Weekly Current Affairs April 2023 Week 02 Compressed

Weekly Current Affairs April 2023 Week – 02
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Contents
NATIONAL AFFAIRS ....................................................................................................... 3
STATES AFFAIRS........................................................................................................... 8
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS............................................................................................. 16
REPORTS & INDICES ................................................................................................... 17
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES & PROGRAMMES ....................................................................... 20
BUSINESS & ECONOMY ................................................................................................ 21
BANKING & FINANCE ................................................................................................... 24
RBI IN NEWS.............................................................................................................. 27
AWARDS & RECOGNITION ............................................................................................ 28
BOOKS & AUTHORS ..................................................................................................... 29
PERSON IN NEWS ....................................................................................................... 30
OBITUARIES............................................................................................................... 30
SPORTS ..................................................................................................................... 31
IMPORTANT DAYS ....................................................................................................... 31

iia NATIONAL AFFAIRS

1. Indian Navy’s guided missile destroyer Indian Naval Ship (INS) Chennai has successfully
test-fired the Extended Range Anti-Submarine Rocket (ER-ASR) for the first time.
• The ER-ASR has been designed and developed by Pune-based Armament Research and
Development Establishment (ARDE) and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory
(HEMRL).
• It is designed to intercept submarines at specific depths.
• It has been designed to replace the existing Russian-origin RGB rockets which are already
fitted in ships.
• It consists of two motor propulsion systems which can fire the rocket in Short Range
mode and Long Range mode to achieve different range capabilities.
• It can be fired in single or in salvo mode depending on the tactical mission requirements.
2. Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan, has visited India on an official trip
with Lyonpo Dr. Tandi Dorji, Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, and other top
Royal Government of Bhutan officials at the invitation of the President of India, Droupadi
Murmu.
During his visit, various measures are identified to strengthen relations between India and
Bhutan.
• India has decided to increase its support for Bhutan’s upcoming 13th Five-Year Plan
(2023-28).
• Both nations have agreed to work together on developing the Kokrajhar-Gelephu rail
link project, which would be the first-ever rail link between Indian and Bhutan.
• Both nations have planned to establish the first integrated check post (ICP) along the
border in Jaigaon and Phuntsholing, the busiest commercial hubs between the two
nations.
3. Dr Rajesh S Gokhale, secretary of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), has announced

that under the Genome India Project (GIP), close to 7,000 genomes have been sequenced and
3,000 of these are already available for public access.
10,000 genomes are expected to be completely sequenced by the end of the year 2023.

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Genome India Project (GIP):
• It was initiated by the Department of Biotechnology in 2020. It is a central sector
project.
• It aims to sequence 10,000 Indian human genomes in three years and create a database.
• GIP is led by Centre for Brain Research at Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Science,
which acts as central coordinator between a collaboration of 20 leading institutions.
4. Exercise Cope India 23, a bilateral Air Exercise, has been conducted between the Indian Air
Force (IAF) and the United States Air Force (USAF) at Air Force Stations Arjan Singh
(Panagarh), Kalaikunda (West Bengal) and Agra (Uttar Pradesh).
• The air exercise will take place from April 10 to 21, 2023.
• The exercise aims to enhance mutual understanding between the two Air Forces and
share their best practices.
• Japan has participated as an observer nation in the exercise.
Participants:
• Indian side: SU-30MKI, Rafale, and the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).
• USA’s side: F-15 fighter jets
5. A High-Level Conference on Accelerating Rail Digital Transformation in Asia and Pacific

region has been held in New Delhi. The Conference has been organized by the United
Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in collaboration
with the Ministry of Railways.
The Conference has been attended by the representatives of the Ministries of

Transport/Railways of 18 countries
• The trans-Asian railway network provides a coordinated plan for developing a regional rail
network to support intra and inter-regional trade and transport.
• The 128,000-kilometer-long rail network passes through 28 countries and was
formalized through an Inter-governmental Agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway
network that entered into force in 2009.
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP):
It was first established by Economic & Social Council in 1947 as the United Nations Economic
Commission for Asia and Far East (ECAFE). It was renamed in 1974 as ESCAP.
• Members: 53 members and 9 associate members
• Headquarters: Bangok, Thailand

• India became its member in 1947.
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6. Ministry of Finance (MoF) has formed a 4-member committee, led by the Finance Secretary
T.V. Somanathan, to identify ways of improving the pension benefits of government
employees under the National Pension System (NPS).
The committee will establish its own procedure and mechanism, including consultation with
states.
The MoF didn’t specify a deadline for the committee’s recommendations to be submitted.
7. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has recognised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a
national party and has revoked the national party status of the All India Trinamool
Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI).
• AAP has become a recognized state party in 4 states (Delhi, Goa, Punjab, and Gujarat).
• With this rejig, the total strength of national party in India has increased to 6.
National Party:
A national party is a party that has a presence nationally. As per the ECI’s Political Parties and
Election Symbols, 2019 handbook, a political party would be considered a national party if:
• It is ‘recognised’ in four or more states as a state party; or
• Its candidates polled at least 6% of total valid votes in any four or more states in the last
Lok Sabha or Assembly elections and has at least four MPs in the last Lok Sabha polls; or
• It has won at least 2% of the total seats in the Lok Sabha from not less than three states.
National Party in India:

Bahujan Samaj Party, Bharatiya Janta Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Indian
National Congress, National People’s Party, and Aam Aadmi Party.
8. The Indian Armed Forces have set up an inter-services panel to examine different aspects
of disability pension to their personnel. The panel will be chaired by the Adjutant-General
of the Indian Army.
This follows the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG’s) report which questioned the rise of
disability pensions among armed force personnel.
The total defence pensions for 2023-24 are estimated at Rs.1.38 lakh crore.
9. Ministry of Cooperatives has approved and released one time grant-in-aid amounting to
Rs.30 crore to establish Vaikunth Mehta National Institute of Cooperative Management
(VAMNICOM) as a Centre of Excellence for cooperative education & training. This amount
will be used to create the necessary infrastructure for the students and trainees.

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10. The meeting of 2nd Tourism Working Group under India's G20 presidency has been held at
Siliguri, West Bengal.
It has been attended by 56 delegates from 17 member countries, 8 invitee countries, and 4
International organizations including United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),
International Labour Organization (ILO), and World Tourism Organization (WTO).
11. The Defence Secretary, Giridhar Aramane, has inaugurated the third LCA (Light Combat
Aircraft) production line and handed over the 100th Sukhoi-30 MKI ROH aircraft to the
Indian Air Force (IAF) at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s (HAL) Nashik Division in Nasik,
Maharashtra.
The new production line will enable HAL to enhance LCA MK1A production capacity from 16
to 24 aircraft per year.
12. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently released the 5th cycle of India’s Tiger Census.
As per it:
• Tiger population has increased to 3,167 in 2022 from 2,967 in 2018.
• Tiger population has declined in Western Ghats, North East Hills & Brahmaputra Plains.
• Periyar Tiger Reserve, Kerala is best-maintained of all Tiger Reserves (TRs), followed by
Satpura TR (Madhya Pradesh), Bandipur and Nagarhole (Karnataka).
• Around 1,161 of India’s tigers are now in Central India & Eastern Ghats, 824 in the Western
Ghats, 804 in the Shivalik Ranges & Gangetic Plains, 194 in the North-eastern states, and
100 in Sundarbans.
13. Revenue secretary Sanjay Malhotra has launched the unified portal of the Central Bureau
of Narcotics (CBN). This will instil efficiency and transparency and reduce the time taken by
the pharma industry to get a trade licence.
Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN):

CBN is a subordinate office under Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance.
It deals with the international trade of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and
precursor chemicals under the ambit of various United Nations Conventions and the
provisions of NDPS Act, 1985.
• Headquarters: Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh
14. Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), the first and only Tri-Service theatre command in
India, has conducted a large-scale Joint Military Exercise ‘Ex KAVACH’ involving the assets of
the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard from 23rd February to 7th April 2023.

Objective: to enhance joint warfare capabilities & Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
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and enhance inter-operability and operational synergy between the forces.
The multi-domain exercise included participants from the ‘Shatrujeet Brigade’ of the Army,
Armed Forces Special Operations Division (AFSOD), Special Forces of the Navy and
Amphibious troops of the ANC.
15. The Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent comprising four Rafale, two C-17, two ll-78 aircraft and
165 air warriors have recently participated in Exercise Orion, a multinational exercise hosted
by France, held at Mont-de-Marsan, an Air Force base of the French Air and Space Force
(FASF).
• The exercise has been conducted from 17 April to 05 May 2023.
• This is the first overseas exercise for the IAF's Rafale aircraft.
• Air Forces from Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Spain and United
States of America have also participated in the exercise.
16. The second G20 Empowerment and Progression of Women’s Economic Representation
(EMPOWER) meeting under India’s Presidency has been held in Thiruvananthapuram,
Kerala. The meeting has been organized by the Union Ministry of Women and Child
Development.
The meeting involved active participation from 18 participants from 8 G20 countries and nine
participants from 6 International Organisations.
Under the G20 EMPOWER meeting following initiatives are proposed:
• A Mentorship Platform has been proposed to promote women’s leadership by
enhancing and enabling access to mentorship and capacity-building through an e-
platform. This would be hosted on the Women’s Empowerment Platform of NITI Aayog.
• A Digital Inclusion Platform as an education and upskilling portal that will enable
women to gain digital, technical and financial knowledge.
• Five Working Groups set up to deliberate upon Financial Inclusion & Business
Acceleration, Mentorship, STEM, Corporate Women Empowerment and Digital Inclusion.
Note: India holds the Presidency of G20 from 1 December 2022 to 30 November 2023.
17. Ministry of Textile has launched two Quality Control Orders (QCOs) for the technical
textiles industry to ensure standards and quality, with the aim of preventing "dumping". The
first phase of the programme will cover 31 items including 19 geo textiles and 12 protective
textiles.
These two Geo Textiles and Protective Textiles QCOs will come into effect in 180 days.

iia STATES AFFAIRS

18. The state assembly of Himachal Pradesh has passed the Himachal Pradesh Sukhashraya
(Care, Protection and Self-Reliance of Children of the State) Bill 2023 to take care of
destitute children and orphans.
• With this, Himachal Pradesh has become the first state to make such legislation.
• The government will provide shelter, education, and Rs.4000 as pocket money to the
orphan children.
• An expenditure of about Rs.272.27 crore will be involved in the implementation of the
provisions of the bill.
• The government will take care of over 6,000 orphan children of the state for 27 years.
19. Union Minister of Law Kiren Rijiju has released the first edition of the Dogri version of the
Constitution of India at the University of Jammu. The objective is to promote linguistic
diversity and preserve the cultural heritage of the country.
• Dogri is a language spoken in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Dogri is descended from Sanskrit, the language of the Vedas (1500–1200 BCE).
• Dogri was included in the 8th schedule of the Indian constitution on 22 December 2003.
The government is digitizing about 6,5000 words of legal glossary to frame a core vocabulary
for understanding of all the citizens.
20. India’s first 3D-printed post office is going to open in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It is being
built by Larsen and Toubro at a cost of Rs.23 lakh. It will be spread over 1100 square feet.
In 3D printing, computer-aided designing is used to make prototypes or working models of

objects by laying down successive layers of materials like plastic, resin, thermoplastic, metal,
fibre or ceramic.
21. The Union Cabinet has recently approved to set up a gravitational-wave detection facility in
the Hingoli district in Maharashtra that will consist of a detector called the Laser
Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO).
The LIGO-India project worth Rs.2600 crore is estimated to be built by 2030.

LIGO-India will be the third of its kind in the world, made to the exact specifications of the
twin LIGO, in Louisiana (first) and Washington (second) in the U.S.
A fourth detector in Kagra, Japan, will also be made.

• It will be built by the Department of Atomic Energy and the Department of Science and
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Technology, with a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Science
Foundation, the US, along with several national and international research and academic
institutions.
• LIGO-India is a collaboration between the LIGO Laboratory (operated by Caltech and MIT
in the US) and three Institutes in India: the Raja Ramanna Center for Advanced Technology
(RRCAT, in Indore), the Institute for Plasma Research (IPR in Ahmedabad), and the Inter-
University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA, in Pune).
• It consists of two interferometers, each with two 4 km long arms arranged in the shape of
an “L” (acting as ‘antennae’ to detect gravitational waves).
• LIGOs are designed to measure changes in distance that are several orders of magnitude
smaller than the length of the proton.
22. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has launched the 'A-HELP' (Accredited
Agent for Health and Expansion of Livestock Production) program in the state at Survey
of India Auditorium, Dehradun.
• The ‘A-HELP’ program is being run jointly by the Ministry of Rural Development and
Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
• In the program, members of women self-help groups registered under State Rural
Livelihood Mission, who are helping in various animal husbandry activities in the form of
Pashu Sakhi, will be trained as ‘A-HELP’.
• The program aims to address the healthcare needs of the livestock population in a village.
• A-HELPs will help in artificial insemination under Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM), and in
preventing the livestock from infectious diseases.
23. President of India Droupadi Mormu has inaugurated the Gaj Utsav 2023 at Kaziranga
National Park in Assam to mark the 30th anniversary of Project Elephant (PE).
Project Elephant:
• It was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) in
1992 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
• The aim is to protect elephants, their habitat & corridors; address issues of man-animal
conflict; and Welfare of captive elephant.
As per the Elephant Census, 2017, Karnataka has the highest number of elephants, followed
by Assam and Kerala.

Note: The IUCN Status of Asian Elephant is “Endangered”.
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24. The Government of Odisha in collaboration with the Indian Embassy in Japan, the Japan
External Trade Organization (JETRO), and the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (FICCI) has hosted the Odisha Business Meet 2023 in Tokyo, Japan.
• Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha, led-the high-level delegation to Japan to attract
investment in Odisha.
• During the meeting, the Odisha government has received investment intents worth
around Rs.26,000 crore.
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has also been signed between Nihon-Utkal
(NITKAL) and International Institute of Information Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha for
collaboration in the skill development sector.
• Odisha CM has also chaired the first digital cabinet meeting of Odisha from the city of
Kyoto, Japan.
25. ‘Jatayu Conservation and Breeding Centre (JCBC)’, the world’s first conservation &
breeding centre for Asian king vulture, has been established in the Maharajganj district of
Uttar Pradesh.
• The centre will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath on
the occasion of International Vulture Awareness Day (first Saturday of September).
• The JCBC, spread over 1.5 hectares, is designed to maintain a sustainable population of
Asian king vultures by breeding them in captivity and releasing them into the wild.
The Asian king vulture is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act and is listed as critically
endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
26. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of projects
worth over Rs.11300 crores in Telangana during his visit to Telangana on 8th April 2023.
• He has flagged off the prestigious Vande Bharat Express train from Secunderabad to
Tirupati at Secunderabad Railway Station. This is the second Vande Bharat train for the
two Telugu States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
• He has dedicated the Secunderabad-Mahabubnagar electrification and doubling project
to the nation on the occasion.
• He has laid the foundation stone for the re-development of Secunderabad railway station
at a cost of about Rs.720 crore.

• He has inaugurated the 13 new Multi-Modal Transport System (MMTS) services during his
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visit.
27. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA)
during the program “Commemoration of 50 years of Project Tiger” held at Mysuru
University in Mysuru, Karnataka, the first of its kind in India, organized to mark the 50 years
of Project Tiger (launched in 1973).
• IBCA aims to protect and conserve seven major big cats (tiger, lion, leopard, snow
leopard, puma, jaguar and cheetah) in collaboration with membership of 97 range of
countries harbouring these species.
• IBCA will provide assured support over five years with guaranteed funding of over Rs.800
crores.
• India is the only country in world to have 5 big cats in wild (except pumas and jaguar).
He has released a commemorative coin on the completion of 50 years of Project Tiger.

He has also released the publications ‘Amrit Kaal ka Vision for Tiger Conservation’, a
summary report of the 5th cycle of Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Tiger Reserves,
declared tiger numbers, and released the summary report of All India Tiger Estimation (5th
cycle).
28. The Government of Himachal Pradesh has launched “Project Sanjeevani” to empower the
livelihood of small dairy farmers and livestock owners.
• For this, a collaboration has been signed by the Animal Husbandry Department with
Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd. (BFIL), a subsidiary of IndusInd Bank.
• The collaboration under National Animal Disease Control Programme-Mobile Veterinary
Van (NADCP-AHD-MVU) will enhance the delivery of livestock care at doorsteps.
29. Health Special issues of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)’s popular
science magazines “Vigyan Pragati” and “Science Reporter” have been released at the Indian
Council of Medical Research (ICMR) headquarters in New Delhi.

30. The Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC), a technology business incubator of
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the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, has signed a CSR (Corporate Social
Responsibility) Agreement with the Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited (AWEIL)
at the Ordnance Factory Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.
AWEIL is one of the 7 new Defence Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) formed by converting
the Ordnance Factory Board into fully government-owned enterprises.
The collaboration aims to drive the growth of high-potential startups that prioritise
innovation and stimulate economic growth.
31. Gujarat has made the highest utilisation-to-released fund ratio of Members of Parliament
Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) funds during the FY23. While Rs.66 crore was
allocated to the state, it had utilised Rs.95.77 crore or 145.11 percent.
This is according to the data that the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation
(MoSPI) presented in the parliament in March 2023.
The other major states with the highest utilisation-to-released fund ratio include Jharkhand
(128.45%), Karnataka (127.76%), Kerala (122.33%), West Bengal (113.54%) and Tamil Nadu
(112.86%).
Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS):
The MPLAD scheme was formulated in 1993 to enable Members of Parliament (MPs) to
recommend development works in their constituencies with emphasis on the creation of
durable community assets based on the locally felt need.
Under this scheme, every MP is entitled to spend Rs.5 crore annually.
32. Ruchira Kamboj, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, has presented the
contribution of USD 2 million to the United Nations Trust Fund in support of the African
Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).
With this grant, the Government of India (GoI) reaffirms its dedication to promoting peace
and stability in Somalia and the Horn of Africa.
33. Union Cabinet has approved a tripartite agreement by the Kerala State government, and the
Kerala StateElectricity Board (KSEB) with the German state-owned development bank KfW for
securing a loan for the Green Energy Corridor (GEC) project, which is being implemented by
KESB.
The project will be eligible for a KfW loan of approx. Rs.916 crore at 3% to 4% interest.
A sum of Rs.138.71 crore will be available as a Central government grant.
34. Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) has been notified as a centre of the Protection of
Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers'
Welfare (MoA&FW).

The objective of the notification is to protect rights of Kerala farming communities over the
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traditional plant varieties.
35. The Geographical Indication (GI) tag has been granted by the Ministry of Commerce &
Industry to several products of Madhya Pradesh (MP), which include 5 handcrafts product, 1
Agricultural product, 1 Food stuff, & 1 Textile product.
Handicrafts product:
• Gond Painting (Dindori)
• Gwalior Handmade Carpet
• Bhedaghat stone craft (Jabalpur)
• Wrought iron crafts (Dindori)
• Waraseoni handloom sarees & fabrics (Balaghat)
Agricultural product: Sharbati Gehu (wheat which is also called The Golden Grain) is a
regional variety of wheat grown in Sehore and Vidisha districts.
Food stuff: Morena Gajak, a kind of sweet, has received the GI tag in the food ingredient
category.
Textile: Ujjain Batik print has received the GI tag in the textile category.
36. 'Tulsi Ghat Restoration Project' of Varanasi has been launched by External Affairs Minister
S. Jaishankar during his 3-day visit to Kampala in Uganda in April 2023.
EAM S Jaishankar has also held delegation-level discussions with his Ugandan counterpart to
explore opportunities for strengthening bilateral relations between the two nations.
Note: Uganda has been selected to chair the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) for the period
of 2022 to 2025 on behalf of Africa.
37. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off the first Vande Bharat Express train of
Rajasthan. The train will operate between Ajmer and Delhi Cantt, with stops at Jaipur,
Alwar and Gurgaon.
The new Vande Bharat Express will be 60 minutes faster than Shahabdi Express.
38. According to the 5th cycle of India’s Tiger Census (2022), Suhelwa Wildlife Sanctuary is a
new area where photographic evidence of tigers has been recorded for the first time.
Suhelwa Wildlife Sanctuary:

• It is located in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
• It is one of the important places in the Bhabar-Tarai Eco-System area which is rich in
biodiversity.
• The Sohelwa Wild Life Division is situated on the Indo-Nepal International Border.
Note: As per the tiger census 2018, 173 tigers were projected in Uttar Pradesh.

39. Vaisakhi, Vishu, Rongali Bahu, Naba Barsha, Vaisakhadi, Mesadi, and Puthandu Pirappu
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festivals have been observed in different parts of the country.
These are the names of the New Year/Harvest festivals in the different parts of the country.
New Year Festivals Region
Rongali Bahu Assam
Naba Barsha West Bengal
Vaisakhi Punjab
Puthandu Pirappu Tamil Nadu
Vishu Kerala
Mesadi Maharashtra and
Karnataka
40. Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur has launched a mobile application named “Know Your
Medicine” to cater a clean sporting environment in India. The app has been launched during
a conference on 'Paving the Path for Clean Sport: A Dialogue with Stakeholders on Risk
associated use of nutritional supplements.'
The application will enable the sports ecosystem to:

• Check if any prohibited substance is present in medicines.
• Make informed choices about use of medicines.
The application has been developed by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).
41. The Chief Minister of Telangana K Chandrasekhar Rao has unveiled a 125-feet-tall statue of
Dr B R Ambedkar on the occasion of the 132nd birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar.
• The statue is located on the banks of Hussain Sagar Lake of Hyderabad.
• The statue weighs 474 tonnes, while 360 tonnes of stainless steel was used for building
the armature structure of the statue, 114 tonnes of bronze was used for casting of the
statue.
• The statue has been designed by renowned sculptors, Ram Vanji Sutar and his son Anil
Ram Sutar of Ram Sutar Art Creations in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
42. Periyar Tiger Reserve (TR) of Kerala has topped the list of best managed tiger reserve in
India with a Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) score of 94.38%, as per the 5th cycle
of India’s Tiger Census (2022).

Periyar TR is followed by the Satpura TR (Madhya Pradesh), and Bandipur TR (Karnataka) with
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a MEE score of 93.18% and Nagarhole TR (Karnataka) with 92.42%.
43. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation
various projects at Alstrom Cricket Ground in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
• He has inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of road projects worth about Rs 3700
crores.
• He has inaugurated the 7.3 km long Elevated Corridor in Madurai City and the 24.4 km
long four-lane road of National Highway 785.
• He has also laid the foundation stone for the construction of road projects of National
Highway-744.
• He has inaugurated the 37-kilometer gauge conversion section between
Thiruthuraipoondi and Agasthiyampalli.
• He has flagged off the Express service between Tambaram and Sengottai.
• He has also flagged off a Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) service from
Thiruthuraipoondi - Agasthiyampalli, which will benefit commuters from Coimbatore,
Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts.
• He has inaugurated the New Integrated Terminal Building (Phase- 1) of Chennai
International Airport and flagged off the Chennai-Coimbatore Vande Bharat Express in
Chennai.
44. The Tamil Nadu government has notified the ‘Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling
and Regulation of Online Games Act, 2022 to ban online gambling, including online
rummy, and poker with stakes.
• The bill suggests that individuals who participate in online gambling may face a fine of
Rs.5000, a jail sentence of up to 3 months or both.
• Those who advertise online gambling could face imprisonment for up to 1 year, and those
who organize such activities could be imprisoned for 3 years.
45. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has laid the foundation stone of Hariharpur Sangeet
Vishwavidyalaya, and has also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 117
development projects worth Rs.4583 crore in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh.
These include foundation stone laying of 1358 schemes at a cost of Rs 4257 crore under ‘Nal
se Jal’ and 55 schemes related to widening and strengthening of roads at a cost of Rs.175
crore.
Apart from this, 61 schemes at a cost of Rs.151 crore related to 16 different departments of
the state has also been inaugurated.
46. Union Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan has
unveiled the digital version of the Employability Skills Curriculum for students enrolled in
India’s Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) at the Future Skills Forum in New Delhi.

The Future Skills Forum is an initiative of the Future Right Skills Network (FRSN) a
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collaborative effort by QUEST Alliance, Accenture, Cisco, and J.P. Morgan.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
47. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has launched the
Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) instrument through a SpaceX
Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA.
• TEMPO will be the first space-based instrument to measure air quality over North
America hourly during the daytime and at spatial regions of several square miles.
• TEMPO data will play an essential role in the scientific analysis of pollution, including
studies of rush hour pollution, the potential for improved air quality alerts, the effects of
lightning on ozone, the movement of pollution from forest fires and volcanoes, and even
the impact of fertiliser application.
• TEMPO slogan is ‘It’s about time’.
48. Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) of Iran has successfully tested a homemade long-
range, high-precision kamikaze drone named ‘Meraj-532’, equipped with a 50-kg warhead.
Meraj-532:
• It is a kamikaze drone equipped with a piston engine.
• It has a range of 450 km.
• It is capable of flying at a maximum altitude of 12,000 feet for three straight hours.
Kamikaze drone:
A kamikaze drone, also called a suicide drone or, more formally, a loitering munition, is an
unmanned aerial vehicle that is designed to self-destruct after serving its purpose. They can
hover around the target area for some time and attack only once a target is located.
49. Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have discovered the four
most distant galaxies ever seen, located a little over 13 billion light-years from Earth. The
light from the 4 galaxies took more than 13.4 billion years to reach Webb located nearly 15
lakh kilometres away from Earth.
These galaxies dates back to less than 400 million years after the big bang when our universe
came to life.

50. Israel has successfully launched the “Ofek-13” spy satellite into space. The Shavit launch
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vehicle launched the satellite into space from Palmachim Airbase spaceport, located near the
cities of Rishon LeZion and Yavne, Israel.
Israel launched its first satellite, Ofek-1, in 1988.
51. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has unveiled “TCG Anadolu”, the country’s largest
warship and the world’s first Unmanned Combat Aerial Aircraft (UCAV) carrier. It is an
amphibious assault vessel of the Turkish Navy that can be configured as a landing helicopter
dock (LHD) and a drone carrier.
• TCG Anadolu, which has a length of 231 meters and a width of 32 meters, is now the
largest ship in the Turkish Navy and is capable of carrying troops, combat helicopters,
military drones, land vehicles, and light Warcraft.
• The ship can travel 9,000 nautical miles at a maximum speed of 20.5 knots and a
maximum displacement of 27,436 tons.
52. Ghana has become the first nation to approve a new malaria vaccine, “R21/Matrix-M
vaccine”, developed at Oxford University.
• The R21/Matrix-M vaccine, the first to exceed the World Health Organization (WHO)'s
target of 75 percent efficacy, has been approved for use in children aged 5-36 months.
• It is being manufactured by Serum Institute of India.
WHO has earlier approved RTS,S malaria vaccine in 2021. It acts against Plasmodium
falciparum.
There are 5 Plasmodium parasite species that cause malaria in humans and 2 of these
species, P. falciparum and P. vivax, pose the greatest threat.
REPORTS & INDICES

53. Union Minister of Power R. K. Singh has released the report of State Energy Efficiency
Index (SEEI) 2021-22 during the RPM (Review, Planning and Monitoring) meeting of States
and State Utilities in New Delhi.
SEEI 2021-22 has an updated framework of 50 indicators aligned with national priorities to
track outcomes and impacts of state-level energy efficiency initiatives.
• In SEEI 2021-22, 5 states - Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan and
Telangana - are in the Front Runner category (>60 points)

• 4 states - Assam, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Punjab - are in the Achiever category
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(50-60 points).
• Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Chandigarh are the top-performing states in their
respective state groups.
• Telangana and Andhra Pradesh showed the most improvement since the last index.
State Energy Efficiency Index (SEEI):

It is developed by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in association with Alliance for an
Energy-Efficient Economy (AEEE). The objective of the Index is driving decarbonisation
efforts in states/UTs and outlining recommendations to help states/UTs drive change in
energy efficiency, which will contribute towards the fulfilment of SDGs and NDC.
There are four categories in the index i.e. Front Runner, Achiever, Contender and
Aspirant.
54. According to a survey published by London based ‘Time Out’, a media outlet, Germany’s
Berlin has been ranked as the city with the best public transport system globally, followed by
Czech Republic’s capital Prague (2nd), and Japan’s capital Tokyo (3rd).
The list has included 19 countries from the world.

Mumbai, India’s financial capital, has secured the 19th spot in the list of ‘Best public transport
in the world 2023’.
Copenhagen (Denmark) has secured the 4th spot and Stockholm (Sweden) has secured the 5th
spot.
55. World of Statistics has released the world’s “most criminal countries” ranking. Venezuala has
topped the list of criminal countries, while India has been ranked 77th.
The top 10 most criminal countries list include Venezuala (1), Papua New Guinea (2),
Afghanistan (3), South Africa (4), Honduras (5), Trinidad (6), Guyana (7), Syria (8), Somalia (9),
and Jamaica (10), respectively.
56. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has released a new report titled “Triple
Threat” that examines triple burden of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) related
threats faced by children.
Triple threat/burden is defined as:

• Less than 50 percent access to at least basic water or sanitation services.
• Within top 20 countries with highest burden of deaths attributable to unsafe WASH
among children under 5.
• Within top 25 percent of countries facing highest risk of climate and environmental
hazards in UNICEF’s Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI).
Key findings:

• Globally, 600 million children still lack safely managed drinking water, 1.1 billion lack
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safely managed sanitation and 689 million lack basic hygiene service.
• Unsafe WASH led to 4 lakh children deaths under age of 5 each year.
• Triple burden is heavily concentrated in 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
57. As per the latest data from the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, India’s exports has
increased by 6 percent to $447 billion in FY23, up from $442 billion in FY22, while imports
has increased by 16.5% to USD 714 billion from USD 613 billion in FY22.
• The exports of goods and services has increased by 14 percent to USD 770 billion in 2022-
23 as against 676 billion in 2021-22.
• India's services exports have increased by 27.16 percent to USD 323 billion in 2022-23 as
compared to USD 254 billion in 2021-22.
58. The 6th edition of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Index report 2023 has been released by
Stanford University’s Human-Centred Artificial Intelligence (HAI).
• India has been ranked 5th in terms of investments received in 2022 by startups offering
artificial intelligence (AI)-based products and services with a total investment of USD 3.24
billion.
• In 2022, the United States (US) led the world in terms of total AI private investment with
USD 47.4 billion investment, followed by China (USD 13.4 billion), United Kingdom (USD
4.4 billion), and Israel (USD 3.24 billion).
• India is ahead of South Korea, Germany, Canada and Australia, among others.
AI Index Report:
The AI Index Report tracks, collates, distils, and visualizes data related to AI. It is an
independent initiative at the Stanford Institute for HAI, led by the AI Index Steering
Committee, an interdisciplinary group of experts from across academia and industry.
59. The United Nations Trade and Development Conference (UNCTAD) has released its latest
Trade and Development Report. As per the report, India’s economic growth has been
projected to decelerate to 6% in 2023 from 6.6% in 2022.
It is also projected that global growth in 2023 will decline to 2.1% from its earlier projection of
2.2%.
South Asia will grow at a pace of 5.3% in 2023 from 5.7% in 2022.

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GOVERNMENT SCHEMES & PROGRAMMES
60. The Ministry of Finance has observed the 8th anniversary of the launch of the Pradhan
Mantri MUDRA (Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency) Yojana (PMMY).
• As of 24th March 2023, about Rs.23.2 lakh crore has been sanctioned in 40.82 crore loan
accounts.
• About 68% of accounts under the scheme belong to women entrepreneurs and 51% of
accounts belong to entrepreneurs of SC/ST and OBC categories.
Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY):

PMMY was launched on 8th April 2015 to facilitate easy collateral-free micro credit of up to
Rs.10 lakh to non-corporate, non-farm small and micro entrepreneurs for income generating
activities.
The loans under PMMY are provided by Member Lending Institutions (MLIs), i.e., Banks,
Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) and other
financial intermediaries.
The loans have been divided into three categories. These are:
• Shishu (loans up to Rs.50,000/-)
• Kishore (loans above Rs.50,000/- and up to Rs.5 lakh)
• Tarun (loans above Rs.5 lakh and up to Rs.10 lakh).
The rate of interest is decided by lending institutions in terms of RBI guidelines. In case of
working capital facility, interest is charged only on money held overnight by the borrower.
61. As per the latest data from the National Securities Depository (NSDL), Norway is the biggest
jurisdiction for the Foreign Portfolio Investor (FPI) flows in India in FY23.
• Singapore now is the second biggest jurisdiction for FPI after the US.
• Singapore is followed by Luxembourg (3rd), and Mauritius’ ranking has dropped to 4
(from 2) in FY23.
The total Assets Under Custody (AUC) from Mauritius has declined nearly 42 percent to
Rs.6.66 lakh crore at the end of March 2023, from Rs.10.88 lakh crore in March 2022.
Norway and Singapore have seen a 13 percent and 5 percent increase in AUC, respectively,
during FY23.
62. Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Parshottam Rupala has launched
the “Animal Pandemic Preparedness Initiative (APPI)” as well as the World Bank-funded
Animal Health System Support for One Health (AHSSOH) project under the aegis of
National One Health Mission in New Delhi.

Animal Pandemic Preparedness Initiative (APPI):
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APPI will develop an integrated disease reporting system for enhanced surveillance of
zoonotic and other animal diseases.
Key activities under APPI:
• Defined joint investigation and outbreak response teams (National & state)
• Design an overall integrated disease surveillance system (built on National Digital
Livestock Mission)
• Strengthening the regulatory system (e.g., Nandi online portal and Field trial guidelines)
• Creating disease modelling algorithms and early warning systems
• Strategizing disaster mitigation with National disaster management authority
• Initiate targeted R&D to develop vaccines/diagnostics/therapies for priority diseases
• Build genomic and environmental surveillance methods to improve the timeliness and
sensitivity of disease detection
Animal Health System Support for One Health (AHSSOH):

AHSSOH is a World Bank-funded project under the aegis of the National One Health
Mission.
It aims to create an ecosystem for a better health management system using the One Health
approach.
It will be implemented in five states and will help in the capacity building of all stakeholders
involved in animal health and disease management.
It will be implemented over a period of five years as a central sector scheme with a financial
provision of Rs.1228.70 cr.
The project will develop an ecosystem in which there will be continuous training of
veterinarians and para-veterinarians on innovative disease management practices and
integrating disease reporting systems for enhanced surveillance of zoonotic and other
animals.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY

63. West Bengal Power Development Corporation (WBPDCL) has been ranked best
performing Power Generation Company in the country for the financial year 2022-23. This is
according to a list published by the Central Electricity Authority, Ministry of Power.

WBPDCL has been ranked best power generation corporation with PLF of 85.23 percent
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followed by Odissa Power Corporation with 76.93 percent, NTPC (coal based station)- 75.9
percent and DVC at 73.42 percent.
64. TVS Supply Chain Solutions (TVS SCS), a part of TVS Mobility Group, has won a contract
from the United Kingdom (UK) Ministry of Defence (MoD), acting through its agent, Babcock
Land Defence Limited, for the supply of spares, consumables, and accessories for the Land
Rover Wolf, a military vehicle.
This two-plus one-year agreement will see TVS SCS use its accredited inventory management,
procurement and supply chain expertise to ensure the optimum availability of spares for the
legacy vehicle platform.
The Land Rover Wolf fleet has been in service with the UK defence ministry since the mid-
1990s.
65. Norwegian company Norled has launched the world’s first liquid hydrogen-powered ferry
vessel named ‘MF Hydra’. The vessel has been going through sea trials and system tests at
Hjelmeland since the beginning of 2023.
• The 82.4-meter-long ferry can carry up to 300 passengers and 80 vehicles and decrease its
yearly carbon emissions by up to 95%.
• It will be able to travel at a speed of 9 knots to its two 200 kW fuel cells, two 440 kW
generators, and two Shottel thrusters.
66. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-Bombay) to
develop a touchless biometric capture system for easier use, anytime and anywhere.
Under this MoU, UIDAI and IIT Bombay will carry out joint research to build a mobile capture
system for fingerprints along with liveness model integrated with the capture system.
67. The Indian Navy has partnered with the Bengaluru-based Raman Research Institute (RRI)
to develop secure maritime communications using quantum technology.
The MoU between RRI, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and
Technology (DST), and the Weapons and Electronics Systems Engineering Establishment
(WESEE), the R&D establishment of the Indian Navy, has been signed for a period of five
years.
RRI’s Quantum Information & Computing (QuIC) lab will lead the project.
68. A consortium led by state-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has bagged an order
worth more than Rs.9,600 crore to supply 80 sleeper class Vande Bharat trains to Indian
Railways over a period of six years.
The consortium, comprising BHEL and Titagarh Wagons Ltd, is called Technology Partner.

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69. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has named India's first semi-
high-speed regional rail services 'RAPIDX'. Here, ‘X’ denotes the next generation technology
and the new-age mobility solution.
• RAPIDX, with a design speed of 182kmph, will connect Delhi with National Capital Region
(NCR), including Meerut, Alwar, and Panipat.
• The NCRTC is targeting to commission the entire Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor for the
public by 2025.
NCRTC is a joint venture company of the Union government and states of Delhi, Haryana,
Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
70. The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has been accorded the status of Miniratna
Category-I Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) by the Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy.
SECI has set a target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based capacity by 2030.
Miniratna-I status: CPSEs which have made profit in the last three years continuously, pre-
tax profit is Rs.30 crores or more in at least one of the three years and have a positive net
worth are eligible.
71. Bengaluru-based Elena Geo Systems has launched an indigenously designed chip to meet
the requirements of services ranging from cab aggregators to defence.
• An indigenous chip for the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) has been
unveiled at the Defence Space Symposium.
• The chip has 12-nanometre technology, consumes minimal power and can be controlled
through software.
• Around 10,000 chips will be manufactured in the first batch.
72. Indian drone start-up Garuda Aerospace has become the first drone company to receive
Agri Drone Subsidy for its agricultural drones. This subsidy is a part of the government’s
efforts to promote the use of agricultural drones.
As a result of this subsidy, Garuda Aerospace will expand its operations and make its drones
more accessible to farmers across the country.
73. India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UN World Food
Programme (WFP) for humanitarian food assistance of 10,000 tonnes of wheat for the
people of Afghanistan reeling under a food crisis.

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74. The State Bank of India (SBI) has launched its coffee table book titled “The Banker to Every
Indian” which celebrates 75 years of Indian independence and the 200-year history of SBI,
which was established in 1955. The coffee table book details the Bank’s history ever since
independence.
The book is a tribute to the spirit of India’s independence and SBI’s contribution to nation-
building.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has decided to establish the Corporate
Debt Market Development Fund (CDMDF) in the form of an Alternative Investment Fund
(AIF) with an initial corpus of Rs.3,000 crore to act as a backdrop facility for the purchase of
investment-grade corporate debt securities during times of stress.
Corporate Debt Market Development Fund (CDMDF):

CDMDF is an initiative aimed to assist mutual funds (MFs) in navigating liquidity issues in the
debt market in the event of a large credit emergency or market disruption.
The fund will be backed by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC).
The initial funding will be contributed by asset management companies (AMCs).
75. Fairfax-backed non-banking financial company (NBFC), IIFL Finance (IIFL) has secured USD
100 million in long-term funding, jointly, from Export Development Canada (EDC) and
Deutsche Bank.
The NBFC secured USD 50 million from EDC and USD 50 million from Deutsche Bank,
respectively.
76. South Indian Bank has tied up with Cholamandalam MS General Insurance (Chola MS) to
offer the health and general insurance products of Chola MS to SIB’s customers.
This will facilitate Chola MS to offer insurance products for SME customers and innovative
insurance covers for retail customers of the SIB.
77. Direct tax collections in 2022-23, net of refunds, came in at Rs.16.61 lakh crore, exceeding
the revised estimate (RE) of Rs.16.5 lakh crore by 0.69% despite liberal refunds. It was up
17.63% over Rs.14.12 lakh crore collected in FY22.
The provisional direct tax collections (net of the refunds) have exceeded the BE (Budgeted
Estimate) by 16.97% and RE by 0.69%.
The gross collections of direct taxes (before adjusting for refunds) for 2022-23 was Rs.19.68
lakh crore, registering a 20.33% growth over Rs.16.36 lakh crore in 2021-22.
Gross corporate tax collections grew 16.9% to Rs.10.04 lakh crore last fiscal against Rs.8.59
lakh crore in 2021-22.

Gross personal income tax receipts (including securities transaction tax) grew 24.2% to Rs.9.6
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lakh crore in 2022-23 versus Rs.7.73 lakh crore in FY22.
78. Razorpay has tied up with UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) to process
payments for online Aadhaar services. This partnership will enable citizens accessing online
Aadhar services to enjoy a seamless secure payment experience.
The UIDAI allows Aadhar holders to update their Aadhar data such as names and addresses
online and charges a fee of Rs.50 for these services.
79. Canara Bank and NPCI Bharat BillPay (NBBL) have tied up for cross-border inward bill
payment service for Indians in Oman. The Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) platform will
enable non-resident Indians (NRIs) to conveniently pay bills for their families through the
Musandam Exchange.
• Canara Bank is the first public sector bank in India to offer inbound cross-border bill
payments via BBPS.
• Musandam Exchange, managed by Canara Bank, is also the first exchange house in Oman
to go live on cross-border inbound bill payments.
80. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has unveiled a new logo on the
occasion of its 35th Foundation Day observed on 12th April 2023.
The new logo retains the traditional blue palette but also reflects the unique combination of
its rich traditions and its new data and technology-based approach in all three areas of its
mandate in the securities market: Development and Regulation of the Securities Market and
Investor Protection.
SEBI:
It was established on 12th April 1988 under the Ministry of Finance. The body was granted
statutory powers in 1992. It functions as a quasi-judicial body.
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman: Madhabi Puri Buch
81. As per the provisional statistics released by the General Insurance Council (GIC), India’s non-
life insurers have underwritten a gross premium of Rs.2.6 crore in FY23, a 16.4% increase
over FY22.
• The year-on-year growth was reported by stand-alone private health insurers, with gross
underwritten premium increasing 26% from FY22 to Rs.26,242 crore in FY23.
• The specialized state-run non-life insurers saw an increase in revenue of 5.3% over FY22,
whereas public sector insurers only saw 10% growth year-over-year.

• The private general insurers has reported 20% growth over FY22, whereas public sector
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insurers only saw 10% growth year-over-year.
• Standalone private health insurers has reported a 76 bps increase in market share, whilst
specialized state-run non-life insurers suffered a 64 bps decrease in market share over
FY22.
82. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its World Economic Outlook has lowered India's
economic growth projection for the FY 2023-24 to 5.9 percent from its earlier estimate of 6.1
percent.
• The Indian economy is projected to grow by 6.8 percent in the financial year 2022-23.
• India’s headline retail inflation will ease to 4.9 percent in 2023-24 from 6.7 percent in the
previous year.
• In purchasing power parity terms, India’s growth in per capita output is projected to
decline to 4.9 percent in 2023-24 from 5.8 percent in 2022-23.
• The IMF cut the world economic growth projection for 2023 by 10 basis points at 2.8
percent.
83. The NSE Indices Limited, a subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), has launched
India's first index to track Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Infrastructure Investment
Trusts (InvITs) called “Nifty REITs and InvITs Index”.
• The new index aims to track the performance of REITs and InvITs that are publicly listed
and traded on the NSE.
• The Nifty Reits & InvITs Index has a base date of 1 July 2019 and a base value of 1,000.
• The index will be reviewed and rebalanced on a quarterly basis.
84. Kotak Mahindra General Insurance has tied up with actyv.ai to sell insurance products to
new-age micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). This association will offer basic
insurance to the last mile of the industrial value chain.
85. The Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL), the distribution arm of The Tata
Power Company Limited (Tata Power), has inked a Rs.150 crore agreement with the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) to boost power distribution in Delhi.
• Under this agreement, ADB will subscribe to non-convertible debentures worth Rs.1.5
billion, which is equivalent to USD 18.2 million.

• The funds will be utilized for grid enhancements.
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86. Recently, PhonePe has raised an additional $100 million from General Atlantic and other
investors as part of its ongoing $1 billion fundraise to expand into the lucrative lending
space. So far, it has raised USD 750 million as part of the ongoing round.
87. Japanese lender Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has tied up with Citibank to
provide a USD 125 million funding line to domestic private sector lender IndusInd Bank.
• This includes a USD 30 million loan by Citi and a ¥13 billion loan by JICA.
• IndusInd Bank will utilize the funding for onlending to the agricultural sector in India.
88. National Mission for Clean Ganga has signed an agreement with 49 Universities to inspire
youth towards water conservation and river rejuvenation. The MoU aims to bring the student
community to the forefront of the mass movement for creating a sustainable ecosystem of
rivers.
The agreement has been signed during the Namami Gange: Universities Connect event
under the theme of ‘Igniting Young Minds, Rejuvenating Rivers’.
RBI IN NEWS
89. As per the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Monetary Policy Report (April 2023), credit growth
has continued to outpace deposit growth in FY'23 at an 11 year high even as banks have
transmitted fully, 250 bps, their lending rates linked to external benchmarks which now
comprise almost half of floating rate loans.
• Bank loans has increased 14.6 percent while deposits has increased 9.6 percent in FY23.
• The rate of credit growth in FY23 was the greatest since FY 2011-12, when credit increased
17%.
• Significantly, the lending rates has surged the most in FY23.
90. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the re-appointment of Sanjay Agarwal as
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Jaipur (Rajasthan)-based AU Small
Finance Bank (AU SFB) for 3 years with effect from 19th April 2023.
91. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released a framework for the acceptance of Green
Deposits by Regulated Entities (REs) to promote and develop a green finance ecosystem in
India.
The framework will come into effect from 1st June 2023.

Objective: To encourage REs to offer green deposits to customers, protect interest of the
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depositors, aid customers to achieve their sustainability agenda, address greenwashing
concerns and help augment the flow of credit to green activities/projects.
Applicability: The provisions of the framework would be applicable to the following entities:
• Scheduled Commercial Banks including Small Finance Banks (excluding Regional Rural
Banks, Local Area Banks, and Payments Banks) and
• All Deposit-taking Non-Banking Financing Companies (NBFCs) registered with the RBI,
including Housing Finance Companies (HFCs).
Sectors/projects included for allocation of proceeds raised through green deposits includes
Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, Clean Transportation, Climate Change Adaptation,
Sustainable Water and Waste management, Green Buildings etc.
List of exclusions mentioned by RBI for REs includes projects involving new or existing
extraction, production and distribution of fossil fuels; nuclear power generation; and direct
waste incineration.
Green deposits shall be denominated in Indian Rupees only.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION

92. Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Limited has won the Best
Production/Process Development Award at ViE Award 2023, the 16th annual ViE awards,
during the World Vaccine Congress Washington 2023.
• Bharat Biotech is the world’s first producer of intranasal Covid-19 vaccine, iNcovacc.
• Its intramuscular vaccine, Covaxin, is part of India’s public vaccine programme.
93. India’s Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan has topped the 100th edition of the annual TIME
100 Reader Poll 2023. He has received 4 percent of the 1.2 million votes cast by readers in
the 2023 TIME100 poll.
Notably, Shah Rukh Khan has an estimated net worth of ₹627 million ($770 million), making
him the richest actor in Asia and fourth richest actor all over the world.
• In second place are the Iranian women who are protesting for their rights.
• In third place, with 2% of the votes, are the healthcare workers who’ve been at the
frontlines of the pandemic since 2020.
• Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have secured the fourth spot.
• Lionel Messi has secured the fifth spot.
94. Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky has been awarded the Order of the White Eagle,
Poland's highest distinction, for his services to security, resilience and the defence of human
rights.
Order of the White Eagle:

It is the oldest and highest decoration of the Republic of Poland, awarded for great civil and
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military merits for the country. It is awarded to the most eminent Poles and the highest-
ranking representatives of foreign countries.
95. Calyampudi Radhakrishna (C.R.) Rao, a prominent Indian-American mathematician and

statistician, has been awarded the 2023 International Prize in Statistics, the equivalent to
the Nobel Prize in the field, for his monumental work 75 years ago that revolutionised
statistical thinking.
International Prize in Statistics:

It is awarded every two years to an individual or team for major achievements using statistics
to advance science, technology and human welfare. It was first awarded in 2016. The award
carries a monetary award of USD 80,000.
96. President of India, Droupadi Mormu, has presented the 11th Biennial National Grassroots
Innovation and Outstanding Traditional Knowledge Awards of the National Innovation
Foundation (NIF) at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre (RBCC) in New Delhi.
She has also inaugurated the Festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (FINE) –2023 at
the Sports Ground near RBCC.
National Innovation Foundation (NIF):
NIF is an autonomous body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST),
Government of India. It is India's national initiative to strengthen the grassroots technological
innovations and outstanding traditional knowledge.
• Established: March 2000
• Chairman: Dr. P. S. Goel
BOOKS & AUTHORS

97. Historian Nandini Das, a Professor of Early Modern English Literature and Culture at Oxford
University, has authored a new book titled “Courting India: England, Mughal India and the
Origins of Empire”.
The book is published by Bloomsbury Publishing.

The book highlights a profound and ground-breaking new history one of the most important
encounters in the history of colonialism: the British arrival in India in the early 17th century.
98. Dr Karan Singh, the former Sadr-e-Riyasat of Jammu and Kashmir and former member of
Rajya Sabha, and Kapish Mehra, MD at Rupa Publications, have launched ‘Azaad’, the
autobiography of Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Chief Minister, in New
Delhi.
The book is published by Rupa Publications India.

The book covers Azad’s political path and provides insights into India’s enormous political
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transformations over the last 5 decades.
99. A new book titled “The Great Bank Robbery: NPAs, Scams, and the Future of Regulation” has
been authored by V. Pattabhi Ram & Sabyasachee Dash which discusses 11 scams that
have rocked India since its independence (1947).
The book is published by Rupa Publications.
100. Journalist & author Piyush Babele has authored a new book in Hindi titled “Gandhi:
Siyasat aur Sampradyikta”.
The book depicts Mahatma Gandhi’s beliefs about religion, politics, and the struggle for
freedom from the British. The book is published by Genuine Publications & Media Pvt Ltd.
PERSON IN NEWS
101. Kalikesh Singh Deo, senior Vice-President of NRAI, has become the new President of the
National Rifle Association of India (NRAI). He has succeeded Raninder Singh.
102. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has extended the term of Chandra Shekhar Rajan
(CS Rajan) as non-executive chairman of Infrastructure Leasing and Finance Ltd (IL&FS) up to
30th September 2023.
MCA has also extended the term of Nand Kishore as Managing Director (MD) of IL&FS up to
31st March 2024.
OBITUARIES
103. Jalabala Vaidya, legendary theatre actor and co-founder of Delhi’s iconic Akshara Theatre,
has recently passed away in New Delhi. She was born on 12th August 1936 in London,
England.
She received various awards in his career such as the Delhi government’s Varisht Samman,
Sangeet Natak Akademi’s Tagore Award, Delhi Natya Sangh Award, etc.
104. Veteran actress Uttara Baokar has recently passed away in Pune, Maharashtra. She was
born on 5th August 1944.
She won the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Acting (Hindi theatre) in 1984. She won the
National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for Ek Din Achanak in 1988.

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105. Naresh Gupta, former IAS officer of the 1973 batch hailing from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh,
has recently passed away in Chennai, Tamil Nadu at the age of 72.
• He served as the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Tamil Nadu from 1998 to 2000 and from
2005 to 2010.
• He also authored a book titled “Human Development in India” based on his experiences
at the Planning Commission.
SPORTS
106. The second edition of the Street Child Cricket World Cup 2023 will be hosted by Chennai
(Tamil Nadu) in partnership with Save the Children India. The tournament will be held at
Amrit Mahal, the official residence of the Nawab of Arcot from 20th to 30th September 2023.
• The tournament will be organized by Street Child United in partnership with Shree Dayaa
Foundation.
• The main theme of the SCCWC 2023 is ‘Identity’ and ‘Access’ to fundamental services many
of take for granted.
• 24 teams from across the globe will participate in the tournament.
The inaugural Street Child Cricket World Cup took place from 30 April – 7 May 2019 in
England. Team India South won the inaugural edition.
107. Indian Chess Grandmaster Dommaraju Gukesh has won the Armageddon Championship
Series 2023-Asia & Oceania at the event held at Berlin, Germany by defeating Nodirbek
Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan. He has won a prize money of 18,000 EUR.
The second regional tournament of the Armageddon Championship Series 2022-23 has been
organized by World Chess Events Limited in cooperation with World Chess Europe GmbH.
108. Kim Cotton has become the first woman on-field umpire in full-member men’s
international cricket match. She has achieved this feat in the second T20I match between
New Zealand and Sri Lanka at the University Oval in Dunedin.
She is a New Zealand cricket umpire.
IMPORTANT DAYS

109. International Romani Day is observed annually on 8th April to celebrate the Romani
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culture and create awareness about the difficulties faced by the Romani community across
the globe.
The day was officially declared in honour of the 1st major international meeting of Romani
representatives, 7th to 12th April 1971 in Chelsfield near London, the United Kingdom (UK).
110. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Valour Day (Shaurya Diwas) is observed annually on
9th April, as a tribute to the brave men of the force. The year 2023 marks the 58th CRPF
Valour Day.
111. World Homeopathy Day is observed annually on 10th April to highlight the importance of
homoeopathy and its contribution to the world of medicine.
The day also commemorate the birth anniversary of the founder of homoeopathy, Dr.
Christian Fredrich Samuel Hahnemann. The year 2023 marks his 268th birth anniversary.
Theme 2023: “Homoeoparivar – Sarvajan Swasthya, One Health, One Family"
112. National Safe Motherhood Day is observed annually across India on 11th April to raise
awareness of properhealth care and maternity facilities for pregnant and lactating women.
The day also marks the birth anniversary of Kasturba Gandhi, an Indian political activist and
wife of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
The year 2023 marks the 154th birth anniversary of Kasturba Gandhi.
113. World Parkinson’s Disease Day is observed annually on 11th April to spread awareness of
Parkinson’s disease, which is a progressive nervous system disorder.
The day also marks the birth anniversary of Dr James Parkinson from London, who was the
first person to systematically describe the six individuals with the symptoms of Parkinson’s
Disease.
114. International Day of Human Space Flight is observed annually on 12th April to mark the
anniversary of the first human space flight by Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on 12th April
1961.
The year 2023 marks the 62nd anniversary of the first human spaceflight. The day was first
observed in 2011.
115. International Day of Street Children is observed annually on 12th April to recognise the
humanity, dignity and defiance of street children in the face of unimaginable hardships. The
day was first observed in 2012.

116. Siachen Day is observed annually on 13th April to commemorate the courage of the Indian
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Army under "Operation Meghdoot". The day also honours Siachen Warriors serving their
motherland successfully from the enemy.
The year 2023 marks 39th Siachen Day.

Operation Meghdoot: It was launched on 13 April 1984. The military action resulted in
Indian troops gaining control of the entire Siachen Glacier.
117. The 104th Anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre has been observed on 13th April
2023 to pay homage to the martyrs who lost their lives in the massacre during the British rule
on 13th April 1919.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre is also known as Massacre of Amritsar. During this massacre,
British troops commanded by Brig. Gen. Reginald Edward Harry Dyer fired on a large crowd
of unarmed Indians in an open space known as the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar in Punjab.
118. International Turban Day is observed annually on 13th April to spread awareness about
the distinct appearance of Sikhs who love and respect principles of faith which obligate
keeping hair uncut and covered with a turban.
The turban, also known as “dastar” or “pagri” or “pag” refers to the garment worn by both
men and some women to cover their heads.
• The year 2023 marks the 554th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev and the festival of
Baisakhi.
• The day was first observed in 2004.
119. World Chagas Disease Day is observed annually on 14th April to spread public awareness
and visibility among people about Chagas Disease (also called American trypanosomiasis).
• Theme 2023: ‘Time to integrate Chagas disease into primary health care’
• The day was first observed in 2020.
120. Ambedkar Jayanti is observed annually on 14th April to commemorate the birth
anniversary of Babasaheb Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar. The year 2023 marks the 132nd birth
anniversary of him. The day was first observed in 2015.
121. World Art Day is observed annually on 15th April to promote awareness about fine arts
worldwide. The day also commemorate the birth anniversary of Italian polymath Leonardo
da Vinci.
The day is organized by the International Association of Art (IAA), an NGO working in official
partnership with UNESCO. The day was first observed in 2012.

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iia NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Development Establishment (ARDE) and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory

• It is designed to intercept submarines at specific depths.

mode and Long Range mode to achieve different range capabilities.

3. Dr Rajesh S Gokhale, secretary of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), has announced

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share their best practices.

• Japan has participated as an observer nation in the exercise.

5. A High-Level Conference on Accelerating Rail Digital Transformation in Asia and Pacific

The Conference has been attended by the representatives of the Ministries of

network to support intra and inter-regional trade and transport.

• The 128,000-kilometer-long rail network passes through 28 countries and was

formalized through an Inter-governmental Agreement on the Trans-Asian Railway

network that entered into force in 2009.

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National Party in India:

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Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN):

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States of America have also participated in the exercise.

enhancing and enabling access to mentorship and capacity-building through an e-

women to gain digital, technical and financial knowledge.

Acceleration, Mentorship, STEM, Corporate Women Empowerment and Digital Inclusion.

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iia STATES AFFAIRS

• An expenditure of about Rs.272.27 crore will be involved in the implementation of the

provisions of the bill.

In 3D printing, computer-aided designing is used to make prototypes or working models of

The LIGO-India project worth Rs.2600 crore is estimated to be built by 2030.

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Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

Pashu Sakhi, will be trained as ‘A-HELP’.

preventing the livestock from infectious diseases.

1992 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.

conflict; and Welfare of captive elephant.

by Assam and Kerala.

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around Rs.26,000 crore.

• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has also been signed between Nihon-Utkal

(NITKAL) and International Institute of Information Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha for

collaboration in the skill development sector.

the occasion of International Vulture Awareness Day (first Saturday of September).

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leopard, puma, jaguar and cheetah) in collaboration with membership of 97 range of

countries harbouring these species.

He has released a commemorative coin on the completion of 50 years of Project Tiger.

Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd. (BFIL), a subsidiary of IndusInd Bank.

• The collaboration under National Animal Disease Control Programme-Mobile Veterinary

Van (NADCP-AHD-MVU) will enhance the delivery of livestock care at doorsteps.

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Suhelwa Wildlife Sanctuary:

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The application will enable the sports ecosystem to:

Ram Sutar of Ram Sutar Art Creations in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

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the impact of fertiliser application.

• TEMPO slogan is ‘It’s about time’.

lakh kilometres away from Earth.

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