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Current Affairs Study PDF – January 2023
Current Affairs for Competitive Exam
Table of Contents
NATIONAL AFFAIRS ........................................................................................................................................................... 7
CABINET APPROVALS ................................................................................................................................................. 7
PARLIAMENT NEWS ................................................................................................................................................. 13
LAUNCHES & INAUGURATION ................................................................................................................................. 14
FESTIVAL ................................................................................................................................................................... 26
OTHER NEWS ............................................................................................................................................................ 29
STATE NEWS .................................................................................................................................................................... 49
GOVT SCHEMES ............................................................................................................................................................... 60
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ................................................................................................................................................ 63
VISITS............................................................................................................................................................................... 69
INDIAN VISITS ........................................................................................................................................................... 69
FOREIGN VISITS ........................................................................................................................................................ 74
BANKING & FINANCE NEWS............................................................................................................................................ 78
BANKING NEWS ........................................................................................................................................................ 78
RBI IN NEWS .............................................................................................................................................................. 78
LOANS ISSUED BY BANKS ........................................................................................................................................ 94
AGREEMENTS & MoUs SIGNED................................................................................................................................ 96
OTHER BANK NEWS ............................................................................................................................................... 103
FINANCE NEWS ....................................................................................................................................................... 116
ECONOMY & BUSINESS NEWS ...................................................................................................................................... 122
MoU’s & AGREEMENTS ................................................................................................................................................. 126
COMMITTEES & MEETINGS........................................................................................................................................... 142
SUMMITS, EVENTS & CONFERENCE .............................................................................................................................. 144
INDEX ............................................................................................................................................................................ 150
RANKING .................................................................................................................................................................. 150
REPORTS .................................................................................................................................................................. 156
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS .......................................................................................................................................... 170
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS ............................................................................................................................... 193
ACQUISITION & MERGERS ............................................................................................................................................ 213
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY .............................................................................................................................................. 216

DEFENCE ........................................................................................................................................................................ 225
EXERCISE ................................................................................................................................................................. 225
OTHER DEFENCE NEWS ......................................................................................................................................... 228
SPORTS .......................................................................................................................................................................... 230
OBITUARY ...................................................................................................................................................................... 248
BOOKS & AUTHORS ....................................................................................................................................................... 258
IMPORTANT DAYS ......................................................................................................................................................... 260
APPS & WEB PORTAL .................................................................................................................................................... 279
ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................................................................................. 281

NATIONAL AFFAIRS
CABINET APPROVALS
Cabinet Approvals on January 4, 2023
On January 4, 2023, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi approved the following
proposals,
• The Central Sector “Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND)” Scheme with an
outlay of Rs. 2,539.61 crore upto 2025-26
• The National Green Hydrogen Mission, with an estimated value of Rs 19,744 crore
• Naming of Greenfield International Airport in Mopa, Goa as “Manohar International Airport, Mopa,
Goa”
• The Sunni Dam hydropower project in Himachal Pradesh (HP) with an investment of Rs. 2,614 crore
CCEA Approves Central Sector BIND Scheme with an Outlay of Rs. 2,539.61 Crore Up to 2025-26
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
(MIB) proposal for the Central Sector Scheme “Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development”
(BIND) at a cost of Rs. 2,539.61 crores for the infrastructure development of Prasar Bharati (Akashvani), i.e.,
All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan (DD).
Prasar Bharati (Akashvani)
i.Prasar Bharati is India’s public broadcaster and the most vital source of information, education,
entertainment, and engagement for the people, particularly in rural India.
• It provides information through its two divisions, DD and AIR, its radio vertical.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, it excelled at communicating public health messages and raising
public awareness.
ii.DD currently operates 36 TV channels, including 28 regional channels, while AIR operates over 500
broadcasting stations.
BIND Scheme: A Major Boost for Public Service Broadcasting
i.The BIND scheme will provide financial assistance to Prasar Bharati for the development of its content, civil
works, and broadcasting infrastructure.
• It will also help in areas like health, education, and entertainment.
ii.The scheme will enhance the geographical and population coverage of AIR frequency modulation (FM)
transmitters in India from 59% and 68%, respectively, to 66% and 80%, respectively.
iii.The scheme includes free distribution of more than 8 lakh DD Free Dish Set Top Boxes (STBs) to residents of
remote, tribal, Left Wing Extremism (LWE), and border areas.
Cabinet approves National Green Hydrogen Mission worth Rs. 19,744 crore
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, has approved the Rs. 19,744
crore National Green Hydrogen Mission, with the objective of making India a major exporter in the sector
and a global hub for the production, use, and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives.
• PM Narendra Modi announced the launch of the National Hydrogen Mission during his
Independence Day speech on August 15, 2021.
• Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) will be responsible for the overall coordination and
implementation of the Mission while all the concerned Ministries, Departments, agencies and
institutions of the Central and State Governments will work towards the achievement of the Mission
objectives.
National Green Hydrogen Mission
i.In accordance with the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition Programme (SIGHT), the
Mission will offer 2 distinct financial incentive mechanisms that are aimed at domestic manufacturing of
electrolyser and production of green hydrogen.

ii.Out of the initial allocation for the mission of Rs. 19,744 crore, the Government of India (GoI) has allotted Rs.
17,490 crore for the SIGHT programme, Rs. 1,466 crore for upcoming pilot projects, Rs. 400 crore for research
and development (R&D), and Rs. 388 crore for other mission components.
iii.The scheme guidelines for implementation of the respective components will be developed by the Ministry
of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
• To facilitate the creation of a green hydrogen ecosystem, an enabling policy framework will be
established.
• The mission will also support the creation of a Strategic Hydrogen Innovation Partnership (SHIP), a
public-private partnership (PPP) framework for R&D.
• A coordinated skill development programme will also be undertaken under the Mission.
Probable Mission Outcomes by 2030
i.The primary objective of the GoI is to create a green hydrogen capacity in India of at least 5 MMT (million
metric tonnes) annually, along with an additional 125 GW (gigawatts) of renewable energy capacity.
ii.By 2030, it will reduce fossil fuel imports by more than Rs. 1 lakh crore and reduce annual greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions by nearly 50 MMT, which are in accordance with India’s Nationally Determined Contributions
(NDC) commitments.
iii.It envisions an investment of over Rs. 8 lakh crore and the generation of over 6 lakh jobs by 2030.
iv.India has recently started producing green hydrogen with the goal of increasing non-fossil energy capacity to
500 GW by 2030.
v.India, one of the top emitters of GHG globally, will benefit from the advancement and be able to attain net-
zero carbon emissions by 2070.
Note: Oil India Limited (OIL) has commissioned India’s first 99.99% pure green hydrogen facility at Jorhat,
eastern Assam, in June 2022.
Cabinet Approves Naming of Greenfield International Airport Mopa, Goa as ‘Manohar International
Airport – Mopa, Goa’
The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, has accorded ex-post facto approval for the naming of
Greenfield International Airport in Mopa, Goa, as “Manohar International Airport – Mopa, Goa.”
• The airport has been named after the late Dr. Manohar Parrikar, a four-time Chief Minister of Goa
and former Defence Minister of India, in commemoration of his contribution to the development of
modern Goa.
It is Goa’s second international airport, besides the existing airport at Dabolim, Goa.
Manohar International Airport – Mopa, Goa
i.PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for this greenfield airport in Mopa, Goa, in November 2016, and
inaugurated it in December 2022.
ii.It was built on the theme of sustainable infrastructure at a cost of around Rs. 2,870 crore.
iii.The airport’s first phase will initially serve close to 4.4 million passengers per annum (MPPA), and can
eventually be expanded to a saturation capacity of 33 MPPA.
CCEA Approves Rs. 2,614.51 Crores for Sunni Dam Hydro Power Project in HP
The CCEA, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, has approved the investment for the 382 MW Sunni Dam
Hydroelectric Project (HEP) in Himachal Pradesh (HP) by state-owned SJVN Limited (previously Satluj Jal
Vidyut Nigam Ltd).
• The project is estimated to cost Rs. 2614.51 crore, which includes budgetary support from the GoI
of Rs. 13.80 crore for the cost of enabling infrastructure.
Project Cost
• The project cost of Rs. 2614.51 crore includes Rs 2,246.40 crore in hard costs, Rs 358.96 crore in
Interest During Construction (IDC), and Rs 9.15 crore in Finance Charges (FC).
• Ex-post approval is granted for cumulative expenditures of Rs. 246 crore up to January 2022.

Sunni Dam Hydro Electric Project (HEP)
i.It is a run-of-river project on the Satluj in the districts of Shimla and Mandi in HP, with a 71-meter-high
concrete gravity dam and 6 generating units in its surface power plant.
ii.It is being financed on a debt-to-equity ratio of 70:30, and upon completion, the SJVN will earn a 16.50%
return on equity.
iii.The project will add 1,382 million units (MU) of green energy to the grid annually while reducing CO2
emissions by 1.1 million metric tonnes per year.
Recent Related News:
i.In November 2022, the CCEA chaired by the PM Narendra Modi approved the Mechanism for procurement of
ethanol by Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) under Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Program.
ii.It has revised the ethanol price under the EBP programme for supply to Public Sector OMCs for Ethanol
Supply Year (ESY) 2022-23 from 1st December 2022 to 31st October, 2023.
About SJVN Limited (formerly known as Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd):
It is a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the administrative control of the Ministry of Power, GoI. It
is a joint venture of the GoI and the Government of Himachal Pradesh (GOHP).
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) – Nand Lal Sharma
Incorporated –1988
Headquarters – Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
Cabinet approves continuation of Schemes of MDoNER worth Rs 12882.2cr from 2022-23 to

2025-26
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has approved continuation of Schemes
of Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) for the balance period of the 15th Finance
Commission i.e. from 2022-23 to 2025-26.
• Its outlay is Rs 12882.2 crore.
Benefit of this Extension:
i. Enable better planning for implementation of the schemes in terms of project selection
ii. Front loading of sanction of the projects
iii. Project implementation during the scheme period
Funding for different schemes:
Based on the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) recommendations, the funding for different northeastern
states are as follows:
i.North East Special Infrastructure Scheme (NESIDS)– Rs.8139.5 crore including committed liabilities of
ongoing projects
• The NESIDS, a Central Sector Scheme (CSS) with 100% funding from the Central Government.
• It has been restructured with two components viz. NESIDS (Roads) and NESIDS (Other than Road
Infrastructure).
ii.Schemes of NEC– Rs.3202.7 crore including committed liabilities of ongoing projects
iii.Special Packages for BTC, DHATC and KAATC in Assam– Rs.1540 crore (BTC- Rs 500 crore, KAATC – Rs
750 crore and old packages of BTC, DHATC & KAATC – Rs 290 crore).
• DHATC is acronym for Dima Hasao Autonomous Territorial Council; BTC is for Bodoland Territorial
Council; and KAATC is for Karbi Anglong Autonomous Territorial Council.
Key Points:
i.In October 2022, MDoNER’s new scheme ‘Prime Minister’s Development initiative for the north eastern region
– PM-Devine’ with an outlay of Rs.6, 600 crore has been approved separately.
• This caters to the larger and high impact proposals under infrastructure, social development and
livelihood sectors.
ii.The schemes of the MDoNER supplement the efforts of the different Central Ministries & Departments and
also cater needs of the 8 NE Region States for uncovered development/welfare activities.

iii.These schemes also push the Five pillars of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan for self-reliant India, namely,
Economy, Infrastructutre, System, Vibrant Demography and Demand.
iv.The actual expenditure in the last 4 years under MDoNER schemes was Rs 7534.46 cr. whereas, the fund
available for expenditure in next 4 years till 2025-26 is Rs 19482.20 cr (2.60 times approx)
Improvements in NER:
i.There has been a 74% reduction in insurgency incidents, 60% reduction in incidents of attacks on security
forces and 89% reduction in civilian deaths.
ii.About 8,000 youth have surrendered and joined the mainstream.
iii.Agreement with the national liberation front of Tripura in 2019, the Bodo agreement in 2020, and karbi
agreement in 2021 were agreed upon.
• The Assam-Meghalaya and Assam-Arunachal border disputes have also almost ended,
iv.For improving railway connectivity, 19 new projects worth Rs. 77,930 crores have been sanctioned.
v.For improving road connectivity, 375 projects worth Rs. 1.05 lakh crores are under way. vi.In the next three
years, 9,476 km roads will be laid under 209 projects.
• For this the central government is spending Rs. 1,06,004 crores.
vii.Air connectivity has also improved massively.
• Rs 2,000 crores will be invested in civil aviation in NER.
viii.Cabinet has also approved 4g connectivity in 4,525 villages in NER. Central Government has set a target of
500 days to provide complete telecom connectivity in the region by end of 2023.
ix.193 new skill development institutes have been set up.
x.Rs 645.07 crores have been spent to support / setup 978 MSME units.
• According to Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), 3,865 startups were
registered from north east.
xi.North East Gas Grid (NEGG) project of Rs. 9,265 crores is underway and will improve economy in NER.
xii.The Prime Minister (PM) has announced a package of Rs. 550 crores to illuminate border villages of
Arunachal Pradesh.
i.Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, announced that the Government
of India (GoI) plans to launch world’s longest river cruise between Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and Dibrugarh in
Assam in January 2023.
ii.Nagaland Celebrates a 9-day post-harvest festival of the Lotha Nagas, Tokhü Emong to spread awareness
about Nagaland’s bird diversity. It also hosted the first edition of the Tokhü Emong Bird Count (TEBC), a 4-day
documentation event to list birds during the festival between 4th and 7th November 2022.
About Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER):
Union Minister– Gangapuram Kishan Reddy (Constituency- Secunderabad, Telangana)
Minister of State (MoS)– B. L. Verma (Constituency- Uttar Pradesh)
Cabinet Approvals on Jan 11, 2023

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the following proposals which
were briefed to media by the Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, Ministry of Labour & Employment (MoLE) in
New Delhi, Delhi:
i.Setting up of three national-level multi-state cooperative societies for three different sectors – export, seeds
and organic products – under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002.
ii.Rs 2,600 cr scheme to promote Rupay debit cards, low-value UPI transactions

iii.Renaming of National Centre for Drinking Water, Sanitation & Quality at Joka, Kolkata SPM-NIWAS
3 new multi-state cooperative societies under MSCS Act 2002:
Cabinet approves setting up of a national level Multi-state cooperative export society under MSCS Act,
2002
The Union Cabinet has approved setting up of National Level multistate cooperative export society under the
Multi State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002 that will act as an umbrella organisation for carrying out
and promoting exports.
• It will be set up with the support from relevant Ministries especially Ministry of External Affairs
(MEA) and Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) through their
export related policies, schemes & agencies.
Key Points:
i.The society will follow the ‘Whole of Government Approach’ for undertaking exports of all goods and
services produced by cooperatives and related entities.
ii.It will help cooperatives in getting benefits of various export related schemes and policies of different
ministries of Government of India.
This will also help in achieving the goal of ‘Sahakar-se-Samriddhi’ as members will get better prices through
export of their goods and services and also by dividend distributed out of the surplus generated by the society.
• It will also promote ‘Make in India’.
iii.Higher exports through the proposed society will increase production of goods and services by the
cooperatives resulting more employment in the cooperative sector.
It should be noted that cooperatives societies including primary societies, district, state and national level
federations, MSCS and Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs) can become the Members of the proposed
scociety . All these cooperatives will have their elected representatives on the Board of the society as per its
bye-laws.
Setting up of Multi-State Cooperative Seed Society & Multi-State Cooperative Organic Society
The Union Cabinet also approved setting up of a national level multi-state cooperative seed society under
MSCS Act, 2002.

• It will act as an apex organisation for production, procurement, processing, branding, labelling,
packaging, storage, marketing and distribution of quality seeds.
Key Points:
i.It will also promote strategic research and development and also develop a system for preservation and
promotion of indigenous natural seeds.
ii.It will enhance seed replacement rate (SRR) and variety replacement rate (VRR) for reducing the yield gaps
and enhancing productivity.
The Cabinet also approved setting up of a national level multi-state cooperative organic society under MSCS
Act, 2002 that will act as an umbrella organisation for aggregation, procurement, certification, testing, branding
and marketing of organic products.
Cabinet approves Rs 2,600 cr scheme to promote Rupay debit cards, low value UPI transactions
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) headed by PM Narendra Modi approved Rs 2,600-crore
incentive scheme to promote Rupay debit card and low-value BHIM-UPI (Bharat Interface for Money – Unified
Payments Interface) transactions (person-to-merchant) in FY23.
• These incentives will be given on the use of Rupay debit cards and BHIM UPI.
• It will benefit MSME (Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) sector, unorganized sector,
and farmers.
Key Points:
i.Under this scheme banks will be provided financial incentives for promoting Point of Sale (PoS) and e-
commerce transactions using RuPay and UPI in FY23.
ii.The scheme will also promote UPI Lite and UPI123PAY as economical and user-friendly digital payments on
the lines of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.
iii.UPI has achieved a record of 782.9 crore digital payment transactions with a value of Rs 12.82 lakh crore in
the month of December 2022.
Cabinet approves renaming of National Centre for Drinking Water, Sanitation & Quality at Joka, Kolkata
SPM-NIWAS
The Union Cabinet has also given its ex post facto approval for renaming of National Centre for Drinking Water,
Sanitation and Quality, Joka, Kolkata in West Bengal as ‘Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water
and Sanitation (SPM-NIWAS)’.
• The Institute has been set up on 8.72 acres of land in Joka, Kolkata, West Bengal was inaugurated by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2022.
Key Points:
i. SPM-NIWAS is a premier institute to develop capacities in states/UTs (Union Territories)regarding public
health engineering, drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene through training programs.
ii.These programs will cover front-line workforce engaged in implementation of the Swachh Bharat
Mission(SBM) and Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), and representatives of local bodies, both rural and urban.
iii.To facilitate the training, working and miniature models of Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
technologies are also installed at the institute.
iv.Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee is an eminent scholar and academician and the youngest Vice Chancellor of
University of Calcutta.
i.Union Cabinet approved the revision of the pension of Armed Forces pensioners and family pensioners under
the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme, effective July 1, 2019, at an annual additional expenditure of Rs.
8,450 crores and arrears of Rs. 23,638 crores.
ii.As per Central Government, to procure copra and dehusked coconut under the Price Support Scheme (PSS),
the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) and the National Cooperative
Consumers’ Federation (NCCF) would continue to serve as Central Nodal Agencies (CNAs).

About the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI):
Union Minister – Piyush Goyal (Rajya Sabha – Maharashtra)
Ministers of State (MoS) – Anupriya Patel; Som Parkash
Union Cabinet approves Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2022

On January 24, 2023, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the reworked
Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2022 that seeks to introduce changes in the governing structure of
the Competition Commission of India (CCI), and modify the substantive, procedural and institutional
provisions in the current competition law to address the needs of new age market.
• This revamped Bill will be taken up in the upcoming Budget session of Parliament starting on
January 31, 2023.
Key Points:
i.The bill was introduced in Parliament on August 5, 2022. Reworking has been done since the Standing
Committee on Finance gave its report on the Bill in December 2022.
ii.The Parliamentary Panel headed by Jayant Sinha had made recommendations to the Bill.
iii.This is the first time the government is going in for comprehensive changes to the Competition law since its
coming into force in 2009.
Some Key Proposals in the Bill:
• To broaden the scope of anti-competitive agreements
• Reduce the time limit for approval of mergers & acquisitions from the existing 210 days to 150 days
• Provide a limitation period of three years for filing cases relating to anti-competitive agreements
and abuse of a dominant position
• Introduce settlement & commitment framework
• Reasonable use of intellectual property rights should be a valid defence against allegations of abuse
of dominance.
• Periodic revision of basic deal value threshold of Rs 2,000 crore and its indexation to inflation
• Inclusion of cartels under the proposed Settlement and Commitment framework and the
controversial one of requiring the CCI to establish ‘effects’ of anti competitive conduct of dominant
undertakings.
PARLIAMENT NEWS
President assents CrPC (Gujarat Amendment) Bill, 2021 that makes violation of Sec 144 Order
an Offence
The President of India Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to the Code of Criminal Procedure (Gujarat
Amendment) Bill, 2021 which empowers the administration to register criminal cases against those who are
staging protests in violation of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
What is Section 144 of CrPC?
Enacted in 1973, Section 144 empowers the magistrate of any state or union territory in India to prohibit the
assembly of four or more people so that law and order can be protected in an area.
Amendment:
The CrPC (Gujarat Amendment) Bill, 2021 amended Section 195 (1) (a) (ii) which prohibits the jurisdictional
courts from taking cognisance of the offences except on the complaint in writing of the public servant
concerned.
• This means public servant issuing such orders is mandated to become complainant against the
violators due to which officials hesitate to enforce the law.
• The State Assembly of Gujarat passed the bill March 2022.
Key Points:
i.According to the bill, the breach of the magisterial order will be regarded as a cognisable offence under Indian

Penal Code (IPC) Section 188 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant), and a public
authority can arrest an accused without a warrant.
• The maximum punishment for violators under the Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code is 6 months
jail.
ii.Before this amendment, the state (police) can only detain violators for a limited period of time
iii.Once this bill becomes law, the Gujarat government, police commissioners and district magistrates will be
empowered to issue prohibitory orders, restricting any person from a certain act or for prevention of
disturbance of public tranquillity or a riot or an affray to maintain public order on various occasions.
About Section 144 of CrPC:
i.As per the law, the Section 144 can be directed against a particular individual or persons residing in a
particular place or area or to the general public.
ii.The order passed under Section 144 can remain in force only for two months from initiation of the order. It
can be extended but not more than 6 months and have to reviewed thereafter.
iii.Violation of Section 144 is liable for a maximum of 3 years imprisonment.
New Act renaming India International Arbitration Centre comes into force
On January 27, 2023, the ‘New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (Amendment) Act, 2022’ came into
force that will rename the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre to the India International Arbitration
Centre.
• The information for the same was provided by the Ministry of Law and Justice.
• It will amend the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Act, 2019.
Key Points:
i.The Act also establishes the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre and designates it as a national
institute.
ii.The International Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution was replaced by the New Delhi International
Arbitration Centre.
iii.It modifies Section 15(a) of the main Act and makes it easier to conduct international and domestic
arbitration and other forms of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in the manner specified by the
regulations.
iv.The Act allows the central government to provide for removing any difficulties in implementing the Act up to
two years from the date of commencement of the Act.
• The Act extends this time period to 5 years.
v.The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was passed by Parliament during the
Winter Session in December 2022. The Lok Sabha passed the Bill on August 8, 2022, and the Rajya Sabha
passed it on December 14, 2022.
Note – The Act came into force in the exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the
New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (Amendment) Act, 2022 (23 of 2022)
LAUNCHES & INAUGURATION

MoRD launches Prajjwala Challenge inviting Ideas, Solutions & Actions to Transform Rural
Economy
The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD)’s flagship poverty alleviation program Deendayal Antyodaya
Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) has launched the ‘Prajjwala Challenge’ – Unlock
the Rural Economic Opportunity’ with an aim to invite ideas, solutions, and actions that can Transform Rural
Economy.
• On 29th December 2022, Shailesh Kumar Singh, Secretary of MoRD, launched the Prajjwala
Challenge in New Delhi, Delhi.

Charanjit Singh, Additional Secretary (RL), senior officers of the Ministry, key State Mission Directors of State
Rural Livelihoods Missions, Start-ups, incubators and NGO representatives.
Prajjwala Challenge:
Prajjwala Challenge is a first-of-its-kind nationwide initiative to provide thoughtful minds with a platform to
present new, innovative and scalable pathways for rural economic transformation in India.
i. Applications are open from 29th December 2022 to 31st January 2023.
ii. The Mission will acknowledge the shortlisted ideas and offer them incubation support and mentorship from
a team of subject matter experts.
• The top 5 ideas will be rewarded with Rs. 2 Lakh each. The winners will be announced on 8th March
2023.
Board Contours for the Idea- Categories:
• Focus on Women and Marginalized sections of the community,
• Localised Models,
• Sustainability,
• Cost Effective solutions,
• Multi-sectoral ideas and solutions etc.
Click here to visit the Prajjwala Challenge website
Key Points:
i. The Mission is looking for ideas and solutions around Innovative Technology Solutions, Inclusive Growth,
Value Chain Interventions, Enhanced Women Entrepreneurship, Cost-effective Solutions, Sustainability, place-
based employment, localised models etc.
• More than 87 million women have been recruited into Self-Help Groups and associated federations
as a result of the mission so far.
ii. According to MoRD, it is one of the platforms where ideas are invited from individuals, Social Enterprises,
start-ups, the Private Sector, Community Based Organizations, Incubation centres and Investors having the
potential to transform the rural economy.
iii. To reach a greater number of candidates, the office of the Principal Scientific Advisor will also promote the
Prajjwala Challenge in the Manthan portal and the BIMTECH-Atal Innovation Mission Portal.
DAY-NRLM:
i. DAY-NRLM is one of the flagships of poverty alleviation programs of the MoRD.
ii. It aims at creating efficient and effective institutional platforms for the rural poor, enabling them to increase
household income through sustainable livelihood enhancements and improve access to financial services.
Artpark-IISc Join Hands with Google to Launch AI-Powered Project Vaani

ARTPARK (Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Robotics Technology Park), a not-for-profit organisation backed by
the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore has collaborated with Google. to launch ‘Project Vaani’, a pan-
India inclusive language data initiative for open-sourcing datasets at ‘Google for India 2022’ event held in New
Delhi.
• This will amplify Government of India (GoI)’s Digital India efforts by including more diverse regional and
local languages.
About Project Vaani:
i.Project Vaani aims to compile comprehensive datasets of transcribed text and spoken language from each
district in India and are open-sourced via Vaani’s website.
ii.In future, they can also be accessed through other platforms like “Bhashini” of Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology (MeitY) for advancing research and innovation.
iii.Vaani joins the Bhāshā AI umbrella of Artpark and IISc’s Synthesizing Speech in Indian Languages (SYSPIN)
and Recognizing Speech in Indian Languages (RESPIN) programmes, which encompass 9 languages (Hindi,
Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Bhojpuri, Kannada, Magadhi, Chhattisgarhi, and Maithili).

About ARTPARK (Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Robotics Technology Park):
Chairman Hub Governing Board – Govindan Rangarajan
Headquarters – IISc, Bengaluru, Karnataka
About Google:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Sundar Pichai
Headquarters – California, United States of America (USA)
NCISM & CCRAS Launches ‘SMART’ Programme to Boost R&D in Ayurveda

On 2nd January 2023, The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and the Central Council
for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) launched the SMART (Scope for Mainstreaming Ayurveda
Research in Teaching Professionals) programme.
The programme aims to identify, support and promote innovative scientific research in priority healthcare
research areas like Osteoarthritis, Iron Deficiency Anaemia, Chronic Bronchitis, Dyslipidemia, Rheumatoid
Arthritis, Obesity, Diabetes Mellitus, Psoriasis, Generalised Anxiety Disorder, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
(NAFLD) through Ayurveda colleges and hospitals.
• The program was launched by Vaidya Jayant Deopujari, Chairman, NCISM and Prof.
Rabinarayan Acharya, Director General, CCRAS in the presence of Prof. B. S. Prasad, President of
Board of Ayurveda, NCISM and other senior officials.
• NCISM and CCRAS are the institutes under the Ministry of AYUSH for regulating medical education
and conducting scientific research respectively.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh releases the Theme of National Science Day 2023
On 9th January 2023, Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology,
released the theme for the National Science Day 2023 titled “Global Science for Global Wellbeing” at
National Media Centre in New Delhi, Delhi.
• The theme indicates India’s emerging global role and rising visibility in the international arena.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Science and Technology, including Dr Manoranjan Mohanty, Head of
National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC), Department Of Science & Technology
(DST), attended the occasion.
Key Highlights:
i. The theme has been chosen for the purpose of raising public appreciation of scientific issues in a global
context which is having a bearing on global well-being.
ii. India’s new Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy 2020 plan seeks to increase the effectiveness and
expert-driven promotion of science.
iii. The theme of “Global Science for Global Wellbeing” is in sync with India’s Group of Twenty (G20)
presidency, where it will become the voice of the global south-developing countries of Asia, Africa and South
America.
• It represents India’s growing International visibility
iv. This theme was selected to increase public understanding of the scientific concerns in a global framework
that are affecting global well-being.
National Science Day 2023:
i. National Science Day (NSD) is annually observed across India on February 28 to commemorate the discovery
of the “Raman Effect”.
• In 1986, the Indian government declared February 28th to be National Science Day (NSD).
• Sir C.V. Raman announced the discovery of the “Raman Effect” on 28th February 1928, for which he
was given the Nobel Prize in 1930.
• The theme-based science communication activities are carried are conducted across India on this
occasion.

ii. National Science Day is celebrated across India in scientific institutions, research laboratories, and
independent scientific institutions affiliated with the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
• The DST serves as the nodal agency to support, catalyse, and coordinate this celebration.
NTPC Launches India’s First Green Hydrogen Blending Operation in PNG Network
NTPC Ltd. (formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited), India’s state-owned and largest
energy conglomerate, has launched India’s first green hydrogen-blending operation in the piped natural gas
(PNG) network of its Kawas township in Surat, Gujarat.
• The project is a collaborative effort between NTPC Ltd and Gujarat Gas Limited (GGL) to
decarbonize the cooking sector.
Backdrop
i.Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the project on July 30, 2022.
ii.The blending project would provide H2-NG (natural gas) to residents in the Kawas township of Adityanagar,
Surat.
• Green hydrogen is generated in Kawas by electrolysis of water utilising power from a 1 MW
(megawatt) floating solar project.
Key Points:
i.P. Ram Prasad, Head of the project, Kawas, launched the first molecule of green hydrogen.
• NTPC Kawas also hosted awareness workshops for township residents upon the launch of the
blending operation.
ii.The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), has approved a 5% volume/volume blending
of green hydrogen with PNG to begin, with the blending level gradually increasing to 20% in a phased manner.
• Green hydrogen, when combined with natural gas, lowers carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions while
maintaining the same net heating content.
iii.With this accomplishment, India has joined a select group of nations that includes Australia, Germany, and
the United Kingdom (UK) and is now at the centre of the world’s hydrogen economy.
iv.As a result, India would be able to export green hydrogen and green chemicals to the world at large, reducing
its dependence on hydrocarbon imports and earning foreign exchange (forex).
About the NTPC Ltd (formerly National Thermal Power Corporation Limited):
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) – Gurdeep Singh
Established – 1975
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launches ‘Soul of Steel’ Alpine Challenge to Promote Tourism in
Border Areas
On 14th January 2023, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the “Soul of Steel” Alpine Challenge to
promote tourism in border areas during the event organised as a part of the 7th Army Veterans’ Day in
Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
The “Soul of Steel” Alpine Challenge is the world’s 1st Alpine skill and endurance challenge, set to take place
from January to June 2023.
• Additionally, he launched a website where volunteers could sign up for a variety of adventurous
activities under the joint initiative of the Indian Army and Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS)
Global, a veterans’ organisation.
He flagged off “Road to the End“, a 460-km-long car rally, as part of a joint expedition by the Indian Army and
CLAW Global. The rally ends at the destination in the Garhwal Himalayas, near Niti village in the Chamoli
district of Uttarakhand.

Godrej Agrovet launches Samadhan initiative for Farmers
Godrej Agrovet Ltd. has launched ‘Samadhan’, a one stop solution centre for oil palm farmers, under its Oil Palm
business. It will provide a comprehensive package of knowledge, tools, services and solutions to farmers.
• Through this initiative, Godrej Agrovet Ltd. will share global best practices with Indian oil palm
farmers and help the farmers to adopt these practices.
• It will also support farmers to avail of developmental finance, government subsidies/schemes and
other benefits.
• It also became the first company in India to be awarded a verification Certification under the
Indian Palm Oil Sustainability (IPOS) Framework.
Aim:
i.To be a critical enabler in the Palm Oil industry
ii.To assist oil palm farmers in optimizing their yields by adopting the latest agricultural techniques and
boosting their productivity.
Key Points:
i.Under this initiative, Godrej Agrovet will establish 50 Samadhan centers across India by 2027.
ii.Each center will support the planting of ~2,000 hectares of oil palm and help farmers achieve sustained
productivity.
iii.Notably, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare (MoA&FW) has set a goal to cultivate 1,000,000
hectares of oil palm by 2027 under the National Mission on Edible Oils– Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) scheme.
iv.Godrej Agrovet has set a goal to add 60,000 hectares of new oil palm plantations in the next five years
v.The IPOS Framework, established by the Solvent Extractors Association of India with assistance from
Solidaridad, the Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research (IIOPR), and SOPOPRAD (Society for Promotion of Oil
Palm Research and Development), has been created for the Indian industry and lays down a set of environment
friendly, economically viable and socially beneficial practices and guidelines.
About Godrej Agrovet Limited:
Managing Director– Balram Singh Yadav
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Union Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya unveils World’s 1st intranasal COVID-19 vaccine –
iNCOVACC
On 26th January 2023, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, unveiled
the iNCOVACC, the world’s 1st intranasal COVID-19 vaccine to receive approval for the primary 2-dose
schedule and as a heterologous booster dose, in the presence of Union Minister of State (Independent Charge)
for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh.
• It is developed by Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) in collaboration with Biotechnology
Industry Research Assistance (BIRAC), a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Department of
Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology.
Dr Mansukh Mandaviya stated that over 65% of vaccines supplied in the world were from India.
PM Modi virtually Inaugurates Rs 7,600 crore worth Railway projects in West Bengal
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister (PM) of India, virtually inaugurated the railway projects worth Rs 7600 crore in
West Bengal. He dedicated 4 railway projects to the nation including Boinchi – Shaktigarh 3rd Line, Dankuni –
Chandanpur 4th Line Project, Nimtita – New Farakka Double Line and Ambari Falakata – New Maynaguri –
Gumanihat Doubling Project.
• He also flagged off the 7th Vande Bharat Express from Howrah to New Jalpaiguri station and
inaugurated the Joka-Taratala-stretch of the Purple Line of Kolkata Metro.
• He also laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of the New Jalpaiguri Railway Station.

• PM also stated about the world’s longest river cruise ‘Ganga vilas’ which set sail on 13th January 2023 to
cover a distance of 3200 km from Kashi to Dibrugarh via
Bangladesh.
Key People:
Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister (CM) of West Bengal, Dr C V
Ananda Bose, Governor of West Bengal, Union Minister for
Railways, Ashwini Vaisnav, Union Ministers of State, John Barla, Dr
Subhas Sarkar and Shri Nisith Parmanik and Member of Parliament,
Prasoon Banerjee were those present on occasion among others.
4 Railway Projects:
• Boinchi – Shaktigarh 3rd Line developed at a cost of Rs 405 crore
• the Dankuni – Chandanpur 4th Line Project was developed at a cost of Rs 565 crore
• Nimtita – New Farakka Double Line developed at a cost of Rs 254 crore
• Ambari Falakata – New Maynaguri – Gumanihat Doubling Project developed at a cost of more than Rs
1080 crore.
PM Modi also laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of the New Jalpaiguri Railway Station to be
developed at the cost of more than Rs 335 crore.
7th Vande Bharat Express:
i.The Vande Bharat Express is an ultra-modern Semi High-Speed Train is equipped with state-of-the-art
passenger amenities.
ii.The 7th Vande Bharat Express will stop at Malda Town, Barsoi and Kishanganj stations en route in both
directions.
Joka-Esplanade Metro Project (Purple Line):
i.The Esplanade Metro Project (Purple Line) 6.5 km stretch has 6 stations namely Joka, Thakurpukur, Sakher
Bazar, Behala Chowrasta, Behala Bazar and Taratala.
ii.The project was constructed at a cost of more than Rs 2475 Crore.
iii.The project benefits the Passengers of southern parts of Kolkata City like Sarsuna, Dakghar, Muchipara and
South 24 Parganas.
Key Points:
i.PM Modi informed that more than 25 sewage projects have been approved in West Bengal under the Namami
Gange Scheme.
• Around 11 projects are already completed and 7 projects were completed on 30th December 2022.
ii.The government is working on 5 new schemes with an outlay of Rs 1500 crore.
iii.One of the key projects, is the Adi Ganga project for cleaning of which infrastructure worth Rs 600 crore is
being established.
iv.Along with cleaning rivers, the government of India has focussed on prevention which revolves around
creating a large number of modern sewage treatment plants. This is being done keeping in mind the
requirements of the next 10-15 years.
About West Bengal:
Chief Minister– Mamata Banerjee
Governor– Dr. C.V. Ananda Bose
National Parks– Singalila National Park; Neora Valley National Park
Tiger Reserve– Buxa Tiger Reserve; Sundarban Tiger Reserve
Defence Minister Inaugurates 2 Infrastructures in J&K and Ladakh to Improve Road

Connectivity
Union Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh virtually inaugurated 2 infrastructure projects – Maitra Bridge in
Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) and the double-lane Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri
road connecting the Ladakh region with J&K.

• The 2 projects are aimed to improve road connectivity in J&K and Ladakh.
About Maitra Bridge:
i.Maitra Bridge also known as Jhula Bridge at Ramban, J&K is a 240-feet Bailey suspension bridge connecting
the Ramban district administrative complex and Gool sub-division.
ii.The project has been completed within 31 days, 2 months ahead of its scheduled date of completion.
About Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road:
i.The Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road with a carriage-way width of 7 metres and road width of 12 metres
connects Srinagar to Kargil and Leh.
ii.The total length of the road is 84.320 km.
iii.This connects the townships of Kashmir through Manigam, Kangan Hari-Ganiwan, Gund, Gagangir,
Sonamarg, and Zozila, with Ladakh.
Key Points:
i.The Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road was among the 28 Border Roads Organisation(BRO) Infrastructure
projects inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh from the Siyom Bridge site in Arunachal Pradesh.
ii.The road was physically inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal Shyambir at Hari Pora village.
About Ministry of Defence:
Union Minister– Rajnath Singh (Constituency- Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State– Ajay Bhatt(Constituency- Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhand)
Narayan Rane Virtually Inaugurates India Made ITRS at MOPA Airport, Goa
Narayan Rane, Union Minister for Micro Small & Medium enterprises (MSME) inaugurated an India made
Intelligent Tray Retrieval System (ITRS), manufactured by M/s SJK Innovations Private Limited, an MSME-
Make in India Company, at MOPA (Goa) International airport, officially renamed as Manohar International
Airport, Mopa, Goa. This “Made in India” ITRS system is also “Patented in India”.
The ITRS is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based fully automatic machine with advanced screening technology
that helps in providing enhanced passenger security.
• The machine is equipped with image analysis software with advanced tools for effortless screening
and also contains a dedicated module for high threat baggage that needs immediate attention at the
airport.
EPFO Launches a District Outreach Program “Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0”

On 27 January 2023, Arti Ahuja, Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment(MoLE), e-launched the
Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation’s (EPFO) district outreach program “Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0” in all
the districts of the country.
• Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0 will be conducted on the 27th of every month at all district headquarters of
EPFO (starting from January 2023) to reach out to all the districts of the country on the same day.
• EPFO organized camps in 685 districts of the country to create participatory awareness among all
stakeholders and provide a grievance redressal platform.
Key Points over the Program:
i.Grievance redressal platform:
• A help desk will be created under the program where members could get online services for filing
online claims.
• Grievance redressal of the members will also be done on the spot and in case any grievance could
not be redressed on the spot, it will be registered on the grievance portal of EPFO and will be
resolved on priority.
ii.It will act as an information exchange network for employers and employees and also as a platform for the
exchange of information with the district-level authorities of various State and Central Government
departments.
iii.Under Nidhi Aapke Nikat, the EPFO stakeholders used to come to the EPFO field offices for grievance

redressal, whereas under the Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0, EPFO will reach out to the stakeholders, for increasing
accessibility and visibility of the organisation.
iv.Participants: Central Provident Fund Commissioner (CPFC), officers of EPFO, Members of Parliament,
Members of Legislative Assemblies, CBT (Central Board of Trustees) Members, Regional Committee members,
and District Collectors.
Note: In the year 2015, Bhavishya Nidhi Adalat was renamed Nidhi Aapke Nikat.
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurates National Genome Editing & Training Centre at
Mohali, Punjab
On 5th January 2023, Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Science and
Technology, inaugurated the “National Genome Editing & Training Centre” (NGETC) at the National Agri-
Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), under the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and
Technology, in Mohali, Punjab.
• Dr Jitendra Singh also launched a 4-day International Conference on Food and Nutritional Security
2023 (iFANS-2023), which takes place from 6th to 9th January 2023.
Key Points:
i. Over 80,000 firms have been founded in India as a result of the startup movement, which had just roughly
350 startups before 2014.
ii. Dr Jitendra Singh insisted that the increase in the number of StartUps must also equally and proportionately
reflect in the Agri and Bio-tech because this area is yet to be fully explored and taken advantage of by Indian
entrepreneurs and youth.
National Genome Editing & Training Centre (NGETC):
i. The NGETC is one roof state-of-the-art facility that will serve as a national platform to meet regional demands
for adapting various genome editing methods, including Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic
Repeats (CRISPR)-Cas mediated genome modification.
• Genome editing is a tool to cause site-specific gene changes or mutations to enable the development
of critical crop features.
• Indian research might use the promising technology of genome editing to provide the necessary
custom features in crops.
ii. NGETC will help empower young researchers by educating them about its expertise and application in crops.
iii. Bananas, rice, wheat, tomato, maize, and millet are just a few of the many crops that NABI has demonstrated
its capacity to expand the use of its genome editing technologies.
International Conference in Food and Nutritional Security 2023 (iFANS-2023):
The iFANS-2023, a 4-day conference, will be jointly organized by the National Agri-Food Biotechnology
Institute (NABI), Centre for Innovative and Applied Bioprocessing (CIAB), Indian Council of Agricultural
Research – National Institute of Plant Biotechnology (ICAR – NIPB), and International Centre for Genetic
Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) at NABI, Mohali, Punjab.
• The theme of the conference is pertinent to inspire young students and researchers considering the
fact that food and nutrition security is a global demand.
The conference will discuss how genome editing might improve India’s food and nutritional security under
changing climate.
• The conference will have multiple sessions with speakers from 15 different countries.
• 80 speakers (40 international and 40 national) will be sharing their scientific knowledge during the
conference.
MoS for Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal inaugurates Astro Tourism – A Sky Gazing Event
On 6th January 2023, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State (MoS) for Culture, inaugurated Astro Tourism – A
Sky Gazing event which was jointly organised by the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) and Nehru

Memorial Museum & Library (NMML), under the banner of Amrit Mahotsav of Independence, at India Gate
Lawns, Kartavya Path, New Delhi, Delhi.
• It is a 3-day program held from 6-8 January 2023 with various activities like Astro Talks by expert
Astronomers, an Exhibition on Astronomy, Storytelling related to celestial objects, Experience of
using a telescope to see craters of the Moon, Astronomy Activities, Photographic Panel Exhibition,
and Astro-Photography.
Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated & laid the foundation stone of 21 development
projects at Moirang, Manipur
Union Minister Amit Shah, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 21
development projects worth Rs 1,311 crore in Moirang, Manipur.
Key Inaugurations & Laying of Foundation stone:
i.He unveiled the 165-feet tall tricolor at the historic ‘Azad Hind
Fauj’ Headquarters at Moirang, which is the tallest national flag
in the entire North East region.
• Moirang is a town in Manipur that was liberated
from British colonial rule by the Indian Nation Army
under Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
ii.He also inaugurated a 122 feet tall statue of a polo player at a
cost of Rs 39 crore in Marjing Polo Complex in Imphal East.
iii.He inaugurated Churachandpur Medical College in the Churachandpur district. It is the first-ever medical
college constructed in the hill district of Manipur.
iv.Others include Manipur Olympian Park at Sangaithel, Manipur Exhibition Center in Imphal-East, District
Youth Skilling and Employment Centres, Fruit Preservation Factory, Neelakuthi in five districts of the state.
Notably, India’s first sports university, spread over 325 acres, is also being set up in Manipur at a cost of Rs 816
crore.
Union Minister Amit Shah inaugurated 5 development works worth Rs 52 crore in Nagaland
Union Minister Amit Shah also inaugurated 5 different development works worth Rs 52 crore in Nagaland.
i. These include Virtual Reality (VR) laboratories in 42 government higher secondary schools at a cost of about
Rs 8 crore
ii. Atal Tinkering Labs built at a cost of Rs 1 crore 80 lakh in 9 government higher secondary schools
iii. 12.5 megawatt (MV) sub-station at Chiephobozou at a cost of Rs 14 crore
iv. Trekking and base camp at Mount Saramati, Thanamir village and Kiphire
v. Two lane bridge on doyang river at a cost of Rs 28 crore near the Governor’s Camp Lifayan
i.National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), a Central Public Sector
Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRT&H), signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Manipur through a video conference.
ii.The Government of India (GoI) and Manipur government have signed a ‘Cessation of Operation Agreement’
with Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF), an insurgent group of Manipur, in New Delhi.
About Manipur:
Governor – La. Ganesan
Chief Minister (CM) – Nongthombam Biren Singh
National Park – Sirohi National Park
Wildlife Sanctuary – Yangoupokpi-Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary

AIF Inaugurates India’s 1st STEM Innovation and Learning Center in Chennai, TN; AIF’s DE
launched DSLV Mission
The American India Foundation (AIF) inaugurated India’s 1st STEM Innovation and Learning Centre
(SILC) under the scheme of Vanavil Mandram and launched Drone and Satellite Launch Vehicle (DSLV)
Mission at the Government Higher Secondary School, MMDA Colony, Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN).
• Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, Minister for School Education, Government of TN, joined the
inauguration virtually.
• The DSLV Mission was mentored and launched by Padma Shri Awardee (2016) Dr Mylswamy
Annadurai, The Moon Man of India, Former Director of the Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO), and Vice President of the State Council for Science and Technology, TN.
This SILC is the first of 4 Centres to come up in Tamil Nadu over the next 2 months.
Other Dignitaries:
S. Mars, Chief Educational Officer of Chennai District, Mathew Joseph, Country Director, AIF, D.
Baskaran, Head of Innovation & Technology and Regional Manager – South, AIF.
STEM Innovation and Learning Centre (SILC) in Chennai, India:
i. SILC is designed by AIF’s award-winning flagship education programme, Digital Equalizer (DE).
ii. It is designed to serve as a one-stop solution for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics) among students and instructors.
iii. SILC introduce students to a Transdisciplinary learning approach through robotics, Artificial
intelligence (AI), Space technology, and the STEM Incubation workstation.
• The aim of SILC is to raise curiosity among students in advanced STEM courses.
iv. It consists of a Technology Corner, which is equipped with a smart lab, for Teachers, which will make it
easier for teachers to lead techno-pedagogy-enabled classes for the students and to receive training in the
DE Way of Teaching (DEWoT),
• DEWoT is a unique method created by AIF to address all types of students in the classroom.
v. The centre also has a Studio Setup to develop high-quality DE Edu reels.
Drone and Satellite Launch Vehicle (DSLV) Mission:
i. DSLV Mission aims to create a platform for students to learn about Drone and Aviation technology
through DE’s TLM(Technical License Management).
ii. More than 200 selected students from 12 schools in Chennai, TN, were trained for the mission launch to
assemble a drone and a PICO satellite and launch their models on the spot.
India’s Civil 20 Engagement Group Inaugurated at Amritapuri, Kerala

India’s Civil 20 Engagement Group (C20), the official engagement group of India’s G20 (Group of
20) leadership representing the voices of non-profit, voluntary citizens’ groups in service to society, was
inaugurated at Amritapuri in Kollam, Kerala.
Key People:
• The representatives of G20 and C20, government officials and other dignitaries virtually
participated in the event.
• Sri Mata Amritanandamayi(Amma), the chair of C20, Amitabh Kant, Former Chief Executive
Officer(CEO) of NITI Aayog(National Institution for Transforming India), Shashi Tharoor,
Member of Parliament(MP), Anurag Singh Thakur, Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, V
Muraleedharan Union Minister of State(MoS) for External Affairs, RN Ravi, Governor of Tamil
Nadu and V Sivankutty, Public Education Minister of Kerala were among the participants.
About C20:
Purpose: To bring the concerns of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from around the world to the G20
Summit which is set to take place in New Delhi, Delhi, in September 2023.

Members: Sri M founder of the Satsang Foundation as Participant; Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini as
Secretariat; and the Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari as Institutional Partner.
Key Points:
C20 will collaborate with hundreds of CSOs from around the world to voice primary and common concerns
and to promote sustainable development with the vision of leaving no one behind.
Highlights of the Inauguration event:
i.During the event, Mata Amritanandamayi initiated a Rs 50 crore project to support the welfare of
malnourished pregnant women, and disabled people in underdeveloped districts across India and other
developing nations.
ii.The project will be led by Mata Amritanandamayi Math(MAM) in collaboration with local CSOs.
Chandigarh’s Administrator Inaugurates North India’s largest floating Solar Project of

2000kWp
On 23rd January 2023, Banwari Lal Purohit, Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh,
inaugurated North India’s largest floating Solar project of 2000kWp(Kilowatt peak) at Water Works in
Chandigarh.
• He also inaugurated a 500kWp floating Solar Project with Fountains at Dhanas Lake in Chandigarh.
• The 2000kWp solar project in the water works of Chandigarh is a unique floating project and it is a
one of its kind solar plant in North India.
With this Chandigarh aims to achieve the vision of the Indian government to increase the renewable energy
capacity and achieve 100% renewable energy in the future.
About the solar power plants:
These 2 solar power projects were designed and executed by Chandigarh Renewal Energy and Science and
Technology Promotion Society (CREST), Chandigarh.
Capacity: Annually, these projects will generate a minimum of 35 lakh Units (kWh – kilowatt-hour) of solar
energy with 20% module efficiency.
Total Cost: The 2000kWp plant at water works has been installed at a total cost of Rs 11.70 crores and the
500kWp plant at Dhanas Lake has been installed at a cost of Rs 3.34 crores.
Note:
• The Dhanas lake with a fountain was developed and beautified as a part of the efforts of CREST and
the Forest and Wildlife Department.
• Banwari Lal Purohit urged the people to install rooftop solar power in residential and commercial
buildings. The installation of rooftop solar power is both environmentally beneficial and
economically viable.
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Inaugurates NLP Marine

Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Ayush, inaugurated the National
Logistics Portal (NLP) (marine) in New Delhi, Delhi.
• The NLP (marine) will act as a Single window Logistics portal for reducing logistics costs. It will
connect all the stakeholders of the logistics community via Information Technology.
• It was envisaged by the Ministry of Ports Shipping Waterways and the Ministry of Commerce &
Industry.
Key Points:
i.NLP will act as a one-stop platform for all trade processes of the logistics sector across the country covering
all modes of transport in the waterways, roadways, and airways along with an E-marketplace.
ii.The activities of NLP Marine are categorized into four distinct verticals viz. Carrier, Cargo, Banking and
Finance, and Regulatory Bodies and Participating Government Agencies (PGAs).

iii.Features of NLP:
• It acts as a Single Platform to perform all core activities of the Importer / Exporter / Customs Broker
/ Freight Forwarder
• Provides a level playing field to relevant stakeholders (large & small)
• Gives a Complete domestic tracking of the shipment with notifications at each stage
• Providing Real-time information on the activities which are generally not within reach of the
Importer / Exporter / Customs Broker.
• Enhanced transparency in Government to Business relations and Ease of doing Business
• Provides Document Management System to store all the important documents securely on Cloud
Storage.
• Reduced costs and timeframes for execution of trade and logistics operations
• Paper-less transaction, for all the stakeholders along with BI reporting and data analytics.
• End-to-end functionality to perform self-clearance digitally Online transaction with custodians
Note – NLP (marine) is an “open platform” developed to fulfill the mission of PM Gati Shakti – National
Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity.
MeitY Secretary Alkesh Kumar Sharma inaugurates PCB Recycling Facility at C-MET
On 27th January 2023, Alkesh Kumar Sharma, the Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MeitY), inaugurated 1Ton/day Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Recycling facility at the Centre for
Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET), an autonomous scientific society under MeitY in Hyderabad,
Telangana.
• The indigenously developed e-waste recycling technologies will boost India’s Mission to
Atmanirbharata and circular economy.
• The Center of Excellence (CoE) on E-waste Management, the first of its kind in India, was established
by C-MET using the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
• CoE on E-waste management has developed all varieties of e-waste recycling technologies including
spent PCB, Li-Ion Battery, Permanent magnet and Si-solar cells etc.
The CoE-developed PCB recycling technology has reached Technology Readiness Level 6 and is now prepared
for commercialization. In addition to developing recycling processes, C-MET also designed and fabricated
necessary processing equipment for the same.
FESTIVAL
Manipur: Zeliangrong Community Celebrates Gaan Ngai Festival on 4th January 2023
On 4th January 2023, the Zeliangrong or Kabui Community of Manipur celebrates the Gaan-Ngai festival to
bring peace, prosperity and unity to the people of Manipur. The festival also marks the beginning of the new
year and bids farewell to the old year.
Chief Minister(CM) of Manipur Nongthombam Biren Singh and
Governor of Manipur La Ganesan greeted the people of Zeliangrong
or Kabui Community on the occasion of the Gaan-Ngai festival.
Gaan-Ngai festival:
i.Gaan-Ngai festival is one of the biggest cultural and religious post-
harvest festivals of the Zeliangrong community that marks the end
of the year when the farmers stores their harvest in their granaries.
ii.The festival is celebrated by all non-Christian villages of
Zeliangrong tribes which includes, Zeme, Liangmei, Rongmei,
Kabui, Inpui and others living in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.
About the Zeliangrong Naga tribe:
i.Zeliangrong Naga tribe (comprising of Rongmei, Liangmei, Zemei and Pumei) are Tibeto-Burman (Indo-

Mongoloid) of the Sino-Tibetan family of the Mongolian race.
ii.They are one of the major indigenous Naga communities living in the tri-junction of Assam, Manipur and
Nagaland in India.
iii.The term Zeliangrong was coined on 15 February 1947 in Imphal, Manipur by combining the first syllables
of the names of the three sub. ethnic groups: Ze, Liang, and Rong.
iv.It is classified as an ethno-cultural entity.
About Manipur:
Chief Minister– Nongthombam Biren Singh
Governor– La Ganesan
Wildlife sanctuary -Khongjaingamba Ching Wildlife Sanctuary
Zoological park– Manipur Zoological Garden
International Kite Festival 2023 Begins In Ahmedabad, Gujarat

On 8th January 2023, Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat inaugurated the International Kite Festival
2023 at Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The festival is organised by Gujarat Tourism on the G20
theme of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’. Apart from Ahmedabad, the International Kite festival will also
be organised in Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Dwarka, Somnath, Dhordo, and Kevadia.
• This festival will promote India’s G-20 presidency and more than 800 kite flyers from across India
and the world will participate and display their unique creations during the festival.
• In 2023, kite enthusiasts from different countries will fly Kites at the same time in an attempt to
create a Guinness World Record for the maximum number of kite flyers.
“Purple Fest: Celebrating Diversity”: India’s First Festival of Inclusion held in Goa
On 6th January 2023, ‘Purple Fest: Celebrating Diversity’ (Purple Fest 2023), India’s 1st of its kind inclusive
festival commenced at the Entertainment Society of Goa in Panaji, Goa.
• Dr Virendra Kumar, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr Pramod Sawant, Chief
Minister(CM) of Goa and Subhash Phal Dessai, Minister for Social Welfare, Goa government
participated in the inauguration ceremony.
• ‘Purple Fest: Celebrating Diversity’, held from 6th to 8th January 2023 includes engaging panel
discussions, artistic live performances, grand exhibitions, and immersive experience zones.
Aim:
Purple Fest aims to showcase how to come together to create a welcoming and inclusive world for everyone.
Key Highlights:
i. Goa has organised a unique purple celebration that will significantly advance the goals and establish a
milestone in Divyangjan’s empowerment.
• Divyangjan- The word Viklang was replaced with Divyaang (divine body) to refer to persons with
disabilities in 2016.
ii. The idea was inspired by the 6-day event ‘Divya Kala Mela’, which was held in December 2022 in Delhi.
iii. The various activities of Purple Fest like Purple Kaleidoscope – the Art Gallery, Purple Exhibition– stalls
of products to help people with vision disabilities, and Purple Bioscope -a screening of the movie “86” with
sign language interpreters, are organised to create a better understanding of the concepts.
Note: In order to ensure that people with disabilities are empowered, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Act was introduced in 2016.
Workshop:
Union Minister Dr Virendra Kumar inaugurated a 2-day sensitisation workshop in association with the Purple
Fest in Goa on “Issues relating to Empowerment of persons with Disabilities”.
• The workshop was organised by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities,
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE), in association with the Office of the Chief
Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD) on 6-7 January 2023 in Goa.

Aim:
A 2-day workshop aims to sensitise the corporate, non-profit, and governmental sectors to their responsibility
to build an inclusive society and to have a coordinated approach to Divyangjan’s empowerment.
Dignitaries:
Subhash Phal Dessai, Minister for Social Welfare, River Navigation, Archives and Archeology, Government of
Goa, Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, Department of Empowerment of persons with Disabilities, Govt. of India
were present on this occasion.
• Participants in the workshop included government representatives from the States and Union
Territories (UTs) and some eminent NGOs.
Chhattisgarh CM Celebrates Traditional ‘Cherchera’ Festival in Raipur

On 6th January 2023, Bhupesh Baghel, Chief Minister (CM) of Chhattisgarh, celebrated the
traditional Cherchera festival, an important harvest festival of Chhattisgarh which is popularly known as the
“Rice bowl of India”, at Dudhadhari Math in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
• The 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. The festival usually falls in the month of January.
According to mythological belief, on this day Lord Shankar begged from Mata Annapurna, so people used to
donate green vegetables along with paddy on this day.
Lohri 2023: Harvest Festival celebrates in different parts of India

On 13th January 2023, the Lohri festival is observed across India with the customary fervour and joy, which is
mostly associated with crop harvesting and happiness.
• The festival is celebrated in North India, especially in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi,
Jammu and Chandigarh.
Jaipur Literature Festival 2023: 16th edition of the Festival begins in Jaipur, Rajasthan
The Jaipur Literature Festival 2023, the 16th edition of the festival celebrating the power of literature, art
and culture with a focus on Indian languages is being held from 19th to 23rd January 2023 in Hotel Clarks
Amer in Jaipur, Rajasthan.,
The 16th edition of the festival features a range of women writers and their exemplary works. The keynote
address was delivered by Abdulrazak Gurnah, the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature (2021), on
‘writing as a form of resistance’.
• Major honours including the Nobel, Booker, International Booker, Pulitzer, Sahitya Akademi,
Baillie Gifford, PEN America Literary Awards, and DSC Prize for South Asian Literature will be
given out at the festival.
• There will be sessions in five venues featuring 21 Indian and 14 international languages.
The 3rd Edition of the Annual Orange Festival held in Kohima, Nagaland- 24th & 25th January
2023
The 3rd edition of the Orange Festival (Orange Festival 2023) was held from 24th to 25th January 2023
in Rusoma village near Kohima, in Nagaland. The festival was organised under the aegis of Rüsoma Village
Council in association with Kohima Smart City Development Limited, Rural Development Department,
Horticulture Department, Agriculture Department and Land Resources Department.
• The festival featured several stalls like handicrafts, organic vegetables and fruits, food items, the sale
of orange saplings, a workshop on orange and coffee plantations and a campaign on “Beti Bachao
Beti Padhao”.
• On 24th January 2023, the festival was inaugurated in the presence of K Neibou Sekhose, Additional
Director of Rural Development.

OTHER NEWS
World’s First Palm-Leaf Manuscript Museum opens in Kerala
Kerala Chief Minister(CM) Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the Palm leaf Manuscript Museum with modern
audio-visual technology at the renovated Central Archives, Fort area in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• The Museum, promoted as “World’s First Palm-Leaf Manuscript Museum” was set up by the
Archives Department in association with the Kerala Museum of History and Heritage at a cost of Rs 3
crore.
Background:
i. The museum is a repository of curious nuggets of administrative, socio-cultural and economic facets of the
Travancore kingdom which lasted for 650 years till the end of the 19th century.
ii. It had been the Central Vernacular Records Office since 1887 before becoming a museum.
Key Highlights:
i. The museum is a useful resource for historical and cultural studies for both academic and non-academic
researchers.
ii. The museum has 8 theme-based galleries in the museum representing segments like, “History of Writing,”
“Land and People,” “Administration,” “War and Peace,” “Education and Health,” “Economy,” “Art and Culture,”
and “Mathilakam Records.”
iii. The museum stores 187 manuscripts at Central Archives and the department’s regional officers in
Ernakulam and Kozhikode. The manuscripts span 6 centuries From 1249 CE to 1896.
• It will be housed in the 6,000-sq ft museum which was arranged by the Kerala government’s nodal
agency for museums Keralam–Museum of History and Heritage.
iv. The Museum houses manuscripts in ancient scripts such as Vattezhuthu, Kolezhuthu, Malayanma, and
ancient Tamil and Malayalam.
v. The 1st phase’s archival material was selected after sorting through a stock of carelessly stored 1.5 crore
palm-leaf records from all across Kerala.
India & US Establish New Trade Group to Build Sustainable Supply Chains
India and the United States of America(USA) have established a new working group to build sustainable
supply chains and boost bilateral trade. This working group will initially focus on trade facilitation, digitization
of customs procedures, issues related to sustainable finance and the scaling up of innovative clean technologies.
The countries also agreed to continue close monitoring of visa issues and increase dialogue on food and
agricultural trade issues in 2023 at the Trade Policy Forum meeting co-chaired by India's trade minister, Piyush
Goyal, and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai.
‘MV Ganga Vilas’: Modi Flagged off World’s Longest River Cruise in Varanasi, UP
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, flagged off the ‘MV Ganga Vilas’, the world’s longest river cruise in
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh(UP). The 51-day luxury cruise, passing through 27 river systems, will cover a distance
of 3,200 km from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Dibrugarh in Assam, via Bangladesh.
• The first trip of the cruise hosts 32 tourists from
Switzerland.
• The river cruise is aimed to promote tourism and
create new job opportunities.
• The expected date of arrival of MV Ganga Vilas in
Dibrugarh is on 1st March, 2023.
MV Ganga Vilas, the first of its kind cruise service, is supported
by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) under
Ministry of Shipping, Ports and Waterways (MoPSW).
Note: PM Modi noted that more river cruise systems are being

developed in various parts of India.
About the MV Ganga Vilas:
i.The MV Ganga Vilas vessel is 62 meters in length, 12 meters in width and comfortably sails with a draft of 1.4
meters.
ii.It features 18 suites, three decks, and other amenities for tourists.
iii.The cruise has a capacity of carrying 36 passengers.
iv.The cruise, which follows sustainable principles, is equipped with pollution-free mechanisms and noise
control technologies.
v.MV Ganga Vilas cruise cost around Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 per day and the cost of the entire 51-day trip will
be around Rs 20 lakh.
Key Points:
i.MV Ganga Vilas cruise is curated to bring out the best of the country to be showcased to the world.
ii.The cruise will indulge in the art, culture, history, and spirituality of India and Bangladesh.
iii.The cruise includes visit to 50 tourists spots including world heritage sites, national parks, river ghats, and
major cities like Patna in Bihar, Sahibganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh and
Guwahati in Assam.
iv.The international cruise is being offered by Antara Luxury River Cruises.
Points to note:
i.The global River cruise market has grown at ~5% over the past few years and is expected to
constitute around 37% of cruise market by 2027.
ii.Europe leads the growth with approximately 60% share of river cruise vessels in the world.
iii.In India, 8 river cruise vessels are operational between Kolkata and Varanasi while cruise movement is also
operation on National Waterways(NW) 2 (Brahmaputra).
iv.At present, four river cruise vessels are operational in NW2 while it is operating in limited capacity in NW3
(West Coast Canal), NW8, NW 4, NW 87, NW 97, and NW 5.
India’s Biggest Hockey Stadium was inaugurated in Odisha

Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister(CM) of Odisha, inaugurated the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium,
India’s largest hockey stadium, in terms of seated (chair) capacity of 20,000, in Rourkela, Odisha.
• CM Naveen Patnaik also inaugurated the World Cup Village at Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium
Complex in Rourkela and announced a reward of Rs 1 crore for each player of the Indian hockey
team if they win the World Cup Hockey.
• CM also inaugurated the “Mo Bus” (my bus) services in Rourkela with 30 vehicles to ensure hassle-
free movement during the hockey world cup.
The stadium is inaugurated ahead of the 15th Fédération Internationale de Hockey(FIH) Hockey World Cup
– FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 which is scheduled to be held from 13th to 29th January 2023 in
Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, Odisha.
• Rourkela is the 2nd venue for the international event after the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar,
Odisha.
Key People:
Bhola Nath Singh, Secretary General of Hockey India along with officials of Hockey India and the Odisha
government were present during the event.
About Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium:
i.The Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium, named after freedom fighter Birsa Munda, is built over 15
acres of land at the campus of the Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) in Rourkela.
ii.The stadium, with a total capacity of 21,000, is built at a cost of Rs 146 crore.
20 of the 44 Hockey World Cup matches will be held at Birsa Munda stadium and the remaining will be held in
Kalinga Stadium.
iii.The stadium was built by the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO).

World Cup Village:
i.The World Cup Village with 225 rooms with all amenities for the Hockey World Cup has been developed
within a period of 9 months.
ii.The World Cup Village will house the teams and officials of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023.
Additional info:
During the inauguration event, CM Naveen Patnaik unveiled a book titled “Odisha Re Hockey” (Hockey In
Odisha) published by School and Mass Education Department.
The book deals with the history of Hockey in Sundargarh and the role of Odisha in promoting the national sport
of India.
Points to note:
Odisha will be hosting the men’s hockey world cup for the 2nd time in a row. Previously, the 2018 Hockey
world cup was hosted at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. This will be the fourth time India will host
the hockey world cup.
Kerala becomes India’s 1st State with Full Digital Banking Service
Kerala has become the first state in India to go fully digital in its banking service. It was declared by the Chief
Minister (CM) of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan during an event.
• Kerala also received three ‘Digital India’ awards for the advancement in the digital sector viz. silver
medal for Ksheerashree portal, platinum award for Digital Workforce Management System, and gold
medal for District Administration of Kottayam.
It should be noted that Kerala is the only State in India that has declared ‘the right to Internet’ as a basic right
of its citizens.
Key Points:
i.This achievement was driven by social interventions through local self-government institutions along with
infrastructure development and technological advances in the banking sector.
ii.The Kerala Fibre Optic Network (K-FON) project of the state government, which is almost 90% completed,
will reduce the digital divide.
• It is a joint venture between the Kerala State Information Technology Infrastructure Ltd (KSITIL),
Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and the state, in which the two companies hold 49% each and
the state the remaining 2%.
• A consortium led by Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) is executing the project and will be responsible for
the operation and maintenance of the 35,000-km-long network for the next 7 years.
• Funded by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), its outlay is Rs 1,028.20
crore.
iii.The K-FON will ensure internet facility to everyone in the state and a 17,155 km-long optic fibre cable
network has been laid.
• Once the project gets completed, the internet will be available to everyone in the state either for a
cheaper price or for free-of-cost.
iv.The state government created an Economic Offences Wing in the state police to tackle such cyber crimes.
India’s 1st Coal Gasification-Based Talcher Fertilizer Plant to be Ready in Odisha by 2024
Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilisers, announced
that India’s largest and 1st coal gasification-based Talcher Fertiliser Project in Odisha will be ready to be
dedicated to India by October 2024. Dr Mansukh Mandaviya reviewed the progress of work at the plant site of
Talcher Fertilizers Limited (TFL) at Angul, Odisha.
Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education of India was also present on the occasion.

• To revive the former Talcher plant of Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited (FCIL) by setting up
new coal gasification the government approved an installed capacity of 12.7 lakh Metric tonnes per
year (LMTPA) to TFL.
• The project will help achieve the stated goal of gasifying 100 MT (Metric Tonnes) of coal by 2030
since it encourages coal gasification.
• Ramagundam, Gorakhpur, Sindri, and Barauni Fertilizer Plants are the 4 of the 5 plants that have
already begun producing urea in India, and Talcher Plant is expected to start by September 2024.
• The urea plant, which is being built at an estimated cost of Rs 17,000 crore, will help Indian farmers
in addition to creating jobs and helping the local economy.
India’s 1st CoE for Online Gaming to be set up in Shillong by March 2023
During his two-day visit to Meghalaya, Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Skill
Development & Entrepreneurship, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, stated about the launch of India’s first Centre of
Excellence (CoE) in Online Gaming at Shillong, Meghalaya by March 2023.
• Objective: To catalyse startups and entrepreneurs from the entire North East Region to build the
next generation Online Gaming ecosystem.
• The CoE will be set up by Digital India Startup Hub through the Software Technology Parks of India.
Key Points:
i.Note: The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has recently circulated Draft amendments to the IT Rules
2021 in relation to Online Gaming for public consultation.
ii.Rajeev Chandrasekhar also announced another initiative of MeitY to set up a state-of-the-art facility under
the National Institute of Electronics and IT (NIELIT) to provide training on cutting-edge Digital Skills at
Shillong.
iii.He also stated about Re-launching Skill India through Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 4.0, to
train around 50,000 youth in Meghalaya, 60,000 in Tripura, and 35,000 in Nagaland.
About Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology:
Union Minister – Ashwini Vaishnaw (Rajya Sabha Odisha)
Ministers of State (MoS) – Rajeev Chandrasekhar (Rajya Sabha Karnataka)
GoI Introduces National Geospatial Policy 2022

On 28th December 2022, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoS&T) notified the ‘National Geospatial
Policy, 2022’ for implementation with immediate effect. The policy was notified following the liberalising of the
usage of geospatial data under the draft Geospatial Data Policy in February 2021.
• The Government of India (GoI) has now defined a 13-year guideline for the growth of India’s
geospatial data industry, including the creation of a national framework for using geospatial data to
improve citizen services and other initiatives.
The Union Cabinet approved the National Geospatial Policy 2022 during its meeting held on December 16,
2022.
Note: The word Geospatial means “consisting of, derived from, or relating to data that is directly linked to
specific geographical locations”.
National Geospatial Policy 2022
i.The National Geospatial Policy, 2022 is a citizen-focused policy that aims to strengthen the geospatial sector
to support national development, economic prosperity, and a growing information economy.
ii.The policy relies on the favourable environment created by the “Guidelines for Acquiring and Producing
Geospatial Data and Geospatial Data Services, Including Maps,” released by the Department of Science and
Technology (DST), MoS&T, and GoI.

iii.The policy seeks to build high-resolution topographical survey and mapping, as well as a high-accuracy
digital elevation model for India by 2030, in addition to developing geospatial infrastructures, skills and
knowledge, standards, and businesses.
Key Highlights of the National Geospatial Policy 2022
i.The policy would strive to create a national geospatial data framework and promote “easy availability” of data
to businesses and the general public.
ii.The GoI will endeavour to establish a regulatory framework by 2025 that “supports liberalization of the
geospatial sector and democratization of data for improved commercialization with value-added services.”
• By 2025, the GoI intends to improve the availability and accessibility of “better location data” for
companies, including private organizations.
iii.The GoI proposes to establish an “Integrated Data and Information Framework” (IDIF) under which
a “Geospatial Knowledge Infrastructure” (GKI) will be developed by 2030.
• The mapping of subsurface infrastructure in major cities and towns across India will be one of the
objectives of geospatial data use by 2035.
iv.The policy also calls for the establishment of a national apex body, the Geospatial Data Promotion and
Development Committee (GDPDC).
• The GDPDC will provide specifics on the use of geospatial data in governance across certain
ministries, and also facilitate the creation of private startups and firms to work on specific projects.
v.Additionally, it would encourage the utilization of the “National Digital Twin,” a high-resolution data
ecosystem that promotes connected digital twins among private firms “with secure and interoperable data
sharing.”
vi.The policy describes the creation of 14 National Fundamental Sectoral Geospatial Data Themes.
• The themes will be applied to a range of sectors that support the creation of commercial geospatial
applications, such as forestry, mining, and disaster management.
Indian & Global Geospatial Markets
i.According to Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Dr. Jitendra Singh, MoS&T, India’s geospatial
economy is expected to surpass Rs. 63,000 crores by 2025, growing at a rate of 12.8%.
• It will support more than 10 lakh jobs, the bulk of which are held by geospatial startups.
ii.He also indicated in his address to the second United Nations World Geospatial Information Congress (UN-
WGIC) that there were roughly 250 geospatial startups in India, during the current boom of technology-driven
firms.
iii.The GoI has established a geospatial incubator to boost the sector.
iv.Globally, the geospatial market is valued at approximately USD 17 billion, whereas the space economy is
valued at approximately USD 55 billion.
Note: Esri India is a provider of end-to-end Geographic Information Systems (GIS) solutions that has assisted
numerous departments in creating mapping and geospatial infrastructure.
On November 10, 2022, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Dr. Jitendra Singh, MoS&T, dedicated
the nation ‘Indian Biological Data Center’ (IBDC) at Regional Centre of Biotechnology (RCB), Faridabad,
Haryana. It is India’s first national repository for life science data which is supported by the Department of
Biotechnology (DBT), MoS&T.
About the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoS&T):
Minister of State (Independent Charge) – Dr. Jitendra Singh (Udhampur Constituency – Jammu and Kashmir)
Departments under MoS&T – Department of Biotechnology; Department of Science and Technology (DST) &
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR)

MoF Increases Interest Rates On a Number of Small Savings Schemes for Q4 FY23 Beginning
January 1, 2023
The Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), a department of the Ministry of Finance (MoF), has raised the
interest rate on a number of small savings schemes for the fourth quarter (Q4) of the current fiscal year 2022–
23 (FY23), which runs from January 1, 2023 – March 31, 2023.
Various Small Savings Schemes with Increased Interest Rates
i.The rates on the various instruments have increased by 20 to 110 basis points (bps), and they now range from
4.0 % to 7.6 %.
ii.All post office time deposits, the Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP), the Senior Citizen Savings Scheme, the Monthly
Income Savings Scheme, the National Savings Certificate, and others now have higher interest rates.
• Meanwhile, the interest rates on the Public Provident Fund (PPF), Sukanya Samriddhi Account, and
Savings Deposit have remained unchanged.
Rates of Interest
Rates of Interest (%)
(%) from
# Instrument from 01.01.2023 to
01.01.2022 to
31.03.2023
31.12.2022
1 Savings Deposit 4 4
1 Year Time
2 5.5 6.6
Deposit
2 Year Time
3 5.7 6.8
Deposit
3 Year Time
4 5.8 6.9
Deposit
5 Year Time
5 6.7 7
Deposit
5 Year Recurring
6 5.8 5.8
Deposit
Senior Citizen
7 7.6 8
Savings Scheme
Monthly Income
8 6.7 7.1
Account Scheme
National Savings
9 6.8 7
Certificate
Public Provident
10 Fund (PPF) 7.1 7.1
Scheme
Kisan Vikas Patra 7.0 (will mature 7.2 (will mature in 120
11
(KVP) in 123 months) months)
Sukanya Samriddhi
12 7.6 7.6
Account Scheme
Click here for official notification

Estimation of Interest Rates for Small Savings Schemes
i.The GoI reviews the interest rates for small savings plans on a quarterly basis.
• According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), although the GoI sets the small savings interest rates,
they are linked to market yields on government securities (G-secs) with a lag and are reviewed and
fixed on a quarterly basis at a spread between 0-100 bps over (100 bps = 1%) and above G-Sec
yields of comparable maturities.

• The interest rates on small savings, however, have not consistently followed changes in market
rates.
ii.The Shyamala Gopinath Committee provided the formula to calculate the interest rates for the small
savings scheme.
• The committee recommended that the interest rates on various schemes be 25-100 bps higher than
the yields on government bonds of similar maturity.
iii.The GoI administers small savings schemes, such as post office 1-3-year time deposits and 5-year recurring
deposits, to encourage people to save money on a regular basis.
• There are several other types of savings certificates, including National Savings Certificates,
Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP), Sukanya Samriddhi Account, and Senior Citizens Savings Scheme.
A Comparison of FDs, Bank Savings Accounts or Small Savings Schemes
i.Even when banks have started raising the interest rates on fixed deposits (FDs), many small savings schemes
continue to provide higher interest rates.
• As of December 19, 2022, the interest rates on State Bank of India (SBI) FDs range from 3 % to 6.75
% for 7-days to 10-year tenors.
• For these tenors, senior citizens earning 0.5 % higher will receive 3.5 % to 7.25 %.
ii.Even the interest rates on savings accounts offered by some of the larger banks, apart from FDs, are less than
the interest rate on post office savings accounts.
• While SBI is currently offering 2.70% per annum on its savings account, Post Office Savings Account
is currently offering 4% annually.
• Similarly, ICICI Bank offers 3-3.5% annual interest.
In November 2022, The Infrastructure Finance Secretariat (IFS), Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) under
the Ministry of Finance (MoF), GoI notified India Infrastructure Project Development Fund Scheme (IIPDF
Scheme), a Central Sector Scheme (CSS) for providing Financial Support for Project Development Expenses of
Public Private Partnership (PPP) Projects.
About the Ministry of Finance (MoF):
Union Minister – Nirmala Sitharaman (RajyaSabha- Karnataka)
Ministers of State (MoS) – Pankaj Chaudhary; Dr. Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad
Departments under the MoF – Department of Expenditure; Department of Economic Affairs (DEA);
Department of Revenue; Department of Financial Services; Department of Investment and Public Asset
Management (DIPAM) & Department of Public Enterprises.
Govt Approves PADMA as Self Regulatory body for the publisher

The government of India(GoI) has approved the Print and Digital Media Association (PADMA) as a self-
regulatory body for publishers of news and current affairs across India.
PADMA, an organisation with 47 digital news publishers, will look at grievances related to digital media news
content on its platform.
• The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) intimated the approval through an official order on
2nd December 2022.
• The organisation will be headed by former High Court(HC) Judge Mool Chand Garg and have a part-time
member of Prasar Bharati Ashok Kumar Tandon and journalist Manoj Kumar Mishra as members.
• PADMA shall perform functions laid down in sub-rules (4) and (5) of rule 12 for the purpose of
redressing grievances related to the code of ethics under the rules.
• It will also ensure that the member publishers have agreed to adhere to the provisions of the rules,
including furnishing the requisite information under rule 18.

KMRC: India’s First Underwater Metro Services to be Operational by December 2023
The Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) announced that the East-West Metro Corridor project,
India’s first underwater metro service, in Kolkata will be completed by December 2023. The 16.6 km corridor
will run through the Hooghly river, connecting Howrah and Kolkata Sealdah railway stations including the
north-south line of the Kolkata Metro at Esplanade. This will reduce the travel time from 90 minutes to 40
minutes.
• The 520-metre-long tunnel under the river Hooghly is a part of Kolkata’s East-West Metro Corridor.
The metro trains will take just 45 seconds to cross the 520-metre tunnel.
The tunnel is built at the cost of Rs 120 crore per kilometre. The completion cost of the East-West Metro
Corridor Project has been estimated at Rs. 8,575 crore.
State-run firms to remain exempt from Minimum Public Shareholding Norms

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has amended the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956
which will exempt Indian state-run companies from the Minimum Public Shareholding (MPS) norm that
requires listed companies to maintain a 25% public shareholding.
• These exempted entities will be the government and public sector undertakings (PSUs) that hold
together or individually majority stake from the MPS norm.
Key Points:
i.Currently, as per SEBI norms, a company is required to have a MPS of 25% within one year of the merger
with/acquisition of a company or three years after listing.
ii.The exemptions from the MPS norm will be valid for a specified period even if there is a change in ownership
or control after the exemption is granted
iii.Extending this exemption will encourage more investors to buy stakes in government companies.
IDBI Bank exempted from MPS
Now, with the above changes in the regulations, IDBI Bank will also be exempted from MPS. The exact period of
MPS exemption for IDBI Bank will be known to shortlisted bidders when the government shares the draft share
purchase agreement (SPA) with them.
IMD: 2022 Fifth Warmest Year for India Since 1901

The India Meteorological Department (IMD)’s Statement on Climate of India during 2022 stated that the year
2022 was the fifth warmest for India since 1901. The annual mean land surface air temperature was 0.51
degrees Celsius above the long-term average, which is the mean temperature for the 1981-2010 period.
• This was lower than the highest warming observed in India in 2016 (anomaly of +0.71 degrees
Celsius) and higher than the previous year 2021 (anomaly of +0.44 degrees Celsius).
• During the 2022 winter season, the all-India mean temperatures were normal with an anomaly of -
0.04 degrees Celsius.
India gets its 1st IVF Mobile Unit for Animals

On 1st January 2023, India received its 1st In vitro fertilization (IVF) mobile unit for animals in Amreli,
Gujarat. Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, inaugurated the
mobile IVF lab.
The Government of India and Amar Dairy jointly dedicated the IVF mobile van.
• Notably, IVF is a complex series of procedures used to support fertility and child conception.
• It is an advanced reproductive technology used in animals to multiply superior female germplasm at
a higher rate.

Vande Metro Trains: Indian Railways to introduce India's First Hydrogen Power Trains on
Heritage Lines
Indian Railways is set to introduce India’s 1st hydrogen-powered trains - "Vande Metro trains" on its narrow
gauge heritage lines to transform Indian locomotive mobility by December 2023. A prototype hydrogen-fueled
train is now being developed by the Northern railway workshop which will be tested on the Haryana section
between Sonipat and Jind.
• The “Hydrogen for Heritage” initiative will not only improve the train’s technology and operating
system but also promote the use of green energy in public transport systems.
• In 2022, Germany became the first nation in the world to operate hydrogen-powered trains. It was
followed by China, which debuted the world's second and Asia's first hydrogen-powered train.
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Nilgiri Mountain Railway, Kalka Shimla Railway, Matheran Hill Railway, Kangra
Valley, Bilmora Waghai, and Marwar-Devgarh Madriya are the 8 heritage lines operated by Indian Railways
that are largely powered by diesel.
NHA Introduces New System to Evaluate and Grade Hospitals Empanelled under AB PM-JAY
Scheme
The National Health Authority (NHA) is establishing a new system to measure and grade hospital
performance as part of the flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-
JAY).
Objective: To shift the focus of hospital performance measurement from the volume of services rendered to
the value of healthcare services.
Significance
i.The new initiative will establish the concept of “value-based care,” in which payment will be based on
outcomes and providers will be rewarded based on the quality of treatment provided.
ii.The performance of AB PM-JAY-empanelled hospitals will be measured using five performance indicators
under value-based care, including:
• Beneficiary Satisfaction
• Hospital Readmission Rate
• The extent of Out-of-Pocket Expenditure
• Confirmed Grievances and
• Improvement in patient’s Health-Related Quality of Life
Key Points:
i.Value-based care has the potential to greatly enhance the healthcare landscape in India by incentivizing and
encouraging healthcare providers to focus more on providing patient-centric services.
• The beneficiaries would be able to make informed decisions by having access to the hospitals’
performance based on the indicators via a public dashboard.
ii.The quality-of-care interventions will transform AB PM-JAY and the Indian health system from a volume-
based to a value-based health-care delivery system.
• The interventions include performance assessment, value-based incentives, the use of health
technology assessment, and the use of digital tools.
iii.Consequently, the hospital’s performance will determine its financial incentive, creating a demand for
quality treatment among PMJAY beneficiaries.
National Health Authority (NHA):
i.On January 2, 2019, the erstwhile National Health Agency was reconstituted as the National Health Authority
(NHA).
ii.The NHA is the apex organisation in charge of implementing India’s flagship public health insurance scheme,
AB PM-JAY.
• It is an affiliated office of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) with complete
functional autonomy.
• It is governed by a Governing Board presided over by the Union Minister for Health and Family
Welfare.
• Dr. Ram Sewak Sharma is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NHA.
iii.NHA has also been tasked with developing strategy, creating technological infrastructure, and implementing
the “National Digital Health Mission” (NDHM) to establish a national digital health ecosystem.
It also leads the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).
GoI Gets Extension to Frame CAA Rules for 7th Consecutive Time
The Parliamentary Committee on Subordinate Legislation in the Rajya Sabha has accepted the Ministry of Home
Affairs’s (MHA) request for the extension of six more months till 30th June 2023, to frame rules under
the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019 for the 7th time. The decision of the Lok Sabha committee is yet
to be made.
• The CAA was passed by Parliament on 11th December 2019 and also received the President’s
assent, following which it was notified by the MHA. Through the CAA, the GoI will grant Indian
citizenship to the illegal migrants who entered India before or on 31st December 2014.
• It was also passed for the migrants of non-Muslim communities, including Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists,
Jains, Parsis and Christians from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
ReNew Power Installs India’s First 3x Platform WTGs in Karnataka

ReNew Power (“ReNew”), one of India’s largest independent power producers (IPPs) for renewable energy, has
announced the installation of India’s first 3x-platform wind turbine generators (WTGs) at Gadag, Karnataka.
• The new WTGs will be a component of India’s first “Round the Clock” renewable energy project,
which combines wind, solar, and a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).
• The energy produced by this project will be sufficient to power more than 1 million Indian homes
per year.
ReNew is a subsidiary of Renew Energy Global PLC.
Key Points:
i.The WTGs are 128–140 m tall and have a nameplate capacity of 3.3–3.465 MW (megawatts).
• They have much more capacity than those already installed in India, which typically have a
nameplate capacity of 2-3 MW.
ii.The installations were carried out by an in-house Wind Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC)
team, a first for an Indian company.
• This included site procurement, construction of foundations, crane management for WTG
installations, and transmission build-out.
iii.They assisted ReNew Power in installing more than 400 MW of WTGs at various locations in Gujarat and
Karnataka.
About ReNew Power (“ReNew”):
Founder, Chairman and CEO – Sumant Sinha
Headquarters – Gurugram, Haryana
GoI Allocates Rs 1037.90 Crore to New India Literacy Programme for A 5-Year Period (FY23-
FY27)
The Government of India (GoI) has allotted Rs. 1037.90 crore for the New India Literacy Programme
(NILP), a centrally sponsored programme (CSS), for a 5-year period, from fiscal years 2022-23 (FY23) to 2026-
27 (FY27).

Background
• The NILP was approved by the Ministry of Education (MoE) in 2022 to cover all aspects of adult
education in accordance with the new National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) for the next five
years, from FY23 to FY27.
• The MoE has also adopted the phrase “Education for All” over “Adult Education” as the latter did not
adequately define all non-literates aged 15 years and above.
New India Literacy Programme (NILP)
i.The Foundational Literacy and Numeracy component of NILP aims to reach 5 crore learners over a 5-year
period from FY23 to FY27.
ii.The programme has 5 objectives:
• Foundational Literacy and Numeracy
• Critical Life Skills
• Vocational Skills Development
• Basic Education
• Continuing Education
iii.Financial Outlay – The GoI will contribute Rs. 700 crore out of the total financial outlay of Rs. 1037.90
crore, while the state will contribute Rs. 337.90 crore.
• The GoI and State shares are in the ratio of 60:40 for all states except for the North Eastern Region
(NER) and the Himalayan States, where the pattern of sharing between the GoI and the State is in the
ratio of 90:10.
• The ratio is 60:40 for Union Territories (UTs) with legislatures, except for Jammu & Kashmir, where
it is 90:10. For UTs without legislatures, the GoI share is 100%.
Steps Taken by GoI to Ensure Effective Implementation of NILP
i.Using schools as the foundation, States/UTs conduct surveys of beneficiaries and volunteer teachers (VTs).
ii.The DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing) portal, developed by the National Council for
Educational Research and Training (NCERT), provides access to the teaching and learning resources.
iii.Under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, a lot of interventions have been made to facilitate it for girls to attend
school.
• In 2021–22, more than 8 lakh new girl students were enrolled.
During 2021-22, over 95.07 lakh teachers were employed in school education, with more than 51% being
female teachers.
MP’s Vidisha Becomes India’s 1st District for on-Ground Deployment of 5G Use Cases Offered
by Startups
Vidisha, an aspirational district of Madhya Pradesh(MP) becomes India’s first district for on-ground
deployment of 5G(fifth-generation) use cases offered by startups.
• This is a joint initiative by Vidisha District Administration and Centre for Development of Telematics
(C-DOT), Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, under the guidance
of V.L Kantha Rao, Additional Secretary (Telecom) & Administrator of Universal Service Obligation
Fund (USOF).
5G use case promotional pilot:
On 12th January 2023, during V.L Kantha Rao’s visit to Vidisha, the startups in collaboration with C-DOT
demonstrated the following 5G use cases,
• Superceuticals- 5G/4G Enabled smart health kiosk for measuring vitals & performing tests almost
instantaneously with
• Ambupod: 5G/4G Enabled Auto Ambulance with basic life safety support & measurement of vitals with
remote doctor support.
• LogyAI: Cataract Eye Screening application using smartphone for quick & effective screening of cataract
disease

• Easiofy: AR/VR-3D visualization application for Lung & Brain scans (CT/XRAY etc.) for effective
diagnosis.
• TechXR: AR/VR- 3D immersive experience kit for students for enhanced learning & teaching tool for
innovative teaching methods.
• BKC Aggregators: Fasal Salah App- personalized crop advisory for farmers to take informed decisions
and connect with Mandis/Traders, state subsidies/insurance for crops
• Dvara- Surabhi: Unique Biometric muzzle identity of cattle to be used by the state department and
insurance companies, and predicting health status of cattle to be used by dairy farmers
• C-DOT (R&D Arm of DoT): One stop platform integrating all the health suits enabling Tele consultation
and e-learning solution suits.
Key Points:
i.Under 5G use case promotional pilot, the above-mentioned use cases will be deployed at community and
district health centres model schools and Agri and Dairy Farmers skill development centres for 1 year. This
may be extended subsequently as per the need.
ii.These digital solutions will also be powered by BharatNet broadband to provide uninterrupted services to
user communities of Vidisha.
• DoT is front-ending the “5G use case promotional pilot” for deploying 5G/4G/IoT innovative solutions
of Startups & SMEs at Vidisha with a focus on Health, Agriculture, Diary, Education & Skill Development,
benefiting the Vidisha community.
iii.During the event, the purchase cum Service orders and agreements have been signed with C-DOT and 7
Startups in presence of the officials of the Ministry of Communications, C-DOT and Vidisha District
Administration at the Vidisha district Collectorate.
ICAI Releases the First-Ever Audit Standard for Sustainability Information

The Sustainability Reporting Standards Board (SRSB) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)
released Standard on Sustainability Assurance Engagements (SSAE) 3000, “Assurance Engagements on
Sustainability Information.”
• This audit standard for sustainability information is the first of its kind in the world, developed by
ICAI to assist its members in providing “reasonable or limited” assurance on such information by
reporting entities.
Note: Sanjeev Singhal is the Chairman of the Sustainability Reporting Standards Board (SRSB), ICAI.
Backdrop
i.This move is noteworthy as it is undertaken as the market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of
India (SEBI), considers conducting a “mandatory audit” of the Business Responsibility and Sustainability
Reporting (BRSR) reports that the top 1,000 listed companies are already required to include as part of their
annual reports for fiscal year 2022–23 (FY23).
• The SRSB of ICAI has been leading initiatives such as the sustainability reporting maturity model,
social audit standards, the BRSR certificate course, and so on.
ii.The Business Responsibility Reporting (BRR) requirement had been extended by SEBI in December 2019 to
include the top 1,000 listed companies by market capitalization for the fiscal year 2019–20 (FY20).
Social Audit Standards
i.The ICAI has now issued 16 Social Audit Standards (SAS) that will apply to social enterprises listed on the
social stock exchange.
• These social audit standards address themes including hunger, poverty, malnutrition, inequality,
healthcare, education, gender equality, and environmental sustainability, among others.
• The ICAI central council approved the framework of SAS and 16 such standards spanning 16
thematic areas in which social enterprises can operate in order to list on social stock exchanges in
October 2022.

ii.The ICAI has also established the Institute of Social Auditors of India (ISAI) as a Section 8 company to
regulate the profession of social audit.
iii.Social auditors registered with the Institute of Social Auditors of India (ISAI) are required to comply with the
16 SAS. These could be chartered accountants (CAs) or other individuals qualified to act as social auditors.
Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)
The ICAI is a statutory body formed by an Act of Parliament under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949. It acts
as the authority responsible for establishing national standards and accounting rules in India.
President – Debasish Mitra
Vice President – Aniket Talati
Defence Acquisition Council approves AoN of 3 acquisition proposals of IA & IN worth Rs

4,276cr
On January 10, 2022, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for three
capital acquisition – two of the Indian Army (IA) and one of the Indian Navy (IN) – proposals worth Rs 4,276
crore during a meeting under the chairmanship of Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence (MoD) in
New Delhi, Delhi.
• The three proposals, two of the IA and one of the IN, are under the Buy {Indian-IDDM (Indigenously
Designed, Developed and Manufactured)} category.
• This approval will strengthen India’s deterrence and combat readiness.
Approvals:
i.Procurement of HELINA (Helicopter based NAG) Anti-Tank Guided Missiles, launchers and associated support
equipment which will be integrated to the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH).
• This missile is an essential part of weaponization of ALH for countering enemy threats.
ii.Procurement of Very Short Range Air Defence System or VSHORAD (IR Homing) missile system in order
to focus on effective Air Defence weapon systems which can be deployed quickly in rugged terrain and
maritime domain, and to strengthen the Air Defence capabilities.
• It is designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
iii.Procurement of Brahmos Launcher and Fire Control System (FCS) for the Shivalik class of ships and Next
Generation Missile Vessels for the IN.
FSSAI notifies first-ever Regulatory Standards for Basmati Rice

For the first time in India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has formulated identity
standards for basmati rice (including brown basmati, milled basmati, parboiled brown basmati, and milled
parboiled basmati) through Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives)
First Amendment Regulations, 2023.
• These standards will be implemented from August 1, 2023.
• Basmati rice in the Himalayan foothills of the Indian subcontinent and is universally known for its long
grain size, fluffy texture and unique inherent aroma and flavour.
Aim behind this regulatory standards:
To establish fair practices in the trade of basmati rice and protect consumer interest at domestic and global
level.
What are the standards?
i.As per it, Basmati rice should possess its natural fragrance and should be free from artificial colouring,
polishing agents, and artificial fragrances.
ii.It should also specify various identity and quality parameters for basmati rice such as average size of grains
and their elongation ratio after cooking, maximum limits of moisture, amylose content, uric acid, defective or
damaged grains and incidental presence of other non-basmati rice etc.

Reason behind the Formulation of these Standards:
As basmati rice are of premium quality rice and fetch a price higher than the non-basmati varieties, it is prone
to adulteration for economic gains which may include, undeclared blending of other non-basmati varieties of
rice.
• In order to overcome this scenario, and to ensure supply of standardized genuine basmati rice in
domestic and export markets, FSSAI has notified regulatory standards for basmati rice.
India is committed to eliminating Lymphatic Filariasis by 2027

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Mansukh Mandaviya stated that India is committed to
eliminating Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) by 2027 three years ahead of the global target through mission mode,
multi-partner, multi-sector, targeted drive for which they have drawn up the roadmap.
Dr Mansukh Mandaviya chaired the National Symposium on India’s Roadmap to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis
(LF) at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, Delhi.
• Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) elimination is a priority illness with a deadline, in contrast to other
countries where it may be neglected.
Key Highlights:
i. The health ministry has developed a new five-pronged plan as part of its resolve to eradicate the disease by
the end of 2027.
• As part of its commitment to eliminate the disease, multi-drug administration (MDA) will be held
twice a year in conjunction with National Deworming Day on February 10 and August 10.
ii. Dr Mansukh Mandaviya highlighted that 133 districts in 20 states and Union Territories supply anti-filarial
drugs for free while calling for the “proper synergy of governmental effort and community change.”
iii. The national symposium’s launch of Enhanced Strategies for LF Elimination will serve as a precursor to the
pan-Indian MDA Campaign’s mission mode launch on February 10, 2023.
iv. The ministry will observe this day by conducting mass visibility campaigns at the national, state, district,
sub-district, and block levels to ensure that everyone has access to LF-preventing medications.
Other Aspects of the Strategy:
Early diagnosis and treatment; Engagement of medical colleges for strengthening morbidity management and
disability services; Integrated vector control with multi-sectoral coordinated efforts; Inter-sectoral
convergence with allied departments and ministries; Leveraging existing digital platforms for LF and exploring
alternative diagnostics.
Five Enhanced Strategies for Elimination of LF:
• Multi-drug administration (MDA) Campaign twice a year synchronized with National Deworming
Day (10th Feb and 10th August)
• Early diagnosis and treatment; engagement of medical colleges for strengthening Morbidity
management and disability (MMDP) services
• Integrated Vector Control with multi-sectoral coordinated efforts
• For inter-sectoral convergence with allied departments and ministries
• Leveraging existing digital platforms for LF and exploring alternate diagnostics
Asteria Aerospace’s A200-XT drone Receives DGCA Type Certification

Asteria Aerospace Limited, based in Bengaluru, Karnataka, has received the type certification for its
indigenously designed and manufactured A200-XT drone from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
• With this, Asteria becomes the 1st company to have 2 DGCA-certified drones that can be offered to
its customers for various applications like law enforcement, industrial security and infrastructure
inspections and agriculture and land survey.
• A200 XT drone is a versatile drone with payloads that can be swapped between a high resolution,
and high zoom day camera and night time thermal camera.

Asteria’s A200 becomes India’s 1st Micro Category Drone with DGCA Type Certification and is empanelled with
Survey of India for SVAMITVA Yojana.
• It is a cost-effective, micro-sized multirotor drone offering up to 40 minutes of flight time for
agriculture and GIS survey applications
India to be covered by the Doppler Weather Radar Network by 2025: Union Minister Jitendra
Singh
On the occasion of the 148th Foundation Day of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) (15th January
2023), Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (MoS) for Earth Sciences stated that India will be covered by
Doppler Weather Radar Network by 2025 to predict extreme weather events more accurately.
• This will enhance weather monitoring capabilities and benefit the farmers and other stakeholders to
contribute significantly to the economy.
• IMD has initiated pro-active steps to increase the Radar Network from 15 in 2013 to 37 in 2023 and
will add 25 more in the next 2-3 years.
• With the advent of the latest technologies in IMD, the weather prediction accuracy has increased by
about 20 to 40 % for different severe weather events forecast during the last 5 years.
During the event, He also dedicated 4 Doppler Weather Radar Systems for Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand
and Himachal Pradesh and also dedicated 200 Agro Automated Weather Stations to the Nation.
Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur joins Bhoomi Pujan of SAI-Railways NCOE in Coochbehar,
West Bengal
Anurag Singh Thakur, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports and Information and Broadcasting, joined the
Bhoomi Pujan of the first National Centre for Excellence(NCOE), in Coochbehar, West Bengal, being set up with
the joint partnership of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Indian Railways. The NCOE will be
instrumental in bringing about a big change in the sports ecosystem in North Bengal. This is the first-ever NCOE
set up by SAI in partnership with another organisation.
• The centre will be a platform of world-class training for athletes of the region as well as for athletes
from across India.
• The Indian Railways has provided 9.5 acres of land to set up the NCOE with facilities like a 400
meters synthetic track of international standard, a football ground, a multi-purpose hall for indoor
games (boxing, judo, wrestling, volleyball, badminton, basketball and others) and a 100 bedded
hostel. An international standard hockey synthetic turf is also planned.
The 23 NCOEs across India impart specialised training and playing facilities to elite and development-level
athletes in 14 priority and high-priority disciplines.
Bengaluru tops Start-up Funding in India with USD 10.8 Billion in 2022: Tracxn Data
According to data provided by Tracxn, a leading global market intelligence platform, Bengaluru (Karnataka)
topped the startup funding chart in India with $10.8 billion in 2022. It is followed by Mumbai (Maharashtra) at
USD 3.9 billion, and Gurugram (Haryana) at USD 2.6 billion.
• Startups in Delhi and Chennai (Tamil Nadu) registered USD 1.2 billion each in funding, and Pune
(Maharashtra) at $1 billion.
Key Points:
i.Byju’s has topped the list of highest funding raised in 2022 with over USD 1.2 billion from existing investors.
• This amounted to almost 50% of the total funding received in the edtech sector.
ii.There were 22 unicorns in 2022, compared to 46 in 2021, and average funding before the unicorn round was
around USD 160 million.
• It is now taking an average of 5.1 years from Series A funding to the Unicorn round for the Indian
startups.

iii.A total of 11 tech IPO (Initial Public Offering) were launched in 2022.
iv.LetsVenture, AngelList, and Y Combinator have topped the list of most active investors in 2022 to date.
About Tracxn:
Chairperson and Managing Director– Neha Singh
Headquarters– Bengaluru, Karnataka
GoI Switches Bonds Maturing in 2024 With RBI in Cash-Neutral Deal

i.The Government of India (GoI) has been conducting conversion/switch operations with market participants
as well as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in order to streamline its liability profile and promote market
development.
ii.The GoI entered into a conversion/switch transaction with the RBI on January 17, 2023 (settlement on
January 18, 2023), as part of these operations. Click here for official notification.
• The GoI bought back 6.18% bonds maturing in 2024 (FY 2024-25) worth Rs. 22,610 crore (USD 2.78
billion) at a price of Rs. 98.62, and it issued 8.28% 2032 bonds to the RBI worth Rs. 21,025.914 crore
at a price of Rs. 106.05.
• The transaction was processed using Financial Benchmarks India Pvt. Ltd. (FBIL) prices as of
January 16, 2023.
iii.Prior to this switch, the GoI had switched bonds worth more than Rs. 820 billion in FY23, falling short of its
target of Rs. 1 trillion. [1 USD = 81.2680 INR (Indian Rupee)]
Export Obligation relaxed for Hotel, Health, Education sectors under EPCG scheme
On January 20, 2023, the Central Government relaxed export obligation under the Export Promotion
Capital Goods (EPCG) scheme for the hotel, healthcare, and educational sectors.
Reason behind this Relaxation:
To help the above mentioned sectors to cope with the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their
export activities.
What is the relaxation?
i.For the years 2020-21 and 2021-22, these sectors will not be required to maintain average export
obligation for EPCG authorizations issued to them. They will also have the option to extend the export
obligation period for a longer duration, without having to pay any additional fees.
ii.The export period would be extended from the date of expiry for the duration equivalent to the number
of days the export obligation period falls between February 1, 2020, and March 31, 2022.
iii.This extension will be granted without payment of composition fees.
Key Points:
i.For EPCG authorizations issued for sectors other than Hotel, Healthcare and Educational, the export
obligation period may be extended for the number of days the existing export obligation period falls
between February 1, 2020, and July 31, 2021.
ii.This extension will be granted without payment of composition fees, but with a 5% additional export
obligation in value terms on the balance export obligation as on March 31, 2022.
About EPCG scheme:
Administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and governed by the Foreign Trade
Policy (FTP) of India, the EPCG scheme is a trade promotion scheme implemented by the Central
Government enabling duty-free import of capital goods for the purpose of export production in India.
• It aims to encourage the production of goods for export by providing import duty concessions
on capital goods.

Ministry of Consumer Affairs issues new Guidelines for Social Media Influencers
On January 20, 2023, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs unveiled guidelines ‘Endorsements Know-
hows!’ for social-media influencers, including celebrities and virtual avatars, for disclosing the
promotional content of the products or services they endorse and their material connections with those.
• Material connection with a brand covers monetary benefits, hotel stay, awards, employment
relationships, sweepstakes entries, and media barters.
The guidelines were briefed by the Union Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh during a press
conference in New Delhi, Delhi
Reason behind this Guideline:
For promotion activities, the use of social media has been increased. So in order to ensure influencers do
not mislead their audiences and to avoid unfair trade practices these guidelines have been framed in
accordance with the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
• These guidelines are also aligned with those given by the Advertising Standards Council of India
(ASCI).
Violation of Guidelines:
If there are any violations, the penalty prescribed for misleading advertisements under the Consumer
Protection Act 2019 will be applicable.
i.The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) can impose a penalty of up to Rs 10 lakh on
manufacturers, advertisers and endorsers and for repeated offences, a penalty of up to Rs 50 lakh can be
imposed.
ii.The CCPA can also prohibit the endorser of a misleading advertisement from making any endorsement
for up to one year and for subsequent contravention, prohibition can extend up to three years.
• They may go to jail for six months, which can be extended to two years.
Key Points:
i.The disclosures should be in simple and clear language, and should be of a duration that is “hard to miss”
ii.In the case of limited space platforms like Twitter, hashtags with short terms like “ad”, “sponsored”, and
“paid” are acceptable.
iii.The disclosures and endorsements should be in the same language and in live streams, disclosures
should be displayed continuously and prominently.
iv.In picture endorsements, disclosures should be superimposed on the image big enough for viewers to
notice them, whereas for video content, they should be placed in the video and not just in the description.
It should be in both audio and video formats.
v.In 2022, the size of the social-media influencer market in India was Rs 1,275 crore and by 2025, it was
likely to be Rs 2,800 crore with a compound annual growth rate of about 19-20 percent.
CCI approves Internal Reorganisation of Kalyani Group

On 19th January 2023, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the internal recognition of the
Kalyani Group’s companies. The deal has been cleared under the green channel route, an automated
approval scheme.
• A transaction is considered to be allowed under this framework after being intimated to the fair
trade authority if there is no risk of an appreciable adverse effect on competition.
• The current transaction entails the internal reorganisation of 9 Kalyani Group entities under a
scheme of amalgamation and arrangement entered between these entities.
The proposed combination is being pursued with the intention of simplifying the Kalyani Group’s
corporate ownership structure.

HCHF & Ladakh Tourism Dept organises Annual Ethnic Mamani Festival
On 21 January 2023, The Himalayan Cultural Heritage Foundation (HCHF) and Ladakh Tourism Department
organised the annual Ethnic Mamani festival at the 500 years old village, Styangkung, Barsoo Kargil [Jammu
and Kashmir (J&K)] and Chiktan Shagaran in Ladakh.
• Ethnic Mamani festival 2023 was organised in collaboration with the village Nyarpa committee and
in collaboration with Awaz the Voice, Muntazir Enterprises Kargil, Zee Enterprises Kargil, Shotopa
Traders, and Heritage Trials Ladakh.
• The old tradition of feeding deceased family members is where the history of the Mamani Festival
celebration in Ladakh originates.
• During Mamani, individuals traded food with their neighbours and relatives while also worshipping
a variety of spirits (Lha)
These celebrations have helped in the revival of more than 35 Kargil Ladakh cuisines.
Mangrove cultivation different from agriculture, will attract 18% GST: AAAR
As per the Appellate Authority for Advance Rulings (AAAR), the cultivation of mangroves is different from
agriculture and will not be exempted from the Goods and Services Tax (GST). It will attract 18% GST.
• With this, AAAR upheld the ruling of West Bengal Authority of Advance Ruling (AAR).
What was the case?
The applicant, who is engaged in developing mangrove seeds into seedlings in nurseries with an objective of
environmental protection against cyclones and tidal waves, had sought a ruling from the West Bengal AAR that
his activities be exempted from GST.
• The applicant stated that the Mangrove cultivation should come under 9986 heading, which covers
activities that support agriculture.
• The WBAAR ruled that the product may be treated under chapter heading 9994, which imposes 18%
GST.
• However, as per AAAR the activities by the applicant will be classified as ‘support services to agriculture,
forestry, fishing, animal husbandry’ only if it is related to the cultivation of plants and rearing of all life
forms of animals, except the rearing of horses, for food, fiber, fuel, raw material or other similar
products.
Therefore his services are not related to the cultivation of plants for food, fiber, fuel, raw material or other
similar products. None of the activities carried out by the appellant will be classified under the chapter heading
9986, which covers activities that support agriculture and hence liable for GST.
Note: Heading 9994 covers sewage and waste collection, treatment and disposal and other environmental
protection services as well.
GoI Introduces U-WIN to Digitize India’s Universal Immunization Programme

The Government of India (GoI) has launched U-WIN, a platform to digitize India’s Universal Immunization
Program (UIP) in a pilot mode in two districts from each State and Union Territory (UT).
• The GoI initiated this move due to the effectiveness of the Co-WIN platform, and replicated it in
establishing this digital registration for routine vaccinations.
All states and UTs have been notified of the U-WIN features and objectives for the pilot in 65 districts, and staff
and healthcare workers have been trained on all U-WIN modules.
U-WIN Platform
i.The U-WIN platform is a replica of Co-WIN, which was introduced in January 2021 in 65 districts and has
been the “digital backbone” for India’s COVID-19 immunization programme.
ii.The U-WIN platform will be used to register and vaccinate every pregnant woman, record the delivery
outcome, register every newborn delivery, administer birth doses, and conduct all subsequent vaccination
events.

• The platform will serve as the exclusive repository of information for immunization services, including
reporting on antigen-wise coverage, updates to vaccination status, and planning of routine
immunization (RI) sessions.
iii.All pregnant women and newborns will be digitally registered in order to provide customized tracking for
vaccination, reminders for next doses, and follow-up on dropouts.
Key Points:
i.Real-time data on vaccination coverage and routine immunization sessions will be generated by healthcare
workers and programme managers, enabling improved planning and distribution of vaccines.
ii.A vaccination acknowledgement and immunization card connected to an Ayushman Bharat Health Account
(ABHA) ID would be generated for pregnant women and children.
iii.All states and districts will have access to a common database to track and vaccinate beneficiaries.
iv.The U-WIN portal also enables citizens to search for and schedule appointments for nearby immunization
centers.
v.Beneficiaries will receive certificates immediately and can download them after the entire immunization
programme is digitized. These certificates will be stored in Digi-Lockers.
Universal Immunization Programme (UIP)
i.The UIP was first introduced as an ‘Expanded Programme of Immunization’ (EPI) by the Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) in 1978.
• It was renamed as ‘Universal Immunization Programme’ (UIP), when it got upgraded beyond the urban
regions in 1985. It is fully funded by the GoI.
• Through the UIP, the MoH&FW administers several vaccines to infants, children, and pregnant women.
ii.UIP is one of the world’s largest public health programmes, addressing roughly 2.7 crore newborns and 3.04
crore pregnant women each year, with over 1.2 crore immunization sessions carried out.
Under UIP, free immunization is provided against 12 vaccine preventable diseases.
• Nationally against 9 diseases: Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Measles, Rubella, severe form of
Childhood Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, Meningitis & Pneumonia caused by Hemophilus Influenza Type B.
• Sub-nationally against 3 diseases – Rotavirus diarrhoea, Pneumococcal Pneumonia, Japanese
Encephalitis (JE vaccine is provided only in endemic districts).
iii.The under-5 death mortality rate in India decreased from 45 per 1,000 live births in 2014 to 35 per 1,000
live births in 2019, making it the most cost-effective public health initiative.
Click here to know more about UIP
A Special Bulletin on Maternal Mortality in India 2018-20 was released by the office of the Registrar General
and Census Commissioner of India. As per it, the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) has declined from 130 per
lakh live births in 2014-16 to 97 per lakh live births in 2018-20.
About Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW):
Union Minister – Mansukh Mandaviya (Rajya Sabha Gujarat)
Minister of State (MoS) – Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar (Dindori, Maharashtra)
Central Govt. approves proposal for sale of 30 LMT of wheat under OMSS
On January 25, 2023, the Central Government approved a proposal to sell 30 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) of
wheat under the Open Market Sale Scheme- Domestic (OMSS-D) to control prices of wheat and wheat flour.
• This approval has been made amid rising prices of wheat.
• The offloading of 30 LMT wheat will be done by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) from the
Central pool stock to the market through various routes under OMSS-D.
Key Points:
i.FCI will start the process of E-auction of stocks immediately, throughout India from January to March 2023 i.e.
within 2 months.

ii.This offloading will have an immediate impact on containing the rising prices and will bring relief to the
common man.
iii.To address the rising price of wheat in India, a Group of Ministers headed by Union Minister Amit Shah,
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) discussed the buffer stock position and the following options to offload wheat
to the market were approved by the Committee of Ministers (CoM):
• Wheat will be offered to the Flour millers, Bulk Buyers etc through e-auction for a maximum
quantity of 3000 MT per buyer, per auction, from an FCI Region under e-auction.
• Wheat will also be offered to State Governments/UTs (Union Territories) for their schemes without
e-auction.
• Wheat will be offered at a concessional rate of Rs 2350/ Qtl to Govt PSUs (Public Sector
Undertakings)/cooperatives/Federations, Kendriya Bhandar, etc without e-auction.
• The sale under this special scheme will be subject to the stipulation that the buyer will convert
wheat to atta and offer it to the public at a Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of Rs. 29.50 per Kg.
Indian Railways Introduces “Ideal Train Profile” To Maximize Seat Occupancy

The Indian Railways has introduced the “Ideal Train Profile” to maximize capacity utilization and revenue
generation in reserved mail express trains by analyzing the demand pattern of each individual train on a
regular basis.
• The “Ideal Train Profile” is essentially a decision support tool for seat capacity optimization, as
there can be more than 5,000 different ticket-class combinations on a single train journey.
Pilot Project
i.The pilot project began on 7 zonal railways: The Eastern, Central, Northern, Southern, South Central,
Western, and West Central Railways.
• The pilot project has already been implemented in more than 200 Indian Railways trains.
ii.The facility is anticipated to improve confirmed seat availability and boost train occupancy by up to 5%.
iii.The modules were developed by an in-house team, led by R Gopalakrishnan of the Centre of Railway
Information Systems (CRIS), an organization under the Ministry of Railways.
• CRIS develops and maintains software for key areas of the Indian Railways.
Leveraging the “Ideal Train Profile” to Simplify Seat Allocation
i.The demand for accommodations fluctuates across all trains depending on a number of factors rather than
constantly following an end-to-end pattern.
• The factors include origin-destination pairs, timings, class of accommodation, and availability to
alternative trains or means of transportation.
ii.This problem is effectively overcome by allocating accommodation quotas based on the business need of
meeting demand for various origin-destination pairs.
• Historically, this has been done on the Indian Railways by analyzing historical data for a certain
train or other similar trains that operate along a specific route.
iii.By adopting the Ideal Train Profile utility, railway administrators in the passenger profile cells of various
zonal railways will have a decision-support tool that will help them perform seat distribution analytics on
trains faster.
• The periodic review of train quotas by zonal railways will be helpful in addressing the changing
demand mix due to holidays, seasonality, etc.
Meghalaya’s Shillong is set to host Space20 programme of G20 in April 2023

Meghalaya Governor BD Mishra, announced that as a part of the G20 (Group of 20) programme, Shillong,
the capital of Meghalaya, is set to host the Space 20 programme on 17th and 18th April 2023. The Space20
programme will discuss the contribution of the space partnerships to the economy of the countries.
• This is the continuation of the Space Economy leaders meeting held by the National Space Agencies
of G20 Countries in 2020.

• India has decided to host around 200 G20 meetings across India during its yearlong Presidency of
G20. India holds the Presidency of the G20 from 1st December 2022 to 30th November 2023.
This is initiated with an aim to make space economy a formal agenda item of G20 Summits.
3rd Edition of Interpol YGPLP begins in New Delhi; Aims to Build Public-Police Trust
On 25th January 2023, the 3rd edition of the Interpol Young Global Police Leaders Programme (YGPLP) began
in New Delhi, Delhi. The 9-day Interpol YGPLP will end on 2nd February 2023.
The theme of the 3rd Interpol YGPLP is “Trust”, which aims to build trust between public-police and also to
build trust factors between international police forces in the era of technology.
• Around 60 participants from 44 countries took part in the event, which is being organised by the
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
• During the programme, the participants will visit CBI Headquarters, Global Operations Center, Delhi
Police Headquarters, Maharashtra Police Headquarters and Mumbai Police Control Room.
The YGPLP is a unique INTERPOL initiative, established in 2019, that guides selected officers on the path to
international leadership.
• 2nd Interpol YGPLP was held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 13th to 17th March 2022
under the theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’(theme of Dubai Expo).
STATE NEWS
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Inaugurates Siyom Bridge in Arunachal Pradesh; Dedicates 28
BRO Infrastructure Projects Worth Rs. 724 Crore
On January 3, 2023, Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defense (MoD), dedicated to the nation 28
infrastructure projects of the Border Roads Organization (BRO) worth Rs. 724 crores in seven bordering
States/Union Territories (UTs), during an event held at the Siyom Bridge along the Along-Yinkiong Road in
Arunachal Pradesh.
• The Siyom Bridge, which is crucial from a strategic perspective, was physically inaugurated during
the event, while the other projects were virtually dedicated to the nation.
The 28 Infrastructure Projects of BRO
i.The projects include 22 bridges, including the Siyom Bridge, three roads, and three other projects in seven
bordering States/UTs in the Northern and North-Eastern region.
• These projects are distributed as follows: Eight in
Ladakh, Five in Arunachal Pradesh, Four in Jammu
and Kashmir, Three each in Sikkim, Punjab &
Uttarakhand, and Two in Rajasthan.
• These projects will significantly improve India’s
border infrastructure, especially along the Chinese
border, stretching from Ladakh to Arunachal
Pradesh.
ii.Three telemedicine nodes—two in Ladakh and one in
Mizoram—were also virtually inaugurated by the Defence Minister.
iii.With the inauguration of these 28 projects, which were completed in 2022, a total of 103 BRO infrastructure
projects worth Rs. 2,897 crore were dedicated to the nation in 2022.
• The Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also inaugurated 75 projects worth Rs. 2,173 crore from Shyok
village in Ladakh in October 2022.
• The BRO dedicated 102 such projects to the nation in 2021 at a cost of Rs 2,229 crore.

iv.During the event, Rajnath Singh also unveiled a ‘Compendium On New Technologies’ that includes the
latest advancements used by the BRO in building roads, bridges, airfields, and tunnel infrastructure to fight the
impacts of hostile, remote terrain and unfavourable weather.
Siyom Bridge, Arunachal Pradesh
The Siyom Bridge on the Along-Yinkiong Road in Arunachal Pradesh is a modern, 100-meter-long Class 70
steel arch superstructured Bridge that spans the Siyom River.
• The Siyom bridge will allow for faster induction of troops, heavy equipment such as howitzers, and
mechanised vehicles to forward regions of the Upper Siang district, Tuting, and Yinkiong regions
along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The Three Telemedicine Nodes: Two in Ladakh & One in Mizoram
The three telemedicine nodes will be linked to service hospitals using a Very Small Aperture Terminal
(VSAT) satellite communications (SatCom) system.
• It would offer fast medical care for medical and surgical crises, through telemedicine consultation
with experts in service hospitals using SATCOM VSAT communication.
• This is one of BRO’s remarkable efforts in providing medical treatment to its personnel in remote
border locations using space technology.
i.In November 2022, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi inaugurated 1st Greenfield Airport of Arunachal
Pradesh – Donyi Polo Airport in Itanagar with an aim to boost connectivity in the North-East region (NER).
ii.The airport is named “Donyi Polo” to reflect the traditions and rich cultural heritage of Arunachal Pradesh
and its indigenous reverence for the Sun (‘Donyi’) and the Moon (‘Polo’).
About the Border Roads Organization (BRO):
Director General Border Roads (DGBR) – Lieutenant (Lt.) General Rajeev Chaudhary
Assam Cabinet Grants Industry Status to the Tourism Sector in Assam

The Cabinet of Assam headed by Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister (CM) 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
• With industry status, fresh investments in tourism infrastructures will contribute to rapid employment
generation, public-private partnership and infrastructure development.
• This aims for sustainable and environmentally friendly investment besides capital formation and the
creation of gainful empsloyment.
TN Governor R N Ravi Inaugurates Octave 2023 – Northeastern Cultural Festival

Tamil Nadu(TN) Governor Ravindra Narayana Ravi(RN Ravi) Inaugurated the Octave 2023 – Northeastern
Cultural Festival held under the aegis of the South Zone Cultural Centre, (SZCC) Thanjavur, TN, under the
Union Ministry of Culture, to showcase the indigenous art and culture of North East India.
• Octave 2023 is being organised at the Open Auditorium, Bharatiya Vidyashram, Kilpauk, Chennai,
TN, from 3rd to 6th January 2023.
• Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh are among
the participating states.
Cyclone Mandous: Govt Approves Rs 28.11 crore for AP Tobacco Farmers

Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, approved Rs 28.11 crore to provide immediate relief
to over 28,000 flue-cured Virginia (FCV) Tobacco farmers affected by Cyclone Mandous in Andhra Pradesh
(AP). The fund extends a special interest-free loan of Rs 10,000 to each member of Tobacco Boards Growers
Welfare Schemes, which shall benefit around 28,112 farmers under the Southern Regions (Southern Light Soil
and Southern Black Soil) of AP.
• The interest-free loan to the eligible FCV Tobacco farmers will be administered by the Tobacco
Board, a statutory body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• FCV tobacco is a major commercial crop grown in 10 districts of AP with an annual production of
121 m.kg (2021-22) grown in an area of 66,000 ha. Out of the total unmanufactured tobacco exports
(excluding Tobacco Refuse), FCV tobacco exports accounted for 53.62 percent in terms of quantity
and 68.47 percent in terms of value during FY 2021-22.
The name, ‘Mandous’, was suggested by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in 2020 as a member of the World
Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
HP CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Launched Rs 101 crore CM’s Sukhashray Sahayata Kosh for the
Needy
On 1st January 2023, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister (CM) of Himachal Pradesh (HP), launched CM’s
Sukhashray Sahayata Kosh with an outlay of Rs 101 crore for higher education for needy children especially
orphans, destitute women and senior citizens with immediate effect.
• All 40 Congress Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) have agreed to deposit their first
month’s salary into the fund.
• The Government of Himachal Pradesh will cover the costs of their skill-development education,
higher education (engineering, medicine, and management), and vocational training, for destitute
children.
UP govt launched UP Global City campaign to make urban bodies on par with global standards
On 7th January 2023, The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Government launched a statewide 100-day ‘UP Global City’
campaign to transform the lifestyles of urban bodies of UP on par with global standards.
• The campaign was launched by Arvind Kumar Sharma, Minister of Urban Development, the
government of UP.
• The 100-day ‘UP Global City’ campaign has been launched in all 762 urban bodies of UP.
UP Global City
i. The campaign aims to improve cleanliness and air quality, ensuring proper garbage disposal, beautification
and installation of adequate signages on roads, to bring Up’s urban system up to par with global standards.
ii. In all of UP’s districts, campaign-related work will be done on a war footing to improve urban facilities and
beautify the cities.
Key Points:
i. The UP Global City campaign was launched ahead of the Global Investor Summit which will begin on 10th
February 2023 and conclude on 12th February 2023 in Lucknow, UP.
ii. The Global Investors Summit will be organised in UP in February 2023 and thousands of individuals,
including heads of state, diplomats, administrators, rulers, businesspeople, and other dignitaries, will attend G-
20 (Group of Twenty) events.
• Global Investors Summit, a 3-day long summit, will begin at Lucknow (UP) from 10 to 12 February
2023.
Other Campaigns:
In addition to ‘UP Global City’, other similar campaigns being carried out by the Uttar Pradesh government
include the Swachh Dhaba campaign, the Swachh Virasat Abhiyan, etc.
i. “Swachh Dhaba” Campaign, a 3-month programme, is being run from January to March 2023 for the purpose
of cleaning up dhabas, restaurants, hotels and other small ‘gumtis’ in UP.
ii. A door-to-door garbage collection campaign in Up will be launched from February 1 to March 31, 2023.
iii. On 21st January 2023, a marathon race will be organised in the context of the G-20 conference.

About Uttar Pradesh(UP):
Chief Minister (CM)- Yogi Adityanath
Governor- Anandiben Mafatbhai Patel
Wildlife sanctuaries- Suhelwa Wildlife Sanctuary.
Osmanabad District Court Becomes First Court in Maharashtra to Introduce E-system of

Functioning
On 8th January 2023, the Osmanabad District Court became the first court in Maharashtra to introduce an e-
system of functioning, under which, all the court-related work including filing, payment and other court
services can be done through the mobile app or through online mode.
• This E-system was inaugurated by the Bombay High Court, Aurangabad bench’s Judge and
Osmanabad Guardian Judge, Arun Pednekar.
The library of the court has also been converted into digital mode. The courts of all talukas of Osmanabad
district are working on the e-system and 500 lawyers in the district have already registered for the new e-
system.
Justice N Kotiswar Singh Appointed as Acting Chief Justice of Gauhati HC

On 10th January 2023 Justice Nongmeikapam Kotiswar Singh has been appointed as the acting Chief Justice
of the Gauhati High Court (HC), Assam and will take charge from 12th January 2023 after the retirement of
incumbent Chief Justice Rashmin Manharbhai Chhaya on 11th January 2023. A notification has been issued by
the Department of Justice, under the Ministry of Law.
Note – HC Judges retire at the age of 62 year, while the Supreme Court judges retire at the age of 65 years.
Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma launches Shared School Bus System & Agriculture Response
Vehicle Scheme
On 11th January 2023, Conrad K Sangma, Chief Minister (CM) of Meghalaya, flagged off 30 Shared School Bus
systems and unveiled Prime Tourist Vehicles and an agriculture response vehicle scheme at a function held at U
Soso Tham Auditorium, Shillong, Meghalaya.
Key Highlights:
i. The buses are part of the Sustainable Transport & Efficient Mobility Society (STEMS) programme, which
focuses on mobility and overall transportation to decongest Shillong, Meghalaya.
• The buses have a passenger information system and LED screens to display the routes, and they are
GPS-enabled for real-time tracking.
ii. The primary tourist vehicles are a step to enhance the overall tourism sector, offer quality transportation
services to tourists, and at the same time provide employment opportunities for local entrepreneurs.
iii. The Meghalayan government provides financial aid to tourism entrepreneurs so they can buy premium
tourist vehicles.
iv. The Meghalaya Agriculture Response Vehicle Scheme, which was recently launched, would reduce the
amount spent on the transportation of agricultural produce by the farmers by providing them with financial
support for the purchase of “Agriculture Response Vehicles” under the scheme.
• This initiative will provide the state’s rural entrepreneurship ecosystem.
v. The transport department will be enlisted to run and maintain the buses while the National Informatics
Centre (NIC) will develop a mobile application and website for tracking and booking the buses.
vi. The Meghalaya Skills Development Society will provide training for drivers and caretakers of the buses.
About Meghalaya:
Chief Minister (CM)- Conrad K Sangma
Governor- Brig. (Dr.) B D Mishra (Retd.)
Capital- Shillong
Wildlife Sanctuary- Siju Wildlife Sanctuary; Narpuh Wildlife Sanctuary

UP Attracts Investments Worth Rs 76,867 Crore Ahead of UPGIS 2023
The Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) has received investment offers worth Rs. 76,867 crore from across India
and signed 79 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit
(UPGIS) 2023.
• UPGIS 2023 is the flagship investment summit of the Government of Uttar Pradesh and it is set to
take place in Lucknow (UP) from February 10 to 12, 2023.
Backdrop
• The proposals and MoUs were signed during the Lucknow Roadshow held on the initiative of Nand
Gopal Gupta Nandi, Minister of Industrial Development, UP.
• The UP government intends to develop the state into a USD 1 trillion economy.
Key Points:
i. Investors from various Indian states made bids for large
investments at the Lucknow Roadshow. The investors include
• City Gold Corporation signed MoUs worth Rs. 26,000
crore to establish cement and ethanol projects in UP.
• Nexon Energia has signed a MoU for Rs. 15,000 crore
to develop a green energy facility in UP.
• Sanjay Singhania of Haldiram Group inked an MoU for
Rs 1,310 crore.
• Kamlesh Jain of Varun Beverages inked an MoU worth Rs 3,400 crore.
• ML Jaiswal of the DS Group inked an MoU worth Rs. 3,000 crore.
• Nidan Diagnostic Center signed an MoU worth Rs. 750 crore.
• Dharampal Satyapal signed an MoU worth Rs 900 crore.
• Kent RO System has inked an MoU worth Rs 500 crore.
ii.In addition, almost four dozen online and offline MoUs worth Rs. 50 crore- Rs. 500 crore were signed.
iii.At the roadshow, investors from Delhi, Bengaluru, Noida, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Odisha, Kanpur, Shamli,
Lucknow, Chhatarpur, and Mumbai signed MoUs both online and offline.
REC Inks 3 Strategic MoUs in Backdrop of MP Global Investors Summit 2023
REC Limited (formerly Rural Electrification Corporation Limited), a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise
(CPSE) under the Ministry of Power, signed strategic MoUs in the backdrop of the “Invest Madhya Pradesh
Global Investors Summit 2023.”
Invest Madhya Pradesh Global Investors Summit 2023 (7th Edition)
i.Madhya Pradesh (MP) hosted the Invest Madhya Pradesh—Global Investors Summit 2023 (7th edition) in
Indore, MP, on January 11-12, 2023.
ii.The “Invest Madhya Pradesh—Global Investors Summit” is the flagship biennial investment promotion event
of the Department of Industrial Policy and Investment Promotion, Government of MP.
iii.More than 314 companies attended the summit, which attracted interest on both the national and
international levels.
Key Points:
i.First MoU: MP Power Management Company Limited (MPPMCL) & REC Limited.
• Purpose: REC agreed to provide Rs. 15,086 crores in financial support for upcoming Sarani and
Amarkantak thermal power projects, system improvement, technology upgrades, renovation and
modernization projects, etc.
ii.Second MoU: Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Ltd. (RUMSL) & REC Limited.
• Purpose: REC agreed to provide financial support of Rs. 1,000 crores for renewable energy projects.
• The projects include the development of renewable energy parks or projects, as well as related
infrastructure, such as power evacuation.
iii.The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has authorised RUMSL as a Solar Power Park Developer
(SPPD) to develop large solar parks in MP.

iv.MP intends to generate 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by the fiscal year (FY) 2024, 30% by FY
2027, and 50% by FY 2030.
v.Third MoU: World Bank (WB) & REC Limited.
• REC Limited has designed a financing facility for select state-owned power distribution companies
(DISCOMs) in collaboration with the WB.
• This REC-WB programme will provide a total of USD 1 billion in funding.
• REC committed Rs. 5,000 crores to MP DISCOMs under this umbrella to strengthen distribution
reforms.
In November 2022, REC Limited signed an MoU with Power Finance Corporation Ltd (PFC), according to the
Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) Performance Evaluation System for FY 2022–23 for Central Public
Sector Enterprises (CPSEs).
About Uttar Pradesh (UP):
Chief Minister (CM) – Yogi Adityanath
Governor – Anandiben Patel
Zoological Park – Shaheed Ashfaq Ullah Khan Prani Udyan; Sarnath Deer Park
Airports – Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport; Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport
About Madhya Pradesh (MP):
Chief Minister (CM) – Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Governor – Mangubhai Patel
National Parks – Panna National Park; Pench National Park
Wildlife Sanctuaries (WLS) – Gangau Wildlife Sanctuary; Ghatigaon wildlife sanctuary
IAS officer A Santhi Kumari Appointed as 1st Woman Chief Secretary of Telangana
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao appointed Senior Indian Administrative Officer (IAS) officer A
Santhi Kumari (1989 batch) as the first woman Chief Secretary of Telangana for a tenure until April 2025.
• She will succeed the incumbent Somesh Kumar, after the Department of Personnel and Training
(DoPT) relieved him from the post and repatriated him to his home cadre Andhra Pradesh(AP).
• Prior to her appointment, She was serving as the Special Chief Secretary for Environment and
Forests.
RailTel Gets Rs. 170.11 Crore Work Order for Puducherry Smart City Project
RailTel Corporation of India Ltd. (RailTel), a Mini Ratna (Category I) Public Sector Unit (PSU) under the
Ministry of Railways, has obtained a work order from the Department of Revenue and Disaster
Management of the Government of Puducherry for design, develop, supply, instal, test, commission, and
operations and maintenance for a period of 5 years.
• The project involves setting up an Integrated Command Control Center (ICCC) and other related
activities for the Puducherry Smart City Area.
• The total estimated value of the work order is Rs. 170.11 crore [including Goods and Services Tax
(GST)], and the project would be finished in 10 months.
RailTel was selected through competitive bidding, and it is the first smart city project of the Puducherry
government.
Key Points
i.In addition to ICCC, the project comprises Data Center Disaster Recovery (DC-DR), On-Street Parking
Management, Intelligent Traffic Management System, Creation of an online/mobile-based platform to help
tourists and visitors, City-level application and Smart Dashboard, Smart Kiosks, Smart Poles with CCTV, Wi-Fi,
Air Quality Monitoring, Digital Billboards, and other components.
• On-street parking systems allow users to reserve a parking space in advance, pay, and extend their
stay without having to return to their vehicle.

• DC-DR is the organizational plan for resuming operations after an unanticipated event that damages
or destroys data, software, and hardware systems.
• The Intelligent Traffic Management System uses intelligent cameras on the roads to recognize
vehicle numbers and send this information to the central system to track the cars in the city.
ii.Smart City centres also provide technical assistance in guaranteeing improved street safety for women,
environmental sensitivity, faster response times, and better preparedness for emergencies and disasters.
iii.Several cities where the ICCC was implemented became cleaner as a result of CCTV surveillance of cleaning
activity.
About RailTel Corporation of India Ltd (RailTel):
RailTel was founded with the objective of creating a nationwide broadband, telecom, and multimedia network,
and also modernising the train control operation and safety system of Indian Railways. It offers virtual private
network (VPN) and broadband services.
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) – Sanjai Kumar
Incorporated – September 26, 2000
J&K declared as ‘Free Area’ for purposes of Prevention and Control of Infectious and
Contagious Diseases in Animals Act, 2009
Government of Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) has declared the Whole Union Territory (UT) as “Free Area” for
purposes of the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act, 2009.
The declaration has been made in the exercise of powers conferred by sub-section (5) of section 6 of the
Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals (PCICDA) Act, 2009, and in
supersession of notification dated 5th September 2022, after the government of J&K on being satisfied that no
cases of lumpy skin disease (LSD) have been reported from any district of Union Territory of J&K.
MoA&FW approves ‘Apple Cluster’ for Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian

On 19th January 2023, the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) approved an “Apple
Cluster” for the Shopian district, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), under the Cluster Development Programme.
• The approval was announced during a daylong conference on the “India Cold Chain Conclave”,
organised by the MoA&FW in association with the PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PHDCCI)
and National Center for Cold Chain Development (NCCD), in New Delhi, Delhi.
• The apple cluster of Shopian envisions the development of Shopian apple on 3 verticals including
pre-production-production, post-harvest management and value addition and logistics, marketing
and branding to make it globally competitive.
The project’s estimated cost is Rs 135.23 crore, of which the MoA&FW will contribute roughly Rs 37.05 crore as
a grant-in-aid. It is expected to be implemented in 4 years.
Himachal Pradesh Targets to be 1st ‘Green Energy State’ by 2025

Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister(CM) of Himachal Pradesh(HP) announced that Himachal Pradesh
targets to become the “first Green Energy State” by the end of 2025. This will be achieved by harnessing
hydro, hydrogen and solar energy and switching on to green products that enhance the premium and
advantage in export.
Key Points:
i.The CM also directed all the concerned departments including, Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board
Ltd, (HPSEBL), Himachal Pradesh Energy Development Agency (HIMURJA), Himachal Pradesh Power
Corporation Limited (HPPCL) and Department of Energy, to initiate action in this direction and make
policy changes, wherever required.
ii.He also recommended opening all the solar power projects(SPP) up to 5 MW capacity for allotment.

iii.The government is set to invest in Solar plants and will install 500 MW Solar projects during the year
2023-24. 200 MW of this would be installed by HPPCL.
iv.CM noted that the Solar projects up to 150 MW capacity would be installed by HIMURJA through private
participation. The capacity of the projects will range from 250 KW to 1 MW
Points to note:
i.CM has also directed HIMURJA to develop a mechanism by seeking royalty for solar projects above 3 MW
capacity to ensure that the government of HP gets financial benefits.
ii.HIMURJA has been directed to ensure a 5% premium for HP in each solar power project up to 5MW and
10% for projects of more than 5MW.
iii.HPPCL has been directed to appoint a consultant for the preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR)
within 10 days.
iv.Department of Energy and HPPCL will be identifying the sites in other states where the land is available
at discounted rates for installation of the Mega Solar Plant.
v.CM also reviewed the progress of Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) and Kishau Dam Project 660
(MW).
About Himachal Pradesh:
Chief Minister– Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu
Governor– Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar
Wildlife Sanctuary– Bandli Wildlife Sanctuary; Chail Wildlife Sanctuary
UNESCO heritage site– Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area; Mountain Railways of India
Ladakh LG RK Mathur launched 14-digit ULPIN in Ladakh

R K Mathur, Lieutenant Governor(LG) of the Union Territory(UT) of Ladakh, launched a 14-digit Unique
Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) in Ladakh. The initiative was welcomed by both hill councils of
Kargil and Leh.
• The ULPIN would support the digitisation of land records and also reach a conclusive land
titling.
• The LG termed ULPIN as a “game changer” and the next step in ‘SVAMITVA’(Survey of Villages
and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) for digitisation and computerisation
of land revenue records.
ULPIN, a part of the Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP), is a Single,
Authoritative Source of Truth for information on any parcel of land or property to provide Integrated Land
Services to the citizens as well as all stakeholders.
Jharkhand Agriculture Minister Badal Patralekh launches Water Conservation Scheme with Rs
467.32 crore Outlay
On 21st January 2023, Jharkhand Agriculture Minister Badal Patralekh launched a water conservation scheme
with an outlay of Rs 467.32 crore to aid farmers in Jharkhand, which endured drought in 2022.
Key Points:
i. Under the Water Conservation Scheme, 2,133 ponds will be renovated and 2,795 percolation tanks will be
constructed in all the blocks of 24 districts of Jharkhand.
• Percolation Tank- An artificially created surface water body to recharge groundwater storage.
ii. Badal Patralekh laid the foundation for the renovation of 184 percolation tanks and 71 ponds.
iii. Jharkhand Government received 31.33 lakh applications from drought-hit farmers, and 8.5 lakhs have
already received financial assistance.
iv. The government’s effort is to provide Rs 1,200 crore as relief to 30 lahks drought-affected farmers soon.

Additional info:
In October 2022, the government declared 226 of the 260 blocks of Jharkhand as “drought-affected” zones and
decided to provide a cash relief of Rs 3,500 to each farmer’s family.
About Jharkhand:
Chief Minister (CM)- Hemant Soren
Governor- Ramesh Bais
National Park- Betla National Park
Wild Life Sanctuary- Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary, Lawalong Wildlife Sanctuary
Odisha Cabinet Approved: Inclusion of 22 castes under SEBC, 9 Piped Water Supply Projects
Odisha cabinet headed by the state’s Chief minister (CM) Naveen Patnaik has cleared the inclusion of 22 castes/
communities in the state list of Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC).
• Objective: To extend all social welfare measures and benefits to SEBCs for their inclusive growth
and development.
Key Points:
i.The inclusion of Backward Classes in the State list of SEBCs was made by approving the Amendment of the
Odisha State Commission for Backward Classes (OSCBC) Act, 1993 by inserting subsection 3 under Section – 9.
ii.The 22 castes/communities along with their synonyms, have already been included in the central OBC list,
and now they were included in the Odisha SEBC list.
iii.The 22 castes are – Badhei, Bindhani, Bindani, Baraji, Baroi, Sankhua Tanti, Gola Tanti, Lajya Nibaran, Hansi
Tanti, Kapadia, Gandhamali, Thanapati, Pandara Mali, Paniar Mali, Pandaria, Oda-Khandayat, Bayalisha Oda,
Oda Paika, Oda Paiko, Haladia Teli and Kalandi.
iv.Provisions under the Indian Constitution:
• Article 15(4) : It enables the State Governments to make any special provisions for the
advancement of any Socially and Educationally Backward Classes of citizens.
• Article 46: It enables the State Governments to promote, with special care, the educational and
economic interests of the weaker sections of the people and shall protect them from social injustice
and all forms of exploitation.
Note: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai stated about the request made by Maharashtra,
Odisha, Bihar, and a few organisations to the Central government for including caste details in the upcoming
Census.
-Odisha Cabinet Approved 9 piped water supply projects worth over Rs 1,287 crore
i.Odisha Cabinet also approved 9 piped water supply projects worth over Rs 1,287 crore in three districts to
provide safe drinking water.
• 2 projects worth Rs 254.66 crore in Jajpur.
• 3 projects with an outlay of Rs 393.93 crore in Nayagarh.
• 4 mega piped water supply projects at Rs 639.26 crore under the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ in tribal-
dominated Malkangiri.
ii.The cabinet also approved the proposal regarding grants for government-aided college employees.
iii.Approval was also made to allot two acres of land for Bagchi-Sri Shankara Cancer Care Centre and Research
Institute.
The Make in Odisha Conclave 2022 (3rd edition), a biennial global investors’ meet and the flagship investor
summit of the Government of Odisha, took place in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, from November 30 to December 4,
2022.
About Odisha:
Governor – Ganeshi Lal
Heritage Site – Konark Sun Temple
Festival – Utkala Divas, Kalinga Mahotsav

Delhi LG launches ‘100 Days to Beat Plastic’ Campaign by MCD
Delhi Lieutenant Governor(LG) V K Saxena launched a thematic 100-day campaign, “100 Days to Beat Plastic’,
led by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), during an event held in Baansera in Sarai Kale Khan, Delhi.
The campaign aims to make areas under the municipal corporation free of plastic.
• The campaign will end on 22nd April 2023, which marks International Earth Day 2023.
• He also unveiled the mascot of the campaign – Nivaran Dadi.
100 Days to Beat Plastic campaign:
i.Under the 100 Days to Beat Plastic campaign, the MCD has planned various events which includes, inspections
of all shops and markets, seizing banned single-use plastic, plogging drives with the brand ambassador,
distribution of cloth bags, opening of more number of ‘Vikalp’ stores and outreach events to combat single use
plastic.
ii.Under this campaign, the municipal corporation will also promote segregation at the source and doorstep
pickup of plastic in each ward.
iii.As a part of this campaign, the authorities will conduct an inspection of every shop, factory and commercial
enterprise, and stickers of declaration of single-use plastic-free area (SUP-free area
iv.Through this campaign, the MCD targets to make all parks in the city SUP-free.
v.The name boards made of shredded plastic will be used in all civic parks and an appropriate number of
dustbins will be installed there.
Key Points:
i.Delhi generates around 11,000 tonnes of waste daily, out of which nearly 10% is plastic waste.
ii.Due to the lack of any alternatives to plastics, the government faces issues in implementing the ban on single
use plastic.
iii.Public Health Department of MCD is set to modify the terms of the license to include the no usage of SUP
with a focus on plastic cutlery at hotels, eateries and restaurants.
iv.The government will provide instructions for prohibiting the use of SUPs on the mall premises.
Note:
• LG highlighted that the Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and market traders associations have
taken the initiative to make Delhi a plastic-free city.
• LG stated that the government of Delhi has declared 120 RWAs or Gated housing societies (GHSs) as
Zero waste colonies.
About Delhi:
Chief Minister(CM)– Arvind Kejriwal
Lieutenant Governor(LG)- V K Saxena
Stadium- Arun Jaitley Stadium; Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Festivals-Bhai Dooj Festival; Chhat Festival
J&K Govt Launches Rs 879-Crore Food Processing Project to Transform Lives of Farmers
The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government has launched an ambitious project “UT Level Food Processing
Programme for Development of Clusters for Specific Products of J&K”, at a financial outlay
of Rs 879.75 crore targeted to revolutionise the food processing sector and transform the lives of farmers in
the UT.
• The project also includes a grant-in-aid of Rs 293.25 crore (33.33 percent) and a debt-equity of Rs
586.50 crore to be raised by entrepreneurs.
• This initiative aims to maximise farmer income and minimise post-harvest losses.
About the project:
i.The project is one among the 29 projects, which were approved by the J&K administration after being
recommended by the UT Level Apex Committee for holistic development of Agriculture and allied sectors in UT
of J&K.
ii.This has been designed to increase the competitiveness of 7 identified products across categories including

cost, quality, branding, and sustainability within 5 years. Meanwhile, the government is investing in value
addition, logistics, marketing and branding of various agricultural, horticultural and livestock products to
achieve the goal.
iii.The project will focus on developing 17 districts in J&K with the establishment of processing and marketing
infrastructure, providing growth and development opportunities to stakeholders, and facilitating suitable
economies of scale in production and post-harvest activities.
iv.The project will create around 7030 direct jobs and establish about 34 enterprises with expected revenue
generation to the tune of Rs 1,436.04 crore every year.
About Jammu & Kashmir (J&K):
Lieutenant Governor – Manoj Sinha
Wildlife Sanctuaries – Overa-Aru Wildlife Sanctuary, Nandini Wildlife Sanctuary
Airport – Srinagar International Airport (Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport), Jammu airport (Satwari
Airport)
India International Science Festival 2022 held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh – 21st to 24th
January 2023
The India International Science Festival (IISF) 2022, a 4-day festival, was held from 21st to 24th January 2023
at the Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The IISF 2022 marks
the 8th edition of IISF since its inception in 2015.
On 21st January 2023, IISF 2022 was jointly inaugurated by Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Chief Minister (CM) of
Madhya Pradesh and Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister for Science & Technology.
• The theme of the IISF 2022 is “Marching towards Amrit Kaal with Science, Technology, and
Innovation”.
• IISF is an initiative of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Earth Science,
Government of India (GoI), in association with Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA).
• There were 15 important events organised in the 4-day science festival, like the Student Science
Village, Mega Start-ups Expo, and NATS Exhibition/ Innovation Showcase.
HDFC donates Rs 5 cr to Uttarakhand CM for Kedarnath Utthan Charitable Trust

On 21st January 2023, HDFC Bank Limited donated Rs 5 crore to Uttarakhand Chief Minister (CM) Pushkar
Singh Dhami for the Kedarnath Utthan Charitable Trust.
Bakul Sikka, the Circle Head of the HDFC Bank, and Gaurav Jain, the Head of Government Relations, were also
present on the occasion.
• Pushkar Singh Dhami informed that as many as 270 families have been shifted to different locations
so far.
• 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.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Announces Monthly Allowance for Unemployed

On the occasion of the 74th Republic Day of India, (26th January 2023), the Chief Minister (CM) of
Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel, announced that the unemployed youth of Chhattisgarh will be given a monthly
allowance from FY 23-24.
• The allowance to unemployed youths was one of the key promises made by Congress ahead of the
2018 Assembly polls.
• He also announced the formulation of a rural industry policy to strengthen the cottage industry-
based rural economy.

• He also made few other announcements including, setting up of an aerocity near Raipur airport,
housing assistance scheme for labourers and a scheme to promote women entrepreneurship.
Key Points:
i.An aerocity will be developed near the Swami Vivekananda Airport, Raipur, to enhance passenger facilities,
commercial development of the airport area and employment generation.
ii.Construction workers registered with the Chhattisgarh Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare
Board for a period of 3 years will be given a grant of Rs. 50,000 for building their own houses.
iii.The formulation of a rural industry policy will strengthen the cottage industry-based rural economy, and
also increase employment along with the income of people in rural areas.
Highlights:
i.An aid of Rs. 10,000 will be provided every year to each gram panchayat for organising festivals of tribal
communities in the tribal-dominated Bastar and Surguja divisions and scheduled areas of the state from FY
2023-24.
ii.Also, Chhattisgarh State Innovation Commission will be constituted with an aim to promote innovation for
the development of the state, he said.
iii.A river front will be developed along the Kharun river which flows on the outskirts of capital Raipur
bordering Durg district.
About Chhattisgarh:
Governor – Anusuiya Uikey
Chief Minister (CM) – Bhupesh Baghel
National Parks – Indravati (Kutru) National Park, Kanger Valley National Park
Wildlife Sanctuaries – Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary, Badalkhol Wildlife Sanctuary
Delhi CM Launched Realtime Pollution Factors Gathering Mechanism

Delhi’s Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal launched mechanisms such as a real-time source
apportionment ‘supersite’ and a mobile air quality management van to collect pollution data in real-time to
identify factors that are responsible for increasing air pollution at any place in Delhi.
• Through this initiative, Delhi has become the first city in the country to get a real-time source
segmentation of air pollution.
• The super site facility is located at Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya premises near ITO (Income Tax Office).
• The project has been initiated by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) in collaboration
with IIT(Indian Institute of Technology) Kanpur, IIT Delhi, and TERI (The Energy and Resources
Institute).
• The pollution forecasts from the super site will also help the government in taking policy decisions
to combat pollution.
About Delhi:
Festival – Bhai Dooj Festival, Chhat Festival
Stadium – Arun Jaitley Stadium (Previously known as ‘Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium’), Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
GOVT SCHEMES
GoI Introduces New Integrated Food Security Scheme for 2023
The Government of India (GoI) has introduced a new Integrated Food Security Scheme beginning January 1,
2023, to supply free food grains to more than 81.35 crore beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act
(NFSA).
• According to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Food and Public Distribution (MoCA, F&PD), the
scheme will also ensure effective and uniform enforcement of the NFSA.
The decision was made by the Union Cabinet, which is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Backdrop
i.The Union Cabinet resolved to introduce a new Central Sector Scheme (CSS) to support the most vulnerable
67% of the population, i.e., the 81.35 crore people covered under the NFSA.
• This will fulfill the vision of One Nation – One Price – One Ration.
ii.The GoI has a social and legal obligation to provide a dignified life for the people of the country by assuring
them access to food and nutritional security through the provision of an adequate supply of quality food grains.
New Integrated Food Security Scheme
i.The new integrated scheme will subsume two present food subsidy schemes run by the Department of Food
and Public Distribution (DFPD), MoCA and F&PD. They are:
• Food Subsidy to Food Corporation of India (FCI) for NFSA
• Food Subsidy for Decentralized Procurement States, which deals with procuring, allocating, and
delivering free food grains to the states under the NFSA
ii.The scheme will reinforce the provisions of the NFSA (2013) in terms of accessibility, affordability, and
availability of foodgrain for the poor and vulnerable segments of society.
Implementation of the Scheme
i.Under the scheme, the GoI will distribute free foodgrains to all NFSA beneficiaries, including Antyodaya Anna
Yojana (AAY) households and Priority Household (PHH) people, for 2023 through a network of 5.33 lakh Fair
Price Shops (FPS) across India.
• Fair Price Shops (FPS), also known as “Ration Shops” in rural and urban areas, are stores that
provide substantial subsidies on essential food commodities.
ii.Free foodgrains will ensure uniform implementation of portability under ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’
(ONORC) across India, thereby strengthening this choice-based platform.
• The GoI will incur a food subsidy of more than Rs. 2 lakh crore in 2023.
• The new scheme aims to improve food security under the NFSA at the beneficiary level by bringing
uniformity and transparency.
India’s G20 Presidency & Food Security at the G20
i.India holds the Presidency of the Group of Twenty (G20) from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023.
ii.The theme for India’s G20 Presidency is “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” which refers to “One Earth, One
Family, One Future. It is taken from the Maha Upanishad, an ancient Sanskrit text.
iii.The G20 Presidency for India also signifies the onset of “Amritkaal,” the 25-year period starting on August
15, 2022, the 75th anniversary of its independence, leading up to the 100th anniversary of its independence.
iv.India is looking forward to combating hunger and the food crises during its G20 presidency.
• It emphasises climate-smart agriculture, developing inclusive value chains and food systems, digital
transformation in agriculture, and global food security and nutrition.
v.The first meeting of the Development Working Group (DWG) under India’s G20 presidency was held in
December 2022 at Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• The DWG meeting focused on India’s key priorities, including increasing progress on the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE), and data for development.
Note: The “Matera Declaration,” adopted by the G20 Foreign Ministers in Italy in June 2021, urged the
international community to step up efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on people’s lives and
livelihoods.
Priorities of India as G20 President in the Areas of Agriculture & Food Security
i.By 2030, more than 840 million people are expected to be affected by hunger.
• Eradication of hunger by 2030 is one of the objectives of SDG.
ii.Over 81 crore 35 lakh individuals have received 5 kg of foodgrains every month, and India has shipped over
1.21 lakh metric tonnes of foodgrains as humanitarian food assistance to Afghanistan, Bhutan, Madagascar,
Mozambique, the Comoros, and Timor-Leste.
• More than 11 crore 18 lakh metric tonnes of foodgrains were allocated to all 36 States/Union
Territories (UTs) under the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.

iii.India is also supporting organic farming and the revival of nutritious, traditional grains.
• In response to India’s effort, the United Nations (UN) passed a resolution designating 2023 as
the International Year of Millet with the support of more than 70 countries from around the
world.
i.In November 2022, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi revealed the logo, theme, and website for India’s G20
presidency.
ii.The G20 logo features a lotus, the national flower of India, painted in the tricolour (saffron, white, & green)
and blue, together with an image of the Earth. The word “Bharat” is written in Devanagari script under the
G20 logo.
About the Group of Twenty (G20):
The G20 is the leading forum for economic cooperation on a global scale.
G20 Members: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the
Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom (UK), the United
States (US) and the European Union (EU).
Ministry of Minority Affairs Discontinues Padho Pardesh Scheme

The Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) has discontinued the ‘Padho Pardesh – Scheme of Interest Subsidy
On Educational Loans for Overseas Studies for The Students Belonging to The Minority Communities’.
• The scheme was implemented by Canara Bank, which served as the scheme’s designated nodal
bank, and will be phased out in 2022-23.
According to MoMA’s most recent annual report, Canara Bank received an amount of Rs. 20.20 crore to
reimburse interest subsidies paid to fresh plus renewal candidates under the Scheme during the fiscal year
2020–21 (FY21).
Key Points:
i.The Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) notified all banks in December 2022 that the Padho Pardesh Interest
Subsidy Scheme would be phased out during 2022-23.
ii.Existing beneficiaries (as on March 31, 2022) will remain entitled to the interest subsidy during the
moratorium period of the loan, subject to compliance with the existing guidelines.
iii.On December 11, 2022, MOMA notified that the “Maulana Azad National Fellowship” (MANF) scheme has
also been discontinued since it overlaps with various other government schemes for higher education.
Padho Pardesh Scheme
The Padho Pardesh Scheme was launched in June 2006 as part of the Prime Minister’s 15-point program. Dr.
Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister of India in 2006.
• Objective: To provide an interest subsidy to meritorious students from economically weaker
sections (EWS) of notified minority communities.
It was designed to improve their employability and give them better prospects for higher education, such as
Masters, M.Phil., and Ph.D. levels abroad.
Features of the Scheme
i.The Government of India covered the interest payable by students availing education loans under the IBA’s
Education Loan Scheme for the term of moratorium (that is, the course period + one year or six months after
getting a job, whichever is earlier).
ii.After the completion of the moratorium period, the student is required to pay interest on the remaining loan
amount in accordance with the current Educational Loan Scheme.
• Principal and interest will be paid by the candidate after the moratorium has expired.
iii.According to the scheme, only candidates (both employed and unemployed) with a total yearly income of
less than Rs. 6 lakh are eligible for the interest subsidy.
iv.The scheme also reserves 35% of the seats for women.
If no female students are available, seats can be transferred to male students.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
UNSC adopts first-ever resolution on Myanmar, demanding end to violence and release of
political prisoners
The United Nations Security Council(UNSC) adopted its first resolution on Myanmar in 74 years to demand an
end to violence and urge the military junta to release all political prisoners, including former leader Aung San
Suu Kyi.
• Myanmar has been in crisis since the army seized Suu Kyi’s elected government on Feb. 1, 2021,
detaining her and other officials.
• In the 15-member UNSC council for the Myanmar crisis, China, Russia and India denied the vote. The
remaining 12 members voted in favor.
• The resolution urges the junta to release detained prisoners, including Suu Kyi and former Myanmar
president Win Myint.
Croatia Joins Schengen Zone & Switches to Euro

On January 1, 2023, Croatia, the youngest member of the European Union (EU), adopted the ‘Euro’, and it
became a part of Europe’s border-free Schengen zone.
• Croatia, a Balkan country, is now the 20th member of the Eurozone and the 27th country to join the
passport-free Schengen zone.
Croatia is a former Yugoslav republic that fought an independence war in the 1990s and joined the EU in 2013.
Schengen Area
i.The Schengen area allows 420 million people to freely move between member nations without encountering
border restrictions.
• This largest free-travel zone in the world was first established in 1985 as an intergovernmental
effort including five EU nations—France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
ii.In terms of Schengen, this is the eighth expansion and the first in 11 years.
Euro Area: The Eurozone
i.The European Union (EU) member states that have adopted the “Euro” as their national
currency collectively refer to themselves as the “Euro Area” or “Eurozone.”
• With Croatia, 20 EU Member States and 347 million EU citizens will share the EU’s common
currency.
ii.The euro will progressively replace the ‘Kuna’ as the official currency of Croatia starting on January 1, 2023.
• The new Croatian euro coin will have inventor Nikola Tesla on one side, as well as a map of the
country and the national checkerboard design.
iii.In accordance with a track record of stable exchange rates, the kuna will be exchanged at a rate of 1 euro for
7.53450 of Croatian kuna.
• The two currencies will be used alongside each other for a two-week period (14 days).
iv.After Lithuania entered the eurozone in 2015, this is the eurozone’s first expansion in almost eight years.
Key Points:
i.Croatia will maintain strict border controls along its eastern border with non-EU neighbours Federation of
Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), Montenegro, and Serbia.
ii.The most challenging problem in safeguarding the EU’s 1,350-kilometer (840 miles)-long external land
border remains combating illegal migration.
About Republic of Croatia:
President – Zoran Milanović
Capital – Zagreb
Currency – Euro (EUR)

New members join United Nations Security Council
On 3rd January 2023, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) officially welcomed Ecuador, Japan, Malta,
Mozambique, and Switzerland, who now hold the two-year seats that they won without opposition in June, in
charge of preserving international peace and security.
Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland are the 5 countries replacing India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico
and Norway, whose terms ended on 31st December 2022.
• The ambassadors of the 5 countries installed their national flags alongside those of other members
outside the council chambers, continuing a tradition that Kazakhstan inaugurated in 2018.
• Mozambique and Switzerland marked their 1st-ever terms on the UN’s most powerful body.
• Malta joined for a 2nd time, Ecuador a 4th and Japan a record 12th. China, France, Russia, the United
Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) are permanent UN members.
UNU-INWEH: 3,700 Indian Dams Will Lose 26% Storage Capacity By 2050; World to Lose 26%
Storage By 2050 To Trapped Sediment
According to a new study by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health (UNU-
INWEH), around 3,700 large dams in India could lose on average 26% of their initial total storage
by 2050 owing to sediment deposition, which might affect future water security, irrigation, and power
generation.
• The findings were originally published in the journal ‘Sustainability’ in an article titled “Present
and Future Losses of Storage in Large Reservoirs Due to Sedimentation: A Country-Wise
Global Assessment” by the UNU-INWEH.
Click here to access the report
Note: In 2015, the Central Water Commission (CWC) revealed that one-quarter of the 141 large reservoirs over
50 years old had lost at least 30% of their initial storage capacity.
UNU-INWEH Study: The Global Scenario
i.Due to sediment trapped in dams, about 50,000 large dams around the world will lose 24-28% of their water
storage capacity by 2050.
• These reservoirs have already lost 13%-19% of their capacity due to sedimentation.
• Sedimentation occurs when a river carrying eroded soil is blocked by a dam at its watershed.
• The combined annual water demand of India, China, Canada, Indonesia, and France is equal to the
estimated actual capacity loss of about 1,650 billion cubic metres.
ii.The researchers estimated the storage capacity losses of 47,403 large dams in 150 countries based on their
present storage-loss rates, which will fall to 4,665 billion cubic metres by 2050, resulting in a 26% storage
loss.
• These include 10,358 in North, Central, and South America; 2,349 in Africa; 6,651 in Europe; 28,045
in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) and 10,358 in Africa.
iii.China, the country with the most dams in the world, has already lost nearly 10% of its storage and will lose
an additional 10% by 2050.
iv.By 2050, the water storage capacities of the United Kingdom (UK), Panama, Ireland, Japan, and Seychelles
will have decreased by 35% to 50%.
v.Bhutan, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Guinea, and Niger will be the 5 least impacted nations by 2050, with losses of
less than 15%.
vi.The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, which is home to the majority of the world’s dams, is estimated to have lost
13% of its initial dam storage capacity by 2022.
• It will have lost about a quarter (23%) of its initial storage capacity by 2050.
APAC is home to 60% of the world’s population, and water storage is essential to ensure water and food
security.
vii.The 3,052 dams in Japan, with an average age of over 100 years, have the greatest loss of storage capacity in
the region.

• They have already lost 39% of their total initial storage capacity, and by 2050, they will have lost on
average close to 50% and in some cases 67% of it.
viii.According to the study, by 2050, the 10,358 large dams in the Americas will only be able to store 2,014
billion cubic metres, or 28% of their original capacity.
ix.In addition, Europe’s 6,651 large dams spread across 42 countries will lose 28% of their initial capacity of
895 billion cubic metres.
x.By 2050, it is anticipated that the 2,349 dams spread across the 44 countries in Africa will lose 24% of their
storage capacity.
Recent related news:
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has published its first ‘State of Global Water Resources
Report 2021’, which examines the effects of climate, environmental, and societal change on the Earth’s water
resources.
The purpose of this annual report is to aid in the oversight and management of the world’s freshwater
resources in a time of rising demand and limited supplies.
About United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health (UNU-INWEH):
UNU-INWEH, also known as the UN’s ‘Think Tank on Water’, is one of the UNU institutes and an academic arm
of the United Nations (UN).
Director – Vladimir Smakhtin
India Likely to Surpass China as the Most Populous Country by 2023

India, which presently has 1.38 billion people, is on track to overtake China, which currently has 1.4 billion
people, as the world’s most populous country in 2023.
• India’s population is expected to reach 1.668 billion in 2050, surpassing China’s 1.317 billion at the
time.
This can be attributable to the fact that China’s population began to decline in 2022, for the first time in six
decades since 1962.
• It signals a turning point for the world’s second-largest economy, which is battling with an
escalating demographic crisis.
Government Data On India’s Demography:
i.Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India, with an estimated 230 million people.
• Lakshadweep has the least population, with only 68,000 people.
ii.India is one of the world’s youngest countries, with 27.3% of its population aged 15 – 29 years.
iii.According to the United Nations (UN), India is one of the 8 countries estimated to account for more than half
of the projected increase in the global population up to 2050.
• The 8 countries are: The Philippines, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt,
Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan.
iv.Since 2011, India’s annual population growth has averaged 1.2%, down from 1.7% over the past ten years.
v.India witnessed an increase in the usage of family planning methods from 53.5% in 2015–16 to 66.67% in
2019–21.
vi.The total fertility rate (TFR) in India, or the number of children per woman, decreased to 2 in 2019-2021,
from 3.4 in 1992-93.
Note: According to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), Population
Division, in its report titled “World Population Prospects 2022” (November 2022), India is projected to
overtake China as the world’s most populous country in 2023, despite decreasing population growth.
NBS Report: China’s First Population Drop in Six Decades Raises Concerns About Demographic Crisis
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of China reported that as of the end of 2022, China’s population was
1.41175 billion, a decrease of about 850,000 people from the end of 2021.

• The last time China recorded a decline in population was in 1961, the final year of the Great Famine
under former leader Mao Zedong.
The total population of China will still exceed 1.4 billion in 2035 and stay around 1.3 billion in 2050, despite a
decline in the population that started in 2022.
Key Statistics with respect to China:
i.The NBS reported that despite attempts by the government to encourage families to have more children,
China registered roughly 9.56 million new births in 2022, down from 10.62 million in 2021, the lowest level
ever since 1950.
• The birth rate in China, or the number of newborns per 1,000 people, decreased from 7.52 in 2021
to 6.77 in 2022, the lowest level at least since 1978.
• In China, the death rate was 7.37 per 1,000 people in 2022, which resulted in a natural growth at
negative 0.6 (-0.6) per 1,000 people.
ii.China terminated its decades-long “one child policy” in 2016, resulting in population decline and an ageing
population.
iii.China enacted a “third child” policy in May 2021, allowing Chinese citizens to have up to three children, as
well as a slew of stimulus measures to encourage population growth.
According to the UN DESA World Population Prospects 2022:Summary of Results (27th edition), the global
population is projected to achieve 8 billion on November 15, 2022, and India is expected to overtake China as
the world’s most populated country in 2023.
The World Population Prospects 2022 is published to commemorate World Population Day 2022 (July 11,
2022), which occurred in the year in which the world population welcomed the birth of its 8 billionth
inhabitant.
About People’s Republic of China:
President – Xi Jinping
Capital – Beijing
Currency – Renminbi (RMB)
UN Agencies: Acute Malnutrition Threatens the Lives of 30 Million Children

The United Nations (UN) agencies issued a call to action for the “UN Global Action Plan on Child
Wasting” in an effort to accelerate the enactment of timely and decisive measures to safeguard the most
vulnerable children in the 15 countries heavily impacted by the unprecedented food and nutrition crisis.
• Acute malnutrition or wasting, affects more than 30 million children in the 15 worst-affected
countries.
• Severe wasting, the most dangerous form of undernutrition, affects 8 million of these children.
• In the 15 worst affected countries, 40 million children (under five) live in severe food poverty
and 27 million children experience severe food insecurity.
UN Global Action Plan On Child Wasting
i.The Global Action Plan on Child Wasting is a collaborative effort of the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO).
ii.The action plan aims to prevent, detect, and treat acute malnutrition among children in the 15 worst-
affected countries: Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia,
Haiti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen.
• It emphasizes the importance of a multi-sectoral approach to maternal and child nutrition
through the food, health, water, sanitation, and social protection systems.

Key Terminologies
i.Wasting or Acute Malnutrition, is a kind of undernutrition induced by a reduction in food consumption
and/or sickness, resulting in rapid weight loss or oedema.
• Children with acute malnutrition have low weights for their heights.
• Child wasting is regarded as the most dangerous form of malnutrition.
ii.Severe wasting is the deadliest form, with severely wasted children 12 times more likely to die than a
well-nourished child.
European Union Establishes Its First Mainland Satellite Launch Port

The European Union (EU) has launched its first mainland orbital launch complex, “Spaceport Esrange,” a new
satellite launch and reusable rocket test facility at Esrange Space Center near the city of Kiruna in northern
Sweden.
• It was inaugurated by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, King of Sweden Carl
XVI Gustaf, and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
• The EU will utilize it to complement its current launch capabilities in French Guiana.
Note: The European Commission is the executive branch of the EU, a 27-nation bloc.
‘Spaceport Esrange’: Arctic Spaceport
i.The first satellite launch from Spaceport Esrange is scheduled for early 2024.
ii.This Swedish space centre is located at the base of “Radar Hill,” about 200 kilometres (124 miles) above the
Arctic Circle.
• The EU hopes to increase its ability to send small satellites into orbit with this new launchpad in
Arctic Sweden.
iii.The Themis programme of the European Space Agency (ESA) will start testing at Esrange in 2023 as part
of Europe’s drive towards reusable rocketry.
• Themis, a project to test reusable rockets, focuses on the testing of reusable rockets, which are
rockets able to land back on Earth, like those developed by SpaceX founder Elon Musk.
iv.This will be a first-stage test aimed at achieving vehicle lift-off and recovery, known as “hop tests.”
Key Points:
i.The rockets being created in Sweden are “micro-rockets,” with a length of about 30 metres (98.4 feet) and
with a payload capacity of several hundred kg.
ii.According to the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC), there could be 100,000 operational satellites in total by
2040, up from the current total of 5,000.
iii.Kiruna is one of the few major villages in the region—a town developed around the world’s largest
underground iron ore mine. It also harbors a huge deposit of rare earths.
Esrange Space Center
i.It was established in 1966 by the European Space Agency (ESA).
• Objective: To investigate the atmosphere and the phenomenon of the Northern Lights.
ii.It is situated in a remote part of Sweden’s far north, from which over 600 suborbital rockets have already
been launched.
These rockets are capable of travelling 260 kilometres into space, but they cannot orbit the Earth.
UNGA adopts resolution on ‘Education for Democracy’ co-sponsored by India

On January 18, 2023, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution by consensus titled
‘Education for Democracy’ that reaffirms the right of ‘education for all’ and contributes to the strengthening of
democracy.
• The resolution is co-sponsored by India.
Key Points:
i.This resolution will recognize the importance of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and

lifelong learning opportunities for all.
ii.It also encourages member states to integrate education for democracy into their education standards.
ii.In 2015, a similar resolution was passed at the Assembly encouraging all UN entities to use education to
promote peace, human rights, and democracy.
About United Nations General Assembly (UNGA):
President– Csaba Kőrösi
Headquarters– New York, United States
Establishment– 1945
Canada to Commercialise World’s First Photonic-based Quantum Computer

Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau has announced a new federal investment of 40 million
Canadian dollars (USD 32 million) that enables Xanadu Quantum Technologies Inc., a Toronto-based
Canadian quantum computing company, to build and commercialise the world’s first photonic-based, fault-
tolerant quantum computer.
• The project is supported through the Canadian government’s Strategic Innovation Fund and with
177.8 million Canadian dollars (USD 142 million), the project is expected to create 530 new highly
skilled positions in the high-tech and quantum computing fields.
Xanadu Quantum Technologies Inc., was founded in 2016 with the mission to build quantum
computers that are useful and available to people everywhere.
UNESCO and Solvay launch STEM Education Program in Asia

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Solvay, a Belgian
multinational chemical company, announced the launch of a Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM) Education Program, aiming at engaging high schoolers and graduate students from Asia- India,
Indonesia and South Korea.
• The Program was developed by UNESCO and Solvay, the 2 leading science-based organisations that
have a 3-year partnership.
The program will explore the mutual impact on the environment by focusing on the theme “Sustainable living
for one planet”.
Key Points:
i. Through STEM and EBA (evidence-based approach), students will develop skills and strengthen their
understanding of science to nurture their interest in science and scientific careers for the benefit of society.
ii. Professors & University students will receive training to implement the strategy in their countries, and hold
regional competitions with experts from Solvay, UNESCO’s Science Networks and other partners
iii. Teams from Solvay and UNESCO in the relevant countries will actively participate in the implementation to
co-nurture innovative solution projects.
Innovative Solution Projects:
i. Science teachers and university students will be trained by scientists in interactive national masterclasses on
topics such as emerging environmental issues, introduction to the Internet of Things (IoT) and hands-on
pedagogical activities, data science and digital literacy.
ii. A national hackathon was held in high schools with an integrative trans-disciplinary approach to improve
capacities in translating data into information and co-develop data narrative.
iii. With regional competitions to recognize the most innovative projects.
Note:
i. The program builds on collaboration among science networks and UNESCO-designated sites and will
contribute to 7 United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 4, 6, 9, 11,12, 14, 15).
ii. This partnership represents a fresh initiative within Solvay’s extensive Corporate Citizenship programme, a
key pillar that focuses on promoting education.

VISITS
INDIAN VISITS
President of India Droupadi Murmu’s Visit to Rajasthan from 3 to 4 January 2023
Droupadi Murmu, President of India, inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various projects during her
2-day visit to Rajasthan from 3rd to 4th January 2023.
• She inaugurated Samvidhan Udyan at Raj Bhavan,
Jaipur and met with the member of the Particularly
Vulnerable Tribal Groups’ Communities of Rajasthan.
• She also virtually inaugurated the Transmission
System for Solar Energy Zones in Rajasthan and laid
the foundation stone for the 1000 megawatt (MW)
Bikaner Solar Power Project.
• She also participated in the launch of a National
Campaign on ‘RISE-Rising India through Spiritual
Empowerment’, organized by Brahma Kumaris at Mount Abu.
• She also inaugurated the 18th National Jamboree of the Bharat Scouts and Guides in Rajasthan.
Highlights of her visit:
Inauguration of Samvidhan Udyan At Raj Bhavan Jaipur
On 3rd January 2023, the President of India, inaugurated Samvidhan Udyan, Mayur Stambh, National Flag Post,
and statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Maharana Pratap at Raj Bhavan, Jaipur.
• During the event, she also virtually inaugurated the Transmission System for Solar Energy Zones in
Rajasthan and laid the foundation stone for the 1000 MW Bikaner Solar Power Project of SJVN
Limited (formerly known as Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam).
Key Points:
i.The Udyan displays the description of the historical journey of 3 years of Constitution making in an artistic
manner.
ii.Samvidhan Udyan showcases the major chapter of the modern history of India through elegant paintings,
sculptures and other art forms.
iii.Since the enactment of the Constitution in 1950, A total of 105 amendments have been made so far.
1000 MW Bikaner Solar Power Project:
i.Commissioning of this project would support India to achieve the renewable target of 500 GW by 2030.
ii.The project is being developed on 5000 acres of land near village Banderwala in Bikaner, Rajasthan at a cost
of Rs 5492 crore with a viability Gap funding support of Rs 44.72 lakhs per Megawatt from Indian Renewable
Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA).
iii.The project is expected to be commissioned by March 2024 and it is expected to generate around 2454.55
million units in the first year and 56838 Million units over 25 years.
Launch of National Campaign on ‘RISE-Rising India through Spiritual Empowerment:
On 3rd January 2023, Droupadi Murmu participated in the event to launch the National Campaign on “RISE-
Rising India through Spiritual Empowerment”, organized by Brahma Kumaris at Mount Abu, Rajasthan.
• She also virtually inaugurated the Brahma Kumaris Silence Retreat Centre in Secunderabad,
Telangana and laid the foundation stone for Brahma Kumaris Auditorium and Spiritual Art Gallery at
Indore, Madhya Pradesh(MP).
• She also visited the memorial of Dadi Hridayamohini, Former Chief of Brahma Kumaris, called
Avyakt Lok.
About RISE Campaign:
i.The RISE Campaign aims to empower the nation through spirituality.

ii.The campaign would contribute towards making India a leading nation by spiritually empowering its people
and supporting the welfare of the entire humanity.
iii.Under this campaign the Brahma Kumaris aim to make India great through spirituality, in the next 25 years.
Brahma Kumaris organisation:
i.Brahma Kumaris organization is running about 5000 meditation centers in 137 countries.
ii.It is the largest spiritual organization run by women in which they play leading roles assisted by the spiritual
brothers.
18th National Jamboree of the Bharat Scouts and Guides:
On 4th January 2023, Droupadi Murmu President of India inaugurated the 18th National Jamboree of the
Bharat Scouts and Guides at Pali, Rajasthan.
• Bharat Scouts and Guides, a membership of over 63 lakh Scouts and Guides, is the largest voluntary,
non-political, uniformed youth organization and educational movement in India.
• The 1st National Jamboree of the Bharat Scouts and Guides was organized at Hyderabad in 1953.
Droupadi Murmu, the President of India, paid her maiden visit to Gujarat from October 3 to 4, 2022, after
assuming office in July 2022. During her visit, she visited the Mahatma Gandhi Ashram at Sabarmati,
Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• She inaugurated and laid the groundwork for a number of projects totalling Rs. 1,330 crores at the
GMERS (Gujarat Medical Education & Research Society) campus in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
About Rajasthan:
Chief Minister(CM)– Ashok Gehlot
Governor– Kalraj Mishra
Wildlife sanctuary– Sitamata Wildlife Sanctuary; Bassi Wildlife Sanctuary
Tiger Reserve– Sariska Tiger Reserve; Mukundara Tiger Reserve
Highlights of PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Maharashtra and Karnataka

On January 19, 2023, the Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi visited Karnataka and Maharashtra the details of
which are given below:
PM’s visit to Karnataka:
In Karnataka, PM visited the districts Yadgiri and Kalaburagi.
Yadgiri:
In Kodekal of Yadgiri District, PM laid the foundation stones and
inaugurated various developmental projects related to irrigation,
drinking water and a National Highway (NH) development project.
i.Foundation stone of Yadgir multi-village drinking water supply
scheme was laid under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)
• With an outlay of more than Rs 2050 crore, it envisages providing potable water to about 2.3 lakh
households of more than 700 rural habitations and three towns in the Yadgiri district.
• Under this, a Water Treatment Plant of 117 MLD (Megaliters Per Day) will be built.
ii.Inauguration of Narayanpur Left Bank Canal – Extension Renovation and Modernization Project (NLBC –
ERM).
• The project costs about Rs 4700 crores, will have a canal carrying a capacity of 10,000 cusecs, and
can irrigate 4.5 lac hectares of command area.
• It will benefit more than three lakh farmers in 560 villages of Kalaburgi, Yadagir and Vijaypur
districts.
iii.Foundation stone laid for the 65.5 km section of NH-150C
• It is a 6 lane Greenfield road project, a part of the Surat – Chennai Expressway. It is being built at a
cost of more than Rs 2100 crore.

• Surat – Chennai Expressway will pass through six states- Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka,
Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu and reduces the existing route from 1600 Kms to 1270
Kms.
Kalaburagi
In Malkhed of Kalaburagi District, the PM distributed title deeds (hakku patra) to the eligible beneficiaries of
newly declared revenue villages.
What are title deeds?
These are issued to beneficiaries, who are largely from the marginalized and vulnerable communities from the
SC (Scheduled Caste), ST (Schedule Tribe) and OBC (Other Backward Class). It provides a formal recognition
from the government for their land, and will make them eligible for receiving government services like drinking
water, electricity, roads etc.
• About 1475 unrecorded habitations have been declared as New Revenue villages in five districts of
Kalaburagi, Yadgiri, Raichur, Bidar and Vijayapura of Karnataka.
PM’s visit to Maharashtra:
PM inaugurated, dedicated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development initiatives worth around Rs
38,800 crores in Mumbai.
i.Dedicated to the nation Mumbai Metro Rail Lines 2A & 7
• Mumbai Metro Rail Lines 2A & 7 cost around Rs 12,600 crores.
• The metro line 2A connecting Dahisar E and DN Nagar (yellow line) is around 18.6 Km long, while
metro line 7 connecting Andheri E – Dahisar E (red line) is around 16.5 Km long.
• The foundation stone of these lines was also laid by the PM in 2015.
ii.Launch of MUMBAI 1 Mobile App and National Common Mobility Card (Mumbai 1)
• The app will facilitate ease of travel, can be shown on the entry gates of Metro Stations and supports
digital payment to buy tickets through UPI (Unified Payments Interface).
• The National Common Mobility Card (Mumbai 1) will initially be used in metro corridors and can be
extended to other modes of mass public transit including local trains and buses as well to enable
quick, contactless, and digital transactions.
iii.Foundation stone laid for seven sewage treatment plants
• It will be built at a cost of around Rs 17,200 crores.
• These sewage treatment plants will be set up in Malad, Bhandup, Versova, Ghatkopar, Bandra,
Dharavi and Worli.
• They will have a combined capacity of around 2,460 MLD.
iv.Inauguration of 20 Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Aapla Dawakhana
• It will strengthen health care infrastructure in Mumbai by providing essential medical services like
health checkups, medicines, investigations and diagnostics completely free, to the people.
v.Foundation stone laid for the redevelopment of three hospitals in Mumbai viz. 360-bedded Bhandup
Multispeciality Municipal Hospital, 306-bedded Siddharth Nagar Hospital, Goregaon (West) and 152-bedded
Oshiwara Maternity Home.
vi.Inauguration of road concretization project for around 400 Km roads of Mumbai
• This project will be developed at a cost of about Rs 6,100 crore.
• Of the total roads extending to around 2050 Km in Mumbai, more than 1200 Km of roads are either
concretized or are in the process of being concretized. However, the remaining roads of about 850
Km in length face challenges of potholes. This project will overcome this challenge.
vii.Foundation stone for redevelopment of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus laid
• With an outlay of over Rs 1,800 crores, the redevelopment envisages decongesting the southern
heritage node of the terminus, augmentation of facilities, better multi-modal integration and to
conserve the world famous iconic structure. The project will be done at a cost of over Rs. 1,800
crores.

viii.The transfer of approved loans of over one lakh beneficiaries under PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi
(PM SVANidhi) were also started by the PM.
i.The Prime Minister (PM) of India, Narendra Modi, visited Bengaluru in Karnataka, to inaugurate the second
terminal of Kempegowda International Airport, to flag off South India’s first Vande Bharat Express &
Kashi Darshana train at KSR railway station, and to unveil the 108-foot-high bronze statue of Bengaluru
founder Nadaprabhu Kempegowda.
ii.PM inaugurated Arunachal Pradesh’s 1st greenfield airport Donyi Polo Airport,
Itanagar and dedicate 600 megawatt (MW) Kameng Hydro Power Station to the Nation.
About Maharashtra:
Governor– Bhagat Singh Koshyari
Chief Minister– Eknath Shinde
National Parks– Chandoli National Park, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Pench National Park
Overview of the Visit of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to India – January 24–27, 2023
Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil El-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, visited India for 3 days
from January 24 – 27, 2023 at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi to attend
India’s 74th Republic Day celebrations as the Chief Guest.
• President Sisi is on his second state visit to India, and his visit coincides with the 75th anniversary of
Egypt-India diplomatic relations.
• He previously visited India in October 2015 for the 3rd India-Africa Forum Summit and in
September 2016 on a state visit.
Greetings from India
i.Droupadi Murmu, President of the Republic of India, accorded President Sisi a ceremonial welcome at the
“Rashtrapati Bhavan,” India’s presidential residence in New Delhi, Delhi.
ii.This is the first time the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt has been invited as the chief guest on India’s
Republic Day.
• President Sisi is accompanied by a high-level group that includes five ministers and senior officials.
iii.The 2023 Republic Day parade also featured a military contingent from the Egyptian Army.
Note: Egypt has also been invited to be a “Guest Country” during India’s G-20 presidency in 2022-23.
India – Egypt Relations
i.India and Egypt have warm and friendly relations characterised by civilizational, cultural, and economic ties
as well as deep-rooted people-to-people ties.
• The dynamic cooperation is centered on common cultural values, a commitment to economic
progress, defence and security coordination, and convergence on regional and global issues.
ii.In the financial year 2021–22 (FY22), bilateral trade between Egypt and India reached a record high of USD
7.26 billion.
• Egyptian imports amounted to USD 3.52 billion while Indian exports to Egypt amounted to USD 3.74
billion.
iii.In Egypt, Indian investments presently amount to more than 3.15 billion USD.
iv.Egypt acknowledged India’s candidature for a non-permanent membership on the UN Security Council
(UNSC) for the term 2028–2029.
Note: Egypt hosted the 27th Conference of Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Sharm el-Sheikh in November 2022.
Key Points:
i.India and Egypt have resolved to upgrade their ties to the “strategic partnership” level, covering a wide
range of sectors such as politics, security, defence, energy, and economy, with the signing of various
Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).

ii.India and Egypt have exchanged commemorative postal stamps to honour the 75th anniversary of the
establishment of India-Egypt relationship.
• The commemorative postal stamp was exchanged between Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw,
Ministry of Railways; Ministry of Communications; Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MeitY), Government of India (GoI) and Dr. Amr Ahmed Samih Talaat, Egypt’s Minister
of Communications and Information Technology.
Various MoUs Signed
MoU between CERT-In & EG-CERT
In order to collaborate on cyber security, the Egyptian Computer Emergency Readiness Team (EG-CERT) and
the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) have signed a MoU.
• CERT-In is India’s nodal agency for responding to computer security problems.
The MoU was exchanged between Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Ministry of Communication; MeitY, GoI
and Dr. Amr Ahmed Samih Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Egypt.
Memorandum of Cooperation in the fields of Information Technology between India and Egypt
A Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of Information Technology between India and Egypt was
exchanged by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Ministry of Communication; MeitY, GoI, and Dr. Amr Ahmed
Samih Talaat, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Egypt.
MoU in the field of Culture between India and Egypt
The Ministry of Culture, GoI, and the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt have signed an MoU
to strengthen cultural ties with the Arab Republic of Egypt.
• The MoU has been signed for continued cultural cooperation for a period of 5 years.
The MoU was signed and exchanged between Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy, Ministry of Culture; Ministry of
Tourism; and Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER), GoI and Sameh Hassan Shoukry,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Egypt.
MoU on Cooperation in Youth Matters between India and Egypt
An MoU on cooperation in youth matters has been signed by Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur, Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting (MIB); Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYAS), GoI; and Sameh Hassan
Shoukry, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Government of Egypt.
MoU for Cooperation on Broadcasting between Prasar Bharati, India and National Media Authority,
Egypt
India and Egypt inked an MoU to enhance content exchange, capacity building, and co-productions between
Prasar Bharati (India) and the National Media Authority of Egypt, at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.
• The MoU will provide for co-productions and the training of the officials of both broadcasters in the
latest technology for a period of 3 years.
The MoU was signed by Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB),
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYAS), GoI and Sameh Hassan Shoukry, Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Government of Egypt.
Prasar Bharati
Prasar Bharati (Akashvani) is an Indian public service broadcaster which distributes information through two
divisions: Doordarshan (DD) and All India Radio (AIR), its radio vertical.
• It currently has 39 MoUs with foreign broadcasters for cooperation and partnership in the
broadcasting industry.
Key Points:
i.The MoU is a component of Prasar Bharati’s initiatives to expand the reach of DD India Channel and promote
India’s achievements through programmes covering the economy, technology, social development, and the
country’s rich cultural tradition.
ii.Under the terms of this MoU, both broadcasters will exchange their programmes of various genres bilaterally,
which will be aired on their respective radio and television platforms.

i.ReNew Power Private Limited (ReNew Power), a subsidiary of ReNew Energy Global Plc (“ReNew”), one of
the world’s leading renewable energy firms, has signed the Framework Agreement with the Government of
Egypt.
ii.According to the agreement, a Green Hydrogen plant will be built in the Suez Canal Economic Zone with
an investment of USD 8 billion and a target of producing 220,000 tons of green hydrogen annually.
About the Arab Republic of Egypt:
President – Abdel Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil El-Sisi
Capital – Cairo
Currency – Egyptian Pound (EGP)
FOREIGN VISITS
Highlights of EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar’s Visit to the Republic of Cyprus and Austria—December 29,
2022 –January 3, 2023
Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s External Affairs Minister (EAM), visited the Republic of Cyprus from
December 29 – 31, 2022 and the Republic of Austria from December 31, 2022 -January 3, 2023.
EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar’s visit to the Republic of Cyprus – December 29-31, 2022
EAM Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar made his maiden visit to the Republic of Cyprus on December 29 – 31,
2022.
• The year 2022 commemorated the 60th anniversary of India-Cyprus diplomatic ties, which were
established on February 10, 1962.
Notable Events
i.In Cyprus, EAM met with H.E. Ms. Annita Demetriou, President of the House of Representatives and acting
President, laid a wreath at the Mahatma Gandhi bust next to the Parliament.
ii.H.E. Ms. Annita Demetriou presented a set of commemorative stamps issued by Cyprus Post to mark 75 years
of India’s independence and 60 years of diplomatic relations.
iii.EAM also met with his Cypriot counterpart, H.E. Mr. Ioannis Kasoulides.
India & Cyprus Sign Agreement On Defence and Military Cooperation
During his visit to Cyprus, EAM witnessed the signing of agreements in a number of fields, including Defence
and Military Cooperation between India & Cyprus.
i.A Letter of Intent on Migration and Mobility Partnership was also signed by India and Cyprus.
• This agreement sets forth a common framework for agreements and cooperation to facilitate the
mobility of students, academics, business people, and professionals.
• The agreement will address issues relating to irregular migration as well.
ii.As a notable achievement, Cyprus became the 111th country to sign the Framework Agreement of the India-
led International Solar Alliance (ISA), as well as the 92nd full-member country to join the ISA.
India – Cyprus Relationship
i.In June 2021, India reclassified the Republic of Cyprus as a Category I Foreign Portfolio Investor in India.
ii.Other than Mauritius and the UAE, Cyprus is the third non- Financial Action Task Force (FATF) nation to
receive this exemption.
iii.A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in December 2021 between Invest India and Invest
Cyprus with the aim of promoting overall business relations and enhancing their mutual investment activities.
EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar’s visit to the Republic of Austria – December 31, 2022 -January 3, 2023
Dr. S. Jaishankar, EAM of India, made an official visit to the Republic of Austria from December 31, 2022 to
January 3, 2023. It was his first visit to Austria as India’s EAM, and the first such visit from India in 27 years.
• The visit commemorated the 75 years of India’s diplomatic ties with Austria, which were
established in 1949.

Notable Events
i.During the visit, EAM had meetings with the Austrian President H.E. Mr. Alexander van der Bellen and the
Austrian Parliament Speaker H.E. Mr. Wolfgang Sobotka.
ii.EAM met with the Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, H.E. Alexander
Schallenberg, and Austrian Chancellor, H.E. Mr. Karl Nehammer.
• On the official invitation of Alexander Schallenberg, EAM attended the iconic Austrian New Year’s
concert.
India & Austria Sign Agreements On Migration and Mobility, Working Holiday Programme
During EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar’s visit to Vienna, Austria, India and Austria signed a number of agreements,
including ones pertaining to mobility and migration and the Working Holiday Programme.
Key Highlights
i.The Migration and Mobility Agreement is Austria’s first such agreement with any country with which it has
a visa regime.
• The Migration and Mobility Agreement is also Austria’s second such agreement with a non-
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) country.
ii.The Working Holiday Program agreement allows Indians on vacation in Austria to find employment and
work without a work permit for up to six months.
iii.India & Austria countries also signed agreements regarding cultural and visa-free entry for people with
diplomatic passports.
Other Significant Meetings Occurred On the Sidelines
i.In Vienna, EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar also met Rumen Radev, President of Bulgaria.
ii.For the first time, EAM also convened a joint Slavkov format meeting with the Foreign Ministers of Austria,
Alexander Schallenberg; the Czech Republic, Jan Lipavsky and Slovakia, Rastislav Kacer.
• The four foreign ministers discussed the Ukraine conflict, their respective neighbourhoods, and
India-European Union (EU) relations.
iii.He also met with Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA),
and discussed ways to strengthen the IAEA’s relationship with India.
i.In November 2022 India participated in the 22nd Council of Ministers meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim
Association (IORA-COM), which was held at Dhaka in Bangladesh. The 22nd IORA Council of Ministers (COM)
was hosted by the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, current chair of IORA.
ii.The Indian delegation was led by the Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh.
About International Solar Alliance (ISA):
Director General– Ajay Mathur
Headquarters– Gurugram, Haryana
Highlights of EAM Subrahmanyam Jaishankar’s visit to Maldives and Sri Lanka from January
18-20, 2023
From January 18-20, 2023, India’s Union Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Ministry of External Affairs
(MEA) paid an official visit to Maldives and Sri Lanka.
• Both countries are India’s key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean Region and occupy a special
place in the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘SAGAR’ (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and
‘Neighbourhood First’.
Visit to the Maldives:
On January 18-19, 2023, Union Minister S.Jaishankar arrived in the Maldives to witness the impact of the
developmental assistance extended through bilateral partnership. He was invited by Abdulla Shahid, Foreign
Minister of Maldives.

India and Maldives exchange three MoUs :
3 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) were signed between India and Maldives during a ceremony held at
Manadhoo Island in Noonu Atoll, Maldives.
MoU for additional grant assistance of 100 million Rufiyaa for HICDP
• An MoU between the Maldives government and the Indian government for additional grant
assistance of 100 million Rufiyaa for the High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP)
scheme was signed to implement a number of socio-economic development projects.
• India has completed 23 out of 45 HICDPs.
Signatories:
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khaleel, Maldives; and Indian High
Commissioner Munu Mahawar
MoU for the Development of a sports complex in Gaafu Dhaal Gadhdhoo:
The above signatories also exchanged MoU for the development of a sports complex in
Gaafu Dhaal Gadhdhoo,Maldives. This project will establish a Centre which will promote youth empowerment
through sports and contribute to overall community development.
MoU between India’s CUSAT and Maldives’ MNU
The Vice-Chancellors of India’s Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) and Maldives National
University (MNU) exchanged the MoU on capacity building to facilitate exchanges and cooperative initiatives
between the two universities in the area of education, research, development instruction, community service,
staff and student exchanges.
Handover of two sea ambulances to the Ministry of Defence of Maldives
Both Foreign Ministers also witnessed the handover of two sea ambulances from the Government of India (GoI)
to the Ministry of Defence of Maldives which was a project carried out under the HICDP Scheme.
• The symbolic token for the same was received by Deputy Minister of Defence, Uz. Hassan Zameel
from the High Commissioner of India, Munu Mahawar.
India extends $40 million line credit to Maldives
India has extended a concessional $40 million Line of Credit to develop sports infrastructure in the Maldives.
The extension is part of India’s flagship projects such as “Fit India” and “Khelo India” being included in its
Neighbourhood First Policy.
Ground-breaking ceremony of Hanimaadhoo International Airport Project
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih have jointly participated
in the groundbreaking ceremony of the Hanimaadhoo International Airport Redevelopment Project.
• It is one of the largest investments outside the capital region.
• The project will include the development of a new terminal building capable of handling 1.3 million
passengers per year.
Inauguration of a community project in Shaviyani Foakaidhoo
Union Minister S. Jaishankar also inaugurated the India-Funded community centre with his Maldivian
counterpart Abdulla Shahid.
• Foakaidhoo is one of the inhabited islands of the Shaviyani Atoll administrative division and is
geographically part of the Miladhummadulhu Atoll in the Maldives.
Visit to Sri Lanka:
In the second leg of his visit, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited Sri Lanka which is impacted by the
economic crisis. There he called upon Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh
Gunawardena.
• He also held discussions with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister M. U. M. Ali Sabry on the entire gamut of
the India-Sri Lanka partnership.
India becomes the first country to extend assurance to Sri Lanka for its debt restructuring
India has become the first creditor nation to extend assurance towards restructuring the debt of Sri Lanka with
financial assistance worth $4 billion.

• India will encourage greater investment in core areas of energy, tourism and infrastructure.
Leyland bags contract to supply 500 buses to Sri Lanka Transport Board
India’s Commercial vehicle maker Ashok Leyland bagged a contract for supplying 32-seater 500 buses to the Sri
Lanka Transport Board (SLTB), of which 75 buses have already been delivered
• The order is a part of a Line of Credit extended by Export Import Bank of India (EXIM), under the
Economic Assistance Scheme of the Indian Government.
• SLTB is the state-owned single-largest bus transport provider in Sri Lanka with 110 depots
throughout the country.
• The Hinduja group flagship has a bus and truck manufacturing facility in Sri Lanka as well.
India’s EAM also participated in 3 virtual inauguration ceremonies which included handing over of Kandyan
Dance academy, a hundred houses each in Kandy, Nuwara Elia and Galle and 24 houses each in Badulla and
Anuradhapura.
Earlier grants to Sri Lanka by India:
i.India had extended aid worth USD 3.9 billion to help Sri Lanka sustain itself in face of the acute economic and
financial crisis and meet its immediate needs such as medicines, cooking gas, oil and food items
ii.In February 2022, India in order to help Sri Lanka overcome its fuel shortage, signed an agreement for the
supply of petroleum products worth USD 500 million from the Indian Oil Company through a credit line.
• This was expanded by an additional USD 200 million worth of petroleum products in April 2022.
iii.India’s EXIM bank and State bank of India (SBI), for the import of essential commodities, extended export
credit facilities worth USD 1,500 million to Sri Lanka.
iv.India also signed USD 400 million agreement with Sri Lanka to help preserve the latter’s forex reserves.
i.The Vice President (VP) of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, visited Cambodia for 3 days from November 11 to 13,
2022, on his first-ever foreign visit.
ii.Rajnath Singh, Union Minister for Defence, paid a 2-day visit to Cambodia, from 22nd to 23rd November
2022, to take part in the maiden India-ASEAN(Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Defence Ministers
Meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
About Sri Lanka:
Capital– Colombo
Currency– Sri Lankan Rupee
ICGS Shaurya & Rajveer on a 6-day visit to Bangladesh

On 13th January 2023, Indian Coast Guard Ships (ICGS) Shaurya and ICGS Rajveer, 2 vessels of the Indian
Coast Guard(ICG) sailed to Chittagong, Bangladesh for a 6-day visit(13th to 19th January 2023) as a part of
the close cooperation between the ICG and Bangladesh Coast Guard(BCG).
• The visit aims to enhance cooperative engagements and interoperability under the provisions of
the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between ICG and BCG.
• The visit of the ICGS Shaurya and ICGS Rajveer, the state-of-the-art indigenously built ICGS
important part of the Defence Partnership between India and Bangladesh.
ICGS Shaurya:
i.ICGS Shaurya is an Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel (AOPV) designed and built by Goa Shipyard Limited.
ii.It operates both Chetak and Advance Light Helicopters (ALH) and has long-range endurance.
ICGS Rajveer:
i.ICGS Rajveer is an Inshore Patrol Vessel (IPV) designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders, Kolkata,
West Bengal.
ii.The ship with advanced navigation and communication equipment, sensors and machinery imparts the
capabilities for search and rescue, maritime law enforcement and marine pollution response operations.

Highlights:
i.During the 6-day visit, the Pollution Response Team of ICG conducted a 5-day International Maritime
Organisation Level I course on Pollution Response for the first time in Bangladesh for 20 BCG personnel.
• They were also trained on operations of PR equipment onboard ICGS Shaurya and Rajveer.
• The joint exercise was held in the BCG ships to validate the established Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPs) in the area of environmental protection and Search and Rescue at the end of
the visit.
ii.The 2 ships also hosted 30 students from the Bangladesh Navy School and College in Chittagong.
iii.The commanding officers of ICGS Shaurya and Rajveer held a meeting with Rear Admiral Nazmul
Hassan, Commander Chittagong Naval Area and addressed the issues of shared interest related to defence
cooperation and maritime security.
BANKING & FINANCE NEWS

BANKING NEWS
RBI IN NEWS
RBI Released State Finances Study Report; Advises State against Risk over Reverting to OPS
On January 16, 2023, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the annual report titled “State Finances: A
Study of Budgets of 2022-23”, which provides data and analysis of the fiscal position of State governments in
India for FY23.
• The theme of the 2023 Report is “Capital Formation in India – The Role of States”.
Key Fiscal Indicators:
i.The States’ capital outlay-GDP (Gross Domestic Product) ratio is budgeted to increase to 2.9 percent in FY23
from 2.3 percent in FY22.
ii.The ratio of revenue expenditure to capital outlay (RECO) for the States is budgeted to improve to 5.2 in FY23
from 6.1 in FY22.
iii.States’ consolidated Gross Fiscal Deficit (GFD) in FY21 rose to 4.1 percent of GDP, the highest level since
FY05.
iv.For FY23, the States’ consolidated GFD is about 3.4 percent of GDP, which is within the Centre’s indicative
target of 4 percent.
v.Expenditure:
• As per the data of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), the State governments’
capital expenditure has grown at a rate of 7 percent in H1 FY23.
• The revenue expenditure of States increased by 20.7 percent in 2021-22.
vi.States’ debt to GDP ratio is projected to be higher at 29.5 percent by end-March 2023, as against 31.1
percent in 2020-21.
• Debt to GDP is still higher than 20 percent, which is recommended by Fiscal Responsibility & Budget
Management (FRBM) Review Committee, 2018 (Chairman: Nand Kishore Singh).
Suggestions by RBI:
i.States are suggested by RBI to mainstream capital planning rather than treating them as residuals and first
stops for cutbacks in order to meet budgetary targets.
ii.RBI also advised states to increase allocations of capital expenditure for sectors like health, education,
infrastructure, and green energy transition to expand production capacities.
iii.States are suggested to create a Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) buffer fund during good times when revenue
flows are strong. They are also instructed to encourage and facilitate higher inter-state trade and businesses to
realise the full benefit of spillover effects of State CAPEX across the country.

-RBI advises states against reverting to OPS:
i.In the report, RBI stated risk over the subnational fiscal horizon due to restoring the Old Pension Scheme
(OPS) by some States.
ii.RBI mentioned that under OPS, by postponing the current expenses to the future, the States risk the
accumulation of unfunded pension liabilities in the coming years. The annual saving in fiscal resources that OPS
entails is short-lived.
iii.Among the States, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh have so far restored the OPS for
government employees.
About OPS, NPS:
• Under OPS, pension was 50 percent of the last drawn salary of the employee and the entire amount
was paid by the government.
• The OPS was discontinued and replaced with New Pension Scheme (NPS) on April 01, 2004.
• Under the New Pension Scheme, employees contribute 10 percent of their basic salary towards
pension while the state government contributes 14 percent.
Note – The report was provided against the backdrop of the underlying dynamics of the state’s budgetary
operations during 2020-21 (actuals), 2021-22 (revised estimates/provisional accounts) and 2022-23 (budget
estimates). It has been prepared in the Division of State Finances of the Department of Economic and Policy
Research.
About the Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Governor – Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors – Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, T. Rabi Sankar
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment – 1935
Three Key Takeaways from RBI’s Report On State Government Budgets

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released a report titled “State Finances: A Study of Budgets for 2022-
2023” on January 16, 2023, under the theme “Capital Formation in India: The Role of States.”
• The report is an annual publication that presents information, analysis, and an assessment of state
government finances for 2022–2023 (FY23) in comparison to actual and revised/provisional
accounts for 2020–2021 and 2021–2022, respectively. Click here to know more.
The three key observations from the RBI report are as follows:
Debt-to-GDP
i.The report states that the state’s debt to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio continues to be extraordinarily
high.
• The debt-to-GDP ratio has decreased from 31.1% in 2020-21 to 29.5% in 2022-23.
• A high debt-deficit burden suggests that states may have to pay more to fulfil their obligations.
ii.A 20% debt-to-GDP ratio for states was suggested by the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management
(FRBM) review committee, which was led by N K Singh.
iii.According to the report, state interest payments increased to 2% of GDP in 2020–21 from 1.7% in 2017–18,
with states anticipating a drop to 1.8% in 2022–23.
iv.The states with the highest interest payments to revenue receipts ratios are Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Haryana,
and West Bengal.
• This suggests that a significant amount of the states’ revenues in these states go toward interest
payments, leaving them with less money to spend on other high-priority areas like health or
education.
Contingent Liabilities
i.The report claims that the contingent liabilities of state governments have also significantly increased.

• The obligations of a state government to repay the principal and interest payments if a state-owned
entity fails on a loan are referred to as contingent liabilities.
ii.The amount of guarantees issued by state governments increased from Rs. 3.12 lakh crore (2% of GDP) in
2017 to Rs. 7.4 lakh crore (3.7% of GDP).
• Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh have the most outstanding guarantees at the end of
March 2021.
iii.The state’s finances are adversely affected by the state-owned power distribution companies (discoms).
iv.An RBI study estimated that a discom bailout would cost 2.3% of GDP for the 18 major states.
Old Pension Scheme (OPS)
i.The report also warns of new concerns, with some states preferring to return to the Old Pension Scheme
(OPS).
• In the early 2000s, a new pension framework to lessen the financial burden on the state was
implemented as it became apparent that financing the OPS would be challenging.
ii.Despite the fact that the majority of states agreed to the new pension scheme at the time, states such as
Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh have now decided to withdraw, putting state budgets at risk.
iii.A substantial portion of state tax revenues are already allocated to pensions; in 2020–21, Rs. 3.86 lakh crore
was allocated to pensions.
• Switching to the OPS will further increase pension liabilities, leaving less scope for more
constructive spending.
According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s 26th issue of the Financial Stability Report (FSR) on December
29 2022 ,India’s Current Account Deficit (CAD) widened to 4.4 per cent of GDP in Q2:2022-23 from 2.2% of GDP
in the previous Q2:2022-23 and 1.2% in 2021-22.
RBI Prior Approval Now a Must for Picking Up Over 5% Stake in Banks
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) mandated in its “Reserve Bank of India (Acquisition and Holding of Shares
or Voting Rights in Banking Companies) Directions, 2023” published on January 16, 2023, anyone who
intends to make an acquisition that is likely to result in a major shareholding in a banking company should first
obtain the RBI’s prior approval by submitting an application.
• “Major shareholding” refers to a person’s “aggregate holding” of 5% or more of the paid-up share
capital or voting rights in a banking company.
Significance
i.The purpose of these guidelines is to maintain “fit and proper” status among the major shareholders of
banking companies and to ensure that the ultimate ownership and control of banking companies are well
diversified.
ii.These directions are issued in accordance with the powers granted by Sections 12, 12B, and 35A of the
Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
• These directions may be read along with the “Guidelines on Acquisition and Holding of Shares or
Voting Rights in Banking Companies” issued by the RBI.
iii.These directions will take effect on the date of issue i.e., January 16, 2023.
Key Points:
i.The decision of the RBI to permit, deny, or permit a lower number of shares will be binding on the applicant
and the bank when the entity intending to acquire a stake in banks has completed its due diligence.

ii.If a person’s shareholding falls below 5% after an acquisition, the person must seek fresh approval from
the RBI if the person intends to increase the aggregate holding to 5% or more.
• A reference must be made to the RBI by the banking company along with a copy of the board
resolution and all necessary documents, even if the acquisition/aggregate holding is less than 5% of
the paid-up share capital or voting rights of the banking company.
iii.Banks whose aggregate shareholding of entities does not meet the guidelines will be required to comply
within 6 months.
iv.The RBI will specify a differentiated shareholding dilution plan for Private Banks where the state or union
government owns a stake.
v.Any person from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) non-compliant jurisdiction will be restricted from
acquiring a major shareholding in a bank.
• However, the existing major shareholders from such FATF-non-compliant jurisdictions will be
permitted to keep investing as long as no additional acquisitions are made without the RBI’s prior
approval.
Paytm Payments Bank gets final RBI nod to operate as Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit
The RBI has granted final approval to Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL) for it to operate as a Bharat Bill
Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU) under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
• As a BBPOU, PPBL has the ultimate power to manage bill payment and aggregation business as an
entity under the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS).
• BBPS is owned by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
Key Points:
i.A BBPOU is permitted to provide bill payment services under BBPS for services like electricity, phone, DTH
(Direct to Home), water, insurance, gas, loan repayments, FASTag recharge, education fees, credit card bills, and
municipal taxes.
• PPBL has been carrying out this activity until now with RBI’s in principle approval.
ii.All agent institutions onboard will be displayed by PPBL on its website in accordance with directions from
the RBI.
Recently, the RBI has approved the appointment of Surinder Chawla as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
of Paytm Payments Bank Limited (PPBL). The appointment has been approved by the RBI for a period of 3
years.
About Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL):
Chairman- Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Headquarters- Noida, Uttar Pradesh
Establishment- 2017
CAD widens to 4.4% of GDP in Q2FY23, Banks’ net NPA ratio at 10-yr low: RBI Report
In accordance with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) preliminary data on India’s Balance of Payments (BoP) for
the July-September (Q2) quarter of FY 2022-23, India’s Current Account Deficit (CAD) widened in the Q2FY23
due to increased trade gap driven by high commodity prices and a weak rupee.
• In absolute terms, CAD was $36.40 billion in Q2FY23 which is highest in more than a decade.
• As a percentage of GDP, it was 4.4%, the highest since the June quarter of 2013.
• India’s CAD is up from USD 18.2 billion (2.2% of GDP) in Q1FY23 and a deficit of US$ 9.7 billion
(1.3% of GDP) in Q2FY22.
Key Points:
i.Services exports reported growth of 30.2% on a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis, driven by exports of software,
business and travel services, while net services receipts increased sequentially and y-o-y.
ii.Private transfer receipts, mainly representing remittances by Indians employed overseas, rose by 29.7% to
$27.4 billion from 2021.

India’s Balance of Payments (BoP) in Q2FY23
i.India’s foreign exchange reserves on BoP basis recorded a deficit of $30.4 billion compared to a $31.2 billion
surplus in the Q2FY22.
ii.In the financial account, net Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) decreased to US$ 6.4 billion from US$ 8.7 billion
in Q2FY22.
iii.Net Foreign Portfolio Investment recorded inflows of US$ 6.5 billion, up from US$ 3.9 billion during Q2FY22.
iv.Net external commercial borrowings to India recorded an outflow of US$ 0.4 billion in Q2FY23 as against an
inflow of US$ 4.3 billion in Q2FY22.
v.Non-resident deposits recorded net inflows of US$ 2.5 billion as against net outflows of US$ 0.8 billion in
Q2FY22.
vi.There was a depletion of foreign exchange reserves (on a BoP basis) to the tune of US$ 30.4 billion in Q2FY23
as against an accretion of US$ 31.2 billion in Q2FY22.
BoP during April-September 2022 (H1FY23)
i.India recorded a CAD of 3.3% of GDP in H1FY23 on the back of a sharp increase in the merchandise trade
deficit, as compared with 0.2% in H1FY22.
ii.Net FDI inflows were at US$ 20.0 billion in H1FY23 as compared to US$ 20.3 billion in H1FY22.
iii.Portfolio investment recorded a net outflow of US$ 8.1 billion in H1FY23 as against an inflow of US$ 4.3
billion in H1FY22.
Banks’ net NPA ratio at 10-yr low
The RBI also released the 26th Financial Stability Report (FSR) which states the collective assessment of the
Sub-Committee of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) on risks to financial stability and the
resilience of the financial system. It is published bi-annually.
Key Points:
i.The Gross Non-Performing Asset (GNPA) ratio of scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) fell to a seven-year low
of 5% and Net Non-Performing Assets (NNPA) have dropped to ten-year low of 1.3% in September 2022.
ii.The system-level capital to risk weighted assets ratio (CRAR) in September 2023, under baseline, medium
and severe stress scenarios, is projected at 14.9%, 14% and 13.1%, respectively.
Banks using quality liquid assets to fund loan growth
As per the report, the banks are using their High-Quality Liquid Assets (HQLAs) to fund the demand for credit
in the economy. The reason behind this is the slow deposit accretion and tight liquidity conditions.
Key points:
i.The Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) has decreased from a high of 173% as of September 2020 to 135.6% as of
September 2022. However, it still remains comfortably above the minimum regulatory requirement of 100%.
• LCR refers to the proportion of HQLAs held by banks, to ensure their ability to meet short-term
obligations.
ii.The LCR of private banks have fallen more than Public Sector Banks (PSBs) and foreign banks.
• Private banks saw LCR drop to 121.8% as of September 2022 while PSBs dropped to 141.2%.
• On the other hand, foreign banks have relatively high LCR at 157.1% as of September 2022.
iii.HQLA is essentially cash or assets that can be converted into cash quickly through sales (or by being pledged
as collateral) with no significant loss of value.
iv.Bank credit has grown at 17.4% YoY as on December 16, 2022 . Deposits growth moderated to 9.4% during
the same period.
India’s persistent core inflation may exert upward pressure on CPI
The report also stated that India’s consumer price index (CPI) inflation has moderated.
• India’s headline retail inflation dropped to a 11-month low of 5.88% in November 2022 from 6.77%
in October 2022.
Key Points:
i.As per the RBI’s estimates, annual inflation is seen cooling to 5.9% in January-March 2023 and 5% in April-
June 2023 but is set to rise to 5.4% in the subsequent three months.

ii.Gross NPA ratio of all banks may improve from 5% in September 2022 to 4.9% by September 2023 under the
baseline scenario.
i.According to the “State of the Economy” article featured on the monthly Bulletin of Reserve Bank of India –
RBI Bulletin – November 2022, India’s real Gross Domestic Product GDP growth in 2nd quarter of 2022-2023
(Q2FY23) is expected to be between 6.1% and 6.3%.
ii.The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) have
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on regulation and supervision of regulated
entities in their respective jurisdictions.
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors– Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, T. Rabi Sankar
Establishment– 1st April 1935
Issues related to cards, Net Banking Top Complaint Areas at OBO: RBI Report
On January 4, 2023, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the Annual Report of the Ombudsman Schemes
for the period April 01, 2021 – March 31, 2022. Its details are as follows:
Highlights:
i.Issues related to ATM (Automated Teller Machine)/debit cards were the highest at 14.65% of the total
received at the Office of Banking Ombudsman (OBO) from April 1 to November 11, 2021.
• These were followed by mobile/ electronic banking at 13.64%.
ii.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.
iii.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.
iv.Of these, 3,04,496 complaints were handled by the 22 Offices of RBI Ombudsman (ORBIOs), including the
complaints received under the three erstwhile Ombudsman Schemes till November 11, 2021.
• The rate of disposal of complaints by RBIOs improved to 97.97% in 2021-22 from 96.59% in 2020-
21.
v.Of the 1,49,419 complaints handled at the Centralized Receipt and Processing Center (CRPC), 1,43,552
complaints had been disposed of at the end of March 31, 2022.
vi.Majority (63.63%) of the maintainable complaints were resolved through a mutual settlement.
Key Developments during 2021-22:
i.Three erstwhile Ombudsman Schemes viz., Banking Ombudsman Scheme (BOS) 2006, Ombudsman Scheme
for Non-Banking Financial Companies (OSNBFC) 2018, and Ombudsman Scheme for Digital Transactions
(OSDT) 2019 were integrated into the Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS), 2021 and
launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 12, 2021.
• RB-IOS also included Non Scheduled Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) with deposits above Rs 50
crore.
• Credit Information Companies (CICs) were brought under RBI-IOS with effect from September
1, 2022.
ii. Under the RB-IOS, 2021, a CRPC was established at RBI, Chandigarh to receive complaints through
email/physical mode from across India.
• It handle the initial scrutiny and processing of these complaints before assigning the maintainable
ones to ORBIOs for further redressal.
iii.A Nationwide Intensive Awareness Programme, ‘Ombudsman Speak’ was launched on the World Consumer
Rights Day on March 15, 2022, to strengthen the on-going financial awareness and education by the
department and Ombudsman Offices.

Click Here for Official Report
RBI lifts restrictions on Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) lifted restrictions on Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Limited (MMFSL) on
recovery operations via third party collection agents.
• The lifting of restrictions followed submissions made by MMFSL and its pledge to strengthen
recovery practices and outsourcing arrangements while tightening the process of onboarding third-
party agents and strengthening its accountability framework,
Background:
In September 2022, RBI, in exercise of its powers under section 45L(1)(b) of the RBI Act, 1934, bars Mahindra
& Mahindra Financial Services Ltd. (MMFSL), Mumbai (Maharashtra) from carrying out any recovery or
repossession activity through outsourcing arrangements.
Reason: This regulatory action follows the incident of the 27-year-old pregnant woman who was crushed to
death on September 15, 2022 in Jharkhand, by a tractor being driven by a recovery agent acting on behalf of
MMFSL.
i.RBI has granted in principle approval to Open, a neo-banking fintech, for a Payment Aggregator Gateway
(PA/PG) licence.
ii.In an industry first step, Eversource Capital – promoted Accretive Cleantech Finance Private Ltd.,
doing business as “Ecofy,” has obtained regulatory approval from RBI to operate as a non-deposit-taking Non-
Banking Financial Company (NBFC).
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors– Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, T. Rabi Sankar
Establishment– 1st April 1935
SBI, HDFC & ICICI Banks in the RBIs 2022 list of D-SIBs
On January 2, 2023, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the 2022 list of Domestic Systemically Important
Banks (D-SIBs) based on the data from March 31, 2022. In this, State Bank of India (SBI), ICICI Bank, and HDFC
Bank kept the status as D-SIBs, under the same bucketing structure as in the 2021 list of D-SIBs.
• D-SIBs are interconnected entities, whose failure can impact the whole of the financial system and
create instability. They are also known s ‘too-big-to fail’ banks.
Highlight:
i.SBI will be in the 3rd bucket with an Additional Common Equity Tier (CET)- 1 requirement as a percentage of
Risk Weighted Assets (RWAs) of 0.60%.
ii.ICICI Bank, and HDFC Bank will be in the 1st bucket with an Additional CET-1 requirement as a percentage
of RWAs of 0.20%.
Table showing list of D-SIBs with Additional CET1 capital requirement:
Additional CET1 requirement
Bucket
Banks (as a percentage of RWAs)
5 – 1.00%
4 – 0.80%
3 State Bank of India 0.60%
2 – 0.40%
ICICI Bank, HDFC
1 0.20%
Bank

Key Points:
i.The additional CET-1 requirement for D-SIBs was launched on April 1, 2016, and became effective from April
1, 2019.
ii.The additional CET1 requirement will be in addition to the capital conservation buffer.
iii.SBI and ICICI Bank were designated as D-SIBs in 2015 and 2016 respectively while HDFC Bank became D-
SIB in 2017.
Background:
In 2014, the Framework for dealing with D-SIBs was introduced by the RBI. Under this, the Reserve Bank is
required to disclose the names of banks designated as D-SIBs starting from 2015 and place these banks in
appropriate buckets depending upon their Systemic Importance Scores (SISs).
i.Based on the bucket in which a D-SIB is placed, an additional CET has to be applied to it.
ii.There is Global Systemically Important Bank (G-SIB) also which is a foreign bank having a branch in India.
• It has to maintain an additional CET1 capital surcharge in India as applicable to it as a G-SIB,
proportionate to its RWAs in India.
How D-SIBs are Selected and Assessed?
i.The D-SIBs will be selected by RBI based on the size of the bank as a percentage of GDP(Gross Domestic
Product) i.e the banks having a size beyond 2% of GDP.
ii.The selected D-SIBs are assessed through the 4 indicators of Size, Interconnectedness, Lack of readily
available substitutes or financial institution infrastructure, and
Complexity
RBI: Annapurna Finance Private Applies for Universal Bank License

On 4th January 2022, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has received an application from
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) based Annapurna Finance Private Limited (AFPL), formerly known as Annapurna
Microfinance Private Limited, under the Guidelines for ‘on tap’ Licensing of Universal Banks in the Private
Sector issued on 1st August 2016.
• AFPL was the only entity to apply for a universal bank licence during the quarter ended December
31, 2022.
Note – Under these guidelines large industrial houses cannot apply for bank permits. Also, eligible promoters
need to have at least 10 years of experience in the financial sector.
In May 2022, RBI rejected applications from UAE Exchange and Financial Services Ltd, The Repatriates
Cooperative Finance and Development Bank Ltd (REPCO Bank), Chaitanya India Fin Credit Pvt Ltd and Pankaj
Vaish and others for setting up Universal Banks.
RBI selected 6 firms under 4th cohort of RS to Test Anti-Fraud Solutions

On January 5, 2023, 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.
• The 4th cohort under RS was announced in June 2022.
Selected entities & their Products:
i.Bahwan Cybertek
Product: rt360 Real Time Monitoring System
Product Description: It provides a surveillance mechanism for monitoring transactions and events from loan
accounts on a continuous and real time basis.
Headquarter– Chennai, Tamil Nadu
ii.Crediwatch Information Analytics
Product: Crediwatch EWS

Product Description: It is an early warning system for credit monitoring and fraud identification that looks at
data across public and private data sources to uncover early signs of trouble for commercial borrowers
Headquarter– Bengaluru, Karnataka
iii.enStage Software Private Limited (Wibmo)
Product: Trident FRM
Product Description: It is a risk-based authentication solution aimed at providing frictionless i.e. without OTP
(One Time Password) transaction experience for low value transactions based on risk assessment of users.
Headquarter– Bengaluru, Karnataka
iv.HSBC in collaboration with Wibmo
Product Description: It is a closed user group AI/ML (Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning) based solution
which helps in card-not-present fraud detection by using historical transactions and contextual information
from collaborated banks and financial institutions.
HSBC India Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
v.napID Cybersec
Product: napID Fraud Filter Layer
Product Description: It locks the login form, payment form, ATM (Automated Teller Machine), POS (Point of
Sale) machines. It gets unlocked for the authorized user to initiate the transaction using their credentials via
napID Zero-Factor Authenticator app.
Headquarter– Chennai, Tamil Nadu
vi.Trusting Social
Product: Trusting Social CI & AV
Product Description: It helps in address verification by running its proprietary AI algorithms on non-
personally identifiable data on subscriber usage, location signals, among others to predict residential and office
address of users. This helps to verify the accuracy of address declared by prospective customers, and assess the
risk of default of a loan applicant.
Headquarter India– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Global Headquarter– Singapore
About Regulatory Sandbox (RS):
• The RS was established on August 13, 2019 based on the recommendations of the Working Group on
FinTech and Digital Banking, set up by Financial Stability and Development Council – Sub Committee
(FSDC-SC).
• It refers to the live testing of new products or services in a controlled/test regulatory environment.
Through this field tests are conducted on the advantages and drawbacks of the new financial
innovations.
• The target applicants for entry to the RS are fintech companies, including startups, banks, financial
institutions, any other company and Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) and partnership firms,
partnering with or providing support to financial services businesses.
The Previous 4 Cohorts under RS are:
• First- Retail Payments
• Second- Cross Border Payments
• Third- MSME lending
• Fourth- Prevention and Mitigation of Financial Frauds
RBI announced the 5th Cohort under RS which will be themed ‘Neutral’ in September 2022.
i.RBI has launched the pilot for end-to-end digitalization of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) lending.. The project was
developed by the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) in association with RBI.
ii.RBI raised the minimum capital requirement for setting up an asset reconstruction company (ARC) to Rs 300
crore from the existing Rs 100 crore. The existing ARCs are need to meet minimum net owned fund (NOF)
requirement of Rs 200 crore by March 31, 2024, and Rs 300 crore by March 31, 2026.

i.The Reserve Bank of India was established on April 1, 1935, in accordance with the provisions of the RBI Act,
1934.
ii.The Central Office of the Reserve Bank was initially established in Calcutta but was permanently moved to
Mumbai in 1937.
iii.Though originally privately owned, since nationalization in 1949, the Reserve Bank is fully owned by the
Government of India.
RBI Launches Medium-Term Strategy Framework “Utkarsh 2.0” For 2023-2025

The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Shaktikanta Das, has launched the “Utkarsh 2.0” Medium-
Term Strategy Framework for the period 2023-2025.
• Utkarsh 2.0 would enable the RBI to respond to socioeconomic challenges in both a proactive and
reactive manner.
• Utkarsh 2.0 relies on the strengths of Utkarsh 2022 by retaining the six vision statements, as well as
the core purpose, values, and mission statement.
Utkarsh 2022
i.The first strategy framework, “Utkarsh 2022”, covering the period 2019-2022, was launched in July 2019.
• It evolved into a medium-term strategy document that guided the RBI’s work toward the
achievement of the defined milestones.
ii.Utkarsh’s core purpose is to promote monetary and financial stability while retaining growth as a priority, in
order to support the establishment of an effective and inclusive financial system.
Six Vision statements of Utkarsh 2.0
• Excellence in performance of its functions
• Strengthened trust of citizens and Institutions in the RBI
• Enhanced relevance and significance in national and global roles
• Transparent, accountable and ethics-driven internal governance
• Best-in-class and environment-friendly digital and physical infrastructure
• Innovative, dynamic and skilled human resources
Key Points:
i.Utkarsh 2.0 will include the adoption of tools driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)
for data analysis and information generation.
ii.The RBI oversees the program’s implementation and development, through a Sub-committee of its Central
Board.
Establishment –1935
RBI to Issue Its Maiden Green Bonds for Rs. 16,000 Crore in Two Tranches of Rs. 8,000 Crore
Each
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that the maiden Sovereign Green Bonds (SGrBs) for an
aggregate sum of Rs. 16,000 crore will be issued in two tranches of Rs. 8,000 crore each in January and
February 2023, with the intention of mobilizing resources for green infrastructure.
• The proceeds would be used to fund public-sector projects that will help India reduce its carbon
emissions.
The RBI has announced the indicative calendar for the issuance of SGrBs for the fiscal year 2022-23 (FY23), in
consultation with the Government of India (GoI).

Date of
S.No Amount Security-wise Allocation
Auction
i. 05 Year SGrB for Rs. 4,000
Rs. 8000 crore
1 25-Jan-23
crores ii. 10 Year SGrB for Rs. 4,000
crore
i. 05 Year SGrB for Rs. 4,000
Rs. 8000 crore
2 09-Feb-23
crores ii. 10 Year SGrB for Rs. 4,000
crore
Click here for official notification
Backdrop
i.The Union Budget for 2022-2023 included SGrBs, in accordance with the objective to significantly minimize
the carbon intensity of the economy.
ii.On September 29, 2022, it was announced in the half-yearly issuance calendar for marketable dated
securities for the second half of FY23 that SGrBs worth Rs. 16,000 crore would be issued.
iii.Since then, the GoI has issued the Sovereign Green Bond Framework as part of its overall market borrowings
on November 9, 2022.
What are Green Bonds?
Green bonds are financial instruments used by the government to raise funds from potential investors for
programmes/schemes that promote environmental sustainability and climate adaptation.
• The objective of the SGrBs is to raise funds for green infrastructure as part of the GoI’s overall
market borrowings in 2022-23.
Features of the SGrB issuance:
i.Issuance Method: SGrBs will be issued through Uniform Price Auction.
ii.Non-Competitive Bidding Facility: In accordance with the “Scheme for Non-competitive Bidding Facility” in
the auction of Government of India-dated securities and Treasury bills, 5% of the notified amount of sale will be
set aside for retail investors.
iii.Eligibility for Repurchase Transactions (Repo): SGrBs will be eligible for Repurchase Transactions
(Repo) under the terms and conditions outlined in the “Repurchase Transactions (Repo) (Reserve Bank)
Directions, 2018” as amended from time to time.
iv.Eligibility for Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): SGrBs shall be considered as acceptable investments for
SLR purposes.
v.Underwriting: The underwriting in the auction of SGrBs by Primary Dealers will be in accordance with the
“Revised Scheme of Underwriting Commitment and Liquidity Support.”
vi.When-issued Trading: SGrBs will be eligible for “When Issued” trading in accordance with the RBI’s
guidelines for “Transactions in the When Issued Market in Central Government Securities.”
vii.Tradability: SGrBs will be eligible for trading in the secondary market.
viii.Investment by Non-Residents: Under the “Fully Accessible Route,” SGrBs will be designated as specified
securities for non-residents to invest in government securities.
i.In December 2022, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman approved the final and first Sovereign
Green Bonds (SGrB) Framework of India. SGrB will focus on funding solar power projects, followed by wind
and small hydro projects.
ii.All fossil fuel-related projects, and biomass-based renewable energy projects that rely on feedstock from
protected areas are not a part of the framework.

RBI notifies revised List of Accredited Credit Rating Agencies

On January 9, 2023, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the revised list of accredited Credit Rating agencies
(CRAs) for the purpose of assigning risk weight to assets for capital adequacy purposes by the banks.
The six credit rating agencies are as follows:
i.Acuite Ratings & Research Limited (Acuite)
ii.Credit Analysis and Research Limited (CARE)
iii.CRISIL Ratings Limited
iv.ICRA Limited
v.India Ratings and Research Private Limited (India Ratings)
vi.INFOMERICS Valuation and Rating Pvt Ltd
Key Points:
i.In this regard, RBI has advised banks to use the ratings of the six domestic credit rating agencies for risk
weighting their claims for capital adequacy purposes.
ii.In October 2022, RBI dropped Brickwork Ratings India Private Limited from the list of accredited rating
agencies.
What are Credit Rating agencies (CRAs)?
CRA evaluates and assesses an individual’s or a company’s creditworthiness, means, these agencies consider a
debtor’s income and credit lines to analyze the debtor’s ability to repay the debt or if there is any credit risk
associated. The credit rating indicates if the borrower is worth trusting with the new loan.
• In India, CRAs are regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) as per the SEBI
Regulations, 1999 of the SEBI Act, 1992.
• The creditworthiness of an individual or a company is decided based on the lending and borrowing
transactions done in the past.
• On October 31, 2022, SEBI issued norms regarding the standardization of rating scales used by
CRAs. Click here to know more
Hitachi Payment Services gets RBI’s in-principle nod for Payment Aggregator Licence
On January 10, 2022, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) provided its in-principle authorization to Hitachi Payment
Services to act as a payment aggregator (PA).
• PAs are entities that facilitate e-commerce sites and merchants to accept various payment
instruments from customers to complete payments.
Key Points:
i.Hitachi Payment Services is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd.
ii.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.
BharatPe receives in principle nod from RBI for online PA
RBI also 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 PA.
• However, the final authorization is subject to fulfilment of certain conditions.
Key Points:
i.BharatPe was founded in 2018, and launched UPI interoperable QR (Quick Response) code, the first zero MDR
(Merchant Discount Rate) payment acceptance service.
ii.In 2020, post-Covid, BharatPe also launched a card acceptance terminal – BharatSwipe.

iii.In October 2021, the consortium of Centrum Financial Services Ltd (Centrum) and BharatPe, was issued a
Small Finance Bank (SFB) license by the RBI.
• It also entered the Buy Now Pay Later segment with the launch of postpe.
RBI shortlists 7 global consultancy firms to use AI, ML to improve regulatory supervision
RBI has shortlisted seven global consultancy firms to use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)
for supervisory functions. This shortlisting followed the expressions of interest (EoI) invited by RBI in
September 2022 for engaging consultants for the same.
The seven firms are as follows:
• Accenture Solutions Private Limited
• Boston Consulting Group (India) Pvt Ltd
• Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP
• Ernst and Young LLP
• KPMG Assurance and Consulting Services LLP
• McKinsey and Company
• Pricewaterhouse Coopers Pvt Ltd.
Key Points:
i.RBI is already using AI and ML in supervisory processes, it now intends to upscale it to ensure that the
benefits of advanced analytics can accrue to its Department of Supervision.
ii.The RBI’s Department of Supervision undertakes supervision over banks, urban cooperative banks, NBFCs,
payment banks, small finance banks, local area banks, credit information companies and select all Indian
financial institutions to assess their financial soundness, solvency, asset quality, governance framework,
liquidity, and operational viability to protect depositors’ interests and financial stability.
RBI Grants In-principle Approval for Payment Aggregator Licence to EnKash

On 11th January 2023, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has provided in-principle approval for the Fintech
startup EnKash, for payment aggregator’s licence. This will enable EnKash to broaden its product offerings to
millions of businesses for digital transactions.
• EnKash,established in 2018, has assisted around 1 lakh businesses to digitise and decentralise their
corporate payments.
Note – Hitachi Payment Services an end-to-end payment service provider and BharatPe, a fintech unicorn have
also received in-principle approval from RBI for a payment aggregator licence.
RBI Data: Indians Remitted Nearly USD 2 Billion Under LRS Scheme in November 2022
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.
• Sequentially, the outward remittances under LRS increased by around 3.5%.
The data was released in the January 2023 Bulletin of the RBI.
Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS)
i.The Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) of the RBI was launched in 2004, with an initial ceiling of USD
25,000.
• The LRS limit has been gradually revised to align with the current macroeconomic and
microeconomic conditions.
ii.The scheme allows all residents, including minors, to freely remit up to USD 250,000 each fiscal year for
any permitted current or capital account transaction, or combination of both.

Outward Remittances under the LRS for Resident Individuals
i.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).
ii.Outflows could reach an all-time high by the end of FY23, accompanied by an increase in international
travel.
• Outflows of USD 19.61 billion touched an all-time high in FY22, driven by overseas education
and international travel.
iii.Under the LRS, India’s remittances recorded USD 12.68 billion in FY21, a 32.38% decrease from FY20,
when remittances were USD 18.76 billion.
iv.Outward remittances suffered setbacks in FY21 as COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions affected
international travel for a longer period of time.
Key Statistics:
i.Over 50% of all outward remittances made by Indians under the LRS in November 2022 were attributed
to international travel.
• Outward remittances for international travel totaled USD 1.03 billion, a 2.25-fold increase from
November 2021.
ii.Following international travel, Indians spent the most on maintenance of close relatives, followed by
gifts and overseas education.
• In November 2022, the outward remittance made for the maintenance of close relatives was
USD 305.35 million.
• This was followed by USD 220.90 million in gifts and USD 211.65 million for overseas education.
Start-up fundraising to Rebound Rapidly: RBI Paper

As per the paper titled ‘What Drives Startup Fundraising in India’ in Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI)
January 2023 bulletin, the start-up fundraising in India is expected to rapidly rebound from the
macroeconomic disturbances seen over the last 2-3 years.
• The paper is written by Rajas Saroy, Ashish Khobragade, Rekha Misra, Sakshi Awasthy and Sarat
Dhal.
Key Points:
i.As per the paper, the concerns about macroeconomic and financial stability may arise due to their rapid
integration into global supply chains and finance.
ii.According to data from the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency, there were 107
unicorns as of September 2022, with an aggregate valuation of $341 billion.
iii.Bengaluru (Karnataka), Gurugram (Haryana), and Mumbai (Maharashtra) are the top three cities with
the highest number of unicorns in India.
iv.There is a need to keep track of foreign financial flows and the changes in management control arising
from that.
v.Establishment of International Financial Services Centres will help in the onshoring of such investments.
Click Here for Official Paper
RBI January 2023 Bulletin: RBI to Direct Inflation Toward a 4% Target by 2024
According to the article titled “State of the Economy” published in the “January 2023 bulletin” of the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI), 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.
Key Points:
i.According to provisional data issued by the National Statistical Office (NSO) on January 12, 2023, Retail
inflation, as measured by Year-on-year (y-o-y) fluctuations in the all-India Consumer Price Index (CPI),
slowed to 5.7% in December 2022 from 5.9% in November 2022. It was driven by a significant drop in
food inflation.
• After remaining above the RBI’s tolerance range of 2%-6% for 10 months, it has fallen below
6% for the second consecutive month.
• Inflation has been declining after reaching 7.4% in September 2022.
ii.In its monetary policy, the RBI projected that headline inflation would be 6.6% in Q3 FY23 and 5.9% in
Q4 FY23.
iii..The projected CPI inflation was 5% in Q1 FY24 and 5.4% in Q2 FY24 before declining to the mandated
level of 4%.
iv.According to the RBI’s September 2022 monetary policy report, Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in
FY24 could slow from 7% in 2022–2023 to 6.5%.
v.In 2023, India’s economy, which now surpasses the UK as the world’s fifth largest, will have a USD 3.7
trillion economy at current prices and exchange rates.
vi.According to International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates, India would rise to fourth place in 2025 and
third place in 2027, with a USD 5.4 trillion economy.
vii.The current fiscal year (FY23), which ends in March 2023, saw the Current Account Deficit (CAD) rise
to 4.4% of GDP in the July-September quarter, the highest level since the June quarter of 2013.
RBI issues Guidelines on Acquisition in Banks; Protean’s arm gets RBI nod for AA Licence
On January 16, 2023, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued ‘Acquisition and Holding of Shares or Voting
Rights in Banking Companies Directions, 2023’ which 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.
• This increase in the cap on promoters’ stake is based upon the Internal Working Group (IWG)
recommendations in 2021.
Key Points:
i.If the shareholder intends to get a strategic stake, the board has to inform the RBI even if the shareholding is
less than 5%.
• In case, the shareholding is not compliant with RBI’s norms, banks must submit an action plan for
diluting shares within 6 months.
ii.A ‘fit and proper’ clearance is required through continuous monitoring before buying a stake in a bank.
iii.During the period prior to the completion of the 15 years, the promoters of banking companies are allowed
to hold a higher percentage of shareholding as part of the licensing conditions or as part of the shareholding
dilution plan submitted by the banking company and approved by the RBI.
iv.RBI also permits higher shareholding on a case-to-case basis under circumstances such as relinquishment by
existing promoters, supervisory intervention including under Prompt Corrective Action (PCA),
reconstruction/restructuring of banks, entrenchment of existing promoters etc., as per the guidelines issued.
v.The guidelines also bar investors from countries not compliant with Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
rules.
• Currently, 38 countries are compliant, while others are at various levels of non-compliance.
vi.Any bank shareholder permitted to hold over 10% but below 40% shares will remain under lock-in for the
first 5 years from the date of completion of the acquisition.
• In case any person is permitted to have a shareholding of 40% or more, only 40% of the
shareholding will remain under lock-in for the first five years from the date of completion of the
acquisition.

• The shares which are under lock-in cannot be encumbered.
Click Here for Official Notification
Protean’s arm gets RBI nod for AA Licence
Protean eGov Technologies Limited (formerly NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure 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.
• AA is a type of RBI regulated entity (that helps an individual to securely and digitally access and
share information from one financial institution they have an account with to any other regulated
financial institution. Data cannot be shared without the consent of the individual.
About Protean:
It has collaborated with the government over the last 25 years to create digital public infrastructure and
develop innovative citizen centric e-governance solutions, including modernizing the direct tax infrastructure,
providing a tax identity to citizens and corporates through issuance of PAN cards, strengthening the old-age
social security infrastructure through the National Pension System (NPS) and Atal Pension Yojna, and enabling
Aadhaar-based identity authentication and e-Sign services.
About Protean eGov Technologies Limited:
MD & CEO– Suresh Sethi
RBI Directs Banks to Complete Renewal Agreements for Existing Safe Deposit Lockers by Dec
31, 2023
On January 23, 2023, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended the deadline for banks to complete the process
of renewal of agreements for the existing safe deposit locker holders by December 31, 2023 from January 1,
2023.
• The deadline is extended in a phased manner with intermediate milestones of 50% by June 30, 2023,
and 75% by September 30, 2023.
• The Banks are provided with a deadline of April 30, 2023, to notify all their customers regarding the
revised requirements.
Background:
In August 2021, the RBI had issued revised instructions with respect to the Safe Deposit Locker/Safe Custody
Article Facility that required banks to enter into revised agreements with the existing locker holders by January
1, 2023. Click here to know more
• However, there are still a large number of customers who are yet to sign the revised agreement. In many
cases, the banks are yet to inform the customers about the same before. Therefore this extension has
been provided to banks.
Key Points:
i.Banks have been advised to make necessary arrangements to facilitate the execution of the revised
agreements by ensuring the availability of stamp papers, etc.
ii.In cases where operations in lockers have been frozen for non-execution of the agreement by January 1,
2023, the same will be unfrozen with immediate effect.
iii.The revised rules on bank lockers were applicable to existing customers from January 2023 and were
already in force for new customers from January 2022.
iv.Banks would report the status of compliance with the instructions on the DAKSH supervisory portal of the
RBI
v.Earlier, the RBI had made it mandatory for banks to install CCTVs (Closed-Circuit Television) to monitor
locker rooms and to store the footage for 180 days, and send SMS (Short Message Service) and emails every
time customers accessed their lockers as a step against fraud.

RBI directs SBM Bank (India) to stop all transactions under Liberalised Remittance Scheme
RBI in exercise of its powers under sections 35A and 36(1)(a) of the Banking Regulation (BR) Act, 1949,
directed SBM Bank (India) Ltd to stop all transactions under Liberalized Remittance Scheme (LRS) with
immediate effect till further orders.
• This decision has been taken due to certain material supervisory concerns observed in the bank.
Key Points:
i.SBM Bank (India) Ltd is a Mumbai (Maharashtra)-based bank that has been operating as a branch of SBM
Bank (Mauritius) Ltd since 1994.
ii.On December 1, 2018, it became the first universal bank in India to receive a banking licence from RBI
through the wholly-owned subsidiary route.
What is Liberalized Remittance Scheme (LRS)?
i.Under the LRS, Indian residents, including minors, are allowed to freely remit up to USD 2,50,000 per financial
year (April – March) for any permissible current or capital account transaction or a combination of both.
ii.LRS is not available to corporations, partnership firms, HUFs (Hindu Undivided Family), trusts, etc.
iii.It was first introduced on February 4, 2004, with a limit of $25,000.
i.On December 1, 2022, the Reserve bank of India (RBI) launched its pilot on retail digital currency/ rupee
called ‘Digital Rupee – Retail segment (e-R)’, a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) which is an electronic
form of sovereign currency.
ii.RBI extended the dispensation of enhanced Held to Maturity (HTM) limit of 23% of deposits in respect of
statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) securities up to March 31, 2024 in order to provide further flexibility to banks in
managing their investment portfolios.
i.The Reserve Bank of India was established on April 1, 1935, in accordance with the provisions of the Reserve
Bank of India Act, 1934.
ii.The Central Office of the Reserve Bank was initially established in Calcutta but was permanently moved
to Mumbai in 1937.
iii.Though originally privately owned, since nationalization in 1949, the Reserve Bank is fully owned by the
Government of India.
LOANS ISSUED BY BANKS

ADB Grants USD 100 million to SFL for Vehicle Loans to Women Entrepreneurs
Asian Development Bank (ADB) has sanctioned USD 100 million (about Rs 830 crore) External Commercial
Borrowing (ECB), a five-year loan, under the lender’s social finance framework to Shriram Finance
Limited (SFL), a part of Shriram Group to provide vehicle loans to women entrepreneurs.
• The credit will be issued towards the purchase of new and used vehicles throughout India.
Key highlights:
i.The loan can be used for vehicle finance for commercial purposes for BS VI compliant vehicles and electric
vehicles, especially for women entrepreneurs in under-developed states
• This shall empower and promote the social and economic status of the underserved communities.
ii.Besides the ADB loan, Shriram Finance has also raised USD 250 million from US Development Finance
Corporation and USD 475 million through a 144A Bond from the international market in 2022.
About Shriram Finance Limited (SFL):
In November 2022, Shriram Group’s entities – Shriram Transport Finance Company Limited, Shriram City
Union Finance Limited and Capital Limited merged to form Shriram Finance Limited (SFL).
Chairman – Jugal Kishore Mohapatra

ADB, India sign $220 million loan pact to Strengthen Power Sector in Tripura
On January 3, 2023, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India (GoI) signed a $220
million loan pact for Tripura Power Distribution Strengthening and Generation Efficiency Improvement
Project.
• The loan amount will be utilized towards improving energy security, quality of supply, efficiency,
and resilience of power sector in Tripura.
Signatories:
Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance signed for
GoI, and Hoe Yun Jeong, Officer-in-Charge of ADB’s India Resident Mission, signed for ADB.
Key Points:
i.The project will support the Government of Tripura’s efforts to strengthen its power sector through
replacement of inefficient power plants, strengthen the distribution network and installation of smart meters
that will help in increasing generation capacity, reduce distribution losses and to meet the increasing electricity
demand.
ii.The Project will also fund the replacement of Rokhia power plant with a highly efficient combined cycle gas
turbine that will reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHGs).
iii.The project will support at least 15 selected women self-help groups (SHGs) under Tripura rural livelihood
mission.
iv.The project components will be designed to withstand heavy rainfall, lightning, and storms.
v.The distribution underground cabling will be installed by the horizontal directional drilling method or
tunneling method to minimize road openings and reduce socio-environmental impacts during project
implementation.
For Other Loan agreements of ADB with Indian States, Click Here.
ADB & NSFTPL Signs USD 131 Million Loan to Support the JLN Port Upgradation & Enhance
International Trade
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 to enhance international trade in India through efficient,
transparent, and state-of-the-art logistics infrastructure.
• 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.
Key highlights:
i.NSFTPL is a special purpose vehicle jointly owned by J M Baxi Ports and Logistics Limited (JMBPL) and CMA
Terminals.
ii.The funds will be used to upgrade existing berths and yards and install additional energy efficient equipment
such as electric quay cranes, which shall increase the terminal’s container handling capacity and attract vessels
operating on important international shipping lanes.
Note – Nhava Sheva Freeport Terminal is a key terminal for India and the deal with ADB will increase India’s
potential in becoming a USD 10 trillion economy by 2035.
About Asian Development Bank (ADB):
President – Masatsugu Asakawa
Headquarters – Mandaluyong city, Metro Manila, Philippines
Members – 68 members (49 from Asia and the Pacific and 19 outside)

AGREEMENTS & MoUs SIGNED
Punjab & Sind Bank Partners with SBI Card to Launch Co-branded Credit Card
Punjab & Sind Bank (PSB), a public sector bank, has partnered with SBI Card to launch co-brand credit
cards for the bank’s customers. This marks the entry of PSB 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.
Key highlights:
i.The card was launched to cater for the spending needs of the customers of PSB with exclusive privileges.
ii.SBI Card ELITE and PSB SBI Card PRIME have been designed to offer lifestyle privileges and best in class
experience to premium and mass premium customers, respectively.
• PSB SBI Card ELITE will be offered at a joining fee of Rs. 4,999 plus taxes while PSB SBI Card PRIME will
be offered at Rs. 2,999 plus taxes.
iii.PSB SimplySAVE SBI Card offers rewarding experience to value conscious customers through accelerated
rewards and benefits on their spending. The card is offered at Rs. 499 plus taxes.
iv.Both PSB SBI Card ELITE and PSB SBI Card PRIME will be available on VISA platform and PSB SimplySAVE
SBI Card on RuPay platform.
IDBI Bank signs agreement to transfer schemes of IDBI Mutual Fund to LIC MF
The IDBI Bank has signed a Scheme Transfer Agreement (STA) with LIC Mutual Fund(MF) for the transfer of
Schemes of IDBI Mutual Funds(MF) to LIC MF to comply with regulations 7B of Securities and Exchange Board
of India (SEBI) Mutual fund Regulations.
Background:
LIC took over IDBI Bank, the sponsor of IDBI Mutual Fund, in January 2019.
LIC already has its own asset management company(AMC), LIC MF under SEBI Rules.
• SEBI Rules restrict a single promoter to owning more than 10% stake in 2 asset management
companies(AMCs) therefore, IDBI Bank-promoted IDBI MF had to be either sold or merged with LIC MF.
• Since IDBI Bank, the parent of IDBI MF, is majority owned by LIC, the transfer is necessary.
Key Points:
i.Following this proposed scheme acquisition transaction the like-to-like schemes will be merged and the
unique schemes of IDBI MF will continue on a stand-alone basis with the acquiring entity.
ii.The merger is expected to be completed in this quarter.
About IDBI Bank Limited:
Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Rakesh Sharma
Established in 1964
Tripura signs Rs 2,275cr agreement with ADB to improve Power Distribution Network
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.
• Under this, ADB will support the state government’s efforts to strengthen its power sector by
replacing inefficient power plants and strengthening the distribution system. The project will be
implemented in the next three years.
• Of the Rs 2,275 crore fund, the central government will repay Rs 1,820 crore while the state will
provide Rs 455 crore.
Signatories:
It was signed by Brijesh Pandey, power secretary of Tripura, and Nilaya Mitesh, the officer in charge of ADB’s
India Resident Mission.

Key Points:
i.The state government will undertake massive renovation of two power projects – Rukhia in Sepahijala district
and Gumati Hydro project in Gomati district.
ii.There will be a lot of work in the transmission sector to improve the existing system.
iii.Currently, Tripura generates 84 MW (Mega Watt) power out of the state’s per day demand of 450/460 MW.
• It receives around 500 MW power from OTPC (ONGC Tripura Power Company
Limited), NEEPCO (North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited) and other central PSUs
(Public Sector Undertakings).
iv.Apart from the ADB funding, an additional amount of Rs 800 crore will be spent to improve the
power distribution of the state.
About Tripura:
Governor– Satyadeo Narain Arya
Chief Minister– Manik Saha
Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS)– Sepahijala WLS, Trishna WLS, Gomati WLS
HDFC Bank Partners with Microsoft as Part of its Digital Transformation Journey
HDFC Bank partnered with Microsoft for the next phase of its digital transformation journey and unlocked
business value by transforming the application portfolio, modernising the data landscape and securing the
enterprise with Microsoft Cloud.
• HDFC Bank as a part of its Future Ready strategy is developing in-house IPs and also partnering
with several companies including FinTechs’ to co-create technology IPs.
Key highlights:
i.The bank will leverage Microsoft Azure to consolidate and modernise its enterprise data landscape through a
Federated Data Lake for scaling up its information management capabilities across enterprise reporting, and
advanced analytics using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• In addition, the Bank will leverage Microsoft Power Platform’s industry-leading low code, no code
capabilities to set up an App Innovation and Automation Factory, which will enable the Bank to
migrate, modernise and transform its application portfolio.
ii.The IP is built on Microsoft Azure stack, the solution that enables banks to democratise and monetize its data
landscape which caters to several business units, spanning multiple systems, reports and processes.
iii.The solution has been powered by unified architecture, collaborative engineering environment, industry-
leading security and ecosystem of AI/Machine Learning (ML) based deep learning capabilities.
iv.Lastly, the bank will leverage Microsoft 365, to adopt a modern, integrated and secure Digital Workplace
covering three critical areas of transformation including employee collaboration, app modernization and secure
remote work.
Yes Bank Partners with Microsoft to Transform Mobile Banking Experience
On 3rd January 2023 Yes Bank partnered with Microsoft to introduce the next generation mobile application
(app) for providing personalised banking experience to its customers.
Key highlights:
i.Yes Bank will leverage Microsoft’s Azure platform to create the app which will offer a host of services to
customers in addition to traditional banking functions such as online payments, shopping, rewards, offers and
customised dashboards.
ii.This will cater to various financial needs of customers across loans, payments, deposits, investments and
cards.
iii.The app will run on Microsoft’s enterprise-grade cloud platform, and will support YES Bank in scaling up
services by bringing merchants and ecosystem partners on to a common platform.

Recent related news:
Viasat partnered with Microsoft Inc, as a part of Microsoft’s Airband initiative to deliver satellite internet
access to 10 million people across the world, with five million of them based in Africa by 2025.
About Microsoft India:
President – Anant Maheshwari
India Country Manager – Ashutosh Gupta
Establishment – 1990 (in India)
India Accelerator Partners with ICICI Bank & Infosys Finacle to Foster Start-Up Ecosystem
India Accelerator (IA), a seed-stage accelerator programme, has launched “i3 Launchpad,” which was
developed in partnership with ICICI Bank and Infosys Finacle, which is part of EdgeVerve Systems, a wholly-
owned product subsidiary of Infosys.
‘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.
• It is intended to assist start-ups in expediting their progress by utilising mentorship, resources, and
opportunities from Infosys Finacle, ICICI Bank, and IA.
Key Points:
i.The i3 Launchpad programme accepts start-ups from all sectors of the economy.
• It will admit two cohorts annually, with a target of 12 to 18 start-ups in each cohort.
ii.The first cohort will concentrate on the Fintech (Financial Technology), enterprise tech, Software as a Service
(SaaS), PropTech (Property Technology), WealthTech (Wealth Technology), sustainability and GreenTech, and
InsurTech (Insurance Technology) sectors.
• A combination of both remote and in-person group learning sessions is available to founders.
iii.The collaboration among the IA, ICICI Bank, and Infosys Finacle will assist fintech start-ups to accelerate
their growth and impact in an organised manner.
About India Accelerator (IA):
India Accelerator (IA) is India’s only mentorship-driven, Global Accelerator Network (GAN)-partnered
programme that assists Startups in realising their full potential.
Founder & MD – Ashish Bhatia
Founded – 2017
IndusInd Bank Partners with British & Qatar Airways to Introduce Multi-branded Credit Card
On 5th January 2023, IndusInd Bank partnered with British Airways Executive Club and Qatar Airways
Privilege Club to introduce the first-of-its-kind unique multi-branded credit card, powered by Visa.
• This multi-branded credit card will be launched and made available to consumers in the first quarter
of FY 2023-2024.
Key highlights:
i.The credit card will be available in the Infinite variant of Visa and offers best-in-class rewards along with
multiple benefits that will elevate international travel experience of customers.
ii.Through this card, the customers are allowed to choose their preferred airline loyalty programme and select
their preferred travel destination to collect maximum Avios, the rewards currency for British Airways
Executive Club and Qatar Airways Privilege Club.
• The card also offers various benefits suitable for the requirements of frequent travellers.
• The customers can choose their preferred airline loyalty and preferred travel destinations while
applying for the credit card.

About IndusInd Bank:
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Sumant Kathpalia
Headquarters – Pune, Maharashtra
Axis Bank & OPEN Collaborate to Launch a Fully Digital Current Account
Axis Bank Limited (Axis Bank), India’s third-largest private sector bank, has partnered with Open Financial
Technologies Pvt Ltd (OPEN), a digital banking firm, 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 (SMEs), freelancers, homepreneurs (home-based entrepreneurs), influencers,
and other clients would benefit from the Fully Digital Current Account.
Key Points:
i.The existing Current account holders of Axis Bank will have access to over 250 banking services from Axis
Bank as well as OPEN’s financial automation tools for business management.
• Payments, accounting, payroll, compliance, expense management, and other services are among the
business management tools offered by OPEN.
ii.The digital current account authentication process will be entirely online, using the PAN (permanent account
number) and Aadhaar, followed by a video KYC (know your customer) process.
iii.OPEN will continue to work on integrating value-added services for users such as term loans, revenue-based
finance, and more.
Open Financial Technologies Pvt Ltd (OPEN)
i.OPEN, a neo-banking platform headquartered in Bangalore, Karnataka, was founded in 2017.
• A “neo-bank” is a kind of digital bank that does not have any physical locations. They use artificial
intelligence (AI) and technology to give clients personalized services while reducing operating costs.
ii.OPEN operates the SME neo-banking platform ‘Open Money’, the embedded finance platform ‘Zwitch’, and
‘BankingStack’, the enterprise digital banking platform for banks.
iii.Open, India’s 100th Unicorn, is backed by top global investors such as IIFL Finance, Temasek, Google, Visa,
and Tiger Global, among others.
• OPEN’s digital banking platform is currently used by over 30 lakh businesses.
• Anish Achuthan is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of OPEN.
About Axis Bank Limited:
MD & CEO – Amitabh Chaudhry
Establishment –1993
Tagline – Badhti Ka Naam Zindagi
Axis Bank & IISc Signs MoU to Set up Centre for Mathematics and Computing
Axis Bank signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc),
Bengaluru, Karnataka to establish a Centre for Mathematics and Computing at IISc
Key highlights:
i.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.
• In addition, it will also host the new IISc BTech programme in Mathematics and Computing and the
ongoing Interdisciplinary PhD programme in Mathematical Sciences.
ii.The centre will play a vital role in understanding the futuristic areas including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and
Data Science which rely on the foundations of mathematics and computing.

iii.The state-of-art facility will provide a platform for exploring and undertaking research in the fields of
Computational Fluid Dynamics, Computational Biology, Quantum Computing, Precision Medicine, Digital
Health, Climate Science, Materials Genomics, Cybersecurity, AI, Machine Learning (ML), and Data Science.
About Axis Bank:
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive officer (CEO) – Amitabh Chaudhry
Establishment – Axis Bank established in 1993 was the first of the new private banks to have begun
operations in 1994.
Tagline – Badhti Ka Naam Zindagi
Kotak General Insurance Ties Up with Clootrack to Boost Customer Experience

i.Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company Limited (“Kotak General Insurance“) has partnered
with Clootrack, an artificial intelligence (AI)-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, as well as assist it in understanding market gaps in
order to improve its customer experience.
ii.Kotak General Insurance is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.
iii.Clootrack’s comprehensive, intelligent customer experience analytics platform is fully a Software as a
Service (SaaS) model. It gathers and analyses billions of customer reviews to help organisations understand
“why” customer experience decreases.
Shameel Abdulla is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Clootrack.
Bajaj Allianz Life, Punjab & Sind Bank enter into strategic partnership
On January 11, 2023, a corporate agreement was signed between Punjab & Sind Bank, a Public Sector Bank
(PSB), and Pune (Maharashtra) based Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company (BALIC).
• This will allow PSB’s new and existing customers to avail a variety of retail life insurance products
from BALIC including term, savings, retirement and investment options.
Signatories:
The agreement was signed by Swarup Kumar Saha, Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO),
Punjab & Sind Bank and Tarun Chugh, MD & CEO, BALIC in New Delhi, Delhi.
Key Points:
i.PSB is the 25th Scheduled Commercial Bank (SCB) that has partnered with BALIC for distributing its life goals-
based product suite.
ii.BALIC will provide seamless service to customers which include responding to customer support requests
made via WhatsApp or a self-service tool like the Bajaj Allianz Life LifeAssist App, in addition to the well-
trained bank employees servicing the life insurance division.
About Punjab & Sind Bank:
MD & CEO– Swarup Kumar Saha
Headquarters– New Delhi (Delhi)
Tagline– Where service is a way of life
UBI Sanctions 150 Agri Drone Loans for Garuda Kisan Drones under AIF
On 12th January 2022, 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 and capital subsidy under sub-
mission on Agriculture Mechanization (SMAM).

Key Points:
i.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, spraying of fertilisers, chemicals, growth
promoters and pesticides which helps farmers in growing their crop yield and improving their income.
ii.The AIF scheme will finance 150 drone applications that will benefit the farmer community and create 150
skilled pilots who will engage to become entrepreneurs and improve farmers income.
iii.Garuda Aerospace is training 1 lakh youth free of cost and is targeting to sell 5,000 drones before 31st March
2023.
Points to note:
i.Garuda Kisan drone is the 1st to receive the Agri drone loan in July 2022 from Union Minister of Agriculture
and Farmer Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar.
ii.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.
About Union Bank of India (UBI):
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) - A. Manimekhalai
Headquarters - Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment - 1919
Tagline - Good People To Bank With
Aditya Birla Health Insurance Inks Bancassurance Partnership with Punjab & Sind Bank
The Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co. Ltd. (ABHICL) 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 ABHICL to expand its national footprint and serve the 1,528
branches and customers of Punjab & Sind Bank.
• ABHICL is the health insurance joint venture of Aditya Birla Capital Ltd. (ABCL).
Note: Mayank Bathwal is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ABHICL.
Key Points:
i.Through this collaboration, customers and staff of Punjab & Sind Bank will have access to ABHICL’s extensive
lineup of health-first insurance plans, which are designed to reward customers for leading healthy lifestyles.
• It offers unique products such as incentivized wellness benefits of up to 100% Health ReturnsTM
and a chronic management programme with Day 1 coverage for asthma, high blood pressure, high
cholesterol, and diabetes; nutrition and fitness wellness coaching; and mental health counselling,
among others.
ii.As a result of this partnership, ABHICL currently has 18 bancassurance partners and more than 70,000 direct
sales agents functioning across India.
About Punjab & Sind Bank:
MD & CEO – Swarup Kumar Saha
Tagline – Where Service is a Way of Life
WDRA Signed MoU with SBI to Support Farmers

Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) has signed a memorandum of understanding
(MoU) with the State Bank of India (SBI) to help farmers in availing low interest-rate loans.
• Objective: The MoU was signed with the intent to promote awareness about the new loan product
called ‘Produce Marketing Loan’ to fund against e-NWRs (electronic Negotiable Warehouse

Receipt) with features such as nil processing fee, no additional collateral and attractive interest
rates.
• Along with the inherent security and negotiability of the e-NWR system, the ‘Produce Marketing
Loan’ will improve rural liquidity and increase farmers’ income.
As per the statement of the Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs, a conference on “Digital financing against e-
Negotiable Warehouse Receipts and way forward” was held at NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and
Rural Development), Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• Objective: To interact with bankers to increase post-harvest pledge finance against e-NWRs issued
by warehouses registered by WDRA and create mechanisms that would improve the ease of doing
business.
• Loaning against e-NWRs during FY 2022-23 has crossed Rs 1,500 crore.
About Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA):
Chairman – T K Manoj Kumar
Headquarters – New Delhi
Paytm, Citi Ends Partnership for Co-branded Credit Card – Paytm CITI Card
Citibank and Paytm(One97 Communication Ltd) have ended their partnership for a co-branded credit card
Paytm CITI Card ahead of the merger of Citibank’s commercial banking business with Axis Bank.
• The customers were informed that the Paytm CITI Card will be shut down, and they will be offered
other cards they could opt for.
• The cardholders will be offered uninterrupted benefits with the Paytm HDFC Bank credit card.
Key highlights:
i.The customers will be offered the Citi Rewards Credit Card as a replacement to their Citi Paytm Credit Card,
which should be chosen to consent for the same.
ii.The consent to swap to another Citi-branded Credit Card will also serve as consent for the transfer of the
cardholder’s banking relationship with Citibank to Axis Bank.
• Failure to consent, will lead to the closure of the Citi Paytm credit card effective January 30, as Citi
India will no longer be able to provide services on the Citi Paytm Credit Card
Background:
In March 2022, Axis Bank announced acquiring Citigroup’s retail banking business in India for Rs. 12,325 crore,
subject to requisite approvals.
• After the acquisition of around 30 lakh unique Citibank customers, Axis Bank will now have about
2.85 crore savings accounts, over 2.3 lakh Burgundy customers and 1.06 crore cards, which
increased Axis Bank’s credit card customer base by 31 percent with 25 lakh additional cards, making
it amongst the top 3 players in the Indian market.3
• The tie-up with Citibank reportedly ended in November 2022.
About CitiBank:
Citibank India is a foreign bank in India with a full-service onshore platform.
It is a subsidiary of Citigroup headquartered in New York, United States of America.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Ashu Khullar (Citi India)
About One97 Communication Limited (Paytm):
Founder & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Headquarters – Noida, Uttar Pradesh (UP)

Tata Motors, ICICI Bank tie up to offer Financing Solutions to its EV Dealers
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.
• This partnership envisages making EVs and their purchase process more accessible and seamless.
• The EV dealers can also avail flexible repayment tenures.
PNB & Aadhar Housing Finance Enters into Co-Lending Partnership to offer home loans
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.
• The agreement was signed in presence of Kalyan Kumar, Binod Kumar, M. Paramasivam, Executive
Directors, Sunil Kumar Chugh, Chief General Manager from PNB and Rishi Anand, Managing Director
(MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO), DK Tripathi, Executive Vice Chairman from Aadhar Housing
Finance Limited.
Star Health & Allied Insurance Partners with PNB for a Long Term Bancassurance Agreement
Star Health and Allied Insurance, renewed its strategic corporate agency Bancassurance tie-up with Punjab
National Bank (PNB) for a long-term period.
• PNB will continue to distribute Star Health’s insurance products across all their branches pan India.
Key highlights:
i.Under the agreement, Star Health’s best-in-class health insurance products will be available through the PNB’s
distribution network across India, providing customers with a one-stop solution for all their health insurance
needs.
ii.This partnership shall enable both PNB and Star Health to further increase insurance penetration across
India and ensure that health insurance is easily accessible across regions.
About Punjab National Bank (PNB):
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Atul Kumar Goel
Tagline – The name you can bank upon
OTHER BANK NEWS

SEBI nod to Reclassify Govt Holding in IDBI Bank as ‘Public’ after Sale
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) agreed to the Central Government request to reclassify its
shareholding in IDBI Bank after its disinvestment as public holding.
• However, this is subject to the condition that government’s voting rights in the bank will not exceed
15% of the total voting rights after the sale.
Key Points:
i.This reclassification by government must be specified in the letter of offer dispatched to the shareholders of
the bank in connection with the open offer made by the acquirer.
ii.After disinvestment, the bank must make an application to the stock exchanges for reclassification of the
government holding under the public category.
iii.The new acquirer must ensure compliance with the minimum public shareholding (MPS) requirements
within one year of the sale.
iv.At present, the government holds 45.48% stake, LIC holds around 49.24%, and the remaining 5.28% is

public shareholding.
v.The government is selling 30.48% stake in the bank, while LIC will sell 30.24%.
• After the sale, the government will be left with 15 per cent and LIC will have a little over 19 per cent
stake in the bank.
About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
Chairperson– Madhabi Puri Buch
SEBI Issues Debt Broker License to Zerodha-Backed GoldenPi Technologies

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has granted a debt broker license to GoldenPi
Technologies, a Bengaluru (Karnataka)-based fintech company backed by Indian financial services provider
Zerodha.
• With this, GoldenPi Technologies became the first online bond platform (OBP) provider to obtain a
debt brokerage licence from SEBI.
• The licence is expected to boost investor trust in the online bond and debenture investment space.
Backdrop
In November 2022, SEBI introduced regulations to streamline the operations of online bond platforms (OBPs)
and to enhance investor participation in the bond market.
• It added that no company or individual shall function as an OBP provider without having a
certificate of registration as a stock broker under the SEBI Regulations, 2021.
GoldenPi Technologies
i.GoldenPi Technologies, founded in 2017, is a Zerodha-backed online marketplace to invest in Bonds &
Debentures.
• The objective of GoldenPi’s online platform is to make bonds available to all retail investors.
ii.The company currently provides daily listings of more than 100 bonds and debentures on its online platform.
iii.Its platform has more than 3.7 lakh active users who invest in corporate bonds, Non-Convertible Debentures
(NCDs), Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), and other fixed-income assets.
iv.Abhijit Roy is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)& Co-Founder of GoldenPi Technologies.
SEBI Extends Relaxation On Dispatching Hard Copies of Financial Statements
On January 5, 2022, SEBI relaxed certain provisions of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure
Requirements) Regulations, 2015 (Listing Regulations) relating to the dispatch of a hard copy of the annual
report (financial statements) due in the year 2023 to debenture holders till September 30, 2023, which shall
take effect immediately. The earlier extension lasted until December 31, 2022.
• The relaxation is made in accordance with the authority granted by Section 11(1) of the Securities
and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992, as read with Regulation 101 of the Listing Regulations.
Click here for official notification.
Backdrop
i.SEBI has received proposals from listed entities requesting extensions to the existing relaxations.
ii.The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) also offered similar relaxations in December 2022 to companies
dispatching physical copies of financial statements to shareholders for the annual general meeting (AGM) held
until September 30, 2023.
Key Points:
i.The Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements (LODR) rules mandate listed companies to dispatch
a physical copy of the statement including key features of all documents—financial statements, board of
directors report, auditor’s report—to shareholders who have not registered their email addresses.
• The listed companies must send hard copies of their full annual reports to shareholders who request
them.

ii.The provisions should be published on the websites of the stock exchanges and brought to the attention of all
entities with listed non-convertible securities (NCS).
i.In November 2022, SEBI revised the framework for approving changes in control of stock brokers which will
be effective from December 1, 2022, to streamline the process of providing approval to the proposed change in
control of the entities.
ii.This information by SEBI is provided in exercise of its powers conferred under section 11(1) of the SEBI Act,
1992, to protect the interests of investors, and to promote the development of the securities market.
About the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
SEBI Extends Trading Hours for Stock Exchange Outage

On January 9, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) issued a Standard Operating Procedure
(SOP) for handling Stock Exchange outages and extension of trading hours in case of an outage.
Key Points:
i.Stock Exchange Outage: It is a stoppage of continuous trading, either suo moto by exchange or beyond the
control of the stock exchange.
ii.Reporting the outage:
• SOP mandates the affected Stock exchange to inform SEBI immediately after the occurrence of the
outage through a dedicated email id.
• They also have to inform the outage to stakeholders (i.e market participants, trading members and
other market infrastructure institutions (MIIs)) within 15 minutes.
iii.Extension of Trading hours: If the trading on the affected stock exchange resumes to normalcy one hour
before the normally scheduled market closure, trading hours on that day for all stock exchanges would remain
unchanged, but if not resumed within one hour then the trading hours would get extended for one and half
hours on that day.
SEBI allows futures contract on corporate bond index

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) allowed stock exchanges to launch future contracts on
corporate bond indices of corporate debt securities rated AA+ and above to enhance liquidity in the bond
market and to provide an opportunity to the investors to hedge their positions.
Framework for Cash Settled Corporate Bond Index Futures (CBIF):
i.Stock exchanges who want to introduce such contracts are required to submit a detailed proposal to SEBI for
approval.
ii.Exchanges should also make amendments to the relevant bye-laws, rules and regulations.
iii.There should be at least eight issuers in the index, with not more than a 15% weightage by a single issuer,
and not more than 25% by a particular group of issuers.
iv.Contract value: The value of the CBIF contracts should not be less than Rs 2 lakhs at the time of
introduction.
v.Tenure or the contract: Stock exchanges may introduce contracts of up to a tenure of 3 years.
SEBI amends Portfolio Managers’ Norms
SEBI also allowed portfolio managers under co-investment Portfolio Management Services (PMS) to terminate
their services as per the provisions of the agreement signed with the client for early termination.
• For the clients under co-investment PMS, the Portfolio Manager should ensure compliance with the
second provision of Regulation 22 (2) of PMS Regulations which mandates norms for early
termination of contract.

• Earlier the portfolio manager, with prior approval from SEBI, should inform its investors about the
proposed change before effecting any change.
The information for the same was provided by SEBI in exercise of powers conferred under Section 11(1) of the
SEBI Act, 1992 read with the provisions of Regulation 43 of the SEBI (Portfolio Managers)
Regulations, 2020 to protect the interest of investors in securities and to promote the development of the
securities market.
SEBI allows AIFs to participate in CDS transactions; allows MFs to switch from Active to Passive
ELSS schemes
On January 12, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has amended the SEBI (Alternative
Investment Funds-AIF) Regulations, 2012 to allow Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) to participate in the
Credit Default Swaps (CDS) market as protection buyers and sellers.
• Regulations 16(1)(aa),17(da), 18(ab)and 20(11) of AIF Regulations enable AIFs to participate in
CDS.
• This permit will facilitate deepening of the domestic corporate bond segment, and enable business
entities to hedge risks associated with the bonds market.
What is CDS?
It is a specific kind of counter-party agreement which allows the transfer of third party credit risk from one
party to another.
Key Points:
i.Category-I and Category-II AIFs can buy CDS on underlying investment in debt securities only for the purpose
of hedging.
ii.Category-III AIFs can purchase CDS for hedging or any other permissible purpose.
iii.With regard to selling, Category-II and Category-III AIFs may sell CDS by earmarking unencumbered
government bonds or Treasury bills equal to the amount of the CDS exposure.
• Category III AIFs are allowed to sell CDS within the permissible limits.
iv.AIFs will have to report details of CDS transaction to the custodian by the next working day.
v.Any unhedged position, which would result in gross unhedged positions across all CDS transactions
exceeding 25% of investable funds of the scheme of an AIF, should be taken only after intimating to all unit
holders of the scheme.
vi.Category I and II AIFs cannot borrow or utilize funds directly or indirectly except for meeting temporary
funding requirements for not more than 30 days, not more than four occasions in a year and not more than
10% of the investable funds.
vii.AIFs which transact in CDS will have to maintain a 30-day cooling off period between the two periods of
borrowing.
SEBI Act,
1992 to protect the interests of investors in securities and to promote the development of the securities
market.
Click Here for Official Circular
SEBI allows MFs to switch from active to passive ELSS schemes
SEBI also allowed Mutual Funds (MFs) with active Equity-Linked Savings Schemes (ELSS) to launch passively
managed open-ended ELSS schemes.
• This will provide a cost-effective and tax-saving alternative to individual investors.
What is in the scheme?
i.For switching, MF is required to stop all fresh inflows or subscriptions, including systematic investment plans
(SIPs) and systematic transfer plans (STPs), to the actively managed ELSS scheme.
• This will be done through a written communication about the proposed change, along with reasons
and benefits of such change, is sent to each unitholder.

ii.AMCs will provide an option to investors to redeem their units without exit load subject to lock-in
requirements.
iii.After completion of three years from the date of stopping inflows in the actively managed ELSS scheme, the
scheme will be merged with the passively managed ELSS scheme and the investments will be managed through
the passively managed scheme.
iv.The passive ELSS scheme should be based on one of the indices comprising equity shares from the top 250
companies in terms of market capitalization.
Points to be noted:
i.It should be noted that the investments under the ELSS scheme have a three-year lock-in period, which is the
shortest lock-in period as compared to other tax-efficient products. Investors can also get a tax deduction of up
to Rs 1.5 lakh per financial year under Section 80C of the IT (Income Tax) Act.
ii.The asset under management of actively managed ELSS scheme has increased 5% to Rs 1.55-lakh crore in
December 2022 from Rs 1.47-lakh crore in January 2023.
• Currently, there are 42 actively managed ELSS schemes.
SEBI allows launch of multiple contracts of same commodity
SEBI has allowed the stock exchanges to launch multiple contracts of a commodity to attract more participation
of investors in commodity derivatives market. For its implementation exchanges are required to make
necessary amendments to the relevant bye-laws, rules and regulations, and inform the same to their members.
• This decision follows the request of stock exchanges to launch multiple contracts on same
commodity for greater participation.
• Earlier only single contract is required for particular commodity, except for gold, silver and precious
metals.
SEBI Act, 1992.
Click Here for Official Circular
i.SEBI has increased the investment limit of MFs in debt instruments issued by a single issuer to 12% of the Net
Asset Value (NAV) from 10% w.e.f. November 29, 2022 on all new schemes.
ii.In an attempt to enhance the availability of securities for trading by investors, the SEBI reduced the timeline
for the listing of debt securities issued through private placement to T+3 days from the current timeline of T+4
days. (T refers to issue closure date).
About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
SEBI Launches Information Database On Municipal Bonds

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 in the municipal debt market.
• Municipal bonds are a reliable alternative source of funding for projects carried out by municipal
corporations.
Click here for official notification.
Backdrop:
The market regulator SEBI has organized an outreach programme on municipal bonds and municipal finance in
New Delhi, Delhi, as part of its efforts to develop the bond markets.
Objective: To provide a unified platform for stakeholders to address the problems of Municipal Debt Securities
Issuers, investor requirements, and the extant regulatory framework, as well as to recommend steps to boost
awareness of and traction in the municipal debt securities market.

Key Points:
i.The information database includes statistics and regulations, circulars, guidance notes, and frequently asked
questions (FAQs) issued by SEBI in relation to municipal debt securities.
ii.The repository offers sample letters and certificates from different intermediaries, as well as a number of
checklists for pre-listing requirements, which an issuer who wants to enter the municipal bond market can
obtain.
Efforts made by SEBI to develop the bond markets
i.SEBI established a regulatory framework for the issuance, listing, and trading of municipal debt securities
in 2015, which was reviewed again in 2019.
ii.Ten municipal corporations in India have issued 12 issues of municipal bonds, raising close to Rs. 2000
crore since 2017, despite the fact that the municipal debt market in India is still in its infant stage.
• The funds raised have been used for a range of development projects, including residential projects,
water supply projects, tertiary sewage treatment plants and more.
About the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):
NABARD Raises around Rs 5,000 crore via 3-year Bonds

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 7.63 per cent. (The yield on 3-year government bonds was
above 7.16 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.
• Since NABARD is being a public finance institution, it is exempted from filing papers for bond
offering with the Ministry of corporate affairs.
REC Limited:
i.Similar to NABARD, REC Limited (formerly Rural Electrification Corporation Limited) also intends to raise up
to Rs 3,000 crore through a 10-year paper (maturing in January 2033). The base size is Rs 500 crore with a
green-shoe option of Rs 2,500 crore.
ii.It also plans to issue medium-term paper (about 41-42 months) to raise up to Rs 3,000 crore from the
market.
What is a 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.
• Bonds with higher coupon rates will offer higher yields for the investor on their investment.
-‘Hockey Wali Sarpanch’ inks pact with NABARD to start FPO for Rajasthan’s Farmers
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.
• Neeru Yadav trained 10 girls in hockey sports under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
Scheme and helped them to get placed in MNCs.

Indian Bank Unveils QR Bill-Based Payment System for CESC-Mysuru
On 1st January 2023, Indian Bank unveiled the QR (Quick Response) code bill payment system for
Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) making it the first power distribution
company to offer such an initiative to customers in Mysuru, Karnataka.
• It was launched by Karnataka Minister of Energy V Sunil Kumar in the presence of senior
government officials including CESC managing director Jayavibhava Swamy.
• This dynamic QR code that is linked to the unified payments interface (UPI) on printed electricity
bills, will help customers in making their payments without visiting any online portal or physically
going to any payment centre.
Bandhan Bank launches ‘Jahaan Bandhan, Wahaan Trust’ campaign featuring Sourav Ganguly
On 3rd January 2023, 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 emphasises the ‘trust’ that the brand has been able to earn in a span of seven years as
a Bank and over the last two decades in the various avatars prior to the Bank.
• The campaign uses the analogy of Ganguly’s career, who became the bank’s customer soon after the
bank was launched 7 years ago.
Note: According to the company, this is the 1st time Bandhan Bank has appointed a pan-India brand
ambassador.
SIDBI partners with VFS to extend MSME loans up to Rs 5 lakh at 13% pa

The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has tied up with Kolkata (West Bengal) based 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.
• The loan volume of Microfinance institutions (MFIs) is expected to grow to around Rs 1,100-1,200
crore by 2022-23 from Rs 805 crore in the previous financial year.
Key Points:
i.VFS Capital also plans to expand its footprint in the north-western part by launching operations in Rajasthan.
At present, it operates in 13 states.
ii.It gives loans to promising and existing entrepreneurs who require funds for seed money or working capital.
This helps firms access resources and increase their capacity and efficiency.
iii.Its MD (Managing Director) and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) is Kuldip Maity.
About Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI):
It is the principal financial institution for the development of MSMEs in India
Chairman & Managing Director– Sivasubramanian Ramann
Headquarter– Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
ICICI Bank Introduces First-of-its-Kind Digital Solutions for Exporters

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 initiative intends to improve operational efficiency of exporters by decongesting the current
time-consuming manual procedures.

Significance
i.The set of solutions digitizes every stage of the export process, including market research, export financing,
foreign exchange (forex) services, and receiving export incentives.
ii.Additionally, the package of solutions provides first-in-the-industry features including Trade APIs
(Application Programming Interface) and instant disbursal of Export Packing Credits (Insta EPC).
• Insta EPC instantly provides export financing, and Trade APIs facilitate easy handling of export
transactions directly from Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems of the exporters, offering
increased convenience.
iii.This comprehensive suite of digital solutions enables large, medium, and emerging businesses to undertake
export transactions online, anywhere, and at any time.
Note: India’s total exports increased by 36% to over USD 670 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2022 from FY 2021, and
are projected to reach USD 2 trillion by 2030.
Key Services and Offerings of the Digital Solutions for Exporters
Insta EPC:
i.Exporters with an ICICI Bank relationship will benefit from the ease of instant and digital Export Packing
Credit (EPC).
• This service is available for export-import transactions through ‘Trade Online’, the flagship digital
platform of ICICI Bank.
ii.Insta EPC offers fast credit disbursement in minutes, as compared to the industry standard of a few working
days.
• This facility gives exporters instant access to funds for same-day use, enhancing operational
efficiency.
Trade APIs:
i.ICICI Bank provides Trade APIs, a future-ready industry-first solution for the seamless handling of export
bills.
• APIs include Remittances, Letters of Credit, and Bank Guarantees.
ii.The Trade API solution offers exporters a simplified “Do It Yourself” (DIY) experience anytime, anywhere.
• APIs allow exporters to initiate transactions through their ERPs with the bank directly, increasing
productivity.
Trade Accounts:
i.The Trade Accounts solution provides foreign currency accounts, notably the Exchange Earners’ Foreign
Currency Account (EEFC).
• This current account enables exporters to keep their foreign currency earnings in the account
without converting them into the local currency. It assists exporters in lowering their forex
transaction charges.
ii.Additionally, it provides specialised current accounts like the One Globe Trade Account (OGTA) for
transactions involving import and export.
Paperless Exports Solutions:
i.ICICI Bank’s digital solutions have facilitated the digital filing of documents, settlement, and reconciliation of
export invoices, by streamlining exporters’ experiences across various stages.
• Its digital solutions include e-Softex, which caters to information technology (IT) / IT enabled
services (ITeS) exporters) as well as e-DOCs (electronic documents).
ii.It offers the great convenience of reducing the current industry practices of a few days to near real time for
these transactions, allowing exporters to claim their export incentives faster.
Foreign Exchange Solution:
Exporters can use digital platforms to book forex deals over the phone or online to achieve flexibility and
transparency in booking rates.

Digital Letter of Credit facility (e-LC):
Exporters can make use of the e-LC facility, a digital repository that makes Letter of Credit (LC) available in
real time for the verification of trade terms.
Electronic Bills of Lading (e-BL):
i.ICICI Bank has collaborated with major electronic bill of lading (e-BL) service providers to enable the end-to-
end digital movement of trade documents globally.
• An e-BL is a new electronic version of the traditional bill of lading.
• A Bill of Lading is a document that the Carrier of goods issues to the “Shipper” of the goods. It’s a
document to provide evidence or proof of shipment.
• The e-BL performs the same functions, and in addition it improves the speed, security and accuracy
of information.
ii.This improves working capital management by cutting the turnaround time from the standard industry
practice of 8–10 days to a couple of days.
Value Added Services:
i.Trade Emerge, the one-stop platform of ICICI Bank, offers a full digital suite of various banking and non-
banking services for companies, and can provide value-added services to exporters.
ii.The platform enables an end-to-end journey from business incorporation to regulatory guidelines, partner
discovery, logistics, and cargo tracking, through a range of services provided by trusted alliance partners.
Recent related News:
ICICI Bank Limited has launched two new products, Loan Against Deposits (LAD) and Dollar Bonds for Non
Resident Indian (NRI) customers at its branch in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), a Gujarat-
based emerging global financial and Information Technology (IT) services hub. ICICI Bank becomes the first
bank to offer such products in GIFT City, Gujarat.
About the ICICI Bank Limited:
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Sandeep Bakhshi
HDFC Capital Achieves USD 376-mn Initial Close for Scheme 2 of H-CARE 3
On 9th January 2023, HDFC Capital, a subsidiary of HDFC Limited has successfully achieved the initial close
of USD 376 million for Scheme 2 of HDFC Capital Affordable Real Estate Fund – 3 (H-CARE 3) to provide long
term, flexible funding across affordable and mid-income housing projects including early-stage funding.
• The primary investor in H-CARE 3 Schemes 1 & 2 is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi
Investment Authority (ADIA).
• H-CARE 3 has flexibility to provide equity funding for real estate projects and invest in tech
companies that address the needs of the affordable housing ecosystem.
• H-CARE 3 Scheme 1 & 2 and HDFC Capital Affordable Real Estate Funds – 1 & 2 have created a USD
3.1 billion funding platform, rated as one of the world’s largest private finance platforms focused on
developing affordable housing.
Exim Bank Raises USD 1 billion through 10-year Sustainability Bond Issue
Export-Import Bank of India ( Exim Bank) has raised USD 1 billion via a 10-year Sustainability Bond issue in
the 144A/Reg-S format 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, by issuing at a coupon rate of CT10 (US 10-year Treasury Bond) +190 basis
points.

SBI Launches E-Bank Guarantee (E-BG) Facility
State Bank of India (SBI) has launched an e-Bank Guarantee (e-BG) facility in association with National e-
Governance Services Limited (NeSL) to enhance transparency and reduce turnaround time from days to
minutes. NeSL’s Digital Document Execution (DDE) platform, which provides e-Stamp and e-Sign functions,
will facilitate the e-Bank Guarantee process and also the beneficiaries will instantly receive an e-Bank
Guarantee on NeSL’s platform without further verification.
• The introduction of e-BG will replace the existing issuance of guarantees through physical stamping and
wet signatures with e-stamping and e-signature.
Russian VTB Bank launches Direct Payments in Rupees

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 (SME) clients can now make transfers without double conversion,
which simplifies the work on international trade contracts with India.
• The mechanism of direct settlements allows for the setting of the price of a product and the payment
in the national currency, as well as getting individual quotes on market terms.
• Additionally, it eliminates preliminary transaction coordination.
• In November 2022, 9 Russian banks, including VTB, opened unique vostro accounts in India to
promote trade between Russia and India.
South Indian Bank ties up SAIL for Financing Dealers

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been inked between the South Indian Bank (SIB) and Steel
Authority of India Limited (SAIL) to provide financial assistance to the dealers of SAIL across India.
Signatories:
The MoU was exchanged between Praveen Joy, Head-Transaction Banking Group, SIB and Surendra Kumar
Sharma, Chief General Manager (CGM), Finance & Accounts, SAIL.
Key Points:
i.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.
ii.It will boost India’s steel production, in lines with the Central government’s infrastructure and industrial
push.
About South Indian Bank (SIB):
MD & CEO– Murali Ramakrishnan
Headquarters– Thrissur, Kerala
Tagline– Experience Next Generation Banking
About Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL):
Chairman– Soma Mondal (First Female Chairperson of SAIL)
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
PNB Becomes the First PSB to Launch Credit Card Against FDs Digitally
Punjab National Bank (PNB) has become the first Public Sector Bank (PSB) to introduce a credit card against
fixed deposits (FDs) digitally, for customers who do not fulfill the eligibility criteria for regular credit cards.
• 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.
These are global credit cards that were developed in association with the payment gateway provider, VISA.
Key Features & Benefits
i.The PNB credit card will initially be offered at 84 locations and will have no joining fee, renewal fee, annual
fee, or fuel surcharge.
ii.Customers of the bank can get a RuPay or VISA credit card digitally in exchange for a single or multiple FDs

with an 80% credit limit.
iii.PNB credit card benefits over FD include no document submission; no branch visits; no joining fees; instant
issuance of a virtual credit card; comprehensive insurance coverage (on the RuPay variant); advantages of
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) linkage on the RuPay Credit Card; exciting reward points and promotions.
Latest FD Rates of PNB
i.PNB has raised the interest rate on FDs across various tenures by 50 basis points (bps) in an effort to attract
deposits. The revised FD rates are effective from January 1, 2023.
ii.The interest rate on one- to three-year term deposits under Rs. 2 crore has increased by 50 bps to 6.75%,
from the previous rate of 6.25%.
iii.The interest rate on FDs on any domestic deposit with maturities of less than Rs. 2 crore has increased by an
additional 50 bps in favour of senior citizens.
iv.The rate for the PNB Uttam Scheme, which does not offer a premature withdrawal option, has been revised
to 6.80% from 6.30%.
v.In addition to the new interest rates, PNB will continue to offer competitive interest rates of 8.1% annually
for a fixed deposit of 666 days.
About the Punjab National Bank (PNB):
MD & CEO – Atul Kumar Goel
Established –1894
Tagline – The name you can bank upon
SBI raises Rs 9,718 crore via Second Infrastructure Bond Issuance

On 18th January 2023, the State Bank of India (SBI), India’s largest bank, 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. The pricing of 7.70%
represents a spread of 17 basis points(bps) over the G-Sec (Government Security) curve. This is the 2nd
fundraising of SBI since December 2022.
• On 6th December 2022, SBI raised Rs 10,000 crore through its maiden infrastructure bond issuance
at a coupon rate of 7.51%, at a spread of 17 bps over the corresponding G-Sec curve.
• The fund proceeds will be used to improve long-term funding sources for affordable housing and
infrastructure.
The offer received a strong reaction from investors, as evidenced by bids of Rs 14,805 crore, representing a
2.96-times oversubscription from 118 bidders.
AU Small Finance Bank Launches Credit Card Offering Platform – SwipeUp

On 23rd January 2023, AU Small Finance Bank Limited, India’s largest Small Finance Bank(SFB), launched
the first-of-its-kind “SwipeUp platform”, that allows other bank Credit Cardholders to get upgraded AU
Credit Cards.
This new facility for credit card users is similar to mobile number portability which allows to change service
provided while retaining the same number.
• The cards issued in SwipeUp platform are different from current credit cards offered by AU Small
Finance Bank. The new range of cards will offer a high value proposition to customers.
• This card is made from biodegradable plastic, intended towards a healthy environment.
Key highlights:
i.SwipeUp platform helps customers to upgrade the benefits of credit cards according to their lifestyle. The
bank primarily focuses on the customers who hold Credit Cards of any other Bank and can benefit from an
upgraded Credit Card matching their current lifestyle.
ii.The credit cardholders of other banks can provide details of their existing credit cards and check their
eligibility for upgrading their cards within a few seconds.

• These cards will have a higher credit limit, higher cashback, better reward points with a quick end-to-
end digital process, zero membership fees, and various other features.
Note – Earlier in 2023, AU SFB has launched LIT, a fully customisable credit card to help customers curate a
card specific to their needs.
About AU Small Finance Bank:
Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Sanjay Agarwal
Headquarters – Jaipur, Rajasthan
Establishment – Received the SFB licence in 2015 and commenced operations as SFB in 2017.
NSE Ranked 3rd In The Equities Segment & World’s Largest Derivatives Exchange in 2022
According to the Futures Industry Association (FIA), a derivatives trade body, the National Stock Exchange of
India Ltd (NSE India) has once again emerged as the world’s largest derivatives exchange in terms of the
number of contracts traded in 2022.
• The NSE India has retained its top spot for a record-breaking 4th year in a row.
Furthermore, according to World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) statistics, the NSE was named the 3rd
largest exchange in the world in the equity segment by the number of trades (electronic order book) in 2022,
up from 4th in 2021.
Key Points:
i.The benchmark equity index, the Nifty 50 (NIFTY), reached an all-time high of 18,887.60 in the calendar year
(CY) 2022.
• Several product categories, including equity, equity derivatives, and currency derivatives, also
experienced a great improvement in liquidity.
ii.In the equity segment, daily average turnover of Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) was Rs. 470 crore in CY
2022, a 51% increase year-on-year (Y-o-Y).
• In CY 2022, the daily average turnover of Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB) in the secondary market was
Rs. 7 crore, signifying a 59% rise YoY.
iii.Government securities, which have been made available in the NSE’s equity segment, are seeing solid
growth, though from a lower base, with daily average turnover reaching Rs. 3 crore in December 2022.
iv.The recently launched derivatives on the Nifty Financial Services index (FINNIFTY) have seen a successful
increase in liquidity, similar to the derivatives on the Nifty 50 index (NIFTY) and the Nifty Bank index
(BANKNIFTY).
v.NSE India intends to launch the Social Stock Exchange as a segment in the near future, subject to regulatory
approvals.
• As a result, “social enterprises,” in particular Non-Profit organizations, would be able to reach a
wider audience, mobilize funds by issuing instruments like zero-coupon zero-principal bonds,
facilitate participants to support philanthropic causes, and improve the ecosystem’s efficiency and
transparency.
vi.On the derivatives side, NSE is developing new products for the currency, interest rate, and commodity
derivatives segments, and will eventually announce their launch, subject to regulatory approvals.
About the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE India):
MD & CEO – Ashishkumar Chauhan
Incorporated in – 1992 (commenced operations as a stock exchange in 1994)
Edelweiss Mutual Fund House Launches India’s First Passive Short-Duration Fund
Edelweiss Asset Management Limited, one of India’s fastest-growing AMCs, has launched the “Edelweiss
CRISIL IBX 50:50 Gilt Plus SDL Short Duration Index Fund”, India’s first passive short-duration index fund.
• This New Fund Offer (NFO) is open for subscription from January 27,2023 to February 10, 2023.

• It is a cost-effective index fund that could be an ideal option for investors wishing to include fixed
income as part of their asset allocation strategy.
Edelweiss Asset Management Limited was established under the Companies Act of 1956 and is authorized by
the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to act as the AMC for Edelweiss Mutual Fund schemes.
Edelweiss CRISIL IBX 50:50 Gilt Plus SDL Short Duration Index Fund
i.Edelweiss CRISIL IBX 50:50 Gilt Plus SDL Short Duration Index Fund, an open-ended index fund, would invest
in 50% Indian Government Bonds (IGBs) and 50% State Development Loans (SDLs), subject to tracking errors.
• It will replicate the Edelweiss CRISIL IBX 50:50 Gilt Plus SDL September 2028 Index Fund,
which was launched in October 2022, as a new Target Maturity Index Fund. This fund is designed to
invest in a diverse portfolio of IGBs and SDLs.
ii.The Government Security (G-Sec) component will be created by choosing the most liquid government bonds
with a minimum outstanding of Rs. 10,000 crores falling in duration buckets starting from 1 year to 5 years.
iii.The SDL portion will be built by first selecting the most liquid state issuers in each of the eligible duration
buckets, followed by picking the most liquid International Securities Identification Number (ISIN) in each of
these buckets with a minimum outstanding of Rs. 500 crore.
• The index will be rebalanced every quarter, with the first business day of the month serving as the
effective date.
• The minimum subscription amount that investors may invest to this relatively low credit risk and
high interest rate risk instrument is Rs. 5,000.
• During the NFO period, the Net Asset Value (NAV) is restricted to Rs. 10 per unit.
iv.The scheme may also invest in money market instruments to meet regulatory liquidity requirements.
• Money Market Instruments will only include Treasury Bills (T-Bills) and G-Secs with a residual
maturity of up to one year, Tri-Party Repos, and any other similar instruments as defined from time
to time by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
About Edelweiss Asset Management Limited (Edelweiss Mutual Fund):
MD & CEO – Radhika Gupta
Founded – 2008
India Sells First Green Bonds at 5-6 Basis Points Below Sovereign Yields
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 and other public sector projects that help in reducing the carbon footprint.
NPST Launches a UPI API engine TimePay Evok for PAPG

NPST (Network People Services Technologies Ltd), a banking technology provider, has launched Timepay
Evok, a UPI (Unified Payments Interface) API (Application Programming Interface) engine for PAPGs (Payment
Aggregators and Payment Gateways).
Features of Timepay Evok:
i.The Timepay Evok, which is a modern-day payment platform will act as a one-stop UPI payment solution for
digital merchants and ensures secure, reliable, and fast-paced payment collections.
ii.It has inbuilt solutions such as merchant onboarding, auto reconciliation, merchant dispute resolution and
strong data points for customer support.
iii.It offers the QR POS (Quick Response Point of Sale) solution with UPI-based payments to make secure
transactions and UPI AutoPay for making recurring payments through UPI.

Key Points:
i.Background:
• In June 2021, NPST received a Third-Party Application Provider (TPAP) registration from the
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) for its TimePay solution.
• TPAPs are third-party providers like Google Pay, Amazon Pay or PhonePe that generate a distinct
UPI handle for their customers.
ii.About NPST:
• It is an authorized Merchant Payment Service Provider, approved by NPCI, acquiring merchants, and
providing payment applications to users across various segments.
• It serves as a Fintech partner to banks and financial institutes operating as Technology Service
Providers (TSP), providing a certified digital payment solution including Mobile Banking, IMPS
(Immediate Payment Service), Bhim UPI, and Wallet platform.
iii.About UPI (Unified Payments Interface):
• It was developed by the NPCI and launched in 2016. It facilitates 24*7 instant payments using a
Virtual Payment Address (VPA) created by the customer instead of his/her bank account number.
• It provides security in both person-to-person (P2P) and person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions.
• Now it has made digital payments a habit and growing Indians towards a cashless economy.
• In December 2022, 382 banks were live on the UPI interface, with 7.82 billion financial transactions
being carried out for a total value of nearly Rs. 12.82 trillion.
SBM Bank raises Rs 99 crore from LIC through Tier-II Bonds

SBM Bank (India) Limited, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Mauritius-based SBM Group, has raised Rs 99 crore
from Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India, through the issuance of the second tranche (tier II) of Basel-III
compliant bonds on 24 January 2023.
• The SBM bank has raised the entire corpus from LIC, the largest financial organisation in India
• The bank issued its first tranche of tier-II bonds in April 2022, raising Rs 125 crore at a rate of
9.75%. This is the second tranche of those bonds.
• SBM Bank India has now raised a total of Rs 224 crore through Basel III compliant tier II bonds with
this new round of capital raising from multiple investors.
• In 2022, SBM Bank India raised Rs 300 crore from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural
Development (NABARD) under the automatic refinance facility.
FINANCE NEWS
Tata AIA Life introduces Emerging Opportunities Fund with Ulips
Tata AIA Life Insurance has established the Emerging Opportunity Fund with ULIP (unit-linked insurance
plans), which is able to invest in mid-cap companies and rising market leaders with the potential to provide
significant future growth.
The applications for ULIP plans with New Fund Offering (NFO) window was open till 31 December 2022.
• Tata AIA’s ULIP offerings like Fortune Pro, Wealth Pro, Fortune Maxima, and Wealth Maxima can be used
to invest in the Fund.
• Additionally, the Fund will be attached to Tata AIA’s Param Rakshak Solutions.
• Up to 30% of the fund’s total assets may be allocated to equity and equity-related investments that are
not in the mid-cap range.
Note: The Emerging Opportunities Fund is to strengthen the client’s portfolio and potentially generate long-
term wealth.

Niva Bupa Insurance inks Corporate Agency Pact with Sundaram Finance
Niva Bupa Health Insurance Company Limited (formerly Max Bupa Health Insurance Company), a standalone
health insurer, has signed a Corporate Agency Agreement with Sundaram Finance Limited, a diversified
financial services group.
• According to the agreement, Sundaram Finance will provide a limited selection of Niva Bupa’s
indemnity plans to an increasing range of its current and former clients.
• As part of this agreement, Sundaram Finance will reach out to clients using its network of more than
640 locations across India.
Aegon Life Insurance Launches iTerm Prime Insurance Plan

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.
Key Features of iTerm Prime
i.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.
ii.The minimum entry age is 18 years, while the maximum age for regular pay is 65 years and 50 years for
limited pay.
• In the regular payment mode, the premium must be paid throughout the policy term.
• In limited pay, premiums can be paid for a fixed period of time while receiving policy coverage until
the age of 70.
iii.To make the product more affordable to the end user, a special discount and flexible payment options have
been provided.
• The product is available for purchase through Aegon Life’s website and its partners in a completely
paperless method that requires no documents or uploads.
• Permanent Account Number (PAN), Aadhaar, or a driver’s licence are the only documents required
to purchase insurance.
iv.The product also has a “Special Exit Value” (SEV) option, which allows the policyholder to get a refund of all
premiums when they reach the age of 55.
• The entry age for this is 40 years, and the policy term is till 70 years.
• The policy provides a 15–30-day grace period for premium payments.
v.Additionally, the policy offers unique add-on features including Critical Illness Rider and Accidental Death
Benefit Rider.
Key Points:
i.iTerm Prime is intended to promote life insurance access in emerging India.
ii.It digitizes underwriting and simplifies buying journeys, making insurance available to under-insured self-
employed individuals, who make up the majority of India’s working population.
• The number of self-employed people in India stood at 333 million in 2021.
About Aegon Life Insurance:
Aegon Life Insurance Company is a joint venture (JV) between Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd. (BCCL), and
Aegon NV.
• BCCL is the largest media conglomerate in India and also known as the Times Group.
• Aegon NV is a major international provider of life insurance, pensions, and asset management
services.
MD and CEO – Satishwar Balakrishnan

NPCI allows UPI transactions for Non-Resident Accounts linked to International Numbers
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has allowed UPI (Unified Payments Interface) transactions
for non-resident bank accounts like Non-Residential External (NRE) and Non- Resident Ordinary (NRO) linked
to international mobile numbers.
• Initially, the transactions from mobile numbers of 10 countries – Singapore, Australia, Canada, Hong
Kong, Oman, Qatar, United States of America(USA), Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and
the United Kingdom (UK) – will be enabled
• This means Non-resident Indians (NRIs) from these countries can transact through UPI.
• This decision has been taken to expand and boost the global use of UPI.
• NPCI has mandated all UPI members, including banks and payments platforms, to comply with the
norms by 30th April 2023.
Key Points:
i.Banks engaged in such type of accounts should ensure that only those accounts complying with the Foreign
Exchange Management Act(FEMA) use this facility, and should adhere to the guidelines issued by the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI).
ii.This allows the diaspora to use it not just when they come to India but also when they are abroad. They can
make instant transfers and use it on e-commerce portals.
iii.All onboarding and transaction level checks — such as cooling period and risk rules — will be applicable as
per existing UPI guidelines.
Additional info:
i.NPCI allowed UPI transactions to and from NRO/NRE accounts linked to Indian numbers in October 2018.
ii.NRIs couldn’t access the UPI network since SIM binding, which is an important security feature of UPI, was
available only to Indian SIM cards.
Mastercard expands Girls4Tech Programme to promote STEM Studies among Girl Students
On 17th January 2023, 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 Tamil Nadu.
• The Girls4Tech programme is supported by the Mastercard Impact Fund in partnership with the
American India Foundation (AIF).
• It aims to reach an additional 1 lakh female students in India by 2024 to encourage them to pursue
STEM education; this includes 10,800 students in Tamil Nadu. STEM courses will be offered to girls
aged 8 to 14.
In 2020-2021, the programme reached 17,820 girls across 3 districts in Tamil Nadu, with an aim to narrow the
gender gap in STEM.
LIC launches Guaranteed Return Life Insurance Plan ‘Jeevan Azad’

The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has unveiled Jeevan Azad (Plan No. 868), a new non-linked, non-
participating plan designed for individual savings and life insurance.
• The plan offers an attractive combination of protection and savings.
Key Points:
i.LIC Jeevan Azad is a limited-period payment endowment plan that provides financial support to the family in
the case of the untimely death of the life assured during the policy term and also addresses liquidity
requirements through a loan facility.
• The survivor will also get a guaranteed lump sum amount on the maturity date.
ii.Subject to a certain condition, the plan also offers participants the option of receiving death or maturity
benefits in instalments.
iii.It provides three optional riders under the plan for the payment of an additional premium: LIC’s Accidental
Death and Disability Benefit Rider, LIC’s New Term Assurance Rider, and LIC’s Premium Waiver Benefit Rider.

Key Features of ‘Jeevan Azad’ Plan
i.The minimum basic sum assured is Rs. 2 lakh, while the maximum is Rs. 5 lakh.
ii.There will be no medical checkup for an amount assured of up to Rs 3 lakh, while it is needed for a sum
assured of above Rs 3 lakh.
iii.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.
iv.The minimum entry age is 90 days completed, while the maximum entry age is 50 years.
v.Regular premium payments can be made at yearly, half-yearly, quarterly, or monthly intervals.
vi.The death benefit is paid if the life assured passes away during the policy’s term, after the commencement of
the risk but before the maturity date.
vii.The death benefit will be the “Sum Assured on Death,” which is the higher of the “Basic Sum Assured” or 7
times the annualized premium.
• The death benefit cannot be less than 105% of the “total premiums paid” up to the date of death.
About the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC):
Chairperson– Mangalam Ramasubramanian Kumar
Paytail Partners with HDB Financial Services to Offer Loans for Lifestyle Products
i.Paytail Commerce Private Limited (Paytail) has partnered with HDB Financial Services Limited to
provide loans on lifestyle products such as bicycles, electric vehicles (EVs), 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.
ii.Customers will benefit from the partnership by receiving instant digital finance for in-store purchases as well
as the option to pay for the product in easy instalments.
• It would also enable retailers in over 85,000 stores across India to create opportunities for cross-
selling and up-selling their products.
iii.HDB Financial Services Limited is a prominent Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC). G. Ramesh is the
MD & CEO of HDB Financial Services Limited.
iv.Paytail is a fintech firm that provides merchants with instant digital finance and simple EMIs. Vikas Garg is
the Co-founder & CEO of Paytail.
AIF Exceeds Rs. 30,000 Crore in Capital Raised for Agriculture Infrastructure Projects
According to the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund
(AIF) has raised more than Rs. 30,000 crore in capital for agricultural infrastructure projects, with a
sanctioned amount of Rs. 15,000 crore.
Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
i.AIF is a financing facility that was introduced on July 8, 2020, for the creation of post-harvest infrastructure
and community farm assets across India.
• It was developed as a Central Sector Scheme (CSS) by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers
Welfare (DA&FW), MoA&FW.
ii.This scheme would disburse Rs. 1 lakh crore by the fiscal year 2025-26, while interest subvention and
credit guarantee support will be provided until 2032-33.
• Agricultural infrastructure projects at farm-gate and aggregation points (Primary Agricultural
Cooperative Societies, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Agriculture Entrepreneurs, Start-Ups,
etc.) will be funded by means of this financing facility of Rs. 1 lakh crore.
• It also supports other groups like Self Help Groups (SHGs), Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) etc.

iii.Under the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) scheme, eligible
borrowers of this financing facility would have access to credit guarantee coverage for loans up to Rs. 2 crore.
iv.There will be a 3% annual interest subsidy on all loans made through this financing facility, up to a maximum
of Rs. 2 crore. This subvention will be available for a maximum period of 7 years.
v.It allows for convergence with all schemes of the Union or State government.
• Infrastructure projects help farmers get better prices for their produce, modernize agricultural
programmes and practices, and reduce post-harvest losses.
About the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW):
Union Minister – Narendra Singh Tomar (Constituency- Morena, Madhya Pradesh)
Minister of State (MoS) – Kailash Choudhary (Constituency- Barmer, Rajasthan)
HDFC to Raise at least Rs 30 Billion through Issue of 10-year Bonds

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 company has invited bankers and investors to bid
for coupons and commitments. The issue will also have a greenshoe option to retain an additional Rs 20 billion
and will close for subscription later this week.
The bonds are rated AAA by CRISIL and will have a put option at the end of the third year.
BOB Financial Solutions Limited launches Vikram Credit Card Dedicated to Soldiers
BOB Financial Solutions Limited (BFSL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of Baroda (BoB), launched ‘Vikram
– the contactless RuPay credit card’ dedicated to the Indian defence, paramilitary, and police personnel on the
occasion of 74th Republic Day celebrations i.e. January 26, 2023.
• It will be offered as Lifetime Free (LTF) and it comes with reward points and an activation gift of a
complimentary OTT (Over-The-Top) subscription.
Key Points:
i.The credit card also offers an Accidental Death cover of Rs 20 lakh.
ii.Other features include a 1% fuel surcharge waiver, LTF add-ons, EMI (Equated Monthly installments) offers,
and periodic merchant offers.
iii.BFSL already has exclusive co-branded credit cards with the Indian Army (Yoddha), Indian Navy (Varunah),
Indian Coast Guard (Rakshamah) and Assam Rifles (The Sentinel).
iv.This credit card honours the protectors of our nation for their selfless services.
About Bank of Baroda (BoB):
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Sanjiv Chadha
Headquarters – Vadodara, Gujarat
About BOB Financial Solutions Limited (BFSL):
MD & CEO– Shailendra Singh
Tagline– Credit Reimagined
HDFC Life Policyholders Can Now Pay Premiums Via NPCI’s ‘UPI 123PAY’
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”, a unique voice-based Unified
Payments Interface (UPI) service.
• The “first of its kind” UPI 123Pay aims to significantly streamline the premium payment procedure
for HDFC Life policyholders.
About UPI 123PAY
i.In 2022, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released UPI 123Pay, a voice-based payment feature developed by
the NPCI and launched to improve the digital penetration of financial services.

ii.UPI 123PAY empowers smartphone and feature phone users to make a variety of digital transactions based
on four approaches.
• The 4 approaches include: Voice payments using an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) number,
proximity sound-based payments, missed call-based payments, and app-based scan and pay on
feature phones.
iii.Customers will be able to conduct financial transactions on this platform with or without an internet
connection.
iv.This service is available to customers in a variety of regional languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati,
Punjabi, Kannada, Tamil, etc.
v.A customer can begin a transaction after placing a secure call from their phone to the UPI number 080 4516
3571 and completing the UPI on-boarding formalities.
vi.This service would also enable HDFC Life policyholders who are not used to digital payments to take control
of their policies with a single IVR call.
About HDFC Life Insurance Company Limited (HDFC Life):
HDFC Life is a joint venture between HDFC Ltd., India’s leading housing finance institution and abrdn plc
(formerly Standard Life Aberdeen plc) a global investment company.
MD & CEO – Vibha Padalkar
RenewBuy Launches Customised Health Insurance Product – RenewBuy Health Wellness plan
RenewBuy has launched its first line of customised health insurance products, RenewBuy Health Wellness
plan with a focus on the large uninsured segment beyond the tier 1 markets.
• This new product aims to bridge that gap in purchasing such products in smaller cities compared to
metro cities and has introduced various benefits in pre-hospitalization and Out-Patient Department
(OPD) treatments.
About the product:
i.The product has new-age health insurance benefits, ranging from coverage of Rs. 2-5 lakhs and is also
available in three variants including Gold Plan, Silver Plan and Wellness Plan.
ii.Benefits – Senior citizens are offered with up to 70 percent lower premiums and also up
to 50 percent lower premiums for people till 59 years of age and also includes maternity cover with a
significantly low waiting period.
• All the 3- variants do not require any medical underwriting and offer OPD benefits, unlimited
doctor-on-phone consultations, free lab tests, a heavy concession for offline OPD consultations,
modern treatment under very low sum insured, no room rent capping and various other benefits
under certain T&C.
About RenewBuy:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Balachander Sekhar
Nigeria Launches Domestic Card Scheme AfriGo to Boost Cashless Economy

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.
• Through this launch, Nigeria was joining China, Russia, India and Turkey to be a country with a
domestic card scheme.
• AfriGo is owned by CBN and Nigerian banks.
• The card scheme will provide more options for domestic consumers in a cost-effective and
competitive manner.

• As per Godwin Emefiele’s statement, the operations of foreign cards will continue to exist even after
the launch of the domestic card.
Redesigned version of Naira:
i.Nigeria, being Africa’s biggest economy, has more than 200 million people but the majority of them still use
cash because they live in rural areas where there are no banks.
ii.To promote “financial inclusion” in remote areas, the CBN announced the launch of a cash swap programme
introducing a redesigned version of the local currency, the naira.
Note – Africa’s first digital currency, the e-naira was launched in October 2021.
About Nigeria:
Capital – Abuja
Currency – Nigerian naira (NGN)
President – Muhammadu Buhari
Aviva Life Insurance Launches Unit-Linked Aviva Signature Investment Plan

Aviva Life Insurance launched Aviva Signature Investment Plan, a unit-linked non-participating individual
life insurance plan targeting millennial and GenX customers. The plan comes with two options, Signature
Millennial and Signature GenX.
• Signature Millennial has an inbuilt premium waiver and a guaranteed amount for a dependent
parent, spouse, or child after the death of the insured person. All future premiums are waived in
case of death of the life insured during the policy term in the Signature Millennial option.
• While, Signature GenX enables customers to grow their wealth for up to 60 years through
disciplined monthly savings.
Benefits – zero allocation charges, periodic milestone boosters every 3rd year starting at the end of the 6th
policy year, up to 100 per cent mortality & policy administration charges at maturity, employs the “RetireSafe
Strategy” to safeguard the accrued returns, and others.
In addition, the plan comes with various other benefits, including death benefits, top-up premium facility,
rewards, premium redirection, and premium redirection.
ECONOMY & BUSINESS NEWS

India’s external debt at $610 billion in Q2 FY23; declines by $2.3 billion
As per the figures from the Ministry of Finance, India’s external debt stood at USD 610.5 billion in Q2 FY23
(July-September 2022) showing a decrease of USD 2.3 billion from Q1 FY23 (April to June 2022).
• The external debt to GDP (Gross Domestic Product) ratio stood at 19.2% at the end of Q2FY23 as
compared to 19.3% at end of Q1FY23.
Key Points:
i.Valuation gains were USD 10.6 billion.
ii.Excluding the valuation effect, the increase in external debt would have been USD 8.3 billion instead of a
decrease of USD 2.3 billion at end Q2FY22 over end Q1FY22.
iii.At end Q2FY22, long-term debt (with original maturity of above one year) was placed at USD 478.7 billion, a
decline of USD 8 billion over Q1FY22.
iv.The share of short-term debt (with an original maturity of up to one year) in total external debt increased to
21.6% at Q2FY22 from 20.6% in Q1FY23.
v.The United States (US) dollar denominated debt remained the largest component of India’s external debt,
with a share of 55.5% at end of Q2FY22, followed by the Indian rupee (30.2%), Special Drawing Rights (SDR)
(6.1%), yen (4.9%), and the euro (2.6%).

GST Revenues grow 15% to Rs 1.49 lakh crore in December 2022
India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenues increased 15% year-on-year to Rs 1.49 lakh crore (USD 18.07
billion) in December 2022, suggesting robust economic activity during the holiday season.
• The gross GST revenue collected during December 2022 is Rs 1,49,507 crore, of which CGST is Rs
26,711 crore, SGST is Rs 33,357 crore, IGST is Rs 78,434 crore (including Rs 40,263 crore collected
on import of goods) and cess is Rs 11,005 crore (including Rs 850 crore collected on import of
goods).
• For the 10th consecutive month (December 2022), GST revenues have exceeded Rs 1.40 lakh crore.
The GST was estimated to have brought in roughly Rs 1.46 lakh crore in November 2022.
Retail Inflation Eases to One-Year Low of 5.72% In December 2022

According to data provided by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Retail
Inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) decreased to a one-year low of 5.72% in December
2022.
• This decrease was primarily caused by a sharp deflation (-15.08%) in vegetable prices and an easing of
price pressures in the broader "food and beverages" category.
In November 2022, the retail inflation rate was 5.88%.
Retail inflation
• The consumer price index measures retail inflation by monitoring price changes in the most commonly
purchased consumer goods and services.
• It is estimated for a given list of items such as food, housing, apparel, transportation, electronics,
medical care, education, and so on.
Key Points:
i.For the second month in a row, Headline Inflation, or Wholesale Price Inflation (WPI), stayed below the
upper limit of the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) medium-term target of 2-6%.
ii.Food price inflation, which makes up about 40% of the CPI basket, decreased from 4.67% in November 2022
to 4.19% in December 2022.
iii.In December 2022, Core CPI Inflation—the measure of inflation that excludes food and fuel—remained
strong at 6.1%, with evidence of significant inflation in the services sector.
iv.For the first time in 11 months, inflation dropped to below 6% in November 2022.
• The RBI projected 6.7% inflation for fiscal year 2022-23 (FY23).
v.In December 2022, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) raised the repo rate by 35 basis points (bps) to
6.25%, the fifth increase in the current fiscal year (FY23), bringing the policy rate to its highest level since
August 2018.
Russia Is Fourth Biggest Source of Imports for India

i.Russia has now become India’s fourth-largest trading partner, with imports from Russia increasing five-fold to
USD 32.9 billion between April – December 2022.
• India’s higher imports from Russia are mostly due to two commodities: fertilizers and crude oil.
• Russia has improved from being India’s 20th largest source of imports in the previous fiscal year
(FY22).
ii.If the current rate of growth continues, Russia’s imports might reach USD 50 billion, just short of the value of
items exported from the United States (US), India’s third largest source of imports.
iii.The US and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) might end FY23 with exports to India totaling USD 56 billion
and USD 54 billion, respectively, if their rates of growth continue through the last quarter of FY23.
• The exports to India from the two countries increased by almost 25% each during April -December
2022.

ODP Corporation Selects HCL Tech as Primary IT Partner
ODP Corporation has selected HCL Tech as its primary IT partner for end-to-end Information technology
(IT) 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 (AI)
capabilities to enable efficient IT operations with personalised and intuitive IT services.
• ODP, is a provider of products, services and technology solutions through an integrated business-to-
business (B2B) distribution platform and omnichannel presence.
NCLT Approves Transfer of Ownership of Jet Airways to Jalan-Kalrock Consortium

On January 13, 2023, National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) allowed the transfer of ownership of Jet Airways
to the Jalan-Kalrock consortium (JKC).
Key Points:
i.Background:
• Due to a financial crisis Jet Airways closed its operations in April 2019, after which it underwent a
resolution process under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
• The revival plan submitted by the JKC was cleared by Jet’s committee of creditors in October 2020.
The NCLT approved the revival plan in June 2021.
ii.In accordance with the revival plan, JKC proposed a total infusion of Rs 1,375 crore, in which Rs 900 crore
towards capital infusion and Rs 475 crore paid to creditors (Rs 380 crore will go to financial creditors).
iii.So far, the JKC has deposited bank guarantees worth Rs 150 crore with the lenders. As per the resolution
plan, JKC had to make cash payments of Rs 185 crore to financial creditors within 180 days from mid-
November 2022.
iv.Now, JKC was given additional 6 months(i.e. till mid-May 2023) to clear all required payment to lenders,
other creditors and workers.
v.JKC will have an 89.79% stake while 9.5% will go to lenders.
Siemens Mobility received Rs 26,000-crore locomotive order from Indian Railways

Siemens Mobility, managed by Siemens AG of Germany, has received a locomotive order worth 3 billion Euro
(~Rs 26,000 crore) from Indian Railways, under the Ministry of Railways, Government of India, for 1,200
electric locomotives of 9,000 horsepower (HP).
• Under this contract, the delivery of locomotives is planned over an 11-year period and the contract
also includes 35 years of full-service maintenance.
• This is the single largest locomotive order in the history of Siemens Mobility and the single largest
order in the history of Siemens India.
Features of the contract:
i.Under this contract, Siemens Mobility will design, manufacture, commission and test the
locomotives.
ii.The Siemens-designed trains with a top speed of 120 km (75 miles)/ hour will be assembled in
India over the next 11 years, with deliveries starting in 24 months.
iii.The assembly will be done at the Indian Railways factory in Dahod, Gujarat.
iv.The maintenance of the locomotives will be done in 4 Indian Railways depots located in
Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Kharagpur (West Bengal) and Pune
(Maharashtra).
Key Points:
i.The state-of-the-art locomotives will be used for freight transport throughout the Indian Railways
network and are specified to haul loads of 4,500 tons at a maximum speed of 120 km per hour.

ii.The locomotives are equipped with advanced propulsion systems, produced locally in Siemens
Mobility factories in India.
iii.Siemens Mobility will use the power of its Railigent platform to deliver the highest availability and
performance.
Additional info:
i.This contract with Siemens will support India in achieving its goal of creating the world’s largest
green rail network.
ii.This also secures Indian Railway’s commitment to achieving 100% electrification of rail traffic in
India.
iii.These locomotives will replace 500,000 to 800,000 trucks over their lifecycle and save around 800
million tons of Carbon dioxide (CO2) emission.
About Indian Railways:
Indian Railways is a statutory body under the ownership of Ministry of Railways.
Chairman of Railway Board & Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Anil Kumar Lahoti
Head office– New Delhi, Delhi
L&T Technology Services Selected as Strategic Engineering Partner to Airbus

L&T Technology Services Limited(LTTS), a subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro Limited(L&T), has been
selected as a strategic engineering partner to Airbus for providing Advanced Engineering Capabilities and
Digital Manufacturing Services under a multi-year contract.
• LTTS will support Airbus in key verticals and technology for its ongoing Commercial and
innovation programs.
• Under this partnership, LTTS will support Airbus’ Numerical Control Programming (NCP)
Cluster which includes composite production, trimming & cutting, standard machining,
advanced machining, drilling & riveting, control & metrology, fast shop machining and technical
support.
LTTS is also a part of the ‘Skywise Partner Program,’ and earlier in 2022, was recognized as a Global
Strategic Engineering Supplier under the Airbus EMES3 (Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering and
Services Strategic Suppliers) program.
OPPO India & Meity’s CSC partners to train 10,000 women in Cyber Security through Cyber
Sangini
OPPO India, a Mobile phone brand, partnered with the Common Service Centre (CSC) Academy, the Education &
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) wing of Common Services Centres (CSC) under the Ministry of Electronics
and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India (GoI), for the Cyber Sangini program, 45-day
course, to empower rural and semi-urban women by training them in the fundamentals of cybersecurity and
cyber wellness.
• This initiative aims to equip women with the skills and knowledge needed to become certified ‘Cyber
Sanginis’and act as Cyber Security Ambassadors in their area.
• Participants will receive a certificate from the National Institute of Electronics and Information
Technology (NIELIT) or Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) upon completion of
the course. This will enable them to get employment opportunities.
Cyber Sanginis will be trained in the existing laws and frameworks that every citizen can use to
protect themselves from such cyber incidents.

IndianOil exports 1st consignment of AVGAS 100 LL to Papua New Guinea
Tamil Nadu-based Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) Limited has started the export of its first Special Aviation Fuel
(SAF) for small aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), AVGAS (aviation gasoline) 100 LL, blue aviation
gasoline with a high octane number, to Papua New Guinea.
S M Vaidya, Chairman of IndianOil flagged off the 1st export consignment of AVGAS 100 LL to Papua New
Guinea from Gateway Terminals India (GTI) of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Container Terminal (JNPT).
• The shipment consisted of 16 KL (Kilolitre) of AVGAS packed in 80 barrels and was sent on 27th
January 2023.
• India’s largest auto fuel retailer aims to tap the USD 1.92 billion AVGAS market by exporting the SAF
which was launched in 2022.AV Gas market is expected to grow from the current $1.92 billion to
$2.71 billion by 2029.
• The aircraft traffic in India is anticipated to increase by 7% compound annual growth rate (CAGR),
while the global aviation gasoline market is projected to grow at 5% CAGR.
The present production of AVGAS 100 LL is being done from IndianOil’s Gujarat Refinery which has a
capacity of 5TMT per annum.
MoU’s & AGREEMENTS

India, Panama signs agreement on Cooperation in Training of Diplomats during 17th PDB
Convention 2023
On January 9, 2023, during the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention 2023 in Indore, Madhya
Pradesh (MP), an agreement was signed between India and Panama on the cooperation in the training of
diplomats.
• The PBD convention was held on January 8-10, 2023 on the theme ‘Diaspora: Reliable Partners for
India’s Progress in Amrit Kaal’.
Signatories:
It was signed by the Union Minister Subrahmanyam
Jaishankar, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India;
and Janaina Tewaney Mencomo, Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Panama.
Key Points:
i.During the convention both ministers discussed opportunities
for greater economic, health, finance, and people-to-people
linkage.
ii.On November 23, 2022, India Panama held the 2nd Foreign Office Consultations in Panama City, Panama
where the Indian side was represented by Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East) and the Panama side was led by
Vladimir A Franco Sousa, Vice Minister of External Relations.
• There, both sides reviewed their bilateral relations in the areas including trade and investment,
pharmaceuticals, ICT (Information and Communication Technology), capacity building, space
cooperation, and consular issues.
India, UK sign and exchange letters for Young Professionals Scheme
India and the United Kingdom (UK) also signed and exchanged letters of ‘UK-India Young Professionals
Scheme’ which will allow 3,000 young Indians and Britons aged 18 to 30 to live, study and work in each other’s
countries without needing to have a job in hand.
• It was launched at the Indian high commission in London, UK on January 9, 2023.
• This launch coincided with 17th PBD 2023.

Signatories:
It was exchanged by Indian high commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami and Matthew Rycroft, permanent
secretary at the UK home office.
What is in the scheme?
The scheme is launched as part of an India-U.K. Migration and Mobility MoU signed in May 2021. It is also
a key part of the delivery of the 2030 roadmap signed by the PMs of both countries.
i.Under this, graduates can look for work, study, do voluntary work, be self-employed or start a business with
each other, set up start-ups, create innovation and new research and develop a longer lasting UK-India
partnership.
ii.Indians who come to the UK on the scheme will not be allowed to avail of state benefits. The visa cannot be
extended.
iii.The scheme allows for exchange visas for up to 3,000 individuals per year.
iv.Successful participants will be selected via a ballot.
Click here to know more about PBD Convention
i.Japan has signed a deal with the United Kingdom (UK) and Italy to develop a next-generation fighter aircraft
together by 2035.
ii.Researchers from the Public Health Foundation of India and University of Leicester (England) have been
awarded a prestigious grant of nearly EURO 10 million by the National Institute for Health and Care Research
(NIHR) Global Health Research Centre, United Kingdom (UK).
About Panama:
Currency– Panamanian Balboa
President– Laurentino Cortizo
India, UAE Signed Agreement on Green Hydrogen Development and Under Sea Cable
Connectivity
Union Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy, Raj Kumar Singh, who is on a three-day visit to Abu
Dhabi, and UAE’s (United Arab Emirates) 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 is announced by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi.
• They also discussed opportunities in the field of power and renewable energy.
Key Points:
i.RK Singh presided over the 13th Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), which is a
168 member (167 countries & European Union) International organisation dedicated to renewable energy.
ii.During his visit to Abu Dhabi, he had a meeting with COP28 President designate and UAE’s Special Envoy for
Climate Change, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber.
iii.RK Singh stated India’s priorities on G20 in the field of energy and Dr Sultan Al Jaber highlighted the
priorities of the UAE for COP28, which is scheduled to be held in November 2023 in Dubai.
iv.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.
v.India is moving towards the Mission LiFE – Lifestyle for Environment, which was announced by Prime
Minister Modi and the UN Secretary-General in October 2022. Click here to know more
About Ministry of New and Renewable Energy:
Union Minister – Raj Kumar Singh (Arrah, Bihar)
Ministers of State (MoS) – Bhagwanth Khuba (Bidar, Karnataka)

US, Japan sign pact at NASA for Deep Space Exploration
The United States (US) and Japan signed a space agreement at the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) headquarters in Washington D.C., US. It was signed during Japanese Prime Minister
Fumio Kishida’s first visit to the US.
• It is based upon the long history of collaboration in space exploration between the two nations for
deep space exploration.
• The pact recognizes a mutual interest in peaceful exploration.
This agreement is called as ‘Framework Agreement Between the Government of Japan and the Government of
the United States of America for Cooperation in Space Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon
and Other Celestial Bodies, For Peaceful Purposes’.
Signatories:
It was signed by US Secretary of State Antony J Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa.
UP Govt Signs MoUs Worth Rs. 18,590 Crore with Six UAE Based Companies
The Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth Rs. 18,590
crores with six United Arab Emirates (UAE) based companies ahead of the “Uttar Pradesh Global Investors
Summit (UPGIS) 2023,” which will be hosted in Lucknow, UP, in February 2023.
Backdrop
i.The UP delegation, led by UP Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Minister Rakesh Sachan, met with
UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi.
ii.The delegation received 25 letters of intent (LoI), with a total projected investment of Rs. 21,622 crore.
• Of these, six UAE based companies and the UP government have inked MoUs totaling Rs. 18,590
crore, which will result in the creation of almost 20,000 new job opportunities.
The Six MoUs
i.Renewable Energy (RE) Sector: Astha Green Energy Venture and Shree Siddharth Infratech & Services will
each invest Rs. 4,480 and Rs. 8,000 crore in the RE sector, creating 2,560 and 4,800 jobs, respectively.
ii.Logistics Park Sector: Sharaf Group and Hindustan Port have decided to invest Rs. 1,300 and Rs. 210 crore,
respectively, in UP, creating 1,500 and 1,000 jobs.
iii.The Lulu Group would invest Rs. 4,500 crores in the retail and food processing sectors, resulting in the
creation of 10,000 employment opportunities.
iv.Sobha Realty has agreed to invest Rs 100 crore in education and corporate social responsibility (CSR),
providing employment for 250 people.
Key Points:
i.Eight teams from the UP government visited 16 countries in advance of the UPGIS 2023, and received
investment bids totaling more than Rs 7.12 lakh crore.
ii.The United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK) have offered the majority of investment
bids totaling Rs. 4 lakh crore.
Note: On January 5, 2023, domestic road shows will begin in nine of India’s largest cities under the leadership
of UP Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath.
About the United Arab Emirates (UAE):
President – Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Capital – Abu Dhabi city
Currency – Arab Emirati Dirham (AED) [called Dirhams]
MoU Signed for Commercial Production of Indigenously-Developed ‘Lumpi-ProVac’ Vaccine

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the production of goat pox vaccine and ‘Lumpi-ProVac’ vaccine
has been signed in Nagpur, Maharashtra in the presence of Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and

Dairying Parshottam Rupala, Maharashtra Chief Minister(CM) Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra
Phadnavis.
• This will play a major role in the efforts of the government to control and eradicate the Lumpy Skin
Disease. The Lumpy Skin Disease has been reported in India from 2019 while the first case was
reported in Odisha.
• National Centre for Veterinary Type Culture, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) -
National Research Centre on Equines (ICAR-NRCE), Hisar (Haryana), in collaboration with ICAR-
Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Izatnagar (UP) developed a homologous live-attenuated
LSD vaccine, named Lumpi-ProVac against lumpy skin disease (LSD) in animals.
IIT-Madras & DRDO Partners to Introduce DIA-RCoE for Advanced Defence Technology
Research
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-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) 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.
• This centre will undertake basic and applied research in areas including electronics and
computational systems; naval systems and naval technologies; advanced combat vehicle
technologies; high-power CW laser sources; and next-generation communication and networking
technologies.
Granules India Partners with Greenko ZeroC for Green Molecule Solutions
Granules India Limited has entered a strategic partnership with Greenko Group, backed by GIC Holdings Pte
Ltd, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Japan’s ORIX Corporation to collaborate for first-of-its-kind green
molecule solutions. Both shall develop and promote built-in green pharmaceutical zones (GPZ) with a primary
collaboration in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, mentioned in a regulatory submission from Granules.
• Under the partnership, Greenko ZeroC will provide carbon free power and allow green hydrogen
with varied chemical derivatives. Granules would utilise carbon free power and green hydrogen
derivatives to provide worth added merchandise resembling DCDA, PAP, Paracetamol, Metformin,
different APIs and intermediates.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended MoU Exchange Ceremony ‘Outreach Programme
with MoE & MoSDE’ in New Delhi
On January 3, 2023, Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence (MoD) virtually attended the
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Exchange Ceremony ‘Outreach Programme with Ministry of Education
(MoE) and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MoSDE)’ in New Delhi, Delhi.
• The event saw the signing of MoUs and Agreements by MoD, MoE, MoSDE, Indian Army (IA), Indian
Navy (IN), and Indian Air Force (IAF) with various stakeholders for the education and skill
development of Agniveers.
What are in the MoUs?
i.These MoUs will enable Agniveers to timely complete their education, develop additional qualities and
skills while serving in the Armed Forces. These will also provide appropriate skill certificates in accordance
with their expertise and experience.
ii.MoUs with National Institute of Open School (NIOS) will provide 12th Class certificates, and Indira Gandhi
National Open University (IGNOU) will award Bachelor’s degree, and diploma (2years) to the Agniveers.

Key Points:
i.The skill sets of Agniveers have been laid down with National Occupational Standards (NOS), in coordination
with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Sector Skill Councils (SSCs).
• Based on these qualifications, ‘Kaushal Praman Patra‘ will be issued to Agniveers at the time of
their exit from the Armed Forces.
ii.NOS will help them to pass 10th and 12th exam, while enrolled Agniveer in university can complete
50% syllabus of general higher studies, the rest can be completed through skill development training provided
by defence institutions.
iii.Various departments of MoSDE have collaborated in the Armed Forces and awarded Dual Category
recognition as the Awarding Body (AB) and Assessment Agency (AA) by the National Council of Vocational
Education and Training (NCVET).
• The Directorate General of Training (DGT) under MoSDE will also facilitate award of National Trade
Certificate (NTC) to Agniveers.
About Agnipath Scheme:
Launched on June 15, 2022, Agnipath scheme will recruit male and female aspirants between the age group of
17.5 to 21 years into ‘below the officer’s rank’ cadre of the 3 services for a period of 4 years as Agniveers.
• Agniveers’ are regarded as ‘Surakshaveers’ and ‘Samriddhiveers’ of India.
Click Here to read about Agnipath Scheme
Click Here to read about Agnipath Scheme
i.MoD approved the proposal to change the name of Faizabad Cantonment (Cantt) to Ayodhya Cantt in Uttar
Pradesh (UP).
ii.Union Minister Rajnath Singh launched ‘Maa Bharati Ke Sapoot (MBKS)’ website during an event at the
National War Memorial Complex in New Delhi, Delhi.
About the Ministry of Defence (MoD):
Union Minister – Rajnath Singh (Constituency- Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State (MoS) – Ajay Bhatt (Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhand)
GA-ASI partners with Bharat Forge to Manufacture Aerostructures in India

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), a subsidiary of General Atomics(GA) based in San Diego,
California, United States of America(USA), has partnered with Bharat Forge Limited, a part of Kalyani Group, to
manufacture aerostructures – main landing gear components, subassemblies, and assemblies of remotely
piloted aircraft in India.
About the partnership:
i.The partnership aims to support the development of a manufacturing ecosystem for high-end drones.
ii.The partnership between GA and Bharat Forge aims to enhance the capacity building of both companies and
provide momentum to the large unmanned aircraft industry of India.
iii.Under this partnership, GA-ASI will work with Bharat Forge in the critical field of aerospace manufacturing.
iv.Bharat Forger will offer full-service supply capability from concept to product design, engineering,
manufacturing testing and validation.
Note:
• Aerospace is a high ‘technology intensive’ domain, that relies on product integrity, reliability, and
zero defect.
About Bharat Forge Limited:
Chairman & Managing Director(CMD)– B N Kalyani
Headquarters– Pune, Maharashtra

Hindustan Copper signs MoU with IIT (ISM) Dhanbad to Enhance Copper Ore Production
On 4th January 2023, State-owned Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) and the Indian Institute of Technology
(IIT) (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, Jharkhand, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at HCL
Corporate Office in Kolkata, West Bengal.
• The MoU was signed in the presence of Arun Kumar Shukla, Chairman & Managing Director (CMD)
of HCL, Professor Rajiv Shekhar, Director of IIT (ISM), Dhanbad, for technical collaboration to
increase the HCL’s copper ore production.
• 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-
ISM for enhancing copper ore production.
Army Inks Pact with Assam Govt for Treatment of Ex-servicemen at Medical Colleges
On 5th January 2023 the Indian Army signed Memorandums of Agreement (MoUs)with eight government
medical colleges and hospitals under the Governemnt of Assam 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.
• The MoUs were signed between the Indian Army and 8 government medical colleges and hospitals
in Assam in presence of Chief Minister (CM) Himanta Biswa Sarma and General Officer
Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command Lt Gen RP Kalita.
• The Assam Cancer Care Foundation (ACCF), Government of Assam and TATA Trust initiative, has
also been empanelled with ECHS.
• This scheme covers all types of diseases and will facilitate the cashless and capless treatment of
almost 1.12 lakh beneficiaries.
ISRO, Microsoft join hands to Empower Space-Tech Startups in India

On 5th January 2023, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Microsoft India signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support and promote the growth of space technology startups in
India.
• The MoU aims to empower Indian space tech startups with technology tools and platforms, go-to-
market support, and mentoring to help them scale and become enterprise ready.
• The government has opened up the space sector for private players. More than 100 active startups
are based in India and work in the space-tech sector.
Key Points:
i. The partnership aims to strengthen ISRO’s vision of utilising the market potential of India’s most innovative
and successful space tech businesses.
ii. Through this collaboration, the ISRO-identified space-tech firms will be added to the Microsoft for Startups
Founders Hub platform, which supports startups at every stage of their development, from idea to unicorn.
• Through Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, space-tech startup founders in India will have free
access to the tech tools, and resources they need to build and run their businesses.
• This also includes technical support to build and scale on Azure, best-in-class developer and
productivity tools including GitHub Enterprise, Visual Studio Enterprise, and Microsoft 365, and
access to smart analytics with Power BI and Dynamics 365.
iii. In addition to providing technological access, Microsoft will coach space tech entrepreneurs in a variety of
fields, including cloud technologies, product and design, funding, and sales and marketing.
• They will also have access to Microsoft Learn for tailored startup-centric training content and
programs.
iv. Microsoft and ISRO will also jointly organize knowledge-sharing and thought leadership sessions for the
startups with space industry experts.

About Microsoft India:
President- Anant Maheshwari
Establishment- 1990
BSE signs MoU with Goa Government to Promote Development of SMEs

BSE (formerly Bombay Stock Exchange Ltd.) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
Government of Goa for the development of Small Medium Enterprises (SME) in Goa.
Key Highlights:
i. Under this partnership, BSE will create awareness among SMEs in Goa on the advantages of listing on the
exchange and guide them on efficient methods of raising capital through equity infusion.
ii. BSE will offer training and capacity-building support to District Industries Center officials and facilitate SMEs
with respect to registration or listing on the platform.
iii. The partnership between the Goa Government and BSE would be essential in creating many opportunities
for small to medium-sized businesses.
About BSE:
More than 400 companies are listed on the BSE platform, which makes it the largest SME exchange in India.
Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive officer(CEO)- Sundararaman Ramamurthy
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment- 1875
About Goa:
Chief Minister- Pramod Sawant
Governor- P. S. Sreedharan Pillai
Zoological park- Bondla Zoological Park
Airport- Goa International Airport
Garuda Aerospace Signs MoU with Rallis India to Boost Agriculture

Garuda Aerospace, the Chennai-based drone manufacturing company 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. Rallis will also supply pesticides and crop nutrients to Garuda Aerospace for the pilot
demon.
The drone pilots will conduct demonstrations on a 1,000-acre land on crops like paddy, onion, Bengal
gram, wheat and vegetables.
IN-SPACe signs MoU with Nascent Info Technologies for GIS Applications
The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Nascent Info Technologies Private Limited for technical collaboration for the
development of various Geographic Information System (GIS) applications.
Geographic Information System (GIS) Applications:
A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computer system that maps and examines changes on Earth by
analysing and displaying spatially related data from a range of data sources.
Key Points:
i. 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.
• It develops various algorithms and applications that will increase the efficiency of mineral
identification and mapping while also enhancing operational safety, surveillance, and environmental
compliance.

ii. The built applications would be made available for business use both on-premises and in the cloud.
iii. IN-SPACe will provide Nascent with assistance by facilitating access to Earth Observation data and
developing an algorithm for the identification of minerals including limestone, bauxite, clay, and coal, among
others, and using other resources.
About the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe):
Chairman- Pawan Kumar Goenka
Headquarters- Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Establishment- 2020
Indian High Commission signs MoU to establish Hindi Chair at Sabaragamuwa University of Sri
Lanka
The Indian High Commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sabaragamuwa University
to establish a Hindi Chair at the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka.
• Gopal Baglay, High Commissioner, and Professor Udaya Rathnayake, Vice Chancellor of
Sabaragamuwa University, signed the MoU to establish the Hindi Chair as part of India’s cultural
connect through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.
• The Hindi chair will help familiarise students with India, its history, and culture as well as pave way
for popularising Hindi by deputing Indian faculties.
At the university’s Hindi Kavita competition, Gopal Baglay also presented awards to the winners.
RITES Signs MoU with IIT-Kanpur to Explore Opportunities in Sustainability Sector

Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) Limited, a Miniratna (Category-I) and Schedule ‘A’ Central
Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Railways (MoR) signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh for exploring
opportunities in the areas of sustainability and carbon-related works including carbon neutrality, particularly
in sectors such as steel and power.
• The MoU also includes research and development-related works on air quality sensors to address
air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and solid waste management.
OTPC & APDCL signed MoU to Develop 250 MW Battery Energy Storage in Assam
ONGC Tripura Power Company Limited (OTPC) and Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL)
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (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.
• OTPC is a joint venture of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), gas utility GAIL (India) Ltd,
Government of Tripura and India Infrastructure Fund-II.
Signatories:
Sanil C Namboodiripad, Managing director (MD) of OTPC, and Rakesh Kumar, MD of APDCL, signed the MoU
in the presence of Nandita Gorlosa, Minister for Power, Cooperation, Mines and Minerals, Indigenous & Tribal
Faith and Cultural Department, Guwahati, Assam.
Key Points:
i. The development project would assist Assam in realising its goal of becoming a leader in the green energy
transition.
ii. The battery storage projects are essential for the successful integration of future solar power projects in
Assam, which has been developing a significant amount of solar energy potential.
iii. The benefit of this project is to improve power availability during peak load hours, integrate renewable
energy generation into the electricity grid and increase grid reliability.

About the ONGC Tripura Power Company Limited (OTPC):
OTPC, a reliable and strategic energy partner, has been a trusted energy supplier to Assam since 2014.
Chairman- Arun Kumar Singh
Managing Director- Sanil C. Namboodiripad
Headquarters- Tripura
Establishment- 2004
L&T Partners with H2Carrier to Develop Floating Green Hydrogen Projects

On 13th January 2023, 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.
• H2C has expertise in developing and integrating Power-to-X (PtX) projects based on affordable, often
stranded, non-commercial renewable power.
H2C plans to build the P2XFloater hull at yards in Asia, and L&T will design and fabricate the topside
process and utility modules to produce green hydrogen and green ammonia, including electrolysers,
nitrogen generation plant, and ammonia synthesis unit.
NTPC REL signs MoU with Government of Tripura for collaboration in Renewable Energy
Development
On January 16, 2023, the NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd (NTPC REL), wholly owned subsidiary of the NTPC
Limited(formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited) signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Tripura for the development of Floating and Ground Mounted
based Renewable Energy Projects in Tripura.
Signatories:
It was signed by Rajiv Gupta, Chief General Manager, NTPC REL and Mahananda Debbarma, Director General
(DG) and CEO, Tripura Renewable Energy Development Agency (TREDA) in New Delhi, Delhi.
Key Point:
This MoU will initiate the development of large sized Renewable Energy Projects in the State of Tripura and
also help the Government of Tripura in meeting its Clean Energy Commitments and obligations.
About NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd (NTPC REL):
CEO– Mohit Bhargava
Adani Enterprises partners with Ashok Leyland & Ballard to Develop Asia’s 1st Hydrogen
powered mining truck
On 17th January 2023, Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL), the flagship entity of Adani Group, signed an
agreement with Chennai(Tamil Nadu)- based Ashok Leyland and Ballard Power Systems of Canada 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.
AEL will lead the demonstration project, Ballard Power will supply the FCmove fuel cell engine for the
hydrogen truck, and Ashok Leyland will provide the vehicle platform and technical support.
Hydrogen-Powered Mining Truck:
i. The Hydrogen-Powered Mining Truck will weigh 55 tons, have 3 hydrogen tanks, and a 200-Km working
range.
ii. It will be powered by Ballard’s 120 Kilowatt (kW) polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology.

Key Points:
i. AEl focused on both mining operations and developing green hydrogen projects for sourcing, transporting,
and building out hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.
ii. AEL has previously announced that it intends to invest more than USD 50 billion over the next 10 years in
green hydrogen and related ecosystems corresponding to a capacity of up to 3 million tonnes of green
hydrogen annually.
iii. The hydrogen-powered mining truck will also enable other businesses’ option of switching fleets in ports,
airports, and their industrial activities to long-term sustainable solutions.
iv. Ballard Power Systems signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AEL in February 2022 to
explore hydrogen fuel cell solutions in India’s transportation and industrial sectors.
About Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL):
Chairman- Gautam Adani
Managing Director- Rajesh Adani
Establishment- 1993
About Ballard Power Systems:
President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Randall MacEwen
Headquarters- Burnaby, Canada
Establishment- 1979
CMAI & AREAS signed MoU to exchange knowledge & developments in the Carbon Market
On 19th January 2023, the Carbon Markets Association of India (CMAI), and the Association of Renewable
Energy Agencies of States (AREAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide a regular
exchange on policy and regulatory developments in carbon trading and assist in the development of an Indian
carbon market.
• CMAI – an association of carbon offset industry players.
• AREAS – an association of state nodal agencies working for the promotion of renewable energy.
Aim of the MoU:
To work for a carbon-neutral economy and support the development of the Indian carbon market.
Key Points:
i.The MoU between CMAI and AREAS will ensure a regular exchange of knowledge, information, innovation,
policy and regulatory developments in the carbon market.
ii.Both CMAI and AREAS will work towards enhancing the development of Renewable Energy (RE) projects to
reduce emissions with a focus on community development.
iii.Under this MoU, both entities will work towards end-to-end carbon offset management of greenhouse gas
(GHG) mitigation projects and generate carbon finance by guiding their associates about carbon neutrality and
net zero goals with collaborative recommendations for a structured roadmap towards a net zero future.
Note: As climate actions gain momentum across the globe, India is taking efforts to develop the carbon market
and National Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)
Additional info:
i.Emission control and reduction, and carbon emission trading, facilitated through a robust carbon market,
provide flexibility in achieving emission reduction targets required to achieve the net zero target by 2070.
ii.AREAS also aims to strengthen the transformation and develop more RE and GHG mitigation projects,
promote grid-connected and off-grid renewable energy, guide a larger group of associates about climate change
& carbon neutrality and accelerate the net-zero journey.
About Association of Renewable Energy Agencies of States (AREAS):
The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) is the nodal agency at the central level for the promotion of
grid-connected and off-grid renewable energy in the country.

Patron– Raj Kumar Singh Minister for New & Renewable Energy (ex-officio)
President– Bhupinder Singh Bhalla MNRE Secretary (ex-officio)
Executive Director- J. K. Jethani
IPA & RIS signed MoA to set up Centre for Maritime Economy and Connectivity
Indian Ports Association (IPA) and Research & Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) have signed
a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to set up a Centre for Maritime Economy and Connectivity.
• The MoA was signed in the presence of Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping &
Waterways in New Delhi, Delhi.
Key Points:
i.The proposed projects of the Transhipment Port at Galathea bay at Greater Nicobar in Andaman and Nicobar
Islands will be advantageous for the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic
Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Nations.
ii.Union Minister stated that the RIS should offer its expertise in Policy formulation and support the
implementation of policy decisions by the government of India.
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launches Bharat Pravah to highlight role of rivers, ports, and
shipping
On 18th January 2023, the Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, launched ‘Bharat Pravah – India along its
shores”, an initiative to highlight the importance of rivers-ports-shipping in the life of common man through
literature dialogue and communication.
About Bharat Pravah:
i.Under the Bharat Pravah initiative, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways would organise events on
various topics like Rivers and Sea-Centric Development in India: Through a Historical Lens’ and ‘Sea, Rivers,
Ports and Ship in Folk Culture and Literature’, among others.
ii.The events will be organised at Mumbai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, Varanasi, Calicut and other key
hubs of waterways, ports, and shipping across India.
IREDA & MNRE Signs MoU for Setting Performance Target for 2022-23
The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(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.
• The GoI has also set up a number of performance-related key indicators, including return on net
worth, return on capital employed, the ratio of non-performing assets (NPAs) to total loans, asset
turnover ratio, and earnings per share, among others.
IREDA’s Performance Assessment:
i.In the second quarter of the fiscal year 2022–23 (FY23), IREDA reported a 67% increase in profit after tax
(PAT) compared to the same period in FY22.
ii.The net NPAs decreased from 4.87% to 2.72% compared to the same period in FY22.
iii.IREDA has shown significant performance by earning 96.54 points for the FY22 MoU.
iv.Over 3,068 renewable energy projects have been funded by IREDA so far, with loan accounts totaling Rs.
1,41,622 crore in loan sanction and Rs. 90,037 crore in loan payment.
• It has also contributed to the addition of 19,502 megawatt (MW) of renewable energy capacity in
India.

About Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA):
IREDA is a Mini Ratna (Category I) Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) administered by MNRE. It is a public
limited government company incorporated as a non-banking financial institution (NBFI).
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) – Pradip Kumar Das
Motto – “Energy for Ever”
Tripartite Agreement signed between UCSL, Department of Fisheries & 5 Fishermen SHGs
to build Advanced Fishing Vessels
On January 19, 2023, a tripartite agreement has been signed between Malpe (Karnataka)-based Udupi Cochin
Shipyard Limited (UCSL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), 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.
Signatories:
The tripartite agreement was signed by Adeela Abdulla, Director of Fisheries, Government of
Kerala; Harikumar A A, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), UCSL and five fishermen belonging to various SHGs in
Kerala.
Key Points:
i.The vessels are designed as per the standard design for Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana’s (PMMSY)
deep sea fishing .
ii.The vessels will be equipped with advanced navigation and communication systems, including GPS (Global
Positioning System), Automatic Identification System, distress alert transmitter, fish finder and magnetic
compass.
iii.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.
iv.These vessels will provide safety to enhance productivity and livelihood of fishers.
IIT Guwahati signs MoU with AMTRON & RCH to Foster Drone Technology in Northeast India
On 18th January 2023, the Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G), Assam, signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (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 was signed between Professor Parameswar K. Iyer, Officiating Director, IIT Guwahati
(Assam), S. Sundar, IFS, Managing Director (MD) of AMTRON, and Biswajit Dey, Co-Founder of RCH.
• The MoU covers research and development and manufacturing for varied sectors such as
agriculture, disaster management, wildlife conservation and health care.
• The members of the IIT Guwahati Drone Centre and Technology Incubation Hub will play a key role
in this effort for the greater good of the region.
The MoU will also support professional training programmes in the use of drones that will provide a
variety of services, including drone-based surveys and mapping, courses on Geographic Information
Systems, coding and AI (artificial intelligence)- related courses, and other related courses that will be
held on the IIT Guwahati campus.
Bihar Govt inks MoU with FSI for TOF Field Survey to promote Agroforestry
The Bihar Government, in collaboration with the Forest Survey of India (FSI), 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.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Bihar Government and FSI for the TOF
field survey to promote agroforestry is expected to start in April 2023.
• This would help farmers get additional income by encouraging tree plantation on farmland along
with crops.
• According to the FSI India State of Forest Report, 2021, Bihar saw increases in growing stock of
3.79% in RFA and 0.58% in TOF.
AYUSH Ministry signed MoU with ITDC to Promote Medical Value Travel in India
The Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) have signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), Ministry of
Tourism to collaborate on the promotion of Medical Value Travel (MVT) in Ayurveda and other traditional
medical systems.
• Dr Shashi Ranjan Vidyarthi, Director of the AYUSH and Piyush Tiwari, Director (Commercial and
Marketing) of ITDC signed the MoU in the presence of Pramod Kumar Pathak, special secretary of
AYUSH and other senior officials of the Ministry of Ayush and ITDC.
• The implementation and progress of the MoU will be monitored by a Joint Working Group (JWG) co-
chaired by representatives from MoA and ITDC.
Features of the MoU:
i. Under this MoU, the Ministry of AYUSH will train ITDC officials on the MVT in Ayurveda and other traditional
systems of medicine.
• The Ministry will identify tourist circuits with immense scope to promote MVT in Ayurveda and other
traditional systems of medicine and will provide ITDC with all technical know-how as needed.
ii. ITDC, on the suggestion of the AYUSH, will include historical heritage sites of Indian systems of medicine in
tourist destinations under “Knowledge Tourism,” and may create films & literature that tourists will find useful.
• It will explore establishing Ayurveda and Yoga centres in ITDC-run hotels and will organise sensitization
workshops in collaboration.
iii. JWG will identify the best practices adopted by Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand etc. to promote themselves
as a preferred MVT destination.
Key Points:
i. G20 delegates discussed opportunities and challenges to promote MVT in India at the First Health Working
Group meeting under India’s G20 presidency (on 18th January 2023) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
ii. According to the Global Wellness Institute’s (GWI) report ‘The Global Wellness Economy: Looking Beyond
COVID,’ the Global Wellness economy will grow at a 9.9% annual rate.
• The healthcare and wellness economy based on Ayush is expected to grow to USD 70 billion by 2025.
About the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH):
Minister- Sarbananda Sonowal (Rajya Sabha- Assam)
Minister of State (MoS)- Dr Munjpara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai (Constituency- Surendranagar, Gujarat)
MSDE partners with Bharat Dynamics to Promote Apprenticeship Training Framework

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has partnered with Bharat Dynamics Limited
(BDL), under the Ministry of Defense (MoD), to create an apprenticeship training framework to address the
need for the skilled and future-ready workforce in the Central Public Sector Undertaking and industries.
• More than 250 apprentices have been employed under the collaboration at the BDL facility in
Hyderabad, Telangana, where the ‘Astra’ missile, the state-of-the-art air-to-air missile is being
manufactured.
• Three of the five components of these missiles are manufactured at this facility.
The apprentices will receive on-the-job training in various sections of the facility and exposure to
other industries.

DRDO & Naval Group France Signs Agreement to Safely Integrate Indigenous Systems in Kalvari-Class
Submarines
The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Naval Group France have signed an
agreement that would greatly improve the endurance of the Indian Navy’s Scorpene-class conventional
submarines.
• According to the agreement, the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kalvari will soon be equipped with the fuel
cell-based Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system of Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL),
giving a significant boost to “Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.
• NMRL is an Indian defence laboratory of the DRDO.
Key Points:
i.With this agreement, cooperation will be enhanced to include the design process for integrating indigenous
AIP into Kalvari-class submarines.
• Kalvari class submarines have been built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai,
Maharashtra.
ii.Naval Group France will certify the AIP design for integration into the submarines as part of the agreement.
• Pierre Eric Pommellet is the Chairman and CEO of Naval Group France.
Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) System
i.The AIP has a force multiplier impact on the lethality of a diesel-electric submarine since it increases
submerged endurance by several folds.
ii.When compared to other technologies, it performs better, and it stands out since the hydrogen is generated
onboard.
iii.The land-based prototype has been tested, and the technology has now reached the stage of maturity for
industrialization.
History of Scorpene-Class Submarines: Project-75
i.In accordance with a USD 3.75 billion agreement signed in October 2005, six Scorpene submarines are being
manufactured by the MDL under ‘Project-75’ with technology transfer from Naval Group France.
ii.The first submarine, “INS Kalvari”, was commissioned in December 2017.
• It was followed by the 2nd submarine, “INS Khanderi”, in September 2019, the 3rd submarine, “INS
Karanj”, in March 2021, and the 4th submarine, “INS Vela”, in November 2021.
iii.On January 23, 2023, the Indian Navy commissioned “INS Vagir”, the 5th Scorpene-class conventional
submarine.
• The 6th and last Scorpène-class submarine, “Vagsheer”, was launched into the sea in April 2022 and
will be delivered to the Indian Navy by the end of 2023.
About the Indian Navy:
Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) – Admiral Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar
Founded – January 26, 1950
NITI Aayog’s AIM, CBSE, Intel India Collaborate to Bring Change in Education Sector
A tripartite agreement has been inked between the NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog’s
Atal Innovation Mission(AIM); Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)- Ministry of Education (MoE); and
Intel India to bring a change in the education sector by utilizing future skills, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI),
in the formal curriculum.
• It was signed during an event at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, Delhi which was
attended by Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Mission Director, AIM.
Aim of the Agreement:
i.To increase the pace of tech integration for youth
ii.To bridge the future skills gap in the country
iii.To optimize the current infrastructure (ATLs, etc)

Key Points:
i.In September 2022, the above 3 parties launched the AIoT (Artificial intelligence of things) Integration in the
school curriculum and initiated a pilot project for the same.
ii.During the event an AIoT integration-based lesson plans created by teachers were also displayed.
iii.There was also a demonstration of AI and AIoT-enabled social impact projects built by students using
tinkering and AI, with guidance from their teachers.
iv.A compendium with 70 exemplar lesson plans was released which will set the pace for schools and educators
to build digital readiness in India.
About National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog:
CEO– Parameswaran Iyer
Headquarters- New Delhi, Delhi
MeitY’s R&D institute SAMEER signs MoU with Siemens Healthineers for Low-Cost MRI
Technology
On 27th January 2023, the Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research (SAMEER), an
autonomous (Research and Development) R&D institution under the Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MeitY) and Siemens Healthineers, a Germany-based Healthcare Company, signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to ensure the availability of low-cost Magnetic Resonance Imaging
(MRI) Technology in India.
• This collaboration will advance the development of new, improved, and innovative technologies for
advancing healthcare and diagnostic access in India.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State(MoS) for Electronics &
Information Technology and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Key Points:
i. The MoU, which will ensure the availability of low-cost MRI, is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
vision to provide quality, and affordable healthcare and diagnostic access for every Indian.
ii. MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar, noted that India’s healthcare sector represents a big market and the
Government is prepared to partner with global companies who are willing to set up manufacturing bases in
India.
iii. In addition to combining SAMEER and Siemens Healthineers’ experience in healthcare technologies,
particularly in Linear Accelerators (LINAC) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), the partnership will
pursue joint activities to improve access to MRI in India.
iv. Siemens Healthineers identifies India as a strategic market and has a significant role in the advancement of
technology and global innovation to achieve the future of healthcare.
Features of the MoU:
i. This MoU will help in creating local industry access for Siemens Healthineers and in turn, SAMEER will get
access to next-generation research in advanced healthcare technologies.
ii. This will enable India’s health mission towards deploying healthcare technologies for early diagnostics and
treatment to save lives across India.
About SAMEER’s MRI Technology:
i. SAMEER is a strategic partner specialising in RF Microwaves Radar and Communication Systems, E3
(Electromagnetic Environmental Effects) testing, and Medical Electronics.
ii. SAMEER currently develops the IMRI (Indigenous Magnetic Resonance Imaging) Technology under the
Sushrut MRI (Indian MRI) system.
About SAMEER:
Director General- Dr P. Hanumantha Rao
Establishment- 1984

About Siemens Healthineers:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Bernd Montag
Headquarters- Erlangen, Germany
Establishment- 1847
Suzuki to use Cow Dung for its CNG Cars; Maruti Suzuki & NDDB signed MoU
In 2022, while announcing its Growth strategy for 2030, Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), India’s largest car
manufacturer, announced that it will use cow dung to power its Compressed natural gas (CNG) cars.
Maruti Suzuki, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), and Banas Dairy, Asia’s largest dairy manufacturer,
have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to conduct verification of biogas.
• SMC announced that it will launch 6 models of battery Electric Vehicles (EVs) by financial year (FY)
2030
• The SMC expects that the Indian market will expand through FY2030, but it also expects that despite
a decline in product-related CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions, there will still be a rise in overall CO2
emissions.
• SMC challenges itself to strike a balance between increasing sales units and reducing total CO2
emissions.
• The biogas could be used for Suzuki’s CNG models, which make up over 70% of the CNG car market
in India.
• By 2030, 50% of passenger cars sold in India are predicted to be EVs, and manufacturers like Tata
Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra have announced to launch of 10 EV models by 2026 and 5 EV
models by 2027.
GRSE & Rolls Royce Solutions signs MoU to Manufacture Rolls Royce Marine Engines in India
On 27th January 2023, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Limited, a Mini Ratna Category 1
Defence PSU, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rolls Royce Solutions of Germany to locally
manufacture Rolls Royce’s high-quality marine diesel engine in India.
• The MoU aims to strengthen the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
Signatories:
The MoU was signed by Commodore P R Hari (Retired), the Chief of GRSE, and GS Selwyn, the MTU head in
India, in the presence of Vice Admiral Sandeep Naithani, the Chief of Materiel of the Indian Navy.
MTU S4000 Marine Engines:
i. According to the agreement, GRSE and Rolls Royce Solutions will work together to localise and produce the
technologically advanced MTU S4000 (Maximum Transmission Unit Series 4000) governmental marine
engines.
ii. These 746-4300 Kilowatt (KW) power output engines are compact, reliable, and easy to maintain.
iii. The S4000 engines will power Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs), Interceptor Boats (IBs), and Fast Attack Crafts
(FACs) built by GRSE and other shipyards around India.
iv. MTU is a solution brand of Power Systems, a fully-owned subsidiary of Rolls Royce.
v. The manufacture of these engines in India would also provide a great opportunity to local industry,
particularly Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) involved in the manufacture of components and
spares
Key Points:
i. The MoU deal with the Transfer of Technology related to engines that will be assembled at GRSE’s Diesel
Engine Plant in Ranchi, including engine assembly, painting, components sourcing, and after-sales support.
ii. The collaboration between GRSE & Rolls Royce Solution is a step towards the indigenisation of Marine
Engines. It also creates a robust ecosystem of self-reliance in the naval shipbuilding domain.

About the Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Limited:
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD)- P R Hari
Headquarters- Kolkata, West Bengal
Establishment- 1884
NMDC signs up World Boxing Champion Nikhat Zareen as its Brand Ambassador
NMDC Limited, formerly National Mineral Development Corporation, a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under
the Ministry of Steel, has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Nikhat Zareen, World Boxing
Champion and gold medal winner of Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, to representing NMDC as its
brand ambassador.
• NMDC has decided to be represented by someone who shares their commitment to bringing honour
to India since they epitomise strength, an essential quality to NMDC.
Nikhat Zareen represents the strength, courage, agility and national pride that goes with the brand of the
NMDC.
About Nikhat Zareen:
i. Nikhat Zareen is an Indian Boxerborn on 14th June 1996 in Nizamabad, Telangana.
ii. She was inducted into the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in Vishakhapatnam to train under Dronacharya
awardee, IV Rao in 2009. In 2010, she won the golden best boxer title at the Erode Nationals.
iii. She won a gold medal at the 2011 AIBA (International Boxing Association (IBA), previously known as the
Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur) Women’s Youth & Junior World Boxing Championship in Antalya,
Turkey, and won a Senior Championship in 2016.
iv. In 2019, she won a silver medal in the Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament.
v. In 2022, she won the gold at the 2022 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championship in Istanbul, Turkey.
• She became the 5th Indian woman to win the gold medal at the IBA World Boxing Championship
after Jeeny R.L., Mary Kom, Lekha K.C., and Laishrma Sarita Devi.
Note: In 2018, Zareen signed a brand endorsement deal with Adidas. Nikhat was appointed the official
ambassador of her home town Nizamabad, Telangana.
Award:
Nikhat Zareen received Arjuna Award for Boxing from Draupadi Murmu, President of India, in 2022.
About NMDC Limited:
Chairman-Cum-Managing Director- Sumit Deb
Headquarters- Hyderabad, Telangana
Establishment- 1958
COMMITTEES & MEETINGS

MHA constitutes HPC Chaired by MoS Nityanand Rai to protect Ladakh’s Culture, Language &
Employment
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has constituted a 17-member High Powered Committee (HPC) to discuss
measures for the protection of Ladakh’s unique culture, language and employment.
• It will be chaired by Minister of State (MoS) Nityanand Rai, MHA.
Members:
Its members will include Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Radha Krishna Mathur, MP (Member of
Parliament) Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, Chairmans of Leh and Kargil Hill councils, representatives of Apex Body
Leh, Kargil Democratic Alliance and nominee officials of MHA.
Responsibilities of the committee:
i.To discuss the protections of Culture and Language considering the geographical location and strategic
importance of Ladakh.

ii.To discuss the protections to land and employment for the people, inclusive development, employment
generation, and measures related to empowerment of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh
and Kargil.
Why is this protection required?
This development follows the months of protest in Ladakh over the protection of the rights of the Ladakhi
people after the revocation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in August 2019 and the carving out of
Ladakh as a separate Union Territory (UT).
• After this, the civil society and political groups in Ladakh have been demanding inclusion under
the 6th schedule of the Constitution.
About the 6th Schedule of the Constitution:
It protects tribal populations by providing autonomy to the communities through the creation of autonomous
development councils which can frame laws on land, public health, and agriculture to protect land, employment
and cultural identity of a particular state or UT.
As of now, 10 autonomous councils exist in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
MoYAS forms Oversight Committee headed by MC Mary Kom to Enquire

Allegations Against WFI
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYAS) has formed an Oversight Committee headed by
Khel Ratna Awardee(Boxing) MC Mary Kom, Chairperson of the Athletes Commission of the Indian Olympic
Association (IOA), to enquire into the allegations of sexual misconduct, harassment and financial irregularities
in the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), levelled by prominent sportspersons.
• Members: Khel Ratna Awardee Yogeshwar Dutt(wrestler), executive council member, IOA , Dhyan
Chand awardee Trupti Murgunde(badminton), member Mission Olympic Cell, Radhica Sreeman, Ex-
Executive Director, TEAMS, Sports Authority of India(SAI), Crd (Retd) Rajesh Rajagopalan, former-CEO,
Target Olympic Podium Scheme..
The oversight committee will complete the enquiry within 4 weeks and during the course of the enquiry, the
Committee will also undertake the day-to-day administration of WFI.
MeitY notifies 3 Grievance Appellate Committees on IT Rules 2021 to Address Users Appeal
Against Social Media Platforms
On 28th January 2023, The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology(MeitY) notified that the
government had established 3 Grievance Appellate Committees (GACs), with 3 members each, to address the
grievances of the users against the content moderation decisions of social media platforms such as Twitter and
Facebook in India.
• The GACs are established based on the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital
Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (“IT Rules 2021”) amended in October 2022.
Note:
The IT Rules 2021 provide for creating avenues for grievance redressal apart from Courts and ensure that the
Constitutional rights of Indian citizens are not contravened by any Big-tech Platform by ensuring new
accountability standards for significant social media intermediaries(SSMIs)
About GACs:
i.The GAC will create a culture of responsiveness amongst all Internet Platforms and Intermediaries towards
their consumers.
ii.The GACs will be a virtual Digital platform that will operate only online and digitally, where the entire appeal
process (filing to decision) will be conducted digitally.
iii.The appeals can be made at https://www.gac.gov.in. The platform will be operational from 1st March 2023.
iv.The Committee will work to address the user’s appeal within a period of 30 days.

Member of GACs:
i.The 3 GACs will have a chairperson and 2 whole time members.
ii.The chairperson will be a government official while the members are retired government officials and senior
executives from different industries.
iii.The members of the committee are appointed for a 3 years term.
GAC Chairperson (ex officio) Members
Ashutosh Shukla, Retired Indian Police Service
(IPS)officer.
Rajesh Kumar, Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the Sunil Soni, former Chief General Manager and
Panel Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Chief Information Officer of Punjab National
1 Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) Bank(PNB).
Retired Commodore Sunil Kumar Gupta, Former
Director (Personnel Services), Naval
Headquarters, Indian Navy
Panel Vikram Sahay, Joint Secretary in charge of Policy and Kavindra Sharma, the former vice-president
2 Administration Division, MeitY. (consulting) of L&T Infotech Limited
Sanjay Goel, Former Indian Railway Traffic
Service (Retired)
Krishnagiri Ragothamarao Murali Mohan, former

Panel Kavita Bhatia, Senior scientist at the Ministry of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of
3 Electronics and Information Technology. IDBI Intech Limited
Key Points:
i.This will enable the users to file an appeal against the social media platform if they are not satisfied with the
decisions of the platform on removing or moderating any content.
ii.The pile of unaddressed grievances by the intermediaries created the need for the establishment of the GACs.
iii.The GACs are a vital part of the overall policy and legal framework that ensures open, safe and trusted, and
accountable internet in India.
About Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology(MeitY):
Union Minister– Ashwini Vaishnaw(Rajya Sabha- Odisha)
Minister of State– Rajeev Chandrasekhar(Rajya Sabha- Karnataka)
SUMMITS, EVENTS & CONFERENCE

Y20 Summit India Curtain Raiser Event: Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur launches the
Themes of the Y20 Summit
On 6th January 2023, 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 Y20 is the official youth engagement group for the G20 (Group of 20), the forum for the world’s
largest and most advanced economies.
Dignitaries:
Meeta R. Lochan, Secretary Department of Youth Affairs, Government of India, Dr Vijay Chauthaiwale,
Mentor of Y20 Secretariat, India, Anmol Sovit, Chair for the Youth 20 Engagement Group, and senior officers of

the Ministry also honoured the event.
The 5 themes of Y20:
• Future of Work: Industry 4.0, Innovation & 21st
Century skills.
• Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction: Making
Sustainability a way of life.
• Peacebuilding and Reconciliation: Ushering in an era
of No War.
• Shared Future: Youth in Democracy and Governance.
• Health, Wellbeing &Sports: Agenda for Youth.
Key Points:
i. On 6th January 2023, a Panel Discussion on “How India can harness its youth population to be a
superpower” was held in the second session of the event.
ii. According to Anurag Singh Thakur, the G20 (Group of Twenty) Summit in India will bring together 43 Heads
of Delegation, the most ever in the G20, who will attend the last summit in New Delhi, Delhi in September 2023.
iii. The G20 consists of 2 parallel tracks: the Finance Track and the Sherpa Track.
• The Sherpa Track oversees inputs from 13 Working Groups, 2 Initiatives – Research Innovation
Initiative Gathering (RIIG) and G20 Empower, and various Engagement Groups
iv. The focus of Y20’s initiatives during India’s presidency will be on global youth leadership and partnership.
v. Pre-summits on the five Y20 themes, and various talks and seminars, will be held at various Universities
across India for the next 8 months in preparation for the final Youth-20 Summit.
Note:
i. G20- It is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union (EU).
ii. The start of “Amritkaal,” the 25-year era beginning on the 75th anniversary of India’s independence on
August 15, 2022, coincides with the G20 Presidency for India.
GoI to Hold the First Global Tourism Summit in April 2023 As Part of Its G-20 Presidency
As part of its Group of Twenty (G20) presidency, the Government of India (GoI) will host the country’s
first “Global Tourism Investors Summit 2023” in April 2023, with participation from all G20 members.
• India holds the Presidency of the G20 from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023.
The Union Ministry of Tourism will organize the Global Tourism Investors Summit 2023, with
the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as the industry partner, and it is scheduled to take place in New
Delhi, Delhi, from April 10 to 12, 2023.
Key Points:
i.The summit would showcase India’s “major tourist destinations” to a global audience, with stakeholders from
various state governments.
• Additionally, it will offer a number of educational workshops, exhibitions, investment-related
discussions, and constructive future-looking dialogues.
ii.The GoI is committed to attracting global investment to the cruise, healthcare, religious, adventure, and eco-
tourism industries.
iii.West Bengal (WB) ranks 5th in terms of foreign tourist arrivals, and the state has enacted a number of
tourism-related policies, including the WB Tourism Policy 2019, the Tea Tourism Policy (which permits garden
owners to use 15% of their land for tourism purposes), and the Homestay Tourism Policy.
• Durga Puja in Kolkata (West Bengal), which has been designated by the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an intangible cultural heritage in 2021, can be
promoted as intangible culture and heritage tourism.
iv.A road show urging various eastern states, including Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and the Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, to take a proactive role in promoting their states in front of the international investors with
niche destinations was held in Kolkata ahead of the Global Tourism Investors Summit 2023.

v.By 2030, the GoI targets a forex contribution to GDP of USD 56 billion which will generate 140 million jobs.
Note:
The India Investment Grid (IIG) is a joint initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal
Trade (DPIIT), the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), and Invest India, the National Investment
Promotion and Facilitation Agency.
It is a tool for enhancing the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) in India by displaying the best prospects
across states and sectors on a single dynamic platform.
World Economic Forum 2023 Summit held in Davos, Switzerland

The World Economic Forum (WEF) held its 53rd Annual Meeting, “World Economic Forum—2023” [Davos
Summit], from January 16 to 20, 2023, in the highest city in Europe, Davos, Switzerland.
• The theme of the WEF Summit 2023 is “Cooperation in a Fragmented World.”
The WEF hosted the event in collaboration with the Swiss government and the Canton of Graubünden.
World Economic Forum– 2023 [Davos Summit]
i.The WEF 2023 Summit featured 2,700 leaders from 130 countries, including 52 heads of state/government.
ii.The five-day conclave, which includes business executives, political figures, investors, and academics, is being
held in person for the first time in three years, since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2019.
iii.Every year in January, the WEF convenes in Davos, a small town in the Swiss Alps which attracts some of the
world’s wealthiest and most powerful people.
World leaders at WEF 2023 Summit
i.Top political leaders who attended the forum included: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, European Commission
President Ursula von der Leyen, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, South Korean President Yoon
Suk-yeol, South Africa President Cyril M. Ramaphosa, Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Swiss President
Alain Berset, and Finland Prime Minister Sanna Marin.
• German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, was the only member of the Group of Seven (G-7) to attend the WEF
2023.
ii.UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He also attended the forum, while
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended it virtually.
• Joe Biden, President of the United States (US) did not attend the event.
• Russia skipped WEF 2023 for a second time due to the severe sanctions the West enforced on it as a
result of the war in Ukraine.
Oxfam India: India’s richest 1% own more than 40.5% of total wealth
According to the non-profit organisation Oxfam India’s report, “Survival of the Richest: The India
Supplement,” the top 1% of Indians currently own more than 40.5% of the nation’s entire wealth in 2021,
while the bottom 50% of the population (700 million) has only about 3% of the nation’s total wealth.
• The report uncovered that there is a growing disparity between the rich and the poor and also
highlighted how progressive tax policies might lessen inequality in India.
Backdrop
i.The charitable organisation Oxfam International released a report titled “Survival of the Richest” on the first
day of the WEF 2023 Summit in Davos, Switzerland.
ii.According to the report, the richest 1% have acquired about two-thirds of all new wealth worth USD 42
trillion created since 2020, roughly twice as much as the bottom 99% of the world’s population.
• Over the last ten years, the richest 1% have accumulated around half of all new wealth.
“Survival of The Richest: The India Supplement”- Some Key Findings
i.Indian billionaires’ wealth has increased by 121%, or Rs. 3608 crore a day in real terms (around Rs. 2.5 crore
every minute), since the COVID-19 pandemic started in January 2019 and ended in November 2022.
• There were 166 billionaires in India in 2022, a rise from 102 in 2020.

ii.In 2022, Gautam Adani, the richest person in India, had his wealth rise by 46%, while the combined wealth of
India’s 100 richest reached USD 660 billion.
• According to Bloomberg’s wealth index, Adani was the second-richest person in the world in 2022.
• He also topped the list of those whose wealth surged the most globally in 2022.
iii.The bottom 50% of the population contributed about 64% of all goods and services tax (GST) in India, while
the wealthiest 10% contributed just 4%.
• Meanwhile, the poor in India are “unable to afford even basic necessities to survive”, while the
number of hungry Indians has grown from 19 crore to 35 crore.
Chief Economists Outlook – January 2023’: Global recession likely in 2023
According to the WEF Centre for the New Economy’s “Chief Economists Outlook – January 2023,” released at
the WEF 2023 Summit, nearly two-thirds of chief economists believe a global recession is likely in 2023, with
18% believing it is extremely likely.
• This prediction is more than double that of the September 2022 survey.
• The survey was carried out in November -December 2022.
Key Points:
i.The chief economists assert that geopolitical tensions continue to influence the global economy and that they
expect greater monetary tightening in the United States (US) and Europe.
• They predict weak or very weak growth in Europe in 2023, while 91% predict weak or very weak
growth in the United States.
• According to the previous report, the equivalent numbers for Europe and the US were 86% and
64%, respectively.
ii.According to the report, South Asia and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) would be the two most
powerful regions in 2023.
iii.A modest improvement since the September 2022 report can be seen in South Asia, where 85% of
respondents anticipate moderate (70%) or high (15%) growth.
iv.A few regional economies, like Bangladesh and India, could gain from global trends like the diversification of
manufacturing supply chains away from China.
v.Inflation is predicted to be high in 2023, ranging from 5% in China to 57% in Europe.
• Recently IMF (International Monetary Fund) forecasts global inflation to be 6.5% in 2023 from 8.8%
in 2022.
Garuda Aerospace unveiled India’s first-ever carbon-neutral drone at WEF 2023 Summit
On January 19, 2023, Garuda Aerospace Pvt Ltd (Garuda Aerospace), India’s largest and most valuable drone
startup firm, unveiled India’s first-ever carbon-neutral drone at the Indian Sustainability Lounge of the WEF
2023 Summit.
• The debut of a carbon-neutral, sustainable drone is in accordance with WEF’s climate action goals.
Key Points:
i.Garuda Aerospace will revolutionize the agriculture industry by producing over 25,000 drones over the next
15 months.
ii.Garuda Aerospace’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) -approved, Made in India drones use a range
of multibillion-dollar industries, including agriculture, infrastructure, industry 4.0, and defence.
• Garuda’s growth strategy is to become India’s first drone unicorn firm by impacting 1 billion lives.
‘Kisan Drone Yatra’ by Garuda Aerospace
i.Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the “Kisan Drone Yatra,” a project of Garuda Aerospace Pvt. Ltd., and
thus signified the start of the second agricultural Green Revolution (2.0).
ii.The 100 “Kisan Drones” were launched in 100 villages across 16 Indian states, including Uttar Pradesh,
Punjab, and Goa, to spray pesticides in farmland.
• The Kisan Drone Yatra was launched from Manesar in Gurgaon, Haryana.
iii.Agnishwar Jayaprakash is the Founder and CEO of Garuda Aerospace.

Maharashtra Signs MoUs Worth Rs. 1.36 Lakh Crore at WEF 2023 Summit
At the WEF 2023 Summit, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde signed Memorandums of Understanding
(MoUs) worth Rs. 1.36 lakh crore with global investors.
• The state of Maharashtra attracted investors with its strong infrastructure, a favorable business
environment, and government support.
• According to estimates, the investments would generate more than 66,500 jobs over the long run
and will help Maharashtra achieve its goal of having an economy worth USD 1 trillion.
WEF Launches Initiative to Unlock USD 3 Trillion A Year for Nature, Climate
WEF established Giving to Amplify Earth Action (GAEA) to assist unlock the USD 3 trillion in funds required
each year to achieve net zero, reverse nature loss, and restore biodiversity by 2050.
• GAEA is a global initiative to support and grow new and ongoing public, private, and philanthropic
partnerships (PPPPs).
• It has around 45 partners, including HCL Technologies, which is represented by its chairperson,
Roshni Nadar Malhotra.
Key Points:
i.The goal of leading the earth to a 1.5-degree Celsius warming path is threatened by energy and cost of living
problems.
ii.The recent agreement at the UN Biodiversity Conference [Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP15] in
Montreal (Canada) to conserve 30% of all land and sea is impressive but weak in the face of a worsening
biodiversity crisis.
iii.GAEA’s growing body of philanthropic partners includes: Active Philanthropy, the African Climate
Foundation, André Hoffmann Family Office, the Arab Foundations Forum, Bezos Earth Fund, BMW Foundation,
Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, the Clean Air Fund, Climate Leadership Initiative, ClimateWorks
Foundation, Eleven Eleven Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Growald Climate Fund, IKEA
Foundation, Laudes Foundation, Noa’s Ark Foundation, Open Society Foundations, the Patrick J. McGovern
Foundation, Pearl Initiative, Philanthropy Asia Alliance (by Temasek Trust), Philea, The Rockefeller Foundation,
Trottier Family Foundation, United Nations Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, WINGS, Workday Foundation.
Other Significant WEF 2023 Summit Events
Telangana Secures Rs 21,000 Crore Worth of Investments During WEF 2023 Summit
Telangana attracted investments of Rs. 21,000 crore across various sectors, during the recently ended annual
WEF 2023 Summit in Davos, Switzerland.
• The Telangana delegation was led by K. T. Rama Rao, Telangana’s Minister for Industries &
Commerce and Information Technology.
IMF: Fragmentation Can Cost Up to 7% Of Global GDP
Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director (MD) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), remarked that
fragmentation can cost as much as 7% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP), during a session on the
global economy on the last day of the WEF 2023.
Adani Group Pledges to Grow 100 Million Trees by 2030
The Adani Group has pledged to grow 100 million trees by 2030, in accordance with India’s commitment at
COP21 to establish additional carbon sinks of 2.5–3.0 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2).
• The 100 million trees would include both mangroves and terrestrial trees.
This pledge was made on 1t.org, the “Trillion Trees Platform” of the WEF.
• 1t.org is a multi-stakeholder platform that supports a global movement to conserve, restore and
grow 1 trillion trees by 2030 in support of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
This commitment by Adani Group is among the most ambitious corporate pledges made globally and the
highest 1t.org pledge in India to date.

Renew Power Explores Green Hydro Project in India, Egypt
ReNew Power in India, a unit of New York-listed ReNew Energy Global Plc, is currently exploring green
hydrogen potential, particularly in Egypt, after signing a framework agreement at the COP27 climate
conference in 2022.
• The company has a total capacity of 13 gigawatts (GW) of wind and solar energy, including projects
that are still in development.
• It currently generates close to 1.8% of India’s annual electricity demands.
According to government data, India, one of the top producers of greenhouse gases (GHGs), plans to increase its
production of renewable energy from its present output of roughly 120 GW to 500 GW by 2030.
Hyderabad Selected to Host WEF Center for The Fourth Industrial Revolution
The WEF has designated Hyderabad (Telangana) as its Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR),
which will focus on healthcare and life sciences.
• The C4IR Telangana will be an autonomous, non-profit organisation and the only one of its kind in
India.
Maharashtra approves M&M proposal to set up Rs 10,000-cr EV plant in Pune at the WEF 2023
During the WEF 2023 Summit, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M) announced that the Maharashtra
government has approved its proposal to establish a Rs. 10,000-crore electric vehicle (EV) plant in Pune
(Maharashtra) under its industrial promotion scheme for EVs.
• Through a subsidiary, M&M will invest these funds over the course of 7-8 years to set up the factory
and to develop and manufacture its upcoming Born Electric Vehicles (BEVs).
About World Economic Forum (WEF):
Founder & Executive Chairman – Professor Klaus Schwab
Managing Director (MD) – Saadia Zahidi
Headquarters – Cologny, GenevaCanton, Switzerland
South Africa to host 15th BRICS summit at Durban in late August 2023
On 26th January 2023, Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, and Osman Saleh, the foreign minister of
the State of Eritrea, jointly announced South Africa’s Durban as a host of the 15th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India,
China, and South Africa) Summit. The summit will be held in August 2023.
• Previously, South Africa hosted the 5th BRICS Summit from 26 to 27 March 2013.
In April 2011, South Africa participated, for the first time, in the 3rd BRICS Summit held in Sanya,
China. Since 2009, the BRICS leaders have convened 14 formal meetings and 9 informal meetings.
PM Narendra Modi addresses 108th Indian Science Congress through Video Conferencing
On 3rd January 2023, Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister(PM) of India, virtually inaugurated and addressed
the 108th edition of the Indian Science Congress (ISC), also known
as ISC 2023, organised at Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj (RTM)
Nagpur University, Nagpur, Maharashtra.
• 108th ISC is a 5-day event, held from 3rd January 2023
to 7th January 2023.
• 2023 also marks the centenary celebration of RTM
Nagpur University.
The focal theme of the ISC 2023 is “Science and Technology for
Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment”.
• The theme will centre on sustainable development, women’s empowerment, and the contribution of
science and technology to these goals.
Note: The 108th ISC was scheduled to be held in 2021 and then in 2022, which was cancelled twice due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.

Background:
i. The ISC Association was founded in 1914 in Kolkata and held a meeting every year during the 1st week of
January. It has a membership of more than 30,000 scientists.
ii. The 1st session of the Indian Science Congress was held from January 15-17 in 1914 at the Asiatic Society in
Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal.
Highlights:
i. The key highlight of ISC is sustainable development with inclusive involvement of all sections of society
including women.
ii. Narendra Modi emphasised the importance of India’s scientific strength in India’s story of development over
the next 25 years.
iii. He highlighted the abundant availability of data and technology in 21st-century India, which has the
potential to take Indian science to new heights.
iv. He emphasised the benefits of partnerships with R&D labs and academic institutions for private companies
and startups.
Key Points:
i. PM Narendra Modi noted that India is being counted among the top countries of the world as India moved to
40th place in the Global Innovation Index in 2022 from 81st place in 2015.
• India is ranked 3rd in terms of the number of Doctors of Philosophy (PhDs) and startup ecosystems,
followed by the United States (US) and China.
ii. The session is focused on sustainable development with inclusive involvement of all sections of society
including women, and deliberate on holistic growth, reviewed economics, and sustainable goals.
iii. PM Narendra Modi noted that on the initiative of PM Modi and the proposal of the Government of India, the
United Nations(UN) declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets.
INDEX
RANKING
Henley Passport Index 2023: Indian Passport Ranks 85th; Gives Visa-Free Entry to 59
Destinations Worldwide
According to the ‘Henley Passport Index 2023' released by Henley & Partners, a London-based global
citizenship and residence advisory firm, the Indian passport is the 85th most powerful passport in the world,
allowing for visa-free travel to 59 countries.
• Indian passport holders can travel visa-free to 59 countries, including Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia,
Macao, the Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Kenya, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe, Uganda,
Iran, and Qatar.
• However, visa-on-arrival will be needed for some countries.
The index is based on exclusive data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Henley Passport Index 2023
i.The index includes 199 passports and 227 travel destinations, providing users with the most comprehensive
and reliable information about their global access and mobility.
ii.Each passport is graded based on the number of visa-free destinations to which the holder has access.
iii.According to the Henley Passport power scores, only 6% of countries in the world have access to more than
70% of the world’s economy.
iv.According to the Index, only 17% of countries allow visa-free travel to more than 4/5th of the world’s 227
destinations.

Top Positions
i.According to the report, Japan’s passport remains the most powerful in the world.
• Japanese citizens are eligible for visa-on-arrival or visa-free travel to up to 193 countries.
ii.Singapore and South Korea share the second spot, providing visa-free entry to 192 countries.
iii.In terms of the least powerful passport, Afghanistan’s passport ranks 109th, as the world’s worst passport
with a visa-free score of 27.
iv.The visa-free score for Iraq is 29, giving it the second-worst passport ranking at 108.
v.Syria is ranked 107th, with a visa-free score of 30.
vi.With a visa-free score of 32, Pakistan ranks 106th on the list of the world’s worst passports to hold.
vii.Yemen ranks 105th, with a score of 34 for visa-free travel.
World’s Top 10 Most Powerful Passports
Country Rank Access
Japan 1 193
Singapore 2 192
South Korea 2 192
Germany 3 190
Spain 3 190
Finland, Italy, Luxembourg 4 189
Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden 5 188
France, Ireland, Portugal, United Kingdom (UK) 6 187
Belgium, Czech Republic, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United States (US) 7 186
Australia, Canada, Greece, Malta 8 185
Hungary, Poland 9 184
Lithuania, Slovakia 10 183
According to Arton Capital’s “Passport Index 2022,” India is placed 66 (as of 16th December 2022) in the
world’s strongest passport list, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is ranked 1st in the passport ranking for
2022.
About Japan:
Prime Minister – Fumio Kishida
Capital– Tokyo
Currency– Japanese Yen
CIRIUM: Delhi & Bengaluru Among the Top 10 Performing Global Airports Of 2022
According to the On-Time Performance Review 2022 released 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.
• The list is topped by Haneda Airport in Japan.
• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai (Maharashtra) stood at the 11th spot.
The Top Performing Global Airports of 2022:
Rank Airport Place
1 Haneda Airport Tokyo, Japan

Kempegowda
2 Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
International Airport
Salt Lake City
3 Utah, United States (US)
Detroit Metropolitan
4 Michigan, the United States (US)
Wayne County Airport
Philadelphia
5 Pennsylvania, the US
Indira Gandhi
7 Delhi, India
The Top 10 Includes:
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Minnesota, US ranked 6th, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport,
Washington, US in 8th, El Dorado International Airport, Bogota in 9th, and Charlotte Douglas International
Airport, North Carolina, US in 10th.
Cirium’s Most On-Time Airlines:
i. Delta Air Lines of the US was honoured with the Cirium Platinum Award for global operational excellence,
for the 2nd consecutive year.
ii. Azul Airlines was the global leader in on-time performance.
iii. Delta Air Lines led in North America, Iberia Airlines was the top performer in Europe, Azul Airlines in Latin
America, Thai AirAsia in Asia Pacific and Oman Air in the Middle East and Africa.
iv. StarFlyer of Japan was the leading low-cost carrier.
Note: Globally on-time performance numbers were down approximately 2 percentage points overall
throughout 2022
Nikkei Asia Report: India Surpasses Japan to Become the World’s 3rd Largest Auto Market
According to the Nikkei Asia report, India surpassed Japan as the world’s third-largest auto market in 2022.
According to preliminary results, India’s new vehicle sales were at 4.25 million units, surpassing Japan’s 4.2
million units.
• China remained the global leader in automobile sales in 2021, with 26.27 million units, followed by
the United States (US) in second place with 15.4 million vehicles and Japan in third place with 4.44
million units.
Key Points:
i.The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers estimated that 4.13 million new cars were delivered in India
between January and November 2022.
ii.When the December 2022 sales volume reported by Maruti Suzuki, India’s largest carmaker, is added, the
total rises to almost 4.25 million vehicles.
• The figure is expected to rise further with the inclusion of pending fourth-quarter sales figures for
commercial vehicles, along with year-end results yet to be released by Tata Motors and some
automakers.
iii.In 2018, around 4.4 million vehicles were sold in India, but the volume dipped below 4 million in 2019, due
primarily to the credit crunch that hit the nonbank sector.
• The sales further plummeted below the 3 million-unit mark as the COVID-19 pandemic associated
lockdown in 2020.
• In 2021, sales rebounded to nearly 4 million units, but a lack of automotive chips inhibited growth.
iv.With 1.4 billion people, India is predicted to surpass China in population sometime in 2023 and keep rising
until the early 2060s.

IIRF MBA Ranking 2023: IIM Ahmedabad Is India’s Top Government MBA College, Followed by
IIM-B and IIM-K; XLRI-Jamshedpur Tops Among Private Colleges
According to the latest Indian Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF) ranking (2023), the Indian Institute
of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad (Gujarat), is the top government college in India for pursuing the Master
of Business Administration (MBA) course.
• IIM Bengaluru (Karnataka) and IIM Kolkata (West Bengal) are ranked second and third,
respectively, after IIM Ahmedabad.
• The top three colleges have remained unchanged since 2022.
IIRF MBA Ranking 2023
The ranking was based on seven criteria: Research, Teaching-Learning Resource Pedagogy, Industry Income
and Integration, Placement Performance, Future Orientation, External Perception and International Outlook, &
Placement Strategies and Support.
Top 5 Business Schools in India: Government
National Rank Government Business Schools
1 IIM Ahmedabad, Gujarat
2 IIM Bengaluru, Karnataka
3 IIM Kolkata, West Bengal
4 IIM Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
5 Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi
Note: The IIM Lucknow climbed from 5th to 4th place in 2022, overtaking the Faculty of Management Studies
of the University of Delhi, which was 4th in 2022.
IIRF MBA Ranking 2023: Private Colleges
i.The Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), came in first rank among private
colleges, followed by the Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurugram (Haryana), and Symbiosis
Institute of Business Management, Pune (Maharashtra).
ii.Further, XLRI was ranked first among the “Top 10 B-Schools for Research in India 2023.”
Top 5 Business Schools in India: Private
National
Rank Private Business Schools
1 Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur, Jharkhand
2 Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurugram, Haryana
3 Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune, Maharashtra
4 S P Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai, Maharashtra
Symbiosis Centre For Management & Human Resource Development (SCMHRD), Pune,
5 Maharashtra
Private Institutions That Made Exceptional Progress
i.Mittal School of Business at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Jalandhar (Punjab) improved from 84 to
41 in 2023.
ii.MYRA School of Business in Mysuru, Karnataka, climbed 60 spots to 30 in 2023.
iii.The Siva Sivani Institute of Management in Hyderabad, Telangana, moved from the 60th rank in 2022 to the
38th rank in 2023.
iv.The TA Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), situated in Karnataka, went up from the 17th rank in 2022 to the
7th rank in 2023.
Top Colleges in Other Categories
i.The Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad (Telangana), topped the list for “School of Eminence of
Employability.” It was followed by XLRI and MDI.

ii.In addition, Symbiosis in Pune, Maharashtra, topped the list of the “Top 10 B-schools under University
Programs in India 2023.”[ Business Schools – B-schools].
• It was followed by the Pune-based Symbiosis Center for Management and Human Resource
Development (SCMHRD) and TAPMI.
Top 5 Business Schools in the world
World Ranking Top Business Schools
1 London Business School, United Kingdom (UK)
2 Wharton- University of Pennsylvania, United States of America (USA)
3 Harvard Business School, USA
4 Stanford University, USA
5 INSEAD, France
Note: The United States has the most top-ranked MBA colleges, whereas Singapore, India, and China are
emerging leaders with prestigious MBA colleges offering a variety of courses.
About Indian Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF)
i.IIRF is prepared and published by Education Post, a monthly magazine on higher education since 2012, and
is India’s most authentic non-government ranking framework.
ii.The Federation for World Academics (FWA) directs the methodology and provides industrial feedback to
the IIRF Center for Institutional Research (ICIR) in India.
iii.The research and surveys used to determine the IIRF Ranking were carried out by its research partner,
Maction Consulting Pvt. Ltd.
i.According to the UI Green Metric World University Rankings 2022 released by The Universitas Indonesia
(UI) on 12th December 2022, the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) in Manipal (town within
Udupi), Karnataka, is ranked No. 1 in India and 121st worldwide for being the most sustainable university.
ii.MAHE is followed by Mangalore University, Mangaluru, Karnataka, and S R M University (Institute of Science
and Technology) Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu are ranked 2nd & 3rd in India.
India Ranks 4th Globally for Tech VC Investments in 2022; US tops

According to the report by the Dealroom and London & Partners, India ranked 4th globally, with USD 24.1
billion worth of tech venture capital (VC) investments in 2022.
• At a national level, the top 3 countries for tech investment in 2022 were the United States of
America(USA) with USD 233.3 billion tech investment, followed by China with USD 48 billion and
the United Kingdom(UK) with USD 29.9 billion.
Key Points:
i.The research showed that USD 10.7 billion of the total tech investment to India(24.1 billion) went into
companies based in Bengaluru(Karnataka). With this Bengaluru joins the top 5 hubs for tech VC investment.
ii.Bengaluru accounted for five of the top 10 deals for Indian tech companies in 2022 viz. Byju’s (USD 800m)
Swiggy (USD 700m), Dailyhunt (USD 805m), Polygon (USD 450m) and ShareChat (USD 225m). This means 10.7
billion of that investment to India, went into companies based in Bengaluru.
• Maharashtra grabbed two mega deals for ElasticRun (USD 300m) and Xpressbees (USD 300m), with
Gurugram-based, Delhivery (USD 300m) making up the top 10.
iii.There is continuous investments from global tech investors in India’s tech firms despite a challenging
macroeconomic climate.
iv.The total global VC funding experienced a 33% decline to USD 485.2 billion from the record levels seen in
2021 of USD723 billion. The 2022 numbers were 28% higher than the global investments in 2020 (USD 348.9
billion) and any other year except from 2021.

v.The leading sectors that contributed to India’s strong VC funding performance were education, food, media,
fin-tech and transportation.
vi.Other global cities that saw impressive amounts of funding included the Bay Area (USD 72.4B), New York
(USD 28.3B) and Boston (USD 20B).
• Outside of the US, London emerged as the fourth largest tech hub for VC funding and by far the
largest in Europe, with the London tech firms receiving a total of USD 19.8 billion.
i.According to the “Review of Maritime Transport – 2022” published by the United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the pace of global shipping activity is set to decrease in 2023 due to the
impacts of economic turmoil, the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on
the outlook for trade.
ii.The World Bank in its 37th Migration and Development Brief 2022 titled ‘Remittances Brave Global
Headwinds, Special Focus: Climate Migration’ stated that India is all set to receive more than USD 100 billion
(bn) in yearly remittances in 2022.
About London & Partners:
Chief Executive Officer– Laura Citron
Headquarters– London, UK
Brand Guardianship Index 2023: Ambani tops among Indians, 2nd globally
According to the Brand Finance Brand Guardianship Index 2023, Mukesh Ambani chairman of Reliance
Industries Limited (RIL) is ranked No 1 among Indians and second globally with Brand Guardianship Index
(BGI) score of 81.7.
• Jensen Huang, President and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of US-based tech leader Nvidia, is ranked
No 1 on the Brand Guardianship Index 2023 globally with a BGI Score of 83.
• Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft is ranked 3rd followed by Shantanu Narayen of Adobe (4th) and
Sundar Pichai of Google (5th).
The Brand Guardianship Index 2023, ranking of the world’s top 100 CEOs or equivalents, was launched during
the event hosted in association with Deloitte during the World Economic Forum(WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.
Highlights of the index:
i.6 Indian CEOs or equivalents are featured among the top 100 on the index and 2 of them are among the top
10(Mukesh Ambani (2nd) and Natarajan Chandrasekaran(8th))
ii.6 of the top ten on the ranking are of Indian origin, 4 of whom are Indian-American (Satya Nadella 3rd,
Shantanu Narayen 4th, Sundar Pichai 5th, and Punit Renjen, 6th)
iii.The United States of America(USA) is the most represented country on the index with 44 CEOs or
equivalents followed by China with 16 CEOs.
iv.Leena Nair, CEO of CHANEL ranked 11th on the list is the highest-ranked female in Brand Guardianship
Index 2023. Only 7 out of 100 brand guardians on the 2023 index are female.
v.5 among the top 10 CEOs or equivalents on the 2023 index belongs to the tech and media sector which was
around 9 out of 10 in 2022.
vi.Engineering and Finance are the most common sector in the 2023 ranking. Mukesh Ambani is the longest
serving CEO in the ranking at 40 years.
Note:
According to Brand Finance, the role of the Brand Guardian is to build brand and business value.
Brand Guardianship Index 2023 Top 5 (Global):
Rank CEO Company/Sector Country BGI 2023
1 Jensen Huang Nvidia (Tech) USA 83
2 Mukesh Ambani Reliance (Oil&Gas) India 81.7

3 Satya Nadella Microsoft(Tech) USA 81.5
4 Shantanu Narayen Adobe (Tech) USA 80.4
5 Sundar Pichai Google (Media) USA 79.6
Brand Guardianship Index 2023 Top 5 (India)
Rank
(India) Global Rank CEO Company/Sector BGI 2023
1 2 Mukesh Ambani Reliance (Oil&Gas) 81.7
2 8 Natarajan Chandrasekaran Tata Son (Engineering & Construction) 77.5
3 23 Anand Mahindra Mahindra (Automobiles) 74.3
4 26 Sunil Mittal Airtel (Telecoms) 73.7
5 48 Dinesh Kumar Khara State Bank of India(Banking) 70.7
About Brand Guardianship Index:
i.Brand Guardianship Index is a balanced scorecard of measures that capture the ability of a CEO to act as the
guardian of their company’s brand and a steward of long-term shareholder value.
ii.The index includes ‘Equity’ factors, which reflect current perceptions, ‘Performance’ factors, which reflect the
tangible results of these perceptions, and ‘Investment’ factors, which support future performance.
• Brand Guardianship Index and the Brand Guardianship Ranking are based on the survey of 1,000
market analysts and journalists – two stakeholder groups, who have informed and influential views
on chief executives’ reputations.
Note: Only 50 of the respondents of the survey carried out in November -December 2022 reside in India.
Akash Ambani, the Chairman of Reliance Jio is the only Indian to be featured on the TIME100 NEXT emerging
leaders’ list, TIME magazine’s list of the world’s rising stars (United States-based global magazine).
REPORTS
TB Research Funding Trends 2005-2021: Funding for TB R&D Hits a Billion Dollars Worldwide
in 2021
According to the Tuberculosis(TB) Research Funding Trends 2005-2021 released by Treatment Action Group
(TAG) and the Stop TB Partnership, for the first time in history, funding of TB Research and Development
(R&D) hits a billion dollars worldwide in 2021.
• The Stop TB Partnership is a Geneva(Switzerland) based United Nations(UN)-a hosted entity that aims
to end the disease by 2030.
The report highlights that despite reaching the USD 1 billion mark, funding for TB R&D is a mere fraction of
what’s needed to achieve the UN’s sustainable development goal of ending TB as a pandemic by 2030.
ILO Report: Half of The World’s Workforce Works Too Much or Too Little
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) report “Working Time and Work-Life Balance
Around the World”, more than half of the world’s workforce doesn’t typically work a nine-to-five schedule.
• As per the report, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the average number of hours per week in paid
work globally was around 43.9 hours (2019 or the latest available year).
Key Observations from the Report
i.The report examines the two main aspects of working time: working hours and working time
arrangements (also called work schedules), as well as their effects on business performance and workers’
work-life balance.
• The report examines implications on work-life balance, such as shift work, on-call work, compressed
hours, and hours-averaging schemes.

ii.The report, which is the first to focus on work-life balance, discovered that a significant fraction of the
global workforce works either long or short hours when compared to a standard eight-hour day/40-hour work
week.
• More than one-third of all workers work more than 48 hours per week on a regular basis, whereas
one-fifth of the global workforce works short (part-time) hours of less than 35 per week.
iii.The report also looked at the disparities between workers’ actual and preferred work hours, and found a
significant misalignment.
• Workers in the informal economy are more likely to work long or short hours.
iv.The report provides a significant amount of evidence showing work-life balance policies have a positive
impact on businesses, proving that such policies benefit both employers and employees.
About the International Labour Organization (ILO):
ILO is the only tripartite United Nations (UN) agency that brings together governments, employers, and
workers from 187 member countries. India is a founder member of the ILO.
Director-General – Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
First Advance Estimates of National Income, 2022-23: India’s GDP Likely to Grow at 7% in FY23
The National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MoSPI), has released
its First Advance Estimates (FAE) of National Income for the financial year 2022–2023 (FY23) at both
constant (2011–12) and current prices.
• According to the NSO’s first FAE, the Indian economy will grow at a rate of 7% in FY23, up from
8.7% in FY22.
• However, these are preliminary estimates for 2022-2033.
The forecast is slightly higher than the 6.8% projection of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Background
The FAE of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), launched in 2016-17 to serve as essential inputs to the budget
exercise, is based on limited data and prepared using the Benchmark-Indicator Method.
• It implies that the estimates available for the previous year (2021-22 in this case) are extrapolated
using relevant indicators reflecting sector performance.
Significance of First Advance Estimates of National Income, 2022-23
i.The statistics will be utilized by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to prepare the budget for the upcoming fiscal
year 2023-24 (FY24), which will be presented on February 1, 2023, by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
ii.On February 28, 2023, the Second Advance Estimates of National Income for FY23 and quarterly GDP
estimates for the quarter October-December, 2022 (Q3 2022-23), as well as the First, Second, and Third
Revised Estimates of National Accounts for the years 2021-22, 2020-21, and 2019-20, will be released.
iii.The First Revised Estimates for 2021-22 (the benchmark year) may also result in modifications to the FAE
growth rates.
• Improved data coverage, actual tax collections and subsidy expenditures, data revisions made by
source agencies, and so on would all have an impact on further revisions of these estimates.
Essential Estimations
i.Real GDP, or GDP at constant (2011-12) prices, is estimated to be Rs 157.60 lakh crore in FY23, compared
to a Provisional Estimate of GDP of Rs 147.36 lakh crore in FY22, announced on May 31, 2022.
ii.Nominal GDP, or GDP at current prices, is estimated to be Rs. 273.08 lakh crore in FY23, compared to a
Provisional Estimate of GDP of Rs. 236.65 lakh crore in FY22, announced on May 31, 2022.
• The nominal GDP growth rate in FY23 is projected to be 15.4 %, down from 19.5 % in FY22.
iii.The Net National Income (NNI) of India is projected to rise by 6.6 % in FY23 as compared to 8.5 % in FY22.
• This is expected to keep the fiscal deficit as a percentage of GDP at or below the budget estimate
of 6.4%.

Key Points:
i.According to a sector-wise analysis of the latest Gross Value Added (GVA) figures, which represent production
minus taxes, services have been a key driver of growth while manufacturing has struggled.
• The output of the manufacturing sector is projected to fall to 1.6 % in FY23 from a growth of 9.9 %
in FY22.
• Farm (agricultural) sector growth in FY23 is projected to be 3.5%, up from 3.0% in FY22.
• The mining sector is projected to grow 2.4% in FY23, compared to 11.5% in FY22.
• Construction sector growth is projected to be 9.1% in FY23, down from 11.5% in FY22.
ii.The nominal wage growth for the household sector, which makes up 44–45% of GVA, fell to 5.7% in FY17–
FY21 from 8.2% in FY12–FY16.
iii.Due to high inflation, real wage growth was almost flat or even negative in some months of FY23.
iv.In FY23, the headline GVA growth is projected to be 6.7%, down from 8.1% in FY22.
v.The 7% GDP projection for FY23 (FY 2022-23) assumes a growth rate of 4.5% in the second half (October-
March) of FY23, down from 9.7% in the first half (April–September).
vi.The Indian economy’s GDP growth is anticipated to moderate to around 6.1% in FY24.
• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has also lowered India’s GDP growth forecast for 2022-2023
to 6.8% from 7.4%.
i.In December 2022, the NSO released the Estimates of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the Second Quarter
(July- September) 2022-23 or Q2FY23.
ii.As per it, India’s gross domestic product (GDP) for the Q2FY23 slowed to 6.3% as compared to the expansion
of 8.4% in Q2FY22. It was 13.5% in the April-June quarter of FY23 (Q1FY23).
About the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI):
MoSPI is the nodal agency for the planned and organized development of the statistical system in India.
Ministers of State (Independent Charge) – Rao Inderjit Singh (Gurugram Constituency – Haryana)
ICRA Report: Bank Bond Issuances Reach a Record of Rs. 91,500 Crore in Debt Capital in FY23
(April –December)
According to the report released by credit rating agency ICRA Limited (formerly Investment Information and
Credit Rating Agency of India 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 (CD) ratio continues to firm up.
This all-time high of Bank bond issuances is attributed to strong credit growth and tight liquidity conditions.
Click here to read more about ICRA’s analysis.
Key Statistics:
i.The incremental credit expansion amounted Rs. 12.7 lakh crore in FY23 (until December 16, 2022), while
deposit accretion continued to trail at Rs. 8.9 lakh crore.
ii.The credit-deposit gap (after adjusting for Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) /CLR requirements) widens to Rs. 5.7
lakh crore (as of December 2022).
iii.It is estimated that the banking system’s credit-to-deposit ratio will increase to 76.3%-76.5% by March 2023
from 74.8% on December 16, 2022, and will be significantly higher than the lows of 69.6% experienced during
the COVID-19 pandemic.
iv.To bridge the credit-deposit gap (Rs. 3.8 lakh crore), banks have relied on a variety of funding sources,
including refinancing from All India Financial Institutions (AIFIs), the drawdown of excess on-balance-sheet
liquidity, and debt capital market issuances.

• Among AIFIs, Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has witnessed a higher share of
the incremental refinance demand from banks and non-banks.
Key Points:
i.According to ICRA, debt capital instruments like Tier-I and Tier-II bonds are eligible for inclusion in capital
ratios in addition to backing lendable resources.
ii.Long-term infrastructure bonds are also issued by banks to fund certain eligible assets.
iii.Given that these debt instruments have a longer term, they also improve the liquidity coverage ratio (LCR)
and the net stable funding ratio (NSFR).
iv.While both public and private sector banks issued infrastructure bonds, public sector banks (PSBs) preferred
Tier-I bonds more. The private banks issued more volumes of Tier-II bonds.
• According to ICRA’s analysis, Tier-II issuance for all bond issuances increased to an all-time high of
Rs. 47,200 crore due to large issuances by two large private sector banks.
v.A study by CARE ratings found that term loans and other bank financing requirements accounted for nearly
60% of the bond issuances in December 2022.
In December 2022, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH)
launched India’s first–ever ‘Surety Bond Insurance’ product from Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company
to reduce the dependence of infrastructure developers on bank guarantees.
About Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI):
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD)– Sivasubramanian Ramann
Headquarters– Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
World Bank Report: Indian Economy to Grow at A Robust 6.6% In FY24

According to the latest Global Economic Prospects (January 2023) report released by the World Bank (WB),
the Indian economy is projected to grow at a robust 6.6% in fiscal year 2023-24 (FY24), down from an
estimated 6.9% in FY23 and 8.7% in FY22.
• India, Asia’s third-largest economy, is projected to be the fastest-growing among the seven largest
Emerging-Market and Developing Economies (EMDEs): Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, the
Russian Federation, and Turkey.
Notable India-Related Statistics:
i.Strong private consumption and fixed investment growth contributed to India’s 9.7% growth in the first half
of FY23 (April-September).
• India accounts for three-fourths of the output from Asia.
ii.The National Statistics Office (NSO) of India recently projected that the Indian economy will grow at 7% in
FY23.
iii.However, most economists predict that India would grow at 6% or less in FY24 due to escalating global
challenges.
The Global Scenario: A Global Downturn
i.Global growth is slowing drastically as a result of rising inflation, higher interest rates, lower investment, and
disruptions from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• The sharp decline in growth is likely to be widespread, with estimates for 95% of advanced
economies and roughly 70% of EMDEs revised downward for 2023.
• The third slowest pace of global growth in over 30 years may occur in 2023, raising concerns of a
global recession.
• This would be the first time in over 80 years that two global recessions occurred in the same decade.
ii.According to projections, the global economy will grow by 1.7% in 2023 and 2.7% in 2024.
• In 2023, it is projected that the United States (US) will grow by 0.5% and the Euro Area will expand
by 0%.

• Excluding China, EMDE growth is anticipated to slow to 2.7% in 2023 from 3.8% in 2022.
iii.Per-capita income growth in EMDEs is anticipated to be 2.8% on average during the next two years, which is
a full percentage point less than the average growth rate from 2010 to 2019.
iv.China’s growth is projected to accelerate to 4.3% in 2023 when COVID-19 pandemic restrictions are lifted,
releasing pent-up consumer spending.
• Except for the COVID-19 pandemic year of 2020, China is expected to grow at a 2.7% annual rate in
2022, the weakest pace since the mid-1970s.
v.Growth in South Asia is projected to dip to 5.5% in 2023 before rising up slightly to 5.8% in 2024.
WEF Global Risks Report 2023: Cost of Living Crisis and Digital Inequality Among India’s Risks
World Economic Forum (WEF) has published ‘The Global Risks Report 2023’ (18th Edition), which lists
the biggest risks for India over the short and medium terms.
• These risks include cost-of-living crisis, digital inequality, geopolitical competition for resources,
natural disasters, and extreme weather events.
The Global Risks Report 2023 summarises the findings of the latest Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS).
Key Report Findings:
i.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.
ii.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.
• Environmental and social crises, fuelled by underlying geopolitical and economic trends, will
dominate the next 10 years.
iii.The two global risks that are expected to deteriorate the fastest over the next 10 years are “biodiversity loss
and ecosystem collapse.”
• Beyond the short term, climate change is the most serious threat to the global economy, and it is the
one to which humanity is least prepared.
• Nature loss and climate change are closely intertwined —a failure in one will make an impact in the
other.
iv.The COVID-19 pandemic and the European war have brought the energy, inflation, food, and security
concerns back to the spotlight, and together these threats are shaping the next 10 years in a unique, uncertain,
and turbulent manner.
• The economic impacts of COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine have resulted in a period of high
inflation, rapid monetary policy normalisation, and low growth & low investment.
Top 10 Global Risks Ranked by Severity Over the Short & Long Term: Global Risks Report 2023
# Short Term (2 Years) Long Term (10 Years)
1 Cost of Living Crisis Failure to Mitigate Climate Change
2 Natural Disasters & Extreme Weather Events Failure of Climate Change Adaptation
3 Geoeconomic Confrontation Natural Disasters & Extreme Weather Events
4 Failure to Mitigate Climate Change Biodiversity Loss & Ecosystem Collapse
5 Erosion of social cohesion and Societal Polarization Large-scale Involuntary Migration
6 Large-scale Environmental Damage incidents Natural Resources Crises
7 Failure of Climate Change Adaptation Erosion of social cohesion and Societal Polarization
8 Widespread Cybercrime and cyber insecurity Widespread Cybercrime and cyber insecurity

9 Natural Resources Crises Geoeconomic Confrontation
10 Large-scale Involuntary Migration Large-scale Environmental Damage incidents
In November 2022, the Toolbox of Solutions for Urban Decarbonization was introduced at COP27 by the
World Economic Forum (WEF) in collaboration with four prominent organizations.
The four organizations are the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), Sustainable Energy for All
(SEforALL), the Basel Agency for Sustainable Energy (BASE), and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI).
About the World Economic Forum (WEF):
The WEF is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation.
Founder & Executive Chairman – Professor Klaus Schwab
Managing Director (MD) – Saadia Zahidi
Headquarters – Cologny, GenevaCanton, Switzerland
ILO Report ‘WESO Trends’ 2023: Jobs Growth Slow, Unemployment High, More People Pushed
to Poverty
According to the “World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2023” (WESO Trends), released by
the International Labour Organization (ILO), the present global economic slowdown is anticipated to
worsen social and economic inequalities.
• As a result, more workers will be forced to accept lower-quality, poorly paid jobs with no job
security or social protection, increasing inequality that has already been worsened by the COVID-19
crisis.
According to projections, global employment would expand by 1.0% in 2023, a significant drop (less than half
the level) from the 2.3% growth rate in 2022.
• Global unemployment is expected to rise slightly in 2023, by roughly 3 million, to 208 million. This
amounts to a 5.8% unemployment rate.
Key Highlights of the Report:
i.The limited labour supply in high-income countries is a major factor in the projected moderate growth in
global unemployment.
• This would reverse the decline in unemployment seen globally between 2020 – 2022.
ii.The report also defines the ‘Global Jobs Gap’ as a new, comprehensive indicator of unmet employment
needs.
• In 2022, the global jobs gap was 473 million people, equivalent to a 12.3% job gap rate. It’s nearly
33 million more than in 2019.
• It comprises the 205 million unemployed (an unemployment rate of 5.8%) and the 268 million
people who wished to work but did not meet the criteria for being deemed unemployed.
iii.According to the report, “job quality” remains a major issue, along with unemployment, and “decent work is
fundamental to social justice.”
iv.Due to the current slowdown, many workers will be forced to accept lower-quality jobs, often at extremely
low pay and with insufficient hours.
• The report claims that the total working hours per person in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region remain
below pre-pandemic levels.
v.The first instance of “stagflation,” a period of high inflation and low growth since the 1970s, has been
brought on by rising geopolitical tensions, an uneven COVID-19 pandemic recovery, and supply chain
bottlenecks that are slowly fading.
• Stagflation is an economic condition defined by stagnant economic growth, high unemployment, and
high inflation. Stagflation is a combination of stagnant growth and rising inflation.
vi.According to the report, young people and women are doing significantly worse on the labour market.

• In 2022, the global labour force participation rate for women was 47.4%, compared to 72.3% for
men.
• This 24.9 % point gap suggests that there are two economically inactive women for every
economically inactive man.
vii.Young people (aged 15 – 24) have 3 times the rate of unemployment of adults and have great difficulty
finding and keeping decent jobs.
• More than one-in-five young people (23.5%) are not in employment, education, or training (NEET).
According to the “Global Estimates of Modern Slavery-Forced Labour and Forced Marriage,” released by
the International Labour Organization (ILO), there were approximately 50 million (49.6 million) people living
in modern slavery on any given day in 2021, up from 40 million in 2016 and a 25% increase over the last 5
years. [as of September 2022].
About the International Labour Organization (ILO):
ILO is the only tripartite United Nations (UN) agency that brings together governments, employers, and
workers from 187 member countries. It was founded at the Paris Peace Conference under the Treaty of
Versailles.
• India is a founder member of the ILO.
Director-General– Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
People aged 65+ worldwide to more than double from 761 mn in 2021 to 1.6 bn in 2050: UN
The United Nations (UN) in its World Social Report 2023 projected that the number of people aged 65 years
or older worldwide will more than double from 761 million in 2021 to 1.6 billion in 2050.
• It is published by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).
• The report has suggested the countries should undertake pension reforms including raising the
retirement age to ensure income security for all older persons, including informal workers.
Key Points:
i.Northern Africa, Western Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are expected to experience the fastest growth in the
number of older people over the next three decades.
• Currently, Europe and Northern America have the highest share of older persons.
ii.Older persons should be able to continue working for as long as they desire and are able, but should not be
compelled to do so.
iii.The governments should work to eliminate barriers to the participation of older people in the labour force
and supporting their learning and skills development throughout the life course.
iv.Public spending in most countries has not been sufficient to cover the growing demand for long-term care.
v.Globally, a child born in 2021 can expect to live, on average, to age 71, with women living longer than men.
UN Reports: 5 Million Children Died Before Their Fifth Birthday in 2021; 1.9 Million Stillborn in
2021 Globally
According to the recent data published in the "Levels & Trends in Child Mortality" report by the United
Nations Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), an estimated 5 million children died
before turning five, with nearly half (47%) dying during their first month.
• In 2021, another 2.1 million children and youth between the ages 5–24 years lost their lives.
• According to the report, while mortality rates have decreased since 2000, progress has slowed in the
last 12 years.

According to a separate report titled "Never Forgotten" by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 1.9
million babies were stillborn in 2021, with more than three-quarters (77%) occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa
and South Asia.
• Many of these deaths may have been avoided if one had equitable access to high-quality maternal,
newborn, child, and adolescent health care.
Key Points from The Reports:
i.Since 2000, the global under-5 mortality rate (U5MR) has declined by 50%, while mortality rates in older
children and youth have decreased by 36%, and the stillbirth rate has decreased by 35%.
• This can be directly attributed to increased investments in primary health care systems to benefit
women, children, and young people.
ii.However, if health services are not implemented quickly, nearly 59 million children and youth could die
before 2030, and close to 16 million babies could be lost to stillbirth.
iii.Although Sub-Saharan Africa only accounted for 29% of live births globally, the region was responsible for
56% of all under-five fatalities in 2021, and southern Asia for 26% of the total.
iv.In 2021, the under-five deaths decreased to 5 million, and the global U5MR decreased to 38 per 1,000 live
births.
• The risk of childhood mortality is highest in children born in sub-Saharan Africa.
v.Children born in Sub-Saharan Africa have the highest risk of childhood death in the world, with a U5MR of 74
deaths per 1,000 live births in 2021, compared to the global rate.
• This is 15 times higher than the risk for children in Europe and Northern America, and 19 times higher
than the risk in Australia and New Zealand.
vi.Sub-Saharan Africa experienced nearly half of all stillbirths.
• In sub-Saharan Africa, stillbirths are seven times more common than they are in Europe and North
America.
About the United Nations Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME):
UN IGME is led by UNICEF and includes the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank Group and the
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division.
Formed in – 2004
OAG’s Punctuality League 2023: IndiGo Airlines & Coimbatore International Airport are Among
World’s 20 Most Punctual Airlines & Airports
According to The Official Airline Guide (OAG)’s Punctuality League 2023 report, released on 11th January
2022, India’s largest airline IndiGo and Airports Authority of India (AAI)-owned Coimbatore International
Airport, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, are among the 20 most punctual airlines and airports globally in terms of
On-Time Performance (OTP) in 2022.
• Indigo and Coimbatore International Airport are the only indian airline and airport featured on the
OAG’s Punctuality League 2023 report.
On-Time Performance (OTP):
The OTP can be defined as, flights that arrive or depart within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival or
departure times.
• An airline’s OTP is calculated on the basis of arrivals data, while both departures and arrivals data
are taken into consideration for an airport’s OTP.
Key highlights:
i.IndiGo has been ranked 15th among the Top 20 most Punctual Airlines with OTP of 83.51 percent in 2022,
while Coimbatore International Airport is ranked 13th among the Top 20 Most Punctual Airports.
ii.The list is topped by Garuda Indonesia with an OTP of 95.63 percent, followed by Safair (95.30 percent) in the
2nd position and Eurowings (95.26 percent) in third spot.
Airlines:
i.In the top 20 list, IndiGo is ahead of Thai Smile Airways (16th rank), Delta Air Lines (17), Viva Air Colombia

(18), Etihad Airways (19) and Emirates (20).
ii.Among the top 20 mega airlines by OTP, IndiGo is at fifth place in the list, topped by All Nippon Airways
(88.79 per cent) and with Japan Airlines (88.07 per cent) in the second place, followed by LATAM Airlines
Group (85.03 per cent) and Azul Airlines (84.87 per cent) in the 3rd and 4th position respectively.
• Mega airlines are the world’s top 20 operators in terms of scheduled flights in 2022.
iii.In the league of the top 20 most punctual low-cost carriers, IndiGo holds the 6th position.
Airports:
i.Among the top 20 airports in OTP globally in 2022, Coimbatore International Airport holds 13th
position with a score of 88.01 percent and a cancellation rate of only 0.54 percent.
• Japan’s Osaka international airport (Itami) holds the first position with an OTP of 91.45 percent.
ii.Among the 10 most punctual airports in the Asia Pacific region, Coimbatore International Airport, Tamil
Nadu, holds the 10th position.
PwC India Report: Startup Funding in India Drops 33% to USD 24 Billion in 2022
In accordance with the “Startup Tracker-CY22” report published by PricewaterhouseCoopers (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.
Key Report Findings:
i.In value terms, early-stage deals made up roughly 12% of the total capital in CY22, compared to just under 7%
in CY21.
• It demonstrated that investors were positive about the Indian start-up ecosystem despite the global
slowdown.
ii.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.
• Nearly 25% of all funding activity in CY22 was in the SaaS (Software as a Service) segment, which
saw funding values rise by 20% from CY21 to CY22.
iii.Growth and late-stage funding deals accounted for 88% of funding activity in CY22 in terms of value,
accounting for 38% of overall deal count.
• In CY22, funding for late-stage deals decreased by 52%.
• During CY22, growth-stage deals had an average ticket size of USD 43 million and late-stage deals
had an average ticket size of USD 94 million.
iv.The global venture capital dry powder pile has increased to nearly USD 590 billion, with the majority of these
funds committed in CY21 and CY22.
v.The number of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions fell by 17% in CY22 compared to CY21, with
60% of the transactions occurring in the SaaS, e-commerce + D2C, and EdTech sectors.
• The three industries with the highest number of M&A deals were e-commerce (61), D2C (61), and
SaaS (60).
vi.As of December 2022, Bengaluru (Karnataka), the National Capital Region (NCR), and Mumbai
(Maharashtra), accounted for close to 82% of all startups in India in terms of city-wise startup funding.
• In the top 3 cities, as much as 28% of startups have raised more than USD 20 million.
• Bengaluru had the most unicorns, followed by the NCR and Mumbai.
In December 2022, HDFC Bank in partnership with the Government of India (GoI)’s flagship initiative ‘Startup
India’, launched the 6th ‘Parivartan SmartUp Grants’, the annual grants program for social startups.
About PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC India):
Chairperson – Sanjeev Krishan
Headquarters – Kolkata, West Bengal

India’s FY23 fiscal deficit to be at Rs 17.5 Lakh cr, FY24 Rs 17.95 Lakh cr: SBI Report
The State Bank of India (SBI) in its Ecowrap report has estimated India’s fiscal deficit for FY 2023-24 (FY24) at
around Rs 17.95 lakh crore or 6% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
This will result in a fiscal consolidation of 40 bps from FY23.
• In FY23, the fiscal deficit is expected to come to Rs 17.5 lakh crore. However, higher nominal GDP
growth (15.4%) estimates will help in keeping the fiscal deficit at 6.4% of the GDP.
Highlights:
i.The net market borrowing of the Central Government in FY24 will be around Rs 11.7 lakh crore, and with
repayments of Rs 4.4 lakh crore, gross borrowing is expected at Rs 16.1 lakh crore.
ii.In FY24, the overall gross borrowing by the Central and States is estimated at Rs 24.3 lakh crore (up from Rs
22.2 lakh crore in FY23) and net borrowings Rs 17 lakh crore (Rs 16.7 lakh crore in FY23).
• In FY24, the government expenditure can to increase by around 8.2% over FY23 estimates to Rs 46
lakh crore
iii.For FY23, the total receipts of the government are estimated to be higher than Budget Estimates (BE) by
around Rs 2.3 lakh crore, due to higher direct tax receipts (Rs 2.2 lakh crore), higher GST (Goods and Service
Tax) receipts (Rs 95,000 crore) but lower dividends (Rs 40,000 crore), lower fuel tax net of cess (Rs 30,000
crore) and lower disinvestment receipts (Rs 15,000-20,000 crore).
• On the other hand, the expenditure is likely to be on the higher side of the BE by around Rs 3 lakh
crore due to higher subsidy bill and additional spending.
iv.The subsidy bill which increased significantly in FY23 is estimated to be reduced in FY24 to around Rs 3.8-4
lakh crore and capital expenditure is expected to grow by 12%.
Points to be noted:
i.So far in FY23, the Central Government’s fiscal deficit was recorded the highest in September 2022
at Rs 3.52 lakh crore, followed by June at Rs 2.1 lakh crore and October at Rs 1.8 lakh crore.
ii.The SBI report also noted that due to the global environment of declining inflation, it will be challenging for
the Central Government to follow the roadmap for fiscal consolidation for the upcoming Indian budget for
2023-24.
It will be difficult to set a nominal GDP number significantly higher than 10%, with a deflator of 3.5%.
Poorest Learners Benefit the Least from National Public Education Funding: UNICEF Report
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report titled Transforming Education with Equitable
Financing, globally children from the poorest households benefit the least from national public education
funding in both low- and middle-income countries.
• Only 16% of the public funding for education goes to the poorest 20% of learners, while the richest
benefit from 28%.
• The report examines data on government spending across pre-primary, primary, secondary, and
tertiary education from 102 countries.
• Among 102 countries, 30% of countries fail to spend even 15% of public education resources on
learners from the poorest 20% of households.
Key Points:
i.Among low-income countries, only 11% of public education funding goes to the poorest learners, while 42%
goes to the richest.
• compared to the children from the poorest households, the children from the wealthiest households
benefit from more than 6 times the amount of public funding for education.
ii.In middle-income countries, the richest learners receive around four times more gets more than 4 times the
spending compared to the poorest.
iii.In high-income countries, the richest usually benefit from 1.1 to 1.6 times as much public education spending
as the poorest.
iv.The report discovered that just a 1% increase in the allocation of public education resources to the poorest

learners could lift 35 million primary school-aged children out of learning poverty.
v.The report stated that children living in poverty are less likely to have access to school and drop out sooner.
vi.The education system across the globe was largely failing since millions of school-going children did not
grasp basic reading or mathematics skills.
vii.It is estimated that around two-thirds of all 10-year-olds across the globe cannot read or understand a
simple story.
About United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF):
Executive Director– Catherine M. Russell
Headquarters– New York, United States
EY Report projects Indian economy to be $26-trillion by 2047

According to the estimates released by consulting firm EY (Ernst & Young) in its report ‘India@100: Realising
the potential of a $26 trillion economy’, India’s economy will reach USD 26 trillion by 2047.
• Notably, the year 2047 will mark the 100th year of India’s independence.
• The per capita income is expected to increase to USD 15,000 which will place India among the ranks
of developed economies
The report was launched by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology and Ministry of Railways, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) being held at
Davos, Switzerland.
Key Points:
i.The report underscores the growth trajectory of the Indian economy, that is projected to be the highest for
any large economy over the coming decades.
ii.It recommends ensuring macro-economic stability and resilience, and continued thrust on reforms.
iii.Under the most preferred scenario, India is likely to cross the critical thresholds of USD 5 trillion, USD 10
trillion and USD20 trillion in market exchange rate terms in FY28, FY36 and FY45, respectively,
iv.EY has recognised key enablers of growth that will impact sectors across India and play a critical role in
propelling the growth engine These are as follows:
1. World’s Information Technology and Services Hub
2. Digitalisation: A Force Multiplier
3. Reaping the demographic dividend
4. Making domestic manufacturing competitive
5. Building the infrastructure of the future
6. Transition to sustainable energy
7. Policy recommendations
About EY (Ernst & Young):
Global Chairman and CEO– Carmine Di Sibio
Headquarters– London, United Kingdom
India among top 3 nations in Expanding Organic Farming in 2020; Argentina Tops
According to “The World of Organic Agriculture Statistics & Emerging Trends 2022” report by the Research
Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL & IFOAM – Organics International(formerly known as the International
Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements), India is among the top 3 countries in the world, where the total
area under organic agriculture expanded the maximum in 2020.
• Argentina (Rank 1) topped the list with 7,81,000 hectares (up by 21%), followed by Uruguay(Rank 2) at
5,89,000 hectares (28%) and India(Rank 3) at 3,59,000 hectares (16%).
• The total increase under organic cultivation globally in 2020 was 3 million hectares (mh).
Key Points:
i.Of the world’s total 74.9 mh under organic farming, Australia has the highest at 35.69 mh followed by
Argentina with 4.45 mh , Uruguay with 2.74 mh and India with 2.66 mh.

ii.Out of total 34 lakh organic producers in the world, 16 lakh farmers in India are into certified organic
farming.
India’s efforts towards natural farming:
It should be noted that the Union Cabinet is yet to approve the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare’s
proposal Rs 2,481crore proposal to launch the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF).
• The mission is supposed to be implemented from the current fiscal (FY23) until 2025-26, with a target
to bring 7.5 lakh farmers to practice non-chemical natural farming on 7.5 lakh hectares.
• Under the scheme, farmers will get a maximum of Rs 15,000/hectare (until 2025-26) depending on loss
in income.
5 billion People Globally Unprotected from TFA leading to Heart disease: WHO Report
The World Health Organization (WHO) in its 4th annual status report ‘Countdown to 2023 WHO Report on
global trans fat elimination 2022’, stated that 5 billion people globally remain unprotected from harmful
trans-fatty acids (TFA) resulting in increasing their risk of heart disease and death.
Trans fat elimination target set for 2023 remained unattained:
WHO first called for the global elimination of industrially produced trans fats in 2018, with an elimination
target set for 2023. 43 countries have implemented best-practice policies for tackling trans fat in food, with 2.8
billion people protected globally. Despite these efforts, the target remained unattainable leaving 5 billion
worldwide at risk from trans fat’s health impacts.
Key Points:
i.Industrially produced trans fat (also called industrially produced trans-fatty acids) is found in packaged foods,
baked goods, cooking oils and spreads.
ii.Trans fat intake is responsible for up to global 500 000 premature deaths from coronary heart disease
annually.
iii.Currently, 9 of the 16 countries with the highest estimated proportion of coronary heart disease deaths
caused by trans fat intake do not have a best-practice policy.
• They are Australia, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Ecuador, Egypt, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Nepal, Pakistan
and Republic of Korea.
iv.Most trans fat elimination policies to date have been implemented in higher-income countries mainly in the
Americas and Europe.
• There is also an increase in middle-income countries implementing or adopting these policies,
including Argentina, Bangladesh, India, Paraguay, Philippines and Ukraine. Best-practice policies are
also being considered in Mexico, Nigeria and Sri Lanka in 2023.
v.As per WHO, two best-practice policy alternatives in trans fat elimination are:
• Mandatory national limit of 2 grams of industrially produced trans fat per 100 grams of total fat in
all foods;
• Mandatory national ban on the production or use of partially hydrogenated oils (a major source of
trans fat) as an ingredient in all foods.
vi.In 2023, WHO recommends countries to focus on four areas viz. adopting best-practice policy, monitoring
and surveillance, healthy oil replacements and advocacy.
vii.WHO also encourages food manufacturers to eliminate industrially produced trans fat from their products,
aligning with the commitment made by the International Food and Beverage Alliance (IFBA).
Note:
• In December 2020, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) lowered the previous
5% TFA limit in oils and fats to 2% and extended it to cover all foods.
• As of January 2022, India is implementing a best-practice policy for TFA, protecting an additional 1.4
billion people from the harms of TFA.
WHO published the report in collaboration with Resolve to Save Lives.

MoE Released AISHE 2020-21: Enrolment in Higher Education Increases to 4.14 crore
On January 29, 2023, the Ministry of Education (MoE) released the All India Survey on Higher
Education (AISHE) 2020-2021.
• AISHE 2020-21 was the 11th annual Survey and 1st Survey being conducted using an entirely online
data collection platform through the Web Data Capture Format (Web DCF), which was Developed by
the Department of Higher Education and the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
• The report is based on data uploaded voluntarily by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) listed in
the aishe.gov.in portal.
Key Highlights of AISHE 2020-21:
i.A total of 1,113 Universities, 43,796 Colleges and 11,296 Stand Alone Institutions were registered in AISHE
2020-21.
ii.Under AISHE 2020-21 for the first time, all the major Stakeholders in Higher Education, such as University
Grants Commissions, All India Council for Technical Education, the Medical Council of India as well as State
Governments participated in the data collection exercise.
a.Enrolment in Higher Education:
i.Total students’ enrolment in higher education in 2020-21 increased to around 4.14 crore (crossing the 4
crore mark for the 1st time) from 3.85 crore in 2019-20 with an increase of 7.5% from 2019-20 and 21% from
2014-15.
• Increase of 7.5% from 2019-20 and 21% from 2014-15.
ii.A total of 2.12 crore (51.3%) male and 2.01 crore (48.7%) female students were enrolled in Higher
Education.
iii.Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education for the age group 18-23 years in 2020-21, is estimated to
be 27.3, as compared to 25.6 in 2019-20.
iv.Gender Parity Index (GPI) i.e., the ratio of female GER to male GER, has increased from 1 in 2017-18 to 1.05
in 2020-21.
v.The top 6 States in terms of Student Enrolment are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh,
Karnataka and Rajasthan.
v.Enrolment of Students:
• The enrolment of Scheduled Caste students is 58.95 Lakh as compared to 56.57 Lakh in 2019-20.
• Enrolment of Scheduled Tribes (ST) students has increased to 24.1 lakh in 2020-21 from 21.6 lakh
in 2019-20. The ST Student enrolment since 2014-15 increased by 47.00%.
• Enrolment of Other Backward Class (OBC) students has also increased by 6 Lakh to 1.48 crore in
2020-21, from 1.42 crore in 2019-20.
• The total Student Enrolment in North East States is 12.06 Lakh in 2020-21 as compared to 9.36 Lakh
in 2014-15.
• Of the total enrolment, 55.5 Lakh students are enrolled in Science Stream.
• Government Universities (59% of total) contribute towards 73.1% of the enrolment and
Government Colleges (21.4% of total) contribute towards 34.5% of the enrolment.
vi.The enrolment in the Institute of National Importance (INIs) has increased by nearly 61% during 2014-15 to
2020-21.
b.Number of Institutions
i.Universities:
• The number of Universities in 2020-21 increased to 1,113 from 1,043 in 2019-20 (increased by 70).
Since 2014-15, there has been an increase of 353 Universities (46.4%).
• There are 17 Universities exclusively for Women (It was 11 in 2014-15).
ii.College:
• The number of Colleges has increased by 1453, to 43,796 in 2020-21 from 42,343 in 2019-20.
• There are 4375 Colleges(10.5%) exclusively for Female, while only 72 Colleges (0.2%) are for male.

• College density i.e. the number of colleges per lakh eligible population (population in the age-group
18-23 years) varies from 8 in Bihar to 62 in Karnataka as compared to All India’s average of 31 (it
was about 27 in 2014-15).
• The top 10 states in terms of the number of Colleges in India are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana and Kerala,
each having at least 29 or more Colleges per lakh population.
• Among the districts, the maximum number of colleges (1058) are situated in Bangalore Urban
followed by Jaipur (671).
Note –About 43% of the Universities and 61.4% of Colleges are in Rural Areas.
c.Out-turn:
i.The total number of pass-outs has increased to 95.4 Lakh in 2020-21 as against 94 Lakh in 2019-20.
ii.Under graduate level: The highest out-turn is in Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) with 20.5 Lakh, followed by Bachelor
of Science (B.Sc.) with 11.3 Lakh
iii.Post-graduate level: The highest out-turn is in Master of Arts (M.A.) 5.4 Lakh, followed by Master of Science
(M.Sc.) 2.9 Lakh
iv.In Diploma, the total number of pass-out is 8.48 Lakh.
v.Ph.D.: 25,550 students were awarded Ph.D. during 2020 with highest number of Ph.D. awarded in Science
6,022 followed by Engineering & Technology 4,556.
d.Faculty:
i.The total number of teachers is 15,51,070 of which about 57.1% are male and 42.9% are female.
ii.Number of teachers has increased by 47,914 in 2020-21 over 2019-20.
iii.There are 75 female teachers per 100 male teachers.
Facts about AISHE?
i.It is a survey which is being conducted by MoE since 2011, to cover all the Institutions in India that are
engaged in imparting Higher Education.
ii.Detailed information regarding student enrolment, data about teacher, infrastructural information, and
financial information will be collected under the survey.
iii.Indicators of educational development such as Institution Density, Gross Enrolment Ratio, Pupil-Teacher
Ratio, GPI, etc. are calculated from the data collected through AISHE.
iv.The Institutions, under AISHE are classified in the following 3 broad categories
• University and University Level Institutions
• Colleges/Institutions
• Stand-alone Institutions (not affiliated with Universities)
The Times Higher Education (THE) released the 12th edition of its annual Global Employability University
Ranking and Survey (GEURS) 2022-2023 which was conducted by HR consultancy Emerging and published by
THE. It featured 7 Indian universities among the top 250 universities in the world for graduate employability.
UN WESP 2023 slashes India’s Economic Growth Forecast by 20 bps to 5.8% for 2023
The United Nations (UN) in its World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2023 Report slashed
India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth forecast for the calendar year 2023 by 20bps (Basis Points) to
5.8% (from an estimated 6.4% in 2022) amid tighter monetary policy and weak global demand.
• However, for FY 2023-24, it kept its growth forecast unchanged for India at 6%.
The report is written by the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the UN Conference on
Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the regional economic commissions for Africa, Europe, Latin America
and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific, and Western Asia.
Key Points:
i.In India, the unemployment rate dropped to a four-year low of 6.4% in 2022 due to stepped-up urban and
rural employment. But youth employment remained below pre-pandemic levels, particularly among young

women.
ii.India’s annual inflation is estimated at 7.1% in 2022 (exceeding the 2-6% target band) but is expected to
reduce to 5.5% in 2023.
iii.Economic growth in India is projected to moderate in 2023, with higher interest rates weighing on
investment and slower global growth weakening exports
iv.In India, the additional interest payments would amount to 8.7% of total government expenditures.
Global Scenario:
i.The global economic growth will slow down to 1.9% in 2023, one of the lowest in recent decades, from 3.1%
previously forecast.
ii.The global growth in 2022 was 3% and it was expected to increase to 2.7% in 2024..
iii.The global trade will contract to 0.4% in 2023.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Padma Awards 2023: President Approves 106 Padma Awards; List Includes 6 Padma
Vibhushan, 9 Padma Bhushan, 91 Padma Shri Awards, With 7 Posthumous Awardees
On January 25, 2023, the Padma Awards 2023 were announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on the
eve of India’s 74th Republic Day. The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, has approved the conferment of
106 Padma Awards for the year 2023.
• Padma Awards, one of India’s highest civilian honours, are given in three categories: Padma
Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri.
Padma Awards 2023
• The 106 Padma Awards in 2023 comprises 6 Padma
Vibhushan, 9 Padma Bhushan, and 91 Padma Shri
Awards, including 3 duo cases (in a duo case, the award
is counted as one).
• There are 19 women among the awardees, as well as 2
persons from the category of Foreigners/ Non-Resident
Indian (NRI) / Person of Indian Origin (PIO) / Overseas
Citizen of India (OCI) and 7 Posthumous awardees. Click
here for official notification.
Historical Background
i.In 1954, the Indian government established the Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan as two civilian awards.
ii.Padma Vibhushan featured 3 classes: Pahela Varg, Dusra Varg, and Tisra Varg.
• According to a Presidential Notification published on January 8, 1955, these 3 classes were
eventually renamed Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri.
I.Padma Awards
i.The Padma Awards are presented every year on Republic Day under the three award categories are as
follows:
• “Padma Vibhushan,” India’s second-highest civilian honour (after the Bharat Ratna), is given for
exceptional and distinguished service.
• “Padma Bhushan,” the third-highest civilian award is given for distinguished service of high order
• “Padma Shri,” the fourth-highest civilian award is given for distinguished service in any field
ii.The Padma Awards are granted in a multitude of areas, including art, social work, public affairs, science and
engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, and civil service.
Conferment of the Awards
i.Each year, the President of India bestows these honours during ceremonial events held in
Rashtrapati Bhawan, usually in March or April.

• The winners receive a medallion and a Sanad (certificate) that is signed by the president.
ii.The total number of awards given in a year should not exceed 120 (excluding posthumous awards and
awards to NRIs, foreigners, and OCIs).
iii.The award cannot be added as a prefix or suffix to the recipient’s name and is not equal to a title.
Note: The awards have been announced since their inception, except for brief absences in 1978, 1979, and
1993–97.
Deciding Committee
i.The Padma Awards are given on the basis of recommendations given by the Padma Awards Committee,
which is appointed by the Prime Minister each year. The nomination process is open to the public. Self-
nominations are also accepted.
ii.The Cabinet Secretary chairs the Padma Awards Committee, which also comprises the Home Secretary,
Secretary to the President, and four to six eminent people.
• The current Cabinet Secretary of India is Rajiv Gauba.
II.Bharat Ratna
• The ‘Bharat Ratna’ is the highest civilian award conferred in India and is given in honour of
exceptional service or high calibre performance in any field of human endeavour.
• Bharat Ratna is processed differently than the Padma Award, for which the Prime Minister makes
recommendations to the President of India.
List of Padma Awardees 2023
Padma Vibhushan (6)
S.No Name Field State/Country
Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi (BV Doshi)

1 (Posthumous) Others – Architecture Gujarat
2 Zakir Hussain Art Maharashtra
3 S M Krishna Public Affairs Karnataka
4 Dilip Mahalanabis (Posthumous) Medicine West Bengal
Science & United States of America

5 Srinivas Varadhan Engineering (USA)
6 Mulayam Singh Yadav (Posthumous) Public Affairs Uttar Pradesh
Distinguished Individuals Who are Honoured with The Padma Vibhushan

i.Mulayam Singh Yadav, the founder of the Samajwadi Party, BV Doshi, an architect, and Dilip Mahalanabis, a
physician from West Bengal, will all receive the Padma Vibhushan posthumously.
• Mulayam Singh Yadav, a socialist leader who died in 2022, served as Chief Minister of Uttar
Pradesh 3 times.
• Dr. Dilip Mahalanabis promoted the use of oral rehydration solution (ORS), while working in a
refugee camp during the 1971 Bangladesh War.
• The renowned architect Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi (BV Doshi) is the only Indian to have received
the Pritzker Architecture Prize and the Royal Gold Medal during his lifetime.
ii.Padma Vibhushan will also be awarded to tabla maestro Zakir Hussain.
iii.Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna (S.M. Krishna), 90, has held a number of roles, including External Affairs
Minister, Maharashtra Governor, and Karnataka Chief Minister. He is also credited with the creation of “Brand
Bengaluru.”

Padma Bhushan (9)
7 S L Bhyrappa Literature & Education Karnataka
8 Kumar Mangalam Birla Trade & Industry Maharashtra
9 Deepak Dhar Science & Engineering Maharashtra
10 Vani Jairam Art Tamil Nadu
11 Swami Chinna Jeeyar Others – Spiritualism Telangana
12 Suman Kalyanpur Art Maharashtra
13 Kapil Kapoor Literature & Education Delhi
14 Sudha Murty Social Work Karnataka
15 Kamlesh D Patel Others – Spiritualism Telangana
Distinguished Personalities Who are Honoured with The Padma Bhushan

i.S. L. Bhyrappa, a writer of Kannada novels and screenplays; Kumar Mangalam Birla, an industrialist and the
head of the Aditya Birla Group; and Sudha Murthy, a writer and philanthropist who serves as the chair of the
Infosys Foundation.
• Mr. Bhyrappa’s works have been translated into nearly every Indian language other than English.
Padma Shri (91)
Others –
16 Dr. Sukama Acharya Spiritualism Haryana
17 Jodhaiyabai Baiga Art Madhya Pradesh
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman

18 Premjit Baria Art and Diu
19 Usha Barle Art Chhattisgarh
20 Munishwar Chanddawar Medicine Madhya Pradesh
21 Hemant Chauhan Art Gujarat
22 Bhanubhai Chitara Art Gujarat
23 Hemoprova Chutia Art Assam
Narendra Chandra Debbarma

24 (Posthumous) Public Affairs Tripura
25 Subhadra Devi Art Bihar
Science &
26 Khadar Valli Dudekula Engineering Karnataka

27 Hem Chandra Goswami Art Assam
28 Pritikana Goswami Art West Bengal
Literature &
29 Radha Charan Gupta Education Uttar Pradesh
Science &
30 Modadugu Vijay Gupta Engineering Telangana
Ahmed Hussain & Shri Mohd Hussain

31 *(Duo) Art Rajasthan
32 Dilshad Hussain Art Uttar Pradesh
33 Bhiku Ramji Idate Social Work Maharashtra
Literature &
34 C I Issac Education Kerala
Literature &
35 Rattan Singh Jaggi Education Punjab
36 Bikram Bahadur Jamatia Social Work Tripura
37 Ramkuiwangbe Jene Social Work Assam
Rakesh Radheshyam Jhunjhunwala

38 (Posthumous) Trade & Industry Maharashtra
39 Ratan Chandra Kar Medicine Andaman & Nicobar Islands
40 Mahipat Kavi Art Gujarat
41 M M Keeravaani Art Andhra Pradesh
42 Areez Khambatta (Posthumous) Trade & Industry Gujarat
43 Parshuram Komaji Khune Art Maharashtra
Science &
44 Ganesh Nagappa Krishnarajanagara Engineering Andhra Pradesh
45 Maguni Charan Kuanr Art Odisha
Literature &
46 Anand Kumar Education Bihar
Science &
47 Arvind Kumar Engineering Uttar Pradesh
48 Domar Singh Kunvar Art Chhattisgarh
49 Risingbor Kurkalang Art Meghalaya

50 Hirabai Lobi Social Work Gujarat
51 Moolchand Lodha Social Work Rajasthan
52 Rani Machaiah Art Karnataka
53 Ajay Kumar Mandavi Art Chhattisgarh
Literature &
54 Prabhakar Bhanudas Mande Education Maharashtra
55 Gajanan Jagannath Mane Social Work Maharashtra
Literature &
56 Antaryami Mishra Education Odisha
57 Nadoja Pindipapanahalli Munivenkatappa Art Karnataka
Science &
58 (Dr.) Mahendra Pal Engineering Gujarat
59 Uma Shankar Pandey Social Work Uttar Pradesh
Ramesh Parmar & Ms. Shanti Parmar

60 *(Duo) Art Madhya Pradesh
61 Dr. Nalini Parthasarathi Medicine Puducherry
62 Hanumantha Rao Pasupuleti Medicine Telangana
Literature &
63 Ramesh Patange Education Maharashtra
64 Krishna Patel Art Odisha
65 K Kalyanasundaram Pillai Art Tamil Nadu
66 V P Appukuttan Poduval Social Work Kerala
67 Kapil Dev Prasad Art Bihar
68 S R D Prasad Sports Kerala
69 Shah Rasheed Ahmed Quadri Art Karnataka
70 C V Raju Art Andhra Pradesh
Science &
71 Bakshi Ram Engineering Haryana
72 Cheruvayal K Raman Others – Agriculture Kerala
Science &
73 Sujatha Ramdorai Engineering Canada

Science &
74 Abbareddy Nageswara Rao Engineering Andhra Pradesh
75 Pareshbhai Rathwa Art Gujarat
Literature &
76 B Ramakrishna Reddy Education Telangana
77 Mangala Kanti Roy Art West Bengal
78 K C Runremsangi Art Mizoram
79 Vadivel Gopal & Shri Masi Sadaiyan *(Duo) Social Work Tamil Nadu
80 Manoranjan Sahu Medicine Uttar Pradesh
81 Patayat Sahu Others – Agriculture Odisha
82 Ritwik Sanyal Art Uttar Pradesh
83 Kota Satchidananda Sastry Art Andhra Pradesh
84 Sankurathri Chandra Sekhar Social Work Andhra Pradesh
85 K Shanathoiba Sharma Sports Manipur
86 Nekram Sharma Others – Agriculture Himachal Pradesh
87 Gurcharan Singh Sports Delhi
88 Laxman Singh Social Work Rajasthan
Literature &
89 Mohan Singh Education Jammu & Kashmir
90 Thounaojam Chaoba Singh Public Affairs Manipur
Literature &
91 Prakash Chandra Sood Education Andhra Pradesh
92 Neihunuo Sorhie Art Nagaland
Literature &
93 Dr. Janum Singh Soy Education Jharkhand
Others –
94 Kushok Thiksey Nawang Chamba Stanzin Spiritualism Ladakh
Others –
95 S Subbaraman Archaeology Karnataka
96 Moa Subong Art Nagaland
97 Palam Kalyana Sundaram Social Work Tamil Nadu

98 Raveena Ravi Tandon Art Maharashtra
Literature &
99 Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari Education Uttar Pradesh
Literature &
100 Dhaniram Toto Education West Bengal
101 Tula Ram Upreti Others – Agriculture Sikkim
102 Dr. Gopalsamy Veluchamy Medicine Tamil Nadu
103 Dr. Ishwar Chander Verma Medicine Delhi
104 Coomi Nariman Wadia Art Maharashtra
105 Karma Wangchu (Posthumous) Social Work Arunachal Pradesh
106 Ghulam Muhammad Zaz Art Jammu & Kashmir
Distinguished Personalities who are Honoured with The Padma Shri

i.Rakesh Radheshyam Jhunjhunwala, commonly referred to as “India’s Warren Buffet,” who died at the age of
62 on August 14, 2022, has been awarded the Padma Shri posthumously.
ii.Areez Khambatta, the founder of the well-known soft drink brand Rasna, has also been awarded the Padma
Shri posthumously.
iii.M.M. Keeravaani, the composer who recently received a Golden Globe for his song “Naatu Naatu” from the
film “RRR.” The song was also nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Song.
Other Significant Individuals Honoured with The Padma Shri
i.Ratan Chandra Kar (66), a retired government physician from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands who has
experience working with the Jarawa tribes.
• He helped the Jarawas during the 1999 measles outbreak, saving them from extinction and enabling
their population to grow from 76 to 270.
ii.Hirabai Lobi is a tribal social worker and leader from Gujarat who has dedicated her life to the improvement
of the Siddi community.
iii.Ramkuiwangbe Jene (75), a Naga social worker from Dima Hasao in Assam, dedicated his life to the
protection and preservation of the Heraka religion.
iv.Vadivel Gopal and Masi Sadaiyan, skilled snake catchers from the Irula Tribe (Tamil Nadu), specialized in
catching dangerous and venomous snakes.
v.Tula Ram Upreti (98), a self-sustained small farmer, who performs organic farming using exclusively
traditional methods.
vi.Ajay Kumar Mandavi, a Gond tribal woodcarver from Kanker, Chhattisgarh.
vii.Ghulam Muhammad Zaz, an 8th generation Santoor maker from a family that has been producing Kashmir’s
finest Santoors for the past 200 years.
viii.Munishwar Chander Dawar, a war veteran, has been treating underprivileged people in Madhya Pradesh.
ix.V.P. Appukuttan Poduval (99), also referred to as ‘Kannur ke Gandhi’, is a freedom fighter who took part in
the Quit India movement.
On 23rd January 2023, 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. The 2023 awardees are from 11 states and Union territories (UTs) include 6 boys and 5
girls.

About Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA):
UnionMinister – Amit Shah (Gandhi Nagar Constituency, Gujarat)
Minister of State (MoS) – Nityanand Rai (Ujiarpur, Bihar); Ajay Kumar Mishra (Kheri, Uttar Pradesh) ; Nisith
Pramanik (Coochbehar, West Bengal)
President Droupadi Murmu Presents Digital India Awards – 2022 (7th edition)
The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, presented the Digital India Awards 2022, the 7th edition of the
Digital India Awards (DIA), in New Delhi, Delhi, on January 7, 2023.
• The DIA awards are administered by the National Portal of India, which provides a single-window
access to information and services offered by government institutions at all levels (centre, state, and
local bodies).
Digital India Awards (DIA)
i.The DIA awards aim to inspire and encourage not only
government entities, but also start-ups and grassroots digital
initiatives in pursuing their Digital India vision.
• The purpose of the Digital India Program, as
envisioned by the Government of India (GoI), is to
transform India into a knowledge-based society and
economy.
ii.The selection process for DIA includes the nomination of digital
initiatives by government entities through the Rashtriya Puraskar Portal, supervised by the Director General,
Awards at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
• This unified portal for managing all National Awards was developed and implemented under the
direction of the Prime Minister.
iii.This is followed by the ranking of entries by the Nomination Processing Partner, Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT) Delhi, and the selection of winners by a jury composed of representatives from government,
industry, and academia, chaired by the Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
iv.The awards are eligible to all Central Government Ministries/ Departments/ Offices/ Organizations; State
Government Departments/ Offices/ Organizations; District Administrations, and Indian Missions Abroad.
Digital India Awards 2022 (7th edition)
The Digital India Awards 2022 (DIA 2022) were given to the winners in seven various categories, such as:
• Digital Initiatives at Grassroots Level
• Digital Empowerment of Citizens
• Digital Initiatives for Ease of Doing Business
• Public Digital Platforms – Central Ministries, Departments and States
• Data Sharing and Use for Socio Economic Development
• Digital Initiatives in Collaboration with Startups
• Best Web & Mobile Initiatives Complying with GIGW & Accessibility Guidelines
Click here to see the list of winners in each category.
Overview of 80th Annual Golden Globe® Awards 2023: RRR’s “Naatu Naatu” wins Best Original
Song Award
On 11th January 2023, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association® (HFPA) announced the winners of the 80th
Annual Golden Globe® Awards 2023, at an event held in The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills Los Angeles,
California, United States of America (USA).
• The Golden Globe awards have been annually presented by HFPA since 1943.
• The 2023 award recognises excellence in film, both American and international, and American
television of 2022.
• Jerrod Carmichael hosted the 2023 award ceremony.

“Naatu Naatu” from RRR bags Best Original Song Award:
“Naatu Naatu” Song from SS Rajamouli’s Telugu film “RRR” won the
Best Original Song- Motion Picture. The award was shared among M M
Keeravani, composer of the track, and Chandrabose, lyricist of the
song.
• ‘Naatu Naatu’ became the first Asian song to win a Golden
Globes award.
• Keeravani received the trophy during the award ceremony.
• The fictional Telugu movie “RRR” starring Ram Charan, Jr NTR, Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn and Shriya
Saran was also nominated for ‘best picture-non English’.
Nomination of 80th Golden Globe Awards:
The nominations of the 80th Golden Globe Awards were announced by Mayan Lopez and Selenis Leyva of the
new NBC comedy series Lopez vs. Lopez, and Helen Hoehne, president of the Hollywood Foreign Press
Association (HFPA).
• They presented the nominees for the 27 award categories.
Highlights:
i.Previous Golden Globe Award winner and six-time nominee Eddie Murphy was the recipient of the 2023 Cecil
B. deMille Award and five-time Golden Globe Award winner and sixteen-time nominee Ryan Murphy received
the Carol Burnett Award.
ii.The Fabelmans won Best Motion Picture – Drama and The Banshees of Inisherin won Best Motion Picture –
Musical/Comedy.
iii.Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin) and Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once) won Best
Actor and Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy/Musical.
iv.Austin Butler (Elvis) and Cate Blanchett (Tar) won Best Actor and Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.
Winners of Golden Globe® Awards 2023:
Category Winner
Best Motion Picture – Drama The fablemans
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy The Banshees of Inisherin
Argentina, 1985 (Argentina) (Amazon
Best Motion Picture — Non-English Language Prime Video)
Best Motion Picture — Animated Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Best Director — Motion Picture Steven Spielberg for The Fabelmans
Martin McDonagh for The Banshees
Best Screenplay — Motion Picture of Inisherin
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama Austin Butler for Elvis
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama Cate Blanchett for Tár
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Colin Farrell for The Banshees of
Comedy Inisherin
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Michelle Yeoh for Everything
Comedy Everywhere All at Once
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Ke Huy Quan for Everything
Picture Everywhere All at Once
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Angela Bassett for Black Panther:
Picture Wakanda Forever
Best Original Score — Motion Picture Justin Hurwitz for Babylon

“Naatu Naatu” from RRR Music by:
M.M. Keeravani
Best Original Song — Motion Picture Lyrics by: Chandrabose
Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Best Television Series – Drama House of the Dragon (HBO MAX)
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama Kevin Costner for Yellowstone
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama Zendaya for Euphoria
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Quinta Brunson for Abbott
Comedy Elementary
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or
Comedy Jeremy Allen White for The Bear
Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role In A Musical- Tyler James Williams for Abbott
Comedy Or Drama Television Series Elementary
Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role In A Musical-
Comedy Or Drama Television Series Julia Garner, Ozark
Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role In A Musical-
Comedy Or Drama Television Series The White Lotus
Best Performance By An Actor In A Limited Series, Anthology Series, Or Evan Peters for Dahmer — Monster:
A Motion Picture Made For Television The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Best Performance By An Actress In A Limited Series, Anthology Series,
Or A Motion Picture Made For Television Amanda Seyfried for The Dropout
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series,
Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Jennifer Coolidge for The White Lotus
Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role In A Limited Series,
Anthology Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television Paul Walter Hauser for Black Bird
Bank of Baroda Wins EAG Laureate Award on Financial Security

Bank of Baroda, the second largest public sector bank in India after State Bank of India (SBI), won EAG Laureate
award in the International Olympiad of Financial Security held at Sochi, Russia on 10 October 2022.
• India is one of the nine members of the Eurasian group on combating money laundering and terrorism
(EAG), a regional organisation similar to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).The EAG was
established in 2004 and is currently an associate member of the FATF.
• The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is the global anti- money laundering and anti- terrorist financing
body.
Note – The initiative of EAG was first announced by the Russian Federation at the Plenary Meeting of the FATF
in October 2003.
Clayfin & Bandhan Bank Wins Best Digital Channel/Platform Award from IBS Intelligence
Clayfin Technologies, a leading provider of Digital Customer Experience solutions for Banks and Financial
institutions, and Bandhan Bank have been awarded ‘Best Digital Channel/Platform Implementation: Best
Project Implementation’ at International Banking Systems Intelligence (IBSi) Global FinTech Innovation
Awards 2022.
• This recognition was the basis of the implementation of Corporate Internet Banking (version 5.x) by
Clayfin as part of Bandhan Bank’s vision to enhance its digital services to the Small and Medium
Enterprises (SME) sector.
With this implementation, the bank will now offer an enhanced digital banking experience through enhanced
self-administration, easy onboarding, more advanced risk mitigation and audit features.

BCCI Releases Names of India’s Best Players of 2022 in all 3 Formats
On 31st December 2022, 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)
Shreyas Iyer (Batter)
Team India: 2022 Best
Performers in ODIs Mohammed Siraj (Bowler)
Suryakumar Yadav (Batter)

Team India: 2022 Best
Performers in T20Is
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Bowler)
2022 Performances:
Test Format:
i. In 7 Test Matches, Rishabh Pant scored 680 runs at an average of
61.81 runs per game. His highest total was 146 runs.
ii. In 5 Test Matches, Jasprit Bumrah (Fast Bowler) grabbed 22
wickets despite having ongoing injuries.
ODI format:
i. In 17 ODIs, Shreyas Iyer scored 724 runs, with 113 as his top
score.
ii. In 15 ODIs, Mohammed Siraj took 24 wickets in the 50-over
format.
T20I format:
i. In 31 T20Is, Suryakumar scored 1164 runs with the highest score of 117.
ii. In 32 T20Is, Bhuvneshwar claimed 37 wickets.
Capt Shiva Chouhan Becomes 1st Woman Officer to be Deployed at Siachen, World’s Highest
Battlefield
Captain Shiva Chouhan, hailing from Rajasthan, has become the first woman officer of the Indian Army to get
operationally deployed at Siachen Glacier, Karakoram range in the Himalayas in Ladakh, the world’s highest
battlefield after training at Siachen Battle School.
• She is posted at the “Kumar Post” at an altitude of 15,632 feet where night temperatures are close to
-25 degree Celsius.
• Capt Shiva Chouhan is an Engineer Officer from the Bengal Sappers. The Sappers team led by her
will be in charge of numerous combat engineering tasks.
Kumar Post is named after the late Colonel Narinder ‘Bull’ Kumar (retd.), who was instrumental in launching
‘Operation Meghdoot’.
Assam Govt confers Assam State Civilian Award 2023; Dr Tapan Saikia receives ‘Assam
Baibhav’
The Assam government has announced the list of winners of the Assam State Civilian Award 2023 which
honours notable people for their admirable service to society. A total of 21 personalities were chosen for the
Assam State Civilian Awards 2023.

Renowned doctor Dr Tapan Saikia was honoured with the
“Assam Baibhav” for his work in the healthcare (cancer
treatment) and public service sectors, which included promoting
early cancer detection in Assam and other northeastern regions.
• The Assam State Civilian Award has 3 categories:
Assam Baibhav Award, Assam Saurav Award and
Assam Gaurav Award.
• The 2023 awards includes, 1 Assam Baibhav; 5 Assam
Saurav; and 15 Assam Gaurav.
List of Assam State Civilian Award 2023:
Award Categories Awardees Field
Assam Baibhav Healthcare (Cancer Care) & Public
Dr Tapan Saikia
(Asom Baibhav) Service
Assam Saurav Krishna Roy Art & Culture (Mobile Theatre)
(Asom Sourav) Gilbertson Sangma Sports (Football)
Nayanmoni Saikia Sports (Lawnball)
Dr Binoi Kumar
Science
Saikia
Dr Shashidhar
Healthcare & Public Service
Phukan
Assam Gaurav Dhritimala Deka Public Service
Agriculture & Allied (Composite
(Asom Gourav) Debajit Barman
Farming)
Rustom Basumatary Tourism
Manje La Tourism (Agrotourism)
Binanda Hatibaruah Environment & Forest
Atul Ch Baruah Social Work
Kalyani Rajbonshi Entrepreneur (SHG Worker)
Shila Gowala Public Service (ASHA Worker)
Pankaj Lal Gogoi Entrepreneur (Poultry)
Sarbeswar
Agriculture (Progressive Farmer)
Basumatary
Agriculture & Allied (Pineapple
Manthang Hmar
Farmer & Exporter)
Dr Dhrubajyoti Agriculture & Allied (Horticulturist &
Sharma Entrepreneur)
Jogesh Deuri Agriculture & Allied (Sericulture)
Dayal Goswami Satriya Culture & Art (MukhaShilpa)
Dr Syed Ifthikar
Anti AIDS and Anti Drugs campaigner
Ahmed
About the Assam Civilian Awards:
i. The Government of Assam will present the Assam Civilian Awards on the same patterns as the Bharat Ratna
and Padma Awards, the highest Civilian Awards of the Government of India, in the interest of public service and
to recognise exceptional service or performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour.
• ‘Assam Baibhav’ carries a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh.
• ‘Assam Saurav’ carries a cash prize of Rs 4 lakh.
• ‘Assam Gaurav’carries a cash prize of Rs 3 Lakh.

ii. The awardees will also get Free Medical Treatment in Government hospitals and stay in paying cabins and
other facilities.
Indian Actress-Director Aparna Sen Receives Lifetime Achievement Award at 15th JIFF
On 6th January 2023, Veteran Indian actress-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 2023) in Jaipur, Rajasthan, being held between 6th and 10th January 2023. Grammy award-
winner Ricky Kej, scriptwriter Kamlesh Pandey, and screenplay writer-film producer Haider Hale were present
at the opening ceremony.
• She made her acting debut in Satyajit Ray’s Teen Kanya (1961) and has starred in several films. She
made her directorial debut in 1981 with the English film “36 Chowringhee Lane” (1981).
• She has won 9 National Film Awards which includes: Best Director – 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981);
Best Feature Film in Bengali – Paromitar Ek Din (2000) & Best Feature film in English – 15 Park
Avenue (2005). Her film Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002) won 3 national awards Best Direction, Best
Screenplay and Nargees Dutt Award.
She was honoured with Padma Shri for Arts in 1987.
Belinda Clark becomes 1st Woman Cricketer to get a Bronze Statue at SCG
On January 5, 2023, Belinda Clark, a former Australia captain, became the 1st female cricketer to get a Bronze
statue unveiled at the Walk of Honour of the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Sydney, Australia.
• On the morning of Day 2 of the 3rd men’s Test Match between Australia and South Africa, the
sculpture was unveiled by the Honorable Dame Quentin Bryce and the Premier of New South Wales,
the Hon. Dominic Perrottet MP.
Belinda Clark is the 15th sportsperson and the 3rd woman to have a statue as part of the SCG sculpture project.
The other two are sprinters Betty Cuthbert and Marlene Matthews.
Varanasi Cantt Railway Station Bags ‘Eat Right Station’ Certification from FSSAI
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 high 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 certification is part of the ‘Eat Right India’ movement- a large-scale effort by FSSAI to transform
India’s food system to ensure safe, healthy and sustainable food for all Indians.
• The other railway stations with Star certification include Anand Vihar Terminal Railway Station
(Delhi); Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Mumbai); Mumbai Central Railway Station, (Mumbai);
Vadodara Railway Station, Chandigarh Railway Station and Bhopal Railway Station.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan presents 1st Gouriamma award to Aleida Guevara

On 5th January 2023, Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister (CM) of Kerala, presented the 1st Gouriamma
award to Aleida Guevara, Cuban child rights advocate and daughter of revolutionary leader Che Guevara, at
Olympia Hall at Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• The award recognises her efforts to rehabilitate differently abled children and provide debt relief to
developing countries.
• The award was instituted by The K.R. Gouriamma Foundation in memory of the Communist leader
K.R. Gouriamma.
• The award comprises USD 3,000, a statuette and a citation.
• Jury: former Education Minister M.A. Baby(chair) Binoy Viswam, Member of Parliament (MP), and
P.C. Beenakumari, managing trustee of the foundation.

Adar Poonawalla received 1st Dr Patangrao Kadam Memorial Award
On 8th January 2023, Adar Poonawalla, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Serum Institute of India (SII), was
conferred with the 1st Dr Patangrao Kadam Memorial Award for the contribution to the fight against COVID-
19 at the inauguration of the Bharati Super Specialty Hospital at Bharati Vidyapeeth, Pune, Maharashtra.
• Sharad Pawar, Chief of the Nationalist Congress Party, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister (CM)
of Himachal Pradesh and Devendra Fadnavis, deputy CM graced the event.
• Dr Patangrao Kadam Memorial Award was established in memory of Patangrao Kadam, a leader
who created 190 institutes to provide quality education and create quality human resources.
India Honours 82 Best Agripreneurs with Awards on National Youth Day 2023
On the occasion of National Youth Day 2023 (12th January), the government of India presented the National
Awards to 82 best Agripreneurs trained under the Central Sector Scheme – Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business
(AC&ABC) at the National Agripreneurs Award ceremony was held at NASC Complex, New Delhi, Delhi.
The award recognises their significant contribution to farmers through agri-clinic and agribusiness services.
• 8 Nodal Training Institutes (NTIs) that efficiently deliver AC&ABC training were also recognised
with awards for their best training, handholding and facilitation activities.
• Shubha Thakur, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MA&FW) inaugurated
the Awards Ceremony and distributed awards.
AC&ABC is a mega flagship Scheme of the Indian government, implemented in collaboration with NABARD
since 2002.
• This aims to transform unemployed youth into self-employed Agripreneurs through 45 days of free
residential training, with a provision for availing loans and subsidies from the banks.
• The Scheme is implemented by the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management
(MANAGE), Hyderabad, Telangana.
R’Bonney Gabriel of USA crowned Miss Universe 2022

R’Bonney Gabriel of the United State of America (USA) was crowned 71st Miss Universe 2022 during the Miss
Universe 2022 pageant held in New Orleans, Louisiana while
Amanda Dudamel of Venezuela was named as the first runner-up,
and Andreina Martinez of the Dominican Republic was named as
the second runner-up.
• R’Bonney Gabriel was crowned by the Miss Universe
2021 Harnaaz Sandhu.
Key Points:
i.The Miss Universe 2022 pageant saw the participation from over
80 different nations.R’Bonney Gabriel, a 28 year old, is a fashion
designer from Houston, Texas,
• Notably, Miss USA wins the contest for the first time in eleven years.
ii.From India, Miss Diva Universe 2022 Divita Rai entered into the prestigious Top 16 category.
Captain Surbhi Jakhmola Becomes 1st Woman Officer Posted on Foreign Assignment at BRO
Captain Surbhi Jakhmola, an Indian Army officer from 117 Engineer Regiment, has been posted in the Project
Dantak of Bhutan, she becomes the 1st woman officer to be posted on a foreign assignment at the Border Roads
Organisation (BRO).
Project Dantak:
i.Project Dantak, is an overseas project of the Border Roads Organisation under the Ministry of Defence of
India.

ii. Project Dantak was established in April 1961 as a result of the vision of His Majesty the Third King of Bhutan,
Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, and then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal
Nehru.
iii.The project identifies the importance of connectivity in spurring
the socio-economic development and growth of Bhutan. It is tasked
to construct the pioneering motorable roads in Bhutan.
Avani Chaturvedi becomes 1st IAF Woman Fighter Pilot to
Participate in Aerial Wargames Abroad
Su-30MKI pilot Squadron Leader Avani Chaturvedi, one of the first
3 woman combat pilots in the Indian Air Force (IAF), is scheduled to participate in the inaugural air exercise
Veer Guardian 2023 in Japan. She becomes the first IAF Woman Fighter Pilot to participate in aerial wargames
abroad.
• Veer Guardian 2023 aims to strengthen the bilateral air defence cooperation between India.
• Veer Guardian 2023, from 16th to 26th January 2023, will be held at the Hyakuri Air Base and its
surrounding airspace in Omitama, as well as the Iruma Air Base in Sayama, Japan.
The IAF women officers have been participating in the wargames with foreign contingents in India but this will
be the first occasion where women officers represent the nation abroad.
Note:
The Indian Air Force has the highest proportion of women officers, accounting for 13.69%, followed by the
Indian Navy at 6% and the Indian Army at 3.97%.
1171 Indian peacekeepers awarded UN Medals for Outstanding Service in South Sudan
1171 Indian Peacekeepers were honoured with the prestigious United Nations (UN) medals for their vital work
in the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in Upper Nile, South Sudan.
• Out of the 1,171 recipients of UN medals in 2023, 5 were
women.
According to the UN, the Indian contingent will be renowned for its
efforts in safeguarding civilians as well as building and repairing
critical infrastructure.
• Lieutenant General Subramanian, the Force Commander
of the peacekeeping mission, was there to present the
well-deserved awards to the proud recipients.
Key Highlights:
i. Major Jasmine Chattha was the first woman to lead the huge contingent’s parade, comprising infantry,
engineers and medical officials, at the award ceremony in Upper Nile.
• She was one of 5 women to be honoured with the UN medal for their exceptional work, which also
includes Captain Karishma Kathayat, an engineer.
ii. Although the work of the Indian contingent with the UNMISS may be best known for its efforts to build and
repair critical infrastructure, protecting civilians is another important and sometimes deadly part of their role.
iii. Untold suffering and injuries have been inflicted by the deadly violence that has taken place in Adhidiang
and Kodok, where around 11,000 displaced people are still gathering close to a UNMISS military base.
iv. Indian medical personnel have performed crucial emergency surgeries since September 2022, saving the
lives of five children.
Note:
i. India is one of the countries that send large troops to UN peacekeeping operations.
• Its peacekeepers are praised for their excellent performance and for going above and beyond their
duties while serving in the missions.
ii. As of June 2022, India had 2370 military personnel deployed with UNMISS, the 2nd highest after Rwanda
(2637).

UN Medal
The UN medal was established by the Secretary-General in 1966 for the award, subject to the Regulations for
the United Nations Medal, to military personnel and civilian police who are or have been in the service of the
UN.
UN-Habitat’s World Habitat Awards 2023: Odisha Wins Bronze Award for Slum Upgradation
Program “Jaga Mission”
Odisha has won the “Bronze Award” in the United Nations Human Settlements Programme’s (UN-
Habitat) “World Habitat Awards 2023” for the Jaga Mission, a
5T programme of the state. [5T: Transparency; Technology;
Teamwork; Time & Transformation]
• Jaga Mission – ‘Odisha Liveable Habitat Mission’ is
India’s largest land titling and slum upgrading
initiative, and one of the largest in the world.
• The 2023 Bronze Award is Jaga
Mission’s second bronze award; it previously won a
bronze award at the ‘World Habitat Awards 2019’ for
its achievement in granting secure land tenure to slum dwellers.
UN-Habitat’s World Habitat Awards
i.The World Habitat Awards were established in 1985 as part of the United Nations International Year of
Shelter for the Homeless.
ii.This award is granted each year by World Habitat, a United Kingdom (UK)-based organisation, in
collaboration with UN-Habitat.
iii.Every year, Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards are granted to initiatives that offer practical, innovative
solutions to the current housing need, with a focus on decent, affordable housing.
iv. Every year two projects wins the gold award, each will be given a trophy and a prize money of 10,000
pounds.
UN-Habitat’s World Habitat Awards 2023: List of Awardees
# Project Award Region/Country
1 Homes For Good Gold Scotland
2 UrbaSEN and the Senegalese Federation of Inhabitants Gold Senegal
3 Sostre Cívic Silver Spain
4 MicroBuild Fund Silver Worldwide
Mas Coop: An intergenerational, ecological, and solidarity-based residents’
5 cooperative Bronze France
6 Jaga Mission – Odisha Liveable Habitat Mission Bronze India
7 ULACAV Bronze Latin America
8 Renta Tu Casa Bronze Mexico
9 Community-Driven Housing and Informal Settlement Upgrading Bronze Namibia
Intervention and Mediation Service for Situations of Housing Loss and/or
10 Occupation (SIPHO) Bronze Spain
Jaga Mission – Odisha Liveable Habitat Mission
i.Odisha launched JAGA Mission in May 2018. The mission is an ongoing project, which is aimed at improving
the lives of slum dwellers. It uses a comprehensive strategy to combat poverty, focussing on three key issues:

• Granting tenants with land rights to reduce the possibility of being forcibly evicted and open up
access to public housing subsidies.
• Infrastructure upgrades to enhance living conditions and livelihood opportunities
• Mobilizing the community to enable marginalized groups to construct, manage, and maintain
improved facilities
ii.The Government of Odisha has set an aspirational target of becoming the first slum-free state in India, and it
is leading the Jaga Mission to upgrade all 2,919 slums in the state.
Achievements under Jaga Mission
i.During the past 5 years of the Jaga Mission, 1,75,000 households have been granted secure land tenure.
ii.As a result of the Jaga mission, 100% of households in 2,724 slums now have access to piped water, 707
slums have undergone a total change into livable habitats, 100% of households in 666 slums have access to
individual toilets, and 8 cities are now slum-free.
iii.The program’s success to date has resulted in Jaga Mission’s decentralised delivery approach being held up
as a model to be replicated all over India.
• However, a similar project is currently being replicated in Punjab to directly benefit an additional
1.4 million slum dwellers.
i.The Make in Odisha Conclave 2022 (3rd edition), a biennial global investors’ meet and the flagship investor
summit of the Government of Odisha, took place in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, from November 30 to December 4,
2022.
ii.The Government of Odisha organized the Make in Odisha (MIO) Conclave 2022 in collaboration with the
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
About Odisha:
Chief Minister (CM) – Naveen Patnaik
Governor – Ganeshi Lal
Biosphere Reserve – Similipal Biosphere Reserve
Tiger Reserve – Similipal Tiger Reserve
Union Minister Piyush Goyal felicitates National Startup Awards 2022 Winners
On the occasion of the National Start-up Day (16th January 2023), Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for
Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution & Textiles felicitated the winners of
the National Startup Awards(NSA) 2022 during the award ceremony held in New Delhi, Delhi.
• National Startup Awards 2022, focused on diversity, inclusion, and innovation, is the 3rd edition of
the award which recognises outstanding startups that have demonstrated exceptional capabilities in
terms of financial gains and measurable impact on society.
• He also released the National Startup Awards 2022 Report and launched the MAARG platform
(Mentorship, Advisory, Assistance, Resilience, and
Growth) during the award ceremony.
NSA 2022:
i.The National Startup Awards 2022 in line with Azadi Ka Amrit
Mahotsa, has recognised and rewarded outstanding startups and
enablers that have demonstrated exceptional capabilities, not just
in terms of financial gains but also creating a measurable impact in
society.
ii.The National Startup Awards 2022 Identifies and celebrates
innovations across 17 sectors, 50 sub-sectors and 7 special categories.
• The sectors included Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Construction, Drinking Water, Education &
Skill Development, Energy, Enterprise Technology, Environment, Fintech, Food Processing, Health &
Wellness, Media and entertainment, Industry 4.0, Security, Space, Transport and Travel.

Winners of NSA 2022:
The NSA 2022 recognised 46 winners (41 startups, 2 incubators, and 1 accelerator) in their respective
categories.
• Natura Crop Care has won NSA 2022 under 2 sectors, Rural Impact Startup and Agriculture while,
Algorithmic Biologics Private Limited have won awards under Health & Wellness sector and Special
Category – Women-Led Startup. Click here for the complete list of NSA 2022 winners
Prize:
The winning startups were awarded Rs. 5 lahks each, and the winning incubator and accelerator were awarded
Rs. 15 lahks respectively.
Key Points:
Compared to the previous editions of NSA, the sectors and sub-sectors under the NSA 2022 have been
increased to 17 and 50 respectively, increasing the coverage of the startup ecosystem.
• 2 sectors, 5 sub-sectors, and 2 special categories have also been added to NSA 2022.
About National Startup Awards:
i.National Startup Awards was initiated by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
(DPIIT), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry(MoCI).
ii.The National Startup Awards (‘NSA’) was first presented in October 2020 and recognised 36 startups, 1
incubator, and 1 accelerator as winners.
NSA 2020 and 2021 recognised 367 startups as winners and finalists.
MAARG platform:
Union Minister Piyush Goyal also launched the MAARG Platform during the event.
i.The platform will facilitate mentorship between startups and entrepreneurs across sectors, stages, and
functions.
• The matchmaking phase of the portal, launched during the event, will allow the startups to connect
with mentors and help them to access the guidance that will help them grow and increase their
impact in India and globally.
ii.At present more than 600 mentors and over 800 startups have been registered on the platform.
National Start-up Day 2023 – January 16:
National Startup Day is annually observed across India on 16th January to celebrate the spirit of the Indian
startup ecosystem. The day also marks the founding day of Startup India. The observance of the National
Startup Day is organised by DPIIT, under MoCI.
• 2023 marks the observance of the 2nd National Start-up Day.
• National Start-up Day 2023 marks the completion of 7 years of Start-up India.
As a part of the National startup Day 2023, a 7-day long Startup India Innovation Week – January 10 – 16,
2023, was organised across India with several events to reach stakeholders and enable the Indian startup
ecosystem.
Background:
On 15th January 2022, Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, declared the 15th January, the founding day of
Startup India, of every year as the National Start-up Day.
• The Startup India Initiative was launched on January 16, 2016.
The first-ever National Startup Day was observed on 16th January 2022.
Workshop on Alternative Investment Funds
i.DPIIT organised a workshop on Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) and their Central role, chaired by Anurag
Jain, Secretary, DPIIT at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, Delhi.
ii.The workshop focused on sensitising the representatives of the Small Industries Development Bank of India
(SIDBI), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), Employees’ Provident Fund
Organisation (EPFO), Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA), Life Insurance
Corporation of India (LIC), to mobilize domestic capital into the startup ecosystem through AIFs.

Note:
DPIIT works with the Ministry of Finance (MoF), IRDAI, and the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoL&E)
to allow AIFs to invest in startups.
ASCEND SAMAGAM:
On 10th January 2023, DPIIT organized the ASCEND (Accelerating Startup Calibre & Entrepreneurial Drive)
SAMAGAM with an aim to capacitate and augment knowledge on key aspects of entrepreneurship and continue
efforts towards creating a robust startup ecosystem in the Northeast.
• ASCEND Samagam was conducted as a follow-up to the ASCEND workshop organised for the
entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, students, and ecosystem enablers in all 8 States of Northeast
India during November and December 2022.
Startup India:
Startup India is a flagship initiative of the Indian Government, which aims to catalyse startup culture and build
a strong and inclusive ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship in India.
• Under the Startup India Initiatives, companies can be recognised as Startups by DPIIT, in order to
access a host of tax benefits, easier compliance, IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) fast-tracking and
other benefits.
• Through this initiative, DPIIT has executed various projects & undertaken recurring models to
propel the Indian Startup Ecosystem.
• The programs under this initiative are managed by a dedicated Startup India Team that reports to
DPIIT.
Initiatives under Startup India:
Startup India Action Plan, the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS) Scheme, Regulatory Reforms, Support for
Intellectual Property Protection, Self-Certification under Labour and Environmental Laws, Income Tax
Exemption for 3 Years, Faster Exit for Startups, the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) etc.
Startups in India:
i.India is the 3rd largest ecosystem in the world, after the United States of Amercia(USA) and China, with 108
Unicorns.
ii.The number of startups in India has increased from 471 in 2016 to 84,012 in 2022.
iii.Out of the total recognized startups, around 12% cater to IT services, 9% to healthcare and life sciences, 7%
to education, 5% to professional and commercial services and 5% to agriculture.
iv.DPIIT has recognised More than 4500 startups in sectors related to emerging technologies like the Internet
of Things (IoT), robotics, Artificial Intelligence(AI), and analytics.
Around 49% of the startups are from Tier II & Tier III cities.
About Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI):
Union Minister– Piyush Goyal (Rajya Sabha- Maharashtra)
Minister of State– Som Prakash(Constituency- Hoshiarpur, Punjab); Anupriya Singh Patel(Constituency-
Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh)
Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Limited bags Best Small Bank Award 2022
Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB) Limited has bagged the Best Small Bank award in the best banks survey for
the year 2022 done by Business Today-KPMG (BT-KPMG Best banks survey).
The award was received by S. Krishnan, Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Award (CEO) of TMB
limited, from Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) of India, in a function held in
Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• The bank received this award in the category of banks with a book size of less than Rs. 1 lakh crore.
• The TMB has shown its ability to perform well enough to win the respective category.

Bahrain’s Isa Award for Service to Humanity 2023: Dr Sanduk Ruit of Nepal declared as 5th
Laureate
On 17th January 2023, Dr Sanduk Ruit, a renowned Nepali ophthalmologist, won the Isa Award for Service to
Humanity 2023, a top civilian award in Bahrain.
• He has been declared the 5th laureate 2021-2022 of the Isa award for his work on blindness
prevention and his service to the community and his achievements.
• The award carries a cash prize of USD 1 million, a certificate of merit and a gold medallion.
The award was presented by Sheikh Mohammad bin Mubarak Al
Khalifa, a royal family member, to Dr Sanduk Ruit at the award
announcement ceremony held in Manama, Bahrain.
About ISA Award:
i. The “Isa Award for services to Humanity” was established in 2009
by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of Bahrain.
ii. Every two years, an expert jury team selects individuals or
organisations to receive the ISA Award after a rigorous selection
process.
iii. The award is named in honour of Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the former King of Bahrain.
iv. This honourary award has been presented since 2013.
v. The first 4 laureates to receive the ISA award are Dr Jemilah Mahmood (2013); Dr Achyuta Samanta (2015);
The Children’s Cancer Hospital Egypt, popularly known as Hospital 57357, (2017); and The Edhi Charitable
Foundation (2019).
About Dr Sanduk Ruit:
i. Dr Sanduk Ruit is the co-founder of the Himalayan Cataract Project.
ii. He is a pioneer in delivering high-quality microsurgical procedures in remote eye camps.
iii. He enabled countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America to afford and have access to modern eye care.
iv. Since he saved 1,20,000 people’s eyesight who would have otherwise gone blind in the absence of treatment,
he is fondly called the “God of Sight.”
v. More than 650 doctors have received training from Dr Sanduk Ruit on how to treat preventable blindness.
Awards:
i. In 2006, Dr Sanduk Ruit received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding.
ii. He was awarded the National Order of Merit Gold in 2015 for his outstanding contribution to the prevention
of blindness in Bhutan and the return of sight to hundreds of people.
iii. In 2018, he received Padma Sri from the Government of India for Medicine (Nepal).
iv. He was also honoured with Nepal’s Prime Minister National Talent Award-2075 and Well known Prabal
Janasewa Shri (First) Honorary Degree 2076.
GGIAL: New Goa Manohar International Airport wins Best Sustainable Greenfield Airport
Award
On 18th January 2023 the New Goa Manohar International Airport (MIA), formerly Mopa International Airport,
won the ‘Best Sustainable Greenfield Airport‘ award for the
excellent initiatives taken by the GMR Goa International Airport
Limited (GGIAL) in implementing sustainability as one of their key
concepts.
• The award was presented at the Associated Chambers of
Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM)’s 14th
International Conference-cum-Awards for Civil Aviation
2023 at Hotel Leela Palace, New Delhi, Delhi.
• GGIAL received the award under Aviation Sustainability and Environment category.

Note: New Goa Manohar International Airport (MIA) was built by GGIAL, a subsidiary of GMR Airports
Infrastructure Limited.
Key Points:
i. Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, presented the award to the senior officials of the
GGIAL.
ii. The award criteria are contribution, innovativeness, applicability, relevance and impact potential in their
respective areas.
iii. Sustainability being one of the core concepts, the New Goa Manohar International Airport is intended to
have a net-zero carbon impact. It will therefore join the elite club of green airports across the world.
Other Civil Aviation Awards:
GMR Aviation for the Best Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) Services, Airbus for the Best Aircraft
manufacturer, Pawan Hans for the Best Helicopter flights, SpiceJet for the Best Cargo Carrier, Adani for the
Best Airport Technology and more.
ESAF Bank bags Inclusive Finance India Award 2022

ESAF Small Finance Bank has won the prestigious Inclusive Finance India Awards 2022 in recognition of its
contributions to advancing the goal of financial inclusion and supporting inclusive growth.
i. Paul Thomas, Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ESAF Bank, received the award
from Anantha Nageshwaran, Chief Economic Advisor at the 19th Inclusive Finance India Summit held in New
Delhi, Delhi.
• The Inclusive Finance India Awards is an initiative of ACCESS Development Services in partnership
with HSBC India.
• The award recognises the ESAF’s unique spectrum of Financial Inclusion projects ESAF Dhansree,
ESAF Udyog Jyothi, LSEDP (Local Sustainable Economic Development Project), ESAF Balajyothi,
ESAF Vayojyothi, and ESAF Garshom.
President Droupadi Murmu Confers Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2023
On 23rd January 2023, 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.
• The 2023 awardees are from 11 states and Union
territories (UTs) include 6 boys and 5 girls.
• Each awardee will receive a certificate, a cash prize of Rs. 1
lakh, and a medal.
Attendees – Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smriti Zubin Irani; Minister of State (MoS) for
Women and Child Development, Dr. Munjapara Mahendrabhai, were also present at the award ceremony.
• During the ceremony, Union Minister Smriti Zubin Irani released a book on Baal Veer titled “Young
Heroes of India” and presented the 1st copy to the President of India.
Winners of Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2023:
Click here to know more about the awardees
Key highlights:
i.Hanaya Nisar, who won the award under sport category, has represented India in the 3rd World SQAY
Martial Arts Championship (October 2018) at Chingju, South Korea at the age of 12 years and bagged a gold
medal.
ii.Shreya Bhattacharjee (12 years), a tabla artiste who has registered a record of playing the instrument for
the longest duration in India Book of Records has been awarded under the art and culture category.
iii.Rishi Shiv Prasanna is the youngest certified android application developer.

• He is also the youngest YouTuber who runs a channel and in every episode he shares insights on
science-related topics.
About Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar:
Category Name (age) State
Art and Culture
Aadithya Suresh(16) Kerala
(Singer)
Art and Culture Shreya
Assam
(Tabla artist) Bhattacharjee(12)
Art and Culture

M Gauravi Reddy(17) Telangana
(Classical Dancer)
Art and Culture

Sambhab Mishra(16) Odisha
(Writer)
Aditya Pratap Singh

Innovation Chhattisgarh
Chauhan(17)
Rishi Shiv
Innovation Karnataka
Prasanna(8)
Shauryajit
Sports (Mallakhamb) Ranjitkumar Gujarat
Khaire(10)
Sports (SQAY martial
Hanaya Nisar(16) Jammu & Kashmir
arts)
Kolagatla Alana
Sports (Chess) Andhra Pradesh
Meenakshi(11)
Social Service Anoushka Jolly(14) New Delhi
Rohan Ramchandra
Bravery Maharashtra
Bahir(15)
i.Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar formerly called the National Child Award for Exceptional
Achievement, is India’s highest civilian honour for children, awarded annually by the Ministry of Women and
Child Development (MoWCD).
ii.The award is conferred on children in the age group of 5 to 18 years for their excellence in different fields of
art and culture, bravery, innovation, social service, and sports.
The selection of awardees was made by a Selection Committee under the chairpersonship of the Union Minister
for Women and Child Development.
About the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD):
Union Minister – Smriti Zubin Irani (Amethi Constituency, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State (MoS) – Munjapara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai (Surendranagar Constituency, Gujarat)
GoI announces winners of Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar for 2023
On 23rd January 2023, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the
Government of India (GoI) has selected the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) and Lunglei
Fire Station (LFS), Mizoram, for the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar (SCBAPP) for
2023 under the Institutional category for their excellent work in Disaster Management.
About Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar:
Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar(SCBAPP) was instituted by National Disaster Management

Authority (NDMA), under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Government of India(GoI) in 2018 to
recognise and honour the invaluable contribution and selfless
service rendered by individuals and organisations in India in the
field of Disaster Management.
• This includes contributions in the areas of Disaster
Prevention, Mitigation, Preparedness, Rescue, Response,
Relief, Rehabilitation, Research / Innovations or Early
Warning.
The winners of the award are annually announced on 23rd
January, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
Prize: The award carries a cash prize of Rs 51 lakh and a certificate in the case of an institution and Rs 5 lakh
and a certificate in the case of an individual.
Key points:
i. For the award of the year 2023, nominations were solicited from 1st July 2022 onwards.
ii. For Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2023, 274 valid nominations were received from
institutions and individuals.
About the Winners of the 2023 Award in the Field of Disaster Management:
Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA):
i. OSDMA was established in 1999 in the aftermath of the Super Cyclone.
• It launched multiple initiatives including raising the Odisha Disaster Response Action Force (ODRAF),
Multi-hazard Early Warning Service (MHEWS) framework, and a cutting-edge technology-enabled
web/smartphone-based platform called “SATARK” (System for Assessing, Tracking, and Alerting
Disaster Risk Information based on Dynamic Risk Knowledge).
ii. It responded effectively to various cyclones, including Hudhud (2014), Fani (2019), Amphan (2020), and
Odisha floods (2020).
iii. It implemented disaster preparedness projects in 381 tsunami-prone villages and wards, as well as 879
multi-purpose cyclone and flood shelters within 1.5 kilometres (Km) of the coastline.
Lunglei Fire Station (LFS), Mizoram:
i. LFS responded quickly and effectively to a massive forest fire that broke out on 24th April 2021 in the
uninhabited forest areas surrounding Lunglei town and spread to more than 10 village council areas.
ii. LFS personnel, assisted by local civilians, worked continuously for more than 32 hours, during which they
motivated and provided on-the-spot training to residents.
• There was no loss of life or property due to the quick efforts of Fire & Emergency staff in putting out the
flames, and the spread of fire to other parts of the state was prevented
Visakhapatnam Railway Station receives ‘Green Railway Station Certification’ with Highest
Platinum Rating
Visakhapatnam railway station of East Coast Railway has been awarded the “Green Railway Station
Certification” with the highest Platinum rating by the Indian
Green Building Council (IGBC) for adopting green concepts
thereby reducing the adverse environmental impact.
• Visakhapatnam station secured 82 out of 100 points
in 6 environmental categories, such as sustainable
facilities, health, hygiene, energy and water
efficiency, smart green initiatives, and innovation
and development.
IGBC Green Railway Stations rating system:
i. IGBC Green Railway Stations rating system is the first of its kind holistic rating in India to address
environmental sustainability in Indian railway stations.

ii. The Green Railway Station rating system was developed by the Environment Directorate of Indian Railways
with the support of the IGBC.
iii. Different levels of certification are as follows.
• ‘Certified’ to recognise best practices
• ‘Silver’ to recognise outstanding performance
• ‘Gold’ to recognise national excellence
• ‘Platinum’ to recognise global leadership
Key Points:
i. The Green Railway Station rating system has addressed national priorities such as water conservation,
handling of waste, energy efficiency, reduced use of fossil fuel, lesser dependence on using virgin materials and
health and well-being of occupants.
ii. Based on the survey’s findings and the IGBC’s recommendations, the following actions were taken:
• Segregation of Waste by Constructing MRF Shed
• Setting and Operationalization of 500KLD STP for Station & Colony Water
• Setting up of Solar Panels to conserve Power
• Well Developed Passenger Amenities
• 100% fitment of LED Lightings.
About the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC):
Chairman- Gurmit Singh Arora
Headquarters- Hyderabad, Telangana
Establishment- 2001
The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) was formed by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
Entrepreneur Sunil Krishnan honoured with Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar National Contribution

Award 2022
Global Entrepreneur Sunil Krishnan was honoured with the coveted Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar National
Contribution Award 2022 for his contribution to India – for Spreading Indian Cuisine Globally With
Moksh Restaurant. Governor of Maharashtra Bhagat Singh Koshiyari presented the award during the
ceremony organised at Raj Bhavan, Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• The event was organised by Dr Geet S Thakkar, Chandramani Jadhav and Pravin More.
Philanthropist Gurubhai Suresh Bhai Thakkar and Vaastu Mahaguru Basannt R Rasiwasia were
present on the occasion.
• Other winners of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar National Contribution Award 2022
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

IDBI Bank re-appoints Suresh Khatanhar as Deputy MD for a Year
On 28th December 2022, the Board of Directors of IDBI Bank Limited re-appointed Suresh Kishinchand
Khatanhar as the Deputy Managing Director (DMD) of IDBI Bank
for 1 year with effect from 15th January 2023, according to the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s approval.
About Suresh Kishinchand Khatanhar:
i. Suresh Khatanhar started his banking career with Dena Bank and
handled all HR-related work at the centralised HR department of
the bank.
ii. Suresh Khatanhar joined IDBI Bank in 1997 from Dena Bank.

• He joined IDBI Bank as a senior relationship manager. He served the organization in various capacities
including as Chief General Manager (CGM) & head-internal audit, Chief Risk Officer and Chief Compliance
Office.
iii. On 15th January 2020, the IDBI Bank Board appointed Suresh Khatanhar as DMD for a 3-year term.
iv. He has 37 years of experience in commercial banking, 25 of which he spent with IDBI Bank, where he was in
charge of many different facets of commercial banking.
v. As a DMD, currently, he oversees Retail Banking, Priority Sector Lending, Structured Retail Advances, Credit
cards, Third Party Distribution, Treasury, Centralised Operations, CMS & GBG, Corporate Communication,
Retail Recovery, Audit, Legal and Compliance.
About IDBI Bank Limited:
IDBI Bank, one of the major state-owned banks in India, has more than 1,890 branches and 3,300 ATMs
worldwide.
MD & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Rakesh Sharma
Establishment- 1st July 1964
Indian Army Appoints Lt Gen Arvind Walia as its New Engineer-in-Chief

Lieutenant (Lt) General (Gen) Arvind Walia, a 1986 batch officer and an alumnus of the Indian Military
Academy, Dehradun has been appointed as the next Engineer-in-Chief of the Indian Army. He succeeds Lt Gen
Harpal Singh who is superannuating on 31st December 2022.
• Earlier, Lt Gen Arvind Walia has commanded an independent squadron in the desert sector, a regiment
in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), an Engineer Brigade along the western front and has also commanded the
MEG & Centre in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• He was an instructor at the College of Defence Management in Secunderabad and the National Defence
College in Delhi.
• He has also held several other positions including Brigade Major of a Mountain Brigade, Director in
Engineer-in-Chief’s Branch at the Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (MoD) (Army), Brig Q
in a Strike Corps and Chief Engineer of a Command.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sworn in as 39th President of Brazil

On 1st January 2023, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the veteran left-wing politician, known widely as Lula, was
sworn in for the 3rd term as the President of the Republic of Brazil during the inauguration ceremony held at
the National Congress, in Brasilia, Brazil.
• He was sworn in as the 39th president of Brazil by
winning the 2022 Brazilian general election against far-
right leader Jair Bolsonaro(incumbent President of
Brazil (from 2019 to 2022).
• Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won 50.9% of the vote while
Jair Bolsonaro won only 49.1%.
Geraldo Alckmin was sworn in as Brazil’s Vice President during
the event.
• The session began with a tribute to soccer star Pele, who
passed away on 29th December 2022.
About Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva:
i. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was born in 1945 in Caetés, Pernambuco, Brazil.
ii. He was in the labour movement when he worked at Villares Metals S.A. Later, he was elected in 1975, and re-
elected in 1978, as president of the Steel Workers’ Union of São Bernardo do Campo and Diadema.
• He helped build a labour union movement into the important Workers’ Party.
• In 1988, his party won easily in So Paulo (Brazil) and other big cities.

iii. Although he was a strong candidate for president in 1989, 1994, and 1998 and advocated for measures to
support Brazil’s working class, he lost to more conservative contenders each time.
iv. He was first elected as the President in 2002 and was inaugurated as President on 1st January 2003. He was
again re-elected as President in 2006 for a 2nd term which ended in 2011.
v. He governed Brazil for 2 consecutive terms between 2003 and 2010. He won his 1st term in 2002 and 2nd
term in 2006.
About Brazil:
President- Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Capital- Brasília
Currency- Brazilian Real
Ajay Kumar Srivastava Becomes New MD & CEO of Indian Overseas Bank
Ajay Kumar Srivastava has been appointed as Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
of Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), a public sector bank (PSB), for a period of 3 years with effect from the date of
assumption of office on or after 1st January 2023.
• Prior to this appointment, Ajay Kumar Srivastava was serving as the Executive Director of IOB.
• He was appointed following the superannuation of Partha Pratim Sengupta, MD & CEO of IOB, on
31st December 2022.
Note: Srivastava was appointed MD and CEO of IOB by the
Government of India (GoI) on September 20, 2022, with effect from
January 1, 2023.
About Ajay Kumar Srivastava:
i.Srivastava began his banking career in 1991 as a Probationary
Officer (PO) at Allahabad Bank.
• Additionally, he served as a Director on the board of the
Regional Rural Bank (RRB) in Allahabad Bank.
ii.He spent around 27 years at Allahabad Bank before being appointed as Executive Director of IOB in October
2017.
iii.He played a major role in bringing IOB out of loss in March 2020 and out of Prompt Corrective Action (PCA)
in September 2021.
• In addition, he was the only Executive Director in IOB for around 14 months in 2020-2021.
iv.In 2020, he was appointed as the Director on the Board of the India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited
(IIFCL) for a 2-year term.
Additional info:
The government of India has appointed Sanjay Vinayak Mudaliyar, Chief General Manager at Bank of
Baroda(BoB) as Executive Director in IOB for a period of 3 years with effect from the date of assumption of
office on or after 1st January 2023.
About Indian Overseas Bank (IOB):
MD & CEO – Ajay Kumar Srivastava
Headquarters – Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Tagline – Good People to Grow With
Election Commission of India appoints Maithili Thakur as Bihar’s State Icon

On 2nd January 2023, Maithili Thakur, a Folk Singer, was appointed as the State Icon for Bihar by the Election
Commission of India (ECI).
• Maithili Thakur, an Indian classical and folk music-trained musician was recently chosen for
the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar of the Sangeet Natak Akademi (Akademi Award) for
her contribution to the folk music of Bihar for 2021.

• According to ECI, Maithili Thakur will create awareness among the voters for their participation in
the electoral process.
Canara Bank MD & CEO L V Prabhakar Retires

On 31st December 2022, Lingam Venkata Prabhakar, the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) of Canara Bank retired from his services, on attaining the age of superannuation.
About L V Prabhakar:
i. L. V. Prabhakar has over 34 years of extensive banking experience
spanning a variety of fields.
ii. Before joining Canara Bank, he served as the Executive Director of
Punjab National Bank (PNB) and was in charge of several verticals
live Credit, Treasury and Human Resources of PNB.
iii. He also served as the Chairman of Canara Robeco Asset
Management Co. Ltd, Canara HSBC OBC Insurance Company Ltd &
Canfin Homes Ltd and the Chairman of the IBA Standing Committee on Payment Systems & Banking
Technology.
iv. He is a member (Vice-President) of Governing Council of the Indian Institute of Banking & Finance (IIBF) &
National Institute of Bank Management (NIBM).
v. By launching projects like the Stressed Assets Management Vertical and the Digitization of Trade Finance, he
also played a crucial role in strengthening systems and processes.
vi. Also, he has held positions on the boards of PNB Housing Finance Limited, PNB Metlife India Insurance, and
Everest Bank Ltd. of Nepal.
About Canara Bank:
Non-Executive Chairman- Vijay Srirangan
Headquarters- Bengaluru, Karnataka
Establishment- 1906
Tagline- Together we can
BharatPe CEO Suhail Sameer Steps Down & CFO Nalin Negi appointed interim CEO
Suhail Sameer, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BharatPe, a Fintech startup, has announced has resigned
from the CEO position and will transition into strategic adviser with effect from 7th January 2023.
• Nalin Negi, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of BharatPe, is set to take over as the interim CEO of
BharatPe.
BharatPe also revealed that the company has employed an “executive search firm” to help with succession
planning and to help identify a new CEO.
About Suhail Sameer:
i. Suhail Sameer, who was previously CEO of the FMCG business at
RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, joined BharatPe in August 2020 as
President.
• He has been overseeing BharatPe’s operations ever since
Co-Founder Ashneer Grover was ousted. In August 2021,
Sameer was formally made the CEO of BharatPe.
ii. Suhail Sameer was the Founding Managing Director of CESC
Ventures, where he built out the modern Ayurveda and Healthy snack brands.
iii. He was also an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company where he led the Clean-tech practice for Asia.
• He is an active investor in clean-label food and personal care and financial inclusion.
About Nalin Negi:
i. Nalin Negi joined BharatPe in August 2022 as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
ii. He brings to the table over 28 years of experience and business acumen. He has spent the last 15 years in

banking and financial services, with stints at GE Capital Corporate Finance and SBI Cards and Payment Services
Limited.
About BharatPe:
Chairman- Rajnish Kumar
Establishment- 2018
BSE appoints Sundararaman Ramamurthy as MD and CEO

industry expert Sundararaman Ramamurthy has been appointed as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of BSE Limited(formerly Bombay Stock Exchange) with effect from 4th January 2023,
for a period of 5 years.
The post has been vacant since July 2021 after the MD & CEO of BSE Ashishkumar Chauhan left the post to join
the National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE) as MD & CEO.
• In November 2022, BSE got consent from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to
appoint Sundararaman Ramamurthy as MD and CEO of BSE.
• Sundararaman Ramamurthy has worked with NSE for around 2 decades and he has also worked at
the Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI).
India Takes Over Leadership Of Asian Pacific Postal Union; Vinaya Prakash Singh Elected As
Secretary General
Dr. Vinaya Prakash Singh, former Member (Personnel), Postal Services Board, will take over as Secretary
General of the Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) for a 4-year term, following the successful elections held
during the 13th APPU Congress in Bangkok (Thailand) in August–September 2022.
• He will succeed Mr. Lin Hongliang of China, the outgoing Secretary General of the APPU, who was
appointed in January 2014.
• This marked the first time an Indian has taken the lead of an international postal organisation.
With this, India will take over the leadership of the Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) in January 2023.
Note: India has been a member of APPU since 1973.
• The Director is chosen at the APPU Congress for a maximum of two terms.
Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU)
i.The Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) is an intergovernmental organisation with 32 member countries in the
Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
• The APPU was established in Manila (Philippines) in 1962 and has been headquartered in Bangkok
since 2002.
ii.The APPU is the APAC region’s only restricted union of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), a specialized
institution of the United Nations (UN).
• It seeks to extend, facilitate, and improve postal relations between member nations and to foster
collaboration in the postal services sector.
iii.APPU serves as the regional hub for various UPU projects and is responsible for ensuring that all UPU
technical and operational projects are completed in the APAC region.
• It guarantees the best possible level of integration of the APAC region with the global postal
network.
iv.The Secretary General of the APPU oversees the union’s operations and serves as the Director of the Asian
Pacific Postal College (APPC), the largest intergovernmental postal training facility in the APAC region.
• South Korea would once again take part in the APPC Governing Board (GB) commencing in 2023.
About the Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU):
Secretary General – Dr. Vinaya Prakash Singh (India)
Headquarters – Bangkok, Thailand
Established – 1962 (created in 1961)
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reshuffles Cabinet & appoints Galymzhan
Koishybayev as Deputy PM
On 4th January 2023, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan signed a decree to
reshuffle the cabinet replacing 5 ministers and appointing Galymzhan Koishybayev as Deputy Prime Minister
(PM) – Chief of Staff of the Government.
• Prior to this appointment, Galymzhan Koishybayev has been serving as the head of the Prime
Minister’s Office since March 2019.
• He has also served as vice minister of foreign affairs.
According to the decree signed by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, new ministers for Industry and Infrastructural
Development, Environment and Natural Resources, Justice, Education, and Culture and Sports.
Details of Appointments:
i. Marat Karabayev was appointed as the Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development replacing
Kairbek Uskenbaev.
• Marat Karabayev (35) has been the Vice Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development since
July 2021.
• He held numerous posts over the period of several years in the Ministries of Agriculture, Industry
and New Technologies, and Transport and Communications.
ii. Gani Beisembayev was appointed as the Minister of Education replacing Askhat Aimagambetov.
• Gani Beisembayev (53) has been the Vice Minister of Education since March 2022 (known as the
Ministry of Education and Science until August).
• He worked for various state-affiliated organisations and educational institutions over the period of
several years.
iii. Zulfiya Suleimenova was appointed as the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources replacing Serikkali
Brekeshov.
• She has served as the Vice Minister of Ecology since March 2022.
• Prior to that, she worked as the President’s research assistant at the Kazakh Institute of Strategic
Studies.
iv. Askhat Oralov was appointed as Minister of Culture and Sports replacing Dauren Abaev.
v. Azamat Eskaraev was appointed as the Minister of Justice replacing Serik Musin.
• Azamat Eskaraev has been in charge of the Prime Minister’s Office’s legal division since July 2019.
He formerly held a number of posts within the Ministry of Justice.
Key Point;
On 2nd January 2023, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a document on transforming the Prime Minister’s office
into a government apparatus tasked with coordinating the activities of central and local executive bodies and
providing organizational, legal, material, and technical support for the government’s activities.
About the Republic of Kazakhstan:
President- Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
Prime Minister (PM)- Alikhan Smailov
Capital- Astana
Currency- Kazakhstani Tenge
Prasanna Kumar Motupalli appointed as Chairman & MD of NLC India Ltd

On 5th January 2023, Prasanna Kumar Motupalli appointed as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the
state-run NLC India Ltd (NLCIL), a Navratna Public Sector Undertaking (PSU)under the Ministry of Coal.
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Prasanna
Kumar Motupalli till the date of his superannuation which is June 30, 2026.
• Prior to this appointment, Prasanna Kumar Motupalli, Executive Director of NTPC Limited was
working as the Managing Director of Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL) on a
deputation basis.

RBI approves Appointment of Surinder Chawla as New CEO of Paytm Payments Bank
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the appointment of Surinder Chawla as the new Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of Paytm Payments Bank Limited (PPBL). The appointment has been approved by the RBI for a
period of 3 years.
• Surinder Chawla is currently serving as Head of Branch Banking at RBL Bank (formerly known as
Ratnakar Bank).
About Surinder Chawla:
i. Surinder Chawla, a merit-listed Chartered Accountant, has over 20 years of experience in Retail Banking. He
has worked and managed teams in the areas of relationship management, retail asset sales, direct sales product
management, and branch banking.
ii. He started his career in 1994 with Standard Chartered Bank, where he initiated the direct sales setup that
eventually became a whole vertical within the organisation.
iii. Prior to joining RBL Bank in 2013, He spent around 11 years in several important and senior management
roles at HDFC Bank Limited. He served as HDFC Bank’s Head-Retail Liability Product Management.
• He has also worked as Head-sales, Credit Cards for ABN Amro Bank before joining HDFC Bank.
About Paytm Payments Bank:
Chairman- Vijay Shekhar Sharma
Headquarters- Noida, Uttar Pradesh
Establishment- 2017
Governor- Shaktikanta Das
Deputy governors- Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, T. Rabi Sankar
Establishment- 1935
Chetan Sharma retained as Chairman of the Senior Men’s Selection Committee of BCCI
On 7th January 2023, Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has
retained Chetan Sharma as the Chairman of the 5 members Senior Men’s Selection Committee of Board of
Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Other Members of the committee:
CAC has named Shiv Sundar Das(Central Zone), Subroto
Banerjee(East Zone), Salil Ankola(West Zone) and Sridharan
Sharath (South Zone) as the other members of the selection
committee.
Key Highlights:
i. To select the members of the All-India Senior Selection
Committee, the CAC, comprising Sulakshana Naik, Ashok Malhotra,
and Jatin Paranjape, conducted an extensive process for selection.
• On 18th November 2022, the Board advertised the 5 posts on its official website and received
almost 600 applications in response.
• Among 600, 11 individuals were shortlisted for personal interviews.
ii. The committee recommended Chetan Sharma for the role of Chairman of the senior men’s selection
committee.
About Chetan Sharma:
i. Chetan Sharma is a former Indian medium pacer representing India in 23 Tests and 65 One-Day
Internationals (ODIs). He started playing first-class cricket representing Haryana at the age of 16.
ii. A year after making his ODI debut against the West Indies in December 1983, he made his Test debut at 18.
iii. He ended his first-class career in 1996/1997 with 433 wickets from 121 games. Also, throughout 15 years,
he hit 21 fifty-sixes, 3 centuries, and 3714 runs at an average of 35.03.

iv. Chetan Sharma started performing television commentary after retiring and he ran for the Bahujan Samaj
Party (BSP) in the 2009 Lok Sabha Elections from Faridabad, Haryana.
Others:
i. Shiv Sundar Das, the former India Men’s Test Opener, was previously the batting coach of the Indian women’s
team.
ii. Salil Ankola, the ex-India fast bowler, is the current Chief Selector of the Mumbai Men’s team in domestic
cricket.
iii. Subroto Banerjee, a former pace bowler for India, also coached a fast bowler Umesh Yadav.
iv. Sridharan Sharath, a native of Tamil Nadu and the current Chairman of the Junior Men’s Selection
Committee. Under his leadership, India won the Under 19 (U19) Men’s World Cup in West Indies in 2022.
RS Sodhi steps down as GCMMF MD; Jayen Mehta given Interim Charge
The Managing Director (MD) of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), RS Sodhi, has
stepped down from his post.
• He will be succeeded by the Chief operating officer (COO) of GCMMF, Jayen Mehta who has been
given immediate charge as MD.
• GCMMF is the owner of India’s biggest dairy brand Amul (Anand Milk Union Limited).
Key Points:
i.RS Sodhi joined Amul in 1982 and became its MD in 2010. In
2015, he was re-appointed to the same post till 2020. Since then,
he has been on an extension.
ii.Under his leadership, GCMMF’s turnover surged from Rs 9,774.2
crore in 2010-11 to Rs 46,481 crore in 2021-22.
iii.He worked under the direct guidance of Verghese Kurien, the
father of the White Revolution.
• He is also the President of the Indian Dairy Association
(IDA).
iv.On the other hand, Jayen Mehta has been with Amul for over 30 years and has served various roles in the
company, including as Brand Manager and General Manager in the marketing function.
v.GCMMF procures 30 million litres of milk per day from over 18,600 village dairy co-operative societies.
About Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF):
GCMMF is India’s largest food product marketing organisation.
Chairman– Shamalbhai B Patel
Headquarter– Anand, Gujarat
Michael Patra reappointed as RBI’s Deputy Governor for One Year

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved
the reappointment of Michael Debabrata Patra as the Deputy
Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a further period
of one year with effect from the 15th January 2023.
• Michael Debabrata Patra’s 3-year tenure comes to an
end on 14th January 2023.
Key Points & Static:
i. As the deputy governor and a rate-setting Monetary Policy
Committee member, Michael Debabrata Patra oversees the
monetary policy department.
ii. Shaktikanta Das, governor of the RBI, is in charge of the 6-member Monetary Policy Committee.
iii. Four deputy governors work under the governor at the RBI. The bank’s three other deputy governors are M

K Jain, M Rajeshwar Rao, and T Rabi Sankar.
About Michael Debabrata Patra:
i. Michael Debabrata Patra was 1st appointed to a 3-year tenure as deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of
India on 15th January 2020.
ii. Prior to the appointment as RBI’s Deputy Governor he served as the Executive Director of RBI before being
elevated to the post of Deputy Governor.
• As Executive Director, he was a member of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of RBI, which is
entrusted with the responsibility of monetary policy decision-making in India.
iii. Between July 2012 and October 2014, he served as the Principal Adviser, at the Monetary Policy
Department of RBI.
iv. From 2008 to 2012, he served as Senior Advisor to the Executive Director (India) at the International
Monetary Fund.
v. He has held various posts in the Reserve Bank of India since beginning his career in central banking in 1985.
vi. He authored a book titled “The Global Economic Crisis through an Indian looking glass” which vividly
captures the experience of the global financial crisis and the great recession of 2008-2009.
• Additionally, he has written papers on topics like exchange rates, the balance of payments,
international trade, monetary policy, and inflation.
Vietnam President Nguyen Xuan Phuc Resigns Amid Anti-Corruption Drive

President of Vietnam, Nguyen Xuan Phuc(68 years old), submitted his resignation after the communist party
blamed him for the violations and wrongdoings by the senior ministers under him during his 2016-2021 stint
as Prime Minister(PM) of Vietnam.
• His resignation is a part of the anti-corruption drive
which also led to the dismissal of 2 Deputy Prime
Ministers.
• The anti-corruption drive is led by Nguyen Phu Trong,
the Communist party general secretary.
About Nguyen Xuan Phuc:
i.Nguyen Xuan Phuc, hailing from Que Son District, Quang Nam
Province, Vietnam, served as PM of Vietnam from 2016 until
April 2021, when he was elected president.
ii.He received more than 97% of the votes to become the 11th President of Vietnam since 1945, the
establishment of the democratic republic of Vietnam.
iii.The president of Vietnam is the top representative in both internal and external affairs; and commander-in-
chief of the armed forces.
iv.He also served as the Deputy to the National Assembly in the 11th, 13th and 14th tenures.
Note:
Four pillars of Vietnamese politics: General Secretary of the Communist Party, President, Prime Minister and
Chairman of the National Assembly.
The resignation of the president requires approval from the National Assembly of Vietnam.
Vietnam dismissed 2 Deputy PMs:
Vietnam’s National Assembly has voted to dismiss 2 deputy prime ministers – Pham Binh Minh and Vu Duc
Dam – from their posts amid anti-corruption drive.
• The parliament also ratified the appointment of the environment minister, Tran Hong Ha, and the
party chief of Haiphong City, Tran Luu Quang, as the 2 new deputy prime ministers.
About Vietnam:
Prime Minister– Pham Minh Chinh
Capital– Hanoi
Currency– Vietnamese Dong

Gabon appoints Ossouka Raponda as Vice President & Alain-Claude Bilie as Prime Minister
On 9th January 2023, Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of Gabon, appointed Rose Christiane Ossouka
Raponda as the first-ever female Vice President of Gabon. Prior to this appointment, she has been serving as
the Prime Minister of Gabon since July 2022.
• Alain-Claude Bilie By Nze(56 years old), former Minister, was appointed as the new Prime
Minister of Gabon to replace Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda.
In July 2020, Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda became the first-ever female PM of Gabon. She was appointed
as PM following the resignation of her predecessor Julien Nkoghe Bekale.
Note:
The Post of Vice President has been vacant since May 2019. The function of the VP is to “assist” the head of state
and has no interim role in the event of a power vacuum.
About Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda:
i. Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda, began her career as Advisor to the Director General of the Economy in
2000, before being appointed Deputy Director General of the Economy.
• Her appointment marks the 4th cabinet shuffle to take place under the dual health and economic
crises brought on by the COVID-19 epidemic.
ii. She served as minister of budget and public finance from February 2012 until January 2014. She was Mayor
of Libreville, Gabon’s capital, in 2014 and served till 2019.
• She was the first woman to hold the position since 1956.
iii. She served as President of the United Cities and Local Governments in Africa in 2018.
About Alain-Claude Bilie By Nze:
i. Alain Claude Bilie By Nze served as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Water Resources in
the outgoing government.
ii. Since 2012, he had been working alongside Ali Bongo Ondimba when he was appointed political adviser and
spokesperson for the Gabonese Presidency.
iii. He joined the government in 2006 as Minister Delegate for Communication and Government Spokesperson
and has held several roles in ministerial jobs since then.
About Gabon:
President- Ali Bongo Ondimba
Capital- Libreville
Currency- Central African CFA franc
Herbalife signs up cricketer Smriti Mandhana as Brand Ambassador

On 9th January 2023, Herbalife International India private limited (Herbalife Nutrition) signed up an Indian
woman cricketer Smriti Mandhana as its Brand Ambassador. She is the 5th Indian athlete and the 2nd
cricketer to be Herbalife’s nutrition sponsor.
• Virat Kohli, Mary Kom, Lakshya Sen, and Manika Batra are the other athletes associated with the
brand.
• Smriti Mandhana, hailing from Mumbai, Maharashtra, made her Test debut in 2014. Currently, she is
the vice-captain of the Indian women’s national cricket team.
Herbalife Nutrition has more than 150 sponsored teams and athletes worldwide.
Indian-American A.C. Charania Appointed as NASA’s new Chief Technologist

An Indian-American aerospace industry expert A.C Charania has been appointed as National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA)’s new chief technologist. He will serve as the principal advisor to Administrator
Bill Nelson on technology policy and programmes at NASA’s headquarters.
• He replaced Indian-American scientist Bhavya Lal who has been serving as acting chief technologist,
prior to Charania’s appointment.

• Prior to joining NASA, A.C Charania served as vice president of product strategy at Reliable
Robotics, a firm that works to bring certified autonomous vehicles to commercial aviation.
He has also worked in strategy and business development for the Virgin Galactic (now Virgin Orbit)
LauncherOne small satellite launch vehicle programme and has served in multiple management and technology
roles at SpaceWorks Enterprises, including helping to incubate two startups, Generation Orbit and Terminal
Velocity Aerospace.
Cognizant appoints Ravi Kumar S as CEO; succeeds Brian Humphries

On 12th January 2023, Cognizant, an Information technology (IT) company, announced the appointment of
Ravi Kumar S as its Chief Executive officer (CEO) with immediate effect. He was also named as a member of the
Board of Directors of Cognizant.
• Ravi Kumar S succeeds Brian Humphries, who resigned from the post of CEO due to Cognizant's recent
underperformance on 9th January 2023.
• Brian Humphries will remain as a special advisor of
Cognizant until 15th March 2023 to facilitate a smooth
transition.
Key Points:
i. Stephen J. Rohleder, a member of Cognizant's Board since
March 2022, has been elected Chair of the Board.
• Former Chair Michael Patsalos-Fox will remain on the
Board as an independent director.
ii. Surya Gummadi, a 24-year veteran of Cognizant, has been named President of Cognizant Americas.
• She had held the role on an interim basis since July 2022 and previously served as SVP of Cognizant's
Health Sciences business segment.
About Ravi Kumar S:
i. Ravi Kumar S currently serves on the board of directors of TransUnion, a computer and information
technology company.
ii. Ravi Kumar joins Cognizant after a 20-year career at Infosys, where he held a number of leadership
positions. He served as the President of Cognizant from January 2016 to October 2022.
iii. He started his career as a nuclear scientist at the Bhabha Atomic Research Center and joined Infosys in
2002.
iv. He oversaw the Business Process Management (BPM) Unit and was Chair of the Board of Infosys BPM Ltd.
He has been in charge of the business operations of Infosys in China, Japan, Latin America, and India.
v. He has led the Infosys Global Services Organization across all global industry segments, driving digital
transformation services, consulting services, technology services, engineering services, data & analytics, cloud
and infrastructure, and enterprise package applications service lines.
About Cognizant:
CEO- Ravi Kumar S
Headquarters- Teaneck, New Jersey, United States
Establishment- 1994
UAE Names Oil Chief Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber as COP28 Climate President
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has named Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced
Technology of UAE and Group Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Abu Dhabi National Oil
Company(ADNOC), as President of the COP28 climate summit.
• The 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 28) to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be held in Dubai, UAE, from 30th November to 12th
December 2023.

On 12th January 2023, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and H.H.
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of the Presidential
Court appointed Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber as President-Designate
for the COP28).
Notes:
• Shamma Al Mazrui appointed COP28 UAE Youth Climate
Champion.
• Razan Al Mubarak appointed COP28 UAE UN Climate
Change High-Level Champion.
Conference of the Parties (COP):
i. According to UNFCCC, the COP is the convention’s top decision-making body.
ii. All States that are Parties to the Convention are represented at the COP, which examines the implementation
of the Convention and any other legal instruments that the COP adopts.
iii. It also makes decisions regarding institutional and administrative arrangements that are necessary to
support the Convention's effective implementation.
iv. The COP27 Sharm el-Sheikh Climate Change Conference was held n the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh,
Egypt in 2022.
Note:
This is the 1st formal assessment of the progress which will be held at COP28 in reducing emissions since the
Paris Agreement was signed. It is referred to as a Global Stocktake (GST).
Election and Membership:
The 3 bureaux of the governing and subsidiary organisations and the 17 constituted technical bodies make up
the institutional framework for climate change created under the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol, and the
Paris Agreement.
About Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber:
i. He serves as the chairman of Masdar, a government-owned renewable energy corporation, which now
operates in more than 40 countries. He also served as the UAE’s Climate Envoy.
ii. Al Jaber's role as COP28 President will be vital in leading intergovernmental negotiations and influencing the
outcomes of the UN climate change conference.
About the United Arab Emirates (UAE):
Prime Minister- Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
President- Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Capital- Abu Dhabi
Currency- United Arab Emirates Dirham
ACC extends tenure of Bank of Baroda MD Sanjiv Chadha

On January 14, 2023, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi has approved the proposal of the Department of Financial
Services for extending the term of Managing Director (MD) and
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bank of Baroda (BoB) Sanjiv
Chadha for about five months till June 30, 2023 i.e. when he
attains 60 years, the retirement age.
• Earlier his tenure was going to end on January 19,
2023.
Key Points:
i.Meanwhile, the Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB), the
headhunter for directors of state-owned banks and financial institutions, recommended elevation of Executive
Director (ED) Debadatta Chand as MD of BoB.
ii.FSIB also recommended Union Bank of India ED Rajneesh Karnataka for the position of MD & CEO in Bank of

India.
iii.FSIB is the headhunter for directors of state-owned banks and financial institutions, and is headed by former
secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Bhanu Pratap Sharma.
iv.The final decision on the FSIB recommendation is taken by ACC.
About Bank of Baroda:
Headquarters– Vadodara, Gujarat
Tagline– India’s International Bank
India Assumes Presidency of 13th International Renewable Energy Agency

India has assumed the presidency of the 13th assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency
(IRENA), the first international organisation solely dedicated to renewable energy, which was held from
January 13–15, 2023, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
• Union Minister Raj Kumar Singh (R.K. Singh),
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE),
delivered the opening remarks at IRENA’s 13th
assembly.
13th Assembly of IRENA
i.The theme of the 13th IRENA assembly is “World Energy
Transitions: The Global Stocktake.”
• Objective: To establish energy transition priorities
in advance of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – 28th
session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 28), which will be hosted by the UAE from November
30 – December 12, 2023.
ii.It was held in 2023 as the first annual milestone on the global energy agenda.
iii.IRENA is an intergovernmental organisation with the mission to promote adoption and sustainable use of
renewable energy while facilitating cooperation and knowledge development.
Key Points:
i.According to the 14-member Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) delegation, the Indian presidency of
IRENA will strengthen India’s leadership in sustainability activities.
ii.The Smart City Programme and Green Hydrogen Hubs are avenues through which UAE companies like
Masdar could invest in India.
• Masdar is an Abu Dhabi-based, government-owned provider of renewable energy that specialises in
sustainability and green hydrogen projects.
iii.The UAE offers prospects for rooftop solar and captive regeneration to the Indian sector.
iv.The UAE and India can strengthen their bilateral cooperation on accelerated climate action and the
implementation of the Paris Agreement (2015), including public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the deployment
of renewable energy, the production of green hydrogen, sustainable finance, and the establishment of carbon
markets.
Note: In 2023, India will host the Mission Innovation and Clean Energy Ministerials.
National Green Hydrogen Mission
i.The National Green Hydrogen Mission, with a total outlay of Rs. 19,744 crore, was approved by the Union
Cabinet on January 4, 2023.
• Its objective is to transform India into the world’s leading producer of green hydrogen.
ii.The government of India (GoI) has allocated Rs. 17,490 crore for the Strategic Interventions for Green
Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) programme, Rs. 1,466 crore for upcoming pilot projects, Rs. 400 crore for R&D,
and Rs. 388 crore for other mission components of the overall outlay of Rs. 19,744 crore for the mission.

About the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA):
Director-General – Francesco La Camera
Headquarters – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Members – 167 countries & the European Union (EU)
Former BSF DG Pankaj Kumar Singh appointed Deputy NSA

The Appointment Committee of Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of Pankaj Kumar Singh, as Deputy
National Security Adviser (Dy NSA) in the National Security Council Secretariat of India. He has been
appointed on a re-employment contract of 2 years with effect from the date of assumption of charge of the post,
or until further orders.
• Pankaj Kumar Singh, a 1988-batch Indian Police
Service (IPS) officer, previously served as Director
General of the Border Security Force (BSF) and
retired on 31st December 2022.
About Pankaj Kumar Singh:
i. Pankaj Kumar Singh was the 29th Director General (DG) of
BSF. He is the son of Ex BSF DG Prakash Singh, who served as the
DG of BSF from 1993 to 1994.
ii. He served as the head of the Induction Training Session for the
United Nations (UN) “Police Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina” (1997–1998).
• He also travelled to 3 South American countries (Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile) to select officers
from these countries for the UN Mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
iii. He has also served the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the National Development Council (NDC).
iv. In 2021, Pankaj Kumar Singh proposed to hold the BSF’s Raising Day in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
• The government has now ordered all parliamentary groups, including the Army, to hold their
foundation and raising days outside of Delhi.
v. He has authored and published various articles including the book “Journey to the country of Shiva.”
Awards:
i. He has been decorated with several DG’s Discs and commendations.
ii. He was also awarded UN Peace Medal (Bar), Police Medal for Meritorious Service and President Police Medal
for Distinguished Service.
About the National Security Council (NSC):
The National Security Advisor post was created in 1998. Brajesh Mishra served as India’s 1st National Security
Advisor (NSA).
National Security Advisor- Ajit Kumar Doval
UNGA confirms Inger Andersen for Second Term as Executive Director of UNEP
On 18th January 2023, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) elected Inger Andersen of Denmark as
Executive Director (ED) of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) for a second, 4-year term
beginning from 15th June 2023 to 14th June 2027.
• She is currently serving her initial 4-year term from 2019 to 2023.
Background:
i. On 9th January 2023, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent a note to the 193 General Assembly members
nominating Inger Andersen for reelection.
ii. Russia circulated a “draft decision” that required Antonio Guterres to present candidates for the position of
executive director of UNEP.
• The assembly defeated the Russian proposal by a vote of 13-77 with 62 abstentions.

• The secret ballot on Inger Andersen’s nomination was approved by a majority of 136-0 with 31
abstentions.
About Inger Andersen:
i. Inger Andersen started her career in Sudan in 1982 where she
worked initially as an English teacher under the UK-funded
English teachers programme.
ii. She spent 12 years working for the UN in New York at the UN
Sudano-Sahelian Office (UNSO), which is now the Nairobi
(Kenya)-based Global Policy Centre on Resilient Ecosystems and
Desertification.
iii. She oversaw the global environment portfolio in 22 Arab nations when she was appointed the Global
Environment Facility Coordinator for MENA at UNDP in 1992.
iv. She served as the Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa, the Vice President for Sustainable
Development, and the Head of the CGIAR Fund Council at the World Bank for 15 years (between 1999 and
2014).
v. Between 2015 and 2019, Inger Andersen led the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for 4
years before being named the head of UNEP in June 2019.
About the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP):
Executive Director– Inger Andersen
Headquarters- Nairobi, Kenya
Establishment- 1972
About the United Nations General Assembly;
President- Csaba Kőrösi of Hungary
Headquarters- New York, United States of America (USA)
Establishment- 1945
Sujeet Sharma joins Vodafone Idea as VP- Active Network and Commercial
Sujeet Sharma has joined Vodafone Idea as Vice President (VP) of active network and commercial, where he
will be in charge of the procurement for the company.
• Prior to joining Vodafone Idea, he was working at the Bharti Airtel for 15 years where he last held
the position of VP & head of infrastructure procurement and operations.
• In 2007, he joined Airtel as Senior Manager in the supply chain department and moved on to roles
like deputy general manager, and general manager in the department.
He spent 6 years at the erstwhile Idea Cellular (now Vodafone Idea) from 2001 to 2007.
EESL CEO Vishal Kapoor assumes Additional Charge as CEO of CESL

Vishal Kapoor, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), has assumed the
additional charge as the CEO of Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), a subsidiary of state-owned EESL.
• He succeeds CESL MD & CEO Mahua Acharya who resigned from the post on 1st December 2022.
• Vishal Kapoor joined the EESL in November 2022 before which he served as Joint Secretary
(Distribution) in the Ministry of Power (MoP), Government of India (GoI).
• He led various government interventions, schemes, and reforms in the power distribution sector.
ACC approves appointment of Vikram Dev Dutt as Director General of DGCA

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, has
approved the appointment of Vikram Dev Dutt as Director General(DG) of the Directorate General of Civil
Aviation (DGCA) with effect from 28th February 2023.
• Vikram Dev Dutt will succeed Arun Kumar, DG of the DGCA, who retires on 28th February 2023.

Arun Kumar, a 1989-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, was leading the DGCA as its DG since
July 2019.
About Vikram Dev Dutt:
i. Vikram Dev Dutt, a 1993 batch IAS officer of AGMUT (Arunachal
Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territory) cadre, currently
serves as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Air India
Assets Holding Limited (AIAHL).
ii. He served as Principal Secretary (Tourism) in the Delhi
government and also as Principal Secretary in the Health and
Family Welfare Department of the Government in Delhi.
iii. He also served as Principal Secretary (Finance) in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Secretary (Tourism) Goa
government, and Managing Director (MD) of the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC).
Other Appointments Approved by the ACC:
i. Arti Bhatnagar, a 1990 batch Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) Officer, was appointed as Additional
Secretary & Financial Advisor, Ministry of Commerce & Industry (MoCI).
ii. Amardeep Singh Bhatia, a 1993 batch IAS officer of the Nagaland cadre, was appointed as Additional
Secretary of the Department of Commerce, MoCI.
iii. Alok, a 1993 batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, a Member (Administration), National Highways
Authority of India, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), appointed as Additional Secretary of
the National Disaster Management Authority, Minister of Home Affairs (MoHA).
iv. Satinder Pal Singh, a 1995 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, was appointed as
Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.
v. ACC also approved the extension of the central deputation tenure of Ashutosh Jindal, a 1993 batch IAS officer
of the Manipur Tripura cadre, Additional Secretary of Cabinet Secretariat for 1 year (16th February 2023 to
16th February 2024).
About the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet:
The committee is composed of the Prime Minister of India (ex-officio Chairman) and the Minister of Home
Affairs.
About the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA):
The DGCA is a statutory body of the Government of India (GoI) to regulate civil aviation in India. It became a
statutory body under the Aircraft (Amendment) Act of 2020.
Director General- Arun Kumar
Headquarters- New Delhi
Justice Sabina appointed Acting Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court
Justice Sabina, the senior-most judge of the Himachal Pradesh High Court (HC), was appointed as Acting Chief
Justice of the Himachal Pradesh HC, in the exercise of the power conferred by Article 223 of the Constitution of
India, with effect from 21st January 2023 following the retirement of Himachal Pradesh HC Chief Justice, Amjad
Ahtesham Sayed.
• She has previously served as the acting chief justice of Himachal Pradesh from May 25 to June 22, 2022.
• In 1986, Justice Sabina was unanimously selected as Joint Secretary of the Bar Association of Punjab and
Haryana HC. She was appointed as an Additional District Judge in 1997.
• She was appointed as a Sessions Judge in September 2004 and was promoted to Additional Judge of
Punjab and Haryana HC in 2008 and Permanent Judge in 2010.
In 2016, she was transferred to the Rajasthan HC and sworn in as a Judge of the Rajasthan HC. Later in 2021,
she was transferred to the Himachal Pradesh HC.

Chris Hipkins Becomes 41st Prime Minister of New Zealand; Jacinda Ardern resigned
On 25th January 2023, Chris Hipkins (44 years old), leader of the Labour Party, was sworn in as the 41st
Prime Minister (PM) of New Zealand by the governor-general Cindy Kiro, King Charles representative in New
Zealand, during a ceremony in Wellington, New Zealand.
• Chris Hipkins took over the premiership succeeding
Jacinda Ardern(42 years old), after she tendered her
resignation to Governor-General Cindy Kiro on 25th
January 2023.Carmel Sepuloni was also sworn in as
the deputy PM, the first time that a person with
Pacific Island heritage has taken the role.
Note – The 2023 General Election of New Zealand will be held
on 14 October 2023.
Key highlights:
i.Chris Hipkins entered Parliament in 2008 and became the Spokesperson for Education in 2013. He was
appointed minister for Covid-19 in November 2020.
ii.On the sidelines, he is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Remutaka, the Minister for National Security
and Intelligence, and the Minister Responsible for Ministerial Services.
• He was also the minister for police, education and public service under Jacinda Ardern.
Jacinda Ardern resigned as Prime Minister of New Zealand
Ms Jacinda Ardern has resigned as the New Zealand Prime Minister (PM) and announced that she will not
contest in the general elections set for October 2023.
About Jacinda Ardern:
i.Jacinda Ardern is the 3rd female prime minister of New Zealand after Jenny Shipley (1997–1999) and Helen
Clark (1999–2008).
• She also became the world’s youngest female head of government when she was elected prime
minister in 2017 at 37.
ii.In 2018, she became the second elected world leader to ever give birth while in office, after Pakistan’s
Benazir Bhutto in 1990.
iii.She was re-elected for a second term as Prime Minister in 2020.
About New Zealand:
Prime Minister – Chris Hipkins
Governor General – Cindy Kiro
Capital – Wellington
Currency – New Zealand dollar
Amul: GCMMF re-elects Shamalbhai B Patel as Chairman & Valamji Humbal as Vice Chairman
On 24th January 2023, Shamalbhai B Patel was re-elected as the Chairman of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk
Marketing Federation (GCMMF), the umbrella body of milk
cooperatives in Gujarat which owns the brand Amul.
• The election took place at the headquarters of the
federation in Anand, Gujarat in presence of the heads
of all the district cooperative milk unions.
The board of directors of GCMMF has also re-elected Valamji
Humbal as Vice-Chairman of the GCMMF for the 2nd time.
Note: The duo was 1st elected as Chairman and Vice-Chairman in
July 2020 for a two and a half years term.
Key Points:
i. The election was conducted by the Deputy Collector of Anand in the presence of 17 out of 18 members who
are chairmen representing their district milk unions in Gujarat.

ii. The nomination of Shamalbhai B Patel was proposed by Ashokbhai Chaudhary, Chairman of the Mehsana
milk union and supported by Ramsinh Parmar, Chairman of the Kaira milk union.
iii. The nomination of Valamji Humbal was proposed by Mansinhbhai Patel, Chairman of the Surat milk union
and supported by Vihabhai Sabhad, Chairman of the Surendranagar milk union.
Shamalbhai B Patel:
i. Shamalbhai B Patel is the Chairman of Sabarkantha District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd., Sabar
dairy.
• He was associated with dairy cooperatives of Gujarat for the last 33 years.
ii. The Sabar Union is one of the largest dairy unions in Gujarat with an annual sales turnover exceeding Rs
6,800 crores and farmer membership of 3.85 lakh milk producers.
Valamji Humbal:
i. Valamjibhai Humbal is the Chairman of Kutch District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd., Sarhad Dairy
for the last 14 years.
ii. Kutch milk union’s annual sales turnover exceeds Rs. 870 crores and farmer membership of 1 lakh milk
producers.
About the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF)-Amul:
GCMMF is the largest food products organisation in India and has annual sales of Rs 46,481 crores during the
financial year (FY) 2021-2022.
Managing Director- Jayen Mehta
Headquarters- Anand, Gujarat
Establishment- 1946
GoI Extends tenure of Sangeeta Verma as Acting Chairperson of CCI

The Government of India (GoI) has extended the tenure of Sangeeta Verma as acting Chairperson of
the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
In October 2022, She was appointed as the acting Chairperson of
CCI for a period of 3 months following the retirement of Full time
chairman Ashok Kumar Gupta on 25th October 2022.
• The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) noted that
Sangeeta Verma will be the acting Chairperson of CCI
until the date on which a new Chairperson is appointed
or till any further orders in this regard.
About Sangeeta Verma:
i.Sangeeta Verma, a 1981 batch Indian Economic Service (IES)
officer, joined the CCI board as a member in December 2018.
ii.She has wide-ranging experience of over three decades in government, both central and state, as an
economist, administrator, regulator, and policymaker.
• She has also served the government in several sectors of the economy, including consumer affairs,
industry, agriculture, power, and women and child development.
iii.She was superannuated as Principal Adviser to the GoI in the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) and
also served as the Secretary of Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC), and Economic
Adviser with the Central Electricity Authority, Ministry of Power.
Keynote:
i.The CCI has been without a full-time Chairperson since the retirement of Ashok Kumar Gupta.
ii.A quorum of 3 members with a chairperson is required for the approval of Mergers and acquisitions beyond a
certain threshold under the Competition Act, 2022.
• Each member will have a tenure of 5 years or till the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
iii.Sangeeta Verma & Bhagwant Singh Bishnoi are the members of CCI.

• Bhagwant Singh Bishnoi was appointed in July 2019 for a five year period, and will retire later in
2023.
About Competition Commission of India (CCI):
Chairperson – Sangeeta Verma
RBI approves appointment of Prabdev Singh as CEO of JP Morgan Chase Bank India
JPMorgan Chase & Co. has received approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to name Prabdev Singh as
its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of JP Morgan Chase Bank India for a period of 3-years. He has been serving
as the interim CEO of the bank since November 2022, replacing Madhav Kalyan.
Prior to joining JP Morgan in 2010, he has worked with HSBC Holdings Plc for over a decade JP Morgan Chase &
Co is an American multinational financial services company headquartered in New York City, United States of
America(USA).
India elected as Vice-Chair at the 12th session of FAO’s ITWG on AnGR

During the 12th Session of the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group (ITWG) on Animal Genetic
Resources (AnGR) at Rome, Italy from January 18-20, 2023, India was elected as the Vice-Chair and
represented the Asia & Pacific region.
• Dr Bhupendra Nath Tripathi, Deputy Director
General (Animal Sciences), ICAR (Indian Council of
Agricultural Research), and the National Coordinator,
vice-chaired the Session and also acted as
Rapporteur.
What is ITWG?
It wascreated by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO’s)
Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
(CGRFA) at its 7th Session in May 1997. It reviews technical
issues, advises and makes recommendations to the Commission and further implements the Commission’s
programme related to AnGR at global level.
What was in the 12th session of ITWG?
i.There was an implementation of the Global Plan of Action for AnGR, monitoring of AnGR diversity and
reviewing the 3rd Country Report.
ii.There was also a discussion on the agenda points on role of microorganisms relevant to ruminant digestion,
role of genetic resources in mitigating and adapting to climate change; access and benefit-sharing for AnGR;
digital sequence information and potential implications for the conservation and sustainable use of genetic
resources.
Point to be noted:
Earlier to the 12th ITWG Session, the Global National Coordinators’ Workshop was held at Rome, from 16-17th
January, 2023 where Dr B N Tripathi shared India’s experience in updating data in Domestic Animal Diversity –
Information System (DAD-IS) and presented a framework for cataloguing native populations.
About Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO):
Director-General– QU Dongyu
Headquarters– Rome, Italy

Tata Trusts Appoints Siddharth Sharma as New CEO & Aparna Uppaluri as First COO
Tata Trusts has appointed former civil servant Siddharth Sharma, chief sustainability officer of Tata Sons, as
its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and former Ford Foundation official Aparna Uppaluri as its first-
ever Chief Operating Officer (COO) with effect from 1st April 2023. The position of COO in Tata Trusts is
created for the first time.
• Siddharth Sharma will succeed Srinath Narasimhan who stepped down as the CEO of Tata Trusts in
2022 following his retirement.
• Siddharth Sharma has served as the financial advisor to the 13th and 14th Presidents of India.
• Aparna Uppaluri is presently the programme director for India, Nepal and Sri Lanka at the Ford
Foundation. She was also involved in grant-making activities, especially into gender justice.
Tata Trusts owns a 66% stake in Tata Sons, the principal holding entity of Tata’s group of companies.
Anurag Gupta appointed as VP & Head of Global Merchant And Network Services in Amex India
American Express Banking Corp., (AEBC) announced the appointment of Anurag Gupta as the Vice President
(VP) and Head of Global Merchant & Network Services in American Express (Amex) India, bringing both the
acquiring and the network cards issuance teams under one leader.
• Anurag Gupta will be in charge of extending Amex merchant coverage and the network that issues
American Express Cards, through bank partnerships.
• He has been a part of American Express for over 18 years working across different businesses,
functions, and roles in India and in other global markets.
• This appointment aims to further accelerate and drive a step-up in the growth trajectory of
American Express’ acquiring and issuing partnerships in India
Petr Pavel, Former Chair of NATO Military Committee, elected as new President of Czech
Republic
On 28th January 2023, Petr Pavel (61-year-old), the former chairman of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
(NATO)military committee, won the runoff vote defeating former Prime Minister (PM) Andrej Babis, to become
the 4th President of Czech Republic.
• He will succeed Milos Zeman who steps down in
March 2023 at the end of his 2nd term.
Czech Presidential Election 2023:
• With the ballots from 97% of almost 15,000 polling
stations, Petr Pavel won 58.3% of the votes by
defeating the former Prime Minister (PM) of the
Czech Republic, Andrej Babis scored 41.7%.
• Turnout for the election was about 70 %, the
highest since direct presidential elections were
instigated in 2013.
Note: On 19th October 2022, Milos Zeman declared that he would step down in March 2023, at the conclusion
of his 2nd term.
About Petr Pavel:
i. General Petr Pavel, born on 1 November 1961 in Planá u Mariánských Lázní, Czech Republic.
ii. He joined the military intelligence service in 1991 and served in the Czechoslovak troops of the United
Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), also known by its French acronym FORPRONU: Force de Protection des
Nations Unies, in Bosnia.
iii. During the 1993 Bosnian War, when French forces were being held hostage by the Serbs, a South Slavic
people, Petr Pavel rose to fame for having liberated them.
iv. He served for 3 years in NATO’s regional command in the Netherlands when the Czech Republic joined

NATO in 1999.
v. From July 2012 to 2015, General Pavel served as Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, the
highest-ranking officer in the Army and the principal military adviser to the Czech Government.
vi. He served as the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee from 2015 to 2018.with his term beginning in
2015 and retiring in 2018.
Awards and Recognition:
i. Paris awarded Petr Pavel the highest French order of merit, the National Order of the Legion of
Honour (formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour), in 2012 for his bravery.
ii. He was awarded the Commander of the Legion of Merit (LOM), a military award of the United States (US)
Armed Forces, for his work in the Military Committee.
iii. His other honours are Croix de Guerre (France) and Cross of Merit of the Minister of Defence of the Czech
Republic.
About the Czech Republic:
Prime Minister (PM)- Petr Fiala
Capital- Prague
Currency- Czech Koruna
ACQUISITION & MERGERS

Adani group acquires 27.26% equity stake held by NDTV founders Roys for over Rs 600 crore
Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy, founders of the news broadcaster New Delhi Television (NDTV) sold 27.26% of
their equity in NDTV, 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.
Note: On December 23, Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy announced the sale of 27.26% out of their remaining
32.26% shareholding in the NDTV to the Adani Group.
Key Points:
i. The transfer of shares was done by way of inter-se transfer under the Securities and Exchange Board of India
(SEBI) (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations, 2011.
ii. Vishvapradhan Commercial Private Limited, an indirect subsidiary of the corporation, owns an 8.27% equity
share in NDTV, whereas RRPR (prior to the present acquisition) held a 29.18% equity share in NDTV.
• After this acquisition, RRPR will own 56.45% of the company.
iii. On 30th December 2022, the transaction was finalised through the NSE’s (National Stock Exchange of India
Ltd) block deal window, and the settlement is subject to exchange procedures and formalities.
iv. Adani Group indirectly acquired RRPR Holding Pvt Ltd in August 2022, which led to an open offer to buy a
further 26% of NDTV.
About the New Delhi Television (NDTV):
Executive Co-Chairpersons- Dr Prannoy Roy & Radhika Roy
Establishment- 1988
About the Adani Group:
Chairman- Gautam Adani
Managing Director (MD)- Rajesh Adani
Establishment- 1988

RBI approves SBI Mutual Funds to acquire 9.99% of Equitas SFB through Various Schemes
On 3rd January 2023, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved SBI Funds Management Limited (SBIFML – SBI
Mutual Funds) to acquire up to 9.99% of the paid-up equity capital of Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB)
(formerly Equitas Microfinance Ltd) through various schemes of SBI Mutual Fund.
Key Highlights:
i. This approval by RBI is subject to compliance with the provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, Master
Direction on Prior Approval for Acquisition of shares or voting rights in private sector banks and Master
Direction on Ownership in Private sector Banks issued by RBI, provisions of the regulations issued by SEBI,
provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 and any other statutes as applicable.
• This is valid for a year till 2nd January 2024.
ii. Equitas SFB provides goods and services to suit the demands of affluent and mass-affluent, corporates, small
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and individuals with limited access to formal finance channels.
About the SBI Funds Management Limited (SBIFML):
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Shamsher Singh
Establishment- 1992
About Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB):
MD & CEO- Vasudevan P N
Headquarters- Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Establishment- 2016
Axis Bank enters into Revised Pact with Max Fin Serv to Acquire Additional 7% Stake in Max
Life
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.
• The agreement has been revised by the guidance issued by the Insurance Regulatory and
Development Authority (IRDAI) in October 2022.
According to the Axis Bank, Axis Entities entered into revised agreements with Max Financial on 9th January
2023.
Key Highlights:
i. Axis Bank entered into the pact agreeing that the valuation for the right to acquire the balance 7% of Max
Life’s equity stake would be at Fair Market Value using Discounted Cash Flows instead of valuation as per Rule
11UA of the Income Tax Rules, 1962.
ii. Axis Entities acquired 12.99% of Max Life’s equity share capital in April 2021 for a total of Rs 35 per share,
with the right to purchase an additional 7% stake in the future.
• Additionally, it fined Max Life Insurance Rs 3 crores for violating the laws governing the transfer of
shares.
Note:
• Mitsui Sumitomo Company Ltd (MSI) held 25.48% of the company’s shares and Max Financial
Services Ltd (MFS) held 72.52% of them.
• Discounted cash flow refers to the estimated value of an investment based on future cash flows.
About the Axis Bank Limited:
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Amitabh Chaudhry
Establishment- 1993

Alibaba Sells 3.1% Stake in Paytm for USD 125 million via Block Deal
On 12th January 2023, 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.
• Paytm's parent company, One97 Communications, got listed on the Indian stock exchanges on 18
November 2021 after an Initial Public Offering(IPO). Paytm raised USD 2.5 billion in India's largest IPO.
Apax Partners Sells its Entire Stake in Shriram Finance

On 13th January 2023, Private equity player Apax Partners’ subsidiary Dynasty Acquisition is likely to sell
its entire stake, up to 1.73 crore shares or 4.63 percent stake, in Shriram Finance through a block deal. As
per the report, Apax will offer up to a 6 percent discount on deals. The deal size is Rs 2,250 crore including the
green shoe option. Kotak Securities is likely to be the broker for the deal.
In 2015, Apax had acquired a stake in Shriram City from TPG Capital. Presently, Apex holds a 4.63 percent
stake in Shriram Finance, the merged entity of Shriram City and Shriram Transport.
Canara bank sells its entire 40% Stake in CIBL to SBI

Canara Bank is set to sell its entire 40% stake in the Russian joint venture (JV) Commercial Indo Bank LLC
(CIBL) to the JV partner State Bank of India (SBI). The cash consideration for the transaction is equivalent
to USD 14.67 million. (Rs 114 crore). The transaction is expected to be completed on or before 31st March
2023.
• 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).
Key Points:
i. The share transaction comes after Canara Bank and SBI signed a share sale agreement for the sale of
equity shares in CIBL.
ii. On 30th November 2022, with the approval of the Central Bank of the Russia Federation (Bank of
Russia)and based on the share sale agreement, Canara Bank transferred the entire shares it had in CIBL to
the SBI.
About Canara Bank:
Non-Executive Chairman- Vijay Srirangan
Headquarters- Bangalore, Karnataka
Establishment- 1906
Tagline- ‘Together we can’
About State Bank of India (SBI):
Chairman- Dinesh Kumar Khara
Establishment- 1955
Tagline- ‘The Banker to Every Indian’
IndiGrid to acquire a 100% stake in Khargone Transmission for Rs 1,497.5 crore

India Grid Trust (IndiGrid), an Indian power sector infrastructure investment trust, is set to acquire a 100%
stake in Khargone Transmission Limited at an enterprise value of about Rs 1,497.5 crore.
According to BSE, the acquisition will be made for a cash payment of not more than Rs 1,497.5 crore for the
enterprise value.

• On 21st January 2023, IndiGrid and Sterlite Power Transmission Limited (one of the sponsors of
IndiGrid) signed a share purchase agreement to acquire a 100% shareholding and economic interest
(one or more tranches) in Khargone Transmission Limited.
Key Points:
i. The Ministry of Power (MoP) awarded the transmission project on a BOOM (Build Own Operate Maintain)
basis for a 35-year period beginning with the date of scheduled commercial operation.
ii. The transmission project has 6 elements. The project has one substation element, three transmission line
elements, one Line In Line Out (LILO)element, and One line bay.
• It is located in the state of Madhya Pradesh(MP) and Maharashtra.
iii. The project aims to deliver 1320 megawatts (MW) of thermal energy from the Khargone power plant to
users in the home, commercial, agricultural, and industrial segments in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra,
improving electricity supply and grid stability.
Note: The Khargone Transmission was incorporated on 28th November 2015.
About India Grid Trust:
IndiGrid is India’s 1st and largest Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT) in the power transmission sector.
Chief Executive Officer and Whole-time Director- Harsh Shah
Establishment- 2016
NARCL Acquires First Stressed Asset – Jaypee Infratech

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.
• IDBI Bank received Rs. 253 crore, which is 15 percent of the Rs. 1,687.50-crore recovery in cash and
Rs. 1,434.5 crore, an 85 percent of the recovery in the form of security receipts.
• The other lenders of the consortium will receive cash and security receipts depending on their
exposure to the company.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Pushan-Alpha: Digantara launches 2nd satellite to Monitor Space Weather onboard Falcon 9
rocket from Florida, US
On January 3, 2023, Bengaluru (Karnataka) based space situational awareness (SSA) start-up Digantara
launched its second satellite Pushan-Alpha as a rideshare on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, carrying Transporter-6
mission to the low earth orbit (LEO), from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force
Station in Florida, United States (US).
• The Pushan-Alpha mission is named after
the Hindu Solar (Sun) Deity considered as the God of
journeys and protector of travellers.
• Transporter-6 was SpaceX’s sixth dedicated smallest
rideshare mission carrying 114 payloads.
Point to be noted:
i.This launch will complement Digantara’s ROBust Integrating
(ROBI) Proton Fluence Meter Mission that was launched on the
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) PSLV C53 on June 30,
2022. It was world’s first commercial space-based space weather monitoring system
ii.This is the second launch by an Indian startup using Falcon 9 rocket after Bengaluru-headquartered-Pixxel
launched Shakuntala, its first, hyperspectral satellite into space in April 2022.

Pushan-Alpha has 3 objectives:
i.To extend radiation measurements to the sun synchronous orbit
ii.To assess mid to high energy particle radiation from the South Atlantic Anomaly
iii.To investigate any co-relation of atmospheric drag and particle environment for enhanced orbit and debris
modelling.
Key Points:
i.Pushan-Alpha will serve as a space weather testbed in the sun synchronous orbit for enhancing precision
driven SSA applications.
ii.Digantara is developing infrastructure to address the difficulties of space operations and space traffic
management through its Space Mission Assurance Platform.
iii.The founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Digantara Aerospace is Anirudh Sharma.
India carries out successful test launch of Prithvi-II from Chandipur, Odisha
On January 10, 2023, India successfully test launched nuclear capable tactical ballistic missile Prithvi-II from
the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
• The missile struck its target with high accuracy.
• This test was done to test the missile’s night time capabilities
Key Points:
i.Prithvi-II, a short-range, surface-to-surface ballistic missile, is the
first missile to have been developed by the Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Integrated Guided
Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).
ii.It is a part of India’s Prithvi missile series, which includes the
Prithvi-I, Prithvi-II, Prithvi-III, and Dhanush.
iii.It is powered by light propulsion twin engines.
iv.It has a range of around 350 km and can carry 500-1,000 kg of
warheads. It uses an advanced inertial navigation system to strike the set target.
v.It will be primarily used by the Indian Army.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope discovers its 1st Earth-Like Exoplanet
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) discovered
its first exoplanet, a planet that orbits another star, formally classified as LHS 475 b, which is reportedly
almost the exact size of Earth, clocking in at 99% of Earth’s diameter.
• The planet is rocky and almost precisely the same size as Earth, but whips around its star in only
two days.
• LHS 475 b, located in the constellation Octans, is only 41 light-years away.
Team:
The research team is led by Kevin Stevenson and Jacob Lustig-
Yaeger, both from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics
Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, United States (US).
• Researchers used NASA’s James Webb Space
Telescope’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) to
observe exoplanet LHS 475 b on 31st August 2022.
• The team’s results were presented at a press
conference of the American Astronomical Society
(AAS) on 11th January 2023.
Key Points:
i. The team chose to examine this target with Webb after carefully reviewing targets of interest from NASA’s

Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which highlighted the planet’s existence.
ii. With just two transit observations, Webb’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) was able to capture the
planet clearly.
iii. Only Webb is able to characterise the atmospheres of Earth-sized exoplanets among all other active
telescopes.
iv. By examining the transmission spectrum of the planet, scientists made an effort to assess what is included in
its atmosphere.
v. The precise light curve of Webb almost immediately showed the planet’s two-day orbital period.
vi. LHS 475 b is closer to its star than any other planet in the solar system. Its red dwarf star is less than half the
temperature of the Sun, therefore researchers project it still could support an atmosphere.
NASA’s TESS mission discovers 2nd Earth-sized planet in “Habitable Zone”

NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission has made a discovery, identifying a 2nd Earth-
sized, called TOI 700 e, a rocky planet within the habitable zone of a star.
TOI 700 e:
i. TOI 700 e takes 28 days to orbit its star called TOI 700, a small red dwarf star located around 100 light-years
from Earth.
ii. TOI 700 e is a member of the TOI 700 system, 95% the size of the Earth, and most likely rocky.
Key Points:
i. The three planets in the same system were previously found by NASA:
• TOI 700 b (90% Earth’s size)- orbits the star every 10 days.
• TOI 700 c (2.5 times bigger than Earth)- completes an orbit every 16 days.
• TOI 700 d (near-Earth-sized)- a 37-day orbit
ii. In January 2020, scientists announced the discovery of TOI-700 d, the 1st Earth-sized planet discovered by
TESS in the habitable zone.
iii. Since Planet e is around 10% smaller than Planet d, the system shows how additional TESS observations
enable the discovery of smaller and smaller worlds.
iv. Emily Gilbert, a postdoctoral fellow at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, presented
the result on behalf of her team at the 241st meeting of the American Astronomical Association in Seattle,
Washington, United States (US).
• A paper about the newly discovered planet was accepted by The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
About Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS):
i. TESS was launched on April 18, 2018, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
ii. TESS was designed and launched specifically to find Earth-sized planets orbiting nearby stars.
• Planetary scientists can learn more about the development of our own solar system by discovering
other systems in this region that have Earth-sized worlds.
OneWeb Launches 40 Satellites from SpaceX’s Florida Space Centre

OneWeb, a United Kingdom-based satellite broadband connectivity company backed by the Bharti group, has
launched another 40 satellites from SpaceX’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, United States of
America to achieve over 80% deployment of its planned in-orbit low-earth orbit (LEO) constellation.
• This marks OneWeb’s 16th launch and 2 more launches will complete OneWeb’s 1st -generation
constellation enabling global connectivity in 2023.
With 542 satellites in orbit, OneWeb has more than 80% of its first-generation constellation launched.

Geotail Spacecraft, 1st joint mission of NASA-JAXA, Retires After Data Recorder Failure
Geotail spacecraft, the first joint mission of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) retired after 30 years in orbit. The mission operations of
Geotail were ended due to the failure of its remaining data recorder.
• The mission also helped identify the location of a process called magnetic reconnection, which is
a major conveyor of material and energy from the Sun into the magnetosphere and one of the
instigators of the aurora. This discovery laid the way for the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission,
or MMS, which launched in 2015.
• Geotail, which was launched on 24th July 1992 orbited earth and gathered datasets on the
structure and dynamics of the magnetosphere, Earth’s protective magnetic bubble.
• Geotail was originally slated for a four-year run, but the mission was extended several times due
to its high-quality data return.
• One of Getotail’s 2 recorders failed in 2012 and the 2nd continued until experiencing an
anomaly on 28th June 2022.
Following the failed attempts to repair the recorder, the mission operations ended on 28th November
2022.
Tata Boeing Aerospace Delivers 1st Fuselage for Indian Army’s Boeing AH-64 Apache Combat
Helicopters
Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL), a Joint Venture between Tata Advanced Systems Limited(TASL) and
American aircraft manufacturer, Boeing Company, delivered the first fuselage for the Indian Army’s contract
for six AH-64E Apache Combat helicopters.
• The fuselage, which is the primary body of an aircraft,
was officially handed over to Lieutenant General Ajay
Kumar Suri, Director General and Colonel
Commandant of Army Aviation.
• The fuselage is dispatched by TBAL to Arizona in the
United States of America (USA) for final assembly. The
first Apache is scheduled to be delivered to the Indian
Army in February 2024.
The fuselage was built at the state-of-the-art TBAL facility in
Hyderabad, Telangana.
Backdrop
i.The Cabinet Committee on Security had already approved the procurement of 39 AH-64 Apache attack
helicopters from the US.
ii.Following this, the Indian Air Force (IAF) procured 22 Apache AH-64E helicopters from The Boeing Company
(US) in 2020, with a deal signed in September 2015.
iii.The Government of India (GoI) has also decided that any future Apache purchases would go to the Indian
Army.
• Accordingly, GoI inked a contract in February 2020 for six new Apache helicopters for the Indian
Army at a cost of around USD 800 million.
Key Points:
i.All six AH-64 Apache Combat Helicopters are set to be delivered by April 2024.
• The Apache will significantly increase the capability of the Indian Army.
ii.In preparation for their induction, four Army Aviation pilots and seven technicians have begun training in the
US in December 2022.
iii.Boeing has delivered 4 advanced aircraft to India: The C-17 Globemaster III, the P-8I Poseidon multirole
maritime mission aircraft, and the Chinook and Apache helicopters.

AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopters
i.The Apache attack helicopter is regarded as the world’s most advanced and deadliest attack helicopter, with
over 1,275 AH-64 Apaches in operation worldwide.
ii.Globally, these helicopters have completed over 4.9 million flight hours, 1.3 million of which have been in
combat.
iii.The helicopter can deliver a variety of weapons, including air-to-ground Hellfire missiles.
Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL)
i.The facility is designed to serve as a single global source for fuselages for Boeing’s AH-64 Apache helicopters,
which are supplied to the US Army and other global customers.
ii.The facility manufactures vertical spare boxes and secondary structures for this multi-role combat helicopter.
• It also manufactures complex aero structures for the Boeing 737 and 777.
Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL)
i.TASL is a leading private player in aerospace and defence solutions in India.
ii.It is a fully owned subsidiary of Tata Sons and the strategic aerospace and defence division of the TATA
Group.
• TASL functions as both an operational and a holding company.
MD & CEO – Sukaran Singh
Founded – 2007
Note: Tata Group was recently awarded the “Supplier of the Year” award 2022 from Boeing.
i.In November 2022, the Director General of Indian Coast Guard(ICG), VS Pathania, commissioned 840
Squadron (840 Sqn (CG)), an ICG Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Mk-III squadron, at ICG Air Station,
Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
ii.ALH Mk-III helicopters are indigenously manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
IIT Guwahati Aeromodelling Club Engineered Indigenous Multipurpose Drones

The Aeromodelling club of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati(Assam) has engineered 4 state-of-
the-art Indigenous Multipurpose Drones capable of surveillance, precision photography and warehouse
management. The drones were designed and developed in IIT-Guwahati by the students in collaboration with
the professors.
i.The 4 drones include,
• “Warehouse Drones” for complex warehouse and inventory management;
• “Reaper Drones” for military and law enforcement usage,
• “Ornithopters” based on the design of birds for surveillance in tight spaces and wildlife
photography, and
• “RAVEN” an indigenously built VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) capable fixed-winged aircraft
which can be used as a delivery or surveillance drone.
ii.The club has recently raised a seed fund from the Technology Incubation Centre (TIC) IIT-Guwahati to
develop Reaper for commercialisation.
CJI DY Chandrachud launches E-SCR Project for Digital Version of Judgments Reported in SC
The Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Yashwant (DY) Chandrachud launched the Electronic Supreme
Court Reports (E-SCR) project to provide free access to about 34,000 judgements of SC to lawyers, law students
and the common public.
• This project is an initiative to provide the digital version of the SC’s judgments in the manner as they
are reported in the official law report i.e. SCRs.
• The project has been launched as a tribute to the nation in the New Year.

Developers:
A search engine comprising elastic search techniques in the database of e-SCR was developed by the SC along
with the National Informatics Centre (NIC), Pune (Maharashtra).
Key Points:
i.The verdicts of SC will be available on the SC website, its mobile app and on the judgement portal of the
National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG).
ii.As of now, the judgements delivered till January 1, 2023, were made available.
iii.Under this project, all judgements will be placed online within 24 hours.
iv.Neutral citations will also be introduced. A committee comprising three judges viz. Justice Rajiv Shakdher of
the Delhi High Court, Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan of the Kerala High Court and Justice Suraj Govindraj of the
Karnataka High Court – have been constituted to work on the process of neutral citations.
• Delhi and Kerala High Courts were already using the neutral citation.
• Note – Under neutral citation, a unique number will be uploaded for every judgment to ease the
search for orders and judgments.
v.This project is a step forward towards the objective of digitization of the Indian Judiciary and bringing in a
positive change for the benefit of all the stakeholders of justice.
Gaganyaan: India’s 1st Atmanirbhar human space flight to be launched by 2024

On 1st January 2023, Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister for Science and Technology, announced that the Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is ready to launch India’s 1st Atmamirbhar human flight “Gaganyaan” by
the year 2024.
• There will be two preliminary launches in 2024. The 1st will be unmanned, and in the 2nd launch,
the robot will be there as a human replica. On the third launch, humans will be sent into space.
• If the 2 tests are a complete success, it is reported that humans will travel for the 3rd time.
China launches Asia’s 1st Semi-High-Speed Hydrogen Train with a Range of 600 Km
China’s CRRC Corporation Limited has unveiled Asia’s 1st hydrogen-powered trains for the Urban Railways,
which have a top speed of 160 kmph (kilometre per hour) and a range of 600 km on a single tank. It was
developed in collaboration with Chengdu Rail Transit and CRRC Changchun Railway Co.
• This is the second such train in the world. Germany introduced green trains in 2022.
• By 2025, China plans to roll out 50,000 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, with a target of producing
100,000–200,000 tonnes of hydrogen annually from renewable sources.
The market for hydrogen-powered trains is predicted to be valued at USD 34.7 billion by 2030.
DRDO Develops UAV for Operations in Himalayan Frontier

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed an untethered multi-copter
payload, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), that aims to carry out logistic operations in the Himalayan
frontier. The UAV is capable of flying with a 5 kg to 25 Kg payload and is also used to drop bombs in enemy
territories and medicines for soldiers who are deployed at high altitudes or war zones.
• This was displayed by the DRDO at the 108th Indian Science Congress, which was held between 3rd
January – 7th January 2023 in Nagpur, Maharashtra and will be ready for induction in the Armed
Forces after the trials.
Virgin Orbit: UK’s First-Ever Rocket Mission Suffers Anomaly & Ends in Failure
The United Kingdom (UK)’s first-ever space mission failed after the rocket suffered an anomaly during the
flight. Virgin Orbit’s modified Boeing 747 dubbed “Cosmic Girl” carrying LauncherOne, the first rocket to
launch into space from the UK took off from Cornwall.

• The Virgin Orbit plane flew to 35,000 ft over the Atlantic Ocean where it jettisoned the rocket
containing 9 small satellites towards space. The rocket successfully detached from the plane and
ignited.
• The rocker suffered an anomaly and failed to reach the orbit.
This is also the first time that satellites have been launched from Europe.
World’s 1st Agri-focused Satellite to Generate $108 million Revenue for SouthAfrica
As per the statement of Pontsho Maruping, Chairperson of the South African Council for Space Affairs, the
launch of world’s first agriculture-focused satellite, AgriSAT-1 /ZA 008 is expected to generate over USD 100
million in revenue for South Africa.
Key points about AgriSAT-1 /ZA 008:
i.Background: It was launched by Dragonfly Aerospace on a Space X Falcon 9 rocket. Being the world’s first
agriculture-focused satellite, it will provide high-quality data to the agriculture and forestry industry for
efficient and sustainable practices.
ii.Benefits:
• Images obtained from Dragonfly’s satellite will deliver valuable information for harvest monitoring,
application mapping, and seasonal planning to develop sustainable agricultural methods.
• Assessments to analyse soil moisture, yield prediction, and biomass levels also could be obtained
from AgriSAT-1 /ZA 008.
iii.It is the first of a seven-satellite constellation in low Earth orbit for customer EOSDA (EOS Data Analytics).
iv.Firsts associated with AgriSAT-1 /ZA 008:
• First ever-commercial satellite licensed in South Africa
• First imaging satellite designed and built by Dragonfly
• First microsatellite to be manufactured in South Africa since 2009
• First agri-focused constellation in space.
CMPDIL invents New Dust Control Technology

Ranchi (Jharkhand)- based Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited (CMPDIL), a consultancy
subsidiary of Coal India Limited(CIL) has invented a “System and Method for Controlling Generation and
Movement of Fugitive Dust” to minimize and control the fugitive dust in mining areas. CMPDIL received a
patent (Patent No. 416055) for its invention in December 2022.
• The invention relates to the coordinated application of windbreak (WB) and vertical greenery
systems (VGS) to reduce the production and dispersion of fugitive dust.
• This system can be utilised to reduce and control fugitive dust in mines, thermal power plants,
railway sidings, ports, and construction sites where coal or other minerals/fugitive materials are
stored outside.
WB- it reduces the intensity of the ambient air to pick up dust while blowing over the source.
VGS- it acts as a filter and reduces the quantity of residual dust.
SpaceX launches 51 Internet Satellites in its 1st Starlink mission of 2023

Elon Musk-led SpaceX launched 51 internet satellites in its 1st Starlink mission of 2023 to low-Earth orbit from
Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base (formerly Vandenberg Air Force Base),
California, United States of America (USA), which was initially scheduled to launch on 9th January 2023.
• The Starlink satellites on this launch, named Starlink 2-4, will fly in an orbit inclined 70 degrees to
the equator.
• After a mission in September 2021, which also orbited 51 Starlink spacecraft, this is the second
launch into Group 2.

• SpaceX carried out the first Starlink launch of 2023 was launched to resume deployment of the
constellation’s second shell.
• The 51 Starlink internet satellites onboard the rocket will bring the total number of Starlink
spacecraft launched to 3,717.
Note: This was the first flight for the Falcon 9 1st-stage booster supporting this mission. It’s also the 1st launch
of the year 2023 from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Aditya-L1: India’s 1st mission to Study the Sun to be launched by June-July 2023
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch the Aditya-L1 mission, 1st Indian space mission
to observe the Sun and the solar corona, to the L1 orbit (which is the first Lagrangian point of the Sun-Earth
system) by June or July 2023 since the launch window for the mission would close by August 2023.
• L1 orbit allows Aditya-L1 to look at the Sun continuously.
Aditya-L1 Mission:
i. The Aditya-1 Mission, originally known as Aditya-L1, was
initially meant to put into an 800-kilometre (km) low-Earth orbit
(LEO) as a 400-kg class satellite but it was later decided that the
satellite would be launched into a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth
system’s first Lagrangian Point (L1).
ii. Aditya-L1 is equipped with a total of 7 payloads, the Visible
Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) being the main one.
The 7 Payloads of Aditya-L1:
• visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC),
• Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT),
• Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS),
• High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS),
• Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX),
• Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya (PAPA), and
• Advanced tri-axial high-resolution digital magnetometers.
Key Points:
i. On 26th January 2023, the ISRO received the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC), the largest payload
to be carried on board the Aditya-L1, from the IIA team for integration with other payloads on board the
satellite.
• VELC was created and manufactured by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics(IIA) in Bengaluru,
Karnataka.
ii. The VELC was handed over at the Center for Research and Education in Science and Technology (CREST)
campus of IIA in the presence of S Somanath, Chairman of ISRO.
iii. The payload has been transported to the UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru, Karnataka on January 27.
Note: Scientists at the IIA, Bengaluru, Karnataka, have spent over 15 years building and assembling nearly 40
different optical elements in a payload.
Corona Observation:
i. According to Raghavendra Prasad, Principal Investigator of the VELC payload, the payload will be able to
observe the corona continuously, and the data provided by it is expected to answer many outstanding problems
in the field of solar astronomy.
ii. VELC can image it as close to 1.05 times the solar radius.
iii. It can also do imaging, spectroscopy, and polarimetry at the same time, and can take observations at a very
high resolution (level of detail) and many times a second.

Startup IG Drones develops India’s first 5G-enabled drone, Skyhawk
Startup firm IG Drones has developed India’s first 5G-enabled drone namely ‘Skyhawk’ that is capable
of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), and can be used in defence and medical applications, among
other sectors.
• It can carry a 10 kg payload and has an endurance
of around five hours.
Key Points:
i.These drones can be controlled with much more precision
and can be controlled from the command centre directly
rather than being on the field.
ii.It uses Artificial intelligence (AI) and thermal imaging
capabilities which can monitor border intrusion and also
during regular patrolling by the defence forces.
iii.It is IP67 rated and can be controlled via a combination of NavIC + GPS navigational satellites which
remain connected in the upper range of 50 to 60 in case of failsafe activation.
iv.The drone is also capable of operating through satellites in case an internet link is not available.
• If 5G services are not available at any locations, they will be downgraded to 3G or 4g.
v.The drone, if operated at its peak speed, can cover almost 100 kms in 12-15 minutes
IG Drones startup is formed out of the Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) campus in
Odisha’s Sambalpur.
IIT-Madras-Incubated Company Develops Indigenous Operating System “BharOS“

JandK Operations Private Ltd., a company incubated by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras
Pravartak Technologies Foundation, has developed ‘BharOS’, an indigenous mobile operating system (OS).
• It is funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science & Technology
(MoS&T) through its “National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems” (NM-ICPS).
The BharOS is offered to organisations with strict privacy and security requirements, as well as users who
handle sensitive information.
BharOS
i.BharOS, a play on the Bharat Operating System, is promoted by IIT-Madras as a contribution to Aatmanirbhar
Bharat and can be installed on commercially available mobile devices, creating a secure environment for users.
ii.It gives users access to apps that comply with certain security and privacy standards established by
organisations.
iii.BharOS is identical to Android OS in terms of technology, with the primary distinction being that BharOS
does not feature Google services.
Significant Features of BharOS
i.The Private App Store Services (PASS) offered by BharOS give users access to reputable apps.
• A PASS grants access to a select group of apps that have undergone extensive verification and
adhere to particular organisational security and privacy standards.
ii.No Default Applications (NDA) in BharOS prevent users from being forced to use programmes they may not
be familiar with or do not feel trustworthy.
• It gives them more control over the apps and permissions they require.
iii.BharOS provides “Native Over The Air” (NOTA) updates, which are automatically downloaded and installed
to maintain the software secure and bug-free.

US to test Nuclear Thermal Rocket Engine For Future Mars Missions
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency (DARPA) announced a collaboration to demonstrate a nuclear thermal rocket engine in space, an
enabling capability for NASA crewed missions to Mars.
• Both NASA and DARPA will partner on the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations
(DRACO) programme.
• According to NASA, using a nuclear thermal rocket enables a quicker transit time while lowering the
risk for astronauts.
• For human missions to Mars, reducing transit times is essential since longer trips require more
supplies and more robust systems.
• As early as 2027, NASA will collaborate with DARPA to develop and demonstrate advanced nuclear
thermal propulsion technology.
• In order to get ready for crewed expeditions to Mars, this new technology would allow astronauts to
travel to and from deep space more quickly than ever before.
DEFENCE
EXERCISE
21st Edition of India France Naval Exercise VARUNA – 2023: 16th to 20th January 2023
On January 16, 2023, the 21st Edition of India France Naval Exercise VARUNA – 2023, the bilateral naval
exercise between the Indian Navy (IN) and French Navy commenced on the Western Seaboard.
• The 5-day exercise will be conducted from 16th to 20th January 2023.
• Varuna is considered a hallmark of the India – France strategic bilateral relationship.
Representors:
i.India is represented by indigenous guided missile stealth
destroyer INS (Indian Naval Ship) Chennai, guided missile frigate
INS Teg, Maritime Patrol Aircraft P-8I and Dornier, integral
helicopters and MiG29K fighter aircraft.
ii.The French Navy is represented by the aircraft carrier Charles
De Gaulle, frigates FS Forbin and Provence, support vessel FS
Marne and maritime patrol aircraft Atlantique.
Key Points:
i.During the exercise there will be advanced air defence exercises, tactical manoeuvres, surface firings,
underway replenishment and other maritime operations.
ii.Both sides will showcase their war-fighting skills, enhance their inter-operability to undertake multi-
discipline operations in the maritime domain and demonstrate their ability to promote peace, security and
stability in the region.
About VARUNA:
Initiated in 1993, it is a bilateral exercise between the navies of India and France. However it was christened as
‘VARUNA’ in 2001.
• This exercise provides an opportunity to learn from each other’s best practices, and foster mutual
cooperation for good order at sea.
Note: The 20th edition of VARUNA was conducted in the Arabian Sea from 30th March 2022 to 3rd April 2022.

Cyclone-I: Inaugural Indo-Egypt Joint Special Force Training Exercise held in Rajasthan
Exercise Cyclone-I, the first edition of a joint exercise between the special forces of the Indian Army and the
Egyptian Army is being conducted in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan with an aim to boost defence co-operation between
the India and Egypt.
• 14 days long exercise is being conducted since 14th January 2023.
• The exercise aims to boost the defence cooperation between India and Egypt.
Note: Cyclone I which was planned to be held in Jodhpur, Rajasthan from 8th to 22nd January 2022 was
postponed.
About Exercise Cyclone-I:
i.This first-of-its-kind exercise brings together the special forces of both India and Egypt on a common
platform.
ii.Cyclone I will engage the contingents of both the Indian Army and the Egyptian Army to advance special
forces skills like sniping, combat free fall, reconnaissance, surveillance & target designation, and sharing of
information on weapons, equipment, innovations, tactics, techniques & procedures.
iii.The participants of the exercise also undertake joint
planning and drills for special forces operations in a
mechanised warfare setting as well as surgical strikes on
terrorist camps/hideouts to include sniping of high-value
targets.
iv.This is expected to offer insight into the culture and ethos of
both armies and foster military cooperation and
interoperability to strengthen diplomatic relations between
India and Egypt.
About Egypt:
President– Abdel Fattah El-Sisi
Capital– Cairo
Currency– Egyptian Pound
Indian Navy conducted AMPHEX 2023 – Mega Military Exercise in Andhra Pradesh
On 22nd January 2023, the Indian Navy (IN) conducted a six-day-long mega military exercise “AMPHEX
2023”, the largest biennial tri-services amphibious exercise involving the Indian Army and Indian Air Force
(IAF) near Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh(AP) between 17th January and 22nd January 2023.
Participants: The exercise witnessed the participation of a
large number of troops from the Indian Army, amphibious
warships from the Indian Navy, and aircraft from the IAF.
Key highlights:
i.The exercise AMPHEX 2023 took place amid growing
concerns over China’s increasing military forays into the
Indian Ocean, a region considered as the backyard of the
Indian Navy.
ii.The exercise included complex activities in all domains that
demonstrated and validated the high level of preparedness and excellent coordination between the tri-services
to undertake a full spectrum of amphibious operations.
Troops participated in AMPHEX-23
The exercise witnessed the participation of a number of amphibious ships consisting of Large Platform Dock
(LPD), Landing Ships and Landing Crafts, Marine Commandos (MARCOS), helicopters and aircraft from the
Indian Navy. Indian Army participated in the exercise with over 900 troops which included Special Forces,
Artillery and Armoured vehicles. Jaguar fighters and C 130 aircraft from the IAF also participated in the
exercise.

Note – The Indian Army has also obtained the Intellectual Property Right (IPR) of the design and camouflage
pattern of its newly introduced Camouflage Pattern Dress, an improved combat uniform, which was unveiled
by the Chief of Army Staff during Army Day.
‘TROPEX 2023’: Indian Navy Conducts Mega Naval Wargame in IOR

The Indian Navy is conducting the 2023 edition of “Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise”
(TROPEX), a significant biennial maritime exercise, in the Indian Ocean region (IOR).
• TROPEX 23 will take place from January to March
2023 over a three-month period.
In light of China’s rising military intrusions into the IOR, the
exercise TROPEX aims to “validate and refine” the Indian
Navy’s concept of “operations” and test overall combat
capabilities.
Exercise TROPEX 2023:
i.As part of Exercise “TROPEX 2023,” all surface combatants of
the Indian Navy, including destroyers, frigates, and corvettes, as
well as submarines and aircraft, are subjected to complex maritime operational deployments.
• The maritime exercise also features and facilitates operational-level interaction with the Indian
Army, Indian Air Force (IAF), and Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
ii.The exercise is being conducted in phases, both in harbour and at sea, and includes many aspects of combat
operations, including live weapon firings.
iii.This exercise offers the opportunity to assess the combat readiness of combined fleets of the Indian Navy for
multi-threat operations.
AMPHEX 2023
i.The Indian Navy also held the biennial tri-service Amphibious Exercise (AMPHEX) 2023 in Kakinada,
Andhra Pradesh, from January 17 to 22, 2023.
ii.The exercise was designed to improve interoperability and synergy by training elements from all three
services (Indian Navy, Indian Army & IAF) in various aspects of amphibious operations.
iii.The AMPHEX exercise, the largest of its kind to date, was held for the first time in Kakinada.
Veer Guardian 2023: 1st edition of India-Japan Joint Air Defence Exercise held in Japan
Veer Guardian-2023, a joint Air Exercise between India and Japan involving the Indian Air Force and Japan Air
Self Defence Force (JASDF) was held at Hyakuri Air Base, Japan and its surrounding airspace in Omitama and
Iruma Air Base in Sayama, Japan from 12th January 2023 to 26 January 2023.
• This is the inaugural edition of the bilateral Air
Exercise ‘Veer Guardian 2023’ between India &
Japan.
Aim:
The exercise aims to strengthen strategic connections and
defence cooperation between the two Nations.
Participants:
The participants of the IAF contingent include four Su-30 MKI,
two C-17 & one IL-78 aircraft and the JASDF participants
include four F-2 & four F-15 aircraft.
Background:
In September 2022, During the second 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial meeting held in Tokyo, Japan, India
and Japan agreed to step up bilateral defence cooperation. Both nations also agreed to engage in defence
exercises including fighter jet drills.

This exercise will be a part of the efforts to deepen the strategic ties and defence cooperation between India
and Japan.
Veer Guardian 2023
i. During the Veer Guardian 2023 exercise, various aerial combat drills between the Air Forces of India and
Japan was conducted.
ii. IAF and JASDF had engaged in air defence missions, air combat manoeuvring, and interception both in Visual
and Beyond Visual Range (BVR) settings.
iii. The exercise also included multi-domain air combat missions in a complex environment allowing the air
warriors to exchange their best practices.
iv. This exercise also provided both sides’ pilots with the opportunity to fly each other’s fighter jets in order to
gain a better understanding of each other’s operating philosophies.
v. The exercise involved precise planning and skilful execution by both the air forces.
Highlight:
Su-30 MKI pilot Squadron Leader Avani Chaturvedi, one of the first 3 woman combat pilots in the IAF,
participated in the inaugural air exercise Veer Guardian 2023. She became the 1st IAF Woman Fighter Pilot to
participate in aerial wargames abroad.
About the Indian Air force (IAF):
Chief of the Air Staff – Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari
Established- 1932
About Japan:
Prime Minister- Fumio Kishida
Capital- Tokyo
Currency- Japanese yen
OTHER DEFENCE NEWS

‘ICGS Kamla Devi’: Last Vessel of FPV Series Commissioned in Kolkata, West Bengal
The Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) "Kamla Devi," the fifth and last vessel in the series of fast-patrol vessels
(FPVs), was commissioned in Kolkata, West Bengal.
• The vessel was built indigenously by Garden Reach
Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. (GRSE), Kolkata, in a
public-private partnership (PPP) with Titagarh Wagons
Limited (TWL) to the specifications of Indian Coast Guard
(ICG).
Significance
• The ICGS Kamladevi is named after ‘Kamla Devi
Chattopadhyay’, a social reformer and freedom activist
who advocated for the advancement of artisans and
craftsmen across India as well as the promotion of the performing arts.
• She also campaigned for the socio economic upliftment of women in India and was awarded the Padma
Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, and Ramon Magsaysay Award.
Features of ICGS Kamla Devi
i.The ICGS Kamla Devi has a length of 48.9 metres and a width of 7.5 metres, with a displacement of 308 tonnes.
• The vessel has a top speed of 34 knots and an endurance of over 1,500 nautical miles.
ii.It is propelled by three 71S type III Kamewa waterjets from Rolls-Royce and is powered by MTU 4000 series
engines.
• It is equipped with a 40/60 gun as its primary armament and features an Integrated Bridge System.

iii.The ICGS Kamla Devi will patrol the seas and conduct anti-smuggling, anti-poaching, and search-and-rescue
missions as needed.
"MV Ma Lisha" Set Sail Towards Cooperative Republic of Guyana
The "MV Ma Lisha," a passenger-and-cargo oceangoing ferry built for the Cooperative Republic of Guyana,
was flagged off by Commodore (retired) P R Hari, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of GRSE.
• The ship was launched on June 15, 2022.
• It is designed and built by GRSE, a Defense Public Sector Unit (DPSU).
Key Points:
i.This is the first such ship built by any DPSU shipyard for export to a Latin American country.
ii.The "MV Ma Lisha" will travel to Chennai, where it will be loaded onto a semi-submersible vessel, the "MV
Sun Rise," for its journey to Guyana.
iii.The 70-metre-long vessel with a displacement of 1,700 tonnes is propelled by two diesel engines and has a
maximum speed of 15 knots.
Sainya Ranakshetram 2.0: IA organised a Cyber Threat Seminar Cum Workshop

From October 2022 to January 2023, the 2nd edition of Hackathon named ‘Sainya Ranakshetram 2.0’ was
organized by the Indian Army (IA) under the aegis of HQ Army Training Command (ARTRAC), Shimla
(Himachal Pradesh). It was a Cyber Threat Seminar cum Workshop to facilitate engagement with individuals,
academia and organizations for identification of suitable talent in the field of Cyber Security.
• During the workshop, the identified talent was
felicitated by General Manoj Pande, Chief of the
Army Staff (CAS) during a virtual function on January
17, 2023.
Aim of Sainya Ranakshetram 2.0:
i.To seek solutions for operational cyber challenges by providing
a platform to identify indigenous talent
ii.To shorten the development time for innovative solutions in
the field of Cyber Security
iii.To enhance the standard of training in Cyber Deterrence, Security Software Coding, Electro Magnetic
Spectrum Operations (EMSO) and Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (AI/ ML).
The Sainya Ranakshetram 2.0 was held under the following four sub-events:
Secure Software Coding:
Its aim was to engage with academia for securing software programs and identifying talent capable of
undertaking cyber security requirements in software code.
• Winner: Mr Aravindha Hariharan M from Coimbatore, a Cyber Security enthusiast
ESMO: Customized Indian Army Specific Stack for Wi-Fi 6:
Its aim was to seek a solution to implement an Indian Army specific version of Secure Wi-Fi stack for increasing
the levels of security.
• Winner: Colonel Nishant Rathee, Commandant, Army HQ Computer Centre
AI/ML: NLP Processing and Decoding of Radio Intercepts:
Its aim was to help in creating an Al stack for addressing translation and decryption of multi lingual radio
transmissions.
• Winner: Master Mithil Salunkhe, a 15 year old class 10 student at Gyan Mata Vidya Vihar, Nanded,
Maharashtra
Cyber Deterrence: Capture the Flag (CTF):
This was a seven stage cyber security exploitation challenge for identification of talent for enhancing existing
Cyber Security setup.
Winner: Shaksham Jaiswal, BE (CS) from MVSR Engineering College in Hyderabad, Telangana

SPORTS
FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships 2022: Koneru Humpy wins India’s first Silver
Medal at World Blitz Championships
Indian Grandmaster (GM) Koneru Humpy, a former world rapid champion, has won a Silver medal in the
Women’s World Blitz Championship at the FIDE(Fédération Internationale des Échecs) World Rapid and Blitz
Championship 2022 held in Almaty, Kazakhstan from 25th to 30th December 2022.
• Koneru Humpy has won India’s 1st ever Silver medal in
the World Blitz Chess Championships defeating Zhongyi
Tan of China.
She finished with an outstanding 12.5 points, just 0.5 points
behind Bibisara Assaubayeva of Kazakhstan, who won the gold
medal.
• Koneru Humpy is the 2nd Indian to win a medal at World
Blitz, after Viswanathan Anand.
Note:
GM Magnus Carlsen of Norway won the World Blitz Chess Championship 2022 in the Open Blitz category.
• He previously won the World Rapid chess championship and currently holds all 3 world
championship titles – Classical, Rapid and Blitz.
Final Standings: (Blitz)
Rank Name & Country
Open Blitz
1 Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen (Norway)
Christopher Hikaru Nakamura (United States of
2
America)
3 Haik Mikaeli Martirosyan (Armenia)
Women’s Blitz
1 Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kazakhstan)
2 Koneru Humpy (India)
3 Shuvalova Polina (Russia)
About Koneru Humpy:
i. Koneru Humpy was born in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh is known for her playing style and winning the
World Rapid Chess Championship in 2020.
ii. She is one of the best chess players ever, with a Classical Elo rating of 2586 and a current world ranking of
204.
iii. She made her debut in a Chess tournament in 1993 and become a district Champion, at the age of 6.
iv. After winning the national chess championship in the under-8 division in 1995, she won all of the under-10,
12 and 15 competitions in 1996.
v. She won nearly all of the chess youth championship titles by taking home 2 further titles in the under-15 and
junior divisions in 2000 and 2001.
vi. In 2007, she became the only 2nd player to cross the Elo rating of 2600 after Judit Polgar of Hungary.
Koustav Chatterjee Becomes India’s 78th GM in MPL 59th National Senior Chess Championship
On 31st December 2022, Kolkata-based chess player Koustav Chatterjee (19-year) became India’s 78th
Grandmaster (GM) in MPL 59th National Senior Chess. He is also the 10th GM from Kolkata and West Bengal
(WB).

• The 59TH MPL Senior National Chess Championship 2022 was held at K.D Jadhav Indoor Sports Hall,
IG Stadium, New Delhi organised by the Delhi Chess
Association Under the aegis of All India Chess
Federation (AICF).
Highlights:
i.Koustav Chatterjee earned his first GM norm in October 2021
at a Sheikh Russel GM 2021 in Bangladesh and got his second
GM norm at the Asian Continental Chess Championship 2022
held in New Delhi, Delhi from 25th October 2022 to 4th
November 2022.
• In August 2022, for the first time he crossed 2500 in the FIDE (Fédération Internationale des
Échecs/International Chess Federation) rating list.
ii.Koustav is now joint-lead with GM Abhijeet Gupta at the National Senior Chess Championship with a score of
8/10 after 10 rounds.
Note – Hari Madhavan N B (19 years old) from Tamil Nadu (TN) becomes the 1st International Master of India
in 2023.
World Boxing Council to Create Transgender Category

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.
• A ‘at birth rule’ will be used, which means a transgender boxer who is registered as male at birth
will be allowed to fight others who have also been registered as male at birth and same for female
boxers too.
• The WBC will not sanction a new championship or title belt but will create an event for the
transgender fighters to take part in the boxing sport.
2023 Hyderabad E-Prix: Hyderabad to host India’s 1st ABB FIA Formula E World Championship
Race
Hyderabad, Telangana 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 2022–23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship marks the 9th Season Championship which
will be organised between January and July 2023.
The race will be held at the new Hyderabad Street Circuit alongside Hussain Sagar Lake, Hyderabad, Telangana.
About Formula E World Championship:
• Formula E is a showcase for the world’s most advanced e-mobility technologies that drive towards a
more sustainable future. The 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).
Note: The Gen3- the world’s fastest, lightest, most powerful and most efficient electric race car is coming to
Hyderabad for the event.
Key Points:
i. Private firm Ace Nxt Gen is the official promoter of the Formula E Race in India in partnership with Formula E
and the Telangana government.

• The partnership between Ace Nxt Gen Formula E and the Government of Telangana is 4-year long
and the championship will take place in India until 2026.
ii. The Hyderabad Street Circuit, a 2.830 km (1.758 mi) street circuit, is designed by Driven International, the
firm responsible for the recent changes to the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.
iii. This is India’s 1st Street Circuit Car Racing which opened on 19th November 2022.
iv. A total of 11 teams with 22 cars would be racing in the Hyderabad E-Prix in their brand-new Gen3 Formula
E cars, including some of the major racing companies.
v. The new Gen3 Formula E cars are capable of a top speed of 322 kmph (Kilometer per hour).
vi. McLaren and Maserati will be joining the Formula E grid, alongside competitors like Porsche, Jaguar, Nissan
and the Indian team, Mahindra.
Note: The last international racing event hosted by India was in 2013 when the country hosted the Formula 1
Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
Click here for the 2023 Race schedule.
Pranesh from TN Becomes India’s 79th Chess Grandmaster; Wins Rilton Cup 2022/2023
M Pranesh (16-year-old) from Tamil Nadu (TN) became India’s 79th Grandmaster (GM) after crossing the
2500 ELO rating and winning the Rilton Cup 2022/2023 held in Stockholm, Sweden.
• The Rilton Cup is the first tournament of the FIDE circuit.
• Pranesh is the 28th Grandmaster from Tamil Nadu(TN).
Key highlights:
i.He crossed the 2500-rating threshold and became a GM, having
completed his three norms before the Rilton Cup.
• He won his first norm at the 18th Delhi GM Open in
January 2020 and claimed his second norm at the
Sunway Sitges International Chess Festival in Spain in
December 2021.
• He won his third norm at the Asian Continental Chess
Championship 2022.
Key Points:
i.Pranesh has been seeded 22nd, finishing ahead of IM Kaan Kucuksari (Sweden) and GM Nikita Meshkovs
(Latvia).
• He topped the Rilton Cup charts which witnessed the participation of 136 players representing 29
national federations
ii.With 6.8 circuit points Pranesh is now the early leader of the FIDE Circuit.
• The player with most points by the end of the year qualifies for the 2024 FIDE Candidates.
iii.Grandmaster R Raja Rithvik of India finished 8th with 6 points.
Note – On 1st January 2023 Koustav Chatterjee (19-year) had become India’s 78th GM at the MPL 59th
National Senior Chess in New Delhi, Delhi.
About GrandMaster (GM):
i.Grandmaster (GM) is the highest title a chess player attain and it is awarded by the world chess organisation
FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs – International Chess Federation).
• To become a GM, a player has to secure three GM norms and cross the live rating of 2,500 Elo points.
ii.The other titles by FIDE include International Master (IM), FIDE Master (FM) and Candidate Master (CD),
which are open to all chess players regardless of gender.
KKCL & BCCI partners as Official Sponsor of Indian Cricket Team

Kewal Kiran Clothing Limited (KKCL), the retail giant, has announced plans to enter its flagship brand ‘Killer’
into a strategic partnership with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as the Indian Cricket Team’s
“Official Sponsor”.

• The brand will now be displayed on the Team India jersey’s right upper chest. KKCL will put on the
brand Killer logo on Team India’s Kit until 31st May 2023.
• Since 1992, KKCL, one of India’s major branded garment manufacturers, has been creating,
producing, and distributing branded jeans and a variety of western clothing.
• It also produces “Killer” jeans, a brand that has been prominently marketed on the fields of cricket.
KKCL owns brands like Integriti, Lawmanpg3, Easies and Desi Belle
FIH Partners with JSW Group for 15th Edition Hockey Men’s World Cup
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has signed a partnership with the JSW Group for the
upcoming 15th edition of FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela, which will be
conducted between 13th January 2023 – 29th January 2023 in Odisha. The JSW Group supports and promotes
Olympics in India and has created an Olympic Training Institute in the Inspire Institute of Sport. It also has
Olympic training centres across India.
Indian tennis player Sania Mirza Announced Retirement from Professional Tennis
Indian Tennis Player Sania Mirza (36-year-old), the former doubles World No. 1 , has confirmed her retirement
from professional Tennis. She announced that the Dubai Tennis Championships, a Women’s Tennis Association
(WTA) 1000 event in Dubai in February 2023 will be her last match. Prior to her last appearance, she is
going to play in women’s doubles at the Australian Open in 16 to 29 January 2023 alongside Kazakhstan’s Anna
Danilina.
• She has won six Grand Slam doubles titles
• She won her first grand slam in 2009 by winning Austraian Open Mixed doubles title with Mahesh
Bhupathi. The pair also won the French Open 2012. She won her 3rd mixed doubles title at the US
Open in 2014 with Brazil’s Bruno Soares.
• Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis of Switzerland won 3 women’s doubles – Wimbledon 2015, the US
Open 2015 and the Australian Open 2016
• Mirza became the first Indian to win a WTA singles title in 2005. In 2007, She was ranked among
the 30 and also reached her career-high ranking of world number 27(Singles).she was ranked
India’s No 1 in Singles from 2003 till her retirement from Singles in 2013.
5th Khelo India Youth Games 2022: Mascots, Smart Torch, Theme Song Unveiled
The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh (MP) Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister of State (MoS) Nisith
Pramanik, Ministry for Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYAS) unveiled the Mascots, Smart Torch, Theme Song of
the 5th edition of Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2022 during an event in Bhopal, MP.
• KIYG 2022 will be hosted by MP from January 30 to
February 11, 2023, in MP’s Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain,
Gwalior, Jabalpur, Mandla, Balaghat and Khargone
(Maheshwar).
Mascots: Asha (Female Cheetah) and Mowgli
Torch: Amarkantak
• It is named after the place where the Narmada River,
considered the state’s lifeline, originates
• This is the first smart torch in any game in the
country. The torch is adorned with carvings of the renowned Mahakaleshwar temple, running
cheetah and a lotus on top.
Theme Song: MP Shor Macha Do, Hindustan Ka DilDhadka Do. Well-known artist Shaan has rendered it.
Key Points:
i.The CM also announced that the players from MP who will win medals in the Olympics and Asian Games

would be appointed to the post of deputy superintendent of police (DSP) and deputy collector.
ii.Teams or players who perform well and win the medals in Khelo India will be given Rs 5 lakh annually for
coaching purposes.
iii.For the first time water sports viz. kayaking and canoeing, canoe slalom and rowing, as well as fencing, will
be part of KIYG.
iv.A total of 27 games will be played across 23 game venues in 9 cities.
v.Around 6000 players, 303 international and 1089 national officials will participate.
Novak Djokovic wins 2023 Adelaide International 1 title; Aryna Sabalenka won Women’s
Singles
Serbian Tennis Player Novak Djokovic won the Men's Single in the 2023 Adelaide International 1 by defeating
Sebastian Korda of America with 6-7 (8), 7-6 (3), 6-4.
• This was the 92nd career singles title.
• This was also his second Adelaide title after 16 years
after his first; he won the tournament in 2007, aged 19.
In the women’s final at Adelaide International 1, Aryna Sabalenka
(Belarus) won the women’s singles by defeating Linda Noskova of
the Czech Republic.
• This was her 11th WTA Tour singles title
About 2023 Adelaide International 1:
It is the 3rd edition for women and the 2nd edition for men. It was
held at the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre from January 1-8, 2023. The prize money for the ATP (Association of
Tennis Professionals) is $672,735, and for WTP (Women’s Tennis Association) is $826,837.
• It is a tennis tournament on the 2023 ATP Tour and the 2023 WTA Tour.
• It is a combined ATP Tour 250 and WTA 500 tournament.
Category Winner Runner Up
Men’s singles Novak Djokovic (Serbia) Sebastian Korda (United States of America)
Women’s
singles Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus) Linda Noskova (Czech Republic)
Men’s Lloyd Glasspool (United Kingdom)/Harri Jamie Murray (UK)/Michael Venus (New
doubles Heliövaara (Finland) Zealand)
Women’s Asia Muhammad (United States)/Taylor Storm Hunter (Australia)/Kateřina Siniaková
doubles Townsend(United States) (Czech Republic)
Coco Gauff wins ASB Classic 2023
18-old-year Gauff from America defeated Spanish qualifier Rebeka Masarova of Spain in Women’s Singles with
6-1, 6-1 in the final of the ASB Classic.
• It was his third WTA Tour title.
• Among women’s doubles a pair of Miyu Kato (Japan)/Aldila Sutjiadi (Indonesia) defeated the pair
of Leylah Fernandez (Canada)/Bethanie Mattek-Sands (US) with 1–6, 7–5.
About 2023 ASB Classic:
2023 ASB Classic or 2023 Auckland Open is a joint professional men’s and women’s tennis tournament played
on outdoor hard courts at the ASB Tennis Centre in Auckland, New Zealand.
• It was 36th the edition for the women’s event (WTA 250 tournament) and the 45th for the men’s
event (an ATP 250 tournament).

Tennis: Dutch star Tallon Griekspoor wins Singles title at Tata Open Maharashtra 2023; marks
his first ATP tour title
On 7th January 2023, Dutch (Netherlands) Tennis player Tallon Griekspoor (World No.95) won the men’s
singles title at the Tata Open Maharashtra 2023 defeating Benjamin Bonzi (World No. 60) of France at the
finals held in Balewadi Stadium in Pune, Maharashtra. This also marks his 1st Association of Tennis
Professionals (ATP) Tour title.
• Tata Open Maharashtra 2023 marks the 5th edition of Tata Open Maharashtra organised by the
Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) in collaboration with the Government of
Maharashtra.
• This is the only ATP 250 tournament held in South Asia. This also marks the 27th edition of the ATP
250 event.
• The Tata Open Maharashtra 2023 was held from 31st December 2022 to 7th January 2023.
ATP 250 Tata Open Maharashtra:
The inaugural event took place in New Delhi, Delhi in 1996. For its 2nd edition, it was transferred to Chennai,
Tamil Nadu, and in 2018, it was moved from Chennai to Pune, Maharashtra.
• The tournament is owned by IMG and managed by RISE Worldwide and sponsored by Tata Motors.
• It is currently India’s only tour-level tennis event and South Asia ATP Tour professional tennis event.
Tata Open Maharashtra 2023: N Sriram Balaji and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan Finish Second in Men’s
Doubles
India’s N Sriram Balaji and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan from Tamil Nadu, settled for runner-up at the Tata Open
Maharashtra 2023 in Men's Double championship. They lost the finals against the Belgian pair of Sander Gille
and Joran Vliegen at Balewadi Stadium in Pune, Maharashtra.
• Belgians Joran Vliegen and Sander Gille won the Men's doubles championship title at Tata Open
Maharashtra 2023.
• This marks their 6th ATP Tour Championship.
Note: N Sriram Balaji and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan ended 2022 with 6 successive semi-final appearances at the
Challenger events.
Key Points:
i. 2023 tournament concluded with an exciting competition in the presence of 17 top-100 players, including the
former Grand Slam champion Marin Cilic and last year’s runner-up Emil Ruusuvuori in a highly-competitive
singles field.
ii. The former World No. 1 tennis duo of Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, and Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna,
were among those who competed in the doubles tournament.
South African cricketer Dwaine Pretorius retires from International cricket

South African cricketer and all-rounder, Dwaine Pretorius (33-year-old) has retired from International cricket
with an immediate effect to focus on franchise cricket and shorter formats of the game.
• Dwaine Pretorius has played for South Africa in 30 T20I, 27 One-Day Internationals (ODI), and 3
Tests (took 77 wickets across formats) since making his international debut in 2016. He also
featured in two World Cups: International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup 2019 and the
2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
• He now holds the record for South Africa’s best bowling performance in men’s T20Is (5 for 17
against Pakistan in 2021).
He ends with a T20I batting strike rate of 164 and is one of 16 players to have a national CSA contract for 2022-
23 that runs till March.

Hockey India launched Hockeyverse, becomes 1st National Sports Federation to Enter
Metaverse
On 9th January 2023, Hockey India launched the ‘Hockeyverse’ on their social media platforms ahead of FIH
Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela. With this launch Hockey India became
the first National Sports Federation to enter the world of metaverse. The Hockeyverse will provide a new
virtual experience which has unique attractions such as a replica of the newly built Birsa Munda Hockey
Stadium.
• It also has the Time Machine which is uniquely designed based on time travel elements. where
global hockey fans can visit and experience the sport from the comfort of their home, on their
personal computer.
• There is also The Trophy Room and The Team Room where fans are welcomed by Hockey India’s
key players and fans can also use the Photo Booth feature for taking selfies with players.
Sony Sports Ropes in Hyundai Ioniq 5, Samsonite & Panasonic as Sponsors for Australian Open
2023
Broadcaster Sony Sports Network, which will air the Australian Open 2023 across its channels and OTT
(Over-The-Top) app SonyLiv has roped in sponsors including Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Samsonite as co-presenting
sponsors and Panasonic as an associate sponsor for the upcoming Australia Open. This will mark the return of
the Sony Sports network’s live tennis studio show, ‘Extraaa Serve’, hosted by Arpit Sharma and the Hindi
commentary for the tournament will be provided by Natekar, Manish Batavia & Atish Thukral.
• The Extraaa Serve will feature Olympian, Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist and Indian tennis
player, Somdev Devvarman, former tennis player Gaurav Natekar and Davis Cup player Purav Raja.
• Sony Sports also launched its ‘Slam Of The Greats’ campaign, which pays homage to the ‘Greats of
Tennis in this Era’, that includes Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams and
Ashleigh Barty and highlights the rise of new young tennis stars.
Sri Lanka Tour of India T20I and ODI series 2022-2023: 3rd to 15th January 2023
The cricket team of Sri Lanka toured India for 3 One Day Internationals(ODIs) and 3 Twenty 20
Internationals(T20Is) from 3rd to 15th January 2023. India defeated Sri Lanka in a comprehensive manner in
both ODI and T20I.
• In ODI, the Indian team captained by Rohit Sharma
defeated Sri Lanka by 3-0 and in T20I, the Indian Team
captained by Hardik Pandya defeated Sri Lanka by 2-1.
• The Sri Lanka team was captained by Dasun
Shanaka(for both ODI and T20I).
The T20I matches were held on January 3, January 5 and January
7, 2023 and the ODI matches were held on January 10, January 12
and January 15 2023.
Overview of Sri Lanka Tour of India:
Player of the
Result Venue Match
1st ODI India Won By 67 Runs Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati, Assam Virat Kohli
India Won By 4
2nd ODI Wickets Eden Gardens, Kolkata, West Bengal Kuldeep Yadav
India Won By 317 Greenfield International Stadium,
3rd ODI Runs Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Virat Kohli
1st T20I India Won By 2 Runs Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, Maharashtra Deepak Hooda

2nd Sri Lanka Won By 16 Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune,
T20I Runs Maharashtra Dasun Shanaka
3rd
T20I India Won By 91 Runs Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot, Gujarat Suryakumar Yadav
India defeated Sri Lanka in T20I:
India defeated Sri Lanka by 91 runs in the 3rd and final T20I match held in Saurashtra Cricket Association
Stadium, Rajkot, Gujarat. India won the 3-match T20I series by 2-1.
• All-Rounder Axar Rajeshbhai Patel of India won the Player(Man) of the Series award for scoring
117 runs and picking 3 wickets in the series
Suryakumar Yadav becomes fastest player to reach 1500 runs:
Suryakumar Yadav has become the fastest player to reach 1,500 runs in T20 International cricket in terms of
balls faced.
• In 45 matches and 43 innings, Suryakumar has scored 1,578 runs at an average of 46.41. He
achieved the feat with only 843 balls.
• He has three centuries and 13 half-centuries in the format, with the best individual score of 117.
• He is the 3rd fastest batter to reach the 1500-run mark in terms of innings.
• Indian batter Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Australian veteran Aaron Finch and Pakistan skipper Babar
Azam, 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.
India beat Sri Lanka by record 317 runs in final ODI: Clinch series 3-0
India defeated Sri Lanka in the largest ever one-day victory margin of 317 runs in the 3rd and final ODI held in
Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• By winning the 3rd and final ODI against Sri Lanka, India clinched the 3-match ODI series by 3-0.
Note:
This breaks the previous record held by New Zealand, for a 290-run win over Ireland in Aberdeen in July 2008.
Virat Kohli declared Man of the match & Man of the Series:
Indian cricketer & Former Captain of the Indian cricket team, Virat Kohli was declared both man-of-the-match
(3rd ODI) and Player(Man)-of-the-series (ODI series )for scoring 283 runs in 3 matches, including 2 centuries,
one in the first match and one in the 3rd match.
• This marks his 9th Player of the Series Award in ODI cricket.
Virat Kohli equals Sachin Tendulkar’s record of slamming 20 ODI centuries on home soil
On 10th January 2023, Virat Kohli equalled Sachin Tendulkar’s record of scoring 20 ODI centuries on home soil.
• Kohli score his 20th century on home soil with just 80 balls against Sri Lanka in the 1st ODI of the 3-
match series.
• He scored 113 runs off 87 balls.
• Kohli took only 99 innings to score his 20th ODI hundred on home soil, while Sachin took 160
innings to achieve the feat.
• So far, Kohli has scored 45 ODI centuries, 27 test tons and one T20 hundred.
He also surpassed Sachin’s record of most ODI hundreds against Sri Lanka.
• He now has 9 centuries against Sri Lanka whereas Tendulkar has 8 centuries against Sri Lanka.
Badminton: Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen wins Men’s Singles at Malaysia Open 2023; Japan’s
Akane Yamaguchi wins Women’s Singles
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 from 10th to 15th January
2023 in Axiata Arena, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

• Viktor Axelsen, the defending champion, won the Malaysia Open title for the 2nd time. This made
him the 1st men’s singles player since record 12-time
champion Lee Chong Wei in 2014 to win back-to-back
Malaysia Opens.
Japan’s Yamaguchi Akane(World’s No 1) defeated South Korea’s
An Se-Young(World’s No 4) to win the Women’s Singles title at
the Malaysia Open 2023.
• This was Japan’s first-ever Malaysia Open women’s
singles title.
Key Points:
i.Malaysia Open 2023 marks Viktor Axelsen’s 9th consecutive final in BWF Super 1000 level tournaments and
his 8th title in the Super 1000 series.
ii.He is the 1st singles player to have won every BWF World Tour 1000 title in the same season.
Malaysia Open 2023:
i.Malaysia Open 2023, known as Petronas Malaysia Open 2023, is the 1st Badminton World Federation (BWF)
World Tour event of 2023.
ii.It is a part of the HSBC BWF World Tour Super 1000. This was the first Malaysia Open to hold a Super 1000
status.
iii.The event has a total prize of USD 1,250,000.
China won Women’s doubles and Mixed Doubles:
i.China’s Women’s doubles pair Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan (World’s No 1 Women’s doubles pair) defeated
South Korea’s Baek Ha Na and Lee Yu Lim (World No 15) to win the Women’s Doubles title.
ii.World’s No 1 Mixed Doubles pair Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong of China won the Mixed doubles title
defeating world’s No 3 Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino of Japan.
Men’s Doubles:
i.World’s No 1 Men’s Doubles Pair Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto of Indonesia won the Men’s
doubles title defeating China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang(world’s No 11) in the finals.
• Malaysia Open 2023 marks their first Super 1000 title.
• They are the first men’s pair to win at least a title each in Super 300, 500, 750 and 1000.
ii.World No.6 Men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty of India lost in the semifinals
against China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang.
Note: BWF World Rankings mentioned above are as of 17th January 2023.
Winners & Runners of Malaysia Open 2023:
Category Winner Runner
Viktor Axelsen Kodai Naraoka
Men’s Singles (Denmark) (Japan)
Akane Yamaguchi An Se Young
Women’s Singles (Japan) (South Korea)
Fajar Alfian Liang Wei Keng
Muhammad Rian Ardianto Wang Chang
Men’s Doubles (Indonesia) (China)
Chen Qing Chen Baek Ha Na
Jia Yi Fan Lee Yu Lim
Women’s Doubles (China) (South Korea)
Zheng Si Wei Yuta Watanabe
Huang Ya Qiong Arisa Higashino
Mixed Doubles (China) (Japan)

About Badminton World Federation(BWF):
President– Poul-Erik Høyer(Denmark)
Headquarters– Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tennis: India’s Yuki Bhambri-Saketh Myneni wins Men’s doubles in Bangkok Open 2023(2)
India’s Tennis players, Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni(1st seed), have won the Men’s doubles title at the
Bangkok Open 2023(2) held in Nonthaburi, Thailand from 9th to 14th January 2023.
• The Indian duo defeated Christopher Rungkat of Indonesia and Akira Santillan of Australia in the
finals.
Arthur Cazaux of France won the Men’s Singles title defeating Lloyd Harris of South Africa. This marks his
2nd Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Challenger title.
About Bangkok Open 2023 (2):
i.Bangkok Open 2023 (2) also known as 2023 Nonthaburi Challenger II, is a part of the ATP Challenger
tour(Challenger 75).
ii.This is an international men’s professional tennis tournament with a total prize value of USD 80000.
iii. The event is played in the Hard Court
Note:
The singles title winner gets a prize money of USD 10,840 while the winners of doubles titles share a prize
money of USD 4,645.
Key Points:
i.With this win, Yuki Bhambri reached his career-high doubles rank of 90 and Saketh Myneni reached a carrier
high rank of 74 in the ATP doubles ranking.
ii.Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni have won five Challenger Tour titles and 2 International Tennis Federation
(ITF) events in the 2022 season.
• Bangkok Open 2 – 2023 marks their 7th finals as a pair.
iii.They have been given a wild card entry for the Australian Open 2023, the first grand slam event of the 2023
season.
Winners of Bangkok Open 2 – 2023:
Category Winner Runners
Men’s Singles Arthur Cazaux (France) Lloyd Harris (South Africa)
Men’s Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni Christopher Rungkat (Indonesia) and Akira Santillan
Doubles (India) (Australia)
Welsh footballer Gareth Bale retires from International & Club Football
Welsh footballer Gareth Bale(33 years old), who plays for Wales national football team is it's men’s all-time
leading goal-scorer and a 5-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, has announced his retirement
from international and club football with immediate effect. He holds the record for being named Welsh player
of the year for a record 6 times.
• Gareth Bale started his career in 2006 at Southampton, England, UK, and moved to Tottenham
Hotspurs (London, UK) in 2007.
• He represented Real Madrid from 2013 to 2022 and Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Football
Club (FC) in the United States (US) from 2022 to 2023.
• In 2022, as captain and talisman, he led Wales to their 1st World Cup since 1958 at Qatar 2022.
• He scored 41 goals in 111 International appearances. With 41 goals, he now ranks 1st among all
male goal scorers in Wales history, 13 goals ahead of the late striker Ian Rush.

FIH Partners with JSP Foundation for Hockey Development and Men’s World Cup
The International Hockey Federation (FIH), originally Fédération Internationale de Hockey, has signed a
partnership with JSP Foundation, the executing arm of Jindal Steel & Power(JSP) for its development
programs.
• FIH will work closely with JSP Foundation on some of
its significant hockey development initiatives.
• As a part of this partnership with FIH, The JSP
Foundation will become a global partner of the
ongoing FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023
Bhubaneswar-Rourkela.
Note: The Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup, which takes place in
2023, is the 15th edition being played from 13 to 29 January
2023 in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela in Odisha.
Key Points:
i. Creatigies Communications, the company that stitched this partnership, complemented the FIH and the
JSP Foundation for this partnership.
ii. The JSP Foundation, a charity that promotes human rights, participates in international sporting events
like the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup and uses this collaboration to work with other hockey
development initiatives around the world.
iii. JSP Foundation spearheads comprehensive community initiatives to assist in addressing some of the
enduring social issues in the areas:
• Health and nutrition, water and sanitation, education, skill development, sustainable livelihood
& women empowerment, environment & agriculture, sports, art & culture, rural infrastructure,
and social inclusion.
• So far, it has improved the Quality of Life for about 1 crore people.
About JSP Foundation:
Chairperson- Shallu Jindal
Establishment- 2014
About the International Hockey Federation (FIH):
President- Tayyab Ikram
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Thierry Weil
Headquarters- Lausanne, Switzerland
Establishment- 1924
Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn wins India Open Badminton title 2023, Korean An Seyoung wins
Women’s Singles
Shuttler Kunlavut Vitidsarn from Thailand won the India Open
Badminton Championship 2023 by defeating Olympic champion
Axelsen of Denmark to claim his maiden Super 750 tournament
title in the men’s singles by 22-20, 10-21 and 21-12.
i.In the Women’s Singles category, An Seyoung of South Korea
won the title by defeating Japanese Akane Yamaguchi by 15-21,
21-16, and 21-12.
• Republic of Korea’s An Se Young became the first
player from her country to win the women’s singles
title

The Championship, officially named ‘Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2023′ was held at KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium
in New Delhi, Delhi from January 17 – 22, 2023. It was the second tournament of the HSBC BWF World Tour
Super 750.
Organizers:
Badminton Association of India (BAI) with sanction from the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
Prize Money:
The total prize money for the championship was USD 900,000
Table showing Winners in all categories:
Category Winner Runner-Up
Men’s Singles Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Thailand) Viktor Axelsen (Denmark)
Women’s Singles An Se-young (South Korea) Akane Yamaguchi (Japan)
Men’s Doubles Liang Wei Keng & Wang Chang of China Aaron Chia & Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia
Women’s Doubles Nami Matsuyama & Chiharu Shida of Japan Chen Qing Chen & Jia Yi Fan of China
Mixed Doubles Yuta Watanabe & Arisa Higashino of Japan Wang Yi Lyu & Huang Dong Ping of China
Key Points:
i.The India Open is an annual badminton event which has been held in India since 2008.
ii.India Open was upgraded to a BWF World Tour Super 750 event, w.e.f. 2023.
• Earlier, it was categorized as one of the seven BWF World Tour Super 500 events as per new BWF
events structure from 2018.
iii.The next event, ‘Daihatsu Indonesia Masters 2023’ will be held from January 24-29, 2023 in
Jakarta, Indonesia with prize money of USD 420,000.
iv.The Syed Modi International, a Super 300 event, is the other BWF World Tour event to be held in India. It is
scheduled from November 28 to December 3, 2023, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Winners of ICC Awards 2022 announced: India’s Suryakumar Yadav & Renuka Singh Among
Winners
The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the winners of the ICC awards 2022, India’s Suryakumar
Yadav has won the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year 2022 while compatriot Renuka Singh has won
the ICC Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2022 award.
Key Points:
i.Suryakumar Yadav became the 2nd batter after Pakistan’s
Mohammad Rizwan to score more than 1000 runs in 2022 in
T20Is and finished the year as the highest run-getter by scoring
1164 runs at a strike rate of 187.43.
• He scored 68 sixes during 2022, the most by any
player in a year in T20I history.
ii.Renuka Singh picked 40 international wickets in 2022 and
showcased an outstanding performance with her seam and
swing bowling.
• She claimed 40 wickets(18 ODI wickets and 22 T20I wickets) for India in 2022 in just 29 matches
across the two white-ball formats.
Babar Azam & Nat Sciver wins 2 awards in ICC Awards 2022:
Pakistan’s Babar Azam and England’s all-rounder Nat Sciver have won 2 awards each among the categories
revealed by ICC Award 2022.
• Babar Azam won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2022 as well as
ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year 2022.

• Nat Sciver won the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year and ICC
Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year.
England’s Ben Stokes wins ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year 2022:
England’s Ben Stokes has been named ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year, after leading England’s stunning
revival in the Test format.
• He scored 870 runs at an average of 36.25 and picked 26 wickets at an average of 31.19
• England’s scoring rate of 4.13 across 15 Tests in 2022 was the second highest in history and the
most since Australia in 1910.
• Since taking over as England captain, he has led the team to nine wins from 10 Tests.
Nepal’s wicketkeeper Aasif Sheikh wins ICC Spirit of Cricket Award 2022:
Nepal wicketkeeper Aasif Sheikh has been named the recipient of the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award 2022. He
became the first player from Nepal to win the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award.

• He has been named the winner of the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award for his decision not to run out Andy
McBrine after the Irish star tripped while attempting a run.
Winners of ICC Awards 2022:
Category Winner Country
ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Year Gerhard Erasmus Namibia
United Arab
ICC Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Year Esha Oza Emirates(UAE)
ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year Suryakumar Yadav India
ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year Tahlia McGrath Australia
ICC Emerging Men’s Cricketer of the Year Marco Jansen South Africa
ICC Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year Renuka Singh India
ICC Umpire of the Year Richard
David Shepherd Trophy Illingworth England
ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year Babar Azam Pakistan
ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year Nat Sciver England
ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year Ben Stokes England
Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the
Year Nat Sciver England
Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year Babar Azam Pakistan
ICC Spirit of Cricket Award Aasif Sheikh Nepal
ICC team of the year 2022:
i.ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year 2022 includes 11 players who made remarkable returns in 2022 with either
bat, ball or all round talents. India’s keeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been included in the list as Wicket keeper.
He is the only Indian featured on the ICC’s Men’s Test Team of the Year 2022.
ii.ICC Women’s T20I Team of the Year 2022 features 11 Women cricketers with outstanding performance in
Women’s T20Is in 2022. India’s Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh and Renuka Singh have been
named on the list.
iii.ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Year 2022 features 11 players who make the cut in T20Is in 2022. Former India
captain Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya are the Indian players featured on the list.
iv.ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year 2022 includes 11 players who dominated the ODI, the 50-over format of
men’s cricket in 2022. India’s Middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer and right-arm pacer Mohammed Siraj were
featured on the list.
v.ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year 2022 includes 11 players that set the highest of standards in the ODI in
2022. Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Renuka Singh are the Indian women cricketer featured on the
list.
About International Cricket Council (ICC):
Chair– Greg Barclay
Chief Executive– Geoff Allardice
Headquarters– Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
France Captain Hugo Lloris Retires from International Football

Hugo Lloris(36-year), Captain of France national football team, retired from international football. He retired
from playing for France after a record 145 appearances. He will be focusing on his Tottenham club career in the
English Premier League.

• He captained the France team that won the 2018 FIFA(Fédération Internationale De Football
Association) World Cup in Russia.
• He was also the captain of the team that lost to Argentina in the final in the 2022 FIFA World Cup
held in Qatar.
• Hugo Lloris made his national debut in 2008 against Uruguay.
Hyderabad Formula E-Prix announces Greenko as Title Partner

Greenko Group, a dispatchable renewables company, has been named the title sponsor of the 1st ABB FIA
Formula E World Championship race which will be held in India. The Formula E 2023 will be held in
Hyderabad, Telangana, on 11th February 2023.
• Greenko will use renewable energy to power the entire 2023 Greenko Hyderabad E-Prix event,
making it the world’s first Net Zero event of this scale.
• Greenko’s core values align with the championship’s mission of accelerating towards a clean energy
future as the title partner.
• Core, a lifestyle brand, was named as the new title sponsor of the Formula E 2023 CORE Diriyah E-
Prix in Saudi Arabia, which was held within the town walls of the UNESCO World Heritage site on
27th and 28th January 2023.
Tennis: Australian Open 2023: Novak Djokovic claims Men’s Singles & Aryna Sabalenka won
Women’s Singles
Novak Djokovic of Serbia claimed the men’s singles title at the Australian Open (AO) 2023 defeating Stefanos
Tsitsipas of Greece by 6–3, 7–6(7–4), 7–6(7-5) during the finals held at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park,
Melbourne (Victoria), Australia. Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus won the women’s singles title at AO 2023, her
first major singles title, by defeating Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan by 4–6, 6–3, 6–4.
• Australian Open 2023, 111th edition of the
Australian Open, the 55th in the Open Era, and the
first major/Grand Slam of the year 2023 was held
from January 16-29, 2023.
• The tournament is managed by Tennis Australia
(formerly known as the Lawn Tennis Association of
Australia), the Governing Body for Tennis in
Australia.
Prize Money:
The Australian Open total prize money for 2023 increased by
3.38% year on year to a tournament record AUD 76.5 million. This represented a 155% increase in prize money
over the last ten years.
Trophies:
i.The Women’s Singles Winner is presented with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.
It is named after the late Daphne Akhurst (1903 – 1933), a five times singles champion
• It was first awarded to Joan Hartigan at the Australian Championships in 1934.
ii.The Men’s Singles Winner is presented with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup. It is named after the late
Sir Norman Brookes (1877-1968), a former Australian tennis champion.
• It was first awarded to Fred Perry at the Australian Championships in 1934.
Highlights of 2023 Australian Open:
Men’s Singles:
This marks Novak Djokovic’s 10th Australian Open title and 22nd major title(Grand Slam) overall. With this, he
tied with Rafael Nadal’s (Spain) all-time record total of men’s singles titles (22).

• Novak Djokovic has won the most men’s singles titles at the Australian Open with 10. He also has
two hat-tricks of Australian Open titles, between 2011-2013 and between 2019-2021.
• With this win, Novak Djokovic reclaimed the top spot in the Association of Tennis Professionals
(ATP) rankings.
Key Points:
i.It was his 66th ‘Big Title’ which encompasses trophies at Grand Slam championships, the Nitto ATP Finals,
ATP Masters 1000 tournaments and Olympic singles gold medals.
ii.He also became the third-oldest man (Aged 35) in the Open Era to win the Australian Open,
after Ken Rosewall of Australia and Roger Federer of Switzerland, who both accomplished the feat aged 36.
Women’s Singles:
Aryna Sabalenka(24 years old) who won the women’s singles title at AO 2023 has climbed to second in the
Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) ranking.
• she advanced three places to reach her highest ranking since August 2021
Note: Poland’s Iga Swiatek tops the women’s singles rankings.
Men’s Doubles:
Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler of Australia defeated the pair of Hugo Nys of Monaco and Jan Zieliński of
Poland by 6–4, 7–6.
• This marks the first Grand Slam title for both Hijikata and Kubler.
• They also became the 3rd Australian team to win a men’s doubles title in the last five Grand Slams.
Women’s Doubles:
Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková of Czechia
defeated the pair of Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara of Japan
in the final with 6–4, 6–3.
• This marks the seventh Grand Slam doubles title by
Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková.
• They won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and U.S.
Open doubles titles in 2022.
For the Japanese pair, Aoyama and Shibahara, this marks their
10th final together and first Grand Slam tournament.
Mixed Doubles:
Luisa Stefani and Rafael Matos of Brazil defeated the pair of India’s Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna with 7–
6(7–2), 6–2.

Table showing the 2023 Australian Open Winners:
Category Winner Runner-Up
Men’s Singles Novak Djokovic of Serbia Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece
Women’s Singles Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan
Hugo Nys of Monaco and Jan Zieliński of
Men’s Doubles Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler of Australia Poland
Women’s Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková of
Doubles Czechia Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara of Japan
Mixed Doubles Luisa Stefani and Rafael Matos of Brazil Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna of India
About Australian Open:
Initiated in 1905, the Australian Open is a tennis tournament held annually at Melbourne Park. It is the first of
the four Grand Slam tennis events held each year, the other being, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
• It has been played on hard surfaces since 1988.
• It was a grass court event from 1905–1987.
Records in Australian Open:
In Men:
• Most singles titles- Novak Djokovic (10)
• Most doubles titles- Australia’s Adrian Quist (10)
In Women:
• Most singles titles- Australia’s Margaret Court (11)
• Most doubles titles- Australia’s Thelma Coyne Long (12)
i.On 20th November 2022, World Champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway defeated Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda
in the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour (MCCT) finals 2022 held at the SHACK15 venue in San Francisco,
United States of America (USA).
ii.Viktor Axelsen of Denmark won the Men’s Singles title defeating Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia at the
HSBC Badminton World Federation(BWF) World Tour Finals 2022 held at Nimibutr Arena in Bangkok,
Thailand from December 7-11, 2022.
About Australia:
Prime Minister– Anthony Albanese
Capital– Canberra
Currency– Australian Dollar
FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023: Germany won its 3rd Hockey World Cup Title
On 29th January 2023, Germany(Nickname: Die Honamas) won the (Fédération Internationale de Hockey
or International Hockey Federation) FIH Odisha Hockey
Men’s World Cup 2023 by defeating the defending
champions Belgium(Nickname: The Red Lions) by 5-4 in the
Penalty shootout during the finals held in Kalinga Stadium in
Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
• This marks Germany’s 3rd hockey World Cup title,
earlier they won the world cup in 2002 and 2006.
• Germany was led by Mats Grambusch, while
Belgium was led by Felix Denayer
Key Points:
With this win, Germany tops the FIH Men’s World Outdoor Rankings(as of 29th January 2023). Netherlands and
Belgium are ranked 2nd and 3rd.

India is ranked 6th on the FIH Men’s World Outdoor Rankings.
Germany became the fourth team to have won three or more hockey World Cup titles.
• Australia and Netherlands have won the title 3 times each and Pakistan have won the title 4 times.
About FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023:
i.FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023, the 15th edition of the Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup, is
a quadrennial world championship for men’s national field hockey teams organised by the FIH.
ii.FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 was held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha
and Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha from 13th to 29th January 2023.
iii.A total of 16 teams participated in the tournament.
Note: This is the 2nd Consecutive Men’s Hockey World Cup hosted by Hockey India and its official partner
Odisha. Previously Odisha(India) hosted the Men’s Hockey World Cup in 2018(14th edition). The event was
held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
Result:
Winners (Gold Medal) Germany
Runner-up (Silver Medal) Belgium
Third (Bronze Medal) Netherlands
Fourth Australia
Awards:
• Best Player- Niklas Wellen (Germany)
• Best Forward of the Tournament Award- Niklas Wellen (Germany)
• Best Midfielder of the Tournament Award- Victor Wegnez (Belgium)
• Best Defender of the Tournament Award- Jeremy Hayward (Australia)
• Best Goalkeeper- Vincent Vanasch (Belgium)
• Hero Top Scorer- Jeremy Hayward (Australia)
• JSP Foundation Best Junior Player of the Tournament- Mustapha Cassiem (South Africa)
• Fan’s Choice Award- Christopher Rühr (Germany)
• Best Team Goal Celebration Award- South Korea
• Maximum Team Goals Award- Netherlands
• Fair Play award- Belgium
• Special Mention – FIH President Tayyab Ikram presented the FIH President’s Award to Mr. V.K
Pandian, Secretary (5T) to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha, for his outstanding contribution to
hockey.
India in 2023 World Cup:
i.The Indian hockey team, captained by Harmanpreet Singh, finished its campaign at the FIH Men’s Hockey
World Cup 2023 on a winning note with a 5-2 victory over South Africa.
ii.With this win, India along with Argentina finished 9th on the Men’s hockey world cup 2023 ranking.
• India has won only one Hockey World Cup since the tournament started in 1971. India won the
1975 world cup held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia defeating Pakistan.
Sponsors of the event:
• Presenting Partner: Odisha Government
• Host Partner: Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC)
• FIH Global Leadership Partner: Hero MotoCorp
• Global Partners: Odisha Government; JSW Group, Watch.Hockey & FIH Hockey Manager
• Official Partners: TATA Steel & Rungta Sons
• Global Suppliers: Dream11; Osaka & Polytan
• Official Suppliers: Limca Sports, Watergen & Apollo

Trophy
i.The trophy of the Men’s Hockey World Cup is made of gold, silver, ivory and teak wood with intricate floral
design and presenting a hockey stick and ball atop a globe.
ii.The trophy was designed by Bashir Moojid and created by the Pakistani Army.
Mascot
Olly, an Olive Ridley Sea Turtle wearing a blue jersey and cap, is the official mascot for the 2023 FIH Men’s
Hockey World Cup.
• It was in 2017 that Odisha unveiled Olly as the mascot of the Asian Athletics Championships and
later the Odisha government declared ‘Olly’ as the permanent mascot for all sports events, both
national and international championships, to be held in the state.
About Fédération Internationale de Hockey (FIH – International Hockey Federation):
President– Tayyab Ikram
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Thierry Weil
Headquarters– Lausanne, Switzerland
Indian Cricketer Murali Vijay announces retirement from international cricket

Veteran Indian Cricketer Murali Vijay, hailing from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, has announced his retirement from
international cricket at the age of 38.
• He was a member of the Indian Test Team till 2018 and plays for Tamil Nadu in Domestic first class
cricket.
About Murali Vijay:
i.Murali Vijay made his international debut representing India in the final Test of the 2008-09 Border Gavaskar
Trophy in Nagpur replacing Gautam Gambhir.
ii.He has played 61 Tests, 17 One Day International (ODIs) and nine Twenty20 International (T20Is) since
2008.
iii.Vijay was a key member of India’s Test squad for a five-year period between 2013 and 2018.
iv.He has scored 12 Test centuries and 15 half-centuries from 61 Tests. He has also scored 3982 runs at an
average of 38.28.
v.He last played for India in a Test series against Australia in Perth in December 2018.
vi. In the Indian Premier League (IPL), he has played for Chennai Super Kings(CSK), Delhi Daredevils (now
Delhi Capitals) and Punjab Kings.
• He was a part of CSK's 2010 and 2011 IPL title-winning squad. he has also captained the Punjab
Kings in 2016.
vii.He has scored 2619 runs in 106 IPL matches.
viii.His last appearance in professional cricket was in the IPL, in September 2020.
IX. M Vijay started his cricketing career in the first class cricket by representing Tamil Nadu in the Vijay
Hazare Trophy (the Then Ranji One-Day Trophy) in 2006/2007.
OBITUARY
Pritzker-Winning Japanese Architect Arata Isozaki Passed Away
Arata Isozaki, a Pritzker-Winning Japanese Architect, passed away at the age of 91 in Okinawa Island
(Japanese Island). He was called a ‘post-modern giant’, who blended the culture and history of the East and
the West in his designs.
About Arata Isozaki:
i. Arata Isozaki was born in Ōita, Island of Kyushu, Japan in 1931. He is known for his style that combines
postmodernism and metabolism with technology.
ii. He started his career as an architect with an apprenticeship under the guidance of the 1987 Pritzker Prize

Laureate Kenzo Tange.
iii. After the Allied occupation, in 1963, when Japan had reclaimed
its independence, Arata Isozaki founded Arata Isozaki &
Associates.
iv. His career started at a small scale, with numerous structures in
his hometown and Fukuoka (Japan), swiftly spreading to Gunma,
Osaka, and Tokyo in Japan.
v. His Significant works– the Ōita Prefectural Library (1962-1966
Ōita), Expo ’70 Festival Plaza (1966-1970 Osaka), the Museum of
Modern Art, Gunma (1971-1974), and Kitakyushu Municipal
Museum of Art, Fukuoka (1972-1974).
vi. He emerged as an international leader in architecture in the 1980s, with his 1st overseas commission, the
Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (1981-1986 California, United States of America (USA)).
vii. With his 1st overseas commission, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (1981-1986 California,
United States of America (USA)), he became a recognised figure in architecture in the 1980s.
• His other notable international works included over 100 completed projects.
viii. In reaction to the fast rate of urbanisation, Arata Isozaki created City in the Air (1962 Tokyo, Japan), a
futuristic design for Shinjuku that featured elevated tiers of structures, housing, and transportation suspended
above the ageing city below.
Awards and Recognition:
i. In 1979, Arata Isozaki was appointed to the 1st Pritzker Prize Jury and continued on as a member for 5
additional years.
ii. In 1986, he received the Royal Gold Medal for architecture.
iii. He was an honorary member of the Royal Academy of Arts (1994), the American Academy of Arts and
Letters (1998), and a member of the Japan Arts Academy (2017).
iv. In 2019, Arata Isozaki won the Pritzker Architecture Prize, internationally the highest honour in the field.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mother Heeraben Passes Away

On 30th December 2022 Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s mother Heeraben passed away at the age of
100 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Mamata Banerjee, Pakistan’s PM Shehbaz Sharif, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul
Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chief Asaduddin Owaisi and others expressed condolences over the demise of PM Modi’s
mother Heeraben.
Former Tata Sons Director Padma Shri Awardee R.K. Krishna Kumar Passed Away
On 1st January 2023, Tata group veteran and Former Director of Tata Sons, Padma Shri Awardee Rayaroth
Kuttambally Krishna Kumar passed away in Mumbai,
Maharashtra at the age of 84.
• He was a close confidant of Ratan Tata, well-known for
his role in several Tata Group acquisitions, including
the acquisition of Tetley in 2000.
About R.K. Krishna Kumar:
i. R.K. Krishna Kumar, fondly known as KK, was born in 1938 in
Thalassery (formerly Tellicherry), Kerala.
ii. He started his career with Tata Administrative Services in 1963. He began working for Tata Global
Beverages (formerly known as Tata Finlay) in 1965 and later rose through the ranks to become the Vice
President of South India Plantations in 1982.
iii. In 1988, he was promoted to the joint managing director of the company.
iv. In 1997, he was appointed as the head of the division of Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), which owns the Taj
Group of hotels.

v. He had served in multiple positions in the Tata group, including heading its hospitality arm Indian Hotels.
vi. He was involved in the Tata group’s charitable trusts, which own a 66% interest in Tata Sons and was a close
associate of Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons.
vii. In 2009, he joined Sri Ratan Tata Trust as a trustee and was on the board of Tata Sons till his retirement in
2013.
• He served as a trustee of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Sir Ratan Tata Trust.
Award:
In 2009, R.K. Krishnakumar received the Padma Shri award, India’s 4th highest civilian honour, for his
contributions to Indian Trade and Industry.
Grammy-winning American singer Anita Pointer Passed Away

On 31st December 2022, Anita Marie Pointer, a Grammy-winning American singer-songwriter, passed away
at the age of 74. She was best known as a founding member of the vocal group the Pointer Sisters.
• Anita Pointer was born on 23rd January 1948 in Oakland, California, United States (US).
• “The Pointer Sisters” won 3 Grammys (1985 – Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
and Best Vocal Arrangement For Two Or More Voices & 1975 – Best Country Vocal Performance By
A Duo Or Group )
• The Pointer Sisters was the 1st African American group to perform on the Grand Ole Opry program
and the 1st contemporary act to perform at the San Francisco Opera House.
Siddheshwar Swamiji seer of Sri Jnanayogashrama in Karnataka Passed away

On 2nd January 2023, noted spiritual leader Siddeshwar Swami, the seer of Sri Jnanayogashrama in
Vijayapura, Karnataka, who was known for his scholarly discourses and powerful oratory, passed away in
Karnataka at the age of 81.
• Siddeshwar Swami hailing from Bijjaragi in Vijayapura, Karnataka, spent over 67 years as a monk.
• Siddeshwar Swami is often referred to as the “Walking God of North Karnataka”. He was also fondly
known as Buddiji.
• He was a Lingayat priest and saint at Sri Jnana Yogashram in Vijayapura, Karnataka.
Former Indian Football Player Shyamal Ghosh Passed Away

On 3rd January 2023, 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 and
went on to play 7 matches for India, including the Asian Games in 1974 in Tehran, Iran.
• He represented East Bengal and Mohun Bagan at the domestic level and won various titles including
Kolkata League, IFA Shield, Durand Cup and Rovers Cup.
• He won the Santhosh Trophy thrice in 1975, 1976 and 1977 representing Bengal.
• Shyamal Ghosh received the Lifetime Achievement Award from East Bengal in 2016.
• Post retirement, he coached East Bengal to the CFL, Durand Cup and Kalinga Cup titles in 1993.
Veteran Sinologist Janaki Ballabh passed away in Beijing

Veteran Sinologist Janaki Ballabh, an Indian translator and writer, who translated a range of Chinese works
into Hindi, passed away in Beijing, China, at the age of 94. He lived and worked in China as a Hindi Language
expert from 1956 to the years immediately following the Cultural Revolution.
• Janaki Ballabh was born in Dalakot village in Almora in Uttarakhand and was closely associated with
India’s Independence movement.

• Noted works: ‘Selected Works’ by Mao Zedong, founder of the Communist Party of China (CPC); the
Chinese classic novel ‘Journey to the West’; and works of prominent Chinese writer, essayist, poet
and literary critic Lu Xun
• He was honoured with Peace and Friendship Award 1961 by former Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai for
his contributions to cultural exchange between China and India.
Sinologist – a person who studies or is an expert in the academic study of China primarily through Chinese
language, literature, and history.
Former West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi Passes Away

Keshari Nath Tripathi, former governor of West Bengal (July 2014 – July 2019) and 3-time Uttar Pradesh (UP)
Assembly Speaker passes away at the age of 88 years in Prayagraj (Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh(UP).
• He was born on 10th November 1934, in Prayagraj
(Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh(UP).
About Keshari Nath Tripathi:
i.Keshari Nath Tripathi was a poet and an author and had
practised as a senior advocate at Allahabad High Court.
ii.He was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA)
for the first time in 1977 from the Jhansi assembly constituency
in Prayagraj, Allahabad.
iii.He briefly served as governor of Bihar, Meghalaya, and
Mizoram at various times.
• Governor of Bihar – November 2014- August 2015 & June 2017 to October 2017.
• Governor of Meghalaya – January 2015 to May 2015.
• Governor of Mizoram – April 2015 – May 2015.
iv.He has won six more assembly elections, with his last victory in 2002 from Allahabad south seat and was also
the Cabinet minister of institutional finance and sales tax in UP during the Janata Party regime from 1977 to
1979.
Padma Awardee Dr Tehemton E Udwadia “Father of laparoscopic surgery” Passed Away

On 7th January 2023, Padma Awardee Dr Tehemton Erach Udwadia, an Indian Surgeon and
Gastroenterologist, who was known as the ‘father of laparoscopic surgery in India’ passed away in Mumbai,
Maharashtra, at the age of 88.
He was born on 15th July 1934 in the Bombay Presidency,
British India (now Mumbai, Maharashtra, India).
About Dr Tehemton E Udwadia:
i. Tehemton E Udwadia pursued medicine and started his
career as a research fellow at the King Edward Memorial
Hospital and Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College in
1958 and stayed till 1962.
ii. In 1993, he found the Indian Association of Gastrointestinal
Endo-Surgeons and he served as its President from 1993 to
1998.
iii. 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.
iv. He is the author of two books, Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy and Laparoscopic Surgery in Developing
Countries, and more than 90 articles in peer-reviewed journals have been published.
• He also authored and published the book(memoir) “More than Just Surgery: Life Lessons Beyond the
OT” (published by Penguin Ebury Press) in 2021.

Awards:
i. In 2000, Dr Tehemton E Udwadia received the SAGES Millennium Award from the Society of American
Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons.
ii. In the same year (2000), he was awarded the Dr B. C. Roy Award, the highest Indian award in the field of
Medicine, from the Medical Council of India.
iii. In 2004, he has conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Indian Association of Gastrointestinal
Endo-Surgeons.
iv. He was honoured with the Padma Shri, India’s 4th highest civilian award, in 2006 and Padma Bhushan,
India’s 3rd-highest civilian award, in 2017, for Medicine.
Renowned Poet & Kashmir’s 1st Jnanpith Awardee Abdur Rehman “Rahi” Passed Away
On 9th January 2023, Kashmir’s 1st Jnanpith awardee Professor Abdur Rehman Rahi, a renowned Kashmiri
poet, translator, and critic, passed away at Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). He was born in Srinagar in
1925.
About Abdur Rehman Rahi:
i. Abdur Rehman Rahi was a well-known poet who translated several famous authors’ works into the Kashmiri
language.
• As a translator, he did a translation of Baba Farid’s Sufi poetry to Kashmiri from Original Punjabi.
ii. In 1948, he started working for the government as a clerk for a short period in the Public Works Department.
iii. He joined the Department of Persian at the University of Kashmir as a Professor after completing his
masters in Persian and English.
iv. He later joined the Kashmiri Department at the University of Kashmir in 1977, and he remained associated
with it until he retired in 1983.
v. He then joined the Progressive Writers’ Association, where he eventually rose to the position of General
Secretary.
Awards:
i. In 1961, Rehman Rahi received Sahitya Akademi Award for his collection of poems in Kashmiri called
“Nawroz-i-Saba”.
ii. In 2000, he was honoured with the 4th-highest civilian award in India, Padma Shri Award for Literature and
Education.
iii. In 2004, he received the highest literary award in India, the Jnanpith Award for his poetic collection in
Kashmiri “Siyah Rood Jaeren Manz” (In Black Drizzle).
Notable Works:
Some of his literary collections: Sana-Wani Saaz (poems), Kashir Naghmati Shayiri, Kahwat (literary criticism),
Sukhok Soda (poems), and Kalam-e-Rahi (poems).
Greece’s Last King & 1960 Olympic Gold Medalist Constantine II Passed Away
On 10th January 2023, Constantine II, the former and last King of Greece who ruled Greece before the country
became a republic in 1974 passed away in Athens, Greece, at 82.
• He was born on 2nd June 1940 in Psikhikó near
Athens, Greece.
About Constantine II:
i. When Constantine was an infant, the royal family fled Greece
during the German invasion of World War II, moving to
Alexandria (Egypt), South Africa. They returned to Greece in
1946.
ii. Constantine II, the 2nd cousin of Britain’s King Charles III, is
the only son of King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece, he ascended to the throne in 1964 at the age of 23
after the demise of his father.

• His reign was marred by political instability, culminating in a military coup on 21st April 1967.
• A military coup was launched as a result of the episode involving the defection of numerous
lawmakers from the ruling party, which is widely known as the “apostasy” in Greece.
• He remained in Rome until the regime abolished the monarchy in 1973.
iii. He married Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark in 1964.
iv. At the 1960 Rome Olympics, he participated in sailing and won a gold medal in the Dragon class along with 2
other Greek sailors.
v. He was elected as a member of the International Olympic Committee and became an IOC Member in 1963
and served until 1974. He was then made an Honorary Member.
• During his tenure, he served on the Commission for the International Olympic Academy from 1967-
73.
vi. Most of his life went into exile where he lived in Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, United Kingdom (UK).
Former Union Minister Sharad Yadav Passed Away

On 12th January 2023, Sharad Yadav, former Union minister and one of India’s most prominent socialist
leaders, passed away in Gurugram, Haryana. He was born on 1st July 1947 in Babai, Hoshangabad, Madhya
Pradesh.
About Sharad Yadav:
i. Sharad Yadav is a prominent Indian politician and founder-
member of Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) Sharad Yadav.
ii. He was a 7-time former Lok Sabha Member of Parliament and
had been elected thrice to Rajya Sabha (1986, 2004, and 2014).
Political career:
i. He joined the Bharatiya Lok Dal (Lok Dal) in the 1970s and later
became the National General Secretary of the Lok Dal in 1979.
ii. He was first elected to the 5th Lok Sabha in the by-election held in 1974 from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh he
was re-elected from the same in 1977.
iii. He played an important role in the formation of the Janata Dal (JD) in 1988, under the leadership of V.P.
Singh.
iv. He has been elected 4 times from Bihar's Madhepura (1991, 1996, 1999, and 2009).
v. He served as the Chairman of the Janata Dal Parliamentary Board from 1989 to 1997 and was also the Union
Minister for Textiles and Food Processing Industries from 1989 to 1990.
vi. He also served as the Union Minister for Civil Aviation (1999-2001), the Minister of Labour (2001-2002) and
the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (2002-2004).
vii. In 2018, Sharad Yadav and Ali Anwar founded the Loktantrik Janata Dal with their supporters.
Renowned Scientist Dr AD Damodaran Passed Away

On 13th January 2023, Dr A D Damodaran, a renowned scientist and former Director of the Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) National Institute For Interdisciplinary Science and Technology
(NIIST), passed away in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• Dr A D Damodaran worked briefly at the Nuclear Fuels Complex in Hyderabad, Telangana, and
served as a visiting scientist at the Indian Institute of Metals and the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• He started working at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and later took over as Director of CSIR-
NIIST in 1985, where he held the position for 12 years.
• He was also chairman of the Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation (Keltron) and an
expert in advanced materials, nutraceuticals, food nutrition, and intellectual property rights.

Congress Jalandhar MP Santokh Chaudhary dies of Heart Attack during Bharat Jodo Yatra
The Congress MP (Member of Parliament) Santokh Singh Chaudhary aged 76 from Jalandhar (Lok Sabha
constituency), Punjab has passed away due to heart attack while taking part in the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
• He was the Cabinet Minister of Punjab.
• He won the 2014 Indian general election and 2019
Indian general election being an Indian National
Congress (INC) candidate.
What is Bharat Jodo Yatra?
It was initiated by INC, and orchestrated by leader of the
Congress Rahul Gandhi. The aim of this Yatra is to unite and
strengthen India. The Yatra began on September 7, 2022 from
Kanyakumari and will pass through 12 states, culminating in
Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). It will cover a distance of nearly 3,500 Km over about 150 days.
Mukarram Jah Bahadur: The Last Nizam of Hyderabad Passes Away

The titular Nizam VIII of Hyderabad, Mukarram Jah (89 years old), also known as Nawab Mir Barket Ali
Khan Walashan Mukarram Jah Bahadur, passed away at his residence in Istanbul, Türkiye. He was born on
October 6, 1933, in Nice, France.
• The informal Nizamate of Hyderabad comes to an end with the demise of Mukarram Jah.
He will be buried at the family vault in Mecca Masjid near Charminar in Hyderabad (Telangana), where other
members of the Nizam’s family, who ruled Hyderabad from 1724, are also buried.
About Mukarram Jah Bahadur:
i.Mukarram Jah Bahadur was connected to two prominent Islamic dynasties—the Nizam of Hyderabad and the
deposed Caliph—through the marriage of his parents.
ii.He was the son of Prince Azam Jah and Princess Durru Shehvar, the only daughter of Sultan Abdul Mejid II,
the last caliphof the Ottoman Empire.
• Sultan Abdul Mejid II was exiled by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who abolished the Caliphate.
• Azam Jah was the eldest son of Mir Osman Ali Khan, the Nizam of Hyderabad, whose kingdom
was integrated with India on September 18, 1948.
iii.On February 24, 1967, Mukarram Jah was formally crowned as the Nizam VIII of Hyderabad following the
demise of Mir Osman Ali Khan, the Nizam VII.
• In 1969, the GoI recognized him as Nizam VIII of Hyderabad and Berar.
iv.He retained the position until November 1971, when the privy purse was abolished by the
Government of India (GoI).
v.The golden jubilee of Mukarram Jah’s coronation was celebrated in 2017.
British Linguist Ronald E Asher, Specialist in Dravidian Languages, Passes Away

Renowned British linguist Ronald Eaton Asher (R E Asher) who specialized in Dravidian languages has
passed away in Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK). He was born on 23rd July 1926 in Gringley-on-the-
Hill, England, UK.
Ronald E Asher is known for translating and propagating several Tamil and Malayalam literary works.
• He is well-known for translating the works of Vaikkom Mohammed Basheer (Malayalam) and
Pudumaipithan (Tamil).
• In 1971, he wrote his 1st book on Tamil, “A Tamil Prose Reader” with R. Radhakrishnan.
• He served as the president of the International Association for Tamil Research from 1983 to 1990.
• In 1983, he received the Gold Medal from the Kerala Sahitya Akademi for “distinguished services” in
Malayalam. In 2007, the Sahitya Akademi elected R E Asher as an Honorary fellow.

Gambian Vice-President Badara Alieu Joof Passes Away in India
Badara Alieu Joof, the Vice-President (VP) of the Republic of the Gambia (West African country), passed away
in India at the age of 65. His demise was announced by the President of Gambia, Adama Barrow. Badara Alieu
Joof was born on 1958 in Gambia.
About Badara Alieu Joof:
i. In 2022, Badara Alieu Joof became the Vice-President of
Gambia. President Adama Barrow chose him as VP after being
re-elected as President in 2021 for 2nd term.
ii. Before becoming the VP, he served as Minister of Higher
Education, Research, Science and Technology from 2017 to 2022.
iii. He also served in the Gambian Civil service and the World
Bank as an Education Specialist for West and Central Africa,
transmitting his experience there to his time as minister of
higher education, research, science and technology.
iv. He began his career as a qualified teacher at The Gambia College, where he taught English. At the same time,
he was also in charge of the language and literature department at Nusrat High School.
Padma Shri Awardee Prabhaben Shah Passed Away

On 18th January 2023, Padma Shri Awardee Prabhaben Sobhaghchand Shah, Social Worker from Union
Territory (UT) of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman, and Diu passed away in Daman at the age of 92.
• Prabhaben Shah was born on 20th February 1930 in Bardoli, Surat district, Gujarat, and settled in
Daman in 1963.
About Prabhaben Shah:
i. Prabhaben Shah, fondly known as “Daman ki Divya”,
organised canteens for the poor and coordinated the All
India Women Council’s “Vatra Banks” to assist Gujarat
flood victims.
ii. Since childhood, She was attached to the Swaraj
Ashram in Bardoli, Gujarat and was influenced by the
Gandhian ideology.
iii. She dedicated her life to providing food and clothes
for others and advancing the status of women. She has spent more than six decades working for the
environment and women’s empowerment.
iv. In 1963, she established the women’s association (Mahila Mandal) and began its activities on
various issues related to women and children apart from education.
v. In addition, Prabhaben Shah and her team of women at the Mahila Mandal created a credit
organisation to offer loans to women who wished to start small businesses like “papad”
manufacturing, tailoring, or running a grocery store.
vi. She was elected to the defence committee in 1965 and 1971, during India’s Indo-China war and
Bangladesh Partition.
vii. She served on the Board of Directors of the Gujarat State Social Welfare Advisory Board in
Ahmedabad from 1992 to 1994. In 1998, she served as Dowry Prohibition Officer and was nominated
to the District Legal Advisory Committee of the Daman and Diu in 2001.
viii. She also worked in several health camps within the Medical and Health Services section of Daman
and Diu’s “SEVA” Program. She made her contributions to several divisions and collaborated with
many trusts for social welfare.

Awards:
In 2022, Prabhaben Shah received Padma Shri, India’s 4th highest civilian award, for Social Work
(Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu).
Jnanpith Winning Assamese Poet Nilmani Phookan Passed Away

On 19th January 2023, Nilmani Phookan, a renowned Assamese poet and recipient of the Jnanpith Award and
Padma Shri Awardee, passed away in Guwahati, Assam at the age of 89. He was born in 1933 in Dergaon
(present-day Golaghat), Assam.
About Nilmani Phookan:
i. Nilmani Phookan started his career as a lecturer in 1964 at
Arya Vidyapeeth College, Guwahati until his retirement in
1992.
ii. He infused French symbolism into his Assamese poetry,
which is evident in his poetry. His poems are inspired by the
European symbolist movement in poetry.
iii. The notable works of Nilmani Phookan are Surya Heno
Nami Ahe Ei Nadiyedi (1963), Manas-Pratima (1971), Phuli
Thaka Suryamukhi Phultor Phale (1971), and Gulapi Jamur Lagna.
• He has also translated Japanese and European poetry into Assamese.
Awards:
i. Nilmani Phookan was awarded the Assam Valley Literary Award in 1997. In 1981, he was awarded
the Sahitya Akademi Award in Assamese for his poetry collection, Kavita.
ii. In 1990, he has conferred the 4th-highest civilian award, Padma Shri, for Literature and Education (Assam).
iii. In 1998, he was selected by the Cultural Department, Government of India, to serve as an “Emeritus
Fellow” for a 2-year tenure. The Assam Sahitya Sabha also gave him the “Sahityacharya” honour.
iv. In 2002, he received the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, the highest literary honour in India, given by Sahitya
Akademi, India’s National Akademi of Letters.
v. In 2020, he won the 56th Jnanpith Award, India’s highest literary award. He was the 3rd recipient of
Jnanpith from Assam after Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya and Mamoni Raisom Goswami.
PVSM & AVSM Awardee Air Marshal Harjit Singh Arora Passed Away
On 21st January 2023, Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) & Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) awardee Harjit
Singh Arora, former Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal, passed away in Delhi at the age of 61.
• In December 1981, Harjit Singh Arora was commissioned as an Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter pilot.
• He had a flying experience of over 2600 hours on Mig (Mikoyan-Gurevich)-21, Mig-29, and also
helicopters.
• He served the force as the 44th Vice Chief of the Air Staff from 2019 to 2021.
• On 30th June 2021, Air Marshal Harjit Singh Arora superannuated.
Harjit Singh Arora was awarded the AVSM in 2011 and the PVSM in 2020.
Padma Awardee & Renowned Indian Architect Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi Passed Away
On 24th January 2023, Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi (B.V. Doshi), a renowned Indian Architect and Padma
Awardee, passed away in Ahmedabad, Gujarat at the age of 95. B.V. Doshi was born on 26th August 1927 in
Pune, Maharashtra.
About Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi:
i. B.V. Doshi is considered the most celebrated practitioner of Indian architecture. He was noted for his
contributions to the evolution of architectural discourse in India.

ii. His notable works: Amdavad ni Gufa (Ahmedabad, Gujarat),
Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Udaipur (Rajasthan),
National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) Delhi, CEPT
University, IIM Bengaluru (Karnataka), and the Aranya Low-Cost
Housing in Indore (Madhya Pradesh).
iii. He was a follower of Architect legends Le Corbusier and Louis
Kahn. He worked closely with noted Architect Le Corbusier on
the latter’s projects in Paris, France between 1951 and 1954.
iv. B.V. Doshi established his own practice, Vastushilpa
Consultants, in Ahmedabad in 1955 and the Vastushilpa Foundation for Studies and Research in Environmental
Design, a research institute affiliated with Vastushilpa Consultants, in 1978.
Awards and Recognitions:
i. B.V. Doshi was conferred with both the RIBA’s Royal Gold Medal in 2021 and the Pritzker Prize (often
referred to as the Nobel Prize for architecture) in 2018 for his outstanding contribution to the field of
architecture.
• He was the 1st Indian to receive Royal Gold Medal and Pritzker Prize.
ii. He was conferred with Padma Shri for Science and engineering in 1976 and Padma Bhushan (others) in
2020.
iii. He also received the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2011) and the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (1993-
1995).
Former Indian Decathlete & Arjuna Awardee Sabir Ali Passed Away
On 22nd January 2023, Former Indian Decathlete & Arjuna Awardee Sabir Ali, known as the ‘Ironman of India’
passed away in New Delhi, Delhi, at the age of 67. Sabir Ali was born in 1955 in Haryana. He won the decathlon
gold at the 1981 Asian Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan. He became the 3rd Indian to win the Asian
Athletics Championships decathlon after VS Chauhan (1974) and Suresh Babu (1975).
• He won 10 gold medals in the decathlon and 2 silver medals in the South Asian Athletics meet held
at Kathmandu & Dhaka. He also won 8 consecutive Open National titles between 1979 and 1985. He
was declared the best sportsman of India in the year 1981.
• In 1981, he won a bronze and silver at the World Railway meets. He was honoured with the Arjuna
award by the Government of India and Bhim award by the government of Haryana in 1981.
• He was captain of the Indian athletics team in the 1983 Asian track and field athletic competition
held in Kuwait.
• He worked in Indian Railways till 2015(retired).
Decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of 10 track and field events.
Veteran Telugu Actress & Former MP Jamuna Passed Away

On 27th January 2023, Veteran Telugu film actor and former Member of Parliament(MP- Lok
Sabha) Jamuna passed away in Hyderabad, Telangana.
• Jamuna was born on 30th August 1936 in Hampi, Madras Presidency, British India (now Karnataka,
India).
About Jamuna:
i. Jamuna began her career in acting at the age of 15. In 1952, she debuted in the Telugu film “Puttillu” directed
by Garikipati Raja Rao.
ii. She also debuted in the Tamil film “Panam Paduthum Padu” in 1954, the Kannada film “AAdarsha Sathi” in
1955, and the Hindi film “Miss Mary” in 1957.
iii. Some of her famous movies are “Missiamma”, “Tenali Ramakrishna”, “Bhookailas”, “Kadan Vaangi
Kalyaanam”, “Anbu Sagodhararhal”, “Rathnagiri Rahasya”, “Ek Raaz”, and “Hamrahi”.
iv. Jamuna was known as the ‘Satyabhama’ of the silver screen and the roles played by her symbolized self-

confidence and women’s empowerment.
v. In the 1980s, she joined the Indian National Congress(INC). She was elected to Lok Sabha from Rajahmundry
in Andhra Pradesh on behalf of the Congress in 1989.
vi.She won the Filmfare award for Hindi Film ‘Milan’.
BOOKS & AUTHORS

Historian Simon Sebag Montefiore discusses his new book “The World” with Author Manu S.
Pillai
Simon Sebag Montefiore, a British historian, discussed his recent book “The World: A Family History” in an
interview with an Indian historian Manu S. Pillai. In the book, Simon Sebag Montefiore explores how people and
families have played a role in the convergences and divergences in world history.
• In an interview with historian Manu S. Pillai, he discusses why it is his most difficult yet most satisfying
project.
• The two-part book was originally published on 27th October 2022, published by Hachette India.
Former IAS Kaki Madhava Rao Authored a New Book “Breaking Barriers”
Former IAS officer Kaki Madhava Rao has authored a new book titled “Breaking Barriers: the Story of a Dalit
Chief Secretary” which addresses the details about the dynamics of civil services at the ground level and also
fills the gap in the knowledge about micro policies and governance. The book is published by Emesco Books
Private Limited.
• K Madhava Rao is a 1962 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, who retired as Chief
Secretary of Andhra Pradesh (AP). He was born in Pedamaddali village of Krishna district, AP in
1939.
• He also served in the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) as a Director and as a member of a sub-committee,
the Board for Financial Supervision.
Shashi Tharoor’s Latest Book “Ambedkar: A Life” Launched

Renowned Author Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament (MP – the Lok Sabha – Thiruvananthapuram,
Kerala), has launched his latest book “Ambedkar: A Life”, a biography of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar
at the Kitaab Kolkata Event, which was organised by the Prabha Khaitan Foundation (PKF) at the ITC Sonar
presented by Shree Cement.
• The book is published by Aleph Book Company, and promoted by Rupa Publications India.
• Shashi Tharoor won the Sahitya Akademi Award 2019 for “An Era of Darkness: The Britsh Empire in
India”.
• He is also a recipient of several awards that include a Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Pravasi
Bharatiya Samman, India’s highest honour for overseas nationals.
MP Governor released Dr Ashvini Kumar Dwivedi’s Medical Book ‘Human Anatomy’

Mangubhai Patel, Governor of Madhya Pradesh(MP) released the medical book – ‘Human Anatomy’ in
Hindi “Manav sharir Rachna Vigyan” written by Homeopathic Doctor Dr Ashvini Kumar Dwivedi, Professor
and Head of Department of Physiology & Biochemistry SKRP Gujarati Homeopathic Medical College, Indore MP.
Other co-writers of the Book are Dr Vaibhav Chaturvedi & Dr Kanak Dwivedi (Chaturvedi).
The book was released during the 3rd convocation ceremony of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hindi University Bhopal,
MP. This will be added to the few books on medical science in the Hindi language.
• The book is published by Madhya Pradesh Hindi Granth Academy.

• The book features 12 chapters like Introduction to Human Body, Bone & Joints, Muscles & tissues,
Nervous System, etc.
Dr AK Dwivedi is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board in the Central Council for Research in Homeopathy,
Ministry of AYUSH.
Ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi Releases Assam CM’s Book “Mukhyamantri Diary 1”

Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) and former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi launched the book
“Mukhyamantrir Diary 1” authored by Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister (CM) of Assam.
The book chronicles the daily activities of the Himanta Biswa Sarma, during the 1st year of his tenure as CM.
• It is an attempt to bring forth the ideas and thoughts behind a CM’s way of functioning.
M S Dhoni Releases Autobiography of Prof. K.K. Abdul Gaffar

Former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni releases the autobiography of the Techno-educationalist,
Professor K.K. Abdul Gaffar, ‘Njaan Sakshi’ (me as the witness), at a grand function organised in Kasaragod,
Kerala.
• The first copy was received by Marwan Al Mulla, the CEO of Dubai Health Authority (DHA), from M S
Dhoni. He also presented copies of the book to dignitaries including actor Tovino Thomas present at
the occasion.
• Senior Supreme Court Attorney and son of Kapil Sibal, Akhil Sibal, Former Union Minister Salim
Iqbal Sherwani, Uduma MLA, C.H. Kunhambu, Kasaragod MLA, N.A. Nellikkunnu, Mangaluru City
South MLA Vedavyas Kamath, participated in the event.
Prince Harry Released his Memoir titled “Spare”

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, a member of the British royal family, has released his memoir titled “Spare”. The
book was written with the assistance of American novelist J. R. Moehringer. The book is published by
Transworld Publishers Ltd, a division of Penguin Random House.
The book reveals the details of Harry’s relationship with his father, King Charles, his elder brother, Prince
William, and other members of the royal family.
• Prince Harry announced that the proceeds from his memoir will be used to support British charities
with donations including USD 1.5 million to Sentebale, an organization Prince Harry founded with
Prince Seeiso in their mothers’ legacies, which supports vulnerable children and young people in
Lesotho and Botswana.
Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launches book titled “Braving A Viral Storm”

On 11th January 2023, Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, launched the book titled
“Braving A Viral Storm: India’s Covid-19 Vaccine Story” in New Delhi, Delhi. The book is co-authored
by Aashish Chandorkar and Suraj Sudhir and published by Rupa Publications India.
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister, has received a book from Aashish Chandorkar where he has detailed India’s
advancements in vaccination.
• The book’s release coincides with India’s second anniversary of starting its COVID-19 vaccination
drive in January 2021.
• The book is a transcription of India’s success story and will be New India’s history. It depicts India’s
strength and capability.
Come! Let’s Run: English translation of Book Authored by Tamil Nadu Health Minister Released
The English version of the book titled ‘Come! Let’s Run’ by Tamil Nadu Health and
Family Welfare Minister, Ma. Subramanian was released by Krishnamachari Srikkanth,
former Captain of the Indian Cricket team.

• The Tamil version of the same book titled ‘Odalam Vanga’ was released on March
8, 2021.
• The book was published by Emerald Publishers and the English translation was
done by Geeta Padmanaban (a teacher) along with J. Joicy and Sharon.
Home Minister Amit Shah releases book titled “Revolutionaries” by Sanjeev Sanyal
Amit Shah, Minister of Home Affairs, released a book titled “Revolutionaries- The Other Story of How India
Won Its Freedom” authored by Economist Sanjeev Sanyal, member of the Economic Advisory Council to the
Prime Minister(EAC-PM), at a function in New Delhi, Delhi.
• He was the Principal Economic Adviser to the Finance Minister for 5 years till February 2022.
• He authored several books including Land of the Seven Rivers, The Ocean of Churn, India in the Age
of Ideas, and the Indian Renaissance. He co-authored and edited six Economic Surveys of the
Government of India between 2017 and 2022.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched a book titled “India’s Knowledge Supremacy”
by Dr Ashwin Fernandes
On 19th January 2023, Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education, launched the book titled
“India’s Knowledge Supremacy: The New Dawn” authored by Dr Ashwin Fernandes, the International
Indian expat. The thought-provoking book is published by Bloomsbury Prime.
The book was launched at the event organised at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, Delhi.
• Dr Ashwin Fernandes presented the rich educational heritage of India through his book and
which covers a lot of aspects of Indian knowledge systems and the evolution of education in
India.
• Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stated that the world has always benefited from India’s
knowledge systems and traditions.
Meghnad Desai Authored a New Book titled “The Poverty of Political Economics”
India-born naturalised British economist Meghnad Desai has authored a new book titled “The Poverty Of
Political Economy: How Economics Abandoned the Poor” which highlights how the discipline of economics,
since the time it evolved from the late 18th century, systematically kept the interests of the poor at the
periphery.
The book is published by HarperCollins Publishers India.
• The book examines the philosophical traditions that have shaped economics across the world in this
engrossing new book.
• Through this book, Meghnad Desai studies the contributions of economics to domestic and
international politics from Adam Smith to John Maynard Keynes, and from the Great Depression to
the collapse of the Lehmann Brothers.
IMPORTANT DAYS
World Braille Day 2023 – January 4
United Nations (UN)’s World Braille Day is annually observed across the globe on January 4 to highlight and
raise awareness about the importance of Braille as a means of communication for the partially sighted and
blind.
• World Braille Day commemorates the birth anniversary of Louis Braille, a 19th-century French
educator, who invented Braille in 1824.

4th January 2023 marks the observance of the 5th World Braille Day and the 214th birth anniversary of Louis
Braille.
Background:
i. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/73/161 on 17th December
2018 and declared January 4 of each year as World Braille Day.
ii. The 1st ever World Braille Day was observed on 4th January 2019.
Braille:
i. Braille is a universally accepted system of writing used by and for blind persons. It is named after its inventor
Louis Braille.
ii. It consists of 63 characters made up of 1-6 raised dots arranged in a matrix or cell of 6 positions.
iii. It is beneficial for those who are blind or partially sighted to be able to read the same books and periodicals
that are printed in a visual font.
Efforts of the UN:
i. In 2006, the UN adopted The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, to advance the rights and
well-being of persons with disabilities.
ii. According to Article 2 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, braille is essential for
social inclusion, Opinion, freedom of expression, and education.
iii. UN Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS), adopted by the Secretary-General in 2019, provides the
foundation for sustainable and transformative progress on disability inclusion.
About Louis Braille:
i. Louis Braille was born on 4th January 1809 in Coupvray, France. He lost his sight at the age of 3 by
accidentally injuring himself.
ii. In 1821, he learned “night writing”, a tactile communication device created by French soldier Captain Charles
Barbier.
iii. According to Charles Barbier’s writings, Louis Braille hoped that everyone who was unable to receive a
formal education, including those with visual and auditory disabilities, might use the system.
iv. In 1824, at the age of 15, Louis Braille developed a 6-dot “cell” system. He began with Barbier’s technique
and divided its 12-dot arrangement in half.
v. The system was initially published in 1829, and a complete elaboration followed in 1837.
Key Points:
i. According to the World Health Organisation(WHO), At least 2.2 billion people worldwide suffer from near or
distant vision impairment. Nearly half of these cases, or at least 1 billion, involved vision damage that either
might have been prevented or has yet to be addressed.
ii. The leading causes of vision impairment are age-related macular degeneration, cataract, diabetic
retinopathy, glaucoma, and uncorrected refractive errors
About the United Nations (UN):
Secretary-General- António Guterres
Headquarters- New York, USA
Establishment- 1945
Global Family Day 2023 – January 1

Global Family Day, also known as World Peace Day, is annually observed across the globe on January 1 to
promote the concept of harmony and unity in the world.
In 1999, UN members were given the chance to mark January 1 as “Global Family Day” officially.
• The day aims to highlight the binding force of humanity despite the religious, cultural, and linguistic
differences among people worldwide.
• The day was started in 1997, when the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) launched the
International Decade for the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World, with
effect from the 1st day of the new millennium.

Note: The International Decade for the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World was
being started at the same time by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
World Day of War Orphans 2023 – January 6

World Day of War Orphans is annually observed across the globe on January 6 to create initiatives to ensure
a better future for children who have been left orphaned by war and to raise awareness of the need to preserve
their human rights globally.
• The day provides a platform for discussing the problem of war orphans and emphasising the
difficulties children experience as they develop emotionally, socially, and physically.
Aim:
The day highlights the lives of the children who were affected by the outcomes of the war and aim for the
betterment of their future.
Background:
The French organisation SOS Enfants En Detresse (SOSEED), which aimed to better the lives of children
impacted by conflict, established the World Day of War Orphans.
War Orphans- A child who has lost both parents or, less commonly, one parent through civilian deaths in the
war.
Children in War and Conflict- UNICEF:
i. According to United Nations Children’s Fund, United States of America (UNICEF USA), Over 400 million
children, live in countries experiencing violent conflict, many of them are forcibly displaced and seeking refuge
alone and orphaned.
ii. In more than 140 countries, UNICEF offers evidence-based violence prevention interventions against
children as well as response services.
War in Ukraine- UNICEF:
i. More than 9 months of increasing destruction and displacement have been experienced by the children and
families of Ukraine.
ii. Children continue to be killed, wounded and deeply traumatised by the violence all around them. Families
have been separated and lives are torn apart.
Key Points:
i. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the number of orphans is larger in areas affected
by wars and major diseases.
• An estimated 153 million children worldwide are orphans (UNICEF).
ii. The estimated total number of orphans grew between 1990 and 2001, but since then, according to UNICEF,
the number has been slowly declining at a rate of just 0.7% per year.
About the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF);
Executive Director- Catherine M. Russell
Establishment- 1946
Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas – 9th January 2023

Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD), also known as the “Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Day” is annually celebrated
across India on 9th January to highlight the importance of the contribution of the Overseas Indian community
to the development of India.
Background:
i.The tradition of celebrating Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD) on 9th January started in 2003.
• The day, 9th January, commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to India in
1915.
ii.The first ever Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was observed on 9th January 2003.

Indian Diaspora,
i.The Indian diaspora includes Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and Overseas
Citizens of India (OCI).
ii.The term NRI is used to refer to all Indians residing outside the country.
iii.A PIO refers to a citizen of any country (other than Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, Nepal
and Sri Lanka) who holds an Indian passport or either of his parents or any of his grandparents was a citizen of
India or a spouse of an India citizen.
iv.The OCI refers to a PIO who was a citizen of India on 26th January 1950 or thereafter or was eligible to
become a citizen of India on 26th January 1950.
Note:
• According to the MEA, there are around 32 million NRIs and OCIs residing outside India and
overseas Indians comprise the world’s largest overseas diaspora.
• Every year around 2.5 million (25 lakhs) Indians migrate overseas, which is the highest annual
number of migrants in the world.
Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas Convention:
i.PBD Convention is a flagship event of the government of India that offers a platform to engage and connect
with overseas Indians and to enable the diaspora to interact with each other.
• 2023 marks the 17th PBD Convention.
• 17th PBD Convention from 8th to 10th January 2023 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, is organised in
partnership with the government of Madhya Pradesh.
The theme of the 17th PBD Convention is “Diaspora: Reliable partners for India’s progress in Amrit Kaal”.
Background:
i.Since 2003, The PBD Convention has been organised annually on PBD with an overseas diaspora to enable
them to share their knowledge, skills and expertise on a common platform.
ii.In 2015 the format of the PBD convention was revised and it was decided to mark the PBD convention once
every 2 years.
• The 16th PBD convention was organised in 2021 in a virtual format.
Three Segments of the 17th PBD Convention:
i.On 8th January 2023, the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas was jointly inaugurated by Shivraj Singh Chouhan,
Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh,
• The Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas was held in partnership with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and
Sports, S. Jaishankar, Union Minister for External Affairs and Anurag Singh Thakur, Union Minister of
Youth Affairs and Sports.
• Zaneta Mascarenhas, Member of Parliament of Australia graced the event as the Guest of Honour.
ii.On 9th January 2023, the PBD Convention was inaugurated by Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India.
• The event featured the addressed by Chief Guest, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the President of the
Cooperative Republic of Guyana event as Chief Guest and Special Guest of Honour H.E. Mr.
Chandrikapersad Santokhi, President of the Republic of Suriname.
Key Points:
i.PM Modi released the Commemorative Postal Stamp ‘Surakshit Jaayen, Prashikshit Jaayen’ to highlight the
importance of safe, legal, orderly and skilled migration.
ii.PM Modi also inaugurated the first-ever digital PBD Exhibition on the theme “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav –
Contribution of Diaspora in Indian Freedom Struggle”.
• The exhibition highlighted the contribution of our diaspora freedom fighters to India’s
Independence.
iii.A special town hall, in line with India’s Presidency of G20, was also organised on 9th January 2023.
iV.On 10 January 2023, Droupadi Murmu, President of India, will confer the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards
2023 and preside over the Valedictory Session.

• The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards are presented to the select Indian diaspora members to
recognize their achievements and honour their contributions to various fields, both in India and
abroad.
5 Plenary Sessions of the Convention:
• Session 1 on “Role of Diaspora Youth in Innovations and new Technologies” chaired by Anurag Singh
Thakur, Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports.
• Session 2 on “Role of Indian Diaspora in promoting Indian Healthcare Eco-system in Amrit Kaal:
Vision @2047”, chaired by Dr Mansukh Mandaviya Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, and
co-chaired by Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs.
• Session 3 on “Leveraging the soft power of India – Goodwill through craft, cuisine & creativity”,
chaired by Meenakashi Lekhi, Minister of State for External Affairs.
• Session 4 on “Enabling global mobility of Indian workforce – Role of Indian Diaspora”, chaired by
Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.
• Session 5 on “Harnessing the potential of diaspora entrepreneurs towards an inclusive approach to
nation building”, chaired by Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance.
About Ministry of External Affairs:
Union Minister– Dr. S. Jaishankar(Rajya Sabha- Gujarat)
Minister of State– V. Muraleedharan; Meenakashi Lekhi and Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh
World Hindi Day 2023 – January 10

World Hindi Day or Vishwa Hindi Diwas is annually observed across the globe on 10th January to celebrate and
promote the rich cultural and linguistic heritage of the Hindi language and its speakers across the globe.
Significance of January 10:
i.The day, January 10 marks the anniversary of the first time that Hindi was spoken in the United Nations
General Assembly (UNGA) in 1949.
ii.The day also marks the anniversary of the 1st World Hindi Conference held from 10th to 12th January 1975
in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
• The conference was inaugurated by then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi.
Background:
i.During the meeting of the follow-up committee on the World Hindi Conference held on 8th June 2005, the
10th of January of every year was proclaimed as World Hindi Day.
• The decision was announced by then Prime Minister of India Dr Manmohan Singh.
ii.The first-ever World Hindi Day was celebrated on 10th January 2006.
iii.Since 2006, the Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) funds and organises World Hindi Day to promote Hindi
across the world.
12th World Hindi Conference – 2023:
i.The 12th World Hindi Conference(2023) will be held in the Republic of Fiji from 15th to 17th February 2023.
ii.The conference is organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of India in collaboration with the
Government of Fiji.
• The main theme of the World Hindi Conference 2023 is “Hindi – Traditional Knowledge to
Artificial Intelligence”.
Note: The venue of the 12th World Hindi Conference was decided during the 11th World Hindi conference held
in Mauritius in 2022.
Key Points:
i.The MEA is the nodal ministry for the 12th World Hindi Conference.
ii.Various committees have been constituted for organizing the conference in a systematic and smooth manner.
iii.Several exhibitions related to the development of the Hindi language will be organized at the conference
venue.

Logo and website:
In October 2022, the Official logo and website of the 12th World Hindi conference were launched by S.
Jaishankar, Minister of External affairs.
Hindi Diwas (National observance):
India annually celebrates the 14th of September as the Hindi Diwas to mark the day on which the Constituent
Assembly of India decided Hindi as the official language of India.
About Hindi:
i.Hindi belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European family of languages.
ii.Hindi is one of the 22 Indian languages that have been recognised by the eighth schedule of the Indian
constitution.
iii.Hindi is also the official language of various Indian states which includes Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand,
Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
About Ministry of External Affairs(MEA):
Union Minister– S Jaishankar (Rajya Sabha- Gujarat)
Minister of State– V Muraleedharan; Meenakashi Lekhi; Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh
National Road Safety Week from 11th to 17th January 2023

National Road Safety Week is annually observed across India from 11th to 17th January to create awareness
about the importance of road safety and to highlight the importance of road safety measures to prevent
accidents.
• The observance of the week is led by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways(MoRTH).
• 2023 marks the observance of the 34th Road Safety Week.
Road Safety Week 2023 is observed under “Swachhata Pakhwada 2023” to propagate the cause of safer roads
for all.
• Note: ‘Swachhata Pakhwada’ is a concept inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to
engage all ministries and departments in “swachhta” related activities, and making it “everyone’s
business”.
Background:
i.The National Road Safety Week was introduced by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in 1989.
ii.The first ever National Road Safety Week was observed in 1989.
Observance:
i.The observance of Road Safety Week includes awareness campaigns related to causes of road accidents and
measures to prevent them and various activities with students, drivers and all other road users.
ii.Agencies such as the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and National Highways & Infrastructure
Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) conducts special drives related to compliance with traffic rules
and regulation, pedestrian safety, eye check-up camps for drivers and other road engineering related initiatives
across India.
Global Road Safety Week:
The United Nations(UN)’s Global Road Safety Week is a biennial event observed across the globe from the 13th
to 17th May to spread awareness on the importance of road safety
National Youth Day 2023- January 12

National Youth Day is annually celebrated across India on January 12 to mark the birth anniversary of Swami
Vivekananda, a Hindu spiritual leader, Philosopher and reformer in India, whose contributions to India’s
freedom movement and revival of nationalism were enormous.
• 12th January 2023 marks the 160th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
• On National Youth Day 2023, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi inaugurated the 26th National
Youth Festival (from 12th to 16th January 2023) in Hubbali, Karnataka.
• The theme of National Youth Festival 2023 is “Viksit Yuva-Viksit Bharat”.

Background:
i. In 1984, the Indian government declared the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda as National Youth Day
to honour and recognise his teachings.
ii. The 1st ever National Youth Day was observed on 12th January 1985.
About Swami Vivekananda:
i. Swami Vivekananda, Originally known as Narendranath Dutta, a Hindu Monk, was born on 12th January 1863
in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency (now Kolkata, West Bengal).
ii. He was not only a spiritual philosopher, but he was also a prolific thinker, an effective orator, and a
passionate patriot.
iii. His Establishment- In 1897, he founded the Ramakrishna Mission (RKM), a Hindu religious and spiritual
organisation, at the monastery of Belur Math on the Ganges (Ganga) River near Kolkata.
iv. He passed away on 13th October 1911 in Darjeeling, West Bengal, India.
26th National Youth Festival:
The 26th National Youth Festival is organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYAS) in
collaboration with the Government of Karnataka.
Logo and mascot of National Youth Festival 2023:
On 7th January 2023, Basavaraj Bommai, Chief Minister (CM) of Karnataka, released the logo and mascot of the
26th National Youth Festival.
• The logo was designed by Bansilal Ketki of Odisha, inspired by the national flower, the lotus.
• The mascot ‘Champi Chikka’, the elephant, was created by Inbam of Bengaluru
Key Points:
i. The festival is held annually to expose talented youth nationally, galvanising them towards nation-building.
ii. It combines diverse cultures from all parts of India on a common platform and connects the participants in
the spirit of Ek Bharat and Shreshtha Bharat.
iii. The Youth Summit, which will take place during the Festival, will witness a plenary discussion on 5 themes
drawn from Group of Twenty (G20) and Youth 20 (Y20) events, including.
• The Future of Work, Industry, Innovation and 21st Century Skills;
• Climate change and disaster risk reduction;
• Peacebuilding and Reconciliation; Shared future-youth in democracy and governance;
• Health & Well-being.
Events:
i. Yogathon, aiming to mobilise people from across 31 districts of Karnataka to do Yoga, will be held on 15th
January 2023.
ii. During the event, 8 indigenous sports and martial arts will also be demonstrated by national-level
performers.
iii. Other attractions of the event are Food Festival, Young Artist Camp, adventure sports, and the Know Your
Army, Navy, and Air Force camps.
International Youth Day:
United Nations (UN)’s International Youth Day is annually observed across the globe on August 12 to raise
awareness of the problems that youths around the world are facing.
About Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports:
Minister- Anurag Singh Thakur (Constituency- Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh)
Minister of State (MoS)- Nisith Pramanik (Constituency- Coochbehar, West Bengal)
7th Armed Forces Veterans Day Observed on January 14, 2023

On January 14, 2023, the 7th Armed Forces Veterans Day was observed to recognize the contribution of the
veterans of the Indian Armed Forces in serving the nation. Defence minister Rajnath Singh presided over the
Celebrations.

Background:
• The day honours the services rendered by Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa OBE, the
first Indian Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the Indian Armed Forces.
• He led the Indian forces on the Western Front during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1947. He retired on
January 14 in 1953.
• The Armed Forces Veterans' Day has been commemorated since January 14, 2017. Events honouring
the ex-Servicemen and their families are held to recognise this day each year.
Key Points:
i.The veterans’ meeting at Dehradun, Uttarakhand was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the
Chief of the defence staff, General Anil Chauhan.
ii.Rajnath Singh addressed an Armed Forces Veterans Rally at Jaswant Ground in Dehradun Cantonment and
launched the ‘Soul of Steel Alpine Challenge’ which is a joint adventure sports initiative of the Indian Army and
CLAW Global by flagging off a car expedition from Dehradun to Ghamshali located in the Niti Valley.
iii.The heads of the three services, Army Chief General Manoj Pande, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, and Navy
Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar, laid wreaths at the National War Memorial (NWM).
iv.The day is being celebrated at 9 locations namely Juhunjhunu, Jalandhar, Panagarh, New Delhi, Dehradun,
Chennai, Chandigarh, Bhubaneshwar and Mumbai by three Service Headquarters
v.‘We for veterans’ anthem – an ode to veterans was played for commemorating their valor and sacrifice.
vi.A yearly journal called SAMMAAN, published by the Director of Indian Army veterans (DIAV), was also
released during the event. Indian Air Force also released a magazine named VAYU SEMVEDNA.
About Ministry of Defence:
Union Minister – Raj Nath Singh (Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State (MoS) – Ajay Bhatt (Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhand)
75th Indian Army Day– January 15, 2023

On January 15, 2023, the Indian Army (IA) Day was observed which commemorated its 75th anniversary at the
Parade Grounds in Bengaluru, Karnataka which was attended by the Union Minister Rajnath, Ministry of
Defence. This day recognizes the achievements of the first Indian Commander in Chief of the Indian Army
General (later Field Marshal) Kodandera Madappa (KM) Cariappa.
• On this day, he took over the command of IA from General Sir Francis Robert Roy Bucher, the last
British Commander-in-Chief in 1949.
• Hailed from Karnataka, he led Indian forces to victory in the 1947 war.
Indian Army Day 2023: First Time celebrated outside Delhi
It should be noted that it is for the first time that this day is celebrated outside the National Capital Region
(NCR), Delhi. Till 2022, the main Army Day parade was held at the Cariappa Parade ground in Delhi where
Service Chiefs paid homage to the IA.
• The reason behind the shifting of celebrations is to increase the visibility of these events and secure
greater engagement with the local population.
• In Bengaluru ‘Shaurya Sandhya‘ event was also organized on this occasion.
• The celebrations for IA Day were also held in Hyderabad, Telangana.
About 2023 Parade:
Eight marching contingents including a horse-mounted contingent from the Army Service Corps and a military
band comprising regimental brass bands were a part of this year’s Army parade. The parade was also
supported by a flypast of Army aviation Dhruv and Rudra helicopters.
Key Points:
i.The Army Day Parade showcases the evolution of various weapon systems held in the Indian Army’s
inventory. Soldiers were also awarded with Gallantry awards and Sena medals on the day.
ii.As a part of the Army outreach programme with civilians, a run was organised in Hyderabad at Necklace
Road where around 1,000 people participated.

iii.A blood donation camp was also organized in which 7,500 units of blood were donated in both Hyderabad
and Secunderabad at Military hospitals.
18th National Disaster Response Force Raising Day – 19th January 2023
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Raising Day is annually observed across India on January 19 to
commemorate the establishment of the NDRF, under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• 19th January 2023 marks the observance of the 18th NDRF Raising Day.
• The 1st ever NDRF Raising Day was observed on 19th January 2006.
NDRF Role:
• The NDRF is a specialist force that is prepared to respond to various disasters, including man-made
disasters (chemical spills and terrorist attacks) and natural disasters (floods, cyclones, and
earthquakes).
Establishment of NDRF:
i. India witnessed natural disasters from 1990 to 2004, when the Indian Armed Forces were sent on rescue and
recovery missions. During those disasters, there was a need for a dedicated rescue operation-focused response
force.
ii. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was formed under the Disaster Management Act of 2005 to
provide a specialised rescue force in the event of any kind of disaster.
iii. NDRF was formed to formulate plans, policies, and guidelines for disaster management
iv. In 2006, the NDRF was constituted with 8 battalions.
Organisation:
i. Currently, the NDRF consists of 15 battalions from the Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial
Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra
Seema Bal (SSB) and Assam Rifles.
• The total strength of each battalion is 1,149.
ii. There are 18 self-contained specialist search and rescue teams of 45 personnel in each battalion, including
engineers, technicians, electricians, dog squads, and medical and paramedic personnel.
Achievements:
i. The NDRF has saved more than 1.48 lakh valuable human lives and evacuated more than 7 lakh trapped
people from domestic and overseas crises in a very short period.
ii. Its quick and efficient response to the Japan Triple Disaster 2011 and Nepal Earthquake 2015 received praise
from all across the world.
Events 2023:
i. The NDRF celebrates the 18th Raising day of the National Disaster Response Force on 19th January 2023 at
the Plenary Hall, Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, Delhi.
ii. The academic session on “Disaster Response in Mountains” is organised by NDRF at the event.
iii. The NDRF’s Director General (DG), Atul Karwal, announced that 3 of the force’s teams will start training on
February 6 and that the force “will play an active role” in this disaster combat discipline.
About the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF):
Director General- Atul Karwal
Motto- Sustained Disaster Response Service
Parakram Diwas 2023 – January 23

Parakram Diwas is annually observed across India on January 23 to commemorate the birth anniversary of
freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose, fondly known as “Netaji”.
• 23rd January 2023 marks the 126th birth anniversary of Subhas Chandra Bose.

Background:
i. In 2021, the Government of India declared January 23 as Parakram Diwas to honour the selfless contribution
of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose to India’s freedom movements.
ii. The 1st ever Parakram Diwas was observed on 23rd January 2021 on the 124th birth anniversary of Netaji.
About Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose:
i. Subhas Chandra Bose was born on 23rd January 1897 in Cuttack, Orissa Division of Bengal Presidency (Now
in Odisha).
ii. He joined India’s freedom movement in 1921 after knowing about the nationalist turmoils in India.
iii. He was elected the President of the All India Youth Congress and also the Secretary of the Bengal State
Congress in 1923.
iv. In 1924, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation (now Kolkata
Municipal Corporation).
v. In 1927, Netaji and Jawaharlal Nehru became the 2 general secretaries of the Indian National Congress(INC).
vi. Subhas Chandra Bose passed away in a plane crash on 18th August 1945.
PM Narendra Modi to Name 21 Unnamed Islands in Andaman and Nicobar:
On 23rd January 2023, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi virtually participated in an event to name the 21
largest unnamed Islands of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
i. The Islands were named after the 21 Param Vir Chakra Awardees through video conferencing.
ii. The Islands were named as per the Island’s size and the Awardees’ ranks. For Example,
• The largest unnamed Island will be named after the 1st Param Vir Chakra Awardee (Major Somnath
Sharma).
• The 2nd largest unnamed will be named after the 2nd Param Vir Chakra Awardee (Jadunath Singh).
Memorial of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in Andaman & Nicobar Island:
On the occasion of Parakram Diwas 2023, PM Narendra Modi unveiled a model of the National Memorial
dedicated to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose to be built on the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep (formerly Ross
Islands).
Military Tattoo & Tribal Dance festival:
i. To mark the 126th birth anniversary of Netaji and as part of the celebration of Republic Day 2023, a Military
Tattoo and Tribal Dance Festival ‘Aadi-Shaurya – Parv Parakram ka’, a 2-day festival, will be held at Jawahar
Lal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi, Delhi on 23 & 24 January 2023.
• The event is being jointly organised by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Ministry of Tribal Affairs
(MoTA), with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) serving as the coordinating agency.
• 10 military tattoo performances will take place, along with 20 tribal dances.
Note: A military tattoo is a performance of music or a display of armed forces in general.
ii. The festival includes intense dance performances by tribal tribes that will highlight the beauty of India’s rich
and different tribal cultures and showcase the strength of the Armed forces.
iii. The Indian Armed Forces will showcase Horse Show, Khukuri Dance, Gatka, Mallakhamb, Kalaripayattu,
Thang-ta, Motorcycle Display, Air Warrior Drill, Navy Band and martial arts.
National Girl Child Day 2023 – January 24

National Girl Child Day (NGCD) is annually observed across India on January 24 to spread public awareness
about inequities that girls face in Indian society. The day also promotes awareness about the rights of the girl
child.
The day is observed by holding a variety of events to honour girls.
Background:
i. National Girl Child Day was established in 2008 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD).
ii. The 1st ever National Girl Child Day was observed on 24th January 2008.

Note:
Various initiatives and campaigns have been implemented to improve the lives of girls, including Save the Girl
Child, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, subsided or free education for girls, and so on.
Significance:
According to the MoWCD, NGCD is meant to raise awareness about girls’ rights, support the nation’s girl
children, eliminate gender biases, and emphasise the importance of education, health, and nutrition.
Event:
The event of National Girl Child Day 2023 is organised by the Department of School Education & Literacy,
Ministry of Education (MoE), with the theme “Self Defence Training for Girls”.
Beti Bachao and Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme:
i. The MoWCD in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Resource Development (now the Ministry of
Education) and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare initiated the BBBP Scheme.
ii. BBBP scheme was launched by Narendra Modi, India’s Prime Minister (PM) on 22nd January 2015 in
Panipat, Haryana.
iii. The objectives of this initiative are
• Prevention of gender-biased sex-selective elimination
• Ensuring survival & protection of the girl child
• Ensuring education and participation of the girl child
International Day of Education 2023- January 24

United Nations (UN)’s International Day of Education (IDE) is annually observed across the globe on January
24 to celebrate the role of education in peace and development.
• 24th January 2023 marks the 5th observation of International Day of Education.
The theme of International Day of Education 2023 is “to invest in people, prioritize education”.
• The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations
agency for education, facilitates the annual observance of the Day in close collaboration with main
education actors.
Background:
i. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/73/25 on 3rd December 2018
and proclaimed January 24 of every year observed as International Day of Education.
ii. Nigeria and 58 other Member States co-authored the resolution.
iii. The 1st ever International Day of Education was observed on 24th January 2019.
IDE 2023 significance:
i. The UNESCO dedicates the 5th edition of International Day of Education to all the girls and women in
Afghanistan, who have been deprived of their right to education.
• Currently, 2.5 million (80%) Afghan school-aged girls and young women are out of school, with 1.2
million being denied access to secondary schools and universities following the decision of the de facto
authorities.
Event:
i. UNESCO is hosting an event at the UN in New York, with the contribution of the UN Secretary-General, the
President of the UNGA, and UNESCO’s Director-General.
ii. The 1st-panel discussion will focus on the education of Afghan girls and women.
Key Points:
i. According to UNESCO, 244 million children and youth are out of school, and 771 million adults are illiterate.
ii. Building on the global momentum generated by the UN Transforming Education Summit in September 2022,
IDE 2023 will call for maintaining strong political mobilization around education and chart the path to putting
commitments and global initiatives into action.
iii. To accelerate progress toward all of the Sustainable Development Goals in the face of a global recession,
growing inequalities, and the climate crisis, education must be prioritised.

SDG 4:
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 (quality of education) aims to endure inclusive and equitable quality
education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030.
• 2023 marks the midpoint since the UN adopted the 2030 Agenda for People, Planet, and Prosperity,
which includes a set of 17 interconnected goals that will be reviewed at the SDG Summit in September
on the theme of investing in people.
UNESCO Report:
On International Day of Education 2023, UNESCO published a global report, the 2023 SDG4 Scorecard, which
provides the 1st benchmark publication by UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring Report and Institute for
Statistics, highlighting how quickly countries are achieving their national benchmarks for SDG 4.
• So far, 3 of the 4 countries have submitted benchmarks to be achieved by 2030 for at least one of the key
SDG4 indicators.
UNESCO’s Support of Afghan Students:
i. Over 20 million Afghans were reached through a UNESCO advocacy campaign to raise public awareness of the
right to education for youth and adults, particularly adolescent girls and women.
ii. UNESCO has also collaborated with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to launch a community-based
literacy campaign targeting the ground to launch a community-based literacy campaign that targeted 25,000
young people and adults in rural areas, mainly adolescent girls over the age of 15 and women.
iii. With the support of the International community, including UNESCO, Afghanistan saw a huge increase in
enrolment at all education levels from 2001 to 2021.
About the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):
Director-General- Audrey Azoulay
Headquarters- Paris, France
Establishment- 1945 (came into force in 1946)
Members- 193 Members and 11 Associate Members.
13th National Voters’ Day – 25th January 2023

On 25th January 2023, the Election Commission of India (ECI) celebrated the 13th edition of National Voters’
Day (NVD) across India to spread awareness about the importance of voting, and participating in the electoral
process.
The theme of 2023 National Voters’ Day is ‘Nothing Like Voting, I Vote for Sure’.
• The 2023 theme is dedicated to voters conveying individual’s feeling and aspirations towards
participation in the electoral process through the power of their vote.
Background:
i.National Voters’ Day is annually observed across India on 25th January to mark the foundation day of the ECI.
• ECI was founded on 25th January 1950 as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Law and
Justice, to give every Indian citizen the right to vote in the country’s democratic election process.
ii.The first ever National Voters’ Day was celebrated in 2011, to encourage active participation in India’s
electoral process.
Note: The Constitution (61st Amendment) Act, 1989, lowered the voting age of elections to the Lok Sabha and
to the Legislative Assemblies of States from 21 years to 18 years.
Logo of NVD 2023:
• The logo showcases the festivity and inclusivity of the electoral process.
• The 2023 logo features an Ashoka Chakra in the background which represents the largest
democracy of the world, an inked finger represents the participation of each and every voter of India
and the tick mark stands for informed decision-making by the voter.

Events of NVD 2023:
As a part of the NVD 2023, the ECI has organised a national-level event in New Delhi, Delhi. President of India,
Droupadi Murmu, graced the event as the Chief Guest while Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, Ministry of Law and
Justice graced the event as the Guest of Honour.
Highlights of the event:
i.During the event, the President, Droupadi Murmu, presented the National Awards for the Best Electoral
Practices for the year 2022 to the State and District level officers for their outstanding performance in the
conduct of elections during 2022 in different spheres.
• The award recognises the Best Electoral Practices across India and important stakeholders like
government departments and media organizations for their valuable contribution towards voters’
awareness.
ii.Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, presented the first copy of ECI Publication ‘Electing the First
President- An illustrated Chronicle of India’s Presidential Elections’ to the President.
• It is the first of its kind publication which gives glimpses into the historic journey of Presidential
Elections in the country.
iii.An ECI song- “Main Bharat Hoon- Hum Bharat Ke Matdata Hain” produced by ECI in association with
Subhash Ghai Foundation, was also screened during the event.
About Election Commission of India:
Chief Election Commissioner– Rajiv Kumar
Election Commissioner– Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel
National Tourism Day 2023 – January 25

National Tourism Day is annually observed across India on January 25 to raise awareness and promote tourism
for India’s economic and financial growth and development.
Aim:
The day aims to save national heritage and create popular tourist spots across India.
Background:
i. National Tourism Day was initiated by the Indian government in 1948 when the tourist committee was
established.
ii. The Ministry of Tourism is responsible for promoting and growing tourism in India, which also involves
collaborating with local, national, and international organisations.
Significance:
The day highlights the importance of tourism for India’s economy, which contributes 8.1% of employment and
9.2% of the nation’s overall Gross domestic product (GDP).
India Tourism:
i. India’s tourism sector is an integral pillar of the Make in India programme. It plays a role of significant
economic multiplier and becomes critical since India has to grow at rapid rates and create jobs.
ii. India, with a score of 4.2, currently ranks 54th in World Economic Forum’s Travel & Tourism Development
Index (2021).
• 4th in terms of Domestic visitor spending, World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
• 6th in terms of Travel & Tourism total contribution to GDP, WTTC.
iii. By 2030, India is expected to be among the top five business travel markets.
World Tourism Day:
United Nations (UN)’s World Tourism Day is annually observed across the globe on September 27 since 1980 to
raise awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural,
political, and economic value.
• The date September 27 marks the anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations World Tourism
Organisation (UNWTO) Statutes on 27th September 1970.

About the Ministry of Tourism:
Minister- G. Kishan Reddy (Constituency- Secunderabad, Telangana)
Minister of State (MoS)- Ajay Bhatt (Constituency- Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhand); Shripad Yesso
Naik (Constituency- North Goa, Goa)
74th Republic Day of India – 26th January 2023

India celebrated its 74th Republic Day on 26th January 2023. The republic day events and parade were held at
the newly-renovated and renamed Kartavya Path(previously known as Rajpath) in New Delhi, Delhi.
The Republic day of India marks and celebrates the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect on
26 January 1950.
• President of India, Droupadi Murmu, led her maiden Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path and
unfurled the national flag.
• The flag hoist was followed by a rendition of the national anthem and a 21-gun salute.
Note:
For the first time, the 21-gun salute was presented with “Made in India” 105 mm field guns replacing the seven
vintage Quick Fire 25-pounder guns which have been used since Independence.
Chief Guest of the 74th Republic Day:
President of India, Droupadi Murmu, was accompanied by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El –Sisi at
the Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El –Sisi is the chief guest of the 74th Republic Day.
Background:
i.India became a free and independent nation on 15th August 1947.
ii.The nation declared itself a Sovereign, Democratic and Republic state with the adoption of the Constitution
on January 26, 1950.
iii.The Constitution of India replaced the Government of India Act 1935 as the governing document of India,
thus turning the nation into a republic separate from British Raj.
Highlights of 74th Republic Day:
President awarded Tatrakshak Medals to six Indian Coast Guard personnel:
On the occasion of Republic Day 2023, the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, awarded the President’s
Tatrakshak Medal (PTM) and Tatrakshak Medal (TM) to 6 Indian Coast Guard(ICG) Personnel for their act of
conspicuous gallantry, exceptional devotion to duty and distinguished and meritorious service.
• These awards are annually presented to the personnel of the Indian Coast Guard on the occasion of
Republic Day and Independence Day since 26th January 1990.
Award Recipient
President’s Tatrakshak Medal (Distinguished Inspector General (IG) Anand Prakash Badola, TM (0248-
Service) M)
Comdt(Commandant) Durgesh Chandra Tiwari (0645-P)
Rishi, P/Nvk(R), 12196-T
Tatrakshak Medal (Gallantry) Mohit Kumar Yadav, U/Nvk (RP), 13830-M
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) HimanshuNautiyal (0298-
C)
Tatrakshak Medal (Meritorious Service) Sant Lal, P/Adh(RO), 01566-P
Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards, 2022:
President Droupadi Murmu approved the conferment of the Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards – 2022 on
43 people.
The Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards, 2022 includes, Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak to 7, Uttam Jeevan
Raksha Padak to 8, and Jeevan Raksha Padak to 28 persons.

• 4 of the 43 recipients were awarded posthumously.
About Jeevan Raksha Padak:
Jeevan Raksha Padak’s series of awards are given to a person for meritorious acts of human nature in saving
the life of a person.
The award is presented in 3 categories:
• Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak – for conspicuous courage in saving a life under circumstances of
very great danger to the life of the rescuer.
• Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak – for courage and promptitude in saving life under circumstances of
great danger to the life of the rescuer.
• Jeevan Raksha Padak – for courage and promptitude in saving life under circumstances of grave
bodily injury to the rescuer.
Decoration:
i.The award is presented in the form of a medallion and a certificate signed by the Union Home Minister.
ii.The award also includes a monetary allowance:
• Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak – Rs 2 lakh
• Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak – Rs 1.5 lakh
• Jeevan Raksha Padak – Rs 1 lakh
President Approves 412 Gallantry Awards for Defence personnel:
i.On the eve of 74th Republic Day, President Droupadi Murmu approved 412 gallantry awards and other
Defence decorations to Armed Forces personnel.
• The 412 gallantry awards include, 6 Kirti Chakras, including 4 posthumous and 15 Shaurya Chakras,
including 2 posthumous. The gallantry awards also 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.
Click here for the complete list of recipients of gallantry and other defence decorations
ii.Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved 62 Mentioned in Despatches to Armed Forces personnel.
• These include 55 Chief of Army Staff Recommendations. These are 27 for Operation Rakshak, 13 for
Operation Snow Leopard, 2 for Operation Orchid, 6 for Operation Rhino, 1 for Operation Nongkee, 1
for Operation CAS EVAC, 1 for Operation Rescue, 1 for Operation WASO and 3 for Misc (Operation).
It also includes 7 Chief of Air Staff Recommendations.
President’s Medals to Fire Service, Home Guards (HG) and Civil Defence (CD) personnel
President’s Medal for Gallantry and President’s Medal for Distinguished Services as well as Gallantry Medal and
Meritorious Services Medals are annually awarded to the personnel of the Fire Services, Civil Defence & Home
Guards on Republic Day and Independence Day.
Click here for the complete list of recipients
• On the occasion of 74th Republic Day, 47 personnel have been awarded Fire Service Medals among
which Fire Service Medal for Gallantry is awarded to 2 personnel for their act of valour and
gallantry.
• President’s Fire Service Medal for Distinguished Service is awarded to 7 personnel and Fire Service
Medal for Meritorious Service is awarded to 38 personnel for their respective distinguished and
meritorious records of services.
• 55 personnel were awarded Home Guard & Civil Defence Medals, among these Home Guards and
Civil Defence Medal for Gallantry was awarded to 1 personnel for his act of valour and gallantry.
• President’s Home Guards and Civil Defence Medal for Distinguished Service and Home Guards and
Civil Defence Medal for Meritorious Service are awarded to 9 personnel and 45 personnel
respectively.
Highlights of the 74th Republic Day Parade:
i.The Republic Day parade showcases the strength, culture and diversity of India.

ii.The Republic Day parade was led by Parade Commander Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, General Officer
Commanding, Delhi Area, followed by the Param Vir Chakra and Ashok Chakra awardees.
• 61st Cavalry led the Indian contingents, the only active serving horsed cavalry in the world.
iii.In a display of women’s empowerment, the marching contingents of the Indian Air Force and the Indian
Navy were both led by women officers for the first time. While Lt. Commander Disha Amrith led the Navy’s 144
sailors, Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy headed 144 air warriors and four officers of the IAF.
iv.The Navy’s contingent included 3 women and 6 men Agniveers, participants of the new Agnipath scheme for
short-term recruitment to the armed forces.
v.The Central Reserve Police Force(CRPF) presented an all-women marching contingent, led by Assistant
Commandant Poonam Gupta and the Delhi Police presented an all-women pipe band comprising 35 women
constables. The marching contingent was led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Shweta K. Sugathan.
Tableau at Republic Day 2023:
On the occasion of the 74th Republic Day, a total of 23 tableaus – 17 from States and Union Territories, and 6
from Central Ministries and Departments, showcasing the rich cultural heritage, economic progress and strong
and in internal and external security, participated in the parade on the Kartavya Path.
• Central Ministries/Departments: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare(MoA&FW),
Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Home Affairs – Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Narcotics
Control Bureau (NCB), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs – Central Public Works Department
(CPWD), and Ministry of Tribal Affairs(MoTA)
• States and UTs: Andhra Pradesh; Arunachal Pradesh; Assam; UT of Dadar Nagar Haveli and Daman
& Diu; Gujarat; Haryana; UT of Jammu & Kashmir; Jharkhand; Karnataka; Kerala; UT of Ladakh;
Maharashtra; Tamil Naidu; Tripura; Uttar Pradesh; Uttarakhand; and West Bengal
International Customs Day 2023 – January 26

International Customs Day (ICD) is annually observed across the globe on January 26 to acknowledge the role
of customs officials in managing the efficient flow and exchange of goods and services across countries. The day
also commemorates the inaugural session of the Customs Cooperation Council(now World Customs
Organization) held in Brussels, Belgium in 1953.
• 26th January 2023 marks the 70th anniversary of the WCO, a unique Organisation dedicated to
International cooperation and the sharing of knowledge.
The theme of International Customs Day 2023 is “Nurturing the Next Generation: Promoting a Culture of
Knowledge-sharing and Professional Pride in Customs”.
• It is the slogan announced by Dr Kunio Mikuriya, the Secretary General of the World Customs
Organization (WCO).
Purpose:
To honour the customs agencies and officials who ensure that world trade is managed as efficiently as possible.
Background:
i. Customs Day was first celebrated in 1983 by the CCC to celebrate 30 years of its first session.
• The CCC became a global organisation and was renamed the World Customs Organisation (WCO) in
1994.
ii. The 1st ever ICD was observed on 26th January 1983 in Brussels, Belgium with only 17 member nations
participating.
Efforts and Dedication by WCO:
i. The WCO is dedicating 2023 to Nurturing the next generation: promoting a culture of knowledge-sharing and
professional pride in Customs.
ii. WCO Members will have the opportunity to showcase their efforts and activities in this domain.
CBIC- Custom Administration in India:
i. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) (erstwhile Central Board of Excise & Customs) is a
part of the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance (MoF), Government of India (GoI).

• It deals with the tasks of formulation of policy concerning levy and collection of Customs, Central
Excise duties, Central Goods & Services Tax and IGST, prevention of smuggling and administration of
matters relating to Customs, Central Excise, Central Goods & Services Tax, IGST and Narcotics to the
extent under CBIC’s purview.
ii. Custom Houses, Central Excise and Central GST (Goods and Services Tax) Commissionerates, and the Central
Revenues Control Laboratory are among the subordinate organisations that are under the administrative
control of CBIC.
Note: Customs Administration is a study of the administration of customs operations and brokerages.
About the World Customs Organisation (WCO):
Secretary -General- Kunio Mikuriya
Headquarters- Brussels, Belgium
Establishment- 1952
WCO now has 183 customs organisations across the globe that are in charge of managing at least 98% of global
trade.
International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust 2023 –

January 27
United Nations (UN)’s International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the
Holocaust (International Holocaust Remembrance Day) is annually observed across the globe on January 27 to
remember the victims of the Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, which was the genocide of European Jews
during World War II.
• 27th January 2023 marks the 78th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, a Nazi
German concentration and extermination camp.
The theme of International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust 2023 is “Home
and Belonging“.
Background:
i. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/60/7 on 1st November 2005
and proclaimed January 27 of every year as the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims
of the Holocaust.
ii. International Holocaust Remembrance Day was chosen by the UNGA to mark the liberation of the German
Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau (1940-1945) by the Soviet Army.
iii. The 1st ever International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust was observed
on 27th January 2006.
Events 2023:
i. The UN Holocaust memorial ceremony was held on 27th January 2023 in the UN General Assembly Hall, New
York City, United States.
ii. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) hosted the memorial
ceremony for 2023 in partnership with the Shoah Memorial, which will include remarks by Audrey Azoulay,
Director-General of UNESCO and Eric de Rothschild, President of the Shoah Memorial at UNESCO Headquarters
(Paris, France) and field offices.
iii. The event will also feature violinist Robert Davidovici performing Jorge Grundman’s Shoah, for Solo Violin
and Sacred Temple, Isabelle Choko, President of the Union of Auschwitz, France, presenting a Survivor
Testimony, and cantor and mezzo-soprano Sofia Falkovitch singing Kaddish and El Male Rachamim.
iv. UNESCO hosts the Wiener Holocaust Library exhibition “‘There was a time…’: Jewish Family Photographs
Before 1939” from 17th January 2023 to 10th February 2023 in Paris, France.
• The exhibition is on the exterior fences of UNESCO to reflect on the richness and diversity of Jewish
life in Europe before the Second World War.

History of the Holocaust:
i. The Holocaust was the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews by the Nazi
regime and its allies and collaborators.
ii. The Holocaust era began in 1933 when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power in Germany and ended
in May 1945, when the Allied Powers defeated Nazi Germany in World War II.
• This genocide was carried out by the Nazi German government between 1941 and 1945.
The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme:
i. UNGA Resolution 60/7 established the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme with an aim to
mobilise civil society for Holocaust remembrance and education, in order to help to prevent future acts of
genocide.
ii. The Program has established a global network of partners throughout the years and created a variety of
initiatives, including educational resources, professional development programmes, a film series, panel
discussions and exhibitions.
About the United Nations:
Secretary-General- António Guterres
Establishment- 1945
About the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO):
Director-General- Audrey Azoulay
Headquarters- Paris, France
Establishment- 1945 (came into force in 1946)
The 17th Data Privacy Day – 28th January 2023

Data Privacy Day or Data Protection Day is annually observed across the globe on January 28. It is an
international initiative to raise awareness about the significance of protecting Data Privacy Day 2023,
promoting trust, and respecting privacy.
• The day commemorates the anniversary of the opening for signature of Convention 108, the global
data protection Convention, on 28th January 1981.
• 28th January 2023 marks the 17th edition of Data Protection Day.
Data Protection Day is now celebrated globally and is called “Privacy Day” outside Europe.
Goal: To raise awareness of data protection issues and inform people of their rights and how to exercise them.
Data Privacy Day India:
Data Security Council of India (DSCI), a not-for-profit, industry body on data protection in India, set up by the
National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), is running an awareness campaign on the
theme of ‘Think Privacy First’.
Background:
i. On 28th January 2006, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe decided to launch Data Protection
Day and observe it as an annual celebration.
ii. The 1st ever Data Protection Day was observed on 28th January 2007.
Convention 108:
i. The title of Convention 108 is “Convention for the protection of individuals with regard to the automatic
processing of personal data”.
ii. This Convention is the 1st legally binding international instrument that protects individuals from abuses
associated with the collection and processing of personal data while also attempting to regulate the
transfrontier flow of personal data.
iii. Convention 108 has influenced and shaped privacy and data protection for more than 40 years.
iv. The Committee of Convention 108 established the Stefano Rodotà Award to recognise innovative and
original academic research projects in the field of data protection. Click here for the winners of the Stefano
Rodotà Award 2023.

World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day 2023 – January 30
World Health Organisations’ (WHO)’s World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day is annually observed
across the globe on January 30 to create awareness of the devastating impact of Neglected Tropical Diseases
(NTDs) on the poorest populations around the world.
• 30th January 2023 marks the observance of the 4th World NTD Day.
The theme of World NTD Day 2023 is “Act Now. Act Together. Invest in Neglected Tropical Diseases”.
Note: World NTD Day aims to mobilise political will and secure commitments to eliminate NTDs in support of
the WHO’s NTD Roadmap 2021-2030, including the elimination of at least 1 NTD from 100 countries by 2030.
Background:
i. For the 1st time, World NTD Day was informally observed on January 30, 2020.
ii. On 31 May 2021, The 74th World Health Assembly (WHA) recognised 30th January as World Neglected
Tropical Disease (NTD) Day through decision WHA74(18).
iii. The proposal to recognise the day was made by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Why January 30?
30 January commemorates several events, such as the London Declaration on NTDs (2012), the launch of the
1st NTD road map in 2012, and the launch of the current road map in January 2021.
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD):
i. Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a group of parasitic and bacterial diseases that cause substantial
illness.
ii. NTDs are a diverse group of 20 conditions that are mainly prevalent in tropical areas, affecting more than
one billion people, and cause devastating health, social and economic consequences.
iii. NTDs are widespread in the world’s poorest regions, where water safety, sanitation and access to health
care are less than optimal.
iv. Over 1 billion people are affected by NTDs globally, which are caused by a variety of pathogens including
viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi, and toxins.
• These diseases are considered “neglected” because they barely figure in the global health agenda,
receive little funding, and are associated with stigma and social exclusion.
v. NTDs are found in several countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, especially in tropical areas where
people do not have access to clean water or safe ways to dispose of human waste.
vi. Controllable NTDs are Dracunculiasis, Lymphatic Filariasis, Onchocerciasis, Schistosomiasis, Soil-
transmitted Helminths (STH), and Trachoma.
NTD Impact:
i. WHO estimates that more than 1.7 billion people globally should be the focus of annual prevention and
treatment efforts for at least one of these diseases.
ii. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 149 countries and territories are affected
globally by at least one neglected tropical disease.
iii. Over a billion people worldwide, more than one-sixth of the world’s population are affected by NTDs.
About the World Health Organisations (WHO):
Director General- Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland
Establishment- 1948
World Leprosy Day – 29th January 2023

The World Leprosy Day(WLD) is annually observed across the globe on the last Sunday of January to create
awareness about the fact that Leprosy, otherwise known as Hansen’s disease, still exists and to educate
people to end leprosy-related stigma and discrimination.
The day also aims to celebrate the people who have experienced leprosy.
World Leprosy Day 2023 falls on 29th January 2023

• World Leprosy Day 2022 was observed on 30th January 2022 and the World Leprosy Day 2024 will
be observed on 28th January 2024.
• 29th January 2023 marks the observance of the 70th World Leprosy Day.
The theme for World Leprosy Day 2023 is ‘Act Now: End Leprosy’.
3 key messages of the 2023 theme:
• Elimination is possible- We have the power and tools to stop transmission and defeat this disease.
• Act now – We need the resources and commitment to end leprosy. Prioritize leprosy elimination.
• Reach the unreached – Leprosy is preventable and treatable. Suffering from leprosy is needless.
Background:
World Leprosy Day was established in 1954 by French journalist and activist, Raoul Follereau with 2 goals.
• To advocate for the equal treatment of persons affected by leprosy
• To reeducate the public about leprosy by correcting historical misconceptions surrounding the
disease.
Significance:
The year 2023 marks the 150th anniversary of the discovery of M. leprae, the causative agent of leprosy, by the
Norwegian physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen on February 28, 1873.
Observance in India:
In India, Leprosy Day is annually observed on 30th January to coincide with the death anniversary of Mahatma
Gandhi, who did much work with persons affected by leprosy.
About Leprosy:
i.Leprosy is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) which still occurs in more than 120 countries, with more than
200 000 new cases reported every year.
ii.The disease mainly affects the skin, peripheral nerves, mucous membranes and the eyes.
iii.Leprosy is curable with a combination of antibiotics known as Multi Drug Therapy (MDT). The diseases will
lead to serious complications if not treated properly.
iv.Leprosy, which is at least 4,000 years old, is one of the oldest diseases known to humanity.
v.The World Health Organisation(WHO) aims to achieve 120 countries with zero new autochthonous leprosy
cases by 2030.
• Since 2012, around 45 countries have reported 0 new leprosy cases.
APPS & WEB PORTAL

Dhanlaxmi Bank launches Retail Internet Banking Services ‘DhanDelight‘ & Mobile Banking
App ‘DhanSmart‘
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.
• The new services are built on omni channel platform with multiple features covering various
banking requirements.
Key Points:
i.In DhanDelight, latest UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience) enable customers to do the financial
transactions more securely.
ii.The mobile app, DhanSmart, also offers dark theme to improve visual ergonomics, reduce eye strain and
helps in conserving battery power.
iii.The applications come with value-added features such as biometric authentication for mobile users, dash
board for internet users, user defined themes, soft token for transaction authentication, credit card reports,
online subscription of various social security and other schemes, online financial transactions and payments
etc.

About Dhanlaxmi Bank:
Managing Director & CEO– Shivan J K
Headquarters– Thrissur, Kerala
Tagline– Tann Mann Dhan
Incorporated in 1927
BIS Launches Portal for Mapping of Industrial Units & Laboratories; SNAP; NBC and Electric Code
On the occasion of the 76th Foundation Day of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) – 6th January 2023,
Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
launched a “Portal for mapping of Industrial Units and Laboratories” during an event organised in New Delhi,
Delhi.
• He also launched Standards National Action Plan (SNAP) 2022- 27; Revision Exercise of National
Building Code of India (NBC 2016); Revised National Electrical Code of India 2023 and Training
Courses on National Building Code of India 2016 and National Electrical Code of India.
Key highlights:
Portal for mapping of Industrial Units and Laboratories: is a centralised platform for information on
industrial units and laboratories across India and also enables analysis of test facilities and helps entrepreneurs
in accessing information about testing facilities.
i. standards clubs in schools: through this, BIS aims to expose science students of class 9th and above to the
concepts of quality and standardisation through student centric activities.
• Until date, BIS has established over 4000 Standards Clubs across India and the standards authority
has also set a target to create 10,000 clubs by the end of 2022-23.
ii.Standards National Action Plan (SNAP) 2022- 27 will serve as a strong foundation for standardisation to
meet the emerging technologies and concerns of sustainability and climate change.
• Through SNAP (2022-2027), BIS aims to expose science students of class 9th and above to the
concepts of quality and standardisation through student centric activities.
iii.Revision Exercise of National Building Code of India (NBC 2016) – The National Building Code of
India, which was initiated by BIS through the National Building Code Sectional Committee has been revised.
• They include sustainable city planning norms, new and sustainable building materials, design
concepts, construction technologies and building and plumbing services.
iv.With the launch of National Electrical Code of India 2023, BIS aims to regulate the electrical Installations
practices across India.
• In 1985, India’s first National Electrical Code was formulated and was subsequently revised in the
year 2011.
• Few new Chapters that were added in the revised NEC include requirements related to Electrical
installations at special locations like Hospitals, Community facilities, Hotels, Swimming Pools,
Amusement Parks, Supplies for Electric vehicles and multi-storied buildings.
About Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS):
President – Piyush Goyal (Union Minister for Consumer affairs, Food & Public Distribution)
Director-General – Pramod Kumar Tiwari
“PayRup“: India’s Fastest Payment App Has Been Launched

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.

Key Points:
i.PayRup offers 24/7 assistance and support to users. Its customer service desk utilises cutting-edge Customer
relationship management (CRM) technologies and adheres to international standards.
• To provide the best customer service, PayRup assures the SERVQUAL (service quality) standard and
the 5 dimensions of service quality.
ii.Users of PayRup can purchase gift cards, recharge their mobile, broadband, and DTH devices, and pay their
utility and landline bills.
• PayRup services will be made available for a wider range of financial instruments, including multiple
payment options including rent, school fees, and other payment collection services.
iii.PayRup has launched several other USPs, including ticketing and booking services for buses, hotels, and
flights.
About PayRup:
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka
South Indian Bank Launches MSME Online Portal

The South Indian Bank(SIB), headquartered in Thrissur, Kerala, 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.
TN CM M.K. Stalin launches a platform for Global Tamil investors to fund the State’s Start-Ups
On 9th January 2023, M K Stalin, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu (TN), launched the Global Tamil Angels
platform www.tamilangels.fund of StartupTN for investors from the global Tamil diaspora to make investments
in Tamil Nadu-based startups.
The platform was launched during the Global Tamil Startup Investors Summit, jointly organised by the Tamil
Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission and FeTNA International Tamil Entrepreneur Network in Chennai, TN.
• The platform will connect TN-based startups with international Tamil angel investors, offer legal
assistance for investors, and help take products to the global markets.
• A multi-crore American Tamil Fund by investors from the Tamil Nadu Diaspora in the United States
(US) to invest in TN startups was announced during the event.
• An intent to invest USD 2 million (about Rs16.5 crore) by December 2023 was presented to T.M.
Anbarasan, TN’s Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) Minister.
WB CM Mamata Launches Vehicle Location Control Centre & App to Boost Security For Women
On 9th January 2023, West Bengal (WB) Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee inaugurated a new vehicle
location control centre and mobile app, as a part of efforts to enhance security for women in WB. Both,
control centre & mobile app would help the police track movement of vehicles and also keep a tab on crimes on
women inside moving cars. It also has panic buttons in each vehicle, which on pressing, alerts the police.
ENVIRONMENT
Tropidophis cacuangoae: Scientists Discovers New Dwarf Boa in Ecuadoran Amazon
Scientists have discovered a new species of dwarf boa(snake): Tropidophis cacuangoae in the Ecuadorian
Amazon, Ecuador. The new species is named after 20th century Indigenous rights activist Dolores Cacuango.
Two specimens of the species were found in the Colonso Chalupas national reserve and in the private Sumak
Kawsay park.

• The new species is 20 centimetres (7.8 inches) long, with skin colouring similar to those of the boa
constrictor.
• The species is unusual for having a “vestigial pelvis” characteristic of primitive snakes and taken as
evidence by some that snakes descended from lizards that lost their limbs over millions of years.
• The researchers’ findings were published in the European Journal of Taxonomy.
MoEF&CC puts Neelakurinji on the List of Protected Plants

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has listed Neelakurinji or Kurinji
(Strobilanthes kunthiana) under Schedule III of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, including it to the list of
protected plants.
• The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, prohibits
picking, uprooting or destroying plants and also
prohibits the cultivation and possession of these
plants.
• Neelakurinji has been included in the list after the
Center expanded the earlier protected list of six
plant species to 19.
About Neelakurinji:
i.Neelakurinji is a tropical plant species and is native to
the shola forests in the Western Ghats. It is also found in Shevaroy Hills in the Eastern Ghats, Annamalai Hills
in Kerala and Sanduru Hills in Karnataka.
• It does not grow in any other part of the world.
ii.It grows on mountain slopes at an altitude of 1300 to 2400 meters to a height of 30 to 60 cm.
iii.Its flowers are violet-blue in colour and bloom once in 12 years.They have no scent or medicinal value.
• Because of these flowers, the Nilgiri hills at the southern end of the Western Ghats are called
the Blue Mountains.
iv.The most recent blooming of Neelakurinji was over a vast area on the Kallippara hills at Santhanpara in
Idukki, Kerala.
Additional info:
i.Most of the Strobilanthus species have unusual flowering behaviour varying from an annual to 16- year
blooming cycle.
ii.The genus Strobilanthus has about 250 species. Out of that, around 46 species are found in India.
Norway Archaeologists find ‘World’s Oldest Runestone’

Archaeologists in Norway have found the oldest runestone in the world. The inscriptions are up to 2,000 years
old and date back to the earliest days of the enigmatic history of runic writing in Oslo, Norway.
• The runestone, which measures 31 by 32 centimetres, has numerous inscriptions that include runes
and letters related to the Germanic alphabet. Eight runes on the front of the stone read “idiberug”.
• The runestone was discovered in 2021 during the excavation of a grave at Tyrifjord, west of Oslo,
Norway, in a region known for many monumental archaeological finds.
• Items found in the cremation pit, such as burned bones and charcoal, indicate that the runes were
most likely inscribed between A.D. 1 and 250.
• According to the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo, Norway, the carved scribbles on the flat, square
slab of brownish sandstone could be the earliest example of words ever found in writing in
Scandinavia.

New Plateau housing 76 species of plants and shrubs Discovered in Maharashtra
Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) led by Dr Mandar Datar discovered a rare low-altitude basalt plateau
housing 76 species of plants and shrubs from 24 different families in Manjare village, Thane district,
Maharashtra, in the Northern Western Ghats.
• The research paper about this plateau was published in SpringerNature journal National Academy of
Science Letters.
Key Points:
i. The region is being studied by ARI in Pune, Maharashtra.
ii. The discovered plateau can prove to be a repository of information for species interactions.
iii. This will also help to study the effects of climate change on species survival and increase awareness of the
conservation needs of rock outcrops and their immense biodiversity value in the global context.
About the New Plateau:
i. The plateau is located 156 meters above mean sea level.
ii. The newly discovered plateau is the 4th type of Plateau to be identified in the region; the previous 3 are
lateritic outcrops at high (HLF) and low altitudes (LLF) and basalt outcrops at high altitudes (BM).
iii. According to the researchers, the plateau shares the vegetation with the 3 other rock outcrops,
simultaneously holding a few unique species.
Plateaus:
i. Plateaus are the main landscape type in the Western Ghats, which are notable due to the predominance of
endemic species.
• They are classified as a particular kind of rock outcrop and offer a special and challenging
environment for species to adapt to.
ii. These outcrops are excellent study sites for the effects of climate change on species survival because they
have seasonal water supply, limited soil, and nutrients.
iii. Therefore, plateaus provide valuable sources about how organisms can survive harsh environments.
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Cabinet approves continuation of Schemes of MDoNER worth Rs 12882.2cr from 2022-23 to

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Cabinet Approvals on Jan 11, 2023

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Union Cabinet approves Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2022

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LAUNCHES & INAUGURATION

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Artpark-IISc Join Hands with Google to Launch AI-Powered Project Vaani

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NCISM & CCRAS Launches ‘SMART’ Programme to Boost R&D in Ayurveda

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Defence Minister Inaugurates 2 Infrastructures in J&K and Ladakh to Improve Road

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EPFO Launches a District Outreach Program “Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0”

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India’s Civil 20 Engagement Group Inaugurated at Amritapuri, Kerala

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Chandigarh’s Administrator Inaugurates North India’s largest floating Solar Project of

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Inaugurates NLP Marine

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International Kite Festival 2023 Begins In Ahmedabad, Gujarat

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Chhattisgarh CM Celebrates Traditional ‘Cherchera’ Festival in Raipur

Lohri 2023: Harvest Festival celebrates in different parts of India

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India’s Biggest Hockey Stadium was inaugurated in Odisha

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GoI Introduces National Geospatial Policy 2022

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Click here for official notification

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Govt Approves PADMA as Self Regulatory body for the publisher

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State-run firms to remain exempt from Minimum Public Shareholding Norms

IMD: 2022 Fifth Warmest Year for India Since 1901

India gets its 1st IVF Mobile Unit for Animals

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ReNew Power Installs India’s First 3x Platform WTGs in Karnataka

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ICAI Releases the First-Ever Audit Standard for Sustainability Information

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Defence Acquisition Council approves AoN of 3 acquisition proposals of IA & IN worth Rs

FSSAI notifies first-ever Regulatory Standards for Basmati Rice

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India is committed to eliminating Lymphatic Filariasis by 2027