Apr 2023 Daily News Current Affairs

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Apr 30, 2023

Apr 30 is observed as Ayushman Bharat Diwas, being observed since 2018. Under Ayushman Bharat / Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), Health Insurance of 5 lakh rupees per family is given to a family.
1. Apr 30 is also Observed as International Jazz Day, declared by UNESCO in 2011.
2. Also, Apr 24-30 is globally observed as World Immunization Week, with 2023 theme The Big Catch-up.
Govt issued commemorative coin of Rs 100, on occcasion of airing of 100th episode of radio programme PM Narendra Modi's Maan Ki Baat (broadcasted on April 30).
1. Though commemorative coins are considered a legal tender, they are not released for general circulation.

Red Bull's Mexican F1 Racer Sergio Pérez won Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2023.

F1 Season 2023 -

Grand Prix	Winner	Race date
Bahrain Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)	5 March
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix	Sergio Pérez (Mexico)	19 March
Australian Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)	2 April
Azerbaijan Grand Prix	Sergio Pérez (Mexico)	30 April
Miami Grand Prix		7 May
Monaco Grand Prix		28 May
Spanish Grand Prix		4 June
Canadian Grand Prix		18 June
Austrian Grand Prix		2 July
British Grand Prix		9 July
Hungarian Grand Prix		23 July
Belgian Grand Prix		30 July
Dutch Grand Prix		27 August
Italian Grand Prix		3 September
Singapore Grand Prix		17 September
Japanese Grand Prix		24 September
Qatar Grand Prix		8 October
United States Grand Prix		22 October
Mexico City Grand Prix		29 October
São Paulo Grand Prix		5 November
Las Vegas Grand Prix		18 November
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix		26 November

General News / Events (Apr 21-30, 2023) -
1. SCO Millets Food Festival held in Mumbai, under India's 2023 SCO Presidency.
2. Ministry of Rural Development's Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) launched Sangathan Se Samridhhi– Leaving no Rural Woman Behind campaign, aimed at bringing 10 crore women from eligible rural households under Self-Help Group (SHG) fold, to enable them to draw benefits provided under the programme.
3. One Earth One Health – Advantage Healthcare India 2023 summit held in New Delhi, under India's 2023 G20 Presidency.
  1. Notably, India's 2023 G20 Presidency theme is One Earth, One Family, One Future.
4. Telangana govt hosted Food Conclave 2023 in Hyderabad, to attract agri-food industry stakeholders.
5. India’s first post office constructed using 3D printing technology will soon open in Bengaluru, at Cambridge Layout in Ulsoor.
6. Global Education & Training Exhibition (GETEX) held in Dubai (UAE), with Indian pavilion titled Study in India.
7. IIT Madras will set its first International campus in Zanzibar (Tanzania), by end of 2023.
8. Belgian firm Vito announced to start a project to produce biodiesel from trash, in Temple town of Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh).
9. India proposed to develop a G20 park in New Delhi, as part of India's G20 presidency in 2023. Park will showcase sculptures depicting national animals and birds of G20 countries made with Waste to wonder concept.
10. 1st trilateral political consultations between Armenia, Iran and India held in Yerevan (Armeni). India was represented by J P Singh (Joint Secretary of Ministry of External Affairs).
Visits from India (Apr 2023)-
1. Union Minister Jitendra Singh visited UK.
  1. During the visit, India and United Kingdom partnered to jointly create India-UK NET Zero Innovation Virtual Centre.
  2. Notably, India aims to become Net Zero by 2070, while UK's aim is to become Net Zero by 2050.
2. External affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited African Nations Uganda, Ethiopia and Mozambique.
  1. In Uganda -
    1. Launched EXIM Bank funded project that will supply drinking water to half a million people in 20 districts of Uganda.
    2. Inaugurated first overseas campus of India's National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), in Uganda.
    3. Launched Restoration Project for Tulsi Ghat (Varanasi).
  2. In Mozambique -
    1. Inaugurated Buzi Bridge in Mozambique, constructed by India.
3. Piyush Goyal (Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles) visited Italy.
Visits to India (Apr 2023) -
1. Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck visited India.
2. World's most valued firm Apple's CEO Tim Cook visited India.
  1. He launched Apple's first 2 official stores in India, in Mumbai (1st) & Delhi (2nd).
3. Olivier Becht, French Minister of Foreign Trade, Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad, visited India.
2023 Badminton Asia Championships (Hosted in Dubai (UAE) and sponsored by Cryptocurrency Floki)
1. Men's singles - Anthony Sinisuka Ginting (Indonesia)
2. Women's singles - Tai Tzu-ying (Chinese Taipei)
3. Men's doubles - India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty
4. Women's doubles - Japan's Yuki Fukushima & Sayaka Hirota
5. Mixed doubles - China's Jiang Zhenbang & Wei Yaxin

Apr 29, 2023
1. As per Data from analytics firm Kpler -
  1. India became Europe's largest supplier of refined fuels. Europe's refined fuel imports from India surged above 360,000 barrels a day, leaving past Saudi Arabia.
  2. Europe's reliance on Indian crude oil products has grown since the ban on Russian oil.
2. India’s first cable-stayed Railway Bridge Anji Khad has been completed, as part of 326-km rail line connecting Udhampur to Baramulla, a crucial connector between Kashmir and rest of India via railways.
  1. The bridge has total length 473.25 meters, at a height of 196 meters.
  2. Notably, The Railway line also includes Chenab Bridge, the world's highest rail bridge, at 359 Metres height from river bed.
3. Indian Navy’s third indigenous stealth destroyer of Project 15B class, Named Imphal, has been set on its sea trials.
  1. Contract for four ships of Project 15B was signed with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders in 2011, as a follow-on of Kolkata class (Project 15A) destroyers.
  2. 2 ships have been commissioned into Indian Navy under Project 15B, named INS Visakhapatnam & INS Mormugao.
  3. Another ship Surat has also been launched. Imphal and Surat will be commissioned into Indian Navy in 2023 & 2024 respectively.
4. UAE astronaut Sultan Al-Neyadi became first Arab Astronaut to undertake a spacewalk, venturing out of International Space Station (ISS) for 7 hours during Expedition 69 Mission.
  1. Niyadi was part of American Space exploration firm SpaceX's Crew-6 Mission to ISS (carrying 4 Astronauts), as final of six missions it was awarded by NASA.
    1. Crew-6 members will stay in ISS for 6 months. The mission is SpaceX’s sixth operational crew launch for NASA and its ninth human spaceflight so far.
5. NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd (NBBL) launched NOCS platform, to provide reconciliation and settlement services for transactions undertaken on Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) network.
6. Apr 29 - International Dance Day. It marks birth anniversary of Jean-Georges Noverre (born on 29 April 1727), a French dancer, and creator of modern ballet, and great reformer of dance.
  1. Apr 29, 2023 is observed as World Veterinary Day. It is observed on Last Saturday of April.
Apr 28, 2023
1. Notable points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Kerala, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu -
  1. Kerala -
    1. Launched Kochi Water Metro (Kerala) as first of its kind project in country, which connects 10 islands around the city with mainland.
    2. Lauched Kerala's first Vande Bharat express train, between Kasaragod & Thiruvananthapuram.
    3. Laid foundation stone for India's First Digital Science Park, to be set up in Thiruvananthapuram.
      1. In 2022−23 state budget, Kerala govt announced 4 science parks with investment of 1000 crores, to utilize achievements in field of science and technology.
  2. UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu -
    1. Launched NAMO Medical Education & Research Institute in Silvassa, to provide better healthcare services for citizens of UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
    2. Launched Devka Seafront in Daman, as one of its kind coastal promenade in country, to boost local economy and attract more tourists.
2. Apr 28 - World Day for Safety and Health at Work, observed annually since 2003.
  1. It is also observed as Workers' Memorial Day.
3. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched first of its kind Millets Experience Centre at Dilli Haat (New Delhi), to raise awareness on Millets and encourage its adoption among general public.
4. PM Narendra Modi commissioned Low Power FM Transmitters of capacity of 100 Watt at 91 locations in 20 states.
  1. With this, network of transmitters with All India Radio has increased from 524 to 615, to boost coverage of AIR to 73.5% of population of the country.
5. India launched Operation Kaveri, to bring back Indian nationals stranded in Sudan, amid fierce conflict between regular army and paramilitary force in Sudan.
Apr 27, 2023
1. MSME Minister Narayan Rane launched revamped CGTMSE (Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises) Scheme, with additional corpus support of ₹9,000 crore as allotted in Union Budget FY 2023-24, to provide guarantee for additional ₹2 lakh crore to Micro & Small Enterprises.
  1. Modifications include -
    1. Reduction in guarantee fees for loans upto ₹1 crore by 50% bringing minimum guarantee fee to the level of 0.37% PA.
    2. Raising of ceiling for guarantee from ₹2 crore to ₹ 5 crore and enhancing threshold limit for claim settlement without initiation of legal ction to ₹10 lakh.
    3. CGTMSE will also collaborate with Hyderabad-based National Institute for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (NI-MSME), for setting up a Centre of Financial Inclusion for MSME.
2. Filmfare Awards 2023 winners -
  1. Best Film - Gangubai Kathiawadi
  2. Best Actor -
    1. Male - Rajkummar Rao for Badhaai Do
    2. Female - Alia Bhatt for Gangubai Kathiawadi
  3. Best Director - Sanjay Leela Bhansali for Gangubai Kathiawadi
  4. Best Actor in a Supporting Role -
    1. Male - Anil Kapoor for Jug Jugg Jeeyo
    2. Female - Sheeba Chaddha for Badhaai Do
  5. Best Music Album - Pritam for Brahmastra: Part One
  6. Lifetime Achievement Award - Prem Chopra
  7. Best Playback Singer -
    1. Male - Arijit Singh for Kesariya from Brahmastra: Part One
    2. Female - Kavita Seth for Rangisari from Jug Jugg Jeeyo
  8. RD Burman Award for Upcoming Music Talent - Jahnvi Shrimankar for Dholida from Gangubai Kathiawadi
3. Anant Maheshwari (President of Microsoft India) has been appointed as Chairperson of NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Service Companies) for 2023-24.
4. Index of Economic Freedom 2023 report by The Heritage Foundation -
  1. Top 3 - Singapore (1), Switzerland (2), Ireland (3).
  2. Bottom 3 - North Korea (176), Cuba (175), Venezuela (174)
  3. India ranked 131st.
  4. Neighbors - China (154), Pakistan (152), Sri Lanka (136), Bangladesh (123)
5. Kerala govt launched project named One Panchayat, One Playground, for reviving sports culture in State by opening quality playgrounds in every panchayat.
Apr 26, 2023
1. Ministry of Jal Shakti released India’s first water bodies census report, as comprehensive database of ponds, tanks, lakes, and reservoirs in country.
  1. The census was conducted in 2018-19, and enumerated more than 2.4 million water bodies across country.
  2. As per the report -
    1. 24,24,540 water bodies have been enumerated in country, out of which 97.1% are in rural areas and 2.9% in urban areas.
    2. 59.5% are ponds, followed by tanks (15.7%), reservoirs (12.1%), Water conservation schemes/percolation tanks/check dams (9.3%), lakes (0.9%) and others (2.5%).
    3. West Bengal has highest (7.47 lakh) water bodies among states, whereas Sikkim has least (134). Also, Maharashtra is leading State in water conservation schemes.
2. Hindu Festival Diwali has been declared Official state Holiday in US State of Pennsylvania.
3. Govt granted Navratna Status to Railways PSU Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), making it 13th PSU to have Navaratna Status.
  1. Also, Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) has been accorded status of Miniratna Category-I.
4. Archaeologists discovered a statue of Lord Buddha dating back to Roman era, in ancient Egyptian seaport of Berenike, as new evidence of trade links between Egypt and India during Roman times.
5. Cabinet Approvals (Apr 26, 2023) -
  1. General -
    1. Approved National Medical Devices Policy 2023, to facilitate growth of medical device sector to meet public health objectives of access, affordability & quality.
      1. Aim is to emerge as global leader in manufacturing and innovation of medical devices by achieving 10-12% share in expanding global market over 25 years. Policy is expected to help Medical Devices Sector grow from present $11 Bn to $50 Bn by 2030.
      2. Strategies for sector promotion will include Regulatory Streamlining, Enabling Infrastructure, Industry Facilitating R&D and Innovation, Attracting Investments, Human Resources Development & Brand Positioning and Awareness Creation.
  2. CCEA -
    1. To strengthen nursing workforce in country and address geographical and rural-urban imbalances in healthcare sector, CCEA approved establishment of 157 new nursing colleges (100 seats each) in co-location with existing medical colleges established since 2014. It will have financial implication of 1570 crores.
6. World’s first Nano DAP (Di-ammonium Phosphate) Liquid Fertiliser by Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) has been launched by Home Minister Amit Shah at IFFCO Sadan (New Delhi), to provide farmers the means to boost productivity and help increase their income.
7. Apr 26 is observed as World Intellectual Property Day, established by World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2000. On 26 Apr in 1970, WIPO had come in force. 2023 Theme is Women and IP: Accelerating innovation and creativity.
  1. Apr 26 is also observed as UN International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day, Proclaimed in 2016. It aims to raise awareness of consequences of 1986 Chernobyl disaster and risks of nuclear energy.
Apr 25, 2023
1. 6th edition of Cope India 2023, an Air Exercise between Indian Air Force and US Air Force conducted at Air Force Stations Kalaikunda, Panagarh and Agra.
2. Apr 25 is observed as World Malaria Day, established by World Health Organization in 2007. 2023 Theme is Time to deliver zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement.
  1. Apr 25 also marks UN International Delegate’s Day. It was first observed in 2020, on 75th anniversary of San Francisco Conference (1945).
  2. Apr 25 is also observed as World Penguin Day.
3. As per National Health Accounts (NHA) Estimates for India for 2019-20 -
  1. Share of Out-of-Pocket Expenditure in Total Health Expenditure declined from 62.6% in 2014-15 to 47.1% in 2019-20.
  2. Government Health Expenditure’s share in country’s GDP increased from 1.13% (2014-15) to 1.35% (2019-20).
  3. Share of Government Health Expenditure in Total Health Expenditure increased from 29% (2014-15) to 41.4% (2019-20), with doubling of Per capita Government spending.
4. Indian mountaineer Arjun Vajpai became first Indian man to summit Mt. Annapurna 1 (Nepal), world's 10th highest mountain at height 8091 meters.
5. Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama has been physically presented Ramon Magsaysay Award which was conferred on him in 1959 (an year after inception of Ramon Magsaysay Awards in 1958).
6. Odisha FC won Hero Super Cup 2023 domestic Football title by defeating Bengaluru FC in final.
Apr 24, 2023
1. As per Logistics Performance Index 2023 by World Bank -
  1. Top 3 - Singapore (1), Finland (2), Denmark (3)
  2. Afghanistan is at bottom of list.
  3. India ranked 38th in list.
2. Aparesh Kumar Singh has been appointed new Chief Justice of Tripura High Court.
3. April 24 is Observed as -
  1. International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace, observed since 2019.
  2. World Day for Laboratory Animals.
4. Apr 24 is observed as National Panchayati Raj Day in India, since 2010.
  1. It marks passing of Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 that came into force with effect from 24 April 1993.
  2. On this occasion -
    1. In Rewa (MP), PM Nardendra Modi inaugurated integrated eGramSwaraj and GeM portal for public procurement at Panchayat level, to enable Panchayats to procure their goods and services through GeM, leveraging eGramSwaraj platform.
5. Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCWPC) at IIT Madras, established Under Sagarmala Programme.
  1. The centre will act as a technological arm of the Ministry, to develop cutting-edge technologies and application products to provide solutions to various challenges faced by Ports & Shipping Sector.
6. As per UN data, India has overtaken China as world’s most populous country. Indian population now stands at 142 crores, and expected to grow for several decades.
  1. China’s population reached its peak size recently and experienced a decline during 2022. Chinese population will continue to fall and could drop below 1 billion before 2100.
7. PM Narendra Modi Released Book Saurashtra Tamil Sangamprasastih, compiled by scholars from Gujarat's Shri Somnath Sanskrit University, highlighting relationship between Saurashtra and Tamil Nadu.
Apr 23, 2023
1. Apr 23 is observed as UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day. It is being observed since 1995. 2023 theme is Indigenous Languages. For 2023, Accra (Capital of Ghana) is declared as World Book Capital.
  1. Apr 23 is also observed as Global English Language Day and Spanish Language Day.
  2. April 23 also observed as Khongjom Day in Indian state of Manipur, commemorating warriors who fought in 1891 Anglo-Manipur war.
    1. War was fought between 31 March and 27 April of 1891. It resulted in victory of British.
    2. The war has its significance in Indian history for bravery of soldiers that fought against three sides of British attack, that is, from Silchar, Kohima and Myanmar. Battle was fought at the Kheba hills of Khongjom in Manipur, hence named Khongjom Day.
2. Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Smruti Pratishthan Awards 2023 -
  1. Lata Dinanath Mangeshkar Award - Asha Bhosle.
    1. This award was formed in 2022, after Bharat Ratna awardee legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar passed away. PM Narendra Modi was 1st recepient of this award.
    2. This award is given to a person who has made an outstanding and exemplary contribution to their work for country, people and society.
  2. Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Award - Pankaj Udhas.
  3. Actress Vidya Balan has also been felicitated for her contribution to cinema.
3. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched book titled Reflections, authored by Narayanan Vaghul.
4. As per Annual Report 2022 of Philippines based Asian Development Bank (ADB) -
  1. Pakistan was largest recipient of ADB funded programmes in 2022, receiving loans worth USD 5.58 billion out of total USD 31.8 billion disbursed by ADB to 40 countries in 2022.
  2. However, cash strapped Pakistan used these loans to avert default, and not for financing developmental projects.
5. Global power technology firm Cummins partnered with India's Tata Motors, to manufacture range of low-to zero-emission tech products in India.
  1. Under it, entity called TCPL Green Energy Solutions Private Ltd has been set up, for manufacturing sustainable technology products such as hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines, fuel delivery systems, battery electric powertrains and fuel cell electric systems.
Apr 22, 2023
1. Apr 22 is observed as World Earth Day (or International Mother Earth Day), Being Observed Since 1970. 2023 Theme is Invest In Our Planet.
  1. On this occasion, Rajasthan’s Forest Department announced three new conservation reserves that will protect rare and endangered wildlife. These are - Sorsan in Baran, Khichan in Jodhpur, and Hamirgarh in Bhilwara.
2. ISRO Launched its PSLV-C55 commercial mission from SDSC-SHAR (Sriharikota), carrying TeLEOS-2 and Lumelite-4 satellites from Singapore.
3. Noted Former Tennis Player Jaidip Mukerjea's autobiography titled Crosscourt, has been released.
4. Reliance General Insurance became first general insurance company to accept Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Central Bank Digital Currency e-Rupee for premium payments, under a tie up with Yes Bank to facilitate collection of premiums in digital mode.
5. Neeli Bendapudi (India-Born President of Pennsylvania State University (US)) has been honored with 2023 Immigrant Achievement Award by Washington DC based American Immigration Council.
6. 2023 edition of World's largest cyber defense exercise, Locked Shields hosted by NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence in Tallinn (Estonia).
7. Noted Ladakh based inventor Sonam Wangchuk has been honored with Santokbaa Humanitarian Award, an initiative of diamond crafting and exports firm Shree Ramkrishna Exports (SRK). The award carries cash prize of 1 crore.
Apr 21, 2023
1. Apr 21 is marked as National Civil Services Day.
  1. It was on this day in 1947, That First Home Minister Sardar Shri Vallabhai Patel addressed first batch probationers of Administrative Services. On this occasion -
    1. Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2022 was conferred to Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), for successful implementation of PM GatiShakti National Master Plan programme.
  2. Apr 21 is also observed by UN as World Creativity and Innovation Day.
2. Ministry of Civil Aviation launched 5th round of Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN), to further enhance connectivity to remote and regional areas. Key features -
  1. This round of UDAN focuses on Category-2 (20-80 seats) and Category-3 (>80 seats).
  2. Earlier stage length cap of 600 km is waived off and there is no restriction on distance between origin and destination.
  3. Viability gap funding (VGF) to be provided will be capped at 600 km stage length, which was earlier capped at 500 km.
  4. No predetermined routes would be offered. Only Network and Individual Route Proposal proposed by airlines will be considered.
  5. Airlines would be required to commence operations within 4 months of the award of the route. Earlier this deadline was 6 months.
3. US Space Exploration Firm SpaceX’s giant new Starship rocket exploded shortly after launch, after booster failed to peel away from spacecraft after liftoff.
  1. Starship is a super heavy-lift space vehicle under development by SpaceX. It has 120 metres height and liftoff mass of 5000 metric tons, making it largest and most powerful rocket ever flown.
4. Winners of Goldman Environment Prize 2023 -
  1. Zafer Kizilkaya (Turkey) - In collaboration with local fishing cooperatives and Turkish authorities, He expanded Turkey’s network of marine protected areas along 310 miles of Mediterranean coast.
  2. Alessandra Korap (Brazil) - An Indigenous woman from Amazon, who organized community efforts to stop mining development by a British mining company in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest.
  3. Chilekwa Mumba (Zambia) - He Alarmed pollution produced by Konkola Copper Mines operation in Copperbelt Province of Zambia, and organized a lawsuit to hold mine’s parent company, Vedanta Resources, responsible.
  4. Tero Mustonen (Finland) - He led restoration of 62 severely degraded former industrial peat mining and forestry sites throughout Finland, totaling 86,000 acres.
  5. Delima Silalahi (Indonesia) - Led a campaign to secure legal stewardship of approx 18000 acres of tropical forest land for six Indigenous communities in North Sumatra.
  6. Diane Wilson (USA) - She won a landmark case against Huge pharma firm Formosa Plastics, for illegal dumping of toxic plastic waste on Texas’ Gulf Coast.
  7. About -
    1. Goldman Environmental Prize is awarded annually to grassroots environmental activists, one from each of world's six geographic regions (Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, North America, and South and Central America).
    2. Awarded by San Francisco (US) based Goldman Environmental Foundation, It is also called Green Nobel, and carries prize money of USD 200000.
5. Tata Sons' Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata has been conferred with Order of Australia (Australia’s highest civilian honour), for his efforts in strengthening India-Australia bilateral relations.
Apr 20, 2023
1. Apr 20 is observed as UN Chinese Language Day, being observed since 2010.
2. 1st Global Buddhist Summit held in New Delhi, organized by Ministry of Culture in collaboration with International Buddhist Confederation (IBC).
3. General News / Events (Apr 11-20, 2023) -
  1. Ministry of Steel organised India Steel 2023 International Exhibition on steel industry in Mumbai, in association with Department of Commerce, and FICCI.
  2. Union Minister Jitendra Singh launched Yuva Portal, which aims at helping in connecting and identifying potential young Start-Ups.
    1. He also launched CSIR's One Week - One Lab programme, which will offer opportunity to 37 CSIR labs to showcase work being done by them.
  3. Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, and United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) jointly launched a whitepaper aimed at making India a global leader in Agri-Tech innovation and expanding innovations to least developed countries in Asia and Africa.
  4. Doordarshan broadcasted documentary named DHAROHAR BHARAT KI - Punruthaan ki Kahaani, showcasing recent achievements of Govt.
  5. International Conference on Defence Finance and Economics (ICDFE-2023) held in New Delhi.
  6. Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC) launched India's first solar-powered hybrid boat, named Sooryamshu, in Kochi.
  7. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of US retained India’s International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) category as Best possible - Category 1, stating that India meets international standards for aviation safety oversight.
  8. Odisha forest department conducted India's first mangrove pitta birds census, with habitats of these birds confined to mangrove forest areas in Odisha’s Bhitarkanika and Sundarban in West Bengal.
  9. Maharashtra Govt announced 4% reservation for Divyang employees in promotions, applicable to cadres in which proportion of recruitment through direct service is under 75 %.
  10. National Medical Commission (NMC) approved setting up Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Kohima, as first medical college in Nagaland since its statehood in 1963.
4. Under India's 2023 G20 Presidency, India proposed MAHARISHI Initiative (Millets And OtHer Ancient Grains International ReSearcH Initiative), which will focus on Research and Awareness in agro-biodiversity, food security, and nutrition aligning with International Year of Millets 2023.
  1. It was proposed during G20 Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) in Varanasi.
5. Kerala govt adopted a Water Budget, as first of its kind in country, to tackle acute water scarcity in many areas of state in summers.
6. Andhra Pradesh CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy laid foundation stone for Mulapeta greenfield port in Srikakulam district, to be developed with cost 4362 crores.
Apr 19, 2023
1. Cabinet Approvals (Apr 19, 2023) -
  1. General -
    1. Approved National Quantum Mission (NQM) at cost 6004 crores between 2023-24 to 2030-31, aiming to seed, nurture and scale up scientific and industrial R&D and create a vibrant & innovative ecosystem in Quantum Technology (QT).
      1. It targets developing intermediate scale quantum computers with 50-1000 physical qubits in 8 years in various platforms like superconducting and photonic technology.
        Other deliverables include Satellite based secure quantum communications between ground stations over range of 2000 KMs within India, long distance secure quantum communications with other countries, inter-city quantum key distribution over 2000 km and multi-node Quantum network with quantum memories.
      2. Mission will help develop magnetometers with high sensitivity in atomic systems and Atomic Clocks for precision timing, communications and navigation.
      3. Under it, 4 Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) will be set up in top academic and National R&D institutes on domains - Quantum Computing, Quantum Communication, Quantum Sensing & Metrology and Quantum Materials & Devices.
2. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched SATHI (Seed Traceability, Authentication and Holistic Inventory) Portal and App, as a Centralized Online System for seed traceability, authentication and inventory designed to deal with challenges of seed production, quality seed identification and seed certification.
  1. It has been developed by NIC, on theme Uttam Beej – Samriddh Kisan.
3. Noted economist Utsa Patnaik has been named winner of Malcolm Adiseshiah Award 2023, given by Malcolm & Elizabeth Adiseshiah Trust. It carries prize money of 2 lakh.
4. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel received Grand Cross 1st Class, Special issue of Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, as Germany’s highest federal decoration, becoming 3rd german leader to receive this.
5. Apr 19 is observed globally as World Liver Day, to raise awareness about liver-related diseases.
Apr 18, 2023
1. Apr 18 is observed as World Heritage Day, also as International Day of Monuments and sites. It was proclaimed by UNESCO in 1983. 2023 Theme is Heritage Changes.
2. National Health Authority (NHA) invited participation in Health Claims Exchange Ecosystem by onboarding on HCX – Sandbox Environment.
  1. NHA had earlier announced HCX as a new initiative under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), to tackle challenges and streamline process of health insurance claims settlement process in country, which is mostly manual, non-digital and laborious in nature at present.
  2. HCX enables interoperability of health claims and serves as a protocol for exchanging claims-related information among various entities involved in claim process. HCX will lead to reduction in operational overheads and increase trust among payers and providers through a transparent and rule-based mechanism.
3. Book Sachin@50 - Celebrating A Maestro, written by sports historian Boria Majumdar has been released.
4. As per data by National Securities Depository -
  1. Overseas flows into Indian capital markets originating from tax-haven Mauritius witnessed sharp decline, as total assets under custody from Mauritius declined 42 % to Rs 3.25 Lakh crores.
  2. US, followed by Singapore are now Top 2 jurisdictions for foreign portfolio investor (FPI) flows to India. Mauritius has slipped to 4th place (from 2nd). Luxembourg stands 3rd.
5. World's Wealthiest Cities Report 2023 by Henley & Partners -
  1. Top 5 - New York (USA), Tokyo (Japan), The Bay Area (USA), London (UK), Singapore.
  2. Mumbai is top ranked Indian City (21st rank globally), followed by Delhi (36th).
Apr 17, 2023
1. English translation of Nepali novel Phoolange has been released, written by Lekhnath Chhetri. It focuses on failed Gorkha movement for a separate state.
2. European Space Agency (ESA) launched Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission, from French Guiana.
  1. The explorer will reach Jupiter in 2031, to study 3 Galilean moons of Jupiter - Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa. These are thought to have significant bodies of liquid water beneath their icy surfaces which would make them potentially habitable environments.
  2. Notably, NASA will also launch its Europa Clipper in October 2023, to study Jupiter's Europa moon.
3. Apr 17 is observed as World Hemophilia Day, observed by World Federation of Hemophilia
4. Ministry of Tribal Affairs introduced new scheme called Marketing and Logistics Development for Promotion of Tribal Products from North -Eastern Region (PTP-NER), which aims at benefitting Scheduled Tribes of Northeastern Region.
  1. It will strengthen livelihood opportunities for tribal artisans through increased efficiency in procurement, logistics and marketing of tribal products from North East.
  2. It will apply to Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim.
5. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Industry Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA-CoE) has been inaugurated at IIT Hyderabad.
  1. DIA CoE IITH is largest centre among all 15 DIA CoEs in country.
6. Five Wisden Cricketers of the Year 2023 - Tom Blundell (NZ), Ben Foakes (ENG), Harmanpreet Kaur (India), Daryl Mitchell (NZ) and Matthew Potts (ENG).
  1. Also -
    1. Ben Stokes (ENG) and Beth Mooney (AUS) have been named Leading Cricketers in the World, in Men's and Women's categories respectively.
    2. Suryakumar Yadav (IND) has been named as Leading T20 Cricketer in the World.
7. Assam and Arunachal Pradesh State govts signed MoU, to resolve long pending border disputes.
  1. Other notable Assam cabinet aprovals -
    1. Approved monthly pension of 15000 to 301 Loktantra Senani of 1975 Emergency.
    2. Approved a joint venture company of Oil India Limited (49 % share) and Assam Gas Company (51 % share), to lay, build and operate city natural gas distribution networks in parts of Assam and Tripura.
Apr 16, 2023
1. Apr 16 is observed as World Voice Day.
  1. Apr 16 is also observed globally as Save the elephants day. On this occasion, President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated Gaj Utsav 2023 at Kaziranga National Park (Assam).
2. Home Minister Amit Shah presented Maharashtra Bhushan award 2022 to Social activist Appasaheb Dharmadhikari.
  1. Maharashtra Bhushan is highest civilian award presented annually by Government of Maharashtra.
3. Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu inaugurated Shar Nyima Tsho Sum Namyig Lhakhang (Gonpa) at Gyangkhar village, in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
  1. The Gonpa has notable historical importance for well-being and betterment of humans, particularly for people of Shar Nyima Tsho Sum and all Buddhists.
4. 2023 World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings held in Washington DC (USA).
  1. On the sidelines, inaugural Commonwealth Finance Ministers High-Level Working Group Meeting was also held. During the meet, India was named as chair (And Nigeria deputy chair) of Finance Ministers Working Group for a Commonwealth Call for Reform of Global Financial Architecture.
5. Group of Seven (G7) Ministers’ Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment held in Sapporo (Japan).
  1. G7 Nations committed to collectively increase offshore wind capacity to 173 gigawatts (From 22.5 GW Currently) and solar capacity to 1300 GW (From 320 GW Currently).
Apr 15, 2023
1. Apr 15 is observed as World Art Day, being observed since 2012.
2. April 15 is observed as Himachal Day.
  1. Himachal Pradesh State came into being as a centrally administered territory on 15 April 1948, after integration of thirty erstwhile princely states.
  2. Himachal Pradesh became a union territory on 1 November 1956.
  3. Later, on 25 Jan 1971, Himachal Pradesh became 18th state of India.
3. Monthly Trade and Inflation Data (March 2023) -
  1. Inflation and Trade Data for March 2023 -
    1. Wholesale price Index Based (WPI) -
      1. WPI based inflation fell to 1.34 % in March 2023, which is lowest in 29 months.
      2. WPI Inflation in last 12 months -
        
        February 2023 - 3.85 %
        
        January 2023 - 4.73 %
        
        December 2022 - 4.95 %
        
        November 2022 - 5.85 %
        
        October 2022 - 8.39 %
        
        September 2022 - 10.07 %
        
        August 2022 - 12.41 %
        
        July 2022 - 13.93 %
        
        June 2022 - 15.18 %
        
        May 2022 - 15.88 % (30 Year High)
        
        April 2022 - 15.08 %
        
        March 2022 - 14.55 %
    2. Consumer Price Index (CPI) Based (retail inflation) -
      1. CPI-based inflation rate for March 2023 fell to 5.66 %.
      2. CPI Inflation in Last 12 Months -
        
        February 2023 - 6.44 %
        
        January 2023 - 6.52 %
        
        December 2022 - 5.72 %
        
        November 2022 - 5.88 %
        
        October 2022 - 6.77 %
        
        September 2022 - 7.41 %
        
        August 2022 - 7.01 %
        
        July 2022 - 6.71 %
        
        June 2022 - 7.01 %
        
        May 2022 - 7.04%
        
        April 2022 - 7.79 % (8 Year High)
        
        March 2022 - 6.95 %
    3. Trade -

Apr 14, 2023

April 14th is Birth Anniversary of B R Ambedkar. He campaigned against social discrimination towards Dalits. He was independent India's first law and justice minister, and architect of Constitution of India. His Birth anniversary is observed as Social Justice Day, announced in 2018. Note that UN World Day of Social Justice is observed on Feb 20.
1. On this occasion -
  1. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Yatra - Bharat Gaurav Train was flagged off.
  2. 70-feet tall statue of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar has been unveiled in Latur city (Maharashtra), to be known as Statue of Knowledge.
  3. Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao unveiled 125-foot bronze statue of BR Ambedkar in Hyderabad, as tallest statue of Ambedkar in India.
2. April 14 is also observed as World Chagas Disease Day, to increase awareness of Chagas disease. It is observed since 2020.
3. Apr 14 is also observed as National Fire Service Day in India.
Notable Points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Assam -
1. Dedicated AIIMS Guwahati to the Nation.
2. Launched HPCL’s LPG Bottling Plant at Goalpara.
3. Inaugurated 500 TPD Menthol Plant in Namrup.
4. Laid foundation stone of Assam Advanced Health Care Innovation Institute (AAHII) and launched Aapke Dwar Ayushman campaign, by distributing Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) cards to eligible beneficiaries.
5. During the visit, New Guinness World Record was made with over 11000 dancers and drummers performing traditional Bihu dance.
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami launched A-HELP (Accredited Agent for Health and Extension of Livestock Production) programme,
1. Under this, trained A-HELPs will give their vital contribution in preventing various infectious diseases of animals, artificial insemination under Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM), tagging of animals and animal insurance.
Fisheries & Animal Husbandry Minister Parshottam Rupala launched Animal Pandemic Preparedness Initiative and World Bank-funded Animal Health System Support for One Health, to enhance India's preparedness and response to potential animal pandemics, in line with One Health approach.

2023 Asian Wrestling Championships (Astana, Kazakhstan) -

Medal Table -

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Kazakhstan	7	4	9	20
2	Japan	6	4	10	20
3	Iran	6	3	4	13
4	Kyrgyzstan	5	3	6	14
5	China	2	4	6	12
6	Uzbekistan	1	5	5	11
7	India	1	3	10	14

Notable Indian Medalists -
1. Gold -
  1. Aman Sehrawat - Men's freestyle 57 KG
2. Silver -
  1. Rupin Gahlawat- Men's Greco-Roman 55 KG
  2. Antim Panghal - Women's freestyle 53 KG
  3. Nisha Dahiya - Women's freestyle 68 KG

Apr 13, 2023
1. Apr 13 is also observed as Siachen Day by Indian Army. On April 13, 1984, Indian Army launched ''Operation Meghdoot'' to secure Bilafond La and other passes on Saltoro Ridgeline from Pakistan.
2. NITI Aayog's Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare partnered to promote innovation in agricultural sector among school students across India, by connecting Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) with Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs) and Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMAs).
3. Book The Great Bank Robbery: NPAs, Scams and the Future of Regulation, co-authored by Pattabhi Ram & Sabyasachee Dash, has been released.
4. SBI launched its coffee table book titled The Banker to Every Indian.
5. Ghana (West Africa) became first country to approve a highly effective malaria vaccine developed at Oxford university (UK).
  1. R21/Matrix-M vaccine, the first to exceed the World Health Organization’s target of 75% efficacy, has been cleared for use by Ghana, in children aged 5-36 months.
Apr 12, 2023
1. Apr 12 is marked as International Day of Human Space Flight. It commemorates Yuri Gagarin’s historic spaceflight on Apr 12, 1961.
  1. Day was proclaimed by UN in 2011. In 1957, first human made earth satellite Sputnik I was launched into outer space. On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first man to orbit earth successfully.
2. Canara Bank and NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd (NBBL) launched cross-border inward bill payment services for Indians based in Oman, to enable them to make bill payments on behalf of their families through Musandam Exchange (managed by Canara Bank).
  1. This makes Canara Bank first public sector bank in India to offer inbound cross-border bill payments through BBPS.
3. HDFC Bank signed Master Inter Bank Credit Agreement with Export Import Bank of Korea, for USD 300 million line of credit.
  1. This line of credit will be utilised by HDFC Bank towards funding requirements of companies having equity participation by Korean companies, and companies having business relationship with Korean companies.
4. NSE Indices Limited (NSE’s index services subsidiary) launched India’s first-ever Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) Index – the Nifty REITs & InvITs Index.
  1. It will track performance of REITs and InvITs that are publicly listed and traded at NSE.
Apr 11, 2023
1. Apr 11 is observed as National Safe Motherhood Day in India.
  1. In 2003, Govt. marked M K Gandhi's Wife Kasturba Gandhi's birth anniversary on April 11 as National Safe Motherhood Day.
  2. April 11 is also observed globally as World Parkinson's Day.
2. Election Commission of India granted national party status to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), based on its electoral performance in 4 states- Delhi, Goa, Punjab, and Gujarat.
  1. Also, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Communist Party of India (CPI) lost their national party status.
  2. As per Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order 1968, a political party can be recognized as a national party if any of given 3 conditions are met -
    1. If party wins at least 2% of seats in Lok Sabha from at least three different states in a general election.
    2. If party secures at least 6% of total valid votes polled in any four or more states, at a general election to Lok Sabha or to Legislative Assembly.
    3. If party is recognized as a state party in at least four states.
3. India's first semi-high-speed regional rail services have been named RAPIDX, by National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC).
  1. Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) is an 82.15 km semi-high speed rail corridor, which will connect Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Meerut. Entire corridor will be open for public in 2025. Project cost is 30274 crores.
  2. Other 2 approved corridors under phase 1 for RAPIDX project are Delhi-Alwar & Delhi-Panipat.
4. Noted Indian-American mathematician and statistician Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao has been honorerd with 2023 International Prize in Statistics, the equivalent to Nobel Prize in Statistics.
  1. Awarded every 2 years, International Prize in Statistics carries $80000 Monetary Reward.
  2. International Prize in Statistics & COPSS Presidents' Award, are 2 highest honours in field of Statistics.
  3. C R Rao is currently professor emeritus at Pennsylvania State University and Research Professor at University at Buffalo (US).
5. Book Courting India: England, Mughal India and the Origins of Empire, written by University of Liverpool (UK) professor Nandini Das, has been released.
6. Online Gambling has been banned in Tamil Nadu, after state governor RN Ravi gave his assent to Bill for Banning Online Gambling and Regulating Online Games, with fines upto 10 lakhs and 3 year jail term for violations.
7. Tamil Nadu Assembly passed Factories (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Bill 2023, which extends daily working shifts of factory workers to 12 hours (from existing 8), in case they opt for four-day working weeks. Total working hours in a week will remain unchanged at 48.
Apr 10, 2023
1. Apr 10 is observed as World Homoeopathy Day. It marks Birth anniversary of Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of Homoeopathy. He was born on 10 April 1755.
2. Festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (FINE) 2023 has been organized at Rashtrapati Bhavan (New Delhi) -
  1. During the event, A Grassroots Innovations Accelerator program was announced, to help grassroots innovators in farming with support for entrepreneurial, product, and market development. It is launched by NIF Incubation and Entrepreneurship Council (NIFientreC) and digital business transformation company Publicis Sapient.
3. Transport minsiter Nitin Gadkari inaugurated Z-Morh Tunnel, as 6.5 km long tunnel between Gagangair and Sonamarg in Ganderbal district of UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
  1. It is named after the Z-shaped stretch of road that the tunnel will replace.
  2. Together with adjacent Zoji-La Tunnel, this geostrategically important tunnel on NH1 Srinagar-Leh Highway will provide year-round weather-proof connectivity to Ladakh and Baltal (Amarnath cave), reducing 3.5 hours travel time to 15 minutes drive.
  3. Notably -
    1. Under construction Zoji La Tunnel will be Asia's longest tunnel, with 14.2 km length, situated at height 11575 feet.
    2. It passes under Zoji La pass in Himalayas between Ganderbal of Kashmir (J&K) and Drass town in Kargil district of Ladakh.
4. General News / Events (Apr 1-10, 2023) -
  1. International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure 2023 held in Hybrid format, in New Delhi.
    1. ICDRI is annual conference of Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) member nations, which was initiated by India, and aims to strengthen global discourse on disaster and climate resilient infrastructure.
  2. Kolkata Metro Wednesday became first metro rail in Indian to make an under-river journey, as its rakes passed through an underwater tunnel below Hooghly river.
  3. Conservation and breeding centre for critically endangered Asian king vulture has been set up in Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj district.
  4. Uttar Pradesh govt announced target to convert vehicles used in government departments into Electric (EVs), by 2030.
5. Power & Renewable Energy Minister R. K. Singh released report of State Energy Efficiency Index (SEEI) 2021-22, developed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
  1. Front Runner States - Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan and Telangana.
  2. Achievers States - Assam, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Punjab.
6. Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed agreement with Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (TPDDL), to subscribe non-convertible debentures worth 150 crores of TPDDL, to enhance Delhi’s power distribution through grid enhancements.
  1. ADB also agreed to provide USD 2 million grant to partially finance purchase and integration of a pilot battery energy storage system (BESS).
7. India handed over contribution of US$ 2 million to United Nations Trust Fund in support of African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).
  1. ATMIS was established in April 2022 by UN, to support implementation of Somali Transitional Plan towards a full handover of security responsibility to Somali institutions by end 2024, and reduce threat posed by terrorist group Al-Shabaab.
Apr 09, 2023
1. Apr 9 is observed as CRPF's Valour Day.
  1. A CRPF contingent on April 9, 1965 fought against Pakistanis in Rann of Kutch,eliminating 34 Pakistani Soldiers, losing 6 CRPF Soldiers.
2. Notable points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka -
  1. Telangana -
    1. Laid foundation stone of AIIMS Bibinagar (Hyderabad).
  2. Tamil Nadu -
    1. Inaugurated New Integrated Terminal Building (Phase- 1) of Chennai International Airport, increasing passenger serving capacity of airport from 23 Million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA) to 30 MPPA.
    2. Attended celebrations commemorating 125th Anniversary of Sri Ramakrishna Math in Chennai.
  3. Karnataka -
    1. Launched International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA) at Bandipura Tiger Reserve, which will focus on protection and conservation of 7 major big cats - Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar and Cheetah, with membership of the range countries harbouring these species.
    2. It was launched to Commemorate occasion of 50 years of Project Tiger, which was launched on April 1, 1973.
      1. Notably, tiger population in India has reached 3167 in 2022, marking significant increase compared to previous census figures of 1411 in 2006, 1706 in 2010, 2226 in 2014, and 2967 in 2018.
    3. Also, Nepal became a founding member of International Big Cats Alliance.
3. Himachal Pradesh govt launched project Sanjeevani, to help empower livelihoods of small dairy farmers and livestock owners, as state economy is largely banking on agriculture and animal husbandry.
  1. Under it, doorstep delivery of livestock care and all veterinary services will be made available for farmers, in association with IndusInd Bank subsidiary Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd. (BFIL).
4. As per Global Trade Outlook and Statistics Update by WTO (World Trade Organization) -
  1. World merchandise trade volume is projected to grow 1.7% in 2023, before picking up to 3.2% in 2024. It stayed 2.7 % in 2022.
5. Book Gandhi: Siyasat aur Sampradaiykta, authored by Piyush Babele has been released.
6. India's Mukesh Ambani led Forbes's World’s Richest Sports Owners 2023 List, who owns Mumbai Indians IPL Franchise.
  1. Top 3 -
    1. Mukesh Ambani (Mumbai Indians, Cricket). Source of Wealth - Reliance Industries.
    2. Steve Ballmer (Los Angeles Clippers, Basketball). Source of Wealth - Microsoft.
    3. Rob Walton (Denver Broncos, American Football). Source of Wealth- Walmart.
Apr 08, 2023
1. Apr 8 is observed as International Romani Day, to celebrate Romani culture and raise awareness of issues facing Romani people.
2. Law Minister Kiren Rijiju released first edition of the Dogri version of Constitution of India.
  1. Dogri is an Indo-Aryan language primarily spoken in Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir.
3. Andaman and Nicobar Command (only tri-service theater command of Indian Armed Forces) conducted large-scale Joint Military Exercise Ex KAVACH, involving assets of Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.
4. India - Sri Lanka bilateral Naval exercise SLINEX-23 conducted at Colombo (Sri Lanka).
5. India has been elected as a member of United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs & Programme Coordinating Board of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS, both subsidiary bodies of UN ECOSOC (United Nations Economic and Social Council).
6. Home Minister Amit Shah launched Vibrant Villages Programme in Kibithoo, a border village in Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh.
  1. This Programme was approved in Feb 2023 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with financial allocation 4800 Crores, between FY 2022-23 to 2025-26.
  2. Under it -
    1. 2500 crores will be used exclusively for road connectivity.
    2. 2967 villages in 46 blocks of 19 districts abutting northern border in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand & Himachal Pradesh and UT of Ladakh have been identified for comprehensive development.
Apr 07, 2023
1. Apr 7 is observed as World Health Day, with 2023 theme Health for all. It marks establishment of World Health Organization, on Apr 7, 1948.
  1. Also, Prevention of Blindness Week is observed in India between April 1-7.
2. Home Minister Amit Shah Laid foundation stone of Hariharpur Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya in Azamgarh, to honor Harihar Gharana - the heritage of Azamgarh.
3. Tamil Nadu govt formulated Tamil Nadu Regional Aerial Connectivity through Helicopters (TN REACH) mechanism, to use over 80 unused helipads for travel across state.
4. Central Govt promulgated Article 355 in Manipur, amid arson and violence in hills and valley areas of state.
  1. Article 355 mandates Union to protect every State against external aggression and internal disturbance.
5. Adani Power commissioned its first 800 MW ultra-super-critical thermal power generation unit at Godda in Jharkhand, from which 748 MW of power will be supplied to Bangladesh.
  1. Earlier in 2016, Adani Power had signed MoU with Bangladesh Power Development Board, to set up 2x800 MW thermal power plants in India on build-and-operate basis.
6. NASA launched Intelsat-40e geostationary communications satellite, atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
  1. Notably, Intelsat-40e also features payload called Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring Pollution (TEMPO), which is designed to measure air pollution across greater North America on hourly basis.
Apr 06, 2023
1. Sanjay Jasjit Singh has been appointed as new Vice chief of Indian Navy.
2. Apr 6 is observed as International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.
3. Govt granted GI (Geographical Indication) tag to 33 new products from several states, which notably includes -
  1. Marcha Rice - Bihar
  2. Rewa Sunderja Mango - Madhya Pradesh
  3. Ladakh Shingskos (Wood Carving) - Ladakh
  4. Nagri Dubraj Rice - Chhattisgarh
4. RBI Kept key monetary policy rates unchanged, in bimonthly MPC Meet -
  1. Current Key monetary policy rates -
    1. Repo Rate - 6.50%
    2. Bank Rate - 6.75%
    3. Reverse Repo Rate - 3.35%
    4. Standing Deposit Facility Rate - 6.25%
    5. Marginal Standing Facility Rate - 6.75%
  2. RBI predictions -
    1. Real GDP growth for 2023-24 is projected at 6.5 %, with Q1 at 7.8 %; Q2 at 6.2 %; Q3 at 6.1 %; and Q4 at 5.9 %.
    2. CPI inflation is projected to moderate to 5.2 % for 2023-24.
  3. Other Notable announcements -
    1. Web based centralised portal PRAVAAH (Platform for Regulatory Application, Validation And AutHorisation) will be developed, to enable entities to apply for license / authorisation or regulatory approvals from RBI.
    2. A centralised web portal will be developed to enable search across multiple banks for possible unclaimed deposits, to help beneficiaries in getting back unclaimed deposits.
      1. Notably, public sector banks recently transferred 35,012 crores in unclaimed deposits to RBI.
    3. Scope of UPI (Unified Payments Interface) will be expanded by permitting operation of pre-sanctioned credit lines at banks through UPI.
5. Cabinet Apprpovals (Apr 06, 2023) -
  1. General -
    1. Approved Indian Space Policy 2023, which aims to boost space department's role and give larger participation to research, academia, startups, and industry.
      1. It lays down roles of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and related private sector entities, to boost inclusivity in space research.
  2. CCEA -
    1. Approved revised domestic natural gas pricing guidelines for gas produced from nomination fields of ONGC/OIL, New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) blocks and pre-NELP blocks, where Production Sharing Contract (PSC) provides for Government's approval of prices.
      1. Price of such natural gas shall be 10% of the monthly average of Indian Crude Basket and shall be notified on a monthly basis.
      2. New guidelines aim to ensure stable pricing regime for domestic gas consumers while providing adequate protection to producers from adverse market fluctuation, with incentives for enhancing production.
      3. Government aims to increase share of natural gas in primary energy mix in India from current 6.5% to 15% by 2030. Reforms shall help expand consumption of natural gas and will contribute to achievement of target of emission reduction and net zero.
      4. Reforms will lead to significant decrease in prices of Piped Natural Gas (PNG) for households and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for transport.
      5. Approved Measures are in line with recommendations of panel on natural gas pricing, headed by Kirit Parikh.
6. Budget Session 2023 of Parliament has been concluded (Held between Jan 31 to Apr 6, 2023, with recess between Feb 13 to Mar 12, 2023) -
  1. Notable Info Disseminated during session -
    1. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) will launch Bima Sugam portal, as a common platform to meet all insurance-related needs, and address existing protection gap across life, health and general insurance businesses in country.
    2. RBI has permitted banks from 19 countries to open Special Vostro Rupee Accounts (SVRAs) to settle payments in rupees, including neighboring Sri Lanka & Bangladesh.
    3. As per Ministry of Education -
      1. Lowest Literacy states/UTs - Bihar (61.8 %), Arunachal Pradesh (65.3 %), Rajasthan (66.1 %).
      2. Highest Literacy states/UTs - Kerala (94%), Lakshadweep (91.85%), Mizoram (91.33%).
      3. Literacy rate in rural India is 67.77 %, compared to 84.11 % in urban India.
    4. Ministry of Earth Sciences is implementing umbrella scheme Research, Education and Training Outreach (REACHOUT), with sub-schemes -R&D in Earth System Science (RDESS), International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography (ITCOocean) & Program for Development of Skilled manpower in Earth System Sciences (DESK).
    5. India’s first-ever coal gasification based Fertiliser plant in Talcher (Odisha) will be launched by October 2024.
    6. As per Railways Ministry, India’s first hydrogen-powered train will be launched by December 2023, to check carbon emission in Railways.
      1. Hydrogen train will be indigenously manufactured and will initially run on heritage circuits.
      2. Also, Indian Railways earned record revenue of Rs 2.4 lakh cr during FY 23 (2022-23), including freight revenue 1.62 lakh crores and passenger revenues at 63300 crores.
    7. 1st nuclear power plant in North India is being built in Gorakhpur (Haryana).
      1. Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojana (GHAVP), near Gorakhpur village of Fatehabad district of Haryana, has capacity 2800 MW (2 phases of 1400 MW Each).
      2. Phase 1 shall be launched by 2029. Project cost is approx 21000 crores for each phase.
    8. State of Renewable Energy in India -
      1. India’s installed non-fossil fuel capacity increased 4 times in last 8.5 years and stands at 179 Giga Watts (4th highest in world), which is 43% of country’s total power generation capacity. Break up -
        Wind power: 42.6 GW (4th highest)
        
        Solar Power: 66.7 GW (4th highest)
        
        Large Hydro: 46.85 GW
        
        Biomass/Co-generation: 10.2 GW
        
        Small Hydro Power: 4.94 GW
        
        Waste To Energy: 0.55 GW
      2. As per India’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) communicated to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Aug 2022, India aims to -
        Reduce carbon intensity of nation’s economy by less than 45% by 2030.
        
        Achieve 50 % cumulative electric power installed (500 GW) by 2030 from renewables.
        Notably, Govt announced to invite bids for 50 GW of renewable energy capacity annually for next 5 years (2023-24 till 2027-28), also including setting up of wind power capacity of at least 10 GW per annum.
        
        Achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2070.
      3. India also submitted its Long-Term Low Carbon Development Strategy in Nov 2022 under Paris Agreement, to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), during COP 27 meet at Sharm-el-Sheikh (Egypt).
    9. As per Dehradun-based Forest Survey of India (FSI)'s India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021 -
      1. Total forest cover is 713789 sq km, which is 21.71% of geographical area. Forest cover increased by 1540 square kilometer between ISFR 2019 and ISFR 2021.
      2. States with Max area under forests - Rajasthan (342239), Madhya Pradesh (308252), Maharashtra (307713).
    10. During FY 22 (2021-22), India received foreign inward remittances of $89 Billion, highest ever inward remittances received in a single year. Top 3 source nations - US (23.4 %), UAE (18 %), UK (6.8).
    11. Govt has approved Namami Gange Mission-II with budgetary outlay of 22500 crores till 202.
      1. Namami Gange Programme was effective between Jun 2014 - Mar 2021, to rejuvenate River Ganga and its tributaries with a budgetary outlay of 20000 crores.
    12. Under National Health Authority (NHA)'s flagship scheme Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), 25 crore health records of individuals have been linked to their ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account), enabling them avail paper-less health services across ABDM network.
    13. Government e-Marketplace (GeM) initiative Start-ups, Women and Youth Advantage Through eTransactions (SWAYATT) has been launched to promote Start-ups, Women and Youth Advantage through e-Transactions on GeM.
    14. India’s coal production grew by 14.65 % on a Y-o-Y basis to hit an all-time high of 892.21 million tonnes (MT) in FY 23 (2022-23).
    15. NHAI will develop 10000 km of Optic Fibre Cables (OFC) infrastructure across country by FY2024-25, through SPV National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML).
    16. For 4th year in a row, Rajasthan topped in terms of persondays generation under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, by generating 35.61 crore persondays in 2022-23, followed by Tamil Nadu (33.45 crore), Uttar Pradesh (31.18 crore).
    17. Govt will introduce Vande Metro by December 2023, to connect major cities and provide a cost-effective mode of transportation. It comes after successful launch of semi-high-speed Vande Bharat Express trains.
  2. Bills -
    1. Bills passed by Parliament (Passed by both houses Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha)
      1. Finance Bill, 2023
      2. The Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation Bill, 2023
      3. The Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation (No. 2) Bill, 2023
      4. The Appropriation (No. 2) Bill, 2023
      5. The Appropriation Bill, 2023
      6. The Competition (Amendment) Bill 2023 -
        Bill seeks to amend Competition Act 2002, to regulate mergers and acquisitions based on the value of transactions. Key Features -
        Regulation of combinations based on transaction value - Act prohibits any person / enterprise from entering into a combination which may cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition. Prohibition applies to transactions where parties involved have cumulative assets of more than 1000 crore, or cumulative turnover of more than 3000 crores. Bill expands the definition of combinations to include transactions with a value above 2000 crores.
        
        Act requires the CCI to pass an order on an application for approval of combinations within 210 days. The Bill reduces this time limit to 150 days.
        
        For classification of combinations, the Act defines control as control over the affairs or management by one or more enterprises over another enterprise or group. Bill modifies the definition of control as the ability to exercise material influence over the management, affairs, or strategic commercial decisions.
        
        Under the Act, anti-competitive agreements include any agreement related to production, supply, storage, or control of goods / services, which can cause an adverse effect on competition in India. Bill adds that enterprises or persons not engaged in identical businesses shall be presumed to be part of such agreements, if they actively participate in furtherance of such agreements.
        
        Under the Act, CCI may initiate proceedings against enterprises on grounds of entering into anti-competitive agreements or abuse of dominant position. Bill permits CCI to close inquiry proceedings if enterprise offers settlement (may involve payment) or commitments (may be structural or behavioural in nature).
        
        Bill changes nature of punishment for certain offences from imposition of fine to penalty.
    2. Bills Introduced in Lok Sabha (In pending state currently) -
      1. The Finance Bill, 2023
      2. The Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation Bill, 2023
      3. The Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation (No. 2) Bill, 2023
      4. The Appropriation (No. 2) Bill, 2023
      5. The Appropriation Bill, 2023
      6. The Inter-services Organizations (Command, Control & Discipline) Bill 2023
        It seeks to empower Commander-in-Chief or Officer-in-Command of Inter-services Organisations to exercise administrative control over service personnel under their command, irrespective of their service.
        
        Key features -
        Inter-services Organisation -
        Existing Inter-services Organisations will be deemed to have been constituted under the Bill, including Andaman and Nicobar Command, Defence Space Agency, and National Defence Academy.
        
        Govt may constitute an Inter-services Organisation which has personnel belonging to at least 2 of the 3 services, which may be placed under command of an Officer-in-Command.
        
        Control of Inter-services Organisations -
        Bill empowers Commander-in-Chief or the Officer-in-Command of an Inter-services Organisation to exercise command and control over personnel serving in or attached to it.
        
        Central govt may notify any force maintained in India to which the Bill will apply, in addition to army, navy, and air force personnel.
        
        Bill provides for a Commanding Officer who will be in command of a unit/ship/establishment. The officer will also perform duties assigned by Commander-in-Chief or Officer-in-Command of the Inter-services Organisation.
      7. The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023 (Referred to Joint Committee)
        It aims to amend Forest Conservation Act 1980, which provides for conservation of forest land.
        
        Bill adds and exempts certain types of land from purview of the Act. It also expands list of activities permitted to be carried out on forest land.
        
        Key features -
        Restrictions on activities in forest -
        Act restricts de-reservation of forest or use of forest land for non-forest purposes, which may be lifted with govt approval.
        Non-forest purposes include use of land for cultivating horticultural crops or for any purpose other than reafforestation.
        
        Act specifies certain activities that will be excluded from non-forest purposes. Bill adds more activities to this list.
        
        Exempted categories of land -
        Bill also exempts certain types of land from provisions of Act such as forest land along a rail line or a public road maintained by government providing access to a habitation, or to a rail, and roadside amenity up to a maximum size of 0.10 hectare.
        
        Forest land that will also be exempted includes land situated within 100 km along international borders (Line of Control), proposed to be used for construction of strategic linear project for national importance or security.
        
        Assigning of land through a lease or otherwise -
        Under the Act, state government or any authority requires prior approval of central govt to direct assigning of forest land through a lease or otherwise to any organisation not owned by government.
        
        Bill provides that such assigning may be done to any organisation subject to terms and conditions prescribed by central government.
        
        Power to issue directions -
        Bill adds that central government may issue directions for implementation of the Act to any other authority/ organisation.
      8. The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill 2023 -
        It amends Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act 2005, which established Coastal Aquaculture Authority for regulating coastal aquaculture, which refers to rearing and cultivation of fish under controlled conditions.
        
        Key features -
        Regulation of allied coastal aquaculture activities -
        Act regulates coastal aquaculture farms which carry out activities such as culturing of shrimp, prawns or any other aquatic life under controlled conditions in saline or brackish water.
        
        Bill adds that any facility that is engaged in coastal aquaculture or any allied activity will be regulated as a coastal aquaculture unit.
        
        Some allied activities to be allowed in certain protected areas -
        Act prohibits coastal aquaculture: (i) within 200 metres from high tide lines and (ii) in creeks, rivers, and backwaters within Coastal Regulation Zones under Environment (Protection) Act 1986.
        
        Bill replaces this to prohibit coastal aquaculture activities in: (i) ecologically sensitive areas or in geo-morphological features such as mountains, valleys, or volcanoes, (ii) no-development zones in seas and buffer zones in creeks, rivers, and backwaters, and (iii) creeks, rivers, and backwaters within Coastal Regulation Zones.
        
        Coastal Aquaculture Authority -
        Functions of Authority include: (i) regulating construction and operation of aquaculture farms in coastal areas, (ii) registering coastal aquaculture farms, and (iii) removing/demolishing farms that cause pollution.
        
        Bill adds that Authority shall:(i) prohibit coastal aquaculture inputs to prevent harm to coastal aquaculture, (ii) fix standards and regulate such units to prevent diseases, and (iii) fix standards for emission/discharge of effluents from coastal aquaculture units.
        
        Under the Act, Authority may authorise any person to enter any coastal aquaculture land and carry out inspections and remove any structures. Occupier of the land must be given a notice of at least 24 hours before entering such premises. Bill empowers Authority to waive the notice requirement.
        
        Composition of the Authority -
        Authority comprises 11 members. Bill adds a representative from Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying as a member.
        
        Penalties -
        Act penalises carrying out coastal aquaculture without registering with Authority with imprisonment up to 3 years, or fine up to 1 lakh rupees. Bill provides for different penalties for different contraventions.
        
        Adjudication and appeals -
        Under the Bill, govt may authorise an officer of at least Under Secretary level to adjudicate penalties. It may also authorise an officer of at least a Deputy Secretary level as an Appellate Authority for orders passed by adjudicating officer.
Apr 05, 2023
1. Former J&K CM Ghulam Nabi Azad's autobiography, Titled Azaad, has been released.
2. Apr 5 is observed as National Maritime Day in India, being observed since 1964.
  1. The saga of India shipping started on April 5, 1919, when SS Loyalty, the first ship of The Scindia Steam Navigation Company travelled from Mumbai to United Kingdom (London).
3. Apr 5 is observed as UN International Day of Conscience, being observed by UN since 2020.
4. Finance Ministry has set up a committee under Finance Secretary T V Somanathan, to review pension system for government employees.
5. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been honored with Order of the White Eagle (Poland's highest distinction), for his services to security, resilience and the defense of human rights, amid war with Russia.
Apr 04, 2023
1. Finland became North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO)’s 31st member, upon depositing its instrument of accession to NATO.
2. Apr 4 is observed as International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action.
3. Film director SS Rajamouli and Actor Shah Rukh Khan have been named in Time magazine’s List of 100 most influential people of 2023.
  1. Also, Actor Shah Rukh Khan topped 2023 TIME100 Reader Poll.
4. As per Airports Council International (ACI) Data -
  1. Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport remained 9th busiest airport in 2022, handling 59.5 million passengers annually.
  2. Also, with 93.6 million passengers in 2022, Georgia’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport remained world's busiest.
5. 5 Former Indian Cricketers have been accorded Honorary Life Membership of England's Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). These are - MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami.
6. Georgia Assembly passed a resolution condemning Hinduphobia, making it first American State to take such a legislative measure.
7. Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) announced to open its first overseas office in Abu Dhabi (UAE), as an Interim Operational Hub.
Apr 03, 2023
1. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) tested Reusable Launch Vehicle Autonomous Landing Mission (RLV LEX), successfully landing in Autonomous mode, at Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) in Chitradurga (Karnataka).
  1. This autonomous landing was executed in conditions similar to that of a Space Re-entry vehicle’s landing, which involves high-speed, unmanned and precise landing on same return path.
2. Ports & Shipping Minister launched Sagar-Setu App of National Logistics Portal (Marine), to help custodians with real time monitoring, approvals and transactions.
3. China’s yuan replaced US dollar as most traded currency in Russia, after invasion of Ukraine led to several global sanctions against Russia.
4. As per India Justice Report 2022 by Tata Trusts -
  1. Top 5 states in terms of providing access to justice - Karnataka (1), Tamil Nadu (2), Telangana (3), Gujarat (4), Andhra Pradesh (5)
  2. Report also states that India has 19 judges for every 10 lakh people, against Law Commission's suggestion of 50 judges for every 10 lakh people.
5. As per Global Passport Index 2023 by Arton Capital -
  1. Top 3 Powerful Passport - UAE (1), Sweden (2), Germany (3).
  2. Indian Passport has Passport Power Rank of 69 and ranked 144th globally, jointly with Uganda & Uzbekistan.

Apr 02, 2023

As per QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023 : Engineering & Technology -
1. Top 3 - MIT (US), Standford University (US), Cambridge University (UK).
2. 10 Indian Institutes have been named in List, topped by IIT Bombay (47), IIT Delhi (48), IIT Madras (68).
As per M3M Hurun Global Rich List -
1. China has most (969) Billionaires, followed by USA (691) & India (187).
2. Top 2 Richest - Bernard Arnault (US $202BN), Elon Musk (US $157BN).
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated Centre's Mission Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) in state, as a global mass movement to encourage an environmentally conscious lifestyle, with a focus on utilizing resources rather than engaging in wasteful consumption.
1. Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) was launched earlier in Oct 2022 by PM Narendra Modi & UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, at Statue of Unity (Gujarat).
RBI approved bilateral trade settlement between India and Tanzania using their national currencies, to reduce cost of transactions and enhance efficiency of trade.
2023 Miami Open Tennis Winners (Miami, US) -
1. Men's singles - Daniil Medvedev (Russia)
2. Women's singles - Petra Kvitová (Czech Republic)
3. Men's doubles - Santiago González (Mexico) & Édouard Roger-Vasselin (France)
4. Women's doubles - Coco Gauff (US) & Jessica Pegula (US)
European Commission (EC) granted protected geographical indication (PGI) for India’s unique Kangra tea, which is grown in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district.
Apr 2 is observed as World Autism Awareness Day, proclaimed in 2007.
1. Apr 2 is also observed as International Children's Book Day (ICBD).
UK joined 11-nation Indo-Pacific free-trade bloc named Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), becoming its first new member since its creation in 2018, in a bid to strengthen economic ties with new partners following Brexit.
2023 Spain Masters Badminton -
1. Men's singles - Kenta Nishimoto (Japan)
2. Women's singles - Gregoria Mariska Tunjung (Indonesia). She defeated India's P. V. Sindhu in final.
3. Men's doubles - China's He Jiting & Zhou Haodong
4. Women's doubles - China's Liu Shengshu & Tan Ning
5. Mixed doubles - Denmark's Mathias Christiansen & Alexandra Bøje

Red Bull's Dutch-Belgian F1 Racer Max Verstappen won Australian Grand Prix 2023.

F1 Season 2023 -

Grand Prix	Winner	Race date
Bahrain Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)	5 March
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix	Sergio Pérez (Mexico)	19 March
Australian Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)	2 April
Azerbaijan Grand Prix		30 April
Miami Grand Prix		7 May
Monaco Grand Prix		28 May
Spanish Grand Prix		4 June
Canadian Grand Prix		18 June
Austrian Grand Prix		2 July
British Grand Prix		9 July
Hungarian Grand Prix		23 July
Belgian Grand Prix		30 July
Dutch Grand Prix		27 August
Italian Grand Prix		3 September
Singapore Grand Prix		17 September
Japanese Grand Prix		24 September
Qatar Grand Prix		8 October
United States Grand Prix		22 October
Mexico City Grand Prix		29 October
São Paulo Grand Prix		5 November
Las Vegas Grand Prix		18 November
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix		26 November

Apr 01, 2023
1. Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB)'s amended Zonal unified tariffs have been brought under effect from 1st April 2023, to incorporate provisions for Unified Tariff for natural gas pipelines, targeted at One Nation, One Grid and One tariff.
  1. Based on new regulations, PNGRB notified a levelized Unified Tariff of Rs 73.93/MMBTU and created three tariff zones for Unified Tariff.
  2. 1st zone is up to a distance of 300 kms from gas source, second zone is 300 – 1200 kms and third is beyond 1200 kms.
2. United Nations held its first water conference in 46 years on World water day (Mar 22, 2023) in New York (USA), co-hosted by Governments of Tajikistan and Netherlands.
  1. It aimed to get the world back on track for reaching targets of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), to ensure access to water and sanitation for all by 2030.
3. Odisha Day (Utkala Dibasa) is observed on 1 April, in memory of formation of state as a separate state out of Bihar, Bengal and Odisha provinces with addition of Koraput and Ganjam from Madras Presidency on 1 April 1936.
  1. Apr 1 is also foundation of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which was established on April 1, 1935.
4. Home Minister Amit Shah launched several notable Projects in Mizoam -
  1. Inaugurated new Battalion Headquarter of Assam Rifles near Aizawl.
  2. Laid foundation stone of Laldenga Lammual Cultural Centre.
5. NPCI's wallet interoperability norms went live from April 1st, 2023 -
  1. It will allow prepaid payment instruments (PPI) wallets to be part of an interoperable UPI ecosystem, with fixed interchange fee of 1.1% for using PPIs for transactions above 2000 using UPI.
6. Govt hiked rate of interests on various small savings schemes - for Q1:FY 24 (April - June 2024) -
  1. Senior citizens savings scheme - 8.2 % (from 8 % earlier)
  2. Kisan Vikas Patra - 7.5 % (7.2 % earlier)
  3. Monthly Income Account scheme - 7.4 % (from 7.1 % earlier)
  4. National Savings Certificate - 7.7 % (from 7 % earlier)
  5. Sukanya Samriddhi - 8 % (from 7.6 % earlier).
  6. Notably, Interest rate on Most popular small savings scheme PPF (Public Provident Fund), has been kept unchanged at 7.1%.
7. Misc. Science News (April 2023) -
  1. India's first cloned Cow named Ganga, has been produced at Haryana-based National Dairy Research Institute (ICAR-NDRI).
    1. Gir cow breed is native tract in Gujarat and is popular for its docile nature, disease-resistance, heat-tolerance and high milk producing qualities.
  2. Microsoft added new functionality called Image Creator in latest preview of its Bing and Edge Browsers, which enables users to generate an image based on their written description, by utilizing an enhanced version of Open AI’s DALL-E model.
  3. World's first mountain-top Lifi laser 5G internet has been tested in Ladakh, led by Innovator Sonam Wangchuk.
    1. LiFi (Light Fidelity), utilises flickering lights to mimic digital signals, bringing high-speed internet to areas once thought unreachable.
  4. Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) partnered with IIT Bombay, to develop a robust touchless biometric capture system for easier anytime / anywhere usage.
  5. Kenya’s first operational Earth observation satellite Taifa-1 has been launched into space, onboard a SpaceX rocket.
  6. China launched Fengyun-3 meteorological satellite into orbit, onboard a Chang Zheng-4B carrier rocket.
  7. IIT Indore researchers in collaboration with NASA-Caltech, University of Gothenburg (Sweden) developed a low-cost camera setup which can provide multispectral imaging of four chemical species in a flame using single DSLR camera.
  8. Israel launched Ofek-13 spy satellite, intended to provide advanced intelligence capabilities to Israeli military and intelligence agencies.
  9. Researchers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center successfully extracted oxygen from simulated lunar soil, achieveing this in a vacuum environment for the first time, paving the way for astronauts to extract and use resources in a lunar environment, called in-situ resource utilization.
  10. IIT Kanpur based cybersecurity Technology Innovation Hub named C3iHub, supported by Department of Science and Technology's NM-ICPS Mission, launched its Cybersecurity Skilling Programme, to provide learners with a deeper understanding of technical basics of cyberspace and cyber issues.
  11. Norwegian ferry operator Norled launched world's first liquid hydrogen-powered vessel named MF Hydra, as a step towards sustainable ferry travel.
  12. Skyroot Aerospace, India’s first private rocket builder, tested first 3D-printed cryogenic engine Dhawan-II.
8. Misc. Sports News / Events (April 2023) -
  1. Twice Commonwealth Games Medalist weightlifter Sanjita Chanu has been banned for 4 years by National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), for a doping violation.
  2. England's Female Cricketer Katherine Sciver-Brunt announced her retirement from International Cricket.
  3. Gary Ballance announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. He had played for 2 Nations - Zimbabwe & England.
  4. Kim Cotton (New Zealand) became first woman to serve as an on-field umpire in a men’s international cricket match, after she officiated in a T20I match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
  5. Indian Racer Jaden Pariat secured podium position in opening round of British F4 Championship, becoming second Indian racer to achieve an international podium, after Kush Maini in 2017.
  6. On occasion of 50th Birth anniversary of Noted Indian Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar -
    1. West Stand at renowned Sharjah cricket stadium (UAE) has been renamed as Sachin Tendulkar Stand.
    2. Gates named After Sachin Tendulkar and Windies Legend Brian Lara inaugurated at Australia's iconic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
  7. Indian men's and women's teams won titles in 4th Asian Kho Kho Championships concluded in Assam.
  8. Kenya's Evans Chebet and Hellen Obiri won men’s and women’s titles respectively, in 2023 Boston Marathon (US).
9. Misc. Appointments (Apr 2023) -
  1. Senior level appointments in Indian Navy -
    1. Suraj Berry - Chief of Personnel.
    2. Atul Anand - Director General Naval Operations (DGNO).
  2. Rajesh Kumar Singh has been named as Secretary in Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (Ministry of Commerce and Industry).
  3. LIC named Ratnakar Patnaik as its new Chief Investment Officer and PC Paikray as Chief Risk Officer.
  4. Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo is named as President of National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), which administers Rifle shooting sports in India.
  5. Pankaj Singh has been named president of Cycling Federation of India (CFI), which administers cycling sports in India.
  6. Sudha Shivkumar has been named president of FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), the oldest women-led and women-centric business chamber in Southeast Asia.
  7. Indian-American engineer Amit Kshatriya has been named first head of NASA's newly-established Moon to Mars Programme, that will help NASA in ensuring a long-term lunar presence needed to prepare for humanity's next giant leap to MARS.
  8. Noted surgeon Raghu Ram Pillarisetti has been awarded lifetime achievement award by Telugu Association of London.
  9. RBI named Neeraj Nigam as an executive director (ED).
  10. RBI approved re-appointment of Sanjay Agarwal as MD and CEO of AU Small Finance Bank.
  11. HDFC Bank named Kaizad Bharucha as its Deputy Managing Director.
  12. Miguel Díaz-Canel has been re-appointed as Cuba’s President, for his 2nd term.
  13. Govt named Arun Sinha as new Chairman of National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO).
  14. A Madhavarao has been named as new CMD of Defence PSU Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).
10. Misc. MOUs (Apr 2023) -
  1. World Trade Centers Association and real estate developer Merlin Group signed MOU to develop a World Trade Center in Kolkata (West bengal).
  2. Ministry of Information & Broadcasting partnered with Amazon India, for co-operation in field of media, entertainment and public awareness.
  3. DST's bangalore-based Raman Research Institute (RRI) signed MoU with Indian Navy's R&D establishment Weapons and Electronics Systems Engineering Establishment (WESEE), for developing secure maritime communications.
  4. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Oil India Ltd. (OIL) signed MoU to pursue technological partnership in select domains across Energy value chain.
  5. Tripartite MOU has been signed between Central Govt, Assam Govt and Dimasa National Liberation Army/Dimasa Peoples’ Supreme Council (DNLA/DPSC), aimed at bringing end to insurgency in Dima Hasao District of Assam.
  6. NHAI Subsidiary Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL) signed MoU with Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve spread across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, to provide FASTag based payment system at Forest entry points.
  7. MoU signed between Indian Army and Tezpur University, for training Indian Army personnel in Chinese language.
11. Obituaries (Apr 2023) -
  1. Salim Durani - Former Cricketer.
  2. Chandan Ram Dass - Minister in Uttarakhand Government.
  3. Parkash Singh Badal - Former Chief Minister of Punjab.
  4. N Gopalakrishnan - Noted scientist, known for establishment of Indian Institute of Scientific Heritage.
  5. Jalabala Vaidya - Noted theatre artist and co-founder of Delhi’s Akshara Theatre.
  6. Keshub Mahindra - Noted industrialist and Chairman Emeritus of Mahindra & Mahindra. He was India’s oldest billionaire.
  7. Zafrullah Chowdhury - Noted Bangladeshi Liberation War fighter and public health activist.
  8. Jagarnath Mahto - Jharkhand Cabinet Minister.
  9. Uttara Baokar - Noted film and television actress.
  10. Allu Ramesh - Telugu actor and comedian.
  11. Sarah Thomas - Noted Malayalam language writer from Kerala.
  12. Trilochan Kanungo - Former MP and MLA from Odisha.
  13. Mamukkoya - Noted Malayalam actor.
  14. Tarek Fatah - Noted Pakistani-Canadian journalist, recognized for his critiques of Islamic extremism and Pakistani establishment.
12. GST revenue collected in March 2023 stood at 1.6 lakh crores (of which CGST 29546 crores, SGST 37314 crores, IGST 82907 crores and cess 10355 crores.
13. Misc. Defence News (Apr 2023) -
  1. Indian Army signed deal with Nagpur based Solar Industries to supply Nagastra Loitering munition to Indian Army, with over 75 % indigenous content.
  2. P8I simulator Ashok Roy Training Simulator Complex (ARTSC) has been inaugurated at INS Rajali (Arakkonam).
  3. Combined Commanders' Conference 2023 held in Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), as annual event of India’s top military commanders to discuss on military matters.
  4. Wing Commander Deepika Misra became first woman Air Force officer to receive a gallantry medal, which was Vayu Seva Medal conferred on her on Independence Day 2022.
14. Misc / Industrial Awards (Apr 2023) -
  1. Nilesh Bhagwan Sambre (founder of Jijau Educational and Social Foundation) has been honored with Maratha Udyog Ratna award at Maratha Entrepreneurs Conference 2023.
  2. Kumar Mangalam Birla (Chairman of Aditya Birla Group) has been named Business Leader of the Decade, by All India Management Association (AIMA).
  3. Indian Pharma firm Bharat Biotech has been awarded Best Production/Process Development award at World Vaccine Congress 2023 (Washington, USA).
  4. Indian-American physician Nitya Abraham has been honoured with Young Urologist of the Year Award by American Urological Association.
  5. Colombian singer Shakira has been named winner of inaugural Latin Women of the Year award by Billboard (American music and entertainment magazine.
  6. India's Maharatna PSU Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) has been conferred Global Gold Award by The Green Organization, at Green World Awards 2023 in Miami (USA).
    1. Award is a recognition of PGCIL’s CSR work for improving Agriculture Productivity and Rural Livelihood through watershed management, community participation and better crop management practices in 10 villages of Odisha.
  7. Karnataka won national award for best implementation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in FY 2022-23.
15. Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh initiated Captive Employers initiative under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), under which Captive employers will train Rural Poor Youth and provide employment to trained youth in their company / subsidiary.
  1. Under it, 19 Captive Employers signed MoU with Ministry of Rural Development, for training / placing 31000 rural youth in their own establishment / subsidiary companies.
16. Misc. Financial / Economy News (Apr 2023) -
  1. Digital payments firm PhonePe launched its hyperlocal commerce app Pincode, by going live on ONDC, starting from Bangalore.
  2. Ashneer Grover (BharatPe's ousted co-founder) launched his new cricket-focused fantasy sports app named CrickPe.
  3. Indian defence exports reached highest ever figures of Rs 15,920 crores in FY 23 (2022-23), seeing ten-fold increase since 2016-17.
  4. City Union Bank (CUB) introduced voice biometric authentication for accessing mobile app services, aimed at improving security, as first such offering by an Indian bank.
  5. SBI anounced to launch new variants of current account and Parivar (family) savings account during FY24, to minimise gap between deposit growth and credit growth.
  6. SBI re-introduced its retail term deposit scheme Amrit Kalash, offering special tenor of 400 days and interest rate of 7.6% for senior citizens and 7.1% for others.
  7. RBI imposed penalty of 6.77 crores on Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services, for non-compliance with norms related to disclosure of interest rates to borrowers at time of sanction of loans.
  8. RBI issued guidelines for acceptance of green deposits by banks and NBFCs, wherein funds could be used for financing activities like renewable energy, green transport and green buildings.
  9. Shivalik Small Finance Bank partnered with grain commerce platform Arya.ag, to provide financing to small farmers against warehouse receipts, to boost financial inclusion.
  10. Neobanking start-up Junior has been granted a non-banking finance company (NBFC) license by RBI, allowing it to boost lending business by offering credit directly to customers.
  11. India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) clocked its highest-ever number of transactions at 8.7 billion in March 2023.
  12. Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) opened its first dedicated branch for startups in Pune (Maharashtra).
    1. Notably, SBI had earlier opened several startup dedicated branches across country.
  13. Canara Bank partnered with Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), to enable Digitalised Submission of Form 15G/15H.
    1. Form 15G / 15H are self-declaration forms that an individual submits to the bank requesting not to deduct TDS on interest income as their income is below basic exemption limit.
  14. Indian GDP Growth Forecasts (April 2023) -
    1. As per World Bank's South Asia Economic Focus: Expanding Opportunities: Toward Inclusive Growth report -
      1. Indian GDP Growth Rate will be 6.3% for FY 24 (2023-24), down from 7 % predicted earlier, due to high borrowing costs, slower income growth and govt tightening fiscal expenditure.
      2. Report also stated Pakistan as Weakest economy in South Asia.
    2. As per IMF's Bi-annual World Economic Outlook (April 2023 Edition, Titled A Rocky Recovery) -
      1. India -
        Indian GDP to grow at 5.9 % during FY 24 (2023-24).
        
        India’s retail inflation to ease from 6.7 % in FY23 to 4.9 % in FY24, and current account deficit to come down to 2.2 % of GDP from 2.6 % in FY23.
      2. Global -
        Global growth will stay 2.8 % in 2023 before rising to 3 % in 2024.
        
        Global inflation will fall from 8.7 % in 2022 to 7 % in 2023 & 4.9 % in 2024.
    3. As per UN Trade and Development Conference (UNCTAD)'s Trade and Development Report Update (Apr 2023) -
      1. Indian GDP to grow at 6 % during FY 24 (2023-24).
      2. Global growth to stay 2.1% in 2023.
    4. Asian Development Bank (ADB) projects Indian GDP growth to be 6.4% in FY 24 (2023-24) & 6.7% in FY2025 (2024-25)
    5. Japan based Financial firm Nomura predicted Indian GDP to grow at 5.3 % in FY 24 (2023-24).
    6. RBI predicted Indian GDP to grow at 6.5 % in FY 24 (2023-24), with Q1 at 7.8 %, Q2 at 6.2 %, Q3 at 6.1 % & Q4 at 5.9 %.

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