January Current affairs roundup

January Current affairs Compile English
2nd January Current Affairs
Appointment & Resignation
News-1
Ajit Kumar Saxena assume charge as the Chairman cum

Managing Director of MOIL
Appointed Person Ajit Kumar Saxena

Appointed as Chairman-Cum-Managing Director of
Manganese Ore India Limited
News-2
Benjamin Netanyahu Sworn in as Israel’s new Prime Minister
Appointed Person Benjamin Netanyahu (6th time)

Appointed as 25th Prime Minister of Israel
Party Name Right wing Likud party
Replaced Yair Lapid
Benjamin Netanyahu’s 1996, 2009, 2013. 2015, 2020
PM Terms
News-3
CRPF Chief Sujoy Lal Thaosen takes over the additional charge
of Director General of the Border Security Force
Appointed Person CRPF Director General Sujoy Lal Thaosen

Appointed as Additional charge as Director General
Border Security Force
Replaced Pankaj Kumar Singh
Banking/ Finance/ Economy
News-1
Government hikes interest rates on Kisan Vikas Patra scheme by

0.20% for January-March 2023
Extra Points
● The Union Ministry of Finance in an order has increased the
interest rates on the Kisan Vikas Patra by 0.2% for the
January -March 2023 quarter.
● It has also increased the interest rates of some small saving
schemes 20 to 110 basis points for the January-March
quarter.
● The interest rates on the small savings scheme are revised
after every quarter by the government.
New Interest rates on Small Saving Schemes:
Name of the Scheme Interest Rates (from 1 January

2023)
Senior Citizens Savings 8 % (earlier 7.6%)
Scheme
Kisan Vikas Patra 7.2 % (earlier 7%)
Monthly Income Schemes 7.1 % (earlier 6.7%)
One year Term deposit (fixed 6.6 % (earlier 5.5 %)
deposit) with Post Office
Two year Term deposit (fixed 6.8 % (earlier 5.7%)
deposit) with Post Office
Three year Term deposit 6.9 % (earlier 5.8%)
(fixed deposit) with Post
Office
National Savings Certificate 7.0% (earlier 6.8 %)
(NSC)
No Change in Interest rates of the following Small Saving

Scheme:
Scheme Interest rates

Public Provident Fund (PPF) 7.1%
Sukanya Samridhdhi Yojana 7.6%
Post Office Saving Account 4%
About Ministry of Finance
Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Minister of State Pankaj Chaudhary, Dr. Bhagwat Kishanrao
Karad
News-2
MahaMetro to Raise Rs 3,586 crore for Nagpur Metro phase-II

from ADB & EIB
Extra Points
● The Mahametro Corporation has finalised its debt
arrangement and raised a loan of Rs. 3,586 crore from Asian
Development Bank (ADB) and the European Investment
Bank (EIB) for the second phase of its Metro project in
Nagpur.
● Now ADB would be contributing $200 million with EIB
putting in 239 million Euros for the project.
● The total cost of the second phase of the project is around
Rs. 6,700 crore, out of which Rs. 3,100 is in the form of
equity from both Central and State governments.
Extra Information:
● Both, phase I and phase II will collectively lead to an
investment of Rs 15,388 crore.
● Around 630 million Euros was arranged during the first
phase of the project and was funded by France’s AFD and
KFW, a German agency.
● The Phase II of the project will extend the existing 4
corridors of Phase-I covering a total distance of 43.8 km.
The second phase will be completed by 2026.
News-3
Financial literacy poor across urban, rural population: RBI survey

Extra Points
● "Financial Literacy and Inclusion survey" conducted by the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI), digital banking awareness and
knowledge among rural and urban population across the
country is at par with each other, with the average being
11.7 for both segments on a score of 21.
● The survey was based on three parameters namely,
financial knowledge, attitude and behaviour.
Zone-wise, the scores were as follows:
Zone name Scores in urban Scores in Rural

North zone 11.5 11.5
East zone 12.1 12.1
Central zone 12.5 12.1
West zone 12.6 12.5
South zone 11.2 10.3
News-4
Niva Bupa & Swara Fincare inks pact to pay debtors’ EMIs when
they are hospitalised for 5 years
Extra Points
● Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited signed a pact
with Swara Fincare Limited, a non-banking-lender, to pay
the debtors’ 3 EMIs(equated monthly installments) if they
were hospitalised for more than 5 days.
● According to Niva Bupa, less than 20% of the rural
population currently has health insurance.
MoUs & Agreements
News-1
Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) signs agreements with MSMEs to

hasten commercialisation of new products
Extra Points
● Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) at the Bhabha Atomic Research
Centre (BARC) signed an agreement with Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises for incubation of newer technologies
into commercial products.
● The agreement was signed to commemorate the launch of
the AIC at the BARC to speed up conversion of products
from research labs to markets.
National News
News-1
India grants permission to NEA to export additional 40

megawatts of electricity
Extra points
● India has given permission to the Nepal Electricity Authority
(NEA) to export additional 40 megawatts of electricity from
two more hydroelectric projects.
● According to NEA, the Central Electricity Authority of India
has approved the sale of surplus power from two more
hydropower projects – 25 MW Kabeli B-1 and 20 MW Lower
Modi – at competitive rates in the Indian energy market.
● With this, 452.6 MW surplus power can be exported to India
from 10 hydropower projects.
Extra Information:
● NEA has generated a net income of Rs 11.16 billion by
trading 1.36 billion units of surplus power at a competitive
rate in the Indian energy market till 18 December.
News-2
Government extends free import of Urad and Tur pulses till

March 2024
Extra Points
● The government of India has extended the free import of
Urad and Tur pulses by one more year to 31 March 2024.
● Earlier in March 2022 the government had allowed free
import of tur and urad till 31 march 2023. Now importers can
import any quantity of urad and tur dal without any
quantitative restrictions.
● India’s pulses production rose by close to 9% to 27.75
million tonnes (MT) in the 2021-22 crop year (July-June)
compared to previous year.
News-3
India-assisted Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project handed over to

Bhutan’s Druk Green Power Corp
Extra Points
● The India-assisted 720 Megawatts Mangdechhu
Hydroelectric Power Project has been handed to Druk Green
Power Corporation (DGPC) in Bhutan.
● The handover was held in Thimphu in a ceremony that was
witnessed by Bhutan’s Minister of Economic Affairs Lyonpo
Loknath Sharma and India’s Ambassador to Bhutan,
Sudhakar Dalela.
Extra Information:
● The 720 MW Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Power Project was
jointly inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his
Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering in 2019.
● The commissioning of the project has increased Bhutan’s
Electrical Power Generation Capacity by 44 percent and it is
now at 2,326 Mega Watts.
Inauguration News
News-1
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurates the new Zuari bridge in

Goa
Extra Points
● Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways of
India, inaugurated the new Zuari bridge in Goa, which links
North and South Goa.
● Zuari bridge is India’s 2nd largest Cable Stayed bridge,
located on NH-17 on the Panjim (Goa)-Mangaluru
(Karnataka) section in the state of Goa.
● The 13.20-kilometre cost 2530 Crores and the 8-lane bridge
connecting Bambolim and Verna over the Zuari River will
greatly improve transportation between North and South
Goa.
International News
News-1
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina inaugurated first Metro rail in

Dhaka
Extra Points
● Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has flagged off
the first metro rail in Dhaka for its first journey between
Diabari and Agargaon station.
● This is part of the ambitious Bangladesh project of Mass
Rapid Transit to be completed by 2030.
● The approximately 12-kilometer-long metro route which was
opened today will connect Diabari to Agargaon station in
Dhaka.
● Built with financial and technical support from Japan, the
metro rail network after completion in 2030 will cover a total
length of 129 kilometres out of which 61 kilometres will be
underground.
Sports News
News-1
Hockey Madhya Pradesh & Hockey Haryana has clinches Khelo

India Youth Games 2022 Men's & women’s U-18 title
Extra Points about Men's U-18 title:
● In hockey, Madhya Pradesh clinched the title by defeating
Odisha 6-5 in the Khelo India Youth Games 2022 Men's
Under-18 qualifier title in Bhubaneswar.
● Haryana defeated Jharkhand 2-0 to secure the third position
in the competition.
List of awards in Men's Under-18
Best Goalkeeper Ravi (Haryana)

Best Defender Sundaram Rajawat (Madhya Pradesh)
Best Midfielder Prem Dayal Giri (Odisha)
Best Striker Ali Ahmad (Madhya Pradesh)
Extra Points about Women's U-18 title:

● Hockey Haryana's women's team won the Khelo India Youth
Games 2022 Women’s Under 18 Qualifiers title after
defeating Madhya Pradesh 2-0 in the final.
● Odisha stepped up to claim third place after beating
Jharkhand by 2-1 in the 3rd and 4th place encounter.
List of awards in Women's Under-18
Best Goalkeeper Kavita (Haryana)

Best Defender Yogita Verma (Madhya Pradesh)
Best Midfielder Manisha (Haryana)
Best Striker Bhumshika Sahu (Madhya Pradesh)
Awards & Honours
News-1
Chhattisgarh police ‘Nijaat’ campaign gets IACP 2022 Award
Extra Points
● International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the US-
based international organization has selected the anti-drug
& illicit liquor campaign ‘Nijaat’ of Chhattisgarh police for
‘Leadership in Crime Prevention’ in the institutional
category.
● The campaign was launched by the Chhattisgarh police
under the leadership of the IPS officer Santosh Kumar
Singh.
● The drive took the onus to wipe out the abuse of illicit
drugs, narcotics, and bootlegging while simultaneously
preventing its smuggling or trading.
Defence News
News-1
Amit Shah launched the “Prahari app” of the Border Security

Force
Extra Points
● The Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah has
launched the Mobile App ‘Prahari’ of the Border Security
Force (BSF) in New Delhi.
● The BSF ‘Prahari’ app is a great example of Proactive
Governance. “Now jawans can get personal information and
information related to accommodation, Ayushmann-CAPF
and leaves on their mobiles.
● Be it GPF, Bio Data or grievance redressal on Centralized
Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System” (CP-
GRAMS) or information on various welfare schemes, now
Jawans can get all this information through the app and this
app will also connect them with the portal of the Ministry of
Home Affairs.
News-2
Indian Army inaugurated first-ever two-storey 3-D printed

dwelling unit in Ahmedabad
Extra Points
● The Indian Army inaugurated its first 3-D Printed House
Dwelling Unit (with Ground plus One configuration) for
soldiers at Ahmedabad Cantt.
● The dwelling unit has been constructed by the Military
Engineering Services (MES) in collaboration with MiCoB
Pvt. Ltd. incorporating the latest 3D Rapid Construction
Technology.
● Construction work of the dwelling unit measuring 71 sqm
with garage space was completed in just 12 weeks by
utilizing the 3D printed foundation, walls, and slabs.
Summits & Conference
News-1
IISc Bengaluru to be the secretariat for G20 working group on

science
Exent Name Science 20 (S20) 2023

Secretariat Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru
Presided by India
Theme Disruptive Science for Innovative and
Sustainable Development
Extra Info S20 has been set up as part of effort by G20 to
address global challenges including climate
change mitigation and sustainable development.
Important Days
News-1
Global Family Day- January 1
Day 1st January

Day Name Global Family Day
Theme 2023 Families Together: Building Resilience for a
Brighter Future
Started in 2001
State/UT News
News-1
World-class Kayaking-Canoeing Academy to be set up in Tehri,

Uttarakhand
Extra Points
● Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy RK
Singh announced plans to set up a world-class Kayaking-
Canoeing Academy in Tehri, Uttarakhand.
● Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has also inaugurated
the National Championship “Tehri Water Sports Cup” at
Tehri Lake.
● In this academy, the youth of Uttarakhand will be prepared
to play at the national and international level by providing all
the facilities along with free training.
3rd January Current Affairs
News-1
N Chandrasekaran appointed as head of Maharashtra

government advisory council
Appointed Person Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran

Appointed as Head of the new Economic Advisory
Council of Maharashtra
Appointed by Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis
News-2
Ajay Kumar Srivastava appointed as MD and CEO of the Indian

Overseas Bank
Appointed Person Ajay Kumar Srivastava
Appointed as Managing Director and CEO of Indian
Overseas Bank
Replaced Partha Pratim Sengupta
News-3
IDBI Bank re-appoints Suresh Khatanhar as Deputy MD for a Year
Appointed Person Suresh Kishinchand Khatanhar

Appointed as Deputy Managing Director Of IDBI
Bank
News-1
Punjab & Sind Bank Partners with SBI Card to Launch Co-
branded Credit Card
Extra Points
● Punjab & Sind Bank has partnered with SBI Card to launch
co-brand credit cards for the bank’s customers.
● This marks the entry of Punjab & Sind Bank into ‘credit
cards’ as a new product segment under the bank’s portfolio.
● Under the partnership, three card variants have been
launched including, PSB SBI Card ELITE, PSB SBI Card
PRIME, and PSB SimplySAVE SBI Card.
News-2
Reserve Bank of India imposes Monetary Penalty on Mynd

Solutions Private Limited
Penalty Amount Rs 13,90,000

Imposed on Mynd Solutions Private Limited
Reason Not complying with the Guidelines on Trade
Receivables Discounting System (TReDS)
Act Section 30 of the Payment and Settlement
Systems Act, 2007
News-3
IDBI Bank signs agreement to transfer schemes of IDBI Mutual

Fund to LIC MF
Extra Points
● The IDBI Bank has signed a Scheme Transfer Agreement
with LIC Mutual Fund for the transfer of Schemes of IDBI
Mutual Funds to LIC MF to comply with regulations 7B of
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Mutual fund
Regulations.
● According to these regulations, the sponsor of a mutual
fund and the asset management company of the mutual
fund cannot individually, collectively, directly or indirectly
hold more than 10% of the shareholding or voting rights in
another asset management company or trustee company.
MoUs & Agreements
News-1
MoU signed for commercial production of indigenously

developed vaccine ‘Lumpi-ProVac’
Extra Points
● An MoU for the production of Goat Pox Vaccine and “Lumpi-
Provac” vaccine was signed in Nagpur in the presence of
Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, Parshottam
Rupala and Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde.
● Lumpi-ProVaccine is used for the prophylactic
immunization of animals against Lumpy Skin Disease.
● Goat pox vaccine is currently used to control lumpy Skin
Disease in livestock and has been shown to be effective
against lumpy.
● Agrinnovate India Limited, the commercial arm of DARE,
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, granted “Non-
Exclusive Rights” for Commercial production of “Lumpi-
ProVac”, to the Institute of Veterinary Biological Products,
Pune.
Merger & Acquisition
News-1
Adani group acquires 27.26% equity stake held by NDTV
founders Roys for over Rs 600 crore
Extra Points
● Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy, founders of the news
broadcaster, sold 27.26% of their equity in New Delhi
Television (NDTV) to Adani-controlled Radhika Roy Prannoy
Roy (RRPR) Holding Private Limited at Rs 342.65 (USD
4.1426) per share.
● Based on the price acquired by Adani Group, the Roys
would have received Rs 602.30 crore from the sale of 1.75
crore shares.
National News
News-1
India’s first underwater metro to become operation by December

2023
Extra Points
● According to the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation, India’s
first underwater metro service, the East-West Metro Corridor
project is expected to be completed by December 2023.
● The East-West corridor of the Kolkata Metro is 15 Km-long
and spans from Salt Lake Stadium to Howrah.
● It costs about ₹120 crore per kilometre to build the tunnel
but the manufacturing cost of the tunnel underwater, which
is deep in the Hooghly river costs increased to around 157
crores per kilometer.
● First metro in India, Kolkata Metro which started its
operation 24 October 1984 between Dum Dam to
Tollygunge. It was started with the help of the Soviet Union.
News-2
Ministry of Rural Development launched Prajjwala Challenge

Extra Points
● Rural Development Ministry has launched Prajjwala
Challenge inviting ideas, solutions, and actions to transform
the rural economy.
● It was launched under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana –
National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
● It is one of the platforms where ideas are invited from
individuals, Social Enterprises, Start Up, Private Sector,
Community Based organizations, Incubation centres, and
Investors having the potential to transform the rural
economy.
● The top 5 ideas will be rewarded with Rs 2 Lakh each.
About Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihood

Mission (DAY-NRLM):
Started in June 2011.

Objective to reduce rural poverty by increasing livelihood
opportunities through skill development and
better access to financial services for rural poor
households in the country
Extra Info With an annual budget outlay of over Rs 13,000
crore, the program covers 7.15 lakh villages in 723
districts, and covers over 8.6 crore rural
households.
About Ministry of Rural Development

Union Minister Giriraj Singh
Minister of State Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Faggan Singh Kulaste
Inauguration News
News-1
Pralhad Joshi inaugurated Rs 300 crore Angul-Balram rail line in

Odisha
Extra Points
● Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi inaugurated the Rs 300 crore
Angul-Balram rail line connecting Odisha’s Talcher
Coalfield.
● The 14-km-long Angul-Balram rail link is the first phase of a
total 68-km inner corridor connecting Angul with Putugadia,
Jarapada, and Tentuloi, which will cater to coal mines of
Talcher coalfields.
● The project was constructed by Mahanadi Coal Railway Ltd.
● The project is likely to enable Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd
(MCL) to increase its daily dispatch of coal by around 40,000
tonnes.
News-2
PM Modi flagged off West Bengal’s first Vande Bharata Express

train
Extra Points
● Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually flagged off
Vande Bharat Express from Howrah Railway Station
connecting Howrah to New Jalpaiguri.
● It is the first Vande Bharat Express to operate in West
Bengal and on the Eastern parts of the country. Also, it is
the seventh Vande Bharat train by Indian Railways in the
country.
● Covering a distance of 564 km in 7.45 hours, this train will
save three hours in travel time as compared to other trains
on the route.
● He also inaugurated the Joka-Taratala Stretch of the Joka-
Esplanade Metro Project (Purple Line) of Kolkata Metro.
All Vande Bharat Express Route:
Sl No. Route
1st New Delhi - Varanasi Junction Vande Bharat Express
2nd New Delhi - Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Vande Bharat
Express
3rd Mumbai Central - Gandhinagar Capital Vande Bharat Express
4th New Delhi - Amb Andaura Vande Bharat Express
5th MGR Chennai Central - Mysuru Junction Vande Bharat Express
6th Bilaspur (Chattisgarh)-Nagpur (Maharashtra)
News-3
Amit Shah inaugurated Mega Dairy at Mandya, Karnataka

Extra Points
● Union Home and Cooperation Minister, Amit Shah has
inaugurated Mega Dairy at Mandya in Karnataka.
● The mega-dairy inaugurated at a cost of Rs 260 crore would
process 10 lakh liters of milk per day and will have the
capacity to increase it up to 14 lakh liters per day.
● The Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) will get all technical
support and cooperation from Amul.
Sports News
News-1
Mandhana & Suryakumar nominated for the ICC T20 cricketer of

the year award 2022
Extra Points
● The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the
shortlisted cricket players for its year-end awards.
● Four players are shortlisted in the men’s and women’s
category for its various annual awards taking into account
the performance of the players in the calendar year.
ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2022 for overall performer:

● Babar Azam (Pakistan)
● Ben Stokes (England)
● Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe)
● Tim Southee (New Zealand)
ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2022 for overall performer:

● Nat Sciver (England)
● Smriti Mandhana (India)
● Amelia Kerr (New Zealand)
● Beth Mooney (Australia)
ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year 2022:

● Ben Stokes (England)
● Jonny Bairstow (England)
● Usman Khawaja (Australia)
● Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year 2022:

● Babar Azam (Pakistan)
● Adam Zampa (Australia)
● Shai Hope (West Indies)
ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year 2022:

● Shabnim Ismail (Pakistan)
● Amelia Kerr (New Zealand)
● Nat Sciver (England)
● Alyssa Healy (Australia)
ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year 2022:

● Suryakumar Yadav (India)
● Sam Curran (England)
● Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year 2022:

● Smriti Mandhana (India)
● Nida Dar (Pakistan)
● Sophie Devine (New Zealand)
● Tahlia McGrath (Australia)
ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2022:
● Marco Jansen (South Africa)
● Ibrahim Zadran (Afghanistan)
● Finn Allen (New Zealand)
● Arshdeep Singh (India)
ICC Women’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2022:

● Renuka Singh (India)
● Darcie Brown (Australia)
● Alice Capsey (England)
● Yastika Bhatia (India)
News-2
Cristiano Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr

Extra Points
● Portugal team captain Cristiano Ronaldo has joined Saudi
Arabian club Al Nassr on a two-and-a-half-year contract.
● The 37-year-old Ronaldo signed the deal, which is believed
to be worth more than 200 million euros, which will continue
till June 2025.
News-1
PM to address 108th Indian Science Congress to be held in

Nagpur
Event Name Indian Science Congress
Edition 108th
Held at Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University
Organised by Indian Science Congress Association
Inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Theme Science and Technology for Sustainable
Development with Women Empowerment
Extra Info The 107 Indian Science Congress 2022 was held
at the University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK
Campus, Bangalore, Karnataka in January 2022.
Defence News
News-1
CRPF celebrated Jashn-e-Chillai-Kalan’ with students in Srinagar

Extra Points
● CRPF celebrated ‘Jashn-e-Chillai-Kalan’ with students in
Srinagar.
● Chillai-Kalan is the harshest winter period in Kashmir for a
period of 40 days starting from 21st December to 29th
January every year.
● Many activities such as Badminton, debate, drawing,
singing, etc. were organized in the school.
Books & Authors
News-1
Historian Simon Sebag Montefiore released his new book “The
World”
Book Name The World: A Family History

Authored by Historian Simon Sebag Montefiore
Festival & Fairs
News-1
10th edition of Dhaka Literary Festival

Extra Points
● After being cancelled for three consecutive years due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, the 10th edition of Dhaka Lit Fest
(DLF), Bangladesh's biggest international literary festival, is
all set to take place on January 5-8, 2023.
● The event will be held on the historic grounds of the Bangla
Academy in Dhaka.
● More than 500 literary personalities across the globe
including Nobel Prize Winner Abdulrazak Gurnah will be
taking part in the festival.
● The organisers of DLF have termed it as a 'festival of ideas'.
Obituaries News
News-1
Former Pope Benedict XVI passed away

Extra Points
● Former Pope Benedict XVI passed away recently in the
Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican.
● He was 95 years old.
● The head of the Catholic Church, former Pope Benedict, was
the first pope in 600 years to resign. He resigned in 2013
and was replaced by the present pope Francis.
● Pope Benedict was the first German to become pope in 1000
years. He was the head of Vatican City from 19 April 2005
until his resignation on 28 February 2013.
State/UT News
News-1
Assam Cabinet Grants Industry Status to the Tourism Sector in

Assam
Extra Points
● The Cabinet of Assam headed by Himanta Biswa Sarma,
Chief Minister of Assam approved the proposal for the grant
of industrial status to the tourism sector in Assam.
● With industry status, restaurants, cafeterias, health clubs,
spas and wellness centres among others are eligible for
incentives under the industrial policy.
● This will encourage and boost private investment in the
above areas of the tourism sector
4th January Current Affairs

Ranking/ Report/ Indices
News-1
1668 Journalists killed in the last 20 years: Reporters without

Borders
Extra Points
● According to Reporters without Borders (RSF), a total of
1,668 journalists have been killed worldwide in connection
with their work of journalism over the past two decades
(2003–2022), due to murders, contract killings, ambushes,
war zone deaths, and fatal injuries.
● The report says that on average every year 80 journalists
lost their lives. The total killed since 2000 is 1,787.
● The annual death tolls peaked in 2012 and 2013 with 144 and
142 journalists killed, respectively.
● The two countries with the highest death tolls are Iraq and
Syria, with a combined total of 578 journalists killed in the
past 20 years, or more than a third of the worldwide total.
● They are followed by Afghanistan, Yemen, and Palestine.
News-1
Air Marshal Pankaj Mohan Sinha assumes command of the IAF

Western Command
Appointed Person Air Marshal Pankaj Mohan Sinha

Appointed as Command of the Indian Air Force’s
Western Air Command
Replaced Air Marshal S Prabhakaran
News-2
Inacio Lula da Silva sworn in as the President of Brazil for the 3rd
time
Appointed Person Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (3rd Term)

Appointed as 39th president of Brazil
Replaced Jair Bolsonaro
Previously Elected 2002, 2006
Appointed Person Gerardo Alckmin
Appointed as Vice President of Brazil
News-1
RBI retains SBI, HDFC Bank and ICICI bank in its Domestically
Systemically Important Banks (D-SIB) list
Extra Points
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has retained SBI, ICICI bank
and HDFC bank in the list of Domestically Systemically
Important Banks (D-SIB) list for the year 2021.
About D-SIB (Domestic Systemically Important Banks):
● The concept of the D-SIB goes back to the failure of big
financial institutions in 2008 which led to a global financial
crisis.
● D-SIBs are those interconnected entities, whose failure can
impact the whole of the financial system and create
instability.
● RBI started disclosing the name of the bank in the D-SIB list
from 2015 and SBI was included in the list.
● ICICI Bank was included in 2016 and HDFC bank was
included in 2017.
Extra Information:
● Foreign Banks having branches in India are called Global-
Systemically Important Banks (G-SIB). At present no foreign
bank has been put in the G-SIB category by RBI.
News-2
RBI launches Utkarsh 2.0 for the period 2023-2025

Extra Points
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das
launched the second phase of the central bank’s medium
term strategy for strengthening regulatory and supervisory
mechanisms called Utkarsh 2.0.
● Utkarsh 2.0 like the Utkarsh 2022 has six Vision statements
as well as Core Purpose, Values, and Mission statements.
The six vision statements are –

1. Excellence in the performance of its statutory and other
functions.
2. Strengthened trust of citizens and institutions in the RBI.
3. Enhanced relevance and significance in national and global
roles.
4. Transparent, accountable and ethics-driven internal
governance.
5. Best-in-class and environment-friendly digital and physical
infrastructure.
6. Innovative, dynamic and skilled human resources will guide
the strategy.
About Utkarsh:
● The first strategy framework (Utkarsh 2022) covering the
period 2019-2022 was launched in July 2019.
News-3
Tripura signs Rs 2,275cr agreement with ADB to improve Power

Distribution Network
Extra Points
● The Tripura government has signed an agreement with
Asian Development Bank (ADB) worth Rs 2,275 crore to
strengthen and improve power distribution efficiency in
Tripura.
● Of the Rs 2,275 crore fund, the central government will
repay Rs 1,820 crore while the state will provide Rs 455
crore.
● Apart from the ADB funding, an additional amount of Rs 800
crore will be spent to improve the power distribution of the
state.
News-4
Gross GST collection in December goes up by 15%
Extra Points
● The gross Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue collected
in December 2022 is ₹1.49 lakh.
● The GST revenues are 15 percent higher than the GST
revenues in the same month last year.
● The monthly GST revenues are more than ₹1.4 lakh crore for
10 straight months in a row.
Collection of GST in December:
Category Amount
Gross GST Revenue Rs 1,49,507 crore
Central GST Rs 26,711 crore
State GST Rs 33,357 crore
Integrated GST Rs 78,434 crore (including Rs 40,263
crore collected on import of goods)
Cess Rs 11,005 crore (including ₹ 850 crore
collected on import of goods)
GST Collection of Previous Months in 2022
Month GST Collection

January 2022 1,40,986 crore
February 2022 1,33,026 crore

March 2022 1,42,095 crore
April 2022 1,67,540 crore
May 2022 1,40,885 crore
June 2022 1,44,616 crore
July 2022 1,48,995 crore
August 2022 1,43,612 crore
September 2022 1,47,686 crore
October 2022 1,51,718 crore
November 2022 1,45,867 crore
MoUs & Agreements
News-1
IIT-Madras & DRDO Partners to Introduce DIA RCoE for

Advanced Defence Technology Research
Extra Points
● Indian Institute of Technology Madras has created a ‘centre
of excellence’ named ‘DRDO Industry Academia-Ramanujan
Centre of Excellence’ (DIA-RCoE) at a campus unit set up by
the Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO).
● It is set up to develop advanced technologies for national
defence and security.
● The interdisciplinary research group will bring in faculty and
researchers from multiple departments for translational
research.
News-2
India, Austria to sign 5 agreements

Extra Points
● External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India and
Austria will sign five agreements.
● The two agreements would be in the interest of the Indian
community.
● There is an agreement on 'Migration and Mobility' for people
who want to work in Austria and who want to come to India
for business, or who come here as students and
professionals.
● S Jaishankar is on an official visit to Austria where he held a
meeting with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander
Schallenberg.
News-1
Tata Motors to complete acquisition of Ford India’s

manufacturing Plant in Jan
Extra Points
● Tata Motors completed the acquisition of Ford India’s
manufacturing plant at Sanand through its subsidiary on
10th January 2023.
● The subsidiary, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Limited
(TPEML), in August 2022, announced that it would acquire
Ford India Pvt Ltd’s (FIPL) Sanand plant in Gujarat for
₹725.7 crore.
National News
News-1
International Year of Millets (IYM) 2023 kick starts on 1 Jan 2023

Extra Points
● The year 2023 is being observed all over the world as the
International Year of the millets.
● The Government of India aims to make the International
Year of the millets a ‘People’s Movement’ and position India
as the ‘Global Hub for Millets’.
● The proposal was accepted and passed by the 75th session
of the United Nations General Assembly in 2021 and 2023
was declared as the International Year of Millets.
● The Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries which will
be organizing Millet Fair-cum-exhibitions in Andhra
Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.
● The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
along with Agricultural and Processed Food Products
Export Development Authority (APEDA) will participate in a
trade show on millets in Belgium.
Extra Information:
● India is the largest producer of millets in the world. ‘Millets’
were among the first crops to be domesticated in India.
● Rajasthan is the largest producer of nutri-cereals in India
followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka.
News-2
Amit Shah lays the foundation stone of the Central Detective
Training Institute (CDTI) in Karnataka
Extra Points
● Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah has laid
the foundation stone of the Central Detective Training
Institute (CDTI) at Devanahalli in Karnataka.
● He also inaugurated the residential and administrative
complexes of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
● This will be the 6th CDTI of the Bureau of Police Research &
Development under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in
the country.
● There are five functioning Central Detective Training
Institutes (CDTI) in the country under the Bureau of Police
Research & Development. The first CDTI was set up in
Calcutta in 1958. Others are at Hyderabad, Chandigarh,
Jaipur and Ghaziabad.
● The Devanahalli center of CDTI will serve the forensic needs
of the neighbouring States of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa
and the Union Territory of Daman-Diu.
News-3
Coffee export increased by 1.66 % to 4 lakh tonne in 2022: Coffee

Board of India
Extra Points
● According to the Coffee Board of India, the total export of
coffee from India rose by 1.66 percent to 4 lakh tonnes in
2022 mainly due to the increase in instant coffee exports
and re-exports.
● The total export in 2021 was at 3.93 lakh tonnes.
● In value terms, coffee export was higher at Rs 8,762.47 crore
in 2022 as against Rs 6,984.67 crore in the previous year.
● Italy, Germany and Russia are the major export destinations
for Indian coffee.
News-4
Election Commission’s launched ‘Mission-929’ to take voter

turnout in Tripura to over 90
Extra Points
● The Election Commission of India (ECI) has started ‘Mission
929’ in Tripura.
● It will focus on 929 polling booths across Tripura with a
target to increase the voter turnout to 92 percent in the next
assembly elections.
● These booths recorded a voter turnout of less than 89
percent, which was the average across 3,328 booths in the
2018 assembly polls.
International News
News-1
Croatia adopts Euro currency, also included in Europe's free

passport club
Extra Points
● Croatia adopted the euro currency and also joined Europe's
free passport club (Schengen area), nearly a decade after
joining the European Union.
● Croatia with a population of about 4 million said goodbye to
its Kuna currency and became the 20th member of the
Eurozone.
● It will be the 27th country in the world's largest passport-
free Schengen zone, which enables more than 400 million
people to move freely within its member states.
Sports News
News-1
Koustav Chatterjee is India’s 78rd Chess grandmaster

Extra Points
● 19 year old Koustav Chatterjee of West Bengal became
India’s 78th chess Grandmaster, securing the third and final
GM norm at the MPL 59th National Senior Chess
Championship 2022 being held in New Delhi.
● He is the 10th Grandmaster from West Bengal.
List of Grand Masters Of India:
70th Raja Ritwik (Telangana)

71st Sankalp Gupta (Maharashtra)
72nd Mitrabha Guha (West Bengal)
73rd Bharath Subramanian (Tamil Nadu)
74th Rahul Shrivastava P (Telangana)
75th V. Pranav (Tamil Nadu)
76th Pranav Anand (Karnataka)
77th Aditya Mittal (Maharashtra)
News-1
Kerala CM inaugurated Indian Library Congress in Kannur, Kerala
Event Name Indian Library Congress

Held at Collectorate Ground in Kannur, Kerala
Organised by People’s Mission for Social Development,
Library Council & Kannur University
Inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan
Presided by Higher Education Minister Dr. R Bindu
Defence News
News-1
Government starts process to buy 100 more K9-Vajras

Extra Points
● The Defense Ministry has initiated the process to procure
100 more K-9 Vajra self-propelled howitzers, which are made
in India by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) using technology
transferred from South Korean defence major Hanwha
Defence.
● The 100th cannon was handed over to the army in 2021.
About K9-Vajra
● The K-9 Vajra is a 155 mm, 52-calibre tracked self-propelled
howitzer manufactured by L&T.
● It is based on the K-9 Thunder with technology transferred
from South Korean defence major Hanwha Defence.
Books & Authors
News-1
Former IAS Kaki Madhava Rao Authored a New Book “Breaking

Barriers”
Book Name Breaking Barriers: the Story of a Dalit Chief Secretary

Authored by Former IAS officer Kaki Madhava Rao
Obituaries News
News-1
Tata group veteran R Krishnakumar passes away

Extra Points
● Tata Group veteran and former Tata Sons director R
Krishnakumar passed away recently at the age of 84.
● He started working for Tata Administrative Services in 1963
and joined Tata Global Beverages in 1965.
● He was honoured with India’s fourth highest civilian honour,
Padma Shri in 2009 for contributions to the country’s trade
and business.
Important Days
News-1
1 January 2023 – 65th foundation day of DRDO

Extra Points
● Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)
celebrated its 65th foundation day on 1st January 2023.
● The DRDO was formed in 1958 from the amalgamation of the
then-already functioning Technical Development
Establishment (TDEs) of the Indian Army and the Directorate
of Technical Development & Production (DTDP) with the
Defence Science Organization (DSO).
● It is a premier defence research and development agency
under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India.
State/UT News
News-1
Himachal Pradesh government launches CM’s Sukhashray

Sahayata Kosh
Extra Points
● Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu
launched CM’s Sukhashray Sahayata Kosh with an outlay of
Rs 101 crore.
● All the Ministers and Congress MLA will contribute their first
salary to the fund.
● The scheme will aim to provide the facility of higher
education to needy children and destitute women.
News-1
Canara Bank MD & CEO L V Prabhakar Retires
Retired Person Lingam Venkata Prabhakar

Retired as Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of Canara Bank
News-2
CFO Nalin Negi appointed interim CEO of BharatPe
Appointed Person Nalin Negi, Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

of BharatPe
Appointed as Interim CEO of BharatPe
Replaced Suhail Sameer
News-1
Bandhan Bank launches ‘Jahaan Bandhan, Wahaan Trust’
campaign featuring Sourav Ganguly
Extra Points
● Bandhan Bank launched its integrated marketing campaign
‘Jahaan Bandhan, Wahaan Trust’ featuring the Bank’s brand
ambassador, cricketing legend, Sourav Ganguly.
● The ‘Jahaan Bandhan, Wahaan Trust’ campaign was
conceived by Leo Burnett Orchard, who was brought in as
Bandhan Bank’s creative agency in August 2022.
● The campaign uses the analogy of Ganguly’s career, who
became the bank’s customer soon after the bank was
launched 7 years ago.
News-2
India Accelerator Partners with ICICI Bank & Infosys Finacle to

Foster Start-Up Ecosystem
Extra Points
● India Accelerator (IA), a seed-stage accelerator programme,
has launched “i3 Launchpad,” which was developed in
partnership with ICICI Bank and Infosys Finacle.
About i3 Launchpad Program:

● “i3 Launchpad” is a programme that fosters and co-
innovate with India’s start-up ecosystem.
● Objective: To support a network of entrepreneurs on a quest
to develop brands with global impact.
News-3
ADB to provide $1.2 billion loan for infrastructure projects
Extra Points
● The Manila based Asian Development Bank (ADB) has
agreed to provide a $1.22 billion loan to the government of
India for Infrastructure development in various states.
● The agreements would cover projects for improving the
power sector and highways in the Northeastern states of
Tripura and Assam, metro rail connectivity in the southern
city of Chennai, and improvement of key economic areas in
the western state of Maharashtra.
MoUs & Agreements
News-1
Granules India Partners with Greenko ZeroC for Green Molecule
Solutions
Extra Points
● Pharma major Granules India announced that the company
is entering a strategic partnership with Greenko ZeroC to
develop Integrated Green Pharmaceutical Zones (GPZ) in
Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh and other sites.
● This is a first-of-its-kind collaboration in the Indian
pharmaceutical industry because the chemicals involved in
the sector are usually associated with high carbon
emissions.
● Through this partnership, Granules will get access to clean
energy from the proposed greenfield energy plant in
Kakinada.
● The project is estimated to cost Rs 2000 crore and the
investment will be spread across 5 years.
National News
News-1
‘SMART’ program for Ayurveda professionals launched to

regulate and boost R&D in Ayurveda
Extra Points
● In order to regulate Ayurvedic medical education and boost
the research and development in Ayurveda, the government
has launched ‘SMART’ (Scope for Mainstreaming Ayurveda
Research in Teaching Professionals) program.
● The SMART program has been jointly launched by the
Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and the Central Council
for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS). Both the
Institutions come under the Union Ministry of Ayush.
● Objective – To boost scientific research in priority
healthcare research areas through Ayurveda colleges and
hospitals.
Extra Info:
● Every year 23 October is observed as Ayurveda Diwas in
India.
About Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha,

Homoeopathy):
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal

Minister of State Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai
News-2
Union cabinet approves Rs 2,614.51 crore investment in the 382
MW Sunni Dam Hydro Electric Project
Extra Points
● The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired
by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 4 January 2023
approved the investment of Rs 2,614.51 crore for the 382
MW Sunni Dam Hydro Electric Project by state-owned SJVN
Ltd in Himachal Pradesh.
● The 382 MW Sunni Dam Hydro Electric Project is being
developed by Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam limited (SJVN) on
Sutlej river in the Shimla and Mandi districts of Himachal
Pradesh.
● The project on completion is expected to generate 1,382
million units of electricity annually.
● This project would help in reduction of 11 lakh tons of
carbon dioxide from the environment annually.
Inauguration News
News-1
PM Modi to launch world’s longest river cruise from Varanasi to

Assam on 13 January
Extra Points
● Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the world's
longest river cruise, which will travel from Varanasi in Uttar
Pradesh to Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh on 13
January 2023.
● This will be the single largest river journey by a single river
ship in the world.
● The cruise, which has been named ‘Ganga Vilas cruise’, will
cover 4000 Kilometers along 27 river systems, including
Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly, Brahmaputra, and West Coast
Canal in 50 days.
Route of the river cruise:

● The Ganga Vilas cruise will start from Varanasi in Uttar
Pradesh to Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh. In
Bangladesh it will cover an 1100 Kilometers route before
entering India again.
News-2
President Murmu inaugurates Samvidhan Udyan in Jaipur

Extra Points
● The President of India, Droupadi Murmu inaugurated
Samvidhan Udyan, Mayur Stambh, National Flag Post,
statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Maharana Pratap at Raj
Bhavan, Jaipur.
● On the occasion, she virtually inaugurated the Transmission
System for Solar Power Sectors in Rajasthan and laid the
foundation stone of the 1000 MW Bikaner Solar Power
Project of SJVN Limited.
● He said that it is a record to have more than 100 women in
the Parliament of the country for the first time.
Sports News
News-1
DEXA: BCCI introduces new selection criteria for Team India
Extra Points
● The BCCI announced a major change in the selection
criteria of players.
The new selection criteria:

● The new rule brought back the Yo-Yo test and made it
mandatory for players to be selected for the national team.
● Players must take a 'DEXA' before being selected for the
Indian team across all formats.
● Emerging players have to play enough domestic seasons to
be eligible for selection in the national team.
About Yo-Yo test:

● The Yo-Yo test is an aerobic endurance fitness test that
involves running between markers placed 20 metres apart at
increasing speed.
About Dexa:
● DEXA, also called 'bone density test', is an X-ray technique
used to measure bone strength.
● It also helps measure body composition and record body fat
and muscle mass.
Awards & Honours
News-1
BCCI Releases Names of India’s Best Players of 2022 in all 3

Formats
Extra Points
● The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released the
names of the players who were the best performers of
Team India across all 3 formats – One Day Internationals
(ODIs), T20 and Test in 2022.
Team India’s Best Performers 2022:
Title Players
Team India: 2022 Best Rishabh Pant (Wicket-Keeper Batsman)
Performers in Tests
Jasprit Bumrah (Bowler)
Team India: 2022 Best Shreyas Iyer (Batter)

Performers in ODIs
Mohammed Siraj (Bowler)
Team India: 2022 Best Suryakumar Yadav (Batter)

Performers in T20Is
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Bowler)
Summit & Conference
News-1
1st All India Annual State Ministers Conference on Water
Conference Name All India Annual State Ministers Conference

on Water
Edition 1st
Held at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
Theme Water Vision@2047
Festival & Fairs
News-1
Manipur celebrated Imoinu Eratpa festival

Extra Points
● The Meetei community of Manipur celebrates Imoinu Eratpa
festival every year and they regard the Imoinu goddess as a
goddess of wealth and prosperity.
● As part of the celebration, people offer different dishes to
Imoinu goddess and prayers will be held.
● This festival falls on the twelfth lunar day of Wakching
month of the Meitei calendar.
Books & Authors
News-1
Shashi Tharoor’s Latest Book “Ambedkar: A Life” Launched
Book Name Ambedkar: A Life”, a biography of

Babasaheb Bhimrao Ramji Ambedka
Authored by Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament – the
Lok Sabha – Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Extra Info Shashi Tharoor won the Sahitya Akademi
Award 2019 for “An Era of Darkness: The
Britsh Empire in India”.
Obituaries News
News-1
Gujarat’s first woman chief secretary Manjula Subramaniam

passes away
Extra Points
● The first woman chief secretary of Gujarat, Manjula
Subramaniam passed away recently in Vadodara. She was
74.
● A Gujarat-cadre officer of the 1972 batch, Subramaniam was
appointed as the first woman chief secretary of Gujarat in
2007.
● After retirement, she was appointed as chief vigilance
commissioner of Gujarat.
News-2
Sangeet exponent Sumitra Sen passes away

Extra Points
● Noted Rabindra Sangeet exponent, Sumitra Sen passed
away at the age of 89.
● She was honoured with the Sangeet Mahasamman award by
the West Bengal government in 2012.
Important Days
News-1
4 January – World Braille Day
Day 4th January

Day Name World Braille Day
Celebrated as Birth anniversary of Braille’s inventor Louis
Braille
Objective To promote awareness about Braille and the
contributions of Louis Braille.
Started in 2019
State/UT News
News-1
Mamata Banerjee launched new campaign ‘Didir Suraksha

Kavach’
Extra Points
● West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has launched
two programmes named ‘Didir Suraksha Kawach’ and ‘Didir
Doot’, ahead of the 2023 panchayat polls.
● Around 3.5 lakh party workers will reach out to 10 crore
people of the state. It is being done so that no one is left
out.
● ‘Didir Doot’, a mobile application has also been developed
for people to register their problems.
● The party will start the campaign on January 11 and will
continue with it for 60 days.
News-2
Odisha – 1st state to have separate registration for vintage

vehicles
Extra Points
● Odisha became the first Indian state to have a separate
registration process for vintage vehicles (both two and four-
wheelers).
● A separate provision under Central Motor Vehicles (CMV)
Rules, 1989 was made by the ministry of road transport and
highways for this purpose.
● Under the CMV, 50 years old vehicles from the date of their
first registration would be defined as vintage motor
vehicles.
News-1
Election Commission appointed Maithili Thakur as Bihar’s state

icon
Appointed Person Folk singer Maithili Thakur

Appointed as State icon for Bihar by the Election
Commission
Extra Info Thakur was recently selected for the Ustad
Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar of the
Sangeet Natak Akademi for her
contribution to the folk music of Bihar for
2021.
News-2
Jason Moo appointed as CEO of Bank of Singapore
Appointed Person Jason Moo

Appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Bank
of Singapore
Replaced Vincent Choo
News-3
Vinaya Prakash Singh Elected As Secretary General of Asian

Pacific Postal Union
Appointed Person Dr. Vinaya Prakash Singh

Appointed as Secretary General of the Asian Pacific
Postal Union (APPU)
Term 4 years
Replaced Mr. Lin Hongliang (China)
News-1
Aegon Life Insurance Launches iTerm Prime Insurance Plan

Extra Points
● Aegon Life Insurance has launched the “iTerm Prime”
insurance plan, which will fulfill the requirements of self-
employed individuals by offering a special 10% discount
(5% discount in addition to the 5% online discount for all) on
the first-year premium.
● The flagship term insurance plan, iTerm Prime, gives a
minimum sum assured for a life cover of Rs. 25 lakhs with
no maximum limit on a consumer’s requirement.
● The minimum entry age is 18 years, while the maximum age
for regular pay is 65 years and 50 years for limited pay.
News-2
ICICI Bank Introduces First-of-its-Kind Digital Solutions for

Exporters
Extra Points
● In a first-of-its-kind industry initiative, ICICI Bank Limited,
has launched Digital Solutions For Exporters, a
comprehensive set of banking and value-added services on
a single platform.
● The set of solutions digitizes every stage of the export
process, including market research, export financing,
foreign exchange (forex) services, and receiving export
incentives.
News-3
UPI Transactions Rise Over 7.82 Billion in December 2022

Extra Points
● In December, India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI)
processed a record-breaking 7.82 billion transactions, with a
total value of INR 12.82tn ($174.6bn).
● This marked an increase of 7.12% in volume and 7.73% in
value compared to the previous month.
● When compared to the same period the previous year, the
volume and value of transactions processed through UPI
saw a growth of 71% and 55%, respectively.
Extra Info:
● The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the
organization responsible for managing and operating UPI,
has a goal of reaching one billion transactions per day.
● NPCI aims to achieve this target within the next three to five
years.
MoUs & Agreements
News-1
Hindustan Copper signs MoU with IIT (ISM) Dhanbad to Enhance

Copper Ore Production
Extra Points
● State-owned Hindustan Copper Limited and the Indian
Institute of Technology Dhanbad, Jharkhand, signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at HCL Corporate
Office in Kolkata, West Bengal.
● It is the 1st collaboration of HCL, the only copper miner in
India, with IIT (ISM), Dhanbad.
● The MoU will address HCL’s need for technical assistance,
guidance and consultancy work from IIT for enhancing
copper ore production.
News-2
NGEL, HPCL sign an agreement to develop green energy projects

Extra Points
● NTPC Green Energy Ltd (NGEL) has signed an agreement
with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) for the
development of renewable energy-based power projects for
HPCL Refineries and other Business Units.
● Under the agreement NGEL which is a subsidiary of NTPC
will supply 400 MW renewable power to the HPCL
News-1
RBI approves SBI Mutual Funds to acquire 9.99% of Equitas SFB

through Various Schemes
Extra Points
● The Reserve Bank of India approved SBI Funds
Management Limited to acquire up to 9.99% of the paid-up
equity capital of Equitas Small Finance Bank through
various schemes of SBI Mutual Fund.
National News
News-1
India’s unemployment rate rises at 8.30% in Dec 2022

Extra Points
● According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy
(CMIE), India’s unemployment rate in December 2022 has
increased to a 16-month high at 8.30% from 8% in November
2022.
● The urban unemployment rate has increased to 10.09% in
December from 8.96% in the previous month, while the rural
unemployment rate slipped to 7.44% from 7.55%.
● In December, the unemployment rate rose to 37.4% in the
northern state of Haryana, followed by 28.5% in Rajasthan
and 20.8% in Delhi.
News-2
Indian Railways introducing hydrogen power trains on heritage

lines
Extra Points
● The Ministry of Railways has announced a plan to introduce
hydrogen power trains on its heritage lines. This plan is
called “Hydrogen for Heritage”.
● The hydrogen-powered trains will be implemented on both
narrow gauge and meter gauge lines.
● Eight heritage roots have been identified for the
introduction of these trains.
These Eight routes are:
Route Length
Matheran Hill Railway of 19.97 kilometers
Central Railway
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway 88.6 Kilometer
of North Frontier Railway
Kalka Shimla Railway of 96.5 Kilometer
Northern Railway
Kangra Valley Railway of 164 Kilometer
Northern Railway
Bilimora Waghai Routes of 62.7 Kilometer
Western Railway
Mhow Patalpani Routes of 58 Kilometer
Western Railway
Nilgiri Mountain Routes of 46 Kilometer
Southern Railway
Marwar Devgarh Madriya 52 Kilometer
Routes of North Western
Railway
News-3
Ahmedabad-Delhi Sampark Kranti to be renamed Akshardham

Express
Extra Points
● The Sampark Kranti Express train which runs between
Ahmedabad and Delhi will be renamed as the Akshardham
Express.
● The decision was taken in honour of Pramukh Swami
Maharaj who is the spiritual guru of the BAPS
Swaminarayan Sanstha.
● The announcement was made as part of the month-long
Pramukh Swami centenary celebrations of the BAPS
Swaminarayan sect.
List of some important renamed
Previous Name Present Name
Chipi greenfield airport, Nath Pai Airport

Maharashtra
Faizabad Cantt, Uttar Pradesh Ayodhya Cantt
Telangana Rashtra Samiti Bharat Rashtra Samiti
Power System Operation Grid Controller of India Ltd

Corporation Ltd
Mundera Bazaar Chauri-Chaura
Telia Afghan Telia Shukla
Inauguration News
News-1
Rajnath Singh inaugurated steel arch Siyom Bridge in Arunachal

Pradesh
Extra Points
● Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has inaugurated the 100
metre-Siyom Bridge in Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
It is a state-of-the-art Class 70 steel arch superstructure
bridge.
● He also inaugurated 27 other infrastructure projects in
Arunachal Pradesh.
● All these projects have been prepared at a cost of Rs. 724
crore in seven border states and union territories.
● In addition, three telemedicine nodes were inaugurated, two
in Ladakh and one in Mizoram.
International News
News-1
China becomes the first country in Asia to launch Hydrogen

powered Train
Extra Points
● China has become the first country in Asia and second in
the world to launch Hydrogen powered urban trains.
● Germany was the first country to introduce hydrogen
powered trains in September 2022.
● The hydrogen train gets a top speed of 160 km/h, and the
operational range without refueling is 600 km.
● As per Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, India will most
likely get its first-ever indigenous Hydrogen trains by
December 2023.
Sports News
News-1
World Boxing Council to Create Transgender Category

Extra Points
● The World Boxing Council (WBC), one of the four governing
bodies for Boxing, will introduce a transgender category
from 2023 to ensure safety and inclusion.
● Previously, WBC banned trans-identified males from
competing against women. Woman-to-man or man-to-
woman transgender change will not be allowed to fight a
different gender by birth.
Awards & Honours
News-1
Odisha won World Habitat Award 2023

Extra Points
● Odisha has won the UN-Habitat’s World Habitat Awards
2023 for Jaga Mission, a 5T initiative of the state.
● The Jaga mission is the land titling and slum upgrading
program that aims at empowering the lives of slum dwellers.
● The Government of Odisha has set itself the ambitious
target of becoming the first slum-free state in India and is
leading the Jaga Mission programme to upgrade all of the
state’s 2,919 slums.
● In 2019, Odisha’s Jaga mission received World Habitat
Awards for its success in providing land tenure security to
slum dwellers.
Festival & Fairs
News-1
Gaan Ngai festival celebrated in Manipur

Extra Points
● The Gaan Ngai festival is a major event in Manipur,
celebrated by the Zeliarong community every year after the
harvest season.
● On January 4, 2023, the community will come together to
show their gratitude for a good harvest and pray for a
prosperous year ahead.
● The Festival is celebrated for a full 5 days, usually in the
month of December or January. The exact date varies from
year to year.
Books & Authors
News-1
MP Governor released Dr Ashvini Kumar Dwivedi’s Medical Book

‘Human Anatomy’
Book Name ‘Human Anatomy’ in Hindi “Manav sharir Rachna

Vigyan”
Authored by Dr Ashvini Kumar Dwivedi
Released by Mangubhai Patel, Governor of Madhya Pradesh
Obituaries News
News-1
Former Indian Football Player Shyamal Ghosh Passed Away

Extra Points
● Shyamal Ghosh, former Indian Football player, passed away
in Kolkata, West Bengal, at the age of 71.
● Shyamal Ghosh made his International debut during the
Merdeka Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1974.
● He won the Santosh Trophy thrice in 1975, 1976 and 1977
representing Bengal.
● Shyamal Ghosh received the Lifetime Achievement Award
from East Bengal in 2016.
State/UT News
News-1
Uttarakhand Govt abolishes system of revenue police

Extra Points
● The Uttarakhand government has abolished the
revenue/Patwari policing system in the state. This was
notified by the Pushkar Singh Dhami government on 3
January 2023.
● All the revenue villages will now be under the regular
policing system.
● According to the Chief Minister’s Office the law and order in
1,800 revenue villages of Uttarakhand will now be handled
by the state police.
● It was introduced by the British in the hilly state 150 years
back. Under the system the civil officials/patwari of the
Revenue department had the power to investigate and arrest
the offenders just like police.
News-2
Assam govt acquire Matiabag Hawa Mahal to preserve it as

heritage site
Extra Points
● Assam government has acquired the historic Matiabag
Hawa Mahal of the Gauripur royal family in Dhubri district to
preserve it as a heritage site.
● The royal property was handed over to the state for its
restoration and preservation as a museum in memory of
Goalparia folk singer Pratima Pandey Barua.
● The palace was built in 1914 by Prabhat Chandra Barua of
the Gauripur royal family.
News-1
Issues related to cards, Net Banking Top Complaint Areas at
OBO: RBI Report
Report Name Annual Report of the Ombudsman Schemes for

the period April 01, 2021 – March 31, 2022
Published by Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
Highlights of the report:

● Issues related to ATM/debit cards were the highest at
14.65% of the total received at the Office of Banking
Ombudsman (OBO) during April 1 to November 11, 2021.
● These were followed by mobile/electronic banking at
13.64%.
● Complaints relating to digital modes of payment and
transactions were the highest in number, constituting
42.12% of the total complaints received during the year.
● The volume of complaints received under the Ombudsman
Schemes/Consumer Education and Protection Cells during
2021-22 increased by 9.39% at 4,18,184 as compared to
FY21.
● The rate of disposal of complaints by RBI Ombudsmans
improved to 97.97% in 2021-22 from 96.59% in 2020-21.
News-1
Prasanna Kumar Motupalli appointed as Chairman & MD of NLC

India Ltd
Appointed Person Prasanna Kumar Motupalli
Appointed as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of
NLC India Ltd
Replaced K.Mohan Reddy
News-2
Shiva Chauhan becomes the first women officer to be

operationally deployed in Siachen
Appointed Person Captain Shiva Chauhan

Appointed as First woman army officer to get
operationally deployed on the Siachen
Glacier, the world’s highest battlefield
Extra Info The officer was deployed at the Kumar post,
located at an altitude of around 15,600 feet
in Siachen for a period of three months after
she underwent rigorous training.
News-1
IndusInd Bank Partners with British & Qatar Airways to

Introduced Multi-branded Credit Card
Card Name IndusInd Bank multi-branded credit card
Launched by IndusInd Bank, British Airways Executive Club
and Qatar Airways Privilege Club
Powered by VISA
News-2
Dhanlaxmi Bank launches Retail Internet Banking Services

‘DhanDelight‘ & Mobile Banking App ‘DhanSmart‘
Extra Points
● Dhanlaxmi Bank has launched its new retail internet
banking ‘DhanDelight’, and retail mobile banking app
‘DhanSmart’ featuring latest information system security
features to provide secure banking.
● In DhanDelight, latest UI (User Interface) and UX (User
Experience) enable customers to do the financial
transactions more securely.
● The applications come with value-added features such as
biometric authentication for mobile users, dashboard for
internet users, user defined themes, soft token for
transaction authentication, credit card reports etc.
News-3
HDFC Bank partnered with Microsoft for digital transformation

Extra Points
● The private sector lender HDFC Bank has partnered with
Microsoft in the next phase of its digital transformation.
● Objective – To unlock business value by transforming the
application portfolio, modernizing the data landscape, and
securing the enterprise with Microsoft Cloud.
News-4
RBI lifted restrictions on Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services

Extra Points
● The Reserve Bank of India has lifted the restrictions it had
imposed on Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Ltd.
● The restrictions prevented the company from effecting any
recovery or repossession activity through outsourcing
arrangements.
● On 22nd September 2022, the RBI had directed the non-
banking finance company to immediately cease carrying out
any recovery or repossession activity through outsourcing
arrangements till further orders.
MoUs & Agreement
News-1
UP government signed MoU with UAE-based companies worth

Rs 18,590 crore
Extra Points
● Uttar Pradesh government has signed an MoU with six UAE-
based companies worth Rs 18,590 crore ahead of the Global
Investors Summit to be held in Lucknow in February 2023.
● This agreement will help in the creation of over 20,000 new
employment opportunities.
● The two companies, Astha Green Energy Venture and Shree
Siddharth Infratech and Services will invest in renewable
energy worth Rs 4480 and Rs 8000 crore respectively to
create 2560 and 4800 new jobs.
● Lulu Group will invest Rs 4500 crore in retail and food
processing sectors, creating 10000 jobs. While Sobha
Realty will invest Rs 100 crore in education and CSR. This
will provide employment to 250 people.
● Ahead of the Global Investors Summit, which will take place
in February, eight teams of the Uttar Pradesh government
visited 16 countries, receiving investment proposals
totalling more than Rs 7.12 lakh crore.
● The largest share of investment proposals worth Rs 4 lakh
crore has been received from the United Kingdom (UK) and
the United States of America (USA).
News-2
Ministries of Defence, Education, and Skill Development sign

MoUs
Extra Points
● The Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Education, the
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and all
three Services have signed MoUs with various stakeholders.
● They aim to facilitate the continued education of Agniveers
while serving in the Armed Forces.
● Under these MoUs, with the National Institute of Open
School and Indira Gandhi National Open University, suitable
12th Class certificates and Bachelor’s degrees will be
awarded to the Agniveers.
About Ministry of Defence

Union Minister Rajnath Singh
Minister of State Ajay Bhatt
About Ministry of Education
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan

Minister of State Annpurna Devi, Dr. Subhas Sarkar
About Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship

Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar
National News
News-1
Government approved National Green Hydrogen Mission

Extra Points
● The Union Government has approved the National Green
Hydrogen Mission with an initial outlay of 19,744 crore
rupees.
● The Mission aims to make India a Global Hub for the
production, utilization, and export of Green Hydrogen.
Extra Information:
● Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the launch of
the National Hydrogen Mission during his Independence
Day speech on the 15th of August 2021.
● He said, 50 lakh tonnes of green hydrogen will be produced
per year, with an associated renewable energy capacity
addition of about 125 Giga Watt.
● The targets by 2030 are likely to bring in over 8 lakh crore
rupees investments and create over 6 lakh jobs.
News-2
Government formed Committee to protect Ladakh culture,

language & employment
Extra Points
● The government of India has constituted a 17 member High
Powered Committee (HPC) under the Chairmanship of
Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai.
● Objective – To ensure the protection of land and
employment for the people of Ladakh.
Inauguration News
News-1
Narendra Tomar inaugurated ‘North East Krishi Kumbha-2023’

Extra Points
● Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare
Narendra Singh Tomar has inaugurated the three-day ‘North
East Krishi Kumbha-2023’ in Meghalaya.
● He also participated in the 49th Foundation Day celebration
of the ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam.
● The event included live demonstrations and exhibition of
recent technologies through 102 stalls, by the host institute
and its regional centers along with all the ICAR institutes.
News-2
President Murmu inaugurated the 18th National Jamboree of the

Bharat Scouts and Guides in Rajasthan
Extra Points
● President Droupadi Murmu has inaugurated the 18th
National Scout and Guide Jamboree, at Rohat in the Pali
district of Rajasthan.
● Rajasthan is hosting Jamboree after 66 years.
● Theme of the 18th National Scout and Guide Jamboree:
Progress with Peace.
Extra Information:
● A smart jamboree village has been set up with all the
facilities on a two hundred twenty hectare area at Nimblee
village 3500 tents have been erected at the venue.
● The first National Scout and Guide Jamboree was held in
Andhra Pradesh in 1951. The 17th Jamboree was held in
Mysuru, Karnataka in December 2016 -January 2017.
Sports News
News-1
2023 Hyderabad E-Prix: Hyderabad to host India’s 1st ABB FIA

Formula E World Championship Race
Extra Points
● Hyderabad is set to host the 2023 Hyderabad E-Prix, India’s
1st ever ABB FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile)
Formula E World Championship race, all-electric
motorsports, on 11th February 2023.
● The 2023 Hyderabad E-Prix is round 4 of the 17 races for the
9th Season of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
● The race will be held at the new Hyderabad Street Circuit
alongside Hussain Sagar Lake, Hyderabad, Telangana.
About Formula E World Championship:

● The Formula E championship is the first Net Zero Sport
since its inception.
● The first 3 races will be held in Mexico City (1st) and Riyadh
(2nd & 3rd).
Awards & Honours
News-1
Dr. Tapan Saikia received Assam highest civilian award

‘AssamBaibhav’
Extra Points
● Mumbai-based physician Dr. Tapan Saikia has been
honored with the highest state civilian award, ‘Assam
Baibhav’, for his contribution to cancer treatment.
● Assam Saurav (Assam’s second-highest civilian award) has
been conferred to Krishna Roy; Gilbertson Sangma;
Nayanmoni Saikia; Dr. Binoi Kumar Saikia and Dr.
Shashidhar Phukan.
● Asom Gaurav (third highest civilian award) has been
conferred to 15 people.
List of Winners:
Award Categories Awardees Field
Assam Baibhav Dr Tapan Saikia Healthcare

(Asom Baibhav) (Cancer Care) &
Public Service
Assam Saurav Krishna Roy Art & Culture

(Asom Sourav) (Mobile Theatre)
Gilbertson Sports (Football)

Sangma
Nayanmoni Saikia Sports (Lawnball)
Dr Binoi Kumar Science

Saikia
Dr Shashidhar Healthcare &

Phukan Public Service
Assam Gaurav Dhritimala Deka Public Service

(Asom Gourav)
Debajit Barman Agriculture &
Allied (Composite
Farming)
Rustom Tourism
Basumatary
Manje La Tourism
(Agrotourism)
Binanda Environment &

Hatibaruah Forest
Atul Ch Baruah Social Work
Kalyani Rajbanshi Entrepreneur

(SHG Worker)
Shila Gowala Public Service

(ASHA Worker)
Pankaj Lal Gogoi Entrepreneur

(Poultry)
Sarbeswar Agriculture
Basumatary (Progressive
Farmer)
Manthang Hmar Agriculture &

Allied (Pineapple
Farmer &
Exporter)
Dr Dhrubajyoti Agriculture &

Sharma Allied
(Horticulturist &
Entrepreneur)
Jogesh Deuri Agriculture &

Allied
(Sericulture)
Dayal Goswami Satriya Culture &

Art (MukhaShilpa)
Dr Syed Ifthikar Anti AIDS and

Ahmed Anti Drugs
campaigner

News-1
Dharmendra Pradhan chaired the 3rd meeting of the steering

committee of National Skill Development Mission
Meeting Name Meeting of the Steering Committee of the

National Skill Development Mission
Edition 3rd
Held at New Delhi
Chaired by Minister of Education and Skill Development
and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan
About National Skill Development Mission
Started in 2015
Comes under Ministry of Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship
Aim To provide a strong institutional framework at
the Center and in all States for the
implementation of skilling activities in the
country.
News-2
PM Modi presides over annual general meeting of Nehru

Memorial Museum and Library society
Meeting Name Annual General Meeting of the Nehru Memorial
Museum and Library Society
Held at New Delhi
Chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Festival & Fairs
News-1
2nd Phase of Sari Festival “VIRAASAT” begins in New Delhi

Extra Points
● The second phase of the Sari Festival “VIRAASAT” is
celebrating 75 handwoven Saris of India in New Delhi.
● This phase is being organized by the Ministry of Textiles
from 3rd to 17th January 2023 at Handloom Haat, Janpath,
New Delhi.
● The first phase of “VIRAASAT”- started on the 16th and
concluded on 30th of last month.
● A social media campaign has also been launched under a
common hashtag #MySariMyPride to support the Indian
handloom weavers.
Important day
News-1
5 January – National Birds Day
Day 5 January
Day Name National Birds Day
Objective To raise awareness of the value of tiny tweets in
the ecosystem
Started in 2002
State/UT News
News-1
Madhya Pradesh govt launched Chief Minister’s Residential Land

Rights Scheme
Extra Points
● Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has
launched the Chief Minister’s Residential Land Rights
scheme (Mukhyamantri Awasiya Bhu Adhikar Yojana) in a
programme organized at the Bagaj Mata temple complex in
Tikamgarh district.
● The objective of this scheme is to provide free plots to the
poor living in rural areas for building their houses.
● Under the scheme, plots worth about 129 crore rupees were
distributed to 10 thousand 918 families of Tikamgarh
district.
● The land will be given completely free of cost and along with
the plot, the benefits of all other schemes will also be
provided.
Extra Highlights
News-1
NTPC start India’s 1st green hydrogen blending operation in PNG
network
Extra Points
● India’s largest power company NTPC Ltd has commissioned
India’s first green hydrogen blending project at Kawas,
Gujarat.
● The piped natural gas (PNG) blended with green hydrogen
gas is being supplied through the Gujarat Gas limited piped
natural gas (PNG) network in the NTPC Kawas township,
Surat.
● The Central government owned NTPC provides the green
hydrogen produced at its 1 megawatt (MW) floating solar
project of NTPC Kawas in the Surat district of Gujarat for
blending purposes.
● Initially, the percentage of hydrogen blending in the PNG
shall be around 5% and after successful completion, it will
be increased.
News-1
Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council elects Saiyam Mehra as

chairman
Appointed Person Sayam Mehra

Appointed as Chairman of All India Gem and Jewelry
Domestic Council
Appointed Person Rajesh Rokade
Appointed as Vice Chairman of All India Gem and Jewelry
Domestic Council
News-2
Paytm bank gets RBI nod for Surinder Chawla as new CEO
Appointed Person Surinder Chawla

Appointed as CEO of Paytm Payments Bank
Replaced Satish Kumar Gupta
News-1
RBI to issue green bonds in two tranches of Rs 8,000 crore each

Extra Points
● The Reserve Bank of India said that maiden Sovereign
Green Bonds (SGrBs) would be issued in two tranches of Rs
8,000 crore each on January 25 and February 9.
● The RBI will auction 5-year and 10-year green bonds worth
₹4,000 crore each on 25 January and on 9 February, and this
would be a uniform price auction.
About Sovereign Green Bonds:
● The Green Bond was launched in 2007 by the European
Investment Bank and the World Bank.
● A Green Bond is an instrument that helps in raising funds
for green projects.
● Funds from these bonds will be invested in public sector
projects that help reduce carbon intensity.
News-2
SEBI Issues Debt Broker License to Zerodha-Backed GoldenPi

Technologies
Extra Points
● The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has
granted a debt broker license to GoldenPi Technologies, a
Bengaluru based fintech company backed by Indian
financial services provider Zerodha.
● With this, GoldenPi Technologies became the first online
bond platform provider to obtain a debt brokerage license
from SEBI.
● The license is expected to boost investor trust in the online
bond and debenture investment space.
News-3
Axis Bank & OPEN Collaborate to Launch a Fully Digital Current

Account
Extra Points
● Axis Bank Limited, India’s third-largest private sector bank,
has partnered with Open Financial Technologies Pvt Ltd
(OPEN) to give its customers a fully native digital current
account journey.
● This is Axis Bank’s first collaboration with a fintech
company to develop a fully digital current account.
● Small and Medium Enterprises, freelancers, homepreneurs
(home-based entrepreneurs), influencers, and other clients
would benefit from the Fully Digital Current Account.
MoUs & Agreements
News-1
Microsoft and ISRO tie up to help Space-Tech Startups in India

Extra Points
● Indian Space Research Organization and Microsoft signed
an MoU to help Indian Space tech start-ups in January 2023.
● Microsoft will provide mentoring support to space tech
entrepreneurs in areas ranging from space engineering to
cloud technologies and marketing.
● Through this MoU, the space tech startups identified by
ISRO will be boarded onto the Microsoft for Startups
Founders Hub.
News-2
General Atomics, Bharat Forge tie up to manufacture

aerostructure
Extra Points
● General Atomic Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) and
Bharat Forge Limited, India have announced a partnership.
● Objective:- To manufacture main landing gear components,
subassemblies, and assemblies of remotely piloted aircraft.
National News
News-1
Varanasi Cantt Railway Station got ‘Eat Right Station’ with a

certification by FSSAI
Extra Points
● The Varanasi Cantt railway station has been awarded a 5-
star ‘Eat Right Station’ certification by the Food Safety and
Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for providing quality
and nutritious food to passengers.
● The 5-star rating indicates full compliance by the station to
ensure safe and hygienic food is available to passengers.
● The “Eat Right Station” certification is awarded by Food
Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to the
railway stations that set benchmarks (as per the Food
Safety and Standards Act, 2006) in providing safe and
wholesome food to passengers.
Extra Information:
● The other railway stations with this certification:- Anand
Vihar Terminal Railway Station (Delhi), Chhatrapati Shivaji
Terminus (Mumbai), Mumbai Central Railway Station
(Mumbai), Vadodara Railway Station, Chandigarh Railway
Station.
News-2
Government declares The Resistance Front, TRF as a terrorist

organisation
Extra Points
● The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has declared The
Resistance Front (TRF) as a terrorist organisation under the
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967.
● As per the Home Ministry notification, The Resistance Front
(TRF) is recruiting youth through online medium for
furthering terrorist activities, recruiting terrorists, infiltrating
terrorists and smuggling arms and narcotics from Pakistan
into J&K.
About The Resistance Front (TRF)

● TRF came into existence in the year 2019 as a proxy
organisation of Lashkar-e-Taiba.
● It is headed by TRF Commander Sheikh Sajjad Gul.
Inauguration News
News-1
Parshottam Rupala inaugurates 29 Mobile Veterinary Units and

Centralised call centre in Thiruvananthapuram
Extra Points
● Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and
Dairying Purushottam Rupala inaugurated 29 Mobile
Veterinary Units (MVUs) and Centralised Call Center in
Thiruvananthapuram.
● It is a major step for the benefit of the livestock farmers in
Kerala. Kerala is deploying 50 MVUs in different districts.
● These MVUs will be operated through a centralised call
centre with a common helpline number - 1962.
● In the current financial year, Department of Animal
Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Govt of India has
sanctioned 4332 MVUs across the country.
About Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairy
Union Minister Parshottam Rupala

Minister of State Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, Dr. L. Murugan
News-2
The first-ever “National Genome Editing & Training Centre”

inaugurated at Mohali
Extra Points
● Union Minister of State for Science and TechnologyDr
Jitendra Singh inaugurated “National Genome Editing and
Training Centre (NGETC)” at National Agri-food
Biotechnology Institute (NABI) Mohali in Punjab.
● It is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and is a suitable
platform for adoption of various genome editing methods
including genome modification and to meet regional needs.
Sports News
News-1
Pranesh M became India’s 79th Grandmaster

Extra Points
● M Pranesh clinched the title in the Rilton Cup, the first
tournament of the FIDE Circuit, here to become India's 79th
chess Grandmaster.
● Pranesh M emerged as the winner of the Rilton Cup, the first
tournament of the FIDE Circuit.
● With this, he also becomes India’s first Grandmaster of the
year 2023.
List of Grand Masters Of India:
70th Raja Ritwik (Telangana)

71st Sankalp Gupta (Maharashtra)
72nd Mitrabha Guha (West Bengal)
73rd Bharath Subramanian (Tamil Nadu)
74th Rahul Shrivastava P (Telangana)
75th V. Pranav (Tamil Nadu)
76th Pranav Anand (Karnataka)
77th Aditya Mittal (Maharashtra)
78th Koustav Chatterjee (West Bengal)
News-2
International Hockey Federation signs JSW as global World Cup

partner
Extra Points
● The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has signed a
partnership with the JSW Group for the FIH Odisha Hockey
Men’s World Cup 2023.
● The group supports and promotes Olympics in India and
has created an Olympic Training Institute in the Inspire
Institute of Sport across the country.
● The 15th edition of FIH’s event for men will be played from
13 January to 29 January in Odisha, India.
About FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup
Founded in 1971
Total teams 16
Most titles Pakistan (4 titles)
2023 edition 15th
Last winner (14th) Belgium (2018)
FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup venues
Year Venue
2018 Bhubaneswar, Odisha
2023 Bhubaneswar & Rourkela, Odisha
2026 Wavre, Belgium & Amstelveen, Netherlands
Awards & Honours
News-1
Jalna and Nagpur Police won ‘Best Police Unit’ award
Extra Points
● Jalna district police and Nagpur city police in Maharashtra
have bagged the ‘Best Police Unit’ awards for 2021 in the
state.
● The award has been given under different classes for
maintaining law and order and evolving community policing
and administration.
● The Jalna police got the award in ‘Class A’ and the Nagpur
police in ‘Class B’, as per the winners by Additional Director
General of Police (law and order) Kulwant Sarangal.
● Police units with less than 6,100 Indian Penal Code cases
are grouped in ‘Class A’, while those with more than 6,100
IPC cases are grouped in ‘Class B’.
News-1
First G-20 meeting to take place in Puducherry on Jan 31

Extra Points
● Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan said
Puducherry would host the first G20 meeting on January 31.
● The Lt Governor released stickers, badges and posters with
the G20 logo and also inaugurated a selfie booth in the
presence of Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy at an
event.
● These programs will be organised in different parts of the
country in different segments. Kolkata will host the first
meeting on the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion.
● A working group meeting will be held on health in
Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai will host a meeting on
education, while Guwahati will host the first sustainable
financial meeting and Chandigarh will host the first financial
architecture meeting.
News-2
Health Minister chaired a high-level meeting to eliminate Kala-

azar from the country by 2023
Meeting Name High-level meeting to review the status of Kala-

Azar disease
Held at Four endemic states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh,
Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
Chaired by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya
Extra Info India is committed to eliminating Kala Azar
from the country by 2023.
News-3
India to host Voice of Global South Summit
Summit Name Voice of Global South Summit

Hosted by India
Attended by More than 120 countries

Theme Unity of Voice, Unity of Purpose
Extra Info The initiative is inspired by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka
Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas
Defence News
News-1
BPCL launches low-smoke Superior Kerosene Oil (SKO) for

Indian Army
Extra Points
● Bharat Petroleum has launched low-smoke superior
kerosene oil for the Indian Army.
● BPCL has emerged as the 1st Oil Marketing company to
commence supply of new LSLA grade SKO supplies to the
Army.
● Normal kerosene emits substantial smoke, which poses a
health hazard to personnel who use it at higher altitudes,
where oxygen level is very low.
● The low-smoke kerosene will provide cleaner fuel to
soldiers.
Festival & Fairs
News-1
Octave 2023 festival celebrated to showcase the culture of North

East
Extra Points
● Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi inaugurated the Octave 2023
festival in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.
● Octave 2023 is a festival being held under the aegis of the
South Zone Cultural Centre, Thanjavur, to showcase the
indigenous art and culture of North East India.
News-2
India’s first inclusion festival ‘Purple Fest’ begins in Goa

Extra Points
● Union Minister Dr Virendra Kumar inaugurated ‘Purple Fest:
Celebrating Diversity’, India’s first festival of inclusion, in
Goa.
● The event includes panel discussions, artistic live
performances, large displays, immersive experience zones
and other activities.
● He also inaugurated a two day sensitization workshop on
‘Issues relating to Empowerment of persons with
Disabilities’.
Important Day
News-1
6 January – World Day of War Orphans
Day 6 January
Day Name World Day of War Orphans
Objective To raise awareness about children orphaned in
wars.
State/UT News
News-1
Odisha CM inaugurated the state-of-the-art hockey stadium in

Rourkela
Extra Points
● Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the state-
of-the-art hockey stadium in Rourkela.
● The stadium has been named after legendary freedom
fighter Bhagwan Birsa Munda.
● The stadium has been built at a cost of 261 crore rupees in a
record time of 15 months.
● The stadium is being reported as the world's largest hockey
stadium with a sitting capacity of twenty thousand
spectators.
News-2
Bihar government begins caste survey in State

Extra Points
● The Bihar government has started caste surveys in different
parts of the state.
● Chief Minister Nitish Kumar clarified that castes will be
listed along with the economic status of each family and not
sub-castes.
● In the first phase, the number of all the families of the state
will be counted and recorded.
● In the second phase of the survey to be held from April 1 to
30, data will be collected regarding the people living in the
houses, their caste and socio-economic status.
● The state government will spend Rs 500 crore from its
contingency fund for this exercise.
News-1
India overtakes Japan to become third largest auto market

globally
Extra Points
● According to the latest Nikkei Asia industry data,India has
overtaken Japan to become the third largest auto market for
the first time.
● India’s new vehicle sales were at least 4.25 million units,
ahead of the 4.2 million sold in Japan, based on preliminary
results.
● New vehicles delivered in India between January and
November 2022 totaled 4.13 million.
● China topped the global auto market with sales of 26.27
million vehicles.
● The US stood second with 15.4 million vehicles sold.
News-1
Kevin McCarthy elected as new speaker of the US House of
Representatives
Appointed Person Republican leader Kevin McCarthy

Appointed as Speaker of the US House of Representatives
Extra Info He was picked after days of Election Drama,
making the election process for electing the
Speaker as the longest in 160 years.
News-1
India’s GDP to grow at 7.0 percent in FY23: NSO report
Extra Points
● India’s economy is expected to grow 7.0% in the financial
year 2023, according to the first advance estimates by the
National Statistical Office (NSO) in January 2023.
● It had pegged India’s growth at 7% in the fiscal year 2022.
● The RBI and the World Bank have projected 6.8 per cent and
6.9 percent GDP growth, respectively, in FY23.
News-2
NABARD Raises around Rs 5,000 crore via 3-year Bonds

Extra Points
● Under its first issue of ‘fund raising through bonds in 2023’,
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
(NABARD) has raised around Rs 5,000 crore via 3-year
bonds.
● The coupon for the 3-year bond was 63 per cent.
● The issue by NABARD had a base size of Rs 2,000 crore
plus a green-shoe option of Rs 3,000 crore.
About coupon bond

● A coupon bond is a bond with coupons that pays periodic
interest payments at its lifetime and par value at maturity.
● The coupon rate of the bond refers to the bond’s yield at the
date of issuance.
News-3
RBI selected 6 firms under 4th cohort of RS to Test Anti-Fraud

Solutions
Extra Points
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had selected six entities out
of nine applications for the Test Phase under the 4th cohort
of Regulatory Sandbox (RS) on the theme ‘Prevention and
Mitigation of Financial Frauds’.
● The selected entities will commence testing of their
products on Anti-Fraud Solutions from February 2023.
These Six entities are:

1) Bahwan Cybertek
2) Crediwatch Information Analytics
3) enStage Software Private Limited (Wibmo)
4) HSBC in collaboration with Wibmo
5) napID Cybersec
6) Trusting Social
All Cohorts of Regulatory Sandbox:
First Cohort Retail Payments

Second Cohort Cross Border Payments
Third Cohort MSME lending
Fourth Cohort Prevention and Mitigation of Financial Frauds
Fifth Cohort Neutral
MoUs & Agreements
News-1
Army Inks Pact with Assam Govt for Treatment of Ex-servicemen

at Medical Colleges
Extra Points
● The Indian Army signed Memorandums of Agreement
(MoUs) with eight government medical colleges and
hospitals under the Government of Assam.
● Objective:- To offer the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health
Scheme (ECHS) in Assam.
● The benefits of ECHS will be offered in hospitals and
colleges in Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Silchar, Jorhat, Barpeta,
Tezpur, Diphu and North Lakhimpur.
● This scheme covers all types of diseases and will facilitate
the cashless and capless treatment of almost 1.12 lakh
beneficiaries.
News-2
Indian Navy and Sagar Defence Engineering Pvt. Ltd. signs
agreement
Extra Points
● Indian Navy has recently announced a collaboration with
Sagar Defence Engineering Private Limited for development
of armed autonomous boat swarms.
● The platform will be able to conduct a variety of navy and
security tasks, including high-speed interdiction,
surveillance, constabulary operations, and intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance.
● The agreement is part of the SPRINT initiative.
National News
News-1
17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention organized in Madhya

Pradesh
Extra Points
● The 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention is being
organized in Indore from 8th Jan to the 10th of January in
partnership with the Government of Madhya Pradesh.
● The theme of this Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention is
“Diaspora: Reliable partners for India’s progress in Amrit
Kaal”.
● Over 3,500 Diaspora members from around 70 different
countries have registered for the convention.
● The postal stamp is dedicated to the safe and legal
migration of India’s Pravasi. The Ministry of External Affairs
had launched the “Surakshit Jayen Prashikshit Jayen” – Go
Safe, Go Trained.
About Yuva Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
● The Yuva Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be inaugurated on 8

January 2023 in partnership with the Ministry of Youth
Affairs and Sports.
● Ms. Zaneta Mascarenhas, Member of Parliament of Australia
will be the guest of honour at the Yuva Pravasi Bharatiya
Divas.
About Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention

● On 9 January 2023, the PBD Convention will be inaugurated
by Narendra Modi.
● The convention will feature addresses by the Chief Guest,
Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the President of Republic of
Guyana, and the Special Guest of Honour, Chandrikapersad
Santokhi, President of the Republic of Suriname.
Five thematic Plenary sessions of PBD Convention:
Session Chaired by
Role of Diaspora Youth in Minister of Youth Affairs and
Innovations and new Sports, Anurag Singh Thakur
Technologies
Role of Indian Diaspora in Minister of Health and Family
Promoting Indian Healthcare Welfare Dr. Mansukh
Ecosystem in AMRUT Kaal: Mandaviya
Vision @ 2047
Leveraging the soft power of Minister of State for External
India - Goodwill through craft, Affairs, Meenakashi Lekhi
cuisine & creativity
Enabling global mobility of Minister of Education, Skill
Indian workforce – Role of Development &
Indian Diaspora Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra
Pradhan
Harnessing the potential of Minister of Finance, Nirmala
diaspora entrepreneurs Sitharaman
towards an inclusive approach
to nation building
News-2
All 37 CSIR Labs in India to turn into Global Centers of Research

& Innovation
Extra Points
● Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &
Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh said all 37 CSIR Labs in India
will be turned into Global Centers of Research and
Innovation in their fields of specialisation.
● On this occasion, Dr. Jitendra Singh also released the logo
of CSIR's One Week One Lab campaign.
● Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurates workshop and exhibition on
"Innovation and Sustainable Construction Materials and
Technologies" organised by CSIR-Central Building
Research Institute (CSIR-CBRI), Roorkee.
Inauguration News
News-1
Amit Shah inaugurated 120-feet-tall polo statue in Manipur
Extra Points
● Union Home Minister Amit Shah has unveiled a 120-feet-tall
statue of a polo player riding a pony at Marjing Polo
Complex in Manipur’s Imphal East district.
● Northeastern state Manipur is considered as the birthplace
of polo sports. The state is the epicenter of the game.
● According to Guinness World Records, polo’s origins in
Manipur have a history of around 3100 BC, when it was
played as Sagol Kangjei.
News-1
Sania Mirza announced her retirement from Professional Tennis

Extra Points
● Indian Tennis Player Sania Mirza has announced her
retirement from professional Tennis.
● The former doubles World No. 1 champion has announced
that she will retire at the WTA 1000 event in Dubai in
February.
● Mirza became the first Indian to win a WTA singles title,
when she won her hometown Hyderabad event in 2005. She
broke into the top 30 by 2007 and reached her career-high
ranking of world number 27.
● In 2015, she partnered with Swiss legend Martina Hingis and
won three back-to-back Grand Slam doubles titles.
News-2
Kerala University won ‘Overall Championship’ at youth festival

Extra Points
● The University of Kerala bagged the ‘Overall Championship‘
at the 36th Inter University South Zone Youth Festival in
Tirupati.
● Mahatma Gandhi University came as the runners-up.
● Noted Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancer Alekhya
Punjala was the chief guest of the event.
Championships were awarded in each of the five categories:
Category Winner
Music MGU Kottayam
Dance Sri Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit
Fine arts Yogi Vemana University
Theatre University of Kerala
Literary events University of Kerala
Awards & Winners
News-1
Adar Poonawalla gets Patangrao Kadam award

Extra Points
● Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Vaccine manufacturer Serum
Institute of India has received Patangrao Kadam award for
contribution in the fight against COVID-19.
● Poonawalla is the first one to be conferred with the Dr
Patangrao Kadam Memorial Award.
● Patangrao Kadam was an Indian politician from the state of
Maharashtra and the award has been set up in his memory.
News-2
The Madras Sanskrit College presented ‘Spirit of Mylapore’ award

Extra Points
● The Madras Sanskrit College, an over century-old
educational institution was selected for the ‘Spirit of
Mylapore’ award.
● The award is given by non-banking finance company
Sundaram Finance.
● The college principal Arunasundaram received the award.
News-1
Y20 Summit India Curtain Raiser Event: Union Minister Anurag

Singh Thakur launches the Themes of the Y20 Summit
Extra Points
● Anurag Singh Thakur, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and
Sports, launched the themes of Youth 20 (Y20) Summit,
logo, and website in the Curtain raiser event of Y20 Summit
India at Akashwani Rang Bhawan New Delhi, Delhi.
● The Youth20 Group’s inception meeting will take place in
Guwahati, Assam, from 6th to 8th February 2023.
● India is hosting the Y20 Summit for the 1st time.
The 5 themes of Y20:

1) Future of Work: Industry 4.0, Innovation & 21st Century
skills.
2) Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction: Making
Sustainability a way of life.
3) Peacebuilding and Reconciliation: Ushering in an era of No
War.
4) Shared Future: Youth in Democracy and Governance.
5) Health, Wellbeing &Sports: Agenda for Youth.
Festival & Fairs
News-1
Chhattisgarh celebrated traditional ‘Cherchera’ festival

Extra Points
● Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel celebrates the
traditional Cherchera festival at Dudhadhari Math in the
state capital Raipur.
● The traditional Cherchera festival is celebrated on the full
moon night of ‘Paush’ Hindu calendar month in the
happiness of taking the crops to their homes after
cultivation.
Books & Authors
News-1
Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi released book titled ‘Diary No.1’
Book Name Chief Minister’s Diary No.1

Authored by Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
Released by 46th Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi
Obituaries News
News-1
Former governor of Bengal Keshari Nath Tripathi passed away

Extra Points
● Former Governor of West Bengal and three-time Uttar
Pradesh Assembly Speaker Keshari Nath Tripathi passed
away recently in Prayagraj. He was 88.
● Apart from West Bengal, Tripathi had held additional charge
as the Governor of Bihar, Meghalaya, and Mizoram.
Important Days
News-1
World Hindi Day: 10th January
Day 10th January

Day Name World Hindi Day
Theme 2023 To make Hindi a part of public opinion, although
it does not mean that one has to give up one's
mother tongue
Started in 2006
State/UT News
News-1
“UP Global City” campaign launched in Uttar Pradesh

Extra Points
● The UP government has launched a 100-day “UP Global
City” campaign ahead of the Global Investors Summit and
G20 summit.
● The campaign aims to bring urban areas in the state up to
global standards, with a focus on improving urban facilities,
air quality, cleanliness, and beautification, as well as proper
garbage disposal.
● The campaign will be implemented in all 762 urban bodies in
the state.
News-1
CIRIUM: Delhi & Bengaluru Among the Top 10 Performing Global

Airports Of 2022
Report Name The On-Time Performance Review 2022

Published by CIRIUM, the aviation analytics company
● Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, Karnataka,
and Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, Delhi, were
listed among the top 10 in the Top Performing Global
Airports of 2022.
● Kempegowda International Airport is ranked 2nd and Indira
Gandhi International (IGI) Airport is ranked 7th on the list.
● Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai
(Maharashtra) stood at the 11th spot.
List of Top Performing Global Airports of 2022:
Rank Airport Place

1 Haneda Airport Tokyo, Japan
2 Kempegowda International Bengaluru,

Airport Karnataka, India
3 Salt Lake City International Utah, United

Airport States (US)
4 Detroit Metropolitan Wayne Michigan, the

County Airport United States (US)
5 Philadelphia International Airport Pennsylvania, the

US
7 Indira Gandhi International Delhi, India

Airport
11 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Mumbai,

International Airport Maharashtra

News-1
Chetan Sharma retained as Chairman of the Senior Men’s

Selection Committee of BCCI
Appointed Person Chetan Sharma

Appointed as Chairman of the 5 members Senior Men’s
Selection Committee of Board of Control
for Cricket in India (BCCI)
Other members Shiv Sundar Das(Central Zone), Subroto
Banerjee(East Zone), Salil Ankola(West
Zone) and Sridharan Sharath (South Zone)
News-2
Manpreet Monica Singh sworn in as First female Sikh judge in US
Appointed Person Indian-origin Manpreet Monica Singh

Appointed as First female Sikh judge in the US
Extra info She was sworn in as a judge of the Harris
County Civil Court at Law No. 4 in Texas.
News-1
‘Hockey Wali Sarpanch’ inks pact with NABARD to start FPO for
Rajasthan’s Farmers
Extra Points
● To support the farmers of Rajasthan’s Lambi Ahir Village,
Neeru Yadav, fondly known as ‘Hockey Wali Sarpanch’ has
made an agreement with NABARD to start a Farmers
Producers Organisation (FPO), ‘Sachhi Saheli Mahila Agro
Producer Company Limited’.
● The FPO was started with the assistance of SIIRD (Society
of Indian Institute of Rural Development). Neeru Yadav
became the Board of Directors of the company.
● Sachhi Saheli Mahila Agro Producer Company Limited is the
15th FPO launched by NABARD in Rajasthan.
News-2
HSBC Mutual Fund launches multi cap fund NFO

Extra Points
● HSBC Mutual Fund has launched HSBC Multi Cap Fund, an
open-ended equity scheme investing across large cap, mid
cap and small cap stocks.
● This will be the first New Fund Offer (NFO) post the
acquisition of L&T AMC and schemes of L&T Mutual Fund
by HSBC Asset Management.
● HSBC Multi Cap Fund will be managed by Venugopal
Manghat and Kapil Punjabi.
MoUs & Agreements

News-1
ODP Corporation Selects HCL Tech as Primary IT Partner

Extra Points
● ODP Corporation has partnered with HCL Tech as its
primary IT partner for end-to-end Information technology
operations and enterprise-wide digital transformation to
support ODP’s business strategy in its Office Depot, ODP
Business Solutions and Veyer business units.
● As part of this agreement, HCL Tech will leverage its
automation and artificial intelligence capabilities to enable
efficient IT operations.
News-2
India, Panama sign agreement on cooperation in training

diplomats
Extra Points
● External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
signed an MoU to enhance cooperation in the training of
diplomats during his bilateral meeting with Panamanian
Foreign Minister Janaina Tevane Mencomo in Indore.
● The agreement was signed during the visit of the Foreign
Minister of Panama to participate in the 17th Pravasi
Bharatiya Divas Conference.
● During the consultations, both sides comprehensively
reviewed their bilateral relations covering issues such as
trade and investment, pharmaceuticals, capacity building,
space cooperation and consular.
National News
News-1
World’s first Palm-leaf Manuscript Museum in

Thiruvananthapuram
Extra Points
● Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala has opened the world’s first
museum of palm leaf manuscripts, enriching the state
culturally and educationally.
● The museum, which opened last week, has 187 manuscripts
chronicling a mine of stories based entirely on primary
sources.
● These documents are written on clean and clear palm
leaves, which are furnished in the record rooms.
News-2
PM launches Aspirational Block Programme aimed at spurring

development parameters
Extra Points
● A new initiative called the Aspirational Blocks Program was
launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with an aim to
improve the performance of blocks within backward
districts in various development parameters.
● The Aspirational Block Program (ABP) was announced in
the Union Budget 2022-23.
● Under this programme, 500 blocks across states have been
identified for quarterly ranking based on their performance
in areas such as health, education and nutrition.
● It will initially cover 500 districts across 31 states and union
territories, of which more than half of the blocks are located
in six states – Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh,
Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal.
Inauguration News
News-1
Arjun Ram Meghwal inaugurates Astro Tourism – A Sky Gazing

event at Delhi’s India Gate
Extra Points
● National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) in
association with Nehru Memorial Museum and Library
organised Astro Tourism - A Sky Gazing event at Delhi's
India Gate.
● The event was inaugurated by Minister of State for Culture,
Arjun Ram Meghwal.
● The program will help in developing scientific temper
among the people which is a fundamental duty as per our
constitution.
International News
News-1
New British Indian Army Memorial to be built in Scotland

Extra Points
● A new British Indian Army memorial has been approved to
be built in the Scottish city of Glasgow to commemorate the
sacrifices of millions of Indian soldiers who fought
alongside the British during the two world wars.
● Glaswegian City Council is now making the final
preparations to build the memorial.
● This war memorial will be built near an art gallery and
museum named Kelvingrove.
Sports News
News-1
Talon Grikspoor of the Netherlands won the singles title at the

Maharashtra Open tennis tournament in Pune
Extra Points
● The Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor prevailed in three-set
final against Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi to win his maiden
ATP World Tour title as the first-time finalists dished out a
gripping game of tennis in Pune.
● Grikspoor won a thrilling 4-6 7-5 6-3 title against his French
opponent in two hours and 16 minutes to clinch the fifth
edition of Tata Open Maharashtra title.
Winners of Tata Open Maharashtra title 2023
Category WInner Runner up

Singles Tallon Griekspoor Benjamin Bonzi (France)
(Netherland)
Doubles Sander Gillé & Joran Sriram Balaji & Jeevan
Vliegen (Belgium) Nedunchezhiyan (India)
News-2
Anahat Singh clinches Girls U-15 squash title at British Junior
Open
Extra Points
● Indian squash prodigy Anahat Singh clinched the girls
Under-15 squash title at the most prestigious British Junior
Open tournament in Birmingham, England.
● The 14-year-old defeated Sohaila Hazem of Egypt, 3-1 in the
final.
● The British Junior Open is held in January every year in the
UK where all the best players from all over the world
compete to win the coveted title.
Awards & Honours
News-1
CJI Chandrachud to be conferred with 'Award for Global

Leadership' by Harvard Law School Center
Extra Points
● Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud has been
selected for the "Award for Global Leadership" by the
Harvard Law School Center in recognition of his lifetime
service to the legal profession nationally and internationally.
● The award was presented to CJI Chandrachud in an online
program on 11 January 2023.
● Chandrachud holds an LLM degree and a Doctorate in
Juridical Sciences (SJD) from Harvard Law School in the
United States.
Defence News
News-1
India, Japan to hold 1st bilateral air exercise 'Veer Guardian-2023'
from next week
Exercise Name Veer Guardian 2023

Edition 1st
Held between Indian Air Force and the Japanese Air Self-
Defense Force
Held at Hyakuri air base and Iruma air base in Japan
Science & Tech
News-1
World's first vaccine for honeybees approved for use by United

States
Extra Points
● The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved the
world's first insect vaccine, which has been developed to
protect bees from a devastating bacterial disease.
● US researchers have developed a vaccine to target a
disease called American foulbrood.
● The disease is caused by Paenibacillus larval bacteria and
once it reaches a bee population, it has the potential to
completely destroy the colony.
Festival & Fairs

News-1
Military Tattoo & Tribal Dance Festival to be held in New Delhi

Extra Points
● A Military Tattoo and Tribal Dance Festival – Aadi Shaurya –
Parv Parakram Ka will be held at Jawaharlal Nehru stadium
in New Delhi.
● The two-day festival will showcase the prowess of the
Armed Forces and the ethnic beauty of India’s tribal culture.
News-2
Gujarat CM inaugurated International Kite Festival 2023

Extra Points
● Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has inaugurated the
International Kite Festival 2023 in Ahmedabad.
● The theme of this festival will be held with the theme of G20
– ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’.
● The delegates from G20 countries have been invited to the
inauguration of the international kite festival 2023 to
exchange their culture.
Books & Authors
News-1
Historian Sanjeev Sanyal releases his new book ‘Revolutionaries’
Book Name Revolutionaries: The Other Story of How India

Won Its Freedom
Authored by Noted economist and popular historian Sanjeev
Sanyal
Obituaries News
News-1
Rehman Rahi, Kashmir’s first Jnanpith awardee, passes away

Extra Points
● Renowned poet and Kashmir’s first Jnanpith awardee
Professor Rehman Rahi passed away.
● Rahi wrote several collections of poems and translated the
works of celebrated poets into Kashmiri.
● He received the highest literary award of the country —
Jnanpith award — in 2007 for his collection ‘Siyah Rood
Jaeren Manz’ (In Black Drizzle).
● He also received the Padma Shri award in 2000.
State/UT News
News-1
Kerala declared first State to enable digital banking service

Extra Points
● Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that
Kerala has become the first state in the country where the
banking sector has now gone completely digital.
● Kerala is the first state in the country to digitise at least one
savings and current account in all districts.
● It is noteworthy in this context that in the year 2021,
Thrissur in Kerala became the first district to implement full
digital banking.
● After this, Kottayam district of the state also implemented a
full digital banking system.
News-2
Talcher Fertiliser plant in Odisha will be ready by October 2024

Extra Points
● Union Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and
Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has informed that
the country’s first-ever coal gasification-based Talcher
Fertiliser plant in Odisha will be ready to be dedicated to the
nation by October 2024.
● It will be the largest and first coal gasification plant in India.
● The urea plant being constructed at a cost of about 17,000
crore rupees will benefit the farmers across the country.
● Coal India Ltd, the Gas Authority of India Ltd, and the
National Fertiliser Corporation are supporting the setting up
of the Talcher Fertiliser plant.
News-1
Henley Passport Index 2023 : Japan retained its top position

Report Name Henley Passport Index 2023
Published by Henley

● Japan has retained its position as the most favourable
passport in the world, according to the latest Henley
Passport Index, which allows visa-free entry to 193 global
destinations.
● Japan is at the top for the fifth year in a row.
● The US was among the top 22 with visa-free access to 186
destinations, matching the likes of Switzerland, New
Zealand and Norway.
● India is at 85th position in the ranking.
● An Indian passport holder can travel visa-free to 59
countries, although in 2022 the number was 60.
Ranking of Top 5, India & Last Country:
Rank Country
1 Japan
2 Singapore, South Korea
3 Germany, Spain
4 Finland, Italy, Luxembourg
5 Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden
85 India, Mauritania, Uzbekistan
109 Afghanistan
(Last)
News-1
RS Sodhi steps down as GCMMF MD; Jayen Mehta given Interim

Charge
Resigned person RS Sodhi

Resigned as Managing Director (MD) of Gujarat
Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation
(GCMMF)
Appointed Person Chief operating officer of GCMMF, Jayen
Mehta
Appointed as Managing Director (MD) of Gujarat
Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation
(GCMMF)
News-2
ICICI Prudential signed Suryakumar Yadav for a new campaign
Appointed Person Suryakumar Yadav
Appointed as Brand ambassador of ‘360° Financial

Protection with ICICI Prudential Life
Insurance’
News-3
Michael Patra reappointed as RBI’s Deputy Governor for One

Year
Appointed Person Michael Debabrata Patra (Reappointed)

Appointed as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of
India
Term 1 Year
Extra Info Michael Debabrata Patra was 1st
appointed to a 3-year tenure as deputy
governor of the Reserve Bank of India on
15th January 2020.
News-1
“PayRup“: India’s Fastest Payment App Has Been Launched

Extra Points
● PayRup, India’s fastest payment app, has been launched.
● PayRup is built on cutting-edge Web 3.0 technology and
offers an enhanced digital payment experience with an
exceptional user experience.
● PayRup was launched by Mahadevappa Halagatti at a
launch ceremony held at Lulu Mall in Bangalore, Karnataka.
● To provide the best customer service, PayRup assures the
SERVQUAL (service quality) standard and the 5 dimensions
of service quality.
News-2
ICRA Report: Bank Bond Issuances Reach a Record of Rs. 91,500

Crore in Debt Capital in FY23 (April –December)
Extra Points
● According to the report released by credit rating agency
ICRA Limited, Gross bond issuances by Indian banks
reached a record of Rs. 91,500 crores in the first 9 months
(April-December) of financial year 2022-23 (FY23).
● In FY22, banks issued Rs. 70,000 crore in gross bond
issuances. The previous record was Rs. 80,000 crore in
FY17.
● Bank gross bond issuances are likely to reach Rs. 1.3-1.4
lakh crore by the end of FY23, as the banking system’s
credit-to-deposit ratio continues to firm up.
News-3
Axis Bank & IISc Signs MoU to Set up Centre for Mathematics
and Computing
Extra Points
● Axis Bank signed a MoU with the Indian Institute of Science,
Bengaluru, Karnataka to establish a Centre for Mathematics
and Computing at IISc.
● The centre spread across 1.6 lakh square feet will have state
of the art labs and programmes that will benefit the faculty
and students of the 20 IISc departments.
● Annually the centre will benefit more than 500 engineers
and scientists.
News-4
South Indian Bank Launches MSME Online Portal
Extra Points
● The South Indian Bank has launched a Micro Small and
Medium Enterprises (MSME) online portal that provides
instant online ‘In Principle’ approval of up to Rs.1 crore.
● This initiative will support the MSME business to get loans
quickly and support the domestic MSMEs to scale up their
businesses.
● This is in line with the government’s efforts to make India a
USD 5 trillion economy.
MoUs & Agreements
News-1
Garuda Aerospace Signs MoU with Rallis India to Boost

Agriculture
Extra Points
● Garuda Aerospace has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Rallis India Limited, a subsidiary
of Tata Chemicals, to work for the betterment of the farmers
by leveraging technology in their agricultural operations.
● The pilot demonstrations and spraying of pesticides on
fields through drones will be conducted in Maharashtra and
Andhra Pradesh.
● The drone pilots will conduct demonstrations on a 1,000-
acre land on crops like paddy, onion, Bengal gram, wheat
and vegetables.
News-1
BIS launched portal for mapping of industrial units and

laboratories
Extra Points
● Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal
emphasized the importance of quality in India’s
development at the 76th Foundation Day of the Bureau of
Indian Standards (BIS) in New Delhi.
● Portal for mapping of Industrial Units and Laboratories was
launched on the occasion.
● This is a centralized platform for information on industrial
units and laboratories across the country.
● This will enable analysis of test facilities in the country and
help entrepreneurs in accessing information about testing
facilities.
News-2
Joshimath declared ‘landslide-subsidence zone’

Extra Points
● Joshimath, the gateway to Hemkund Sahib and Badrinath,
has been declared a landslide-subsidence zone.
● Joshimath in Uttarakhand is currently facing landslides. Big
cracks are being seen between people's houses and roads.
● The city is a tourist town as it serves as a rest stop for
people visiting Badrinath, Auli, Valley of Flowers, and
Hemkund Sahib.
About Landslide
● A landslide is defined as the movement of a mass of rock,
debris, or earth down a slope.
● They are a type of mass wasting, which denotes any
downward movement of soil and rock under the direct
influence of gravity.
● The term landslide encompasses five modes of slope
movement: falls, topples, slides, spreads, and flows.
Inauguration News
News-1
Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurates ‘Jai Hind- The New Light
and Sound Program' at Red Fort
Extra Points
● Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the 'Jai Hind-
Naya Prakash Aur Dhvani Program / Light and Sound Show'
at the Red Fort in Delhi.
● The program will be presented in Hindi and English
languages.
● The light and sound show has started after a gap of five
years at the Red Fort.
● They will depict major events in Indian history related to the
freedom struggle including the rise of the Marathas, the War
of Independence of 1857, the rise of the Indian National
Army and its trials.
Sports News
News-1
Novak Djokovic win the Adelaide International men’s singles title

Extra Points
● Novak Djokovic won the Adelaide International men’s
singles title.
● The 21-time Grand Slam winner won the match by defeating
America’s Sebastian Korda in the final.
● Djokovic also equalled Rafael Nadal’s tally of 92 ATP singles
titles in the Open Era.
● The 2023 Adelaide International is a tennis tournament
being played in Australia.
Winners of Adelaide International men’s singles title 2023
Category Winner
Men's singles Novak Djokovic
Women's singles Aryna Sabalenka
Men's doubles Lloyd Glasspool & Harri Heliövaara
Women's doubles Asia Muhammad & Taylor Townsend
News-2
Surya Kumar Yadav becomes fastest player to reach 1,500 runs

in T20I
Extra Points
● Indian batter, Suryakumar Yadav has become the fastest
player to reach 1,500 runs in T20 International cricket in
terms of balls faced.
● He took only 843 balls to reach this landmark. However, he
is the third-fastest batter to reach the 1,500-run mark in
terms of innings.
● The fastest batters to reach this landmark are Indian batter
Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Australian veteran Aaron Finch, and
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, who all took 39 innings to
score 1,500 runs in T20 International cricket.
● Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammed Rizwan reached
the milestone in 42 innings and Suryakumar did so in 43
innings.
News-3
Khelo India Youth Games 2022 torch, theme song and mascot
unveiled
Extra Points
● State Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the
mascot and theme song for the fifth edition of Khelo India
Youth Games to be hosted by Madhya Pradesh.
● The mascot of Khelo India Youth Games 2022 is 'Asha'. The
theme song is 'Hindustan Ka Dil Dhadka Do...' sung by
famous singer Shaan.
● The torch of Khelo India Youth Games was named
Amarkantak, on which the figure of Maa Narmada is also
engraved.
About Khelo India Youth Games 2022

● It is the 5th edition of Khelo India Youth Games.
● The Games will be hosted in Madhya Pradesh
● It will be organised in eight different cities of the state.
● The eight host cities designated are Bhopal, Indore,
Jabalpur, Gwalior, Ujjain, Maheshwar, Mandla and Balaghat.
● For the first time water sports namely Kayaking Canoeing,
Canoe Salaam and Fencing will be part of this edition of
Khelo India Games.
Khelo India Youth Games winners list:
Edition Host City Winner

2018 New Delhi Haryana
2019 Pune Maharashtra
2020 Guwahati Maharashtra
2021 Panchkula Haryana
Awards & Honours
News-1
Aparna Sen received Lifetime Achievement Award at Jaipur Film

Festival
Extra Points
● Veteran actor-director Aparna Sen was honoured with the
Lifetime Achievement Award at the opening ceremony of the
15th edition of the Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF).
● In 1961, Aparna Sen made her film debut in Satyajit Ray’s
Teen Kanya.
● More than two hundred producers, directors, and
scriptwriters attended the event. 282 films from 63 countries
will be screened.
News-2
RRR's Naatu Naatu wins historic Golden Globe for best original
song
Extra Points
● South Cinema's film RRR has created history at the 80th
'Golden Globe Awards 2023' award ceremony, the film's
Telugu song 'Naatu Naatu' has won the Best Song award.
● 'Naatu Naatu' is the first Indian song to win this prestigious
award.
● The song was composed by MM Keeravani and sung by
Kaala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj.
Extra Info:
● 'RRR' directed by Rajamouli is based on nationalism and
brotherhood.
● Rajamouli recently won the prestigious New York Film
Critics Circle Award for Best Director.
List of Important Winners of Golden Globe Awards 2023:
Category Winner
Best Motion Picture – Drama The fablemans
Best Motion Picture – The Banshees of Inisherin

Musical or Comedy
Best Motion Picture — Non- Argentina, 1985

English Language
Best Motion Picture — Guillermo del Toro’s
Animated Pinocchio
Best Director — Motion Steven Spielberg, The

Picture Fabelmans
Best Screenplay — Motion Martin McDonagh, The

Picture Banshees of Inisherin
Best Performance by an Austin Butler, Elvis

Actor in a Motion Picture —
Drama
Best Performance by an Cate Blanchett, Tár

Actress in a Motion Picture
— Drama
Best Performance by an Colin Farrell, The Banshees

Actor in a Motion Picture — of Inisherin
Musical or Comedy
Best Performance by an Michelle Yeoh, Everything

Actress in a Motion Picture Everywhere All at Once
— Musical or Comedy
Best Performance by an Ke Huy Quan, Everything
Actor in a Supporting Role in Everywhere All at Once
any Motion Picture
Best Performance by an Angela Bassett, Black

Actress in a Supporting Role Panther: Wakanda Forever
in any Motion Picture
Best Original Score — Justin Hurwitz, Babylon

Motion Picture
Best Original Song — Motion “Naatu Naatu” by M.M.
Picture Keeravani, Kala Bhairava,
Rahul Sipligunj from RRR
Defence News
News-1
DRDO develops unmanned vehicle for operations in Himalayan

regions
Extra Points
● Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has
developed an unmanned aerial vehicle with the aim of
targeting logistics operations on the Himalayan border.
● This aircraft has been displayed by DRDO at the 108th
Indian Science Congress held in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
● This UAV can fly with a load of 5 to 25 kg and is also
capable of dropping bombs in enemy territory.
● The aircraft can conduct autonomous missions within a
radius of five kilometers.
Books & Authors
News-1
“Roller Coaster: An Affair with Banking” book launched
Book Name Roller Coaster: An Affair with Banking

Authored by Journalist Tamal Bandyopadhyay
News-2
Dhoni released autobiography of Prof KK Abdul Gaffar
Book Name K.K. Abdul Gaffar’s autobiography ‘Njaan Sakshi’

Authored by Techno-educationalist Professor K.K. Abdul Gaffar
Released by Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Obituaries News
News-1
Father of laparoscopic surgery Tehemton Udwadia passed away

Extra Points
● Tehemton Erach Udwadia, an Indian Surgeon and
Gastroenterologist, who was known as the ‘father of
laparoscopic surgery in India’ passed away at the age of 88.
● He was the 1st surgeon in India to introduce laparoscopy in
surgery in 1972, and the 1st to perform laparoscopic
surgery in the developing world in 1990.
● The doctor was awarded the Padma Bhushan, the country’s
third-highest civilian award, in 2017.
● In 2002, he was awarded the Padma Shri for his
contributions to the field of medicine.
Important Days
News-1
Jitendra Singh released theme of National Science Day 2023

Day 28th February
Day name National Science Day
Celebrated as To commemorate the discovery of the Raman
Effect by Indian Physicist Sir C V Raman.
Theme 2023 Global Science for Global Wellbeing
State/UT News
News-1
Kerala sets up welfare board to provide pension to MGNREGS

workers
Extra Points
● The Kerala Cabinet has approved a scheme for the Mahatma
Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)
workers to get benefits like pension and medical assistance.
● With this, Kerala became the first state to have a welfare
board for the beneficiaries of employment guarantee
programs in the country.
● At least 26.71 lakh laborers of MGNREGS will be benefited
from the scheme.
News-1
Gabon appoints Ossouka Raponda as Vice President & Alain-
Claude Bilie as Prime Minister
Appointed Person Alain-Claude Bilie

Appointed as Prime Minister of Gabon
Replaced Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda
Appointed Person Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda

Appointed as First-ever female Vice President of Gabon
News-2
Indian-American A.C. Charania Appointed as NASA’s new Chief

Technologist
Appointed Person Indian-American aerospace industry

expert A.C Charania
Appointed as National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA)’s new chief
technologist
Replaced Indian-American scientist Bhavya Lal

News-1
World Bank Report: Indian Economy to Grow at A Robust 6.6% In

FY24
Extra Points
● According to the latest Global Economic Prospects report
released by the World Bank, the Indian economy is
projected to grow at a robust 6.6% in fiscal year 2023-24
(FY24).
● It is down from an estimated 6.9% in FY23 and 8.7% in FY22.
News-2
Hitachi Payment Services gets RBI’s in-principle nod for Payment

Aggregator Licence
Extra Points
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) provided its in-principle
authorization to Hitachi Payment Services to act as a
payment aggregator (PA).
● As a PA it will further augment its digital solutions with
various merchant-friendly digital payment solutions such as
UPI (Unified Payments Interface), netbanking, cards and
wallets.
News-3
Kotak General Insurance Ties Up with Clootrack to Boost

Customer Experience
Extra Points
● Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company Limited
(“Kotak General Insurance“) has partnered with Clootrack,
an artificial intelligence powered, real-time customer
experience platform.
● This partnership will provide Kotak General Insurance with
actionable insights about its non-life insurance products
based on customer feedback.
MoUs & Agreements
News-1
MP Tourism Board signed MoUs with 8 countries

Extra Points
● Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board has signed MoUs with
chapters of eight countries of the Global Organisation of
People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) at the 17th Pravasi Bhartiya
Divas Convention Indore.
● These MoUs were signed with France Metropole Paris,
Mauritius, Reunion Island, Martinique, Sri Lanka, GOPIO
International, Malaysia, and Mauritius.
● These MoUs have been executed with the aim of boosting
cooperation in the development of the Tourism sector of the
State, and promotion, and publicity of tourist places.
News-2
IN-SPACe signs MoU with Nascent Info Technologies for GIS

Applications
Extra Points
● The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization
Centre (IN-SPACe) signed a MoU with Nascent Info
Technologies Private Limited for technical collaboration for
the development of various Geographic Information System
applications.
● According to the MoU, Nascent Info Technologies will use
its expertise and resources to research the functional
requirements of various stakeholders in the fields of
limestone, bauxite, clay, coal, etc.
National News
News-1
Centre named new Integrated Food Security Scheme as Pradhan

Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana
Extra Points
● The new integrated food security scheme has been named
as PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana ((PMGKAY) to provide free
food grains to Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Primary
Household (PHH) beneficiaries.
● Keeping in view the welfare of the beneficiaries and to
maintain uniformity across states, all PHH and AAY
beneficiaries will be provided free food grains under
PMGKAY for 2023.
● The implementation of this new scheme has started from
January 1, 2023, which is benefiting more than 80 crore poor
people.
● The central government will spend over Rs 2 lakh crore in
2023 as food subsidy under NFSA and other welfare
schemes to ease the financial burden of the poor.
News-2
Ministry of Road to observe Road Safety Week from Jan 11, 2023
Extra points
● Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of
India is observing the Road Safety Week from 11th to 17th
January 2023, under "Swachhata Pakhwada", to propagate
the cause of safer roads for all.
● During the week, awareness campaigns related to the
causes of road accidents and measures to prevent them,
Nukkad Nataks and sensitization campaigns will be
conducted.
News-3
US to support restoration of Hyderabad's Paigah tombs

Extra Points
● Financial assistance of $250,000 (through the US
Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation) will be
provided by the US for the conservation and restoration of 6
Paigah tombs built in the 18th-19th centuries in Hyderabad.
● The project will be implemented by the Aga Khan Trust for
Culture.
About Paigah Tombs Complex

● Paigah Tombs Complex is a protected complex of the
Department of Archaeology, Government of Telangana.
● The Paigah Tomb (or Tomb Shams al-Umra) is a mausoleum
belonging to the nobility of the Paigah family, who served
the Nizam of Hyderabad.
● The construction of this mausoleum was started by Nawab
Tegjung Bahadur in 1787.
Sports News
News-1
Dwaine Pretorius announces retirement from international cricket

Extra Points
● South Africa all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius has announced
his retirement from international cricket.
● The all-rounder had made a total of 60 appearances for the
Proteas across all formats, with the maximum being in the
shorter format.
● He made his international debut in 2016 and was part of the
South Africa squad for the 2019 ODI World Cup and the 2021
T20 World Cup.
News-2
Virat Kohli equals Sachin Tendulkar’s record of most hundreds

Extra Points
● Former India skipper Virat Kohli has become the batter with
the joint most ODI centuries in a country when he scored a
hundred against Sri Lanka in the first ODI of the three-match
series in Guwahati.
● It was Kohli’s 20th ODI hundred in India, equaling the record
held by batting great Sachin Tendulkar.
● Kohli took only 99 innings to score his 20 ODI hundreds on
home soil, while Sachin did so in 160 innings.
● South Africa’s Hashim Amla (14 centuries in South Africa in
69 innings) and Ricky Ponting (14 centuries in Australia in
151 innings) are next in the list of most ODI hundreds in a
country.
News-3
ICC Men's and Women's Player of the Month for December 2022
Extra Points
● The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the ICC
Player of the Month Awards for December 2022, with
England's rising star batsman Harry Brook and Australia's
Ashley Gardner winning the ICC Men's and Women's Player
of the Month awards respectively.
Awards & Honours

Vivek Agnihotri’s ‘The KashmirFiles’ nominated for Oscars 2023
Extra Points
● Vivek Agnihotri’s film ‘The Kashmir Files‘ has been
shortlisted for Oscars 2023.
● The film had incidentally collected over ₹200 crores at the
box office.
● Actors Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborthy, Darshan
Kumar, and Pallavi Joshi are also shortlisted for the best
actor category.
● Rishabh Shetty’s ‘Kantara’, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s
‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’, Paan Nalin’s ‘The Chello Show’ and
SS Rajamouli’s ‘RRR’ have also been selected for the
Oscars.
News-1
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Global Investors
Summit in Indore
Summit Name Global Investors Summit

Edition 7th
Held at Indore, Madhya Pradesh
Inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi
Other attendees President of Suriname Chandrika Prasad
Santokhi and the President of Guyana Dr
Mohammed Irfan Ali
Theme Madhya Pradesh-The Future Ready State
Defence News
News-1
Successful training launch of Prithvi-2 at Chandipur, Odisha

Extra Points
● Prithvi-2 was successfully trained from the Integrated Test
Range at Chandipur off the Odisha coast.
● Prithvi-II is an indigenously developed surface-to-surface
short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) with a range of
approximately 250-350 km and it can carry one ton payload.
● The missile was first inducted into India's Strategic Forces
Command in 2003, it was the first missile developed under
the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme
(IGMDP).
Five missiles developed under IGMDP:
1) Prithvi: Short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile.
2) Agni: Surface-to-surface medium-range ballistic missile
3) Trishul: Short-range surface-to-air missile.
4) Nag: Third generation anti-tank missile.
5) Akash: Medium-range surface-to-air missile.
Festival & Fairs
News-1
Kota tribe of the Nilgiris celebrated Aiyanoor Ammanoor festival

Extra Points
● 'Ayyanur Ammanur' is a festival celebrated by the Kota tribe
of the Nilgiris. It is celebrated for a week.
● During this festival, this tribe collects clay to make pottery.
The pot-making ceremony is held once every two years.
● After making an earthen pot, they open their temple and
then prepare food in this earthen pot and serve it to the
whole village.
Books & Authors
News-1
Health Minister launches book titled 'Braving A Viral Storm:

India’s Covid-19 Vaccine Story'
Book Name Braving A Viral Storm: India’s Covid-19 Vaccine Story
Authored by Ashish Chandorkar and Suraj Sudhir

Released by Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh
Mandaviya
Important Days
News-1
12 January – National Youth Day
Day 12 January
Day Name National Youth Day
Celebrated as Birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda
Theme 2023 Viksit Yuva-Viksit Bharat
Started in 1985
State/UT News
News-1
Assam CM launched Jio 5G services in Guwahati

Extra Points
● Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has launched
Jio True 5G services at Guwahati in Assam.
● Jio also started its True 5G-powered Wi-Fi services at Maa
Kamakhya Temple complex in Guwahati.
● Apart from Jio’s existing investment of Rs 9,500 crore, the
company is additionally investing over Rs 2,500 crore to
deploy True 5G network in Assam.
News-2
Sudarsan Pattnaik builds world’s largest hockey stick in Odisha

Extra Points
● Renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik built the world’s
largest hockey sculpture on the banks of the Mahanadi
River in Cuttack, Odisha.
● He built a 105-feet long hockey stick, using 5000 hockey
balls.
● Objective – To mark the commencement of the Hockey
Men’s World Cup 2023 that begins on January 13.
● He has also been awarded Padma Shri in 2014, for his
contribution to sand art.
● He also holds the Guinness Record (2017) for building the
tallest sand castle at 48 feet.
News-1
OAG’s Punctuality League 2023: IndiGo Airlines & Coimbatore

Airport are Among World’s 20 Most Punctual Airlines & Airports
Report Name Punctuality League 2023 report
Published by OAG

● India’s largest airline IndiGo and Airports Authority of India
(AAI)-owned Coimbatore airport, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu,
are among the 20 most punctual airlines and airports
globally in terms of On-Time Performance (OTP) in 2022.
● The OTP can be defined as, flights that arrive or depart
within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival or departure
times.
TOP 3 & Indian AIRLINES BY OTP:
Rank Airline OTP 2022

1 Garuda Indonesia 95.63%
2 Safair 95.30%
3 Eurowings 95.26%
15 IndiGo 83.51%
TOP 3 & Indian MEGA AIRLINES BY OTP:
Rank Airline
1 All Nippon Airways
2 SafaiJapan Airlines
3 LATAM Airlines Group
5 IndiGo
TOP 3 & Indian LOW-COST CARRIERS BY OTP:
Rank Airline
1 Eurowings
2 Thai AirAsia
3 Jeju Airlines
6 IndiGo
TOP 3 & Indian LOW-COST CARRIERS BY OTP:
Rank Airport
1 Osaka Intl
2 Matsuyama
3 Miyazaki
13 Coimbatore
News-2
PwC India Report: Startup Funding in India Drops 33% to USD 24

Billion in 2022
Report Name Startup Tracker-CY22
Published by PwC India

● Funding for Indian startups fell by 33% to USD 24 billion in
calendar year 2022 (CY22) as compared to CY21 but was
still more than twice as much as the amount raised in CY20
and CY19 combined together.
● Startups received a total of USD 13.2 billion in funding in
2019, USD 10.9 billion in CY20, and USD 35.2 billion in CY21.
● In value terms, early-stage deals made up roughly 12% of
the total capital in CY22, compared to just under 7% in
CY21.
● In volume terms, early-stage deals made up 60–62% of the
total funding in CY21 and CY22, with an average ticket size
of USD 4 million per deal.
News-1
Meta appoints Vikas Purohit as Director of Global Business

Group India
Appointed person Vikas Purohit

Appointed as Director of its Global Business
Group in India
Extra info He will report to Arun Srinivas,
Director and Head of Ads
Business for Meta in India.
News-2
Justice N. Kotiswar Singh appointed as acting Chief Justice of

Gauhati HC
Appointed person Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar

Singh
Appointed as Acting Chief Justice of the
Gauhati High Court
Replaced Rashmin Manharbhai Chhaya
News-3
Herbalife signs up cricketer Smriti Mandhana as brand

ambassador
Appointed person Smriti Mandhana

Appointed as Brand ambassador of Herbalife
Nutrition
News-1
NPCI allows UPI transactions for Non-Resident Accounts linked
to International Numbers
Extra Points
● The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has
allowed UPI transactions for non-resident bank accounts
like Non-Residential External and Non- Resident Ordinary
linked to international mobile numbers.
● Initially, the transactions from mobile numbers of 10
countries Singapore, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Oman,
Qatar, USA, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and the
United Kingdom will be enabled.
● This decision has been taken to expand and boost the
global use of UPI.
News-2
Bajaj Allianz Life, Punjab & Sind Bank enter into strategic
partnership
Extra Points
● A corporate agreement was signed between Punjab & Sind
Bank and Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company.
● This will allow Punjab & Sind Bank’s new and existing
customers to avail a variety of retail life insurance products
from Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company including term,
savings, retirement and investment options.
● Punjab & Sind Bank is the 25th Schedule Commercial Bank
(SCB) that has partnered with Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance
Company for distributing its life goals-based product suite.
News-3
BharatPe receives in principle nod from RBI for online PA
Extra Points
● RBI awarded its in-principle approval to Resilient Payments
Private Ltd , a 100% owned subsidiary of Resilient
Innovations Private Ltd (BharatPe), to operate as an online
payment aggregator.
● However, the final authorization is subject to fulfilment of
certain conditions.
News-4
Centre approved ₹2,600 crore as incentive for banks to promote

digital payments
Extra Points
● The Union Cabinet approved a ₹2,600 crore scheme for
promoting RuPay debit cards and low-value BHIM-UPI
transactions.
● Under the scheme, banks will be given financial incentives
in the current financial year 2022-23 to promote 'Point of
Sale' (PoS) i.e. payment machines and e-commerce
transactions using RuPay and UPI.
● BHIM-UPI transactions registered a year-on-year growth of
106 per cent, from Rs 2,233 crore in FY21 to Rs 4,597 crore
in FY22.
MoUs & Agreements
News-1
Indian High Commission signs MoU to establish Hindi Chair at
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka
Extra Points
● After World Hindi Day, the Indian High Commission signed
an MoU to establish a Hindi Chair at Sabaragamuwa
University in Sri Lanka.
● High Commissioner Gopal Bagale and Vice-Chancellor of
Sabaragamuwa University Prof. Uday Ratnayake signed an
MoU for establishment of Hindi Chair for cultural
engagement through Indian Council for Cultural Relations.
● The Hindi Chair will help to acquaint the students with India,
its history and culture.
News-2
RITES Signs MoU with IIT-Kanpur to Explore Opportunities in

Sustainability Sector
Extra Points
● Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) Limited,
signed a MoU with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-
Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
● Objective:- For exploring opportunities in the areas of
sustainability and carbon-related works including carbon
neutrality, particularly in sectors such as steel and power.
National News
News-1
India’s First Centre of Excellence in Online Gaming to be set up
in Shillong
Extra Points
● Digital India startup hub through software technology parks
of India will set up India’s first centre of excellence for
online gaming in Shillong by March, said IT Minister Rajeev
Chandrasekhar.
● The Center of Excellence in Shillong is expected to catalyse
startups and entrepreneurs from India's Northeast to build
the next generation online gaming ecosystem.
News-2
Centre approves 3 national-level multi-state cooperative societies

Extra Points
● Centre approves setting up of 3 national-level multi-state
cooperative societies to promote exports and organic
products.
● The move will help in achieving the government’s goal of
‘Sahakar-see-Samriddhi’.
● Society will work as an umbrella organization for the export
of surplus goods and services.
● They will be set up under the Multi-State Cooperative
Societies Act, 2002.
News-3
India to send three person to 6,000 metre below sea level under
Samudrayaan Mission
Extra Points
● India will send three men six thousand metres below sea
level to search for mineral resources under the
Samudrayaan mission.
● Earth Sciences Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said, a vehicle
named MATSYA 6000 will carry three people and this
mission is expected to be realized in the next three years.
● The vehicle is being designed and developed by the
National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai.
● PM Narendra Modi mentioned the Deep Ocean Mission in
his Independence Day address for two consecutive years in
2021 and 2022.
International News
News-1
Punjabi will be taught in Australian schools

Extra Points
● Punjabi is all set to be the newest language to be taught in
public schools of Western Australia.
● The Australian government is adopting Punjabi as the
newest language after a 2021 census showed that it was the
fastest-growing language in Australia with more than
239,000 people using it at home, an increase of over 80
percent from 2016.
● The syllabus for pre-primary to year 12 will be developed
this year.
Sports News
News-1
France captain Hugo Lloris retires from international football
Extra Points
● France team captain Hugo Lloris announced his retirement
from international football.
● He won the World Cup in 2018 and the Nations League in
2020-21.
● Lloris made his international debut in November 2008 at the
age of 21 in a friendly match against Uruguay.
Awards & Honours
News-1
Indian peacekeepers honoured with UN Medal for Exemplary

Service
Extra Points
● Over 1,000 Indian peacekeepers serving in the United
Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) were awarded the
prestigious United Nations Medal at an award ceremony.
● At a special award ceremony in Upper Nile, 1,171
peacekeepers from India deployed with the United Nations
Mission in South Sudan were awarded the United Nations
Medal for their exemplary service.
Extra Info:
● For the first time, a woman officer of the Indian Army, Major
Jasmine Chatha, led the parade of the Indian contingent at
the award ceremony in Upper Nile.
About UN Peacekeeping
● UN peacekeeping began in 1948 when the UN Security
Council authorised the deployment of UN military observers
in the Middle East.
● India is one of the largest military and police contributors to
UN peacekeeping operations.
● There are currently more than 5,700 Indian peacekeepers
deployed in nine of the 12 UN peacekeeping missions.
News-2
Thiru S. Nadesan awarded Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award

2023
Extra Points
● Thiru Kumar Nadesan has been awarded the Pravasi
Bharatiya Samman Award for his contribution towards
community welfare in Jan 2023.
● He had initiated a fundraiser to assist stranded Indians in
Sri Lanka during the Covid outbreak.
Extra info:
● He is the 2nd member of the Indian diaspora from Sri Lanka
to receive the honor.
● Thiru Mano Selvanathan was conferred with the award in
2011 for his contributions in the business sphere.
News-1
14th edition of the World Spice Congress (WSC) to be held in

Mumbai
Event Name World Spice Congress (WSC)
Edition 14th
Held at Mumbai
Organised by Spices Board of India
Theme VISION 2030: S-P-I-C-E-S (Sustainability,
Productivity, Innovation, Collaboration,
Excellence and Safety)
Defence News
News-1
ICG ship ‘Kamla Devi’, last vessel of FPV series, commissioned

Extra Points
● Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) ICG ship 'Kamala Devi' was
commissioned in Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal.
● This Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) designed, built and delivered
by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd to
the Indian Coast Guard.
● A passenger-cum-cargo ocean going ferry 'MV Ma Lisha'
built by the shipyard for the Republic of Guyana was also
flagged off.
● This is the first such ship built by a Defense Public Sector
Shipyard for export to a Latin American country.
About ICG Kamla Devi

● ICG Kamla Devi is 48.9 meters long and 7.5 meters wide with
a displacement of 308 tonnes.
● It is capable of a top speed of 34 knots and an endurance of
over 1,500 nautical miles, with three engines and water jets.
Important Days
News-1
11 January – National Human Trafficking Day
Day 11 January
Day Name National Human Trafficking Day
Objective To raise awareness about the plight of human
trafficking victims, as well as to promote and
protect their rights.
State/UT News
News-1
Tripura State Government launches “Saharsh” special education

program
Extra Points
● Tripura state government has launched “Saharsh” special
education program to promote social and emotional
learning.
● The ‘Saharsh’ was launched in August last year in 40
schools of the state on a pilot basis.
● It will be extended to all government and aided schools of
the state from the second week of January.
● Its objective is to enable children to study with joy and
enthusiasm.
News-1
WEF Global Risks Report 2023: Cost of Living Crisis and Digital
Inequality Among India’s Risks
Report Name ‘The Global Risks Report 2023’

Edition 18th
Published by World Economic Forum (WEF)
Types of risks Cost-of-living crisis, digital inequality,
geopolitical competition for resources, natural
disasters, and extreme weather events

● Globally, the greatest risks over the next 2 years [2023–
2025] include: cost-of-living crisis, natural disasters and
extreme weather conditions, geoeconomic confrontations,
failure to control climate change, and occurrences causing
significant environmental damage.
● Over the next 2 years, “cost of living crisis” is projected to
be the most serious global concern, with a short-term peak.
● The biggest risks over the long term (10 years) [2023-2033]
are failures to adapt to and mitigate climate change, loss of
biodiversity, massive involuntary migration, and natural
resource crises, among others
Top 10 Global Risks:
Rank Short Term (2 Years) Long Term (10 Years)
1 Cost of Living Crisis Failure to Mitigate Climate

Change
2 Natural Disasters & Extreme Failure of Climate Change
Weather Events Adaptation
3 Geoeconomic Confrontation Natural Disasters &

Extreme Weather Events
4 Failure to Mitigate Climate Biodiversity Loss &

Change Ecosystem Collapse
5 Erosion of social cohesion Large-scale Involuntary

and Societal Polarization Migration
6 Large-scale Environmental Natural Resources Crises

Damage incidents
7 Failure of Climate Change Erosion of social cohesion

Adaptation and Societal Polarization
8 Widespread Cybercrime and Widespread Cybercrime

cyber insecurity and cyber insecurity
9 Natural Resources Crises Geoeconomic
Confrontation
10 Large-scale Involuntary Large-scale Environmental

Migration Damage incidents
News-1
Brazil appoints Sonia Guajajara as 1st minister of indigenous

people
Appointed person Sônia Guajajara

Appointed as First minister of the new Ministry of
Indigenous People
Extra info She was also featured in Time Magazine’s
annual list of the world’s 100 most
influential people in 2022.
News-2
Cognizant Appoints Ravi Kumar S as Chief Executive Officer
Appointed person Ravi Kumar S

Appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Cognizant
Replaced Brian Humphries
News-3
Sultan Al Jaber appointed President of the 28th Climate

Conference
Appointed person Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber

Appointed as President of the 28th United Nations
Climate Change Conference (COP28)
About Conference of Parties (COP)
First held 1995 in Berlin, Germany

COP 27 held at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt
COP 27 theme Delivering for People and Planet
COP 28 will be held at Dubai, UAE
News-1
Retail inflation eases to 1-year low in December 2022

Extra Points
● Retail inflation cooled to a one-year low in December,
remaining below the Reserve Bank of India’s upper
tolerance limit of 6% for the second straight month.
● Inflation based on the consumer price index (CPI) eased to
5.72% in December from 5.8% in November.
Month-wise list of retail inflation:
Month CPI
January 2022 6.01%
February 2022 6.04%
March 2022 6.95%
April 2022 7.79%
May 2022 7.04%
June 2022 7.01%
July 2022 6.71%
August 2022 7%
September 2022 7.41%
October 2022 6.77%
November 2022 5.8%
News-2
RBI Grants In-principle Approval for Payment Aggregator

Licence to EnKash
Extra Points
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has provided in-principle
approval for the Fintech startup EnKash, for payment
aggregator’s license.
● This will enable EnKash to broaden its product offerings to
millions of businesses for digital transactions.
News-3
Exim Bank Raises USD 1 billion through 10-year Sustainability

Bond Issue
Extra Points
● Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has raised USD 1
billion via a 10-year Sustainability Bond issue under its
Environmental Social Governance (ESG) Framework.
● According to the Exim Bank, the net proceeds of
Sustainability Bond will be used towards eligible projects
under its ESG Framework, including renewable energy,
clean transportation, access to essential services and basic
infrastructure, affordable housing, and sustainable water
and wastewater management.
● India Exim Bank becomes the first Indian issuer to open the
markets for dollar and sustainability bond issuances in
2023.
News-4
SBI launched e-Bank Guarantee facility in association with NeSL

Extra Points
● State Bank of India (SBI) has launched an e-Bank Guarantee
(e-BG) facility in association with National e-Governance
Services Ltd (NeSL).
● Currently, the bank issues these guarantees with physical
stamping and wet signatures.
● The introduction of e-BG will replace this function with e-
stamping and e-signature.
About Bank Guarantee

● A bank guarantee is an assurance that a bank provides to a
contract between two external parties, a buyer and a seller,
or in relation to the guarantee, an applicant and a
beneficiary.
MoUs & Agreements
News-1
OTPC & APDCL signed MoU to Develop 250 MW Battery Energy

Storage in Assam
Extra Points
● ONGC Tripura Power Company Limited (OTPC) and Assam
Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) signed a MoU
to develop a battery energy storage system project in
Assam at an investment of Rs 2000 crore.
● The 250 megawatts (MW) / 500 MW-hour system will be
developed in a phased manner by incorporating a joint
venture company.
News-1
Axis Bank enters into Revised Pact with Max Fin Serv to Acquire
Additional 7% Stake in Max Life
Extra Points
● Axis Bank Limited has entered into a revised pact with Max
Financial Services Limited to acquire an additional 7% stake
in Max Life Insurance Company Limited at fair market value
using discounted cash flow method.
● Axis Entities acquired 12.99% of Max Life’s equity share
capital in April 2021 for a total of Rs 35 per share.
National News
News-1
FSSAI issues regulatory standards for Basmati Rice for first time
Extra Points
● Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, FSSAI has
notified comprehensive regulatory standards for Basmati
Rice for the first time.
● These standards will be enforced from 1st of August this
year.
● The standards are aimed at establishing fair practices in the
trade of Basmati rice and protect consumer interest, both
domestically and globally.
● As per these standards, Basmati rice shall possess natural
fragrance characteristics of basmati rice and be free from
artificial colouring, polishing agents, and artificial
fragrances.
News-2
PM announces ‘Aarogya Maitri’ project to provide medical
supplies to developing nations
Extra Points
● Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a new
‘Aarogya Maitri’ project under which India will provide
essential medical supplies to developing countries affected
by natural disasters or humanitarian crises.
● PM announced at the Concluding Session of the two-day
virtual ‘Voice of Global South Summit’.
Extra Info:
● During the Covid pandemic, India's 'Vaccine Maitri' initiative
supplied vaccines made in India to over 100 countries.
News-3
Lok Sabha Speaker to lead Parliamentary delegation to Kenya,

Tanzania
Extra Points
● Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will lead a delegation to Kenya
and Tanzania from January 16 to 21.
● During their visit to Tanzania, apart from meeting their host,
the delegation will also call on the Vice President of
Tanzania, Philip Mpango.
● The delegation will also visit places of cultural and historical
importance.
Inauguration News
News-1
PM Modi flags off Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam Vande Bharat

Express train
Extra Points
● Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the occasion of Pongal on
15 January, virtually flagged off the Vande Bharata Express
train connecting Secunderabad with Vishakhapatnam.
● This is the 8th Vande Bharata Express which will cover a
distance of about eight hours.
● The state-of-the-art Vande Bharat Express can accelerate to
100 kmph in just 52 seconds.
All Vande Bharat Express Route:
Sl No. Route
1st New Delhi - Varanasi Junction Vande Bharat Express
2nd New Delhi - Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Vande Bharat
Express
3rd Mumbai Central - Gandhinagar Capital Vande Bharat Express
4th New Delhi - Amb Andaura Vande Bharat Express
5th MGR Chennai Central - Mysuru Junction Vande Bharat Express
6th Bilaspur (Chattisgarh)-Nagpur (Maharashtra)
7th Howrah (West Bengal)-New Jalpaiguri (West Bengal)
International News
News-1
Italian man sets Guinness World Record by creating 'mirror
typing' books in ancient languages
Extra Points
● According to a report by Guinness World Records (GWR),
an Italian man, Michele Santaglia has created a world record
by typing copies of 81 books backwards, which is called
'mirror writing'.
● Santaglia types books using four completely blank
keyboards without looking backwards.
● He is able to type using 16 computer keyboards
simultaneously located at different heights.
Sports News
News-1
Hockey India enters the world of Metaverse, launches

‘Hockeyverse’
Extra Points
● Hockey India has launched a new metaverse product
‘Hockeyverse’ for live broadcasting of the Men’s World Cup
in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from January 13-29, 2023.
● ‘Hockeyverse’ is designed to enhance the tournament
experience for fans around the world.
● It features replicas of the newly built Birsa Munda Hockey
Stadium and The Time Machine, based on time travel
elements.

Year Venue
News-2
Kerala breaks Guinness record for goals scored

Extra Points
● Kerala has kicked itself into the Guinness Book of World
Records by taking 4,500 penalty kicks in 12 hours.
● The Department of Sports and Youth Affairs made it
possible for the football-crazy State to set the Guinness
record at a Dream Goal penalty shootout organised at
Payyanad Football Stadium at Manjeri.
● There was no break since former Indian player U. Sharafali
took the inaugural kick at 7.38 a.m. and netted the ball.
● The momentum continued until Minister for Sports and
Youth Affairs V. Abdurahiman took the last penalty kick at
7.38 p.m.
● Previously, the record was held by Germany with 2500
goals.
Awards & Honours
News-1
Jindal Steel & Power wins prestigious Golden Peacock CSR

Award
Extra Points
● Leading steelmaker Jindal Steel & Power has been awarded
the prestigious Golden Peacock Award 2022 for its
excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility activities in
the Steel Sector.
● During the 17th International Conference on CSR held in
Mumbai, JSP’s President and Group Head (CSR) Prashant
Kumar Hota received the honour from Union Minister of
State Law & Justice Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel.
● The steelmaker was selected by the Award Jury headed by
Former Chief Justice of India M.N. Venkatachaliah.
● The company is now aligned with 16 out of 17 UN
Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG).
News-1
13th Ministerial-level meeting of the India-US Trade Policy Forum

held in Washington
Meeting Name Ministerial Meeting of the India-US Trade

Policy Forum
Edition 13th
Held at Washington DC, USA
Indian Delegate Union Minister of Commerce and Industry
Piyush Goyal
Science & Tech

News-1
Startup firm IG Drones develops India's first 5G-enabled drone

Extra Points
● Tech startup firm IG Drones has developed India's first 5G-
enabled drone capable of vertical take-off and landing.
● This drone has been named Skyhawk.
● The Skyhawk can fly for about five hours with a payload of
10 kg, as this drone is also equipped with capabilities like
artificial intelligence and thermal imaging.
● The drone is IP67 rated and can be controlled through a
combination of NavIC + GPS navigational satellites.
● This drone can travel 100 km in 12 to 15 minutes at its
maximum speed.
Fairs & Festival
News-1
Gujarat: Millet festival celebrated in Gandhinagar

Extra Points
● The Millet festival was celebrated in the state capital,
Gandhinagar.
● The programme was organized to spread awareness about
the use of millet in the state.
● CM Bhupendra Patel informed that the state will hold
‘Megacity Millet Expo’ in 8 cities to encourage people in
urban areas to use millets.
News-2
India’s largest student-run festival ‘Saarang’ begins at IIT Madras
Extra Points
● The 28th edition of Saarang, India’s largest student-run
festival began at IIT Madras.
● Saarang 2023 will feature more than 100 events with
participation from 500 colleges across the country.
● The Saarang 2023 is one of the largest student-run festivals
held completely in physical mode.
Obituaries news
News-1
Former Union Minister Sharad Yadav passed away

Extra Points
● Former Union Minister and RJD Leader Sharad Yadav
passed away recently at the age of 75-year in Gurugram.
● He was elected from Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun parliamentary
seat in 1989.
● He also served as the Union Minister for Civil Aviation,
Consumer Affairs from 1999-2004.
● He contested from the Madhepura Lok Sabha constituency
in Bihar in a by-election caused by Lalu Prasad Yadav’s
resignation from his seat in 2004. He was elected from
Madhepura four times in 1991, 1996, 1999 and 2009.
Important days
News-1
15 January – Indian Army Day
Extra Points
● Indian army day 2023 is celebrated on 15th January 2023
and it marks the 75th anniversary of the Indian army day.
● It is the day on which Field Marshal Kodandera M. Cariappa
(then a Lieutenant General) took over as the first
Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from the last British
Commander-in-Chief of India, General Fransis Bucher in the
year 1949.
State/UT News
News-1
Uttarakhand passed the Women's Reservation Bill

Extra Points
● Uttarakhand Governor Gurmeet Singh has given assent to a
bill providing for 30% horizontal reservation for domiciled
women citizens of the state in public services and posts.
● The bill known as the Uttarakhand Public Services
(Horizontal Reservation for Women) Bill 2022 was passed by
the Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly on November 30
during the winter session.
About the Bill:

● The Bill provides for 20% horizontal reservation for direct
recruitment to public services and posts against vacancies
to be filled up to July 24, 2006.
● Thereafter, 30% horizontal reservation will be provided in
favour of women candidates permanently domiciled in
Uttarakhand.
News-1
Captain Surbhi Jakhmola becomes first woman officer to be

posted at BRO
Appointed Person Captain Surabhi Jakhmola

Appointed as First woman officer of the Border Roads
Organization (BRO) to be posted on a
foreign project
Extra info She has been deployed by BRO under

Project Dantak in Bhutan.
News-2
UK Treasury Adviser Lombardelli Named as OECD Chief

Economist
Appointed Person Chief Economic Adviser to the UK

Treasury, Clare Lombardelli
Appointed as Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD)’s chief
economist
Replaced France’s Laurence Boone
News-1
UBI Sanctions 150 Agri Drone Loans for Garuda Kisan Drones
under AIF
Extra Points
● Chennai-based Drone Startup, Garuda Aerospace Pvt Ltd,
partnered with the Union Bank of India (UBI).
● Under this partnership, 150 Garuda Agri Kisan drones have
received sanction for Loan under the Union Kisan Pushpak
Scheme.
● This partnership is for the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund
(AIF) scheme.
Extra Information:
● The UBI has launched the Union Kisan Pushpak Scheme for
financing Kisan Drones in the field of digitisation of land
records and operations in crop production.
● AIF Scheme has about Rs 1 lakh crore out of which Rs 1,000
crores have been allocated to drones.
● The AIF loans are collateral-free and can secure up to Rs.10
lakhs with three months of EMI relaxation and a 5 percent
interest rate for the youth and farmers.
News-2
WPI inflation cools to 4.95% in December

Extra Points
● The wholesale price-based inflation declined to 4.95 per
cent in December 2022, mainly due to fall in prices of food
articles and crude petroleum.
● The Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation was 5.85
per cent in November 2022 and 14.27 per cent in December
2021.
WPI Inflation in different categories:
Category Inflation(Nov 2022)

food articles (-)1.25 per cent
fuel and power basket 18.09 per cent
manufactured products 3.37 per cent
News-3
HDFC Capital achieves $376-mn initial close for scheme 2 of H-

CARE 3
Extra Points
● HDFC Capital, a subsidiary of HDFC Ltd has achieved the
initial close of $376 million for Scheme 2 of HDFC Capital
Affordable Real Estate Fund – 3 (H-CARE 3) to provide long-
term, flexible funding across the lifecycle of affordable and
mid-income housing projects including early-stage funding.
● H-CARE 3 Scheme 1 & 2 have created a US$3.1 billion
funding platform, rated as one of the world’s largest private
finance platforms focused on developing affordable
housing.
● The company’s primary investor in H-CARE 3 Schemes 1 &
2 is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment
Authority (ADIA).
MoUs & Agreements
News-1
L&T Partners with H2Carrier to Develop Floating Green Hydrogen

Projects
Extra Points
● Larsen & Toubro (L&T) signed an agreement with the
Norway-based H2Carrier (H2C) to develop floating green
ammonia projects for industrial-scale applications.
● Under the MoU, L&T and H2C will become a partner for
Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation and
Commissioning (EPCIC) of the topsides for H2C’s floating
process plants.
News-1
Alibaba Sells 3.1% Stake in Paytm for USD 125 million via Block
Deal
Extra Points
● China’s Alibaba Group sold a 3.1% stake in Indian digital
payments firm Paytm for USD 125 million through a block
deal.
● Alibaba, which owned a 6.26% stake in Paytm as of
September 2022, sold its stake at Rs 536.95 apiece.
National News
News-1
Piyush Goyal launched MAARG portal for startup mentorship

Extra Points
● Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal launched the
MAARG platform (Mentorship, Advisory, Assistance,
Resilience, and Growth).
● The portal would facilitate mentorship between startups and
entrepreneurs across sectors, stages, and functions.
About Ministry of Commerce and industry
Union Minister Piyush Goyal

Minister of State Anupriya Patel, Som Parkash
News-2
Entire country to be covered by doppler weather radar network

by 2025
Extra Points
● Union Minister of State for Earth Sciences, Dr Jitendra
Singh informed that by 2025, the entire country will be
covered by Doppler weather radar network so that extreme
weather events can be predicted more accurately.
● The accuracy of the meteorological department's forecast
regarding severe weather has improved by about 40 per
cent in the last eight to nine years.
● The number of Doppler radars in the country has increased
from 15 in 2013 to 37 in 2023.
● India will set up 25 more radars in the next two to three
years, taking the number to 62.
About Doppler Weather Radar

● It is a special type of radar that uses the Doppler effect to
generate velocity data about objects at a distance.
● It is designed to improve accuracy in long range weather
forecasting.
News-3
India announces donation of 12,500 doses of pentavalent

vaccines to Cuba
Extra Points
● India has announced the donation of 12,500 doses of
pentavalent vaccines to Cuba.
● Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi
announced this during her official visit to Cuba.
● This was her first visit to Cuba.
Inauguration News
News-1
Union Minister inaugurates Regional Office of EPFO at Alwar,
Rajasthan
Extra Points
● Union Minister for Labour and Employment, Forest,
Environment and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav
inaugurated the Regional Office of Employees’ Provident
Fund Organization (EPFO) at Alwar, Rajasthan.
● The opening of the regional office will benefit around 2 lakh
workers, 12,000 establishments and 8500 pensioners in
Alwar and neighbouring districts of Bharatpur and Dholpur.
International news
News-1
Uganda declares end of Ebola disease outbreak

Extra Points
● In a statement released by the World Health Organization
(WHO), Uganda declared the end of the Ebola disease
outbreak caused by the Sudan ebolavirus.
About Ebola disease

● The Ebola virus was first discovered in 1976 near the Ebola
River in the Congo.
● The virus is transmitted from wild animals to people.
Sports News
News-1
J&K’s Falak Mumtaz won gold medal at 23rd National Sqay
Championship
Extra Points
● Falak Mumtaz, an 11-year-old girl from Jammu and Kashmir
bagged a gold medal in the 23rd National Sqay
Championship in January 2023.
● The championship was organized by the SQAY Federation
of India at Indoor Stadium Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu.
● Jammu and Kashmir bagged 1st place in the overall medal
tally while Andhra Pradesh bagged 2nd place and Odisha
was in 3rd place.
About Sqay
● Sqay is a Kashmiri martial arts form of sword-fighting.
● Modern Sqay is a combination of karate and taekwondo.
News-2
Virat Kohli became the fifth highest run scorer in ODI cricket
Extra Points
● During the third match of the series played against Sri
Lanka, India's legendary batsman Virat Kohli has overtaken
Mahela Jayawardene to become the fifth highest run-getter
in ODI cricket.
● At the time of becoming the fifth-highest run-scorer, Virat
had 12,652 runs in 268 ODIs at an average of 57.78.
● He overtook Jayawardene, who has scored 12,650 runs in
448 matches, 418 innings at an average of 33.37.
Top-5 players who scored the most runs in ODI cricket:

Rank Player Name Run & Matches
1 Sachin Tendulkar 463 matches, 18426 runs
2 Kumar Sangakkara 404 matches, 14234 runs
3 Ricky Ponting 375 matches, 13704 runs
4 Sanath Jayasuriya 445 matches, 13430 runs
5 Virat Kohli 268 matches, 12754 runs
Awards & Honours
News-1
America's R Bonnie Gabriel became Miss Universe 2022

Extra Points
● America's R'Bonnie Gabriel won the Miss Universe 2022 title
at the 71st Miss Universe pageant.
● Amanda Dudamel of Venezuela was declared the first runner
up while Anderina Martinez of Dominican Republic became
the second runner up.
● Divita Rai took part from India, who could only reach the
semi-finals.
● The 71st Miss Universe pageant was held in the city of New
Orleans in the US state of Louisiana.
About Miss Universe
First awarded 1952

First winner Armi Kuusela (Finland)
Winners from India Sushmita Sen (1994), Lara Dutta (2000),
Harnaaz Kaur Sandhu (2021)
News-1
Annual Meeting of World Economic Forum begins at Davos in

Switzerland
Meeting Name Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF)

Edition 53rd
Held at Davos, Switzerland
Indian delegates Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnav, Mansukh
Mandaviya, Smriti Irani and RK Singh,
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde
Theme Cooperation in a Fragmented World
Science & Technology
News-1
European Union (EU) inaugurates first mainland satellite launch

port
Extra Points
● European officials and Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf
inaugurated the EU’s first mainland orbital launch complex
in Sweden in Jan 2023.
● The new facility inaugurated at the Esrange Space Center
near the city of Kiruna will complement the EU’s current
launching capabilities in French Guiana.
● The total number of satellites could reach 100,000 by 2040
as compared to the current 5,000.
Festival & Fairs
News-1
West Bengal organized ‘Ganga Sagar Mela’ on Makar Sankranti

Extra Points
● Lakhs of pilgrims have celebrated flocking to Sagar Island
on the southernmost tip of West Bengal for the annual
Ganga Sagar Mela, to celebrate Makar Sankranti.
● It is the second largest fair in India after Kumbha Mela.
● Ganga Sagar is an island in the Ganges delta located on the
continental shelf of the Bay of Bengal.
Books & Authors
News-1
Prince Harry released his Memoir titled “Spare”
Book Name Memoir of Prince Harry “Spare”

Authored by American novelist J. R. Moehringer
Published by Transworld Publishers Ltd
News-2
A book titled Irrfan Khan: A Life in Movies author by Shubhra

Gupta
Book Name Irrfan Khan: A Life in Movies

Authored by Shubhra Gupta
Important Days
News-1
National Startup Day: 16 January
Day 16 January
Day Name National Startup Day
Extra info To celebrate this day, the Ministry of Commerce
has organized Startup India Innovation Week
from 10 to 16 January, 2023.
State/UT News
News-1
Rajasthan becomes first state to implement blindness control

policy
Extra Points
● Rajasthan has become the first state to implement a policy
to control blindness, with the objective of ensuring the
“right to sight”.
● Under the policy, a massive drive will be undertaken in the
state to reduce the rate of blindness.
● The prevalence rate of blindness, which was 1.1% in 2020,
will be brought down to 0.3%, through the policy.
News-2
Meghalaya CM launched agriculture response vehicle scheme

Extra Points
● Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has launched the
shared school bus system, prime tourism vehicles, and
agriculture response vehicle scheme.
● The chief minister flagged off shared school buses and
hoped that it will help to minimize traffic congestion in
Shillong.
● Agriculture Response Vehicles have been provided to
farmers’ associations and groups for a strong
transportation network.
● Prime tourist vehicles have been provided to improve the
overall tourism sector, and to provide good transportation
services to tourists.
News-3
Odisha’s steering committee approved Rs 1,086 crore action plan

for 2023-24
Extra Points
● Odisha government’s state-level steering committee for
CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management &
Planning Authority) has approved an annual plan of Rs
1,086 crore for 2023-24.
● The plan was approved during a meeting chaired by Chief
Secretary S. C. Mohapatra
● The annual plan of operation mainly focuses on taking up
plantations and other activities like maintenance of old
plantations.
News-1
India’s richest 1% own more than 40% of total wealth: Oxfam
Report Name Survival of the Richest: The India story

Published by Oxfam

● Just 5 percent of Indians own more than 60 per cent of the
country’s wealth, while the bottom 50 percent of the
population possess only 3 percent of the wealth.
● Between 2012 and 2021, 40 percent of the wealth created in
India has gone to just 1 percent of the population and only a
mere 3 percent of the wealth has gone to the bottom 50
percent.
● The total number of billionaires in India increased from 102
in 2020 to 166 billionaires in 2022.
● According to the report, the total wealth of the 100 richest
people of India has increased to US$ 660 billion i.e. about
Rs 54.12 lakh crore.
● According to the report, the contribution of the richest 10
percent of the country was just 3 percent of the Rs 14.83
lakh crore collected through Goods and Services Tax (GST)
during 2021-22.
● Oxfam International said that a 5 percent tax on India's ten
richest people could provide enough money to get children
back to school.
News-2
In a first, India among the top five ECM markets globally in 2022
Extra Points
● According to a report by Kotak Investment Banking, India
was among the top five markets, globally, in terms of equity
fundraising despite the quantum of funds raised declining
by 43 per cent.
● According to the report, funds to the tune of $16.4 billion
were transacted via equity capital market (ECM) activity in
India in 2022.
Ranking of top five ECM markets globally:
Rank Country Funds raised ($ bn) YoY Change (%)

1 China 164.6 -38
2 United States 73.4 -85
3 Germany 20.9 -28
4 Canada 19.4 -56
5 India 16.4 -43
News-1
ACC extends tenure of Bank of Baroda MD & CEO Sanjiv Chadha
Appointed person Sanjiv Chadha

Appointed as Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of Bank of Baroda
Extended for About five months till June 30, 2023
News-1
Aditya Birla Health Insurance Inks Bancassurance Partnership

with Punjab & Sind Bank
Extra Points
● The Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co. Ltd. and Punjab &
Sind Bank have established a bancassurance partnership
for the distribution of health insurance products through the
bank’s branch network in India.
● This collaboration would allow Aditya Birla Health Insurance
to expand its national footprint and serve the 1,528
branches and customers of Punjab & Sind Bank.
News-2
Russian VTB Bank launches Direct Payments in Rupees

Extra Points
● Russian VTB Bank, Russia’s second-largest bank, launched
direct payments in rupees, which will significantly increase
bilateral trade and investment.
● Russian Small and Medium sized Enterprise clients can now
make transfers without double conversion, which simplifies
the work on international trade contracts with India.
These nine banks are:

● Sberbank and VTB Bank, the top two banks in Russia,
opened accounts with their own branch offices in India.
● Russia’s Gazprombank has also created this account with
the state-run UCO Bank (Kolkata, West Bengal).
● Six different Russian banks have also opened accounts with
IndusInd Bank.
News-3
Trucap Finance and Shivalik Small Finance Bank partner up for
retail gold loan assets
Extra Points
● Trucap Finance Limited and Shivalik Small Finance Bank
announced a partnership for sourcing and managing retail
gold loan assets.
● With a loan book of over Rs. 500 crores, TruCap aims to
build social capital by providing small ticket gold loans and
business loans to its MSME borrowers.
● According to the partnership, Trucap Finance will act as
Business Correspondent (BC) for Shivalik Small Finance
Bank and will originate new business and help in scaling up
the customer base.
MoUs & Agreements
News-1
REC signed MoU with UP govt for multiple projects worth Rs

98,853 crore
Extra Points
● State-owned REC Ltd. has signed non-binding MoUs with
the Uttar Pradesh government to extend financial assistance
for various projects during UP Global Investors Summit in
Delhi.
● These projects include a power plant at a cost of Rs 14,103
crore, with a capacity addition of nearly 3,000 megawatts,
transmission projects worth Rs 7,800 crore for
strengthening the transmission system and network in the
state and a distribution project of Rs 13,600 crore for
strengthening infrastructure.
● REC shared with exchanges also talked about harnessing
renewable energy at a cost of Rs 45,350 crore for the
addition of 10000 MW capacity and multiple infrastructure
development projects in UP state of Rs 20,000 crore across
various sectors.
News-2
India, UAE Signed Agreement on Green Hydrogen Development

and Undersea Cable Connectivity
Extra Points
● Union Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy,
Raj Kumar Singh and UAE’s Minister of Energy and
Infrastructure Suhail Al Mazrouei, signed the agreement on
cooperation in the field of Green Hydrogen Development
and Investment.
● They also discussed the launch of a sub-sea cable between
India and the UAE under the Mission, ‘ONE SUN, ONE
WORLD, ONE GRID INITIATIVE’, which was announced by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Extra Information
● India is working on achieving net zero emission by 2070 as
specified under the Paris Climate Agreement and also
pledged to attain about 40 percent accumulative electric
power generation capacity from non-fossil fuels by 2030.
About Ministry of New and Renewable Energy:
Union Minister Raj Kumar Singh

Minister of State Bhagwanth Khuba
National News
News-1
ASI discovers two 1200-year-old miniature stupas at Nalanda

Extra Points
● The Patna Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
has discovered two 1200-year-old miniature stupas during
landscaping activities near the Sarai Tila mound within the
complex of the world heritage site 'Nalanda Mahavihara' in
Nalanda district of the state.
● The figures of Buddha are shown on the stupa carved out of
stone.
● Such stupas were popular as votive offerings in India as
early as the 7th century.
News-2
Indian Railways to start 'Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC Tourist Train'

between Ayodhya to Janakpur
Extra Points
● Indian Railways is going to run Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC
tourist train "Shri Ram-Janaki Yatra: Ayodhya to Janakpur",
which will cover two most important pilgrimage sites of
neighbouring India and Nepal, Ayodhya and Janakpur.
● The state-of-the-art Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC Tourist Train
will depart from Delhi on 17th February, 2023 for a 7 days all
inclusive tour.
About Indo-Nepal Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train
● The first Indo-Nepal Bharat Gaurav tourism train was
flagged off from Safdarjung Railway Station in Delhi in June
2022.
● This train returned to Delhi after covering a distance of
about 8000 kms in a journey of 18 days.
● The Bharat Gaurav train was run with the theme 'Dekho
Apna Desh'.
Inauguration News
News-1
Dr Jitendra Singh launches “Geospatial Hackathon”

Extra Points
● Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science &
Technology Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated “Geospatial
Hackathon” to promote Innovation and Start-Ups in India’s
Geospatial ecosystem.
● The hackathon will promote innovation and startups in the
geospatial ecosystem of India.
● The "Geospatial Hackathon" will end on March 10, 2023 and
will have two sets of challenges - Research Challenge and
Startup Challenge.
News-2
Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated School of Logistics

Extra Points
● Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush,
Sarbananda Sonowal and Tripura CM Manik Saha have
inaugurated the School of Logistics, Waterways, and
Communication in Agartala, Tripura.
● The school will enable the rich pool of talent of the region to
become world-class experts in the transportation and
logistics sector.
● It has been set up under the State Institute of Public
Administration and Rural Development (SIPARD), an
autonomous body funded by the government of Tripura and
ministry of rural development.
Sports News
News-1
Viacom18 gets 'WIPL' media rights for Rs 951 crore

Extra Points
● BCCI Secretary Jai Shah tweeted that Viacom 18 has
acquired the media rights of the Women's Indian Premier
League (WIPL), which is going to start from March-April
2023.
● Viacom18 has bought the media rights of the women's IPL
for five years from 2023 to 2027 for Rs 951 crore.
● Viacom18 gets this deal for the next 5 years (2023-27) at Rs
7.09 crore per match.
News-2
Yuki Bhambri, Saketh Myneni won Bangkok Open tennis title

2023
Extra Points
● The Indian tennis pair of Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni
has won the Bangkok Open Men’s double tennis
championship, held at Nonthaburi, Thailand.
● Bhambri-Saket, playing their seventh final as a pair, beat
Indonesian Christopher Rungkat and Australian Akira
Santillan 2-6, 7-6, 14-12.
● This is their sixth title together on the ATP Challenger Tour.
Awards & Honours
News-1
Writer K Venu received Federal Bank Literary Award 2023

Extra Points
● Noted writer K Venu has bagged the first-ever Federal Bank
Literary Award 2022 for his autobiography
‘Oranweshananthinte Katha’.
● The award was presented by the chairman and independent
director of the Federal Bank, Balagopal Chandrasekhar.
● It was presented at an event held as part of the ongoing
sixth edition Kerala Literature Festival, Kozhikode beach.
News-1
G20’s first Infrastructure Working Group meeting to be held in

Pune
Meeting G-20 Infrastructure Working Group (IWG)

meeting
Edition 1st
Held at Pune
Hosted by Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of
Finance
Co chaired by Australia and Brazil
Theme One Earth, One Family, One Future
Defence News
News-1
21st edition of bilateral naval exercise 'Varuna' - 2023 to be held
Exercise Name Varuna

Edition 21st
Held at Western seaboard of Goa
Held between India & France (Navy)
First held 1993
Obituaries News
News-1
British linguist Ronald E Ashe passed away

Extra Points
● A British linguist and educator specializing in Dravidian
languages, Ronald E. Asher passed away at the age of 96.
● He won a gold medal from Kerala Sahitya Akademi, Trichur,
in 1983 and was honored by the Royal Society, Edinburgh in
1991.
● He was also a recipient of a medal from the College de
France, Paris in 1970.
Important Days
News-1
15 January 2023 – 148th Foundation Day of India Meteorological

Department (IMD)
Day 15 January 2023

Celebrated as 148th Foundation Day of India Meteorological
Department (IMD)
Extra Highlights
News-1
Google Doodle celebrates the 97th birth anniversary of K. D.

Jadhav
Extra Points
● Google on 15 January 2023, celebrated the 97th birth
anniversary of Indian wrestler Khashaba Dadasaheb
Jadhav, also known as Pocket Dynamo, with a doodle.
● He became independent India’s first athlete to win an
Olympic medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics held in
Helsinki.
● In 2000, Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav received the Arjuna
Award posthumously in recognition of his contributions to
wrestling.
News-1
World’s richest actor list, Shah Rukh Khan beats Tom Cruise
Report Name world's richest actors
Published by World of Statistics

● Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan has garnered millions of
fans all over the world and an estimated net worth of ₹627
million ($770 million), making him the richest actor in Asia
and fourth richest actor all over the world.
● Beating fellow immensely famous and cult actors like Tom
Cruise, Jackie Chan, and George Clooney, Shah Rukh Khan
took the fourth position in the list of eight richest actors of
the world.
● The richest actor according to this list was Jerry Seinfeld
with a net worth of ₹82 billion ($1 billion).
List of Top 8 Richest actor:
Rank Actor Name Net Worth
1 Jerry Seinfeld (US) $1 Billion
2 Tyler Perry (US) $1 Billion
3 Dwayne Johnson (US) $800 million
4 Shah Rukh Khan (Indian) $770 million
5 Tom Cruise (US) $620 million
6 Jackie Chan (Hong Kong) $520 million
7 George Clooney (US) $500 million
8 Robert De Niro (US) $500 million
News-1
Sibi George appointed India’s next ambassador to Marshall

Islands
Appointed person Sibi George
Appointed as Next Indian ambassador to the Republic of Marshall

Islands
Extra Info ● Presently he is the Ambassador of India to
Japan.
● In 2014, the Government of India conferred on

him the S.K. Singh Award for his Excellence in
Indian Foreign Service.
News-2
Vietnam President Nguyen Xuan Phuc resigns amid allegations

of corruption and scandals
Resigned Person Nguyen Xuan Phuc
Resigned as President of Vietnam
Extra Info Phuc, 69, served as Vietnam's prime

minister from 2016 until April 2021, when he
was elected president.
News-1
Warehousing Development Regulatory Authority signs MoU with

SBI
Extra Points
● Warehousing Development Regulatory Authority (WDRA)
signed a memorandum (MoU) of understanding with State
Bank of India to help farmers in getting low interest rate
loans.
● The objective of the MoU is to provide information on the
benefits to the depositors besides carrying out further
activities to improve agricultural finance in India.
● It is envisaged that the product will have far reaching
consequences with regard to acceptance of e-NWRs
(electronic Negotiable Warehouse Receipt) among small and
marginal farmers.
News-2
RBI issues Guidelines on Acquisition in Banks

Extra Points
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued ‘Acquisition and
Holding of Shares or Voting Rights in Banking Companies
Directions, 2023’.
● It allowed promoters to hold 26% from the current 15% of
the paid-up share capital or voting rights of a bank after the
completion of 15 years from commencement of its business.
● If the shareholder intends to get a strategic stake, the board
has to inform the RBI even if the shareholding is less than
5%.
● If any person looking to acquire more than 5 per cent stake
in a bank will need prior approval from the regulator.
Extra Info:
● The RBI has defined “major shareholding” as “aggregate
holding” of 5 per cent or more of the paid-up share capital
or voting rights in a banking company by a person.
News-3
Protean’s arm gets RBI nod for AA Licence

Extra Points
● Protean eGov Technologies Limited has received approval
from the RBI for its wholly owned subsidiary to operate as
an Account Aggregator (AA) with an NBFC (Non-Banking
Financial Company) AA certificate.
About Account aggregator:

● Account Aggregator is one of the largest open financing
data-sharing protocols regulated by the RBI, which allows
users to instantly share their financial data with various
financial institutions, digitally and securely.
News-4
NTPC REL signs MoU with Tripura for collaboration in Renewable

Energy
Extra Points
● NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd (NTPC REL) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government
of Tripura in New Delhi.
● It was signed for the Development of Floating and Ground
Mounted based Renewable Energy Projects in Tripura.
● The MoU was signed by Shri Rajiv Gupta, Chief General
Manager, NTPC REL and Shri Mahananda Debbarma,
Director General and CEO, Tripura Renewable Energy
Development Agency.
National news
News-1
SPIC MACAY and Ministry of Culture collaborates for 'Music in

the Park' series under “Shruti Amrut”
Extra Points
● SPIC MACAY organizes its very popular 'Music in the Park'
series this year under the name “Shruti Amrut” in
collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the New Delhi
Municipal Council.
● In this series, the first event of 2023 was held on 15 January
in Nehru Park, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.
● The concert began with a sarod performance by Aman Ali
Bangash, the 7th generation musician of the Senia Bangash
Gharana.
About SPIC MACAY

● SPIC MACAY (Society for Promotion of Indian Classical
Music and Culture among Youth) is a non-political,
nationwide, voluntary organization.
● It was founded in 1977 by Dr. Kiran Seth
● In 2011, SPIC MACAY was awarded the Rajiv Gandhi
Sadbhavana Award for its contribution to youth
development.
About Ministry of Culture
Union Minister G.Kishan Reddy
Minister of state Arjun Ram Meghwal, Meenakashi Lekhi
News-2
‘Soul of Steel’ challenge launched in Uttarakhand

Extra Points
● Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has launched the ‘Soul of
Steel’ challenge in Dehradun, Uttarakhand on the occasion
of Armed Forces Veterans Day.
● The ‘Soul of steel’ challenge is based on the lines of the
‘Ironman triathlon’, a long-distance triathlon held in Europe
which tests an individual’s physical capabilities.
● The general area of the expedition would be the Nanda Devi
national park, which has several peaks which are over
7,000ft.
● Anyone between the age group of 18-30 can apply for the
challenge that would be spread across a duration of three
months.
Inauguration News
News-1
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the second phase of

Sansad Khel Mahakumbh 2022-23
Extra Points
● Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the second
phase of Sansad Khel Mahakumbh 2022-23 organised in
Basti (Uttar Pradesh) district through conferencing.
● Both indoor and outdoor sports events like Wrestling,
Kabaddi, Kho Kho, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Volleyball,
Handball, Chess, Carrom, Badminton, Table Tennis etc. are
organised during Sansad Khel Mahakumbh.
About Sansad Khel Mahakumbh

● Sansad Khel Mahakumbh is being organised from the year
2021 by Mr. Harish Dwivedi, Lok Sabha MP from Basti.
● The first phase of Sansad Khel Mahakumbh 2022-23 was
organised from December 10 to December 16, 2022
International News
News-1
UN declares Pakistan based Abdul Rehman Makki a global

terrorist
Extra Points
● The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) listed Pakistan-
based terrorist Abdul Rehman Makki as a global terrorist.
● He has been declared a 'global terrorist' under UNSC's ISIL
(Da'esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee.
● Makki has already been listed as a terrorist by India and the
United States for his involvement in fundraising, recruiting
and radicalising youths to plan attacks in India, especially
Jammu and Kashmir.
Sports News
News-1
Badminton: Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen wins Men’s Singles at

Malaysia Open 2023
Extra Points
● Olympic champion and World’s No. 1 Viktor Axelsen of
Denmark won the Men’s Singles title defeating World’s No 6
Kodai Naraoka of Japan at the PETRONAS Malaysia Open
2023 held in Axiata Arena, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
● Japan’s Yamaguchi Akane defeated South Korea’s An Se-
Young to win the Women’s Singles title at the Malaysia
Open 2023.
News-2
Barcelona won the Spanish Super Cup for the 14th time
Extra Points
● Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3-1 in Riyadh to win their 14th
Spanish Super Cup title.
● Barcelona has won the Supercup for the first time since
2018 and for the 14th time overall.
● Real Madrid has won the Supercup 12 times so far.
Defence News
News-1
India, Egypt to hold first-ever exercises between Special Forces
Exercise Name Cyclone 1
Edition 1st
Held Between India and Egypt
Held at Udaipur, Jaipur and Jodhpur
News-1
‘Think 20’ meeting under G20 began in Bhopal
Meeting Name Think-20 meeting under the G-20
Held at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
Inaugurated by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan
News-2
B-20 inception meeting to be organized in Gandhinagar
Meeting Name Business-20 (B-20)
Held at Gandhinagar, Gujarat

Attendees Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Ashwini
Vaishnaw, State Chief Minister Bhupendra
Patel, India’s Sherpa to G-20 Amitabh Kant
and Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran
Festival & Fairs
News-1
Maghi Mela festival being held in Punjab

Extra Points
● Maghi Mela festival is being celebrated in Muktsar Sahib,
Punjab.
● The Maghi Mela has been celebrated in the city of Sri
Muktsar Sahib in Punjab for centuries in memory of the 40
Sikh warriors who died fighting the Mughals in the Battle of
Khidrana in 1705.
Obituaries News
News-1
The last Nizam of Hyderabad Mukarram Jah Bahadur passes

away
Extra Points
● Prince Mukarram Jah Bahadur (89), the eighth Nizam of
Hyderabad, passed away in Istanbul, the capital of Turkey.
● The body will be taken to the Chowmahalla Palace, and after
completing necessary rituals, will be buried at the Asaf Jahi
family mausoleum.
● He was officially called the Prince of Hyderabad until 1971,
when the title and privy purse were abolished by the Indian
Union.
State/UT News
News-1
Kollam,Kerala becomes first constitution literate district in India

Extra Points
● In a remarkable achievement, Kerala's Kollam district has
become the first constitution literate district in the country.
● This was announced by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi
Vijayan at a function presided over by Finance Minister KN
Balagopal in Kollam.
● This achievement of the district is the result of a seven-
month long constitutional literacy campaign launched
jointly by Kollam District Panchayat, District Planning
Committee and Kerala Institute of Local Administration.
● Under this campaign, more than seven lakh families of the
district are being educated on the basic principles of the
Constitution.
News-1
Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation as Prime Minister of

New Zealand
Resigned Person Jacinda Ardern
Resigned as Prime Minister of New Zealand
Extra Info Prime Minister Ardern is one of the world's

youngest female heads of state at the age
of 37 when she came to power in 2017.
News-2
Retired DG of BSF Pankaj Kumar Singh appointed Deputy

National Security Adviser
Appointed person Retired director general of the Border

Security Force (BSF) Pankaj Kumar Singh
Appointed as Deputy National Security Adviser
Extra Info The present National Security Adviser is

Ajit Doval.
News-1
India’s exports decline by 12.2% to $34.48 billion in December

2022
Extra Points
● India’s merchandise exports declined by 12.2 percent to
$34.48 billion in December 2022, as against $39.27 billion
recorded in the same month of the preceding year.
● This comes after a 0.6 percent rise in exports in November
and a 12 percent contraction in October.
● The country’s imports in December declined to $58.24
billion as against $60.33 billion recorded in the year-ago
period.
● The merchandise trade deficit fell further to $23.76 billion in
December, after declining to a seven-month low of $23.89
billion in November.
List of India’s Merchandise Export & Import:
Month Export (USD Billion) Import (USD Billion)
August 2022 33.92 61.90
September 2022 35.45 61.16
October 2022 29.78 56.69
November 2022 31.99 55.88
News-2
SIDBI partners with VFS to extend MSME loans up to Rs 5 lakh at

13% pa
Extra Points
● The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has
tied up with VFS Capital Limited to extend loans to the
MSME (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) and SME sector.
● Under this agreement, VFS Capital will extend MSME loans
upto Rs 5 lakh at 13% interest rate per annum.
● Under this scheme, VFS Capital plans to disburse Rs 30 to
40 crore in this financial year.
News-3
Paytm Payments Bank gets final RBI nod to operate as Bharat

Bill Payment Operating Unit
Extra Points
● The RBI has granted final approval to Paytm Payments Bank
Ltd for it to operate as a Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit
under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
● As an entity under Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS),
PPBL has got the final authorization to conduct bill payment
and aggregation business as a BBPOU.
About Bharat Bill Payments System:

● It is an integrated bill payment system or a platform that
acts as a connection between various billers and users.
● BBPS was conceptualised by the Reserve Bank of India in
2013 and is a product of the National Payments Council of
India (NPCI).
● It was launched as a pilot project in 2016 and went live a
year later. By 2019, BBPS has boarded all recurring
payments.
News-4
South Indian Bank ties up SAIL for Financing Dealers

Extra Points
● A MoU has been inked between the South Indian Bank and
Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) to provide financial
assistance to the dealers of SAIL across India.
● The bank will serve the MSME (Micro, Small & Medium
Enterprises) and corporate customers of SAIL by providing
financial assistance for working capital, especially steel
procurement through its 928 branches.
MoUs & Agreements
News-1
Adani Enterprises partners with Ashok Leyland & Ballard to

Develop Asia’s 1st Hydrogen powered mining truck
Extra Points
● Adani Enterprises Limited, the flagship entity of Adani
Group, signed an agreement with Ashok Leyland and
Ballard Power Systems of Canada.
● Objective:- To start a pilot project to develop a hydrogen
Fuel Cell Electric Truck (FCET) for mining logistics and
transportation.
● This partnership marks the 1st planned hydrogen-powered
mining truck in Asia.
● FCET is planned to be launched in India in 2023.
About Hydrogen Powered Mining Truck:

● The Hydrogen-Powered Mining Truck will weigh 55 tons,
have 3 hydrogen tanks, and a 200-Km working range.
● It will be powered by Ballard’s 120 Kilowatt (kW) polymer
electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology.
National News
News-1
India announces 100 million Maldivian Rufiyaa for community

development projects in Maldives
Extra Points
● External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar arrived in Maldives
as part of his three-day visit to Maldives and Sri Lanka.
● To strengthen bilateral ties, India and Maldives signed an
MoU on development projects and held talks with top
leadership in the country.
● The agreement included grant assistance of 100 million
rufiyaa (Maldives' currency) for the High Impact Community
Development Project (HICDP).
● It also includes the development of a sports complex at
Gahadhoo.
News-2
NCERT notifies India’s first national assessment regulator

‘PARAKH’
Extra Points
● Recently, the National Council for Education Research and
Training (NCERT) has notified India’s first national
assessment regulator, PARAKH (Performance Assessment,
Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic
Development), which aims to set up assessment guidelines
for all boards.
● PARAKH has been launched as part of the implementation
of the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 that envisaged
a standard-setting body to advise school boards regarding
new assessment patterns and latest research.
● It will act as a constituent unit of the NCERT.
News-3
Environment Ministry included Neelakurinji in the list of

protected plants
Extra Points
● The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
(MoEF) has listed Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) in
the list of protected plants under Schedule III of the Wildlife
(Protection) Act, 1972.
● According to the Environment Ministry, those who uproot or
destroy the plant will be fined Rs 25,000 and imprisoned for
three years.
● Cultivation and possession of this plant is not allowed.
● Neelakurinji has been included in the list after the Center
expanded the earlier protected list of six plant species to 19.
About Ministry of Environment
Union Minister Bhupender Yadav

Minister of State Ashwini Kumar Choubey
Sports News
News-1
Rohit Sharma breaks MS Dhoni’s record of most sixes in ODIs in
India
Extra Points
● Indian captain Rohit Sharma has shattered a long-standing
record held by MS Dhoni to become India’s most prolific six-
hitter in the history of ODI cricket at the Rajiv Gandhi
Stadium in Hyderabad.
● Rohit achieved this remarkable feat during the first ODI
between India and New Zealand.
Most Sixes in ODI in India:
Player Name Number of Sixes

Rohit Sharma 125
MS Dhoni 123
Yuvraj Singh 71
News-2
Shubman Gill becomes 5th Indian to score double century in

ODIs
Extra Points
● India's young batsman Shubman Gill has become the 5th
Indian to score a double century in ODIs against New
Zealand.
● In the match played at the Rajiv Gandhi International
Stadium in Hyderabad, Shubman Gill scored 208 runs in 149
balls with the help of 19 fours and 9 sixes.
● With this, Shubman has also become the youngest player in
the world to score a double century in ODIs.
● Shubman Gill has become the fastest Indian batsman to
score 1000 ODI runs in 19 innings.
Extra Info:
● Shubman Gill has joined an exclusive club of five Indian
batsmen to score a double century along with Sachin
Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan.
Awards & Honours
News-1
Nepalese ophthalmologist Dr Sanduk Ruit wins Bahrain's Isa

Award for Service to Humanity
Extra Points
● Himalayan Cataract Project Co-Founder and noted Nepali
ophthalmologist Dr Sanduk Ruit has won the Isa Award-
2021-2022 for Service to Humanity, a top civilian award of
Bahrain.
● The award carries a cash prize of US$1 million, a certificate
of merit and a gold medallion.
● Dr. Ruit is a pioneer in providing high quality microsurgical
procedures in remote eye camps.
● He is fondly called "God of Sight" for saving the sight of
1,20,000 eyes.
● He is a recipient of the Padma Shri award (2018) by the
Government of India, the National Order of Merit of Bhutan
as well as the Ramon Magsaysay Award.
News-2
Film ‘Toolsidas Junior’ to be screened at SCO Film Festival 2023

Extra Points
● National Award-winning movie “Toolsidas Junior” will be
screened at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Film
Festival in the Children Focus Section.
● National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) in
association with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization
Film Festival will be hosting the screening.
● The festival will take place from January 27 to January 31 in
Mumbai.
News-1
First Global Tourism Investors Summit
Summit Global Tourism Investors Summit

Edition 1st
Held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi
Organised by Union Ministry of Tourism
Obituaries News
News-1
World’s oldest person Lucile Randon dies at the age of 118
Extra Points
● The world’s oldest person, French nun Lucile Randon has
died aged 118.
● Randon, who assumed the name Sister André when she
took holy orders in 1944, died in her sleep at her nursing
home in Toulon, France.
● In the year 2022, the world’s oldest person Ken Tanaka of
Japan died. He was 119 years old.
State/UT News
News-1
Jammu and Kashmir becomes the first Indian Union Territory to

completely shift to e-governance mode
Extra Points
● Jammu and Kashmir has become the first Union Territory of
India to go completely digital.
● Presently all government and administrative services in
Jammu and Kashmir are being provided digitally only.
● The main objective of making government services online is
to make people online.
21st January Current Affairs
News-1
Global Fire Power Index, No Change In Top 4 Military Rankings
Report Name 2023 Military Strength Ranking
Published by Global Fire Power
Total Countries 145

● The Global Firepower Report 2023 has ranked India as the
4th most powerful army in the world.
● The Most powerful country in the world is the United States
of America, followed by Russia, China, and India.
● According to the Global Firepower Military Index 2023,
Turkey has once again emerged as the most powerful
country in the Middle East and North African region. Turkey
has been placed at the 11th position in the global ranking.
Ranking of Top 5 and Last:
Rank Country
1 America
2 Russia
3 China
4 India
5 United Kingdom
145th Bhutan
Ranking of India’s Neighbouring countries:
Rank Country
3 China
7 Pakistan
38 Myanmar
40 Bangladesh
71 Sri Lanka
114 Afghanistan
129 Nepal
145 Bhutan
News-1
Janani Ramachandran becomes first LGBTQ woman of colour

city council
Appointed Person Indo American Janani Ramachandran
Appointed as Youngest and the first LGBTQ woman of

colour to serve on Oakland City Council in
the US state of California
News-2
UNGA confirms Inger Andersen for Second Term as Executive

Director of UNEP
Appointed Person Inger Andersen of Denmark (2nd term)
Appointed as Executive Director of the United Nations

Environment Program
News-3
Sujeet Sharma joins Vodafone Idea as VP of Active Network and

Commercial
Appointed Person Sujeet Sharma
Appointed as Vice President of active network and

commercial of Vodafone Idea
News-1
Mastercard expands Girls4Tech Programme to promote STEM

Studies among Girl Students
Extra Points
● Mastercard announced the expansion of its flagship
Girls4Tech, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and
Math) education programme in India.
● This programme will benefit over 10,800 girls from 30
government schools in TamilNadu.
● It aims to reach an additional 1 lakh female students in India
by 2024 to encourage them to pursue STEM education.
● STEM courses will be offered to girls aged 8 to 14.
News-2
PNB Becomes the First PSB to Launch Credit Card Against FDs
Digitally
Extra Points
● Punjab National Bank (PNB) has become the first Public
Sector Bank to introduce a credit card against fixed
deposits digitally.
● PNB has introduced two types of consumer credit cards:
‘PNB Global Gold’ and ‘PNB Global Classic’, which are
designed to meet various income levels and customer
needs.
News-3
SBI raises Rs 9,718 crore via Second Infrastructure Bond

Issuance
Extra Points
● State Bank of India (SBI) raised Rs 9,718 crore through its
2nd infrastructure bond issuance at a coupon rate of 7.70%
per annum for the 15-year bond.
● This is the 2nd fundraising of SBI since December 2022.
News-4
EY Report projects Indian economy to be $26-trillion by 2047

Extra Points
● An EY (Ernst & Young) report states that the Indian
economy is likely to reach $26 trillion by the year 2047,
which will also be the 100th year of India's independence.
● The report also pointed out that the country's per capita
income would cross $15,000, making it among the top
developed economies.
MoUs & Agreements
News-1
CMAI & AREAS signed MoU to exchange knowledge &

developments in the Carbon Market
Extra Points
● The Carbon Markets Association of India (CMAI), and the
Association of Renewable Energy Agencies of States
(AREAS) signed a MoU to provide a regular exchange on
policy and regulatory developments in carbon trading.
● Objective:- To work for a carbon-neutral economy and
support the development of the Indian carbon market.
National News
News-1
India is committed to eliminating Lymphatic Filariasis by 2027
Extra Points
● Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Mansukh
Mandaviya stated that India is committed to eliminating
Lymphatic Filariasis by 2027 three years ahead of the global
target.
● Dr Mansukh Mandaviya chaired the National Symposium on
India’s Roadmap to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis at Vigyan
Bhawan, New Delhi, Delhi.
● Dr Mansukh Mandaviya highlighted that 133 districts in 20
states and Union Territories supply anti-filarial drugs for
free.
About Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya
Minister of State Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar
News-2
India produces record over 5,000 lakh metric tons of sugarcane

in sugar season 2021-22
Extra Points
● According to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and
Public Distribution a record more than 5,000 Lakh Metric
Tons (LMT) sugarcane was produced during the 2021-22
sugar season.
● About 394 LMT sugar was produced from about 3,574 LMT
sugarcane. Out of this, 36 LMT sugar was diverted for
ethanol production.
● During 2021-22, sugar mills received revenue of more than
20 thousand crore rupees from the sale of ethanol.
Extra Info:
● Brazil is the largest producer of sugarcane in the world.
India is the second largest producer of sugarcane.
● Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka account for
nearly 80 percent of the total sugar production in the
country.
About Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
Union Minister Piyush Goyal
Minister of State Ashwini Kumar Choubey,

Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti
News-3
UN General Assembly adopts Indian Co-sponsored Resolution

on 'Education For Democracy'
Extra Points
● To provide education to all, a resolution titled "Education
for Democracy" was adopted by the United Nations General
Assembly (UNGA).
● The resolution co-sponsored by India reaffirms the right to
education to strengthen democracy.
Extra Information:
● Earlier in 2015, a similar resolution was passed in the
General Assembly, encouraging all UN entities to use
education to promote peace, human rights and democracy.
Sports News
News-1
Welsh footballer Gareth Bale retires from International & Club

Football
Extra Points
● Welsh footballer Gareth Bale (33 years old), a 5-time
Champions League winner with Real Madrid, has
announced his retirement from international and club
football with immediate effect.
● Gareth Bale started his career in 2006 at Southampton,
England, UK.
News-2
Laxman Rawat clinched NSCI Snooker Open Crown

Extra Points
● Laxman Rawat of the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board
(PSPB) has defeated Aditya Mehta (his fellow PSPB
challenger) by 9-6 to win the final of the ‘Baulkline’ NSCI All
India Snooker Open 2023.
● This win marked Rawat’s first major title after 2-3 years.
About NSCI Snooker Open Crown

● The NSCI Snooker Open Crown is a snooker tournament
organized by the National Sports Club of India (NSCI).
● The tournament is considered as a major title in Indian
snooker.
● Cash prize – Rs 3 lakh (winner) & Rs 1.5 lakh (Runner-up)
Awards & Honours
News-1
Harish Damodaran wins Gaja Capital Business Book Prize 2022

Extra Points
● Journalist-author Harish Damodaran was announced as
winner of Gaja Capital Business Book Prize 2022.
● He received it for his book ‘Broke to Breakthrough: The Rise
of India’s Largest Private Dairy Company’.
Defence News
News-1
Indo-Russian joint venture has started manufacturing

Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles in India
Extra Points
● The manufacturing of Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles has
recently started in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh by an Indo-
Russian joint venture.
● Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited plans to ensure 100
percent production of AK-203 rifles in India.
● India is the first country to start production of the world
famous brand AK-200-series assault rifles.
● The first batch of 7.62 mm Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles
has been produced by the Korwa Ordnance Factory in
Amethi, Uttar Pradesh.
News-2
Army organized ‘Sainya Ranakshetram 2.0’ Seminar cum

workshop
Extra Points
● The second edition of “SAINYA RANAKSHETRAM 2.0” has
organized by the Indian Army under the aegis of HQ Army
Training Command.
● Objective – To seek solutions to operational cyber
challenges and to jump-start and telescope the development
time for innovative solutions in the field of Cyber Security.
News-1
India and South Korea hold Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue
in Seoul
Event Name Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue between

India and South Korea
Edition 5th
Held at Seoul
Extra Info They agreed to take concrete steps to take
bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030 from current
all-time high of $28 billion.
News-2
41st session of the Network Planning Group (NPG) held in New

Delhi
Event Name Session of the Network Planning Group (NPG)

Edition 41st
Held at New Delhi
Chaired by Anil Agrawal, the Special Secretary of
Department for Promotion of Industry and
Internal Trade
Science & Tech
News-1
ISRO ‘Shukrayaan I’ mission to planet Venus reportedly shifted

to 2031
Extra Points
● According to a report, P. Sreekumar, the Satish Dhawan
Professor at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)
stated in a talk that the organization has not yet received
approval from the Indian government for the Venus mission
‘Shukrayaan I’ and that, as a result, the mission may be
delayed until 2031.
● The mission was scheduled to launch in December 2024.
Extra Information:
● The VERITAS and EnVision missions of the American and
European space agencies, respectively, both have Venus
missions scheduled for 2031.
Books & Authors
News-1
A book “Come! Let’s Run” by Tamil Nadu Health Minister,

released
Book Name Come! Let’s Run

Authored by Tamil Nadu Health Minister, Ma. Subramanian
Released by Krishnamachari Srikkanth, former Captain of the
Indian Cricket team
Festival & Fairs
News-1
Kerala Literature Festival concludes in Kozhikode

Extra Points
● The 6th edition of the Kerala Literature Festival concluded in
Kozhikode, Kerala.
● The event was included in the World Tourism Calendar.
● The 7th edition would be held at the same venue from
January 11 to 14, 2024.
State/UT News
News-1
Telangana CM launched second phase of ‘Kanti Velugu’

Extra Points
● Telangana Chief Minister, K Chandrasekhar Rao has
launched the second phase of the ‘Kanti Velugu’ initiative in
Khammam district.
● It is considered to be the world’s largest eye screening
programme.
● Under the Kanti Velugu, free eye screening will be held at
the special health camps for 100 days with 1500 medical
teams.
● The first phase of Kanti Velugu was conducted for eight
months by 827 health teams.
News-2
Punjab government to launch ‘Schools of Eminence’ project

Extra Points
● The Punjab government will launch its first major education
project, ‘Schools of Eminence’.
● It will be launched at the Indian School of Business (ISB),
Mohali.
● Under the project, the state government will upgrade
existing government schools into ‘Schools of Eminence’ for
classes 9 to 12.
● Under phase 1, the government plans to upgrade nearly 110
government schools as ‘Schools of Eminence’.
● The Punjab government had set aside a fund of Rs 200 crore
for this project.
23rd January Current Affairs
News-1
Brand Guardianship Index 2023: Ambani tops among Indians,

2nd globally
Report Name Brand Guardianship Index 2023
Published by Brand Finance

● Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries Limited is
ranked No 1 among Indians and second globally with Brand
Guardianship Index score of 81.7.
● Jensen Huang, President and Chief Executive Officer of US
based tech leader Nvidia, is ranked No 1 on the Brand
Guardianship Index 2023 globally with a BGI Score of 83.
List of top 5 ranking Globally:
Rank CEO Company Country BGI 2023
1 Jensen Nvidia USA 83

Huang
2 Mukesh Reliance India 81.7
Ambani
3 Satya Microsoft USA 81.5

Nadella
4 Shantanu Adobe USA 80.4

Narayen
5 Sundar Google USA 79.6

Pichai
News-1
EESL CEO Vishal Kapoor assumes Additional Charge as CEO of

CESL
Appointed Person Vishal Kapoor
Appointed as CEO of Convergence Energy Services

Limited (CESL)
Replaced Mahua Acharya
News-2
Chris Hipkins to replace Jacinda Ardern as next New Zealand PM

Appointed Person Chris Hipkins
Appointed as 41st Prime Minister of New Zealand
Replaced Jacinda Ardern
News-3
Praveen Sharma appointed as Director of National Health

Authority
Appointed Person Praveen Sharma
Appointed as Director in the National Health

Authority (Ayushman Bharat Digital
Mission) under the Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare
News-1
Paytail Partners with HDB Financial Services to Offer Loans for

Lifestyle Products
Extra Points
● Paytail Commerce Private Limited has partnered with HDB
Financial Services Limited to provide loans on lifestyle
products such as bicycles, electric vehicles, mobile devices,
consumer durables, and kitchen appliances.
● The loan amount varies from Rs.5,000 to Rs.3 lakhs.
● It provides a 24-month Equated Monthly Instalment (EMI)
period, based on the amount borrowed and the product
segment.
News-2
LIC launches Guaranteed Return Life Insurance Plan ‘Jeevan

Azad’
Extra Points
● The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has unveiled
Jeevan Azad, a new non-linked, non-participating plan
designed for individual savings and life insurance.
● The minimum basic sum assured is Rs.2 lakh, while the
maximum is Rs.5 lakh.
● The policy can be purchased for a minimum of 15 years and
a maximum of 20 years, with the premium-paying term
determined as the policy term minus 8 years.
News-3
SBI lends Rs 200 million to Red Fort Capital to boost “Quick

Business Loan” portfolio
Extra Points
● Red Fort Capital Finance, an Investment Grade Non-Bank
Finance Company that specialises in providing Quick
Business Loans to MSME’s, announced that the State Bank
of India has sanctioned it a Rs 20 crore term loan.
● The money will be used for onward lending to the country’s
SMEs, representing a Rs 40 trillion credit opportunity.
MoUs & Agreements
News-1
Kyndryl India, IIT Tirupati tie up to advance AI-enabled 3D

Printing
Extra Points
● IIT Tirupati has partnered with Kyndryl India to advance
research and promote innovation in AI-enabled 3D-printing
technology.
● The collaboration will focus on quickly developing cost-
effective 3D prototypes for complex products in
manufacturing.
News-2
IREDA & MNRE Signs MoU for Setting Performance Target for
2022-23
Extra Points
● The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA)
has signed a MoU with the Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy (MNRE) to set an annual performance target for
2022-23.
● The MoU was signed by Pradip Kumar Das, Chairman and
Managing Director (CMD), IREDA, and Bhupinder Singh
Bhalla, Secretary, MNRE.
● For 2022–2023, the Government of India (GoI) has set a
target of Rs.3,361 crore for revenue from operations, an
increase of 18% from 2021-22.
National News
News-1
India Post starts Tarang Mail Service to deliver parcels

Extra Points
● In Gujarat, India Post started Tarang Mail Service to deliver
parcels and mail through the sea route.
● India Post has decided to use RoPax Ferry Services on
Gogha- Hazira route for speedy postal services between
Saurashtra and South Gujarat and Mumbai.
● It will bring down delivery time from 10-12 hours to 3-4
hours. It is estimated to carry a daily postal cargo of about 3
to 4 tons.
News-2
India's deepest metro station to be built at Pune Civil Court

Extra Points
● The city of Pune will soon hold the distinction of having the
country's deepest underground metro station.
● Pune's Civil Court interchange station will be 108.59 feet
deep with a ceiling of 95 feet.
● The metro will be completed in February 2023 and will start
in March.
Inauguration News
News-1
PM Modi launched several development projects in Karnataka,

Maharashtra
Extra Points
● Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone
and inaugurated several projects in the northern districts of
Yadgiri, and Kalaburagi (Karnataka), and Maharashtra.
Projects Cost of Project
Projects related to irrigation, More than ₹ 2,050 crore

drinking water, and a National
Highway development project
at Kodeka in the Yadgir district
Narayanpur Left Bank Canal – ₹ 4,700 crore

Extension Renovation and
Modernisation Project
71 km section of NH-150C More than ₹ 2,100 crore
Two lines of the Mumbai Metro ₹ 38,800 crores
International News
News-1
UNESCO dedicates International Day of Education 2023 to
Afghan girls, women
Extra Points
● UNESCO has decided to dedicate the International Day of
Education to be celebrated on January 24, 2023, to Afghan
girls and women.
● According to UNESCO, currently around 80 percent of
Afghan girls and young women of school-age are out of
school under Taliban rule, as they are denied access to
secondary schools and universities.
Sports News
News-1
Dhaka Marathon: Kenyan Stanley Bett Champion in male

category, Bangriya Bharatsinh from India wins in South Asian
category
Extra Points
● The Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Dhaka Marathon 2023 was
held in the capital city Dhaka.
● The marathon was inaugurated by Bangladesh Home
Minister Asaduzzaman Khan.
● Kenyan runner Stanley Kiprotich Bett became the champion
of the marathon with a timing of 2 hours 8 minutes and 10
seconds.
List of winners in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Dhaka Marathon

2023:
Category Winner
Marathon in the male category Stanley Kiprotich Bett (Kenya)
Women’s sprint category Bashanke Imoshe Billo (Ethiopia)
South Asian Men category Bangriya Bharatsinh (India)
South Asian female marathon runner Pushpa Bhandari (Nepal)
Awards & Honours
News-1
Goa Manohar International Airport wins Best Sustainable

Greenfield Airport Award
Extra Points
● A subsidiary of GMR Airports Infrastructure, GMR Goa
International Airport (GGIAL) has won the ‘Best Sustainable
Greenfield Airport’ award under aviation sustainability and
environment at ASSOCHAM’s 14th International
Conference-cum-Awards for Civil Aviation 2023.
● The award was presented for “outstanding initiatives” taken
by Goa International Airport Limited (GGIAL) in
implementing sustainability.
● Goa Manohar International Airport was inaugurated by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 11 December 2022.

News-1
Odisha CM inaugurated ‘International Craft Summit’
Summit International Craft Summit
Held at Jajpur, Odisha
Inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
Attendees International delegates from 15 countries
News-2
18th Annual Meeting of Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE)

held
Meeting Name Annual General Meeting of the Indian

Institute of Entrepreneurship
Edition 18th
Held at Guwahati, Assam
Chaired by Union Minister for Tourism, Culture G

Kishan Reddy and Union Minister for
Education and Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan
Festival & Fairs

News-1
Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) govt to host its maiden SARAS Fair
2023
Extra Points
● J&K govt is going to host its maiden SARAS Fair 2023 from
4 to 14 Feb’23.
● In this fair, artisans and women's self help groups from
across the country will showcase their crafts, handcrafts,
handloom and foods.
● Fair would be organised at Bagh-e-Bahu, Jammu.
Science & Tech
News-1
IIT Madras developed Indigenous Mobile Operating System

‘BharOS’
Extra Points
● IIT Madras incubated firm has developed an Indigenous
Mobile Operating System named ‘BharOS’.
● BharOS has been developed by JandK Operations Private
Limited (JandKops) – a non-profit organization established
by IIT Madras Pravartak Technologies Foundation.
● The Foundation is funded by the Department of Science and
Technology (DST), Government of India.
Obituaries News
News-1
Padma Shri awardee Prabhaben Sobhagchand Shah passes

away
Extra Points
● Padma Shri awardee Prabhaben Sobhagchand Shah passed
away on 18th Jan 2023.
● She was a social worker from the Union Territory of Dadra
and Nagar Haveli, Daman, and Diu.
● She was also known as “Daman ki Divya”.
● In 2022, she was awarded the Padma Shri.
Important Days
News-1
19 January – National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Day

Extra Points
● 18th National Disaster Response Force day is celebrated on
19 January 2023 by the National Disaster Response Force
(NDRF).
● It was formed in the year 2006 under the Disaster
Management Act of 2005.
● It plays a crucial role in the country’s disaster management
and community awareness for Disaster Risk Reduction.
State/UT News
News-1
Wayanad becomes the first district in the country to provide
basic documents to all tribals
Extra Points
● Kerala's Wayanad district has become the first district in
India to provide basic documents and facilities like Aadhaar
card, ration card, birth/death certificate, election ID card,
bank accounts and health insurance to all tribals.
● Wayanad district administration has achieved this feat by
providing 1,42,563 services to 64,670 tribal beneficiaries as
part of Akshaya Big Campaign for Document Digitization
(ABCD) campaign.
● The campaign was launched in November 2021 with the
objective of ensuring basic documents for all citizens of
Scheduled Tribe communities from Thondarandu Gram
Panchayat.
24th December Current Affairs
News-1
Vedanta’s Cairn Oil & Gas appointed Nick Walker as CEO
Appointed Person Nick Walker
Appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cairn

Oil & Gas, a unit of Vedanta Ltd
News-2
Aruna Miller becomes Maryland’s first Indian-American Lt.

Governor
Appointed person Aruna Miller
Appointed as First Indian-American politician to be sworn

in as the Lieutenant Governor in the state
of Maryland, USA
Extra info She is a former delegate to the Maryland

House and became the 10th Lieutenant
Governor of the Maryland state.
News-1
RBI Data: Indians Remitted Nearly USD 2 Billion Under LRS

Scheme in November 2022
Extra Points
● According to the most recent Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
data on “Outward Remittances under the Liberalised
Remittance Scheme (LRS) for Resident Individuals,” Indians
remitted about USD 1.99 billion in November 2022 under the
LRS.
● Outward remittances under LRS increased 29% to USD 1.99
billion from USD 1.54 billion in November 2021.
● According to the RBI data, Indians have remitted around
USD 17.28 billion in outward remittances under the LRS to
date (until November 2022) in the fiscal year 2022-23 (FY23).
About Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS)

● The Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) of the RBI was
launched in 2004, with an initial ceiling of USD 25,000.
News-2
SBI General Insurance collaborates with Himachal Pradesh

Police and Doers NGO to promote road safety
Extra Points
● SBI General Insurance, one of India’s leading general
insurance companies has associated with Doers NGO, to
support Himachal Pradesh police in bringing down the
number of road mishaps.
● As part of the CSR program, SBI General will provide a well-
equipped ambulance which will provide immediate medical
care to the road accident victims in Mandi district.
News-3
RBI January 2023 Bulletin: RBI to Direct Inflation Toward a 4%

Target by 2024
Extra Points
● According to the article titled “State of the Economy”
published in the “January 2023 bulletin” of the Reserve
Bank of India, the RBI’s 2023 monetary policy objective is to
keep inflation within the required tolerance band (2%-6%)
and lead it towards the medium-term target of 4% by 2024,
which is the second milestone.
● The first monetary policy milestone has been reached, with
inflation now falling inside the tolerance band.
● In its monetary policy, the RBI projected that headline
inflation would be 6.6% in Q3 FY23 and 5.9% in Q4 FY23.
● The projected CPI inflation was 5% in Q1 FY24 and 5.4% in
Q2 FY24 before declining to the mandated level of 4%.
MoUs & Agreements
News-1
Tripartite Agreement signed between UCSL, Department of

Fisheries & 5 Fishermen SHGs to build Advanced Fishing
Vessels
Extra Points
● A tripartite agreement has been signed between Udupi
Cochin Shipyard Limited (UCSL), the Department of
Fisheries, Kerala and five fishermen Self-Help Group (SHGs)
societies from Kerala to construct 10 Deep Sea Tuna Long
Liner cum Gill netter fishing vessels.
● The outlay for these advanced fishing vessels will be Rs 14
crores.
● The vessel is of 22.7 m length and 6.4 m of breadth with a
capacity of 12 persons, and can achieve a maximum speed
of 8 knots.
News-2
IIT Guwahati signs MoU with AMTRON & RCH to Foster Drone
Technology in Northeast India
Extra Points
● The Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati signed a MoU
with Assam Electronics Development Corporation Ltd
(AMTRON) and RC Hobbytech Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (RCH) to
improve and advance drone-based technology in Northeast
India.
● The MoU covers research and development and
manufacturing for varied sectors such as agriculture,
disaster management, wildlife conservation and health care.
News-1
Canara bank sells its entire 40% Stake in CIBL to SBI

Extra Points
● Canara Bank is set to sell its entire 40% stake in the Russian
joint venture Commercial Indo Bank LLC (CIBL) to the JV
partner State Bank of India (SBI).
● Post-acquisition, the State Bank of India will hold a 100%
stake in CIBL.
● CIBL, incorporated in 2003 in Russia, is a JV between SBI,
(60% stake) and Canara Bank(40% stake).
National News
News-1
Egypt president Abdel Fattah El Sisi to be chief guest at Republic
Day celebrations
Extra Points
● Egypt President Abdel Fattah El Sisi will be the chief guest
at Republic Day celebrations.
● This is for the first time that the president of Egypt has been
invited as chief guest on our Republic Day 2023.
● A 180-member strong military contingent from the Egyptian
army will also participate in the Republic Day parade.
Extra Info:
● The Egyptian president previously visited India in October
2015 to participate in the third India-Africa Forum Summit.
News-2
'Moidams' nominated for UNESCO World Heritage Site

Extra Points
● Prime Minister Narendra Modi has selected the 'Pyramids of
Assam' as the country's sole nomination for the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) World Heritage Site out of 52 heritage sites.
● The Ahom-era 'Moidams' (cemetery of the royal family) in
Assam's Charaideo district will be India's only nomination
for recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
● 'Moidems' will be nominated in the category of cultural
sites.
Extra Info:
● India currently has 40 World Heritage Sites – 32 of them
cultural sites, seven natural sites and one mixed site.
News-3
PM Modi named 21 islands of Andaman and Nicobar after

Paramveer Chakra awardees
Extra Points
● Modi named 21 islands of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
after 21 Param Vir Chakra awardees on the auspicious
occasion of Parakram Divas organised to mark the 126th
birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on 23
January.
● The Prime Minister also unveiled the model of the National
Memorial dedicated to Netaji to be built on Netaji Subhash
Chandra Bose Island.
Extra Info
● In 2019, the museum related to Netaji was inaugurated at the
Red Fort in Delhi.
● The Ross Islands were renamed Netaji Subhash Chandra
Bose Islands in 2018 to honor Netaji's sacrifices.
Sports News
News-1
Hashim Amla announced retirement from all forms of cricket

Extra Points
● South Africa cricketer Hashim Amla has announced his
retirement from all forms of cricket.
● He last played for Surrey in the County Championship 2022
and helped them win the title as well.
● The right-handed batter had already retired from
international cricket after the World Cup in 2019.
● He became the first and only South African batsman to
score a triple century in Test Cricket.
Awards & Honours
News-1
R.V. Prassad awarded the most distinguished scientist of the

year 2022
Extra Points
● R Vishnu Prassad was awarded “the most distinguished
scientist of the year 2022” at the Indian Achievers Award in
Delhi.
● The award recognizes individuals for their outstanding
contributions in various fields.
Defence News
News-1
Indian Air Force to conduct ‘PRALAY’ exercise in Northeast
Exercise Name Pralay
Held at All major air bases in the Northeast

Organised by Air Force
News-2
The largest biennial exercise of the three services 'AMPEX' 2023

organised
Exercise Name 'AMPEX' 2023
Held at Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh
Organised by Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air

Force
News-1
The first meeting of the Youth 20 Group will be held in Guwahati

in February 2023
Meeting Youth 20 Group
Edition 1st
Held at Guwahati
Themes 1) Future of Work: Industry 4.0, Innovation & 21st

Century skills.
2) Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction:
Making Sustainability a way of life.
3) Peacebuilding and Reconciliation: Ushering in an
era of No War.
4) Shared Future: Youth in Democracy and
Governance.
5) Health, Wellbeing &Sports: Agenda for Youth.
Festivals & Fairs
News-1
‘Vigyanika – Science Literature Festival’ event to be held in IISF,

Bhopal
Extra Points
● A Science Literature Festival ‘Vigyanika’ has been organized
at the Indian International Science Festival (IISF), Maulana
Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal, Madhya
Pradesh.
● “Science Literature Festival” is being organized as part of
the 8th IISF.
● In 2023, IISF is being coordinated and organized by the
Ministry of Earth Sciences, Ministry of Science &
Technology, and Vijnana Bharati.
Important Days
News-1
23 January 2023 – 126th Birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas

Chandra Bose
Extra Points
● The birth anniversary of Subhash Chandra Bose on 23
January is celebrated every year as Parakram Diwas to
inspire the people of the country, especially the youth.
● He was born on January 23, 1897, at Cuttack in Odisha and
his birthday is being celebrated as ‘Parakram Divas’ (day of
valor) since 2022.
State/UT News
News-1
Jharkhand government launches water conservation scheme to
benefit drought-hit farmers
Extra Points
● Jharkhand Agriculture Minister Badal Patralekh launched a
water conservation scheme with an outlay of Rs 467.32
crore to benefit farmers who faced drought last year in the
state.
● Under the scheme, 2,133 ponds will be renovated and 2,795
percolation tanks will be built in all blocks of 24 districts of
the state.
● The objective of this scheme is to provide water to the
drought-affected farmers of the state so that they can get
enough water to irrigate their fields.
News-1
Reliance Jio among the top 25 strongest brands in the world
Report Name Global 500-2023

Published by Brand Finance
Parameters marketing spend, awareness,
consideration, trust and market share

● Jio has emerged as the strongest brand in India and is
ranked 9th among the 25 strongest brands in the world.
● Jio has been given a score of 90.2 in the Strong Brand
Index.
Rank of top 5 Brands:
Rank Brand
1 Amazon
2 Apple
3 Google
4 Microsoft
5 Walmart
9 Jio

News-1
Vikram Dev Dutt to be next chief of DG of Civil Aviation
Appointed Person Vikram Dev Dutt

Appointed as Director General of Directorate of General
of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
Replaced Arun Kumar
News-2
Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings resigns as company CEO
Resigned Person Netflix’s founder Reed Hastings

Resigned as Chief Executive Officer of Netflix
News-1
SEBI Launches Information Database On Municipal Bonds

Extra Points
● Ashwani Bhatia, a whole-time member of the Securities and
Exchange Board of India (SEBI), has launched an
Information Database, comprising a repository of municipal
bond information, on its website to assist municipal debt
issuers and other stakeholders.
● The information database includes statistics and
regulations, circulars, guidance notes, and frequently asked
questions issued by SEBI in relation to municipal debt
securities.
Extra Info:
● Ten municipal corporations in India have issued 12 issues
of municipal bonds, raising close to Rs. 2000 crore since
2017.
News-2
Paytm, Citi Ends Partnership for Co-branded Credit Card – Paytm

CITI Card
Card Name Paytm CITI Card

Launched by Citibank and Paytm
Powered by VISA
News-3
HDFC donates Rs 5 cr to Uttarakhand CM for Kedarnath Utthan

Charitable Trust
Extra Points
● HDFC Bank Limited donated Rs 5 crore to Uttarakhand Chief
Minister (CM) Pushkar Singh Dhami for the Kedarnath
Utthan Charitable Trust.
● More than Rs 3.27 crores have been distributed as advance
relief to 218 affected families in Joshimath, Chamoli,
Uttarakhand.
● To provide immediate assistance to the 8 affected tenants,
Rs 4 lakhs have been allocated, at a rate of Rs 50,000 for
each family.
MoUs & Agreements
News-1
Bihar Govt inks MoU with FSI for TOF Field Survey to promote
Agroforestry
Extra Points
● The Bihar Government, in collaboration with the Forest
Survey of India, has decided to conduct a “Tree Outside
Forest” (TOF) field survey to identify the dominant tree
species that are growing outside the Recorded Forest Areas
(RFA) in Bihar.
● This would help farmers get additional income by
encouraging tree plantation on farmland along with crops.
News-2
Ministry of AYUSH ties up with ITDC to promote Medical Value

Travel in India
Extra Points
● The Ministry of AYUSH has signed an MoU with India
Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), Ministry of
Tourism, to promote Medical Value Travel in Ayurveda and
other traditional systems of medicine.
● Under the MoU, the Ministry of AYUSH will provide training
to ITDC officials to sensitise them about the medical value
of travel in Ayurveda and other traditional systems of
medicine.
National News
News-1
Tourism Ministry participates in world’s largest Travel Exhibition

Extra Points
● The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, is
participating in Feria Internacional de Turismo (FITUR), the
world’s largest international travel exhibition in Madrid,
Spain.
● The Ministry of Tourism has taken up 253 square metres of
space, with over 30 participants exhibiting along with the
India Pavilion, to participate in the exhibition.
● The India Pavilion was inaugurated by Dinesh K Patnaik,
Indian Ambassador to Spain.
Extra Info:
● The first Global Tourism Investors Summit will be organized
by the Ministry of Tourism in New Delhi from 10 to 12 April.
News-2
PM Modi distributed land title deeds to Banjaras, an SC group in
Karnataka
Extra Points
● Prime Minister Narendra Modi symbolically distributed
Hakku Patra (land title deeds) to five families of the Banjara
(Lambani) community in the Kalaburagi district of Karnataka
recently.
● The event was organised by the state Revenue Department
at Malkhed, in the Kalaburagi district of Karnataka.
● The five families were among the 50,000-plus families to
whom land title deeds were distributed during the
programme.
About hakku patras or title deeds:

● A title deed is a document of ownership of property, and the
holder of the document is the owner of the land.
● एThe title deed enables the owners of the land to get bank
loans with the said document.
Inauguration News
News-1
Union Petroleum Minister flags off low carbon cruise on

Mahabahu Brahmaputra
Extra Points
● Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Housing and
Urban Affairs, Hardeep S Puri inaugurated the demo-run of
Inland Water Vessel powered by Methanol blended Diesel
(MD15).
● The boat ride was conducted on a 50-seater motor launch
marine vessel named 'SB Gangadhar'.
● The boat will be run on MD-15 (15% methanol mixed HSD).
● The ocean liner is equipped with two Ruston-made diesel
engines (105 hp engine each).
International News
News-1
Brazilian government declares medical emergency in Yanomami

Extra Points
● Recently in Brazil, the government has declared a medical-
emergency in the Yanomami region amid reports of child
deaths from diseases caused by illegal gold mining and
malnutrition-related conditions.
● In the four years of Bolsonaro's presidency, 570 Yanomami
children died from preventable diseases, mainly from
malnutrition as well as malaria, diarrhoea, and mercury used
by wildcat gold miners.
● The purpose of the state of emergency declaration is to
restore health services for the Yanomami people.
Sports News
News-1
Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn wins India Open Badminton title

2023, Korean An Seyoung wins Women’s Singles
Extra Points
● The Championship, officially named ‘Yonex-Sunrise India
Open 2023′ was held at KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium in New
Delhi, Delhi.
● It was the second tournament of the HSBC BWF World Tour
Super 750.
News-2
Union govt suspends all activities of Wrestling Federation of

India
Extra Points
● The Sports Ministry has suspended all activities of the
Wrestling Federation of India till the appointment of a
monitoring committee to oversee the functioning of the WFI.
● These include suspension of ranking events and refund of
entry fees collected from participants.
● The government has also suspended Vinod Tomar,
assistant secretary of the federation.
Award & Honours
News-1
Aska police station of Odisha's Ganjam district became the

country's number one police station
Extra Points
● Aska police station in Ganjam district of Odisha was
awarded as number one police station by Home Minister
Amit Shah during the DGSP/IGSP conference 2022 held at
National Agricultural Science Complex, New Delhi.
● On this occasion, Aska police station in-charge Inspector
Prashant Kumar Sahu was awarded the prestigious award
along with a citation by the Home Minister.
● Gangapur police station in Odisha's Ganjam district has
been awarded the second best police station award.
● Banbasa police station in Champawat district of
Uttarakhand has been selected as the third best station.
Defence News
News-1
Border Security Force (BSF) started a seven-day "Operations

Alert'' exercise
Exercise name Operations Alert

Held at Along the Indo-Pak border in Kutch district
of Gujarat and Barmer in Rajasthan
Organised by Border Security Force (BSF)
Festival & Fairs
News-1
HCHF and Ladakh Tourism Dept. organised Annual Ethnic

Mamani Festival
Extra Points
● In Ladakh, the Himalayan Cultural Heritage Foundation
(HCHF) and the Ladakh Tourism Department organised the
annual Ethnic Mamani Festival at the historic Satyang Kung
village and Chiktan Shagran.
● Steyang Kung village is about 500 years old and is still
preserved and being developed as one of the heritage
villages in Ladakh.
● During Mamni, people exchange food with their relatives
and neighbours and worship a variety of spirits (Lha).
Books & Authors
News-1
A book titled ‘Coaching Beyond’ by R. Kaushik, R. Sridhar

released
Book Name COACHING BEYOND: My Days with the Indian

Cricket Team
Authored by R. Kaushik & R. Sridhar
Extra info The book reflects on R. Sridhar’s seven-year
coaching tenure with the Indian cricket team as
its fielding coach.
Important Days
News-1
24 January – National Girl Child Day

Day 24 January
Day Name National Girl Child Day

Objective To raise awareness against pre-natal sex
determination and gender-selective abortion.
Started in 2008
State/UT News
News-1
Himachal Pradesh targets to be first ‘green energy state’ by 2025

Extra Points
● The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh
Sukhu has announced that the state government is planning
to make the state as the first Green Energy State by the end
of 2025.
● The state government would also invest in solar plants and
will install 500 MW solar projects during the year 2023-24.
● which land has been identified for 70 MW capacity and the
rest of the sites will be finalized soon.
News-1
India among top 3 nations in Expanding Organic Farming in
2020; Argentina Tops
Report Name The World of Organic Agriculture
Edition 23rd
Published by FiBL and IFOAM

● India is among the top 3 countries in the world, where the
total area under organic agriculture expanded the maximum
in 2020.
● The total increase under organic cultivation globally in 2020
was 3 million hectares.
● Argentina topped the list with 7,81,000 hectares (up by 21%),
followed by Uruguay at 5,89,000 hectares (28%) and India at
3,59,000 hectares (16%).
● Out of total 34 lakh organic producers in the world, 16 lakh
farmers in India are into certified organic farming.
News-1
Justice Sabina appointed Acting Chief Justice of Himachal

Pradesh High Court
Appointed Person Justice Sabina
Appointed as Acting Chief Justice of the Himachal

Pradesh HC
Replaced Amjad Ahtesham Sayed
News-2
Justice AK Sikri appointed Administrator of Shooting World Cup

2023
Appointed Person Former Supreme Court Judge, A. K. Sikri
Appointed as Administrator to manage the use of funds for

the International Shooting Sports Federation
(ISSF) World Cup 2023
Extra Info The world cup will take place in March 2023
in Bhopal.
News-1
Tata Motors, ICICI Bank tie up to offer Financing Solutions to its

EV Dealers
Extra Points
● Tata Motors has tied up with ICICI Bank to offer financing
solutions to its authorized passenger Electric Vehicle (EV)
dealers.
● Under this, the bank will provide inventory funding to the
authorized passenger EV dealers in addition to the bank’s
funding to dealers for diesel and petrol models.
News-2
RBI directs SBM Bank (India) to stop all transactions under

Liberalised Remittance Scheme
Extra Points
● RBI in exercise of its powers under sections 35A and
36(1)(a) of the Banking Regulation (BR) Act, 1949, directed
State Bank of Mauritius (SBM) Bank (India) Ltd to stop all
transactions under the Liberalized Remittance Scheme with
immediate effect till further orders.
About Liberalized Remittance Scheme (LRS)

● It was first introduced on February 4, 2004, with a limit of
$25,000.
● Under the LRS, Indian residents, including minors, are
allowed to freely remit up to USD 2,50,000 per financial year
for any permissible current or capital account transaction or
a combination of both.
News-3
AU Small Finance Bank Launches Credit Card Offering Platform –

SwipeUp
Extra Points
● AU Small Finance Bank Limited, India’s largest Small
Finance Bank, launched the first-of-its-kind SwipeUp
platform that allows other bank Credit Cardholders to get
upgraded AU Credit Cards.
● This card is made from biodegradable plastic, intended
towards a healthy environment.
MoUs & Agreements
News-1
NABH and HSSC Sign MoU for Skilling Initiatives of Healthcare

Professionals Across the Country
Extra Points
● National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare
Providers (NABH) and Healthcare Sector Skill Council
(HSSC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding.
● The objective of the MoU is to accredit HSSC certification
for NABH accreditation, develop training programs for
essential skilling, reskilling and upskilling of healthcare
professionals.
● This collaboration will help in achieving the goal of
enhancing the quality of healthcare in India.
News-2
OPPO India & Meity’s CSC partners to train 10,000 women in

Cyber Security through Cyber Sangini
Extra Points
● OPPO India partnered with the Common Service Centre
(CSC) Academy under the Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology (MeitY) for the Cyber Sangini
program, 45-day course.
● Objective:- To empower rural and semi-urban women by
training them in the fundamentals of cybersecurity and
cyber wellness.
About Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

Minister of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar
News-1
IndiGrid to acquire a 100% stake in Khargone Transmission for

Rs 1,497.5 crore
Extra Points
● India Grid Trust is set to acquire a 100% stake in Khargone
Transmission Limited at an enterprise value of about Rs
1,497.5 crore.
National News
News-1
Patanjali bags project for scientific exploration of flora near

Ganga
Extra Points
● The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), which
comes under the Ministry of Jal Shakti and implements the
government’s Namami Gange programme, has awarded a
project worth Rs 4.32 crore to Haridwar-based Patanjali
Research Institute and Patanjali Organic Research Institute.
● The project is aimed at “scientific exploration” of floral
diversity near the Ganga river banks.
● The Executive Committee approved the proposal to
implement the project by Patanjali Research Institute (PRI)
and Patanjali Organic Research Institute (PoRI), Haridwar,
Uttarakhand at an estimated cost of Rs 4,32,36,107/- for a
duration of 18 months.
● NMCG share of the project cost is Rs 2,41,50,545/- (56%) and
share of PoRI of the cost is Rs 1,90,85,562/- (44%)
About National Mission for Clean Ganga
● NMCG is the implementation wing of National Ganga

Council (set in 2016; which replaced the National Ganga
River Basin Authority (NRGBA).
● It has a Rs. 20,000-crore, centrally-funded, non-lapsable
corpus and consists of nearly 288 projects.
News-2
“U-WIN” platform launched to keep digital records of

immunization of women and children in the country
Extra Points
● The Union Health Ministry has launched the “U-WIN”
platform to keep a digital record of vaccination of women
and children in the country.
● This platform will be launched as a pilot project in two
districts of each state and union territory of the country.
● Every pregnant woman will be registered on this digital
platform and records of her vaccination will be maintained.
● Vaccination appointments can also be booked through U-
Win.
About Union Health Ministry
Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya

Minister of State Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar
News-3
Indian Railways launches 'Ideal Train Profile'

Extra Points
● Indian Railways has introduced 'Ideal Train Profile' for
maximum capacity utilisation and income generation by
regularly analysing movement of demand in each train in
reserved express trains.
● The project has been started on a pilot basis in seven Zonal
Railways - Eastern, Central, Northern, Southern, South
Central, Western and West Central Railways.
● Through this facility, it is expected to increase the
availability of confirmed seats and increase the number of
passengers in the train by 5 percent.
● This module has been developed after two years of hard
work by the Railway team under the leadership of R
Gopalakrishnan.
International News
News-1
China building dam on Yarlung Zangbo river near Indian border

Extra Points
● Recently it has been revealed through a satellite picture that
China is building a new dam on theYarlung Zangbo
(Brahmaputra) river in Tibet near the tri-junction of India,
Nepal and Tibet.
● The Chinese dam follows the announcement of plans to
build a large dam downstream of the Yarlung Zangbo in
2021 to generate 70 gigawatts of electricity.
● This is nearly three times the power produced by
China'sThree Gorges Dam.
Sports News
News-1
Shubman Gill equals Babar Azam’s record of most runs in a

bilateral series
Extra Points
● Continuing his blazing hot form, Shubman Gill brought up
his 4th ODI century, in the 3rd match of the series against
New Zealand.
● As Gill touched the 112-run mark in the match at Indore, he
matched Pakistan captain Babar Azam's record of scoring
the 'most number of runs in a 3-match ODI series'.
● Until being equalled by the young India opener, Babar had
solely held the record of scoring the most number of runs
(360) in a 3-match ODI series.
News-2
MoYAS forms Oversight Committee headed by MC Mary Kom to

Enquire Allegations Against WFI
Committee Name Oversight Committee
Formed by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Headed by MC Mary Kom
Objective To enquire into the allegations of sexual
misconduct, harassment and financial
irregularities in the Wrestling Federation of
India (WFI), levelled by prominent
sportspersons.
Awards & Honours
News-1
President Droupadi Murmu Confers Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal

Puraskar 2023
Extra Points
● President of India, Droupadi Murmu, conferred Pradhan
Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar for 2023 to 11 children for
their exceptional achievement at Vigyan Bhawan in New
Delhi, Delhi.
● Each awardee will receive a certificate, a cash prize of Rs. 1
lakh, and a medal.
Winners of Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2023:
Category Name State
Art and Culture Adithya Suresh Kerala

(Singer)
Art and Culture Shreya Bhattacharjee Assam
(Tabla artist)
Art and Culture M Gauravi Reddy Telangana

(Classical Dancer)
Art and Culture Sambhab Mishra Odisha

(Writer)
Innovation Aditya Pratap Singh Chhattisgar

Chauhan h
Innovation Rishi Shiv Prasanna Karnataka
Sports Shauryajit Ranjitkumar Gujarat

(Mallakhamb) Khaire
Sports (SQAY Hanaya Nisar Jammu &

martial arts) Kashmir
Sports (Chess) Kolagatla Alana Andhra

Meenakshi Pradesh
Social Service Anoushka Jolly New Delhi
Bravery Rohan Ramchandra Maharashtr

Bahir a
News-2
Visakhapatnam Railway Station awarded 'Green Railway Station

Certificate'
Extra Points
● Visakhapatnam Railway Station under East Coast Railway
has been awarded the 'Green Railway Station Certificate'
with the highest Platinum rating by the Indian Green
Building Council (IGBC) for adopting green concepts.
● Dr. S. Vijayakumar, President, IGBC Visakhapatnam
presented the certificate to DRM/Voltaire Anup Satpathy at a
function held at Visakhapatnam.
● Visakhapatnam has scored 82 out of 100 in six categories of
environment.
Festivals & Fairs
News-1
SCO Film Festival to be organized in Mumbai from 27 to 31

January
Extra Points
● The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Film Festival
will be organised by the Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting through the National Film Development
Corporation (NFDC) in Mumbai.
● Total 57 films will be showcased at the SCO Film Festival
from SCO countries.
● In which 14 feature films will be screened in the competition
section and 43 films will be screened in the non-competition
section.
Books & Authors
News-1
A new book “India’s Knowledge Supremacy: The New Dawn”
released
Book Name India’s Knowledge Supremacy: The New Dawn

Authored by Dr Ashwin Fernandes
Launched by Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan
Important Days
News-1
International Education Day: 24 January
Day 24 January
Day Name International Education Day
Theme 2023 ‘To Invest in People, Prioritise Education’
Started in 2018
News-2
13th "National Voter's Day"
Day 25 January
Day Name 13th National Voters Day
Theme 2023 Nothing Like Voting, I Vote for Sure
Started in 2011
State/UT News
News-1
Lt Governor R K Mathur launched ULPIN in Ladakh

Extra Points
● Lieutenant Governor R K Mathur launched the Unique Land
Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) in Leh in January 2023.
● The 14-digit ULPIN would help in the digitization of land
records and also reach a conclusive land titling.
● The scheme would also prove beneficial to collect accurate
land records and land areas for hilly land to record the
vertical dimension of land.
News-1
Shamalbhai B Patel appointed as chairman of Amul
Appointed Person Shamalbhai B Patel
Appointed as chairman of Amul
Appointed Person Valamjibhai Humbal

Appointed as Vice chairman of Amul
News-2
IIM Ahmedabad named professor Bharat Bhasker as new director
Appointed Person Bharat Bhasker
Appointed as Director of Indian Institute of

Management Ahmedabad
Replaced Errol D’souza
News-1
RBI imposes ₹26 lakh penalty on Nutan Nagarik Sahakari Bank
Penalty amount ₹26.00 lakh
Imposed on Nutan Nagarik Sahakari Bank Ltd.,

Ahmedabad
Reason Non-compliance with the directions issued

by RBI on ‘Co-operative Bank-Interest rate on
deposits’ and ‘Guidelines for issue of ATM-
cum-Debit cards by UCBs’.
News-2
Bank Of Baroda Introduces Vikram Credit Card Dedicated To
Soldiers
Extra Points
● Bank Of Baroda Financial Solutions Limited (BFSL), a fully-
owned subsidiary of Bank of Baroda, has introduced the
Vikram Credit Card for members of the Indian military,
paramilitary, and police forces.
● The Vikram Credit Card, according to BFSL, strengthens its
commitment to meet the credit needs of the soldiers, who
selflessly protect us and serve our country.
●
News-3
SEBI imposes Rs 26 crore penalty on Coffee Day Enterprises

Extra Points
● Coffee Day Enterprises Ltd was penalized ₹26 crore by the
Securities and Exchange Board of India for alleged fund
diversion.
● Sebi in its investigation found out that funds amounting to
₹3,535 crore were diverted from 7 subsidiaries of CDEL to
Mysore Amalgamated Coffee Estates Ltd
News-4
ADB & NSFTPL Signs USD 131 Million Loan to Support the JLN
Port Upgradation & Enhance International Trade
Extra Points
● The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Nhava Sheva
Freeport Terminal Private Limited (NSFTPL) signed USD 131
million loan to upgrade the Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) Port
Container Terminal located in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra.
● The loan comprises USD 61.4 million from ADB’s ordinary
capital resources and USD 69.6 million from Leading Asia’s
Private Infrastructure Fund (LEAP) administered by ADB.
MoUs & Agreements
News-1
India-Egypt signed MoU between Prasar Bharati and National

Media Authority of Egypt
Extra Points
● India and Egypt signed an MoU to facilitate content
exchange, capacity building, and Co-Productions between
Prasar Bharati and the National Media Authority of Egypt.
● Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur
and Foreign Minister Sameh Hassan Shoukry, Government
of Egypt signed the MoU.
● The MoU was exchanged in the presence of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi
in New Delhi.
● Under this MoU, broadcasters of both the countries will
exchange their programs on a bilateral basis.
National News
News-1
Six-day 'Bharat Parv' organised at Delhi's Red Fort

Extra Points
● As part of the Republic Day celebrations, a six-day mega
event Bharat Parv will be organised at the Red Fort in Delhi
from January 26 to January 31.
● The event will be organised by the Ministry of Tourism.
● Earlier in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 (and virtually in
the year 2021) Bharat Parv was organised on the lawn in
front of Red Fort and on Gyan Path.
About Ministry of Tourism
Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy
Minister of State Shripad Yesso Naik, Ajay Bhatt
Inauguration News
News-1
AIF inaugurated India’s first STEM innovation centre in Chennai

Extra Points
● The American India Foundation (AIF) has inaugurated
India’s first STEM Innovation and Learning Center (SILC) in
Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
● The STEM Innovation and Learning Center is inaugurated
under the scheme of Vanavil Mandram at the Government
Higher Secondary School, MMDA Colony, Chennai.
● The Centre will introduce students to a transdisciplinary
learning approach through robotics, Al, Space Technology,
and the STEM Incubation workstation.
News-2
North India’s largest floating solar power project inaugurated

Extra Points
● North India’s largest floating solar power project was
inaugurated in Chandigarh by its Administrator Banwari Lal
Purohit.
● Plant’s capacity is 2000kWp and has been commissioned at
a cost of Rs 11.70 crore.
● He also Inaugurated 500kWp floating solar power plant
installed over the Dhanas lake in Chandigarh.
● Projects have been designed by CREST (Chandigarh
Renewable Energy and Science and Technology Promotion
Society).
Sports News
News-1
FIH partnered with JSP Foundation for hockey development

Extra Points
● The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has partnered
with JSP Foundation for Hockey Development and Men’s
World Cup in Jan 2023.
● The partnership will also see the JSP Foundation coming
onboard the ongoing FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup
2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela as a global partner.
News-3
Sports Ministry holds its 1st Mission Olympic Cell meet outside
Delhi
Extra Points
● The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) has
organized its first Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) meeting
outside Delhi in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
● The MOC members met to discuss the major agenda of
India’s Olympic program and proposals for the Target
Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) athletes.
● Normally, MOC members visit Delhi every month to discuss
agenda related to TOPS.
About Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)
Launched in 2014
Nodal Agency Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Objective Identifying and preparing potential medal

prospects for the Olympic and Paralympic
Games.
Awards & Honours
News-1
Padma Awards 2023: Mulayam Yadav, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Dilip

Mahalanabis among 6 awarded Padma Vibhushan
Extra Points
● The Centre has announced the Padma Awards on the eve of
Republic Day 26 January.
● Of the total 106 Padma Awards announced, six are Padma
Vibhushan, nine are Padma Bhushan and 91 are Padma
Shri.
● Nineteen of the awardees are women.
News-2
ESAF Finance Bank won Inclusive Finance India Awards 2022

Extra Points
● ESAF Small Finance Bank has won the prestigious Inclusive
Finance India Awards 2022.
● It was awarded for its contributions to advancing the goal of
financial inclusion and supporting inclusive growth.
● The bank received the award from Anantha Nageshwaran,
Chief Economic Advisor at the 19th Inclusive Finance India
Summit held in New Delhi.
Defence News
News-1
Indian Navy's flagship maritime exercise TROPEX 2023 held in

the Indian Ocean
Exercise name TROPEX
Held at Indian Ocean region
Organised by Indian Navy

Extra Info The TROPEX exercise is held once every
two years.
News-1
MSME Ministry organized National SC-ST Hub Conclave in

Mumbai
Event Name National SC-ST Hub Conclave
Held at Mumbai
Inaugurated by Union Minister of MSME, Narayan Rane
News-2
Nitin Gadkari chairs 10th meeting of Group of Infrastructure

Committee
Meeting Name Meeting of Group of Infrastructure Committee
Edition 10th
Held at New Delhi
Chaired by Nitin Gadkari

Extra Info The Infrastructure Committee was formed in 2009.
News-3
Delhi to host first-ever India Stack Developer Conference
Conference India Stack Developer Conference

Name
Edition 1st
Held at New Delhi
Attendees Delegates from G20 countries and G20 Secretariat
Festival & Fairs
News-1
International Trade Fair on Millets organized in Bengaluru

Extra Points
● The 4th International Trade Fair of Millets and Organics
Products has been organized in Bangalore.
● The 3-day fair was organized by the Department of
Agriculture and Government of Karnataka.
● The Government of Karnataka has been a leader in the
promotion of millets – The first Organics and Millets Fair
was held in 2017, the second and third editions in 2018 and
2019 in Bengaluru.
News-2
Annual Orange festival 2023 celebrated in Nagaland

Extra Points
● Nagaland celebrated the 3rd edition of annual Orange
festival 2023 on 24-25 Jan '23, at Rusoma village, under
Kohima district.
● Festival is being organised by the department of
Horticulture, Agriculture, Rural Development, Land
Resources and Kohima Smart City.
Science & Tech
News-1
SII launches first made-in-India HPV vaccine for cervical cancer

Extra Points
● The Serum Institute of India (SII) launched CERVAVAC,
India’s first indigenously developed quadrivalent human
papillomavirus (qHPV) vaccine.
● CERVAVAC is a vaccine against cervical cancer.
Obituaries News
News-1
Renowned architect Dr. B.V. Doshi passed away

Extra Points
● Noted architect and Padma Bhushan awardee Balkrishna
Doshi passed away at the age of 95.
● In 2018, he received the Pritzker Architecture Prize,
becoming the first Indian architect to receive the honour.
● He was conferred the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest
civilian honour in India, in 2020.
● In 2022, he was conferred with ‘Royal Gold Medal’, one of
the world’s highest honours for architecture.
Important Days
News-1
International Customs Day-26 January
Day 26 January
Day Name International Customs Day
Theme 2023 Nurturing the next generation: promoting a

culture of knowledge-sharing and professional
pride in Customs
State/UT News
News-1
Karnataka’s Chikkarasinakere village in Mandya declared

tobacco-free
Extra Points
● Karnataka’s Chikkarasinakere village in Mandya District has
been declared a tobacco-free village.
● The village was declared tobacco-free at the coordination
committee meeting of the district-level tobacco control cell.
● While Naguvinahalli and Chagashettihalli villages in
Srirangapatna and Pandavapura taluks have already been
declared tobacco-free in the district.
News-1
US President Biden nominated Julie Turner as North Korea

human rights envoy
Appointed Person Julie Turner
Appointed as special envoy for human rights in North

Korea
Appointed by US President Joe Biden
News-2
Siddharth Sharma appointed as new CEO of Tata Trusts
Appointed Person Siddharth Sharma

Appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tata
Trusts
Replaced N Srinath
Appointed Person Aparna Uppaluri
Appointed as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Tata

Trusts
News-3
Prabdev Singh appointed as new CEO of JPMorgan Chase
Appointed Person Prabdev Singh
Appointed as CEO of JP Morgan Chase & Co (India)
Replaced Madhav Kalyan
News-1
UN slashes India's economic growth forecast by 20 bps to 5.8%

for 2023
Extra Points
● The United Nations pared down India’s growth forecast by
20 basis points to 5.8 per cent for 2023 calendar year.
● The report has projected global trade to contract 0.4 percent
and the world economy to grow at 1.9 per cent in 2023.
● For fiscal year 2023-24, UN kept its growth forecast
unchanged for India at 6%.
News-2
PNB & Aadhar Housing Finance Enters into Co-Lending

Partnership to offer home loans
Extra Points
● Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Aadhar Housing Finance
Limited(AHFL) have entered into a co-lending agreement to
offer home loans at competitive interest rates.
● The main aim of this partnership is to reach out to a large
section of society including economically weaker, lower,
and middle-Income groups for providing easy, convenient,
and efficient home finance solutions to customers.
News-3
HDFC to Raise at least Rs 30 Billion through Issue of 10-year

Bonds
Extra Points
● Housing Development Finance Corp (HDFC) plans to raise
at least 30 billion rupees (USD 370.5 million) through the
sale of bonds maturing in 10 years.
● The issue will also have a greenshoe option to retain an
additional Rs 20 billion and will close for subscription later
this week.
MoUs & Agreements

News-1
MSDE partners with Bharat Dynamics to Promote Apprenticeship

Training Framework
Extra Points
● The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
(MSDE) has partnered with Bharat Dynamics Limited to
create an apprenticeship training framework.
● More than 250 apprentices have been employed under the
collaboration at the BDL facility in Hyderabad, Telangana,
where the ‘Astra’ missile is being manufactured.
● Three of the five components of these missiles are
manufactured at this facility.
About Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
Minister Of State Rajeev Chandrasekhar
News-1
NARCL Acquires First Stressed Asset – Jaypee Infratech

Extra Points
● The National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited
(NARCL) has acquired its first stressed asset, Jaypee
Infratech from lenders led by IDBI Bank.
● The total exposure of all the banks to Jaypee Infratech was
over Rs 9,000 crore, while IDBI Bank’s exposure was Rs
3,750 crore.
National News
News-1
PM Modi interacts with students on Pariksha Pe Charcha

Extra Points
● Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27 January interacted with
students during the 6th edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha
program at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi.
● Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the event and
has encouraged everyone to take part in the program.
● The Department of School Education and Literacy under the
Ministry of Education has successfully organised this
program for the last five years.
News-2
Jal Jeevan mission provides tap water to 11 crore rural

households
Extra Points
● The Jal Shakti Ministry announced that the govt had
provided 11 crore rural households with a tap water
connection under Jal Jeevan Mission.
● As per the data released by Ministry, 56% of the targeted
19.3 crore households had been covered.
● In September 2022, 53% of the households, or 10.2 crore
households, had been covered.
Sports News
News-1
India becomes No 1 ODI team in ICC Rankings after 3-0 series

win over New Zealand
Extra Points
● In cricket, India climbed to the top of the ICC Men's ODI
rankings after winning the series 3-0 against New Zealand at
the Holkar Stadium in Indore.
● Two-time world champions India have scored 5,010 points
in 44 matches.
Top 5 ICC Men's ODI
Rank Team
1 India
2 England
3 Australia
4 New Zealand
5 Pakistan
News-2
Indian cricketer Mohammed Siraj becomes No.1 bowler in ODI

cricket
Extra Points
● Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj became the No. 1 bowler in
the ICC cricket ODI rankings.
● Siraj has 729 rating points in the bowler’s rankings in the
format and leads Australia’s Josh Hazlewood by two rating
points.
● He is the first Indian bowler after cricketer Jasprit Bumrah to
clinch the top spot in the ICC bowler’s rankings in ODIs.
Top 5 ICC Men's ODI Bowlers
Rank Player Country
1 Mohammed Siraj India
2 Josh Hazlewood Australia
3 Trent Boult New Zealand
4 Mitchell Starc Australia
5 Rashid Khan Afghanistan
Awards & Honours
News-1
Suryakumar Yadav named ICC "T20 Cricketer of the Year"

Extra Points
● Indian batsman Suryakumar Yadav has been selected as the
ICC T20 Cricketer of the Year for the year 2022 for his stellar
performance.
● Australia's Tahlia McGrath has been awarded the ICC T20
Women's Cricketer of the Year award.
List of ICC Awards Winner 2022

Category Winner
Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy: Babar Azam (Pakistan)

ICC Men’s Cricketer of the
Year
Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy: NATALIE SCIVER (England)

ICC Women's Cricketer of the
Year
ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of Suryakumar Yadav (India)

the Year
ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of Tahlia McGrath (Australia)

the Year
ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Babar Azam (Pakistan)

Year
ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of NATALIE SCIVER (England)

the Year
ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of Ben Stokes (England)

the Year
ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer Marco Jansen (South Africa)

of the Year
ICC Women’s Emerging Renuka Singh (India)

Cricketer of the Year
News-2
President Murmu approves 412 Gallantry Awards to Armed

Forces personnel
Extra Points
● President Droupadi Murmu approved 412 Gallantry awards,
including six Kirti Chakras and 15 Shaurya Chakras for
Armed Forces personnel and others on the eve of the 74th
Republic Day.
● These include six Kirti Chakras, including four posthumous,
and 15 Shaurya Chakras including two posthumous.
● These include one Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry), 92 Sena
Medals, including four posthumous, one Nao Sena Medal
(Gallantry), seven Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry) and 29
Param Vishisht Seva Medals.
Kirti Chakra Awardees:

1) Major Shubhang of the Dogra Regiment from Indian Army
2) Naik Jitendra Singh of the Rajput Regiment from Indian
Army
3) Jammu and Kashmir police constable Rohit Kumar
(Posthumous)
4) Sub Inspector Deepak Bhardwaj (Posthumous)
5) Head constable Sodhi Narayan (Posthumous)
6) Head constable Shrawan Kashyap (Posthumous)
Shaurya Chakra Awardees:

1) Major Aditya Bhadauria, Kumaon Regiment, Indian Army
2) Captain Arun Kumar, Kumaun Regiment, Indian Army
3) Captain Yudhvir Singh, mechanised infantry, Indian Army
4) Captain Rakesh TR, Parachute Regiment, Indian Army
5) Naik Jasbir Singh, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, Indian Army
(Posthumous)
6) Naik Vikas Choudhary, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles,
(Posthumous)
7) Constable Mudasir Ahmad Sheikh, Jammu and Kashmir
Police
8) Group Captain Yogeshwar Krishnarao Kandalkar, Air Force
9) Flight Lieutenant Tejpal, Air Force
10) Squadron leader Sandeep Kumar Jhajhria, Air Force
11) Corporal Anand Singh, Air Force
12) Leading aircraftman Sunil Kumar, Air Force
13) Assistant Commandant Satendra Singh
14) Deputy Commandant Vikki Kumar Pandey
15) Constable Vijay Oraon
Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry):

1) Major Rakesh Kumar, Indian Army
Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry):

1) Late CDR Nishant Singh (Posthumous), Navy
Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry):

1) Wing Commander Sumedh Ashok Jamkar, Air Force
2) Squadron leader Krishna Kumar Singh, Air Force
3) Junior Warrant officer Srikanth Bonam, Air Force
4) Sergeant Pankaj Kumar Rana, Air Force
5) Corporal Satendra Kumar, Air Force
6) Corporal Anthony Mang Kham, Air Force
7) Leading Aircraftman Ravinder Singh, Air Force
Uttam Yudh Sewa Medal:

1) Lieutenant General Ram Chander Tiwari, Indian Army
2) Lieutenant General Anindiya Sengupta, Indian Army
3) Lieutenant General Amardeep Singh Aujla, Indian Army

News-1
National Child Science Congress begins in Ahmedabad
Event Name National Child Science Congress
Edition 30th
Held at Ahmedabad
Organised by Gujarat Council on Science and Technology,

Gujarat Council of Science City, and SAL
Education
Inaugurated by Vijay Nahera, Secretary, Gujarat Science and

Technology Departmen
Science & Tech
News-1
StockEdge launches India’s first AI-powered screening

mechanism
Extra Points
● StockEdge launched India’s first AI-powered screening
mechanism to automatically identify chart patterns in
different stocks with StockEdge Pro.
● If a user has a watchlist, then he can take a quick glance at a
chart pattern across his selection of stocks.
● StockEdge is an equity markets and mutual fund research
platform, primarily based on NSE and BSE data.
News-2
India’s 1st Nasal vaccine for COVID-19 launched

Extra Points
● India launched the first made in India nasal vaccine against
Covid-19- iNCOVACC.
● The vaccine has been made by Bharat Biotech.
● iNCOVACC is a recombinant replication-deficient
adenovirus vectored vaccine with a pre-fusion-stabilized
SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.
Obituaries News
News-1
Popular Mexican comedian Polo Polo passes away

Extra Points
● Mexican comedian Leopoldo Roberto Garcia Pelaez Benitez,
who performed as “Polo Polo”, passed away
● He hosted a program called Con Ganas in the 1990s.
● His most recent film role was in Cronicas Chilangas, which
was released in 2009.
Important Days
News-1
25 January- National Tourism Day

Day 25 January
Day Name National Tourism Day
Objective To raise awareness about the importance that
the tourism industry plays in the country
State/UT News
News-1
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister launches 165 veterinary

ambulances
Extra Points
● Andhra Pradesh CM Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy flagged off
165 veterinary ambulance units as part of the second batch
of ‘Dr YSR Sanchara Pasu Aarogya Seva’ with state-of-the-
art facilities.
● Each ambulance will have one doctor and a qualified
Assistant.
● It is designed to perform minor surgery on bovine animals.
● The government is providing two ambulances per
constituency.
Extra Info:
● CM Jagan flagged off 175 ambulance units as part of the
first batch of ‘Dr YSR Sanchara Pasu Aarogya Seva’
(Veterinary Ambulances) with state-of-the-art facilities, in
May 2021.
News-1
Indian-American astronaut Chari named for US Air Force

Brigadier Gen
Appointed Person Indian-American astronaut Raja Chari
Appointed as Air Force brigadier general
News-2
Pawan Agarwal & V. Kulkarni elected IPMA President & Vice-

President
Appointed Person Pawan Agarwal
Appointed as President of Indian Paper Manufacturers

Association (IPMA)
Appointed Person Vadiraj Kulkarni
Appointed as Vice President of Indian Paper

Manufacturers Association (IPMA)
News-3
Toyota names Koji Sato new CEO
Appointed Person Koji Sato
Appointed as CEO of Toyota
Replaced Akio Toyoda
News-1
HDFC Life Policyholders Can Now Pay Premiums Via NPCI’s ‘UPI
123PAY’
Extra Points
● HDFC Life Insurance Company Limited (HDFC Life) has
partnered with the National Payments Corporation of India
(NPCI) to allow policyholders to pay their premiums via “UPI
123PAY”.
● The “first of its kind” UPI 123Pay aims to significantly
streamline the premium payment procedure for HDFC Life
policyholders.
News-2
India Sells First Green Bonds at 5-6 Basis Points Below

Sovereign Yields
Extra Points
● India sold its first sovereign green bonds worth a total of Rs
80 billion (USD 979.61 million) at yields below comparable
government bonds.
● The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) auctioned 40 billion rupees
of 5-year bonds at a coupon rate of 7.10 per cent, 5 basis
points below the 5-year sovereign yield.
● Another 40 billion rupees in 10-year bonds were sold at a
7.29%, 6 basis points below comparable government
securities.
● These proceeds will be used for ‘green’ projects including
solar power, wind and small hydro projects etc.
News-3
Electronic Toll Collection Through FASTag Grows 46 Per Cent,

Increases To Rs 50,855 Crore In 2022
Extra points
● Total toll collection through FASTag on fee plazas, including
state highway toll plazas, increased 46 per cent to Rs 50,855
crore in 2022.
● The number of FASTag transactions also witnessed a
growth of about 48 per cent year-on-year in 2022.
● Total toll collection through FASTag on fee plazas, including
state highway toll plazas, in 2021 was Rs 34,778 crore.
● The average daily toll collection through FASTag on NH fee
plazas in December 2022 was Rs 134.44 crore, and the
single day highest collection touched Rs 144.19 crore on
December 24, 2022.
MoUs & Agreements
News-1
India, South Africa sign MoU to introduce 12 African Cheetahs

annually over next eight to ten years
Extra Points
● India and South Africa signed a Memorandum of
Understanding to introduce 12 African Cheetahs annually
over the next eight to ten years.
● As per the agreement, an initial batch of 12 cheetahs will be
brought from South Africa to India during February 2023.
● These cheetahs will be joined by eight cheetahs brought to
India from Namibia during 2022.
National News
News-1
Govt to hand over 1,000 sites to private sector under Monument

Scheme
Extra Points
● The government will hand over around 1,000 monuments
under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India to
the private sector for their upkeep under the Monument
Mitra Scheme.
● The government has set the target to hand over 500 sites
under the revamped Monument Mitra Scheme by the end of
Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav on15 August 2023.
● These companies will revamp these monuments in terms of
amenities, experience, tourism, etc.
About Monument Mitra Scheme
Launched in September 2017
Launched by Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture,

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and
State/UTs governments
Extra Info Agencies/Companies would become

‘Monument Mitras’ through the innovative
concept of ‘Vision Bidding’.
News-2
‘She Feeds the World’ programme in India

Extra Points
● PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo and
CARE, have launched the ‘She Feeds the World’ program in
India.
● Aim of the programme is to strengthen the role of small-
scale women producers through sustainable training and
economic support.
● Programme will be implemented in Coochbehar and
Alipurduar districts of West Bengal.
● It aims to reach out to more than 48,000 women, men and
children and indirectly benefit 1,50,000 individuals.
● ‘She Feeds the World’ will drive impact for women farmers
and their families across the three dimensions of a
sustainable food system including economic, social and
environmental.
International News
News-1
UNESCO designates Ukraine’s Odesa a World Heritage in Danger

site
Extra Points
● United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) designated Odesa as it faced
danger from Russian air strikes.
● Odesa is a historic centre and strategic port city located on
the Black Sea.
● The status, awarded by a UNESCO panel meeting in Paris, is
designed to help protect Odesa's cultural heritage.
About UNESCO’s World Heritage in Danger List:

● World Heritage Sites face several problems such as
development in tourism, war, natural disasters, poaching,
urbanization, and pollution.
● At present, the list has 55 such sites.
Sports News
News-1
Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open 2023 title
Extra Points
● Novak Djokovic won the Australian Open title for the 10th
time by defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 7-6, 7-6 in the first
Grand Slam Australia Open of 2023.
● With this victory,Novak Djokovic has equaled Spain's Rafael
Nadal's record of winning 22 Grand Slam titles.
Winners of Australian Open 2023
Category Winner
MEN'S SINGLES Novak Djokovic
WOMEN'S SINGLES Aryna Sabalenka
MEN'S DOUBLES Jason Kubler, Rinky Hijikata
WOMEN'S DOUBLES Barbora Krejčíková, Kateřina Siniaková
MIXED DOUBLES Luisa Stefani, Rafael Matos
News-2
New Zealand to introduce Debbie H. Medal to honour women

cricketers
Extra Points
● New Zealand Cricket announced the introduction of the
Debbie Hockley Medal to honor the outstanding female
cricketer.
Extra Information:
● Cricketer Debbie Hockley played 118 ODIs and 19 Tests for
New Zealand from 1979 to 2000.
● Hockley was the fourth woman to be inducted into the ICC
Hall of Fame, in 2013.
Awards & Honours
News-1
Aasif become the 1st Nepali cricketer to win the ICC Spirit of
Cricket
Extra Points
● Nepal’s wicketkeeper Aasif Sheikh has been named the
recipient of the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award 2022 for his
decision not to run out Andy McBrine of Ireland while
attempting a run.
● Aasif thus becomes the first player from Nepal to win the
ICC Spirit of Cricket Award.
List of ICC Awards Winner 2022
Category Winner
Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy: Babar Azam (Pakistan)

ICC Men’s Cricketer of the
Year
Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy: NATALIE SCIVER (England)

ICC Women's Cricketer of the
Year
ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of Suryakumar Yadav (India)

the Year
ICC Women's T20I Cricketer of Tahlia McGrath (Australia)

the Year
ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Babar Azam (Pakistan)

Year
ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of NATALIE SCIVER (England)

the Year
ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of Ben Stokes (England)

the Year
ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer Marco Jansen (South Africa)

of the Year
ICC Women’s Emerging Renuka Singh (India)

Cricketer of the Year
ICC Spirit of Cricket Award Aasif Sheikh (Nepal)

2022
News-2
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh felicitates 25 winners of Veer Gatha

2.0
Extra Points
● Defense Minister Rajnath Singh felicitated 25 winners of
Veer Gatha 2.0 at an event in New Delhi on the eve of
Republic Day.
● Rajnath Singh gave away the winners a cash prize of Rs
10,000, a medal and a certificate, in the presence of Minister
of Education Dharmendra Pradhan and Raksha Rajya Mantri
Ajay Bhatt.
About Veer Gatha project:

● The 'Veer Gatha Project' has been launched by the Central
Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for students of
grades 3-12.
● The aim of the project is to commemorate the courage of the
armed force officers and personnel.
News-3
M. Yeoh becomes first asian to bag Oscar nomination for Best

Actress
Extra Points
● Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian to bag an Oscar
nomination for Best Actress for her movie “The ‘Everything
Everywhere All at Once”, in January 2023.
● Malaysian descent, Michelle Yeoh has also won the Golden
Globe Award in the Best Actress category for her
performance in the movie ‘Everything Everywhere All at
Once.’
● She was also nominated for the Gotham Independent Film
Awards 2022.
News-1
National Summit on Quality of Biologicals organised
Summit National Summit on Quality of Biologicals

Held at New Delhi
Organised by National Institute of Biologicals (NIB)
Inaugurated by Union Minister for Health and Family

Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya
News-2
3rd INTERPOL Young Global Police Leaders Programme being

held
Event Name INTERPOL Young Global Police Leaders

Programme
Edition 3rd
Held at New Delhi
Organised by Central Bureau of Investigation
Science & Tech
News-1
Canada to commercialise world’s first photonic-based Quantum

Computer
Extra Points
● Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced to
commercialise the world’s first photonic-based, fault-
tolerant quantum computer, in January 2023.
● The investment of 40 million Canadian dollars will enable
Xanadu Quantum Technologies Inc. to develop the quantum
computer.
● It will help solve complex data problems and could be used
in finance, transportation, and health.
Festival & Fairs
News-1
UP govt to host 7th edition of Nature and Bird Festival in

February
Extra Points
● Uttar Pradesh is set to host the 7th edition of the UP Nature
and Bird Festival on 1-3 Feb '23 at Vijaysagar Bird
Sanctuary in Mahoba district.
● The festival aims to inspire and accelerate nature-based
ecotourism and appreciation of biodiverse-rich wildlife
reserves and sanctuaries of Uttar Pradesh.
Obituaries News
News-1
Sabir Ali, Iron Man of India, passes away at the age of 67

Extra Points
● ‘Ironman of India’ Sabir Ali, who won the decathlon gold at
the 1981 Asian Athletics Championships in Tokyo, passed
away in January 2023.
● Ali won a bronze and silver at the World Railway meets in
1981 and ’85 and was honoured with the Arjuna Award in
1981.
Important Days
News-1
International Holocaust Remembrance Day: 27th January
Day 27th January
Day Name International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Theme 2023 Home and Belonging
State/UT News
News-1
Chhattisgarh CM Baghel announces unemployment allowance

for youth
Extra Points
● On Republic Day, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel
announced that unemployment allowance would be
provided to youths who don't have jobs in the state.
● The party has mentioned in its manifesto that ₹2,500 per
month would be given to the unemployed youth of the state.
Extra Info:
● The Rajasthan government has been giving unemployment
allowances since 2019 under the 'Mukhyamantri Yuva
Sambal Yojna'.
Extra Highlights
News-1
Senior ISIS leader Bilal al-Sudani killed in US raid in Somalia

Extra Points
● Bilal al-Sudani, a prominent regional leader of the Islamic
State group, was killed in a US military raid in Somalia
ordered by President Joe Biden.
● The US military operation has also killed 10 members of the
terrorist group.
● Bilal played a key role in providing financial support to IS
operations in Africa as well as ISIS-K, a terrorist
organisation operating in Afghanistan.
31st January Current Affairs
News-1
NMDC signs up Champion Boxer Nikhat Zareen as its Brand

Ambassador
Appointed Person Nikhat Zareen
Appointed as Brand ambassador of National Mineral

Development Corporation (NMDC)
News-2
Naresh Lalwani takes charge as General Manager, Central

Railway
Appointed Person Naresh Lalwani
Appointed as General Manager of Central Railway
Replaced Ashok Kumar Mishra
News-1
Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) launches “Nidhi

Aapke Nikat 2.0”
Extra Points
● Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) launched
“Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0”- A District Outreach Program for
expanding its presence in more than 685 districts of the
country.
● It was e-launched by Arti Ahuja, Secretary (Ministry of
Labour & Employment) from the EPFO Headquarters.
● The objective of this program is to reach all the districts of
the country on the same day i.e. 27th of every month.
● EPFO has organised camps in 685 districts of the country.
News-2
NPST Launches a UPI API engine TimePay Evok for PAPG

Extra Points
● NPST (Network People Services Technologies Ltd), a
banking technology provider, has launched Timepay Evok, a
UPI API (Application Programming Interface) engine for
PAPGs (Payment Aggregators and Payment Gateways).
About Timepay Evok;

● It will act as a one-stop UPI payment solution for digital
merchants and ensures secure, reliable, and fast-paced
payment collections.
News-3
Nigeria Launches Domestic Card Scheme AfriGo to Boost

Cashless Economy
Extra Points
● The Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) governor, Godwin
Emefiele, launched a domestic card scheme ‘AfriGo’ to
boost the cashless economy and compete with foreign
cards like Mastercard and Visa.
● Objective: To save the country’s foreign transaction fees.
Extra Info:
● Through this launch, Nigeria was joining China, Russia,
India and Turkey to be a country with a domestic card
scheme.
News-4
NSE world's largest derivatives exchange for fourth consecutive

year
Extra Points
● According to the Forward Industry Association (FIA), the
National Stock Exchange (NSE) has emerged as the world's
largest derivatives exchange in 2022 in terms of the number
of traded contracts.
● NSE has secured the top position for the fourth consecutive
year.
● NSE ranked third in terms of number of deals (Electronic
Order Book) in the equity segment in 2022. Whereas last
year it was in fourth position.
MoUs & Agreements
News-1
GRSE signs pact with Rolls Royce to Manufacture Marine Diesel

Engines
Extra Points
● Defence PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd
has signed an MoU with Rolls Royce Solutions of Germany.
● It was signed for manufacture of high-quality marine diesel
engines at the GRSE’s plant in Ranchi.
● It deals with transfer of technology related to engine
assembly, painting, parts sourcing and after-sales service
for these engines that are to be assembled at GRSE’s Plant.
National News
News-1
Government renamed Delhi’s Mughal Gardens as ‘Amrit Udyan’

Extra Points
● The Central government has renamed the Mughal Gardens
in New Delhi’s Rashtrapati Bhavan as ‘Amrit Udyan’.
● In keeping with the theme of ‘Amrit Mahotsav’ to
commemorate 75 years of India’s independence, the Union
Government has renamed the Mughal Gardens as Amrit
Udyan.
Extra Information:
● Designed in 1917, the gardens spread over 15 acres are also
known as the “soul of the presidential palace”.
● The Mughal Gardens were designed by Edwin Lutyens in
1917, and the first saplings were planted in 1928–1929.
List of some important renamed
Previous Name Present Name
Chipi greenfield airport, Nath Pai Airport

Maharashtra
Faizabad Cantt, Uttar Pradesh Ayodhya Cantt
Telangana Rashtra Samiti Bharat Rashtra Samiti

Power System Operation Grid Controller of India Ltd
Corporation Ltd
Mundera Bazar Chauri-Chaura
Telia Afghan Telia Shukla
Sampark Kranti Express train Akshardham Express
News-2
PM Modi addressed 1111th Avataran Mahotsav of Bhagwan

Devnarayan
Extra Points
● Prime Minister Narendra Modi has addressed the ceremony
commemorating the 1111th ‘Avataran Mahotsav’ of
Bhagwan Shri Devnarayan Ji in Bhilwara, Rajasthan.
Extra Information:
● Bhagwan Shri Devnarayan Ji was born in the family of a
popular Mandalji Gurjar who established the famous Mandal
Lake near Bhilwara district in Mewar.
● Devnarayan is worshiped as an incarnation of Vishnu by the
Gujjar community as a folk deity in Rajasthan and South-
Western Madhya Pradesh.
News-3
Sonowal launched NLP-Marine, a portal to reduce logistics cost

Extra Points
● Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways
Sarbananda Sonowal has launched the National Logistics
Portal (Marine).
● The National Logistic Portal (marine) (NLP) is a project of
national importance, as envisaged by the Ministry of Ports
Shipping Waterways and the Ministry of Commerce and
Industry.
● The portal is a one-step platform aimed at connecting all the
stakeholders of the logistics community using Information
Technology to improve efficiency and transparency by
reducing costs and time delays.
Sports News
News-1
India defeated England to win Women’s U -19 T20 World Cup

Extra Points
● In the first edition of the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup,
India defeated England by seven wickets to win the
tournament.
● For the first time the Indian women’s team has been
successful in winning any ICC tournament.
About Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup:
Host Country South Africa
Participants 16 teams
Indian Captain Shafali Verma

Player of the match in the final Titas Sadhu (India)
Player of the Tournament Grace Scrivens (Captain England)
Most run Scorer Shweta Sehrawat (India) scored

292 runs in 6 matches
Most Wicket taker Maggie Clarke (Australia) 12

wickets in 5 matches
News-2
Germany beat Belgium to win FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup in

Bhubaneswar
Extra Points
● Germany has won the Men’s Hockey World Cup Title 2023.
● Germany defeated defending champions Belgium 5-4 in a
shootout in the final played at the Kalinga Stadium in
Bhubaneswar.
● Germany has won the World Cup three times, first in 2002
and second in 2006.
● The record of winning the most titles in the Men’s Hockey
World Cup is recorded in the name of Pakistan, which have
won this title four times.
List of Awards of Hockey World Cup 2023:
Best Player Niklas Wellen (Germany)
Best Goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch (Belgium)

Best Junior Player Mustapha Cassiem (South
Africa)
Hero Top Scorer Jeremy Hayward (Australia)
Best Team Goal Celebration Korea
Award
Fan’s Choice Award Christopher Ruhr (Germany)
Fair Play Award Belgium
Maximum Team Goals Award Netherlands
Best Forward of the Niklas Wellen (Germany)
Tournament Award
Best Midfielder of the Victor Wegnez (Belgium)
Tournament Award
Best Defender of the Jeremy Hayward (Australia)
Tournament Award
About FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup
Founded in 1971
Total teams 16
Most titles Pakistan (4 titles)
2023 edition 15th
Last winner (14th) Belgium (2018)
Year Venue
Awards & Honours
News-1
Odisha’s VK Pandian conferred with FIH President’s Award 2023

Extra Points
● V Karthikeyan Pandian, an IAS officer, and private secretary
to Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik was conferred with FIH’s
President’s award.
● He was awarded for successfully hosting the 2023 FIH
Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 in Bhubaneswar and
Sundargarh.
● Previously, He successfully organized other hockey
tournaments like the Champions Trophy, Hockey World
League, and FIH Pro-League.
News-1
South Africa to host 15th BRICS summit in August 2023
Summit BRICS summit

Edition 15th
Held at Durban, South Africa
14th Edition China
1st Edition 2009 in Russia
Festival & Fairs
News-1
Khadi Fest-23 inaugurated in Mumbai

Extra Points
● Chairman of Khadi and Village Industries Commission
Manoj Kumar has inaugurated the Khadi Fest- 23 at the
Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) in Mumbai
● Khadi Fest- 23 will run from 27 January to 24 February 2023.
● The fest will showcase apparel made of Khadi, Pashmina,
Kalamkari, Phulkari, Tussar silk, etc while Dry-fruits, Tea,
Kahwa, Honey, Bamboo Products, Carpets, Aloe Vera
Products and others will be up for sale.
Obituaries News
News-1
Veteran Telugu Actress & Former MP Jamuna Passed Away

Extra Points
● Veteran Telugu film actor and former Member of Parliament
(MP- Lok Sabha) Jamuna passed away in Hyderabad,
Telangana.
● Jamuna was known as the ‘Satyabhama’ of the silver screen
and the roles played by her symbolized self-confidence and
women’s empowerment.
● She won the Filmfare award for Hindi Film ‘Milan’.
Important Days
News-1
28 January – Data Privacy Day
Day 28 January
Day Name Data Privacy Day
Theme 2023 Think Privacy First
News-2
29 January 2023 – World Leprosy Day
Day Last Sunday of January

This year 29 January
Day Name World Leprosy Day
Theme 2023 Act Now. End Leprosy
State/UT News
News-1
Luminous to build India’s first green solar panel factory in

Uttarakhand
Extra Points
● Luminous Power Technologies has announced its plan to
build the country’s first green energy-based solar panel
manufacturing factory in Uttarakhand.
● The new manufacturing plant located in Rudrapur is
expected to be fully operational by the end of 2023.
● Once operational, the facility, spread across 4.5 lakh square
feet/10 acres will help enable a solar production capacity of
500 MW per annum.
News-2
Woxsen University launched Project Aspiration in Telangana for

girls
Extra Points
● Woxsen University has launched Project Aspiration to
empower adolescent girls of standards IX-XII of Model
Schools and Junior Colleges of Telangana.
● Under the Project, the school principal selected a few
deserving students to participate in the ‘Train the Trainer’
workshop, which commenced in Dec 2022.
● Over 3 weeks of training sessions, the girls were exposed to
different aspects of the future, developing SMART goals &
learnt how to work towards achieving them.

January Current affairs roundup

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January Current affairs roundup

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January Current affairs Compile English

2nd January Current Affairs

Appointment & Resignation

Ajit Kumar Saxena assume charge as the Chairman cum

Appointed Person Ajit Kumar Saxena

Benjamin Netanyahu Sworn in as Israel’s new Prime Minister

Appointed Person Benjamin Netanyahu (6th time)

Appointed Person CRPF Director General Sujoy Lal Thaosen

Banking/ Finance/ Economy

Government hikes interest rates on Kisan Vikas Patra scheme by

Name of the Scheme Interest Rates (from 1 January

No Change in Interest rates of the following Small Saving

Scheme Interest rates

About Ministry of Finance

Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

MahaMetro to Raise Rs 3,586 crore for Nagpur Metro phase-II

Financial literacy poor across urban, rural population: RBI survey

Zone-wise, the scores were as follows:

Zone name Scores in urban Scores in Rural

Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) signs agreements with MSMEs to

India grants permission to NEA to export additional 40

Government extends free import of Urad and Tur pulses till

India-assisted Mangdechhu Hydroelectric Project handed over to

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurates the new Zuari bridge in

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina inaugurated first Metro rail in

Hockey Madhya Pradesh & Hockey Haryana has clinches Khelo

List of awards in Men's Under-18

Best Goalkeeper Ravi (Haryana)

Extra Points about Women's U-18 title:

List of awards in Women's Under-18

Best Goalkeeper Kavita (Haryana)

Awards & Honours

Amit Shah launched the “Prahari app” of the Border Security

Indian Army inaugurated first-ever two-storey 3-D printed

Summits & Conference

IISc Bengaluru to be the secretariat for G20 working group on

Exent Name Science 20 (S20) 2023

Global Family Day- January 1

Day 1st January

World-class Kayaking-Canoeing Academy to be set up in Tehri,

3rd January Current Affairs

Appointment & Resignation

N Chandrasekaran appointed as head of Maharashtra

Appointed Person Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran

Ajay Kumar Srivastava appointed as MD and CEO of the Indian

IDBI Bank re-appoints Suresh Khatanhar as Deputy MD for a Year

Appointed Person Suresh Kishinchand Khatanhar

Banking/ Finance/ Economy

Reserve Bank of India imposes Monetary Penalty on Mynd

Penalty Amount Rs 13,90,000

IDBI Bank signs agreement to transfer schemes of IDBI Mutual

MoUs & Agreements

MoU signed for commercial production of indigenously

Merger & Acquisition

India’s first underwater metro to become operation by December

Ministry of Rural Development launched Prajjwala Challenge

About Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihood

Started in June 2011.

About Ministry of Rural Development

Pralhad Joshi inaugurated Rs 300 crore Angul-Balram rail line in

PM Modi flagged off West Bengal’s first Vande Bharata Express

All Vande Bharat Express Route: