NR had become India’s 59th GM in 2019.
- Thus, Visakh and Vignesh become India’s first brothers who are Grandmasters.
- The Southern Railway employee immediately had to leave for his next tournament 8th Noisiel Open 2023 in France.
- Vignesh earned his first GM-norm at Qatar Masters in 2015 at the age of 17 years.
- A little over one and a half years later, he scored his second GM-norm at 24th Abu Dhabi Masters in 2017.
- He secured his final GM-norm at 1st Gujarat GM Open 2018.
- A fourth GM-norm was scored at Asian Continental 2019 at Xingtai, China.
About FIDE:
- Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland
- President: Arkady Dvorkovich
- Founded: 20 July 1924, Paris, France
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHOR
JP Nadda launches book ‘Modi: Shaping a Global order in flux’
- BJP national president JP Nadda launched a book “Modi: Shaping a Global Order in Flux” in Chanakyapuri.
- While addressing the readers, Nadda said, “This book is going to open a debate on how PM Modi has taken a decision which has changed India’s image worldwide. It’s necessary to understand what was the image of India before Modi ji came to power
- Book is forewarded by Union External Affair Minister S. Jaishankar.
- Editors are Sujan Chinoy, Vijay Chauthaiwala, and Uttam Kumar Sinha.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS
Central Excise Day 2023: February 24
- Every year February 24 is celebrated as the central Excise day all over the world.
- The day is being celebrated to honor the service of the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) to the country.
- The Central Excise Department was one of the oldest departments in India which was established in the year 1855, under the British Raj.
- “The Central Excise Act” or “The Central Excise and Salt Act” was regulated in the year 1944, in which year for the first time Central Excise Day was celebrated but later in the year 1996 these acts got some changes.
- For the Central Excise Officers under the Union Government the “Power to Arrest” was given in the year 1973, which in the year 2013 was given to the Service Tax Matters.
- In this act, at first, there were 67 items mentioned about the Excise Duties which now approximately reach the number 1000 almost.
- After the year 2017, July, and the appearance of GST the Central Excise department only focus on Petroleum and Liquor products to get the tax on perfect assurances.
- In recognition of the establishment of laws, the CBEC has celebrated Central Excise day since the passing of the salt act which was signed into law on February 24, 1944.
Daily CA One – Liner: Feb 24
- RK Singh, the minister of power and new and renewable energy, has launched the South Asia Distribution Utility Network (SADUN), which aims to modernise distribution of utilities in South Asia via knowledge sharing among the region’s discoms
- Indian educationist and social worker for the promotion of indigenous languages in Odisha Dr. Mahendra Kumr Mishra was conferred the International Mother Language Award by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka
- In order to further the existing cooperation in the realm of maritime safety and security, IFC-IOR signed an MoU with Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC), Seychelles
- Uber has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Motors to bring 25,000 electric vehicles onto the platform.
- At the International Defence Expo and Conference, Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL), an aerospace company in India, and EDGE, the top defence company in the UAE, inked a Memorandum of Understanding (IDEX).
- Indian teen Tilottama Sen has won bronze medal in the women’s 10m Air Rifle at ISSF World Cup at Cairo in Egypt.
- India’s chess player Vignesh NR has become India’s 80th Grandmaster after he defeated Germany’s IM Ilja Schneider and won the 24th NordWest Cup 2023 at Bad Zwischenahn in Germany
- BJP national president JP Nadda launched a book “Modi: Shaping a Global Order in Flux” in Chanakyapuri
- Every year February 24 is celebrated as the central Excise day all over the world
- The Indore Municipal Corporation’s Green Bonds have been listed on National Stock Exchange (NSE), marking the first-ever green bond issue by a municipal corporation in India.
- The world’s first international summit on the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military (REAIM) 2023 commenced in The Netherlands.
- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and India have launched the UAE India Business Council – UAE Chapter (UIBCUC) to strengthen economic ties and support their joint mission to increase bilateral trade and investment.
- Odisha has been taking a long-term approach to bring about behavioral and social change regarding to end child marriage over the past 4-5 years.
- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a fine of ₹2,232 crore on the Delhi government for damage caused to the environment due to improper solid and liquid waste management.
- Madhya Pradesh (MP) Governor Mangubhai Patel inaugurated the 7-day long 49th Khajuraho Dance Festival-2023 at the world famous tourist destination Khajuraho, Chhatarpur district, MP.
- The Kerala High Court (HC) has published two of its recent judgments in Malayalam thereby becoming the first High Court in the country to publish it in a regional language.
- Justice Shri Sanjaya Kumar Mishra was sworn in as the 14th Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court (HC).
- The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief selector Chetan Sharma resigns from his post and resignation has been accepted by BCCI Secretary Jay Shah.
- Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sumedha has participated in NAVDEX 23 (Naval Defense Exhibition) and IDEX 23 (International Defense Exhibition) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
- India’s first hybrid sounding rocket made by the school students from various states launched as part of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Satellite Launch Vehicle Mission 2023 from Pattipulam Village in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu (TN).
- The World’s highest altitude weather station has been rebuilt on Mount Everest.
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