Daily Current Affairs April 05 2023

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

DBS Bank India Launches ‘DigiPortfolio’ offers Morningstar-curated investments on risk preference     

• DBS Bank India has launched an innovative investment solution, ‘digiPortfolio’, on its digibank platform.
• DigiPortfolio uses both technology and human expertise to create a set of investment options curated by Morningstar that match the risk preferences of different investors.
• The platform is an easy, one-stop solution for users to invest money with ready-made baskets of mutual funds.

About digiPortfolio : 

• The ‘digiPortfolio’ provides instant access to investors with two plans starting at a minimum investment of Rs 10,000 and going up to Rs 50,000.
• These plans include features such as portfolio construction, monitoring, and rebalancing services, powered by Morningstar.
• There are no extra charges, like sales or transaction fees.
• One can invest for as long as one wants, choosing what suits him/her based on goals, risk preferences, and investment duration.
• The bank will use data, artificial intelligence and advanced technologies to make the customer experience more seamless.
• Various investment options, such as domestic equity, debt and money market instruments, are included in the offering to ensure there are diverse portfolios to cater to different risk profiles.

SEBI Tightens Norms For Companies Opting Share Buyback Via Stock Exchange Mechanism

• The capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) imposed restrictions on placement of bids, price and volume on companies going for buyback of securities through stock exchange route.
• At present, companies have the provision of both the stock exchange and tender offer for the share buyback.

Key Highlights : 

• Under this, a company could not buy more than 25% of the average daily trading volume (in value) of its shares or other specified securities in the 10 trading days preceding purchases.
• Under the route, a company will not place bids in the pre-open market, the first 30 minutes and the last 30 minutes of the regular trading session.
• Its purchase order price should be within the range of ±1% from the last traded price.
• All companies as well as their appointed brokers should ensure the compliance with the provisions.
• SEBI also directed that the company and its appointed broker shall ensure compliance with these provisions.
• SEBI notified the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Buy-Back of Securities) (Amendment) Regulations,2023 on February 7, 2023.
• In December 2022, SEBI had announced to gradually phase out buyback via stock exchange route. 

About SEBI :

• Established : 12 April 1988 as an executive body and was given statutory powers on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman : Madhabi Puri Buch
• SEBI is the regulatory body for securities and commodity markets in India under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance, GoI.

SEBI asks investors to link PAN with Aadhaar by March 31

• Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has directed all investors to link their Permanent Account Number (PAN) with their Aadhaar numbers by Mar 31, 2023 for the continuation of seamless transactions in the securities market.
• The non-compliance with this would be considered non-KYC compliant, and there could be restrictions on securities and other transactions until the PAN and Aadhaar are linked.
• The provisions of the Income-tax Act make it mandatory for every person who has been allotted a PAN to intimate his/her Aadhaar number to the prescribed authority so that the Aadhaar and PAN can be linked.
• This is required to be done on or before the notified date, failing which the PAN would become inoperative.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

PM inaugurates the Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference Unveils Commemorative Stamp and Commemorative Coin

• Prime Minister inaugurates the Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference at IARI Campus, PUSA New Delhi.
• A commemorative stamp and commemorative coin were unveiled in this 2-day conference.
• A compendium of Indian millet (Shri Anna) start-ups and a book of millet (Shri Anna) standards were also digitally launched.
• The Indian Institute of Millets Research of ICAR was declared as a Global Centre of Excellence.
• Global Millets Conference is a symbol of India’s responsibilities towards the global good.
• Shree Anna is becoming a medium of holistic development in India and is linked with village as well as the poor.

AgLive 2023 – ‘AgLive 2023:

• The Millet Challenge’ is a Pitch session for Millets based Startups, organised as part of the conference.
• It was aimed at making an impact by increasing interaction amongst millet-based innovators/entrepreneurs, investors, and other stakeholders.

PAN-Aadhaar linking deadline extended till June 30

• Income Tax Department has extended the due date to June 30 from the earlier deadline of March 31.
• However, the linking will be possible only after paying a late fee of ₹1,000.
• More than 51 crore PANs have already been linked with Aadhaar so far.
• Under the provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961, every person who has been allotted a PAN as on July 01, 2017 and is eligible to obtain Aadhaar Number, is required to intimate his Aadhaar to the prescribed authority on or before March 31, 2023, on payment of a prescribed fee (which is ₹1,000).
• If taxpayers fail to link their PAN with their Aadhaar, they cannot avail income tax refunds and have to pay TDS (tax deduction at source) and TCS (tax collection at source) at higher rates.
• However, the PAN can be made operative within 30 days, upon intimation of Aadhaar to the prescribed authority after payment of the late fee.
• The CBDT exempted certain people from this PAN-Aadhaar linking mandate.
• The exempted categories are those residing in specified States (Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, and Meghalaya), a non-resident as per the Act and an individual who is not a citizen of India or individuals of the age of eighty years or more at any time during the previous year.

The Multiple Indicator Survey (MIS) report of NSS 78th round 2020-21

• The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) carried out its 78th round of the Multiple Indicator Survey (MIS).
• The Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) are household surveys implemented by countries under the programme developed by the United Nations Children’s Fund to provide internationally comparable, statistically rigorous data on the situation of children and women.
• The survey was conducted for all the states except for Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• The MICS was originally developed in response to the World Summit for Children (WSC) held in 1990 to measure progress towards an internationally agreed set of mid-decade goals.
• To collect information for developing estimates of some important Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators.
• To collect information Purchase/Construction of house(s)/ flat(s) by the household for residential purpose after 31 March 2021 and information on Migration.
• Percentage of persons reported to have improved source of drinking water – 95.7
• Percentage of persons reported access to hand washing facility with water and soap/detergent within the premises – 81.9
• Percentage of households using clean fuel as primary source of energy for cooking – 63.1
• Percentage of persons of age 15-29 years were in formal and non-formal education and training for the 12 months preceding the survey – 34.9
• Percentage of persons of age 18 years and above who used mobile telephone with active SIM card during the three months preceding the date of the survey – 72.7
• About 95.0 percent of the persons in the rural areas and about 97.2 percent of the persons in the urban areas used ‘improved source of drinking water’.
• About 92.5 percent of households in rural areas reported availability of all-weather roads within 2 km from the place of living.

IPCC released the final  report of the sixth assessment cycle

• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the final final report of the sixth assessment cycle.
• Climate change is a threat to human well-being and planetary health and there is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said in a report
• Human activities have ‘unequivocally’ caused global warming.
• This has warmed the land and oceans by 1.1°C as observed for the period of 2011-2020, compared with the period 1850-1900.
• Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) announced by countries till October 2021 make it likely that warming will exceed 1.5°C during the 21st century and make it harder to limit warming below 2°C.
• To achieve the 1.5°C goal with 50 per cent likelihood, we need rapid and deep GHG emissions reductions in all sectors this decade.
• Climate justice is crucial because those who have contributed least to climate change are being disproportionately affected,
• This report is the final report of the sixth assessment cycle of the UN panel.
• It is a summary of the 5 earlier reports released between 2018 and 2022.

About IPCC:

• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the international body for assessing the science related to climate change.
• The IPCC was set up in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

India becomes first country to develop its own system for estimating TB cases

• India has become the first country in the world to estimate the Tuberculosis (TB) burden in-country and launch its own mathematical system to estimate the disease burden.
  • This model was constructed based on;
  • The natural history of diseases,
  • individual status of infection, disease,
  • health care seeking, missed or correct diagnosis,
  • Treatment coverage and outcomes including cure and death.
• The TB model was drawn up by using data from several sources, including the Nikshay portal of private sector drug sales, the sub-national certification system where the TB-free status of various States is estimated and ranked.
• India’s TB incidence rate stands at 196 per 1,00,000 population, instead of the 210 estimated by the WHO, and the estimated deaths from the communicable disease stand at 3.20 lakh, instead of the 4.94 lakh that was projected in 2021.
• The Health Ministry noted that as per this data, the global TB reduction numbers stand at 11% while the reduction in TB cases in India is 18%.
• Delhi has the highest burden of all forms of TB and pulmonary TB — at 747 per 100,000 and 534 per 100,000 respectively.
• Gujarat has the lowest burden of all forms of TB at 137 per 100,000 while Kerala is the lowest in pulmonary TB at 151 per 100,000.

PFRDA raises ombudsman age limit to 70 years from 65 years

• The Centre announced that it has increased the upper age limit by 5 years of the ombudsman of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) to 70 years.
• As per the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (Redressal of Subscriber Grievance) Regulations 2015, the upper age limit was 65 years.
• The ombudsman, which is appointed by PFRDA receives, considers and facilitates resolution of complaints or grievances, which fall within the ambit of the regulations.
• A person appointed as an Ombudsman holds office for a period of three years and would be eligible for reappointment for another two years.
• Recently, the Pension Fund Regulatory & Development Authority (PFRDA) has made the mandatory upload of withdrawal/ KYC documents to enable seamless processing of exit and annuity for the benefit of National Pension System (NPS) subscribers.
• In the interest of Subscribers and to benefit them with timely payment of annuity income, the upload of the documents shall be mandatory with effect from 1st April 2023.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Georgia Becomes First US State To Pass Resolution Condemning Hinduphobia

• The United States (US) Georgia Assembly has passed a resolution condemning Hinduphobia, making it the first American state to take such a legislative measure.
• Condemning Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu bigotry, the resolution stated that Hinduism is one of the world’s largest and oldest religions with over 1.2 billion adherents in over 100 countries.

Key Highlights : 

• The resolution was introduced by Representatives Lauren McDonald and Todd Jones from Forsyth County in the suburbs of Atlanta, home to one of the largest Hindu and Indian-American diaspora communities in Georgia
• The resolution observed that the American-Hindu community has been a major contributor to diverse sectors such as medicine, science and engineering, information technology, hospitality, finance, academia, manufacturing, energy, and retail trade, among others.
• A move in this regard was spearheaded by the Atlanta chapter of the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), which organised the first-ever Hindu Advocacy Day held on March 22,2023 at the Georgia State Capitol.

Saudi Arabia launches new national airline Riyadh Air

• Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has announced the creation of a new national airline called Riyadh Air.
• Riyadh Air will serve more than 100 destinations around the world by 2030.
• Riyadh Air will be Saudi Arabia’s second national carrier alongside Saudi.

About Riyadh Air : 

• Riyadh Air is wholly owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), which has more than $600 billion in assets.
• It will be chaired by PIF Governor Yasser bin Othman al-Rumayyan, while Tony Douglas, who brings more than 40 years of experience in the aviation, transportation and logistics industries, is appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
• The new airline is expected to add $20 billion to Saudi Arabia’s non-oil GDP growth and create more than 200,000 jobs both directly and indirectly
• The new national carrier will leverage Saudi Arabia`s strategic geographic location between the 3 continents of Asia, Africa and Europe, enabling Riyadh to become a gateway to the world and a global destination for transportation, trade, and tourism.

About Saudi Arabia : 

• Crown Prince and Prime Minister : Mohammed bin Salman
• Capital : Riyadh
• Currency : Saudi riyal

Anjali Sharma conquer Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, wearing Luanchari

• The Union Information and Broadcasting Minister congratulated Anjali Sharma of Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh (HP) for conquering South Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro peak wearing a Gaddi dress (Luanchadi).
• Lunachari is a traditional dress of Himachal Pradesh.

About Mount Kilimanjaro :

• Mount Kilimanjaro located in Tanzania is Africa’s tallest mountain and the world’s largest free-standing mountain (which means not part of a mountain range).
• It has 3 main volcanic peaks namely: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira.
• Amongst these 3 peaks, Kibo is the tallest of the 3 volcanic formations which is also a dormant volcano while the other 2 are extinct volcanoes.
• The mountain is a snow-capped volcano.
• It was included as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site in 1987.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

Va Tech Wabag bags ₹4,400-crore order from Chennai Metro Water to build desalination plant

• VA Tech Wabag Ltd, a Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN)-headquartered water technology focussed on municipal and industrial users, has bagged a design, build, operate (DBO) order from Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) for building a 400 million litres per day (MLD) sea water reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant at a total cost of about ₹4,400 crore.
• The project will be executed by WABAG in a joint venture with Metito Overseas Ltd. 
• Once completed, the project will be the largest desalination plant in South East Asia.

Key Highlights : 

• The project makes Chennai “Desalination Capital of India” with a production of about 750 MLD of desalinated water along the coast of Chennai, TN.
• With the 400 MLD SWRO desalination plant, Wabag will be responsible for about 70% of the water production through desalination units in Chennai.
• The new plant will cater to the drinking water needs of the entire Chennai City, including added areas like Tambaram and Pallavaram.
• The project has been funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and seeks to improve Chennai’s water security through a stable source of drinking water in the form of desalination.
• The new plant will come up at Perur near Nemeli on the East Coast Road where there is a 110-MLD desalination plant and a 200 MLD plant is under construction.
• The desalination process will include lamella clarifiers, a dissolved air flotation system, and gravity dual media filters followed by reverse osmosis and remineralization to produce clean drinking water.

About Tamil Nadu :

• Governor: R. N. Ravi
• Chief Minister: M. K. Stalin
• Capital: Chennai
• Dance : Bharatnatyam, Karakattam
• National Park : Mudumalai National Park, Mukurthi National Park, Guindy National Park, Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Kalakad Wildlife sanctuary, Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary
• Tiger Reserve : Anamalai Tiger Reserve
• Biosphere Reserve : Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve

In a first, Eravikulam National Park gets a fernarium

• Eravikulam National Park (ENP), the natural habitat of Nilgiri tahr in Munnar, has a new attraction a Fernarium setup inside the park.
• This is the first time such a fern collection has been established in the hill station.

What is Eravikulam National Park(ENP)?

• ENP is situated in the Kannan Devan Hills of the southern Western Ghats of Kerala.
• It is the first National Park in Kerala.
• It was declared as a National Park in 1978 
• The park is a natural habitat of Nilgiri tahr (highly endangered mountain goat).
• The highest peak in South India– The Anamudi (2695 metres) is situated in this park.
• This is also the land of “Neelakurinji”, the flower that blooms once in 12 years.

What are Ferns?

• Ferns are part of the Epiphytic family.
• They grow naturally in a soilless condition.
• The plants obtain water and nutrients through leaching from trees.
• Ferns are a diverse group of plants that do not produce flowers or seeds but instead reproduce through spores.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPS AND PORTAL

‘Call Before You Dig’ app launched by PM Modi to help prevent uncoordinated digging

• The Prime Minister has launched an app called ‘Call Before u Dig’.
• To help prevent uncoordinated digging that results in damage to underground utility assets like optical fibre cables, costing the government thousands of crores every year.
• The ‘Call Before u Dig’ (CBuD) app aims to facilitate coordination between excavation agencies and underground utility owners to prevent damage to utilities due to digging.
• With this, it would help to protect underground public infrastructure across the country.
• The mobile application has been developed by the department of telecommunications and the Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics functioning under the Gujarat government to protect underground public infrastructure across the country.
• The app will connect excavators and asset owners through SMS/Email notifications and click-to-call in bid to execute planned excavations.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

Rural Development Ministry inks deal with 19 employers

• The Ministry of Rural Development has signed MoUs with 19 ‘Captive Employers’ for the training and placement of 31,000 rural youths under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY).
• ‘Captive Employers’ refer to companies or industries that select rural youths, skill them, and deploy them in one of their own establishments, sister concerns or subsidiaries.
• The ministry aims to provide these employers with the target to train and provide gainful employment to rural youth, with a minimum salary of Rs.10, 000 per month.
• The time period of employment is a minimum of six months.
• To ensure that the candidates are trained in line with the industry requirement and employed.
• The Captive Employment model allows the employer to select the rural youths, skill and deploy them in one of its own establishment/sister-concern/subsidiaries.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh Assumed Charge As Vice Chief Of The Naval Staff

• Vice-Admiral Mr Sanjay Jasjit Singh became the new Vice-Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS) of the Indian Navy.
• Mr Sanjay Jasjit Singh succeeds Mr S N Ghormade, who demitted office on March 31, 2023 after his superannuation.

About Vice-Admiral Mr Sanjay Jasjit Singh : 

• Mr Sanjay Jasjit Singh was commissioned in 1986 in the Executive Branch of the Navy.
• Prior to taking over as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff, he was Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Operations).
• He was awarded the Nao Sena Medal in 2009, and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2020.

Other Appointments : 

• Vice-Admiral Mr Suraj Berry became the Chief of Personnel (COP) of the Indian Navy.
• The post of COP was vacant after Vice-Adm Mr Dinesh K. Tripathi assumed the charge as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Western Naval Command.
• V. Adm. Mr Berry is a specialist in gunnery and missile warfare.
• Meanwhile Vice-Admiral Mr Atul Anand took over as the Director-General Naval Operations (DGNO).

About Indian Navy : 

• Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi
• Chief of the Naval Staff : Admiral R. Hari Kumar

Reserve Bank of India appoints Mr Neeraj Nigam as New Executive Director                               

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Mr Neeraj Nigam as the new Executive Director (ED).
• In his new role, Mr Nigam will be responsible for overseeing several departments including Consumer Education and Protection, Financial Inclusion and Development, Legal, and Secretary.
• Before his promotion to ED, he served as the head of the Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) Regional Office for the RBI.
• Over more than 30 years, Mr Neeraj Nigam has worked in a variety of departments within the RBI, including Regulation and Supervision, Human Resource Management, Premises, Currency Management, and Bank Accounts.
• He has also earned the professional certification of Certified Associate of Indian Institute of Banking and Finance (CAIIB).

Mr Gianni Infantino re-elected as FIFA president until 2027                                   

• Mr Gianni Infantino was re-elected as the president of Fédération internationale de football association (FIFA) until 2027 at the 73rd Congress of the body in the Rwandan capital Kigali.
• He has been re-elected as president of FIFA for a 4 year term from 2023 to 2027.
• Mr Infantino was first elected in an Extraordinary Congress in 2016 following the resignation of his predecessor Sepp Blatter, and retained his position unopposed 3 years later.
• For the first time, an elective FIFA Congress took place in Africa.
• The proceedings were opened by Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda.
• Rwanda hosted 211 FIFA Football Associations members and partners for the 73rd FIFA congress.

About FIFA : 

• Founded : 21 May 1904
• Headquarters : Zurich, Switzerland
• The FIFA is the international governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Bharat Dynamics Limited Successfully Test Fires 3rd Generation Man-portable Anti Tank Guided Missile – Amogha-II

• The Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) has successfully conducted a field firing test of its latest 3rd generation man-portable Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM), Amogha-III. 
• This indigenous missile has been developed under Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).

About Amogha-III ATGM :

• At the DefExpo 2020 which took place in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (UP) in a hybrid format, the BDL had unveiled a model of a new, 3rd generation ATGM
• The whole missile system comes with a command launch unit (CLU), remote operation capability and a tripod.
• It has a fire-and-forget capability and does not require external intervention after the launch.
• The missile also features dual-mode Imaging Infra-Red (IIR) Seeker systems with a range of 200 to 2500 metres.
• It showcases a tandem warhead, consisting of 2 separate explosive charges that are detonated in sequence.
• The first charge, known as the precursor charge, penetrates the target’s armour, creating a hole for the second charge, the main charge, to detonate inside, maximising damage inflicted on the target.
• The missile is capable of top and direct attack modes.
• The missile can be fired in lock-on-before launch (LOBL) mode and its anti-armour tandem warhead can penetrate in excess of 650 mm beyond Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA).

About BDL :

• Founded : 1970
• Headquarters :Hyderabad, Telangana, India
• Chairman & Managing Director : Commodore Siddharth Mishra

Indian Immunologicals signs MoU with ICAR-CIFA for fish vaccine development

• Hyderabad based Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) entered into a partnership with the Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA), Bhubaneswar, an Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Institute for the commercial development of vaccines against Hemorrhagic Septicemia, also called Aeromonas Septicemia, Ulcer Disease or Red-Sore Disease in freshwater fish.
• Currently there are no fish vaccines available in India on a commercial scale to prevent aquaculture infections.
• IIL is the first in India to get fish vaccines.
• In October 2022, IIL ventured into the aqua business by launching products for the aquaculture health market dealing with pond management and fish or shrimp gut management and subsequently, announced commercial development of fish vaccines with ICAR-CIFE.

Key Highlights :

• Hemorrhagic Septicemia in freshwater fishes is caused by Aeromonas hydrophila, an opportunistic pathogenic bacterium.
• This infection is the scourge of fresh and brackish water fish farming worldwide.
• All cultured freshwater fish species in India like rohu, catla, mrigal, silver carp, grass carp, common carp, medium carp, channel catfish, eel, among others,are susceptible to this disease.
• India is the third largest fish producer in the global sphere and more than 65% of India’s fish is through Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture.

Amazon to launch first of 3,000 internet satellites to space in 2024

• Amazon.com plans to launch its first internet satellites to space in the first half of 2024 as it prepares to vie with Elon Musk’s SpaceX and others to provide broadband internet globally.
• Amazon’s satellite internet unit, Project Kuiper, will begin mass-producing the satellites later 2023.

Key Highlights :

• This will be the first of over 3,000 satellites the technology giant plans to launch in low-Earth orbit in the next few years.
• The 2024 deployment target would keep Amazon on track to fulfil a regulatory mandate to launch half its entire Kuiper network of 3,236 satellites by 2026.
• With plans to pump more than $10 billion into the Kuiper network, Amazon sees its experience producing millions of devices from its consumer electronics powerhouse as an edge over rival SpaceX, the Musk-owned space company whose Starlink network already has roughly 4,000 satellites in space.
• Amazon also revealed a slate of 3 different terminals, or antennas, that will connect customers with its Kuiper satellites in orbit.
• The “standard customer terminal,” 11-inch square antennas, will cost the company less than $400 each to produce and provide internet speeds of 400 megabits per second for customers.
• A smaller, square-shaped mobile antenna, measuring 7 inches wide and weighing one pound, will be Amazon’s “most affordable” terminal for the network, though the company did not disclose the price.
• Amazon’s largest, “most capable” antenna model, “designed for enterprise, government and telecommunications applications,” will be 19 by 30 inches in size and put out internet speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second – fast enough to download a high-definition feature-length movie in roughly 30 seconds.

ISRO successfully conducts landing experiment of the Reusable Launch Vehicle

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully carried out the landing experiment of the Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstration (RLV-TD) programme at the Aeronautical Test Range in Challakere, Karnataka.
• The RLV took off by a Chinook Helicopter of the Indian Air Force (IAF) as an underslung load and flew to a height of 4.5 km (above Mean sea level MSL).
• ISRO conducted the first experimental mission of its Reusable Launch Vehicle – Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) on May 23, 2016, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.

Key Highlights :

• RLV-TD has a length of 6.5 metres and a width of 3.6 metres.
• It consists of a fuselage or body, a nose cap, double-delta wings, and twin vertical tails, and features symmetrically placed active control surfaces called Elevons and Rudder.
• RLV-TD is equipped with a conventional solid booster (HS9) that is designed for a low-burn rate.
• It is the first in the world; a winged body has been carried to an altitude of 4.5 km.
• The release of this vehicle was autonomous as it performed approach and landing manoeuvres using Integrated Navigation, Guidance, and control system and completed an autonomous landing on the airstrip
• This was the second phase of the technology demonstration missions for the reusable launch vehicle prototype.
• This programme is planned as a series of technology demonstration missions that have been considered as a first step towards realising a Two Stage To Orbit (TSTO) fully reusable vehicle.
• A Winged RLV-TD has been configured to act as a flying test bed to evaluate various technologies namely, hypersonic flight, autonomous landing, and powered cruise flight.

About ISRO :

• Founded : 15 August 1969
• Headquarters : Bangalore, Karnataka
• Chairman : Sreedhara Somanath

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

National Maritime Day 2023: April 5

• Every year, National Maritime Day in India is celebrated on the 5th of April.
• It is a day celebrated to show gratitude to the men who spend many months in the sea, carrying out the bulk of India’s trade and commerce at a global level.
• “MARPOL at 50 – Our commitment goes on” is the World Maritime theme for 2023, reflecting the need to support a green transition of the maritime sector into a sustainable future, while leaving no one behind.
• The legacy of Indian shipping first started on April 5th, 1919, when the first ship The SS Loyalty manufactured by The Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd. sailed from Mumbai to the United Kingdom.
• India also became a member of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in 1959.
• IMO is responsible for maritime protection and preventing pollution from ships.

Daily CA One- Liner: April 5

• Prime Minister inaugurates the Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference at IARI Campus, PUSA New Delhi
• Income Tax Department has extended the due date to June 30 from the earlier deadline of March 31.
• The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) carried out its 78th round of the Multiple Indicator Survey (MIS)
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the final final report of the sixth assessment cycle.
• The Prime Minister has launched an app called ‘Call Before u Dig’.
• India has become the first country in the world to estimate the Tuberculosis (TB) burden in-country and launch its own mathematical system to estimate the disease burden.
• The Centre announced that it has increased the upper age limit by 5 years of the ombudsman of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) to 70 years
• The Ministry of Rural Development has signed MoUs with 19 ‘Captive Employers’ for the training and placement of 31,000 rural youths under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY).
• DBS Bank India has launched an innovative investment solution, ‘digiPortfolio’, on its digibank platform.
• The capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) imposed restrictions on placement of bids, price and volume on companies going for buyback of securities through stock exchange route.
• Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has directed all investors to link their Permanent Account Number (PAN) with their Aadhaar numbers by Mar 31, 2023 for the continuation of seamless transactions in the securities market.
• The United States (US) Georgia Assembly has passed a resolution condemning Hinduphobia, making it the first American state to take such a legislative measure.
• Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has announced the creation of a new national airline called Riyadh Air.
• The Union Information and Broadcasting Minister congratulated Anjali Sharma of Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh (HP) for conquering South Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro peak wearing a Gaddi dress (Luanchadi).
• VA Tech Wabag Ltd, a Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN)-headquartered water technology focussed on municipal and industrial users, has bagged a design, build, operate (DBO) an order from Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) for building a 400 million litres per day (MLD) sea water reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant at a total cost of about ₹4,400 crore.
• Eravikulam National Park (ENP), the natural habitat of Nilgiri tahr in Munnar, has a new attraction a Fernarium setup inside the park.
• Vice-Admiral Mr Sanjay Jasjit Singh became the new Vice-Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS) of the Indian Navy.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Mr Neeraj Nigam as the new Executive Director (ED).
• Mr Gianni Infantino was re-elected as the president of Fédération internationale de football association (FIFA) until 2027 at the 73rd Congress of the body in the Rwandan capital Kigali.
• The Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) has successfully conducted a field firing test of its latest 3rd generation man-portable Anti Tank Guided Missile (ATGM), Amogha-III. 
• Hyderabad based Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) entered into a partnership with the Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA), Bhubaneswar, an Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Institute for the commercial development of vaccines against Hemorrhagic Septicemia, also called Aeromonas Septicemia, Ulcer Disease or Red-Sore Disease in freshwater fish.
• com plans to launch its first internet satellites to space in the first half of 2024 as it prepares to vie with Elon Musk’s SpaceX and others to provide broadband internet globally.
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully carried out the landing experiment of the Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstration (RLV-TD) programme at the Aeronautical Test Range in Challakere, Karnataka.
• Every year, National Maritime Day in India is celebrated on 5th of April.