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IBPS CLERK Mains Exam PDF 2023
Table of Contents
BANKING & FINANCIAL AWARENESS .................................................................................................................................................. 9
CURRENT RATES........................................................................................................................................................ 9
SMALL SAVING SCHEMES INTEREST RATE ........................................................................................................... 9
INDIA’S GROWTH PREDICTION ............................................................................................................................ 10
RBI IN NEWS ............................................................................................................................................................. 17
SBI IN NEWS .............................................................................................................................................................. 26
MOU SIGNED BY BANKS.......................................................................................................................................... 27
SEBI RELATED NEWS .............................................................................................................................................. 27
OTHERS ..................................................................................................................................................................... 31
FUNDS ........................................................................................................................................................................ 44
INSURANCE ............................................................................................................................................................... 49
ECONOMY ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 52
BUSINESS ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 53
NATIONAL AFFAIRS ................................................................................................................................................................................... 55
CABINET APPROVALS ............................................................................................................................................. 55
PM’s LAUNCHES/INAUGURATIONS ...................................................................................................................... 58
LAUNCHES/INAUGURATIONS ............................................................................................................................... 61
FIRST IN INDIA ......................................................................................................................................................... 71
LONGEST, LARGEST, HIGHEST .............................................................................................................................. 75
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES ........................................................................................................................................ 75
UNION BUDGET 2023-24 ....................................................................................................................................... 77
ECONOMIC SURVEY 2022-23 ................................................................................................................................. 80
OTHERS ..................................................................................................................................................................... 81
IMPORTANT ONE LINER ......................................................................................................................................... 96
TARGET ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 97
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ..................................................................................................................................................................... 98
VISITS ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................104
INDIAN VISITS ........................................................................................................................................................ 104
FOREIGN VISIT ....................................................................................................................................................... 109
COMMITTEES...............................................................................................................................................................................................112
COMMITTEES FORMED......................................................................................................................................... 112
MEETING ................................................................................................................................................................. 116
SUMMITS, EVENTS & CONFERENCE.................................................................................................................................................118

MOU’s & AGREEMENTS ..........................................................................................................................................................................122
MOU'S WITH OTHER COUNTRY .......................................................................................................................... 122
MOU’S WITH STATE .............................................................................................................................................. 124
MOU’S BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONS ................................................................................................................... 125
INDEX...............................................................................................................................................................................................................136
RANKING ................................................................................................................................................................. 136
STATE/CITY WISE RANKING ........................................................................................................................... 136
INTERNATIONAL RANKING ............................................................................................................................. 138
REPORT ................................................................................................................................................................... 142
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS ................................................................................................................................................................150
APPOINTMENTS..................................................................................................................................................... 150
NATIONAL ........................................................................................................................................................... 150
INTERNATIONAL ............................................................................................................................................... 169
BRAND AMBASSADOR .......................................................................................................................................... 176
RESIGNATION ......................................................................................................................................................... 177
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS .................................................................................................................................................................177
AWARDS .................................................................................................................................................................. 177
RECOGNITIONS ...................................................................................................................................................... 195
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS .................................................................................................................................................................199
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ......................................................................................................................................................................207
NEW INITIATIVE/INNOVATION .......................................................................................................................... 210
DEFENCE ........................................................................................................................................................................................................215
COMMISSION/DECOMMISSION ........................................................................................................................... 222
IMPORTANT DEFENCE EVENTS .......................................................................................................................... 222
SPORTS ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................227
APPOINTMENTS IN SPORTS ................................................................................................................................ 227
RETIREMENT .......................................................................................................................................................... 227
TENNIS ..................................................................................................................................................................... 228
CRICKET .................................................................................................................................................................. 230
BADMINTON ........................................................................................................................................................... 233
CHESS ....................................................................................................................................................................... 236
GRAND PRIX ........................................................................................................................................................... 238
OTHER SPORTS ...................................................................................................................................................... 240
OBITUARY .....................................................................................................................................................................................................246
NATIONAL ............................................................................................................................................................... 246
INTERNATIONAL ................................................................................................................................................... 250

BOOKS & AUTHORS .................................................................................................................................................................................253
IMPORTANT DAYS ....................................................................................................................................................................................257
NATIONAL OBSERVANCE ..................................................................................................................................... 257
INTERNATIONAL OBSERVANCE .......................................................................................................................... 264
APPS & WEB PORTAL .............................................................................................................................................................................279
BANKING ................................................................................................................................................................. 279
OTHERS ................................................................................................................................................................... 280

BANKING & FINANCIAL AWARENESS
CURRENT RATES
Policy rates Bi-monthly Bi-monthly
Monetary Policy Monetary Policy
June 2023 August 2023
(FY24) (FY24)
Repo Rate 6.50% 6.50%
Reverse Repo 3.35% 3.35%
Rate
Marginal 6.75% 6.75%
Standing
Facility (MSF)
Standing 6.25% 6.25%
Deposit
Facility (SDF)
Rate
Bank Rate 6.75% 6.75%
Cash Reserve 4.50% 4.50%
Ratio (CRR)
Statutory 18.00% 18.00%
Liquidity
Ratio (SLR)
* Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will be held 6 times for a financial year as per RBI rules.
SMALL SAVING SCHEMES INTEREST RATE

The Minister of Finance under GOI revised the interest rate for the Four quarters on small saving schemes. It
will be revised three months once.
Instruments Rate of interest Rate of interest Compounding
(from April (from July 2023 to Frequency*
2023 to June September 2023)
2023)
Post Office Savings 4.0% 4.0% Annually
Account
1 Year Time Deposit 6.8% 6.9% Quarterly
5 Year Recurring 6.2% 6.5% Quarterly
Deposit Scheme
Senior Citizen 8.2% 8.2% Quarterly and
Savings Scheme paid
Monthly Income 7.4% 7.4% Monthly and paid
Account
National Savings 7.7% 7.7 Annually
Certificate (VIII
Issue)
Public Provident 7.1% 7.1% Annually
Fund Scheme

Kisan Vikas Patra 7.2% (will 7.5% (will 7.5% (will mature in Annually
mature in 120 mature in 115 115 months)
months) months)
Sukanya Samriddhi 7.6% 8.0% 8.0% Annually
Account Scheme
INDIA’S GROWTH PREDICTION

Organization Year Predictions & Points to be Noted
SEPTEMBER 2023
National Statistical Office April-June quarter of 2023-2024 As per the data released by the National
(NSO) (Q1FY24) Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of
Statistics and Program Implementation
(MOSPI), India’s Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) grew one year high to
7.8% in the April-June quarter of 2023-
2024 (Q1FY24), compared to a growth
of 6.1% in the January-March quarter of
FY23 (Q4FY23).
This growth is driven by
stronger consumption demand
and higher activities in the
services sector.
India remains one of the fastest
growing major economies, and is
expected to grow at 6.5% in
FY24.
The data was briefed by Chief
Economic Adviser to the
Government of
India, Venkatramanan Anantha
Nageswaran.
Moody 2023 Global rating agency Moody‘s in
its Global Macro Outlook has
raised India‘s growth forecast
to 6.7% from 5.5% for 2023 calendar
year amid strong economic growth in
Q1FY24.
The strong growth of the
services sector and a surge in
capital expenditures contributed
to India’s impressive 7.8% GDP
growth in the April to June,first
quarter of the fiscal year 2023-
24 (Q1FY24), which was lower
than RBI’s projection of 8 % for
the same period of Q1FY24.
Moody’s recent growth forecast
for India, predicting a 6.7%
economic growth rate in 2023,

stands slightly higher than the
Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI)
projection of 6.5% for the fiscal
year 2023-24(FY24).
Fitch Ratings FY 2023-24 Fitch Ratings in its special report titled
Global Economic Outlook - September
2023 retained India’s Gross Domestic
Product (GDP)’s growth forecast for the
current fiscal year (FY 2023-24) at 6.3%
and projected growth rate of 6.5% for
FY 2024-2025.
Earlier in June 2023, the rating
agency had revised its forecast
to 6.3% from the 6%.
Inspite of tight monetary policy
and poor export, the economy is
striving to grow.
Asian Development Bank FY 2023-2024 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) in
its Asian Development Outlook (ADO)
September 2023 lowered India's gross
domestic product (GDP) projection by
one percentage point for Fiscal 2022-
2023 (FY23) to 6.3% from 6.4% (ADO
April 2023 estimate).
For FY 2023-2024 (FY24), the GDP
projection is retained at 6.7%.
ADB also lowered the economic
growth forecast for developing Asia
to 4.7% in 2023 from 4.8%
projected in April 2023 ADO. The
growth forecast for 2024 is
unchanged at 4.8%.
India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra)
revised India's GDP growth estimate
for FY24 to 6.2% from 5.9%
projected in February 2023.
S&P (Standard & Poor's) FY24 On September 18, 2023, S&P (Standard
Global & Poor's) Global raised India’s growth
prediction for FY24 to 6.6% from 5.9%
predicted in August 2023 amid strong
growth in the April-June quarter
(Q1FY24). In FY25, it will increase at a
rate of 6.2% as compared to 6.1%
projected in August 2023.
AUGUST 2023
S&P Global FY31 As per the United States based
corporation S&P Global's report titled
'Look Forward: India's Moment', India
will grow at an average 6.7% per year
from financial year 2023-24 (FY24) to
FY31.
This will increase the Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) of India to

USD($)6.7 trillion from $3.4 trillion
in FY23.
Crisil FY24 Crisil, a global analytics company, has
estimated that the Indian economy will
experience a growth rate of 6% during
FY24, a decline from the 7.2% growth
achieved in FY23.
Retail inflation in India escalated to
7.44% in July of the current year,
surpassing the upper tolerance level
set by the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) i.e. 2-6%.
ICRA Limited Q1FY24 ICRA Limited (formerly Investment
Information and Credit Rating Agency of
India Limited) projected that India's
economic growth will accelerate to
8.5% during the first quarter of the
financial year 2023-24 (Q1FY24) from
April 2023 to June 2023.
This is a notable increase from the
6.1% growth rate recorded in the
fourth quarter of the financial year
2022-23 (4QFY23), spanning
January 2023 to March 2023.
ICAR forecasts India's real Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) growth to
remain at 6% for the financial year
2023-24 (FY24), a figure lower than
the RBI's projected estimate of
6.5%.
SBI Ecowrap 2047 According to SBI Ecowrap, research
division of the State Bank of India (SBI),
India’s per capita income will rise 7.5
times by 2047, reaching Rs14.9 lakh
(USD 12,400) annually from the present
Rs 2 lakh (USD 2,500) in FY23.
This aligns with the
government’s target of
transforming India into a
developed economy by 2047.
JULY 2023
Asian Development Bank FY2023 Asian Development Outlook (ADO) July
(ADB) 2023: Robust Growth with Moderating
Inflation published by the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) has retained
India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
growth forecast at 6.4% in FY2023 and
6.7% in FY2024, as projected in ADO
April 2023.

The inflation projection for India in
FY2023 is reduced slightly from
5.0% in ADO April 2023 to 4.9% and
maintained at 4.5% in FY2024.The
growth in South Asia is projected at
5.5% in 2023 and 6.1% in 2024.
International Monetary 2023 The International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Fund in its 'July 2023 World Economic
Outlook (WEO) Update- Near-Term
Resilience, Persistent
Challenges' projected a growth rate of
6.1% for India in 2023, which is a 0.2
percentage point upward revision
compared with the April 2023
projection of 5.9%.
For 2024, it remained at 6.3%, as
projected in April 2023 WEO
Update. India grew at 7.2% in 2022.
The global growth is projected to
fall at 3% in both 2023 and 2024
from an estimated 3.5% in 2022.
State Bank of India’s (SBI) 2027 According to the State Bank of India’s
economic research report (SBI) economic research report
Ecowrap Ecowrap dated on 27th July 2023, India
is set to become the world 3rd Largest
Economy in 2027(Financial Year 2028)
based on actual Gross domestic product
(GDP) data as on March 2023.India
currently ranks 5th in the world’s
largest economy, accounting for 3.4% of
global GDP.
As per the report, India will surpass
both Japan and Germany in 2027 if
it develops at the present current
rate of growth.
The report also states that India’s
GDP is expected to grow by more
than 8% in the first Quarter of
Financial Year 2024 (8.1-8.2%).
It also predicted that India may
surpass the 6.5% mark of overall
growth (GDP)in FY24.
Asian Development FY2023 Asian Development Outlook (ADO) July
Outlook (ADO) 2023: Robust Growth with Moderating
Inflation published by the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) has retained
India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
growth forecast at 6.4% in FY2023 and

6.7% in FY2024, as projected in ADO
April 2023.
The inflation projection for India in
FY2023 is reduced slightly from
5.0% in ADO April 2023 to 4.9% and
maintained at 4.5% in FY2024.The
growth in South Asia is projected at
5.5% in 2023 and 6.1% in 2024.
JUNE 2023
Union Government of Q4 FY23 According to the official data released
India by the Union Government on May 30,
2023, the Indian Economy’s Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) growth in Q4
FY23 (Fourth Quarter of Financial Year
2022-23) i.e. from January to March
2023 is projected at 6.1% year-on-year
(YoY) when compared to the 4.5%
growth in Q3 FY23 and 4.1% in FY22.
India’s growth rate for FY23 was
projected at 7.2% compared to
9.1% GDP growth in FY22. Due to
this growth, the Indian economy is
now USD 3.3 trillion in size.
JP Morgan 2024 JP Morgan raised its forecast for
India’s annual growth by 50 basis
points to 5.5% for fiscal 2024,
following an increase in India’s gross
domestic product (GDP) growth to
6.1% in the March quarter of FY23
(Q4FY23).
This growth was boosted by
government and private capital
spending.
The economy also grew at a better-
than-expected 7.2% for fiscal 2023.
Confederation of Indian FY24 Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
Industry has projected the Indian economy to
grow in the range of 6.5-
6.7% in FY24 (Financial Year 2023-24)
supported by strong domestic drivers
and robust Capital expenditures
(CapEx) momentum of the government.
Organization for FY24 The Organization for Economic Co-
Economic Co-operation operation and Development (OECD)
and Development (OECD) Economic Outlook, has marginally
Economic Outlook increased India’s GDP (Gross Domestic
Product) growth forecast for 2023-24

(FY24) to 6%, from its earlier
projection of 5.9%.
India’s GDP growth forecast
for FY23 was estimated at 7.2% due
to higher-than-expected agriculture
output and strong government
spending.
Fitch Ratings FY24 Fitch Ratings has increased its forecast
for India’s GDP growth by 0.3% points
to 6.3% for the current fiscal year
2023–2024 (FY24) from its prior
prediction of 6% due to near-term
momentum and a stronger outturn in
the first quarter of FY24.
The GDP growth of the Indian
economy was about 7.2% in FY23
and 9.1% in FY22.
S&P Global Ratings 2023-2024 The S&P Global Ratings released its
quarterly economic update for Asia-
Pacific namely ‘Economic Research:
Economic Outlook Asia-Pacific Q3 2023:
Domestic Demand, Inflation Relief
Support Asia’s Outlook‘ stating India
as the fastest growing economy among
Asia Pacific nations.
In this, the S&P Global Rating
retained its forecast for India’s
economic growth unchanged at 6%
for fiscal year 2023-2024.
Reserve Bank of India 4th quarter (January-March) of 2022- According to the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) 23 (RBI) data titled ‘Developments in
India’s Balance of Payments during
the Fourth Quarter (January-March)
of 2022-23’, India’s current account
deficit (CAD) declined sequentially to
USD 1.3 billion – 0.2% of Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) in the 4th
quarter (January-March) of 2022-23
(Q4 of FY23) from USD 16.8 billion – 2%
of GDP the 3rd quarter (October-
December) of 2022-2023 (Q3 of FY23).
In Q4 2021-22, India’s CAD was USD
13.4 billion, 1.6% of GDP.
MAY 2023
International Monetary 2023 According to the International Monetary
Fund’s (IMF) Fund’s (IMF) Regional Economic
Outlook Asia and Pacific May 2023, the
Asia-Pacific region’s growth is

estimated to increase to 4.6% in c from
the 3.8% growth recorded in 2022.
The forecast for 2023 is an upgrade
of 0.3% from its October forecast
(October 2022 World Economic
Outlook) of 4.3%.
Asia and the Pacific region is
expected to contribute around 70%
of global growth in 2023.
Fitch Ratings FY24 Fitch Ratings has lowered India’s 2023-
24 (i.e. Financial Year 2023-24 (FY24))
GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth
forecast to 6% from 6.2% of its earlier
projection, amid increased inflation and
interest rates along with subdued global
demand.
The projection for FY25 also
decreased to 6.7% from 6.9%
projected earlier.
United Nations (UN) 2023 According to the report World Economic
Situation and Prospects as of mid-2023, of
the United Nations (UN) released on
May 16, 2023, India’s economy, the
largest in the South Asian region, is
expected to grow by 5.8% in 2023 and
6.7% in 2024, supported by resilient
domestic demand
i. The report projected the world
economy to grow by 2.3% in 2023 (up
0.4% points from a January 2023
forecast) and 2.5% in 2024 (dropped
0.2% points from January 2023
projection).
State Bank of India’s FY23 According to the Ecowrap report of the
Ecowrap State Bank of India (SBI) released on
May 26, 2023, India’s Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) growth in the fourth
quarter (Q4) of Financial Year 2022-23
(FY23) is projected to be 5.5%. India’s
growth for FY23 is projected
at 7.1% due to growth in manufacturing
sector.
Goldman Sachs 2023 Goldman Sachs increased the Indian
economic growth forecast by 30 basis
points to 6.3% year-on-year (y-o-y) for
calendar year 2023 from its earlier
forecast of 6%, citing a boost in net
exports.

It has pegged GDP (Gross Domestic
Product) growth for the Jan-March
2023 quarter at 4.9%, 6.5% for
April-June 2023, 5.9% for July-
September 2023 and 8.1% for
October-December 2023.
World Bank (WB) 2023 World Bank (WB) in its Global Economic
Prospects Report-June 2023 lowered
India’s growth outlook to 6.3% for
2023, a 0.3 percentage point downward
revision from 6.6% in January 2023.
However, India will remain the fastest-
growing economy (in terms of both
aggregate and per capita GDP) of the
largest EMDEs (Emerging Market and
Developing Economies).
India’s growth to pick up slightly
through FY2025/26 as inflation moves
back toward the midpoint of the
tolerance range and reforms payoff.
For 2024, WB expects GDP growth rate
at 6.4%. While for 2025 forecast, the
growth rate is expected at 6.5%.
RBI IN NEWS
SEPTEMBER 2023
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) circular titled ‘Operation of Pre-Sanctioned Credit Lines at Banks
through UPI’ announced the inclusion of pre-sanctioned credit lines as funding accounts in Unified Payments
Interface (UPI).
This decision broadens the scope of UPI by incorporating credit lines as a funding account.
The circular applies to Scheduled Commercial Banks, excluding Payment Banks, Small Finance Banks, and
Regional Rural Banks.
This directive is issued under Section 10(2) read with Section 18 of the Payment and Settlement Systems
Act, 2007 (Act 51 of 2007).
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued guidelines on Responsible Lending Conduct which directs Regulated
Entities (REs) to release all original movable or immovable property documents, and remove charges
registered with any registry within 30 days of full repayment or settlement of personal loans by borrowers.
These directions by RBI are issued under sections 21, 35A and 56 of the Banking Regulation (BR) Act, 1949,
sections 45JA and 45L of the RBI Act, 1934, and section 30A of the National Housing Bank (NHB) Act, 1987.
RBI also revised its guidelines on categorizing the investments by banks, to align them with global
standards by issuing RBI (Classification, Valuation and Operation of Investment Portfolio of Commercial
Banks) Directions, 2023 which will be effective from April 1, 2024.
With the implementation of revised Directions, RBI (Classification, Valuation and Operation of Investment
Portfolio of Commercial Banks) Directions, 2021 dated August 25, 2021 will be repealed.
Applicability: All commercial banks (excluding Regional Rural Banks-RRBs)…Click here for more detail…
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the names of 15 Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) in the
Upper Layer (UL)/NBFC-UL under Scale Based Regulation for NBFCs for the year 2023-24.
In October 2021, RBI issued the Scale Based Regulation (SBR): A Revised Regulatory Framework for NBFCs
(the framework) which categorizes NBFCs asset size and scoring methodology such as NBFC-BL (Base

Layer), NBFC-ML (Middle Layer), NBFC-UL (Upper Layer),and NBFC-TL (Top Layer)…Click here for the list
of NBFC-UL for 2023-24..
Net financial savings of households declined to a nearly 5-decade low of 5.1% GDP in FY23. This marked
a notable decrease from the previous fiscal year, where it stood at 7.2% (FY22), as per RBI data.
National Financial Switch (NFS) usage was decreased from 11.5% in FY21 to 5.1% in FY23, as per data from
RBI's Flow of Financial Assets and Liabilities of Household released on September 2023.
Household financial liabilities saw a substantial increase, rising to 5.8% of GDP in FY23, up from 3.8% in
FY22.
High Household Debt: Household debt remained elevated at 37.6% of GDP in FY23, compared to 36.9% in
FY22.
RBI Imposes Penalties on Four Cooperative Banks
Lalbaug Cooperative Bank Ltd (Gujarat) – Rs 5 Lakh.
Cooperative Bank of Mehsana Ltd (Gujarat) – Rs 3.50 Lakh
Harij Nagrik Sahakari Bank Ltd (Gujarat) – Rs 3 Lakh
National Cooperative Bank Ltd (Maharashtra) – Rs 1 Lakh
AUGUST 2023
RBI released a report ‘Sectoral Deployment of Bank Credit – June 2023‘showcasing a Year-on-Year (Y-o-
Y) growth of non-food bank credit to 16.3% in June 2023 as compared with 15% in June 2022. This rise is due
to the strong demand for credit from sectors such as services, retail and agriculture, and allied activities.
On the other hand, the food bank credit shows a decline of -25.4% in June 2023 as compared to a decline of
-55% in June 2022.
The Total Bank Credit (Food Credit + Non-food Credit) grew at 16.2% in June 2023 from 14.5% in June
2022.
As per the All India Consumer Price Index (CPI) released by National Statistical Office (NSO) under the
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), India's retail inflation rate hiked to 7.44% in
July, 2023 surpassing the upper limit of the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) 2-6% tolerance range.
The inflation rate recorded 4.87 % in June 2023.
In July 2023, wholesale prices continued to display deflationary trends for the fourth consecutive month.
This notable increase in food and primary article prices led to a substantial reduction in the overall price
decline, narrowing it to (-)1.36%.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) awarded the contract worth Rs.91 Crores to McKinsey and Company India
LLP (Limited Liable Partnership) and Accenture Solutions Private Limited India for the use of advanced
analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning(ML) to analyse its huge database and improve
regulatory supervision over banks and Non-Banking Financial Services(NBFCs).
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) commenced its digital lending pilot project for Public Tech Platform for
Frictionless Credit which is developed by Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), a wholly owned subsidiary of
RBI.
During the pilot phase, the platform concentrates on products including Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loans up to
Rs 1.6 lakh per borrower.
Axis Bank announced its participation, offering KCC and unsecured MSME loans through this platform, with
plans to expand based on lessons learned from the pilot.
RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das introduced a centralized web portal called “UDGAM” (Unclaimed
Deposits – Gateway to Access inforMation) to simplify the process for the public to locate their unclaimed
deposits in According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, Bank credit growth to Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSMEs) has decelerated on a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis in the first three months (April-June) of
the FY24 i.e. Q1FY24.
Credit to medium industries grew by 13.2% in June (compared to 47.8% in June 2022).
Micro and small industries experienced a 13% credit growth in June (compared to 29.2% in June 2022).

RBI has issued comprehensive guidelines to the Regulated Entities (REs) regarding penal charges in loan
accounts to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability in the lending practices of financial
institutions. These will come into effect from January 1, 2024.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in consultation with the Government of India (GoI), has reviewed
guidelines for Infrastructure Debt Fund-Non-Banking Financial Companies (IDF-NBFCs) to enhance their role
in infrastructure financing and align regulations across NBFCs in this sector.
The updated regulations for IDF-NBFCs will be effective from August 18, 2023.
IDF-NBFCs must maintain a Net Owned Fund (NOF) of at least Rs 300 crore. Minimum Capital-to-Risk
Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) of 15%, with Tier 1 capital of at least 10%.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) asked all regulated entities (REs), including banks and NBFCs, to give
personal loan borrowers an option to switch over from a floating rate to a fixed rate at the time of resetting
interest rates. The RE must ensure that the new norms were extended to the existing as well as new loans
by December 31, 2023.
The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) sanctioned the Scheme of Voluntary Amalgamation of Hyderabad
(Telangana) based Twin Cities Co-operative Urban Bank Limited with Hyderabad (Telangana)
based Kranti Co-operative Urban Bank Limited.
RBI has the authority to approve the voluntary amalgamation of Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) based on
its discretion.
This authority is granted under Sub-Section (4) of Section 44A read with Section 56 of the Banking
Regulation Act, 1949.
These sections were modified through an amendment introduced by the Banking Regulation (Amendment)
Act 2020 (Act No. 39 of 2020).
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) increased the upper limit for offline transactions to Rs 500 from Rs
200 w.e.f. August 24, 2023, following its announcement during the bi-monthly policy review on August 10,
2023.
However, overall limit is retained at Rs 2000 to contain the risks associated with relaxation of two-factor
authentication.
The information for the same was provided by RBI under Section 10 (2) read with Section 18 of the
Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 (Act 51 of 2007)/PSS Act.
The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) sanctioned the Scheme of Voluntary Amalgamation of Akola
(Maharashtra) based Akola Merchant Co-operative Bank Limited with Jalgaon (Maharashtra) based
The Jalgaon Peoples Co-operative Bank Limited. Both of the banks are Urban Co.operative Banks(UCB).
The authority is granted under Sub-Section (4) of Section 44A read with Section 56 of the Banking
Regulation Act, 1949.
JULY 2023
As per the RBI’s ‘State finances: A study of budgets of 2022-23’ report published in 2023, Tamil Nadu
(TN) has the highest amount of outstanding debt among all States and Union Territories in India, at Rs 7.54-
lakh crore (as per budget estimates for FY23) followed by Uttar Pradesh (UP) at 7.10-lakh crore.
Odisha is the only state in the country to reduce its debt consistently over the past three years: 1.8% in
2019-20, 8.4% in 2020-21, and 12% in FY 2022-23.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released a notification addressing all the banks regarding the inclusion of
South Korea based ‘NongHyup Bank’ in the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
As per the RBI notification, NongHyup Bank has been officially including in the Second Schedule of the RBI
Act 1934 and published in the Gazette of India (Part III – Section 4).
To qualify as a scheduled bank, the bank’s paid-up capital and collected funds must be at least Rs. 5 lakh.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released its half yearly publication (i.e) 27th Financial Stability Report (FSR),
June 2023, which assesses risks to financial stability and the resilience of the Indian financial system. It
reflects the collective evaluation of the Sub-Committee of the Financial Stability and Development Council
(FSDC).

According to stress test results in the FSR, the combined Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR)
of 46 major banks is expected to decline from 17.0% (historical high) in March 2023 to 16.1% by March 2024,
under the baseline scenario.
The banking sector's bad loans have hit a decade-low. In March 2023, SCBs’ Gross Non-Performing Assets
(GNPA) ratio dropped to 3.9%, the lowest in 10 years, and the NNPA ratio fell to 1%, the lowest since June
2011.
RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das launched the Reserve Bank’s next generation data warehouse.
As per the report, the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) settled claims of Rs
751.8 crore during FY23.
The consolidated Gross Fiscal Deficit (GFD) of the states and Union Territories (UTs) declined from 4.1% of
GDP in FY21 to 2.8% in FY22 and FY23.
RBI floating rate bonds interest rate hiked to 8.05% from July 1, 2023 ü .Click here to read complete detail…
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the banking licenses of two co-operative banks viz. Malkapur
Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd(Malkapur UCB) based in Buldhana, Maharashtra, and Shushruti Souharda
Sahakara Bank Niyamita(SSS Bank) based in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
In this regard, these two co-operative banks ceased to carry on banking business as defined in Section 5(b)
read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation (BR) Act, 1949 with effect from July 5, 2023.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a ‘Draft Circular – Arrangements with Card Networks for
issue of Debit, Credit and Prepaid Cards’ empowering the debit, credit, and prepaid card users in India with
Card network portability w.e.f. October 1st, 2023.
This means users can port their card network just like one can port switch/port mobile service providers
while retaining the same phone number.
The Card network portability will keep their existing card accounts, balances, and credit history intact.
Reserve bank of India (RBI) cancelled the banking licence of two cooperative banks, Sri Sharada Mahila
Co-operative Bank, Tumkur, Karnataka and Harihareshwar Sahakari Bank, Satara in Maharashtra.
The licence was cancelled by RBI under Section 22 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 as these cooperative
banks do not have adequate capital and earning prospects and have failed to comply with the requirements
of the banking regulation act.
According to the article titled “India @ 100” published in Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Bulletin July 2023
published by RBI’s Economic Research Department, India needs to achieve an average annual real Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 7.6% over the next 25 years to become a developed nation by 2047-48.
This would require raising the current per capita GDP from USD2,500 to USD22,000, an increase of 8.8
times.
This paper, authored by Harendra Behera, V. Dhanya, Kunal Priyadarshi, and Sapna Goel, is included in the
RBI’s July 2023 issue of its monthly Bulletin, released on July 17, 2023.
India’s industrial sector should increase its share from the current 25.6% to 35% by 2047-48, and
manufacturing should occupy 25% share in total value added.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cancelled the licence of United India Co-operative Bank Limited, Nagina(
Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh) as the bank does not have adequate capital and earning prospects to pay its present
depositors in full.
The bank also does not comply with the provisions of Section 11(1) and bank has failed to comply with the
requirements of Sections 22(3) (a), 22 (3) (b), 22(3)(c), 22(3) (d) and 22(3)(e) read with Section 56 of the
Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
The bank is prohibited from engaging in any ‘banking’ activities, including the acceptance and repayment of
deposits, as defined in Section 5(b) in conjunction with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
The RBI reassured depositors that they will receive insurance claims for their deposits, subject to the
monetary ceiling of 5 lakhs from the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC), in
accordance with the DICGC Act, 1961.

JUNE 2023
IIT Madras Research Park (IITMRP), not for profit company promoted by the Indian Institute of Technology
Madras (IITM), Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN) and IITM Incubation Cell (IITMIC) have joined hands with Reserve
Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), to introduce
voice-banking solutions to eliminate language barriers across India.
RBI released its Annual Report 2022-23, a static report of the Central Board of Directors on the working of the
RBI for the year ended March 31, 2023 (i.e. FY23) submitted to the Central Government in terms of Section
53(2) of the RBI Act, 1934.
India has experienced macroeconomic and financial stability in FY23 with a steady growth.
India has contributed more than 12% on average to global growth during the last five years.
Highlights of the RBI’s Annual Report:
Growth: According to the second advance estimates (SAE) of national income released by the National
Statistical Office (NSO) the Indian economy is expected to have recorded a 7.0% growth in real GDP (Gross
Domestic Product) in FY23 from 9.1% in FY22.
Inflation: Overall, headline inflation increased to 6.7% in 2022-23 from 5.5% in 2021-22.
Inflation reached a peak of 7.8 per cent in April 2022 due to sharp increase in global prices of crude oil,
food, fertilisers and metals.
Deficit and Debt:The general government deficit and debt moderated to 9.4% and 86.5% of GDP,
respectively, in FY23 from the peak levels of 13.1% and 89.4% in FY21, respectively.
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): According to the RBI annual report, the total Foreign Direct Investment
(FDI) flows into India reached a three-year low of USD 46 billion in FY23, which is 26% lower than the
previous fiscal year (FY22 USD 58.8 billion).
Top 3 FDI Flows in India in FY23:
FY23 (FDI in USD
Source/Industry billion)
Country Wise Inflows
Singapore 17.2
Mauritius 6.1
United States 6
Sector-wise Inflows
Manufacturing 11.3
Financial
Services 6.8
Computer
Services 5.6
To protect the small investors, DICGC offers deposit insurance of Rs 5 lakh (including the principal and
interest amount) per depositor for each bank (within 90 days) in the event of the bank being unable to fulfil its
commitment due to liquidation or cancellation of the banking licence.Deposit Insurance and Credit
Guarantee Corporation (DICGC), which is constituted under the DICGC Act, 1961 is wholly-owned by
the RBI.
India’s merchandise exports at USD 450.4 billion recorded a growth of 6.7%in FY23 as compared with
44.6% in FY22.
In FY23, as per the assessment of bank group-wise fraud cases over the last three years private sector
banks reported the maximum number of frauds, whereas the public sector banks continued to
contribute maximum to the fraud amount.
Balance sheet of RBI in FY23: The size of the RBI’s balance sheet increased by Rs 1,54,453.97 crore, i.e.,
2.50% from Rs 61,90,302.27 crore in FY22 to Rs 63,44,756.24 crore in FY23.

RBI’s Income, Expenditure, and Surplus Statement in FY23:
FY22 FY23
(Amount in Rs crore) (Amount in Rs crore)
Income
1,60,112.13 2,35,457.26
(increased by 47.06%)
Expenditure
1,29,800.68 1,48,037.04
Surplus payable to the Central Government
30,307.45 87,416.22
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor, Shaktikanta Das, launched a financial inclusion dashboard
named ‘Antardrishti‘, Hindi means “Insight”.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) assigned additional responsibilities to three deputy governors after the exit
of Mahesh Kumar (MK) Jain from the post of deputy governor. His term expired on June 21, 2023.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) relaxed the restrictions on customer onboarding for HDFC Credila. This move
comes as a significant development, allowing HDFC Credila to expand its customer base and streamline its
operations.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) instructed Mahalaxmi Cooperative Bank (Dharwad, Karnataka), to
operate solely as a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC), effectively revoking its banking licence granted on
March 23, 1994.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has fined all Four credit bureaus, TransUnion CIBIL Limited, Equifax Credit
Information Services Private Limited, Experian Credit Information Company of India Private Limited and CRIF
High Mark Credit Information Services Private Limited, for not maintaining accurate borrower data following
customer complaints.
MAY 2023
The report released by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Report On Currency And Finance 2022-23 on May 03,
2023, recommends India to introduce a broad-based carbon pricing system in line with emerging global best
practices to meet the country’s climate goals.
The theme of the report is –‘Towards a Greener Cleaner India’,
The report does not represent the views of the RBI, inturn it is based on the findings, views and conclusions
of the contributors from the Department of Economic and Policy Research (DEPR).
Key Recommendations of the Report to India:
The carbon tax was suggested to be accompanied by complementary redistributive policies due to its
regressive nature, in view of the inability of the weaker sections of the society to move to eco-friendly
modes of production and patterns of consumption.
The report also recommends introduction of an Emissions Trading System (ETS) linked to green taxonomy,
covering all sectors of the economy, which can partly balance subsidy (less polluting industries getting
carbon credits for trading) and tax (more polluting industries that should have to buy carbon certificates).
According to the data released by RBI on 2nd May 2023, India’s services exports increased by a record
26.6% in 2022-23 (FY23) to US$ 322 billion.
Services imports grew 22.2 % to US$179.7 billion, leading to a services trade surplus of US$142.5 billion.
Merchandise exports rose by only 6% to US$ 447 billion in FY23.
With a US$267 billion merchandise trade deficit in FY22, India has a cumulative trade deficit (or net
exports) of US$124.5 billion.

While software exports continue to dominate India’s services exports.
The ‘other business services’ exports have increased accounting for 24% of total services exports in the
first nine months of FY23 (April-December, 2022), up from 19% in FY14.
The Union government has set a goal of US$ 2 trillion in combined goods and services exports by 2030.
Under India’s G20 presidency, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the BIS Innovation Hub (BISIH) of the
Bank for International Settlements (BIS) jointly launched G20 TechSprint 2023, the 4th edition of the global
technology hackathon for innovators to promote innovative solutions aimed at ‘Transforming cross-border
payments’.
The competition is open to developers from around the world for submitting applications from May 4,
2023, to June 4, 2023, and it will conclude in Q3 2023 (i.e. around August/ September 2023).
The winners for each problem statement will receive an award of Rs 40 lakh (~USD 50,000).
RBI updated its instructions in the Master Direction (MD) on Know Your Customer (KYC) related to wire
transfers and also aligned the same with the relevant recommendation of the Financial Action Task Force
(FATF).
Through the amendment, RBI mandates all banks, and financial institutions in the country to ensure all
wire transfers such as domestic as well as international contain complete information about the originator
and beneficiary to prevent them from being used as a channel for money laundering, and terrorist
financing platforms.
Key Updates over wire transfers:
In case of domestic wire transfer, where the originator is an account holder of the ordering RE (Regulated
Entities), the transfer should be accompanied by the originator and beneficiary information, as indicated
for cross-border wire transfers.
Domestic wire transfers of Rs 50,000 and above, where the originator is not an account holder of the
ordering RE, should also be accompanied by the originator and beneficiary information as indicated for
cross-border wire transfers.
Note – ‘Ordering RE’ refers to the financial institution which initiates the wire transfer and transfers the
funds on behalf of the originator.
RBI has directed the REs to make available all the information on the wire transfers to appropriate law
enforcement and/or prosecutorial authorities as well as FIU-IND (Financial Intelligence Unit – India) on
receiving such requests with appropriate legal provisions.
Note – The wire transfer instructions are not intended to cover any transaction carried out using a credit
card/debit card / Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) for the purchase of goods or services.
Profectus Capital Private Limited, a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) backed by Actis, received
the Certificate of Registration (CoR) under the Factoring Regulations Act, 2011 from the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) to provide factoring services to Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Factoring is a financial tool that provides the seller of goods (client) with an advance against the accounts
receivable.
RBI mandated Rupee (INR)-only settlement of fees charges levied by ‘Authorised Persons’ on International
Debit Cards, Store Value Cards, among others, and payable in India.
The instruments also include Charge Cards/Smart Cards or any other instrument that can be used to create
a financial liability as ‘currency’.
As per the announcement of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), banks are set to commence a ‘100 Days 100
Pays’ campaign, where they will trace and settle the top 100 unclaimed deposits of every bank in every district
within 100 days.The banks will commence the campaign on June 01, 2023.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued an advisory to banks and other RBI-regulated entities to ensure a
complete transition from the international benchmark reference rate US$ London Interbank Offered Rate
(LIBOR) or the Mumbai Interbank Forward Outright Rate (MIFOR) from July 1, 2023.
After June 30, 2023, Financial Benchmarks India Pvt. Ltd. (FBIL) will cease to publish Mumbai Interbank
Forward Outright Rate (MIFOR).

Banks / Financial Institutions (FIs) have been advised to ensure that no new transactions undertaken by
them or their customers rely on or are priced using the US$ LIBOR (including transactions that reference
MIFOR).
In this regard, banks/FIs will develop systems and processes to manage the complete transition away from
LIBOR. RBI will continue to monitor for ensuring a smooth transition from LIBOR.
In consultation with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Ministry of Finance, Government of India (GoI)
omitted Rule 7 of the Foreign Exchange Management (Current Account Transactions) Rules, 2000 under
Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and included the international credit cards (ICCs) spendings
outside India under the RBI’s Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) and also be subjected it to a higher rate
of 20% Tax Collected at Source (TCS) effective after July 1, 2023.
Key Points
Prevailing Rules: Only debit cards, forex (Foreign exchange) cards, and bank transfers were included in
the LRS limit and the usage of ICCs for making payments for fulfilling expenses during travel outside India
was not included in the LRS limit.
Now due to the amendment the privilege provided for ICCs will no longer be available and now the
spending by ICCs will also be treated at par with other money transfer instruments.
Applicability of TCS:
TCS is the tax the seller collects from the buyer at the point of sale so that it can be deposited with the tax
authorities. Banks deduct TCS on foreign remittances.
The amendment of FEMA was made in accordance with the announcement made in budget 2023-23 and
the TCS for foreign remittances under LRS was raised from 5% to 20% on overseas tour packages and
funds remitted under LRS (other than for education and medical purposes).
Till July 1, 2023, a 5% TCS would be levied on ICCs transactions.
To eliminate procedural ambiguity, it was decided that individual payments up to Rs 7 lakh per financial
year made using international debit or credit cards would be excluded from the LRS limits and
therefore not subject to TCS.
Medicine and Education: TCS of 5% will be levied towards medical treatment expenses exceeding Rs 7
lakh. A lower TCS rate of 0.5% would be levied above the Rs 7 lakh threshold for those availing loans for
overseas education.
What is LRS scheme:
LRS is a scheme which allows Indian Resident Individuals (including minors) to remit funds outside India
up to USD 250,000 or its equivalent in any freely convertible foreign currency per financial year (April-
March) for any permissible capital or current account transaction or a combination of both without any
prior approval from the RBI.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) notified the withdrawal of Rs 2000 denomination banknotes from
circulation and directed banks to stop issuing this banknote with immediate effect.
As a result of this notification, the public needs to deposit and/or exchange Rs 2000 banknotes with bank
branches or 19 Regional Offices (ROs) of RBI within 4 months i.e. from May 23, 2023, to, on or before
September 30, 2023.
The limit for the exchange facility is Rs 20,000 at a time to ensure operational convenience and prevent
any disruption to the regular activities of bank branches.
Reasons behind its Withdrawal:
Sufficient Supply of Alternatives: The stock of banknotes in other denominations is adequate to meet the
currency requirement of the public.

Concluding Timeframe: Approximately 89% of the Rs 2000 banknotes were put into circulation before
March 2017. These banknotes are approaching the end of their projected lifespan of 4 to 5 years.
Diminishing Circulation: The cumulative value of these banknotes in circulation has declined from Rs 6.73
lakh crore as on March 31, 2018 (37.3% of notes in Circulation) to Rs 3.62 lakh crore, as compared to on
March 31, 2023, representing 10.8% of notes in Circulation.
This means, that people are hoarding this high-value currency. So, the decision will help in curbing black
money to a great extent.
Clean Note Policy: This withdrawal is also in pursuance with RBI's Clean Note Policy which ensures the
availability of good quality banknotes to the public.
The Story of Rs 2000 Banknote:
Rs 2000 denomination banknote was introduced in November 2016 under Section 24(1) of RBI Act, 1934.
Its intended objective was met as an adequate quantity of other denominations became available.
Therefore, its printing was halted in 2018-19.
Additional info: The Magenta coloured Rs 2000 note was a part of the Mahatma Gandhi New Series of
banknotes. The reverse side features a motif of the Mangalyaan, representing India’s first interplanetary
space mission
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in the exercise of powers conferred on it under Section 45-IA (6) of the
RBI Act, 1934 has cancelled the Certificate of Registration (CoR) of seven Non-Banking Finance Companies
(NBFC).
With this, the notified companies are barred from transacting the business of a Non-Banking Financial
Institution (NBFI), as defined in clause (a) of Section 45-I of the RBI Act, 1934.
The 7 NBFC are as follows:
NBFC Registered Office (City/State)
Coorg Tea Company Limited Bengaluru, Karnataka
Trimurthi Finvest Limited Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh
East West Finvest India Limited Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh
J.V.Modi Securities Limited Indore, Madhya Pradesh (MP)
K K Patel Finance Limited Gwalior, MP
Purvi Finvest Limited Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh
Genfin Capital Private Limited Bengaluru, Karnataka
The 14 NBFCs have surrendered the Certificate of Registration (CoR) granted to them by RBI. Thus,
RBI, in exercise of powers conferred on it under Section 45-IA (6) of the RBI Act, 1934, has therefore
cancelled their CoR.
Under this, 7 companies surrendered their licence because of exit from business while two surrendered due
to meeting the criteria prescribed for unregistered Core Investment Company (CIC) that do not require
registration.
Remaining five surrendered permits due to NBFC ceasing to be a legal entity due to
amalgamation/merger/dissolution/ voluntary strike-off, etc.
The 14 NBFCs are as follows:
Due to exit from NBFI business:
Lunia Trading & Investment Private Limited Kolkata, West Bengal (WB)
Swastik Goods and Suppliers Pvt. Ltd. Kolkata, WB
Icseva Finance Private Limited Aurangabad, Bihar
Gipsy Management Pvt Ltd Kolkata, WB

Shiba Fabspin Pvt. Ltd. Kolkata, WB
Esar Entrade Ltd Kamrup, Assam
Maba Corporate Services Private Limited Bengaluru, Karnataka
Due to meeting the criteria prescribed for unregistered Core Investment Company (CIC) that do not require
registration:
L&T Infrastructure Development Projects Limited Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN)
Josan Deposits and Advances Limited Kolkata, WB
Due to NBFC ceasing to be a legal entity due to amalgamation/ merger/dissolution/ voluntary strike-off,
etc.:
Melinex Investment and Finance Private Limited Ludhiana, Punjab
Casablanca Broking & Agency Pvt. Ltd. Kolkata, WB
Janpragati Syntex Pvt Ltd Kolkata, WB
Nalimbur Mercantile Pvt Ltd Kolkata, WB
Wondermax Mercantile Pvt Ltd Kolkata, WB
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) sanctioned the merging of Maratha Sahakari Bank Ltd., Mumbai
(Maharashtra) with the Cosmos Co-operative Bank Ltd, Pune (Maharashtra), the second largest urban
cooperative bank of India through Voluntary scheme of amalgamation from May 29, 2023, in exercise of its
powers conferred under Sub-Section (4) of Section 44A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation (BR)
Act, 1949.
SBI IN NEWS
SEPTEMBER 2023
State Bank of India (SBI) has introduced Unified Payments Interface (UPI) interoperability for its Digital
Rupee(eRupee), also called as Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), enhancing accessibility and convenience
for customers.
Through the ‘eRupee by SBI’ application, CBDC users can now seamlessly scan merchant UPI Quick
Response (QR) codes, facilitating swift and secure transactions.
SBI Card, India’s leading credit card issuer, has unveiled the latest features of its super-premium card
‘AURUM’ for C-suite executives and high-net-worth individuals. AURUM is an exclusive, by-invitation-only
credit card adorned with handpicked features designed to provide cardholders with unique privileges.
AUGUST 2023
State Bank of India (SBI) Life Insurance became the first private life insurance company in India to
provide 24X7 inbound contact centre via toll-free number 18002679090 to address before and after purchase
queries with the aim to offer real time solutions to queries related to policies and insurance solutions.
This is aligned with the goal of ‘Insurance for all by 2047’ set by Insurance Regulatory and Development
Authority of India (IRDAI).
JULY 2023
According to the State Bank of India’s (SBI) economic research report Ecowrap dated on 27th July 2023,
India is set to become the world 3rd Largest Economy in 2027(Financial Year 2028) based on actual Gross
domestic product (GDP) data as on March 2023.India currently ranks 5th in the world’s largest economy,
accounting for 3.4% of global GDP.

As per the report, India will surpass both Japan and Germany in 2027 if it develops at the present current
rate of growth.
The report also states that India’s GDP is expected to grow by more than 8% in the first Quarter of Financial
Year 2024 (8.1-8.2%).
It also predicted that India may surpass the 6.5% mark of overall growth (GDP)in FY24.
JUNE 2023
NIL
MAY 2023
NIL
MOU SIGNED BY BANKS

SEPTEMBER 2023
The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) signed Memorandums of
Understanding (MoUs) with Union Bank of India (UBI) and Bank of Baroda (BoB).
These agreements will enable IREDA to work with UBI and BoB in loan syndication and co-lending for a
variety of renewable energy projects involving both established and cutting-edge renewable energy
technology.
The MoU with UBI was signed by Bharat Singh Rajput, General Manager (GM) (Technical Services) of IREDA
and Dhirendra Jain, GM (Large Corporate Vertical) of UBI.
The MoU with BoB was signed by Bharat Singh Rajput, GM (Technical Services) of IREDA and Dhiren Lalai,
GM of BoB.
AUGUST 2023
IIITD Innovation and Incubation Centre (IIITD-IC), a section 8 company promoted by the Indraprastha
Institute of Information Technology-Delhi (IIITD), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
YES Bank Limited (YES Bank) to support and scale up the growth of startup ecosystem in India.
Punjab National Bank (PNB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gujarat Cooperative
Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMFL) also known as Amul, to finance Amul's retailers, wholesale
dealers/area milk distributors and exclusive Amul preferred outlets-milk parlours.
JULY 2023
NIL
JUNE 2023
The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has signed an MoU with HDFC Bank Limited under
which both entities will work together to provide complete financial product and services to the customers
under MSMEs in a seamless manner.
MAY 2023
Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with YES Bank to provide financial support to the startups
incubated at SIIC.
SEBI RELATED NEWS

SEPTEMBER 2023
NIL

AUGUST 2023
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and Association of Portfolio Managers in India
(APMI) collaboratively established performance audit standards for portfolio management services (PMS)
providers, effective from October 1, 2023.
According to the new standards, Portfolio Managers need to submit two reports, Confirmation of
compliance, Actual audit report to SEBI within 60 days after each financial year ends.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) allowed Offer For Sale (OFS) for units of private listed
Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvlTs) through a stock exchange mechanism.
This information by SEBI is provided in exercise of powers conferred under Section 11(1) of the SEBI Act,
1992.
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) mandated Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) to place at
least 10% of their trades in corporate bonds through the Request For Quote (RFQ) platform of stock exchanges
w.e.f. from October 1, 2023.
This information by SEBI is provided in exercise of its power conferred under Section 11(1) of the SEBI
Act 1992, read with the provisions of
Regulation 20(5) and Regulation 44 of SEBI (Foreign Portfolio Investors) Regulations, 2019 to
protect the interests of investors in securities and to promote the development of, and to regulate the
securities markets.
SEBI has decreased the validity period of approval for Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) and Venture
Capital Funds (VCFs) to make overseas investments to four months from six months.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has reduced the timeline for listing securities after
the closing of an Initial Public Offering (IPO) to 3 days (T+3) from the present requirement of 6 working days
(T+6).
This will be an option for IPOs opening on or after September 1, 2023, and will be mandatory for public
issues opening after December 1, 2023.
Helios Capital Gets SEBI Approval to Launch MF business and become the 46th entity to enter the MF
industry with an Asset Under Management (AUM) of Rs.46-lakh crore.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) mandated additional disclosures from Foreign
Portfolio Investors (FPIs) that have concentrated holding in a single company or a group firm w.e.f. November
1, 2023.
Such FPIs will be required to identify all entities with any ownership, economic interest and control rights.
FPIs with over 50% of Indian equity Assets Under Management (AUM) in a single corporate group get 10
days to reduce holdings, followed by further ownership disclosures.
FPIs with equity AUM exceeding Rs 25,000 crore have 90 days to reduce holdings.
Accounts of all such FPIs will be blocked for further equity purchases until the holding is brought below Rs
25,000 crore.
If investment remains high after deadlines, 30 days for disclosures, then FPI registration invalid.
Invalid registration leads to securities liquidation and market exit within 180 days from invalidation.
JULY 2023
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) rolled out the Framework for Corporate Debt Market
Development Fund (CDMDF) which aims to establish a Backstop Facility to purchase investment-grade
corporate debt securities, enhance secondary market liquidity, and boost confidence among the participants in
the Corporate Debt Market during periods of stress.
It complies with the Guarantee Scheme for Corporate Debt (GSCD) notified by the Ministry of Finance on
July 26, 2023.
SEBI mandates all non-individual Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) to disclose their Legal Entity Identifier
(LEI) code to improve the quality and accuracy of financial data systems for better risk management.
Presently, FPIs are required to provide their LEI details in the Common Application Form (CAF), used for
registration, KYC (Know Your Customer) and account opening of FPIs on a voluntary basis…Click here for
more detail….

The board of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has approved a series of decisions such as
the reduction of public issue listing timelines, the introduction of regulations for Non-Convertible Debt
Securities (NCDs), and strengthening investor grievance handling mechanisms to improve the market
efficiency and investor protection.
SEBI board also approves the amendments to the SEBI infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs)
Regulations, 2014 and SEBI real estate investment trusts (REITs) Regulations, 2014 to provide nomination
rights to unitholders holding 10%.
SEBI has decided to mandate enhanced disclosures from certain class of foreign portfolio investors (FPIs),
including furnishing granular level details about ownership and economic interests.
SEBI strengthened the investor-grievance mechanism by integrating the SEBI Complaint Redressal System
(SCORES) with the Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) mechanism.
SEBI board has approved the introduction of provisions related to the listing of non-convertible debt
securities and voluntary delisting of NCDs.
Direct participation by clients in Limited Purpose Clearing Corporation (LPCC).
The board also considered and approved the SEBI Annual Report 2022-23. the report will be submitted to
the Government of India in compliance with section 18(2) of the SEBI Act 1992.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has mandated that all entities providing ESG
(Environmental, Social, Governance) rating services to Indian entities to get a certification from it within 6
months w.e.f. July 3, 2023.
A person acting as an ESG rating may continue to do so for a period of six months from the date of this
regulation coming into force.
This information by SEBI is issued in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 11 (1) of SEBI Act, 1992
read with the provisions of Regulation 20 of SEBI (Credit Rating Agencies) Regulations, 1999, to protect the
interest of investors and to regulate the securities market.
SEBI has also tightened the disclosure norms for listed companies with strict timelines and introduced
criteria for determining the materiality of events w.e.f. July 15, 2023.
This information by SEBI is issued in exercise of the powers conferred under sections 11(1) and 11A of the
SEBI Act, 1992 and regulation 101 of SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations,
2015/LODR Regulations, 2015.
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the regulator of the securities market, through a circular
allowed Asset Management Companies(AMC) to introduce six new strategies under the Environmental, Social
and Governance (ESG) category.
Currently, mutual funds are restricted to offer only one scheme with ESG investing under the thematic
category for equity schemes.
The six sub-categories to the ESG theme, namely exclusion, integration, best-in-class and positive screening,
impact investing, sustainable objectives, and transition-related investments.
JUNE 2023
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) issued guidelines for transactions in Corporate Bonds
(CBs) through the Request for Quote (RFQ) platform by stock brokers (SBs) in order to increase liquidity on
the platform and to enhance the transparency and disclosure pertaining to trading in the secondary market in
corporate bonds.
SEBI has asked SBs to undertake at least 10% of their total secondary market trades by value in CBs in that
month by placing/seeking quotes through one-to-one (OTO) or one-to-many (OTM) mode on the RFQ
platform of stock exchanges.
The instruction would be applicable for all the trades in a proprietary capacity with effect from July 01,
2023.
The value would be increased by 25% of their total secondary market trades from April 1, 2024, onwards.
Note – This circular is issued by SEBI in the exercise of powers conferred under Section 11(1) of the SEBI
Act, 1992, to protect the interests of investors in securities and to promote the development of, and
to regulate the securities markets.

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) allowed Mutual Funds (MFs) to invest/participate in repo
transactions in securities such as Commercial Papers and Certificate of Deposits (CDs) to improve the growth
of the corporate bond market.
SEBI issued a circular over modification of the previous guidelines and introduces new provisions for MFs
and asset management companies to participate in repo transactions.
As per the new guidelines, the MFs are now allowed to participate in repo transactions only on corporate
debt securities rated ‘AA’ and above and Commercial Papers (CPs) and CDs.
In case of transactions where settlement is guaranteed by a clearing corporation, the exposure would not
be considered for the purpose of determination of investment limits for the single issuer, group issuer and
sector level limits.
The credit rating of exposure on repo transactions would be considered on a look-through basis for various
purposes, including the potential risk class (PRC) matrix, liquidity ratios, and risk-o-meter.
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) introduced a regulatory framework for online investment
(Execution Only) Platforms that facilitate investments in direct (commission-free) plans of schemes of mutual
fund (MF) w.e.f. September 01, 2023.
Based on the recommendation of the Mutual Fund (MF) Advisory Committee,The Securities and
Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has recently updated its 2019 circular, which outlines the standardized
procedures to be followed by Asset Management Companies (AMCs) regarding investments made in the
name of a minor (i.e. children about 10 to 18 years of age) through a parent/guardian.
All AMCs are advised to make the necessary changes to facilitate the above changes in MF transactions with
effect from June 15, 2023.
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced a timeline of 3 months for ‘Listed
Entities’ to fill up the vacancies of their Key Managerial Personnel (KMPs) such as Chief Executive Officer
(CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Managing Director (MD), Wholetime Director, Manager and Compliance
officer to ensure smooth functioning of listed companies.
An amendment to this effect has been made in the SEBI’s Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements
(LODR) regulations based on the consultation paper issued by SEBI in February 2023.
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) required ‘listed entities’ to follow a stricter framework for
the disposal of ‘undertaking’ and prescribed an approval requirement, through the introduction of regulation
37A by making amendments to the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements (LODR))
Regulations, 2015 called the SEBI (LODR)(Second Amendment) Regulations, 2023.
Currently, companies make the disposal or lease of their undertakings through two routes of Scheme of
Arrangement (prescribed under the Companies Act and/or LODR Regulations) and by way of slump
sale/Business Transfer Agreement (outside the Scheme of Arrangement framework).
Existing Framework: Disposal (other than by way of a scheme of the arrangement), requires approval of
the shareholders by way of special resolution and it has so far been regulated as per section 180(1)(a) of
the Companies Act, 2013 (‘Act’).
There was no explicit framework for protecting the interest of minority shareholders.
The sale of undertakings or their substantial part was being allowed to be executed outside the scheme of
arrangement framework without being approved by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).
The Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has made the manager and key management personnel of the
Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) responsible for appointing an ‘independent valuer’ of assets and
ascertaining true and fair valuation of the investments of AIF schemes.
The SEBI has barred Eros International Media Limited, its promoters and chief executive officer (CEO)
Pradeep Kumar Dwivedi from the securities market until further notice over alleged breach of trade practice
regulations.
The Vice Chairman and Managing Director Sunil Arjan Lulla was also barred by SEBI from holding any
directorial position in any listed company, including Eros International or its subsidiaries.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced ASBA (Application supported by
Blocked Amount)-like process for trading supported by Blocked Amount in the secondary market w.e.f. January 1,
2024. This move is aimed to safeguard investors’ cash collateral.
This information by SEBI is provided in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 11(1) of the SEBI
Act, 1992, read with Section 10 of the Securities
Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 to protect the interests of investors in securities and to promote the
development of the securities market.
SEBI also comes out with disclosure formats for compliance reports on governance and annual secretarial
for emerging investment vehicles — Real Estate Infrastructure Trusts (REITs) and Infrastructure Investment
Trusts (InvITs) which will come into force from FY 2023-24 onwards.
MAY 2023
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) allowed stock exchanges to extend Direct Market
Access (DMA) facility to foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) for participation in Exchange Traded Commodity
Derivatives (ETCDs) with immediate effect.
This notification was SEBI is issued in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 11(1) of the SEBI
Act, 1992 to protect the interests of investors in securities and to promote the development of the
securities market.
DMA facilitates the clients of a broker to directly access the exchange trading system through the broker’s
infrastructure to place orders without manual intervention by the broker.
It also provides certain advantages to brokers such as direct control over orders, faster execution of orders,
reduced risk of errors associated with manual order entry, maintaining confidentiality, lower impact costs
for large orders and implementing better hedging and arbitrage strategies.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) introduced a risk disclosure framework for individual
traders for trading in the equity Futures & Options (F&O) segment. The risk disclosure framework would come
into force with effect from July 01, 2023.
OTHERS
SEPTEMBER 2023
Savart launched a Portfolio Management Service (PMS) ‘The Ad Astra Fund’ , World’s First fully
automated fund in Hyderabad, Telengana.
It uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) research system Advanced Process Automation & Research
Technology (APART) to make investment decisions.
The fund received investment of about Rs 31 crores on Day1 and plans to achieve an Assets under
management (AUM) of Rs 350 crores by the end of FY24.
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) launches ‘Falcon’, an open-source Hyperledger
Fabric Deployment Helper, to streamline the deployment and management of Hyperledger Fabric based
blockchain networks on Kubernetes clusters.
The primary goal of introducing ‘Falcon’ is to simplify the complex process of establishing, configuring, and
managing various components of the Hyperledger Fabric network within a Kubernetes environment.
PhonePe entered the online stock broking business with a new trading app, Share.Market under its
subsidiary PhonePe Wealth Broking. The app can be used to invest in stocks, mutual funds, and exchange-
traded funds or Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs).
As per PhonePe, Share.Market offers a more discounted brokering price (24 cents or 0.05%, whichever
is lower), and broader market intelligence and a quantitative research-based tech platform called
WealthBaskets, which will be available to users as both a mobile app and on the web.
Bajaj Auto Consumer Finance Limitd (BACFL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bajaj Auto Limited, has
received the Certificate of Registration from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to start the business of Non-
Banking Finance Company (NBFC).

The certification of registration was issued on 31st August 2023 under Section 45-IA of the Reserve
Bank of India Act, 1934 to commence/carry on the business of the NBFC without accepting public
deposits.
The government has allowed the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) to invest proceeds
from the sale or redemption of investments in equities and related assets. A new clause was added on August
24, 2023, to amend below previous two notifications.
i.Added “sale or redemption of investment in equities and related investments” to the list of allowed
actions.
ii.EPFO can invest a minimum of 5% and a maximum of 15% in equities and related instruments.
Stock Investments
EPFO can invest in shares of companies listed on Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) or National Stock
Exchange (NSE) with a market capitalization of ₹5000 crore or more.
Investment can also be made in mutual funds with a minimum of 65% of their investments in BSE or
NSE listed equity.
Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)/Index Funds
EPFO can invest in ETFs/Index Funds replicating the BSE Sensex Index or the NSE Nifty 50 Index.
ETFs issued by Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)-regulated mutual funds for disinvestment
of the Government of India’s shareholding in body corporates can also be used.
Use exchange-traded derivatives for hedging, limited to 5% of total equity and equity-related
investments.
Current mandated existing investment pattern of EPF
Current Investment Plan (Since April 1,

Instrument
2015)
Government securities Min: 45% and up to 50%
Debt securities and term deposits of banks Min: 35% and up to 50%
Short-term Debt Instruments and Related Investments Up to 5%
Equity and equity related Instruments Min: 5% and up to 15%
Part of limits set for equity and equity-

ETFs/Index funds
related Instruments
Asset backed securities, units of real estate/ infrastructure

Up to 5%
investment trusts
Paytm (One97 Communications Limited) launched industry-first Paytm Card Soundbox which enables
merchants to accept both mobile and card payments across all Visa, Mastercard, Amex and RuPay networks
through Soundbox with ‘tap and pay’ feature.
The soundbox provides both audio and visual payment confirmation through a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)
screen to the merchant and the customer.
SBI Cards & Payment Services Limited (SBI Card), India's largest pure-play credit card company,
launched ‘SimplySAVE Merchant SBI Card’, a Credit Card for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
The card has been designed to offer interest-free short-term credit options for MSME merchants and other
exclusive benefits.
Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) India has launched 'Open Network for Digital
Commerce (ONDC) in a Box', a one-stop-shop proposition for corporates to participate in ONDC platform,
during the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2023 held in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

With this launch, HSBC India becomes the first foreign bank in India to offer an ONDC-enabled
proposition.
ONDC in a box was developed in partnership with Protean eGov Technologies Ltd (Protean) and Shayr
Omnichannel Private Limited (Adya).
Union Bank of India (UBI) has introduced two new Debit Card variants, the HNI Emperio RuPay Metal
Debit Card and the RuPay Empower Her Debit Card, in association with the National Payments Corporation of
India (NPCI).
With this, UBI became the first Public Sector Bank (PSB) to offer Metal Debit Card cards, serving High-Net-
Worth Individuals (HNI) and women customers.
These cards are issued on the RuPay network.
Cashfree Payments India Private Limited in collaboration with National Payments Corporation of India
(NPCI) launched “AutoPay on QR (Quick Response)”, a feature enabling customer onboarding through a 2-step
process.
The 2 step process involves scanning the QR code and approving an e-mandate through Unified Payments
Interface (UPI) apps.
‘Mastercard’ with the support from the Ministry of Tourism and Invest India has launched
Priceless.com to explore India’s history and culture (using latest travel trends). Priceless.com will support the
“Dekho Apna Desh“initiative of the Tourism Ministry.
priceless.com is an extension of Mastercard’s global priceless platform that offers exclusive experiences and
privileges to Mastercard cardholders around the world.
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh(UP) has signed a MoU with the ICICI
Bank Limited to support the startup ecosystem at provide the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC)
IIT Kanpur.
RBI has approved ICICI Bank Limited to convert I-Process Services (India) Private Limited (I-Process) into a
wholly-owned subsidiary, subject to specific conditions. The estimate cost of conversion is Rs 15.40 crores
(subjected to finalisation)ICICI Bank currently holds 19% stake in I-Process.
Tata Power Solar Systems Limited (TPSSL), and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)
signed an MoU to offer an easy financing option for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).TPSSL is the
wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) while TPREL is a subsidiary of
Tata Power.
During the forum, TPSSL and SIDBI launched ‘The Big Solar Fest’ offering zero processing fees during the
festival season to promote solar adoption among MSMEs, enhancing sustainability.
Yes Bank Limited (YES Bank) partnered with Juspay Technologies Private Limited (Juspay), India’s
leading payments company, to launch HyperUPI, a plug-in Software Development Toolkit (SDK) developed by
the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) that empowers in-app Unified Payments Interface (UPI)
payments for merchant apps.
Gullak Partners, a leading fintech app has become 1st in India to deploy Juspay’s UPI plugin SDK, HyperUPI.
Yes Bank & BriskPe Partnered to Enable Cross-border Payments for MSMEs by BriskPe A2A Solution.
National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched a RuPay ON-THE-GO(OTG)ring named as 7
Ring, the first contactless payment wearable ring which was made in India.The ring was unveiled in Global
Fintech Fest, 2023 (GFF 2023) which was held during 5th to 7th September 2023 in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
7 Ring is designed, assembled, manufactured and patented in India.
The ring was made in collaboration with 7 (Sevenring Innovations Private Limited) and LivQuik
Technology (India) Private Limited.
IndusInd Bank in partnership with Visa and Juspay launched a "virtual commercial card" with
additional layers of security to give the cardholders a complete control over cross-border transactions for
corporates and travel agents.
The card is built on the Visa Payables Automation platform.The card benefits the customers who make
multiple bookings in different foreign-denominated currencies.
Indian Bank has launched a new initiative called IB (Indian Bank) SAATHI (Sustainable Access and
Aligning Technology for Holistic Inclusion), to provide basic banking services at all centres for a minimum of

four hours per day in fixed outlets through the business correspondent (BC) channel. The initiative was
launched by Shanti Lal Jain who is the MD and CEO of Indian Bank in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Limited (Ujjivan SFB) has launched the Maxima Savings Account and
Business Maxima Current Account which is designed exclusively for medium and large business entities.
Both the accounts offer a RuPay Select Debit Card that provides access to wellness services, exclusive
merchant offers, airport lounge access, and a premium health checkup.
The State Bank of India (SBI) has introduced a digital facility for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to
effortlessly open Non-Residential External (NRE) and Non-Resident Ordinary (NRO) accounts (both savings
and current accounts) through SBI’s mobile app YONO.
This service is designed for New to Bank (NTB) customers as a one-stop solution for NRI banking needs to
provide them with simplified, efficient, and accurate account opening process.
Axis Bank launched 'NEO for Business', a distinctive one-stop Transaction Banking platform for Indian
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
This is a first-of-its-kind comprehensive digital proposition that supports real, current, and emerging
Transaction Banking needs of MSMEs.
It has contemporary UX (User Experience)/UI (User Interface) along with bank-grade security features.
“NEO for Business” is the latest launch as part of “NEO by Axis Bank” branding. NEO by Axis Bank is the
digital banking proposition for its corporate banking customers/clients.
AUGUST 2023
Paytm, owned by One97 Communications Ltd (OCL), introduced two new cutting-edge payment devices,
the Paytm Pocket Soundbox and Paytm Music Soundbox.
Both devices are equipped with 4G capabilities, providing enhanced convenience for on-the-go merchants.
It is a first-of-its-kind ‘Made in India’ portable device as small as debit card to empower on-the-go
merchants with instant audio payment alerts.
This easy-to-carry device has all the features of Paytm Soundbox.
Axis Bank, India’s third-largest private sector bank in collaboration with National Payment Corporation
of India (NPCI), partnered for the first time with Kiwi, the revolutionary credit on Unified Payment Interface
(UPI) platform to launch the Axis KWIK virtual credit card that offers credit card rewards along with the
convenience of UPI’s fast and secure payment for seamless online and offline transactions.
This functionality enables users to conduct merchant payments within the Kiwi app utilising their credit
cards through UPI, resulting in a virtualized payment encounter that eliminates the necessity for physical
cards.
The partnership offers a complete “Credit on UPI” platform on the RuPay network.
The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), partnered with the Centre for Innovation,
Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE.CO), Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, Gujarat
(IIM-A)’s startup incubator and investor, to set up a SIDBI Accelerator Fund, at IIMA’s CIIE.CO.
This collaboration is a part of SIDBI’s “India of Tomorrow” initiative, which intends to strengthen India’s
developmental and funding ecosystem for early-stage start-ups.
Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has participated as an anchor investor in the Promising
Lenders Fund (PLF) managed by Vivriti Asset Management Private Limited (VAM), a part of Chennai (Tamil
Nadu)-based Vivriti Group, with an aggregate target corpus of Rs. 700 crore in two tranches.
IndusInd Bank Ltd. and Tiger Fintech Private Limited, a Bajaj Capital Group company, announced the launch
of the ‘IndusInd Bank Tiger Credit Card’, a co-branded credit card powered by Visa Inc (Visa).
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of 508 Railway Stations as
Amrit Bharat Stations covering 27 states and Union Territories (UTs) via video conferencing in New Delhi,
Delhi.
This redevelopment will be done at a cost of more than Rs 24,470 crores under Amrit Bharat Station
Scheme (ABSS).
Click Here for full list of 508 stations

AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB) became the first bank in India to offer 24X7 for 365 days video
banking facility to all the customers (including account holders under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
(PMJDY)) for free of cost.
Video Banking provides customers with a branch-like experience, enabling them to engage in face-to-face
interactions with AU Video Banking relationship managers over a video call.
Airtel Payment Bank also became the first Indian Bank to launch an eco-friendly debit card for its new and
existing customers with a savings bank account.The debit cards will be crafted from recycle- Poly Vinyl
Chloride (r-PVC) material, a certified eco-friendly material, against normal PVC cards.
Airtel Payments Bank debit card comes in two variants (under Classic variant) such as Personalised Classic
Card and Insta Classic Card.
The Indian Banks' Association (IBA) has formed a dedicated sectoral committee. This committee's
purpose is to design a distinct regulatory framework and tackle the issues confronted by the 26 member banks
operating in the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) located in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
The committee is intended to function as a bridge connecting the banking sector and regulatory bodies,
ensuring effective communication and resolution of concerns and perspectives.
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) supported Rajasthan to get a
Geographical Indications (GI) tag for five traditional products including Nathdwara Pichhwai Craft of
Rajsamand, Udaipur Koftgari Metal Craft, Bikaner Kashidakari Craft, Jodhpur Bandhej Craft and Bikaner Usta
Kala Craft.
A registered GI shall be valid for 10 years and can be renewed on payment of renewal fee.
Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority(PFRDA) in coordination with the Securities and
Exchange Board of India(SEBI) has integrated the National Pension System (NPS) Statement of Transaction
(SoT) with the Consolidated Account Statement (CAS).
Now, PFRDA has enabled Central Record Keeping Agencies (CRAs) to integrate with depositories,
registered with SEBI to provide NPS Subscribers with the option to include NPS transactions in CAS.
Zerodha Broking Limited (Zerodha) has received final approval from Securities and Exchange Board of
India (SEBI) to launch an Asset Management Company (AMC) - Zerodha Asset Management Private Limited
called as “Zerodha Fund House”.
Canara Bank launched Canara Jeevan Dhara, a unique savings bank account designed for pensioners
and those who are planning for retirement, including all the employees who retired on a voluntary basis or
standard retirement procedures.
Under this scheme, the bank provides two variants based on the amount of pension credit.
Diamonds account is designed for pension credits of up to Rs 50,000.
Platinum account caters to pension credits exceeding Rs 50,000.
Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) has emerged as the top performer among public sector lenders in terms of
loan and deposit growth in percentage during the first Quarter (Q1) of the current financial year (FY24).
Its deposit and advances recorded around 25% rise, the highest by any PSB, during the April-June 2023
quarter.
According to the recently published quarterly data of PSBs, BoM's gross domestic advances surged by
24.98%, reaching a total of Rs.1,75,676 crore at the end of June 2023.
BoM was followed by UCO Bank with a growth rate of 20.70% in the 2nd spot.
Axis Bank Limited launched two new financial products, Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and unsecured Micro,
Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) loans, powered by Public Tech Platform for Frictionless Credit
(PTPFC), an initiate of Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), wholly owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of
India(RBI).
IndusInd Bank Limited launched first-of-its-kind Visa multi-branded credit card “IndusInd Bank Avios
Visa Infinite Credit Card” in partnership with British Airways Executive Club and Qatar Airways Privilege
Club.
This card aims to offer best-in-class rewards and benefits to customers, across travel, wellness and lifestyle
experiences.

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) announced that it is mandatory to all finfluencers or
finance influencers working in the banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sector offering investment
advice to be registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
The new guidelines are to safeguard consumers from the consequences of advice from non-experts.
Finfluencers are people with public social media platforms offering advice and sharing personal
experiences about money and investment in stocks.
Existing Provision: The SEBI Act, 1993 and the SEBI (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices
relating to Securities Market) Regulations, 2003 forbid certain unfair acts.
International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has invested up to USD
100 million in IIFL Home Finance Ltd (IIFL HFL), a housing finance company in India to increase access to
housing finance among economically weaker sections (EWS) and Low-Income Groups (LIG), including women
borrowers in India.
Marriott International, one of the world’s largest hotel chains, in collaboration with HDFC Bank
launched India’s first co-branded hotel credit card in the name Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card.
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched “UPI Chalega 3.0”, the 3rd edition of its
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) Safety Awareness campaign, developed in collaboration with key
stakeholders in the payment’s ecosystem.
The campaign aims to promote the adoption of UPI as a secure, easy, and instant mode of payment.
The campaign is designed to educate users about UPI’s various features, including UPI LITE for quick low-
value transactions, UPI AUTOPAY for secure recurring payments, and UPI Interoperability for seamless
money transfers across all UPI-enabled applications.
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), during its 123rd Authority
Meeting, approved amendments to Reinsurance Regulations to enhance the business environment, and to
attract more reinsurers to set up operations in India.
These amendments streamline the existing regulations for all insurance market participants including
Indian insurers, Indian reinsurers, Foreign Reinsurance Branches (FRBs), and International Financial
Services Centre(IFSC) Insurance Offices (IIOs).
This will also position India as a key global reinsurance center.
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, (Mumbai) Maharashtra has partnered with HSBC to
pursue technological advancements towards making green hydrogen production more efficient, cost-effective,
and scalable.
This partnership will help boost the Indian government’s National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM)
focused on providing policy support towards achieving global leadership in green hydrogen transition.
This partnership was unveiled by Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Ministry of Finance at Delhi on
August 24, 2023.
Frontier Markets, a Social Commerce Platform, in collaboration with Airtel Payments Bank and the
Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth launched an initiative ‘She Leads Bharat: Udyam’ . The announcement
was made at the 1st edition of Asia Inclusive Growth Forum.
DBS Bank Ltd (formerly known as Development Bank of Singapore Limited) in collaboration with
Maptrasco (Khaitan International Private Limited – KIPL), a Singapore-based commodities trader, has
completed the first “live” transaction of electronic Bills of Lading (eBL) for shipments between Singapore and
India.
The transaction was implemented under the TradeTrust framework, an initiative by the Infocomm Media
Development Authority (IMDA) and supported by Enterprise Singapore.
This was announced by Gan Kim Yong Minister for Trade and Industry of Singapore during the G20 Trade
and Investment Ministerial Meeting in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
TradeTrust aims to streamline the process of document handling, reduce the reliance on physical
paperwork, and enhance transparency and security in cross-border transactions.
Axis Bank Limited launched ‘Infinity Savings Account’, a first-of-its-kind fully Digital fixed fee-based
savings account with no paperwork or branch visits.
We can able to open completely in digital through the Video Know Your Customer (KYC) process.

This account is designed for customer who are comfortable using digital services and often sign up for
subscription-based services.
JULY 2023
Bhagwat Kisanrao Karad, the Union Minister of State (MoS) for Finance Ministry, announced that over the
past five years Indian banks have been allocated a sum of Rs.5,729 crore from the “Depositor Education and
Awareness” (DEA) Fund, as an effort to reunite unclaimed deposits with their claimants.
As of 31st March 2023, Rs. 36,185 crores is transferred from Public Sector Banks to DEA Fund and Rs. 6,087
crores are transferred from Private banks as well.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has initiated the “100 Days 100 Pays” campaign, aiming to help banks
locate and settle the top 100 unclaimed deposits of each bank in every district across the country within a
100-day timeframe.
For the 5th consecutive time Canara Bank topped the list of Public Sector Banks (PSBs) with the
highest lending of Rs 187,813 crore in FY23 to Corporations and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) of
States and Union Territories (UTs).
Punjab National Bank (PNB) has notified as second highest lender in FY23 with a total loan disbursal of
Rs 70,142.5 crore. State Bank of India (SBI) as 3rd highest lender, lent Rs 66,523.2 crore to State
enterprises in FY23, down from Rs 81,735 crore in FY22.
Out of the 12 PSBs, only Canara Bank and Central Bank of India have increased their exposure in FY23
while the other 10 had reduced their lending to PSBs.
The Federal Bank Limited (the erstwhile Travancore Federal Bank Limited) launched a unique Non-
Resident (NR) Saving Bank (SB) account scheme, named SB NRE (Non-Resident External) Eve+ designed
exclusively for the financial needs of Non-Resident Indian (NRI) women.The customised debit card was
presented to the first NRE Eve+ customer (Suni Paul) of the Federal Bank.
The release of NRE Eve+ Savings Account was announced at the ‘Nurses Day Out’ Event conducted as part
of Nikai Angel Awards 2023 held at the De Montfort University, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 23rd
July 2023.
Indian Bank, a leading public sector lender, joined hands with National E-Governance Services Ltd
(NeSL) to roll out a range of digital services as part of its ambitious digital transformation initiative, Project
WAVE (World of Advance Virtual Experience), which was initiated in January 2022.
These innovative services are set to revolutionise the banking experience by significantly reducing the
turnaround time for bank guarantee issuance and delivery.
As part of their digital transformation efforts, Indian Bank and NeSL have introduced an electronic bank
guarantee (e-BG) service to replace traditional paper-based processes.
Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) introduced the all-new RuPay Select Debit card, aiming to provide customers
with a comprehensive blend of luxury, convenience, and security.
To be eligible for the RuPay Select Debit card, individuals must maintain a savings bank account or a
certificate of deposit (CD) with IOB, with an average daily balance of Rs. 1 lakh.
The cash withdrawal limit is set at Rs. 50,000, while the daily limit for merchant establishment usage (PoS)
is Rs. 5 lakh. For e-commerce transactions, users can spend up to Rs. 3.5 lakh per day.
Bank of India (BoI) became the first bank to officially roll out Mahila Samman Savings Certificate
(MSSC), 2023, and operationalizing this scheme at all its branches.
The roll-out ceremony was inaugurated by the Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Rajneesh Karnatak through a Video Conference (VC).
BoI is authorized to open accounts under MSSC. So far, only post offices were authorized to open accounts
under MSSC.
In collaboration with Axis Bank, Flipkart, the leading e-commerce company in India, has introduced a
personal loan service accessible through Flipkart’s app.

‘This loan facility allows individuals to obtain up to Rs 5 lakh, with a remarkable approval time of just 30
seconds and eliminates the need for document submission.By offering personal loans, Flipkart is hoping to
attract new customers who may be unable to afford large purchases outright.
The Ministry of Finance has amended the Government Savings Promotion General Rules, 2018 with
Government Savings Promotion General (Second Amendment) Rules, 2023, under which the Non-resident
Indians (NRIs) are made eligible to be nominated as nominee for government saving schemes.
This is on the condition that payment to such nominee/s shall be on non-repatriation basis.
This amendment has been added as sub-rule (9) in the principal rules, in rule 14, after sub-rule (8).
The rule covers various schemes under the Government Savings Promotion Act, 1873, such as Public
Provident Fund (PPF), National Savings Certificate (NSC), Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY), Senior Citizens
Savings Scheme (SCSS), Mahila Samman Savings Certificate Scheme (MSSC), Post Office Time Deposits,
Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP), and Post Office Monthly Income Scheme.
IDFC FIRST Bank Ltd has collaborated with Club Vistara under TATA SIA Airlines Limited, known by the
brand name Vistara and Mastercard to introduce a travel credit card that aims to enhance travel experiences
and lifestyle-related offers to cardholders.
Citi Commercial Bank (CCB) has unveiled a new platform called CitiDirect Commercial Banking in the
United States of America (USA).
HDFC (Housing Development Finance Corporation) Bank launched UPI QR code(Unified Payments
Interface Quick Response code)interoperable with India’s sovereign digital currency, Central Bank Digital
Currency (CBDC).
With this, HDFC Bank became the first bank in the country to complete the integration process between UPI
payment system and Digital currency.
PayU Payments Private Limited (PayU) in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) India and
Chiratae Ventures, a venture capital firm, launched a 45-day fintech accelerator program called ‘inFINity’ for
early-stage startups in India.
The deadline to apply for the program is August 11, 2023. Selected applicants will be announced on August
17, and the program will begin on August 31 with a three-day in-person boot camp in Bengaluru
(Karnataka), followed by four weeks of intensive online training.
Google Pay introduced its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) LITE payment (on-device wallet) feature to
allow users to make small payments without entering the UPI personal identification number (PIN).
Using Google Pay’s UPI Lite, users can make payments of up to Rs.200 without the use of a UPI PIN. Users
maintain a balance of Rs 2000 (Maximum balance) in their UPI Lite wallet, which can be loaded up to twice
in a day and can spend up to a total of Rs.4000 within 24 hours.
PhonePe Insurance Broking Services Private Limited (PIBS), a wholly owned subsidiary of PhonePe
Private Limited, launched the health insurance plans offering comprehensive insurance in partnership with
leading insurers.
With this launch, PhonePe Insurance became the first and only Platform in India to enable customers to pay
for insurance in easy monthly installments through Unified Payments Interface (UPI) on the PhonePe app.
A joint discussion of Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), National Stock Exchange (NSE) Securities and
Exchange Board of India (SEBI) decided to lift trading curbs on micro-cap stocks that come under Enhanced
Surveillance Measures (ESM). The revised framework is applicable from July 24, 2023.
Table showing existing Rules and New Rules:
Stage Existing Surveillance Action Revised Surveillance Action
I Applicable margin shall be No Change
100% from T+2 day. AND
Trade for Trade settlement
with price band of 5% OR 2%
(In case scrip is already in 2%
band)

II Trade for Trade settlement Trade for Trade settlement AND
with price band of 2%. AND 100% Margin AND Trading
Trading permitted once a permitted with +/- 2% price
week with Periodic Call band on all trading days under
Auction. Periodic Call Auction
Punjab National Bank (PNB), India’s leading Public Sector Bank, launched an environmental initiative
‘Project PNB Palaash’, an eight-month campaign to promote sustainability aimed at reducing costs and
enhancing operational efficiencies through measures such as energy and resource conservation, paper
reduction, waste management and optimised digital processes.
The campaign is in line with the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) vision of sustainable finance and the 6th
iteration of Enhanced Access and Service Excellence (EASE 6.0), an initiative by Department of Financial
Services (DFS), Government of India.
JUNE 2023
On May 23, 2023, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) rolled out its ‘India Country Partnership Strategy (CPS)
2023-2027: Catalyze Robust, Climate resilent, and inclusive growth’ to assist India in its efforts to achieve
sustainable, climate-resilient, and inclusive growth for the next five years.
Aim of CPS: To support India to catalyze robust, climate-resilient, and inclusive growth. The CPS is well
aligned with India’s national development priorities to be achieved by 2047, when India marks 100 years of
independence.
Pillar 1: Accelerate Structure Transformation and Job creation through convergence of logistics–
industry–urban–skilling programs, coupled with support for Micro, Small, And Medium-Sized Enterprises
(MSMEs).
Pillar 2: Promote Climate Resilient Green Growth: Under this, climate-resilient growth will be promoted
with customized engagements in climate change mitigation and adaptation through the Innovative Finance
Facility for Climate in Asia and the Pacific (IF-CAP), as well as integrating environment and disaster risk
management.
Pillar 3: Deepen Social and Economic Inclusiveness: The social and economic inclusiveness will be
improved by rebalancing ADB’s portfolio more towards human development in health, social protection,
and education; basic urban services; and agriculture and rural development.
RBL bank Ltd introduced a new fixed deposit scheme named ‘ACE Fixed Deposit scheme’ with an interest of
up to 8.50% to provide better saving options for its customers.
Kotak Private Banking, a division of Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited, has launched a savings programme
named ‘Réserve’ exclusively for its UHNIs (Ultra High Net Worth Individuals) and HNIs (High Net Worth
Individuals) comprising entrepreneurs, business families, and professionals.
Bank of Baroda (BoB) launched the Interoperable Cardless Cash Withdrawal (ICCW) facility which
would enable a customer to withdraw cash using UPI (Unified Payments Interface) from the
bank’s ATMs (Automated Teller Machine) without using the physical debit card.
BoB became the 1st public sector bank(PSB) to launch the ICCW service.
JPMorgan Chase & Co, the largest bank by assets under management in the United States (US), has joined
forces with six leading Indian banks to launch a pilot program designed to test a blockchain-based platform for
the settlement of interbank US Dollar transactions.
The 6 Indian banks to be joining in the pilot program to test the new blockchain-based platforms include
HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Yes Bank and IndusInd Bank and JPMorgan’s own banking subsidiary at
Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City).
Under the pilot, the six Indian banks will open on-chain Nostro accounts with JPMorgan’s branch in Gift
City.
Nostro Account –A nostro account, derived from the Latin word for “ours,” is an account held by a bank in a
foreign currency at another bank. These accounts are commonly utilized to facilitate foreign exchange and
trade transactions.

A vostro account is an account held by a foreign bank in the local currency at another bank. Vostro
accounts, derived from the Latin word for “yours”.
Bajaj Finserv Limited (BFS) launched its new mutual fund (MF) business under Bajaj Finserv Mutual Fund.
This will be India’s 43rd Asset Management Company (AMC) and 6th company to enter the MF industry post-
2021.
This MF will be headquartered in Pune, Maharashtra.
HDFC Bank introduced a new credit card named ‘Millennia Credit card’ which offers cashback over e-
commerce platforms and multiple benefits.
Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) launched
mission EVOLVE (Electric Vehicle Operations and Lending for Vibrant Ecosystem) in a tie-up with the Niti
Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India), World Bank, Korea-World Bank partnership facility, and
Korean Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) to finance MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises) in the electric vehicles (EV) space.
The objective of mission EVOLVE is to provide affordable commercial financing for EV loans to MSMEs,
including hosting telematics and reducing financing costs.
Under the partnership, SIDBI would receive technical support from Niti Aayog whereas the financial
assistance would be provided by the World Bank, the Korea-World Bank partnership facility and the
Korean EDCF.
Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME) received in-principal approval from SIDBI for designing
and structuring a sustainable and scalable NBFC (Non-Banking Finance Company) Growth Accelerator Program
(NGAP).
The Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) plans to set
up a Common Platform for Balance Confirmations which will be jointly controlled by both entities.
The platform’s development and maintenance will be handled by Mumbai (Maharashtra)-based PSB
Alliance Pvt. Ltd. (PSB Alliance) in collaboration with Hyderabad (Telangana) based Institute for
Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT).
SBM Bank (India) Limited (SBM Bank India) launched SBM World Elite Metal Debit Card, Powered by
Mastercard, for exclusive, on-invitation access to the world of luxury for the Uber-affluent Indian.
Punjab National Bank (PNB), has become the first public sector bank to launch an Interactive Voice Response
(IVR)-based Unified Payments Interface (UPI) solution, UPI 123PAY, in accordance with the Digital Payment
Vision 2025 of a cashless and cardless society.
RING (Onemi Technology Solutions Private Limited), India’s leading digital credit platform, has partnered
with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to integrate Unified Payments Interface (UPI) Plug-in
capabilities into RING’s existing digital services.
This collaboration will enable RING to provide ‘Scan & Pay’ choices to its existing clients and new
customers who choose UPI as a payment method.
South Indian Bank (SIB) introduces SIB SWIFTe, a customer-centric digital account opening platform that
eliminates paper-based documentation and on-boards customers in five minutes for opening Savings Accounts,
resulting in a hassle-free process.
It targets new-to-bank users above 18 years with valid Aadhaar and/or PAN (Permanent Account
Number).
Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB) has introduced a new deposit scheme named ‘Vikas Ashadeep 400
days’. The scheme was launched by Shreekant M Bhandiwad, Chairman of KVGB.
Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) launched ‘My Account My Name’, a scheme to enable its Savings Bank (SB)
account customers to choose any easy to remember 7 Digit/Character Account Name as their saving account
number.
Fino Payments Bank Ltd. has partnered with Bengaluru (Karnataka)-based fintech company Hubble Money to
introduce India’s and world’s first spending account aimed at helping customers manage their finances, track
expenses, and earn rewards on purchases.

According to the data released by MFIN (Microfinance Institutions Network), the Gross loan portfolio of the
microfinance industry increased by 22% in FY23 to Rs 3.5 lakh crore, serving 6.6 crore unique borrowers.
The number of active microfinance loan accounts increased by 14.6% to 13 crore as on March 2023.
NBFC-MFIs (Non-Banking Finance Companies – Microfinance institutions) continued to be the largest
provider of micro-credit in terms of loans outstanding, with their share of the total industry portfolio rising
to 40% in FY23 from 35.2% in FY22.
Union Bank of India launched four bank account schemes named Union Unnati, Union Samriddhi,
Union Samman, and Union SBCHS (SB Account For Co-Operative Housing Society), targeting women, women
entrepreneurs and professionals, pensioners and cooperative housing societies (CHS).
PhonePe officially launched the PhonePe Payment Gateway new MSME (Micro, Small & Medium
Enterprises) merchants by offering a limited-period deal of free onboarding with no hidden charges, setup
fees, or annual maintenance fees.
Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd (KMBL) has launched a facility named ‘Active Money’ or Flexi Fixed Deposit,
which provides Current/Savings Account holders with fixed deposit (FD)-like interest rates of up to 7% per
annum.
IndusInd Bank announced its partnership with Wise, the global technology company which is specialising in
moving and managing money around the world, to offer online inward remittance services to Non-Resident
Indians (NRIs) residing in the United States of America (USA) and Singapore.
Motilal Oswal Asset Management Company Limited (MOAMC) has launched open ended Motilal Oswal Nifty
Microcap 250 Index Fund which is India’s first-ever passively managed micro-cap fund to replicate/track the
performance of Nifty Microcap 250 Total Return Index (TRI).
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) launched the non-linked, non-participating, individual, savings,
single-premium, close-ended life insurance plan, named ‘Dhan Vridhhi’ to offer a combination of protection and
savings.
Canara Bank became the first Public Sector Bank (PSB) in India to introduce the facility of UPI (Unified
Payments Interface) payments to merchants through RuPay Credit Card, in association with NPCI (National
Payments Corporation of India).
Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Co. Ltd (Kotak General Insurance) partnered with actyv.ai, an AI-
powered technology company, to offer customised insurance products to Micro Small and Medium Enterprises
(MSMEs) in India.
Rajneesh Karnatak managing Director (MD) and chief Executive officer (CEO) of Bank of India (BOI)
inaugurated BOI’s Centralised Pool Buy-Out and Co-Lending Cell’ housed in its headquarters in Mumbai,
Maharashtra.
MAY 2023
Bank of India (BoI) announced the launch of a retail term deposit scheme for senior citizens named
‘Shubh Arambh Deposit’. Through this scheme it revised its interest rates with an additional interest rate of
0.50% for Senior Citizens and 0.65% for super Senior Citizens.
HDFC Bank has launched ‘HDFC Bank Smart Saathi’, a digital distribution platform (DDP) which will help in
connecting Business Correspondents (BCs) and Business Facilitators (BFs) to the bank.
Pine Labs India, the Merchant commerce platform, announced the acceptance of the digital Rupee (e-
Rupee- e₹) or central bank digital currency (CBDC), on its PoS (point-of-sale) terminals across key retail outlets
in Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Bengaluru (Karnataka) in partnership with ICICI Bank.
Bharti Airtel Limited (Airtel), an Indian multinational telecommunications services company, and Dialog
Axiata PLC, Sri Lanka’s largest telecommunications service provider, signed a binding term sheet for the
merger of their Sri Lankan subsidiaries.
The binding is to combine the operations of Bharti Airtel Lanka (Private) Limited, Airtel’s wholly-owned
subsidiary, with Dialog, a subsidiary of Malaysian multinational telecommunications conglomerate Axiata
Group Berhad.
The new entity is set to become the largest telecom provider in Sri Lanka.

Cashfree Payments have partnered with Yes Bank to offer ‘Global Collections’, an international collection
service for Indian exporters with Yes Bank account, to simplify the way Indian exporters receive payments
from across the world.
Axis Bank, India’s third largest private sector bank, and India Shelter Finance Corporation Ltd (IndiaShelter),
a Gurgaon (Haryana)-based Housing Finance Company, have entered into a strategic partnership under the co-
lending model to offer secured MSME loans to middle and low-income borrowers in semi-urban areas.
In the recently held high-level Internal Governmental Commission meeting on Trade, Economic,
Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC), India and Russia discussed and agreed to
explore the possibility of accepting RuPay (India) and Mir cards (Russia) in each other’s country for
hassle-free payments.
The meeting was co-chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Russia Deputy Prime Minister
Denis Manturov.
The AU Small Finance Bank (SFB) partnered with RuPay to introduce the Business Cashback RuPay
credit card, a solution tailored to meet the financial requirements of self-employed (i.e. Micro, Small And
Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs)) customers and promote financial inclusion.
Yes Bank Limited announced the launch of a solar financing scheme named ‘YES KIRAN’ to offer financial
assistance to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) manufacturers who wish to install solar panels at
their premises.
RazorpayX, the business banking platform of Razorpay, introduced an automated ESCROW+ solution,
powered by Axis Trustee Services Ltd, RBL Bank, and ICICI Bank to support merchants and enables Instant &
Secure Money Transfers for Businesses.
Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited (KMBL) has launched a premium banking programme, Privy League targeting
High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNI).
It includes Signature LED Debit Card, designed for Privy League Platinum tier, which is India’s first LED
card. It offers 75% discount on Priority Pass.
It also offers Premium Metal Debit Card, designed by artist Arunanshu Chowdhury for the Privy League
black tier, offering luxury deals and complimentary airport lounge access, among many other benefits.
The National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE India) launched the rupee-denominated New York
Mercantile Exchange’s (NYMEX) West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Crude Oil and Natural Gas futures contracts in
its commodity derivatives segment.
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) directed all insurers to provide
comprehensive insurance coverage for surrogate mothers and oocyte donors in compliance with the provisions
of the two Acts, Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, and Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Act,
2021.
Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021:
Section 4 (iii)(a)(III) of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 states that insurance coverage of the
amount may be prescribed in favour of the surrogate mother for a period of 36 months (3 years) covering
postpartum delivery complications from an insurance company or an agent recognised by the IRDAI.
Rule 5 of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Rules, 2022 states that the intending woman or couple shall
purchase general health insurance coverage in favour of the surrogate mother for 36 months. The
Insurance coverage should be for an amount sufficient to cover all expenses for all complications arising out
of pregnancy and also cover post-partum delivery complications.
ART Act, 2021:
Section 22(1)(b) of ART Act, 2021 has stipulated insurance coverage for 12 months from an insurance
company or an agent recognised by the IRDAI in favour of the oocyte donor by the commissioning couple or
woman, for an amount sufficient to cover all expenses for complications arising due to oocyte retrieval.
The Union government has appointed the three merchant bankers IDBI Capital Market & Securities Ltd,
BOB Capital Markets Ltd and SBI Capital Markets Ltd to manage the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of the
Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA). IDBI Capital is the lead banker for the transaction.
Separately, Saraf and Partner was appointed as the legal adviser for the IPO.

HDFC Asset Management Company (AMC) Limited, investment manager to HDFC Mutual Fund (HDFC MF)
announced the launch of the ‘HDFC Defence Fund’ i.e. India’s first mutual fund that plans to invest in
the defence sector.
Zomato has collaborated with ICICI Bank to introduce its own Unified Payments Interface (UPI) service
called ‘Zomato UPI’ for select users.
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) relaxed norms for ‘surety bonds’, which
protect parties in transaction financial losses due to a breach of contract or other types of non-performance.
Surety bonds are a type of insurance that provides financial protection and assurance to parties involved
in a contract or agreement.
A surety bond involves three parties: the principal (contractor), the obligee ( the person hiring the
contractor), and the surety company (the insurer). The principal obtains a surety bond from the surety
company, which guarantees to the obligee that if the principal fails to fulfill their obligations, the surety will
step in and provide compensation.
What are the relaxations:
The solvency requirement for surety bond products has been lowered by the IRDAI.Previously, insurance
companies had to hold capital 1.875 times their liabilities, but now they only need to hold 1.5 times their
liabilities.This change is meant to help the surety insurance market grow.
Solvency requirement refers to the amount of capital that an insurance company must hold in relation to its
liabilities. This requirement ensures that the insurance company has enough money set aside to fulfill its
promises and pay for any claims or obligations it may have.
The previous 30% exposure limit on each contract underwritten by an insurer was also removed.Now
insurers have more flexibility and can take on a higher percentage of the risk or liability on individual
contracts.
The exposure limit is a rule that sets a maximum level of risk or liability that an insurance company can
take on for each contract they underwrite.It is like a safety measure that puts a cap on the amount of risk or
responsibility the insurance company can handle for each individual contract.
Paytm in partnership with SBI Card and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), launches
the next-generation co-branded RuPay Credit Card named ‘Paytm SBI Card’ on the RuPay network.
Godrej Agrovet Limited’s (GAVL) Oil Palm Business announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind finance
offering for oil palm farmers in partnership with the State Bank of India (SBI).
JCB International Co. Ltd., Japan’s international payment brand, partners with the National Payments
Corporation of India (NPCI) to offer 40% cashback to RuPay JCB cardholders on in-store purchases in the UAE
(United Arab Emirates), Thailand, Malaysia, and Spain.
YES BANK partnered with Mastercard and Worldline India, and launches YES PAY EASY, a mobile app for
small-scale merchants to enable them to accept card and digital payments from their customers’ smartphones.
RuPay, the Indian payment network developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI),
has rolled out a new feature that enables its cardholders to make Card Verification Value (CVV)-less payments
if they have tokenized their debit, credit or prepaid cards on the merchant application or webpage, supporting
this feature.
The 12 Public Sector Banks’ (PSBs) cumulative profit crossed the Rs 1 lakh crore mark in FY23 by
touching Rs 1,04,649 crore.
They witnessed a 57% increase in total profit compared to Rs 66,539.98 crore earned in FY22.
In the March 2023 quarter, the PSBs’ profit cumulatively increased more than 95% to Rs 34,483 crore as
compared to Rs 17,666 crore in March 2022.
In percentage terms, Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) had the highest net profit growth with 126% to Rs
2,602 crore.
It is followed by UCO Bank with a 100% rise to Rs 1,862 crore, and Bank of Baroda (BoB) with a 94%
increase to Rs 14,110 crore.
In absolute terms, the State Bank of India (SBI) has reported an annual profit of Rs 50,232 crore in 2022-
23, showing an increase of 59% over FY22.
Google pay has partnered with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to enable the
integration of RuPay credit cards with Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

As per the announcement of Red Hat, Inc., the world’s leading provider of open-source solutions, YES BANK
has adopted Azure Red Hat OpenShift to transform their next-generation mobile banking applications for
efficient mobile banking experience for its customers.
The Union government has ended paper-based communication and introduced a digital communication
mechanism between Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) banks and Central Economic Intelligence Bureau
(CEIB) to check the defaults on loans.
Under the digital mechanism, the CEIB will digitally send a report regarding borrowers to the PSU banks for
a loan amount of Rs 50 crore or higher at the pre-approval stage within 15 days of request.
The Union government has ended paper-based communication and introduced a digital communication
mechanism between Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) banks and Central Economic Intelligence Bureau
(CEIB) to check the defaults on loans.
As per the data of banks, Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) has emerged as the best bank as far as management of
bad loans is concerned with its net Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) decreased to 0.25% during FY23.
This is the lowest ratio among all banks having total business above Rs 3 lakh crore including both Private
Sectors Banks and Public Sector Banks (PSBs).
With respect to NPAs, BoM is followed by the HDFC Bank with net NPA falling to 0.27% at 2nd spot
and Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMB) at 3rd spot with 0.37% of net advances.
Yes Bank, headquartered in Mumbai(Maharashtra) has unveiled a new logo and brand identity. The new
identity is designed to resonate with the evolving needs and aspirations of customers and enable people to live
each day to the fullest.
Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited (SFB) collaborated with IBM Consulting, the professional services and
consulting arm of IBM (International Business Machines Corporation), to design and build a digital banking
platform that delivers a modern and highly secure experience to the bank’s customers and partners.
Razorpay has launched India’s fastest one-step UPI (Unified Payments Interface) payment solution
namely ‘Turbo UPI’ allowing customers of online merchants to make UPI payments directly without getting
redirected to a third-party UPI app during checkout.
This Solution was developed in partnership with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and
Axis Bank.
Through this app, the payment steps are reduced from 5 to 1.
FUNDS
Funded By Amount Highlights
SEPTEMBER 2023
NIL
AUGUST 2023
The Government of India (GoI) and Asian
Development Bank (ADB) signed a USD
200 million loan agreement as additional
financing for the ongoing Rajasthan
Secondary Towns Development Sector
Project as additional financing, to expand
water supply and sanitation systems and
enhance urban resilience and heritage
living in selected towns.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) USD 200 million
National Bank for Agriculture And Rural
National Bank for Agriculture And Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned
Development (NABARD) Rs 1,974.07 crore Rs 1,974.07 crore to the Government of

Rajasthan under the Rural Infrastructure
Development Fund (RIDF) for 2023-24. A
budget of Rs.930.44 crore has been
sanctioned for 3 rural drinking water
supply projects in the districts of
Rajasthan namely Ajmer, Jalore, and Kota.
India handed over a cheque of Rs.450
million in advance to Sri Lanka, for
supporting the Sri Lanka Unique Digital
Identity (SL-UDI) project, which is
expected to strengthen Sri Lanka's digital
infrastructure and promote growth across
India Rs.450 million various sectors.
Chakr Innovation Pvt Ltd, a Gurugram
(Haryana)- based technology start-up
focused on environmental sustainability
and pollution reduction solutions, secured
substantial funding of Rs.18 crores from
the Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM
Bank) under its Ubharte Sitare
Programme (USP), for developing the
Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM environmental sustainability and
Bank) Rs.18 crores technology sector in India.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has
approved a USD 40.5 million loan for an
integrated project focussing on Early
Childhood Development (ECD) and
Maternal Mental Health in Meghalaya.
The Government of Meghalaya is
contributing USD 15.27 million to the
project.
A carbon credit is the amount of
money linked to the reduction,
elimination, or avoidance of
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions,
equivalent to one metric ton of carbon
dioxide (CO2) or other greenhouse
Asian Development Bank (ADB) USD 40.5 million loan gases.
State Bank of India (SBI) is contributing
Rs 22.5 crore through its Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) arm, SBI Foundation,
to set up a Banking Data and Analytics
Hub at the Indian Institute of Technology,
Bombay (IIT-B), Mumbai, Maharashtra, to
tackle the distinct challenges facing by the
Indian banking and financial services
State Bank of India (SBI) Rs 22.5 crore industry.

Group 20 (G20) Pandemic Fund has
approved the USD 25 million proposal by
Department of Animal Husbandry &
Dairying(DAHD) under the Ministry of
Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying
(MoFAHD) on “Animal Health Security
Strengthening in India for Pandemic
Preparedness and Response(PPR)”.
The project will be carried out by the
Asian Development Bank (ADB) as
the lead implementing entity, along
with the World Bank and the Food
and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO).
Group 20 (G20) Pandemic Fund USD 25 million
JULY 2023
World Bank granted USD1.5 billion in
financing to accelerate India’s
development of low-carbon energy
sources. This funding aims to assist India
in scaling up renewable energy, fostering
the growth of green hydrogen, and
stimulating climate finance for
investments in low-carbon energy. The
program’s objectives include scaling up
renewable energy supply to reduce costs
and improve grid integration.
This will assist India in achieving its
target of 500 GW of renewable energy
capacity by 2030.
World Bank approved the USD200
million loan to Government of
Himachal Pradesh with a maturity
period of 14.5 years, including a grace
period of 4.5 years. The objective of
the loan is to facilitate power sector
reforms in the state and accelerate the
adoption of renewable energy (RE) in
World Bank USD1.5 billion its electricity generation.
During the International Conference on
Green Hydrogen (ICGH-2023), three
Multilateral Development Banks, the
European Investment Bank (EIB), the
Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the
Multilateral Development Banks:
World Bank have contributed USD 27
European Investment Bank (EIB), Asian
Development Bank (ADB)andWorld billion for India’s Green Growth.
Bank USD 27 billion The funding allotment:

The EIB has pledged Euro (€) 1 billion
to develop a large-scale hydrogen
industry hub
The ADB intends to provide USD 20-
25 billion over 5 years to support
India’s green growth
The World Bank approved USD 1.5
billion to aid India’s low-carbon
transition journey.
European Investment Bank (EIB) is set to
support India’s National Green Hydrogen
Mission with a substantial loan of up to
EURO 1 billion to boost green hydrogen
and renewable energy projects in India.
The EIB aims to boost India’s renewable
energy ambitions by supporting
renewable energy generation, energy
storage technologies, power transmission
and distribution infrastructure.
The government has set a target to
build capabilities for producing at
least 5 million metric tonnes of
green hydrogen per annum by
2030.
European Investment Bank (EIB) EURO 1 billion
JUNE 2023
The World Bank’s Board of Executive
Directors has approved a USD 148 million
loan to support West Bengal, India, in
improving irrigation practices in rural
areas. The loan will help the region
harness(utilize) the surface and
groundwater resources more effectively
World Bank USD 148 million for agricultural purposes.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) and The
Government of India signed a USD 130
million loan for the Himachal Pradesh
Subtropical Horticulture, Irrigation, and
Value Addition Project to increase
agricultural productivity, improve access
to irrigation and promote horticulture
agribusinesses to raise farmers’ income in
Asian Development Bank USD 130 million Himachal Pradesh.
Amp Energy India has secured up to
SMBC Bank of Japan (Sumitomo Mitsui
USD250 million (about Rs 2,061 crore)
Banking Corporation), Intermediate
Capital Group (ICG), and Asian funding from SMBC Bank of Japan, ICG,
Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). USD250 million and AIIB.

one of the World Bank’s
institutions International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development
(IBRD) granted a USD 255.5 million loan
to India with a maturity period of 14
years, including a grace period of five
years, to improve the quality of technical
education and expand career
World Bank USD 255.5 million opportunities for students.
The World Bank (WB) through its lending
arm International Bank for
Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
has approved an additional USD 150
million loan to support the Resilient
Kerala Program to strengthen Kerala’s
preparedness against natural disasters,
climate change impacts, disease
World Bank USD 150 million outbreaks, and protect lives.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved
a USD 295 million loan to improve
transport connectivity in Bihar.
The loan amount will be utilized
towards the widening and
upgradation of around 265
kilometres of state highways,
improving transport connectivity
and safety in Bihar.
The Government is contributing
Asian Development Bank USD 295 million USD 156.6 million for the same.
World Bank approved USD 391 million in
financing to improve healthcare services
and economic opportunities in India’s
northeastern states of Assam and Tripura.
The funding aims to enhance access to
high-quality healthcare services and
economic development in these regions of
northeast India.
i. The Assam State Secondary Healthcare
Initiative for Service Delivery
Transformation (ASSIST) Project will
receive USD 251 million to improve
access to secondary healthcare services.
ii. The Tripura Rural Economic Growth
and Service Delivery Project will receive
USD 140 million to promote
socioeconomic development and improve
the lives of tribal populations.
World Bank USD 391 million

MAY 2023
India has extended a USD 1 billion credit
line for Sri Lanka by one year until March
2024 thus providing a backup infusion of
dollars for essential imports.
i. The credit line is part of about USD 4
billion in emergency assistance extended
by India during the peak of Sri Lanka’s
financial crisis in 2022, which was
India USD 1 billion scheduled to end in March 2023.
For Animal Health System Support for
One Health Program (AHSSOH) that will
support India’s Livestock Health and
Disease Control Program, which seeks to
control animal diseases by adopting
global best practices for animal health
management and to prevent, detect, and
respond to endemic zoonotic diseases.
i. The loan has a maturity of 11.5
years with a grace period of 4.5 years.
ii. The loan will be disbursed from
the International Bank for Reconstruction
World Bank USD 82 million loan and Development (IBRD)
For the project to set up an integrated
road safety enforcement system in
the Shimla and Nurpur police districts
of Himachal Pradesh (HP) and develop the
Palampur-Sheela Chowk in Kangra (HP)
World Bank Rs 51 crore as a “safe corridor”.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the
Government of India signed a US$141.12
million loan agreement to support the
development of high-quality internal
infrastructure such as roads, water supply
systems and electricity distribution
Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the network in three industrial clusters in the
Government of India US$141.12 million state of Andhra Pradesh (AP).
INSURANCE
SEPTEMBER 2023
AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB) has recently entered into bancassurance agreements with Star Health
and Allied Insurance Company (Star Health), and Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company (Bajaj Allianz). This
strategic move allows AU Bank to offer a range of insurance products to its customers through these
partnerships.
Bharti AXA Life Insurance has launched Bharti AXA Life Income Laabh, an individual savings plan that
provides both financial security and a consistent income stream throughout the policy term.
It is a non-linked, non-participating individual savings plan with life insurance coverage.

This launch was made as a part of its aim to simplify insurance and deliver maximum protection to its
consumers.
Max Life Insurance Company Limited has launched a new insurance plan “Max Life Secure Earnings &
Wellness Advantage (SEWA) Plan” that combines the benefits of health and life insurance under a single
plan.It allows the insured to fulfill the healthcare needs of their family while simultaneously ensuring a
financial backup for future expenses.
SEWA Plan is available in 2 variants namely: Elite Variant and Lite Variant.
Max Life Insurance also offers customers with an interactive holistic wellness app named ‘Max Fit‘.
AUGUST 2023
IndiaFirst Life Insurance Company Limited (IndiaFirst Life), launched a new plan “IndiaFirst Life
Guarantee of Life Dreams (G.O.L.D.)” a non-linked, non-participating, individual life insurance plan is
designed to provide policyholders with a regular long-term income option.
The IndiaFirst Life Guarantee of Life Dreams Plan extends three distinct choices for generating income:
Immediate Income Option, Intermediate Income Option, & Deferred Income Option.
Postal Life Insurance (PLI) introduced a pilot program for ‘Direct Incentive Disbursement’ in the Delhi
and Uttarakhand Circles to recognize the role of its sales force or PLI’s agents.
It was unveiled by Alok Sharma, Director General, Postal Services. Chief Postmasters General of all Postal
Circles also participated in this program through video conference.
This initiative is their agent incentive program under which agents’ commissions from the previous month
directly transferred to their Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) Accounts resulting in swift and secure
transactions.
Bajaj Finance Limited (BFL) has partnered with ICICI Lombard General Insurance along with other
partners to provide car and two-wheeler insurance plans on the platform Bajaj Finance Insurance Mall.
ICICI Lombard Car and Two-wheeler Insurance policies offer comprehensive damage coverage, (including
own and third-party damage), personal accident cover, No Claim Bonus (NCB) to vehicle owners and
vehicles.
Star Health & Allied Insurance Co. Ltd (Star Health) has entered into a strategic corporate
bancassurance tie-up with Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) , a reputed international bank to enhance the
accessibility of health insurance products through the bank’s extensive distribution network.
The agreement also provides top-tier services that align with the distinct needs of India’s affluent clientele.
HDFC Group launched new life insurance and asset management services at International Financial
Services Centre (IFSC) situated in Gujarat International Finance Tec (GIFT) City, Gujarat. This initiative offer
services to Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and the global Indian diaspora.
HDFC Life unveils HDFC International Life and Re, and HDFC AMC International (IFSC) Ltd by HDFC Asset
Management Company to cater to the financial needs of the worldwide Indian community.
Central Board for Direct Tax (CBDT) under Department of Revenue in Ministry of Finance issued
notification (No. 61/2023) regarding the Income Tax Amendment (Sixteenth Amendment) Rules, 2023 is a
set of rules introduced as part of the Finance Act, 2023.
The new guidelines for tax exemptions under the amended section 10 (10D) of the Income Tax Act, 1961,
state that the maturity sum received from life insurance policies will be subject to taxation if the annual
premium exceeds Rs.5 lakh.
Max Life Insurance Company Limited(Max Life) launched “NIFTY Smallcap Quality Index Fund” in the
Unit Linked Insurance Plan (ULIP) segment to provide an opportunity to capitalise on the growth potential of
smallcap companies, aiming for long term index linked returns.
This marks the first smallcap index fund of the life insurance sector.
Click here to read full news

JULY 2023
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) launched a new term assurance plan “Jeevan Kiran”, a non-
linked, non-participating, individual, savings, and life Insurance plan that offers a combination of protection
and savings.
This policy will provide financial support to the family in case of unfortunate death of the life assured
during the policy term and returns the total premiums paid in case of survival till maturity.
Upon maturity, if the policy is still active, the “Sum Assured on Maturity” will be equivalent to the “Total
Premiums Received by LIC” under both Regular Premium and Single Premium Payment Policies.
Tata AIA, the life insurance arm backed by Tata Group, has introduced a first of its kind feature in the
insurance industry by enabling digital payments through WhatsApp and Unified Payment Interfaces (UPI).
This allows policyholders to make instant premium payments using these popular platforms, providing a
hassle-free experience.
This move showcases Tata AIA’s commitment to leveraging technology and enhancing customer
satisfaction.
Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company (BAGIC) hosted the first-ever General Insurance Festival of
India (GIFI) in Pune, Maharashtra, which officially set a new Guinness World Records achievements for the
largest attendance for an insurance conference.
There was a record turnout of 5235 attendees who contributed to creating history in the insurance
industry worldwide. This record-breaking achievement was announced at the main event of GIFI.
As a part of GIFI, Bajaj has established the GIFI Awards in India to recognise the top-ranked health and
general insurance advisors across the insurance Industry.
Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance has launched a new life insurance plan called Bajaj Allianz Life ACE, a plan
that is non-linked, participating, and offers early-income benefits, empowering customers to customise their
cash flows.
This is the first plan which allows such a customisation. Unique feature is that the plan offers an early or
deferred income option, allowing customers to start receiving income from the beginning of the policy or
defer it for up to 5 years.
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) selected Tata AIG General
Insurance Company Limited as the lead non-life insurer for the State of Maharashtra to collaborate with all
other non-life and health insurance companies to increase insurance penetration in Maharashtra in line with its
vision “Insurance for all by 2047”.
Under this collaboration, Tata AIG will leverage its expertise, technology, and partnerships to develop
innovative insurance products and services that cater to the evolving needs of the people of Maharashtra.
JUNE 2023
Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co. Ltd., the private life insurer, launched first of its kind insurance plan in the
Indian life insurance industry designed for Type 2 diabetic and pre-diabetic individuals, named ‘Bajaj Allianz
Life Diabetic Term Plan Sub 8 HbA1c’.
mooPay Private Limited, the fintech arm of Stellapps Technologies Private Limited, in partnership with
IBISA Network, HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Ltd., and Insurtech startup Gramcover, has
launched India’s first heat Index-based insurance plan to provide financial compensation
to mooMark dairy farmers in case of income loss due to a fall in milk productivity during heat waves in
summer.
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) identified SBI Life Insurance
Company Limited (SBI Life) as the acquirer–insurer of the business of Sahara India Life Insurance
Co. (SILIC).
In this regard, SBI Life shall take over the policy liabilities of around two lakh policies of SILIC, backed by
the policyholders’ assets, with immediate effect.
Note: This decision has been taken by IRDAI in exercise of its powers under sub-section (2) of Section 52B
of the Insurance Act, 1938

Max Life Insurance Company Ltd launched a non-linked participating individual life insurance savings plan
named ‘the Smart Wealth Advantage Growth Par Plan‘ with four income variants.
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) introduced some modifications to
the existing “Use and File” Procedure for Life Insurance Products.
Objective: To expand the scope of the Use and File procedure to facilitate the insurance industry in
promoting penetration and improving the accessibility of life insurance products.
The modifications are issued by IRDAI in the exercise of its powers under the Insurance Regulatory and
Development Authority Act, 1999.
Key Modifications: IRDAI has included individual and group unit-linked life and health insurance
products and allowed insurers to use and file the products under the modified procedure.
IRDAI has also introduced ‘Combi products’, which allow the filing of Combi products where the life insurer
is the lead insurer.
The current Standardized File Identification Number (SFIN) clearance process by IRDAI is dispensed.
IRDAI allows the addition of new unit-linked funds to existing unit-linked products.
Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance Company Limited (ABSLI), the life insurance subsidiary of Aditya Birla
Capital Limited (ABCL), has announced the launch ‘Nishchit Pension Plan‘ a comprehensive retirement
solution. It is a non-linked, non-participating individual pension plan for retirement.
ICICI Lombard General Insurance and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance have jointly launched a combi
insurance solution, ‘iShield’ health and life, offers two-in-one benefit will provide customers to manage their
health and life insurance needs together instead of purchasing separate products for each of them.
MAY 2023
ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Limited launched a new debt fund ‘ICICI Pru Constant Maturity
Fund’ which will be available for investments with the Company’s flagship Unit Linked Insurance Plans (ULIP)
offerings like ICICI Pru Signature, ICICI Pru Smart Life and ICICI Pru LifeTime Classic.
ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Limited announced a strategic partnership with actyv.ai, a
Singapore-based enterprise SaaS (Software as a service) platform with embedded B2B (Business-to-
business), BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later) and insurance to co-create comprehensive insurance offerings for
Small and Midsize Enterprises (SMEs) the entire supply chain ecosystem, encompassing distributors,
retailers, and suppliers.
Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Company Ltd launched India’s first small-cap fund in the ULIP (Unit Linked
Insurance Plan) segment namely ‘Bajaj Allianz Life Small Cap Fund’ that offers customers the opportunity to
achieve capital appreciation by investing in a diversified portfolio of small-cap stocks.
It will invest a minimum of 60% in small-cap stocks, and market-cap exposure is based on equity
exposure re-scaled to 100%.
SBI General Insurance (SBIG), the non-life insurance arm of State Bank of India (SBI), launched ‘General
Surety Bond Bima (Conditional & Unconditional)’ insurance product for infrastructure projects.
Plotch, the SaaS (Software as a Service) firm, in collaboration with IDFC FIRST Bank Limited, has
launched an Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)-focused payment solution NodePe.
Axis Bank Ltd has launched ‘Sarathi’, a first of its kind digital onboarding platform to enable easy installation
of Electronic Data Capture (EDC) or Point of Sale (POS) for merchants.
ECONOMY
SEPTEMBER 2023
NIL
AUGUST 2023
Karnataka government and the United States (US)-based International Battery Company (IBC) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up a recyclable Lithium-ion battery manufacturing unit with an

investment of Rs 8,000 crores (USD 1 Billion) in Karnataka. This will be 2nd Lithium-ion manufacturing facility
in Karnataka.
JULY 2023
NIL
JUNE 2023
NIL
MAY 2023
As per the data of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Netherlands emerged as the 3rd
largest export destination for India in Financial Year 2023-23 (FY23) after the United States (US) and United
Arab Emirates (UAE).
According to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) data, the Foreign
Direct Investment (FDI) into India declined by 22% to USD (United States Dollar) 46.03 billion in FY23 as
compared to USD 58.77 billion during FY22.
Singapore emerged as the top investor with USD 17.2 billion in FDI. It was followed by Mauritius (USD 6.13
billion), the US (USD 6 billion), the United Arab Emirates (USD 3.35 billion), the Netherlands (USD 2.5
billion), Japan (USD 1.8 billion), United Kingdom (USD 1.73 billion), Cyprus (USD 1.27 billion), Cayman
Island (USD 772 million), and Germany (USD 547 million)
The FDI inflows have contracted in FY23 from Mauritius, the United States (US), the Netherlands, the
Cayman Islands, and Germany.
Top Investing State: Maharashtra continued to be the most favoured destination for investors.
It received USD 14.8 billion worth of investments, although inflows declined from USD 15.44 billion in
FY22.
It is followed by Karnataka at 2nd with around USD 10.43 billion in FY23, up from USD 22.01 billion in
FY22.
BUSINESS
SEPTEMBER 2023
The Department of Posts under the Ministry of Communications has partnered with Bigfoot Retail
Solution, which operates as the Shiprocket brand, to boost the e-commerce export by utilizing India Post’s
extensive presence and shipping solutions.
It was signed in the presence of Alok Sharma, Director General Postal Services, Manju Kumar, Chief
Postmaster General Delhi and Saahil Goel, CEO, Shiprocket.
Tata Sons-owned Air India launched “Project Abhinandan” (greetings in Hindi) to provide personalised
and hassle-free ground experience for its passengers.
As part of the Project Abhinandan, specially trained Service Assurance Officers (SAOs) will be stationed at
16 major airports in India to provide support and assistance to Air India guests.
AUGUST 2023
Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) and its green hydrogen joint venture (JV) partners viz. Indian Oil
Corporation Limited (IOCL) and ReNew Power, will invest upto USD 4 billion (Rs 32,000 crore) in their green
hydrogen businesses over next three to five years.
This is a part of the L&T’s plans to invest around USD 12 billion over the next five years.
L&T to buy out NPCIL stake in L&T Special Steel and Heavy Forging
L&T is also looking to procure 26% stake that Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) currently holds
in L&T Special Steel and Heavy Forging. In pursuit of this acquisition, L&T is prepared to invest
approximately Rs 150 crore.

Air India, Tata Group-owned airline unveiled its new logo, branding, and plane livery at the rebranding
event held in New Delhi, Delhi.
The new logo called ‘The Vista’ was inspired by the peak of the gold window frame that signifies the
limitless possibilities, progressiveness, and Air India’s bold, confident outlook for the future.
The Vista replaces old logo “Wheel of Konark”, a red swan adorned with the distinctive orange Konark
Chakra.
The 46th Annual General Meeting of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) was held through video-
conferencing where Managing Director (MD) and Chairman Mukesh Ambani of RIL made key
announcements.RIL’s consolidated revenues stood at Rs 9,74,864 crore, while Earnings before interest, taxes,
depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) for FY23 was Rs 1,53,920 crore.
The net profit was Rs 73,670 crore.
Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (Jio) is all set to launch ‘Jio AirFiber’, a new Fixed Wireless Access (FWA)
internet service for homes and offices, on September 19, 2023.
RIL will set up 100 Compressed Biogas (CBG) plants to convert agri-waste into gas...Click here for complete
detail…
JULY 2023
Kerala Startup Mission(KSUM) and the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has
signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for stronger support to budding fintech and techfin firms
through increased capital and a wider global network in the next three years.
Ashok Leyland Limited, a part of Hinduja Group, has won a contract worth Rs 800 crore to supply
defence vehicles to the Indian army.
The contract includes the procurement of the field artillery tractor (FAT 4×4) and the gun towing vehicle
(GTV 6×6). The new order secured from the Defence Sector marked a significant milestone in the journey of
Ashok Leyland, which is going to celebrate its 75th anniversary in September 2023.
HDFC Bank crossed the USD 100 billion market capitalisation(m-cap) and traded at a market value of
around USD 152 billion.
With this, HDFC Bank has emerged as the World’s 7th largest lender, moving ahead of Bank of China( and
Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs.
HDFC bank has entering the list of the world’s top 10 banks by market capitalisation. JPMorgan Chase (USD
438 billion) tops the list followed by Bank of America at 2nd (USD 232 billion) and ICBC at 3rd (USD 224
billion).
JUNE 2023
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Technology Services Limited (LTTS) has partnered with Bharat Sanchar Nigam
Limited (BSNL) to provide private 5G(Fifth-generation) network solutions for global enterprises providing
faster connection speed and lower latency.
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) partnered with the Priority Pass Access India, a domestic
lounge experience programme to offer Airport Lounge access to the RuPay card holders.
MAY 2023
Garuda Aerospace Private Limited, a Chennai (Tamil Nadu)-based Drone-as-a-Service (DaaS) startup and
Uttar Pradesh (UP) based Naini Aerospace engineering limited (NAeL), a wholly owned subsidiary of
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)- under the Ministry of Defence (MoD), has signed a joint development
partnership to manufacture indigenous drones for various applications.
India and the 13 other partner countries of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), the
Economic initiative led by the United States, announced the substantial conclusion of the negotiations of a first-
of-its-kind international ‘IPEF Supply Chain Agreement’ at the IPEF Ministerial Meeting which was held in
Detroit, Michigan, United States of America(USA).

NATIONAL AFFAIRS
CABINET APPROVALS
SEPTEMBER 2023
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has approved the following proposals
on 6th September, 2023:
Cabinet Approves ₹3,760 Crore VGF for Development of BESS- The Union Cabinet has approved a scheme
for Viability Gap Funding (VGF) aimed at developing Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). The scheme is
part of the government’s efforts to enhance renewable energy integration and reduce peak power demand
costs. It was first introduced in the Union Budget 2023. It will be administered by the Department of
Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.
The Cabinet approved an additional amount of Rs. 1164.53 crore for the Industrial Development Scheme
(IDS), 2017, for Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Department
for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, proposed the allocation of additional funds under the Central
Sector Scheme for Industrial Development Scheme 2017 for Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved a proposal from Puducherry to implement
a10% quota for students studying in government schools in medical admissions in Puducherry. The
Centralised Admission Committee (CENTAC) is responsible for finalizing the list of students for admission
to various higher education courses…Click here for more detail…
The Union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi has approved the following proposals
on 13th September 2023.
Resolution on the success of the New Delhi Group20 (G20) Summit
The Union Cabinet approved the extension of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) 2.0 for release of 75
lakh LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) connections over 3 years from Financial Year 2023-24 to 2025-26.
Approved the eCourts Project Phase III as a Central Sector Scheme spanning 4 years (starting from 2023
onwards) with financial outlay of Rs.7210 crore.
Approval of MoUs between India and 3 other Countries - MoU between India and Armenia, India and
Antigua & Barbuda, India and Sierra Leone
Approval of M/s Berhyanda Limited of Cyprus acquisition of 76.1% equity shares from Suven
Pharmaceuticals Limited for about Rs.9589 crores. Click here for more detail..
AUGUST 2023
Union Cabinet approved Rs 1.39 lakh crores for a last-mile broadband connectivity plan for 6.4 lakh
villages across India as part of the BharatNet project.
It will involve a change in execution strategy, with a focus on providing optical fiber-based connections to
the last mile through village-level entrepreneurs.
The last-mile connectivity will be delivered by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) namely Bharat Broadband
Network Limited (BBNL), an arm of state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), in partnership
with village-level entrepreneur (VLE).
Under the BharatNet programme, the government has a target to provide broadband connectivity to
250,000-gram panchayats by 2025.
Union Cabinet Chaired by the Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has approved the following
proposals:
CCEA approves seven multi-tracking projects of Indian Railways with an outlay of Rs 32,500 crore..
The Union Cabinet has approved the ‘Vishwakarma Yojana’ to benefit individuals skilled in traditional
craftsmanship/artisan works.
The Union Cabinet also approved extension of Digital India project with an outlay of Rs 14,903 crore.
The Central Government has approved Rs 20,000 crore project for the construction of five Fleet
Support Vessels (FSVs) for Indian Navy (IN). These will be manufactured by the Visakhapatnam (AP)-
based Hindustan Shipyards Limited (HSL).

The Union Cabinet approved the bus scheme ‘PM-eBus Sewa’ for augmenting city bus operation by 10,000
e-buses (electric buses) on Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
The Union Cabinet has approved the signing and ratification of the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA)
between the Central Board of Indirect taxes and Customs (CBIC), Department of Revenue, Government of
India, and the Department of Home Affairs, Australian Border Force, Australian Government.
The Union Cabinet has approved the MoU on Cooperation in Sports between the Ministry of Youth Affairs &
Sports (MoYAS), India; and the Department of Health and Aged Care of the Government of Australia.
The Union Cabinet has also given its approval for the MoU between India and Suriname on Cooperation in
the field of health and medicine or medical product regulation…Click here for more detail….
Narendra Modi has approved the following proposals on 29th August 2023:
Cabinet Committee for Economic Affairs(CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the
price reduction of 14.2 kg LPG (Liquefied petroleum gas) cylinder by Rs.200 per cylinder for all consumer
across the country with effective from August 30,2023.
The Ministry of Textiles has approved the Startup Guidelines for Technical Textiles – Grant for Research
and Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles (GREAT).
The Ministry also approved 26 institutes to upgrade their lab facilities and to train the trainers in the
application areas of technical textiles.Rs 151.02 Crores has been approved for this project.
Union Cabinet adopts Resolution Hailing Soft-Landing of Chandrayaan-3…Click here for more detail….
JULY 2023
Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, approved the Draft of Digital Personal
Data Protection (DPDP) Bill, 2022, will be tabled in Parliament during the upcoming Monsoon session that will
start on July 20 and continue till August 11 2023.
The bill aims to provide consent-based data collection techniques. The Bill frames out the rights and duties
of the citizen (Digital Nagrik) and the obligations to use collected data lawfully of the data fiduciary (entities
that collect personal data) Click here to read more detail
The union cabinet approved amendments to the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2023.
The amendments were made to decriminalise minor offences by amending 183 provisions in 42 Acts which
administered by 19 ministers with the aim to promote ease of business and living.
It amends 42 laws, across multiple sectors, in agriculture, environment and media and publication.
This includes the Indian Post Office Act, 1898, the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the Public Liability
Insurance Act, 1991, and the Information Technology Act, 2000.
JUNE 2023
On May 31, 2023, The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi approved
the following proposals:
On the lines of the Central Government’s plan to expand the foodgrain storage capacities in India, the
Union Cabinet has approved the constitution and empowerment of an Inter-Ministerial Committee
(IMC) for the facilitation of the World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in the Cooperative Sector.
The Government will infuse approximately Rs 1 Lakh Crore (Rs 1 trillion) for this plan in order to increase
foodgrain storage capacity by 700 lakh tonne in the cooperative sector from about 1,450 lakh tonne
presently to 2,150 lakh tonne in the next five years by constructing a godown capacity of 2000 tonnes in
every block.
To further expand the Smart Cities Program, the Union cabinet approved the ‘City Investments to
Innovate, Integrate and Sustain 2.0 (CITIIS 2.0)’ to 18 more cities which will run for a period of four
years, from 2023 to 2027.
CITIIS 2.0 is an initiative developed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in collaboration
with the French Development Agency (AFD), Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), the European Union
(EU), and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA).

Funding: The funding for CITIIS 2.0 will include a loan of Rs 1,760 crore (EUR 200 million) from AFD and
KfW (EUR 100 million each) and a technical assistance grant of Rs 106 crore (EUR 12 million) from the EU.
On June 07, 2023, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi approved the
following proposals.
The cabinet has approved the third revival package for Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) with a total
outlay of Rs 89,047.82 crore that includes allotment of 4G/5G spectrum through equity infusion.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by PM Narendra Modi has approved the
increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for all mandated Kharif Crops for Marketing Season 2023-
24.
The CCEA chaired by PM Narendra Modi also approved the continuation of the central sector
plan ‘Exploration of Coal and Lignite scheme’ with an estimated expenditure of Rs 2,980 crore with
extension of time period from 2021-22 to 2025-26 co-terminus with the 15th Finance Commission cycle.
Union Cabinet headed by PM Narendra Modi also approved the extension of Metro
Connectivity from HUDA City Centre on the Delhi Metro’s Yellow Line to Cyber City in Gurugram
(Haryana) spanning a distance of 28.50 km and encompass a total of 27 stations along the route.
On June 28, 2023, the Union Cabinet chaired by the
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has given its
approval for multiple initiatives and they are as follows
The Union Cabinet chaired by the PM Narendra Modi
approved the ratification of the Headquarters
Agreement (HQA) between Government of India
(Gol) and Coalition for Disaster Resilient
Infrastructure (CDRI) which was signed on 22nd
August, 2022.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the PM Narendra
Modi approved the introduction of the National
Research Foundation (NRF) Bill, 2023 in the
Parliament
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
(CCEA) chaired by PM Narendra Modi approved a
package of innovative schemes for farmers with a
total outlay of Rs 3,70,128.7 crore.
Objective: The schemes are focused at overall
wellbeing and economic betterment of farmers by promoting sustainable agriculture and to boost farmers’
income, strengthen natural / organic farming, rejuvenate soil productivity, and ensure food security.
Continuation of Urea Subsidy Scheme was approved by the CCEA to ensure constant availability of urea to
the farmers at the same price of Rs 242/ 45 kg bag excluding taxes and neam coating charges.
GoI has approved assistance of Rs. 1451.84 crore for Market Development Assistance (MDA) for promoting
Organic Fertilizers from Gobardhan Plants.
CCEA has approved Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane for sugar season 2023-24 (October –
September) at Rs 315/qtl for a basic recovery rate of 10.25%.
MAY 2023
On May 17, 2023, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister (PM) of India, Narendra Modi has
approved the following:
The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of the Project Collaboration Agreement (PCA) between
India’s Department of Health Research (DHR), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and
the World Health Organization (WHO) for promoting access to high quality affordable assistive
technology.
After the success of PLI for mobile phones, the Union Cabinet also approved the Production Linked
Incentive (PLI) Scheme 2.0 for Information Technology (IT) Hardware with an outlay Rs 17,000 crore. It
will cover covers laptops, tablets, all-in-one PCs (Personal Computers), servers and ultra small form factor
devices.

The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the
Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and The Chartered Accountants of the Maldives (CA
Maldives).
The Union Cabinet approved the signing of MoU between the Competition Commission of India (CCI) and
the Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) to promote and strengthen cooperation in competition law and
policy through exchange of information, technical cooperation, sharing of best practices as well as through
various capacity building initiatives.
The Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Department of Fertilizers for revision in Nutrient Based
Subsidy (NBS) rates for various nutrients i.e. Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potash (K) and Sulphur (S) for
Rabi Season 2022-23 (from 01.01.2023 to 31.03.2023) and approved NBS rates for Kharif Season, 2023
(from 1.4.2023 to 30.09.2023) for Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers to make available 25 grades of
Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers to farmers at subsidized prices.
PM’s LAUNCHES/INAUGURATIONS
SEPTEMBER 2023
NIL
AUGUST 2023
Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi launched the e-portal ‘Bhartiya Vastra evam Shilpa Kosh
(भारतीयवस्त्र एवं शिल्पकोष) – A Repository of Textiles & Crafts’ developed by the National Institute of Fashion
Technology (NIFT) in collaboration with Ministry of Textiles.
This launch was made during the 9th National Handloom Day celebration held at Bharat Mandapam,
Pragati Maidan, Delhi which was presided over by the PM.
The event was hosted jointly by the Ministry of Textiles & Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
(M/o MSME).
JULY 2023
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister (PM) of India launched the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination
Mission (NSCEM) as part of the National Health Mission (NHM) and released the guidelines for Sickle Cell
Anaemia Elimination Mission in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh to eliminate anemia by 2047.
Along with the initiative of NSCEM, the PM also distributed sickle cell genetic status cards to the
beneficiaries.
The PM also initiated the distribution of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY)
cards of about 3.57 crore beneficiaries, with 1 crore cards already being issued to the beneficiaries in
Madhya Pradesh.
JUNE 2023
On World Environment Day 2023 (June 05, 2023), Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi launched two
schemes named Amrit Dharohar Yojana and MISHTI Yojana (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats
and Tangible Incomes) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), to revive
wetlands and mangroves across India.
As per the statement of PM, the number of wetlands and Ramsar sites in India have increased almost three
times in the past nine years.
Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister (PM) of India flagged off 5 new Vande Bharat trains connecting
important cities in different parts of India from Rani Kamalapati railway station in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
(MP).
This is for the first time so many Vande Bharat trains have been launched in one day.
These trains will improve economic connectivity across India by connecting various regions in Madhya
Pradesh, Goa, Jharkhand, Bihar, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Among the 5 trains, 2 trains were physically flagged off and 3 in virtual mode. The 5 new trains increased
the total number of Vande Bharat Express trains to 23.

The Naini Saini Airport, Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand has received the Directorate General of Civil Aviation
(DGCA) aerodrome licence to operate civil flights.
This license which is valid for 6 months, has been handed over to the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation
Development Authority (UCADA) by DGCA.
MAY 2023
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi dedicated and laid the foundation stone of infrastructure projects
costing over Rs 5,500 crore during an event in Nathdwara in Rajasthan’s Rajsamand district. The
development projects focus on promoting the infrastructure and connectivity in Rajasthan where the railway
and road projects will facilitate the movement of goods and services and promote trade and commerce in the
region.
Foundation stone laid for three Rail Projects:
Redevelopment of Udaipur railway station to provide enhanced amenities for the public.
Gauge conversion project: Setting up a new line from Nathdwara to Nathdwara town in Rajsamand
It will connect Mewar with Marwar and will help the sectors like Marble, granite and mining industries.
A foundation stone for road construction project for upgradation to two-lane in Rajsamand and Udaipur
was also laid.
Dedicated three national highway projects to the nation
114 km long six-lane Udaipur to Shamlaji section of NH-48. It will benefit Udaipur-Dungarpur and
Banswara.
110 km long widening and strengthening to 4 lanes with paved shoulder of Bar-Bilara-Jodhpur Section of
NH-25.
It will make access to the border easier. The distance from Jaipur to Jodhpur will also be reduced by three
hours, and the world heritage sites like Kumbhalgarh and Haldi Ghati will become more accessible.
47 km long two lanes with paved shoulder section of NH 58E.
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) set up the Centre for Processing Accelerated Corporate Exit (C-
PACE) to centralise the process of striking off companies from the MCA Register.
Harihara Sahoo, Indian Corporate Law Services (ICLS), was appointed as the first Registrar of C-PACE.
Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation, several railway
projects worth more than Rs 8000 crores in Odisha through video conferencing.
During the event, the PM flagged off the Vande Bharat Express between Puri(Odisha) and Howrah (West
Bengal).
This vande bharat express reduced the travel time between Puri and Howrah to only 6 hours 30 min.
The train covering around 500 kilometres (Km) will pass through Khordha, Cuttack, Jajpur, Bhadrak, and
Balasore districts in Odisha and Paschim Medinipur, and Purba Medinipur districts in West Bengal.
Note: 15 Vande Bharat Trains are already running in various states of India giving a push to the economy of
India.
He also laid the Foundation Stone for the Redevelopment of Puri and Cuttack railway stations:
Puri railway stations:
The new design of the Puri station is inspired by the Odisha’s temple architecture and the redevelopment is
expected to be completed in 36 months.
With a budget of Rs 162 crore, the station is being equipped with world-class amenities, including
environmental and waste management systems, aesthetic lighting, and comfortable waiting and retiring
rooms.
This station is designed as a green building, adhering to gold and platinum standards
Its sustainable features of the station will enable it to withstand wind speeds of up to 250 mph.
Cuttack Railway Station:
The budget for the renovation of Cuttack Railway Station is set at Rs 303 crore.
The station is designed through a public poll on Twitter.
The station will feature a range of amenities, including waiting rooms, dormitories, a food court, retiring
rooms, lifts, escalators, and a dedicated baby feeding room.

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi virtually flagged off Uttarakhand’s 1st semi-high-speed Vande
Bharat Train connecting Dehradun with Delhi.
This will be the 6th Vande Bharat train connecting Delhi from a different state.
This also marks the 18th Vande Bharat train in India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurate the new building of Parliament House and dedicated it to
the nation and installed the Sengol with Nandi at the top facing East-West direction in the new Parliament
House. Features of New Parliament Building:
The new parliament building includes the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, Central Lounge, Central Hall for joint
session, Constitutional hall, open courtyard and Offices.
The new building is 4- storey triangular shaped and it is a part of a 20,000-crore central vista project built
by TATA Group.
Seating Capcity:The new Lok Sabha has a seating capacity of 888 members, almost thrice the number
compared to the current chamber of 552 seats.
The new Rajya Sabha complex have a seating capacity of 384 members compared to 245 seats of the
current chamber.
The Parliament premises have the national tree Banyan. The interiors of Lok Sabha are themed on the
national bird peacock and Rajya Sabha on the national flower lotus.
The building features the Ashoka Chakra on the exterior and inside the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha
chambers.
Present Parliament House: India’s present Parliament House is a colonial-era building, Originally called
the Council House, was designed by British architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker, and it took
six years to construct (1921-1927).
PM Narendra Modi placed the historic sceptre ‘Sengol’ near the Lok Sabha Speaker’s chair in the newly
built Parliament building. PM decided to adopt it as a national symbol of the Amrit Kaal.
The name of the historical sceptre, ‘Sengol’ was derived from the Tamil word ‘semmai,’ meaning
‘righteousness/full of wealth’. Note – Sceptre is the Symbolic ornamental staff or wand held in the hand by a
ruling monarch.
Features: The sceptre Sengol,which is Constructed by Vummidi Ethirajulu and Vummidi Sudhakar, is made
of gold and silver and is decorated with many precious stones.
The sceptre measures 5 feet in length and carries a golden orb at the top. The orb has a carving of Nandi,
the bull (that is precious to Lord Shiva) symbolising justice.
In the ancient South Indian kingdom, the great Chola empire, the Sengol holds great significance and it was
seen as a symbol of power, authority, the path of service duty and nation.
It was claimed that Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam,a Saivite mutt based in the town of Thiruvaduthurai in
Mayiladuthurai District, Tamil Nadu gifted the ‘Sengol’ to Jawaharlal Nehru in August 14, 1947 during
India’s Independence.
PM unveiled a commemorative stamp and a special Rs.75 coin during the inauguration of the new
Parliament building.
The weight of the coin would be around 34.65-35.35 grams. and it will bear the inscription of the
Parliament complex and have the image of the new Parliament building.
The coin will be Circular in shape with a diameter of 44 mm and have 200 serrations along its edges.
The Lion Capital of the Ashoka Pillar and the phrase ‘Satyamev Jayate’ will appear on one side of the coin.
Bharat’ and ‘India’ will be written in English (left) and Devanagari script (Right), respectively.
The rupee symbol and the denomination value of 75 will be written on the coin beneath the Lion Capital.
The value of 75 in international numerals will also be written below.
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi virtually flagged off the Northeast region’s first Vande Bharat
Express which will connect Guwahati (Assam) with New Jalpaiguri (West Bengal).
This is also the first “Made in India” Vande Bharat Express of Assam and the 3rd Vande Bharat Express
connecting West Bengal.

LAUNCHES/INAUGURATIONS
SEPTEMBER 2023
Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State(MoS) Independent Charge (IC) Ministry of Law and
Justice(MoL&J) launched Tele-Law 2.0, an initiative of the Department of Justice(DoJ), MoL&J to provide legal
information and advice with the support of communication and Information Technology. Some of the highlights
of the event are
Screening of the “Tele-Law” documentary, illustrating the journey of Tele-Law over five years (2017-2022).
Launching of “Tele-Law-2.0,” which integrates Tele-Law and the Nyaya Bandhu App, accompanied by the
release of its informative e-tutorial.
Union Minister also launched the 4th Edition of Voices of Beneficiaries Booklet which highlights the real-
life stories of individuals whose lives were positively impacted by Tele-Law.
Presentation of the “Achievers Catalogue,” spotlighting top-performing Paralegal Volunteers, Village-level
Entrepreneurs, Panel lawyers, and State Coordinators categorized by regions for the Years 2022-2023 and
April to June 2023-2024.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship(MSDE) and
Ministry of Education(MoE), released “Annual Capacity Building Plan (ACBP)” of MSDE, Department of Higher
Education (DoHE) & Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL), “Know your Ministry Induction
Module” of MSDE and “Training Module for Directors” of Department of Higher Education (DoHE), MoE.
These initiative launched by the MSDE, DoHE, Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL) and
Capacity Building Commission (CBC).
All these initiatives are launched under Mission Karmayogi.
On the occasion of National Teachers’ Day 2023, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of
Education (MoE) launched the Malaviya Mission – Teachers Training Programme by the University Grants
Commission (UGC) at Kaushal Bhawan, New Delhi, Delhi.
He also inaugurated the Portal of the Programme (https://mmc.ugc.ac.in/) and released its information
brochure.
The Portal is set up by UGC for teachers interested in capacity-building programs.
Malaviya Mission – Teachers Training Programme aims to improve the quality of teachers’ training,
build leadership skills in teachers and help realise the goals of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The MoE also inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Adobe, an American
multinational computer software company, to help children learn Artificial Intelligence (AI) by
developing creative expression in classrooms using the application Adobe Express.
Adobe Express is an application that will help students develop their creativity in a digital environment
and foster new collaboration, communication and creative skills within the classroom.
K J George, Minister of Energy, Government of Karnataka, inaugurated India’s first 500 Kilo-volt-
amperes (kVA) Underground Power Transformer Station on 15th Avenue in Malleswaram, Bengaluru in
Karnataka.
This facility was developed in collaboration with Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM)
and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) at a cost of Rs 1.9 crore.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Education (MoE) and Ministry of Skill Development
and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) along with Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister (CM) of Uttarakhand,
inaugurated the Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
They also laid the Foundation Stone of 141 Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) Schools and
40 bed Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Awasiya Vidyalaya (NSCBAV) (residential school) in Dehradun
Uttarakhand.
The Education Department of the Government of Gujarat set up India’s first VSK in 2019 as a prototype.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has
launched the Skill India Digital (SID) platform.SID is India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for skilling,
education, employment, and entrepreneurship.It includes both a website and a mobile Application that was
developed by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), inaugurated ‘Udaan Bhawan,’ an
Integrated Office Complex at Safdarjung Airport in Delhi and an e-wallet (Bharatkosh Advance Deposit) facility
for MoCA.
The Udaan Bhawan, the New Integrated Office would allow all organisations to work together under the
same roof and this would lead to better coordination between various regulatory authorities under MoCA
such as DGCA, BCAS, AAIB, AERA, and AAI.
Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Ministry of Finance; and Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar,
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoAFW), inaugurated Kisan Rin Portal (KRP), Weather
Information Network Data Systems (WINDS) Manual, and Door-To-Door Kisan Credit Card (KCC) campaign
(Ghar-Ghar KCC Abhiyaan) during an event at Pusa Complex, New Delhi, Delhi.
MISS stands for Modified Interest Subvention Scheme, PMFBY for Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, and
RWBCIS for Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme.
During the event, Ghar Ghar KCC Abhiyaan was also launched which will initiate from October 1, 2023 till
December 31, 2023 which aims to connect around 1.5 crore beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman
Nidhi (PM-KISAN) who are not yet connected to KCC scheme.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE)
launched 'Skills on Wheels' initiative in collaboration with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)
and IndusInd Bank.
MSDE minister and Shri Om Birla,Speaker, Lok Sabha have jointly launched the initiative during the
inauguration of the program ceremony.
Kailash Choudhary, Minister of State (MoS) for the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
(MoA&FW), launched “Kisan e-Mitra”, an AI (Artificial Intelligence) Chatbot for the Pradhan
Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme in New Delhi, Delhi.
The chatbot will enhance the efficiency and accessibility of the PM-KISAN scheme, providing farmers with
rapid, clear, and easily accessible responses to their inquiries.
The MoA&FW successfully integrated the AI chatbots into government schemes. This is the first AI Chatbot
integrated with a major Union government flagship scheme.
AUGUST 2023
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) introduced a new Ayush (AY) visa for foreign nationals for treatment
under Ayush systems/Indian systems of medicine like therapeutic care, wellness and Yoga.With this, a new
chapter i.e. chapter 11A – Ayush Visa has been incorporated after Chapter 11 – Medical visa of the Visa
Manual, which deals with treatment under the Indian systems of medicine and accordingly necessary
amendments has been made in various chapters of the Visa Manual, 2019.
AYUSH is an acronym for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy.
The introduction of this visa aligns with Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s announcement at the at
Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit (GAIIS) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat in April 2022.
Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has made it
mandatory for all Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) drugmakers/pharma companies with an annual
turnover of over Rs 250 crore to adopt Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) within six months starting August
1, 2023.
Companies with a turnover of less than Rs 250 crore can complete the process in 1 year.
The adoption will be made by implementing the revised Schedule M of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act,
1940. It should be noted that World Health Organisation (WHO)-GMP standards are now a part of the
revised Schedule M.
Union Minister Amit Shah, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of Cooperation, launched a
digital portal of the Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies (CRCS) office in Pune, Maharashtra.
Objectives of Portal:
Promote ease of doing business in the cooperative sector and streamline processes
Implementing completely paperless applications
Enabling digital communication
Improving analytics and management information system

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) launched ‘Transforming lives,
building futures: Skill development and entrepreneurship in North-East’, a special skill development
program to create a robust skill-centric and industry-ready ecosystem in North-Eastern Region (NER).
The initiative was jointly unveiled by Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister, MSDE, Union Minister G.
Kishan Reddy, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MoDONER) and Rajeev Chandrasekhar,
Minister of State (MoS) for MSDE in New Delhi, Delhi.
Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) launched the Indian Web Browser
Development Challenge (IWBDC), Open Challenge Competition for Indian technology enthusiasts to create an
indigenous web browser with advanced security features.
The total prize money of the challenge is Rs. 3.41 crore and the winner will receive a prize of Rs. 1 crore.
It was jointly launched by Sunita Verma, Scientist G & Group Coordinator (Research & Development- R&D
in Electronics & Information Technology); Arvind Kumar, Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA), MeitY;
and Dr. S. D. Sudarshan, Executive Director C-DAC (Centre for Development of Advanced Computing),
Bengaluru, Karnataka during a Launch Programme organized at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, Delhi.
Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of Health, and Family Welfare (MoH&FW), inaugurated
the 2nd phase of the Annual Nationwide Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign for Lymphatic Filariasis
(LF) in New Delhi, Delhi.
The 2nd phase will cover 81 districts in 9 endemic States - Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand,
Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh (UP).
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the Ministry of Education (MoE), and the Ministry of Skill
Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), launched Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in National
Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) to encourage the participation of both corporates and young
individuals towards apprenticeship training in India, at an event in New Delhi, Delhi.
Under the NAPS, the GoI reimburses 25% of the prescribed stipend, up to a maximum of Rs.1500/- per
month per apprentice, engaged by employers.
Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) Secretary Shri Alkesh Kumar Sharma
launched the ‘Graphene-Aurora program’ at a function in Maker Village Kochi, Kerala.
The program aims to bridge the gap between research & development and its commercialization, using the
India Innovation Centre Graphene (IICG) centers in Kochi.
The program has been allocated a total budget of Rs 94.85 Crore, with significant participation from
industry partners, including Carborundum Pvt Limited.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Dr Jitendra Singh, Ministry of Science & Technology
(MoST), unveiled “NBRI Namoh 108”, a unique variety of Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) with 108 petals, in
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
NBRI Namoh 108 was developed by Council of Scientific & Industrial Research- National Botanical Research
Institute (CSIR-NBRI), Lucknow (UP)-based institute of national importance which engaged in research in
the classical botanical disciplines.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) launched the
Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (BNCAP) in New Delhi, Delhi.
The aim of the launch is intended to improve the road safety for M1 category motor vehicles weighing less
than 3.5T Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW).
The BNCAP car test program begins on 1st October 2023, will be led by the Central Institute of Road
Transport (CIRT).
On the occasion of the 40th Foundation day of Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) (25th
August 2023), Devusinh Chauhan, Minister of State(MoS), Ministry of Communication, launched C-
DOT’s TRINETRA, an indigenously developed cyber threat detection and resolution system.
During the event, MoS Devusinh Chauhan also inaugurated the C-DOT’s Enterprise Security Operation
Centre (ESOC) at C-DOT campus New Delhi, Delhi.
He also inaugurated the technical conference centered on “Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning
(ML)” organised by C-DOT.

The Ministry of Education’s(MoE) Innovation Cell in collaboration with the All India Council of
Technical Education (AICTE) announced the launch of the 6th edition Smart India Hackathon (SIH) 2023.
SIH-2023 is supported by the participation of 26 Central Ministries, 6 State Ministries, and 4 Industry
partners.
The last date for the submission of problem statements for senior SIH is September 30, 2023, whereas for
Junior SIH, it is October 30, 2023.
Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) launched the world’s
first prototype of BS-VI (Bharat Stage Six) Stage II compliant “Electrified Flex Fuel vehicle”, Toyota Innova
Hycross. It is a variant of Toyota’s Innova, developed by Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited(Toyota
Kirloskar).
This is also India’s first flex-fuel electrified vehicle that can run in either electric mode or 100% ethanol.
This launch is in line with India’s target to increase ethanol blending in petrol by 20% by 2025-2026.
Government of India (GoI) introduced a commemorative Rs.100 silver coin featuring the image of the
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (N.T. R), a former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and a legendary Indian actor.
President of India Droupadi Murmu released the coin to mark the 100th birth anniversary (centenary Year)
of N.T.Rama Roa at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre(RBCC) in New Delhi,Delhi. NTR’s centenary, the
coin also has the inscription 1923-2023.
On the occasion of National Sports Day 2023 (29th August 2023), Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur,
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) launched the National Sports Federations (NSFs) portal during the
event organised at the Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) Stadium, New Delhi, Delhi.
The portal is in line with the Government of India’s vision for Digital India which will ensure ease of
business and good governance.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur also launched the 3rd edition of Fit India Quiz and other initiatives during
the event.
He also launched the Information booklet on Sports Infrastructure Projects sanctioned under the Khelo
India Scheme.
JULY 2023
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA & FW) launched three technological initiatives under
the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme
(RWBCIS) in New Delhi,Delhi.
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar
and Union Minister for Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju
launched these initiatives.
The initiatives, including YES-Tech Manual, WINDS
portal, and AIDE (Sahayak) mobile app, aim to
empower farmers with accurate weather data,
yield estimates, and crop insurance access from the
current tender cycle of 2023-25.
National Health Authority (NHA) launched the 100
Microsites project under Ayushman Bharat Digital
Mission (ABDM) to promote digital health adoption
and enhance healthcare accessibility for all.The project
will be implemented by State Mission Directors of
ABDM, while NHA will provide financial resources and
overall guidance.
The Microsites will be established across India in
various states/Union Territories (UTs).
The State and UT can collaborate with development partners and interfacing agencies to set up and manage
the microsites.

Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Ministry of Finance, initiated the trading on Limited Purpose
Clearing Corporation (LPCC) mechanism called AMC Repo Clearing Limited (ARCL), during an event
organized by Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) in Mumbai, Maharashtra.She also inaugurated
Corporate Debt Market Development Fund (CDMDF).
The Union Minister launched the triparty repo in corporate debt securities offered through ARCL, a LPCC
aimed at developing the underlying Corporate Bond market in India.
Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State (MoS) Ministry of Culture launched the virtual portal of Mera Gaon
Meri Dharohar (MGMD), a virtual museum that culturally maps over 6.5 lakh villages of India, at Qutub Minar
premises in New Delhi, Delhi.
The objective of the launch is to integrate the information regarding villages by using technologies, in order
to identify and document the cultural heritage and village life of India.
Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) announced comprehensive guidelines for the
implementation of the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) programme: Component
I – “Incentive scheme for Electrolyser Manufacturing” and Component II – “Incentive Scheme for Green
Hydrogen Production”.
SIGHT programme is a major financial measure under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, with an outlay
of Rs 17,490 Crore.
SIGHT programme aims to make India a global leader in the production and export of green hydrogen.
Ministry of Power notified the “Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, 2023”, to develop India’s first domestic
regulated carbon credit trading market.The scheme was 1st announced under the Energy Conservation
(Amendment) Bill, 2022.
The scheme was drafted by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), a statutory body under the Ministry of
Power.
The emphasis on reducing carbon emissions is in line with India’s target to achieve net zero by 2070.
Union Minister for Tourism, released a special postal cover to commemorate “9 Years of Telangana
Statehood” and Picture Post cards (a set of 5 cards) on “Buddhist Heritage in Telangana – Bavapur Kurru” at an
event in Dak Sadan, Hyderabad, Telangana.The special postal cover featuring Dhulikatta Buddhist stupa is
priced at Rs 50 and the set of Bavapur Kurru post cards are priced at Rs 200.
Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act of 2014, (Telangana Act), is an Act of Indian Parliament that split the
state of Andhra Pradesh into Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.2nd June 2023 marks the 9th Statehood Day of
Telangana.
Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation, virtually launched the 'Akshar River
Cruise' on Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. This is the first passenger catamaran built in India
under the “Make in India” initiative.
This Cruise is a floating restaurant developed under Public Private Partnership by Akshar Travels Private
Limited, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation
Limited (SRFDCL) at a cost of Rs.15 crore.
Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications (MoC) launches Bharat 6G
Alliance (B6GA) to propel India’s technological progress in the telecom sector. In this regard, the B6GA
website (https://bharat6galliance.com) was also launched.The formation of B6GA was announced by Union
Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, MoC, in the presence of Devusinh Chauhan, Minister of State(MoS) for
Communications.
A grant of Rs 240.51 crores under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF) has been allocated to
support the advancement of 6G technology.
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) launched a “Scheme for Expansion and Modernization of Fire Services
in the States” as a part of the allocation of Preparedness and Capacity Building Funding Window under the
National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to strengthen the fire services across the States of India.
The total outlay of the scheme is Rs 5000 crore and out of this, Rs. 500 crore is kept for to incentivize the
States on the basis of their legal and infrastructure-based reforms.

V. Srinivas, Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) under the
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, launched the 3rd edition of the National e-Governance
Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA 2023) portal (nesda.gov.in).
With the launch of the NeSDA 2023 portal, DARPG has begun its work towards the preparation of the 3rd
edition of the NeSDA (NeSDA 2023) study.
Rajnath Singh, Union Minister of Defence, launched the National Cadet Corps (NCC) Integrated Software
(NIS), a single window interactive software for Cadets, in New Delhi, Delhi. During the event, NCC signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the State Bank of India (SBI) to open zero balance accounts of all
NCC Cadets.
NCC and SBI signed a MoU to open zero balance accounts for all NCC Cadets with debit card, chequebook &
passbook facility under the “Pahli Udaan” scheme, SBI savings account for minors.
Bureau of Water Use Efficiency (BWUE), under the National Water Mission (NWM) of the Ministry of Jal
Shakti, has signed a MoU with the Indian Plumbing Association (IPA) towards achieving a water-positive India
by improving water use efficiency.
The MoU aims to create awareness & promote rain water harvesting structures, low flow fixtures &
sanitary ware, treatment of grey & black water (5Rs: Reduce –Recycle- Reuse-Replenish-Respect), water
audit of built environment.
Bureau of Water Use Efficiency (BWUE) has been set up under the Implementation of NWM by the
Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR), Ministry of
Jal Shakti.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in its recent notification announced that the largest refinery
in northeast India, The Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) in Assam has been elevated from the ‘Schedule B’
to ‘Schedule A’ category Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSE) by Government of India.
With its new status as a ‘Schedule A’ enterprise, NRL becomes eligible to achieve the coveted Navratna As a
Navratna company, NRL will have the freedom to invest up to Rs 1,000 crore without seeking approval
from the central government.
Bhuvnesh Kumar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
inaugurated the Product Design Centre (PDC), set up at Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-
DAC), Kolkata, West Bengal.
On the occasion, 'Grain-Ex', an appearance-based detection system, through machine vision technology for
pulses developed under ‘National Programme on Electronics and Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) applications in Agriculture and Environment (AgriEnIcs)’ as well as Indian Council of
Agricultural Research (ICAR)- The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, Delhi was also
launched.
Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), virtually launched a
new campaign for banks under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) titled BHARAT (Banks Heralding
Accelerated Rural & Agriculture Transformation) to mobilize funds from banks.
The 1-month long campaign, which will run from 15th July 2023 to 15th August 2023, was launched with a
target of Rs 7200 crore.
Ministry of Agriculture called upon the banks to promote Rs 1 lakh crore AIF for creation of necessary
infrastructure in the farm sector.
Under this scheme, Rs 1 lakh crore is to be disbursed by financial year 2025-26 and the interest subvention
and credit guarantee assistance will be given till the year 2032-33.
Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the
Differential Global Navigation Satellite System (DGNSS) “Sagar Sampark” in New Delhi, Delhi, to boost the
digitalisation in the maritime sector.
The indigenously developed DGNSS is a terrestrial based enhancement system that corrects the errors and
inaccuracies in the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and provides more accurate positioning
information in Indian waters and beyond.

Minister of Communications (MoC) Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated the Curtain Raiser of 7th edition of
India Mobile Congress (IMC 2023) at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi,Delhi .
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under Ministry of Communications and the Cellular
Operators Association of India (COAI) will jointly host the 7th Edition of Asia’s premier digital technology
exhibition with the theme ‘Global Digital Innovation’ which is scheduled to take place from 27th to 29th
October at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi,Delhi.
The Concept of ‘Partner Countries’and ‘Virtual exhibition’ will be introduced in the event.
Minister of State (MoS) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Rajeev Chandrashekar inaugurated
country’s first Public-Private Partnership(P3) model Atal Tinkering Lab(ATL) under NITI(National Institution
for Transforming India) Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission(AIM) in partnership with a leading smartphone
manufacturing firm, Oppo India in Thrissur, Kerala.
Learning Links Foundation, New Delhi based ‘not for profit’ organisation will act as the implementation
partner. The ATL has been set up to empower school children in classes 6th to 12th to develop innovative
solutions.
Union Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah launched the ‘Central Registrar of Cooperative Societies
(CRCS) – Sahara Refund Portal’ aimed at aiding over 10 crore depositors of the Sahara Group in reclaiming
their money within 45 days of registration in the portal.
The refund portal has been developed by a subsidiary of Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) Ltd,
a Systemically Important Non-Deposit taking Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC-ND-SI).
Between March 2010 and January 2014, four cooperative societies linked to the Sahara group of companies
registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002, they are Sahara Credit Cooperative
Society Limited (Lucknow),Saharayan Universal Multipurpose Society Limited (Bhopal),Humara India
Credit Cooperative Society Limited (Kolkata) and Stars Multipurpose Cooperative Society (Hyderabad).
JUNE 2023
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Jal Shakti, launched the Unified Registration
Portal for Biogas/ Compressed Bio Gas (CBG)/ Bio CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) plants under
Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBARdhan) scheme.
The portal, developed by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) under the
Ministry of Jal Shakti, the nodal agency of GOBARdhan, will ensure Ease of Doing Business (EODB).
Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of state (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology inaugurated
the two-day “Lavender Festival” in Bhaderwah Valley of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
While inaugurating the festival, Jitendra Singh stated that Bhaderwah has emerged as the Lavender capital
of India and a prominent Agri-Start-up destination.
Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu,
has organised the event as part of its One Week One Lab Campaign.
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW),
launched “Sagar Samriddhi – Waste to Wealth”, an online dredging monitoring system as part of the ‘Waste to
Wealth’ initiative of the MoPSW.
The system is developed by National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC), the
technological arm of MoPSW, and it replaces the previous Draft & Loading Monitor (DLM) system.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Education (MoE) and Ministry of Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship (MSDE), inaugurated Project Gajapati to Gabon and flagged off Gabon’s first Agriculture
Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Project & Power Transformers (T&D) Project from New Delhi, Delhi.
Union Minister Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) unveiled the ‘Dugdh
Sanakalan Sathi Mobile App’ or ‘Milk Collection Partner Mobile App’ from Mussoorie, Uttarakhand for the
Indian Dairy Industry.
It is designed and developed by Jaipur (Rajasthan)-based Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments
Limited (REIL), a“Mini Ratna Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSE) under MHI.

Parshottam Rupala , Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying launched a NANDI–
(NOC (No Objection Certificates) Approval for New Drug and Inoculation System) Portal at Krishi Bhavan in
New Delhi, Delhi to timely process the applications and grant NOC for veterinary drugs and vaccines.
NANDI Portal: The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) developed this portal through
the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) to enhance the regulatory approval process
and ensure transparency in assessing and examining veterinary product proposals.
Union Minister of State (MoS) Krishan Pal inaugurated a Centre of Excellence (CoE) namely
‘Unnat Takniki Pradarshan Kendra (UTPRERAK)’/’Advanced Industrial Technology Demonstration Centre
(AITDC)’ at the National Power Training Institute (NPTI), Badarpur in New Delhi (Delhi).
It has been set up by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power (MoP) to boost industry
adoption of clean and energy efficient technologies and boost India’s global energy transition impact, and
make it a Developed Nation by 2047.
The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal launched
‘Sagar Samajik Sahayyog’ the new guidelines of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by the Ministry of Ports,
Shipping & Waterways in New Delhi, Delhi.
Shri Pralhad Joshi, the Union Minister of Mines, released the first-ever report on “Critical Minerals for India”
which was constituted by the Ministry of Mines.
This landmark report identifies 30 essential minerals crucial to sectors such as defence, agriculture, energy,
pharmaceuticals, and telecom. The comprehensive list marks a significant milestone for India, aligning with
the nation’s Atma Nirbhar Bharat (self-reliance) roadmap.
About the report on “Critical Minerals for India”: The report sheds light on the indispensable role of
these critical minerals in driving economic development and ensuring national security. Industries such as
high-tech electronics, telecommunications, transportation, and defence heavily rely on these minerals.
Additionally, the identified minerals play a vital role in facilitating the global transition to a low-carbon
economy and supporting renewable energy technologies, aligning with worldwide ‘Net Zero’ commitments.
List of identified minerals: Antimony, Beryllium, Bismuth, Cobalt, Copper, Gallium, Germanium, Graphite,
Hafnium, Indium, Lithium, Molybdenum, Niobium, Nickel, PGE, Phosphorus, Potash, REE, Rhenium, Silicon,
Strontium, Tantalum, Tellurium, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten, Vanadium, Zirconium, Selenium and Cadmium.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched the Field Assessment for the 8th
edition Swachh Survekshan (SS) 2023 – Mera Shehar, Meri Pehchan. SS 2023 survey is expected to engage
with approximately 10 crore citizens and making it the world’s largest annual urban cleanliness survey.
Under SS 2023, around 3,000 assessors will take the field for assessment from 1 July 2023 and will evaluate
over 4500 cities across 46 indicators. It is expected to be completed within a month.
The survey was conducted over 4 quarters, the first 3 quarters of assessment have already been completed
successfully and a new 3rd quarter for SS 2023 was introduced in 2023.
The 4th and the final quarter is now being launched from 1 July, 2023.
The survey includes new indicators such as waste processing, segregation at source, and cleanliness of
public areas.
Efforts are being taken to make the survey easier and useful for smaller and medium sized cities so that
SwachhSurvekshan continues to be a management tool for improvement in sanitation.
MAY 2023
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) collaborated with National Agricultural
Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) has launched the first ever ‘Millets Experience
Centre’ (MEC) at Dilli Haat, INA (Indian National Airways), New Delhi in Delhi, in order to enhance the public
awareness on Millets and encourage the utilisation of Millets.
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets
(IYM 2023), in response to India’s proposal, which was supported by 72 countries.
The Union Minister Narayan Rane, Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), launched the
India Health Dialogue (IHD) platform in New Delhi, Delhi (at Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), AIIMS

(All India Institute of Medical Sciences) Delhi) for enhancing MSMEs in healthcare and boost the export
development in Health domain to make India the global manufacturing centre and self-reliant (AtmaNirbhar
Bharat).
The 3rd phase of Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana (TBSY) was launched by the Minister of State
(MoS) Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) to commemorate the World
Thalassemia Day on May 8, 2023.
TBSY is an imitative of MoHFW and which is being supported by Coal India Limited (CIL) as part of their
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
The Minister also launched Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana Portal and released the Standard Treatment
Workflow for Sickle Cell Disease, developed by ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research), during the
event.
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), has
launched SAKSHAM (Stimulating Advanced Knowledge for Sustainable Health Management), a learning
management information system (LMIS) of MoHFW.
SAKSHAM was developed by the National Institute of Health & Family Welfare (NIHFW), New Delhi, Delhi.
Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry (India) hosted the CEOs (Chief Executive Officers)
roundtable in Toronto, Canada, along with Mary Ng, Canada’s Minister of International Trade, Export, Small
Business and Economic Development.
The CEOs Roundtable was organized by the FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and
Industry), a non-government, not-for-profit organisation,) and the BCC (Business Council of Canada).
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and AYUSH (Ayurveda,
Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha & Homoeopathy), launched ‘Harit Sagar Guidelines – 2023’, the Green
Port Guidelines, in New Delhi, Delhi.
The guidelines were prepared by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways to meet the larger vision of
achieving the Zero Carbon Emission Goal.
On May 10, 2023 at ‘Harit Sagar Guidelines – 2023’ launch event, the ‘Sagar Shreshtha
Samman Awards 2023’ were also conferred to major ports for their all-time best performance on select
operational and financial parameters during FY 2022-23.
Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) (Andhra Pradesh) received Sagar Shrestha Samman Award 2023
from Sarbananda Sonowal. VPA’s chairman M Angamuthu received the award.
Other Recipients of Sagar Shreshtha Samman Awards 2023:
Port Category
Awarded as best port for the year 2022-23
Awarded for best incremental performance for attaining the highest
cargo growth rate of 16.56% in FY23
Paradip Port, Jagatsinghpur
(Odisha) Received a performance shield on Ship Berth Day Output
Awarded for the best Absolute Performance for the year FY23 for
Deendayal Port, Kandla (Gujarat) handling the highest cargo of 137.56 MMT
Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Mumbai
(Maharashtra) Awarded for achieving major milestone in Turn Around Time
Kamarajar Port, Chennai (Tamil
Nadu) Awarded for pre-berthing detention time
Received a performance shield in turn-around time (non-container
Cochin Port (Kerala) port)
Union Minister Smriti Zubin Irani, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD), launched
“Poshan Bhi, Padhai Bhi”, the flagship programme of MoWCD, to strengthen Early Childhood Care and
Education (ECCE) component of Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (Mission Poshan 2.0).
The programme was launched during the national event organised by MoWCD on key initiatives for
strengthening ECCE at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, Delhi.

Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (MoS) (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, graced
the valedictory ceremony of the 4-day long event “National Technology Week 2023” (11th to 14th May
2023) at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, Delhi.
The National Technology Awards 2023 was conferred to 11 winners following the two-tier evaluation
process.
National Technology Award (Main):
Winner: MyLab Discovery Solutions Private Limited, Maharashtra
National Technology Award (MSME):
Prize: Rs. 15 lakhs each and a trophy
Winners:
Winners Reason
Developed indigenous Fixed-wing VTOL UAV- SWITCH UAV that can fly at
Ideaforge Technology diverse terrains and harsh environments, ranging from -30 °C to +55 °C for
Limited, Maharashtra a variety of security and surveillance applications.
Electronics Devices
Worldwide Private Limited, Developed Zero-ventilated induction cap sealing device with the improved
Maharashtra spatial distribution of optimized power loss.
XIOTZ Private Limited,
Karnataka (Women led
MSME) Developed Managed Cyber Assurance Platform.
National Award Under Technology Start-Up:
Prize: Rs 15 lakh each and trophy
Winners:
Winners Reason
Kanpur Flower Recycling developed Fleather- an animal free sustainable alternative to
Private Limited, Uttar Pradesh conventional leather made from flower waste.
Sascan Meditech Private Developed an Oral Scan handheld device to screen for early-stage cancers
Limited, Kerala and for biopsy guidance.
Produced a Novel Multi-Point and Multi-Parameter Sensing to withstand
Xyma Analytics Private extreme environment in Industrial applications using Patented
Limited., Tamil Nadu, Ultrasonic Waveguide based Technology.
WellRx Technologies Private Developed ‘Oil and Gas Wells Rejuvenation Technologies to “Revive” the
Limited., Haryana shut wells and “Increase” the Oil and Gas Production’.
Qzense Labs Private Limited,
Karnataka (Women led Start Developed Early spoilage detection and shelf-life prediction for fresh
up) food using artificial olfaction.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Ministry of Communications (MoC) launched the Sanchar Saathi
portal – ‘https://sancharsaathi.gov.in‘ to prevent fraud by misusing mobile phones.
Developed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), MoC, it is citizen-centric to empower
mobile subscribers, strengthen their security and increase awareness about citizen-centric initiatives
of the Government.
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) made five major
announcements collectively named as ‘Panch Karma Sankalp‘ focusing green shipping and digitization of
the ports during the culmination of MoPSW’s second Chintan Shivir held in Munnar, Kerala.
What is in the Panch Karma Sankalp?
MoPSW to provide 30% financial support for the promotion of Green Shipping
Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Mumbai, Maharashtra), VO Chidambaranar Port (Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu),
Paradip Port (Jagatsinghpur, Odisha) and Deendayal Port (Kandla, Gujarat) will procure two tugs each
Under the Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP).
Nodal agency of GTTP: National Centre of Excellence in Green Port & Shipping (NCoEGPS).

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched its massive campaign programme “Meri
LiFE, Mera Swachh Shehar” to promote the RRRs (3Rs) of waste management: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) launched the Regional Connectivity
Scheme (RCS) – Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) 5.1 to enhance connectivity to remote areas of the country
and achieve last-mile connectivity through helicopters.
For the 1st time, UDAN 5.1 is designed in consultation with all stakeholders including helicopter operators.
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and
Homoeopathy (AYUSH), visited Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H),
Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh (UP) and inaugurated “e-Office portal of PCIM&H” and “Online portal”.
Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Science and
Technology, and R. K. Singh, the Union Minister of Power, New & Renewable Energy, jointly launched
the Website and Logo of the Joint 14th Clean Energy Ministerial and 8th Mission Innovation meeting (CEM-
14/MI-8).
The CEM14/MI-8 will be held in Goa from 19th to 22nd of July 2023.
This is scheduled on the margin of the G20(Group of 20) Energy Transition Ministerial Meeting which will
be held on July 22, 2023.
The theme for CEM-14/MI-8 is “Advancing Clean Energy Together”.
A Campaign on Promoting Digital Transactions in 50000 Gram Panchayats namely ‘SAMARTH’ under
the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav was launched in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (UP) by the Union Minister Giriraj
Singh, Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) & Panchayati Raj.
Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), unveiled
the National Medical Devices Policy, 2023, and launched the Export Promotion Council for Medical
Devices during the inaugural event of the 8th International Conference on Pharma and Medical Device Sector
in New Delhi, Delhi.
Mansukh Mandaviya also launched a scheme titled ‘Assistance for Medical Devices clusters
for Common Facilities (AMD-CF)’ to establish and strengthen common infrastructure facilities in the medical
devices clusters and fortify testing facilities for medical devices.
FIRST IN INDIA
SEPTEMBER 2023
India’s first indigenously developed 700-Megawatt Electric (MWe) Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor
(PHWR) at the Kakrapar Atomic Power Project Unit-3 (KAPP3) in Gujarat has commenced operations at full
capacity.
It had started commercial operations on June 30, 2023 but had been operating at 90% of its capacity till
now.
KAPP-3 and KAPP-4 are India’s first pair of indigenously designed PHWRs of 700 MW unit size with
enhanced safety features.
Madhya Pradesh (MP) Chief Minister (CM) Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the city of Sanchi in
Raisen district in MP as India’s first Solar City.
This is in line with Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s vision of developing a solar city in every state
by 2070.
The solar plants of 3 MW and 5 MW solar plants in Nagauri and Gulgaon of sanchi respectively cater to
the city’s electrical and agricultural needs.
In addition to this, an 8 MW grid-connected solar plant is under construction within the Sanchi city.
Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (MPUVNL) acted as the nodal agency of the solar city project.
MPUVNL campaigned for ‘Urja Saksharta Abhiyan’ to educate the people of Sanchi about energy saving.

AUGUST 2023
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd launched “Neerakshi”(Eyes in the Water), India’s
first of its kind indigenous Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) to detect mines in Kolkata, West
Bengal(WB).
The AUV, "Neerakshi," is designed to detect mines and is a collaboration between GRSE Ltd and Aerospace
Engineering Private Ltd (AEPL).
It was Unveiled by Samir V Kamar, Secretary DDR&D and Chairman of DRDO.
Tamil Nadu (TN) is set to establish India’s first Common Testing Centre for Unmanned Aerial Systems
(UAS) (drones) under the Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS).
The centre will be established at a cost of Rs 45 crore over an area of 2.3 acres at the State Industries
Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Limited (SIPCOT) Industrial Park, Vallam Vadagal near
Sriperumbudur in Kanchipuram district, TN.
It would be established by the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), which is the nodal
agency for implementing the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor (TNDIC).
Mr. Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics & Information
Technology, inaugurated India’s first three-dimensional (3D) Printed Post Office located in Bengaluru’s
Cambridge Layout, Karnataka.
The new post office was created using 3D Concrete Printing Technology by Larsen and Toubro (L&T)
Construction.
The technology had been approved by the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC)
and the structural design of the post office was validated by Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) .
India’s first long-range side swing revolver ‘Prabal’ with “twice the range of other revolvers”,
manufactured by Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Ltd. (AW&EIL), was launched at the Small Arms
Factory (SFA) in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh for civilians and arms dealers. AW&EIL, a Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh)
based fully government-owned enterprise ultimate weapon system provider.
NTPC Limited (formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation) has begun the trial of India's
1st hydrogen bus in Leh, Union Territory (UT) Ladakh.
This marks India's 1st-ever use of hydrogen buses on public roads.
Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister (CM) of Goa, released the “Mayem Biodiversity Atlas”, India’s 1st Village
Atlas during an event held at Mahamaya Devalaya Mandap Mayem Mayem village (Bicholim Town) in North
Goa district, Goa.
National Health Authority (NHA) launched India’s first Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission
(ABDM) microsite in Aizawl, the capital city of Mizoram. With this, Mizoram became the 1st State in India
to operationalise ABDM microsite project.
Mizoram has appointed Youth for Action as the Interfacing Agency for implementing the ABDM
Microsite in Aizawl.
Former President of India Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated India’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) school at
Santhigiri Vidyabhavan in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
AI School was created by iLearning Engines (ILE) of the United States of America(USA) in collaboration
with Vedhik eSchool which was managed by a committee of veteran professionals including former Chief
Secretaries, DGPs and Vice Chancellors.
Antler India, a Venture Capital (VC) firm launched India’s first Open Network for Digital Commerce
(ONDC)-focussed venture platform, Antler ONDC, to provide resources, an expert network, community, and
capital to start-up founders building on ONDC.
The platform has been created in partnership with Nandan Nilekani, Co-founder and Chairman of the
Infosys Board; Foundation for Interoperability in Digital Economy (FIDE) (Beckn Protocol), and ONDC.

JULY 2023
India’s first Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) in fisheries will be set up at Kerala University of Fisheries and
Ocean Studies (KUFOS) in Kochi, Kerala to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and technological
advancement in fisheries and related sectors.
KUFOS got a grant of Rs 10 crore from National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog to set up
fisheries’ AIC at the University.
Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka became the first Indian city to be part of the World Cities Culture
Forum (WCCF), a global network of cities that share research and intelligence to explore the role of culture in
future prosperity.
Bengaluru became the 41st city to join the forum and the network currently includes 40 cities across six
continents. The participative project called Unboxing Bangalore.The forum includes cities like New York,
London, Paris, Tokyo, and Dubai. list of all wccf cities.
The 3rd Unit of Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP) (KAPP-3), India’s first indigenously developed
700 MWe (megawatt electric) Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) (nuclear power reactor), commenced
its commercial operations at Kakrapar Site, Gujarat.
The Kakrapar project encompasses the construction of two 700 MW PHWRs: KAPP-3 and KAPP-4.
The reactor was built by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), a wholly owned public sector
undertaking (PSU) of the Government of India under the administrative control of the Department of
Atomic Energy (DAE).
Adani Group commenced the full load power supply to Bangladesh from the Adani group’s Ultra Super-
Critical Thermal Power Plant (USCTPP) in Godda, Jharkhand. This is India’s first commissioned transnational
power project where 100% of the generated power is supplied to another nation.
Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani called on Bangladesh Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka,
Bangladesh on full load commencement and handover of the 1600 MW USCTPP.
Kerala got India’s first Construction Innovation Hub (CIH) that will serve as a platform to promote
innovation and entrepreneurship around sustainable and affordable building facilities by encouraging
collaboration and knowledge-sharing among the industry stakeholders.
The CIH was launched at the Sheltertech Summit, a summit to advance housing and construction
innovations, which was organised by the Habitat for Humanity and Kerala Start-up Mission (KSUM) in
Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
JUNE 2023
India conducted Asia’s first demonstration of performance-based navigation for helicopters. The flight
from Juhu (a suburb of Mumbai), Maharashtra to Pune, Maharashtra was made using GAGAN (GPS(Global
Positioning System) Aided GEO Augmented Navigation) satellite technology, which allows high-quality of air
traffic management.
The GAGAN technology was jointly developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the
Airports Authority of India (AAI).
The Malviya National Institute of Technology (MNIT) in Jaipur, Rajasthan and the National Dam Safety
Authority (NDSA), Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to
establish India’s first-of-its-kind National Centre for Earthquake Safety of Dams which will focus on studying
seismic hazards, developing new dams, and enhancing the protection of existing ones.
MoJS has recognised the National Centre for Disaster Mitigation and Management
(NCDMM) of MNIT to be the National Center for Earthquake Safety of Dams and has approved a Financial
Grant of Rs 30 crore for establishing and running the centre for the next 5 years.
SAMCO Asset Management Private Limited, Investment Manager of SAMCO Mutual Fund, launched India’s
first actively-managed momentum fund – SAMCO Active Momentum Fund, an open-ended equity scheme
following momentum theme with Benchmark Index of Nifty 500 Index TRI.

The New Fund Offering (NFO) from SAMCO Active Momentum Fund commences on June 15, 2023, and
concludes on June 29, 2023.
Mahindra Defence Systems (MDS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) has started
delivering the first units of the Armado to the Indian armed forces.
The Armado is India’s 1st Armoured Light Specialist Vehicle (ALSV), designed and developed by Mahindra.
Indian Railways is set to introduce its first hydrogen train, expected to start operating from Jind district in
Haryana by March 2024.
The first prototype of the hydrogen train is scheduled to run between the Jind-Sonipat (Haryana) Section of
Northern Railway in the fiscal year 2023-2024.
MAY 2023
During his visit to Chandigarh on May 08, 2023, the Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence,
has inaugurated India’s first-of-its-kind Indian Air Force (IAF) Heritage Centre in Chandigarh’s Sector 18 to
highlight the IAF’s various aircraft and its contributions in various wars.
Telangana government (Govt) launched ‘Telangana State Robotics Framework’, a first-of-its-kind policy
in India, to provide a roadmap for the state to create a sustainable robotic ecosystem and be a leading state in
the field of robotics.
The framework was developed by the Emerging Technologies Wing of the ITE&C (Information Technology,
Electronics and Communications) Department of Telangana in collaboration with the All-India Robotics
Association.
Punjab has become the first Indian State to implement the “Right to walk” by making it mandatory for all
road-owning agencies, including the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), to provide footpaths and
cycle tracks in all future expansion of roads and construction of new ones.
R. Bindu, Minister of Higher Education of Kerala, formally launched the Kerala Institutional Ranking
Framework (KIRF), modelled on the lines of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), to assess
the quality of higher education institutions in Kerala.
With this launch, Kerala become India’s 1st state to establish a State-specific ranking framework for its
higher education institutions.
Kerala became the first state in India to launch a
welfare fund for Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) workers in the State.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Madhya
Pradesh (MP) launched An Agenda for Action:
Sustainable Urban Transformation in Bhopal, India’s first
city-level Voluntary Local Review (VLR).
Through the launch, Bhopal, the Capital of MP, has
become the first city in India to join the growing
global movement on the localization of the United
Nations (UN)-mandated sustainable development
goals (SDG).
AirAsia India flight i5-767 became India’s first
commercial passenger flight to successfully take off
using an indigenously produced Sustainable Aviation Fuel
(SAF) blended Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) from Pune
(Maharashtra) to New Delhi (Delhi).
SAF was supplied by Indian Oil Corporation
Ltd. (IOCL) in partnership with Praj Industries Ltd. (Praj).
Tide, United Kingdom-based fintech, in partnership with Transcorp International Limited, launched
India’s first recycled Polyvinyl Chloride (rPVC) Rupay card, along with MCT Cards & Technology Pvt. Ltd.
and NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India).
Uttarakhand Metro Rail Corporation (UKMRC) unveils Rapid Transit Systems; Dehradun gets India’s 1st
Neo Metro & Hardiwar gets Pod Taxi

Kerala became India’s first fully e-governed state as it successfully digitized a range of government
services for prompt and transparent delivery to its citizens.
A single-window portal named e-Sevanam was launched by the state government to offer 900
government services online. It was further set to be extended to taluk-level offices.
LONGEST, LARGEST, HIGHEST

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL), a Public Sector
Undertaking of the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL), are joining hands to set up Asia’s largest bio-gas plant
in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The upcoming plant will be able to scientifically treat the segregated 1000 tonnes of
wet-waste per day into compressed bio-gas (CBG).
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES
SEPTEMBER 2023
Central Board Of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) under Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance,
launched an invoice incentive scheme called ‘Mera Bill Mera Adhikar‘.
The scheme aims to incentivise citizens and consumers to ask for Goods and Service Tax (GST) invoices
from the seller when making business-to-consumer (B2C) purchases of goods or services.
The scheme was launched in the 3 States (Assam, Gujarat and Haryana) and in 3 Union Territories (UT)
(Puducherry, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli).
The scheme aims to enhance GST processes and revenue collection.
This initiative offers cash rewards, ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 crore, through monthly and quarterly
lucky-draws.
The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has extended the relaxation for the provision of
requirement of indigenous domestic content requirement (DCR) under Component C of Pradhan Mantri Kisan
Urja Surakshaevam Utthaan Mahabhiyan Yojana (PM-KUSUM Scheme) till 31st March 2024.
The DCR requirement for solar cells was waived off for projects awarded on or before June 20, 2023.
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Surakshaevam Utthaan Mahabhiyan Yojana (PM-KUSUM Scheme) was launched
in March 2019 by the MNRE, to subsidize farmers to install solar irrigation pumps for cultivation.
Union Minister Parshottam Rupala, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MoFAHD),
launched Shrimp Crop Insurance scheme developed by Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited (AIC)
with the support of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) – Central Institute of Brackishwater
Aquaculture (CIBA) during the ICAR-CIBA’s 2nd edition of Shrimp Farmers Conclave 2023 in Navsari, Gujarat.
AUGUST 2023
Tamil Nadu (TN) Chief Minister (CM), MK Stalin inaugurated the expansion of the state governments’ free
breakfast scheme to all state-run primary schools from classes 1 to 5.
With this scheme, TN has now become the first state in India to provide free breakfast to students in all
government schools.

The scheme was inaugurated at a government school at Tirukkuvalai in Nagapattinam district, the
birthplace of M Karunanidhi, former CM of TN and DMK patriarch.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), a National Mission for Financial Inclusion (FI) completed 9
years of successful implementation. PMJDY, the biggest financial inclusion initiative in the world, was
introduced by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on 15th August 2014 (Independence Day) and was
launched on 28th August 2014.
FI is a comprehensive approach aimed at fostering economic development and ensuring that financial
services are accessible to all segments of society.
PMJDY aims to ensure access to financial services, namely, basic savings & deposit accounts, remittance,
credit, insurance, and pension in an affordable manner to all households in India.
Union Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey, Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) in ‘Review of Production
Linked Incentive-Auto Scheme’ announced the extension of the deadline of Production Linked Incentive(PLI)
Scheme for Automobile and Auto Component Industry by another year.
The program that was supposed to last for five years, from 2022-23 to 2026-27, will be active till 2027-28.
The distribution of the incentives will be on a quarterly basis, instead of an annual plan.
JULY 2023
The Rural WASH Partners’ Forum (RWPF), a platform of the Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation
(DDWS) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, celebrated its 1st anniversary during a two-day National Conference
on Rural WASH Partners’ Forum at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, Delhi.
The theme of the conference was “Accelerating Progress towards a Swachh Sujal Bharat”. The conference
was inaugurated by Union Minister of Jal Shakti Shri. Gajendra Singh and launched various initiative such as
Release of the Manual for Disaster Management Plan (DMP),
Set up of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) Digital Academy,
RWPF Annual Yearbook and Web page,
Swachhata Chronicles – Transformative Tales from India, and
Field Assessment Framework and Ranking Protocol of SSG 2023Click here for complete detail…
Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani has launched a new scheme to address
the challenges faced by pregnant minor victims of sexual assault who lack family support.
The “scheme for critical care and support for accessing justice to rape/gang rape survivors or minor girls
who get pregnant” aims to provide essential assistance to these vulnerable individuals under Ministry of
Women and Child Development (MWCD).
Under the initiative, medical and financial support will be provided through the Nirbhaya Fund.
The budget of the proposal is Rs 74.10 crore. The allocated funds will also be used to establish dedicated
shelters for these victims.
Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, launched a campaign to transform
75 historic Lighthouses across India into Tourism Spots from Dwaraka, Gujarat.
He inaugurated the 1st three renovated lighthouses in Dwarka, Gopinath and Veraval in Gujarat.
The aim of the campaign is to showcase the rich culture, significance, and magnificent structures of India.
JUNE 2023
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MAY 2023
The National Level Steering Committee (NLSC) at its fourth meeting held in New Delhi, Delhi has made a
decision for the continuation of the Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal), India’s Central Sector water conservation
Scheme for an additional two years beyond its original 2025 end date.
The Atal Bhujal Yojana Scheme is facilitating sustainable ground water management since April 2020, as a
Central Sector Scheme under the Department of Water Resources (DoWR), River Development (RD) and
Ganga Rejuvenation (GR), Ministry of Jal Shakti.

UNION BUDGET 2023-24
The Union Budget 2023-24 was framed as per the foundation laid in the Budget 2022-23, and the
blueprint is drawn for India@100.
Being the first Budget in Amrit Kaal and India’s 3rd paperless budget, it replaced the traditional ‘Bahi-
Khata’ with a Made-in-India tablet wrapped in a red-coloured cover with a national emblem emblazoned on
it.
On February 1, 2023, the Budget session was held in Parliament under the chairmanship of Lok Sabha
Speaker Om Birla, in which the Union Finance Minister (FM) Nirmala Sitharaman presented the 93rd Union
Budget of India for 2023-2024.
It was the 5th and last full budget of the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA)
government’s second term (before the 2024 general elections). This was also the 5th Budget presentation
of Nirmala Sitharaman since 2019.
In the 75th year of India’s Independence, the world recognised the Indian economy as a ‘bright star’.
Growth: The economic growth of India in FY23 is estimated to be at 7% and the growth in FY24 is
projected to be at 6 to 6.8%.
GDP: The government has estimated a nominal GDP growth rate of 10.5% in 2023-24 (i.e., real growth plus
inflation).
Fiscal Deficit: The fiscal deficit in Budget 2023-24 is projected to be 5.9% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product)
against the 6.4 % in the Revised Estimates (RE) for 2022-23.
Deficits: Revenue deficit in 2023-24 is targeted at 2.9% of GDP, which is lower than the revised estimate of
4.1% in 2022-23.
Receipts: The receipts (other than borrowings) in 2023-24 are expected to be to Rs 27,16,281 crore, an
increase of 11.7% over revised estimate of 2022-23. In 2022-23, total receipts (other than borrowings) are
estimated to be 6.5% higher than the budget estimates.
In 2023-24, the ministries with the highest allocations account for 55% of the estimated total expenditure.
Of these, the Ministry of Defence has the highest allocation in 2023-24, at Rs 5,93,538 crore with
13.2% of the total budgeted expenditure of the central government
Among the top 13 ministries with the highest allocations, in 2023-24, the highest percentage increase in
allocation is observed in the Ministry of Railways (49%), followed by the Ministry of Jal Shakti (31%),
and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (25%).
Budgetary Allocations to Major Schemes:
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (rural and urban components taken together) has the highest
allocation in 2023-24 at Rs 79,590 crore.
Name of Scheme BE 2022-23 BE 2023-24
(in Rs (in Rs
crore) crore)
Development of Pharmaceutical Industry 100 1250
Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 60,000 70,000
Eklavya Model Residential School 2,000 5,943
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) 48,000 79,590
Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles 2,908 5172
(FAME)
North East Special Infrastructure Development 1,419 2,491

Division of budget:
The budget is divided into two parts viz. Part-A & Part-B.
Part-A: Consisting of 7 priorities to act as the ‘Saptarishi’ guiding through the Amrit Kaal.
Part-B: Related to the Tax Proposals.

Part-A: 7 priorities Part-B
Inclusive Development
Reaching the Last Mile
Infrastructure and Investment Direct Tax Proposals
Indirect Tax Proposals

Unleashing the Potential
Green Growth
Youth Power
Financial Sector
Fiscal Management:
RE 2022- BE 2023- %change (2022-23 RE to 2023-
Item 23 24 24 BE)
(in Rs (in Rs
crore) crore)
Total Receipts 24,31,913 27,16,281 11.7
Revenue Receipts 23,48,413 26,32,281 12.1
Capital Receipts 18,38,819 18,70,816 0.01
Total Expenditure 41,87,232 45,03,097 7.5
Capital Expenditure 7,28,274 10,00,961 27.2
Effective Capital 10,53,862 13,70,949

Expenditure
Fiscal Deficit (as % of 17,55,319 17,86,816 1.8%

GDP) (6.4 %) (5.9%) (-7.8%)
Revenue Deficit (as % of 11,0,546 8,69,855 -21.7%

GDP) (4.1%) (2.9%) (-29.3%)
Effective Revenue Deficit 7,84,958 4,99,867

(2.9%) (1.7%)
Primary Deficit (as % of 8,14,668 7,06,845 -13.2%

GDP) (3.0%) (2.3%) (-23.3%)
**BE means Budgeted Estimates and RE states Revised Estimates.

Indirect Tax Proposals
Items becoming low-cost/Cheaper Items becoming High-cost/Costlier
Mobile phones Cigarettes
Lab-grown Silver
diamonds
Compounded rubber
Shrimp feed Imitation Jewellery
Machinery for lithium-ion batteries Articles made from gold bars
Imported bicycles and toys
Raw materials Imported kitchen electric chimney

for EV industry
TV Imported luxury cars and EVs
Direct Tax Proposals

The tax payers’ portal received a maximum of 72 lakh returns in a day and processed more than 6.5 crore
returns in FY23, the average processing period reduced from 93 days in FY14 to 16 days in FY23, and 45%
of the returns were processed within 24 hours.
To further improve the Tax Payers Services, the budget planned to roll out a next-generation Common IT
Return Form for tax payer convenience, and also plans to strengthen the grievance redressal mechanism.
MSMEs: MSMEs with a turnover of up to Rs 2 crore and certain professionals with turnover of up to Rs 50
lakh could avail the benefit of presumptive taxation.
Overall Tax proposals:
Income Tax Slab Rates
Individuals below 60 years
Net Income Range Rate of Income-tax
Up to Rs. 2,50,000 Nil
Rs. 2,50,000 to Rs. 5,00,000 5%
Rs. 5,00,000 to Rs. 10,00,000 20%
Above Rs. 10,00,000 30%
Senior citizens between 60 and 80 years
Rs. 3,00,000 to Rs. 5,00,000 5%
Rs. 5,00,000 to Rs. 10,00,000 20%

Above Rs. 10,00,000 30%
Super senior citizens (80 years and above)
Rs. 5,00,000 to Rs. 10,00,000 20%
Above Rs. 10,00,000 30%

To know more about Union Budget. Click the Link
ECONOMIC SURVEY 2022-23

On the first day of budgetary session i.e. January 31, 2023, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Ministry
of Finance tabled the Economic Survey 2022-23 in the parliament projecting India’s Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) for FY24 to be in the range of 6-6.8 % depending on the trajectory of economic and political
developments globally.
The baseline GDP growth in FY24 in real terms will be of 6.5%, and 11% in nominal terms
Current Fiscal Growth Projection (FY23):
The economy is expected to grow at 7% in FY23 i.e. year ending March 2023 as compared to 8.7% growth
in FY22. Global Agencies continue to project India as the fastest-growing major economy at 6.5 -7.0% in
FY23.
Challenges that hit the global growth are:-
Covid-19 pandemic notified by the WHO in January 2020.
Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out in February 2022 made accelerating existing inflationary pressures
Monetary Tightening
depreciation of most currencies against the US dollar
consequent increase in borrowing costs
Countries slowed the cross-border trade to protect their respective economic space
China experienced a considerable slowdown induced by its policies
pandemic brought in by the loss of education and income earning opportunities.
Who has prepared the Survey?
It is prepared by the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance under the guidance
of Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India (GoI) Venkatramanan Anantha Nageswaran,
Ministry of Finance.
About Economic Survey 2022-23:
India's Economic Survey 2022-2023 highlights the country's steady progress towards sustained
economic growth and development, with a focus on job creation, fiscal discipline, and infrastructure
development. It is consisted of 12 chapters which will be discussing in the following 12 detailed steps:
i.Capital Expenditure (Capex) of the Central Government, which increased by 63.4% in the first eight
months of FY23, was another growth driver of the Indian economy in FY23.
ii.The credit growth to the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector has been
remarkably high, over 30.6 per cent, on average during Jan-Nov 2022, supported by the extended
Emergency Credit Linked Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) of the Union government.
ii. RBI has projected headline inflation at 6.8% in FY23, which is outside its target range of 2-6%.
However, measures taken by the government and RBI, along with the easing of global commodity prices,
have finally managed to bring retail inflation below the RBI upper tolerance target in November 2022.
Table showing Union Government's Fiscal Parameters (Per cent of GDP)
Parameter FY23 BE
Revenue Receipts 8.5
Gross Tax Revenue 10.7
Net tax revenue 7.5
Non-tax revenue 1
Non-debt capital receipts 0.3
Non-debt receipts 8.9

Total Expenditure 15.3
Revenue Expenditure 12.4
Capital Expenditure 2.9
Fiscal Deficit 6.4
Revenue Deficit 3.8
Primary Deficit 2.8
Note :- Fifteenth Finance Commission had recommended performance-based additional borrowing space of
0.50 per cent of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) to the States in the power sector.
While the Federal Reserve has raised policy rates by 425 basis points (bps), the European Central Bank
(ECB) and the Bank of England (BoE) have implemented 300 bps and 250 bps rate increases,
respectively. The RBI initiated its monetary tightening cycle in April 2022 and has since implemented a
policy repo rate hike of 225 bps.
Key Points:
i.The RBI’s policy stance in FY23 led to a moderation of surplus liquidity that prevailed during Covid years.
The daily net liquidity absorption averaged Rs 2.5 lakh crore during FY23 (up to 21 December 2022) as
compared with Rs 6.7 lakh crore in FY22.
ii.The RBI implemented a policy repo rate hike of 225 bps since April 2022 i.e. from 4% to 6.25% between
May and December 2022.
To know more about Economic Survey, Click here.
Census is nothing but a process of collecting, compiling, analyzing, evaluating, publishing and
disseminating statistical data regarding the population. It covers demographic, social and economic data and
are provided as of a particular date. The Census of India has been conducted 15 times, As of 2011. It has been
conducted every 10 years, beginning in 1871.
To Know about census 2011, Click here.
OTHERS
SEPTEMBER 2023
The United States (US) Department of Energy (DOE) and India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
(MNRE) in a meeting togetherly launched the US-India Renewable Energy Technology Action Platform
(RETAP) under the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership.
RETAP was announced in June 2023 to advance new and emerging renewable technologies.
The meeting was led by DOE Deputy Secretary David Turk and MNRE Secretary Bhupinder Singh Bhalla.
Kolkata Metro Railway under the Ministry of Railways, Government of India, have decided to
use composite Aluminium Third Rail in all its upcoming corridors along with retro-fitment in the existing
corridors with steel third rail.
With this Metro Railways, Kolkata will become a part of the elite group of metros that have shifted
from Steel Third Rail to Aluminium Third Rail. The group includes London (the United Kingdom-UK),
Moscow (Russia), Berlin(Germany), Munich(Germany), and Istanbul(Türkiye) Metro.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is set to organise the 1st edition of
the Global IndiaAI 2023 conference in October 2023(tetatively planned for 14/15th October 2023).
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State (MoS), Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
(MSDE), and MeitY is chairing the conference’s steering committee.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) granted the ‘Deemed to be
University’ Status under ‘De Novo‘category of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
This was announced by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Skill Development &
Entrepreneurship (MSDE) during the event organised for the 63rd Foundation Day of the NCERT(1st
September 2023).
The deemed to be university status is given under section 3 of the University Grants Commission (UGC)Act,
1956.
The World Health Organization (WHO) released the outcome document of the WHO Traditional
Medicine Global Summit 2023 in the form of the “Gujarat Declaration”.

This reaffirs the global commitments towards indigenous knowledges, biodiversity and traditional,
complementary and integrative medicine.
The participants of the summit endrosed the outcomes of the summit based on the research and
evidence-informed discussions and initiatives presented in the Summit’s 5 plenaries and 6 parallel
sessions.
WHO’s Traditional Medicine Global Summit “Towards Health and Well-being for All” co-hosted by the
Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy (AYUSH), Government of
India (GoI) and WHO was held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India, on 17-18 August 2023.
The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) launched the ‘Adopt a Heritage 2.0’ programme to
collaborate with corporate stakeholders for the preservation of monuments at Samvet Auditorium, Indira
Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi, Delhi.
The programme was launched by Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism
and Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), along with Minister of State (MoS) Meenakashi
Lekhi,Ministry of Culture and External Affairs.
The app named ‘Indian Heritage’ and the e-permission portal were launched at the event.
A collaboration was initiated between the Ministry of Education (MoE), Ministry of Skill Development &
Entrepreneurship (MSDE), and Meta (formerly known as Facebook) namely ‘Education to
Entrepreneurship: Empowering a generation of students, educators, and entrepreneurs’ for a period of 3
years in New Delhi, Delhi.
This collaboration was launched by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, MoE & MSDE.
Three Letters of Intent (LoI) were also exchanged between Meta and key institutions, namely the
National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), the All-India
Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO),
unveiled the G20 (Group of Twenty) Tourism and SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) Dashboard.
The dashboard was launched by the Union Minister Gangapuram Kishan Reddy, Ministry of Tourism in a
virtual ceremony.
G20 Tourism and SDGs Dashboard is an outcome of the G20 Tourism Working Group.
The dashboard is developed under the leadership of India’s G20 Presidency and with the expert
knowledge partnership of UNWTO.
Google Cloud Platform (GCP), offered by Google, has partnered with the Indian Computer Emergency
Response Team (CERT-In) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to train
government officials in cybersecurity skills.
CERT-In is part of the MeitY which deals with cybersecurity threats, hacking, and other cyber-related
issues.
This partnership aims to strengthen the cybersecurity landscape in India.
India and the United Kingdom (UK) announced the launch of the UK-India Infrastructure Financing
Bridge (UKIIFB) during the 12th Round of Ministerial India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) held in
New Delhi, Delhi on 11th September 2023, to secure long-term investment for vital infrastructure sectors in
India.
UKIIFB is a collaborative initiative signifies the continuing commitment of both nations to work in close
cooperation toward unlocking substantial infrastructure investment opportunities in India.
UKIIFB initiative is led jointly by the National Institute for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) and the City of
London.
Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA) organised a workshop on Business Responsibility and
Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) in collaboration with UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) and National
Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE) at the NSE premises in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
It was inaugurated by Dr. Harish Ahuja, SVP (Senior Vice President) & Head PSD – Power & Carbon Markets,
Investor Awareness, NSE.

The workshop was part of the ongoing collaboration between IICA and UNICEF to promote responsible
business conduct among corporates and relevant stakeholders in India.
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has extended the tenure of the Company Law Committee by 1
year, until September 16, 2024 to promote the Ease of Living in the country by providing ease of doing
business to law-abiding corporates. The Company Law Committee was set up in 2019 with a tenure of one year
(2020).
The committee has been tasked with examining and recommending the government on different matters
concerning the implementation of the Companies Act, 2013, and the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)Act,
2008.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has cancelled the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA)
licence of Bal Raksha Bharat, Srinivas Malliah Memorial Theatre Crafts Museum and SELF-EMPLOYED
WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION (SEWA).
The licences were cancelled ahead of the deadline (30th September 2023) for FCRA licences renewable for
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).
The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (AH&D) under the Ministry of Fisheries Animal
Husbandry & Dairying in collaboration with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) organized a
multi-sectoral workshop titled “Risk-based management of spill over events in wildlife in India”.
This workshop focused on enhancing the significance of adopting a One Health approach, promoting
collaboration across various sectors, and bolstering pandemic readiness efforts.
‘One Health’ is an integrated, unifying approach to balance and optimise the health of people, animals and
the environment.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), in its meeting on 15th September 2023, under the chairmanship
of Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for capital acquisition
proposals of various weapons systems and platforms amounting to Rs.45,000 crore.
These proposals further strive to strengthen the operational capabilities of the Indian Defence Forces and
increase the incorporation of indigenous content in defence projects.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has granted approval for nine procurement proposals, and all these
procurements will be sourced from indigenous vendors under Buy Indian-Indigenously Designed
Developed and Manufactured (IDDM) category.
On the occasion of Vishwakarma Jayanti, PM of India Narendra Modi dedicated the Phase -1 of the India
International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC), also known as Yashobhoomi to the nation located in New
Delhi, Delhi.
IICC-Yashobhoomi: Built at a cost of approximately Rs. 5400 crore, it is one of the world’s largest MICE
(Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) facilities, featuring India’s first indoor arena with a
retractable roof.
He also launched PM Vishwakarma Scheme covering 18 focus areas of artisans and craftsmen along with its
logo, tagline ‘‘Samman Samarthya Samridhi” and portal (https://pmvishwakarma.gov.in/).
Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research(CSIR)-
National Physical laboratory (NPL) in New Delhi, Delhi signed an agreement to develop Indian Standard Time
(IST) traceable Primary Reference Time Clock (PRTC) to synchronise all the telecom services with one
reference time.
The Vice President of India, ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha Jagdeep Dhankhar has reconstituted the
panel of vice-chairpersons with the eight member panel with 50 percent(4 members) of women
parliamentarians with effect from 13th September 2023.
For the first time in the history of Rajya Sabha (the Upper House of the Indian Parliament) has given equal
representation to women members in the panel.The four new women Vice-Chairpersons are:
Kanta Kardam(Uttar Pradesh), Sumitra Balmik(Madhya Pradesh), Mamata Mohanta (Odisha) and Geeta
alias Chandraprabha(Uttar Pradesh).
The Vice President of India, ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha Jagdeep Dhankhar has constituted 13
women Parliamentarians to the panel of vice-chairpersons.The panel was reconstituted for a day to discuss
the Women’s reservation Bill or Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam 2023.
The Women’s Reservation Bill 2023, officially titled as The Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, 2023 and
commonly referred to as Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, has been introduced in the Indian
Parliament.Click here to read Full News

AUGUST 2023
The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) has collaborated with United Kingdom
(UK) based semiconductor IP (Intellectual property) company Arm through the “Arm Flexible Access for
Startups” (AFAS) program to expand semiconductor support under the Design Linked Incentive Scheme (DLI)
and foster the growth of the sector in India during the 2nd day of the conference ‘SemiconIndia 2023’ at
Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
The Conference was inaugurated by Prime Minister(PM), Narendra Modi on 28th July, 2023.
Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc),
Bengaluru,Karnataka signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lam Research India to support
the skill development of engineers during the event.
The Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam (ABSS) 2023, an educational event was concluded with a
resolution collectively made by the education leaders to transform India into an equitable and vibrant
knowledge society. The event’s valedictory address was delivered by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan,
Ministry of Education (MoE).
Prime Minister (PM), Narendra Modi inaugurated the ABSS (‘Shiksha Mahakumbh’, a 2-days event),
jointly organized by the MoE and the MoSDE at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Delhi.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, introduced the logo, slogan – “Jan Jan Sakshar“, and mobile
application of the Understanding Lifelong Learning for All in Society (ULLAS): Nav Bharat Saksharta
Karyakram during the Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam 2023.
The MoE and the MoSDE, signed 106 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) with various organizations
and institutions on the occasion of the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam (ABSS) 2023…Click here for more
detail…
Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL), a Mangaluru(Dakshina Kannada), Karnataka
based Miniratna Central public sector enterprise (CPSE) has become the largest PSU-refinery (single location)
in India for 2022-23.
MRPL processes 10% of the total crude oil refined by PSU petroleum refineries in India.
MRPL, a subsidiary of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) under the Ministry of Petroleum &
Natural Gas (MoPNG).
The Geographical Indications Registry has granted Geographical Indications (GI) tags for 7 new
products from 3 states– 4 from Rajasthan, 2 from Goa and 1 from Uttar Pradesh (UP).
Geographical Indications Registry headquartered in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) under the Department of
Industry Promotion and Internal Trade (DIPIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI).
The GI-tagged 7 products are:
State GI Goods
Udaipur Koftgari Metal
Craft Handi Craft
Bikaner Kashidakari
Rajasthan
Craft Handi Craft
Bikaner Usta Kala Craft Handi Craft
Jodhpur Bandhej Craft Handi Craft
Goa Mankur Mango
(Malcorado or
Goa
Mankurad) Agriculture
Goan Bebinca Food Stuffs
Uttar Jalesar Metal Craft
Pradesh (Jalesar Dhatu Shilp) Handi Craft
The Supreme Court (SC) of India has introduced new guidelines “Guidelines for Designation of Senior
Advocates by the Supreme Court of India, 2023” for the designation of senior advocates practising in the
Supreme Court of India.It replaced the guidelines issued in 2018.

The new guidelines prescribe a minimum age of 45 years for applying for the ‘senior advocate’
designation and minimum of 10 years of standing (mainly in Supreme Court).
This age limit can be relaxed by the Committee, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) or a Supreme Court judge if
they recommend an advocate’s name.
The Committee for Designation of Senior Advocates is headed by the current Chief Justice of India (CJI),
who is currently Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud.
Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) under the Ministry of Finance, upgraded the status of 2 oil
sector Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) namely Oil India Limited (OIL) and ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) as
Maharatna and Navratna CPSEs respectively.
Earlier OIL was a 'Navratna' CPSE, while OVL was a Categry-I 'Miniratna' CPSE.
OIL will be the 13th Maharatna and OVL will be the 14th Navratna amongst the CPSEs.
Minister of State (MoS) for Education, Subhas Sarkar announced that the University Grants Commission
(UGC) has constituted an expert committee on 21st July 2023, to review its regulations and guidelines
concerning anti-discrimination in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled
Tribes(ST), Other Backward Classes(OBC), Persons with Disabilities(PwD), and other minority groups.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) announced the merger of the two
flagship conservation programmes namely Project Tiger (PT) Division and Project Elephant (PE) Division into a
new division called Project Tiger and Elephant (PT&E) in April 2023 and the official order came up on June
2023.
Union Minister of Steel and Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya M. Scindia unveiled the new logo of the Navratna
Public Sector Enterprise, National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC), India’s largest iron ore producer,
The new logo signifies NMDC’s commitment towards sustainable & responsible mining and its global
aspirations.
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) has entered a term contract with Bharat Petroleum
Corporation Limited (BPCL), a Maharatna PSU under MoPNG, for the sale of crude oil from the Mumbai
region in Maharashtra.
This agreement represents the first-ever term contract under the Marketing Freedom system of
government.
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with 35 institutions
across India for collaboration in standardization and conformity assessment.
The institutions included prominent NITs (National Institutes of Technology), Government and Private
Engineering colleges from different states across India.
The New Amravati Railway Station (Amaravti, Maharashtra) became the 3rd station within Central
Railway (CR) and the 1st station in Bhusaval Division of CR to be designated as a Pink Station, fully managed by
women staff.
Central Railway became the first zone of the Indian Railways to set up all women managed stations and
Matunga suburban station in Mumbai division became the 1st railway station in India to be operated by an
all-woman staff in July 2017, followed by Ajni station in the Nagpur division in 2018.
Ministry of Railways approves closure of BRPL
The Ministry of Railways has granted in-principle approval for the closure of ‘Bastar Railway Private
Limited (BRPL), a joint venture(JV) of NMDC Limited , IRCON International Ltd., Steel Authority of India
Ltd.(SAIL) and Chhattisgarh Mineral Development Corporation Ltd. (CMDC).
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), the flagship initiative of NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming
India), partnered with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Navars Edutech Private Limited to
launch the National Space Innovation Challenge 2023 (NSIC 2023).
NSIC 2023 is a national-level campaign designed to bridge the gap in the Indian space economy and the
future space workforce and encourage future space entrepreneurs.
The Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation,
the following development projects in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh (MP):

Foundation stones laid for Sant Shiromani Gurudev Shri Ravidas ji Memorial
Dedicated to the nation doubling of Kota-Bina rail route
Foundation stones laid for two Road Projects connecting Morikori – Vidisha – Hinotiya and Hinotiya to
Mehluwa.
The Central Government has organized the 77th Independence Day at Red Fort, New Delhi, Delhi which
was addressed by the Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi.
2023 Independence Day signified the theme Nation First, Always First under the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit
Mahotsav’ celebrations, which began in 2021.
The year 2023 marked the 76th anniversary of Indian Independence, as the first anniversary was
marked a year from the actual year that is 1948. Hence, India celebrated its 77th Independence Day and
76th Independence Day anniversary in 2023.
The PM announced ‘Vishwakarma Yojana’ to benefit individuals skilled in traditional
craftsmanship/artisan works.
President approves 1 President’s Tatrakshak Medal & 5 Tatrakshak Medals to ICG
President approved 76 Gallantry awards to Armed Forces and CAPF personnel
President awarded 53 personnel with Fire Service Medals Click here to read full news
The President of India Droupadi Murmu gave assent to four bills including
The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill 2023:
The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill 2023 amends the Registration of Births and
Deaths 1969 Act. The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill 2023 falls under the
jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023
The purpose of this Act is to make changes to the "Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi
Act, 1991. This Act was passed on August 11, 2023.The name of this Act is the "Government of National
Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2023."
The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023
The primary purpose of the Bill is to regulate the processing of digital personal data and
respect individuals' right to protect their data while recognizing the necessity of processing and
using such data for lawful purposes.
The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023 falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology.
The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2023
The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2023 falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry. Click here to read full news
The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) has officially been renamed as the Prime Ministers’
Museum and Library (PMML) Society with effective from August 14, 2023.It is located within the Teen Murti
House complex at New Delhi, Delhi.
This institution operates independently under the India Ministry of Culture.
The decision to change the name was taken in June 2023 in a meeting of the NMML Society. It was chaired
by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is the vice president of the society.
The President of India Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to the following bills during the Monsoon
Session, 2023 of Parliament:
The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Act, 2023 :- It amends the Indian Institutes of
Management (IIM) Act, 2017.The Bill classifies the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE),
Mumbai in Maharashtra as IIM, Mumbai.Hence, NITIE is India’s proposed 21st IIM.
National Dental Commission Act, 2023:- It repeals the Dentists Act, 1948. It seeks to regulate the
profession of dentistry in India by promoting affordable and high-quality oral healthcare availability.
Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2023:- It amends Offshore
Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002 (‘OAMDR Act’), to introduce crucial reforms in
India’s offshore mining sector…Click here for full complete detail….
National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) which operates under the Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) of the Government of India, has officially approved The Karauli-
Sarmathura-Dholpur sanctuary in Rajasthan as Dholpur-Karauli Tiger Reserve of India under Project Tiger.
It becomes the 5th Tiger reserve of Rajasthan and 54th Tiger Reserve of India.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) released ‘Swachh Vayu Survekshan- 2023’, an initiative by
the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to rank cities on the basis of air quality.
The Information Technology (IT) hub of Indore, Madhya Pradesh stood first among 47 cities in Category
1 cities.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting chaired by the Union Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh,
granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for capital acquisition proposals worth around Rs 7,800 crore, to
enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Armed Forces.
To enhance the efficiency of the Indian Air Force, DAC granted AoN for the procurement and installation of
an Electronic Warfare (EW) Suite on Mi-17 V5 Military/Transport Helicopters, which will enhance better
survivability of Helicopters.
The DAC has also granted AoN for procurement of a Ground-Based Autonomous System for mechanised
infantry and armoured regiments.
This will enable operations like unmanned surveillance, logistic delivery of ammunition, fuel & spares, and
casualty evacuation on the battle field.
DAC has also granted AoN for the procurement of weapons to enhance the operational capabilities of the
MH-60R multi-mission helicopters in service with the Indian Navy.
The DAC approved the procurement of a 7.62×51 millimeters (mm) Light Machine Gun (LMG) and Bridge
Laying Tank (BLT).
The induction of LMG will enhance the fighting capabilities of infantry forces, and the induction of BLT will
result in faster movement of Mechanised Forces.
DAC has also approved the AoN for procurement of Ruggedised Laptops and Tablets for the Indian Army
under Project Shakti.
Droupadi Murmu, The President of India, released a postage stamp in memory of Dadi Prakashmani,
former chief of Brahma Kumaris, at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre in New Delhi, Delhi.
The stamp was released under the ‘My Stamp’ initiative of the Department of Posts, Ministry of
Communications, to commemorate Dadi Prakashmani’s 16th death anniversary. Dadi passed away on 25th
August 2007.
JULY 2023
The Vice President of India, ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha Jagdeep Dhankhar has appointed 4
women Parliamentarians namely Pilavullakandi Thekkeparambil Usha (PT Usha), Phangnon Konyak, Fauzia
Khan(Maharashtra) and Sulata Deo(Odisha) to the panel of vice-chairpersons of Rajya Sabha. The panel has
totally 8 members and this for the first time in the history of Rajya Sabha (the Upper House of the Indian
Parliament) has given equal representation to women.
Phangnon Konyak from Nagaland became the first woman from Nagaland to be nominated to the vice-
chairperson’s panel.
She is also the first woman from Nagaland to be elected as a Member of Rajya Sabha and the 2nd Woman
from Nagaland to be elected to either the House of Parliament or the state Assembly.
PT Usha became the first nominated MP in Rajya Sabha to be nominated to the panel of Vice Chairpersons.
Note: The Vice Chairpersons, conduct the proceedings of the House when the Chairman and Deputy
Chairman are not available.
The Geographical Indications Registry has issued the Geographical Indication (GI) tag certificate to the
Authoor Betel Leaves (Authoor Vetrilai) of Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu.
The tag was facilitated by the Tamil Nadu State Agriculture Marketing Board and NABARD(National Bank
For Agriculture And Rural Development) Madurai Agribusiness Incubation Forum(MABIF) is registered in
the name of Authoor Vattara Vetrilai Vivasayigal Sangam.
The Ministry of Finance, Government of India(GoI) has approved Employees’ Provident Fund
Organisation (EPFO)’s Central Board of Trustees’ recommendation to set the annual interest
rate of 8.15% on Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) accounts for the financial year 2022-2023(FY23).

The current rate is 0.05% higher than 8.10% in FY22(4 Decades low interest rate)
The 8th Mission Innovation Ministerial (MI-8) and 14th Clean Energy Ministerial(CEM-14), hosted by the
Ministry of Power and Department of Science and Technology, took place alongside the 4th Energy Transitions
Working Group (ETWG) meeting under India’s Group 20 (G20) Presidency held in Goa from 19th July 2023 to
22 July, 2023.
The theme for the year 2023 is ‘Advancing Clean Energy Together’.
The 4th ETWG Meeting was chaired by Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Power.
The Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a Public Sector Undertakings under the Ministry of Power,
signed 15 Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) worth Rs 700 crore, on the sidelines of the recently
concluded G20 Green Energy Ministerial in Goa…click here for full detail
ITC Limited, a leading Indian multi-business enterprise based in Kolkata, West Bengal, has released a
special postal stamp, a "Customised My Stamp” on Mission Millet in collaboration with the Department of
Post(India Post) under the Ministry of Communication.The stamp was released by Kailash Choudhary, Minister
of State (MoS) for the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare(MoA&FW).
My Stamp’ is the brand name for personalized sheets of Postage Stamps of India Post.Customized My Stamp
is a personalized sheet of Postage Stamps wherein the corporate, organizations and institutions can get
their customized sheets printed from India Post.
India is the largest millet producer in the world.
Ministry of Finance announced that there will be no changes in the rate of Tax Collection at Source
(TCS) for all purposes under Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) and for overseas travel tour packages,
regardless of the mode of payment, for amounts up to Rs.7 lakh per individual per annum.
It was also announced that more time will be provided for the implementation of the revised TCS rates and
also for the inclusion of credit card payments in LRS.
No change in TCS rates for all purposes under LRS & for overseas travel tour packages.
The government has postponed the implementation of its 16th May 2023 e-gazette notification which
brought credit card expenses under LRS.
According to the Export data released by the government of India for FY23 (financial year ended in March
2023), Tamil Nadu (TN) becomes India’s leading exporter of electronic goods in FY23, with exports reaching
USD5.37 billion (bn), nearly triple the export of FY22 (USD 1.86 bn).
Tamil Nadu is followed by Uttar Pradesh (UP) in the 2nd place with export worth USD 4.90 bn and
Karnataka in 3rd place with USD 4.52 bn.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce &
Industry, notified 2 new Quality Control Orders (QCOs) on Potable Water Bottles and Flame-Producing Lighters
to enhance public health and safety of consumers. DPIIT has developed 64 new QCOs covering 317 product
standards in partnership with the BIS.
Flame – Producing Lighters (Quality Control) Order, 2023 - It mandates compulsory certification under
IS for ‘Safety Specification for Lighters’, and ‘Safety Specifications for Utility Lighters’, for the Flame lighters
manufactured for domestic market or imported into India. There are two types of lighters available are
Flame and Spark type.
Potable Water Bottles (Quality Control) Order, 2023 - It mandates compulsory certification under the
appropriate Indian Standard (IS) for the production and import of potable water bottles made of copper,
stainless steel, or aluminium…Click here to know the updated IS detail…
Union Cabinet approved amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) MMDR
Act of 1957, for the commercial mining of 6 critical minerals: lithium, titanium, beryllium, zirconium, niobium
and tantalum.
This is the 5th amendment to the act since 2014. Earlier amendments authorised e-auction for minerals and
enabled the extension of expiring mine leases.
The proposal will remove the six minerals from India’s ‘Atomic Minerals’ list and empower the Center to
auction their reserves for mining by private players.

The amendment proposes for an exploration licence, awarded through an auction to carry out
reconnaissance(exploration) and prospecting of a particular land for a mineral.
Union Cabinet also cleared amendments to the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and
Regulation)(OAMDR) Act, 2002, which allows commercial mining of mineral resources in offshore areas.
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation’s (MoSPI) Standing Committee on Economic
Statistics (SCES), tasked with examining economic indicators, will be replaced by a Standing Committee on
Statistics (SCoS), to review the framework and results of surveys conducted for the National Statistical Office
(NSO).
The new Standing Committee on Statistics (SCoS) will have a more extensive mandate. Unlike the SCES, the
SCoS will not only focus on economic indicators but will also review the framework and outcomes of all
surveys conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO).
Pronab Sen, India’s first chief statistician and the former chairman of the National Statistical Commission
(NSC), has been named the chairman of the SCoS.
International Energy Agency (IEA), Paris (France)-based autonomous organization, in collaboration
with Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) under the administration of Ministry of Petroleum and
Natural Gas (MoPNG) launched the Oil 2023 medium-term market report titled IEA Oil 2023 – Supply and
demand dynamics to 2028 in Delhi for oil supply and demand.
The Oil 2023 medium-term market report forecasts that based on current government policies and market
trends, global oil demand will rise by 6% between 2022 and 2028 to reach 105.7 million barrels per day
(mb/d).
The Oil 2023 medium-term market report finds that growth of global oil demand is set to decline, almost
stop by 2028…Click here for complete report..
The NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) has released the Techno-Commercial
Readiness and Market Maturity Matrix (TCRM Matrix) framework under the NITI Working Paper series titled
“A NEW LENS FOR INNOVATION IN NEW INDIA –Introducing The Techno-Commercial Readiness and Market
Maturity Matrix,” aimed at promoting Innovation and Entrepreneurship in India.
The framework is a pioneering assessment tool designed to revolutionize technology evaluation, foster
innovation, and fuel entrepreneurship in India.
Rajasthan cabinet chaired by Chief Minister (CM) Ashok Gehlot introduced the Rajasthan Minimum
Guaranteed Income Bill, 2023 aimed to provide social security to individuals and households of Rajasthan.The
Bill focuses on 3 main areas such as Right to Minimum Guaranteed Income, Right to Guaranteed Employment
and Right to Guaranteed Social Security Pension.
These social security schemes were implemented by the Government of India’s United Progressive Alliance
(UPA) through Rights-based Laws such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(MGNREGA), Right to Education (RTE) and Food Security Act.
Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved a bill amending IIM Act to include
the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) in Mumbai as the 21st Indian Institute of Management
(IIM).
The amendment will rename NITIE Mumbai as IIM Mumbai. Maharashtra is set to become the first state to
have two IIMs, which includes IIM Nagpur, established by the Government of India in 2015, and newly
designated IIM Mumbai.
The first two IIMs, IIM Calcutta and IIM Ahmedabad, were established in November 1961 and December
1961.
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) founded in 12th July 1982,celebrated
its 42nd Foundation Day.
Amit Shah, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation was the chief guest of the event held at
Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, Delhi.The day was marked by a series of events throughout the country,
including a webinar on the theme of “NABARD: 42 Years of Rural Transformation.”

NABARD has launched credit delivery mechanism like Kisan Credit Card (KCC), Joint Liability Group (JLG) ,
Self Help Groups (SHG) , Banking Correspondents, improving the rural infrastructure through Rural
infrastructure development fund (RIDF), improving the financial health of co-operative banks & Regional
Rural Banks (RRB) etc.
The Central Government has implemented a key provision of the Competition (amendment) Act 2023
that vests power of appointment of Director General- DG (Investigation) in the Competition Commission of
India (CCI).
Concurrently, it also has modified existing recruitment rules Competition CCI (Director General)
Recruitment Rules, 2009 to change the composition of the Search-cum-Selection Committee for
appointment of DG.
Earlier, the Search-cum-Selection Committee was headed by Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA).
Now, upon the vesting of power in CCI, the Search-cum-Selection Committee will now be headed by
Chairperson CCI and will have two Members, one each to be nominated by MCA and Central Government
(expert-person of eminence).
These changes follow the recommendation of the Competition Law Review Committee (CLRC) which aims
to address the issue of the Director General’s direct accountability to the Central Government instead of the
CCI.
One District One Product (ODOP) program, an initiative under the Department for Promotion of
Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry partnered with the Government of
Gujarat in New Delhi, Delhi, with the aim to foster the promotion of the indigenous crafts and artisans of the
state.
By implementing product tagging and story cards, the aim of the collaboration will be achieved.
ODOP-Gujarat presents an extensive array of 68 distinctive products, encompassing a diverse range from
traditional crafts (like Gamthi Block print and Mata-ni-Pachedi) to agricultural commodities (like
groundnuts and cumin).
JUNE 2023
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has approved the acceptance of e-Bank Guarantee
(BG) and Insurance Surety Bonds as a bid security and performance security in standard documents (Request
for Proposal (RFP) and Model concession Agreement (MCA)) of Engineering, Procurement, and Construction
(EPC), Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) and Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) (Toll) projects.
This decision follows recent amendments by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance in General
Financial Rules (GFRs) 2017 relating to inclusion of e-BG and Insurance Surety Bonds as means to accept
bid security and performance security.
Galaxeye Space Solutions Pvt Ltd (Galaxeye Space), a space-tech startup incubated by the Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT) Madras, (Chennai, Tamil Nadu), is developing the world’s first multi-sensor earth
observation satellite namely ‘Drishti‘incorporating a visible spectrum camera that allows synchronized
imaging, capable of capturing multiple images simultaneously.
The startup is going to launch “Drishti mission”, its first satellite, in 2024.
It will be India’s first and the world’s highest-resolution multi-sensor imaging satellite.
The Government of India has taken 5 important decisions revolving around Primary Agricultural Credit
Societies (PACS), a basic unit and the smallest cooperative credit institution in India that works on the
grassroots level (gram panchayat and village level).
5 decisions: There are about 1 lakh Primary Agricultural Credit Cooperative Societies present across India.
On the basis of mapping, PACS which are not functioning as fertiliser retailers will be identified and
encouraged to function as retailers on the basis of feasibility in a phased manner.
PACS which are not currently functioning as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samridhi Kendras (PMKSK) will be
brought under the scope of PMKSK.
PMKSK will serve the needs of the farmers in India and provide agri-inputs (fertilisers, seeds, implements)
including testing facilities for soil, seeds and fertilisers.

PACS will be connected with the marketing of organic fertilisers, especially Fermented organic Manure
(FoM) or Liquid Fermented Organic Manure (LFOM) or Phosphate-enriched Organic Manure (PROM).
PACS can also be employed as drone entrepreneurs for spraying fertilisers and pesticides. Drones can also
be used for the survey of the property.
Fertiliser companies will act as an aggregator for small bio-organic producers to market the end product,
under the Market Development Assistance (MDA) scheme of the Department of Fertilisers. PACS will also
be included as wholesalers/retailers in this supply and marketing chain of bio-organic fertilisers.
On the event organised as a part of the Global Wind Day 2023 (15th June 2023) in New Delhi, Delhi,
Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy(MoNRE) felicitated Rajasthan,
Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu (TN) for being the top achiever during the financial year(FY) 2022-2023.
Rajasthan was honoured for achieving the highest wind capacity addition.
Gujarat was honoured for achieving the highest wind capacity addition through open access.
Tamil Nadu was honoured for initiating the repowering of wind turbines.
Jettwings Airways, a Guwahati (Assam)-based airline received the No objection certificate (NOC) from the
Ministry of civil Aviation (MoCA) to operate as ‘Schedule Commuter Air Transport Services‘ in the
North eastern regions of India and aims to begin its services from October 2023.
With this, Jetwing’s becomes the first-ever company from the Northeast region to start airline operations in
India.
‘Government of India – United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-
2027’ (GoI-UNSDCF 2023-2027) was signed between the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI)
Aayog and United Nations (UN) office in India.
Aligned with India’s national development vision, GoI-UNSDCF 2023-2027 is a collaborative effort of the UN
Development System (UNDS) for India to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while
promoting gender equality, youth empowerment, and human rights.
It is structured around four strategic pillars: People, Prosperity, Planet, and Participation.
These pillars are inspired by the 2030 Agenda.
The framework focuses on six outcome areas derived from above mentioned four interlinked pillars.
These outcome areas are Health and Well Being, Nutrition and Food Security, Quality Education, Economic
Growth and Decent Work, Environment, Climate, Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and Resilience, and
Empowering People, Communities, and Institutions.
To deepen cooperation, the GoI-UNSDCF will emphasize SDG localisation and South-South cooperation for
the first time.
This approach aligns with India’s commitment to accelerating the SDGs and its leadership in promoting
South-South cooperation and showcasing Indian development models on a global scale.
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has collaborated with Falguni Shah (Falu), an Indian-American
singer-songwriter, who is also a Grammy Award winner for a special song named ‘Abundance in Millets’ to
promote the benefits of millet and its potential to alleviate world hunger.
The single track ‘Abundance in Millets’ which was performed by Falu along with her husband (singer)
Gaurav Shah was released on June 16, 2023, on every streaming platform.
The song which highlights the benefits of millet was written in English and Hindi and made accessible to
everybody.
Falu received the Grammy Award for Best Children’s Album in 2022 for her album ‘A Colorful World’.
Government of India(GoI) withdrew the draft of the Live-stock and Live-stock Products [Importation and
Exportation] Bill, 2023, based on the objections from the section of the people including animal activists and
religious groups.
This Bill was “re-enactment” of the present Live-stock importation Act (1898), and Live-stock Importation
(Amendment) Act of 2001.
The Department of Justice (DoJ) under the Ministry of Law & Justice, Government of India (GoI) has
partnered with National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and Common Services Centres (CSC) electronic

governance (e-Governance) Service India Limited for mainstreaming legal aid to the marginalised
communities through the system of Tele–Law.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has published IS 18267: 2023 on ‘Food Serving Utensils Made
from Agri By-Products – Specification’, aimed at reducing plastic pollution and promoting sustainability.
The IS 18267: 2023 lays down the norms to make disposable utensils free from harmful additives and
contributes towards environmental safety, conserve natural resources, promote a circular economy.
Government of India (GoI) has introduced two changes to the prevailing power tariff system, through an
amendment to the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020.
The changes are: introduction of Time of Day (ToD) Tariff, and rationalization of smart metering
provisions.
Under the ToD Tariff system, Tariff during solar hours (duration of eight hours in a day as specified by the
State Electricity Regulatory Commission) of the day shall be 10%-20% less than the normal tariff, while
the tariff during peak hours will be 10 to 20 percent higher.
ToD tariff would be applicable for Commercial and Industrial consumers having Maximum demand of 10
KW and above, from 1st April, 2024 and for all other consumers except agricultural consumers, latest from
1st April, 2025.
ToD tariff should be made effective immediately after installation of smart meters, for the consumers with
smart meters.
Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA & FW) in New Delhi, Delhi has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pixxel Space India Pvt. Ltd. based in Bengaluru, Karnataka to
develop geospatial solutions for the Indian agriculture ecosystem on a free of cost basis using Pixxel’s
hyperspectral dataset.
Government of India (GoI) has extended the timeline for the disbursement of loans for the completion
of ethanol projects up to 30 September 2023 in a move to strengthen ethanol production in India under the
‘scheme for extending financial assistance to sugar mills for augmentation of ethanol production capacity’.
On the occasion of United Nations (UN)’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Day 2023 (27th
June 2023), FaMe TN (Facilitating MSMEs of Tamil Nadu Government), erstwhile MSME Trade and Investment
Promotion Bureau, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the SIDBI (Small Industries
Development Bank of India) to attract investments worth Rs. 1,510 Crore to provide jobs for 7,400 people.
This was a part of the investments worth Rs 1,723.05 crore which were confirmed at the MSME Day
function held under the chairmanship of Tamil Nadu (TN) Chief Minister (CM) M K Stalin in Chennai, Tamil
Nadu.
Geographical Indication Registry (Chennai, Tamil Nadu-TN) under the Department of Industry
Promotion and Internal Trade (DIPIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), has recognised 7
Handicrafts products from Uttar Pradesh with Geographical Indication (GI) Tag. The 7 products are
Amroha Dholak.
Kalpi Handmade Paper.
Baghpat Home Furnishings.
Barabanki Handloom Product.
Mahoba Gaura Patthar Hastashlip.
Mainpuri Tarkashi.
Sambhal Horn Craft.
Andhra Pradesh (AP) Chief Minister (CM) Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the ‘Jagananna Amma Vodi‘
scheme for the 4th year, to disburse financial assistance of Rs 6,393 crore to around 43 lakh beneficiaries, at
Kurupam in Parvathipuram Manyam district, AP.
MAY 2023
Union Government has extended the deadline for obtaining the mandatory electric vehicle (EV) battery
safety test certification from the Ministry of Heavy Industries by six months till October 1, 2023 from April 1,
2023.

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) under the Ministry of Science & Technology (MoST)
and Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), Ministry of Defense of the State of
Israel, signed a Multi-Sectoral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Industrial Research and
Development Cooperation focusing on several key technology areas.
The Department of Expenditure (DoE), Ministry of Finance, has launched the scheme, ‘Vivad se Vishwas I
– Relief to MSMEs’ for providing relief to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) for COVID-19 period.
According to the ‘National Manufacturing Innovation Survey (NMIS) 2021-22: Summary for Policymakers’, a joint
study by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the United Nations Industrial Development
Organization (UNIDO), Karnataka has topped the Indian Manufacturing Innovation Index (IMII) ranking 2022
with an IMII score of 33.41, followed by Dadra and Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu (DNH&DD) (32.88),
Telangana (32.86), and Tamil Nadu-TN (32.54).
The survey was conducted for a period of financial years 2017-2020 in 28 states and 6 Union Territories
(UTs), covering manufacturing and related service sector and MSMEs (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises).
It was a follow-up of the DST’s first National Innovation Survey held in 2011. The survey had two specific
components: the Firm-Level Survey and the Sectorial Systems of Innovation (SSI) survey.
The responses obtained from the firm-level survey have been converted into an index, the India
Manufacturing Innovation Index (IMII) for comparison across the 28 states and 6 UTs of India.
The Indian manufacturing sector has an overall IMII score of 28.17.
The Union Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW), Government of India, has set a target of
332 million (3320 lakh) tonnes of production of foodgrains for the 2023-2024 crop year (July 2023-June 2024).
MoA&FW’s target includes the production of 29.25 MT of pulses, 44 MT of oilseed, and 17 MT of millets.
The nationwide AHDF KCC Campaign for 2023-24 has been launched by Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister
for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (FAHD) to provide Kisan Credit Card (KCC) facility to all eligible
farmers engaged in Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fishery (AHDF) Farmers.
The Nationwide AHDF KCC Campaign is organised by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying in
association with the Department of Fisheries (DOF) and the Department of Financial Services (DFS) from 1st
May 2023 to 31st March 2024.
The Union Ministry of Finance notified changes in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002,
widening its ambit to include the financial transactions facilitated by the Chartered Accountants(CA), Company
Secretaries(CS), and Cost and Works Accountants (CWA).
The NITI Aayog (National Institute for Transforming India) in collaboration with the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) released the ‘Best Practices in Social Sector: A Compendium,
2023’ which is a compilation of 75 initiatives of the Centre and the states/ Union Territories (UTs) in the
social sector.
Out of the 75 initiatives, 14 have been launched by the Union government, two are joint initiatives by the
Centre and the state governments, while the rest are from 26 states and UTs.
Number of Best Practices in Social Sector:
Union Government 14
Union and State Government Joint initiatives 2
Karnataka 6
Assam, Madhya Pradesh 5 each
NCT of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh 4 each
Jharkhand, Odisha, Rajasthan 3 each
Andaman and Nicobar, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana,

2 each
Uttarakhand, Manipur

Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Chandigarh, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh,
1 each
Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Tripura, Nagaland
9th May 2023 marks the 8th anniversary of the three major social security (Jan Suraksha)
schemes, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima
Yojana (PMSBY) and Atal Pension Yojana (APY).
Union Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman stated that till 26th April 2023, 16.2 crore, 34.2 crore and
5.2 crore enrolments have been done under PMJJBY, PMSBY & APY respectively. The total enrollment
under all three schemes are 55.6 crore.
The Ministry of Finance (MoF) reduced the threshold of the turnover of the companies that are
mandated to generate electronic or e-invoicing for all business-to-business (B2B) transactions to Rs 5
crore (from Rs 10 crore) with effect from August 1, 2023.
Prevailing Case: Currently, businesses with a turnover of Rs 10 crore and above are generating e-invoice
for all B2B transactions.
The e-Invoicing system under Goods and Services Tax (GST) law was implemented from 1st October 2020
for taxpayers with an aggregate turnover exceeding Rs.500 crore.
According to the data released by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, as of May 10, 2023, 50% of the total villages in
India achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus status under Phase II of the Swachh Bharat Mission –
Gramin (SBM-G).
So far more than 2.96 lakh villages have declared themselves ODF Plus, which is a significant step towards
achieving the SBM-G phase II goals by 2024-25.
The top performing states in terms of percentage of ODF Plus villages are as follows:
Among big states – Telangana (100%), Karnataka (99.5%), Tamil Nadu (97.8%) & Uttar Pradesh (95.2%)
Among small states – Goa (95.3%) and Sikkim (69.2%)
Among UTs – Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra Nagar Haveli & Daman Diu and Lakshadweep have 100%
ODF Plus Model villages.
Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, co-chaired the 6th India-Canada Ministerial
Dialogue on Trade and Investment (MDTI) along with Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export
Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Government of Canada, in Ottawa, Canada.
During the meeting, the Ministers highlighted the trade and economic relationship between Canada and
India and recognised the significant opportunity to deepen bilateral ties and economic partnership.
6th India-Canada MDTI was focused on various themes such as strengthening the Bilateral Trade
Relationship between India and Canada, Investment Promotion and Cooperation, Green Transition
including Critical Minerals discussion and New Areas of Cooperation such as promoting B2B (Business-to-
Business) engagements.
In 2022, the India-Canada bilateral trade in goods reached about USD 8.2 billion, registering a 25% growth
compared to 2021.
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) has secured the second position among 66 ministries
with an score of 4.7 (out of 5) in the highly influential ‘Data Governance Quality Index (DGQI) assessment for
2022-2023 Q3 (Third Quarter of FY23)’.
DGQI Assessment for FY23 was conducted by Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), an
attached office of NITI Aayog.
The members of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) unanimously adopted India’s proposal to
support the development and adoption of India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) like Aadhaar, Unified
Payments Interface (UPI) and DigiLocker.
The proposal was adopted during the meeting between the Information and Communication Technology
(ICT) Ministers of SCO member states chaired by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Ministry of
Communications and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India.
Union Government (Govt) plans to develop the Indian Carbon Market (ICM) where a national framework
will be established to decarbonise the Indian economy by pricing the Green House Gas (GHG) emissions
through trading of the carbon credit certificates.

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency, under the Ministry of Power (MoP), along with the Ministry of
Environment, Forest & Climate Change(MoEF&CC) is developing the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme for the
ICM.
India and Bangladesh launched a ‘50 start-ups exchange programme’, under which 50 Start-ups from
Bangladesh and 50 Start-ups from India were planned to exchange visits to each other’s countries for exploring
partnerships, expanding business relations, sharing experience and knowledge and expand youth and
entrepreneurial cooperation.
Tamil Nadu (TN) Chief Minister (CM) Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin (M. K. Stalin) inaugurated a 570
metres long and 4.2-metre wide Skywalk Bridge connecting the Mambalam railway station and T Nagar bus
terminus in Chennai, TN.
The inaugurated sidewalk bridge is the longest skywalk in Tamil Nadu and it is considered one of the
longest skywalks in India.
The Government of India (GoI) has formulated rules under the provision of section 40 of the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act 2016 to establish the standards of accessibility for persons with
disabilities (Divyangjan or PwDs).
Under this provision of section 40 of the RPwD Act 2016, 20 ministries are involved in making Accessibility
guidelines/standards for their respective sector.
The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), under the Ministry of Social
Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE), will regularly monitor the formulations of these guidelines or
standards.
Regular review meetings are undertaken at various levels. A recent review of the progress was conducted
by the MoSJE.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has announced a new initiative titled ‘NEP
SAARTHI (Student Ambassador for Academic Reforms in Transforming Higher Education in India)’ to involve
students in the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Objective: To create an environment where students could engage and participate to make effective use of
the provisions of NEP 2020.
UGC has instructed all vice-chancellors, directors and principals of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to
nominate 3 students from their institutions to be considered as NEP SAARTHIs along with a brief write-up
justifying the nomination.
The UGC will select 300 NEP SAARTHIs from among the nominees and the selected students will be given
orientation and guided on how to carry out their roles effectively in hybrid mode.
Nominations are open till June 2023. The NEP SAARTHIs will be announced in July 2023.
Ladakh’s annual five-day group prayer camp of Buddhist monks and nuns
named ‘Ladakh Monlam Chenmo 2023’ which is also called as Great Prayer Festival was held from May 11 to
16, 2023 in Leh (Ladakh) for world peace and happiness.
Union Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the 6 States Governments
of Assam, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh (MP), Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh (UP) to initiate the digital
crop survey.
The agreement was signed during the National Conference of State Agriculture Secretaries & State
Revenue Secretaries on Digital Crop Survey, which was organised by the Ministry of Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) in New Delhi, Delhi to discuss with the state governments for the
implementation of digital crop survey plan.
A manual for web portal and mobile application for digital crop survey was also unveiled.
The Girijan Cooperative Corporation (GCC) has received the National Programme for Organic
Production (NPOP) certificate for the coffee and pepper GCC purchases from the tribal coffee farmers of the
Chintapalli division, Andhra Pradesh (AP).
The certificate was granted by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development
Authority (APEDA) of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI).
National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released
its 18th quarterly Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) bulletin for January-March 2023 (Q4FY23).

As per it, India’s urban unemployment rate (UR) in Current Weekly Status (CWS) terms for persons aged 15
years and above declined to 6.8% during Q4FY23 from 7.2% in Q3FY23.
The unemployment rate was 8.2% during January-March 2022.
UR in CWS among the male population in urban areas declined to 6% as compared to 6.5% in Q3FY23.
For all age groups, the highest UR was seen in Himachal Pradesh (HP) which stood at 15.2%.
It is followed by Chhattisgarh at 12.5% in 2nd place, and Jammu and Kashmir-J&K (12.4%) at 3rd place.
The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) in CWS for males was 73.5% from 73.3% in
Q3FY23.
The Worker Population Ratio (WPR) in % in CWS for males increased to 69.1% as compared to 68.6%
Q3FY23.
IMPORTANT ONE LINER

SEPTEMBER 2023
Chennai(Tamil Nadu) based Geographical Indications Registry has granted Geographical Indication(GI)
tags to Bhaderwah Rajmash(Red kidney beans) and Ramban Sulai Honey of Jammu & Kashmir(J&K) and
Chokuwa rice(Magic Rice) of Assam.
Geographical Indications Registry has granted Geographical Indication(GI) tags to Odisha’s ‘Koraput
Kalajeera Rice’, which is also known as the 'Prince of Rice'.
Geographical Indications Registry(GIR) has granted Geographical Indication(GI) tags to ‘Atreyapuram
Pootharekulu’, a sweet made of rice and jaggery from Andhra Pradesh and registered under the ‘Food Stuffs’
category.
Researchers from the Department of Marine Biology of the Cochin University of Science and Technology
(Cusat) in Cochin, Kerala, have identified a new species of a marine tardigrade, "Batillipes kalami" from
intertidal beach sediments of the Mandapam coast in Ramanathapuram (southeast) Tamil Nadu (TN).
AUGUST 2023
President of India Draupadi Murmu inaugurated the ‘Unmesha’ – International Literature Festival &
‘Utkarsh’ – National Festival of Folk and Tribal Performing Arts, to promote inclusivity and cultural diversity at
Ravindra Bhavan in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) collaborated with the World Bank to develop a
roadmap for for Hydrogen transmission in Natural Gas (NG) pipelines and City Gas Distribution (CGD)
networks.
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi declared that 23rd August of every year will be observed as
“National Space Day” in India to commemorate the soft landing of Chandrayaan 3 on the Moon.
PM Narendra Modi announced that the spot, where, the moon lander of Chandrayaan-3, landed on the
lunar surface will be known as ‘Shivshakti’ Point & the point on the Moon where Chandrayaan-2 crash
landed in 2019 will be called as ‘Tiranga Point‘.
JULY 2023
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has become the first Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) in
India to get certified for Anti-Bribery Management System (ABMS) by M/s InterCert USA, an international
accredited certification body in the United States of America (USA).
Delhi International Airport, also known as the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport has become the
first airport in India to get four runways and dual Eastern Cross Taxiway (ECT) (elevated taxiways).
Former Union minister and senior Punjab BJP leader Vijay Sampla resigned from the post of chairperson
of National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC).
JUNE 2023
Google announced a collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
to enhance MeitY’s ‘G20-Stay Safe Online’: A Campaign for Cyber Safety’ to create citizen awareness on
online cyber safety in India.

Raja Parba of Odisha, also known as Swing Festival, is an annual 3 day festival celebrated during the month
of Asadha (usually starts on 14th June and ends on 16th June) dedicated to honouring Earth and celebrating
womanhood.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) interacted with the
representatives from the Indian Footwear Industry in New Delhi, Delhi, and decided to implement ‘Footwear
Made from Leather and Other Materials (Quality Control) Order, 2022’ on 24 footwear products (those
made with rubber and polymeric material and other components) from July 1, 2023.
Tangsa, the traditional tribal community of Arunachal Pradesh (AP) celebrated the annual festival ‘Wihu
Kuh’ in June 2023.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) partnered with the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-
National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) to empower women to make well-informed career choices in
the field of entrepreneurship.
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) extended the deadline for ‘Development of Solar Parks and
Ultra-Mega Solar Power Projects’ by two years i.e. till 2026.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) discontinued its two autonomous
bodies, Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) and Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB), as well as its internal
division namely Food and Nutrition Board (FNB).
The Ministry of Culture signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Canara Bank to streamline the
process and disbursal of financial assistance to veteran artists on monthly basis under the “Scheme for
Financial Assistance for Veteran Artists”.
Mahindra Last Mile Mobility (LMM), a division of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M), becomes first firm to
receive the Automotive PLI certificate under the Rs. 25,938-crore production-linked incentive scheme for
automobiles (PLI-AUTO).
India has been removed from an annual report on the impact of armed conflict on children, by UN Secretary
General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres on the impact of conflict in view of the measures taken by the government to
better protect children.
MAY 2023
The Minister of State (MoS) Shantanu Thakur, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways flagged off MV-
ITT LION (V-273) from Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (West Bengal), a first shipment to operationalize
the Sittwe Port in the Rakhine State of Myanmar.
The Urban Development Department and Lucknow Smart City launched the ‘School Health
Program’ making Uttar Pradesh (UP) the first Indian state to make digital health cards for children.
TARGET
The Government of India (GoI) advanced its target to achieve 20 percent ethanol blending in petrol from
2030 to 2025-26.
While addressing the Global CBG (Compressed BioGas) Conference of the Indian Federation of Green
Energy (IFGE) – CBG Producers Forum, Union Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri, Ministry of Petroleum and
Natural Gas (MoP&NG) stated regarding GoI’s initiative to increase the usage of biofuels in the energy and
transportation sectors via National Policy on Biofuels, 2018.
The GoI has set a target to increase the share of gas in the energy mix up to 15 per cent in 2030 to make
India a Gas based economy.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
SEPTEMBER 2023
The United Nations (UN) Committee on the Rights of the Child issued new guidelines ,formally known
as “General Comment No. 26(2023),” which calls for the governments of the member states to take action to
protect the children’s rights against the increasing climate crisis.
This marks the first time the committee has affirmed Children’s rights to live in a clean, healthy and
sustainable environment.
During its 93rd session, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has officially adopted
General Comment No. 26 (2023).
The guidelines provide a comprehensive interpretation of State obligations under the UN Convention on
the Rights of the Child, which has been ratified by 196 countries.
The treaty, adopted in 1989, outlines children’s rights, including life, health, clean drinking water, and
survival and development.
According to Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s 2023 Trade Finance Gaps, Growth and Jobs Survey (8th
edition), the global trade finance gap rose to USD 2.5 trillion in 2022 (10% of global merchandise trade) from
USD 1.7 trillion in 2020 and USD 1.5 trillion in 2018.
This indicates that the global economy is still struggling to rebound from the effects of COVID -19 pandemic.
After COVID-19 pandemic global goods exports grew at 26.6% in 2021 and 11.5% in 2022. Because of this,
there was a greater need for financial support for trade.
However, it became harder to get this financial help from ADB due to increased economic uncertainties.
India has been recognised as an authority to issue internationally accepted OIML (International
Organization of Legal Metrology) pattern approval certificates for selling weights & measures anywhere in
the world.
With this India becomes the 13th country in the world that can issue OIML certificates.
Department of Consumer Affairs under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs will now issue the OIML
certificates.
India and Russia have agreed to provide training for Indian seafarers in polar and arctic waters at
Russia's Maritime Training Institute in Vladivostok of Russia named after GI Admiral Nevelsky.
The decision was made during a meeting between India's Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and
Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, and Russia's Minister for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic,
A.O. Chekunkov, in Vladivostok.
Union Minister Sonowal also participated in the 8th Eastern Economic Forum held in Vladivostok in Russia
from 10th to 13th September 2023.
India also invited Russia to participate in the Global Maritime India Summit 2023, set to be held from 17th
to 19th October in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Santiniketan in West Bengal(WB) became the 41st and Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas became the
42nd to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage list.
Both were listed under the Cultural heritage category.
This was announced during the 45th extended session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO being
held in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 10 to 25 September 2023.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) have signed a Statement of Intent(SoI) to use International Standards as a tool in
advancing the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).
The collaboration also aims to develop the first international standard for the SDGs based on UNDP’s SDG
Impact Standards and relevant ISO standards.
The partnership is in alignment with SDG17 - Partnerships for Goals.

AUGUST 2023
Iraq becomes the 18th country recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) for eliminating
trachoma as a public health problem.
It is also the 5th country in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region to achieve this feat. It is also
acknowledged by the WHO as the 50th country for eliminating at least one Neglected Tropical Disease
(NTD), globally.
This represents reaching the halfway mark to the 100-country target set for 2030 in the 2021–2030 NTD
road map that targets the prevention, control elimination and eradication of 20 diseases and disease
groups.
India has pledged to support USD 700,000 from the India-United Nations Development Partnership
(UNDP) Fund to the project in Tuvalu, a Pacific island nation for clean water initiatives and community
development in schools.
India will provide funding support for the “Motufoua Concrete Water Cistern” project, initiated by the
Tuvalu Government.
The project aims to construct a concrete water cistern, at Tuvalu’s only public school called ‘Motufoua
Secondary School’.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Indonesia and India’s eGov Foundation have signed a
MoU to tackle the critical challenge of infectious medical waste management in Indonesia.It aims to utilize eGov
Foundation’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) – DIGIT (Digital Infrastructure for Governance, Impact &
Transformation) to implement a cohesive solution at speed and scale.
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Academy, based in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh joined the
International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) Global Academy Network as its 10th member through
a virtual signing ceremony organized between CBI and Interpol at Global Complex for Innovation, Singapore for
development and delivery of joint training program and research projects.
The INTERPOL Global Academy Network is under the leadership of INTERPOL’s Capacity Building and
Training Directorate, established in 2019.
India presented the Indian Navy’s Dornier 228 maritime surveillance aircraft to the Sri Lanka Air Force
(SALF) at the event in Katunayake SLAF Base, Colombo, SriLanka.
On the occasion of India’s 77th Independence Day celebration, the high commissioner of India, Gopal Baglay
ceremonially handed over the aircraft to Mr. Sagala Ratnayaka, the Chief of Staff and Senior Adviser to the
President on National Security.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) developed an open-source software called ‘National
Carbon Registry’.
This software enables countries to effectively manage national data and processes for trading carbon
credits.
The software has recently been accredited as a digital public good (DPG). As a DPG, the registry utilizes
open-source programming, allowing countries to reproduce and change the information to their own
requirements and contexts.
The 2nd edition of Namaste Vietnam Festival (Hello Việt Nam Festival) was held in the 3 southern cities
of Vietnam viz. Ho Chi Minh(HCM) City, Da Lat city(Central Highlands province) and Tuy Hoa city (south-
central coastal province) from 12th to 20th August 2023. The theme of the 2nd Namaste Vietnam Festival was
“People unite, warm friendship”.
It was jointly organised by the Indian Embassy, Consulate General of India in Vietnam under the aegis of
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India, IFFW (Indian Film Festival Worldwide) and Innovations India.
Anupam Kher’s The signature was the first ever world premier of a Hindi film in Vietnam.
As part of the 2nd Namaste Vietnam Festival, various seminars and meetings led to the signing of
Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth over USD 1 billion between Indian and Vietnam businesses.
The MoUs were signed across 3 major sectors: Railways, Tourism, and Cinema.
The Government of Canada hosted the 7th Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in
Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from 22-26 August 2023.
The assembly gathered environmental leaders from 185 countries. Ahmed Hussen, Minister of
International Development of Canada, was the chair and co-host of the 7th Assembly of GEF.

The assembly discussed environmental solutions under the overarching theme of “Healthy Planet, Healthy
People“, which signifies the need to work together in new ways, within and across countries and across
sectors, to heal the planet.
The assembly included the launch of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, a new source of funding for
protecting species and ecosystems globally.
Global Environment Facility (GEF) launched the new Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) designed
to mobilize and accelerate investment for the conservation and sustainability of wild species and
ecosystems globally.
GEF selected 23 civil society organizations as winners of its Inclusive GEF Assembly Challenge Program,
and the winning projects were announced during the 7th GEF Assembly held at the Vancouver Convention
Centre in Vancouver, Canada.
48 African countries have agreed to adopt the Kampala Ministerial Declaration on Migration,
Environment and Climate Change (KDMECC) to address climate change and human mobility challenges in
Africa and leverage the opportunities for sustainable development.
World Health Organization (WHO) launched 2 resources designed to strengthen suicide prevention
efforts. The 2 resources are
4th version of Preventing Suicide: a resource for media professionals (2023 update).
Policy briefs on the health aspects of decriminalization of suicide and suicide attempts.
The resources provide important guidance on two areas that are critical to suicide prevention efforts
namely Responsible reporting of suicide by the media and Decriminalization of suicide and suicide
attempts.
JULY 2023
World Bank on June 2023 issued an official approval for the Bank of Israel to join the International
Committee on Credit Reporting (ICCR).
World Bank (WB) with the support from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) created and
coordinated the ICCR in 2009.ICCR is the only recognized international standard setter and guideline issuer
on credit reporting.
The 3rd round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between India and Lao People’s Democratic
Republic (PDR) was held in Vientiane, Lao PDR. The FOC was co-chaired by Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East),
Ministry of External Affairs(MEA), India and Phoxay Khaykhamphithoune, Deputy Foreign Minister, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Lao PDR.
During the 3rd India-Lao FOC, 5 MoUs were signed between the 2 nations for the implementation of 5 Quick
Impact Projects (QIPs), in the fields of education, health, water facility and Information Technology (IT).
Discussions also covered mutual interests in regional and global issues, along with cooperation in
international forums such as the United Nations (UN), ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), and
Mekong Ganga Cooperation.About Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR): Capital– Vientiane and
Currency– Laotian Kip(Lao kip)
The United States of America (USA) re-joined as a member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) after 5 years.
The 193 member states of UNESCO met for an extraordinary session to examine the proposal of the USA to
rejoin UNESCO as early as July 2023, on the basis of a concrete financial plan, which includes a commitment
to repay its estimated arrears of USD 619 million. During the meet, 132 voted in favour, 10 voted against.
In 2017, the USA, during the presidency of Donald Trump, decided to withdraw from UNESCO.
India and Japan have recently solidified their strategic partnership with a Memorandum of Cooperation
(MoC) for the development of the UNICORN (UNIted COnbined Radio aNtenna) NORA-50 integration mast. The
MoC brings strategic partnership between two countries in the field of defence Technology.
This unique horn-shaped structure consolidates multiple antennas for tactical data link, TACAN (Tactical
Air Navigation), and communications, aiming to reduce radar cross-section (RCS) and enhance operational
capabilities.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health

(WOAH) , “the Quadripartite organisations”, launched “A One Health Priority Research Agenda for
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)” through a webinar.
The Research agenda aims to promot,e increased research and investment in AMR.
The global experts have identified five key pillars as well as three cross-cutting themes, namely gender,
vulnerable populations, and sustainability using a mixed Method approach.
The 5 key pillars are Transmission, Integrated surveillance, Interventions, Behavioural insights & change,
and Economics & policy.
The United States of America (USA) and India conducted “Operation Broader Sword”, a bilateral multi-
agency enforcement initiative, to identify illicit and illegal medical products shipped using the International
Mail System.
The operation held from 12th to 23rd June 2023 targeted shipments coming to the USA from India through
International Mail Facilities (IMFs) in John F Kennedy International Airport in New York, USA and O’Hare
International Airport, Chicago, USA.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that India has joined the champions group of the Global
Crisis Response Group (GCRG) at the invitation of Antonio Guterres, United Nations (UN) Secretary General
(SG), to Narendra Modi, Prime Minister (PM) of India.
Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West), MEA has been designated as Sherpa to the GCRG process. The decision to
join the Group reflects India’s increasing global leadership and commitment addressing contemporary
global challenges.
United Nations(UN) International Maritime Organisation (IMO) adopted the 2023 IMO Strategy at the
Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) on Reduction of Greenhouse gases (GHG) Emissions from
Ships, with enhanced targets to tackle harmful emissions.
The revised IMO GHG Strategy aims to reach net-zero GHG emissions from international shipping close to
2050.
IMO has also established a goal to adopt technologies, fuels, and energy sources with zero greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions, aiming for a minimum adoption rate of 5% and striving for a higher adoption rate of 10%
by the year 2030.
In a significant move aimed at strengthening trade and reducing dependency on the US dollar,
Bangladesh and India have initiated transactions in Rupees as India is the top export destination for
Bangladesh in Asia.
This marks the first time Bangladesh has engaged in bilateral trade with a foreign country outside the realm
of the US dollar. The exchange rate is based on Market Demand.
The transaction costs in trade with India would reduce with the introduction of the Taka (Currency of
Bangladesh)-Rupee dual currency card which was about to be launched in September 2023.
World Humanitarian Drive (WHD), an international non-governmental organization (NGO),
which promotes international education and trade, has been granted special consultative status by United
Nations (UN)’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
With this ECOSOC status, WHD will be authorised to interact actively with its subsidiary bodies, the Human
Rights Council, certain UN General Assembly (UNGA) sessions, other intergovernmental bodies, and the UN
Secretariat.
ECOSOC is the highest status granted to a NGO, which allows them to facilitate with the United Nations.
United Kingdom (UK) signed a deal to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-
Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a major Asia-Pacific trading bloc in New Zealand and became the first new
member and first European nation to join since it was formed in 2018.
Kemi Badenoch, the Business and Trade Secretary of the UK signed the treaty confirming UK’s accession
protocol for the CPTPP in New Zealand.
India and the United States of America (US) jointly launched a call for proposals on “Critical and
Emerging Technology: Quantum Technologies and Artificial Intelligence for Transforming Lives“.
The program was designed by the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) and the Secretariat for
USISTEF.

The objective is to promote technology innovation and entrepreneurship in commercially viable and
socially relevant areas.
The program worth USD 2million launched under the US-India Science and Technology Endowment Fund
(USISTEF) for the joint development and commercialization of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and quantum
technologies, and encouraged public-private collaborations to develop high performance computing (HPC)
facilities in India.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become the first Arab country to be granted observer status of the Asia-
Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG), the largest Financial Action Task Force-style regional body (FSRB)
in the world. The decision was made at the APG’s 2023 Annual Meeting and Technical Assistance and Training
Forum held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from 9-14 July 2023.
The UAE was named to the Financial Action Task Force list in 2022. The list denotes countries that are
working to address “strategic deficiencies” with regard to money laundering and illicit financing, which the UAE
has displayed via its participation in Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF).
JUNE 2023
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) elected five countries Algeria, Guyana, Republic of
Korea (South Korea), Sierra Leone and Slovenia as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council
(UNSC) for 2-year period beginning from January 2024 to December 2025.
The newly elected 5 countries will replace the outgoing non-permanent members of Albania, Brazil, Gabon,
Ghana and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), whose two-year terms end on 31st December 2023.
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted draft resolution which was introduced by India to
establish a memorial wall to honour fallen peacekeepers.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj revealed the draft resolution
which titled as ‘Memorial wall for fallen United Nations peacekeepers’ at UN General Assembly hall,United
Nations Headquarters in New York.
The US Green Building Council (USGBC) and Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) have notified that
the India as a global leader with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Zero green building
projects outperforming both the United States and China.
A Kerala-based startup, Farmers Fresh Zone (FarmersFZ), has been selected for the United Nations (UN)
Accelerator Programme hosted by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
India, Nepal, and Bangladesh have finalised the draft of a tripartite power trade agreement, the first of its
kind initiative for development to create greater energy connectivity across the neighbourhood.
United Nations(UN) adopted the first-ever legally binding international treaty, Biodiversity Beyond National
Jurisdiction Treaty (BBNJ treaty), also known as the “High Seas Treaty”, to protect the high seas and preserve
marine biodiversity in international waters.
According to the 2023 World Drug Report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC) on the occasion of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2023 (26th June
2023), globally around 296 million people used drugs in 2021, a 23% increase over the previous decade.
3 Multilateral Development Banks(MDB) — the African Development Bank (AfDB), European Investment
Bank (EIB), and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), have partnered with the World Health Organization
(WHO) to launch the new Health Impact Investment Platform.
This aims to strengthen and invest in climate and crisis-resilient Primary Healthcare Services (PHC) in low-
and low-and-middle-income countries (LICs and LMICs).
The Ministry of Defense (MoD), Governmnet of India(GoI) and the Department of Defense (DoD),
government of the United States of America(USA) officially launched the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration
Ecosystem (INDUS-X) at an event held in Washington DC, USA to expand the strategic technology partnership
and defence industrial cooperation between governments, businesses, and academic institutions.
According to Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings 2023, released on 22nd June 2023,
the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru (Karnataka) has emerged as the highest ranked Indian
Institute. IISc is ranked 48th on the overall list.

Among the 75 Indian Institutes featured on the list, only 18 are featured in the top 200, while 4 are in the
top 100 and only 1 in the top 50.
THE Asia University Rankings 2023: Asia’s Top 5
2023 rank Institution Country/region Overall score
1 Tsinghua University China 88.2
2 Peking University China 87.8
3 National University of Singapore Singapore 87.2
4 University of Hong Kong Hong Kong 80.1
5 Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Singapore 79.2
THE Asia University Rankings 2023: India’s Top 5
2023 2023 Overall
Rank Institute Rank
1 Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, Karnataka 48
2 JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysuru, Karnataka 68
Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences,
3 Bajhol, HP 77
4 Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala 95
International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-
5 H), Telangana 106
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations (UN)’s agency for Telecom has
approved the Bharat 6th Generation (6G) vision framework named “IMT-2030” at its 44th meeting of the ITU-R
WP 5D (ITU- Radiocommunication sector Working Party 5D) held in Geneva, Switzerland from June 12 to June
22, 2023.
During the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact held in Paris, France, World Bank announced a new and
expanded toolkit to support the countries towards crisis preparedness, response, and recovery.
During the summit, The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva
announced that IMF has reached its target of making USD 100 billion in special drawing rights (SDRs)
available for vulnerable nations.
MAY 2023
According to the report titled “Global Fintech 2023: Reimagining the Future of Finance”, jointly produced by
Boston Consulting Group(BCG) and QED Investors, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is expected to outpace
the United States of America(USA) and become the world’s top fintech market by 2030 with a projected
compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27%.
The fintech sector, which currently holds around 2% share of global financial services revenue, is estimated
to reach USD 1.5 trillion in annual revenue by 2030(a 6-fold growth), with banking-related fintech
representing 25% all banking valuations.
WHO (World Health Organisation) launched a new initiative called PRET (Preparedness and Resilience
for Emerging Threats) to ensure the world is prepared for future outbreaks like the Covid-19 pandemic.
In May 2023, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced the launch of a significant financing program,
the ‘Innovative Finance Facility for Climate in Asia and the Pacific’ (IF-CAP), to support Asia and the Pacific
region in the battle against climate change.
The announcement was made by Masatsugu Asakawa, President of ADB on the first day of the ADB’s
56th Annual Meeting in Incheon, South Korea.
What is IF-CAP: As Asia and the Pacific is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, such as hurricanes,
droughts, heat waves, floods, and sea-level rises. There is an immense climate financing gap that must be
filled to win the battle against climate change.

Initial Partners: IF-CAP’s initial partners are Denmark, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, the United
Kingdom, and the United States.
Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) has been ranked as the World’s Top Public/Private Business Incubators in
the 2nd edition of the UBI Global World Rankings of business incubators and accelerators (World Ranking
Report 21/22). KSUM was honoured for its role in making Kerala a vibrant Startup hub.
This report presents the Rankings and Recognitions derived from the World Benchmark Study 2021-
2022 conducted by UBI Global, a Swedish-based innovation intelligence company and community. This is
the 6th iteration of the study.
Other 1st Rankers:
Category Winner
Public/Private Business Incubator Kerala Startup Mission(KSUM), India
Public/Private Business Accelerator EIT Health Accelerator, Europe
University Business Incubator İTÜ Çekirdek, Türkiye
University Business Accelerator Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC) Belgium
According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN),
India has witnessed 573 disasters related to extreme weather, climate, and water events between 1970 and
2021.
These disasters resulted in 1,38,377 death and caused economic losses amounting to USD 18.3 billion.
A high-level dialogue on accelerating and scaling up action to ensure that early warning services reach
everyone on Earth by the end of 2027 was held during the event.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) launched a global network named The International Pathogen
Surveillance Network (IPSN) to help protect people from infectious disease threats like COVID-19 and share
the information to prevent their spread through the power of pathogen genomics.
VISITS
INDIAN VISITS
SEPTEMBER 2023
Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi paid an official visit to Jakarta, Indonesia from 6th to 7th
September 2023 at the invitation of Joko Widodo, President of the Republic of Indonesia.
During his visit, he attended the 20th ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) -India Summit and
the 18th East Asia Summit (EAS) hosted by Indonesia as current Chair of ASEAN.
The 20th ASEAN-India Summit is the 1st Summit since the elevation of India-ASEAN relations to a
Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022.
In 2023, Indonesia took the lead as ASEAN Chair with the theme “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth”.
Droupadi Murmu, President of India, was on a two-day visit to Gujarat from September 12 to 13, 2023.
During her visit,
She inaugurated the ‘National e-Vidhan Application’ (NeVA) which aims to make the functioning of the
State Assembly paperless by transforming them into ‘Digital House’.
She also virtually launched the Ayushman Bhav campaign as well as the Ayushman Bhava portal from the
Raj Bhavan in Gandhinagar, Gujarat…Click here for more detail….
Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi visited Bina in Madhya Pradesh (MP) and Raigarh,
Chhattisgarh the details of which are as follows:
The PM laid the foundation stone of projects worth more than Rs.50,700 crore in Bina, MP.
The foundation stone is laid for the Petrochemical Complex at Bina Refinery by Bharat Petroleum
Corporation Limited (BPCL). The complex will be developed at a cost of ~Rs 49,000 crore .
The PM also laid the foundation stone of ten projects namely ‘Power and Renewable Energy Manufacturing
Zone’ in Narmadapuram district, MP.
He dedicated important rail sector projects, laid the foundation stone of ‘critical care blocks’ in nine
districts of Chattisgarh and also distributed one Lakh sickle cell counselling cards…Click here for complete
detail…

AUGUST 2023
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi visited Pune, Maharashtra on 1st August 2023. He flagged off the
Pune metro trains and inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various development projects.
PM Narendra Modi was conferred the Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2023 by the Tilak Smarak
MandirTrust.
PM Modi flagged off metro trains which marks the inauguration of services on completed sections of the
two corridors of Pune Metro Phase I.The Civil Court metro station on route is one of the deepest metro
stations(33.1 meter(m)) in India.
He handed over more than 1,280 houses constructed by PCMC under Pradhan Mantri Awas
Yojana(PMAY)…Click here for more detail….
Amit Shah, Union Minister, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Cooperation (MHA), during his 2
days visit to Gujarat on 12th and 13th of August 2023, inaugurated various development works worth Rs.1052
crore in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, Gujarat.
The development works were jointly done by the Government of India (GoI) and the Government of
Gujarat.
Amit Shah laid Foundation Stone of IFFCO Nano DAP (Liquid) Plant at Gandhidham, Gujarat.
Amit Shah laid the foundation stone of Regional Hub of NSG in Gandhidham, Gujarat.
During her visit to West Bengal, President Droupadi Murmu launched the 'My Bengal, Addiction Free
Bengal' Campaign as part of the 'Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan', organized by Brahma Kumaris at Raj Bhavan,
Kolkata. Additionally, she inaugurated the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vindhyagiri, the sixth vessel of the Indian
Navy's Project 17A.
The Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi visited Johannesburg, South Africa (SA) from August
22-24, 2023 to attend the 3 day annual 15th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) Summit 2023
at the invitation of Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, President of SA.
It should be noted that, the SA President Cyril Ramaphosa is the Chair of 15 BRICS Summit.
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BRICS Business Forum Leaders’ Dialogue was held in Johannesburg, SA where leaders were briefed on the
deliberations of the BRICS Business Forum.
PM Narendra Modi attended the 15th BRICS Summit held under SA’s chairship, in Sandton in Johannesburg,
Gauteng, South Africa.
The theme of 15th BRICS summit was ‘BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth,
Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism’.
SA President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the expansion of BRICS with the inclusion of 6 new members’ viz.
Argentina, Ethiopia, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) as its full time members.The
membership will come into force from January 1, 2024…Click here for more detail…
Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi embarked on a one-day visit to Greece on 25th August 2023
at the invitation of Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister (PM) of Greece.
He paid tributes at the ‘Tomb of Unknown Soldier’, a war memorial dedicated to the Greek soldiers killed
during various wars, in Athens, Greece.
Katerina Sakellaropoulou, President of Greece honoured PM Narendra Modi with The Grand Cross of the
Order of Honour. He became the first Indian PM to receive the honours.
PM Modi highlighted India and Greece’s plan to double the bilateral trade between India and Greece by
2030 and announced an agreement in the field of agricultural production.
India and Greece have decided to strengthen their bilateral relations into a strategic partnership for the
benefit of the people of India and Greece…Click here for more detail…
JULY 2023
Prime Minister (PM) of India, Narendra Modi was on a two day visit to Rajasthan and Gujarat to
inaugurate and launch various new initiatives and events.

PM Modi visit to Rajasthan:
He released the 14th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme worth over
Rs 17,000 crore to more than 8.5 crores farmers.
He also launched ‘Urea Gold’, a new variety of Urea coated with Sulphur to address sulphur deficiencies in
the soil.
He also launched the onboarding of 1600 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) on the Open Network for
Digital Commerce (ONDC).
Inauguration of 6 Eklavya Model Residential Schools and One Kendriya Vidyalaya.
PM Modi visit to Gujarat:
PM Modi inaugurated Gujarat’s first greenfield airport‘ Hirasar greenfield International airport’ in Hirasar,
Rajkot,Gujarat.
He also inaugurated the 2nd edition of SemiconIndia 2023 conference in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
PM Modi dedicated multiple development projects worth over Rs.860 crores in Rajkot, Gujarat…Click here
to read more detail..
Dr. S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister (EAM) went on a four-day official visit to United Republic of
Tanzania from 5-8 July 2023.
EAM’s visit to Tanzania will further integrate the bilateral relations between the two nations. On the 4-day
visit, Jaishankar first visited a water supply project funded by line of credit from the Government of India in
Zanzibar, an island of Tanzania from 5 to 6 July 2023.
th th
EAM visited the water project in the Kibamba district of Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania), which is built with
Indian assistance that supplies water to Dar es Salaam. He was joined by Jumaa Aweso, the Minister of
Water and Irrigation of Tanzania.
During the 4-day visit the EAM co-chaired the 10 session of India-Tanzani Joint Commisiion on Economic,
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Technical and Scientific Cooperation, in Dar-es-Salaam and signified the bilateral relations between the 2
nations have always been strong since independence.
During His visit, on 6 July 2023, a MoU has been signed between India and Tanzania for establishing the
th
first IIT campus outside India named IIT Madras in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
EAM S Jaishankar attended reception onboard INS Trishul along with Zanzibar President in Tanzania.
Foreign Cooperation Department (FCD) of the government of Haryana and the Tanzania Investment Centre
(TIC) signed a MoU to support the bilateral economic collaboration and promote greater economic growth
and increase investment opportunities between India and Tanzania…Click here to read complete detail…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a 2-day official visit to France from 13th to 14th July 2023 at the
invitation of H.E. Mr Emmanuel Macron, President of France.Notably, the year 2023 marked the 25th
anniversary of the India – France Strategic Partnership.
PM Narendra Modi has become the first Indian PM to have been conferred with the Grand Cross of the
Legion of Honour, France’s highest civilian and military honour, by French President Emmanuel Macron at
the Elysee Palace in Paris, France.
PM Narendra Modi and President Emmanuel Macron met and emphasized the strong and resilient
relationship between their countries.
In order to set out their shared vision for this next phase of the India-France Strategic Partnership, both
leaders adopted the ‘Horizon 2047: 25th Anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership, Towards A
Century of India-France Relations’…Click here for more detail….
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister (PM) of India, officially visited Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
This mark’s his 5th visit to UAE since 2015.He had official meet with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, HH Sheikh
Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan President
of the UAE, in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
During the visit, the Indian PM met Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, President-designate of CoP28 (Conference of the
Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) and Group CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.

Two agreements were inked between the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Central Bank of UAE (CBUAE) to
facilitating seamless cross border transactions and payments, and foster greater economic cooperation
between the two countries.
India signs MoU with Education and Knowledge dept of Abu Dhabi for setting up IIT Delhi campus.
A Head of Agreement (HoA) was signed between India’s Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) Limited to import
liquefied natural gas (LNG) from UAE’s Abu Dhabi Gas Liquefaction Co (Adnoc) Ltd and TotalEnergies of
France on a long-term basis…Click here for complete detail..
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh made a three-day official visit to Malaysia from 9-11 July 2023, with a
focus on further combining bilateral defence cooperation and Enhanced Strategic Partnership between India
and Malaysia.
During his visit, he held bilateral talks with the Defence Minister of Malaysia Mr Dato’ Seri Mohamad Hasan,
where both the ministers reviewed defence cooperation between the 2 nations.
During the visit, discussed the roadmap for the 4th Decade of India-Malaysia Defence Cooperation with
Malaysian counterpart Mohamad Hasan in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).
Rajnath Singh inaugurated Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) regional office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Rajnath Singh unveiled the statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in Malaysia…Click here to add more
detail…
JUNE 2023
President of India, Droupadi Murmu, paid a visit to Suriname and Serbia from 4th to 9th June 2023. She
visited Paramaribo, Suriname at the invitation of Chandrikapersad Santokhi, President of the Republic of
Suriname and Serbia at the invitation of Aleksandar Vučić, President of Serbia.
This mark’s her first state visit after assuming office in July 2022 and this also marks President Droupadi
Murmu’s first visit to Europe.
President Murmu’s visit to Serbia is the first-ever visit by an Indian President to Serbia.
During her visit, Suriname President honoured President Murmu with the “Grand Order of the Chain of the
Yellow Star” the highest civilian honour of Suriname.
The Order was instituted in 1975 at the independence of Suriname and replaced the Dutch Order of the
Netherlands Lion. the award is presented to individuals recognising their meritorious service to the
Surinamese people or nation.
MoUs & Work plan signed Between India & Suriname:
Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation of India (CDSCO) under the Directorate General of Health
Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare(MoH&FW), and Ministry of Health of Suriname signed a
memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of medical products regulation.
MoH&FW signed an MoU with the government of Suriname to extend the recognition to Indian
Pharmacopoeia.Pharmacopoeia is a book containing directions for the identification of compound
medicines, and published by the authority of a government or a medical or pharmaceutical society.
Joint Work plan for cooperation in the field of Agriculture and Allied sectors for a period of 2023-2027
under an existing MoU was also signed during the event.
Minister of National Defence of Vietnam, General Phan Van Giang was on a 2-day visit to India from 18th
to 19th June 2023.
A bilateral meeting was held between Union Minister Rajanath Singh, India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD),
and General Phan Van Giang to enhance India-Vietnam cooperation in defence industries, maritime
security and multinational cooperation.
During the meeting, the Indian side gifted an indigenously-built in-service missile corvette INS (Indian
Naval Ship) Kirpan to Vietnam to enhance the capabilities of the Vietnam People’s Navy.
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi made a 5-day visit to the United States of America from 20th to 24th
June 2023, at the invitation of President of USA Joseph Robinette Biden Jr (Joe Biden) and First Lady Dr. Jill
Biden.

During PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the US, World’s leading aircraft engine maker, GE Aerospace signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) with India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Washington to
produce fighter jet engines in the country for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
PM Modi met with Sanjay Mehrotra, Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Micron Technology Inc in Washington
DC, USA and invited Micron to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India.
Ahead of the PM’s visit to the USA, The Union Cabinet of India has approved U.S. chipmaker Micron
Technology’s USD 2.75 billion plan to build a new semiconductor testing and packaging facility in Gujarat,
India.
During PM Modi’s visit to the USA, India and USA signed agreements – Artemis Accords and Joint Indo-US
mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2024, on cooperation in Space Research, which will
take the bilateral relations to a new height.
As per the joint statement issued by PM Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden, the United States and
India announced a USD 2 million grant program for artificial intelligence and quantum technologies.
Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd (IFFCO) started exporting world’s 1st Nano liquid Urea invented
& manufactured indigenously in India by IFFCO to USA through signing an agreement with California-based
Kapoor Enterprises Inc.
Boeing, an Aerospace and defense manufacturer in the United States, has announced a USD 100 million
investment in infrastructure and programs to train pilots in India.
Following PM Narendra Modi’s state visit to the USA, the three US tech giants of Amazon, Google, and
Microsoft, have committed and announced major capital investments and technological cooperation in
India for the growth of Indian technology.
According to the joint statement issued by India and USA, both nations commit to set up the first multi-
billion investment fund to achieve net carbon zero and clean energy transition goals.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Egypt for 2 days from June 24 to 25, 2023 at the invitation of
Egyptian President El-Sisi and his visit marks the first bilateral visit by an Indian PM to Egypt in 26 years.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, conferred the country’s highest state honour “Order of the Nile”
award on PM Narendra Modi.
India and Egypt signed agreements on a strategic partnership as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held
bilateral talks with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo (Egypt).
During his visit to Egypt, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the iconic pyramids of Giza, which is
considered to be the Seven Wonders of the World.
MAY 2023
Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Ministry of State (Independent Charge (IC)) Science & Technology made a 6-
day visit to the United Kingdom (UK) from April 26 to May 1, 2023, to hold a series of meetings with his
counterpart Ministers in the Government of the UK as well as with the Indian diaspora, StartUps and
academicians.
India-UK ‘Net Zero’ Innovation Virtual Centre
Jitendra Singh chaired the India-UK Science & Innovation Council meeting co-chaired by George Freeman,
UK Science Minister.
At the council meeting, Jitendra Singh announced the joint establishment of the India-UK ‘Net Zero’
Innovation Virtual Centre focusing on industrial decarbonisation and launching the first-ever India-UK
scientific deep-sea voyage.
India, UK Signed Agreement to Collaborate on Science and Innovation
The resolution is co-sponsored by India.
On April 26, 2023, India and the UK signed a landmark agreement to collaborate on science and innovation
that will drive economic growth, create skilled jobs and improve lives in the UK, India, and worldwide.
Both Jitendra Singh and Freeman called for newer collaborations for joint Research and Development
Projects.
Other agreements between UK and Indian institutions in research and innovation include: Funding 10 new
UK-India Fisheries Research Fellowships and a programme of UK-India university partnerships, including

one between Aston University and the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Dehradun,
Uttarakhand, on sustainable biofuels.
External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S. Jaishankar paid an official visit to Guyana, Panama, Colombia and the
Dominican Republic between 21st April to 29th April 2023.
This marks his first-ever official visit to all these Latin American countries and the Caribbean as a Union
Minister of External Affairs of the government of India.
EAM’s 3-day Visit to Guyana:21st to 23rd April 2023:
On 22nd April 2023, EAM Dr S. Jaishankar co-chaired the 4th India- CARICOM Ministerial Meeting with
Kamina K Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica at CARICOM Secretariat in
Guyana.
On 22nd April 2023, India and Guyana signed an Air Services Agreement (ASA) to facilitate easier travel
between the two nations.
Dr S Jaishankar joined Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana in the commissioning ceremony of the Garden Reach
Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE)-built ocean-going passenger-cum-cargo ferry MV ‘Ma Lisha’ at
Georgetown, Guyana.
During his visit to Guyana, EAM Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, accompanied by the Minister of Culture,
Youth and Sports of Guyana, Charles Ramson, visited the monument to Indian arrival in Berbice, Guyana.
EAM’s 2 day Visit to Panama from 24th to 25th April 2023
During his 2 day visit to Panama, Dr S. Jaishankar, EAM of India was hosted by Panama’s Foreign Minister
Janaina Tewaney Mencomo.
This is the 1st time in 60 years that an Indian External Affairs Minister was visiting Panama.
EAM’s Visit to Colombia from 25th to 27th April 2023
During his visit to Colombia, EAM Dr S. Jaishankar met Alvaro Leyva Duran, Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Colombia and discussed the ways to boost bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on global issues,
including the situation in the Indo-Pacific region.
On 27th April 2023, He participated in and addressed the India-Colombia business forum held in Bogota,
Colombia during his visit.
EAM’s Visit to the Dominican Republic from 27th to 29th April 2023
During his visit to the Dominican Republic, EAM Dr S. Jaishankar met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of
the Dominican Republic, Roberto Alvarez, in the framework of the High-Level Political Dialogue on 28 April
2023 and discussed on bilateral, regional, and multilateral issues of mutual interest.
Union Minister of Defence, Rajnath Singh, paid an official visit to Maldives from 1st to 3rd May 2023.
During his 3 day visit, he held bilateral talks with Mariya Ahmed Didi, Minister of Defence of the Maldives and
Abdulla Shahid, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives.
During the Visit, Minister Rajnath Singh handed over the 2 naval vessels, Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) and a
Landing Craft Assault ship to the MNDF.
The defence minister highlighted the handing over of these vessels as the symbol of the shared
commitment of India and the Maldives towards peace and security in the Indian Ocean Region(IOR).
The FPV, capable of coastal and offshore surveillance at high speeds, was commissioned as the MNDF Coast
Guard ship Huravee.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Mariya Ahmed Didi, Minister of Defence of the Maldives laid the
foundation stone for the MNDF Coast Guard ‘Ekatha Harbour’ in Male, Maldives.
The development of the Coast Guard Harbour and repair facility at Sifavaru is one of the biggest grant-in-
aid projects in India.
FOREIGN VISIT
SEPTEMBER 2023
From September 9-11, 2023, the His Royal Highness (HRH) Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin
Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister (PM) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, paid a State
visit to India.

The Crown Prince and the PM of India co-chaired the first meeting of the India – Saudi Strategic
Partnership Council (SPC) which was set up with the signing of an Agreement by both leaders during the
PM Narendra Modi state visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in October 2019.Signing of 8 Memorandums of
Understanding (MoU): some of the important MoU are
The Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the Saudi Ministry of Energy have signed a
MoU in renewable energy and global climate change mitigation efforts.
A MoU was inked between Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), and Small and Medium
Enterprises (SME) Bank of Saudi Arabia for cooperation in the technical field and the establishment of the
SME Bank.
Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) between the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology
(MCIT) of Saudi Arabia and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) of India in the field
of Digitization and Electronic manufacturing.
Framework of Cooperation on Enhancing Bilateral Investment between Invest India and the Ministry of
Investment of Saudi Arabia.
MoU between Saudi EXIM Bank and Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) of India.Click here for all
MoU detail...
AUGUST 2023
A 5-member delegation of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) led by Admiral Artemio Manalo
Abu, Commandant of PCG was on an official tour to India from 20th to 24th August 2023.
PCG delegation visits Goa:
On 21st August 2023, the delegates visited Goa and witnessed the operation capabilities of the Indian
Coastal Guard (ICG) Ships and aircraft under “Atmanirbhar Bharat”.
They toured several ICG facilities including the frontline offshore patrol vessel- Indian Coast Guard Ship
(ICGS) Sujeet.
The aerospace industry capabilities were also showcased along with a customer demonstration flight (CDF)
on the Indian Coast Guard Advance Light Helicopter MK-III (ALH MK 3 helicopter) by Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
They also visited the Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), one of the leading shipbuilding companies in India.
JULY 2023
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe made an official two-day visit to India from 20- 21st July
2023. The visit takes place as both countries celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic
relations in 2023.
India and Sri Lanka adopted a vision document titled, “Promoting Connectivity, Catalysing
Prosperity” that would strengthen maritime, air, energy and people-to-people connectivity.
Important MoU’s exchanged between India and Sri Lanka:
Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) in the field of Animal Husbandry and Dairying
MoU on cooperation in the field of renewable energy.
Memorandum of Cooperation for economic development projects in Trincomalee district of Sri Lanka.
Network to Network Agreement between NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL)and Lanka Pay for
UPI application acceptance in Sri Lanka
Energy Permit for Sampur Solar Power Project.
JUNE 2023
The Prime Minister (PM) of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda, was on a 4-day official visit
to India from May 31 – June 3, 2023, at the invitation of the PM of India Narendra Modi for regular high-level
exchanges between both nations in furtherance of India’s Neighbourhood First policy.
The Nepal PM was accompanied by his daughter Ms Ganga Dahal; and included a delegation comprising
Ministers, Secretaries, and senior officials of the Government of Nepal.

This was his 1st official trip abroad since assuming office in December 2022 and his 4th visit to India as the
Prime Minister(PM) of Nepal.
India and Nepal sign seven agreements in various fields
Renewal of India-Nepal Transit of Treaty, 1992, Through this, a provision has been made for the people of
Nepal to use the inland waterway facility of India, for the first time, along with new rail routes.The India-
Nepal Treaty of Transit (1992), renewed every 7 years, provides for port facilities to Nepal at
Kolkata/Haldia and Visakhapatnam and specifies different transit routes between Kolkata and
Vishakhapatnam and the India-Nepal border.
MOU for the development of ICP at Dodhara-Chandani
MOU on Cooperation in the Field of Petroleum Infrastructure.
MOU between the Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA) of Nepal and Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service
(SSIFS) of India
MOU for the Development of Phukot-Karnali 480 MW (Mega Watt) Hydro-electricity Project
Project Development Agreement (PDA) of Lower Arun 669 MW (Mega Watt) Hydro- electricity Project
MoU between National Clearing House Limited Nepal (NCHL) and National Payment Company India
Limited (NPCIL) for faster cross-border payments that will benefit businesses, students and tourists of both
Nepal and India.
Both sides had reached an agreement on long-term power trade, under which India will import 10,000 MW
from Nepal in the next 10 years. This is a major development in enhancing cooperation in this area based
on the Joint Vision Statement that the two PM issued in April 2022.
Under a trilateral agreement, India agreed to allow Nepal to sell power to Bangladesh using the Indian
transmission network. Both India and Nepal have agreed to export up to 50 MW of power from Nepal to
Bangladesh via India.
The Nepal PM also addressed the Nepal-India Business Summit in New Delhi jointly organized
by Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and Confederation of Indian
Industry (CII) and interact with business leaders of both countries.
He also interacted with the Nepali community in India over a welcome reception being hosted by the
Ambassador of Nepal to India, Shankar Prasad Sharma.
United States (US) Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin was on a two-day visit to India from June 4 to 5, 2023, to
strengthen bilateral defence cooperation between both nations, especially in areas of transfer of critical
technologies for co-development of military hardware.
Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence, Government of India and Lloyd Austin discussed General
Electric’s proposal to share technology with India for fighter jet engines and New Delhi’s plan to procure 30
MQ-9B armed drones at a cost of over USD 3 billion from US’s General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.
During the meeting between Rajnath Singh and Lloyd Austin both nations decided to launch negotiations
for two crucial agreements related to the security of Supply Arrangement and a Reciprocal Defence
Procurement in an effort to establish stable supply chains of arms and equipment.
On June 05, 2023, India and the US concluded a roadmap for defence industrial cooperation to fast-track
technology tie-ups and co-production of military platforms such as air combat and land systems.
Both US and India have signed key defence and security pacts over the past few years, including the
Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016 which will allow their militaries to use
each other’s bases for repair and replenishment of supplies.
The Federal Minister of Defence of Germany, Boris Pistorius was on a 4-day official visit to India from June
5-8, 2023 for facilitating bilateral defence cooperation and exploring avenues for strategic partnership.
This is the first visit of a German Defence Minister to India since 2015.
Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and India’s Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence hold talks to
enhance bilateral defence cooperation, particularly industrial partnership.
German defence major Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and state-run Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders
Limited (MDL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Indian Navy’s (IN) P-75 India

(P75I) Submarine Project in Mumbai, Maharashtra in the presence of German Defence Minister Boris
Pistorius.
MAY 2023
Foreign Minister of Israel Eli Cohen has arrived in New Delhi, Delhi, for his first official three-day visit to
India from May 9 to 11, 2023.
Israel Foreign Minister Eli Cohen launched the project World on Wheels (WoW) Bus, by the Embassy of
Israel in India.
Under the meeting, both ministers signed an agreement that will allow 42,000 Indian workers to work in the
Jewish state of Israel in the fields of construction and nursing.
New agreements were also signed by both nations in the area of mobility, water, and agriculture.
The ministers Jaishankar and Cohen discussed ways to strengthen the Indo-Israel relationship by adding direct
flights, continuing cooperation in agriculture and water management, and expanding cooperation in the fields
of artificial intelligence and cyber defence.
Both Jaishankar and Cohen discussed the progress in the I2U2 (India, Israel, United States, and United Arab
Emirates) grouping as well as cooperation in multilateral forums.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Japan from May 19 to 21, 2023 at the invitation of Fumio
Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan.
The 49th G7 summit was held from 19 to 21 May 2023 in Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.
As India has been invited as a guest country for the G7 summit, PM Narendra Modi participated in the annual
summit of the G7 advanced economies in Hiroshima under the Japanese Presidency on May 20 2023. He talked
about challenges facing the globe, including food, fertiliser and energy security.
Group countries reaffirm the shared commitment to the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and
Investment (PGII) and to working together and aiming to mobilize up to $600 billion by 2027.
Initiatives that are intended to support clean energy transition in countries around the world, such as Asia Zero
Emission Community (AZEC) initiative, the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA),2050 Pathways Platform, Net
Zero World (NZW), and the Global Carbon Pricing Challenge and discussions included commitment to the Paris
agreement, keeping a limit of 1.5°C global temperature rise within Goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions by 2050 with highlighting the increased urgency to reduce global GHG emissions by around
43 percent by 2030 and 60 percent by 2035.
Initiative including such domestic policies that are designed to achieve 100 percent or the overwhelming
penetration of sales of light duty vehicles (LDVs) as zero emission vehicles (ZEV) by 2035 and beyond; to
achieve 100 percent electrified vehicles in new passenger car sales by 2035.
The summit also highlighted the commitments to the developed country Parties’ goal of jointly mobilizing $100
billion annually in climate finance by 2020 through to 2025 in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and
transparency on implementation.
COMMITTEES
COMMITTEES FORMED
Name of the Committee Head Facts about the Committee
SEPTEMBER 2023
One Nation One Election’s Former President of The Union Government formed
committee India Ram Nath Kovind a committee under the leadership of former
President of India Ram Nath Kovind to
explore the possibility of “One Nation One
Election” which aims to hold General (Lok
Sabha) and State elections simultaneously.
The information for the same was
shared by Union
Minister Pralhad Joshi, Ministry of
Parliamentary Affairs.

The Central Government is planning
to introduce a bill on One Nation, One
Election which envisages
simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha
and all State Assemblies either on a
single day or within a specific time
frame.
In India, the general elections
for Members of Parliament (MPs) and
State Assembly polls are held
separately when the tenure of the
incumbent government comes to an
end or it gets dissolved for some
reason.
AUGUST 2023
Directorate General of Civil - The Directorate General of Civil Aviation
Aviation (DGCA)’s committee (DGCA), a Civil aviation regulator has set up a
4-member committee which includes R P
Kashyap, Director (Training); Survita Saxena,
Director (Operations); Pavan Malviya,
Deputy Director (Administration); and Kavita
Singh, Deputy Director (Aircraft Engineering
Directorate), to provide suggestions for
achieving gender equality in the aviation
sector in India.
The committee is expected to formulate
guidelines for DGCA to share with
aviation stakeholders, ensuring gender
equality in the industry.
Ministry of Defence (MoD)’s Prof K Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of
committee Vijay Raghavan, former Defence (MoD) has set up a 9-member
Principal Scientific committee of experts to maintain the Defence
Advisor, Government of Research and Development Organization
India (GoI). (DRDO). The committee will be headed
by Prof K Vijay Raghavan, former Principal
Scientific Advisor, Government of India (GoI).
The 9-member committee has been
tasked with the mission to review and
redefine the role of various
departments within DRDO and submit
a report within 3 months.
Members: Lt Gen (Retd)
Subrata Saha; Vice Admiral S N
Ghormade; Air Marshal B R
Krishna,;Sujan R Chinoy,;Manindra
Agarwal;P. Shukla;J D Patil ;Dr S

Unnikrishnan Nair, Scientist; and
Ms Rasika Chaube.
JULY 2023
Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) Sudarshan Sen, a former Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) has formed a
‘s working group Executive Director of five-member working group for the
RBI. Implementation of recommendations from
the Reserve Bank of India’s committee on the
working of Asset Reconstruction Companies
(ARCs).
The formation of the working group
follows the establishment of an RBI
committee chaired by Sudarshan Sen, a
former Executive Director of RBI.
The committee was tasked with
conducting a comprehensive review of
the functioning of ARCs, and its report
was released on November 2, 2021.
The RBI has instructed the IBA and SLMA
to form a Group to promptly implement
the committee’s recommendations, in
consultation with lenders and ARCs.
JUNE 2023
Employees Provident Fund EPFS 2023 -Sanjay The Employees Provident Fund Organisation
Organisation (EPFO)’s Kumar (EPFO) has formed 3 committees to frame
committees EPS 2023- Rajiv Bhist draft schemes for pension, provident fund
EDLIS 2023 - and insurance under EPFO, in line with the
Vaishali Dayal provisions of the Code on Social Security
2020.
The three schemes are:
The committee for framing Employee’s
Provident Fund Scheme (EPFS) for
provident fund consists of 11 members
which will be co-chaired by Sanjay
Kumar, ACC (Patna, Bihar) and Pankaj
Raman of ACC (HQ).
The committee for framing Employee’s
Pension Scheme (EPS) for pension
consists of 8 members which will be
chaired by Rajiv Bhist, ACC (HQ).
The committee for framing Employees
Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme
(EDLIS) for insurance consists of 5
members which will be chaired by
Vaishali Dayal, ACC (Zonal Office,
Hyderabad, Telangana).
Department of Legal Affairs ‘s T K Viswanathan Department of Legal Affairs in the Ministry of
member Law & Justice (MoL&J) constituted a 16-
member expert committee chaired by the
Former Secretary of the Department of Legal
Affairs and Padma Shri awardee (2017 – Civil

Service) T K Viswanathan to recommend
reforms in the Arbitration and Conciliation
Act, 1996.
MAY 2023
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) - The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) set up
‘s Ad-hoc committee a two-member ad-hoc committee comprising,
Bhupender Singh Bajwa, IOA executive
council member and Suma Shirur, former
Indian shooter of outstanding Merit of IOA, to
overlook the operations of the Wrestling
Federation of India (WFI), the governing
body of wrestling in India.
Union Government ‘s High-level Sanjay Garg, Additional The Union Government has formed an 11-
committee Secretary (AS) of the member high-level committee to restructure
Department of the 94-year-old ICAR, which was established
Agricultural Research in 1929, to meet the objective of Amrit Kaal.
and Education (DPRE) & i. The committee was formed on April 24,
Secretary, Indian Council 2023, and it would submit the report within
of Agricultural Research 30 days.
(ICAR),
IRDAI’s 5-member expert Pratima Murthy, To provide advice and inputs to IRDAI on
committee Director of the National matters related to mental health and
Institute of Mental insurance.
Health and
Neurosciences
(NIMHANS)
11-member Cheetah Project Rajesh Gopal, Secretary- National Tiger Conservation
Steering Committee General of Global Tiger Authority (NTCA), under the Ministry of
Forum Environment, Forests, and Climate Change
has constituted an 11-member Cheetah
Project Steering Committee to oversee the
implementation of ‘Project Cheetah’
i. This move comes following the death of six
cheetahs, including three newborn cubs,
within a period of two and half months at
Kuno National Park (KNP) in Madhya
Pradesh.
SEBI’s 21 members Intermediary S Ravindran, a former The committee will advise SEBI on changes
Advisory Committee SEBI Executive Director in legal framework and increasing
(ED) transparency in the functioning of market
intermediaries like stock exchanges,
depository participants, clearing
corporations, among others.

MEETING
SEPTEMBER 2023
NIL
AUGUST 2023
The 20th ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-India Economic Ministers’ meeting held in
Semarang, Indonesia which was co-chaired by the Indian representative Rajesh Agrawal, Additional
Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry and Dr. Zulkifli Hasan, Minister of
Trade, Indonesia.
India and ASEAN have mutually decided to finalize the review of their current free-trade agreement (FTA)
concerning goods by the year 2025.
The Group of Twenty (G20) Trade and Investment Minister’s Meeting (TIMM) was held under the India’s
G20 Presidency at the Pink City of India i.e. Jaipur in Rajasthan.
The meeting was led by Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI).
The meeting concluded with the finalisation and adoption of G20 Trade and Investment Outcome
Document and Chair’s Summary.
JULY 2023
The 4th Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) and Environment and Climate
Ministers’ meeting was held between 26th to 28th July 2023, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN). G20 member
countries & nine guest countries participated in the meeting with a shared interest in environmental
conservation and sustainability.
The Resource Efficiency Circular Economy Industry Coalition (RECEIC) was launched by Bhupender Yadav,
Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
The G20 members adopted the ‘Chennai High-Level Principles for a Sustainable and Resilient Blue/ Ocean-
based Economy’.
39 multinational corporations (MNCs) from various sectors such as steel, FMCG, electronics came together
to pledge to adopt resource efficiency and circular economy principles and to address environmental
challenges rising from waste, including plastics, microplastics, e-waste, and chemical waste.
The 50th meeting of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council was held in New Delhi, Delhi under the
chairpersonship of Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Ministry of Finance.
To mark the milestone of 50th meeting of the GST Council, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
(Chairperson) released a short video film titled ‘GST Council- 50 steps towards a journey’ in the presence
of the Members of the Council.
The film showcases the evolution of the GST Council and is available in Hindi, English, and 11 regional
languages…Click here for the recommendations relating to changes in GST tax rates…
The 3rd G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) 2023 meeting under the Indian
Presidency was held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. It was jointly chaired by Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman,
Ministry of Finance, and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das.
The meeting concluded with a G20 Outcome Document and Chair’s Summary comprising 26 paragraphs
and 2 Annexures.
The G20 FMCBGs endorsed G20 Report on Macroeconomic Risks Stemming from Climate Change and
Transition Pathways.The member also endorsed new G20 2023 Financial Inclusion Action Plan (FIAP)
for the three years 2024-26.
India will lead the implementation of the new FIAP, as one of the Co-Chairs of Global Partnership for
Financial Inclusion (GPFI), for the next three years starting from 2024.
During the meeting, the Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and her Indian counterpart
Nirmala Sitharaman jointly inaugurated the India-Indonesia Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) in
Gandhinagar, Gujarat to enhance collaboration on bilateral and international economic and financial
matters…Click here for complete detail…

Rajiv Kumar, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) led the 3-member delegation from the Election
Commission of India (ECI) to participate in the 11th meeting of the Executive Board of the Association of
World Election Bodies (A-WEB) in Cartagena, Colombia from 10th to 14th July 2023.
The ECI delegation included Manoj Sahoo, Deputy Election Commissioner and Anuj Chandak, Joint Director.
On 13th July 2023, the National Civil Registry, Colombia organised an international conference on the
theme “A global view on the challenges of regional elections 2023” which will bring together
representatives from the 19 Executive Board Members and the 2 Oversight and Audit Committee Members.
JUNE 2023
The 76th annual World Health Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 21 to 30 May 2023 with the
theme of WHO at 75: Saving lives, driving health for all.
Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, represented India in the
76th World Health Assembly.
The World Health Assembly not extended Taiwan an invitation to the event and it was excluded due to
the Chinese opposition.
China and Pakistan urged members to reject Taiwan’s inclusion while Eswatini and the Marshall
Islands supported Taiwan’s inclusion.
Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya delivered the keynote address at a side event session on ‘Heal in
India & Heal by India’ and ‘Together we fight against TB’ at the 76th World Health Assembly, reiterating
India’s contribution in the field of Medical Value Travel and India’s resolve to eliminate Tuberculosis from
India by 2025.
The World Health Assembly delegates discussed progress against the Global Strategy for Women’s,
Children’s and Adolescent Health (2016-2030).
Member States of WHO agreed to the WHO’s Programme Budget of USD 6.83-billion for the next two
years 2024-2025, which shows a historical 20% increase in assessed contributions (membership fees).
The 3rd Employment Working Group (EWG) meeting under the G20 (Group of Twenty) Indian
Presidency was successfully held from May 31st to June 2nd, 2023, at the International Labour Organization
(ILO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
It was chaired by Ms. Arti Ahuja, G20 EWG Chair, and Secretary, Labour and Employment.
The Ministry of Labour & Employment’s international knowledge partners i.e. International Labour
Organisation ILO), Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD), International Social
Security Association (ISSA), World Bank (WB) and a domestic knowledge partner i.e. Ministry of Skill
Development & Entrepreneurship, Government of India, attended the meeting to provide their technical
expertise to the group.
Note: The fourth and final meeting of the EWG and the Labour and Employment Ministers Meeting is
scheduled for 19th -21st July, 2023 at Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The 2nd EWG meeting was held at
Guwahati, Assam.
MAY 2023
The 3rd Energy Transitions Working Group Meeting (ETWG) under India’s G20 Presidency was held in
Mumbai, Maharashtra on 15th May 2023.Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, Secretary, the Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy (MNRE), announced that India is committed to an accelerated, responsible and just energy
transition through international cooperation and collaboration.
This was announced during the official side event “Low-cost Finance for New & Emerging Energy
Technologies” organised as a part of the 3rd ETWG.
The side event was organised by the MNRE along with Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency
(IREDA), and International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
The 3rd ETWG Meeting will be chaired by Shri Alok Kumar, who serves as the ETWG Chair and Secretary of
the Ministry of Power, Government of India.
A report titled “Low-Cost Finance for Energy Transition” prepared by IRENA in collaboration with the
MNRE was also released during the side event of 3rd ETWG.
During the event, 2 other reports titled “Financing Needs for New Age Critical Technologies: CO2
Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS)” and “Financing Needs for New Age Critical Technologies:
Battery Energy Storage (BES)” were also released.

These reports were developed by the Ministry of Power, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of
Management (IIM), Ahmedabad(Gujarat) and NETRA(NTPC Energy Technology Research Alliance).
SUMMITS, EVENTS & CONFERENCE

SEPTEMBER 2023
The 5 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of REC Limited (formerly Rural Electrification Corporation
th
Limited) was held via Video Conferencing.

The Meeting was chaired by its Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) Vivek Kumar Dewangan. REC Limited
is committed to increase its green project loan portfolio to Rs 3 lakh crore by 2030, representing more than
a 10-fold increase.
The Ministry of Power has granted REC the authority to provide loans to non-power infrastructure and
logistics sectors, contributing to India’s development.
REC Limited raised USD 1.15 billion in August 2023 in two tranches from a consortium of six banks as
Mandated Lead Arrangers and Bookrunners (MLABs) under its Market Borrowing Programme of Rs. 1.20
lakh crore for 2023-24.
REC Limited secured a Foreign Currency Term Loan of USD 100 million from EXIM (Export Import) Bank of
India. This is the first term loan being extended by Exim Bank to REC.Click here for complete detail…
Global Fintech Fest (GFF) is the largest fintech 3-day conference held from September 5 to 7, 2023 at Jio
World Convention Centre, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
The 4 Edition was jointly organized by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the Payments
th
Council of India (PCI), and the Fintech Convergence Council (FCC).

RBI Governor Unveils Five Exciting Payment Solutions at Global Fintech Fest 2023
Credit line on UPI
UPI Lite X
UPI Tap & Pay
Hello UPI - Conversational Payments on UPI
BillPay Connect - Conversational Bill Payments
Hitachi Payment Services Introduces ‘India’s first ever’ UPI-ATM
SBI unveils ‘Nation’s First Transit Card’: RuPay NCMC Prepaid Card
Global Fintech Awards 2023: Adeeb Ahamed Wins Leading Fintech Personality of the Year Award at GFF
Mumbai Click here to read full News…
The two-day 18th G20 (Group of 20) Leaders’ Summit, under India’s presidency, happened in Bharat
Mandapam International Exhibition and Convention Centre, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from September
9th to 10th, 2023. This is the first ever G20 Summit being hosted by India.
The meeting was held under the theme of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth – One Family – One
Future”. It is inspired from the Maha Upanishad, an old Sanskrit scripture.
The members of the G20 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia,
Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the
United States and the European Union.
On September 9, 2023, at the G20 Summit held in New Delhi, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched
the Global Biofuel Alliance (GBA), a collective effort aimed at reducing the world’s dependency on petrol
and diesel fuels.
During the 18th G20 Summit, Indian PM Narendra Modi announced that the African Union has been
included as a member of the G20, making it the 21st member…Click here for more detail…
AUGUST 2023
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi inaugurated the 2nd Edition of the Annual Global Summit,
‘SemiconIndia Conference 2023′ in Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.SemiconIndia 2023, the 3-day
program held from July 28 to 30, 2023, was organised by India Semiconductor Mission in partnership with
industry and industry associations.
The theme of SemiconIndia 2023 is ‘Catalysing India’s Semiconductor Ecosystem’.

MeitY included 2 more semiconductor design startups/ o, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) namely
Aheesa Digital Innovations and Calligo Technologies under its SemiconIndia future DESIGN Design-Linked
Incentive (DLI) scheme at the SemiconIndia 2023 conference.
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD), a California (United States of America-USA)-based computing,
graphics, and visualization technologies company, committed to investing approximately USD 400 million
in India over the next 5 years.
15th Japan-India Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue: India & Japan Explore Collaboration in
Semiconductors in Delhi.
The First World Health Organization (WHO) Traditional Medicine Global Summit held between August 17
and 18 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat alongside the Group 20(G20) health ministerial meeting which concluded on
August 19, 2023.India holds the G20 presidency in 2023.
The summit also witnessed the 1st Joint Finance and Health Ministerial meeting under the Indian
Presidency.
First World Health Organization (WHO) Traditional Medicine Global Summit was chaired by
Ms.Nirmala Sitharaman the Union Finance Minister and Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh
Mandaviya.
The summit was hosted together by WHO and the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India.
Theme of Summit: "Towards Health and Well-being for All.”
The World Bank launched a report titled "Digital-in-Health: Unlocking the Value for Everyone."
Govt launches Global Initiative on Digital Health-WHO Managed Network to support the implementation of
the Global Strategy on Digital Health 2020–2025.
The 4th and the Final meeting of the G20 (Group of Twenty) Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG),
organized by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) as a part of the India’s G20
Presidency, was held in Bengaluru, Karnataka from August 16-17, 2023.
It was formally opened by the Chair of G20 DEWG Alkesh Kumar Sharma, Secretary, MeitY, and was
addressed by co-chair of G20 DEWG Sushil Pal, Joint Secretary, MeitY.
MeitY and the MeitY Start-up Hub have organized the G20 Digital Innovation Alliance (DIA) Summit at the
Bangalore Palace in Bengaluru (Karnataka) from August 17th to 19th, 2023. The focal theme of the event is
'Driving Digital Innovation for World Economies'.
Business 20 (B20) Summit India 2023, an official G20 (Group of Twenty) dialogue forum with the global
business community, was held in New Delhi, Delhi. Prime Minister (PM) of India, Narendra Modi, addressed the
summit on 27th August 2023.
The theme of B20 India 2023 was ‘R.A.I.S.E’, an acronym for ‘Responsible, Accelerated, Innovative,
Sustainable, Equitable‘.
The B20 India 2023 Communique includes 54 recommendations and 172 policy actions for submission to
G20.
JULY 2023
Startup20 Shikhar Summit, organised by the Startup20 Engagement Group under the India G20(Group of
20) Presidency, was held from 3rd to 4th July 2023 in Gurugram, Haryana.
The 2-day summit served as a platform for fostering innovations, collaborations, knowledge sharing, and
strategic alliances within the global startup ecosystem. The name “Shikhar,” which means “mountain peak”
in Sanskrit.
During the closing ceremony of the summit, Dr. Chintan Vaishnav, Chair of Startup20 and the Mission
Director for Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), handed over the torch to Brazil, which holds the G20 presidency
for 2024.
Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi chaired the 23rd Shanghai Cooperation Organization
(SCO) Council of Heads of State (SCO-CHS) Summit which was held in a virtual format. India, as the Chair of the
SCO, hosted the SCO-CHS Summit for the first time.
India assumed the chairmanship of the SCO in September 2022.

Theme of the Summit: ‘Towards a SECURE SCO’ SECURE stands for Security; Economy (and Trade);
Connectivity; Unity; Respect (for Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity); and Environment.
PM Modi presents Indian AI-based language platform ‘Bhashini’ at SCO.
During the summit, Iran became the new permanent member (9th) of SCO. Now, the member nations of
SCO increased to 9.
Belarus is set to become a full member by 2024 as the nation signed a Memorandum of Obligations which
will lead to its membership….Click here for more detail….
International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN)
responsible for information and communication technologies, organised 2 days Global Summit ‘AI for Good’
in Geneva, Switzerland.The summit highlighted the deployment of specialized robots to aid in achieving the
organization’s 17 Social Development Goals (SDGs).
With less than a decade remaining to fulfil the SDGs, this summit aims to identify practical applications of
artificial intelligence (AI) in advancing these goals and scaling up the solutions for global impact.
Ahmedabad (Gujarat), the Chair City of Urban 20(U20) 2023, hosted the 2-day U20 Mayoral Summit
2023 from 7th to 8th July 2023 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The Summit concluded with the handover of the
Communiqué from the Mayors to G20 leaders.
Kiritkumar J Parmar, Mayor of Ahmedabad handed over the Communique to Hardeep Singh Puri, Union
Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs and Amitabh Kant, G20 (Group of 20) Sherpa.
The handover was moderated by the U20 convenors, C40 Cities and United Cities and Local Governments
(UCLG).
The Communiquéwas officially endorsed by a record number of 105 cities across the world. The
Communiqué is in line with the theme of India’s (G20) presidency “VasudhaivaKutumbakam”, or One Earth,
One Family, One Future.
India hosted the Global Food Regulators Summit 2023 for first time, held as part of the Group 20 (G20)
event, in Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, Delhi from 20th to 21st July 2023. The summit was organised by the
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare inaugurated the Global Food
Regulators Summit 2023 to create a global platform of food regulators to exchange perspectives on
strengthening food safety systems and regulatory framework across the food value chain.
JUNE 2023
The Global DPI Summit 2023 was held as the part of the side event of third meeting of G20 (Group of Twenty)
Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) in Pune, Maharashtra.
The event saw the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and the four countries
of Armenia, Sierra Leone, Suriname, and Antigua and Barbuda on sharing INDIA STACK i.e. successful
digital solutions implemented at population scale.
India Stack is a set of digital infrastructure components that enable the delivery of various digital services
to Indian citizens by utilizing Aadhaar, eSign, Digilocker, and Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
MAY 2023
As a part of his visit to Japan, Papua New Guinea and Australia from May 19 to 24, 2023 Prime Minister
(PM) Narendra Modi participated in the third in-person Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) Leaders’
Summit in Hiroshima, Japan on 20 May 2023, along with Anthony Albanese, PM of Australia, Fumio Kishida,
PM of Japan and Joseph Biden, President of the United States of America (USA).
India to Host Quad 2024: At the Quad Leaders’ Summit, PM Narendra Modi stated that India is willing to host
the Quad meeting in 2024 and he also invited Quad Leaders to India for the next Quad Summit.

MOU’s & AGREEMENTS
MOU'S WITH OTHER COUNTRY
MoU between Field
SEPTEMBER 2023
India and Bangladesh Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina, PM of People’s
Republic of Bangladesh exchanged 3 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs)
to strengthen bilateral cooperation between India and Bangladesh.
The 3 MoUs were,
MoU on Cooperation in Digital Payment mechanisms between National
Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Bangladesh Bank.
MoU on renewal of the Cultural Exchange Program (CEP) between India and
Bangladesh for 2023-2025.
MoU between Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and
Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council (BARC).
AUGUST 2023
India and Moldova India and eastern European country Moldova agreed to sign a MOU for
cooperation in the agriculture sector during a meeting between Shobha
Karandlaje, Minister of State(MoS) for Agriculture, and Vladimir Bolea, Deputy
Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture & Food Industries of Moldova at
Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, Delhi.
India & Nepal The Indian embassy in Kathmandu and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and
General Administration of Nepal signed Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU’s) for undertaking 4 High Impact Community Development Projects
(HICDPs) in Nepal under the grant assistance of the Government of India. Three
MoU’s in education sector and one in water supply and sanitation sector.
India and Trinidad and India and Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) signed a MoU on sharing of ‘India Stack‘, a
Tobago (T&T) collection of open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), and Digital
Public Goods(DPGs) that aim to facilitate identity, data, and payment services
on a large scale.
Under this MoU, Both India and T&T have agreed to collaborate in the areas
of digital transformation by means of capacity building, training
programmes, exchange of best practices, exchange of public officials and
experts, and development of pilot or demo solutions, among others.
India & New Zealand

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the
Government of India and the Government of New Zealand for an Open Sky
Policy, allowing more flights between various cities in the two countries.This
will further boost the bilateral between both nations in civil aviation by
scheduling of new routes, code share services, traffic rights and capacity
entitlement.
JULY 2023
Papua New Guinea & Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), India; and the
India Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) of the Papua

New Guinea, signed a MoU on sharing INDIA STACK i.e., successful digital
solutions implemented at population scale, in New Delhi, Delhi.
This MoU was a follow-up to the 1st Global DPI (Digital Public
Infrastructures) Summit organized by MeitY on June 12-13, 2023 in Pune,
Maharashtra.
India & Panama Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Electoral Tribunal (ET) of Panama
signed a MoU to establish an institutional framework for their ongoing
cooperation in the field of Election Management and Administration. During the
meet, they discussed on strengthening collaboration and knowledge exchange
between the two Election Management Bodies (EMBs).
ECI has been expanding its links and cooperation with foreign Election
Management Bodies (EMBs) through its ‘International Cooperation
Programme’.
This is the 4th MoU signed by ECI with an Election Management Body
(EMB) in the Latin American region.
India & Spain Spain’s shipbuilder Navantia and engineering major Larsen & Toubro Ltd
(L&T), India signed an ‘Teaming Agreement'(TA) in Delhi to jointly bid for a Rs.
43,000-crore project to build 6 advanced diesel-electric submarines for the
Indian Navy.
The TA was signed for the purpose of submission of a techno-commercial
bid for the Indian Navy’s Project 75 (India) or P75 (I), a military acquisition
initiative and submarine programme affiliated to India’s Ministry of
Defence (MoD).
India & Japan India and Japan signed a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) for a
semiconductor supply-chain partnership for government-to-government and
industry-to-industry collaboration.
The MoC signed between India and Japan will cover the semiconductor
industry, including design, manufacturing, equipment research, talent
development, and enhancing supply chain resilience.
An implementation organization will be created to facilitate government
and industry collaborations.
JUNE 2023
India & Philippines The Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance (MoF), Government
of India and the Department of Finance (DOF), Government of Philippines,
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Financial
Technology (fintech) cooperation.
MAY 2023
Embassy of India, For distribution of LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) Stoves & Cylinders in
Kathmandu (Nepal) Mahottari District, Nepal with the Indian grant assistance of ~ Nepalese Rupees
and Sushila Thakur Mem (NRs) 50 million under India-Nepal Development Cooperation.
orial Health
Foundation (STMHF)
Indian Institute of To build an “India-Israel Center of Water Technology” (CoWT) in Water
Technology Resource Management and Water Technologies at IIT Madras
(IIT) Madras &
Israel government

Embassy of India in For undertaking two High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs)
Nepal & Ministry of in Nepal under the grant assistance of the Indian Government.
Federal Affairs and i. The 2 projects are the construction of the Malagiri Shanti Yogashram in
General Administration, Ramechhap District, Nepal and the Kedar Jyotipunja Multiple Campus, Doti
Government of Nepal District, Nepal.
i. The 2 projects, one each in Health Care and Education Sectors, will be
developed at a total estimated cost of Nepalese Rupees (NRs) 80.33 million.
MOU’S WITH STATE

State MoU with Field/Purpose
SEPTEMBER 2023
NIL
AUGUST 2023
Telangana United Nations The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Educational, Organization (UNESCO) and the Information Technology,
Scientific and Electronics and Communications (ITE&C)
Cultural Department, Government of Telangana, signed a Letter of
Organization Intent (LoI) to collaborate and make efforts in order to
(UNESCO) implement the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of
Artificial Intelligence (AI).
JULY 2023
Gujarat OneWeb Gujarat government signed a MoU with OneWeb, a London-
government based Company, and Gujarat Government’s Department of
Science and Technology, for setting up India’s First Private
‘Satellite Network Portal Site’ in Gujarat.
This project under Digital India, aims to provide affordable
internet access to villages, district panchayats, local
administrative bodies, government departments, and
other entities throughout India.
OneWeb will establish one of the two private ‘satellite
network portal sites’ in two villages in Jotana taluka of
Mehsana district of Gujarat.
JUNE 2023
NIL
MAY 2023
Telangana IIT (Indian Institutes To enhance the robotics ecosystem in Telangana and
government of Technology)- promote innovation, research, and growth in the field.
Hyderabad, ART
PARK (AI & Robotics
Technology Park)
Indian Institute of
Science (IISC), GMR
Hyderabad
International Airport
Limited (GHIAL),
AgHub (Professor

Jayashankar
Telangana State
Agricultural
University(PJTSAU))
and All India
Robotics Association
(AIRA).
MOU’S BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONS

Organization MoU with Field/Purpose
SEPTEMBER 2023
Ministry of Social Justice & National Safai Karamcharis The MoSJE signed an MoU with the
Empowerment (MoSJE) Finance and Development NSKFDC to enhance the socio-economic
Corporation (NSKFDC) upliftment of Safai Karamcharis, manual
scavengers, waste pickers, and their
families.
The MoU signed for the fiscal
years (FY) 2023-24 and 2024-25
will focus on empowering the
marginalized communities across
India.
Amazon India Post Amazon has signed an MoU with India
Post to simplify cross-border logistics for
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise
(MSME) exporters.
The MoU was signed during
the (Fourth)
Amazon Smbhav Summit
2023 held on 31st August 2023 in
New Delhi, Delhi.
During the event, Amazon
introduced “Amazon सह-
AI (Amazon Sah-AI)”, a generative
Artificial Intelligence (AI) -based
personal digital assistant.
The fourth edition of Amazon
Smbhav Summit took place in
2023, focused on innovation,
financial inclusion and
sustainability for small businesses
and consumers.
Amazon also announced its
engagement with Dedicated
Freight Corridor Corporation of
India Limited (DFCCIL) of the
Indian Railways for shipping

customer packages through
freight railway routes in India.
NTPC Limited Oil India Limited (OIL) A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
was inked between NTPC Limited
(formerly known as National Thermal
Power Corporation) and Oil India
Limited (OIL) to explore collaboration in
the areas of Renewable Energy (RE),
green hydrogen and its derivatives, and
decarbonization initiatives including
through the use of geothermal energy.
Indian Renewable Energy India Infrastructure Finance A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
Development Agency Ltd. Company Ltd (IIFCL) was signed between the Indian
(IREDA) Renewable Energy Development Agency
Ltd. (IREDA) and India Infrastructure
Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL) to co-
finance Renewable Energy (RE) Projects.
This MoU will utilize the expertise
of IREDA in Green financing and
IIFCL’s in Infrastructure financing.
Indian Railways’ Gati Shakti Airbus Indian Railways’ Gati Shakti

Vishwavidyalaya Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) Vadodara
(Gujarat) and Airbus, a European
multinational aerospace corporation, has
signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) for collaboration to enhance
India's aviation sector.
Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya is a
Central University under Ministry of
Railways in Vadodara, Gujarat. This is
India's first University in the
Transportation and Logistics sectors.
The MoU entails a partnership
between two entities to establish a
C295 aircraft facility in Vadodara.
United Nations Development National Bank for United Nations Development Programme
Programme (UNDP) Agriculture and Rural (UNDP) and the National Bank for
Development (NABARD) Agriculture and Rural Development
(NABARD) signed a 5-year MoU on
technical cooperation for the joint
development of data-driven innovations
in agriculture and food systems to
support smallholder farmers.
Under this MoU, NABARD and UNDP
will share open-source data for
product development, technology
transfer, collective climate action,

and agrarian policy support to
enhance the livelihoods of
smallholder farmers.
Geological Survey of India Indian Space Research The Geological Survey of India Training
Training Institute (GSITI) Organisation (ISRO) Institute (GSITI) in Hyderabad
(Telangana) has signed a 5-year MoU
with the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) in Bengaluru
(Karnataka) as part of the National
Natural Resources Management System
(NNRMS) programme.
The primary objective of the project
is capacity building through the
generation of a skilled workforce
(human resources) in the Application
of Digital Image Processing and
Geographic Information Systems
(GIS) in Mineral Exploration,
Advanced Remote Sensing
Techniques in Mineral Exploration,
and Applications of Geo-informatics
in Disaster Management.
ISRO-developed a Device for
Fishermen Safety
ISRO has successfully tested its
innovative device named
‘Nabhmitra’, which was developed at
ISRO-Space Applications Centre in
Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The device aims
to enhance the safety of fishermen
during their sea expeditions.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) Indian Space Research Amazon Web Services (AWS) India
India Private Limited Organization (ISRO) and Private Limited has signed a MoU with
Indian National Space the Indian Space Research Organization
(ISRO) and Indian National Space
Promotion and
Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-
Authorization Centre (IN- SPACe) to support space-tech
SPACe) innovations through cloud computing.
The partnership will support space
startups, research institutes, and
students’ access to cutting edge cloud
technologies that accelerate the
development of new solutions in the
space sector.
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Lloyd’s Register & Caterpillar The Garden Reach Shipbuilders and
Engineers (GRSE) Limited Inc Engineers (GRSE) Limited signed two
non-binding Memorandums of
Understanding (MoUs) with foreign
companies- Lloyd’s Register & Caterpillar
Inc during the Defense and Security
Equipment International (DSEI)
Exhibition in London, United Kingdom
(UK) which took place from 12th - 15th
September 2023 at the Excel in London's
Royal Victoria Dock.

Uttar Pradesh New and Small Industries A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
Renewable Energy Development Bank of India has been inked between the Uttar
Development Agency (UPNEDA) (SIDBI) Pradesh New and Renewable Energy
Development Agency (UPNEDA), and
Small Industries Development Bank of
India (SIDBI) for solarization of
residential units at Ayodhya, Uttar
Pradesh (UP) and for bio-energy and
renewable project financing.
The agreement was inked during an
event organised in the SIDBI’s
Lucknow Office in UP.
This MoU will help in promoting
solar energy, and encourage
innovations for environment friendly
projects.
AUGUST 2023
Telecom Regulatory Authority Centre for Development of TRAI and C-DoT signed a memorandum
of India (TRAI) Telematics (C-DoT) of understanding (MoU) to establish the
mechanism of technical and institutional
cooperation in telecommunications, at
TRAI headquarters in New Delhi, Delhi.
The Centre for Development of
Telematics (C-DOT), the premier
Telecom Research and Development
(R&D) Centre of the Department of
Telecommunications (DoT), has
signed a consortium agreement with
leading industry partners for
‘Collaborative Development of
Disaggregated 5G Radio Access
Network (RAN) Solution’ to bolster
India’s telecom R&D capabilities.
International Union for Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) was signed between International Union
Species Survival Commission for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
(SSC) Species Survival Commission (SSC) and
the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) to set up
the first-ever regional Center for Species
Survival (CSS) in India.
This will be the 10th CSS in the world
and the first of its kind in South Asia.
Ministry of Development of United Nations Development The Ministry of Development of North
North Eastern Region Programme (UNDP) Eastern Region (MDoNER) and the
(MDoNER) United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), the UN’s Global Development
Network, entered a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) to enhance and
accelerate Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) in northeastern regions of
India.

Garden Reach Shipbuilders and V.S.Dempo Holdings Private The Garden Reach Shipbuilders and
Engineers (GRSE) Ltd Limited (Dempo Group) Engineers (GRSE) Ltd, Kolkata, West
Bengal has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with V.S.Dempo
Holdings Private Limited (Dempo Group)
for building commercial vessels.The
vessels will be built at the 3 shipyards of
the Dempo Group, including two in Goa
and one in Bhavnagar, Gujarat.It marks
the GRSE’s first attempt to build
commercial vessels.
Asian Development Bank (ADB) Fourth Partner Energy The Asian Development Bank (ADB)
(4PEL) Private Limited signed an agreement of worth Rs 1.2
(Fourth Partner) billion (about USD 14.7 million) with
Fourth Partner Energy (4PEL) Private
Limited (Fourth Partner), an
Independent Power Producer(IPP) to
build and operate a solar photovoltaic
power plant in Tirunelveli, Tamil
Nadu.The 25 Megawatt(MW) power
plant will produce electricity of about
50.7 GigaWatt-hours(GWh) annually.
Open Access enables heavy users
with a connected load exceeding 1
MW to purchase affordable electricity
from the open market.
National Institution for United Nations Development NITI Aayog and UNDP India have signed
Transforming India (NITI) Programme (UNDP) India an MoU to speed up the efforts to achieve
Aayog the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs).
The agreement aims to make a clear
plan of cooperation on a range of
areas, including SDG localisation,
data-driven monitoring, Aspirational
Districts and Blocks programme, and
SDG financing.
Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) Kenya Shipyard Limited The GSL signed an MoU with KSL for
(KSL) capacity building and collaboration in
ship design and building.
The MoU was signed during the
bilateral Defence Ministers meeting
between Union Defence Minister
Rajnath Singh and Kenyan Cabinet
Secretary for Defence Aden Bare
Duale in New Delhi, Delhi on August
29, 2023.
During the meet, India and Kenya
discussed on capacity building and
cooperation in defence industry and
equipment. They also discussed on

the other regional security issues of
mutual interest.
JULY 2023
Power Finance Corporation Ltd Rural Electrification PFC and REC Ltd, have signed
(PFC) Corporation (REC Ltd) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with clean energy companies for
providing a total of Rs 5 lakh crore funds
to their projects during the “Green
Finance Summit” held in Goa.
REC & PFC, a State-owned Non-
Banking Financing Companies
(NBFC) and a Maharatna central
public sector undertaking (CPSE)
comes under the Ministry of Power.
PFC signed pacts worth Rs 2.37 lakh
crore with 20 companies in the clean
energy space
REC tied up for Rs 2.75 lakh crore.
The summit is organised by REC Ltd
in partnership with the Indian
Government’s Group of Twenty (G20)
Presidency, on the sidelines of the
14th Clean Energy Ministerial and
8th Mission Innovation meeting
(CEM14/MI-8) in Goa between 19th
to 22nd of July, 2023.
Germany-based Thyssenkrupp Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Germany-based Thyssenkrupp Marine
Marine Systems Ltd, India Systems (TKMS) and Mazagon Dock
Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) a Miniratna I
Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU)
has signed a MoU for the overhaul and
modernization of a Sub-Surface Killer
(SSK) class submarine, Indian Navy Ship
(INS) Shankush to extend its operational
capability.
INS SHANKUSH is the second
submarine in a series of four
Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft
(HDW) Class 209 Type 1500 boats
that are all still in service.
National Anti-Doping Agency South Asia Regional Anti- NADA India signed a MoU with SARADO,
(NADA) India Doping Organisation comprising of Anti-Doping Organizations
(SARADO) of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal
and Sri Lanka to increase the Regional
Cooperation in anti-doping in sports
NADA India – SARADO Cooperation Meet

This agreement marks a significant
milestone as the first of its kind for
India in the field of anti-doping.
Directorate General of Civil European Union Aviation The Directorate General of Civil Aviation
Aviation (DGCA) Safety Agency (EASA) (DGCA), aviation regulator of India has
signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with the European Union Aviation
Safety Agency (EASA), aviation regulator
of Europe, to enhance cooperation in the
areas of Unmanned Aircraft Systems
(UAS) and innovative air mobility.
International Financial Services Climate Policy Initiative - International Financial Services Centres
Centres Authority (IFSCA) India (CPI) and IIML –EIC Authority (IFSCA) signed Memorandums
of Understanding (MoUs) with Climate
Policy Initiative -India (CPI) and IIML –
EIC. These are detailed as below:
IFSCA MoU with CPI-India to
cooperate on Sustainable Finance:-
IFSCA and CPI-India has signed a
MoU for mutual assistance and
cooperation to increase mobilization
of global sustainable capital flows
into India.
IFSCA has also signed MoU with IIM
Lucknow Enterprise Incubation
Centre (IIML EIC) at IIM (Indian
Institute of Management) Lucknow
EIC, Noida campus in Uttar Pradesh
(UP).
Ministry of Defence (MoD) Food Safety & Standards Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Food
Authority of India (FSSAI) Safety & Standards Authority of India
(FSSAI) signed a MoU to promote use of
millets and healthy eating practices
among the Armed Forces and ensure
availability of safe & nutritious food in
New Delhi, Delhi.
It aims to create awareness about the
nutritional benefits of diet diversity
and millet-based food products
among the Army personnel and also
pave the way for the introduction of
millet-based menus in mess, canteens
and other food outlets under the
MoD.
The union ministers Rajnath Singh
and Mansukh Mandaviya unveiled a
book titled ‘Healthy Recipes for
Defence’ to promote the

consumption of Shree Anna (millets)
and its health benefits.
Ministry of Textile Gujarat Government Ministry of Textile, Government of India
(GoI) signed an Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the Gujarat
Government for setting up Pradhan
Mantri Mega Integrated Textile Regions
and Apparel (PM MITRA) Park in Vansi
village, Jalalpore Taluka in Navsari
District, Gujarat.
The PM MITRA Park in Vansi is
inspired by the 5F vision of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi: Farm to
Fibre to Fabric to Fashion to Foreign.
This was the 7th PM MITRA Park
under the union government
announcement to set up seven textile
clusters in seven states.
United Nations Development Absolute® United Nations Development Programme
Programme (UNDP) India (UNDP) India and Absolute®, a
bioscience company, signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
to jointly strengthen the Pradhan Mantri
Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Government
of India’s crop insurance scheme under
the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers
Welfare (MoA&FW) and enhance the
strength of the farmers.
To boost the implementation of the
PMFBY and the Restructured
Weather Based Crop Insurance
Scheme (RWBCIS) by building
technical capabilities of the scheme
and digitising service delivery of crop
insurance and agricultural credit
processes to increase reach and
uptake of the schemes.
Food Safety & Standards AOAC INTERNATIONAL The Food Safety & Standards Authority of
Authority of India (FSSAI) India (FSSAI), a statutory body under the
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, and
AOAC INTERNATIONAL, a global
organization that advances food safety,
food integrity, and public health, signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
to collaborate and increase the food
safety analytical ecosystem in India.
The MoU marks the joint
commitment of both FSSAI and AOAC
to work towards achieving common

objectives for the advancement of
food safety standards and analytical
practices in India.
The partnership between FSSAI and
AOAC INTERNATIONAL is of the
utmost importance for India’s food
safety landscape.
JUNE 2023
International Finance National Bank for Financing IFC, a part of the World Bank Group, and
Corporation (IFC) Infrastructure and NaBFID signed an MoU on June 2, 2023,
Development (NaBFID) to develop a pipeline of investment-ready
public-private partnership (PPP) projects
in infrastructure across India.
The MoU would support India’s
target of achieving a USD 5-trillion
economy while fostering low-carbon
and climate-resilient growth.
The MoU was signed by Rajkiran Rai
G, Managing Director, NaBFID and
Thomas Lubeck, Manager, Asia
Pacific Public-Private Partnership,
Transaction Advisory Services, IFC.
Microsoft Ministry of Skills An MoU has been signed
Development and between Microsoft and Ministry of Skills
Entrepreneurship (MSDE) Development and Entrepreneurship
(MSDE), to train 6000 students and 200
educators at government-led Industrial
Training Institutes (ITIs) and National
Skills Training Institutions (NSTIs).
Microsoft will offer a wide range of
courses for the training including in
Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud
computing, web development and
cybersecurity skills.
This training is being conducted
under the CyberShikshaa programme
and will be expanded to students and
educators at 10 NSTIs for women.
Ministry of Power (MoP) Ministry of New and MoP and MNRE have jointly launched a
Renewable Energy (MNRE) national mission named “Mission on
Advanced and High-Impact Research”
(MAHIR) to quickly identify emerging
technologies in the power sector and
leverage them indigenously, at scale, for
deployment within and outside India.
By identifying emerging technologies
and taking them to the

implementation stage, the mission
seeks to support them as the main
fuel for future economic growth and
make India a manufacturing hub of
the world.
The mission has been planned for an
initial period of five years from 2023-
24 to 2027-28 and will follow the
technology life cycle approach of Idea
to Product.
Ministry of Tourism United Nations World The Ministry of Tourism and the UNWTO
Tourism Organisation signed an MoU to enhance cooperation
(UNWTO) and identify areas of mutual interest.
It was signed during the 4th and final
G20 (Group of Twenty) Tourism
Working Group Meeting and G20
Tourism Ministerial Meeting being
held from June 19-22, 2023 in Goa.
Bharat Electronics Limited HFCL Limited (formerly BEL and HFCL Limited signed a
(BEL), known as Himachal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
Futuristic Communications to indigenously develop and deploy
Ltd), emerging technologies and technical
solutions to address the requirements of
Defence, Telecom and Railway sectors.
The non-exclusive MoU, signed for
2 years, aims to promote
‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant
India) initiative and make in India
initiative.
Indian Railways (IR) United States Agency for IR and the USAID, an independent agency
International Development of the United States (US) federal
(USAID) government, signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) to combat climate
change and achieve Indian Railways’
target of net-zero carbon emissions by
2030.
According to the projected
estimates, in order to achieve Net
Zero Carbon Emission, Indian
Railways would need an expected
renewable capacity of around
30,000 MW (megawatts) by the
fiscal year 2029-30.
MAY 2023
Indian Army’s (IA) Military Indian Institute of To convert IA’s stations/cantonments
Engineer Services (MES) Jhansi Technology Kanpur, UP (IIT- into carbon-neutral campuses.
in Uttar Pradesh (UP) K)

Ministry of Housing and Urban Rail India Technical and For technical assistance for Solid Waste
Affairs (MoHUA) Economic Service Limited, Management (SWM) & Used Water
(RITES Limited) Management (UWM) under Swachh
Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) 2.0.
i. The Technical Support Unit (TSU) of
RITES will assist SBM-U for a period of 3
years.
Bharat Electronics Ltd Emjay Control Systems Pvt BEL signed an MoU with Bengaluru
Ltd (Karnataka) based Emjay Control
Systems to jointly manufacture and
develop business for state-of-the-art,
electro-mechanical bollards for use in
various defence, homeland security,
paramilitary, and export projects.
India Post Confederation of All India A tripartite MoU was signed to benefit
Traders (CAIT) (an apex small and medium traders as they will be
body of trading community able to use India Post as a logistics
of India) & Tripta service provider across the country.
Technologies Private Limited
Ministry of Housing & Urban Japan International For develop ‘Station Area Development
Affairs (MoHUA) & Ministry of Cooperation Agency (JICA) along Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed
Railways (MoR) Rail (Project-SMART)’.
i. It was inked for four High Speed Rail
Stations viz. Sabarmati, Surat in Gujarat
and Virar and Thane in Maharashtra; out
of 12 stations in-route.
ii. Surat, Virar and Thane are Green fields
while Sabarmati is a Brown field
development.
Ministry of AYUSH Indian Council of Medical To promote and collaborate on
Research (ICMR) integrative health research, explore
possibility to work on public health
research, and take initiatives for
addressing diseases of national
importance.
United States Agency for Indo-American Chamber of Both organisations renewed their MoU
International Development Commerce (IACC) for 5 years to enhance collaboration
(USAID) between the American and Indian
business communities across sectors
including health, climate change,
economic growth, education and women
empowerment.

INDEX
RANKING
STATE/CITY WISE RANKING
Index/Survey Name Released by State or City in the rank
SEPTEMBER 2023
NIL
AUGUST 2023
NIL
JULY 2023
Performance Grading Department of School Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry
Index (PGI): 2.0: 2021- Education & Literacy, of Education (MoE), released the ‘Performance
22: States & Union Ministry of Education Grading Index (PGI): 2.0: 2021-22: States & Union
Territories‘which assesses the performance of
Territories (MoE)
school education system at the State/UT level by
creating an index for comprehensive analysis.It
should be noted that the PGI: 2.0 is the revised
version of earlier ‘PGI – State structure for 2021-22’.
The new PGI 2.0 structure covers 73 indicators,
focused more on qualitative assessment, digital
initiatives and teacher education.
PGI 2.0 for 2021-22 classified the States/UTs
into ten grades viz., highest achievable Grade is
Daksh, which is for State/UT scoring more than
940 points out of total of 1000 points. The
lowest grade is Akanshi-3 which is for score up
to 460.
The top-most grade attained in PGI 2.0 is
Prachesta – 2. It was attained by only 2 States
and UTs, namely Punjab with score of 647.4 and
Chandigarh (659.0).
List of Top 5 States as per Scores:
State/UT Score Grade
Chandigarh 659 Prachesta-2
Punjab 647.4 Prachesta-2
Delhi 636.2 Prachesta-3
Kerala 609.7 Prachesta-3
Gujarat 599 Prachesta-3
National NITI Aayog The Vice-Chairman of National Institution for
Multidimensional Transforming India (NITI) Aayog, Suman Bery
Poverty Index released the 2nd edition of NITI Aayog’s Report
‘National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI): A
Progress Review 2023‘.
It represents India’s progress in reducing
multidimensional poverty between the two
surveys, National Family Health Survey [NFHS-4
(2015-16)] and NFHS-5 (2019-21).
India has registered a significant decline of 9.89
percentage points in number of India’s

multidimensionally poor from 24.85% in 2015-
16 to 14.96% in 2019-2021.
Uttar Pradesh (UP) registered the largest decline
in number of poor i.e. 3.43 crore people…Click
here for complete report…
Export Preparedness NITI Aayog According to the Export Preparedness Index(EPI)

Index(EPI) 2022 for 2022 for States and Union Territories(UTs), the 3rd
States and Union edition of the National Institution for Transforming
Territories(UTs) India (NITI Aayog) report, Tamil Nadu has topped
the Index with an overall score of 80.89.Maharashtra
with 78.20 at 2nd place, Karnataka with 76.36 at 3rd
place and Gujarat with 73.22 at 4th place are the top
performers in EPI 2022 in all categories of states.
The report, which presents a comprehensive
analysis of India’s export performance in FY22,
was released by Suman Bery, Vice Chairman of
NITI Aayog, on 17th July 2023.
Kanchipuram, Chennai, Tiruppur are the top
three among the exporting districts of Tamil
Nadu.
JUNE 2023
8th edition of India Ministry of Education According to the 8th edition of India Rankings (India
Rankings (India Ranking (MoE) on parameters Ranking 2023), prepared by Ministry of Education
2023) defined by National (MoE) based on parameters defined by National
Institutional Ranking Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), Indian
Framework (NIRF) Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras (IITM),
Chennai, Tamil Nadu(TN), has topped the list for
the 5th consecutive time.
IITM is followed by the Indian Institute of
Science (IISc), Bengaluru, Karnataka ranked
2nd and IIT Delhi at 3rd.
IIT Madras has also topped among the
Engineering institutes for the 8th consecutive
year.
IIT Madras is also ranked 2nd among
research institutions and ranked 2nd best for
Innovation.
Under the best university
category, IISc Bangalore has topped the list
followed by Jawaharlal Nehru University
(JNU) (New Delhi, Delhi) and
Jamia Millia Islamia (New Delhi, Delhi) in 2nd
and 3rd rank respectively.
All India Institute of Medical Sciences
(AIIMS) Delhi has topped among the medical
colleges in India followed by Post Graduate
Institute of Medical Education and Research

(Chandigarh) and Christian Medical College
(Vellore, TN)
MAY 2023
NIL
INTERNATIONAL RANKING
Index /Survey Name Released By Ranks of India & Top 3 Ranks
SEPTEMBER 2023
2023 Digital Quality of Life(DQL) Surfshark According to the 2023 Digital Quality of Life(DQL) Index,
Index Limited the 5th edition of the annual DQL Index by Surfshark
Limited, India has raised to 52nd rank with a ranking
index of 0.5154 from 59th rank in 2022.
The Index featuring 121 countries is topped by
France with a ranking index of 0.7902 followed by
Finland, Denmark, Germany and Luxembourg.
In Asia (regional ranking) India is ranked 13, with
Singapore (global rank 10) at the top.
India’s ranking: Internet Affordability – 28th rank,
Internet Quality -16th rank, Electronic
Infrastructure – 91st rank, Electronic Security –
66th rank and Electronic Government – 35th rank.
AUGUST 2023
NIL
JULY 2023
ASK Private Wealth Hurun India Hurun On 27th June 2023, The Hurun Research Institute
Future Unicorn Index 2023 Research released the ASK Private Wealth Hurun India Future
Institute Unicorn Index 2023, a ranking of India’s start-up
ecosystems worth at least USD 200 million, and the new
additions in the unicorn list reveals a significant decline
in 2023, indicating a slowdown in the Indian start-up
ecosystem. The cut-off date was 31 May 2023.
In 2023, India added only three unicorn start-ups
having a valuation of over USD 1 billion compared
to 24 (turned Unicorns from the list) in 2022
pointed at a distinct slowdown.
The important factor contributing to this decline is
the drop in the Investor interest, also termed as
“Funding Winter”.
Global Peace Index 2023 Institute for According to the 17th edition of the Global Peace Index
Economics & 2023 released by international think-tank, the Institute
Peace (IEP) for Economics & Peace (IEP), India has ranked at 126th
position by climbing nine positions from 2022. The list
is topped by Iceland.
The ranking, which is based on 23 indicators
grouped into three criteria (societal safety and
security; extent of ongoing domestic and
international conflict; and degree of militarization),

shows 84 countries recording improvement and 79
showing deterioration.
Rank Country
1 Iceland
2 Denmark
3 Ireland
4 New Zealand
5 Austria
126 India
The bottom five countries are – Democratic
Republic of the Congo (159), South Sudan (160),
Syria (161), Yemen (162), and Afghanistan (163).
Global Multidimensional Poverty United The latest update of the Global Multidimensional
Index (MPI) Nations Poverty Index (MPI) was released by the United Nations
Development Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford
Programme Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) at
(UNDP) and the University of Oxford, United Kingdom (UK).
the Oxford As per it, a total of 415 million people moved out of
Poverty and poverty in India within just 15 years from
Human 2005/2006 to 2019/2021 showing 55.1% decrease
Development in 2005-06 to 16.4% in 2019-2021.
Initiative In India, multidimensional poverty declined from
(OPHI) 645 million people in 2005-2006 to 370 million in
2015-2016, and further to 230 million in 2019-
2021.
Young University Rankings (YUR)- Times Higher According to the Times Higher Education THE) ‘Young
2023 Education University Rankings (YUR)-2023’ , Mahatma Gandhi
(THE) University (MGU), Kerala has emerged as top among
Indian universities under and secured 77 globally.
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore tops the
list in 2023.
The only three universities from India in the Top
100 World List are Mahatma Gandhi University, JSS
Academy of Higher Education and Research,
Shoolini University of Biotechnology and
Management Sciences.
Lovely Professional University (LPU) placed in
World’s Rank Band 251-300 in the ranking THE YUR
2023 list among the other universities created since
1973.LPU has surpassed three IITs, namely IIT
Guwahati and Bhubaneswar (ranked within the 301-
350 band), as well as IIT Mandi (ranked within the
351-400 band)…Click here for more detail….
JUNE 2023
Times Higher Education (THE) Times Higher Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (Amrita University),
Impact Rankings 2023 Education Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, has emerged as the top Indian
(THE) university on the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact

Rankings 2023. 2023 Impact Rankings is the 5th
edition of THE Impact ranking.
Globally, Amrita University is ranked 52 among the
1,591 universities from 112 countries.
Western Sydney University in Australia has topped
the overall ranking for the second year in a row
followed by the University of Manchester, in the
United Kingdom(UK) and Queen’s University in
Canada
Global Slavery Index 2023 Walk Free According to the Global Slavery Index 2023, an
Foundation assessment of modern slavery conditions in 160
countries, released by Australia-based Rights
group Walk Free Foundation in May 2023, Globally,
around 50 million (49.6 million) people were living in
conditions of modern slavery in 2021, a 25% rise over
the last five years.
Among the G20 nations, India tops the list with 11
million people working as forced labourers, followed
by China, Russia, Indonesia, Türkiye and the United
States of America (USA).
⅔ of people in modern slavery were in India, China,
North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Indonesia, Nigeria,
Türkiye, Bangladesh and the USA.
Asia and Pacific region have the largest number of
modern slavery with 29.3 million people.
Most Prevalent Least Prevalent
1 North Korea 160 Switzerland
2 Eritrea 159 Norway
3 Mauritania 158 Germany
4 Saudi Arabia 157 Netherlands
5 Türkiye 156 Sweden
Global Gender Gap Report 2023 World According to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF)
Economic annual Global Gender Gap Report 2023, released on June
Forum (WEF) 20 2023, India has closed 64.3% of the overall gender
gap and ranked 127th out of 146 countries in terms of
gender parity at the Global Gender Gap Index 2023
whereas Iceland Topped the index followed by
Norway and Finland at 2nd and 3rd rank.
Thus India has improved by 1.4% points and 8 positions
in 2023 compared with the 2022 edition. (India was
ranked 135th in the 2022 Index).
The Global Gender Gap Index 2023 rankings:
Rank Country Score 0-1
127 India 0.643
1 Iceland 0.912
2 Norway 0.879

3 Finland 0.863
4 New Zealand 0.856
5 Sweden 0.815
Global Liveability Index 2023 Economist According to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU)
Intelligence Global Liveability Index 2023 released on June 21,
Unit (EIU) 2023, Vienna, the capital of Austria, has topped the
index as the world’s most liveable city. Vienna has
secured the top spot for the second consecutive year
excelling in all the categories of the index.
City liveability index, March 2023:
Most
liveable Least liveable
Ra Ran City Index
nk City (Country) k (Country) value
Damascus(S
1 Vienna(Austria) 173 yria) 30.7
Copenhagen(De Tripoli(Leba
2 nmark) 172 non) 40.1
Melbourne(Aust Algiers(Alge
3 ralia) 171 ria) 42
Sydney(Australi Lagos(Niger
4 a) 170 ia) 42.2
Vancouver(Can Karachi(Pak
5 ada) 169 istan) 32.5
QS World University Rankings Quacquarelli According to the QS World University Rankings 2024 by
2024 Symonds(QS) Quacquarelli Symonds(QS) released on 27th June 2023,
the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B),
Mumbai, Maharashtra, is the only Indian Institute
featured among the top 150 Universities.
IIT-B ranked 149th globally, has emerged as the best
higher education Institue in India.
The global list is topped by the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, United States of
America(USA) for the 12th time (2012 and from 2014
to 2024).
Fostering Effective Energy World According to the World Economic Forum(WEF) report
Transition 2023 Economic titled “Fostering Effective Energy Transition 2023”,
Forum(WEF) published in collaboration with Accenture, India is
ranked 67th on the Energy Transition Index (ETI) 2023.
The report also stated that India is the only major
economy with energy transition momentum
accelerating across the ETI’s equitable, secure and
sustainable dimensions.
ETI 2023, the list of 120 counties, is topped
by Sweden with an ETI score 78.5 followed
by Denmark (76.1) and Norway (73.7) in 2nd and 3rd
rank respectively.

35th edition of the World International The International Institute for Management
Competitiveness Index 2023 Institute for Development (IMD) published 35th edition of the
Management World Competitiveness Index 2023 which ranks India at
Development 40th position. The top 3 positions in the ranking were
(IMD) claimed by Denmark, Ireland, and Switzerland.
Rank 2023 Country Rank 2022 Ranking change
1 Denmark 1 –
2 Ireland 11 9
3 Switzerland 2 -1
4 Singapore 3 -1
5 Netherlands 6 1
40 India 37 -3
MAY 2023
Most Innovative Companies 2023: Boston The report’ showcasing top 50 companies in 2023 that
Reaching New Heights in Consulting are most innovative in their operations. In this, Tata
Uncertain Times Group (BCG) Group is the only Indian company to feature in this list
at 20th position.
The list has been topped by Apple Inc., and followed
by Tesla Inc., and Amazon.com, Inc. at 2nd and 3rd
rank.
Table showing Top 5 most innovative Companies of
2023
Ran
k Company Country
California, United States

1 Apple Inc. (US)
2 Tesla Inc. Texas, US
3 Amazon.com, Inc. Washington DC, US
4 Alphabet Inc. California
Microsoft
5 Corporation Washington DC
Mumbai (Maharashtra),
20 Tata Group India
REPORT
SEPTEMBER 2023
The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the
leading United Nations (UN) body on Biodiversity and Conservation, published a report titled Assessment
Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control (known as the “Invasive Alien Species Report”).
As per the report, invasive alien species were identified as one of the main direct drivers of biodiversity
loss worldwide, and at least 37,000 alien species were established worldwide.

The report also reveals that more than 3,500 invasive species have penetrated various regions and
biomes worldwide due to human activities, thus affecting human health, food security, and biodiversity.
The global economic cost of invasive alien species exceeded USD 423 billion annually in 2019, with costs
having at least quadrupled every decade since 1970.
United Nations (UN)’s report titled “Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The gender
snapshot 2023” states that the world is failing in its efforts towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals
(SDG) 5: gender equality, due to the biases against women around the world in health, education, employment
and the halls of power.
This is the latest edition of the annual series jointly produced by of the UN Women (UN Entity for Gender
Equality and the Empowerment of Women) and UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).
According to the 8th edition of U.S. News & World Report's Best Countries Rankings 2023, India
improved its ranking by one spot to claim 30th rank in 2023 with overall score of 40.8. India was ranked 31 out
of 85 in 2022.
The list is topped by Switzerland, among 87 countries, for the second consecutive time and sixth time
overall.
Switzerland is followed by Canada at 2nd rank, and Sweden at 3rd rank.
The rankings are developed in collaboration with global marketing communications company WPP and its
proprietary BAV brand analytics tool, and by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, United
States (US).
Top 5 and India in Best Countries Rankings 2023
Rank Country
30 India
1 Switzerland
2 Canada
3 Sweden
4 Australia
United States of America
5
(USA)
The World Health Organization (WHO) released it’s first-ever report on the global impact of
hypertension (high Blood Pressure -BP) titled, “Global Report on Hypertension: the race against a silent
killer”, along with recommendations on the effective hypertension care to save lives.
The report reveals that approximately 4 out of every 5 people with hypertension are not receiving adequate
treatment. By scaling up coverage, it's estimated that 76 million deaths could be prevented between 2023
and 2050.
The world is not on track to meet the voluntary global target of a 25% reduction in the prevalence of raised
blood pressure (uncontrolled hypertension) by 2025.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO)’s report titled “Growth of ultra-processed foods in
India- An analysis of trends, issues and policy recommendations”, India’s Ultra-Processed Food Sector
grew at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13.37 % in retail sales value from 2011 to 2021.
This report has been developed by the WHO Country Office for India in collaboration with the Indian
Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).
AUGUST 2023
Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Union Minister of State, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
(MoEF&CC), released the detailed report of All India Tiger Estimation – 2022 titled “Status of Tigers: Co-
Predators & Prey in India-2022” during the event organized as a part of the Global Tiger Day (29th July 2023)
at Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand.
According to the report by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Tiger Population in India is
estimated to be 3,925 with an annual growth rate of 6.1% per annum. India currently retains almost 75% of
the world’s wild tiger population.

The World Health Organization (WHO) released the “’WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic,
2023: Protect people from tobacco smoke “, the 9th report in the series that tracks the status of the tobacco
epidemic and interventions to combat it.
The report monitors countries’ progress in tobacco control using MPOWER, which is designed to assist
countries in implementing demand-reduction measures of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco
Control (WHO FCTC).
The report state that around 5.6 billion people (71% of the world’s population or 7 in 10 people globally)
are protected with at least one best practice of tobacco control measure, 5 times increase from 2007.
The report showed that 2 new countries, Mauritius and the Netherlands, have achieved best-practice level
in all MPOWER measures. Until now, this was achieved by only Brazil and Türkiye.
Mauritius has become the first African country to fully implement the entire MPOWER Measures. It has
recorded a 25% decline in the prevalence of smoking among adults between 1992 and 2021…Click here for
complete report…
India Meteorological Department (IMD) launched the Heat Index on an experimental basis.
This information was provided by the Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) in a
written reply in the Rajya Sabha. The heat index in India is calculated similarly to the National Weather
Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the United States (US).
Colour codes used for Experimental Heat Index are as follows:
Green: – Experimental heat Index less than 35 degree C
Yellow: – Experimental heat Index in the range 36-45 degree C
Orange: – Experimental heat Index in the range 46-55 degree C
Red: – Experimental heat Index greater than 55 degree C
Fortune released the 69th edition of Fortune Global 500 list of 2023, an annual ranking of the largest 500
corporations across the world as measured by total revenue for fiscal 2023(FY2022-23).
Walmart tops the list for the 10th consecutive year, followed by Saudi Aramco and State Grid in the 2nd and
3rd positions respectively.
8 Indian Companies Featured in the 2023 Fortune Global 500 list with Reliance Industries Ranked High at
88.
Reliance Industries, led by Mukesh Ambani, holds a rank at 88 in the Fortune Global 500 list of 2023.
LIC was first featured in the Fortune Global 500 list in 2022. In 2023, it slipped 9 places to 107 from 98 in
2022. IOC jumped 48 places to rank at number 94.
According to the World Trade Statistical Review 2023, (WTSR 2023) the annual flagship publication of
the World Trade Organization (WTO) featuring key data on global trade in merchandise and commercial
services, India is ranked 18th among the Leading exporters in world merchandise trade (2022).
India is ranked 9th among the merchandise importers.
China, the United States of America (USA), and Germany are the top 3 exporters in world merchandise trade
2022.
USA, China and Germany are the top 3 importers in World Merchandise Trade 2022.
Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, released the report of
the Study on Assessment of Employment Potential of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), in New Delhi, Delhi. The
assessment was conducted by Centre for Public Policy under Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB),
Benglauru(Karnataka) with technical support from the International Labour Organization (ILO).
The report of the study has estimated an employment generation potential of JJM to the tune of 2.82 crore
person per year employment.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Education released India's first “State of School
(Elementary) Education in Rural India” report during the Transforming Rural India (TRI)’s India Rural
Colloquy 2023 (IRC) held in India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, Delhi.
The report revealed that a total of 78% of parents of girls and 82% of parents of boys wanted to educate
their children to graduation and above.

The report aims to provide data along with the right analytics and insights to stimulate the development of
rural India.
Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS), Department of Water Resources (WR), River Development, and Ganga
Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD & GR) released the All India (volume-I) and State-wise (Volume-II) report on 6th
census on Minor Irrigation (MI) schemes.
This report will be useful for planners, researcher scholars, agricultural and groundwater scientists, and all
concerned with the development of irrigation and the agricultural economy of India.
Uttar Pradesh holds the largest number of MI schemes in India followed by Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh,
and Tamil Nadu.
JULY 2023
Kapil Moreshwar Patil, Minister of State (MoS) for the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) released the
Report on Panchayat Development Index (PDI) during the National Workshop on PDI held at Vigyan Bhawan,
New Delhi, Delhi.Th aim of the index Main focus To develop a strategic plan and roadmap for the integration of
the Ministry’s portal /dashboard to build a data ecosystem.
PDI was formulated to evaluate different indicators responsible for ensuring targeted development in
villages.
According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)’s “World Investment
Report 2023(WIR 2023): Investing in Sustainable Energy for All”, Foreign Direct Investment(FDI) in Asia’s
developing countries remained unchanged at USD 662 billion and India and Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) were the top recipients , with an increase of 10% and 5% respectively.
India was among the five economies that accounted for almost 80 percent of the FDI flows to the region.
The four other economies were China, Singapore, Hong Kong (China) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
According to the report by World Health Organization (WHO)- United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP) titled “Progress on household
drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000-2022: Special focus on gender”, gloablly women and girls bear the
burden of drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) crises. Women and girls spend more than ten times
as much time fetching water for households than men….Click here for more detail…
According to the 5th edition of Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation by the United
Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia Paciﬁc’s (UNESCAP), India has emerged as the best-
performing country in the South Asian region in terms of trade facilitation.
India has been positioned at the forefront of global trade facilitation eﬀorts, with an impressive score of
93.55% in 2023 vis a vis 90.32% in 2021 after evaluation of 160 economies(countries) and 60 trade
facilitation measures.
India has progressed by achieving a perfect score of 100% in four key areas;Transparency, Formalities,
Institutional Arrangement and Cooperation, and Paperless Trade…Click here for more detail…
Antonio Guterres, the United Nations secretary-general (UNSG) launched “A world of debt. A growing
burden to global prosperity”, a new report from the UN global crisis response group and as per the report
nearly 40% of the developing countries in the World is in serious debt, as public debt reached a record USD 92
trillion in 2022, which is five-fold since 2000.
The report was jointly prepared by the UN Global Crisis Response Group, the United Nations Conference on
Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the five United Nations Regional Economic Commissions.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released a report titled ‘The Impact of Microplastics and
Nanoplastics on Human Health ‘.
As per it, Microplastics and nanoplastics significantly affect the gut microbiomes of humans, animals, and
the environment.
The report highlights instances where changes in intestinal structure and gastrointestinal functioning have
been observed as a result of exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics. However, the effects of exposure to
other plastic chemicals on the gut microbiome remain largely unexplored.
The report’s authors reviewed 146 articles on the subject.

UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations (UN) Programme on Human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV)/Acquired
immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), report titled “2023 UNAIDS Global AIDS Update – The Path That Ends
AIDS” highlights that there is a path to end AIDS by 2030 and it requires strong political leadership, following
the science, tackling inequalities and ensuring sustainable funding.
The report contains data and case studies which highlight that ending AIDS is a political and financial
choice, and that the countries and leaders who are already following the path are achieving extraordinary
results.
According to the Henley Passport Index 2023 (3rd quarter) released by Henley & Partners, a London-
based global citizenship and residence advisory firm, India ranked 80th by providing visa-free or visas on
arrival access to 57 countries.
Singapore is the world’s most powerful passport with visa-free access to 192 travel destinations out of 227
worldwide.
India’s current rank ties it with countries like Togo and Senegal.
United Nations (UN) Women and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched a report
titled The paths to equal: Twin indices on women’s empowerment and gender equality at the Women Deliver
2023 Conference (WD2023) in Kigali, Rwanda, East Africa.
The report highlights the global challenges faced by women and provides a roadmap for targeted
interventions and policy reforms.
Less than 1%of women and girls live in countries with both high levels of women’s empowerment and high
gender parity.
More than 90% of the world’s female population i.e 3.1 billion women and girls live in countries
characterized by a large women’s empowerment deficit and a large gender gap.
According to Women’s Empowerment Index (WEI) on an average, women are empowered to achieve only
60% of their full potential and the Global Gender Parity Index (GGPI) measured that women achieve 28 %
less than men across key human development dimensions.
JUNE 2023
According to the ‘Hunger Hotspots: FAO-WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity, June to November 2023
Outlook’ report released on May 29, 2023, by the United Nation (UN) agencies of Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), globally Hunger is set to worsen in 18 ‘hotspots’
comprising a total of 22 countries including the regions in India’s neighbours countries of Pakistan, Afghanistan
and Myanmar.
Hotspots are places where acute hunger is at a high risk of worsening from June to November 2023.
The report has assessed 22 countries where acute food insecurity can potentially increase in magnitude
and severity for 18 areas.
Highest Concern Nations: Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen remain at the highest
concern level
Haiti, the Sudan and Sahel region (Burkina Faso and Mali) and Sudan have been elevated to the highest
concern levels.
Very High Concern Nations: Pakistan, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic
Republic of the Congo and the Syrian Arab Republic are hotspots with very high concern.
The warning is also extended to Myanmar.These hotspots have many people facing critical acute food
insecurity.
Lebanon has been added to the list of hotspots, joining Malawi and Central America (El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua) that remain hotspots.
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s 11th edition ‘World of Work’, the global
unemployment is projected to fall below pre pandemic levels to 191 million, corresponding to an
unemployment rate of 5.3% in 2023.
The report highlighted that the low-income countries may remain far behind in the recovery process.
The report also calls for global financial support for job creation and social protection.
In 2023, the global jobs gap is projected to at 453 million people or 11.7%, which is more than double the
unemployment count.

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
(MoRTH), has published its inaugural ‘Sustainability Report for FY 2021–22: Building A Sustainable Road
Infrastructure’, which highlights the effectiveness of various efforts undertaken by the NHAI toward the
conservation of environment and energy.
The report, prepared as per the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) reporting guidelines, was released by
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, MoRTH.
Gist of the report:
Between FY 2019-20 and 2021-22, the direct emission has been reduced by 18.44% and 9.49% due to
less fuel consumption.
NHAI is also working towards reducing indirect emissions, by transiting towards clean and green energy
sources.
Green House Gas (GHG) Emissions from energy consumption, operations, transport and travel
measured in Metric Tonnes (Carbon dioxide) CO2 equivalent (MTCO2eq)/Kilometer(Km) constructed have
witnessed a decline of 9.7% in FY 2020-21 and 2% in FY 2021-22.
GHG Emission Intensity was at 22.23 in FY 2019-2020, 12.47 in FY 2020-21 and 10.50 in FY 2021-2022.
NHAI has also reduced its dependency on fuel for energy consumption. The Energy Intensity of NHAI
in Giga Joules (GJ)/km by 37% in FY 2020-21 and 27% in FY 2021-22, while the kilometres constructed
through the reporting period have been rising steadily.
The coverage of electronic toll collection through FASTag (with 97.5 % penetration) has contributed to
reducing carbon footprint.
NHAI has been using recycled materials (Recycled Asphalt (RAP) and Recycled Aggregates (RA)) for
National Highway (NH) construction. In the past 3 years, the use of fly ash and plastic waste in construction
was also increased.
As a part of its efforts to ensure wildlife protection and conservation and to reduce the man-animal
conflict across India, more than 100 Wildlife Crossings were created in 3 years across 20 States.
According to the report titled “Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress 2023” released on 6th June 2023,
around 2.3 billion people across the globe are still using polluting fuels and technologies for cooking and
around 675 million people did not have access to electricity in 2021.
The report states that the world is not on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 for
energy by 2030.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s “Global oral health status report Towards universal health
coverage for oral health by 2030 Regional summary of the Western Pacific Region” around 800 million people, or
42% of people in the Western Pacific Region, suffer from oral diseases such as untreated dental caries, gum
disease, or tooth loss.
According to the new study conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research–India Diabetes (ICMR-
INDIAB), India has around 101 million people living with diabetes and 136 million people with pre-diabetes.
The study showed that Goa has the highest population of diabetic patients. Around 26.4% of the Goan
population has diabetes.
As a part of this study, the researchers of ICMR-INDIAB studied the prevalence of major metabolic non-
communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity and pre-diabetes from
31 states and Union Territories (UTs) of India.
Goa recorded the highest prevalence, around 26.4% of type 1 and type 2 diabetes cases.
The UT of Puducherry stands 2nd with 26.3% followed by Kerala at 3rd place with 25.5% of cases.
Uttar Pradesh recorded the lowest prevalence, around 4.8%, of diabetes cases.
Vivek Johri, Chairman of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) released the National Time
Release Study (NTRS) 2023 report which offers the port-category wise average release time for 2023.
The data on the NTRS 2023 is based on the sample period- 1st week of January 2023, from 1st to 7th
January 2023 (both dates included).

According to the study, the average import release time has improve in 2023 compared to 2022. achieving
20% reduction in release time for ICDs; 11% reduction for ACCs; and 9% reduction for seaports.
In absolute terms, the import release time for seaports, ICDs, ACC and ICPs is 85:42 hours(Hrs) , 71:46 hrs,
44:16 hrs and 31:47 hrs, respectively.
The measure of standard deviation has lowered which indicates a certainty of expeditious release of
imported Cargo.
According to the ‘Oil 2023′ Analysis and forecast to 2028 report released by International Energy Agency
(IEA), India will surpass China as the main driver of global oil demand growth by 2027 as consumption
expands in fast-growing developing economies and contracts in the developed world.
The report titled National Energy Data: Survey and Analysis 2021-22 was released by Raj Kumar Singh,
Union Minister for Power, New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) at Shram Shakti Bhawan, New Delhi, Delhi.
This report is produced by the Energy Data Management Unit under the Bureau of Energy Efficiency(BEE),
Ministry of Power in collaboration with NITI Aayog(National Institution for Transforming India) which
provides detailed insights into energy supply and consumption patterns across various sectors of the
Indian economy.
According to the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2023 (GSER 2023) released by policy advisory and
research firm Startup Genome, Indian ecosystems continue to rise, with Bengaluru (Karnataka) startup
ecosystem has positioned to the 20th spot, moving two places from 2022.
Mumbai (Maharashtra) moved up five places to 31st position and Delhi moved up two places to 24th
position respectively in the Global Startup Ecosystem list 2023.
Among the emerging ecosystems, Pune (Maharashtra) has moved into the 31-40 range in 2023, from 51–60
in 2022.
Silicon Valley (United States) remaining at the top ecosystem in the GSER 2023 followed by New York
City(United States) and London(United Kingdom) tied at 2nd position. They are maintaining the top three
position from 2020.
MAY 2023
According to the “Report on Optimal Generation Capacity Mix for 2030 version 2.0” published by the Central
Electricity Authority(CEA) under the Ministry of Power, in April 2023, India is projected to have 41 Gigawatt
(GW) of energy storage capacity along with 777GW of total installed power capacity by 2029-30.
The report was prepared by the CEA team headed by Chief Engineer Ammi Ruhama Toppo.
The study is an exercise to assess the least cost generation capacity mix to meet the projected Electricity
Demand for 2029-30.
According to the report ‘Born Too Soon: Decade of Action on Preterm Birth’, published on May 10, 2023, almost
half of all pre-term births (babies born before the 37th week of pregnancy) in 2020 happened in five countries
of India, Pakistan, Nigeria, China and Ethiopia.
The report alarms ‘silent emergency’, as for every 10 babies born, 1 is preterm, and every 40 seconds, 1 of
those babies dies.
The report was created by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF) together with PMNCH, the world’s largest alliance for women, children, and adolescents.
According to the ‘Global Report on Internal Displacement 2023 (GRID 2023): Internal Displacement and Food
Security’ released jointly by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and Internal Displacement Monitoring
Centre (IDMC), the number of internally displaced people (IDPs) around the globe reached 71.1
million in 2022, an increase of 20% from 2021.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’s report “Turning off the Tap: How the world can end plastic
pollution and Create a circular economy” states that global plastic pollution can be reduced by up to 80% by 2040
if the companies and countries make policies and market shifts using existing technologies.
The report released ahead of the second round of negotiations in Paris, France, is aimed at agreeing to
a world-first international plastics treaty to beat plastic pollution.

According to the report titled “The Wealth Report 2023” published by Knight Frank, India’s Ultra-High-Net-
Worth Individuals (UHNWI) are estimated to increase 58.4% in the next 5 years from 12,069 in 2022 to 19,119
individuals in 2027.
UHNWI is someone with a net worth of USD 30 million or more, including their primary residence.
The report stated that India’s billionaire population is expected to increase from 161 individuals in 2022 to
195 individuals in 2027.
The report also stated that the high-net-worth individual (HNWI) population will also rise by around 107%
in a five-year period. The HNWI population is expected to increase from 797,714 persons in 2022 to 1.65
million in 2027.
According to the World Bank’s (WB) annual report ‘State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2023’ released on
May 23, 2023, revenues collected from carbon taxes and Emissions Trading Systems (ETS) globally have
reached a record high, about US$95 billion in 2022 despite the challenging context for governments facing
high inflation, fiscal pressures, and energy crises.
The revenues collected from carbon taxes and ETS in 2021 was about US$ 84 billion.
The report was launched at Innovate4Climate (I4C), the World Bank Group’s flagship climate action event
which held in Bilbao, Spain, from May 23 to 25 2023.
India’s AI (Artificial Intelligence) Supercomputer ‘AIRAWAT’, has been ranked 75th globally in the 61st edition
of Top 500 Global Supercomputing List which was released at the International Supercomputing
Conference (ISC 2023) in Germany.
AIRAWAT or AI Research Analytics and Knowledge Dissemination Platform is installed at C-DAC (Centre for
Development of Advanced Computing), Pune (Maharashtra) under National Program on AI (NPAI) by
Government of India.
The list has been topped by the United States (US) Frontier. This HPE Cray EX system is the first US
system with a performance exceeding one Exaflop/s (EXA Floating point Operations per Second).
Note: AIRAWAT stands as India’s largest and fastest AI supercomputing system, with a remarkable speed of
13,170 teraflops (Rpeak).
Table Showing World’s Top 5 Supercomputers:
Rank System Country
1 Frontier, HPE Cray EX235a US
2 Supercomputer Fugaku, A64FX Japan
3 LUMI, HPE Cray EX235a Finland
4 Leonardo, Xeon Platinum 8358 32C Italy
5 Summit, IBM Power System AC922 US
Table Showing India’s Supercomputers in Top 500 List::
Rank System Installed At
AIRAWAT – PSAI – NVIDIA DGX A100, AMD EPYC 7742 64C
2.25GHz, NVIDIA A100, Infiniband HDR, Netweb
75 Technologies C-DAC
PARAM Siddhi-AI – NVIDIA DGX A100, AMD EPYC 7742 64C
131 2.25GHz, NVIDIA A100, Mellanox HDR Infiniband, Atos C-DAC
Pratyush – Cray XC40, Xeon E5-2695v4 18C 2.1GHz, Aries Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology
169 interconnect , HPE (IITM), Pune
National Centre for Medium-Range
Mihir – Cray XC40, Xeon E5-2695v4 18C 2.1GHz, Aries Weather Forecasting, Noida, Uttar
316 interconnect , HPE Pradesh

The World Bank(WB)’s report titled “Thriving: Making Cities Green, Resilient, and Inclusive in a
Changing Climate” highlights the role of cities in both reducing the effects of climate change on Food, water,
biodiversity and protecting people from its impacts.
This also provides guidance for local and national policymakers to make cities greener, more resilient and
more inclusive.
The World Meteorological Congress, the supreme body of World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
approved a new Green House Gas (GHG) watch, a global GHG monitoring initiative to support urgent action
to reduce heat-trapping gases which are fuelling temperature increase.
New Global Greenhouse Gas Watch approved by WMO will support mitigation action taken by the Parties to
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement.
193 countries of WMO have unanimously approved the creation of a new GHG monitoring mechanism to
have a stained, internationally coordinated GHG monitoring.
According to report ‘ Levels and trends in child malnutrition: United Nations Children’s Fund/World
Health Organization/International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, The World Bank Group:
the Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates’s (UNICEF/WHO/The World Bank Group: JME) key findings of the
2023 edition’ released on May 23, 2023, 18.7% of Indian children were affected by wasting in 2020 due to
poor nutrient intake and/or recurrent illnesses.
In 2022, globally, 148.1 million children under the age of 5 years were stunted, 45 million wasted, and 37
million overweight.
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNS

APPOINTMENTS
NATIONAL
Name Appointed As Entity/Place Points to Be Noted
SEPTEMBER 2023
Jaya Varma Sinha Chairperson & Chief Railway Board The Appointments Committee of
Executive Officer the Cabinet (ACC) has approved
(CEO) the appointment of Jaya Varma
Sinha as the Chairperson & Chief
Executive Officer (CEO)
of Railway Board.
She becomes the 1st
woman to hold the post since
the establishment of Railway
Board in 1905.
She succeeded Anil Kumar
Lahoti whose tenure as
chairman and CEO ended on
31st August 2023.
Jaya Varma Sinha will hold
the post till 31st August
2024. Previously was set to
retire on 1st October 2023,
but she will be re-employed
until her tenure is over.
Prior to this appointment, she
was serving as the Member

(Operations and Business
Development), Railway
Board.
Dipak Gupta Managing Director Kotak Mahindra Bank Dipak Gupta, Joint Managing
(MD) and Chief Director (MD) of the Kotak
Executive Officer Mahindra Bank Limited took over
(CEO) as the Interim MD and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of the
bank till 31st December 2023.
He will hold the position till
Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
proposes its successor.
The appointment of Dipak
Gupate follows the
early resignation of Uday
Kotak from the position of
MD & CEO with effect
from 1st September 2023. His
tenure as MD & CEO expires
on 31st Devember 2023.
Uday Kotak will continue as a
part of Kotak Mahindra Bank
as a non-Executive director.
Rajesh Nambiar Chairman and National Association of The National Association of
Managing Director Software and Service Software and Service Companies
(CMD) Companies (NASSCOM) (NASSCOM) has appointed Rajesh
Nambiar, Chairman and
Managing Director (CMD)
of Cognizant India, as
its chairperson.
He will replace Anant
Maheshwari (former
president of Microsoft
India) who was appointed
as Chairman of NASSCOM
(2023-2024) in April
2023.
He is relocating to Dubai
as part of his new role as
Honeywell’s High Growth
Region President and
Chief Executive Officer
(CEO).
In April 2023, Rajesh
Nambiar was appointed as
the Vice-Chairperson of
NASSCOM for the period
2023-24.

Sandeep Bakhshi Managing Director ICICI Bank The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
(MD) and Chief has approved the re-appointment
Executive Officer of Sandeep Bakhshi as the
(CEO) Managing Director (MD) and
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
the ICICI Bank Limited for three
years with effect from 4th
October, 2023 to 3rd October
2026.
This is his second extension
of tenure; the first extension
happened in 2021 for two
years which is about to expire
on 3rd October 2023.
He has been serving as the
MD & CEO of ICICI Bank since
2018 succeeding Chanda
Kochchar.
Rajnish Kumar Non-Executive Mastercard India Rajnish Kumar, former chairman
Chairman of the State Bank of India (SBI)
has been appointed as the Non-
Executive Chairman
of Mastercard India.
Rajnish Kumar will guide
Mastercard's South Asia
executive leadership team,
led by Gautam Aggarwal,
Division President for South
Asia and Country Corporate
Officer, India.
He is currently serving as the
chairman of payments
startup BharatPe.
Sashidhar Jagdishan Managing Director HDFC Bank Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has
(MD) and Chief approved re-appointment of
Executive Officer Sashidhar Jagdishan as Managing
Director(MD) and Chief Executive
(CEO)
Officer(CEO) of HDFC Bank
Limited for a period of 3 years
with effect from 27th October
2023 to 26th October 2026.He
has been MD and CEO of the
Housing Development Finance
Corporation (HDFC) Bank since
October 2020, after he took
charge from Aditya Puri(the
bank’s longest serving CEO (26
years- since September 1994).
AUGUST 2023
Udaya Kumar Chairperson Microfinance Industry Microfinance Industry Network
Hebbar Network (MFIN) (MFIN) elected Udaya Kumar
Hebbar as Chairperson and

Manoj Kumar Nambiar as the
Vice Chairperson in its 14th
Annual General Meeting (AGM) in
Delhi. Udaya Kumar Hebbar
assumed the position from
Devesh Sachdev, MD & CEO of
Fusion Micro Finance Ltd. on
completion of his respective
term.
Rajiv Gauba Cabinet Secretary - The Appointments Committee of
the Cabinet (ACC) has approved a
one-year extension to Cabinet
Secretary Rajiv Gauba, by making
him the longest-serving cabinet
secretary in India's history.
This marks his third
extension in the position. The
extension for a further period
of one year goes beyond
August 30th, 2023.
Sanjay Kumar Chairman Central Board of The Government of India (GoI)
Agarwal Indirect Taxes and appointed Sanjay Kumar Agarwal
Customs (CBIC) as the Chairman of the Central
Board of Indirect Taxes and
Customs (CBIC), an apex policy-
making body for indirect taxes
under the Department of
Revenue under the Ministry of
Finance. He succeeds Vivek Johri,
who superannuated on 31st July
2023.
Surjit Bhujbal has been
appointed as the Member
(Compliance Management) of
CBIC board succeeding Sanjay
Kumar Agarwal.
Shrikant Madhav Chairman Indian Oil Corporation The Appointments Committee of

Vaidya Ltd (IOCL) the Cabinet (ACC) approved the
proposal of the Ministry of
Petroleum and Natural Gas
(MoP&NG) and extended the
tenure of Shrikant Madhav
Vaidya, Chairman of Indian Oil
Corporation Ltd (IOCL), for a
period of 1 year beyond the date
of his superannuation i.e with
effect from September 1, 2023,
till August 31, 2024, or till the
time of appointment of the

regular incumbent to the post on
contract basis.
Shrikant Madhav Vaidya, who
took charge as chairman of
IOC on July 1, 2020, turned 60
on 7th August 2023, and as
per the rules, he was to
superannuate from service on
August 31, 2023.
Amit Jhingran Managing Director SBI Life Insurance The Insurance Regulatory and
(MD) & Chief Company Limited (SBI Development Authority of India
Executive Officer Life) (IRDAI) has approved the
appointment of Amit Jhingran as
(CEO)
the Managing Director(MD) &
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
SBI Life Insurance Company
Limited (SBI Life). Amit Jhingran
is set to succeed Mahesh Kumar
Sharma, the incumbent MD &
CEO of SBI Life.
Faiz Ahmed Kidwai Chief Executive National Rainfed Area Department of Personnel and
Officer (CEO) Authority (NRAA) Training (DoPT), Ministry of
Personnel, Public Grievances and
Pensions has issued an order
appointing Faiz Ahmed Kidwai as
the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
of the National Rainfed Area
Authority (NRAA) on an
additional charge basis.
This appointment is effective
for a period of 9 months
starting from June 5, 2023,
until the appointment of a
new CEO or until further
orders.
Parminder Chopra Chairman and Power Finance With the approval of
Managing Director Corporation Limited Appointments Committee of the
(CMD) (PFC) Cabinet (ACC), the Power Finance
Corporation Limited (PFC) has
appointed Parminder Chopra as
its first woman full-time
Chairman and Managing Director
(CMD) with effective from (w.e.f)
14th August, 2023.
The Ministry of Power has
approved Chopra's
appointment "till the date of
her superannuation (April 30,
2027) or until further orders.

P R Seshadri Managing Director South Indian Bank Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
(MD) and Chief approved the appointment of P R
Executive Officer Seshadri as the Managing
(CEO) Director (MD) and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of South
Indian Bank for a period of 3
years with effect from 1st
October 2023.
He will replace Murali
Ramakrishnan, whose tenure
as MD & CEO of South Indian
Bank is set to end by 30th
September 2023.
Neelkanth Mishra Part-time Chairman Unique Identification Neelkanth Mishra has been
Authority of India appointed the Part-time
(UIDAI) Chairman of the Unique
Identification Authority of India
(UIDAI). He has been serving as
the Chief Economist at Axis Bank
Limited and Head of Global
Research at Axis Capital Limited
since May 2023.
The Chairman post was
vacant for almost 4 years.
Previously, J. Satyanarayana
served as the part-time
Chairman of UIDAI from July
12, 2016, to April 15, 2019.
He will be the second non-
bureaucrat after Nandan
Nilekani (2009 to 2014) to
chair UIDAI.
The appointments of the
Chairperson and the
Members are for a period of 3
years or up to the age of 65
years whichever is earlier
Sachin Ramesh ‘National Icon’ for Election Commission of Former Indian cricketer and
Tendulkar voter awareness and India (ECI). Bharat Ratna awardee Sachin
education Ramesh Tendulkar was named as
the ‘National Icon’ for voter
awareness and education for the
Election Commission of India
(ECI).
Sachin and ECI entered
into a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) for

a period of 3 years at the
event held in New Delhi,
Delhi, in the presence of
the Chief Election
Commissioner (CEC),
Rajiv Kumar, and Election
Commissioners Shri Anup
Chandra Pandey and Shri
Arun Goel.
Prakash Chairperson National Green Tribunal Appointments Committee of the
Shrivastava (NGT) Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime
Minister (PM) Narendra Modi,
has appointed Justice Prakash
Shrivastava, Former Chief Justice
(CJ) of Calcutta High Court (HC)
as chairperson of the National
Green Tribunal(NGT).
He took charge as
chairperson of NGT on
23rd August 2023,
succeeding Justice Sheo
Kumar Singh-I, acting
chairperson of NGT (July
2023- August 2023).
Umesh Revankar chairman Finance Industry Umesh Revankar was appointed
Development Council as the chairman of the Finance
(FIDC) Industry Development Council
(FIDC) for a period of 2 years
with effect from 23rd August
2023. He is currently serving as
the Executive Vice Chairman
(EVC) of Shriram Finance
Limited.
FIDC is a Self-Regulatory
Organization (SRO) cum
Representative Body of Asset
and Loan Financing of the
Non-Banking Financial
Corporation (NBFC)
registered with the Reserve
Bank of India(RBI).
JULY 2023
Ritesh Chauhan Additional charge of National Agricultural Ritesh Chauhan, a 2005 batch IAS
the post of Managing Cooperative Marketing officer of Himachal Pradesh(HP)
Director (MD) Federation of India Ltd. cadre has been given additional
(NAFED) charge of the post of Managing
Director(MD), National
Agricultural Cooperative

Marketing Federation of India
Ltd. (NAFED) under Department
of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
(DAC & FW), Ministry of
Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
He is currently serving as
Chief Executive Officer (CEO),
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima
Yojana (PMFBY) & Joint
Secretary in the Ministry of
Agriculture.
TS Singh Deo Deputy chief minister Chhattisgarh Senior Congress leader and
(CM) Chhattisgarh health minister TS
Singh Deo(70), has been
appointed as the deputy chief
minister(CM) of Chhattisgarh.The
appointment was approved by
Congress President Mallikarjun
Kharge at the Congress
headquarters in Delhi.
Also known as modern-day
Maharaja, Tribhuvaneshwar
Saran Singh Deo (TS Singh
Deo) is the titular Maharaja of
Chhattisgarh’s Surguja, was
first elected as a member of
the state’s legislative
Assembly in 2008.
Deo also served as the Leader
of the Opposition in the 4th
Vidhan Sabha of Chhattisgarh.
Tushar Mehta Solicitor General of - Appointments Committee of the
India (SGI) Cabinet (ACC) approved the re-
appointment of Tushar Mehta as
Solicitor General of India (SGI)
with effect from 1st July 2023 for
a period of three years or until
further orders, whichever is
earlier. This is the 2nd extension
granted to Mehta by the
government of India.
The ACC also approved the
re-appointment of 6
Additional Solicitors General
(ASG) for the Supreme Court
of India for a period of 3
years.
The ACC also issued an order
of re-appointing 4 ASG's in

the High Courts of India for a
period of 3 years.
Ajit Pawar Deputy Chief Minister Maharashtra Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)
(Dy CM) leader Ajit Pawar was sworn in as
the deputy Chief minister (Dy
CM) by Ramesh Bais, Governor of
Maharashtra, in a ceremony at
the Raj Bhawan in Mumbai,
Maharashtra in the presence of
Maharashtra's Chief Minister
(CM) Eknath Shinde.
Now, Maharashtra has 2 Dy
CMs. Bharatiya Janata
Party(BJP)’s Devendra
Fadnavis is the other Dy CM
of Maharashtra.
Lt Gen M U Nair National Cyber National Cyber Lt Gen M U Nair has been
Security Coordinator Coordination Centre appointed the new National
(NCSC) (NCCC) Cyber Security Coordinator
(NCSC) by the National Cyber
Coordination Centre (NCCC), the
cybersecurity and e-surveillance
agency under Ministry of
Electronics and Information
Technology in the government of
India.
He is the third cyber security
chief in India, succeeding Lt
Gen (retd.) Dr Rajesh Pant
and preceded by Gulshan Rai,
who was the first chief.
Sheo Kumar Singh-I Acting chairperson National Green Tribunal Justice Sheo Kumar Singh-I was
(NGT) appointed as the acting
chairperson of National Green
Tribunal (NGT) by the Union
Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
with the effect from July 6, 2023
until further notice.
He succeeded Justice Adarsh
Kumar Goel, chairperson of
NGT (July 2018 -July 2023),
who retired on July 6, 2023.
He was part of the NGT as a
judicial member since March
11, 2020.
Rajkumar Chief executive officer Centre for Development The Appointments Committee of
Upadhyay (CEO) of Telematics (C-DoT) the Cabinet (ACC) has approved

the proposal of the Department
of Telecommunications (DoT) for
the extension in tenure of Dr.
Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO (Chief
executive officer), C-DoT (Centre
for Development of Telematics)
for a period of 2 years till 9th July
2025 or attaining the age of 60
years.
In October 2020, Upadhyay
joined India’s telecom
technology research
organisation C-DoT as the
executive director and in
November 2022 he was
promoted as CEO and C-DoT’s
board chairman.
K Rajaraman Chairman International Financial According to the notification
Services Centres released by The Department of
Authority (IFSCA) Economic Affairs (DEA) under
Ministry of Finance, The
Department of
Telecommunications secretary
and 1989-batch IAS officer of the
Tamil Nadu Cadre, K Rajaraman
will be the next chairman of the
International Financial Services
Centres Authority (IFSCA).
He will be replacing Injeti
Srinivas, the first chairperson
of IFSCA (which acts as a
unified authority for the
development and regulation
of financial products,
financial services and
financial institutions)
appointed in 2020.
Irina Ghose Managing Director Microsoft India Microsoft India promoted Irina
(MD) Ghose as its Managing Director
(MD), while Anant Maheshwari
stepped down from his position
as Microsoft India President.
As part of the executive
reshuffle, Navtez Singh Bal
has been appointed as the
new Chief Operating Officer
(COO).
He was earlier heading the
Government, Public Sector
and Education Business for
Microsoft in India which is

now taken care of by Venkat
Krishnan.
Abhijit Chakravorty Managing Director SBI Cards and Payment SBI Cards and Payment Services
(MD) and Chief Services Limited Limited (SBICPSL) appointed
Executive Officer (SBICPSL) Abhijit Chakravorty as its
Managing Director (MD) and
(CEO)
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
with effect from August 12, 2023
for a period of 2 years.
Deputy MD of SBI.
He will succeed the
incumbent MD & CEO Rama
Mohan Rao Amara, who
tendered his resignation with
effect from 11th August 2023
owing to his transfer back to
the SBI.
Rakesh Pal Director General Indian Coast Guard Rakesh Pal has been appointed as
(ICG) the 25th Director General of
Indian Coast Guard (DGICG).
He holds the recognition of
being the First Gunner of ICG.
He was given the additional
charge of DGICG in February
2023.
He was elevated to the rank
of Additional Director
General in February 2022.
Note: Virender Singh
Pathania was the 24th DGICG,
appointed on December 31
2021.
Rajay Kumar Sinha Managing Director SBI Capital Markets Rajay Kumar Sinha, has been
(MD) & Chief Limited (SBICAPS) appointed as the Managing
Executive Officer Director (MD) & Chief Executive
(CEO) Officer (CEO) of SBI Capital
Markets Limited (SBICAPS), one
of the oldest investment banks in
India, effective from July 14,
2023.Rajay Kumar Sinha
succeeded Amitava Chatterjee,
who moved to SBI Corporate
Centre as Deputy Managing
Director, in charge of Commercial
Clients Group.
Sat Pal Bhanoo Managing Director Life Insurance Sat Pal Bhanoo has been
(MD) Corporation of India appointed as the Managing
(LIC) Director (MD) of Life Insurance
Corporation of India (LIC) with
effect from the date of
assumption of charge of office

and up to the date of his
superannuation on 31st
December 2025 or until further
orders, whichever is earlier.He
succeeds Siddhartha Mohanty,
who was appointed as the
Chairman of LIC in April 2023.
A Madhavarao Chairman and Bharat Dynamics Commodore A Madhavarao
Managing Director Limited (BDL) (Retd.) assumed charge as
(CMD) Chairman and Managing Director
(CMD) of Bharat Dynamics
Limited (BDL), a Public Sector
Undertaking (PSU) under the
Ministry of Defence (MoD)
effective from July 19, 2023.
The MoD approved his
appointment till the date of
his superannuation on April
30, 2026 or until further
orders, whichever is earlier.
After Siddharth Mishra, P
Radhakrishna Director
(Production) assumed
additional charge CMD, BDL
with effect from 1st April
2023 for a period of 3
months.
On 8th July Nuka Srinivasulu,
Director (Finance) assumed
additional charge of CMD,
BDL.
JUNE 2023
Ashwani Kumar Managing Director UCO Bank Ashwani Kumar is Executive
(MD) and Chief Director of Indian Bank
Executive Officer appointed as Managing Director
(CEO) (MD) and Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) of UCO Bank.
i. Ashwani Kumar succeeding
Soma Sankara Prasad, who has
been the MD & CEO from 2021 is
set to retire on 31st May 2023.
Ajay Yadav Managing Director Solar Energy Ajay Yadav succeeded Suman
(MD) Corporation of India Sharma, former MD of SECI, who
(SECI) relinquished the post of MD of
SECI with effect from 19th May
2023.
He joined as a member of the
Union Public Service Commission
(UPSC) on 25th May 2023.

K Krithivasan Chief Executive Tata Consultancy He succeeds Rajesh Gopinathan,
Officer (CEO) and Services (TCS) who stepped down from the post
Managing Director on 31st May 2023.
(MD) K Krithivasan became the 5th
Chief Executive Officer of TCS
Atul Verma Director General Competition The Government of India (GoI)
Commission of India has extended the tenure
(CCI) of Atul Verma as the Director
General of the Competition
Commission of India (CCI)
for three months beyond May 31,
2023.
Atul Verma, a 1991 batch IPS
officer of the Himachal Pradesh
cadre, was appointed as DG at CCI
in June 2020 for 3 years.
Amarendu Prakash Chairman Steel Authority of India Prior to this appointment, he has
Ltd (SAIL) been servings as the Director (In-
charge) of SAIL’s Bokaro steel
plant(BSL), in Bokaro, Jharkhand,
since 2020.
He succeeds Soma Mondal, who
retired from the post on April 30,
2023.
Sanjay Swarup Chairman and Container Corporation Public Enterprises
Managing of India Limited Selection Board (PESB)
Director (CMD) (CONCOR) recommended Sanjay Swarup for
the post of Chairman and
Managing Director (CMD) of
Container Corporation of India
Limited (CONCOR), Public Sector
Undertaking (PSU) under the
Ministry of Railways.
Currently, Sanjay Swarup is
serving as the Director
(International Marketing &
Operations) at CONCOR, India’s
biggest rail hauler of containers.
The recommendation of PESB is
yet to be signed off by the
Appointments Committee of the
Cabinet (ACC).
V Kalyana Rama, the current
CMD, is set to be step down from
the role in September 2023.
Amit Agrawal Chief Executive Unique Identification The Appointments Committee of
Officer (CEO) Authority of India the Cabinet (ACC) as part of a
(UIDAI) bureaucratic reshuffle effected by

the Centre appointed Senior
Indian Administrative Service
(IAS) officers namely Amit
Agrawal as Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of Unique
Identification Authority of India
(UIDAI) and Subodh Kumar
Singh as the Director-
General (DG) of the National
Testing Agency (NTA).
Amit Agrawal succeeds Saurabh
Garg, whose two-year term has
ended and was also appointed as
Secretary, Department of Social
Justice and Empowerment.
Nitin Agarwal Director General Border Security Force Appointments Committee of the
(BSF) Cabinet (ACC) has
appointed Nitin Agarwal, an
Indian Police Service (IPS) officer
of the 1989 Batch Kerala cadre,
as the new Director General (DG)
of the Border Security Force
(BSF) from the date of joining the
post and up to 31st July 2026, his
date of superannuation, or till
further orders whichever is
earlier”.
Nitin Agarwal will succeed Sujoy
Lal Thaosen, who has been
holding the additional charge as
the DG of BSF since December
2022.
Nitin Agarwal is currently serving
as the Additional DG(ADG)
(Operations), Central Reserve
Police Force (CRPF) headquarters
in Delhi.
V Anantharaman Non-executive TransUnion He takes over from M V
chairman CIBIL Limited Nair, who stepped down from
the post after 11 years of
chairmanship.
Sudhansh Pant Secretary (Officer on Department of Health He is currently serving as the
Special Duty – OSD) and Family Welfare Secretary in the Ministry of Ports,
(DoH&FW) under the Shipping and
Ministry of Health and Waterways(MoPSW).
Family Welfare He will succeed the
(MoH&FW). incumbent Rajesh
Bhushan, who is set to retire on
31st July 2023.

Chanchal Kumar, a 1992 batch
IAS Officer of the Bihar cadre, has
been appointed as the Secretary
(OSD), Ministry of Civil Aviation
(MoCA).
Managing Director (MD) of
National Highways and
Infrastructure Development
Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).
He will take charge as the Civil
Aviation Secreatry on 1st August
2023 succeeding Rajiv Bansal,
who is set to retire from the post
on 31st August 2023.
Pieter Elbers Chief executive officer IndiGo Pieter Elbers,the Chief executive
(CEO) officer(CEO) of InterGlobe
Aviation Limited (IndiGo), has
been elected as the chair-elect of
the International Air Transport
Association (IATA) Board of
Governors. He will succeed the
current chairman Yvonne
Manzi Makolo, the CEO of
Rwandair, in June 2024.
Ramaswamy Naray Chairman and General Manager, The Financial Services Institution
anan Managing Director General Insurance Bureau (FSIB) has
(CMD) Corporation of India selected Ramaswamy Narayanan,
(GIC Re) General Manager, General
Insurance Corporation of India
(GIC Re), as the next Chairman
and Managing Director (CMD)
of GIC Re.
He will succeed Devesh Srivastav,
the current CMD of GIC Re, who is
set to retire in September 2023.
P N Vasudevan Managing Director Equitas Small Finance The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
(MD) and Chief Bank (SFB) has approved the re-appointment
Executive Officer of P N Vasudevan as the
(CEO) managing director (MD) and chief
executive officer (CEO)
of Equitas Small Finance
Bank (SFB) for a 3-year term
with effect from July 23, 2023.
Swaminathan Janak Deputy Governor (DG) Reserve Bank of India Appointments Committee of the
iraman (RBI). Cabinet (ACC) approved the
appointment
of Swaminathan Janakiraman,

Managing Director
(MD) (Corporate Banking and
Subsidiaries) of the State Bank of
India (SBI) to the post of Deputy
Governor (DG) of the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI).
The appointment of
Swaminathan Janakiraman is for
a period of three years from the
date of joining the post or until
further orders.
He will succeed Mahesh Kumar
Jain, whose 5 years tenure ends
on June 22nd 2023.
Hasmukh Adhia Chairman GIFT City Ltd (Gujarat Hasmukh Adhia, former union
International Finance finance & revenue secretary, has
Tec-city co. ltd.) been appointed Chairman of GIFT
City Ltd (Gujarat International
Finance Tec-city co. ltd.), in
Gandhinagar, Gujarat,
replacing Sudhir Mankad, who
has been serving as the Chairman
of GIFT City since 2007.
Hasmukh Adhia was also
appointed as the non-executive
Chairman of the
Vadodara(Gujarat) based Gujarat
Alkalies & Chemicals Ltd (GACL)
and Ahmedabad (Gujarat) based
Gujarat Mineral Development
Corporation Ltd (GMDC).
Rajat Verma Managing DBS Bank India DBS Bank India
Director(MD) and Limited appointed Rajat Verma
head as Managing Director(MD) and
head of DBS Institutional Banking
Group, India.
Rajat, who has 26 years of
banking experience will be
succeeding Niraj Mittal.
AP Hota part-time chairman Federal Bank Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
approved the appointment of AP
Hota, independent director, as
part-time chairman of the Federal
Bank with effect from June 29,
2023, till January 14, 2026.
Rohit Jawa Managing Director Hindustan Unilever Rohit Jawa took over as the new
(MD) & Chief Limited(HUL) Managing Director (MD) & Chief
executive officer(CEO) of

executive Hindustan Unilever
officer(CEO) Limited(HUL) following Sanjiv
Mehta’s retirement. He is also the
President of Unilever South Asia
and a Member of the Unilever
Leadership Executive(ULE).
V Venu Chief Secretary Kerala The Kerala government
appointed V Venu, a 1990 batch
IAS( Indian Administrative
Service) officer of the Kerala
cadre, as Chief Secretary of
Kerala. He is currently serving as
the Additional Chief Secretary
(Home).
He is set to replace the
incumbent Chief Secretary VP
Joy who is set to retire on 30th
June 2023.
The Kerala government has also
appointed Sheikh Darvesh Sahe
b, a 1990 batch IPS(Indian Police
Service) officer of Kerala cadre,
who is currently the head of the
Fire and Rescue Services in
Kerala as Director-General of
Police(DGP) of Kerala.
He will replace DGP Anil Kanth,
who will retire on 30th June
2023.
MAY 2023
Siddhartha Managing Director Life Insurance Appointments Committee of the
Mohanty (MD) and interim Corporation of India Cabinet (ACC) approved the
chairperson (LIC) proposal of the Department of
Financial Services (DFS), Ministry
of Finance for the appointment of
Siddhartha Mohanty, MD and
interim chairperson, LIC as
Chairperson till June 29, 2024.
i. After this, he will be named as
the first Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) and Managing Director till
June 7, .2025, i.e. up to the date of
his attaining the age of 62 years,
or until further orders, whichever
is earlier, in the pay scale of Rs
2,25,000 (fixed).
Shantanu Roy Chairman & Managing BEML Limited (fomerly Shantanu Roy has been chosen to
Director (CMD) known as Bharat Earth become the new CMD of BEML
Movers Limited), Limited, a Miniratna Public

Sector Undertaking (PSU) under
the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
i. Current CMD of BEML Limited
is Amit Banerjee, Director (Rail &
Metro), Additional Charge.
Currently, he is serving as
Director (Mining & Construction
Business) in BEML Limited.
Rajiv Dhar Interim Chief National Investment and Rajiv Dhar succeeds Sujoy Bose,
Executive officer Infrastructure Fund who has been serving as the MD
(CEO) and Managing Limited (NIIFL) and CEO of NIIFL since its
Director (MD) inception in 2016.
Praveen Sood Director Central Bureau of The outgoing CBI Director
Investigation (CBI) Subodh Kumar Jaiswal’s two-year
tenure will end on May 25 2023.
Ravneet Kaur Chairperson Competition She has been appointed for a
Commission of India period of 5 years with effect from
(CCI) the date of assuming the charge
or till the date of attaining the age
of 65 or until further order.
i. Ravneet Kaur becomes the first
woman and non-secretary
bureaucrat to be appointed as a
CCI Chairperson.
ii. She will replace CCI
Member Sangeeta Verma who
has been serving as the interim
(acting) chairperson of CCI since
October 2022 after Ashok Kumar
Gupta demitted office.
Anil Kumar Jain Chairman Petroleum & Natural He has been appointed for a
Gas Regulatory Board period of 5 years from the date of
(PNGRB) assumption of charge of the post
or till attaining the age of 65
years, or until further orders
Manoj Soni Chairman Union Public Service Manoj Soni, a former Vice-
Commission (UPSC) Chancellor of two universities in
Gujarat, sworn in as
the Chairman of the Union Public
Service Commission (UPSC). The
Oath was administered by Smita
Nagaraj, a senior most Member of
UPSC.
Arjun Union minister Ministry of Law and Arjun Ram Meghwal, has
Ram Meghwal Justice replaced Kiren Rijiju with the
independent charge as Minister
of State in the Ministry of Law
and Justice in addition to his
existing portfolios.

i. The existing portfolios of
Meghwal are the Minister of State
for Parliamentary Affairs and the
Minister of State for Culture.
Kiren Rijiju Union minister Ministry of Earth Kiren Rijiju was assigned with
Sciences the portfolio of the Ministry of
Earth Sciences which was earlier
handled by Union minister
Jitendra Singh.
Siddaramaiah Chief Minister Karnataka This marks Siddaramaiah’s 2nd
term as the CM of Karnataka. He
previously served as the CM from
2013 to 2018. He became the
24th CM of Karnataka.
S P Singh Baghel Union Minister of Ministry of Health and This decision was made after the
State (MoS) Family Welfare recent cabinet reshuffle of Arjun
Ram Meghwal who was allotted
as independent charge of the
Ministry of Law & Justice, while
the Union Law Minister Kiren
Rijiju was moved to Minister of
Earth Sciences.
i. Previously, S P Singh Baghel
was working under the Ministry
of Law and Justice as MoS.
Vijay Shekhar Part-time Chairman Paytm Payments Bank Vijay Shekhar Sharma was as
Sharma part-time Chairman of PPBL for a
period of 1 year starting from
23rd May 2023. This mark’s his
3rd term as the chairman of
PPBL.
i. Noida (Uttar Pradesh)-based
One97 Communications Limited
(OCL), the parent entity Paytm,
holds a 49% stake in PPBL.
ii. Vijay Shekhar Sharma holds
the rest of the stake (51%) in
PPBL
R Dinesh President Confederation of Indian National Council of the
Industry (CII) Confederation of Indian Industry
(CII) elected R Dinesh, executive
vice-chairman of TVS Supply
Chain Solutions (TVS SCS), as the
new President of CII for the year
2023-24.
i. R.Dinesh succeeds Sanjiv Bajaj,
the Chairman and Managing
Director of Bajaj Finserv Limited,

who served as CII President for
2022-2023.
Parminder Chopra Chairman and Power Finance Parminder Chopra is set to
Managing Director Corporation (PFC) become the first woman CMD of
(CMD) the PFC, India’s largest non-
banking financial company
(NBFC) and a Central Public
Sector Undertaking (PSU) under
the Ministry of Power.
The Public Sector Enterprise
Board (PESB) has recommended
Parminder Chopra for the role of
CMD of PFC.
i. She will succeed Ravinder
Singh Dhillon, who is set to
retire on 31st May 2023.
Srikrishnan Harihar Managing Karnataka Bank Karnataka Bank, one of the
a Sarma Director (MD) and leading South Indian Private
Chief Executive sector banks,
Officer (CEO) appointed Srikrishnan Harihara
Sarma as its new MD and CEO
for a period of 3 years with effect
from the date of his assuming
charge.
i. He succeeds Sekhar Rao, who
has been serving as the Interim
MD and CEO of Karnataka Bank
since April 2023.
Praveen Kumar Central Vigilance Central Vigilance Vigilance Commissioner Praveen
Srivastava Commissioner Commission (CVC) Kumar Srivastava (PK Srivastava)
was appointed as the Central
Vigilance Commissioner, chief of
the anti-corruption watchdog
Central Vigilance
Commission (CVC).
Girish Chandra External Auditor World Health Comptroller and Auditor General
Murmu Organization (WHO) of India Girish Chandra Murmu
was re-elected as the external
auditor of the World Health
Organization (WHO) for a four-
year term from 2024 to 2027.
INTERNATIONAL
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).
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.

PRESIDENTS OF INTERNATIONAL COUNTRIES
Name Country Points to be noted
SEPTEMBER 2023
General Brice Oligui Gabon General Brice Oligui Nguema, Chief of the Gabonese
Nguema Republican Guard, was unanimously appointed as
the Transitional President of Gabon and Chairman of the
Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions.
He will be sworn in as Transitional President before
the Constitutional Court on Monday September 4,
2023.
Tharman Shanmugarat Singapore Indian-origin Singapore-born
nam economist Tharman Shanmugaratnam (66 years) has been
elected as the 9th President of Singapore after securing
70.4% (1,746,427 votes) of more than 2.48 million valid
votes cast.
He will succeed incumbent Halimah Yacob, Singapore’s
first female President elected without a contest in 2017
whose term will conclude on September 13, 2023.
AUGUST 2023
Emmerson Mnangagwa Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of Zimbabwe, re-elected to
the post for the second term of 5 years (ie., 2023-28) and
final term. He belongs to the Zimbabwe African National
Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF) political party.He secured
52.6 percent of the vote against his opponent Nelson
Chamisa of political party Citizens’ Coalition for Change
(CCC) who secured 44 percent votes.He is known as ‘The
Crocodile’ for his ruthlessness.
JULY 2023
Shavkat Mirziyoyev Uzbekistan The incumbent Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has
been re-elected with 87.1 % of the vote for 7 years term
according to preliminary results released by the Central
Election Committee (CEC) of the Republic of Uzbekistan. He
is a member of the UzLiDeP (Uzbekistan Liberal Democratic
Party).
On 30th April 2023, the Uzbek President called for snap
election on which Uzbek citizens voted on constitutional
amendments through a referendum which reset his term
count and extended the presidential term to seven years
from five.
JUNE 2023
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Türkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was re-elected as the President
of Türkiye for his third consecutive term. He has been
serving as the 12th President of Türkiye since 2014.
MAY 2023
Santiago Peña Paraguay Former International Monetary Fund (IMF) economist,
Santiago Peña, candidate of the ruling conservative Colorado
Party won the Paraguay presidential election 2023.

i. Santiago Peña will take office as the 52nd President of
Paraguay on 15th August 2023. He will become the
youngest Paraguay President since the return of democracy
in 1989.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu Republic of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, 71, the former governor of Lagos
Nigeria (Nigeria), was sworn in as the 16th President of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria.
i. He succeeds Muhammadu Buhari, who was ineligible to run
again after 2 four-year terms that began in 2015.
ii. He is also the 5th President of Nigeria since the return of
democracy in 1999.
PRIME MINISTER’S OF INTERNATIONAL COUNTRIES

Name Country Points to be noted
SEPTEMBER 2023
Sato Kilman Vanuatu The Parliament of the Republic of Vanuatu elected Sato Kilman, a
former Prime Minister (PM) and leader of the People’s
Progressive Party, as the new PM of Vanuatu. This marks Sato
Kilman’s 5th term as the PM of Vanuatu.
Previously, he served as the PM from December 2010 to
April 2011; May to June 2011; June 2011 to March 2013;
and 2015 to 2016.
Sato Kilman was elected 27 votes to 23 in the secret
ballot. This outcome followed the Court of Appeal
upholding the results of a no-confidence motion against
the outgoing PM, Ishmael Kalsakau.
AUGUST 2023
Norodom Sihamoni Cambodia Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni issued a royal decree
appointing Hun Manet as the new Prime Minister (PM) of
Cambodia for a 5 year-term.
Hun Manet is the son of Hun Sen, the former PM of Cambodia
and one of Asia’s longest-serving PMs.
Hun Manet will succeed Hun Sen, who has ruled for about 38
years.
Hun Manet has been appointed as the new PM of the
Kingdom of Cambodia for the 7th mandate of the parliament.
Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar Pakistan Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar (52 year-old) became the 8th Caretaker
Prime Minister(PM) of Pakistan following the dissolvement of
Former PM Shehbaz Sharif government.
He was administered oath of the office by President Arif Alvi
in a ceremony held at the Aiwan-i-Sadr (the President House)
in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Srettha Thavisin Thailand Srettha Thavisin (61 years old) of Pheu Thai Party (PTP) was
elected as the 30th Prime Minister (PM) of Thailand after
winning the joint vote of the bicameral parliament.
He has also received the approval from the Thai King Maha
Vajiralongkorn to assume the office as PM of Thailand.
He succeeds Prayut Chan-o-cha, the 29th PM of Thailand
(2014 to 2023), who announced retirement from politics in
July 2023.
JULY 2023
NIL
JUNE 2023
NIL
MAY 2023
Ludovit Odor Slovakia He was appointed as Interim Prime Minister of Slovakia and
will head the 15-member cabinet of till the elections, which
will be held in September 2023.
i. Prior to this appointment, Ludovit Odor served as Deputy
Governor of the National Bank of Slovakia from 2018 to 14th
May 2023.
Ioannis Sarmas Greece Katerina Sakellaropoulou, President of Greece, has appointed

Senior Judge Ioannis Sarmas (66 years old) as the caretaker
Prime Minister(PM) of Greece to lead the caretaker government
until the repeat election on 25th June 2023.
i. He replace outgoing PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis after the
inconclusive ballot.
OTHER INTERNATIONAL APPOINTMENTS

Name Appointed as Entity/place Points to be noted
SEPTEMBER 2023
NIL
AUGUST 2023
Raman Sukumar Vice Chair Working Group II Indian Ecologist, Scientist and Asian elephant
(WGII) expert Raman Sukumar has been elected as
Vice Chair of Working Group II (WGII) of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) bureau for the 7th Assessment Report
(AR7) cycle.
The elections for the new IPCC Bureau
were held during the 59th Session of the
IPCC held at the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP)
headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, from 25th-
28th July 2023.

The panel elected the new IPCC Bureau
comprising 34 members, including the new
IPCC Chair James Ferguson ‘Jim’ Skea of the
United Kingdom (UK) and 3 Vice-Chairs.
Geetika Chargé d’Affaires High Commission Geetika Srivastava, a 2005 batch Indian Foreign
Srivastava (CDA) of India in Service (IFS) officer was appointed as the first
Islamabad, woman Chargé d’Affaires (CDA) at the High
Pakistan Commission of India in Islamabad, Pakistan.
She is currently serving as the Joint Secretary
at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and
looks after the Indo-Pacific division.She will
succeed Dr M Suresh Kumar, who will be
returning to New Delhi.
JULY 2023
Thani bin chair World Trade Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of
Ahmed Al Organisation’s State for Foreign Trade of United Arab
Zeyoudi (WTO) 13th Emirates (UAE), has been elected as the chair
Ministerial of the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) 13th
Conference Ministerial Conference (MC13).The
(MC13) announcement was made during the WTO
General Council in Geneva, Switzerland where
Dr Al Zeyoudi met with the WTO director
general Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
The MC13 which will be held at the Abu Dhabi
National Exhibition Centre, Abu Dhabi,United
Arab Emirates from 26th to 29th of February
2024.
Jens Stoltenberg Secretary General North Atlantic The 31 members of the North Atlantic Treaty
(extend the tenure) Treaty Organization (NATO), an intergovernmental
Organization military alliance decided to extend the tenure
of Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO
(NATO)
for another year until 1st October 2024. Jens
Stoltenberg’s term was supposed to end in
September 2023.
Jens Stoltenberg, a former Prime Minister
of Norway (from 2000 to 2001; 2005-
2013) became NATO Secretary General in
2014. His term has already been extended
3 times.
Sheikh Talal President Olympic Council of

Fahad Al Sabah Asia (OCA) Sheikh Talal Fahad Al Sabah of Kuwait was
elected as the new president of the Olympic
Council of Asia (OCA) from 2023-2027 by the
42nd OCA General Assembly in Bangkok,
Thailand. Sheikh Talal joined the OCA in 2007
and was a member of the executive board,
replaces his elder brother, Sheikh Ahmad al-
Fahad al-Sabah, who was suspended from
Olympic involvement in 2021.

Sheikh Talal beat Dr.Husain Al-Musallam ,a
Director General of OCA and also the President
of World Aquatics.
JUNE 2023
Celeste Saulo Secretary- World Prof Celeste Saulo, a leading meteorologist

General (SG) Meteorological from Argentina, was appointed as the first
Organization female SG of the WMO.
Celeste Saulo, who is currently serving as 1st
Vice-President of WMO, will take over as SG
of WMO on 1st January 2024.
She will succeed Prof Petteri Taalas of
Finland, who has been the SG of WMO (for 2
terms) since 2016.
Dennis Francis President United Nations Dennis Francis, Trinidad and Tobago’s
General Assembly Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), was
(UNGA) elected as the President of the 78th session of
the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
in the General Assembly Hall at UN
Headquarters in New York, United States of
America (USA).
Dennis Francis will take charge as President
of UNGA at the beginning of the 78th session
in September 2023.
He will succeed Csaba Kőrösi of Hungary,
President of the 77th session of the UNGA.
Aalok Kumar Member Asian Aalok Kumar, Corporate Officer and Senior Vice
Development President (VP), Head of the Global Smart City
Bank’s Business, NEC (formerly known as Nippon
(ADB) High-level Electric Company, Limited) Corporation India,
Advisory Group on has been appointed as a member of the Asian
Digital Technology Development Bank’s (ADB) High-level Advisory
Group on Digital Technology for Development
in Asian countries with effect from May 1,
2023.
i. Aalok Kumar is also the President and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of NEC Corporation
India.
ii. Aalok Kumar replaces Katsumi Emura, a
former officer of NEC Corporation and one of
the founding members of the group.
Aarti Holla- Director United Nations United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio
Maini Office for Outer Guterres appointed Aarti Holla-Maini, an
Space Affairs Indian-origin satellite industry expert from the
(UNOOSA) United Kingdom (UK), as the Director of the
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs
(UNOOSA).

i. Aarti Holla-Maini will succeed Simonetta
Di Pippo of Italy, who served as the Director of
UNOOSA from 2014 to 2022.
MAY 2023
Ajay Banga President World Bank Vice Chairman of General Atlantic Ajaypal
Singh Banga, known as Ajay Banga, (63) was
appointed as the 14th President of the World
Bank (WB) by the 25-Executive Directors of the
WB for a five-year term beginning June 2, 2023.
i. He will succeed incumbent President David
Malpass and become the first-ever Indian-
American President of WB.
ii. He is also the first-ever Indian-American and
Sikh-American to head either of the two top
international financial institutions: the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and
the WB.
King Charles III King United Kingdom King Charles III was crowned as the King of the
(UK) United Kingdom(UK) and sovereign of 14
Commonwealth realms at the coronation
ceremony held at Westminster Abbey (formally
titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at
Westminster) in London, the UK.
i. The Queen Consort (the wife of a reigning
king) Camilla, was crowned the Queen beside
King Charles III during the coronation. She
became the 29th Queen Consort to be crowned
at Westminster Abbey.
Linda Yaccarino Chief Executive Twitter Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
Officer (CEO) Tesla and SpaceX (Space Exploration
Technologies Corporation), officially
announced Linda Yaccarino, as the new CEO of
Twitter, and she would succeed Elon Musk as
the CEO of both Twitter and X Corp, a
technology company.
i. Linda Yaccarino is the current head of New
York (United States of America) headquartered
NBC (National Broadcasting Company)
Universal’s advertising sales and is set to begin
her role as a CEO of Twitter in six weeks.
ii. Yaccarino is the first female Twitter CEO and
also the first to come from a non-tech
background
Mukesh Ambani A member of the 28th Session of the Mukesh Ambani is the only Indian, other than
Advisory Conference of the Sunita Narain, Director General, Centre for
Committee to the Parties (COP28) to Science and Environment, on the Advisory
President the United Nations Committee to the President of COP28.
Framework

Convention on i. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will host the
Climate Change COP28 Advisory Committee from November 30
(UNFCCC). to December 12, 2023 in Dubai, UAE that
brings together the climate expertise of
thought leaders from countries across 6
continents.
BRAND AMBASSADOR
Name Entity/Organization Points to be Noted
SEPTEMBER 2023
NIL
AUGUST 2023
Rahul Dravid Bharat Petroleum Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL), a
Corporation Ltd. (BPCL), Maharatna Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoP&NG), has
named Rahul Dravid, Former Indian Cricketer, and the
current Head Coach of Indian Cricket Team, as its new
brand ambassador. Rahul Dravid will represent BPCL’s
'Pure for Sure' initiative and its range of MAK
lubricants.
Rafael Nadal Infosys Limited & Infosys’ Infosys Limited, an Indian multinational information
Digital Innovation. technology (IT) company, has signed a 3 years
partnership with Spanish Tennis Icon Rafael Nadal
appointing him as the ambassador for its brand and
Infosys’ Digital Innovation.
Infosys and Rafael Nadal entered into a three-year
partnership.
This marks Nadal‘s first-ever collaboration with a
digital services company.
Infosys Limited also signed a multi-year
partnership with women’s tennis World No. 1 Iga
Świątek of Poland, appointing her as the
ambassador to promote digital innovation and
inspire women worldwide.
JULY 2023
Brajendra Navnit Ambassador and Government of India (GoI) extended the tenure of
Permanent Brajendra Navnit as Ambassador and Permanent
Representative of India to Representative of India to the World Trade
the World Trade Organization (WTO) by 9 months beyond 28th June
Organization (WTO) 2023 and upto 31st March 2024 or until further orders.
The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC)
chaired by Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India,
has approved the proposal of the Department of
Commerce for an extension in the tenure of the
foreign deputation of Brajendra Navnit.

JUNE 2023
NIL
MAY 2023
NIL
RESIGNATION
Name Resigned as Imp points to be Noted
SEPTEMBER 2023
NIL
AUGUST 2023
NIL
JULY 2023
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JUNE 2023
NIL
MAY 2023
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AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

AWARDS
SEPTEMBER 2023
Philippines based Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) announced the 65th edition of the
Ramon Magsaysay Award(2023) with the theme “Transforming Asia, Inspiring the World”.The 2023 Ramon
Magsaysay Award is set to be held in Manila, Philippines on 11th November 2023.
The 2023 Ramon Magsaysay awardees are:
Ravi Kannan: “Hero for Holistic Healthcare” from India.
Miriam Coronel–Ferrer: “Women in Peace-Building Pioneer” from the Philippines.
Eugenio Lemos: “Food Sovereignty Visionary” from Timor-Leste.
Korvi Rakshand: “Education-for-All Champion” from Bangladesh.
Note: The Ramon Magsaysay Award is regarded as the ‘Nobel Prize of Asia’.India has received a total of 59
awards, while the Philippines has received 65 awards, making it the highest among all countries.
Winners of Ramon Magsaysay Awards 2023:
Awardee Country Contribution
For his combination of skill, commitment, and compassion in pushing the
Ravi Kannan India boundaries of people-centered, pro-poor health care and cancer care
For his work towards developing inclusive education for the underprivileged
Korvi Rakshand Bangladesh children in Bangladesh
Timor- For his efforts in ensuring adequate food for people and promoting the
Eugenio Lemos Leste importance of conserving the environment and social equality.
Miriam Coronel- For her unwavering confidence in the transforming power of nonviolent
Ferrer Philippines peacebuilding techniques.
The 26th National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG), was organised on the 25th and 26th of August
2023 at Brilliant Convention Centre, Indore, Madhya Pradesh (MP), to deliberate on providing better facilities
to the citizens.

During the conference, the National Award for e-Governance 2022-23 (NAeG 2023) were presented for
exemplary implementation of e-Governance initiatives. The 26th NCeG was organised on
the theme ‘Viksit Bharat, Empowering Citizens’.
NCeG 2023 was inaugurated by Om Prakash Sakhalecha, Minister of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
and Science & Technology, Governemnt of MP.
NCeG 2023, the two-day conference, was organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms &
Public Grievances (DARPG), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, and Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in collaboration with the Government of Madhya
Pradesh.
Telangana’s 1st woman Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) Shanta Thoutam honoured the World Innovation
Award at the first BRICS innovation forum held at Moscow, Russia. The cloud city concept was the core topic of
the forum.
The award is given for her contribution to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-4 through a systematic
effort to implement innovative solutions.
Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has
given awards to the ‘Swachh Vayu Survekshan-2023' winners on the occasion of the "International Day of Clear
Air for Blue Sky" on 7th September 2023, at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
‘Swachh Vayu Survekshan- 2023’ was conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) under the
initiative of the MoEFCC. The 2nd edition of Swachh Vayu Survekshan took place in 2023.
‘National Clean Air City’ Awards:
Category 1: Indore (Madhya Pradesh) secured the first rank followed by Agra (Uttar Pradesh) and Thane
(Maharashtra) in the second and third place respectively. Those cities with a population above 10 lakh fall
under category 1.
Category 2: Amravati of Maharashtra bagged the top rank followed by Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh) and
Guntur (Andhra Pradesh) in the second and third place respectively.
Category 3: Parwanoo of Himachal Pradesh bagged the top rank followed by Kala Amb(Himachal
Pradesh) and Angul(Odisha) in the second and third place respectively.
The Government of France has awarded the “Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” (Knight of the
Order of Arts and Letters) to the Indian Fashion Designer Rahul Mishra for his achievements in the field of
arts as a designer, and his commitment to promote Indian crafts and know-how internationally. Rahul Mishra,
hailing from Uttara Pradesh (UP).
The 2023 Ig Nobel Prizes were awarded at the 33rd First Annual Ig Nobel Prize ceremony, on September
14th, 2023.
The Ig Nobel Prize is the prize for humorous scientific feats and aims to “honour achievements that first
make people laugh, and then make them think.”
A team of scientists from India, China, Malaysia, and the United States of America (USA) has won the 2023
Ig Nobels, in the ‘Mechanical Engineering ‘category for re-animating dead spiders and using them as
mechanical gripping tools.
Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar presented the one-time Sangeet Natak Akademi Amrit
Awards 2022 to 84 artistes from varied fields of performing arts during a ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan, New
Delhi, Delhi.
The award was constituted to honour Indian artistes aged above 75 years who have not been accorded any
national honour in their career so far.
The award was constituted to honour Indian artistes aged above 75 years who have not been accorded any
national honour in their career so far.
The Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar 2022-23 ,the most prestigious award offered by the Indian government
for “achievements in implementing the official language” was presented at the Hindi Diwas Samaroh 2023.
This prestigious award ceremony was part of the 3rd All-India Official Language Conference (Akhil
Bharatiya Rajbhasha Sammelan) took place at Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi, Pune,
Maharashtra, from September 14-15.
Organized and Presented Annually by: Department of Official Language, Ministry of Home Affairs,
Government of India.
Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare Receives First Prestigious Raj Bhasha Kirti Puraskar, 2022-
23

PFC Receives ‘Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar’ for Outstanding Performance in Implementation of Official
Language
PNB Wins Rajbhasha Kirti First Prize at Hindi Diwas
Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) won the ‘Rajbhasha Kirti’ first prize
IOB was awarded the coveted ‘Rajbhasha Kirti’
CAG bags “First” Rajbhasha Kirti Puraskar for ‘outstanding implementation’ of Official Language Policy
Click here to read Full News
The National Medical Commission (NMC) of India has been awarded the Recognition Status by the World
Federation for Medical Education (WFME) for a period of 10 years with immediate effect.
As part of this recognition, all the 706 existing medical colleges in India will become WFME accredited and
the new medical colleges, set up in the coming 10 years will automatically become WFME accredited.
AUGUST 2023
Team of Johannesburg (South Africa) based- Pegasus Universal Aerospace (PUA) Company, led by its
Chairman Mohamed Reza Mia, an Indian-origin South African, won the 2022/2023 National Science and
Technology Forum (NSTF)-South32 Awards for outstanding contributions to Science, Engineering, Technology
(SET) and innovation in SA for the category "Innovation Award: Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise (SMME)".
The Innovation Award was won by the Pegasus Universal Aerospace team, recognised for the design and
development of a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft.
The 'Pegasus' aircraft, a compact jet, excels in speed, range, payload, and passenger capacity, outperforming
traditional business jets without needing a runway.
Myra Grover, a distinguished author, and Secretary of the New Delhi Social Workers Association
(NDSWA) has been awarded the Prestigious 'Women Icon Award', an international recognition and award
from the House of Lords, the United Kingdom (UK) Parliament, for her contributions to the society in the
domain of Mental Wellness.
Padma Awardee and former Chairman of Tata Sons, Ratan Tata was honoured with the first-ever ‘Udyog
Ratna Award’ for his outstanding contribution to Maharashtra's industrial development.
The Udyog Ratna Award is one of the category awards presented in the 1st Maharashtra Industry Awards
2023, instituted by the Maharashtra government.
Other Awards:
Apart from Udyog Ratna Award, there were other 3 awards presented in the ceremony namely
Udyog Mitra Award (Young Entrepreneur Award) - Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India
was honoured with the Udyog Mitra Award.
Udyogini Award (Best Women Entrepreneur) - Gauri Kirloskar of Kirloskar Group was honoured with
this award.
Utkrusht Marathi Udyojak Award (Outstanding Marathi Entrepreneur) -Vilas Shinde, Chairman and MD
(CMD) of Sahyadri Farms was honoured with this award.
The winners of the 69th National Film Awards (2023) were announced by the jury panel during the
event held at the National Media Centre, New Delhi, Delhi. Anurag Thakur, the Union Minister for Information
and Broadcasting, was presented with the list of the winners.
69th National Film Awards honoured the best films of 2021 in Indian cinema.
The National Film Awards are organized by the Directorate of Film Festivals(DFF), under Ministry for
Information and Broadcasting (MIB).
The awards are categorised into five categories. They are Dadasaheb Phalke Award (Lifetime Achievement
Award), Feature films, Non Features films, Best writing on cinema and Most film friendly state.
Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus)Award for Feature Film
Category Film Language Awardee Cash Prize
Producer:
Rocketry
Entertainment
LLP
Best Feature Rocketry: The Director: R Rs. 2,50,000
Film Nambi Effect Hindi Madhavan (each)

Producer: Unni
Indira Gandhi Mukundan Films
Award for Best Meppadiyan Private Ltd.
Debut Film of a (Person above Director: Vishnu Rs.1,25,000
Director mentioned) Malayalam Mohan (each)
Award for Best Producer: DVV
Popular Film Entertainments
Providing LLP
Wholesome Director: S S Rs.2,00,000/-
Entertainment RRR Telugu Rajamouli (each)
Producer: MD
Media Corp
Best Children’s Director: Manish Rs.1,50,000/-
Film Gandhi&Co. Gujarati Saini (each)
Godavari (The Director: Nikhil Rs.
Best Direction Holy Water) Marathi Mahajan 2,50,000/-
Swarna Kamal Award for Non-Feature Film
Producer & Rs.
Best Non- Director: Srishti 1,50,000/-
Feature Film Ek Tha Gaon Hindi Lakhera each
Director: Bakul Rs.
Best Direction Smile Please Marathi Matiyani 1,50,000/-
Swarna Kamal Award for Best Writing on Cinema
Category Book Language Author Publisher Cash prize
Music by
Laxmikant
Pyarelal: The
Incredibly Rupa
Award for Best Melodious Rajiv Publications
Book on Cinema Journey English Vijayakar India Pvt. Ltd. Rs.75,000/-
Rajat Kamal(Silver Lotus):
The best Film on Social Issues award of Rajat Kamal was received by Anunaad-The Resonance (Assamese)
under the Feature Film Category.
Rajat Kamal(Silver Lotus) for feature films
Producer:Zee Studios
Nargis Dutt Award for Best Limited Rs.
Feature Film on National The Kashmir Director: Vivek Ranjan 1,50,000/-
Integration Files Hindi Agnihotri (each)
Producer: Krishand
Films
Rs.
Best Film on Environment 1,50,000/-
Conservation/Preservation Aavasavyuham Malayalam Director: Krishand (each)
Pushpa (The Rs.
Best Actor Rise Part I) Telugu Lead Actor: Allu Arjun 50,000/-
Gangubai Lead Actress: Alia Rs.
Best Actress Kathiawadi Hindi Bhatt 50,000/-

Lead Actress: Kriti
Mimi (Hindi) Hindi Sanon
Supporting Actor: Rs.
Best Supporting Actor Mimi Hindi Pankaj Tripathi 50,000/-
The Kashmir Supporting Actress: Rs.
Best Supporting Actress Files Hindi Pallavi Joshi 50,000/-
Last Film Show Child Artist : Bhavin Rs.
Best Child Artist (Chhello Show) Gujarati Rabari 50,000/-
Singer : Kaala
Bhairava
(Song : Komuram Rs.

Best Male Playback Singer RRR Telugu Bheemudo) 50,000/-
Singer : Shreya
Ghoshal
Iravin Nizhal
(Shadow of the (Song : Maayava Rs.
Best Female Playback Singer Night) Tamil Chaayavaa) 50,000/-
Cameraman: Avik Rs.
Best Cinematography Sardar Udham Hindi Mukhopadhayay 50,000/-
Nayattu (The Screenplay writer
Hunt) Malayalam (original): Shahi Kabir
Screenplay
writer(Adapted):
Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Gangubai & Utkarshini
Kathiawadi Hindi Vashishtha
Dialogue Writer: Rs.
Gangubai Utkarshini Vashishtha 50,000/-
Best Screenplay Kathiawadi Hindi & Prakash Kapadia (each)
Best Production
Sound Recordist
(Location / sync
sound) :
Chavittu Malayalam Arun Asok & Sonu K P
Sound Designer:
Jhilli (Discards) Bengali Aneesh Basu Rs.
Re- Recording (Final 50,000/-
Best Audiography Sardar Udham Hindi Mixing): Sinoy Joseph (each)
Gangubai Editor: Sanjay Leela Rs.
Best Editing Kathiawadi Hindi Bhansali 50,000/-
Production Designer: Rs.
Dmitrii Malich & 50,000/-
Best Production Design Sardar Udham Hindi Mansi Dhruv Mehta (Shared)
Costume Designer: 50,000/-
Best Costume Designer Sardar Udham Hindi Veera Kapur Ee (Shared)
Gangubai Rajat Kamal
Best Make-up Artist Kathiawadi Hindi and

Make-up Artist:
Preetisheel Singh Rs.
D’souza 50,000/-
Music Director
(Songs):
Pushpa (The
Rise Part I) Telugu Devi Sri Prasad
Music Director
(Background Score) :
Rs.
50,000/-
Best Music Direction RRR Telugu M.M. Keeravaani (each)
Lyricist: Chandrabose
(Song: Dham Dham Rs.

Best Lyrics Konda Polam Telugu Dham) 50,000/-
Director: Vishnu Rs.
Special Jury Award Shershaah Hindi Varadhan 2,00,000/-
Special Effects
Creator: V Srinivas Rs.
Best Special Effects RRR Telugu Mohan 50,000/-
Choreographer: Prem Rs.
Best Choreography RRR Telugu Rakshith 50,000/-
Best Action Direction Award Stunt Choreographer: Rs.
(Stunt Choreography) RRR Telugu King Soloman 50,000/-
Rajat Kamal Award for Non–Feature Film
Producer: Shreya
Kapadiya Rs.
Best Debut Non-Feature Film of Director: Ankit 75,000/-
a Director Paanchika Gujarathi Kothari each
Producer: Risen North
East. Non Govt.
Organization Rs.
Tiwa Director: Pranab Jyoti 50,000/-
Best Anthropological Film Fire on Edge Language Deka each
Rukhu Matir Producer & Director:
Dukhu Majhi Bengali Somnath Mondal
Best Biographical Producer: Luwang Rs.
Film/Historical Apokpa Mamikon 50,000/-
Reconstruction/Compilation Director: Saikhom each
Film Beyond Blast Manipuri Ratan (Shared)
T.N. Krishnan Producer: NFDC Rs.

Bow Strings to Director: V. 50,000/-
Best Arts Film Divine English Packirisamy each
Producer: Sri Ganesh
(English- Productions Rs.
Ethos of Hindi- Director: Avijit 50,000/-
Best Science & Technology Film Darkness Bengali) Banerjee each

Endangered Producer: Baba
Best Promotional Film (To Cover Heritage Cinemas Rs.
Tourism, Exports, Crafts, Director: Hemant 50,000/-
Industry, etc.) ‘Warli Art’ English Verma each
Producer: Sree
Rs.
Gokulam Movies
Best Environment Film 50,000/-
Including Agriculture Munnam Valavu Malayalam Director: R S Pradeep each
Producer & Director:
Mithu Di Hindi Asim Kumar Sinha
Rs.
Producer: FTII 50,000/-
Director: Himanshu each
Best Film on Social Issues Three Two One Hindi Prajapati (Shared)
Producer: KKV Media
Rs.
Venture
Sirpigalin 50,000/-
Best Educational Film Sirpangal Tamil Director: B Lenin each
Producer: Mathew
Varghese, Dinesh
Rajkumar N, Naveen
Francis Rs.
Best Exploration / Adventure English, Director: Jacob 50,000/-
Film (To Include Sports) Ayushman Kannada Varghese each
Producer: IGNCA Rs.
Looking For 50,000/-
Best Investigative Film Challan English Director: Bappa Ray each
Producer: Studio
Eeksaurus
Productions Pvt.Ltd Rs.
Director: Adithi 50,000/-
Best Animation Film Kandittundu Malayalam Krishnadas each
Rs.
Marathi Director: Shekhar 1,00,000/-
Special Jury Award Rekha Film Bapu Rankhambe each
Producer: Nemil Shah Rs.
50,000/-
Best Short Fiction Film Dal Bhat Gujarati Director: Nemil Shah each
Producer:
Chandrakant Kulkarni Rs.
Director: Pratima 50,000/-
Best Film on Family Values Chand Saanse Hindi Joshi each
Rs.
Cinematographer: 50,000/-
Best Cinematography Pataal – Tee Bhotiya Bittu Rawat each
Re-recordist (final
Best Audiography (Re-recordist (Garhwali & mixed track): Unni Rs.
of the Final Mixed Track) Ek Tha Gaon Hindi) krishnan 50,000/-
Best Production Sound Production sound
Recordist (Location/Sync recordist: Suruchi Rs.
Sound) Meen Raag Rajasthani Sharma 50,000/-

If Memory Editor: Abhro Rs.
Best Editing Serves Me Right English Banerjee 50,000/-
Hindi,
English, Music Director: Ishaan Rs.
Best Music Direction Succelent Marathi Divecha 50,000/-
(English
Partly Voice Over: Kulada Rs.
Best Narration/Voice Over Hathibondhu Assamese) Kumar Bhattacharjee 50,000/-
Best Feature Film in each of the language specified in the Schedule VIII of the Constitution:
All the awards below are given under Rajat Kamal category.
Category of Medal
Title Of The Film Awardee
Award & Cash Prize
Best Assamese Anur (Eyes on the Producer: Gopendra Mohan Das Rs. 1,00,000/-
Film Sunshine) Director: Monjul Baruah (each)
Producer: Aurora Film

Best Bengali Kalkokkho – House of Corporation Pvt.Ltd Rs. 1,00,000/-
Film Time Director: Rajdeep Paul & (each)
Sarmistha Maiti
Sardar Udham Producer: Kino works LLP Rs. 1,00,000/-

Best Hindi Film
(Hindi) Director: Sujit Sircar (each)
Best Gujarati Last Film Show Producer: Jugaad Motion Pictures Rs. 1,00,000/-
Film (Chhello Show) Director: Pan Nalin (each)
Producer: Parmvah Studios

Best Kannada Rs. 1,00,000/-
777 Charlie Pvt.Ltd
Film (each)
Director: Kiranraj K
Best Maithili Samanantar (The Producer : Anirati Films Rs. 1,00,000/-

Film Parallel) Director: Niraj Kumar Mishra (each)
Producer : Gajavadana Showbox

Best Marathi LLP Rs. 1,00,000/-
Ekda Kay Zala
Film Director: Saleel Shrinivas (each)
Kulkarni
Producer: Friday Film House

Best Malayalam Rs. 1,00,000/-
Home Pvt.Ltd.
Film (each)
Director: Rojin.P.Thomas
Producer: Chingsubam Sheetal

Best Meiteilon Eikhoigi Yum Rs. 1,00,000/-
Director: Mayanglambam Romi
Film (Our Home) (each)
Meitei

Producer: Amiya Patnaik
Pratikshya Rs. 1,00,000/-
Best Odia Film Procutions
(The Wait) (each)
Director: Anupam Patnaik
Kadaisi Vivasayi Producer : Tribal Arts Rs. 1,00,000/-

Best Tamil Film
(The Last Farmer) Director: M. Manikandan (each)
Producer: Mythri Movie Makers Rs. 1,00,000/-

Best Telugu Film Uppena (Wave)
Director: Sana Buchibabu (each)
Best Feature Film in each of the languages other than those specified in Schedule VIII of the Constitution
Best Mishing Film: Boomba Ride (Assamese) .This movie Producer is Quarter Moon and productions Director
is Biswajit Bora.
It received Rajat Kamal award with Rs. 1,00,000/- (each).
Special Jury Mention Award – Feature Film:
All the awardee under this section will be awarded only with a certificate.
Film Language Awardee
Kadaisi Vivasayi (The Last Farmer) Tamil Actor: Late shri Nallandi
Jhilli (Discards) Bengali Actors: Aranya Gupta & Bithan Biswas
Home Malayalam Actor: Indrans
Anur – Eyes on the Sunshine Assamese Actress: Jahanara Begum

Special Mention – Non-Feature Film:
Film Language Awardee
Baale Bangara Kannada Actor: Aniruddha Jatkar
Karuvarai Tamil Music Director: Srikanth Deva
The Healing Touch English Sweta Kumar Das
Ek Duaa Hindi Filmmaker: Ram Kamal Mukherjee

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has announced the winners of the India Smart
Cities Award Contest (ISAC) organised under the Smart Cities Mission (SCM), MoHUA.Indore topped the
National Smart City Award, followed by Surat and Agra in second and third place respectively.
Madhya Pradesh topped the state award, followed by Tamil Nadu in second place, and Rajasthan and Uttar
Pradesh in third place.
Chandigarh has awarded best Union Territory award.
The 4th edition of the ISAC was launched in April 2022 during the ‘Smart Cities-Smart Urbanization’ event
in Surat, Gujarat…Click here for more detail…
JULY 2023
On July 24, 2023, the President of India Droupadi Murmu conferred the National Geoscience Awards-
2022 (NGA) of the Ministry of Mines on 22 Geoscientists during an event organized at Rashtrapati Bhavan
Cultural Centre in New Delhi, Delhi.

There were 10 awards grouped under three categories viz. National Geoscience Award for Life Time
Achievement, National Young Geoscientist Award, and National Geoscience Awards in various fields of
geosciences
National Geoscience Award for Lifetime Achievement: Dr. Om Narain Bhargava, for his pioneering work
in the Himalayas spanning over the last four decades.
National Young Geoscientist Award: Dr. Amiya Kumar Samal, for his contribution in understanding the
variation of Sub-Continental Lithospheric Mantle (SCLM) beneath various Archean cratons of the Indian
shield.
The Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Thakur, inaugurated the two-
day Regional Community Radio (CR) Sammelan (North) at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication in New
Delhi, Delhi on the occasion of National Broadcasting Day on 23rd July 2023.
During the Inaugural Session, he presented the 8th and 9th National Community Radio Awards to
commendable Community Radio Stations (CRSs) that have made significant contributions in their field
and for the public interest.
The National Community Radio Awards consists of 12 awards under 4 categories such as Thematic
Awards, Most Innovative Community Engagement Awards, Promoting Local Culture Awards and
Sustainability Model Awards.
Click here to read about 9th National Community Radio Awards
Click here to read about 8th National Community Radio Awards
Click here to read full news
India's oldest railway station (169-years-old) Byculla railway station in central Mumbai, Maharashtra
received the 2022 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Asia Pacific
Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation (Award of Merit).
Former Rajya Sabha member and India’s first-ever Olympic medallist in women’s boxing, Mary Kom (40
years old) has been honoured with the India Global Forum (IGF) United Kingdom(UK) Special Award: Global
Indian Icon of the Year award (2023) at the 5th annual UK -India Awards (2023) held in Fairmont Windsor
Park, Windsor, UK.
She received the award from Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami and shared her
remarkable 20-year journey filled with dedication and unwavering commitment to the sport of boxing.
Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, nominated for Oscar for his film “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”, was
honoured with “IGF UK Special Award: Lifetime Contribution to UK-India Relations”. The award recognised
his contributions to cinema in both countries.
Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla presented the prestigious Elephant Family environmental
award to Indian conservationists at the 2023 Animal Ball, Lancaster House, London,United Kingdom(UK) to
recognise contributions to protecting Asian wildlife.
Kartiki Gonsalves,Filmmaker documentary ‘The Elephant Whisperers,’ received the Tara Award.The
Elephant Whisperers’, which won the 2023 Academy Award/Oscar Award for Best Documentary Short
Film.
The Real Elephant Collective (TREC)-a wildlife conservation group from India, consisting of 70 Adivasi
artists, was honoured with Mark Shand Award.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced the winners of AIFF annual awards for the season
2022-23. Lallianzuala Chhangte, an Indian Men’s Football Player from Mizoram, was named the AIFF Men’s
Footballer of the year 2022-2023 for the first time and Manisha Kalyan, an Indian Women’s Football Player
from Punjab, was named AIFF Women’s Footballer of the Year 2022-23 for the 2nd time.
Previously, Manisha Kalyan won the award for the 2021-22 season. She became only the third Indian
female footballer to win the individual award two or more times after Bala Devi (three) and Bembem Devi
(two).
Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co. Ltd, has won the Insurer Innovation Award 2023 for the Asia Pacific
(APAC) region at The World’s Digital Insurance Awards.

Government of France presented the title of Chevalier (Knight) de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Order
of Arts and Letters) awards to Aruna Sairam, a Padma Shri awardee and Carnatic vocalist, and Shashank
Subramanyam, flautist for their contributions in connecting France and India through their music.The award
Ceremony was held at the National Day of the French Republic celebrations in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
It is an Order of France established by the Minister of Culture in 1957 and confirmed as part of L’ordre
National du Mérite by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963.
Aruna Sairam is recipient of several awards including the Padma Shri for Arts in 2009 and the Sangita
Kalanidhi by the Music Academy in 2018.
President of India, Droupadi Murmu presented the Bhoomi Samman 2023 awards to 9 State Secretaries
and 68 District Collectors along with their teams for achieving saturation of the core components of Digital
India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP) – the core of Governance.
The awards were given to Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tripura
and West Bengal at a function organised by the Union Ministry of Rural Development in Vigyan Bhawan,
New Delhi, Delhi.
Odisha was presented with the “Bhoomi Samman” award as best state in implementing and meeting all the
parameters of DILRMP.
Moksha Roy, a 7-year-old Indian-origin girl from Hertfordshire, the United Kingdom (UK) has been
awarded the UK Prime Minister’s (PM) Points of Light Award as Sustainability Champion for volunteering for
several sustainability initiatives including raising funds for children in need for United Nations International
Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
She has been the world’s youngest Sustainability Champion, who started advocating for the United Nations
(UN)’s Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) initiative against micro-plastic pollution at the age of 3.
The Points of Light first established by George H. W. Bush (Former President of the United States of
America (USA)) in 1990.
JUNE 2023
Damodar Mauzo, an eminent Konkani writer and Sahitya Akademi Award winner, received
the 57th Jnanpith Award from P S Sreedharan Pillai, Governor of Goa, at an event held at the Raj Bhavan,
Panaji, Goa.
He is the 2nd konkani writer after Ravindra Kelekar to receive the award. Ravindra Kelekar was the
recipient of the 42nd Jnanpith Award.
Jagdish Sudhakar Bakan, wildlife warden and District Forest Officer (DFO) of Ramanathapuram district,
Tamil Nadu (TN) has been selected for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO)’s 2023 Michel Batisse Award for Biosphere Reserve Management.
He is the first Indian to win Michel Batisse Award.
Dutch Research Council (NWO) has named Indian-origin Scientist Joyeeta Gupta, Professor of
Environment and Development in the global South at the University of Amsterdam, as the recipient of the 2023
NWO Spinoza Prize, the highest scientific awards in the Netherlands, for her scientific work promoting a fair
and sustainable world.
Hyderabad Headquarters Geological Survey of India Training Institute (GSITI), under the Ministry of
Mines, received accreditation from National Accreditation Board of Education and Training (NABET) for its
outstanding Earth Science training.
Team from Capacity Building Commission (CBC), NABET and Quality Council of India (QCI) awarded the
Certificate of Accreditation with the grading of Athi Uttam following the on-site assessment.
Shaktikanta Das, the 25th governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been honoured with the title
the “Governor of the Year” at the Central Banking Awards 2023 in London, for his role during Covid-19, the
Russia-Ukraine war, and the fight against inflation.
Indian writer Arundhati Roy was awarded the 45th European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement by
the Charles Veillon Foundation for the French translation of her compilation of essays titled “Azadi” (2021).

Salman Rushdie, an Indian born British-American writer was awarded the 2023 Peace Prize of the German
Book Trade for his literary work and for his resolve and positive attitude in the face of constant threat to his
life.
The 1st edition of UNESCO–Al Fozan International Prize 2023 was conferred upon five exceptional young
scientists from Argentina, Cameroon, China, Egypt and Serbia during a ceremony at UNESCO (United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) headquarters in Paris, France.
Dr Federico Ariel (40 years old, Argentina): He established the basis for the use of RNAs (Ribonucleic
acid) to deliver information to plants that avoids recourse to Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
Professor Abdon Atangana (37 years old, Cameroon): He has made significant contributions to
mathematics, specifically in fractional calculus, differential equations, and mathematical modeling.
Professor Qiaomei Fu (39 years old, China):She retrieved ancient DNA from human remains and
sediments, constructing an evolutionary map of Eurasian populations, particularly East Asian, spanning
100,000 years.
Dr Hesham Omran (38 years old, Egypt):He has led the development of a toolbox that revolutionizes the
creation of efficient semiconductor chips which will save significant time in creating efficient chips for
electronic devices like computers, phones, and electric vehicles.
Dr Jelena Vladic (37 years old, Serbia): She has developed innovative ecological extraction
processes to obtain products from aromatic and medicinal plants and add value to food and
agricultural waste.
On 22nd June 2023, the Executive Board of the Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters, an
autonomous organisation under the Ministry of Culture chaired by Madhav Kaushik, President,
Sahitya Akademi declared a list of 22 recipients of its Bal Sahitya Puraskar and 20 winners of
its Yuva Puraskar for the year 2023.
Table of Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2023:
S.No. Awardee Language Title
Short stories
1 Suryanath Singh Hindi Kotuk App
2 Jugal Kishore Sarangi Odia Jejenka Gapa Ganthili
3 Gurmeet Karyalvi Punjabi Sachi Di Kahani
4 Mansing Majhi Santali Nene-Pete
5 D.K. chaduvula Babu Telugu Vajrala Vaana
6 Late Mateen Achalpuri (Posthumous) Urdu Mamta Ki Dor
7 Pratima Nandi Narzaree Bodo Gosaini Gwjwn Nwjwr
Novels
1 Rothindranath Goswami Assamese Powalmoni Aru Chichingar Duhxahaxik Abhijan
2 Shyamalkanti Das Bengali Eroplaner Khata
3 Vijayashree Haladi Kannada Surakki Gate
4 Tukaram Rama Shet Konkani Jaann
5 Priya A.S. Malayalam Perumazhayathe Kunjithalukal
6 Radhavallabh Tripathy Sanskrit Manavi
7 Udhayasankar Tamil Aadhanin Bommai
Poetry

1 Balwan Singh Jamoria Dogri Kanjkan
2 Akshay Anand ‘Sunny’ Maithili Ol Katra, Jhol Katra
3 Eknath Avhad Marathi Chhand Dei Aanand
4 Dholan Rahi Sindhi Vanganmal Ji Shaadi
Stories
1 Sudha Murty English Grandparent’s Bag of Stories
Play
1 Madhusudan Bisht Neplai Bal Ekanki Natakharu
Memoir
1 Kiran Badal Rajasthani Tabran Ri Duniyan
Table of Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar 2023:
S.No. Awardee Language Title
Short Stories
1 Jintu Gitartha Assamese Mon Mora Tora
2 Hamiruddin Middya Bengali Mathrakha
3 Sagar Shah Gujarati Get Together
4 Manjunayak Challur Kannada Phoo Mattu Ithara Kathegalu
Tanvi Kamat
5 Bambolkar Konkani Shots
6 Bapi Tudu Santali Dusi
7 Monika J. Panjwani Sindhi Glamour
8 Ram Thangam Tamil Thirukarthiyal
9 Tauseef Bareilvi Urdu Zahan Zaad
Poetry
1 Mainasori Daimary Bodo Som, Jiu, Arw
2 Nighat Nasreen Kashmiri Lalli Nilvath Tchali Na Zanh
3 Ganesh Puthur Malayalam Achante Alamara
4 Vishakha Vishwanath Marathi Swatahala Swataviruddh Ubhe Kartana
5 Naina Adhikari Nepali Ghat-Pratightka Udgarharu
6 Sanddep Punjabi Chitt Da Jugraphia
7 Deilal Mahiya Rajasthani Atas Ro Olmo
Plays
1 Dheeraj Bismil Dogri Ahlada
Historical
Lords of the Deccan: Southern India from the Chalukyas to the
1 Anirudh Kanisetti English cholas
Criticism
1 Johny Takkedasila Telugu Vivechani
Novel

1 Atul Kumar Rai Hindi Chandpur Ki Chanda
An Indian documentary film titled “When Climate Change Turns Violent” has won a special prize in the
‘Health for All’ category at the 4th Annual Health for All Film Festival (HAFF) held at the World Health
Organisation (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
Vandita Sariya from Rajasthan had directed the film which deals with gender-based violence & climate
change that runs for 4.32 minutes.She is the only Indian winner among the the winners.
Two movies from the WHO South-East Asia Region were recognized and received awards at 2023 Health
for All Film Festival (HAFF).
Another film from South East Asia Region to be awarded is Bangladesh documentary film, ‘One in 36
million: Story of Childhood Lead Poisoning in Bangladesh’ under the category Better Health and Well
Being.It was directed by Arifur Rahma and Mitali Das and produced by Pure Earth Bangladesh.
Skytrax 2023 World Airline Awards in Paris Air Show 2023, Paris, France, Star Alliance is named the
World’s Best Airline Alliance Award for Singapore Airlines for the 5th year, and the Star Alliance Lounge
at Los Angeles (LA) International Airport wins the top award as the Best Alliance Lounge for the 7th year.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences(The Academy) announced that American actress Angela
Bassett, American Actor Mel Brooks and American film editor Carol Littleton will be honoured with
the Honorary Awards(Oscar®).
The academy also announced that Michelle Satter, the founding senior director of the Sundance Institute’s
Feature Film Program – which focuses on the cultural impact of supporting independent storytellers, will
be honoured with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award(Oscar®).
These 4 Oscar® will be presented to them during the Academy’s 14th Governors Awards which will be held
on 18th November 2023 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles, California, the United States of
America(USA).
Droupadi Murmu, President of India-the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces,
conferred 85 Distinguished Service Awards to serving and retired Indian Armed Forces and Indian Coast Guard
(ICG) personnel for distinguished service of an exceptional order during the Defence Investiture Ceremony
(Phase-II) held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, Delhi.
The 85 Distinguished Service Awards includes 52 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals (AVSMs), one Bar to AVSM, three
Uttam Yudh Seva Medals (UYSMs) and 29 Param Vishisht Seva Medals (PVSMs).
Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister (PM) of the United Kingdom (UK) honoured Retired British Indian Shikh Soldier
Rajindar Singh Dhatt (aged 101) with UK Points of Light award at India Global Forum’s (IGF) annual UK-India
Week 2023 reception at 10 Downing Street, London, United Kingdom.
He was awarded for his service in the British Indian Army and coordinating”Undivided Indian Ex-
Servicemen’s Association” to help bring together British Indian war veterans.
MAY 2023
A former Member of Parliament (MP) – Lok Sabha, Pandit Ramkishan was honoured with the title of Shatabdi
Purush (Man of the Century) to recognise his efforts as a socialist leader during the event organised to mark
the birth centenary celebrations of Madhu Limaye, a socialist ideologue and ace parliamentarian, in New
Delhi, Delhi.
He was elected once to the Lok Sabha in 1977 and 4 times to Rajasthan Assembly (1962, 1967, 1974 and
1990).
The United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced three
imprisoned Iranian women journalists
– Niloofar Hamedi, Elaheh Mohammadi, and Narges Mohammadi as the laureates of the 2023
UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, an award that celebrates press freedom.
The Three Journalists were imprisoned at the Evin Prison which is located in Tehran, Iran. Evin Prison has
been accused of committing “serious human rights abuses” against its political dissidents and critics of the
government.

The annual UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize was created in 1997 to honours a person,
organization or institution which has made an outstanding contribution to the defence and/or promotion of
press freedom anywhere in the world, especially when this has been achieved in the face of danger.
The award was named after Guillermo Cano Isaza, the Colombian journalist who was assassinated in
Bogotá, Colombia, on 17 December 1986.
The three student teams from India won the NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC) 2023 competition which was held near NASA’s Marshall Space
Flight Center, in Huntsville, Alabama, USA (United States of America).
Project Review Award: College/University Division: Birla Institute of Technology and Science,
Pilani, Rajasthan.
Social Media Award:High School Division: Young Tinker Educational Foundation, Bhubaneswar,
Odisha.
College/University Division: KIET Group of Institutions, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.
Two students from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh (AP) such as Sai Akshara Vemuri and Chittineni Akarsh
were part of the six-member under-19 Indian team (Young Tinker Educational Foundation) which won the
NASA HERC 2023 competition under Social Media Award Category.
The Two student winners from Vijayawada were felicitated by Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu
Society (APNRTS) president and Adviser to the government Medapati S. Venkat and CEO P. Hemalatha Rao.
Maria Stepanova, a Jewish author from Russia now living in exile in Germany, has been awarded the Leipzig
Book Award for European Understanding 2023 for her volume of poetry
entitled “Mädchen ohne Kleider“ (Girls Without Clothes).
Ram Nath Kovind, a former President of India, honoured Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister (CM) of Uttar
Pradesh (UP), with the 13th edition of the Bharat Ratna Dr Ambedkar Award, for creating a fear-free UP,
during the ceremony held at Shanmukhananda Auditorium in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
The winners of the 2023 Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism; Books, Drama and Music; and Special Citations
were announced.
Associated Press won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in Journalism under the Public Service category.
Associated Press’ journalists Mstyslav Chernov, Evgeniy Maloletka, Vasilisa Stepanenko and Lori Hinnant
were recognized for reporting from the besieged city of Mariupol that bore witness to the slaughter of
civilians in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
2023 Pulitzer Prize winners in different Categories:
2023 Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism:
Category Winners
Associated Press, for the work of Mstyslav
Chernov, Evgeniy Maloletka, Vasilisa
Public Service Stepanenko and Lori Hinnant
Breaking News Reporting Staff of the Los Angeles Times
Investigative Reporting Staff of The Wall Street Journal
Explanatory Reporting Caitlin Dickerson of The Atlantic
Anna Wolfe of Mississippi Today, Ridgeland,
Miss.
Local Reporting (There were two winners under this John Archibald, Ashley Remkus, Ramsey
category. They don’t share the category, each receive the Archibald and Challen Stephens of AL.com,
full prize amount of US$15,000) Birmingham
National Reporting Caroline Kitchener of The Washington Post
International Reporting Staff of The New York Times
Feature Writing Eli Saslow of The Washington Post
Commentary Kyle Whitmire of AL.com, Birmingham

Criticism Andrea Long Chu of New York magazine
Nancy Ancrum, Amy Driscoll, Luisa Yanez,
Isadora Rangel and Lauren Costantino of the
Editorial Writing Miami Herald
Mona Chalabi, contributor, The New York
Illustrated Reporting and Commentary Times
Breaking News Photography Photography Staff of Associated Press
Feature Photography Christina House of the Los Angeles Times
Audio Reporting Staff of Gimlet Media, notably Connie Walker
2023 Pulitzer Prizes – Books, Drama & Music:
Category Winners
Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper)
Fiction Trust, by Hernan Diaz (Riverhead Books)
Drama English, by Sanaz Toossi
Freedom’s Dominion: A Saga of White Resistance to Federal Power, by Jefferson
History Cowie (Basic Books)
G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century, by Beverly
Biography Gage (Viking)
Memoir or
Autobiography Stay True, by Hua Hsu (Doubleday)
Then the War: And Selected Poems, 2007-2020, by Carl Phillips (Farrar, Straus
Poetry and Giroux)
His Name Is George Floyd: One Man’s Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice, by
General Nonfiction Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa (Viking)
Music Omar, by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels
There were no Special Citations for 2023 Pulitzer Prizes.
Lionel Messi, Argentine professional footballer and forward of Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain(PSG), was
honoured with the Laureus World Sportsman Of The Year 2023 at the 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Jamaican track and field sprinter, won the Laureus World Sportswoman Of The
Year 2023.
This is the 2nd time that Lionel Messi has been honoured with the Laureus World Sportsman Of The Year
Award. In 2020, he shared the award with British race car driver Lewis Hamilton.
He also became the first person to win the team and individual award in the same year(2023).
Winners of the 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards:
Category Winner Sport
Lionel Messi
Laureus World Sportsman Of The Year (Argentina) Football
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Athletics – track and field
Laureus World Sportswoman Of The Year (Jamaica) sprinter
Argentina Men’s Football
Laureus World Team Of The Year Team Football
Carlos Alcaraz
Laureus World Breakthrough Of The Year (Spain) Tennis
Christian Eriksen
Laureus World Comeback Of The Year (Denmark) Football
Laureus World Sportsperson Of The Year Catherine Debrunner Para Athletics – wheelchair
With A Disability (Switzerland) racer

Laureus World Action Sportsperson Of The Eileen Gu
Year (China) Freestyle Skiing
Laureus Sport For Good Teamup Global
Professor Jayant Vishnu Narlikar, an eminent astrophysicist and past president of the Astronomical Society
of India (ASI) was awarded the first ASI Govind Swarup Lifetime Achievement Award 2022 for his
outstanding contributions to the field of Astronomy and Astrophysics in India.
Professor Jayant Vishnu Narlikar is the founding director of Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and
Astrophysics (IUCAA) Pune, Maharashtra.
In 2004 he was awarded Padma Vibhushan in the field of Science & Engineering and in 1965, he received
the Padma Bhushan award from the Indian Government for his research work.
Nigerian writer Arinze Ifeakandu, 28 years was announced as the winner of the 2023 Swansea University
Dylan Thomas Prize, for his debut book ‘God’s Children Are Little Broken Things’, a stunning short fiction
collection in English language.
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, was honoured with the Chevalier de la Légion
d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour), the highest French Civilian award, for his substantial role in
developing and fostering commercial links between India and France.
In 2022, he was honoured with Padma Bhushan by the Government of India for his excellence in Trade
and Industry.
The Tiruchirappalli International Airport project (Trichy Airport Project) of ITD Cementation India
Limited has been awarded the International Safety Award under the 1st- class merit category by the British
Safety Council.
ITD Cementation India Limited, engaged in the construction of the new terminal building in Trichy, Tamil
Nadu, received the award on 10th May 2023.
The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) and the Mangaluru International Airport (MIA), the 2
airports from Karnataka, have bagged the Platinum Category award in the Airports Council International (ACI)
Asia-Pacific’s Green Airports Recognition 2023, for demonstrating outstanding accomplishments in their
sustainability projects.
The regional winners of the 2023 Commonwealth Short Story Prize have been announced. The
Commonwealth Foundation named the winning writers from five continents such as Hana Gammon (South
Africa, Africa) Agnes Chew (Singapore, Asia), Rue Baldry (United Kingdom, Canada and Europe), Kwame
McPherson (Jamaica, Caribbean) and Himali McInnes (New Zealand, Pacific).
Winners List:
Winner Name Region Story
Hana Gammon South Africa (Africa) The Undertaker’s Apprentice
Agnes Chew Singapore (Asia) Oceans Away From My Homeland
Rue Baldry United Kingdom (Canada & Europe) Lech, Prince, and the Nice Things
Kwame McPherson Jamaica (Caribbean) Ocoee
Himali McInnes New Zealand (Pacific) Kilinochchi
Indian writer Vidhan Verma’s story named A Groom like Shahrukh took place on the list of shortlisted stories
Bulgarian Writer Georgi Gospodinov and translator Angela Rodel won the International Booker Prize
2023 for the dark comic novel titled “Time Shelter”.
This becomes the first book originally written in Bulgarian (and translated into English) to win the
International Booker Prize.
3 Indian peacekeepers, Border Security Force (BSF) personnel Head Constables Sanwala Ram Vishnoi &
Shishupal Singh and civilian peacekeepers (national staff) Shaber Taher Ali, were Posthumously awarded the
United Nations Dag Hammarskjöld Medal.
Ruchira Kamboj, India’s Permanent Ambassador to the UN, received the medals on behalf of the Indian
Peacekeepers from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The 23rd edition of NEXA International Indian Film Academy (IIFA 2023) Awards was held on 26th &
27th May 2023 in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan won Best Actor in a Leading Role (male) for his performance in
Vikram Vedha and Alia Bhatt won Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female) for her role in
Gangubai Kathiawadi.
The 76th annual Cannes International Film Festival was held from May 16 to 27 2023 in Cannes, France.
French film director Justine Triet’s French courtroom thriller ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ has won the top award of
the 2023 – ‘Palme d’Or’ for best feature film.
Justine Triet is the third woman director to win Cannes’ top honour (the second in three years), following
Julia Ducournau, who received the Palme d’Or award for Titane in 2021. Jane Campion was the first-ever
female Palme d’Or winner in 1993 for ‘The Piano’.
Feature Films 2023 winners’ list:
Award Category Winner
Palme D’or Anatomie D’une Chute (Anatomy Of A Fall) Directed By Justine Triet
Grand Prix The Zone Of Interest Directed By Jonathan Glazer
Best Director Tran Anh Hùng For La Passion De Dodin Bouffant (The Pot-Au-Feu)
Best Performance By An Merve Dizdar For Kuru Otlar Ustune (About Dry Grasses) Directed By Nuri
Actress Bilge Ceylan
Best Performance By An
Actor Koji Yakusho For Perfect Days Directed By Wim Wenders
Best Screenplay Sakamoto Yuji For Kaibutsu (Monster) Directed By Kore-Eda Hirokazu
Jury Prize Kuolleet Lehdet (Fallen Leaves) Directed By Aki Kaurismäki
Vice President (VP) of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, conferred the 4th National Water Awards, 2022 at
Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, Delhi on 41 winners in 11 categories for their exemplary work in the field of
water conservation and management.
Madhya Pradesh (MP) tops the Best State category which is followed by Odisha at 2nd position and Andhra
Pradesh (AP) and Bihar at 3rd position jointly.
Table showing the list of winners:
Rank Winner
Best State
1 Madhya Pradesh (MP)
2 Odisha
3 AP and Bihar.
Best District
1 Ganjam District, Odisha
2 Namakkal District, Tamil Nadu (TN)
3 Adilabad District, Telangana
Best Village Panchayat
1 Jagannadhapuram Village Panchayat, Bhadradri Kothagudem district, Telangana
Kadavur Village Panchayat, Karur district, Tamil Nadu and Manickal Village Panchayat,
2 Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala
Kadegaon Village Panchayat, Jalna district, Maharashtra and Mawkyrdep Village Panchayat, Bhoi
3 Rymbong Block, Ri Bhoi district, Meghalaya.
Best Urban Local Body

1 Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh,
2 Indore Municipal Corporation, Indore, MP
Surat Municipal Corporation, Surat, Gujarat and Malkapur Municipal Council, Karad, Satara,
3 Maharashtra
Best Media
1 Advance Water Digest Private Limited Gurugram, Haryana
Centre For Environment And Sustainable Development, Srinagar, Jammu And Kashmir and Regional
2 News Unit, All India Radio, Guwahati, Assam w
3 Network Eighteen, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
Best School
1 Jamiyatpura Primary School, Mehsana, Gujarat
2 KGBV School, Chagalamarri, Nandyal, AP
3 Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Baori, Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
Best Institution for Campus usage
1 Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Reasi, Jammu and Kashmir
2 Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad, Telangana
3 Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab
The Ministry of Culture has named Gita Press, Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), a publishing house, as an awardee
of Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 in recognition of the work done by the institution in community service.
This decision has been taken after due deliberations by the jury headed by Prime Minister (PM) of India
Narendra Modi.
RECOGNITIONS
SEPTEMBER 2023
United States of America (US)-based Global Finance magazine has rated Shaktikanta Das, Governor
of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), as A+ in the Global Finance Central Banker Report Cards 2023.
Along with Shaktikanta Das, Thomas J Jordan Chairperson of the Swiss National Bank, Switzerland and
Nguyen Thi Hong, Governor of State Bank of Vietnam, Vietnam were rated A+.
AUGUST 2023
Power Finance Corporation Limited (PFC) became the first member from India to join the Asia Transition
Finance Study Group (ATFSG), an initiative by Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) for
promoting sustainable transition finance for Asian Countries during the Bilateral Ministerial Meeting on the
sidelines of G20(Group of 20) summit held at Goa.
HDFC Bank’s Sashidhar Jagdishan emerged as the highest-paid bank Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in the
financial year 2022-2023(FY23) with over Rs.10.55 crore in total pay.
Kaizad Bharucha, deputy managing director, HDFC Bank, drew Rs 10 crore for FY23 and is likely to be the
second-highest-grossing banker in India.
Among bank CEOs, Amitabh Chaudhry, the CEO of Axis Bank, received a payout of Rs.9.75 crore in FY23
making it the second-highest in terms of overall pay among bank chief executives.
The “Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation, 2023” has been awarded to 140 Police
Personnel, in recognition of their outstanding service in the investigation.
Among the 140 personnel, 15 are from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), 12 are from the National
Investigation Agency (NIA), and 2 are from Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), and so on.
This medal was constituted in 2018, with the objective to promote high professional standards of
investigation of crime and recognize such Excellence in Investigation.

JULY 2023
Odisha Chief Minister (CM) & Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president, Naveen Patnaik has become the 2nd
longest-serving Chief Minister in India, with a tenure of 23 years and 139 days. Pawan Kumar Chamling, the
former CM of Sikkim, holds the 1st position as the longest-serving CM after independence in India.
Patnaik, the five-time Chief Minister of Odisha, took charge on March 5, 2000 has surpassed the record set
by former West Bengal CM Jyoti Basu. Naveen Patnaik is also the 3rd CM after Pawan Chamling and Jyoti
Basu to win five consecutive terms as CM.
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYAS) recognised the Handball Association of India (HAI) as a
National Sports Federation (NSF) status for the promotion and regulation of handball with immediate effect.
Recognition was granted to allowing them to be responsible for the management and development of handball-
related matters.
HAI is also affiliated to the International Handball Federation (IHF), the Asian Handball Federation(AHF)
and the Indian Olympic Association(IOA).
Gas Authority of India Limited (Gail (India) Limited), a Maharatna – central public sector undertaking
(CPSU) accredited with Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) T3 Status which is a highest level of facilitation
for Importers & Exporters by Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Ministry of Finance.
AEO is a programme run by the World Customs Organisation (WCO)SAFE Framework (2005) of Standards
to secure and facilitate global trade, it aims to improve international supply chain security, facilitate the
flow of genuine goods, and increase the ease of doing business in India.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) through its Working Group Small Bodies Nomenclature
(WGSBN) named Minor Planets after 4 Indians namely Aswin Sekhar, India’s prominent meteor astronomer
from Kerala, Ashok Kumar verma, an Indian astrophysicist, Kumar Venkataramani, an Indian astronomer and
Rutu parekh, planetary geologist from Gujarat.
This honour was conferred at the Asteroids, Comets, Meteors (ACM) Conference 2023, held in Arizona, the
United States of America (USA), from June 18-23, 2023.
Aswin Sekhar is the first professional meteor astronomer from India in modern times.
4 Indian Americans, Jayshree Ullal, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Arista Networks,
Neerja Sethi, co-Founder of Syntel, Neha Narkhede, co-founder of Confluent, and Indra Nooyi, former chair and
CEO of PepsiCo, were featured on the 2023 America’s Richest Self-Made Women, 9th edition of Forbes’ annual
ranking of the United States of America (USA)’s most successful women entrepreneurs, executives and
entertainers.
The list is topped by Diane Hendricks, Chairman and founder of ABC Supply Co., Inc. (ABC), for the 6th
consecutive year, with net worth of USD 15 billion.
Sumit Virmani, chief marketing officer (CMO) of Infosys (India) is ranked 41st on the The Forbes World’s
Most Influential CMOs List 2023, which recognises the 50 Most Influential CMOs in the World.
JUNE 2023
Indian Institute of Science (IISC), Bengaluru, Karnataka, named its 0.5 Meter Diameter enclosed free-
jet Hypersonic Wind Tunnel after Late Professor Roddam Narasimha, an aerospace scientist, to recognise
his pioneering efforts in experimental hypersonics in India.
The brand valuation firm Brand Finance released its INDIA 100 2023: The annual report on the most valuable
and strongest Indian brands- June 2023 report in which the Tata Group has retained its 1st position as India’s
most valuable brand at USD (United States Dollar) 26,381 Million in 2023.
Table showing Top 5 India’s Most Valuable Brands:
Rank Brand Valuation (in USD Million)
1 Tata Group 26,381
2 Infosys 13,010
3 LIC (Life Insurance Corporation of India) 9,756
4 Airtel 7,527
5 Reliance Group 7,357

Table Showing Top 5 India’s Strongest Brands:
Rank Brand Overall Rank
1 Taj 78
2 AMUL (Anand Milk Union Limited) 16
3 Britannia 29
4 Jio Group 11
5 Royal Enfield 46
Table Showing Most Valuable Indian Brands in 2023 in Different Categories:
Category Brand
Most Valuable Banking Brand SBI (State Bank of India)
Most Valuable IT Services Brand TCS (Tata Consultancy Services)
Most Valuable Food & Drink Brand AMUL
Most Valuable Automobile Brand Mahindra
Most Valuable Telecoms Brand Airtel
Most Valuable Oil & Gas Brand Reliance
Most Valuable Insurance Brand LIC
Most Valuable Mining & Metals Brand Tata Steel
Most Valuable Building Materials Brands Ultratech Cement
Most Valuable Hotel Brand Taj
Most Valuable Tyre Brand MRF
Most Valuable Clothing Brand Raymond
Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) climbed eight spots to the 45th rank,
the highest for an Indian company in the 2023 edition of the Global 2000 list of public companies published
by Forbes’.
Reliance held the 53rd position in the 2022 edition of the Global 2000.
JPMorgan, America’s biggest bank is at the top of the list for the first time since 2011; Saudi Aramco, Saudi
Arabian Oil Company in the 2nd followed by 3 state-owned banks of China (ICBC, China Construction Bank
and Agricultural Bank of China).
Meesho and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), two Indian companies have been featured on the
“TIME 100 Most Influential Companies of 2023“, the TIME Magazine’s annual list under the
‘pioneer’ category
The TIME 100 Most Influential Companies List described Meesho as an “Innovative Retailer” and NPCI as
“Connecting Commerce“.
According to the “2022 Burgundy Private Hurun India 500: a Six Month Update” released on 20th June
2023, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) topped as India’s most valuable company with a value of Rs 16.37
lakh crore followed by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) with Rs 11.76 lakh crore and HDFC Bank with Rs 9.41
lakh crore.
The report, featuring 500 most valuable non-state-owned companies in India, was released by Burgundy
Private, Axis Bank’s Private Banking Business and Hurun India.

Top 5 of Burgundy Private Hurun India 500-Special Report:
Value (INR Change
Rank Company Cr) (%) Headquarters
Reliance
Industries Mumbai
1 Limited (RIL) 16,37,327 -5.10% (Maharashtra)
Tata
Consultancy Mumbai
2 Services (TCS) 11,76,385 0.70% (Maharashtra)
Mumbai
3 HDFC Bank 9,41,386 12.90% (Maharashtra)
Mumbai
4 ICICI Bank 6,41,930 1.40% (Maharashtra)
Kolkata (West
5 ITC 5,29,682 22.50% Bengal)
MAY 2023
According to Forbes’ World’s 10 Highest-Paid Athletes 2023, Footballer Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) has
become the highest-paid athlete in the world in 2023 after he moved to Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr in January
2023, after his exit from Manchester United, nearly doubling his annual salary to an estimated USD 75 million.
He topped the list with a total earning of USD 136 million – USD 46 million on-field and USD 90 million off-
field.
He has topped the list for the first time since 2017.
Table Showing Top 5 in The World’s 10 Highest-Paid Athletes 2023:
Rank Name Nationality Sports Total Earnings On-Field Off-Field
1 Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal Soccer $136mn $46mn $90mn
2 Lionel Messi Argentina Soccer $130 mn $65mn $65mn
3 Kylian Mbappe France Soccer $120mn $100mn $20mn
4 LeBron James United States (US) Basketball $119.5mn $44.5mn $75mn
5 Canelo Alvarez Mexico Boxing $110mn $100mn $10mn
76 entries from India are featured among the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Class of 2023. The Indian winners
includes Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra(25), Co-founders of
Genrobotic Innovations(Kerala) Arun George(29); Vimal Govind MK(28); Rashid Karimbanakkal(28); Nikhil
NP(29), and Elwinder Singh(29), cofounder of Connect and Heal.
India ranked first with 76 entries, followed by China (34), Japan (33), Singapore (30) and South Korea (28).
Notable Indian entries on the list:
Category Name Age Title/Company
Entertainment & Sports Siddhant Chaturvedi 29 Artist
Entertainment & Sports Neeraj Chopra 25 Athlete
Industry,
Manufacturing & Arun George; Vimal Govind Mk; Rashid 29; 28; Cofounders,
Energy Karimbanakkal; Nikhil Np 28; 29 Genrobotics
Entertainment & Sports Ambika Nayak aka Kayan 28 Musician
Co-Founder, Connect
Healthcare & Science Elwinder Singh 29 and Heal

London home of Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, a suffragette Indian princess, Red Cross nurse, and critic of
British rule in India, was honoured with the English Heritage’s commemorative Blue Plaque in London, the
United Kingdom (UK).
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach presented the Olympic Order to the
World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus in an award ceremony held at
Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland.
During the event, IOC also honoured The World Health Organisation (WHO) with the Olympic Cup for 2021 in
recognition of its exceptional contribution to the success of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

ACQUISITION BETWEEN AMOUNT KEY POINTS
SEPTEMBER 2023
Brillio Holdings, Inc & Orogen- - The Competition Commission of India
Brunson L.P. (CCI) has approved the acquisition of
a certain shareholding
in Brillio Holdings, Inc. by Orogen-
Brunson L.P.
Acquirer: Orogen-Brunson L.P. is a
limited company formed in the United
States of America(USA) to enable the
proposed combination.
This is a part of the group of
Orogen Holdings LLC and the
group of Atairos Group, Inc.
Target: US-based Brillio Holdings, Inc.
is a global technology consulting and
business solutions provider that
focuses on big data analytics.
It is present in India through
its subsidy “Brillio India
Technologies Private Limited”.
Tata SIA Airlines Limited (TSAL) & - The Competition Commission of
Air India Limited (AIL) India (CCI) approved the Phase I
merger of Vistara owned Tata SIA
Airlines Limited (TSAL) into Air India
Limited (AIL), with AIL emerging as
the surviving entity (Merged
Entity). AIL requested for the merger
in April 2023.
Singapore Airlines Limited
(SIA) will hold 25.1%
shareholding in Air India with
an investment of Rs 2,059
crore in the entity.
TSAL is a joint venture
between TSPL and SIA, with
TSPL and SIA holding 51% and

49% of the total shareholding,
respectively.
CCI approves various companies - On September 20, 2023, the
Competition Commission of India
(CCI) has approved the following
proposals:
CCI approves acquisition of
additional unit holding in
Highways Infrastructure Trust by
2452991 Ontario Limited and
acquisition of equity stake in
Highway ConcessionsOne Private
Limited (HC One) by 2743298
Ontario Limited
CCI approves certain shareholding
in TVS Credit Services Limited by
PI Opportunities along with
certain Individuals
approximately 24.16% of total
equity shareholding in Quality
Care India Limited by Centella
Mauritius Holdings Limited
72.49% stake (approx.) in Quality
Care India by BCP Asia II
HDFC Asset Management Company - HDFC Asset Management Company

Limited & Karur Vysya Bank Limited(HDFC AMC) received
Limited(KVB) and DCB Bank approval from the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) to acquire additional
Limited.
holdings of up to 9.5% of the paid-up
share capital or voting rights of
Karur Vysya Bank Limited(KVB) and
DCB Bank Limited.
The approval has been granted
with reference to the application
made by HDFC AMC to RBI.
The holding of HDFC AMC in both
the banks should not exceed
(individually) 9.5 % of the paid-up
the Bank at all times.
(HDFC AMC) received approval
from the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) to acquire additional
holdings of up to 9.5% of the
paid-up share capital or voting
rights of Karur Vysya Bank
Limited (KVB) and DCB Bank
Limited.
The approval has been granted
with reference to the application
made by HDFC AMC to RBI.

The holding of HDFC AMC in both
the banks should not exceed
(individually) 9.5 % of the paid-up
the Bank at all times.
AUGUST 2023
Acquisition of Industrial - Life Insurance Corporation of India
Development Bank of India (IDBI) (LIC) Mutual Fund completed the
mutual fund from IDBI Asset acquisition of Industrial Development
Management Limited Bank of India (IDBI) mutual fund from
IDBI Asset Management Limited
following the approval of Competition
Commission of India (CCI) in March
2023.
Out of the 20 schemes of IDBI
Mutual Fund,10 schemes would
undergo a merger with
corresponding schemes of LIC
Mutual Fund.
The remaining 10 schemes would
be directly taken over by LIC
Mutual Fund as standalone
offerings.
Tata Cleantech Capital Limited - Competition Commission of India
(TCCL) and Tata Capital Financial (CCI) approves merger of Tata
Services Limited (TCFSL) into Tata Cleantech Capital Limited (TCCL) and
Capital Limited (TCL) Tata Capital Financial Services
Limited (TCFSL) into Tata Capital
Limited (TCL).
CCI also approved the
combination involving the
acquisition of 90% of the
shareholding of HDFC Credila
Financial Services Limited(HDFC
Credila) by Kopvoorn B.V., Moss
Investments Limited, Infinity
Partners and Defati Investments
Holding B.V.
IBS Software Pte Limited by - Competition Commission of India
Pelipper HoldCo SARL from (CCI) has approved the acquisition of
Techware Singapore Holdings Pte. 30% of the issued share capital on a
Ltd fully diluted basis of IBS Software Pte
Limited by Pelipper HoldCo SARL
from Techware Singapore Holdings
Pte. Ltd., a portfolio company of
Blackstone Inc.
Pelipper HoldCo SARL is a special-
purpose vehicle (SPV) indirectly

wholly owned by investment
funds advised by Apax Partners
LLP (AP).
Life Insurance Corporation of India - Life Insurance Corporation of India
(LIC) & Jio Financial Services Ltd. (LIC), an Indian multinational public
(JFSL) sector life insurance company, has
acquired 6.66% shareholding in Jio
Financial Services Ltd. (JFSL).
Jio Financial Services Limited
(JFSL), previously named Reliance
Strategic Investments Limited, the
demerged financial subsidiary of
Reliance Industries Limited(RIL).
JULY 2023
Unichem Laboratories Limited & - The Competition Commission of India
Ipca Laboratories Limited (CCI), the competition regulator in
India, approved the proposed
combination involving acquisition of
shareholding up to 59.38% of stake in
Unichem Laboratories Limited by Ipca
Laboratories Limited. Specifically,
Ipca Labs is planning to acquire about
33.38% of the issued and paid-up
equity voting share capital of Unichem
Labs as per the terms of a share
purchase agreement.
Housing Development Finance - In a significant development, the
Corporation (HDFC) & HDFC Bank merger between Housing
Development Finance Corporation
(HDFC) and HDFC Bank has
successfully obtained final board
approval. With a valuation of around
USD 40 billion, this unprecedented
merger creates a financial services
powerhouse.
The approval was granted by
HDFC Bank’s board in accordance
with the Companies Act, 2013.
Composite Scheme of
Amalgamation for merger:
HDFC Investments Limited and
HDFC Holdings Limited merged
with HDFC Limited.
HDFC Limited merged with HDFC
Bank Limited has become effective
from July 1, 2023.
IDFC First Bank Limited & IDFC - The board of directors of IDFC First
Limited Bank Limited approved the scheme of

amalgamation of IDFC Limited with
IDFC First bank and the share
exchange ratio is fixed at 155:100.
IDFC First Bank has proposed to
complete the merger by the end of
2023.
The IDFC group rejig scheme is a
two-step process.
First, IDFC Financial Holding
Company Limited (HFCL) will be
amalgamated with IDFC Limited.
JUNE 2023
Manipal Health Enterprises Pvt - The Competition Commission of
Limited (MHEPL) India (CCI), a fair-trade
and Manipal Education and Medical regulator, cleared the proposed deal
Group India Pvt Limited (MEMG involving Manipal Health Enterprises
India). Pvt Limited (MHEPL)
and Manipal Education and Medical
Group India Pvt Limited (MEMG
India).
The proposed combination
entails the: (a) acquisition of
equity shares capital of the
Manipal Health Enterprises
Private Limited (MHEPL/
Target) by Kangto Investments
Pte. Ltd.(Kangto), Kabru
Investments Pte. Ltd. (Kabru),
Manipal Research &
Management Services
International (MRMSI),
Manipal Global Health Services
(MGHS), MEMG International
India Private Limited
(MEMGIIPL) and TPG SG
Magazine Pte. Ltd. (TPG SG);
and
(b) acquisition of optionally
convertible debentures of
MEMG India by MEMGIIPL
from National Investment and
Infrastructure Fund – II
(Proposed Combination).
Lenskart Solutions, Dove - CCI has approved the minority stake
Investments, Defati Investments acquisition in Lenskart Solutions by
Holding BV and Infinity Partners Dove Investments, Defati Investments
Holding BV and Infinity Partners
under the green channel route.

Acko Technology and Services - CCI approved the acquisition of an
Private Limited (Acko Tech) & additional 4.04% shareholding of
General Atlantic Singapore ACK Pte. Acko Technology and Services Private
Ltd. (GASACK). Limited (Acko Tech) by General
Atlantic Singapore ACK Pte. Ltd.
(GASACK).
The CCI has approved the
proposed combination
subject to compliance with
amendments jointly
provided by GASACK and
GAP Bermuda, LP pursuant
to Regulation 19(2) of the
Rules of the Competition
Commission of India
(Procedure in Commercial
Transactions Related to
Combinations), 2011.
SBI Mutual Fund (SBIMF) & ICICI - Insurance Regulatory and
Lombard General Insurance Development Authority of India
Company Limited (IRDAI) gave its approval to SBIMF to
acquire upto 10% of the total paid up
equity share capital of ICICI
Lombard through market purchase.
Ambit Private Limited (APL) & - The Competition Commission of India
Daiwa International Holdings Inc (CCI) has approved the acquisition of
a certain shareholding (Minority
Stake) in Ambit Private Limited (APL)
by Daiwa International Holdings Inc
through a combination of primary
subscription of shares and secondary
share purchases from existing
shareholders.
Life Insurance Corporation of India Rs 649 crore Life Insurance Corporation of India
(LIC) & NMDC Lmited (LIC) sold over 6.06 crore shares or
2.07% stake in iron ore producer
NMDC Lmited (formerly National
Mineral Development Corporation)
between March 14 and June 20 for
around Rs 649 crore at an average
price of Rs 107.59 a share via open
market sale.
Now the LIC’s shareholding in NMDC
has decreased from 11.69% to 9.62%.
SBI Capital Markets (SBICAPS) & - The Executive Committee of the
SBI Pension Funds. Central Board (ECCB) of the State
Bank of India (SBI) has accorded
approval for acquiring the entire

20% stake held by SBI Capital
Markets (SBICAPS) in SBI Pension
Funds.
SBICAPS is a wholly-owned
subsidiary of SBI. It provides
Investment Banking and
Corporate Advisory Services to its
clients.
TCNS Clothing Co Limited & Aditya - The Competition Commission of India
Birla Fashion and Retail (CCI) approved the acquisition of
Limited(ABFRL). TCNS Clothing Co Limited by Aditya
Birla Fashion and Retail Limited
(ABFRL).
The proposed combination
involves acquisition of 51% of the
“expanded share capital” of TCNS
Clothing Co Limited (target) by
Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail
Limited (acquirer).
MAY 2023
Brookfield Asset Management & 4 - Canada-based Brookfield Asset
commercial properties Rostrum Management has acquired a 51%
Realty Private Limited stake in 4 commercial properties
Rostrum Realty Private Limited, a real
estate joint venture (JV) firm, in which
Bharti Enterprises Limited will hold
the balance of 49%.
Sanjay Chamria (SC) of certain - The CCI approves acquisition by
equity shares of Jaguar Advisory Sanjay Chamria (SC) of certain equity
Services Private Limited (Jaguar) & shares of Jaguar Advisory Services
Magma HDI General Insurance Private Limited (Jaguar), resulting in
Company Limited an indirect acquisition of certain
equity shares of Magma HDI General
Insurance Company Limited (Magma
HDI).
Tower Vision India Private Limited - The Competition Commission of India
(Tower Vision) & Ascend Telecom (CCI) approves the acquisition of the
Infrastructure Private Limited and shareholding of Tower Vision India
GIP EM Ascend 2 Pte. Ltd (GIP EM). Private Limited (Tower Vision) by
Ascend Telecom Infrastructure
Private Limited and GIP EM Ascend 2
Pte. Ltd (GIP EM).
Edelweiss Alternative Asset - Competition Commission of India
Advisors (EAAA) and ESOF III (CCI), a Fair-trade regulator, has
Investment Fund & Biocon cleared the proposal of EAAA and
Biologics Ltd (BBL). ESOF III Investment Fund to subscribe
to certain compulsorily convertible
debentures issued by BBL.

i. The Proposed Combination is
notified under Section 5(a) of the
Competition Act, 2002.
SBI Funds Management Ltd & HDFC - Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has
Bank Ltd. approved SBI Funds Management
Ltd’s (SBIFML) application for
acquiring up to 9.99% of the paid-up
share capital or voting rights of HDFC
Bank Ltd.
i. SBIFML has to acquire the major
shareholding in the bank within a
period of six months i.e.
by November 15, 2023.
UBS Group AG (Aktiengesellschaft) Competition Commission of India

(UBS) & Credit Suisse Group AG (CCI) approved the UBS Group AG
(Credit Suisse) (Aktiengesellschaft) (UBS)’s proposed
acquisition of Credit Suisse Group AG
(Credit Suisse) by way of an
absorption merger with UBS being the
surviving legal entity.
i. The proposed transaction is
notifiable to the CCI under the Section
5(c)(i)(A) of the Competition Act,
2002.
Compulsorily Convertible - The Competition Commission of India
Preference Shares(CCPS)of Acko (CCI) approved the acquisition of
Technology & Services Private additional Series E Compulsorily
Limited by Multiples Private Equity Convertible Preference
Fund III (Multiples Fund III) and Shares(CCPS)of Acko Technology &
CPP Investment Board Private Services Private Limited by Multiples
Holdings (4) Inc (CPHI-4) Private Equity Fund III (Multiples
Fund III) and CPP Investment Board
Private Holdings (4) Inc (CPHI-4).
i. The Proposed Transaction is an
acquisition of shares and falls under
Section 5(a)(i)(A) of the Competition
Act, 2002.
ii. The proposed transaction relates to
the subscription of additional CCPS of
Acko Technology & Services Private
Limited by Multiples Fund III and
CPHI-4.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
SATELLITES
NAME OF THE SATELLITE LAUNCHED BY PURPOSE
SEPTEMBER 2023
NIL
AUGUST 2023
PSLV-C56/DS-SAR Mission Indian Space Research Indian Space Research Organisation
Organisation (ISRO) (ISRO) successfully launched the
PSLV-C56/DS-SAR Mission, Polar
Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV–C56)
carrying 7 Singapore Satellites – DS-
SAR as primary satellite along with 6
co-passengers, from the First Launch
Pad (FLP) Satish Dhawan Space
Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra
Pradesh (AP).
This marks the 58th flight of PSLV
and 17th flight of PSLV in core
alone configuration.
Indian Mini-Satellite 1 (IMS-1, a low- Indian Space Research Indian Space Research
cost microsatellite imaging mission Organisation(ISRO) Organisation(ISRO) announced that
of ISRO) its commercial arm NewSpace India
Limited (NSIL) transferred the Indian
Mini-Satellite 1 (IMS-1, a low-cost
microsatellite imaging mission of
ISRO) Bus Technology to
Bengaluru(Karnataka) based Alpha
Design Technologies Private
Limited(ADTL).
JULY 2023
ZhuQue-2 Y-2 LandSpace, a Chinese LandSpace, a Chinese private
private aerospace company aerospace company became the
world’s first aerospace company to
launch a two-stage rocket ‘ZhuQue-2
Y-2’ using liquid methane as fuel and
liquid oxygen (LOx) as oxidizer.
The rocket was launched from
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in
the Gobi Desert, China.
The launch was the second
attempt for the Zhuque-2 Y-2
rocket, following a failed initial
launch of Zhuque-2 Y-1 in
December, 2022.
Hwasong-18 North Korea North Korea’s Hwasong-18 (Mars
Artillery Type 18), a intercontinental
ballistic missile (ICBM) was

successfully launched for the second
time from Pyongyang, North Korea
(Democratic People’s Republic of
Korea).
The first test-firing of Hwasong-18
was on 13th April 2023. Hwasong-
18 is the North Koreas’s first solid-
fuel intercontinental ballistic
missile (ICBM).
JUNE 2023
ABA First Runner (AFR) satellite Azista BST Aerospace Azista BST Aerospace (ABA), a
(ABA) Ahmedabad (Gujarat)-based
aerospace firm, launched its 1st
satellite “ABA First Runner
(AFR)” onboard the SpaceX (Space
Exploration Technologies
Corporation)’s Falcon 9 rocket as part
of the Transporter-8 Mission from
Space Launch Complex 4E at
Vandenberg Space Force Base in
California, the United States of
America (USA).
SATRIA-1 (Satellite of the Republic SpaceX SpaceX successfully deployed a
of Indonesia) new Indonesian communications
satellite named SATRIA-1 to
geosynchronous transfer orbit.
SATRIA-1 will be operated for the
Indonesian Government by the
Indonesian company Pasifik Satelit
Nusantara (PSN) into orbit.
SATRIA-1 telecommunications
satellite lifted off atop SpaceX’s
Falcon 9 rocket from Cape
Canaveral Space Force Station in
Florida, the United States of
America (USA).
MAY 2023
3U Satellite Orbital Deployer (DSOD- Dhruva Space Private Dhruva Space Private Limited
3U), 6U Satellite Orbital Deployer Limited announced the successful test and
(DSOD-6U) space qualification of its 2-satellite
orbital deployers – 3U Satellite Orbital
Deployer (DSOD-3U), 6U Satellite
Orbital Deployer (DSOD-6U) and its
orbital link Dhruva Space Orbital Link
(DSOL) launched aboard Indian Space
Research Organisation’s (ISRO) PSLV-
C55 mission.

i. The Dhurva Space’s payload utilised
the PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch
Vehicle) Orbital Experimental Module-
2 (POEM-2) which was launched as a
part of the PSLV-C55 mission.
ii. PSLV-C55 mission was launched on
22nd April 2023 from the first launch
pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre
(SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh
(AP)
Next Generation Small Satellite 2 South Korea South Korea successfully
launched ‘Next Generation Small
Satellite 2(NEXTSat-2), the first
commercial-grade satellite aboard
Korean Satellite Launch Vehicle
Two (KSLV-II), nicknamed Nuri, from
the launch pad at Naro Space Centre
in Goheung, South Jeolla Province,
South of Seoul, South Korea.
Arabsat BADR-8 SpaceX SpaceX (The Space Exploration
Technologies Corporation) launched a
big telecommunications satellite
named Arabsat BADR-8, Saudi
Arabia’s leading satellite service
provider from Cape Canaveral Space
Force Station in Florida, the United
States of America (USA) into Earth’s
orbit.
i. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off
with the BADR-8 communications
satellite for Arabsat.
NVS-01 Indian Space Research Indian Space Research Organisation
Organisation (ISRO) (ISRO) successfully launched
the GSLV-F12/NVS-01 mission and
placed a second-generation
Navigation Satellite, NVS-01, into
geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO).
The satellite was carried through a
51.7-metre-tall, 3-stage
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch
Vehicle (GSLV) rocket with a
cryogenic upper stage and lifted off
from the Satish Dhawan Space Center
(SDSC)-Sriharikota Range(SHAR),
Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh(AP).
i. ISRO launched NVS-01 to augment
the continuity of Navigation with
Indian Constellation (NavIC) services
with the launch of the satellite.

NEW INITIATIVE/INNOVATION
SEPTEMBER 2023
Nilgiri class stealth frigate Indian Navy Ship (INS) Mahendragiri was launched at the Mazagon Dock
Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai, Maharashtra.
INS Mahendragiri is the seventh and last stealth frigate of Project 17A of the Indian Navy(IN). This is also
the 4th frigate constructed by MDl.
The ship was launched by Dr. Sudesh Dhankhar, wife of Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar.
NS Mahendragiri is named after a mountain peak in Eastern Ghats located in Odisha.
It has a length of 149 metre, a width of 17.8 metre, launch weight of 3450 tons and capable of reaching a top
speed of 28 knots.
The stealth frigate is designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house Warship Design Bureau and the keel of INS
Mahendragiri was laid on 28 June 2022.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched Aditya-L1(Lagrange Point 1), India’s 1st
observatory-class space-based solar mission, launched by PSLV-C57 (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) rocket
from the Second Launch Pad (SLP), Satish Dhawan Space Centre – SDSC (formerly Sriharikota Range – SHAR) in
Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh (AP).
PSLV-C57 is the 59th flight of PSLV and the 25th mission using the PSLV-XL configuration.
The spacecraft is planned to be stationed in the halo orbit around the Lagrangian point 1 (L1) of the Sun-
Earth system, which is about 1.5 million kilometres (km) from the Earth.
The Aditya-L1 mission will take around 4 months to reach the designated point (L1) from where it will
study the sun.
The Aditya-L1 weighing about 1,4807.7 kg has successfully separated from the PSLV and began its 125-
day journey towards L1.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) along with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Limited (MHI)
launched the H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 47 (H-IIA F47) which carried X-ray astronomical satellite X-Ray Imaging
and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) and Lunar lander Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM).
The rocket was launched from Tanegashima Space Center, Japan.
With this, Japan yet to become the fifth country to soft land on the moon; The fourth Country was India with
its launch of Chandrayaan 3 mission in August 2023.
AUGUST 2023
Godrej Security Solutions a division of Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd and the flagship company of the
Godrej Group has won a project to provide a comprehensive Key Management System to Satish Dhawan Space
Centre-Sriharikota Range (SDSC-SHAR), the Spaceport of India.
NASA and Axiom Space have signed a mission order for the 4th private astronaut mission to the
International Space Station (ISS), named Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) scheduled to launch in 2024 on Falcon 9
rockets from National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Kennedy Space Center in Florida,
Russia successfully launched Luna-25 Mission onboard the Soyuz 2.1b Fregat rocket to the Moon from
the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia (Russian Far East).
This is Russia’s first moon mission since 1976
Luna-25 is also the first domestically produced moon probe in modern Russian history.
The lander is expected to touch down on the moon on August 21, 2023. Once down safe, Luna-25 will work
on the moon's south pole for at least one Earth year.
The Luna-25 lander, also known as the Luna-Glob Lander, has a robotic arm to collect surface samples
from the moon. It will study the composition of the moon's polar soil and the plasma and dust contained in
the very thin lunar exosphere.
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in collaboration with Aerial Delivery Research and Development
Establishment (ADRDE) successfully conducted a series of Drogue Parachute Deployment Tests to qualify the

drogue parachutes, affirming their preparedness for integration into the Test Vehicle Demonstration (TV-D1)
under the Gaganyaan mission
The tests were held at the Rail Track Rocket Sled (RTRS) facility of the Terminal Ballistics Research
Laboratory of DRDO, Chandigarh.
Scientists at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) in Bengaluru, Karnataka have discovered a
unique star named “HE 1005-1439”. This star defies the conventional classification of stars and stands out as a
carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) star, a rare class of chemically peculiar stars.
For the first time, scientists have discovered an object that shows signs of having been formed through a
combination of 2 different neutron capture processes such as slow (s-) and intermediate
Agnikul Cosmos Private Ltd commenced the process of integration of its first state-of-the-art launch
vehicle, Agnibaan SOrTeD (Sub-Orbital Technological Demonstrator), with its exclusive private launchpad at
Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR (formerly Sriharikota Range) at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh(AP).
The integration process is the significant step taken by the Agnikul Cosmos, toward its first controlled sub-
orbital flight, which brings Agnikul closer to fulfilling its vision of delivering reliable and affordable access
to space.
Russia’s first lunar mission in 47 years, Luna-25, failed as the space craft spun out of control and
crashed into the moon after a problem preparing for pre-landing orbit(orbital maneuver).
Luna-Glob-Lander (Luna-Glob-1), also known as Luna-25, was launched on 10th August 2023 atop a Soyuz-
2.1b rocket(Soyuz-2 Fregat) from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia.
Union Minister of State(MoS) Dr.Jitendra Singh, Ministry of Science & Technology, launched CSIR Prima
ET11, India’s 1st indigenous e-Tractor.
It was developed by the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) -Central Mechanical Engineering
Research Institute (CMERI), Durgapur, West Bengal.
He also released a book by CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) and a
compendium on 75 technologies developed by CSIR.
August 23, 2023 will always be remembered for the successful soft landing near moon’s South Pole by
the Vikram(Valour) Lander Module (LM) of ‘Chandrayaan-3 (Moon Craft)’, making India the first country to
land spacecraft near Moon’s South Pole at 70 degrees latitude.
It was Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) third lunar mission which resulted in unprecedented
milestone in space exploration. Chandrayaan 1 was launched in 2008, and Chandrayaan 2 in 2019.
With this successful landing, India became the 4th country to soft land on the moon after the United
States (US) with its Surveyor 1 in 1966; Soviet Union/Russia’s Luna 9 in 1966, and China with Chang’s 3
in 2013.
Developed by ISRO, Chandrayaan-3 consists of indigenous LM Vikram, Propulsion Module (PM) and Rover
named Pragyaan (Wisdom).
As Vikram settles on the moon, Pragyaan rover comes out from the LM and rolls onto the lunar surface to
start analyzing lunar soil and rocks.
The mission life of LM & Rover is One lunar day (~14 Earth days), and their Landing Site (Prime) is 4 km x
2.4 km 69.367621 S, 32.348126 E.
Chandrayaan-3 was launched on July 14, 2023, via the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM 3 ) rocket from SDSC
SHAR (Satish Dhawan Space Centre- Sriharikota Range) in Andhra Pradesh (AP).Click Here to Read
about Chandrayaan 3
Namakkal, a district in Tamil Nadu (TN), played a pivotal role in this achievement. Its unique soil, similar to
the Southern Pole of lunar surface’s ‘Anorthosite‘ (a type of intrusive igneous rock) type, was supplied to
ISRO for testing purposes. Since 2012, Namakkal has collaborated with ISRO, aiding in testing and refining
lunar mission capabilities.
Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) and the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) successfully launched the international Crew-7 astronaut mission to the International
Space Station (ISS).
The agency’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission is the seventh commercial crew rotation mission for NASA.

The 4 astronauts of the Crew-7 mission lifted off atop a brand-new SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at NASA’s
Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, the United States of America (USA).
The Crew-7 team will ride on the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, Endurance, which is a trained spaceflight,
that previously completed missions as part of SpaceX’s Crew-3 and Crew-5 missions to the ISS.
JULY 2023
Hyderabad (Telangana) based space startup Skyroot Aerospace Private Limited, has successfully tested
its Raman-II engine at the Liquid Thruster Test Facility (LTTF) of ISRO(Indian Space Research Organisation)
Propulsion Complex (IPRC) at Mahendragiri, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu(TN).
The testing was enabled by Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe).
United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and National Aeronautics and
Space Administration (NASA) penned an agreement with Littleton, Colorado based aerospace and defence
firm Lockheed Martin to construct Nuclear Thermal Rocket (NTR) vehicle to use in NASA’s Demonstration
Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) program for crewed missions to Mars.
This will help NASA & DARPA jointly to launch a nuclear-powered satellite as soon as 2027.
The Greater Chennai Police (GCP), a division of the Tamil Nadu(TN) Police, launched the ‘Police Drone
Unit’, the first in India, for aerial surveillance in Chennai, TN.
Director General of Police (DGP) and Head of Police Force C. Sylendra Babu inaugurated the Unit at Besant
Avenue, Adyar, Chennai. The unit was established at a cost of Rs 3.6 crore.
European Space Agency (ESA)’s Euclid Spacecraft was launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from
Cape Canaveral, Florida, the United States of America (USA).
ESA's Euclid mission is designed to explore the composition and evolution of the dark Universe (dark
energy and dark matter) using a wide-angle telescope to survey galaxies as far away as 10 billion light-
years from Earth.
Elena Geo Systems,a Space Technology Company and Optimus Logics, two companies based in
Bengaluru in Karnataka, have successfully developed handheld devices called PNT (Positioning, Navigation,
and Timing) that are driven by satellite communications.
This project was funded by the Department of Telecommunications under the Digital Communication
Innovation Square (DCIS) scheme.It will become India’s first hand-held NavIC-based navigation device.
Researchers at Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Kanpur have developed the India’s first
tractor/vehicle that operates solely on 100% Dimethyl Ether (DME), an indigenous and renewable fuel. This
breakthrough positions DME as a viable alternative fuel and engine technology for conventional diesel engines
used in agriculture and transportation sectors.
The research was supported by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) and was aligned with
NITI Aayog’s ‘Methanol Economy’ program.
The 117th and final launch of Ariane 5, a 53-metre tall, three-stage launcher was successfully blasted off
from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana toward geostationary orbit to deliver two military
communications satellites namely Syracuse 4B for the France and the Heinrich Hertz (H2Sat) for the German
Governments.
Ariane 5, a European heavy-lift space launch vehicle first launched in 1996 has 27 years of experience with
this final launch mission.
Voyager Space, a global leader in space exploration, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE), under Department of Space
(DOS) and the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
The MoU aims to foster collaboration in spacecraft launch and deployment opportunities on-board NSIL’s
Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
K Rajaraman, the Secretary to the Department of Telecommunication (DoT), Ministry of
Communications, launched the ‘Standards Coordination Portal’, developed by Telecommunication
Engineering Centre (TEC) under the DoT, during the “National Workshop on Enhancing Indian Participation in
Telecom Global Standards Bodies” held at Centre for Development Of Telematics (C-DoT) Campus in New Delhi,
Delhi.

K.Rajaraman, Secretary (DoT), also released the “Fairness Assessment and Rating of Artificial Intelligence
Systems” TEC standard, which specifies detailed protocols for analysing and rating the fairness of artificial
intelligence systems, assuring ethical and responsible AI deployment.
Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) issued an expression of interest
(EoI) for the first-of-its-kind Transfer of Technology (ToT) of the small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV) to Indian
private Space firms.
The aim of this initiative is to boost the Indian Private Space Industries.
SSLV is a 3 stage Launch Vehicle configured with 3 Solid Propulsion Stages and liquid propulsion-based
Velocity Trimming Module (VTM) as a terminal stage.
Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) and ISRO’s Human Space Flight
Centre (HSFC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Voyager Space to explore
opportunities for the utilisation of the Gaganyaan crewed spacecraft to service Starlab space station.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched ‘Chandrayaan-3 (Moon Craft)’
spacecraft into orbit onboard Launch Vehicle Mark-3-LVM 3 rocket from SDSC SHAR (Satish Dhawan Space
Centre- Sriharikota Range), Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh (AP).It is India’s third lunar exploration mission after
Chandrayaan 1 in 2008, Chandrayaan 2 in 2019.
With successful landing, India will be the first country to land spacecraft near Moon’s South Pole at 70
degrees latitude, and the 4th country to soft land on the moon after the United States (US) with its Surveyor
1 in 1966; Soviet Union/Russia’s Luna 9 in 1966, and China with Chang’s 3 in 2013.
Developed by ISRO, it consists of indigenous Lander module (LM) called Vikram (Valour), Propulsion
Module (PM) and Rover named Pragyaan (Wisdom) with an objective of developing and demonstrating
new technologies required for Inter planetary missions.
National award-winning filmmaker-writer Vinod Mankara’s new book titled ‘Prism: The Ancestral Abode of
Rainbow’ was also released from the rocket launchpad at SDSC….Click here for complete detail of the
article….
JUNE 2023
Chinese astronauts, Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu, returned to Earth on board
the Shenzhou-15 manned spaceship after completing their 6-month mission to build China’s Tiangong space
station. Shenzhou-15 touched down at Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous
Region.
Manned spaceship Shenzhou-15 was launched on November 29, 2022.
Tata Elxsi, a leading global design and technology company has partnered with the Indian Space
Research Organization (ISRO) to design and develop Crew Module Recovery Models (CMRM) for recovery team
training of the Gaganyaan Mission.
The project marked Tata Elxsi’s entry into mechanical design for space.
This is the first time ISRO has outsourced the mechanical design and development work to an external
partner for a critical system.
Currently, two Recovery-Models CMRM and Ground Support Fixture (GSF) have been delivered to Naval
training teams at Kochi (Kerala) and Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) to train the recovery teams.
China has finished constructing the world’s most powerful largest and fastest wind tunnel JF-22, in the
mountainous Huairou district of northern Beijing, China.
The JF-22 wind tunnel is owned by the Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
(IMCAS) and is expected to play a crucial role in China’s pursuit of hypersonic technology.
Skyroot Aerospace, Hyderabad (Telangana) based private Indian Space company, successfully
conducted the Flight Qualification Test of the Raman-I Engine at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC)
of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

‘Raman’ is a series of engines or thrusters which uses the Earth storable hypergolic (MMH/N2O4)
propellants for upper stage engine and attitude or reaction control in Skyroot’s Vikram-1 launch
vehicle (rocket).
Direction générale de l’armement (DGA– Directorate General of Armaments), the French Government
Defense procurement and technology agency, successfully conducted its first test firing of a V–
MaX (Véhicule Manoeuvrant Expérimental or experimental manoeuvring vehicle), a Hypersonic Glide Vehicle
(HGV) to develop new missile technology capable of evading the most sophisticated air defences.
A sounding rocket carrying the V-MaX HGV was launched from the Biscarosse missile test site on the Bay of
Biscay, southwestern France.
MAY 2023
Dubai-based airline Emirates unveiled the world’s 1st robotic check-in assistant named “Sara”, at its
newly launched City Check-in and Travel Store, at the ICD Brookfield Place of Dubai International Financial
Centre (DIFC), Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted the first integrated test on an
intermediate configuration of the 2000kN (Kilonewton) thrust Semi-cryogenic Engine at the newly
commissioned Semi-cryogenic Integrated Engine & Stage Test facility at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC)
in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu.
The design and development of a Semi-cryogenic Engine were undertaken by the Liquid Propulsion
Systems Centre (LPSC) of ISRO with Indian industry participation, and it works on a Liquid Oxygen (LOX)-
Kerosene propellant combination which willpower the booster stages of future launch vehicles.
A BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired from the Indian Navy’s frontline guided
missile destroyer INS (Indian Naval Ship) Mormugao.
The indigenous ship (INS Mormugao) and weapon (BrahMos supersonic cruise missile), mark the symbol of
‘AatmaNirbharta’ and the Indian Navy’s firepower at sea.
This marks INS Mormugao’s first BrahMos Supersonic cruise missile firing.
Vast, a California (United States of America) based Space startup, has announced a plan to launch the
world’s first commercial space station, called Haven-1 in partnership with SpaceX (Space Exploration
Technologies) using the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to low-Earth orbit as soon as August 2025.
Haven-1 will initially act as an independent crewed space station before connecting as a module to a larger
Vast space station.
Spacex Falcon 9 Rocket launched the Crew of 4 astronauts (including the 2 Saudi Arabian Astronauts) with
the Dragon Capsule spacecraft on the all-private Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) chartered flight to the International
Space Station (ISS) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the United States of America (USA).
One of the crew members Rayyanah Barnawi, became the first woman Astronaut from Saudi Arabia to
go to space. She was accompanied by Ali al-Qarni, a fighter pilot with the Royal Saudi Air Force.
Ali al-Qarni and Rayyanah Barnawi, sponsored by the Saudi Arabian Government, were the first from Saudi
Arabia to ride a rocket since a Saudi prince launched aboard shuttle Discovery in 1985.
The 4 astronauts are namely:
i. Peggy Annette Whitson- retired NASA astronaut and former NASA Chief Astronaut;
ii. RayyanahBarnawi- a stem cell Researcher;
iii. Ali al-Qarni- a fighter pilot with the Royal Saudi Air Force;
iv. John Shoffner- former driver and owner of a sports car racing team that competes in Europe from
Tennessee, USA.
China successfully launched the Shenzhou-16 manned spaceship, sending three astronauts, including the
first civilian to its Tiangong space station for 5-month mission.
It was launched onboard Long March-2F carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Gobi
Desert in northwest China.
For the first time, China has included a civilian in its rotating crew for the space station.

DEFENCE
EXERCISES
Name of the Participating Venue KeyPoints
Exercise Countries
SEPTEMBER 2023
Varuna 2023 Indian Navy Arabian Sea The Indian Navy and the French Navy
and the conducted the Phase II of the 21st edition of the
French Navy Varuna (Varuna 2023), the bilateral maritime
exercise, in the Arabian Sea.
The 3-day exercise witnessed the
participation of guided missile frigates,
tankers, maritime patrol aircraft and
integral helicopters by both countries.
Varuna 23 was conducted in two
phases. The Phase I of 'Varuna-2023' was
conducted off India's Western Seaboard
from 16th to 20th January 2023.
The 21st edition of Varuna marks the 25th
year of Indo-French strategic partnership.
Indian & French Navy bilateral naval
exercise was initiated in 1993 and the
exercise was named “Varuna” in 2001.
SIMBEX 2023 Indian Navy South China Sea The Indian Navy (IN) and the Republic of
(IN) and the off the coast of Singapore Navy (RSN) participate in the 30th
Republic of Singapore. edition of the Singapore-India Maritime
Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX 2023), a joint naval
Singapore
combat exercise, from 21st to 28th September
Navy (RSN) 2023 in the southern parts of the South China
Sea off the coast of Singapore.
SIMBEX 2023 is conducted in two phases
including the land phase and the sea phase.
AUGUST 2023
Zayed Talwar 2023 Indian Navy Dubai, UAE “Zayed Talwar 2023”, a bilateral naval maritime
(IN), India and partnership exercise was held between the
United Arab Indian Navy (IN), India and United Arab
Emirates (UAE) Navy from 8th to 11th August
Emirates
2023 in Dubai, UAE.
(UAE) Navy From India, INS (Indian Navy Ship)
Visakhapatnam and INS Trikand
participated. The delegation of IN was
commanded by Rear Admiral Vineet
McCarty, Flag Officer Commanding Western
Fleet (FOCWF).
Exercise MALABAR Indian Navy East Coast of The 27th edition of naval Exercise MALABAR
2023 (IN), United Australia off 2023 was held at East Coast of Australia off
States Navy Sydney Sydney, between the Indian Navy (IN), United
(USN), Japan States Navy (USN), Japan Maritime Self Defence
Maritime Self

Defence Force Force (JMSDF) and the Royal Australian Navy
(JMSDF) and (RAN) from August 11-21, 2023.
the Royal The exercise was hosted by RAN and held in
Australian Australia for the first time.
Navy (RAN) Representatives from India:
i. Indian Navy Ship (INS) Sahyadri– It is
the third vessel of the indigenous
Project-17 class frigates, commanded by
Capt Rajan Kapoor.
ii. INS Kolkata– It is the first in the
Project-15A class destroyers, under the
command of Capt Sharad Sinsunwal.
Both ships, built at Mumbai,
Maharashtra’s Mazagon Dock Ltd, are
armed with advanced weaponry and
sensors for comprehensive threat
detection and response.
iii. P8I Maritime Patrol Aircraft – It was
manufactured by Boeing specially for
the Indian Navy.
BRIGHT STAR-23 Indian Air Cairo (West) Air Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent will be
Force (IAF) Base, Egypt participating in Exercise BRIGHT STAR-23, a
biennial multilateral tri-service exercise
scheduled to be held at Cairo (West) Air Base,
Egypt, from August 27 to September 16, 2023,
towards encouraging global defense
cooperation with Egypt.
This is the first time that IAF is participating
in Ex Bright Star-23.
The IAF contingent will consist of five MiG-
29, two IL-78, two C-130 and two C-17
aircraft.
JULY 2023
Joint Maritime Indian Navy Visakhapatnam, Indian Navy and the French Navy carried out a
Partnership Exercise and the Andhra Pradesh joint Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) in
(MPX) French Navy the Bay of Bengal along the coast of
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh from June 26-
29, 2023.
The exercise involved the participation of
Indian Naval Ships INS Rana (a guided
missile destroyer) and INS Sumedha (an
indigenously built offshore patrol vessel),
alongside the French Navy’s La Fayette class
frigate FS Surcouf.
Exercise SALVEX Indian Navy Kochi, Kerala 7th edition of Indian Navy (IN) – the United
(IN) – the States of America (USA) Navy (USN) Salvage
United States and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)
exercise, SALVEX was conducted from June

of America 26th to July 6th 2023 in Kochi, Kerala to
(USA) Navy strengthen US and Indian divers’ capability in
(USN) diving and salvage techniques.
The first-ever IN- USN SALVEX was
conducted in 2005 and the SALVEX series of
exercises have been conducted annually
thereafter, alternately in Indian and US
Pacific locations.
Operation Southern - Seychelles INS (Indian Naval Ship) Sunayna, a second
Readiness 2023 Saryu-class patrol vessel, participated in two-
week long annual training exercise ‘Operation
Southern Readiness 2023’, conducted by
Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), in Seychelles
to strengthen international collaboration at sea
& enhances operational readiness.
The exercise was led by CMF’s new
maritime security training staff, CTF-154.
The training exercise onboard was
witnessed by a delegation of CMF from
Bahrain headed by Cmde Oliver,
Commander of CTF56.
Nomadic Elephant- India- Ulaanbaatar, Nomadic Elephant-2023, the 15th edition of
2023 Mongolia Mongolia India-Mongolia bilateral joint military exercise
is being conducted at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
from 17 to 31 July 2023. An Indian Army
contingent of 43 personnel is participating in
the exercise at Mongolia.
Primary Theme: Focus on counter-
terrorism operations in mountainous
terrain under United Nations (UN) mandate.
The previous edition (14th edition) of
exercise was held at Special Forces Training
School, Bakloh in Himachal Pradesh from 5
to 18 October 2019.
JUNE 2023
Arctic Challenge Finland, - Finland, and Norway, the North Atlantic Treaty
exercise 2023 Sweden Organization (NATO) member countries, along
and Norway with Sweden hosted
the 6th multinational Arctic Challenge exercise
2023 (ACE 23), which is scheduled to be held
from 29 May to 9 June 2023.
In addition to the hosts (Finland, Norway,
and Sweden), the Netherlands, Belgium, the
United Kingdom (UK), Italy, Canada, France,
Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, the Czech
Republic and the United States of America
(USA) are also participating in the ACE 23.
Sudarshan Shakti India Rajasthan and South Western (Sapta Shakti) Command of the
2023 Punjab Indian Army (IA) conducted a 4-day
exercise “Sudarshan Shakti 2023” from 22nd to

25th May 2023 along the Western borders in
Rajasthan and Punjab.
Exercise ‘Sudarshan Shakti 2023’, was
designed to validate operational
preparedness of the Indian Army in a
network-centric environment.
C-130J Super Hercules, C-17 Globemaster
and AN-32 aircraft were used to insert
troops and specialised equipment into
designated areas in the obstacle-ridden
terrain with clinical precision.
Ekatha India and Maldives The 6th edition of the annual Naval
Maldives Exercise ‘Ekatha’ between India and Maldives
was scheduled to be conducted from 4th June to
3rd July 2023, in Maldives to enhance
interoperability in diving and special
operations.
The 5th edition was held in Maldives from
September 5 to October 3, 2022.
Trilateral Maritime India, France Gulf of Oman The First edition of the India, France and the
Partnership and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Trilateral
Exercise United Arab Maritime Partnership Exercise was held in
Emirates the Gulf of Oman from 7th to 8th June 2023.
(UAE) Indian Navy’s INS (Indian Naval
Ship) Tarkash (a second Talwar-class frigate
commissioned in 2012), French Navy’s French
Ship (FS) Surcouf both with integral helicopters,
French Rafale aircraft and UAE Navy Maritime
Patrol Aircraft are participating in the exercise.
Ex Ekuverin India and Chaubatia, Uttara The 12th edition of “Ex Ekuverin”, a bilateral
Maldives khand joint military exercise between the Indian
Army and the Maldives National Defence
Force commenced at Chaubatia, Uttarakhand on
11th June 2023.
The exercise will continue till 24th June
2023.
Komodo ASEAN Indonesia Indian Naval ship (INS) Satpura participated in
(MNEK 2023) countries the 4th edition of Multilateral Naval Exercise
“Komodo” (MNEK 2023) held in and around
Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia from June
4 to 8 2023.
INS Satpura participated in the exercise as
part of the Indian Navy’s deployment
to ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian
Nations) countries.
Ex Khaan Quest Mongolia Ulaanbaatar, Mon The 19th edition of Multinational Peacekeeping
golia Joint Exercise, Ex Khaan Quest 2023, was
inaugurated by the President and Commander-

In-Chief of the Mongolian Armed Forces (MAF)
Ukhnaagiin Khurelsuk at the Five Hills Training
Area, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Agneyastra 1 India Ladakh Indian Army’s Northern Command conducted
“Exercise Agneyastra 1” on 19th June 2023, in
eastern Ladakh to showcase India’s fire power
supremacy.
MAY 2023
ASEAN (Association Navies of Singapore The opening ceremony of the inaugural ASEAN
of Southeast Asian Brunei (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-India
Nations)-India Darussalam, Maritime Exercise (AIME-23) was held at the
Changi Naval Base in Singapore which was
Maritime Exercise Cambodia,
inaugurated and co-officiated
(AIME-23) Indonesia, Lao by Admiral Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar, Chief of
PDR, Malaysia, the Naval Staff (CNS), Indian Navy (IN) and Rear
Myanmar, the Admiral Sean Wat, Chief of Navy
Philippines, (CNV), Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and
Singapore, senior dignitaries from ASEAN.
Thailand, and The inaugural edition of AIME is being co-
Vietnam hosted by the RSN and IN.
(ASEAN
Nations), and
IN
Buland Bharat - Arunachal Indian Armed Forces
Pradesh conducted ‘Buland Bharat’, an integrated
surveillance and firepower training Exercise, at
the newly operationalised High Altitude
Artillery Ranges of Eastern Theatre – Mandala
High Altitude Firing Ranges in Arunachal
Pradesh.
i. Objective: To add coordination and speed
towards the detection, destruction and
depletion of the enemy’s war-waging
capabilities.
Agni Daman-23 - Pune, A mutual firefighting Exercise named ‘Agni

Maharashtra Daman-23’ was conducted to raise awareness
and train the personnel of both civil and
military agencies on firefighting at 29 Field
Ammunition Depot, Dehu Road under the aegis
of Headquarter Southern Command, Pune
(Maharashtra).
Samudra Shakti-23 Indian Navy Batam, Indonesia Samudra Shakti-23, the 4th edition of India-
and Indonesia Bilateral Naval Exercise between the
Indonesian Indian Navy (IN) and Indonesian Navy (IDN) is
Navy being held at Batam, Indonesia from May 14-19,
2023.
i. IN– INS (Indian Naval Ship) Kavaratti, an
indigenously designed & built ASW (Anti-
Submarine Warfare) Corvette; Dornier

Maritime Patrol aircraft, and Chetak helicopter
ii. IDN– KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda, CN 235
Maritime Patrol Aircraft and AS565 Panther
Helicopter
iii. KRI stands for Kapal Perang Republik
Indonesia, or Naval Vessel of the Republic of
Indonesia.
Al Mohed Al Hindi Indian Navy Saudi Arabia The second edition of India-Saudi Arabia
23 and Royal Bilateral Naval Exercise designated as
Saudi Naval “Al Mohed Al Hindi 23“, a series of exercises
Force RSNF undertaken by the Indian Navy and Royal Saudi
Naval Force RSNF on land and at sea concluded.
i. The 5 days bilateral naval Exercise between
India and Saudi Arabia was held from May 21,
2023 to May 25, 2023 in Al-Jubail, Saudi Arabia.
ii. The INS (Indian Navy Ship) TARKASH, the
flagship frigate of the Indian Western Naval
Fleet, and the INS SUBHADRA, an offshore
patrol vessel, and IN (Indian Navy) Dornier, one
maritime patrol aircraft took part in the naval
exercise.
MISSILES
Name of the Missile Testing Location Other Key facts
SEPTEMBER 2023
NIL
AUGUST 2023
Non Line of Sight (NLOS) - Indian Air Force (IAF) received air-launched
Anti-Tank Guided Missiles Spike Non Line of Sight (NLOS) Anti-Tank
(ATGM) Guided Missiles (ATGM) from Israel which can
hit targets upto 50 km from a helicopter and
32 km from the ground.
The NLOS missiles will be integrated with
the fleet of Russian-origin Mi-17V5
helicopters, manufactured by Kazan
Helicopters
second Missile Cum Visakhapatnam, Andhra Commodore G Ravi, Warship Production
Ammunition (MCA) Barge, Pradesh Superintendent in Visakhapatnam, Andhra
known as Yard 76 (LSAM 8) Pradesh, inaugurated the second Missile Cum
Ammunition (MCA) Barge, known as Yard 76
(LSAM 8).
The launch took place at Guttenedevi, East
Godavari, Andhra Pradesh, at the
manufacturing site of M/s SECON
Engineering Projects Pvt Ltd, a Micro-
Small-Medium enterprise (MSME)
specializing in manufacturing.

India’s Tejas Light Combat Coast of Goa. India’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) LSP-
Aircraft (LCA) LSP-7 aircraft 7 aircraft successfully test fired
the ASTRA indigenous state–of-the-art Beyond
Visual Range (BVR) Air-to-Air missile (AAM)
off the coast of Goa.
The missile release was carried out by
Tejas at an altitude of about 20,000
feet(ft).
JULY 2023
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JUNE 2023
Agni-1 Odisha India carried out a successful training
launch of a nuclear-capable Medium Range
Ballistic Missile (MRBM), Agni-1 from APJ
Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha.
Agni-1 was fired as a user training
launch by Strategic Forces Command
(SCF), which controls, manages and
administers the nuclear forces in India.
Fattah Iran The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
of Iran unveiled the first Indigenously-made
Hypersonic ballistic missile, “Fattah” with a
range of 1,400 kilometres (km).
This missile was named by the Iranian
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
‘Fattah’ in Farsi (Persian) language
means ‘Conqueror/opener’.
Agni-P Odisha Agni Prime or Agni-P, a New
Generation Ballistic Missile was successfully
flight-tested by Defence Research and
Development Organisation (DRDO) from
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast
of Odisha.
This was the first pre-induction night
launch conducted by users after three
successful developmental trials of the
missile, validating the accuracy and
reliability of the system.
MAY 2023
Kheibar Iran Iran successfully test-launched a new surface-
to-surface 4th generation of Khorramshahr
ballistic missile, a medium-range precision-
guided projectile named Kheibar.
i. It was developed by the Aerospace
Industries Organization (AIO) under Iran’s
Ministry of Defense.

COMMISSION/DECOMMISSION
SEPTEMBER 2023
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AUGUST 2023
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JULY 2023
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JUNE 2023
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MAY 2023
The Indian Navy (IN) decommissioned Indian Naval Ship (INS) Magar, the oldest Landing Ship Tank
(Large) after 36 years of service at the Naval base in Kochi, Kerala. It was commanded by CDR Hemant
V Salunkhe.
INS Magar was launched on November 16, 1984 by Meera Tahiliani and commissioned on July 18, 1987 at
Garden Reach Shipyard and Engineers (GRSE) Limited, Kolkata (West Bengal) by late Admiral
Radhakrishna Hariram Tahiliani.
IMPORTANT DEFENCE EVENTS

SEPTEMBER 2023
The Indian Navy signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with M/s Uber, a leading ridesharing
app, to provide reliable, convenient, safe, and economical mobility solutions for personal travel and commute of
Naval personnel and families across India.
This MoU aligns with the Chief of the Naval Staff's (CNS) vision of ‘Happy Personnel’ under the ‘SHIPS FIRST’
approach and is a maiden initiative in the Armed Forces.
This also promotes the Government of India’s (GoI) ‘Digital India’ vision of embracing technology for
transformative change.
The Indian Army has inducted Six hundred indigenously manufactured self-neutralising anti-tank
mines, known as “Vibhav”, to provide mobility kill against all enemy armoured vehicles. Vibhav, the point-
attack anti-tank munition, was developed in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) in India.
These mines have safety and actuation mechanisms to ensure operator safety.
Vibhav is being manufactured by the Kalyani Group for the Indian Army.
Ministry of Defence (MoD) has approved the proposal to procure a regiment of ‘Pralay’ tactical ballistic
missiles with a range of 150 to 500 kilometers(Km) for the Indian Army.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has successfully tested the indigenously developed ‘Type V Heavy Drop
System’ from a cargo aircraft which is capable of paradropping arms, ammunition, and other equipment to
inaccessible places/battlefields.
The design of this system has been developed by Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment
(ADRDE), Agra, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
Indian Naval Ship (INS) Nireekshak(A-15), the Diving Support and Submarine Rescue Vessel (DSRV) of
the Indian Navy successfully conducted vital Mixed Gas Diving training sessions.
This is a part of eight-day diving training deployment exercise (14-21st September 2023) IN-SLN Divex 23
between India and Sri Lanka at Trincomalee Sri Lanka.
AUGUST 2023
Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) has handed over the first Radio Frequency (RF) Seeker of the Akash
Next Generation (Akash-NG) Missile to the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO).

The 1st RF Seeker was handed over by Commodore A Madhavarao (Retired), Chairman and Managing
Director of BDL to Dr Samir V Kamat, Secretary, Department of Defence Research & Development and
Chairman DRDO.
Akash-NG Missile is the short-range mobile surface-to-air missile system (SRSAM) developed by DRDO.
India is set to establish its first Integrated Theatre Commands (ITC) in August 2023. The Indian Armed
Forces (Army, Navy and Air force) have overcome the differences and accepted the broad commanding
structure for ITC, developed by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan.
2 ITCs are set to be established in North India, one in Jaipur (Rajasthan) and the other in Lucknow (Uttar
Pradesh).
Indian Naval Ship (INS) Chennai engaged in a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) alongside the Royal Saudi Naval
Ship HMS Al Jubail.
This joint exercise took place in the Red Sea off the coast of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The activities involved tactical maneuvers, seamanship practices, and communication drills, all aimed at
strengthening mutual trust, enhancing operational comprehension, and promoting interoperability
between the Indian and Saudi naval forces.
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) based Drone Manufacturer, Dhaksha Unmanned Systems Pvt. Ltd (DUMS), a
subsidiary of Coromandel International Limited, an Agri-solutions provider, has bagged an order worth Rs 165
crore to supply 200 medium-altitude logistics drones, and accessories to the Indian Army.
Recently, DUMS has also won a contract from the Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative (IFFCO), Agri
inputs cooperative, to supply 400 Agri-spraying drones.
DUMS has been selected by the Indian Army to supply its logistics drones. The company is committed to
building the latest technologies for drone manufacturing and serving to requirements of the defense sector
as well as the farming community of India.
Indian Army inducted the first Swathi Mark II Mountain variant Weapon Locating Radar(WLR), a lighter
and compact version WLR for mountains & high-altitude areas.
The WLR was flagged off by Lieutenant General JB Chaudhari, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (CD&S) in Agra,
Uttar Pradesh(UP).
Swathi Mk II was developed by Bharat Electronics Limited(BEL), a Navratna Public Sector Enterprise(PSE)
under the Ministry of Defence(MoD), in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Naval Trainer Prototype 'NP5' successfully completed its maiden flight
in Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) Airport, Bengaluru, Karnataka.
LCA Navy is designed and developed jointly by Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and HAL.
The Iranian Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics unveiled Mohajer-10, the new domestically
build attack drone (unmanned combat aerial vehicle – UCAV) with enhanced capabilities.
The drone was unveiled in the presence of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at an exhibition celebrating
Defense Industry Day.
Mohajer-10 is the upgraded version of the “Mohajer-6” and resembles the MQ-9 Reaper drone of the
The Indian Navy successfully undertook the maiden test drop of the Search and Rescue Kit (SARK) from
the Boeing P-8I long-range patrol aircraft on 15th August 2023(77th Independence Day of India).
The Test flight was conducted by the Indian Navy’s INS (Indian Navy Ship) Hansa-based Indian Naval Air
Squadrons (INAS) 316 squadron.
SARK is an indigenous (Made in India) kit that can be dropped from aircraft with the help of parachutes to
carry out rescue missions in the deep sea.
It was developed by the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE), a unit of the
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Agra, Uttar Pradesh(UP).
Approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security, The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with
Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) for the acquisition of five indigenously
built Fleet Support Ships (FSS) for the Indian Navy worth 19,000 crore (approximately).

The FSS will be built with a length of 225 metres and a width of 32 metres and will have a displacement of
44,000 tonnes.
JULY 2023
Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a contract with the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) for the
Medium Refit with Life Certification (MRLC) of the Indian Navy Ship “INS Shankush”, a SubSurface Killer (SSK)
Class of Submarine.
The cost of the overall contract is Rs.2725 crore and the delivery of the Submarine post-MRLC in
2026.
Under this contract, INS Shankush, a submarine belonging to the SSK Class, will undergo comprehensive
renovation and life certification at MDL’s facility in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
The Indian Navy (IN) and Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has signed an Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with Indian Port Rail & Ropeway Corporation Ltd (IPRCL) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, to set up a Naval
gallery at National Maritime Heritage Complex (NHMC).
The MoU aims at Planning, Development, Construction, and Commissioning of Gallery No.6, based on the
theme, “Evolution of Indian Navy & Indian Coast Guard” in Phase 1A of this Project.
Indian Army signed the contract for procurement of Tactical Access Switch with Tata Advanced Systems
Limited under the Make in India model to produce a compact, modular, and strengthen networking device
capable of faster switching, hence increasing the Indian Army’s tactical communication capability.
Tactical access switch used for the communication between two tactical army troops. It is equipped with a
non-blocking mode of operation as well as a switching capability for data and Voice.
Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of
Defence (MoD), granted Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the procurement of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft
along with associated ancillary equipment, weapons, simulator, spares, documentation, crew training and
logistic support for the Indian Navy from the French government.
This procurement is based on an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) between India and France and aims
to bolster the operational capabilities of the Indian Navy.
DAC also granted the AoN for procurement of three additional Scorpene submarines under Buy (Indian)
category which will be constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL).
Indian Navy received the First Barge of the series LSAM 7 (Yard 75) in the presence of Iftekhar Alam,
Commanding Officer of INS Tunir.
This Barge was constructed in accordance with the classification rules of the Indian Register of Shipping
(IRS) and is expected to serve the Indian Navy for a service life of 30 years.
The Barge proudly exemplifies the “Make in India” initiative of the Government of India, as it stands as a
symbol of self-reliance with all its major and auxiliary equipment procured from indigenous manufacturers.
JUNE 2023
Indian Navy’s MH-60 ‘Romeo’ (MH-60R) helicopter, known for its anti-surface and anti-submarine
warfare capabilities, successfully landed for the first time on the Indian Naval Ship (INS) NS Vikrant, an
indigenously designed and constructed aircraft carrier.
The MH-60R, stationed at the Naval air station INS Garuda in Kochi, Kerala, made the landing on the
indigenously designed and constructed aircraft carrier INS Vikrant in the Arabian Sea.
MH-60R helicopter manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corporation,an American aerospace technology
corporation.
The Indian Navy and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully engaged an
underwater target with an indigenously developed heavyweight Torpedo, named Varunastra.
‘Varunastra’, the advanced Heavy-Weight anti-submarine Torpedo, was inducted by the Indian Navy in 2016
and is developed by the Indian Navy and the Naval Science and Technology Laboratory (NSTL) of DRDO and is
manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL).

QuNu Labs Private Limited (QNu Labs), a leading quantum technology startup company, partners with
the Indian Navy for the procurement and deployment of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) based systems.
With this collaboration, Indian Navy becomes India’s 1st agency to procure large-scale Quantum-based
encryption systems.
The procurement order for the QKD systems was signed by the Indian Navy in May 2023.
Indian Navy will procure and deploy QKD systems in a Hub & Spoke configuration across multiple locations,
with QNu Labs as the partner of choice for delivering and integrating these state-of-the-art systems.
The Indian Army signed a contract with Astrome Technologies Private Limited, Bengaluru (Karnataka)-
based start-up company to procure the indigenously-developed “Tactical LAN (Local area network) Radio” for
reliable and interference-free communication in remote and difficult terrain.
It is the second procurement contract that the Indian Army has signed in order to furthering its
commitment to the “Make in India” Campaign through Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX).
Tactical LAN Radio is a state-of-the-art high bandwidth backhaul wireless radio equipment designed to
provide reliable and fail-safe communication.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the highest decision-making body in the Ministry of
Defence(MoD), has approved the deal to acquire the MQ-9 Reaper (Predator B) drones from the United States
of America(USA).
Indian Navy Launched “Julley Ladakh” (Hello Ladakh), an outreach programme to Ladakh with an aim
to increase awareness about the naval service and to engage with youth and civil society members.
Motorcycle expedition conducted in partnership with TVS Motors. Riders took part in this expedition
with TVS Apache RTR and RR 310.
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy collaborated successfully
and demonstrated the transfer of command-and-control capabilities of the TAPAS 201 unmanned aerial vehicle
(UAV).
The TAPAS took off at 7.35 a.m. from a remote ground station to onboard Indian Naval Ship (INS) Subhadra,
148 km from the Karwar naval base, Karnataka.
The UAV was seamlessly (smoothly) flying around an altitude of 20,000ft, Above Mean Sea Level (ASML).
Tapas UAV, developed by DRDO, is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE)UAV. The indigenously
developed TAPAS 201 UAV has been designed and developed by the Bengaluru based Aeronautical
Development Establishment (ADE).
MAY 2023
Indian Navy’s Surface warships are inducting the Naval Anti-Drone System (NADS) developed by the
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) with the support of the Indian Navy and
manufactured by the Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a Public sector undertaking(PSU) under the Ministry of
Defence.
This is the first indigenously developed Naval Anti-Drone System (NADS) to be inducted into the Indian
Armed Forces.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is participating in Exercise INIOCHOS-23, a multi-national air exercise hosted
by the Greece Air Force at its Andravida Air Base in the western Peloponnese from April 24, 2023 – May 4,
2023.
Hosted by the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) of Greece, IAF participated with four Su-30 MKI and two C-17
aircraft.
INIOCHOS a major air exercise in Europe and the Mediterranean, capable to provide high level training and
a unique participation experience.
Participants: India with 4 Su-30 MKI and two C-17 Aircraft.
The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy (IN) conducted the
successful maiden test trial of ‘ADC-150’ from IL 38SD aircraft off the coast of Goa. It is an indigenously
designed and developed Air Droppable Container with 150 kg payload capacity.
It is developed by 3 DRDO laboratories viz. Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL),
Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh); Aerial Delivery Research & Development Establishment (ADRDE),
Agra (Uttar Pradesh) and Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru (Karnataka).

The Design Validation Trial Vertical Shaft based Underground Ammunition Storage Facility was conducted
successfully by detonating 5,000 kgs of Trinitrotoluene (TNT) in one of the chambers of the underground
facility.
This facility was designed and developed by the Centre of Fire, Explosive and Environment
Safety (CFEES), a Delhi-based laboratory of DRDO.
The Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence (MoD) approved 4th Positive Indigenization List
(PIL) of 928 strategically-important Line Replacement Units (LRUs)/Sub-systems/Spares &
Components including high-end materials & spares.
The import substitution value of this list is worth Rs 715 crore.
Details of these items are available on SRIJAN Portal.
The Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the flagship initiative of the Ministry of Defence (MoD),
signed its 250th contract (1st under Mission DefSpace) with Thane (Maharashtra) based InspeCity Space
Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., and 100th SPRINT (Navy) contract with Pune (Maharashtra) based Siliconia
Technologies Pvt Ltd in New Delhi, Delhi.
Contract with InspeCity(Mission DefSpace contract): It is a first contract under Mission DefSpace which was
signed by Additional Secretary-Defence Production (AS-DP) and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) Defence
Innovation Organisation (DIO) T. Natarajan; and CEO of InspeCity, Arindrajit Chowdhary.
Contract with Siliconia Technologies Pvt Ltd (100th SPRINT (Navy) contract): It is the 100th SPRINT (Navy)
contract which was exchanged between CEO-DIO T. Natarajan; and CEO, Sushil Eknath Ghule, Siliconia
Technologies Pvt Ltd.
Indra Sistemas, S.A.(Indra), Madrid (Spain) based Information Technology and Defense System
Company, and TATA Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) has installed the naval version of Lanza-N 3D on one of
the Indian Navy’s Destroyer Ship.
This is the first of the 23 radars that will be equipped in the Indian Naval Ships. Indra will deliver the radars
to the Indian Navy by over the next decade.
The 6th Scorpene Submarine of Project-75, Yard 11880, Indian Navy’s Kalvari class “Vaghsheer”
commenced its sea trials. The submarine was launched on 20 April 2022 from the Kanhoji Angre Wet Basin of
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), formerly known as Mazagon Dock Limited.
Vagsheer is scheduled for delivery to the Indian Navy in early 2024 after the completion of these trials.
Indian Navy’s latest indigenous guided missile destroyer, Indian Naval Ship (INS) Mormugao,
successfully carried out the engagement of a sea-skimming supersonic target with Medium Range Surface to Air
Missile (MRSAM) missile.
The Indian Navy undertook the 1st MRSAM firing from INS Mormugao.
Sea skimming is a technique that is used by anti-ship missiles and some fighter or strike aircraft to avoid
radar or infrared detection during their approach to the target.
INS Mormugao is the second ship of the Visakhapatnam-class Project 15B stealth-guided missile destroyers of
the Indian Navy.
It was designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders
Limited (MDL), Mumbai (Maharashtra) to offer new design concepts for improved survivability,
seakeeping, and manoeuvrability.
Indian Navy (IN) MiG-29K fighter jet landed on the indigenous aircraft carrier Indian Naval Ship (INS)
Vikrant for the first time at night when the ship was sailing in the Arabian Sea.
INS Vikrant: Commissioned in September 2022, INS Vikrant is currently sailing in the Arabian Sea.The
aircraft carrier is presently undergoing air certification and flight integration trials with rotary wing and
fixed wing aircraft to achieve combat-ready state.
The 45,000-tonne Vikrant is the first to be built in India and was constructed by the Cochin Shipyard
Limited (CSL) in Kerala at an estimated cost of Rs 20,000 crore.
The namesake Vikrant is a tribute to India’s first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant which was operated by the
navy from 1961 to 1997.

Indian Navy along with ISRO released Indian Navy (IN) MiG-29K fighter jet landed on the indigenous
aircraft carrier Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vikrant for the first time at night when the ship was sailing in the
Arabian Sea.
SPORTS
APPOINTMENTS IN SPORTS
Name Appointed as Association Points to be noted
SEPTEMBER 2023
NIL
AUGUST 2023
NIL
JULY 2023
NIL
JUNE 2023
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MAY 2023
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RETIREMENT
Name of the Person Sport, they belong to/ Country Points to be Noted
SEPTEMBER 2023
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AUGUST 2023
Stuart Christopher John England Cricketer Stuart Christopher John Broad
Broad announced his retirement from all forms of
Cricket on 29th July 2023 during the
midway of England vs Australia’s 5th Ashes
Test at The Oval stadium, London, United
Kingdom (UK).
He was honored with Member of the
Order of the British Empire (MBE) in
2016 for his services to cricket.
England all-rounder Moeen Ali confirms
his test cricket retirement after the end
of the Ashes series and he will play in
other formats of cricket.
Australia cricket team retained the 5
match test series ‘Ashes 2023’ after the
2-2 draw against England.It was held
from 16th June to 31st July in the United
Kingdom(UK).
This marks Australia’s 4th consecutive
win in the series.

Wahab Riaz Pakistan fast bowler Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz
announced his retirement from
international cricket across all formats. He
continues to play in franchise cricket.
He has been serving as the caretaker
Sports Minister of the Punjab province
in Pakistan since January 2023.
JULY 2023
Lahiru Thirimanne Sri Lankan cricketer Sri Lankan cricketer Lahiru
Thirimanne announced his retirement from
international cricket.
Thirimanne represented Sri Lanka in 44
Test matches, 127 One-Day
Internationals (ODI) and 26 Twenty20
(T20) Internationals after his debut in
2010.
JUNE 2023
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MAY 2023
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TENNIS
SEPTEMBER 2023
Novak Djokovic won his 24th Grand Slam title at the US Open 2023 by defeating Daniil Medvedev in the men’s
singles final at the Arthur Ashe Stadium(Hard Court), New York City, New York, United States of
America(USA).
The 143rd edition of the US Open was held from 28th August to 10th September 2023(Main-draw).
Djokovic equals Australian Margaret Court’s record haul of 24 Grand Slams.
He is the first male player to win three out of four grand slams in the season (2023) including his Australian
Open 2023, French Open 2023 and US Open 2023 in the open era.
Category Winners Runners
Men’s Singles Novak Djokovic(Serbia) Daniil Medvedev (Russia)
Women’s
Singles Coco Gauff(USA) Aryna Sabalenka(Belarus)
Rajeev Ram (U) and Rohan Bopanna(India) and
Men’s
Doubles Joe Salisbury (England) Matthew Ebden(Australia)
Women’s Gabriela Dabrowski (Canada)and Erin Vera Zvonareva(Russia) and Laura
Doubles Routcliffe(New Zealand) Siegemund (Germany)
Mixed Harri Heliovaara(Finland) and Anna Dalinina Jessica Pegula (USA)and Austin
Doubles (Kazakhastan) Krajicek(USA)
AUGUST 2023
NIL

JULY 2023
Indian Tennis Player Sumit Nagal won Men’s Singles title of the Tampere Open 2023 by defeating Dalibor
Svrcina of Czech Republic in Tampere, Finland.
Category Winner Runner
Sumit Nagal (India) Dalibor Svrcina (Czech Republic)
Men’s Singles
Men’s Piotr Matuszewski and Szymon Kielan Vladyslav Orlov (Ukraine) and Adam Taylor
Doubles (Poland) (Australia)
The 136th edition of The Wimbledon Championships (Wimbledon) 2023 took place from 26th June to 16th
July 2023, the Gentlemen’s Singles was won by Carlos Alcaraz of Spain defeating Novak Djokovic of Serbia at
the centre court, All England lawn tennis and croquet club, Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom. The 2023
Championships is the 129th staging of the Ladies’ Singles Championship event, the 55th in the Open Era and the
3rd Grand Slam tournament of the year.
Wimbledon 2023
Gentlemen’s Singles Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) Novak Djokovic(Serbia)
Ladies Singles Marketa Vondrousova(Czech Republic) Ons Jabeur(Tunisia)

Neal Skupski(United Kingdom) and Wesley Marcel Granollers(Spain) and
Gentlemen’s Doubles Koolhof(Dutch) Horacio Zeballos (Argentina)
Hsieh Su-Wei of (Taiwan) and Elise Mertens(Belgium) and Storm
Ladies doubles Barbora Strycova (Czech Republic) Hunter (Australia)
Mate Pavic(Croatia) and Joran Vliegen(Belgium) and Xu
Mixed Doubles Lyudmyla Kichenok(Ukraine) Yifan(China).
JUNE 2023
French Open 2023, the 127th edition of the French Open, was held from 22nd May to 11th June 2023.
Novak Djokovic, Serbian professional tennis player, won his 23rd Grand Slam title (Men’s singles category) in
the French Open 2023 also known as 2023 Roland-Garros, held at Court Philippe-Chatrier in Stade Roland
Garros, Paris, France.
Men’s Novak Casper Ruud

singles Djokovic(Serbia) (Norway)
Women’s Iga Karolína Muchová

singles Świątek(Poland) (Czech Republic)
Ivan Dodig
Sander Gillé and
Men’s (Croatia) and
Joran Vliegen
doubles Austin Krajicek
(Belgium)
(USA)
Hsieh Su- Leylah

Women’s wei(Taiwan) Fernandez(Canada)
doubles and Wang Xinyu and Taylor
(China) Townsend (USA)

Bianca Andreescu
Miyu Kato
Mixed (Canada) and
(Japan) and Tim
doubles Michael Venus
Pütz (Germany)
(New Zealand)
MAY 2023
Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal won the men’s singles title at the 2023 Roma Garden Open, a part of
the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Challenger Tour 2023, defeating Jesper de Jong of the
Netherlands. The 2023 Roma Garden Open was held in Rome, Italy, from 24th to 30th April 2023.
This marks his 3rd Challenger title and his 1st title since 2019(Buenos Aires, Argentina). He won his
maiden Challenger title at Bengaluru Open 2017.
Sumit Nagal is the first ever Indian to win a challenger trophy title on European clay.
CRICKET
SEPTEMBER 2023
India have lifted the Asia Cup for a record-extending eighth time after defeating the defending
champions Sri Lanka in the Finals of Asia Cup 2023, at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The 16th
Edition of Asia Cup 2023 was Co-hosted by Sri Lanka as well as Pakistan for the 1st time from 30 August to 17
September 2023.
A total of 6 nations participated in the tournament viz. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan, and
Sri Lanka.
Nepal, made their Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Asia Cup debut as it has qualified for the first time in
qualifying the 2023 ACC Men’s Premier Cup, Nepal…Click here for complete detail…
AUGUST 2023
Indian Men’s Cricket team toured West Indies and United States of America for 2-Test matches, 3-One-
Day Internationals (ODI) and 5-Twenty 20 Internationals(T20I) against the West Indies cricket team from 12th
July to 13th August 2023.
India won the two-match Test series against West Indies 1-0 after the rain drew the second Test at the
Queen Park Oval, Port of Spain in Trinidad.
India won the 1st ODI by 5 wickets against West Indies held on 27th July in the Kensington Oval in
Bridgetown, Barbados.
West Indies defeated India by 8 wickets in the 5th and final T20I held on 13th August in Lauderhill in
Florida, United States of America (USA).
Indian Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin achieved the feat of becoming the 1st Indian bowler to dismiss
father and son in Tests. Click here for complete detail..
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has signed a global partnership with Mastercard, a global
payment-processing corporation, for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 which is scheduled to be held in
India from 5th October 2023 to 19th November 2023.
JULY 2023
Bangladesh One Day International (ODI) Captain Tamim Iqbal (aged 34) announced his retirement from
international cricket after 16 years of his journey in cricket.
His last game was on 5th July 2023, against Afghanistan in Chattogram, Bangladesh. Tamim Iqbal is the
third-highest run-scorer as of July 2023, after only Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, with 8,313 runs in 241
games, including 14 hundreds.
Pakistan A cricket team won 5th Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2023 by
defeating India A in the finals at R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
This marks Pakistan’s second consecutive win in the tournament, previously it won the cup in the 2019
finals against Bangladesh in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

The list of teams that won the cup includes India (2013), Sri Lanka(2017), Sri Lanka(2018),Pakistan( 2019)
and Pakistan( 2023).
JUNE 2023
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (MS Dhoni)-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) won their fifth Indian Premier
League (IPL) title by defeating the reigning champions Gujarat Titans (GT) led by Hardik Pandya by five
wickets in the finals of the 16th edition of IPL (IPL 2023) at Narendra Modi Stadium (the largest cricket
stadium in the world) in Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Complex, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
The 16th edition of IPL (IPL 2023 or IPL 16), also known as Tata IPL 2023 for sponsorship reasons, is a
franchise Twenty20(T20) cricket league in India.With this win, CSK equals the Mumbai Indians (MI) record
of most trophies.
CSK became the most successful team in the tournament. The team won 5 titles in 14 editions breaking the
record of MI which has won 5 titles in 16 editions.
Virat Kohli becomes 1st batter to cross 7,000 runs in IPL:
On 6th May 2023, Royal Challengers Bangalore(RCB)’s Virat Kohli became the first batter to get to 7000
runs in IPL, a T20 Tournament.
He achieved the feat during the 46-ball 55 in a match against the Delhi Capitals(DC) in Arun Jaitley Stadium
in Delhi.
He also holds the record for the most runs scored in a single edition of IPL. He achieved the feat in 2016
with 973 runs.
Virat Kohli slams record 7th IPL hundred (against GT), most by any batter in tournament’s history by
surpassing Chris Gayle, who scored 6 centuries.
Other achievements by Virat Kohli:
During a match against MI at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Virat Kohli also became the first Indian to score
a half-century of fifties in IPL.
David Warner of Australia, the captain of leading DC tops the list of players with the most half-centuries or
more in the IPL. He has crossed the 50-run mark 61 times in IPL and has four centuries in his name.
On 15th April 2023, Virat Kohli became the first batter to score 2500 runs at a single venue. He achieved the
feat during the match against DC at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium(Bengaluru, Karnataka).
He is also the player with the most runs at a single venue in an IPL Season. He scored 597 runs at
Chinaswammy Stadium in Bengaluru in 2016
MS Dhoni completes 5,000 runs, seventh-highest run scorer in IPL history
On 3rd April 2023, MS Dhoni crossed the 5,000 run mark in IPL during the match against LSG in CSK’s home
ground MA Chidambaram Stadium.
He has scored 5082 runs at an average of 39.09 in 250 matches.
Dhoni has represented CSK in 219 games, scoring 4508 runs in 190 innings. Overall, in 250 matches Dhoni
has scored 5082 runs at an average of 39.09 and a strike rate of 135.96 in 217 innings.
He has scored 24 half-centuries and is also the 7th-highest run scorer in the IPL.
Dhoni becomes the first player in the history of IPL to play 250 matches.
RR’s Yuzvendra Chahal becomes 1st Indian bowler to take 300 wickets in T20:
Yuzvendra Chahal, spinner of Rajasthan Royals, became the first Indian bowler to take 300 wickets in T20
cricket.
He took 4 wickets for 17 runs in 4 overs during the match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
With this, he has a record of 303 wickets in 265 matches.
He is now ranked 15th on the all-time highest T20 wicket-takers list surpassing Andrew Tye of Australia.
DJ Bravo of West Indies tops the list with 615 wickets in 558 matches.
Having taken 170 wickets in IPL, He equalled Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga’s record for the 2nd most IPL
wickets.
Rajasthan Royals leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal became the highest wicket-taker in history of IPL, going
past Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Dwayne Bravo by picking 187 wickets in match against KKR at the
Eden Gardens.
MI’s Piyush Chawla becomes the 5th-highest wicket-taker in IPL
On 22nd April 2023, During MI’s match against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, MI
spinner Piyush Chawla overtook Ravichandran Ashwin to become the bowler with the fifth-highest wickets
in the history of the IPL.

During his IPL career, he has played for CSK, PBKS, Kolkata Knight Riders(KKR) and MI and has taken 166
wickets in 171 matches at an average of 26.86 and an economy rate of 7.84. His best bowling figures are
4/17.
Punjab Kings’ Sikandar Raza became the only Zimbabwe Player Score 50 In IPL
On 15th April 2023, Punjab Kings’ Sikandar Raza scored his first-ever IPL fifty against LSG in Bharat Ratna
Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. With this, he became the only Zimbabwe
Player to score a half-century in IPL.
Shubman Gill scored the highest IPL playoffs score – 129
Shubman Gill of Gujarat Titans (GT) scored 129 runs in the 1st inning against MI in Qualifier 2 at Narendra
Modi Stadium in Gujarat. This is the highest by a batter in the IPL playoffs.
He overtook Virender Sehwag’s 122 for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) against CSK in 2014.
During the IPL 2023, Gill also became the player with the second-highest number of runs in a single IPL
season at a single venue. He scored 572 runs in 9 innings, with 2 centuries and 3 fifties and a best score of
129.
RR’s Yashasvi Jaiswal breaks IPL record of fastest half-century:
On 11th May 2023, Yashasvi Jaiswal of RR broke the record for the fastest half-century (50 runs) during the
game against KKR.
He scored 50 runs in 13 balls breaking the previous record KL Rahul and Pat Cummins for scoring 50 runs
in 14 balls.
He has now scored 625 runs in 14 games at a strike rate of 167.
Sai Sudharsan becomes 1st cricketer to be ‘retired out’ in an IPL playoff match
On 26th May 2023, during the Qualifier 2 between GT and MI, Sudharsan scored 43 runs in 31 balls and
remained unbeaten, before being replaced by Rashid Khan ahead of the 20th over.
He became the first cricketer to be ‘retired out’ in an IPL playoff match.
He also became the only 3rd player in IPL history to retire out, after Ravichandran Ashwin and
Atharva Taide.
Ravichandran Ashwin was the 1st batter to lose his wicket by ‘retire out’ in IPL. He lost his wicket in IPL
2022 against RR.
The Australia men’s cricket team captained by Pat Cummins defeated Indian men’s cricket team captained by
Rohit Sharma by 209 runs in the finals to win the 2nd edition of International Cricket Council (ICC) World Test
Championship (WTC) 2021-23. The finals of the ICC WTC 2021-2023 was held at The Oval, London, the United
Kingdom.
Australian left-hander Travis Head becomes the first batsman to score a century (163 runs in 174) in the
World Test Championship (WTC) final.
Head’s strike rate of 81.91 in the 2021-23 cycle is the highest among batters with at least 500 runs.
His score in the final is the second-best individual score by any Australian batter at a neutral venue in Test
cricket history.
Indian batsman Ajinkya Rahane becomes first indian to score a half-century in ICC World Test
Championship final.He scored 89 runs in 129 balls. He became the 13th Indian batter to surpass 5000 runs
in Tests.
Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja surpassed Bishan Singh Bedi to become India’s most successful left-
arm spinner in Test cricket. Ravindra Jadeja took 267 wickets in 65 matches at an average of 24.25. Bishan
Singh Bedi has 266 wickets in 67 matches.
Jadeja is the world 4th successful left arm-spinner in Tests. The top three in the list are Sri Lanka’s Rangana
Herath (433 in 93 matches), Daniel Vettori (362 in 113 matches) and England’s Derek Underwood (297
wickets in 86 matches).
Indian captain Rohit Sharma became the third-fastest opening batter to record 13,000 international runs
across all formats in his 307th innings. He is behind Matthew Hayden (293 innings) and Sachin Tendulkar
(295). He scored (15 runs in 1st and 43 runs in 2nd innings)
Virat Kohli becomes India’s highest run-scorer in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 cycle with
932 runs in 17 matches.

World Test Championship (WTC) Final match played with Duke Ball. This ball is preferred for the test
matches in England and the West Indies. It is Manufactured by British Cricket Balls Limited and these are
hand-stitched and more durable than other ball types.
Top 4 on the points table of ICC WTC 2021-23
Rank Team Matches Won Lost Drawn Points
1 Australia 19 11 3 5 152
2 India 18 10 3 5 127
South
3 15 8 6 1 100
Africa
4 England 22 10 8 4 124
Jhulan Goswami, former Indian woman cricketer, Heather Knight, captain of the England women’s cricket
team and Eoin Morgan, former England Men’s cricketer have joined the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) World
Cricket Committee (WCC).
JhulanGoswami, a Padma Shri (2012 – for her services to sports), and Arjuna Awardee (2010 for the Sport –
Cricket), is often regarded as one of the fastest bowlers in women’s Cricket and retired from international
cricket in 2022.
MAY 2023
NIL
BADMINTON
SEPTEMBER 2023
India’s Kiran George won the men’s singles title at the BNI Indonesia Masters 2023 held from 5th to
10th September 2023 in Medan, Indonesia. BNI Indonesia Masters 2023 is the Badminton World Federation
(BWF) World Tour Super 100 tournament.
This marks Kiran George’s second BWF Super 100 titles after he won his maiden title at the Odisha Open in
2022.
Women Singles: Ester Nurumi Tri Wardoyo of Indonesia won the women’s singles title by defeating Chiu
Pin-Chian of Chinese Taipei in the finals.
Men’s Singles: India’s Kiran George won the men’s singles title by defeating Koo Takahashi of Japan in the
finals Click here more detail
AUGUST 2023
Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen and South Korea’s An Se Young won the men’s singles and Women’s singles
titles respectively of Daihatsu Japan Open 2023 Badminton Championships.
The 40 edition of Daihatsu Japan Open 2023 Badminton Championships held from 25th-30th July 2023 at
th
Yoyogi National Stadium First Gymnasium, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan.

India’s Lakshya Sen was defeated by Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in the semifinals of men’s singles.
Winners of Japan open 2023:
Championship Winner Runner
Men’s Singles Viktor Axelsen Jonatan Christie

(Denmark) (Indonesia)
An Se Young He Bing Jiao
Women’s Singles (South Korea) (China)
Lee Yang and Takuro Hoki and
Wang Chi Lin Yugo Kobayashi
Men’s Doubles (Chinese Taipei) (Japan)
Kim So Yeong and Chen Qing Chen and
Kong Hee Yong Jia Yi Fan
Women’s Doubles (South Korea) (China)
Yuta Watanabe and Dechapol Puavaranukroh and
Arisa Higashino Sapsiree Taerattanachai
Mixed Doubles (Japan) (Thailand)

India’s Prannoy Haseena Sunil Kumar settled to silver medal in the men’s singles after losing the finals
against China’s Weng Hong Yang at the Sathio Group Australian Open 2023(Australian Open 2023) held at the
state sports centre in Sydney, Australia from 1st to 6th August 2023.
Winners of Australian Badminton Open 2023:
Men’s Singles Weng Hong Yang (China) HS Prannoy (India)
Women’s Singles Beiwen Zhang (United States of America) Kim Ga Eun (South Korea)
Men’s Doubles Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae (South Korea) Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi (Japan)
Women’s Doubles Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong (South Korea) Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning (China)
Mixed Doubles Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping (China) Hiroki Midorikawa and Natsu Saito (Japan)
JULY 2023
The Indian Badminton Players Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the Men’s Doubles title
by defeating Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto at the finals of the Korea Open 2023.
The Korea Open 2023 marks Chirag and Satwik’s fourth victory following the Swiss Open, Asian
Championships and Indonesia Open in 2023 and pair became the first Indian pair to win the Korea Open.
Winners of Korea Open 2023:
Men’s Singles Anders Antonsen(Denmark) Loh Kean Yew(Singapore)
Women’s Singles An Se young(South Korea) Tai Tzu-ying(Chinese Taipei)
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian
Men’s Doubles Shetty(India) Ardianto(Indonesia)

Women’s Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong(South
Doubles Chen Qing chen and Jia Yi fan(China) Korea)
Feng Yan zhe and Huang Dong ping
Mixed Doubles (China) Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin(China)
Satwik set two Guinness World Records with fastest badminton hits in controlled environments and
on-field
India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy has set the Guinness world record for the fastest hit by a male player in
badminton with a 565 kilometre/hour(351 milesperhour) smash.
He broke the previous record of 493 km/h (306.34 mph) by Malaysian Tan Boon Heong in 2013.
Indian Badminton Player Lakshya Sen won the Men’s Singles finals at the Badminton World Federation
(BWF) Yonex Canada Open 2023 (Canada Open 2023) defeating China’s Li Shi Feng (reigning All England
champion 2023), held in Calgary, Canada from 4th July – 9th July 2023.
India’s P.V. Sindhu lost to Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi in the Women’s Singles (semifinals) of Canada Open
2023.
Women’s Singles: Akane Yamaguchi (Rank 1) of Japan won the Women’s Singles title by defeating Thailand’s
Ratchanok Intanon at the Canada Open 2023.
Men’s Doubles: Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark won the Men’s Doubles title by
defeating Frederik Sogaard and Rasmus Kjær of Denmark.
Women’s Doubles: Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida (Rank 3) of Japan won the Women’s doubles title by
defeating Wakana Nagahara and Mayu Matsumoto of Japan at the Canada Open 2023.
Mixed Doubles: Hiroki Midorikawa and Natsu Saito of Japan won the mixed Doubles by defeating Mathias
Thyrri and Amalie Magelund of Denmark.
Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand and An Se-young of South Korea won the men’s singles and Women’s
singles titles respectively in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships 2023.The Total
Energies Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships 2023 held in Royal Arena, Copenhagen,
Denmark from 21st to 27th August 2023.India’s HS Prannoy won the bronze medal in the men’s singles at the
BWF World Championships 2023.
JUNE 2023
Indian badminton players Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (World no 5) won the Men’s doubles
title at the Kapal Api Group Indonesia Open 2023 (Indonesia Open 2023) by defeating 2022 world champions
Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik (World no 3) from Malaysia.
This was Satwik-Chirag’s first ever men’s doubles title at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World
Tour Super 1000 event and they also became the 1st doubles pair from India to win a title at Super 1000
event.
Winners of Indonesia Open 2023:
Viktor Axelsen
Men’s Singles (Denmark) Anthony Sinisuka Ginting (Indonesia)
Women’s Singles Chen Yufei (China) Carolina Marin (Spain)
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik
Men’s Doubles (India) (Malaysia)
Baek Ha Na and Lee So Hee Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota
Women’s Doubles (South Korea) (Japan)
Zheng Si wei and Huang Ya Qiong
Mixed Doubles (China) Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino (Japan)

MAY 2023
Indian pair Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy won the men’s doubles title at the 2023
Badminton Asia Championships (BAC) defeating Malaysian pair Teo Ee Yi and Ong Yew Sin. They became
the first Indian men’s doubles pair to win the title at the BAC.
2023 BAC was held at the Sheikh Rashid Bin Hamdan Indoor Hall in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
from 25th to 30th April 2023.
This also marks India’s 2nd ever title at the BAC after Dinesh Khanna, who won India’s first gold, in men’s
singles, at BAC in 1965.
The 2023 BAC is the 40th edition of the Badminton Asia Championships. The event washosted by the
United Arab Emirates Badminton Federation with sanctions from Badminton Asia.
Winners of 2023 Badminton Asia Championships
Category Winners (Gold) Runners (Silver)
Men’s singles Anthony Sinisuka Ginting(Indonesia) Loh Kean Yew(Singapore)
Women’s singles Tai Tzu-Ying(Chinese Taipei) An Se-young(South Korea)
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy
Chirag Shetty
Men’s doubles (India) Teo Ee Yi Ong Yew Sin(Malaysia)
Women’s doubles Yuki Fukushima Sayaka Hirota(Japan) Baek Ha-na Lee So-hee(South Korea )
Mixed doubles Jiang Zhenbang Wei Yaxin(China) Zheng Siwei Huang Yaqiong(China)
With this win, the Indian doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy
Chirag Shetty has jumped a place in the latest Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings to regain the
5th rank.
Indian Shutler Prannoy Haseena Sunil Kumar (HS Prannoy) (World no 9) won the Men’s Singles Title at
the Perodua Malaysia Masters 2023 by defeating China’s Weng Hong Yang.
This mark’s his maiden Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Title.
Malaysia Masters 2023, 14th edition of the tournament, was held from 23rd to 28th May 2023 in Axiata
Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Winners of Malaysia Masters 2023:
Men’s Singles Prannoy HS (India) Weng Hong Yang (China)
Women’s Singles Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) Gregoria Mariska Tunjung (Indonesia)
Man Wei Chong & Kai Wun Tee
Men’s Doubles Seo Seung-jae & Kang Min-hyuk (South Korea) (Malaysia)
Women’s Tan Pearly & Thinaah Muralitharan
Doubles Baek Ha Na & Lee So Hee (South Korea) (Malaysia)
Dechapol Puavaranukroh & Sapsiree Taerattanachai Huang Dong Ping & Feng Yan Zhe
Mixed Doubles (Thailand) (China)
CHESS
SEPTEMBER 2023
The Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Blitz 2023 was held from 31st August to 5th September 2023 at the
National Library of India, Kolkata, West Bengal.
India’s International Master Divya Deshmukh won the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid title in the women’s
category.
India’s GrandmasterPraggnanandhaa secured third place in both Open Rapid and Open Blitz events.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France won the Tata Steel Chess India Open Rapid title.
Russian Grandmaster (GM) Alexander Grischuk (played under FIDE flag) won the Tata Steel India 2023
Open Blitz title.

Winners of Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Blitz 2023:
Category Rapid Blitz
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave Alexander Grischuk
(France) (played under FIDE flag)
Teimour Radjabov Nodirbek Abdusattorov
Open (Men’s) (Azerbaijan) (Uzbekistan)
Divya Deshmukh Ju Wenjun
(India) (China)
Ju Wenjun Koneru Humpy
Women’s (China) (India)
AUGUST 2023
Norwegian Grandmaster (GM) and World No. 1 player Magnus Carlsen won his first International Chess
Federation (FIDE) World Cup title by defeating India’s GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa in the FIDE Chess
World Cup 2023 finals.
The 10th edition of the FIDE Chess World Cup 2023 was held from 29th July to 24th August 2023
in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Fabiano Caruana of the United States of America(USA) defeated Nijat Asabov of Azerbaijan to secure the
3rd place.
Carlsen defeated Praggnanandhaa in the tie-breaker after the two classical games ended in a stalemate.
Praggnanandhaa becomes the first Indian since Viswanathan Anand to reach the Chess World Cup final in
2002.
Praggnanandhaa’s performance in the World Cup earned him a spot in the 2024 FIDE Candidates Chess
Tournament in Toronto, Canada.
Praggnanandhaa (18-year-old) is the third-youngest player to qualify for this event after Carlsen and GM
Bobby Fischer.
This was the first time four Indians qualified for the quarterfinals including Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Santosh
Gujrathi, D. Gukesh, and Arjun Erigaisi.
Alongside FIDE World Cup 2023, the 2nd edition of the Women’s only version of the Women’s World Cup
2023 took place in Baku, Azerbaijan from 29th July to 22nd August 2023.
WR Chess team won the 1st edition of World Chess Federation (FIDE) World Rapid Team Championship
2023 held in Dusseldorf, Germany from 25th to 28th August 2023.
Team Freedom finished second, while the Indian squad of MGD1 was third. The team Columbus Energy
Kings Of Chess from Kraków (Poland) won 12,500 Euros as the best-performing team with a rating below
2400.
JULY 2023
Aditya S Samant (17) an International Master, became India’s 83rd chess Grandmaster (GM) by earning
his 3rd GM norm against Aryan Chopra in the 9th round of Biel Chess Festival Master Tournament (MTO) 2023
in Switzerland.
To become a GM, a player has to secure 3 GM norms and cross the live rating of 2,500 Elo points. Aditya
became an International Master in 2022 at the 1st Maharashtra GM Open 2022.
Indian Grand Master (GM) Dommaraju(D) Gukesh (17 years old) finished 5th (with score 19.5/36) while
Fomer World Champion GM Viswanathan Anand (with score 16.5/36) tied at 7th place with Jan-Krzysztof Duda
of Poland in the Super United Rapid and Blitz Croatia 2023, the 3rd led of the Grand Chess Tour (GST) 2023,
held from 3rd to 10th July 2023 in Westin Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia.
World No. 1 & Former World Champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway won the Super United Rapid and Blitz
Croatia 2023 with a score of 26.0/36.

Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia finished 2nd with 22.5 points and Alireza Firouzja of Iran finished 3rd with
22 points.
Young Indian Grandmaster (GM) R Praggnanandhaa (17) became champion at the V Geza Hetenyi
Memorial Super Grandmaster Chess Tournament 2023 in Budapest, Hungary.
In the final round, he secured a draw against Polish GM Radoslaw Wojtaszek with the white pieces.
Praggnanandhaa scored wins over Sanan Sjugirov(Russia), Parham Maghsoodloo (Iran), Adam Kozak
(Hungary) and Peter Prohaszka (Hungary).
JUNE 2023
Indian chess grandmaster (GM) Aravindh Chithambaram (aged 24) of India wins the 23rd Dubai Open
2023 (Dubai Open Chess Tournament 2023) for the second consecutive year which was held at Dubai Chess &
Culture Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirate (UAE) from 27th May – 4th June 2023.
He was followed by GM Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan at 2nd, and GM Arjun Erigaisi (India) at 3rd.
Table Showing Top 3:
Ranking Name Country Rating
1 Aravindh Chithambaram India 2633
2 Javokhir Sindarov Uzbekistan 2661
3 Arjun Erigaisi India 2701
MAY 2023
Chinese chess grandmaster Ding Liren (32 years old) has become the 17th world chess
champion and China’s 1st Male World Chess Champion by defeating Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi at the FIDE
World Chess Championship 2023 in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The Global Chess League (GCL), a joint venture between FIDE and Tech Mahindra Limited, a part of the
Mahindra Group, has announced Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the venue for its inaugural edition
which is set to be held from 21st June to 2nd July 2023.
16-year-old Vuppala Prraneeth from Telangana, has become India’s 82nd GrandMaster (GM) by
defeating GM Hans Niemann from United States of America (USA) in the penultimate round of the Baku Open
2023, which took place from May 4-12, in Baku Crystal Hall, Baku, Azerbaijan.
He is the sixth Grandmaster from the Telangana State.
GRAND PRIX
SEPTEMBER 2023
Max Verstappen, Belgian-Dutch driver of Red Bull, won the 93rd edition of Italian Grand Prix,
officially known as Formula 1(F1) Pirelli Gran Premio D’italia 2023 held in Monza Circuit, also known as
the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, located in Monza, a town near Milan, Italy.
Sergio Perez (Mexico) of Red Bull and Carlos Sainz Jr. (Spain) of Ferrari finished
at 2nd and 3rd positions respectively.
This victory marks Max Verstappen’s 10th consecutive win of the 2023 F1 season and sets
the record of Most consecutive F1 Wins.
The record was previously held by Sebastian Vettel(Germany) of Red Bull who won 9 consecutive titles
in 2013.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Vázquez de Castro (Carlos Sainz Jr.) of Spain won the Formula 1 (F1) Singapore
Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2023 held in Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore.
McLaren driver Lando Norris of the United Kingdom (UK) finished second while Mercedes driver Lewis
Hamilton of UK finished third position.
AUGUST 2023
Redbull’s racing driver Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgium) won the Formula 1(F1) MSC Cruises Belgian
Grand Prix 2023 at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot,Belgium.

This marks Verstappen’s 45th win in F1. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez (Mexican) finished 2nd and Ferrari’s
Charles Leclerc (Monacan) finished 3rd This marks his 8th straight win and 10th win of the season 2023.
Max Verstappen, the Red Bull driver (Dutch-Belgian) won the title at the Formula 1 (FI) Heineken Dutch
Grand Prix(GP) held at Circuit Zandvoort, Amsterdam, the Netherlands from 25th to 27th August 2023.
Spain’s Fernando Alonso(Aston Martin ) won second place and France’s Pierre Gasly finished in third place
for the first time with Alpine.
This also marks Verstappen’s 11th victory of the 2023 season out of 13 and 46th of his career.
Position Driver Team
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull
2 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin
3 Pierre Gasly Alpine
JULY 2023
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch racing driver) won Formula1(F1) Qatar Airways Hungarian
Grand Prix 2023, held in Budapest, Hungary. This victory made the Red Bull team to win twelve consecutive
Formula One races in 2023 and broke the record of McLaren’s 11 wins in 1988.
This also marks Verstappen’s seventh consecutive win and becomes the fifth driver in history to win seven
consecutive races (after Alberto Ascari, Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg).
Dutch-Belgium racing Driver Max Verstappen won the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix (GP) - Officially known
as Formula 1 Rolex Groser Preis Von Österreich 2023, at the circuit Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, Austria.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (Monacan Driver) finished 2nd and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez (Mexican Driver)
finished 3rd.
Verstappen won both the main F1 race and the shorter sprint race from pole position at the Austrian GP
2023.
Max Verstappen, the Red Bull driver (Dutch-Belgian) won the title at Formula 1 (FI) Aramco British
Grand Prix (GP) 2023 held at Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire, England (the United Kingdom, UK).
This marks his first ever British GP title and 6th consecutive F1 win of the 2023 season.
This also marks Max’s 8th win of this season and Red Bull’s 10th consecutive win of 2023 season (the other
2 titles were won by Sergio Perez in Saudi Arabia GP and Azerbaijan GP).
Lando Norris, the McLaren driver (Belgian-British) finished second and Lewis Hamilton, the Mercedes
driver (British) finished third.
JUNE 2023
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen (Belgian-Dutch racing driver) won the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix(GP),
officially known as Formula 1 (F1) AWS Gran Premio de España 2023, at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in
Montmeló within Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain.
He was followed by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton (British Racing Driver) at 2nd place and Mercedes’ George
Russell (British Racing Driver) at 3rd rank.
The 2023 Spanish GP marks the 63rd edition of Spanish GP and the 8th round of the 74th season of F1
world Championship.
MAY 2023
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez (Mexican racing driver) won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix (GP) Title at the Formula
One (F1) 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix held from 28th to 30th April 2023 at the Baku City Circuit in Baku,
Azerbaijan.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, the Dutch-Belgian driver, secured 2nd position on the podium and Ferrari’s
Charles Leclerc, a Monacan driver secured 3rd position.
Sergio Perez became the 1st-ever repeat winner of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. His 1st Azerbaijan Grand Prix
victory was at the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Dutch-Belgian racing driver Max Verstappen of Red Bull won the Formula 1(F1) Miami Grand Prix (GP)
2023 title, the 5th round of the 2023 F1 World Championship, at the Miami International Autodrome, Hard
Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the United States of America(USA).
This marks Max Verstappen’s 38th career win, tying him with Sebastian Vettel for most victories for Red
Bull.
Mexico’s Sergio Perez (Red Bull) finished 2nd and Spain’s Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) finished 3rd in
Miami GP 2023.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, a Dutch-Belgian racer, won the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix (GP) held at Circuit de
Monaco in Monaco. This mark’s his 2nd ever Monaco GP title, he previously won the title in 2021.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso (Spain) finished 2nd and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon (France) finished 3rd in
Monaco GP 2023.
OTHER SPORTS
SEPTEMBER 2023
Olympic and World champion Neeraj Chopra, an Indian track and field athlete, finished 2nd in
the men’s javelin throw event at the Zurich Diamond League 2023, which took place from August 30-31,
2023 at the Letzigrund stadium in Zurich, Switzerland.
Neeraj Chopra finished 2nd with the best of 85.71 meter.
Jakub Vadlejch (85.86m) of the Czech Republic finished 1st and won gold, and Germany’s Julian
Weber (84.92m) finished 3rd.
Neeraj Chopra currently has 23 Diamond League 2023 points and is in the 2nd spot, he will next participate
in the Diamond League 2023 season finals at Eugene (United States of America – USA), on September 16
and 17 2023.
Murali Sreeshankar, an Indian athlete finished 5th place in the Men’s Long Jump event at the Zurich
Diamond League 2023 and he is set to make his debut in the Diamond League finals in Eugene, the USA.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant defeated East Bengal Football Club 1-0 to win the Durand Cup 2023
trophy held in Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan(Salt Lake Stadium), Kolkata, West Bengal.
Mohun Bagan became the first team to win the 17 titles in the Durand cup surpassing East Bengal
with 16 titles.
The Durand Cup2023 was held from 3rd August to 3rd September 2023.
The Indian Men’s Hockey Team won the inaugural Men’s Hockey5s Asia Cup Salalah 2023 by
defeating Pakistan with 4-4 (2-0) by a penalty shootout in the final in Sultan Qaboos Youth Complex for
Culture and Entertainment – Pitch 1(Stadium), Salalah, Oman.
With this win, India qualified for the FIH Men’s Hockey5s World Cup Oman 2024.
The championship held from 29 Aug – 2 Sep 2023 was for Senior Men category, and served as
qualifying tournament for the FIH Men’s Hockey5s World Cup Oman 2024.
Indian Men’s hockey team was given the Gold medal with a trophy and Pakistan got Silver medal and
Oman won Bronze.
India won 14 medals (6 golds and 8 bronze) and secured third place in the International Shooting Sport
Federation (ISSF) World Championships 2023 held in Baku, Azerbaijan from 14th August to 1st September
2023.
China topped the medal tally with 28 medals (15 golds, 7 silver and 6 bronze) followed by Ukraine in
second place with 12 medals (6 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze).
ISSF World Championship 2023 is also a qualifying event for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Overall Medal Tally:
Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 China 15 7 6 28
2 Ukraine 6 4 2 12
3 India 6 – 8 14
Four of the Indian contingents have qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics in this event including
Rajeshwari Kumari (women’s trap)
Sift Kaur Samra (women’s 50m rifle 3 positions)
Akhil Sheoran (men’s 50m rifle 3 positions)
Mehuli Ghosh (women’s 10m air rifle)
Indian Gold Medal Winners:
Shooter Event
Amanpreet Singh 25m standard pistol men
Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Niraj Kumar, Akhil Sheoran 50m rifle 3 position men’s team
Tiyana, Sakshi Anil, Suryavanshi, Kirandeep Kaur 50m pistol women’s team
Rhythm Sangawan, Esha Singh, Manu Bhakar 25m pistol women’s team
Mehuli Gosh, Tilottama Sen, Ramita 10m air rifle women’s team
Esha Singh and Shiva Narwal 10m air pistol mixed team
Indian Bronze Medal Winner:
Shooter Event
Akhil Sheoran 50m rifle 3 positions men
Mehuli Gosh 10m air rifle women
Tiyana 50m pistol women
Tiyana, Yashita Shokeen, Kritika Sharma 25m standard pistol women’s team
Ravinder Singh 50m pistol men
Ravinder Singh, Kamaljeet, Vikram Jagannath Shinde 50m pistol men’s team
Rajendra Bagul, Akshay Jain, Gaurav Chaudhary 25m centre pistol men’s team
Shiva Narwal, Sarabjot Singh, Arjun Singh Cheema 10m air pistol men’s team
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Gold medallist Neeraj Chopra finished second place in the men’s javelin throw
event with a best throw of 83.80m at the Diamond League 2023 Final, which held in Eugene, Oregon, the
United States of America(USA).Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch won the men’s javelin throw title with a best
throw of 84.24m while Finland’s Oliver Helander came third with an 83.74m throw.
International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Rifle/Pistol World Cup 2023 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was
held from 12th - 19th September 2023. India finished 5th in the medal tally with 2 medals (1 Gold and 1 Silver).
Italy Tops table with 2 Gold and 1 Bronze medals, followed by China with 1 Gold, 4 Silver and 3 Bronze
medals
India’s Elavenil Valarivan won the gold medal in the women’s 10m air rifle event.
India’s Nischal won the silver medal in the Women's 50m Rifle 3 Positions while Jeanette Hegg Duestad of
Norway and Stephanie Laura Scurrah Grundsoee of Denmark won the gold and bronze medals respectively.
AUGUST 2023
Indian women’s hockey team defeated the host Spain at the three-nation Torneo del Centenario 2023
(100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation – International Tournament) by winning the title in Terrassa,
Barcelona, Spain. This was the Indian women’s team’s first win at the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey
Federation International Tournament 2023.

Indian Men’s Hockey team Defeats Netherlands by Securing 3rd Place
The Indian men’s hockey team defeated the Netherlands by securing third place and the bronze medal in
the four-nation Torneo del Centenario 2023 in Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain.Captain Harmanpreet Singh and
Dilpreet Singh scored notable goals (all goals came from penalty corners) in India’s victory.
India topped the medal tally with 4 medals(3 gold and 1 bronze) at the 52nd edition of the Hyundai
World Archery Championships 2023, held in the Berlin Olympic Park in Berlin, Germany from 31st July to 6th
August 2023.
India won the gold medal for the first time since its 1st edition that held in 1931.
South Korea secured 2nd position in the medal tally with 3 medals(2 gold and 1 bronze) followed by
Germany,Poland and Türkiye in 3rd position each with 2 medals (1 gold and 1 silver).
Indian Medal Winners:
Archer Event Medal
Aditi Gopichand Swami women’s individual compound Gold
Ojas Pravin Deotale men’s individual compound Gold
Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Parneet Kaur and Aditi Gopichand Swami women’s compound team Gold
Jyothi Surekha Vennam women’s individual compound Bronze
India finished 7th with 26 medals (11 gold, 5 silver and 10 bronze) at 31 edition of the Fédération
st
Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU) World University Games 2023 held in Chengdu, Sichuan province,
China, from 28th July to 8th August 2023.
China finished 1st in the medal tally with 178 medals (103 gold, 40 silver and 35 bronze).
FISU World University Games, formerly known as ‘Universiade’ was organized by the International
University Sports Federation.
Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 China 103 40 35 178
2 Japan 21 29 43 93
3 Republic of Korea 17 18 23 58
7 India 11 5 10 26
The 7th edition of the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 held from 3rd to 12th August 2023 in the Mayor
Radhakrishnan Stadium, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The Indian Men’s hockey team clinched the Hero Asian
Champions Trophy 2023 Title by defeating Malaysia (4-3) in the finals held in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Malaysia secured the Silver Medal in the tournament.
This victory marks India’s 4th win in the tournament including 2011,2016,2018,2023 and becomes the
Successful team in the tournament surpassing Pakistan(2012,2013,2018).
Mascot: The Elephant named "Bomman" was inspired by the Oscar-winning documentary film ‘The
Elephant Whisperers.’
Position Team
1 India (Gold)
2 Malaysia (Silver)
3 Japan (Bronze)
4 South Korea
5 Pakistan
6 China
Spain Women’s football team (nicknamed La Roja) won the Fédération Internationale de football
Association (FIFA) Women’s World Cup 2023 by defeating England 1-0 in the finals at Stadium Australia in
Sydney, Australia on 20th August 2023.

This marks Spain’s 1st title at the senior level and they won 1st Under-20 FIFA World Cup in 2022 and two
U-17 FIFA World Cup in 2018 & 2022.
England settled to silver medal and Sweden won their 4th bronze medal by defeating Australia 2-0 for the
3rd place match held in Brisbane, Australia.
India wrestlers won a total of 14 medals (4 golds, 3 silver and 7 bronze) in the World Under-20
Wrestling Championships 2023 held in Amman, Jordan from 14th to 20th August 2023 .
India also claimed its first women’s team title at the World Under-20 Wrestling Championships 2023 with
seven medals (3 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze).
Indian Men’s team ranked 3rd in Freestyle category, Iran stood 1st.
The 19-year-old Antim Panghal from Haryana won the gold in Women’s 53kg event defeating Mariia
Yefremova of Ukraine.
She is the first Indian woman to become an Under-20 (U-20) wrestling world champion in Sofia, Bulgaria in
2022. She became the first Indian woman wrestler to win two U-20 world championships.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal in the World Athletics
Championships 2023 in the javelin with an 88.17m throw. The 19th edition of the World Athletics
Championships (2023) was held in (Venue – The National Athletics Centre) Budapest, Hungary from 19th to 27th
August 2023.
Neeraj Chopra finished first followed by Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem (87.82m) in the second and Jakub
Vadlejch (86.67m) of the Czech Republic in the third.
Indian men’s 4x400m relay team comprising Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Amob Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal and
Rajesh Ramesh finished fifth in the finals.
Parul Chaudhary finished 11th in the final of the women’s 3000m steeplechase.
Jeswin Aldrin finished 11th in the Men’s long jump finals with a 7.77 m Jump…Click here for more detail…….
JULY 2023
India won 17 Medals(6 gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze)and secured the 2nd spot in the overall medal tally of
the 3rd edition International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Championships 2023
Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun.
The event held from 14th July to 25th July 2023 at Changwon Shooting Range, Changwon, South
Korea.China topped the medal tally with 28 medals(12 Golds, 9 Silver and 7 Bronze).
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Gold medallist Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal in the Men’s Javelin Throw at the
Lausanne Diamond League 2023 (officially known as Lausanne Diamond League Athletissima 2023), held from
June 29 to 30 at Stade Olympique de la Pontaise in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Neeraj Chopra recorded a throw of 87.66 meters(m), Germany’s Julian Weber finished second with the
throw of 87.03m and Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic finished third with
the throw of 86.13m.
Indian Football Team (also known as ‘Blue Tigers’) won the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF)
Bangabandhu Championship 2023 defeating Kuwait national football team at the finals, in Sree Kanteerava
Stadium, Bengaluru, Karnataka.
The 2023 SAFF Championships marks India’s 9th SAFF Championship title and second consecutive title
after it won in 2021 SAFF Championships in Maldives (defeated Nepal).
14th edition SAFF Championship 2023 held from 21th June to 4th July 2023, saw participation of eight
teams including India, Kuwait, Nepal, Pakistan, Lebanon, Maldives, Bhutan, Bangladesh.
Indian Archery team won 11 medals (6 Golds, 1 Silver, 4 Bronze) and secured 2nd position in the medal
tally of the Limerick 2023 World Archery Youth Championships held in Limerick, Ireland from 3rd July-9th July
2023.
South Korea topped the medal tally with 10 medals (6 Gold and 4 Silver).
The 19-year old Parth Salunkhe from Maharashtra becomes the 1st Indian male archer to win a gold medal
in Recurve men’s individual by defeating South Korea’s Song Injun.…Click her for more detail…

Indian Senior weightlifting contingent won 20 medals (9 Golds, 9 Silvers and 2 Bronze) at the
Commonwealth Senior, Junior, and Youth Weightlifting Championships 2023 in Gautam Buddha University,
Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.
The Indian team overall won 61 medals (38 Gold, 21 Silver and 2 Bronze) across senior (9 Golds, 9 Silvers
and 2 Bronze), junior (13 Golds, 8 Silvers) and youth (16 Golds, 4 Silvers) categories.
Gold medallists of India:The nine gold medallists are Komal Kohar (women’s 45kg), Gyaneshwari Yadav
(women’s 49kg), Popy Hazarika (women’s 59kg), S Nirupama Devi(women’s 64kg), Vanshita Verma
(women’s 81kg), Mukund Aher (men’s 55kg), Shubham Todkar (men’s 61kg), Ajith N (men’s 73kg) and Ajay
Singh (men’s 81kg).
Indian contingents won 27 medals(6 Gold, 12 Silver and 9 Bronze) and finished 3rd in the overall medal
tally of the 25th edition of the Asian Athletics Championships (AAC), the flagship event of the Asian Athletics
Association(AAA), held in the Supachalasai National Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand from July 12th to July 16th
2023. It is a biennial event happening once in every two years.
Japan topped the medal tally with 37 medals (16 gold, 11 Silver, 10 bronze ) followed by China with 22
medals (8 Gold, 8 Silver, 6 Bronze).
Thailand has chosen Hindu god “Hanuman” as the official mascot of 25th Asian Athletics Championships.
Hanuman is one of the key characters of the Indian epic “Ramayana”.
Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard of the Jumbo-Visma, Dutch professional bicycle racing team, has
won 110th edition of the Tour de France for a second straight year on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, France.
India won 17 Medals(6 gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze)and secured the 2nd spot in the overall medal tally of
the 3rd edition International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Championships 2023
Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun.
The event held from 14th July to 25th July 2023 at Changwon Shooting Range, Changwon, South Korea.
China topped the medal tally with 28 medals(12 Golds, 9 Silver and 7 Bronze).
JUNE 2023
India won the Dhofar Municipality Men’s Junior Asia Cup 2023 defeating Pakistan in the finals held in
Sultan Qaboos Youth Complex Stadium in Salalah, Oman. This marks India’s 4th Men’s Junior Asia Cup
title.
The tournament organised by the Asian Hockey Federation and hosted by Oman Hockey Association was
held from 23rd May 2023 to 1st June 2023 in Salalah, Oman.
Panjab University (Chandigarh) won the overall championship of the 3rd edition of the Khelo India
University Games (KIUG 2022) held in Uttar Pradesh (UP) from 25th May to 3rd June 2023.
Top 5 on KIUG 2022 Medal Tally:
Rank University Total Gold Silver Bronze
1 Panjab University (Chandigarh) 69 26 17 26
2 Guru Nanak Dev University, (Punjab) 68 24 27 17
3 Jain University (Karnataka) 32 16 10 6
4 Punjabi University (Patiala, Punjab) 34 12 14 8
5 Guru Kashi University 28 9 10 9
KIUG 2022 Records:
Old New
Athlete (University) Event record record
Men’s 400m medley
Siva Sridhar (Jain University, Karnataka) (swimming) 4:38.98 4:37.21
Yoonus Shah (Mahatma Jyotiba Phule
Rohilkhand University) Men’s 1500m (athletics) 3:52.54 3:51.61

Tanya Chaudhary (Chaudhary Charan Singh Women’s hammer throw
University, Meerut) (athletics) 54.40m 60.61m
Women’s discus throw
Shalini Chaudhary (Barkatullah University) (athletics) 47.07m 50.60m
Pragyan Prasant Sahu (Kalinga Institute of Women’s 100m hurdles
Industrial Technology) (athletics) 13.77s 13.63s
Vikrant Malik (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Men’s javelin throw
Technology) (athletics) 76.64m 80.00m
Samardeep Singh Gill (Barkatullah University) Men’s shot put (athletics) 17.98m 18.75m
Kushal Kumar Mohite (Shivaji University) Men’s decathlon (athletics) 6333 pts 6389 pts
Harita (Chaudhary Bansi Lal University, Women’s javelin throw
Bhiwani) (athletics) 48.42m 50.14m
Pooja (Chaudhary Bansi Lal University, Women’s heptathlon
Bhiwani) (athletics) 4748 pts 4991 pts
Sidharth AK (Mahatma Gandhi University
Kottayam, Kerala) Men’s pole vault (athletics) 4.80m 4.90m
The Indian team won 202 medals (including 76 Gold, 75 Silver, 51 Bronze) in Special Olympics World
Games Berlin 2023 held in Berlin, Germany from 17th June 2023 to 25th June 2023.
Indian Athletes won six medals in the track events (including 2 Gold, 3 Silver and 51 Bronze).
Aanchal Goyal (400m, Level B Female) and Ravimathi Arumugam (400m, Level C Female) won gold medals
for India in track events.
Saket Kundu won a silver medal in the mini javelin Level B and a bronze medal in the Level B 400m event.
India’s Saraswati won a gold medal in the 500m roller skating race event.
Indian Pair Ranveer Saini and Rahul Agarwal won gold medal in the Level-1 golf event.
In the finals of the U21-D3 Table Tennis event, India’s Vighnesh Lokeshwar Naik defeated India’s Gunocean
Singh Bedu to win gold.
In the women’s singles 30-D3 Table Tennis event, Alivelamma Gujjala secured gold.
Siya Sarode won four medals including a gold medal in Squat, a bronze medal in Bench Press, silver medals
in Deadlift, and Combined Event.
Suhalia Parveen won silver as India’s first medal in the Judo event at the Special Olympics.
MAY 2023
Commander Abhilash Tomy (44-year-old), a retired Naval officer, has become the 1st Indian and Asian to
finish the Golden Globe Race, a solo around-the-world sailing race, which started on 4th September 2022 from
Les Sables-d’Olonne in France. He came in 2nd taking 236 days 14 hrs and 46 mins to complete this feat.
The 2022 Golden Globe Race is the 3rd edition of the original Sunday Times Golden Globe Race.
South African Kirsten Neuschäfer has become the 1st woman ever to win a solo around the world race,
finishing 1st in the Golden Globe Race. She took 235 days, 5 hours, 44 minutes and 4 seconds to complete.
India’s javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal in Javelin Throw men’s event of the Doha
Diamond League 2023 (officially known as Wanda Diamond League) by registering a distance of 88.67
metres(m).
Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic finished second with a best of 88.63 m and reigning world javelin
champion Anderson Peters of Grenada finished 3rd with a best of 85.88 m.
The Doha Diamond League was held at Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar on May 5, 2023.
This was his second win in a Diamond League Meeting. He became the first Indian to win a Diamond
League Meeting in 2022 in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Neeraj Chopra became the 1st Indian athlete to be crowned Diamond League champion by winning the
grand final in Zurich, Switzerland in September 2022.

The 2023 Diamond League is the 14th season which is being held from May 5, 2023 – September 17,
2023 through 14 meetings.
Indian weightlifters concluded the Asian Weightlifting Championships Jinju 2023 in Jinju, South Korea,
with a total of 3 silver medals. Asian Weightlifting Championships Jinju 2023 was held from 03 to 13 May 2023
in Jinju, South Korea.
Jeremy Lalrinnunga from Aizawl, Mizoram, won silver in snatch under the men’s 67kg.
India’s Bindyarani Devi (24-year-old) clinched a silver medal in the women’s 55kg category with a
combined lift of 194kg (snatch 83kg and 111kg in clean & jerk) at the Asian Weightlifting Championships
2023 in Jinju, South Korea. Bindyarani Devi also won the silver in the Clean and Jerk section.
China’s Chen Guan Ling won the gold medal with a combined lift of 204 kg (snatch 90kg + clean & jerk
114kg).
Indian rifle and pistol shooters finished the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup
Rifle/Pistol 2023 held in Baku, Azerbaijan with 4 medals (1 Gold; 2 Silver and 1 Bronze).
India finished 2nd in the overall medal tally with 4 medals. China topped the medal tally with 7 medals (4
Gold; 1 Silver and 2 Bronze) while the Islamic Republic of Iran finished 3rd with 2 medals (1 Gold and 1
Silver).
Indian Winners of ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol 2023 :
Event Indian Winners Medal
10m air pistol mixed team Sarabjot Singh & Divya TS Gold
Men’s 10m air rifle Hriday Hazarika Silver
Women’s 10m air rifle Nancy Mandhotra Silver
Women’s 10m air pistol Rhythm Sangwan Bronze
Indian athlete (Long Jumper) Shaili Singh bagged a bronze medal as she finished in 3rd at the Seiko Golden
Grand Prix 2023 athletics meet in the women’s long jump event held in Yokohama, Japan.
She also recorded jumps of 6.59m, 6.35m, 6.36m, and 6.41m at the Yokohama meet, a World Athletics
Continental Tour gold label event.
German athlete Maryse Luzolo, who competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, won the gold medal with an
effort of 6.79m.
Two-time Commonwealth Games silver medalist Brooke Buschkuehl, an Olympic long jumper from
Australia, bagged the Silver medal with a 6.77m leap.
OBITUARY
NATIONAL
Name of the person Field Birth Place Points to be noted
who passed away
SEPTEMBER 2023
NIL
AUGUST 2023
Vakkom Former Speaker Vakkom, Vakkom Purushothaman, Senior Congress
Purushothaman of Kerala Thiruvananthap leader and former Speaker of Kerala, who
uram (Kerala) also served as Governor of Mizoram, Tripura
and Andaman & Nicobar Island passed away
at the age of 95 in Thiruvananthapuram,
Kerala.

He was born in Vakkom,
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) on April
12, 1928.
He was a member of the All India
Congress Committee (AICC) for over 25
years.
Bindeshwar Pathak Social activist Vaishali, Bihar Padma Bhushan Awardee, Dr Bindeshwar
and the Founder Pathak, a renowned social activist and the
of Sulabh Founder of Sulabh International Social
International Service Organisation, passed away at the age
Social Service of 80 in New Delhi, Delhi.
Organisation He is a pioneer of public toilets in India
who is known as the “Toilet Man of
India”.
In 1991, he was awarded the Padma
Bhushan for his distinguished social
service.
In 2003, he was honoured with the UN-
Habitat Scroll of Honour 2003 Award and
also received the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) Global
500 Scroll of Honour Award.
In 2009, he won the Stockholm Water
Prize, conferred by the Royal Swedish
Academy of Sciences.
In 2016, he received the World Health
Organisation (WHO) Public Health
Champion Award.
Manchanahalli Former Mysuru, Former President of Jawaharlal Nehru
Rangaswamy President of Karnataka Centre for Advanced Scientific Research
Satyanarayana Rao Jawaharlal (JNCASR) (Bengaluru, Karnataka) and Padma
Nehru Centre for Shri award recipient Professor
Advanced Manchanahalli Rangaswamy Satyanarayana
Scientific Rao, popularly known as MRS Rao passed
Research away.
(JNCASR) He received Padma Shri Award in 2010 for
Science and Engineering.
Mohammed Habib Indian football Hyderabad in Mohammed Habib, the legendary Indian
player, and undivided football player, and Former Indian Team
Former Indian Andhra Pradesh captain, passed away at the age of 74 in
Hyderabad, Telangana.
Team captain (now Telangana)
He was born in Hyderabad in undivided
Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana) on July
17, 1949.
He was affectionately referred to as the
‘Bade Miya’ of Kolkata football.
He was a part of the bronze-medal
winning team at the 1970 Asian Games
in Bangkok, Thailand.

He was conferred with the Arjuna Award
1980-81 for football.
Vallampadugai Indian Scientist Karnataka Padma Awardee Dr Vallampadugai Srinivasa

Srinivasa Raghavan and the former Raghavan Arunachalam (V S R
Arunachalam (V S R Director General Arunachalam), an Indian Scientist and the
Arunachalam) (DG) of Defence former Director General (DG) of Defence
Research and Research and Development Organisation
Development (DRDO), passed away at the age of 87 in
Organisation California, the United States of America
(DRDO) (USA).
JULY 2023
Karuvattu Mana (K M) Fine line artists Ponnani, Madras Karuvattu Mana (K M) Vasudevan
Vasudevan and a literary Presidency, Namboothiri, one of India’s fine line artists
Namboothiri illustrator British India and a literary illustrator from Kerala passed
(now in Kerala)
away at the age of 98 in Kottakkal,
Malappuram district, Kerala.
He was born in 1925 in Ponnani, Madras
Presidency, British India (now in Kerala).
He is well known for his illustrations for
short stories and novels of Malayalam,
like Randamoozham (M.T. Vasudevan
Nair), Enippadikal (Thakazhi
Sivasankara Pillai), Pithamahan (VKN)
and Smarakasilakal (Punathil
Kunhabdulla).
Mangala Narlikar Mathematician Bombay A renowned Indian mathematician and
and Province, British educationalist Mangala Narlikar, passed
Educationalist India (now in away at the age of 80 in Pune, Maharashtra.
Pune, She was born on 17th May 1943 in
Maharashtra) Bombay Province, British India (now in
Pune, Maharashtra).
She is the spouse of Prof Jayant V.
Narlikar, Indian cosmologist &
astrophysicist, the founder director of
the Inter-University Centre for
Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA),
Pune (Maharashtra).
Oommen Chandy Former Chief Kottayam, Kerala Former Chief Minister (CM) of Kerala and
Minister (CM) of veteran Indian National Congress (INC)
Kerala leader Oommen Chandy passed away at the
age of 79 in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
He was born on October 31, 1943 in
Kottayam, Kerala.
As of 2nd August 2022, Oommen Chandy
was the longest serving Member of
Legislative Assembly (MLA) of Kerala’s
State Legislative Assembly representing

Puthuppally constituency of Kerala for
18,728 days.
During his tenure as Labour Minister,
Chandy introduced unemployment
wages for the first time in the country.
Shirish Kanekar Writer Pune, Shirish Kanekar, Veteran Marathi writer and
Maharashtra columnist passed away in Mumbai,
Maharashtra at the age of 80. He was born on
June 6, 1943 in Pune, Maharashtra.
He worked at Marathi and English
language publications like Loksatta,
Indian Express, Samana, and Free Press
Journal.
He was popular for his newspaper
columns on Cinema, Cricket and Politics.
JUNE 2023
Vellayani Arjunan writer Kerala On 31st May 2023, Vellayani Arjunan, an
eminent scholar, writer, academician
and Padma Shri awardee passed away in
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala at the age of
90.
Vellayani Arjunan holds 3 Doctor of
Literature (D. Litt.) degrees from three
universities (Aligarh and Agra (Uttar
Pradesh), and Jabalpur (Madhya
Pradesh).
In 2008, he was honoured with Padma
Shri in the field of Literature &
Education.
Ved Kumari Ghai Sanskrit Scholar Jammu and Ved Kumari Ghai, Veteran Sanskrit Scholar
Kashmir and Padma Shri awardee, passed away at her
residence in Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir(J&K).
In 2014, she was honoured with
the Padma Shri under the Literature and
Education discipline.
In 1995 her scholarly pursuits won her
President of India ‘Certificate of Honour,
Gold Medal by the Jammu and Kashmir
Government for social work.
MAY 2023
Samaresh Majumdar Bengali writer Jalpaiguri, West The Sahitya Akademi Award winner and
Bengal popular Bengali
writer Samaresh Majumdar passed away at
the age of 79 in Kolkata, West Bengal.
i.The Sahitya Akademi Award for the second
novel of the series, ‘Kalbela’, in 1984, which
was set against the backdrop of the Naxalite

movement of West Bengal in 1960s and
1970s.
ii. He published a Novel titled ‘BunoHaansh’
in PujabarshikiAnondolok, which was later
made into a Bengali film named
Buno Haansh in 2014.
Govindaray H Nayak Kannada writer Uttara Kannada Noted Kannada writer, critic
district of and Sahitya Akademi award winner Govinda
Karnataka ray H Nayak,
popularly known as GH Nayak passed away
at his residence in Mysuru, Karnataka at the
age of 88.
i. In 2014, he was honoured with
the Sahitya Akademi Award for the
compilation of his essays on literary
criticism titled “Uttaraardha” (Kannada).
INTERNATIONAL
Name of the Field Birth Place Points to be noted
person who
passed away
SEPTEMBER 2023
Heath Hilton Zimbabwe Cricketer Bulawayo, Zimbabwe Heath Hilton Streak (Heath
Streak Streak), Former captain of
the Zimbabwe Cricket team, passed
away at the age of 49, in
Matabeleland, in southwestern
Zimbabwe.
He was appointed captain twice,
first in 2000 and then again in
2002 to lead the team at the
2003 World Cup, the event co-
hosted by Zimbabwe. He later
resigned his captaincy in 2004.
In 2021, ICC banned him from all
forms of cricket for 8 years for
breaching the anti-corruption
code in 2018.
He was the leading bowler of
Zimbabwe, with 216 Test wickets
and 239 ODI wickets, and also
the first Zimbabwean to reach
100 Test wickets.
He was the only cricketer from
Zimbabwe to take more than 100
Test wickets and over 200 ODI
wickets.

He was the 7th highest test run-
scorer of Zimbabwe with 1,990
runs at an average of 22.35.
He is ranked 4th in the list of the
most runs in an ODI career
without a hundred with 2943
runs.
Dennis Austin American Software Pennsylvania, United American Software Developer Dennis
Developer States of America Austin, one of the co-creators of
(USA). PowerPoint software, passed away.
He was PowerPoint’s primary
developer from 1985 until his
retirement in 1996.
Austin along with Robert Gaskins
created the powerpoint for the
software
company Forethought and
released it in 1987.
Microsoft then acquired the firm
and integrated PowerPoint into its
suite of Office programs.
AUGUST 2023
Calyampudi Indian-American Bellary, Karnataka Renowned Indian-American
Radhakrishna Statistician and Statistician and mathematician
Rao (CR Rao) mathematician Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao (CR
Rao) passed away at the age of 102 in
Buffalo, New York, the United States of
America (USA).
C.R. Rao was born on 10
September 1920 in
Huvanna Hadagali, Bellary
district, Karnataka.
He was awarded the
2023 International Prize in
Statistics which is equivalent
of the Nobel Prize in statistics
in April 2023.
JULY 2023
Tony Bennett American pop & jazz New York, United A legendary American pop & jazz
singer States of America (USA) singer and recipient of 19 Grammy
awards, Tony Bennett (Anthony
Dominick Benedetto or Joe Bari)
passed away at the age of 96.
He was born on 3rd August 1926
in Queens, New York, United States
of America (USA).

He received a Recording Academy
(Grammy)’s Lifetime Achievement
Award in 2001.
Milan Kundera Writer Brno city, Czech Milan Kundera, Czech Republic-born
Republic (erstwhile French writer passed away in Paris,
Czechoslovakia). France at the age of 94.
He was born on April 1, 1929 in
Brno city, Czech Republic
(erstwhile Czechoslovakia).
He was best-known for his 1984
novel 'The Unbearable Lightness of
Being'.
JUNE 2023
Jim Hines Former American Arkansas, the United Former American track and field
track and field athlete States of America (USA) athlete and National Football League
and National Football (NFL) player, Jim Hines, the 1st man to
run 100 meters in under 10 seconds,
League (NFL) player
passed away at the age of 76.
In the 1968 Olympic Games held at
México, Jim Hines again clocked a
hand-timed 9.9 (electronically
registered as 9.95 seconds), which
also made him the first man to
officially break 10 seconds on
electronic timing and won his first
Olympic gold.
John Bannister American scientist Jena, Germany John Bannister Goodenough, the
Goodenough American co-inventor of Lithium-ion
batteries and a co-winner of 2019
Nobel prize for Chemistry, passed
away.
MAY 2023
Tori Bowie Track and field Mississippi, USA. American Track and field athlete Tori
athlete Bowie, who won 3 medals in the
Olympic Games, passed away in
Horizon West, Florida, United States of
America (USA), at the age of 32.
i. She won her 1st major international
medal (bronze) in a 100-meter at the
2015 World Championships in Beijing,
China.
ii. She anchored the US team that won
4x100m relay gold at the 2016 Rio
Olympics, where she also earned silver
in the 100m event and bronze in the
200m event.
Padma Desai Indian-American Surat, British India Indian-American development
development (now in Gujarat) economist and Padma Bhushan award
economist winner, Padma Desai passed away at
the age of 92 in New York, the United
i. In 2009, the Government of India
honoured her with Padma Bhushan for
literature and education.

Robert Emerson Noted American Washington, USA. Robert Emerson Lucas Jr. (Robert
Lucas Jr. (Robert economist and Nobel Lucas), professor of Economics at the
Lucas) laureate University of Chicago(since 1975),
passed away in Chicago, Illinois,
United States of America (USA), at the
age of 85.
i. He won the Nobel Prize in Economic
Science – officially known as “The
Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic
Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel” in
1995 for his work on rational
expectations and the efficacy of
government intervention in the
economy.
Owen Davidson Australian tennis Melbourne, Victoria, Australian tennis player Owen
player Australia. Davidson, who won 13 Grand Slam
doubles titles, passed away at the age
of 79 in Conroe, Texas, the United
i. Owen Davidson won 11 major titles
in mixed doubles and two in men’s
doubles during his career that spanned
from the early 1960s to mid-1970s.
ii. He teamed with Billie Jean King of
the USA to win 8 of 11 Mixed Grand
Slam trophies.
Srichand Parm India-born British Karachi, Sindh India-born British industrialist and
anand Hinduja industrialist and province, British India Chairman of the Hinduja
(SP Hinduja) Chairman of the (now Pakistan). Group, Srichand Parmanand Hinduja
Hinduja Group (SP Hinduja) passed away at the age
of 87 in London, United Kingdom (UK).
i. SP Hinduja was also serving as the
chairman of the Hinduja Bank of
Switzerland and Hinduja Foundations.
BOOKS & AUTHORS

Book Name Author Other Information
SEPTEMBER 2023
NIL
AUGUST 2023
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam: Memories Dr. APJM Nasima Maraikayar Union Minister Amit Shah unveiled
Never Die (niece of Late Dr. A.P.J. Abdul the book ‘Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam:
Kalam) and Dr. Yagnaswami Memories Never Die‘, an English
Sundara Rajan (Y. S. Rajan) translation of the Tamil book ‘Abdul
Kalam: Ninaivugalukku Maranamillai‘,
which was co-authored by Dr. APJM

Nasima Maraikayar (niece of Late Dr.
A.P.J. Abdul Kalam) and Dr.
Yagnaswami Sundara Rajan (Y. S.
Rajan), a scientist at Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO).
The book is a tribute to the life
and legacy of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam,
the late former President (11th
President served between 2002
and 2007).
Kargil: Ek Yatri Ki Jubani” (Hindi Rishi Raj Ajay Bhatt, Minister of State (MoS),
Edition) Ministry of Defence (MoD), released
the book and illustrations titled
“Kargil: Ek Yatri Ki Jubani” (Hindi
Edition) authored by Rishi Raj at the
Constitution Club of India, New Delhi,
Delhi. The book which pays tribute to
the Martyrs of Kargil War was
published by Prabhat Prakashan.
Monsoon: A Poem of Love and Abhay Kumar Indian poet-diplomat Abhay Kumar
Longing (Abhay K), Deputy Director General of
Indian Council of Cultural Relations
(ICCR), unveiled his book " Monsoon:
A Poem of Love and Longing."
It is a poem tracing the journey of
the monsoon from Madagascar to
the Himalayas' Srinagar and back.
The book consists of 150 four-line
stanzas and was launched at
Kathika Culture Centre in Old
Delhi.
Published by Sahitya Akademi on
its 68th anniversary (13th March
2022).
Kuwi Primer and Desia Primer (2 - Union Ministers Dharmendra

Books in Kuwi and Desia Pradhan, Ministry of Education (MoE)
languages respectively) and Ministry of Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship (MSDE), and
Nirmala Sitharaman, Ministry of
Finance and Ministry of Corporate
Affairs (MCA) launched 2 books
namely “Kuwi Primer” and “Desia
Primer” in Kuwi and Desia languages
at an event held in Bhubaneswar,
Odisha, to simplify primary education
for tribal children in Odisha.
The event also witnessed the
special postal cover release on
behalf of the Department of Posts,
Ministry of Communications,
Government of India (GoI).

JULY 2023
Through The Broken Glass: An T.N. Seshan Through The Broken Glass: An
Autobiography Autobiography authored by T.N.
Seshan, the former Chief Election
Commissioner (CEC) of India, who
made a significant difference to Indian
elections.
It was published by Rupa
Publications India. This
autobiography also covers his
term as the CEC from 1990 to
1995 with a page count of 368. It
has been published 4 years after
he passed away in 2019.
T.N. Seshan is also the author of
An Undocumented Wonder: The
Making of the Great Indian
Election.
As the wheel turns Ranjit Pratap, Managing On 20th July 2023, Former vice
Director of Rayala president Venkaiah Naidu released
Corporation. the book titled “As the wheel turns” to
mark the Rayala Corporation’s
Diamond Jubilee (75th year
celebration) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
The book is authored by Ranjit
Pratap, Managing Director of
Rayala Corporation.
JUNE 2023
NIL
MAY 2023
Reflections Narayanan Vaghul Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman,
Ministry of Finance and Ministry of
Corporate Affairs released a book
titled “Reflections” authored by the
eminent banker Narayanan Vaghul,
former chairman of ICICI Bank Ltd, in
an event organised at Jio Convention
Centre, Bandra Kurla Complex, in
Mumbai, Maharashtra.
i. Narayanan Vaghul was awarded the
Padma Bhushan in the Trade and
Industry category in 2010.
Cyber Encounter: Cops’ Ashok Kumar, the Director Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister
Adventures With Online General of Police (DGP) of (CM) of Uttarakhand, launched the
Criminals Uttarakhand & OP Manocha, a Hindi version of “Cyber Encounter:
former scientist of the Defence Cops’ Adventures With Online
Research and Development Criminals” (साइबर एनकाउं टसस) at St
Organisation (DRDO) Joseph’s Academy, Rajpur Road,

Dehradun, Uttarakhand. This version
has been published by Prabhat
Prakashan Pvt. Ltd.
i. The book was originally written in
English and published by Ebury Press.
Just Aspire: Notes on Technology, Ajai Chowdhry Ajai Chowdhry, one of the six founding
Entrepreneurship and the Future members of HCL (Hindustan
Computers Limited).
i. The Book was published by Harper
Business, an Imprint of HarperCollins.
The Golden Years: The Many Joys Ruskin Bond Ruskin Bond, an Indian author,
of Living a Good Long Life authored a new book titled “The
Golden Years: The Many Joys of Living
a Good Long Life”, published by
HarperCollins India, which is
scheduled to be released on 19th May
2023 (on the occasion of his 89th
Birthday). The book is about the last
20 to 30 years of his life (60s, 70s and
80s).
RINGSIDE – Up, Close, and Dr Vijay Darda “RINGSIDE – Up, Close, and Personal
Personal on India and Beyond on India and Beyond”, a new book
written by former member of
parliament (MP) Dr Vijay
Darda, Chairman of the editorial
board of Lokmat Media Group, is set
to be released by renowned author
and Congress MP Dr Shashi Tharoor
on 30th May 2023 in New Delhi, Delhi.
NTR-A Political Biography Ramachandra Murthy Journalist, editor and

Kondubhatla writer, Ramachandra Murthy
Kondubhatla, has authored a new
book titled “NTR-A Political
Biography” which presents a realistic
picture of Nandamuri Taraka Rama
Rao (NTR), the star figure in the
discourse on cinema and politics in
the two Telugu States (Andhra
Pradesh and Telangana).
i. The book, published by
HarperCollins India, commemorates
the centenary year of NTR.

IMPORTANT DAYS
NATIONAL OBSERVANCE
Observed Day Other information
date/week
SEPTEMBER 2023
September 5 National Teachers’ Day National Teachers’ Day is annually observed
across India on 5th September to commemorate
the birth anniversary
of Bharat Ratna Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a
renowned educationist, who served as the 1st Vice
President and 2nd President of Independent India.
He was born on September 5, 1888, at
Tirutani, Madras Presidency, British India
(now Tamil Nadu).
The day is celebrated to honour and recognise
the invaluable contribution of teachers to our
society.
On the occassion of the National Teachers Day
2023 (5th September 2023), President of
India, Droupadi Murmu, conferred
the National Award to Teachers’
2023, to 75 selected Teachers across India at
Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, Delhi.
The 75 honorees comprised 50 school
teachers, 13 educators from higher education,
and 12 teachers from the Ministry of Skill
Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
Each award carries a certificate of merit, a cash
award of Rs. 50,000, and a silver medal.
Awards/Honours:
He received a Knighthood from the British
emperor King George V in 1936 for his
excellence in teaching.
In 1963 Dr. Radhakrishnan was honoured with
the ‘British Royal Order of Merit‘. The British
Government awarded him the title of ‘Sir’.
The Government of India (GoI) honoured him
with the first Bharat Ratna Award in 1954 for
his contribution to the field of academics.
September 9 Himalaya Diwas Himalaya Diwas, also known as the Himalayan Day
is annually observed across India, especially in the
state of Uttarakhand on 9th September with the
aim of conserving the Himalayan ecosystem and
region.
The day also aims to raise awareness among
the general public and bring community
participation in conservation activities to save

and maintain the Himalayas and mountain
nature.
9th September 2023 marks the 14th edition of
Himalaya Diwas.
September 11 National Forest Martyrs Day The National Forest Martyrs Day is annually
observed across India on 11th September to
remember, and honour people who sacrificed their
lives to protect forests and Wildlife in India that
are important for the well-being of the planet.
The day is also observed as an annual
commemoration of the Khejarli massacre in
1730.
In 2013, the Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government
of India (GoI) officially declared the 11th of
September of every year as National Forest
Martyrs Day.
September 14 Hindi Diwas Hindi Diwas (Hindi Day) is annually observed
the adoption or declaration of Hindi, written in the
Devanagari script as one of the official languages
of India.
This day is observed to celebrate and
recognise the linguistic diversity of India, with
a focus on the Hindi language’s significance in
India’s identity.
The Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution
lists 22 official languages of the Republic of
India (Hindi is one among them.
Further, Article 351 of the Constitution
addresses the ‘Directive for the Development
of the Hindi Language.’
September 15 National Engineer’s Day National Engineer’s Day is annually observed
the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Sir
Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya (15 September
1861), who is considered as one of the greatest
Engineers in India.
This day also honours engineers for their
vital role in shaping society and recognizes
the contributions made by engineers to
India’s development through innovation
and technology.
The theme of National Engineer’s Day 2023
observed on 15th September 2023 is,
‘Engineering for a Sustainable Future,’
which highlights engineers’ role in
addressing global challenges.
AUGUST 2023
August 7 National Javelin Day National Javelin Day is annually celebrated across
India on 7th August to commemorate the day on
which Neeraj Chopra won the men’s javelin throw

gold at Tokyo 2020 Olympics and became the first
Asian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in
men’s javelin throw.
The day also aims to promote javelin throw
across India and to attract more youth to the
sport.
7th August 2023 marks the observance of the
2nd National Javelin Day.
The annual observance of the National Javelin
Day is led by the Athletics Federation of India
(AFI), apex body for athletics in India.
August 7 National Handloom Day National Handloom Day is annually observed on

the 7th of August across India to promote
handloom and to recognise and honour the efforts
and skills of the handloom weaving community
engaged in the sector and the contribution it has
made to India's socioeconomic development.
This day is also celebrated to commemorate
the Swadeshi movement which was initiated in
1905.
August 7, 2023, marks the 9th National
Handloom Day is observed with the theme of
“Handloom for Sustainable Fashion”.
The first National Handloom Day was
inaugurated on 7th August 2015, by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi at the Centenary Hall
of Madras University in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Annually, the events to commemorate the
National Handloom Day are organised by the
Ministry of Textiles (MoT).
August 8 Quit India Movement Day The Quit India Movement Day is annually observed
across India on 8th August to commemorate the
launch of the Quit India Movement on 8th August
1942.
The day pays tribute to the martyrs and
freedom fighters of the Independence
movement.8th August 2023 marks the 81st
anniversary of the Quit India movement.
The Quit India Movement, also referred to as
the August Movement, August Kranti, and
Bharat Chhdo Andolan, was a mass civil
disobedience campaign demanding India’s
independence from British rule
August 29 National Sports Day The National Sports Day, also known as Rashtriya
Khel Divas, is annually celebrated across India on
29th August to mark the birth anniversary of
Major Dhyan Chand, the legendary Indian field
hockey player, who is regarded as the greatest
field hockey player in history.

He was popularly known as “The Wizard” or
“The Magician of hockey” for his skill in ball
control.
He was born on 29th August 1905 in
Allahabad, British India (Present day
Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh).
29th August 2023 marks the celebration of the
12th National Sports Day(Rashtriya Khel
Divas).
He played a major role in India’s 3 Olympic
gold medals, in 1928(Amsterdam,
Netherlands), 1932(Los Angeles, California,
the United States of America-USA) and
1936(Berlin, Germany).
August 30 National Small Industry Day National Small Industry Day is annually observed
across India on 30th August to celebrate the
invaluable contributions made by the small-scale
industry to India’s growth.
This day also aimed to promote small
businesses nationwide and offer job
opportunities to unemployed males and
females for the betterment of their lives.
Small-scale Industries contribute to income
generation both at the individual and national
levels by providing opportunities in the form
of both self-employment and
entrepreneurship.
August 31 World Sanskrit Day World Sanskrit Day, also known as ‘Vishva-
Samskrita-Dinam’, is annually observed across
India on the Poornima Tithi (Full Moon day) of
Shravana month in the Hindu Calandar, to
honour Sanskrit, the world’s oldest known
languages and the mother of all languages,
originated in India around 3500 years ago.
World Sanskrit Day 2023 was celebrated
on 31st August 2023.
World Sanskrit Day 2022 was observed on
12th August 2022
JULY 2023
July 1 National Doctor’s Day National Doctor’s Day is annually observed across
India on 1st July to appreciate and honour the
valuable contributions of doctors and healthcare
professionals in India.
This day also gives an opportunity to thank
doctors for their selfless service and efforts for
the well-being of the people in India.
The day also commemorates the birth as well
as the death Anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr.
Bidhan Chandra Roy (BC Roy), a physician and
one of the most influential designers of India’s
contemporary healthcare system.

The theme for National Doctor’s Day 2023 in
India is – “Celebrating Resilience and Healing
Hands”.
July 1 National Chartered National Chartered Accountants (CA) Day is
Accountants (CA) Day annually observed across India on 1st July to
commemorate the establishment of the Institute of
Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) on 1st July
1949.
It is also known as ICAI Foundation Day which
honors the work of all Chartered
Accountants.1st July 2023 marks the 75th
anniversary of the ICAI.
The theme for the year 2023 is ‘Empowering
Financial Excellence’.
The logo features a modern interpretation of
the Garuda, the mythical bird-like creature
that is a symbol of strength, power, and
wisdom in Indian mythology.
July 1 Goods and Services Tax (GST) Goods and Services Tax (GST) Day is annually
Day observed on 1st July to commemorate the
implementation of the GST system, a
comprehensive indirect tax levied on the supply of
goods and services in India.1st July 2023 marks the
observance of the 6th GST Day which
commemorates the 6th anniversary of GST coming
into force (1st July 2017).
Two taxpayers, namely, Ji Shoji India Pvt. Ltd.
and Rajan Agro Green Foods Pvt ltd also
received commendation from the MSME
category.
July 10 National Fish Farmer’s Day National Fish Farmer’s Day (NFFD) is annually
(NFFD) observed across India on 10th July to recognise the
contributions of the fish farmers, aquaculture
industry professionals and other stakeholders
towards sustainable development of the fisheries
sector.
10th July 2023 marks the observance of 23rd
National Fish Farmers Day (NFFD).
10th July also marks the observance of the
National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB)
Foundation Day.
10th July 2023 marks the observance of the
17th NFDB Foundation Day.
July 22 National Flag Adoption Day National Flag Adoption Day is annually observed
across India on 22nd July to commemorate the day
on which the Constituent Assembly adopted the
tricolour flag, in its present form, as the national
flag of India in 1947.

The National flag of India is a horizontal
tricolour of deep saffron (kesari) at the top,
white in the middle and dark green at the
bottom in equal proportion.
The National Flag was first designed in 1923
by Pingali Venkayya. The initial flag design by
Venkayya had only two colours – red and
green. He later added a running wheel to
symbolise the progress of the Nation.
July 22 Pi Approximation Day The Pi Approximation Day is annually observed on
22nd July across the globe to honour the
importance of the concept of Pi in calculations,
which is represented using the Greek letter ‘π’.
When the date 22nd July is written in the
day/month format (22/7), it looks like the fraction
22/7.The value of 22/7 approximation to 2
decimal place is 3.14.
Pi Day is annually observed across the globe
on 14th March to celebrate the never ending
number, which denotes the Pi value when
written in the month.date (American calendar
system) format (3.14).
July 22 World Brain Day World Brain Day, is celebrated annually across the
globe on July 22, to raise awareness about brain
health and neurological disorders.2023 marks the
10th Anniversary of World Brain Day, hosted
annually on July 22 by the World Federation of
Neurology (WFN).
The theme for World Brain Day 2023 is “Brain
Health and Disability: Leave No One Behind.
July 23 National Broadcasting Day National Broadcasting Day is annually celebrated
on 23rd July in India to commemorate the
establishment of the Indian Broadcasting
Company (IBC), a Bombay (now Mumbai,
Maharashtra) based private radio station, which
came into existence on 23rd July 1927.
The year 2023 marks the 96th Anniversary of
the establishment of the All India Radio (AIR),
which was formerly known as IBC.
In June 1923, the Radio Club of Bombay made
the first-ever broadcast in India.
July 24 Income Tax Day Income Tax Day or ‘Aaykar Diwas’ is observed
annually in India on 24th July to commemorate the
introduction of the provision of Income Tax (IT) in
India in the year 1860.
24th July 2023, marks 164th anniversary of
the introduction income tax system in India.

July 26 Kargil Vijay Diwas Kargil Vijay Diwas or Kargil Victory Day is
observed annually across India on 26th July to
observe India’s victory over Pakistan in the Kargil
war 1999 and pays tribute to the bravery and
sacrifice of Indian soldiers during the Kargil war.
26th July 2023, mark the 24th anniversary of
Kargil Vijay Diwas.
The operation that took place during the war is
known as Operation Vijay.
JUNE 2023
June 19 National Reading Day National Reading Day is annually observed across
India on 19th June to mark the death anniversary
of Puthuvayil Narayana Panicker(PN Panicker),
who is fondly known as the Father of the Library
Movement in Kerala.
19th June 2023 marks the observance of
the 27th Reading Day.
June 28 National Insurance Awareness National Insurance Awareness Day is annually
Day observed on 28th June to raise awareness about
Insurance which offers a layer of protection to
guard in various situations and about the benefits
of investing in an insurance plan.
June 29 National Statistics Day 29th June 2023 marks the observance of the 17th
Statistics Day.
The day marks the celebration of the birth
anniversary of Professor (late) Prasanta Chandra
Mahalanobis (PC Mahalanobis), known as the
“Father of Indian Statistics” and recognises his
notable contributions in the fields of statistics and
economic planning.
The theme of National Statistics Day (Statistics
Day) 2023 is “Alignment of State Indicator
Framework with National Indicator
Framework for Monitoring Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs)”.
MAY 2023
May 11 National Technology Day The day also marks the anniversary of the Pokhran
nuclear test (Pokhran II) code-named Operation
Shakti, conducted on 11th May 1998.
i. 11th May 2023 marks the 25th year of National
Technology Day with the theme of School to
Startups- Igniting Young Minds to Innovate”.
ii. On the occasion of the National Technology Day
2023, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi
inaugurated the programme which marks the
commencement of the celebration of the 25th year
of National Technology Day at Pragati Maidan,
New Delhi, Delhi.

May 16 National Dengue Day The observance of the National Dengue Day is led
by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
(MoH&FW).
i. The government of India observes the 16th
May as National Dengue Day and the month
of July as the Anti Dengue Month to create
awareness about Dengue- a mosquito-borne viral
infection, which is predominantly found in tropical
and sub-tropical climates worldwide.
INTERNATIONAL OBSERVANCE
Observed Day Other information
date/week
SEPTEMBER 2023
September 7 International Day of Clean Air United Nations (UN) International Day of Clean Air
for Blue Skies for Blue Skies also known as World Clean Air Day
is annually observed across the globe on 7th
September, to raise awareness about the
importance of clean air for a sustainable future.
7 September 2023 marks the 4th annual
th
observance of the International Day of Clean Air

for Blue Skies.
The 2023 theme of the International Day of Clean
Air for Blue Skies is, "Together for Clean Air".
September 8 International Literacy Day The United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)'s International
Literacy Day (ILD) is annually observed on 8th
September across the globe, to remind the public
of the importance of literacy as a matter of dignity
and human rights, and to advance the literacy
agenda towards a more literate and sustainable
society.
The 2023 theme of ILD is, ‘Promoting literacy
for a world in transition: Building the
foundation for sustainable and peaceful
societies’.
The first-ever International Literacy Day was
observed on 8th September 1967.
September 9 World First Aid Day World First Aid Day is annually observed across
the globe on the 2nd Saturday of September to
create awareness about the importance of first aid
training in saving lives and preventing injuries.
The day also aims to encourage the general
public to learn basic first-aid skills.
World First Aid Day 2023 was observed on 9th
September 2023.
The theme of World First Aid Day 2023 is
“First Aid in the Digital World”.
September 15 International Day of The United Nations (UN) International Day of
Democracy Democracy is annually observed across the globe
on 15th September to highlight the significance of

democracy and to create awareness among the
people about democratic rights.
The day also offers a platform to review
the the state of democracy in the world.
The theme of International Day of
Democracy 2023 observed on 15th
September 2023 is “Empowering the next
generation.”
The 2023 International Democracy Day
was commemorated with a live event at
the Sponsored Sustainable Development
Goals (SDG) Pavilion, North Lawn at UN
Headquarters in New York, the United
September 16 World Ozone Day or The United Nations (UN) World Ozone Day or
International Day for the International Day for the Preservation of the
Preservation of the Ozone Ozone Layer is annually observed on September
16 to raise awareness about the importance of the
Layer
ozone layer and its depletion that leads to global
warming and climate change across the world.
The day also aims to bring attention to the
significance of preserving the Ozone layer. This
day is also known as “Global Ozone Day.”
The 2023 theme of the International Day for
the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is,
“Montreal Protocol: fixing the ozone layer and
reducing climate change.”
September 16 International Red Panda Day International Red Panda Day (IRPD) is annually
(IRPD) observed across the globe on the 3rd Saturday of
September to create awareness about the
importance of the conservation of Red Pandas and
to promote and encourage people to save them.
International Red Panda Day (IRPD) 2023 was
The IRPD 2022 was observed on 17th
September 2022. The IRPD 2024 will be
observed on 21st September 2024.
September 16 International Coastal Clean-up International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) Day is
(ICC) Day annually observed across the world on the 3rd
Saturday of September to raise awareness of the
problem of marine litter. This day aims to
encourage people to clean up the coastal line and
raise awareness about the significance of
preserving the oceans and waterways.
International Coastal Clean-up Day 2023 was
ICC Day 2023 is observed under the theme
“#SeatheChange” focusing on plastic pollution.
On September 16, 2023, the Indian Coast
Guard (ICG) Region East, headquartered in
Chennai (Tamil Nadu), hosted the ICC Day
2023 at two iconic beaches: Marina and Elliot’s
Beach (Besant Nagar).
September 21 International Day of Peace The United Nations (UN) International Day of
Peace also known as “World Peace Day” is
annually observed across the globe on 21

September and is dedicated to strengthening the
principles of peace both within and among all
nations and peoples, advocating for 24 hours of
non-violence and cease-fire.
The 2023 theme of International Day of Peace
(IDP) is, "Actions for peace: Our ambition for
the #GlobalGoals".
September 22 World Rhino Day World Rhino Day is annually observed across the
globe on 22 September to raise awareness about
the terrible situation
of Rhinoceros or Rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) and
emphasise the steps to conserve its population.
The day is dedicated to
celebrating all 5 species of
Rhinos namely white and black rhinos
in Africa, and the greater one-horned, Javan,
and Sumatran rhino species in Asia.
In 2010, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) –
South Africa announced World Rhino Day, a
national crisis to create awareness about the
importance of saving these animals.
September 23 International Day of Sign The United Nations (UN) International Day of Sign
Languages Languages (IDSL) is annually observed across the
globe on 23 September to support and protect the
linguistic identity and cultural diversity of all deaf
people and other sign language users.
The day also aims to raise awareness of the
importance of sign language in the full
realisation of the human rights of people who
are deaf.
The day is celebrated as part of
the International Week of the Deaf People
(IWDP) 2023(from 18 to 24 September 2023).
The theme of IDSL 2023 observed on 23rd
September 2023 is, “A World Where Deaf
People Everywhere Can Sign Anywhere!”
The first International Day of Sign Languages
was observed on 23 September 2018 as part
of the IWDP 2018.
AUGUST 2023
August 1 World FinTech Day World FinTech Day is annually observed across
the globe on 1st August to celebrate and recognize
financial technology and its transformative impact
on the global financial industry.
August 1st marks the death anniversary of
Cosimo de' Medici in 1464. Medici was a 15th-
century Italian politician and banker who
established the Medici Bank and influenced the
present-day banking system.
August 1 World Wide Web Day World Wide Web Day is annually observed across
the globe on 1st August to commemorate the
introduction of the World Wide Web (WWW) and
its impact on the world.

WWW, also known as Web, is a collection of
websites or web pages stored in web servers
and connected to local computers through the
internet.
August 2 Earth Overshoot Day Earth Overshoot Day (EOD) marks the date when
humanity’s demand for ecological resources and
services in a given year exceeds what Earth can
regenerate in that year.
Earth Overshoot Day 2023 falls on 2nd August.
This means that humanity currently uses 75%
more than what the planet’s ecosystems can
regenerate.
Earth Overshoot Day is computed by dividing
the planet’s biocapacity (the amount of
ecological resources Earth is able to generate
that year), by humanity’s Ecological Footprint
(humanity’s demand for that year), and
multiplying by 365, the number of days in a
year.
Earth’s Biocapacity / Humanity’s Ecological
Footprint x 365 = Earth Overshoot Day.
August 6 Hiroshima Day Hiroshima Day is annually observed across the
globe on the 6th of August in accordance with the
remembrance of the victims of the world's 1st
nuclear attack on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945, during
World War II (WW2) (1939-1945).
6th August 2023 marks the 78th anniversary
of the Hiroshima bombings.
On 6th August 1945, the United States (US)
Boeing-29(B-29) bomber aircraft dropped the
powerful “Little Boy”, the first atomic bomb,
over Hiroshima in Japan, killing over 140,000
people.
August 9 International Day of the The United Nations (UN)’s International Day of the
World’s Indigenous Peoples World’s Indigenous Peoples (IDWIP) is annually
(IDWIP) observed on 9th August across the world to
promote and protect the rights of the world’s
Indigenous population and to raise awareness of
the need to improve the economic, social, and
cultural situation of the indigenous people.
This day is also known as World Tribal Day or
World Indigenous Peoples Day.
The 2023 theme of IDWIP is “Indigenous Youth
as Agents of Change for Self-determination”
with the sub-themes: Climate Action and the
Green Transition; Mobilizing for Justice and
Intergenerational Connections.
August 10 World Bio-Fuel Day World Bio-Fuel Day is observed annually on 10th
August to create awareness about the importance

of non-fossil fuels or bio-fuels as an alternative to
conventional fossil fuels for the energy sector.
The day also honours Rudolf Diesel, a French-
German Inventor, who invented the Diesel
Engine in 1892.
10th August marks the day on which German
inventor and mechanical engineer Sir Rudolf
Christian Karl Diesel for the first time
successfully ran the Diesel engine with peanut
oil in 1893.
August 10 World Lion Day World Lion Day is annually observed on 10th
August across the globe to raise awareness about
Lions, the ‘Majestic King of the Jungle‘and highlight
the threats faced by the lion population across the
world.
The day also aims to promote efforts for the
conservation and protection of the Lion, the
second-largest Big Cat Species in the World.
The Lions (Panthera Leo) roamed freely across
the jungles of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the
Middle East some 3 million years ago.
August 12 World Elephant Day World Elephant Day is annually celebrated on 12th
August across the globe to increase public
awareness of the preservation and protection of
elephants, the ‘Gentle Giants‘ worldwide.
The theme of World Elephant Day 2023
observed on 12th August 2023 is “Ending the
Illegal Wildlife Trade“.
The first World Elephant Day was officially
founded, supported, and launched by Patricia
Sims and the Elephant Reintroduction
Foundation on 12 August 2012.
August 12 United Nations (UN's) United Nations (UN's) International Youth Day is
International Youth Day annually observed on 12th August across the globe
to celebrate the potential and contributions of
young individuals to society and to create
awareness about the problems faced by them
globally.
The day also aimed to draw attention to a
given set of cultural and legal issues
surrounding youth.
The 2023 Theme of International Youth Day is
"Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable
World".
August 20 World Mosquito Day World Mosquito Day is annually observed across
the globe on 20th August to commemorate Sir
Ronald Ross, a British doctor who discovered the
relationship between mosquitoes and the
transmission of malaria between humans in 1897.
Ross’s Discovery & Nobel Prize:
On August 20, 1897, Ronald Ross discovered
the malaria parasite while dissecting the

stomach tissue of a Female Anopheles
mosquito. Later, he confirmed the growth of
the parasite in the mosquito. The discovery
was made in Secunderabad (now in Telangana,
India).
He received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or
Medicine in 1902 for this work. He was the
first Briton to be awarded the Nobel Prize for
Medicine.
August 21 World Senior Citizen’s Day World Senior Citizen’s Day is annually celebrated
across the globe on 21st August to honour the
efforts, contributions, and achievements made by
elderly people to society, families, and
communities.
The day also recognises the issues that an
elderly individual faces in old age.
The observance of World Senior Citizen’s Day
was started in 1988, when Ronald Reagan, the
40th President of the United States of America
(USA) signed the Proclamation of 5847 on
August 19, 1988, and declared the 21st of
August every year as the “National Senior
Citizens Day”.
August 20-24 World Water Week World Water Week is annually observed across
the globe during the last week of August with an
aim to examine the pivotal role of water in
addressing several pressing global challenges such
as water crisis, global warming, biodiversity loss,
and so on.
World Water Week 2023 takes place from 20-
24 August 2023. World Water Week is
annually organised by the Stockholm
International Water Institute (SIWI).
The Theme of World Water Week 2023 is
“Seeds of Change: Innovative Solutions for a
Water-Wise World”
Professor Andrea Rinaldo, the world-
renowned hydrologist from Venezia (Venice),
Italy is awarded the Stockholm Water Prize
2023 for his research on river networks,
demonstrating their significance in the spread
of solutes, aquatic species, and diseases.
JULY 2023
July 1 International Day of The United Nations (UN)’s International Day of
Cooperatives (CoopsDay) Cooperatives (CoopsDay) is annually observed
across the globe on the first Saturday of July to
raise awareness about the importance of

cooperatives and their contributions to the
development of society.
The day also commemorates the establishment
of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA).
1st July 2023 marked the observance of the
101st International Day of Cooperatives.
The theme for the International Day of
Cooperatives 2023 is “Cooperatives: partners
for accelerated sustainable development.
July 7 World Kiswahili Language Day United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO)’s World Kiswahili
Language Day is annually celebrated across the
globe on 7th July to recognise the role of Kiswahili
language as a language of unity.
The day highlights the role of Kiswahili in
promoting cultural diversity, creating
awareness and encouraging dialogue among
civilizations.
The 2023 theme of World Kiswahili Language
Day is “Unleashing Kiswahili’s potential in the
digital era“.
July 11 World Population Day The United Nations (UN)’s World Population Day
is annually observed across the globe on 11th July
to focus attention on the urgency and importance
of population issues and to enhance awareness of
population issues, including their relations to the
environment and development.
The 2023 theme of World Population Day is
“Unleashing the power of gender equality:
Uplifting the voices of women and girls to
unlock our world’s infinite possibilities“.
July 12 Malala Day Malala Day is an international observance annually
celebrated on 12th July to honour the birthday of
Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani education activist
and Nobel Prize laureate.
The day is also marked to honour Malala, who
is known for her advocacy of girls’ education. It
also signifies the free, quality and compulsory
education for every child across the world.
In October 2014, Malala was named a Nobel
Peace Prize winner at the age of 17, she
became the youngest person to receive this
prize.
Malala has written several books, including “I
Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up Education
and was shot by the Taliban”, an
autobiography of Malala Yousafzai, co-
authored with Christina Lamb, published in
2013; Malala Speaks Out (2023).

July 15 World Youth Skills Day The United Nations(UN)’s World Youth Skills Day
is annually observed across the globe on 15th July
to celebrate the strategic importance of equipping
young people with skills for employment, decent
work and entrepreneurship.
The theme of World Youth Skills Day 2023
observed on 15th July 2023 is “Skilling
teachers, trainers and youth for a
transformative future.
July 17 Day of International Criminal Day of International Criminal Justice is annually
Justice observed across the globe by International
Criminal Court (ICC) on 17th July to commemorate
the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome
Statute(1998), the founding treaty of the ICC.
The day also recognise the efforts taken by the
organisations working towards bringing
justice to international criminal acts like
crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes
and crimes of aggression.
The observance is also known as World Day
for International Justice or International
Justice Day.
17th July 2023 marked the 25th anniversary of
the adoption of the Rome Statue.
July 18 Nelson Mandela International United Nations (UN)’s Nelson Mandela
Day International Day is annually celebrated across the
world on 18th July to recognise Nelson Mandela’s
values, including his commitment towards social
justice, peace, reconciliation, and promotion and
protection of human rights.
This day also marks the birth anniversary (July
18, 1918) of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, who
played an eminent role in creating non-racial
constitution, non-sexist and democratic of
South Africa.
The day is also called as Mandela Day.
The 2023 Mandela Day marks the 105th birth
anniversary of Nelson Mandela.
July 20 International Chess Day or The United Nations (UN)’s International Chess Day
World Chess Day or World Chess Day is annually observed on 20th
July across the globe to mark the significant role of
Chess as an affordable and inclusive activity and
also to improve overall Intelligence quotient (IQ)
across the world.
20th July 2023 also marks the observance of
the 99th Anniversary of the International Chess
Federation, or Fédération Internationale des
Échecs (FIDE), established in 1924.

The first-ever UN recognised World Chess Day
was observed on 20th July 2020.
Chess became part of the Olympic Esports
Series in 2023.
July 20 International Moon Day (IMD) United Nations(UN) designated International
Moon Day (IMD) which is annually celebrated
across the globe on July 20th to mark the
anniversary of the first landing by humans on the
Moon as part of the Apollo 11 lunar mission.
The day aims to raise public awareness about
sustainable Moon exploration and utilisation.
The first IMD was celebrated on 20th July
2022.
The day will be celebrated with the theme
“Lunar Exploration Coordination &
Sustainability.”
July 26 International Day for the The United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Conservation of the Mangrove Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s International
Ecosystems Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove
Ecosystems is annually celebrated across the globe
on 26th July to raise awareness of the significance
of mangrove ecosystems as “a unique, special and
vulnerable ecosystem” and to promote solutions
for their sustainable management, conservation
and uses.
26th July 2023 marks the observance of
the 8th International Day for the Conservation
of the Mangrove Ecosystems. The day is also
known as “The World Mangrove Day“.
The first-ever International Day for the
Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem was
observed on 26th July 2016. The date 26th July
also marks the death anniversary of
Greenpeace activist Hayhow Daniel Nanoto,
who passed away in 1998 during a massive
protest to re-establish the mangrove wetlands
in Muisne, Ecuador.
July 28 World Nature Conservation World Nature Conservation Day is annually
Day observed across the globe on July 28 to create
awareness about the importance of protecting the
natural resources and wildlives.
The day also aims to educate the people about
the necessity of conservation of natural
resources, bio-diversity and ecology across the
world and the challenges of climate change.
July 29 International Tiger Day International Tiger Day, also known as Global
Tiger Day, is annually observed across the globe
on 29th July to raise awareness about the need for

tiger conservation and the threats faced by the
endangered species.
The scientific name is Panthera tigris, belongs
to genus Panthera.29th July 2023, marks the
13th International Tiger Day.
JUNE 2023
June 1 World Milk Day The annual observance of World Milk Day is led by
the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of
the United Nations.
The common theme of the observance is “The
potency of milk and the milk industry.”
June 5 World Environment Day 5th June 2023 marks the observance of the 50th
World Environment Day.
The theme of the WED 2023 is “Solutions to
Plastic Pollution”.
The WED 2023
campaign #BeatPlasticPollution calls for global
solutions to combat plastic pollution.
June 5th marks the inaugural day of the 1972
UN Conference on the Human Environment,
the first world conference to make the
environment a major issue, held in Stockholm,
Sweden from 5 to 16 June 1972.
June 7 World Food Safety Day 7th June 2023 marks the observance of the 5th
(WFSD) World Food Safety Day.
The theme of WFSD 2023 is “Food standards
save lives” and the slogan of WFSD 2023
is “Food safety is everyone’s business”.
On the occasion of the World Food Safety Day
2023 (7th June 2023), Union Minister Dr.
Mansukh Mandaviya, Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare(MoH&FA), released the 5th
edition of State Food Safety Index(SFSI), an
annual assessment released by Food Safety
and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
June 8 World Oceans Day The theme of World Oceans Day 2023 is “Planet
Ocean: tides are changing”.
June 9 World Accreditation Day The theme of World Accreditation Day 2023,
(WAD) observed on 9th June 2023, is “Accreditation:
Supporting the Future of Global Trade”.
June 9 International Archives Day The day also marks the foundation day of the
International Council on Archives (ICA),
established in 1948.
9th June 2023 marks the observance of the
75th anniversary of ICA.

June 12 World Day Against Child The theme of World Day Against Child Labour
Labour 2023 is “Social Justice for All. End Child Labour!“
June 15 Global Wind Day To raise awareness regarding the importance of
wind as a Renewable source of energy.
June 16 International Day of Family The theme of the International Day of Family
Remittances Remittances 2023 is “Digital remittances towards
financial inclusion and cost reduction.”
June 18 Sustainable Gastronomy Day The annual observance of Sustainable Gastronomy
Day is led by the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and
the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
(FAO).
June 18 International Day for The United Nations (UN)’s International Day for
Countering Hate Speech Countering Hate Speech is annually observed
across the globe on 18th June as a vital reminder
of the urgent need to address the global issue of
hate speech.
18th June 2023 marked the observance of the
2nd International Day for Countering Hate
Speech.
June 19 World Sickle Disease Day The theme of World Sickle Disease Day 2023
(observed on 19th June 2023) is ‘Building and
strengthening global sickle cell communities,
formalizing newborn screening and knowing your
sickle cell disease status’.
June 20 World Refugee Day The 2023 theme of World Refugee Day is “Hope
away from home“.
June 21 International Day of Yoga 21st June 2023 marks the observance of the 9th
International Yoga Day.
The theme of IDY 2023 is “Yoga for
Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” – ‘Yoga for ‘The
World is One Family’.
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi virtually
addressed the celebration of the IDY 2023 in
India led by Jagdeep Dhankhar, Vice President
(VP) of India, at Jabalpur in Madhya
Pradesh(MP).
On 20th June 2023, the Department of Youth
Affairs, Ministry of Youth Affairs &
Sports(MoYAS) organised the “Yoga Mahotsav”
at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New
Delhi, Delhi in run-up to the IDY-2023.
June 21 World Hydrographic Day The 2023 theme of World Hydrographic Day is
“Hydrography – Underpinning the Digital Twin of
the Ocean”
June 23 United Nations Public Service To highlight the contribution of public officials in
Day development and progress. The day aims to

acknowledges the work of public servants
outstanding efforts and encourages young people
to pursue careers in the public sector.
A special event took place at UN Headquarters
in New York on June 23rd, in celebration of UN
Public Service Day with the theme of
“Innovative Public Service Delivery: Ensuring
No One Is Left Behind.”
June 23 International Olympic Day The theme for International Olympic Day 2023
is ‘Let’s Move’ which emphasises daily physical
activity to people around the
world. #Letsmove and #OlympicDay are the
hashtags for this year’s celebration.
June 24 International Day of Women in The United Nations (UN)’s first ever International
Diplomacy (IDWID) Day of Women in Diplomacy (IDWID) was
observed on 24th June 2023 to recognize the role
of Women in Diplomacy as in furthering the Socio-
Economic Equitable and Inclusive Sustainable
Development.
The theme of IDWID 2023 is “Breaking
Barriers, Shaping the Future: Women in
Diplomacy for Sustainable Development”.
June 18 to 24 World Allergy Week World Allergy Week is an annual initiative of the
World Allergy Organization(WAO) to create
awareness about allergic diseases and related
disorders.
i.World Allergy Week 2023 was observed
from 18th to 24th June 2023.
ii.The theme of World Allergy Week 2023
is “Climate Change Worsens Allergies: Be Ready”.
June 27 Micro-, Small, and Medium- The United Nations (UN)’s Micro-, Small, and
sized Enterprises (MSME) Day Medium-sized Enterprises (MSME) Day is annually
observed across the world on 27th June to raise
awareness about MSME’s contribution in achieving
the 2030 Agenda of UN Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs).
27th June 2023 marks the 6th Anniversary of
MSME Day.
The global celebration of MSME day is led by
the International Trade Centre (ITC).
June 27 World Vitiligo Day The theme for World Vitiligo Day 2023 is “Vitiligo:
Looking into the Future” and the campaign
headquarters will be hosted by Kazakhstan under
the guidance of Dr. Aliya Kassymkhanova.
June 29 International Day of the The United Nations (UN)’s International Day of the
Tropics Tropics is observed annually across the globe
on 29th June to raise awareness about various
challenges that tropical nations face and to

celebrate the extraordinary diversity of the
Tropics.
June 30 International Asteroid Day United Nations (UN)’s International Asteroid Day
is annually observed across the world on 30th June
to raise public awareness about the asteroid
impact hazard and to inform the public about the
crisis communication actions to be taken at the
global level in case of a credible Near-Earth Object
(NEO) threat.
The observance of the day was based on a
proposal by the Association of Space
Explorers, which was endorsed by the
Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
(COPUOS).
June 30 International Day of The United Nations(UN)’s International Day of

Parliamentarism Parliamentarism is annually celebrated across the
globe on 30 June to celebrate Parliaments and the
ways in which parliamentary systems of
government improve the day-to-day lives of
people across the world.
The day also marks the anniversary of the
foundation of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
(IPU), the global organization of national
parliaments, founded on 30th June 1889.
30th June 2023 marks the 134th anniversary
of IPU.
The theme of International Day of
Parliamentarism 2023 is “Parliaments for the
Planet”.
MAY 2023
May 2 World Asthma Day World Asthma Day (WAD) is annually observed
across the world on the first
Tuesday of May month to create awareness about
asthma, a condition in which a person’s airways
become inflamed, narrow and swell and produce
extra mucus, which makes it difficult to breathe.
World Asthma Day 2023 is observed on 2nd
May 2023 with the theme of World Asthma
Day (WAD) 2023 is “Asthma care for All”.
May 3 World Press Freedom Day United Nations (UN)’s World Press Freedom Day is
annually observed across the globe on May 3 to
raise awareness about the importance of a free
and independent press.
3rd May 2023 marks the 30th anniversary
of World Press Freedom Day with the theme of
“Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of

Expression as a Driver for all other human
rights”.
May 5 International Day of the International Day of the Midwife (IDM) 2023
Midwife observed across the globe on 5th May 2023 with
the theme of “Together again: from evidence to
reality”.
May 5 World Hand Hygiene Day The campaign slogan for WHHD 2023
is “Accelerate action together. SAVE LIVES – Clean
Your Hands”
i. The campaign theme/theme of WHHD 2023 is
“Together, we can accelerate action to prevent
infections and antimicrobial resistance in health
care and build a culture of safety and quality in
which hand hygiene improvement is given high
priority.
ii. The annual observance of the WHHD is led by
the World Health Organization (WHO).
May 6 International No Diet Day To promote body positivity, self-acceptance, and

the acceptance of all body shapes and sizes, as well
as raise awareness about the dangers of dieting.
May 8 World Red Cross and Red The theme of World Red Cross and Red Crescent
Crescent Day Day 2023 is “Everything we do comes
#fromtheheart”
May 12 International Nurses Day The theme/campaign of the IND 2023 is “Our
Nurses. Our Future”.
May 15 International Day of Families International Day of Families 2023 was observed
on 15th May 2023 under the theme “Demographic
Trends and Families”.
May 16 International Day of Living United Nations (UN)’s International Day of Living
Together in Peace Together in Peace is annually observed across the
globe on May 16 to promote peace, tolerance,
inclusion, understanding and solidarity.
i. The 1st ever International Day of Living
Together in Peace was observed on 16th May
2018.
May 16 International Day of Light 16th May 2023 marks the 6th edition of
(IDL) International Day of Light.
i. The International Day of Light is observed by
the United Nations (UN)s and administered from
the International Basic Science Programme
(IBSP) of United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
May 17 World Telecommunication WTISD 2023 is observed on 17th May 2023

and Information Society Day under the theme – “Empowering the least
(WTISD) developed countries through information and
communication technologies”.

May 18 International Museum Day The theme of the International Museum Day 2023
observed on 18th May 2023 is “Museums,
Sustainability and Wellbeing”.
May 18 World AIDS Vaccine Day World AIDS Vaccine Day, also known as HIV
Vaccine Knowledge Day(HVAD), is annually
observed across the globe on 18th May to create
awareness about the importance of Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) vaccinations in
preventing Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
(AIDS) and HIV infections.
May 19 Endangered Species Day Endangered Species Day 2023 was observed
on 19th May 2023.
i. According to the Endangered Species Coalition
(ESC), The theme of Endangered Species Day 2023
is “Celebrating The 50th Anniversary Of The
Endangered Species Act!”
May 20 World Metrology Day The theme of World Metrology Day observed on
20th May 2023 is “Measurements supporting the
global food system”.
May 20 World Bee Day The theme of World Bee Day 2023 observed
on 20th May 2023 is “Bee engaged in pollinator-
friendly agricultural production”.
15th to 21st May Global Road Safety Week United Nations (UN)’s Global Road Safety Week
(UNGRSW) is a biennial global road safety
campaign hosted by the World Health
Organisation (WHO).
i. UN Global Road Safety Week 2023 was observed
from 15th to 21st May 2023 and it marks the 7th
UNGRSW.
ii. The theme for UNGRSW 2023 is “StreetsforLife
#RethinkMobility”.
May 23 World Turtle Day 23rd May 2023 marks the observance of the 23rd
World Turtle Day.
i. The theme of World Turtle Day 2023 is “I Love
Turtles”.
May 28 World Hunger Day The theme of World Hunger Day 2023 observed on
28th May 2023 is “Celebrating sustainable
solutions to hunger and poverty”.
May 28 World Menstrual Hygiene Day The theme of World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2023
observed on 28th May 2023 is “Making
menstruation a normal fact of life by 2030”.
May 28 International Day of Action for The theme of International Day of Action for
Women’s Health Women’s Health 2023 is “Our Voices, Our
Actions, Our Demand: Uphold Women’s Health and
Rights Now.”

May 29 International Everest Day International Everest Day is annually celebrated
on 29th May to commemorate the first-ever
summit of Mount Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary of
New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa of Nepal
on 29th May 1953.
May 29 International Day of United 29th May 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of UN
Nations (UN) Peacekeepers Peacekeeping, which began in 1948 when the UN
Security Council (UNSC) authorized the
deployment of UN military observers to the Middle
East.
i. The theme of the 75th anniversary of UN
Peacekeeping/International Day of UN
Peacekeepers is ‘Peace begins with me’.
May 30 World Vape day To raise awareness about the alternatives to the
tobacco products and highlight the safety of E-
Cigarettes and their potential as harm reduction
and smoking cessation tools.
i. World Vape day on May 30 falls just a day before
the World No Tobacco Day (May 31) of the World
Health Organisation (WHO).
APPS & WEB PORTAL

BANKING
SEPTEMBER 2023
NIL
AUGUST 2023
Yes Bank Limited (Ltd) launched ‘iris by YES BANK’ , a state-of-the-art mobile banking application which
was developed in collaboration with customer feedback.It is the bank’s first Direct to Consumer
platform,allowing new and existing customers to access more than 100 features and services.
Canara Bank launched its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) Interoperable Digital Rupee mobile
application, called the “Canara Digital Rupee app,” as a part of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s Central Bank
Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot project.
Canara Bank is now the first among the public and commercial sector bank to provide this feature in its
CBDC mobile app, Canara Digital Rupee app.
JULY 2023
NIL
JUNE 2023
NIL
MAY 2023
NIL

OTHERS
SEPTEMBER 2023
India's government has unveiled the "G20 India" mobile app, a first-of-its-kind, offering a comprehensive
guide to event details for the upcoming 2023 G20 New Delhi summit, the 18 meeting of G20 nations.
th
This summit is scheduled for September 9-10, 2023, at the Bharat Mandapam International Exhibition-
Convention Centre in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
Dr. Pramod Kumar (PK) Mishra, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, chaired the 9th G20
Coordination Committee meeting to oversee preparations, including logistics, protocol, security, and media
arrangements.
The 2nd edition of Bi-annual Naval Commanders Conference was held in New Delhi, Delhi where
Minister of State (MoS) Ajay Bhatt, Ministry of Defence interacted with Senior Naval Leadership.
During the Meet, Indian Navy showcased ongoing indigenous projects and introduced new uniform items at the
naval commanders' conference.
Second Barge of the series LSAM 16 (Yard 126) has been delivered to Indian Navy (IN) Under Indian
Register of Shipping (IRS) classification rules, with a 30-year service life.
The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DePWD) under the Ministry of Social
Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE) launched 5 Pioneering Initiatives to Foster Inclusivity and Empower
Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
An Online Case Monitoring Portal developed by the Office of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with
Disabilities (CCPD) was launched to simplify and expedite the grievance resolution process for PwDs.
The other 4 initiatives were:
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Council of Architecture (COA).
Releasing Anonymous Data of Unique Disability ID (UDID).
PM-DAKSH (Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi) Portal.
Comprehensive Booklet: Pathways to Access: Courts on Disability Right.
Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology, launched dedicated
website to monitor Swachhata Campaign 3.0 and Special Campaign for Disposal of Pending Matters (SCDPM)
2023 at National Media Centre, New Delhi, Delhi.
The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) under the Ministry of
Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions is the Nodal Department for the implementation of this
Campaign.
The portal is designed, developed & hosted by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), Ministry of Electronics
& Information Technology (MeitY).
Professor Ramesh Chand, Member of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog,
launched Unified Portal for Agricultural Statistics (UPAg) developed by Department of Agriculture and
Farmers’ Welfare (DoA&FW), under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) to address data
related governance challenges in agriculture.
UPAg, the Unified Portal for Agricultural Statistics, is an advanced platform that generates crop estimates
and integrates with other systems for agriculture statistics, including Price, Trade, Procurement, and Stock
data.
AUGUST 2023
The Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Education (MoE), and Union Minister Dr.
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) jointly launched Study in India (SII) Portal
which is an integrated one-stop solution for international student registration and visa application process. The
portal is guided by National Education Policy (NEP).
MoE selected Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) to modernize the national education technology platform
Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA).
Kerala government has launched a user-friendly web portal named ‘Athidhi Portal’, for the registration
of migrant workers in Kerala.
The portal will establish a unique identification system to streamline the registration process.
The portal will allow the government to address the grievances against sexual crimes allegedly committed
by migrant workers.

Kushvinder Vohra, Chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC), launched FloodWatch, a mobile
application to provide real-time flood information and forecasts for up to 7 days to the general public by using
mobile phones.
This initiative is an innovative solution to enhance flood information dissemination and preparedness.
FloodWatch, developed by the CWC, is a user-friendly app which offers both readable and audio broadcast.
JULY 2023
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojna- National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), the flagship initiative of
the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), launched the eSARAS, an e-commerce mobile application to
support the marketing of products made by women of Self-help Groups (SHGs).
The app was launched by Shailesh Kumar Singh, Secretary of MoRD in New Delhi, Delhi.
He also inaugurated the eSaras Fulfilment Centre at the MoRD office at Janakpuri, New Delhi, Delhi.
JUNE 2023
Infrastructure Finance Secretariat (IFS) under the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of
Finance has launched its revamped website of Public Private Partnership (PPP) in India (PPPININDIA) for its
enhanced value to the stakeholders involved in PPP (Public–Private Partnership) projects.
on the occasion of United Nations (UN)’s Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) Day, the Ministry
of MSME (MoMSME) celebrated ‘Udyami Bharat-MSME Day’ at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, Delhi to launch
various initiatives including Champions 2.0 Portal and Mobile App for geo-tagging of cluster projects and
technology centres for the growth and development of the MSME sector.
Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoAFW)
launched the PM-Kisan Mobile App with Face Authentication Feature during an event organised by the
Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), MoAFW at Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi (Delhi).
It was launched under the scheme for income support to farmers i.e.
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN).
Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala, launched Report Fish
Disease (RFD) an android-based mobile application for aquatic animal diseases reporting at Krishi Bhawan,
New Delhi, Delhi.
The app has been developed by ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research)-NBFGR(National Bureau of
Fish Genetic Resources) under National Surveillance Programme for Aquatic Animal Diseases (NSPAAD),
funded under Pradhan Mantri Matsya SampadaYojana by the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries,
Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MoFAH&D), Government of India.
MAY 2023
Union Minister Parshottam Rupala, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, launched
a Veterinary Council of India (VCI) portal during the event organised to celebrate World Veterinary Day
2023 (29 April 2023) at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, Delhi.
Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change launched a mobile
application named Meri LiFE (My life) in New Delhi, Delhi to activate the youth action for climate change.
This app is inspired by the concept of LiFE, envisioned by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi at COP
(Conference of the Parties) 26, which emphasises mindful and deliberate utilisation instead of mindless and
wasteful consumption.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) launched a new portal named “UTSAH”, short for
“Undertaking Transformative Strategies and Actions in Higher Education”, to monitor the implementation of
the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in Higher Education Institutes (HEIs).
The new portal was launched by Professor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, Chairman of UGC.
On the same occasion, the UGC also launched the Professors of Practice (PoP) portal and revamped its main
website.

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