Current Affairs January 2023

• Union Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya announced that India’s first-ever coal gasification-based Talcher Fertilizer Plant in Odisha will be ready to be dedicated to the nation by October 2024.
• A new initiative called the Aspirational Blocks Program (ABP) was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 7 January to improve the performance of blocks within backward districts in various development parameters. The Aspirational Block Program (ABP) was announced in the Union Budget 2022-23.
  • Under this programme, 500 blocks across states have been identified for quarterly ranking based on their performance in areas such as health, education and nutrition.

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the 'Jai Hind-Naya Prakash Aur Dhvani Program / Light and Sound Show' at the Red Fort in Delhi. The program will be presented in Hindi and English languages.
• Indian Railways is going to run its Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC Tourist Train on a very special tour “Shri Ram-Janaki Yatra: Ayodhya to Janakpur” covering the two most significant pilgrimage sites Ayodhya and Janakpur from the neighbouring countries India and Nepal. The tourist train will start from Delhi on 17^thFeb 2023 and this initiative will strengthen the bilateral relations and also promote the cultural relations between the two countries.
• To test one’s high-altitude endurance, a new challenge called “Soul of Steel” will be launched in India. Spearheaded by venture CLAW Global, which is run by veterans and supported by the Indian Army, the challenge will take place in the state of Uttarakhand and
  • it is similar to the “Ironman triathlon” long-distance triathlon challenge in Europe.  The general area of the expedition would be the Nanda Devi National Park.

• Prime Minister Modi has announced a new ‘Aarogya Maitri’ project under which India will provide essential medical supplies to developing countries affected by natural disasters or humanitarian crises.
• Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh launched the “Geospatial Hackathon” to promote Innovation and Start-Ups in India’s Geospatial ecosystem. The objective of this hackathon is not only to foster partnerships between the public and private geospatial sectors but also to strengthen the geospatial start-up ecosystem of our country.
• The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has become the world's first fully digital party, with data on over 3 crore office bearers from the national president to booth level being made available through an app called Sangathan Reporting and Analysis (SARAL).
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had approved a new integrated food security scheme for providing free foodgrains to Antodaya Ann Yojna (AAY) & Primary Household (PHH) beneficiaries, to be rolled out from 1^st January 2023. The new scheme has been named Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY).  Implementation of the new scheme has started from 1^st January 2023, benefitting more than 80 crore people.
  • For the effective and uniform implementation of NFSA 2013, PMGKAY will subsume the two subsidy schemes of the Department of Food & Public Distribution i.e.
    (a) Food Subsidy to FCI
    (b) Food Subsidy for decentralized procurement states dealing with procurement,
• Earth Sciences Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on the occasion of the 148th Foundation Day of the Indian Meteorological Department, IMD in New Delhi has said that the entire country will be covered by Doppler Weather Radar Network by 2025 to predict extreme weather events more accurately.

• Astro Tourism – A Sky Gazing event at Delhi’s India Gate, organised by the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) in association with Nehru Memorial Museum and this event was inaugurated by Minister of State for Culture, Arjun Ram Meghwal.
• Low-smoke Superior Kerosene Oil (SKO) for Indian Army was launched by Bharat Petroleum and has emerged as 1st Oil Marketing Company to commence supplying Superior Kerosene Oil (SKO).
• Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the three-day ‘North East Krishi Kumbhar-2023’ and took part in the 49th Foundation Day celebration of the ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, Meghalaya.
  • The team (representatives of farmers’ producers) will participate and showcase different types of indigenous Agri products like Chakhao, Kachai Lemon, Tamenglong Orange, Sirarakhong, Chilli, King Chilli, and processed products including value-added products in three-day ‘North East Krishi Kumbhar-2023’ held at ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, Meghalaya.

• Digital India startup hub through software technology parks of India will set up India’s first centre of excellence for online gaming in Shillong.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) has listed Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) under Schedule III of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, including it on the list of protected plants.
  • Neelakurinji is an endemic plant found in a small stretch in the Western Ghats, from the Mangaladevi hills to the Nilgiris hills. The most popular Neelakurinji is Strobilanthes kunthiana which blooms once in 12 years.

• During the National Youth Festival in Hubballi-Dharwad in Karnataka, an attempt will be made to organise a state-wide mega Yogathon, to set a new Guinness Book of World Records. So far 13 lakh students, 12000 teachers and over 8000 educational institutions have registered.
• Closely after the International Hindi Diwas, the Indian High Commission signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a Hindi Chair at the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka.
• India is known as the 'Spice Bowl' of the world. It produces many quality, rare and medicinal spices. Intending to open up newer opportunities to promote international trade of Indian spices, the 14^thedition of the World Spice Congress (WSC), is to be held in Mumbai.
• The first-ever Infrastructure Working Group (IWG) meeting of the G20 under India's G-20 presidency will be held in Pune on January 16-17.
• The Ministry of Culture in India recently organized a grand curtain raiser program called ‘Sur Sarita – Symphony of Ganga’ was led by the renowned Indian singer Shankar Mahadevan at the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi, on the eve of the launch of the world’s longest river cruise.
• The CCEA, chaired by Prime Minister Modi, has approved the investment for the 382 MW Sunni Dam Hydroelectric Project (HEP) in Himachal Pradesh (HP) by state-owned SJVN Limited.
• Union Minister for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh announced that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is ready to launch India's first Atmanirbhar human flight "Gaganyaan" by the year 2024.

• Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said the Sampark Kranti Express train between Ahmedabad and Delhi will be renamed as Akshardham Express as a tribute to Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual guru of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.

• Namaste World, a newly formed kids' toys and gaming brand based in Hyderabad, announced its launch under Atmanirbhar Bharat, which promises to provide a holistic 360° experience across physical toys, digital content, education-focused games and casual games for kids.
• The Department of Consumer Affairs under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution released a guide ‘Endorsements Know-hows!’ for celebrities, influencers and virtual influencers on social media platforms.
  • The guide aims to ensure that individuals do not mislead their audiences when endorsing products or services and that they are in compliance with the Consumer Protection Act and any associated rules or guidelines.
  • The guide is released in alignment with the guidelines set by the Consumer Protection Act of 2019.
• The Major Port Authorities Act, 2021 came into force on 03.11.2021. Section 54 of the Act envisages the constitution of an Adjudicatory Board which is to perform the functions stipulated under section 58 of the said Act.
  • The Major Ports Adjudicatory Board Rules, 2023, framed under the said Act, has been notified by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways in the Gazette on 17.01.2023.  The Adjudicatory Board shall consist of a Presiding Officer and two members.
  • The Presiding Officer shall be a retired Judge of the Supreme Court of India or a retired Chief Justice of a High Court and the two Members shall either be a retired Chief Secretary of a State Government or equivalent; or a retired Secretary of the Government of India or equivalent.

• Prime Minister Modi shared a glimpse of “Your Exam, Your Methods-Choose Your Style” from the Exam Warriors Book and has urged students to share how they prepare for exams.
• The Network Planning Group (NPG) held its 41st session in New Delhi on 18 January 2023. It was chaired by Anil Agrawal (the Special Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade). During the session, it was observed by the NPG that the Ahmedabad Station has been one of the busiest stations on the Western Railway Corridor for freight movement.
• Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate the second phase of Sansad Khel Mahakumbh 2022-23 through video conferencing on January 18, 2023, at Shaheed Satyawan Singh Stadium in Basti district, Uttar Pradesh. (Note: Basti, the pious land of Maharishi Vasishtha).
• Petrol containing ethanol (E20 Petrol) will start being available from April 01, 2023, at some selected places in the country. Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri says that the country will get E20 i.e. 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol for use in vehicles in a phased manner.
  • India has increased the ethanol blending in petrol from 1.53 per cent in 2013-14 to 10.17 per cent in 2022. To achieve the target of 20 per cent blending by 2025, the country needs 10.2 to 11 billion litres of ethanol. India is on track to account for 25 per cent of global ethanol demand by 2040.
• The Centre is about to launch a five-year National Urban Technology Mission which can infuse technological improvements in municipal providers and infrastructure of 4,500 city native bodies within the nation.
  • The mission, to be spearheaded by the ministry of housing and urban affairs, can have three main sub-heads. A be aware ready for the approval of the expenditure finance committee (EFC) pegs the mission outlay at ₹15,000 crores for 5 years.

• The success of "Womaniya on Government eMarketplace" was celebrated in New Delhi. The event was organized by Government e-Marketplace (GeM) in partnership with the Self-Employed Women's Association, India (SEWA Bharat), and was attended by participants from women entrepreneurs and stakeholders' organizations and associations.
• As part of India's G-20 chairmanship, a Business-20 (B-20) founding meeting will be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from January 22 to 24. The main program of the B-20 Founding Meeting was prepared by the B-20 India Secretariat following the theme of the conference "A.I.S.E: Responsible, Accelerated, Innovative, Sustainable and Equitable Businesses".
• Jammu and Kashmir Government has declared the whole Union Territory as a “Free Area” for purposes of the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act, 2009. After the Government on being satisfied that no cases of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) have been reported from any district of the Union Territory of J&K.
• The MAARG (Mentorship, Advisory, Assistance, Resilience, and Growth) platform will be launched by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. The Commerce Ministrysaid MAARG, is a portal to facilitate mentorship between start-ups and entrepreneurs across sectors, stages, and functions.
• SPIC MACAY organizes the 'Music in the Park' series under the name “Shruti Amrut” in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture on 15 January 2023. The beauty of Indian Classical Music was showcased by eminent artists from across the country.
  • The concert began with a sarod performance by Aman Ali Bangash, the 7th generation musician of the Senia Bangash Gharana.
• Recently, the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) informed that the Ministry of Defense becomes the largest buyer of MSME goods in 2022. In 2022, the Ministry of Defense envisages procurement of goods and services worth Rs 16,747 crore from the MSME sector. This was 250% more than the purchases made in 2021.
  • GeM's turnover is expected to double in 2023. Compared to 2016, when GeM was first launched, its turnover had grown 17 times.
  • Government-e-Marketplace (GeM) Platform Launched on 9 August 2016 ;Objective - To bring transparency and efficiency to the government procurement process. Nodal Ministry - Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) will set up 1 gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy capacity in Rajasthan to achieve a net zero emission target by 2040. BPCL said it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government of Rajasthan for setting up the renewable energy power plant.
  • The company has set itself the ambitious goal of 'net zero' in Scope 1&2 emissions by 2040. It plans to expand its renewable portfolio to reach 1 GW of generating capacity by 2025 and 10 GW by 2040.

• National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) organised a one-day national-level seminar on ‘Millets for Life (Lifestyle for Environment): Developing Climate Resilient Local Communities in the Ganga Basin’ at India International Centre in New Delhi.
• 'Udyan Utsav 2023'- inaugurated by the President of India, Smt. Draupadi Murmu in the Garden of Rashtrapati Bhavan. This time Garden (Herbal Garden, Bonsai Garden Na, Central Lawn, Long Garden and Circular Garden) will remain open for about two months from January 31 to March 26.
  • As part of the celebration of 75 years of Independence as 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav', the President of India has renamed the Mughal Gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan as 'Amrit Udyan'.
• Manoj Kumar, Chairman of, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, inaugurated the Khadi Fest- 23 which will run from January 27 to February 24, 2023, at the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Headquarters in Mumbai.
  • In this Khadi Fest, Khadi and Village Industries Institutions, PM Employment Guarantee Program (PMEGP) units from various parts of the country affiliated with the Khadi and Village Industries Commission are showcasing their products for exhibit and sales.
  • The Khadi Village Industries Commission is a statutory body that was established in 1957 under the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act 1956.
• With a focus on cost-effective and high-quality sand production, Coal India Limited's subsidiaries will commission five M-Sand plants by 2024.
  • M-Sand is a form of artificial sand, which is made by crushing hard stones, mainly rocks or granite, into fine particles, which are then washed and pulverized. It is widely used as a substitute for river sand for construction purposes, mostly in the production of concrete and mortar mixes.
• Prime Minister Modi on 28 January released a special day cover and a commemorative specially minted coin of Rs 75 denomination on the occasion of 75 successful years of the National Cadet Corps (NCC).
  • The NCC was formed in 1948 on the recommendation of the H N Kunzru Committee-1946 under the National Cadet Corps Act, 1948. NCC is the largest uniformed youth organisation in the world.
• Recently, Defence Minister Raj Nath Singh distributed prizes to the winners of the Veer Gatha 2.0 contest. The contest is jointly conducted by the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Education. It is in line with National Education Policy, 2020.
  • The 'Veer Gatha Project' has been launched by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for students of grades 3-12.
• The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) will use the names of rivers such as Ganga, Brahmaputra, Cauvery, Godavari, etc. to name its agricultural products. This will increase the reach of the products.
  • The Government of to India has been trying increase its agricultural exports by exhibiting agricultural and processed food products in foreign countries. APEDA was a pioneer in realizing this vision.

• Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya unveiled the world’s first intranasal COVID-19 vaccine, iNNCOVACC first nasal COVID-19 vaccine was approved for emergency use in adults) in New Delhi. It is developed by Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL) in collaboration with Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance (BIRAC).
• The six - day mega event “Bharat Parv” event is going to be organised by the Government of India at the Lawns and Gyan Path in front of Red Fort, Delhi from 26 to 31 January 2023, as part of the Republic Day Celebrations. The Ministry of Tourism has been designated as the nodal Ministry for the event.
• The Secretary of the Ministry of Culture Govind Mohan announced that the government is to hand over around 1,000 monuments under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India to the private sector for their upkeep under the Monument Mitra Scheme.
  • Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep S Puri inaugurated the demo run of the Inland Water Vessel powered by Methanol blended Diesel (MD15). The boat ride was conducted on a 50-seater motor launch marine vessel named 'SB Gangadhar’. The boat will be run on MD-15 (15% methanol mixed HSD).
  • India has been elected as the Vice-Chair and represents Asia & Pacific region of the 12th session of the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group (ITWG) on Animal Genetic Resources (AGR) to be held in Rome, Italy during January 18-20, 2023.
  • The Union Health Ministry has launched the “U-WIN” platform to keep a digital record of the vaccination of women and children in the country.
    • Vaccination appointments can also be booked through U-Win. Till now the record of vaccination under UIP was kept manually in the country, but now there will be no need to do so because now all the records of vaccination will be kept digitally

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) has hosted the 2^ndInternational Conference on the theme ‘Use of Technology and Elections Integrity’ at New Delhi on 23-24 January 2023.
• North India’s largest floating solar power project was inaugurated in Chandigarh by it's Administrator Banwari Lal Purohit.
• India celebrated its 74th Republic Day on 26th January 2023. The republic day events and parade were held at the newly-renovated and renamed Kartavya Path (previously known as Rajpath) in New Delhi, Delhi.
• Recently, the 17^th Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2022 was released by NGO Pratham, which highlights the impact of the pandemic on education.
  • The report unveils high enrolment of children in schools which is a good performance indicator for government programmes like Nipun Bharat Mission.
  • According to the ASER, 2022 the country has seen an increase in the enrollment of children in government schools.
  • There has been a decline in the basic reading and arithmetic skills of young children in Class 3 and Class 5 in India.
  • The decrease in the proportion of girls not enrolled in schools for the age group 11-14 from 4.1% in 2018 to 2% in 2022 is a significant improvement and a positive development.
• As part of the ongoing efforts of the Coal Ministry to develop Eco-Parks on reclaimed land and to promote mine tourism, eight eco-parks have been constructed recently in different parts of the country and two more such parks will be completed in 2022-23.
  • Union Minister of Coal, Mines & Parliamentary Affairs Shri Pralhad Joshi has inaugurated Jhurey/Bal Gangadhar Tilak Eco-Park (MP) in October 2022. NLCIL has signed an MOU with Pondicherry Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) recently to promote eco-tourism at Mine-I and Mine-II and showcase sustainable mining activities.
• Prajwala Challenge was launched by the Union Ministry of Rural Development under  Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Rural Livelihoods Mission.
  • Under this challenge, ideas have been invited from individuals, enterprises, startups, the private sector, civil society and others to transform the rural economy. The top five ideas will be given a prize of two lakh rupees. The last date for giving suggestions is January 31, 2023.
• Markets regulator SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) is going to set up an Investor Risk Reduction Access (IRRA) platform to allow investors to square off their position or cancel pending orders in case of disruption of trading services provided by trading members.
  • The platform will give investors an opportunity to liquidate their positions or cancel pending orders in case ofØ disruption of trading services. People will get convenience from this.

• ‘SMART’- Scope for Mainstreaming Ayurveda Research in Teaching Professionals. This program has been jointly launched by the Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS). To regulate Ayurvedic medical education and boost the research and development in Ayurveda.
• The Election Commission of India has moved a proposal to all political parties to enable domestic migrants to vote for their home constituencies from their place of stay through a new remote EVM (RVM).
  • RVM has been developed with the help of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL). It is based on the currently used EVM system
• On 1st January 2022, India assumed the chairmanship of the Wassenaar Arrangement for one year. At the 26th annual plenary of the Wassenaar Arrangement held in Vienna Ireland’s ambassador Eoin O’Leary handed over the chairmanship to India’s ambassador Jaideep Mazumda.
  • The 42-member Wassenaar Arrangement is a voluntary export control regime that monitors transfers of conventional weapons and dual-use goods.
  • India joined the Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) in 2017 and became its 42nd member.
• A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the production of the Goat Pox vaccine and the “Lumpi-ProVac” vaccine for lumpy disease among cattle was signed in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
  • This will play a major role in the efforts of government to control and eradicate Lumpy Skin Disease. The Lumpy Skin Disease has been reported in India from 2019 while the first case was reported in Odisha.

• According to the government of India’s Public Enterprise survey 2021-22, ONGC was the top profit-making central public sector enterprise (CPSE) in 2021-22. After ONGC the other most profit-making CPSE were Indian Oil Corporation, Power Grid, NTPC and SAIL.
• First All India Annual State Ministers Conference on Water to be held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh on 5th & 6th January 2023.
• The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Modi, has approved the Rs. 19,744 crore National Green Hydrogen Mission, intending to make India a major exporter in the sector and a global hub for the production, use, and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives.
  • PM Narendra Modi announced the launch of the National Hydrogen Mission during his Independence Day speech on August 15, 2021.
  • Under the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition Programme (SIGHT), the Mission will offer 2 distinct financial incentive mechanisms that are aimed at the domestic manufacturing of electrolysers and the production of green hydrogen.
• People who violate magisterial orders that prohibit the assembly of four or more individuals will now be liable to face criminal cases in Gujarat as President Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to the Code of Criminal Procedure (Gujarat Amendment) Bill, 2021.
  • The bill empowers the administration to register criminal cases against those who are staging protests in violation of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Orders under the Section 144 of CrPC are imposed to prohibit the assembly of four or more people so that law and order can be protected in an area.
• India has taken over the leadership of the Asia Pacific Postal Union (APPU) in January 2023. Dr Vinaya Prakash Singh will take over the charge of Secretary General of the Union for a tenure of 4 years. This is the result of the elections during the 13th APPU Congress held in August-September 2022.
  • Asia Pacific Postal Union (APPU) is a specific department inside the UN. Its headquarters are in Bangkok, Thailand.
• Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur launches the themes of the Youth 20 summit, logo, and website in New Delhi in the curtain raiser event of Y20 Summit India. India is hosting the Y20 summit for the first time.
  • The theme of Y20 is The five Y20 themes are:
    1. Future of Work: Industry 4.0, Innovation, & 21st Century Skills
    2. Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction: Making Sustainability a Way of  Life
    3. Peacebuilding and Reconciliation: Ushering in an Era of No War
    4. Shared Future: Youth in Democracy and Governance
    5. Health, Well-being & Sports: Agenda for Youth

• In a major development, India surpassed Japan in terms of auto sales last year to become the third-largest auto market globally for the first time.
• India will has been hosted a special virtual Summit on the 12th and 13th of January 2023 called 'Voice of Global South Summit'. The theme of the Summit is 'Unity of Voice, Unity of Purpose’.
• Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh announced that all 37 CSIR Labs in India will be turned into Global Centers of Research and Innovation (GCRI) in their fields of specialisation. At the launch of “One Week One Lab" campaign in New Delhi.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually flagged off Vande Bharat Express from Howrah Railway Station connecting Howrah to New Jalpaiguri. This is the first Vande Bharata Express to operate in West Bengal and eastern parts of the country.
  • The first Vande Bharat Express was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 February 2019 between Delhi and Varanasi at New Delhi railway station.

• Union Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy RK Singh said a world-class Kayaking-Canoeing Academy is to be set up at Tehri in Uttarakhand. The announcement was done during the inauguration of the National Championship “Tehri Water Sports Cup” at Tehri Lake.
• Ghaziabad-Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay section (762 KM) becomes the longest fully automatic block signalling section of Indian Railways.
• The Varanasi Cantt Railway Station of the Indian Railways has been awarded the five-Star 'Eat Right Station' certification for providing high-quality nutritious food to the passengers. The 'Eat Right Station' certification is provided by FSSAI to railway stations which set the standard in providing safe and nutritious food to the passengers.

Bilateral

• India and Saudi Arabia signed a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) to obtain formal assistance from each other in investigations related to criminal cases.
  • MLAT is a mechanism whereby countries cooperate to provide and obtain formal assistance in the prevention, suppression, investigation and prosecution of crime to ensure that criminals do not escape
• India and Austria will sign 5 agreements—of which two agreements would be in the interest of the Indian community.
  • There is an agreement on 'Migration and Mobility' for people who want to work in Austria and who want to come to India for business, or who come here as students and professionals.
  • Another agreement is on the ‘Working Holiday’ program that will enable Indian students in Austria to work for 6 months.

• According to the Ministry of External Affairs India and Pakistan exchanged the list of nuclear installations and facilities on 31 December 2022 as per the 1988 agreement which prohibits both countries from attacking each other's nuclear installations. They also exchanged the lists of prisoners held in each other’s prisons, which include civilians, defence personnel and fishermen.
• The India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline Project, signed in 2018, will connect Siliguri in West Bengal in India and Parbatipur in the Dinajpur district of Bangladesh. The Friendship pipeline from India will start supplying diesel to Bangladesh in June. The 131.5-kilometer-long pipeline has been constructed for importing diesel from India, 126.5 km of which is in Bangladesh and 5 km in India.
• The United Arab Emirates is in early discussions with India to trade non-oil commodities in Indian rupees, Minister for Foreign Trade Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi said at World Economic Forum, Davos.
• India has become the first creditor nation to extend assurance towards restructuring the debt of Sri Lanka as the island nation makes efforts to unlock a bridge financing package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
• The manufacturing of Kalashnikov AK-203 assault rifles has recently started in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh by an Indo-Russian joint venture. Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited plans to ensure 100 per cent production of AK-203 rifles in India. India is the first country to start production of the world-famous brand AK-200-series assault rifles.
• India has issued a notice to Pakistan seeking a review and modification of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) citing Pakistan’s “intransigence” in resolving disputes over the Kishanganga and Ratle (on Chenab River) hydropower projects, both in Jammu and Kashmir.
  • The notice was sent after the “contravention of the graded mechanism of dispute settlement envisaged by Article IX of the IWT.”
  • India and Pakistan signed the IWT in September 1960 after nine years of negotiations, with the World Bank being a signatory to the pact.
• The government of Sri Lanka is all set to release stamps to commemorate its 75 years of Independence. The Sri Lankan President’s Media Division informed that the commemorative stamp will include a portrait of the first Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
• Israel has emerged as the top buyer of Indian petroleum products, with more than $1 billion worth of purchases in December, followed by the UAE, the US and Togo.
• India and Panama signed an agreement to enhance cooperation in training diplomats. The agreement was signed during the visit of the Foreign Minister of Panama to participate in the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Conference.
• Recently The government of India and the U.K. launched Young Professionals Scheme. The Young Professionals Scheme was conceived as part of an India-U.K. The Migration and Mobility MoU signed in May 2021, was announced in November at the G20 summit in Bali.
  • The scheme will permit degree-holding citizens aged between 18 and 30 to live and work in each other’s countries for two years. They would be able to either work, study, or visit, for two years. 

• Punjabi is all set to be the newest language to be taught in public schools of Western Australia. The Australian government has decided to include the Punjabi language in schools.
• India has announced the donation of 12,500 doses of pentavalent vaccines to Cuba. Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi announced this during her official visit to Cuba from 12th to 14th of January. This was her first visit to Cuba.

MoU

• India and Egypt signed an MoU on cultural cooperation, it will entail a range of activities being hosted in both countries, including in the fields of music, dance, theatre, library and research and documentation.
  • Another MoU was signed between India and Egypt to facilitate content exchange, capacity building, and Co-Productions between Prasar Bharati and the National Media Authority of Egypt

• India and South Africa signed an MoU to introduce 12 African Cheetahs annually over the next eight to ten years. The cats will join eight Cheetah brought to India from Namibia last year.
• Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd a defence PSU has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Rolls Royce Solutions of Germany for the manufacture of high-quality marine diesel engines at the former’s plant in Ranchi,
• SAMEER, India's premier R&D Institute of Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) signed a memorandum of understanding with Siemens Healthineers that will contribute towards the development of new, improved and innovative technologies for advancing healthcare and diagnostic accessin India.
• A tripartite agreement has been inked between the NITI Aayog’s -Atal Innovation Mission(AIM); Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE); and Intel India to bring a change in the education sector by utilizing future skills, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), in the formal curriculum.
• The Ministry of AYUSH has signed an MoU with the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), Ministry of Tourism, to promote Medical Value Travel in Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine. Under the MoU, the Ministry of AYUSH will provide training to ITDC officials to sensitise them about the medical value of travel in Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine.
• In Ladakh, the Himalayan Cultural Heritage Foundation (HCHF) and the Ladakh Tourism Department organised the annual ethnic Mamani Festival at the Satyang Kung village and ChiktanShagran.
  • Steyang Kung village is about 500 years old and is still preserved and being developed as one of the heritage villages in Ladakh.

• SIEMENS has signed a 3 billion euro (S$4.28 billion) contract to supply and service freight trains in India, the largest locomotive deal in the company's history. Siemens will deliver 1,200 electric locomotives and provide service for 35 years under the agreement, which is also the company's largest in India.
• NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd (NTPC REL) signed an MoU with the Government of Tripura for the development of floating and ground-mounted based renewable energy projects in Tripura.
• IIT-Madras and DRDO Partners to Introduce ‘DRDO Industry Academia Ramanujan Centre of Excellence’ DIA-RCoE for Advanced Defence Technology Research. DIA-RCoE will be set up at IIT- the Madras campus unit set up by the DRDO to develop advanced technologies for national defence and security.
• NTPC Green Energy Ltd (NGEL) has signed an agreement with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) for the development of renewable energy-based power projects for HPCL Refineries and other Business Units.
• Social media platform Meta has joined hands with the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) to enable auto dealers across the country to reach consumers digitally.
• Indian Space Research Organization and Microsoft signed an MoU to help Indian Space tech start-ups in January 2023.
• Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) Limited signed an MOU with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh for exploring opportunities in the areas of sustainability and carbon-related works including carbon neutrality, particularly in sectors such as steel and power.

Defence

• India is to celebrate its 74th republic day on January 26, 2023. Several anti–national elements try to cause trouble in the country during such nationwide celebrations. To put them under control and to increase security at the border, the BSF is conducting a seven-day long exercise called the “OPS ALERT”. During the exercise, the security personnel will hold drills in the India – Pakistan border that extends between Rann of Kutch and Sir Creek and also in the Barmer district of Rajasthan.
• The biggest tri-services exercise 'AMPEX' 2023 was conducted from 17 to 22 January near Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh. Troops of the Indian Army, warships of the Indian Navy and aircraft of the Air Force participated during the five-day exercise.
• Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL) has delivered the first fuselages for the six AH-64 Apache attack helicopters ordered by the Indian Army from its state-of-the-art facility in
• Indian Navy is set to commission the 5^th Kalvari class submarine Vagir on 23 Jan 2023. These submarines are being built in India by the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai. The Chief of the Naval Staff Adm R Hari Kumar will be the Chief Guest for the ceremony.
• The 21^st edition of the bilateral naval exercise “Varuna” between India and France will be conducted from 16 to 20 January 2023 off the western seaboard.
• India and Egypt have announced to hold the first-ever military exercise “Cyclone 1” involving the Special Forces in Udaipur in Jan'23. It is being held to celebrate the 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Siom Bridge along with 27 other infrastructure projects completed by the Border Roads Organization in Arunachal Pradesh on 3 January.
• The Siyom bridge on the Along-Yinkiong Road will facilitate faster induction of troops, heavy equipment like howitzers and mechanised vehicles to forward areas of the Upper Siang district, Tuting and Yinkiong regions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
• Veer Guardian 2023’ Exercise held between Indian Air Force and the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force at Hyakuri air base and Iruma air base in Japan.
• DRDO has developed an unmanned aerial vehicle, intending to target logistics operations on the Himalayan border. This aircraft has been displayed by DRDO at the 108th Indian Science Congress held in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
• Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ship ‘Kamla Devi’ was designed, built and delivered by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd to the Indian Coast Guard.
• Under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved three proposals worth 4,276 crore rupees to strengthen the country’s deterrence and combat readiness.
  • The DAC has accorded approval for the procurement of HELINA Anti-Tank Guided Missiles, launchers and associated support equipment which will be integrated into the Advanced Light Helicopter. This missile is an essential part of the weaponization of Advanced Light Helicopter for countering enemy threats.
  • DAC cleared the proposal for procurement of the VSHORAD (IR Homing) missile system under design and development by the DRDO.
  • DAC granted approval for procurement of Brahmos Launcher and Fire Control System (FCS) for the Shivalik class of ships & Next Generation Missile Vessels (NGMVs) for Indian Navy
• India celebrates Army Day on January 15 every year to commemorate the achievements of the first Indian Commander in Chief of the Indian Army, General (later Field Marshal) K.M. Cariappa.

Rank

• Ganjam district(Odisha)has bagged the top honours in the country for generating man-days and providing 100 days of work to rural households under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) till January 22.
  • Ganjam was followed by Barmera (2.18 crore) in Rajasthan and Tiruvannamalai (2.13 crore) in Tamil Nadu in generating man days during the period.

• Union home minister Amit Shah awarded the Aska police station in Odisha's Ganjam district as the number one police station in the country in the annual ranking of police stations for 2022.
• In Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit(UPGIS) 2023, the investors have shown maximum interest in the Meerut division in UP, and the least amount of investment proposals have come for the Azamgarh division. In terms of investment, Meerut, Lucknow, Agra, Jhansi and Varanasi are among the top five divisions of Uttar Pradesh respectively.
• India has emerged as one of the top three countries in the world where the area under organic agriculture expanded the maximum in 2020. The total increase under organic cultivation globally in 2020 was 3 million hectares. Argentina was first and Uruguay was second.
  • Of the world’s total 74.9 million hectares under organic farming, Australia has the highest at 35.7 million hectares. Whereas India has 2.8 mh. In contrast, out of a total of 34 lakh organic producers in the world, 16 lakh farmers in India are into certified organic farming.

• The Global Firepower Report 2023 has ranked India as the 4th most powerful army in the world. 145 countries are ranked this year in the Global Firepower Report. The most powerful country in the world is the United States of America, followed by Russia, China, and India.
• Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys grew their brand value to maintain their positions as the second and third respectively most valuable IT services brands, according to the ‘IT Services 25’ list prepared by UK-based consultancy Brand Finance for the year 2023.
• According to brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance’s report, “Global 500 2023”, while Amazon is back at No 1, its brand value has fallen by over $50 billion this year, with its rating slipping from AAA+ to AAA.
• According to a survey by Avtar, a company that specializes in workplace inclusion, Chennai is India’s top city for women’s employment.
• Cirium Aviation Analytics released the list of the top-performing global airports of 2022 in which Bangalore’s Kempegowda International Airport ranked 2^nd and Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport ranked seventh. Haneda Airport(Tokyo, Japan) topped the list.
• Japan has retained its position as the most favourable passport in the world, according to the latest Henley Passport Index, which allows visa-free entry to 193 global destinations.
  • Compared to last year India's position has improved by two points. India is in the 85th position in the ranking. An Indian passport holder can travel visa-free to 59 countries.
• According to an analysis of Central Pollution Control Board data, Delhi was the most polluted city in India in 2022 with PM 2.5 levels more than double the safe limit. Haryana’s Faridabad ranked second, and Ghaziabad (UP) ranked third.

• Ernakulam has become the first district in Kerala to register more than 10,000 new MSMEs. Kerala launched the Enterprises Campaign during its 2022-23 budget. It was held in different parts of the state under the tagline “My Enterprises, Nations Pride”.
• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on 31 Jan'23 announced that the city of Vishakapatnam is going to be the capital city of the state.
• J&K Govt's ambitious initiative 'Har Gaon Hariyali' has recorded a plantation of 90 lakh saplings during 2022-23 against a set target of 1.35 crore seedlings. Govt. launched this initiative in consonance with the vision of ‘Green Jammu and Kashmir’ to ensure sustainable development. The aim is to bring 2/3rd of J&K under forest and tree cover.
• Luminous Power Technology has announced plans to set up India's first green energy-based solar panel manufacturing plant at Rudrapur in Uttarakhand which will be commissioned by the end of this year.
• WOXSEN University launches 'Project Aspiration' for girls Classes IX to XII, Telangana Model School & Junior College, Telangana. Under Project Aspiration, students are selected by the school principal to take part in the “Train the Trainer” workshop which commenced in December 2022.
• Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL), the premier CPSE under the Ministry of Coal is constantly attaining new heights in coal production and off-take through environ-friendly and sustainable mining practices. The latest achievement of MCL in this direction is the development of Chandra Shekar Azad eco-park and Coal Museum at Jharsuguda, Odisha.
• The Uttar Pradesh government has launched a campaign 'Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan' to empower girls from the underprivileged class. The Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan will work under the Aarohini Initiative Training Programme for the safety and security of girls in 746 Kasturba Gandhi Residential Girls Schools in Uttar Pradesh.
• The Kerala Health Department on January 24 confirmed two cases of the gastrointestinal infection norovirus in class 1 students in Ernakulam district.
  • This virus has been found in humans for more than 50 years and is known to be one of the primary causes of gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and intestines).
  • The virus is estimated to kill 200,000 people globally every year, with the majority of deaths occurring in children under the age of five and adults over the age of 65.
  • The virus can survive in low temperatures, and outbreaks are more common during winter and in colder countries, so it is sometimes called "winter vomiting disease".
  • The virus can survive in low temperatures, and outbreaks are more common during winter and in colder countries, so it is sometimes called "winter vomiting disease".
• A hero stone belonging to the Hoysala period and dated to the early 13th century was discovered at Chakashettihalli about 6 km from Pandavapura town in the Mandya district of Karnataka.
• The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is going to host the Saras Mela 2023 from February 4 to February 14 for the first time.
• Visakhapatnam Railway Station under East Coast Railway has been awarded the 'Green Railway Station Certificate' with the highest Platinum rating by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) for adopting green concepts.
• The American India Foundation (AIF) inaugurated India’s first STEM Innovation and Learning Center (SILC) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu in January 2023. It was inaugurated under the scheme of Vanavil Mandram. The Centre will introduce students to a transdisciplinary learning approach through robotics, AI, Space Technology, and the STEM Incubation workstation.
• The New Goa Manohar International Airport (MIA), won the prestigious “Best Sustainable Greenfield Airport” award under Aviation Sustainability and Environment at ASSOCHAM 14th International Conference-cum-Awards for Civil Aviation 2023 at New Delhi.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually unveiled the model of a memorial dedicated to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, to be set up in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and said it will infuse feelings of patriotism among people.
• Jharkhand government launched a water conservation scheme to benefit drought-hit farmers. The scheme with an outlay of Rs 467.32 crore to benefit farmers who faced drought last year in the state.
• The Government of India is planning to develop the Nicobar Islands in terms of defense, commerce, logistics, and industries. This is called the Mega Infrastructure Project. It is also referred to as the Great Nicobar Plan. There are four major components in the project. They are a transhipment terminal for containers, an airport, cities, and a solar power plant.
• G20's First Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) Meeting will be held from February 9-11, 2023 in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It will focus on the agenda ‘Promotion of Blue Economy’, ‘Restoration of Degraded Lands & Ecosystems’, and ‘Enhancement of Biodiversity.'
• The “School of Eminence” project was launched by the Punjab government in Mohali. Under the School of Eminence project, 117 government schools in 23 districts will be upgraded.
• The Kerala government has made a big announcement for the girl students. For the first time in the country, menstrual and maternity leave (maximum 60 days) would be given to all girl students above the age of 18 years in the institutions of the Higher Education Department of the State Government.
• The recent growth in demand for kewda oil has boosted the revenue of families in the coastal pockets of Odisha‘s Ganjam district who have been eking out a living by preparing aromatic kewda oil for years.
  • Ganjam kewda (Pandanus fascicularis) oil is steam-distilled from the flower of the aromatic screwpine plant.
  • Pandanus or screwpine plant grow along seacoasts and in marshy places and forests of tropical and subtropical regions, especially in Asia, Africa, and Oceania.
  • It is used as an aromatic in the food industry and other sectors.
  • It is registered under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 by the Government of India.
• Odisha State AIDS Control Society (OSACS) organised an awareness program on HIV AIDS in coordination with the Department of Sports & Youth Services & Hockey India, under the leadership of the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO). Organized an awareness programme on HIV AIDS by forming the ‘largest human red ribbon chain’ in the East Gallery of Kalinga Stadium of Bhubaneswar, Odisha on 19^thJanuary 2023.
• The World Economic Forum (WEF) has chosen Hyderabad to set up its Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution focused on healthcare and life sciences.
• Jammu and Kashmir has become the first Union Territory of India to completely switch to a digital method of administration, leading the way in the digital transformation of governance. All governmental and administrative services in Jammu & Kashmir are currently only offered digitally.
• Rajasthan has become the first State to implement a policy to control blindness, to ensure the “right to sight”. A massive drive will be undertaken in the State to reduce the rate of blindness and bring light into the lives of over 3 lakh people suffering from visual impairment.
• The Ahom-era 'Moidams' (cemetery of the royal family) in Assam's Charaideo district will be India's only nomination for recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • The Moidams contain the remains of Ahom dynasty royalty. Previously, the Ahoms were buried, but after the 18th century, they adopted the Hindu mode of cremation, and bones and ashes were enclosed in a “moidam” which is an earthen pyramid. These moidams are commonly known as the pyramids of Assam.
  • Charaideo, or the “shining town on a hilltop”, was the first capital established by King Chaolung Sukapha, the founder of the dynasty, in 1229 CE.  Through the 600 years of the Ahom rule, the capital was shifted several times.

• Pune will soon hold the distinction of having the country's deepest underground metro station.
• Wayanad becomes the first district in the country to provide basic documents and facilities such as Aadhaar cards, ration cards, birth/death certificates, election ID cards, bank accounts and health insurance to all tribes people.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributed title deeds or ‘Hakku Patra’ to over 52,000 eligible beneficiaries from the Lambani nomadic tribes residing in northern Karnataka.
  • A Hakku Patra in Kannada means “Claim Letter”. The words “Hakku” mean “the right”. A legal document known as a “Hakku Patra” details a person’s legitimate inheritance or ownership of a particular property.
  • With the help of this document, the bearer is eligible to purchase and sell land to which the title deed is granted by the government. They will further receive bank benefits using the Hakku Patra. This Hakku Patra will secure the future of thousands of people living in the “Thandas” (Lambani habitats).
• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated an ‘International Craft Summit’ in Jajpur. The International Craft Summit is the first-of-its-kind craft summit to feature pioneer crafts persons, culture, and art enthusiasts.  The second phase of the Sari Festival “VIRAASAT” celebrating 75 handwoven Saris of India held from 3- 17 January 2023 in New Delhi.
• Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi inaugurated the Rs 300 crore Angul-Balram rail line connecting Odisha's Talcher Coalfield on 29 December.
  • The rail link is the first phase of the total 68 km long Inner Corridor - Angul-Balram-Putugadiya-Jarapada-Tentuloi - which will connect the coalfields of Talcher Coalfields in Odisha's Angul district.

• 'Mission-929' was started by The Election Commission of India in Tripura. It will focus on 929 polling booths across Tripura with a target to increase the voter turnout to 92 per cent in the next assembly elections.
• Odisha became the ever Indian state to have a separate registration process for vintage vehicles (both two and four-wheelers) that are more than 50 years old in January this year.
  • Under the CMV, 50 years old vehicles (two-wheelers and four-wheelers) from the date of their first registration would be defined as ‘vintage motor vehicles’.
• “CM’s Sukhashray Sahayata Kosh”, with an outlay of Rs 101 crore was recently launched in Himachal Pradesh. The fund would be spent on the higher education of destitute children so that they can fulfil their dreams of pursuing courses in engineering, medicine, management and other streams from reputed institutions like IIT, IIM, AIIMS and NIT.
• 50 electric buses were launched in Delhi with support from the government under the FAME India Phase II scheme of the Ministry of Heavy Industry.
  • FAME India Scheme- To improve the infrastructure required for the large-scale use of electric vehicles, the Government formulated a Scheme namely FAME India (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles) in 2015.
  • Phase II of the FAME India Scheme is being implemented for a period of 3 years from April 1, 2019.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the world's longest river cruise, which will travel from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh on 13 January 2023. “Ganga Vilas” cruise.
  • This cruise will cover 4000 Kilometers along 27 river systems, including Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly, Brahmaputra, and West Coast Canal in 50 days.
• The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu inaugurated Samvidhan Udyan, Mayur Stambh, National Flag Post, and statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Maharana Pratap at Raj Bhavan, Jaipur.
  • On the occasion, she virtually inaugurated the Transmission System for Solar Energy Zones in Rajasthan and laid the foundation stone for the 1000 MW Bikaner Solar Power Project of SJVN Limited.
  • The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu graced the launch of a National Campaign on ‘RISE-Rising India through Spiritual Empowerment, organized by Brahma Kumaris at Mount Abu
• The Odisha government will provide free 5 Kg rice per month to the beneficiaries under the State Food Security Scheme for one year(from January 2023 to December 2023) free of cost.
• Kerala Chief Minister(CM) Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the Palm Leaf Manuscript Museum with modern audiovisual technology at the renovated Central Archives, Fort area in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
  • The Museum, promoted as “World’s First Palm-Leaf Manuscript Museum” was set up by the Archives Department in association with the Kerala Museum of History and Heritage

• Narayan Rane, Union Minister for Micro Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) inaugurated an India-made Intelligent Tray Retrieval System (ITRS) at Manohar International Airport,
• Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Textiles has accorded approval for 28.11 crores to extend a special interest-free loan @ of Rs.10,000/- to each member of Tobacco Board’s Growers’ Welfare Schemes under Southern Regions (Southern Light Soil and Southern Black Soil) of Andhra Pradesh from the Tobacco Growers’ Welfare Fund which will directly benefit 28,112 farmers.
• West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a new campaign “Didi’r Suraksha Kavach” for her party, Trinamool Congress.
  • The campaign will continue for 60 days during which the workers of the party will reach out to the people across the state and ensure that everyone can avail of the welfare schemes of the state government.

• Jalna district police and Nagpur city police in Maharashtra have been awarded the Best Police Unit Awards for 2021 in the state under different classes for maintaining law and order, use of modern technology, and evolving community policing and administration.
• The Assam government acquired the historic Matiabag Hawa Mahal of the Gauripur royal family in the Dhubri district to preserve it as a heritage site by paying an amount of Rs 15.20 crore to the family members. The royal property was handed over to the state's Department of cultural affairs for its restoration and preservation as a museum in memory of Goalparia folk singer Pratima Pandey Barua.
• Kerala becomes the country’s first fully digital banking state. This achievement was possible due to social interventions through local self-government institutions along with infrastructure development and technological advances in the banking sector.
• The Kerala Cabinet approved a scheme to ensure those employed under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) in the poll-bound state get benefits like pension and medical assistance. With this, Kerala became the first state to have a welfare board for the beneficiaries of employment guarantee programmes in the country.
• Neeru Yadav, k.a. “Hockey Wali Sarpanch,” has launched a fresh effort to support the farmers in Rajasthan village. Neeru Yadav and NABARD have signed an agreement to launch the Farmers Producers Organization (FPO) with the help of SIIRD (Society of Indian Institute of Rural Development).
• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the 26th National Youth Festival in Hubbali, Karnataka. The programme has been organised on National Youth Day, which is celebrated on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, to honour and cherish his ideals, teachings and contributions.
  • The theme of the festival is ‘Viksit Yuva - Viksit Bharat’ and it brings diverse cultures from all parts of the country on a common platform and unites the participants in the spirit of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.

• The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal, along with Dr Manik Saha, Chief Minister, Tripura inaugurated the School of Logistics, Waterways and Communication in Agartala. The school will enable the rich pool of talent of the region to become world-class experts in the transportation and logistics sector.
• Kerala set a Guinness world record by kicking 4500 penalty shots within 12 hours under the 'Dream Goal Penalty shootout' programme organized by the Kerala Sports Department at Manjeri Payyanad stadium.
• Uttarakhand Government has passed the bill and also Governor has given his assent to the bill which provides 30% horizontal reservation for domiciled women citizens of the state in public services and posts.
• Mongeet is a festival of music, poetry, art, craft, food, culinary techniques, indigenous herbs, and culture celebrated in Majuli,
• The Vice President & Rajya Sabha Chairman, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar has addressed the inaugural session of the 83^rd All India Presiding Officers’ Conference in Jaipur on 11^th January 2023.
  • The All India Presiding Officers’ Conference (AIPOC) is the apex body of the Legislatures in India that completed its hundred years in 2021. The first Conference was also held in Shimla in 1921.

• Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation (SPM-NIWAS) in Kolkata via video conferencing.
• In Jammu and Kashmir, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh today virtually inaugurated the Bailey Suspension Bridge over river Chenab in the Ramban district of the Jammu division.
• Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Purushottam Rupala inaugurated 29 Mobile Veterinary Units (MVUs) and Centralised Call Center in Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) on 5 January 2023. The call center will act as one-stop centres for the resolution of veterinary issues.
• US government project to the conservation and restoration of 6 Paigah tombs built in the 18th-19th centuries in Hyderabad. The project will be implemented by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
• The National Remote Sensing Center (NSRC) of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has released satellite images of the city of Joshimath, Uttarakhand, which reveal a preliminary land subsidence analysis that indicates that the entire city is in danger of completely sinking.
  • The images have been captured by the Cartosat-2S satellite, and the NRSC, situated in Hyderabad, has published satellite photos of the sinking areas.

• Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel celebrated the Cherchera festival at Dudhadhari Math in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated a 120-foot-tall statue of a polo player riding a polo at Marjing Polo Complex in Imphal, Manipur. Manipur is known as the birthplace of the game polo.
• ‘Jadunama’, is a book written by veteran writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar by Arvind Mandloi.
• The annual Gangasagar Mela will be held to celebrate Makar Sankranti in West Bengal.
• ReNew Power installs India's first 3x platform wind turbine generators in
• Tamil Nadu Assembly unanimously passed a resolution urging the Central Government to implement the SethuSamudram project without further delay.
• The eagerly anticipated Purple Fest, Celebrating Diversity, the state's first-ever inclusive festival for people with disabilities (PwDs), will take place in
• Manipur Governor La Ganesan, Chief Minister N Biren Singh and his ministers have extended warm greetings to the people of the state on the auspicious occasion of Ema Emoinu Eratpa Numit observed every year on the 12th day of Meitei lunar month Wakching.
• The Bihar government started caste surveys in different parts of the state on 7th January.
• The Gaan Ngai of the Zeliangrong Community celebrated in Manipur. The Gaan Ngai festival is one of the major festivals of Manipur which is celebrated every year after harvesting.
• The Osmanabad District Court became the first court in Maharashtra to introduce an e- system of functioning, under which, all the court-related work including filing, payment and other court services can be done through the mobile app or online mode.
• The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Government launched a state-wide 100-day ‘UP Global City’ campaign to transform the lifestyles of urban bodies of UP on par with global standards. The 100-day ‘UP Global City’ campaign has been launched in all 762 urban bodies of UP.
• BSE (formerly Bombay Stock Exchange Ltd.) has signed an MoU with the Government of Goa for the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in Goa

✔ One Liner

• The first meeting of the Youth 20 group as part of the G20 summit will be held in Guwahati from February 6 to 8, 2023.
• The 4th International Trade Fair of Millets and Organics Products began on 20 January 2023 at Tripuravasini,
• Indian Embassy in Kathmandu organises 5 km marathon 'Run for Life' with the theme of 'lifestyle for Environment'.
• Shipping, Waterways and Ports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal have launched the initiative ‘Bharat Pravah-India along its Shores’ to highlight the role of rivers-ports-shipping in the everyday life of a common man through literature, dialogue and communication.
• The first Global Tourism Investors Summit will be organised by the Union Ministry of Tourism from 10 to 12 April 2023 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
• A 'rare orange-coloured bat' known as 'painted bat' has been spotted in a banana plantation in Parali Bodal village of Kanger Valley National Park in Bastar, Chhattisgarh.
• A two-day meeting of the Think-20 group was organised under the G-20 on 16-17 January 2023 in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Think-20 was launched by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
• Indian Army organises Cyber Threat Seminar cum Workshop "Sayanya Ran Kshetram 2.0".

• Jallikattu 2023 started on January 15 in Avaniyapuram village of Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
• The National Council of EducationResearch and Training (NCERT) notified India's first National Assessment Regulator "PARAKH"  intending to set up assessment guidelines for all boards.
• After assuming its G20 presidency on December 1, 2022, India will now host its First Health Working Group (HWG) meeting from January 18 to 20, 2023. The meeting will be held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, according to a press release by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• The Ministry of Textiles will organise a special handloom exhibition “VIRASAT” - from 20-30 January 2023 at Handloom Haat, New Delhi to showcase home decor products made from handlooms
• Regional carrier Flybig commenced its services from Itanagar to Guwahati. The Flybig carrier has commenced flights from Hollongi in Arunachal Pradesh to Guwahati in Assam
• Arjun Ram Meghwal handed over 9th to 10th century Nataraja Idol to Officials in Chittorgarh Fort in Rajasthan.
• Indian Army - participates in a 3-day long Monastic festival of the Monpa tribe of Tawang at Arunachal Pradesh.
• The third annual Orange Festival 2023 has been organised at Rasoma village in the Kohima district of Nagaland.
• The First Employment Working Group meeting of the G20 summit will be held in Jodhpur in Rajasthan from 2 to 4 Feb'23.
• Home Minister Amit Shah laid the foundation stone of the National Forensic Science University at Dharwad in North Karnataka on 28 January 2023.
• Recently the first survey of migrants has been started by the Government of Jharkhand.
• South Africa to host the 15th BRICS summit at Durban in late August 2023.
• Uttar Pradesh is set to host the 7th edition of the UP Nature and Bird Festival on 1- 3 Feb'23 at Vijaysagar Bird Sanctuary in Mahoba district.
• Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel announced an unemployment allowance for youth from the financial year 2023-24 during the Republic Day speech.
• The 30th National Child Science Congress began at Science City in Ahmedabad on 27 January.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will address the ceremony commemorating the 1111th ‘Avataran Mahotsav’ of Bhagwan Shri Devnarayan Ji in Bhilwara, Rajasthan on 28th January.
• Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurates National Summit on Quality of Biologicals. Organised by the National Institute of Biologicals (NIB), in New Delhi on 27 January.
• Google celebrates the 74th Republic Day of India with a creative masterpiece by a Gujarat-based guest artist Parth Kothekar. The Google Doodle finely illustrates the Republic Day Parade, along with some iconic landmarks like Rashtrapati Bhavan, the India Gate, the Daredevil motorcycle riders, and the CRFP marching contingent.

• The Rachid Karameh International Fair of Tripoli (Lebanon) is inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The World Heritage Committee meeting in an extraordinary session decided to inscribe the Rachid Karameh International Fair of Tripoli (Lebanon) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
• The United Nations cultural organization, UNESCO, designated the historic center of Odesa (an international city in Ukraine) as a World Heritage Site and categorized it as being “in danger” during a committee meeting in Paris.
• Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Film Festival has been organised by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting through the National Film Development Corporation in
• Uganda unveils first commercial oil production drilling programme. Uganda commissioned the first of its four planned oil rigs and started drilling the first production well, a key milestone as the country races to meet its target of first oil output in 2025 after a long delay.
  • Uganda has one of the largest oil reserves in the Saharan desert. Oil was discovered in Uganda 20 years back. But production was delayed due to a lack of funds. With the assistance of China, Uganda has now launched its first oil field in Lake Albert.
• • On the occasion of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, an International seminar on Knowledge sharing of conservation of Natural and cultural heritage was organised by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) in Kathmandu(Nepal).
  China is constructing a new dam on the Mabja Zangbo River (a tributary of the Ganga) in Tibet, close to the tri-junction (and is opposite the Kalapani area of Uttarakhand) of India, Nepal and Tibet, raising concerns since China has ramped up creation of military and dual-use infrastructure and in the eastern and western sectors of the LAC (Line of Actual Control).

• The Giving to Amplify Earth Action (GAEA) was introduced by the World Economic Forum to assist raise the $3 trillion in funding needed annually to achieve net zero, stop the destruction of the environment, and restore biodiversity by 2050.
• The successful launch of the world’s first agri-focused satellite is expected to generate over USD 100 million in revenue, said the Chairperson of the South African Council for Space Affairs. Dragonfly Aerospace launched the satellite, called AgriSAT-1 /ZA 008, on a Space X Falcon 9 rocket.
• The 43rd edition of the International Tourism Fair 'FITUR 2023' has been held from 18-22 January 2023 in Madrid, Spain. It is one of the largest international travel shows in the world.
• UNESCO has decided to dedicate the International Day of Education to be celebrated on January 24, 2023, to Afghan girls and women.
• Recently Brazil government declared a medical emergency in the Yanomami region amid reports of child deaths from diseases caused by illegal gold mining and malnutrition-related conditions.
• Croatia, the youngest member of the European Union (EU), adopted the ‘Euro’. Croatia, a Balkan country, is now the 20th member of the Eurozone and the 27th country to join the passport-free Schengen zone.
• China became the first country in Asia and second in the world to launch Hydrogen powered urban trains. Germany was the first country to introduce hydrogen-powered trains in September 2022. It has a top speed of 160 KM per hour and can run without refuelling for 600 km.
  • As per Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, India will most likely get its first-ever indigenous Hydrogen trains by December 2023. India is committed to achieving zero net carbon emissions by 2070.

• India deployed a platoon of women peacekeepers in the Abyei region of Sudan on 6 January as part of the Indian battalion in the United Nations Interim Security Force (UNISFA). It is India's largest single contingent of women peacekeepers in a UN mission since it deployed its first all-women contingent to Liberia in 2007.
• Taiwanese lawmakers have passed new rules that let local chip firms turn 25% of their annual research and development expenses into tax credits, part of efforts to keep cutting-edge semiconductor technologies at home and maintain the island’s technology leadership.
• The leaders of Britain and Japan signed a defense agreement that could see troops deployed to each other’s countries. The two countries are strengthening military ties amid growing concern about China’s increasing military assertiveness and designs toward Taiwan, which it considers a renegade province.
• Bangladesh has registered a sharp decline of over 75 per cent in the under-5 child mortality rate since 1990, as per the report prepared at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on behalf of the United Nations Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation.
• European officials and Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf inaugurated the EU’s first mainland orbital launch complex during a visit to Sweden by members of the European Commission.
• The World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting is set to begin in Davos bringing together world leaders to discuss issues such as the Russia-Ukraine war, global inflation, and climate change.
• Europe’s largest deposit of rare earths, which are used in everything from mobile phones to missiles, has been found in Sweden. The discovery is being hailed as a way to reduce the European Union’s (EU) dependence on China, which currently supplies 98% of the rare earth used in the EU. The discovery is also being seen as crucial for the green transition, given the expected increase in demand for electric vehicles and wind turbines.
• America’s airspace shut down for several hours following a glitch in a computer system used to send alerts to pilots. Notice to Air Missions system, or NOTAM, had failed and was not processing new information. The system, which dates to the middle of the last century, gives pilots real-time updates on flight conditions.

• In Canada, a two-year ban on foreigners buying homes has come into effect. In a statement, the federal housing Minister Ahmed Hussen said, the ban is meant to discourage buyers from looking at homes as commodities instead of a place to live and grow a family.
• The U.S. has approved the first-ever vaccine for honey bees for protection from the American foulbrood disease. The vaccine will be administered along with the royal jelly feed given by the worker bees to the queen bee.
• The United States announced that it will extend COVID-19 pandemic-era restrictions, known as Title 42, to expel migrants from Nicaragua, Cuba and Haiti caught crossing the U.S.-Mexico border back to Mexico.
• According to The Official Airline Guide (OAG)’s Punctuality League 2023 report, released on 11th January 2022, India’s largest airline IndiGo and Airports Authority of India (AAI)-owned Coimbatore International Airport, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, are among the 20 most punctual airlines and airports globally in terms of On-Time Performance (OTP) in 2022.
• The United Nations (UN) in its World Social Report 2023 projected that the number of people aged 65 years or older worldwide will more than double from 761 million in 2021 to 1.6 billion in 2050. It is published by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
• According to the recent data published in the "Levels & Trends in Child Mortality" report by the United Nations Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), an estimated 5 million children died before turning five, with nearly half (47%) dying during their first month.
• UN IGME is led by UNICEF and includes the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank Group and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. It was formed in 2004.

• The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has launched LIC Jeevan Azad Plan. It is a limited-period premium payment plan that offers financial support for the family in case of unfortunate death of the life assured during the policy term. If the LIC policyholder survives the maturity term, then the plan offers a guaranteed base sum-assured amount.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently proposed a framework for the adoption of an expected loss-based approach for provisioning against loan loss by banks in India.
  • Presently, banks in India are required to make loan loss provisions based on an ‘incurred loss’ approach, which used to be the standard globally till recently.
  • Under the proposed framework, banks will be required to classify financial assets (primarily loans, including irrevocable loan commitments, and investments classified as held-to-maturity or available-for-sale) into one of three categories – Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3, depending upon the assessed credit losses on them, at the time of initial recognition as well as on each subsequent reporting date and make necessary provisions. Banks would be allowed to design and implement their own models for measuring expected credit losses to estimate loss provisions in line with the proposed principles.

• As per the paper titled ‘What Drives Startup Fundraising in India’ in the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) January 2023 bulletin, start-up fundraising in India is expected to rapidly rebound from the macroeconomic disturbances seen over the last 2-3 years.
• Russia has now become India’s fourth-largest trading partner, with imports from Russia increasing five-fold to USD 32.9 billion between April – December 2022. India’s higher imports from Russia are mostly due to two commodities: fertilizers and crude oil.

• ESAF Small Finance Bank has bagged the prestigious Inclusive Finance India Awards 2022 for its contributions to advancing the goal of financial inclusion and supporting inclusive growth.
• Ernst &Young released a report titled India@100: Realizing the potential of a US$26 trillion economy. According to the estimates Indian economy will reach GDP size of US$26 trillion by 2047, the 100th year of the country’s independence. The per capita income is expected to increase to US$15,000, putting the country among the ranks of developed economies.
• Google is actively working on a Soundbox for the Indian market, similar to the Paytm or PhonePe ones. The company has branded them as ‘Soundpod by Google Pay’ and is currently distributing it as a pilot with some shopkeepers in north India, including Delhi. The Soundpods are being built by Amazon-backed ToneTag, the report mentioned.
• SBI has raised Rs 9,718 crore through its second infrastructure bond issuance at a coupon rate of 7.70 per cent per annum for the 15-year money. This is the second fund-raising since early December when it had mopped up Rs 10,000 crore via infra bonds.
• Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Limited (TMB) has bagged the Best Small Bank award in the Best Banks survey for the year 2022. The Best Banks survey was conducted by Business Today- KPMG (BT-KPMG Best Bank Survey).
• Warehousing Development Regulatory Authority (WDRA) signed a memorandum (MoU) of understanding with the State Bank of India to help farmers in getting low interest-rate loans. The objective of the MoU is to provide information on the benefits to the depositors besides carrying out further activities to improve agricultural finance in India.
• Regulator SEBI allowed Alternative Investment Funds(AIFs) to participate in the Credit Default Swaps(CDS) market as protection buyers and sellers in a bid to facilitate the deepening of the domestic corporate bond segment. The new norms, which will come into force with immediate effect, allow business entities to hedge risks associated with the bonds market.
  • A credit default swap (CDS) is a financial swap arrangement in which the buyer is compensated by the seller in the event of a debt default (by the debtor) or another credit event.
• For the first time, emphasis is being laid by the Central Government on raising money through Green Bonds. Regarding this, the first installment of Sovereign Green Bond has been released by RBI in the last week of January. 5-year and 10-year SGrBs would be for Rs. 4000 crores each. The issuance of Sovereign Green Bonds aligns with India’s vision to achieve net zero emissions by 2070.
  • According to the RBI sovereign green bonds issued by the Indian government will not have any restrictions on foreign investment.
• Arti Ahuja, Secretary of, the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE), launched the EPFO district outreach program ‘Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0’ in all the districts of the country.
  • Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0 will be conducted on the 27^th of every month at all district headquarters of EPFO (starting from January 2023) to reach out to all the districts of the country on the same day.

• Star Health and Allied Insurance, renewed its strategic corporate agency Bancassurance tie-up with Punjab National Bank (PNB) for a long-term period. PNB will continue to distribute Star Health’s insurance products across all their branches pan India.
• Network People Services Technologies Ltd has launched Timepay Evok, a UPI- API (Application Programming Interface) engine for Payment Aggregators and Payment Gateways [PAPGs]
  • The Timepay Evok, which is a modern-day payment platform will act as a one-stop UPI payment solution for digital merchants and ensures secure, reliable, and fast-paced payment collections.

• The Central Bank of Nigeria launched a domestic card scheme ‘AfriGo’ to boost the cashless economy and compete with foreign cards like Mastercard and Visa.
• Vikram Credit Cards launched by Bank Of Baroda for members of the Indian military, paramilitary, and police forces. To meet the credit needs of the soldiers, who selflessly protect us and serve our country.
• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and HDFC Life have partnered up to provide UPI 123PAY This special voice-based premium payment tool makes it much easier for HDFC Life members to pay their premiums.
• Dell Technologies has acquired Israeli startup Cloudify which is known for cloud orchestration and infrastructure automation. Dell spent close to $100 million in buying the startup to boost its cloud services business, specifically its offerings in DevOps.
• Coffee Day Enterprises Ltd (CDEL) was penalized ₹26 crores by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) for alleged fund diversion. CDEL is the parent company of Café Coffee Day.
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Nhava Sheva Freeport Terminal Private Limited (NSFTPL) have signed a USD 131 million (about Rs 1,066 crore) loan agreement to upgrade the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Container Terminal, Navi Mumbai, to enhance international trade in India through efficient, transparent, and state-of-the-art logistics infrastructure.
• Markets regulator SEBI has launched an information database on municipal bonds. As part of efforts to develop the bond markets, an outreach programme on municipal bonds and municipal finance was organised by SEBI in the national capital.
• The first India Stack Developers Conference has been organised to focus on ways and means to ensure wider adoption of India's digital goods across the globe held in New Delhi. This conference is to provide a platform for the industry and developer community to develop a strong start-up and innovation ecosystem and explore ways to take India's Stack products to the country as well as to other countries.
• Indian Bank unveiled the QR (Quick Response) code bill payment system for Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) making it the first power distribution company to offer such an initiative to customers in Mysuru, Karnataka.
• Punjab & Sind Bank (PSB), a public sector bank, has partnered with SBI Card to launch co-brand credit cards for the bank’s customers.

• Tata AIA Life Insurance has established the Emerging Opportunity Fund with ULIP (unit-linked insurance plans), which can invest in mid-cap companies and rising market leaders with the potential to provide significant future growth.
• The government of India has exempted public sector entities from the Minimum Public Shareholding (MPS) norm which mandates at least 25 per cent public float for all listed companies.
  • According to the notification “any listed entity in which the Central Government or State Government or public sector company, either individually or in any combination with others, holds directly or indirectly, majority of the shares or voting rights or control of such listed entity, are exempted from any or all of the provisions of this rule”.
• The Reserve Bank of India said that the State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, and HDFC Bank continue to be identified as Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs).
  • The concept behind D-SIB is that there are certain banks in India which cannot be allowed to fail as their failure may badly affect the Indian economy. RBI selects banks on their size and their overall contribution to the Indian economy.
  • The central bank had initially issued a framework for dealing with D-SIBs in July 2014 which required it to disclose names of banks designated as such starting from 2015 and place them in appropriate buckets depending upon their Systemic Importance Scores (SISs).

• India’s largest Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC) Shriram Finance Ltd has secured a $100 million loan from the Asian Development Bank. The loan amount will be used by Shriram Finance to provide loans to customers to buy new or used BS VI-compliant vehicles and electric vehicles besides this providing financial support to women entrepreneurs. [Note HQ of Shriram Finance Ltd is in Chennai.]
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released the Annual Report of the Ombudsman Schemes for the period April 01, 2021 – March 31, 2022. Its details are as follows:-
  • The volume of complaints received under the Ombudsman Schemes/ Consumer Education and Protection Cells during the year 2021-22 increased by 9.39 per cent over the previous year and stood at 4,18,184 during the reported period.
  • Complaints relating to digital modes of payment and transactions were the highest in number, constituting 42.12 per cent of the total complaints received during the year.
  • The rate of disposal of complaints by RBIOs improved to 97.97 per cent in 2021-22 from 96.59 per cent in 2020-21.
  • The majority (63.63 per cent) of the maintainable complaints were resolved through mutual settlement /conciliation /mediation.
  • Complaints related to ATM/ debit cards were the highest at 14.65% of the total, followed by mobile/ electronic banking at 13.64%.

• Zerodha-backed GoldenPi Technologies has become the first online bond platform provider to receive a debt brokerage license from the market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The Bengaluru-based fintech firm expects this development to spur greater trust in online bonds and debentures investment space.
• Yes Bank announced its partnership with Microsoft to bring forth a next-generation mobile application with a view to providing customers with a personalised banking experience.
• Dhanlaxmi Bank has launched its new retail internet banking ‘DhanDelight’, and retail mobile banking app ‘DhanSmart’ featuring the latest information system security features to provide secure banking.
• IndusInd Bank partnered with British Airways Executive Club and Qatar Airways Privilege Club to introduce the first-of-its-kind unique multi-branded credit card, powered by Visa.
• Axis Bank has signed an agreement with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, to establish a Centre for Mathematics and Computing at the institute.
  • The Axis Bank Centre for Mathematics and Computing is India’s first comprehensive Academic Research Centre on Mathematics and Computing.
• The Union Cabinet doubled the allocation for the promotion of RuPay debit cards and BHIM-UPI (Unified Payments Interface) transactions to Rs 2,600 crore for FY23 aims at promoting digital payments across the country
  • The scheme was first announced in FY22 Budget with a financial outlay of Rs 1,300 crore.
• PayRup India’s fastest payment app was launched. PayRup is built with the finest cutting-edge technology of Web 3.0. It provides an advanced digital payment experience with an outstanding user experience. PayRup users can pay utility bills and landline bills, recharge their mobile, broadband, DTH, and purchase Gift Cards.
• According to the World Bank, India’s growth is expected to slow to 6.9 per cent in Financial Year 2023, a 0.6 percentage point decrease since June.
• State Bank of India (SBI) launched e-Bank Guarantee (e-BG) facility in association with National e-Governance Services Limited (NeSL). This facility will bring about a revolutionary change in the banking ecosystem, where bank guarantee is frequently used in large volumes. By using the NeSL’s platform, the bank customers and other beneficiaries will instantly get an e-Bank Guarantee without additional verification. Currently, the bank issues these guarantees with physical stamping and wet signatures.
• Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has raised USD 1 billion via a 10-year Sustainability Bond issue in the 144A/Reg-S format under its Environmental Social Governance (ESG).
• India’s leading drone startup Garuda Aerospace has announced its partnership with the Union Bank of India. 150 Garuda Agri Kisan drones have received sanction for Loan under the Kisan Pushpak Scheme.
  • The drone loan will help farmers to digitise land record operations for crop production, spraying of fertilizers, chemicals, growth promotors, pesticides, etc with the help of drones. 
• National Company Law Tribuna gives Approval for the Merger of Multiplex Operators PVR and Inox, to boost the film and entertainment industry

• Hon'ble President of India Draupadi Murmu conferred Jeevan Raksha Padak Awards to RPF/RPSF personnel in New Delhi. Awardees are
  • Jaipal Singh, Head Constable/ Northern Railway
  • Surendra Kumar, Constable/Northern Railway
  • Bhuda Ram Saini, Constable/7th BN/RPSF.
• The best marching contingent and tableau for the Republic Day Parade 2023 has been announced. Separate results - one by a panel of judges and the other through an online public vote conducted by MyGov. Based on the evaluation of the panel:
  • Best marching contingent in all three services - Punjab Regiment Center contingent.
  • Best Marching Contingent in CAPFs/Other Auxiliary Forces - CRPF Marching Contingent.
  • Best three Tableaux (State/UT) 1st - Uttarakhand (Manaskhand), 2nd - Maharashtra (Sade Teen Shaktipeeth and Nari Shakti), 3rd - Uttar Pradesh (Ayodhya Deepotsav).
  • Best Tableau (Ministry/Department) - Ministry of Tribal Affairs (Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS)).
• Padma Awards 2023: The Centre has announced the Padma Awards on the eve of Republic Day 26 January.
• Padma Vibhushan Recipient List

• Padma Bhushan Recipient List

• R Vishnu Prasad has been conferred with the most prestigious scientific honour Indian Achievers Award for the year 2022. Vishnu Prasad, who has contributed to smart cities, solid waste management, large-scale water treatment, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan,

• Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) and Lunglei Fire Station (LFS) Mizoram were selected for Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar-2023 for excellence in disaster management for the year 2023.
• Hindustani vocalist Dr Prabha Atre was conferred with the Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Bhavin Rabari, the lead child actor in Gujarati film Chhello Show (The Last Film Show), bagged the International Press Academy (IPA) award in the ‘Best Breakthrough Performance’ category at the 27th Satellite Awards held in the United States. The film is the first Indian film to be shortlisted for the Oscars in the ‘Best International Feature Film’ category after 21 years.
• Journalist-author Harish Damodaran was announced as the winner of the Gaja Capital Business Book Prize 2022. He received it for his book ‘Broke to Breakthrough: The Rise of India's Largest Private Dairy Company’.
• Himalayan Cataract Project Co-Founder and Nepali ophthalmologistDr Sanduk Ruit has won the ISA Award 2021- 2022 for Service to Humanity, a top civilian award of Bahrain.
• Naanera, a Rajasthani film, has bagged the 'Golden Kailasha' award for the best movie at the Ajanta-Ellora film festival. The movie was directed by Deepankar Prakash.

• The 71st Miss Universe pageant was held in the city of New Orleans in the US state of Louisiana. R Bonney Gabriel of America won this competition.
• Renowned author K Venu was awarded the Federal Bank Literary Award 2022 for his autobiography 'Oarnavashanthinte Katha'.
• The US-based international organisation International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has selected Chhattisgarh Police's anti-drug and illicit liquor campaign 'Nijat' for 'Leadership in Crime Prevention' in the institutional category.
• Odisha government’s slum improvement and land titling programme, JAGA (Odisha Liveable Habitat Mission) Mission has won the UN-Habitat’s World Habitat Awards 2023.
  • This award is given by World Habitat, a United Kingdom-based organization, in partnership with United Nations (UN)-Habitat, every year, in recognition of innovative, outstanding, and revolutionary ideas, projects, and programmes from across the world.
  • The Govt. of Odisha in May 2018 launched JAGA Mission based on the Odisha Land Rights to Slum Dwellers Act, 2017”. It is the world’s largest slum titling and upgradation initiative. It aims to make Odisha the first state in India to be slum-free by the end of 2023.
• 27 Indians living overseas have been chosen by the Indian government for the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards (PBSA), for outstanding achievements both in India and abroad
  • As per the Ministry of External Affairs, the theme for Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2023 will be “Diaspora: Reliable Partners for India’s Progress in Amrit Kaal”. This theme highlights the importance of the Indian diaspora in contributing to India’s progress.

• Dr Tapan Saikia will receive the Asom Baibhav, the highest civilian honour that the Assam government can bestow.
• Writer Ambikasuthan Mangad has been selected for Odakuzhal Award 2022 for his collection of short stories titled Pranavayu.
• Film RRR created history at the 80th 'Golden Globe Awards 2023' award ceremony, and the film's Telugu song 'Naatu Naatu' has won the Best Song award. The song was composed by MM Keeravani and sung by Kaala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj.
  • Golden Globe Awards 2023 winners:

• Egypt President Abdel Fattah El Sisi will be the chief guest at the 74th Republic Day celebrations.
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of Vikram Dev Dutt as the next Director General (DG) in the Directorate of General of Civil Aviation.
• Nemat Shafik becomes president of Columbia University. She is the first woman in this role in the university’s 268-year history. She succeeds Lee C. Bollinger, who will have served in the role for 21 years.
• New Zealand’s former COVID-19 response minister, Chris Hipkins will replace Jacinda Ardern as prime minister.
• Praveen Sharma has been appointed as the Director of the National Health Authority (Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Hyderabad-born Aruna Miller has become the first Indian-American politician to be elected as the lieutenant governor of the US state of Maryland.
• UK's Claire Lombardelli has been appointed as the new Chief Economist of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
• Retired director general of the Border Security Force (BSF) Pankaj Kumar Singh was appointed on 17 January as the Deputy National Security Adviser in the National Security Council Secretariat for two years.
• Sibi George, presently Ambassador of India to Japan, has been concurrently accredited as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Marshall Islands
• Air Marshal Amanpreet Singh has been appointed as the new Vice Chief of the Air Staff.
• Footwear manufacturer and designer Puma India has signed Harmanpreet Kaur as its new brand ambassador.
• The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has recommended the name of Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi as the new Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI).
• Standard Chartered Bank has appointed Sarabjit Anand as the Chief Technology and Operations Officer.
• Hyderabad-based Navratna mining company NMDC Limited has signed world champion boxer Nikhat Zareen as its brand ambassador.
• Indian-American astronaut Raja Chari has been nominated by US President Joe Biden for the post of Air Force brigadier general in Jan 2023.
• RBI has approved to appoint  Prabdev Singh as the lender’s Chief Executive Officer of JP Morgan Chase & Co. to appoint in the Country.

• US President Joe Biden nominated Julie Turner as special envoy for human rights in North Korea on 24 January
• Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) which markets milk and dairy products under the Amul brand has announced the appointment of Shamalbhai B Patel as its chairman and Valamjibhai Humbal as vice chairman.
• The Maharashtra government has appointed Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran as the head of the new Economic Advisory Council of Maharashtra.
• Ajay Kumar Srivastava has been elevated as Managing Director and CEO of Indian Overseas Bank with effect from January 1, 2023, from his current posting as executive director.
• CRPF Director-General Sujoy Lal Thaosen took the “additional” charge of the Border Security Force (BSF), following the retirement of incumbent Pankaj Kumar Singh.
• Air Marshal Pankaj Mohan Sinha assumed command of the Indian Air Force’s Western Air Command on 01 January 2023.
• Maithili Thakur, a Folk Singer, was appointed as the State Icon for Bihar by the Election Commission(EC).
• Lieutenant General Arvind Walia, a 1986 batch officer and an alumnus of the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun has been appointed as the next Engineer-in-Chief of the Indian Army.
• Dr Vinay Prakash Singh assumed the charge as the Secretary General of the Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) on 1 January 2023.
• Captain Shiva Chauhan became the first woman officer to be operationally deployed at the highest battleground in Kumar Post on the Siachen glacier.
• Prasanna Kumar Motupalli was appointed as Chairman and Managing Director of the state-run NLC India Ltd (NLCIL), a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Coal.
• Bank of Singapore, the private banking arm of Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC), announced that it has appointed Jason Moo as its new CEO.
• The All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC) have elected Saiyam Mehra as Chairman and Rajesh Rokde as Vice Chairman of the industry body for two years.
• Indian-origin Sikh woman, Manpreet Monica Singh became the first ever female Sikh judge in the US.
• Surinder Chawla is the new Managing Director and CEO of Paytm Payments Bank.
• Anurag Kumar was appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director of Electronics Corporation of India Limited.
• Meta announced the appointment of former Vikas Purohit as the director of a global business group in India.
• For the first time an Indian Air Force (IAF) female fighter pilot, Squadron Leader Avani Chaturvedi, will participate in aerial war games held in
• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has named Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology of UAE and Group Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company(ADNOC), as President of the COP28 climate summit.
• Captain Surabhi Jakhmola, has become the first woman officer of the Border Roads Organization (BRO) to be posted on a foreign project. She has been deployed by BRO under Project Dantak in Bhutan.
• Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced the appointment of Sonia Gujajara as the first minister of the new Ministry of Indigenous Peoples. Sonia Guajajara is widely known as the leader of the main group of indigenous tribes of Brazil and a member of the Amazon Guajajara.

• Scientists used a high-powered laser to change the direction of lightning strikes for the first time. The laser was aimed at the sky on the top of Mount Santis in north-eastern Switzerland. The new device, called Laser Lightning Rod (LLR), could increase protection by extending the height of rods hundreds of meters. With more development, LLR could improve protection for important places such as power stations and airports.

• BharOS (mobile operating system) is a significant step towards developing robust indigenous digital infrastructure in India. Intending to create a "self-reliant India," a company that was incubated at IIT Madras has built a mobile operating system. The developers have dubbed it "BharOS" and claim that it would help the nation's 100 crore mobile phone subscribers.

• Sreekumar, the Satish Dhawan Professor at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and advisor to its space science programme stated that the organisation has not yet received approval from the Indian government for the Venus mission and that, as a result, the mission may be delayed until 2031. Shukrayaan I, the ISRO Venus mission, was scheduled to launch in December 2024.
• Mastercard announced the expansion of its signature Girls4Tech, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education program in India. The Girls4Tech is supported by Mastercard Impact Fund and in partnership with the American India Foundation (AIF).
• BhartiAirtel Group announced that it will be investing Rs 2,000 crore for setting up a large hyperscale data centre in Hyderabad. The announcement was made at the Telangana Lounge in Davos, Switzerland in the presence of Telangana Minister for IT and Industries K T Rama Rao.
• Astronomers from McGill University in Canada and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru have used data from the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) in Pune to detect a radio signal originating from atomic hydrogen in an extremely distant galaxy.

• Hyderabad-based MSN Group has announced the launch of the world’s first generic Palbociclib Tablets, for Advanced Breast Cancer Therapyunder the brand name PALBOREST.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 108th Indian Science Congress (ISC) on 3rd January 2023 through video conferencing held in Nagpur. The theme of the 108th Indian Science Congress 2023 is “Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment”.
• Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated the “National Genome Editing & Training Centre” at National Agri-food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) Mohali, At the same time, he also inaugurated a 4-day International Conference on Food and Nutritional Security 2023 (iFANS) at Mohali.
• The United State Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the lecanemab drug, developed by Eisai and Biogen, for the treatment of Alzheimer’s. It is 2nd drug to receive such approval. Lecanemab is a monoclonal antibody that targets the amyloid beta protein.
• Space Kidz India, a Chennai-based space tech start-up is set to launch their satellite made by 750 girls (from government schools across different nations). Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launch vehicle will carry this satellite. A targeted launch date of January 16 has been set for the satellite named AzaadiSAT.
• The 28th edition of Saarang, India’s largest student-run festival begins at IIT Madras on 11th January 2023. Saarang 2023 will feature more than 100 events with participation from 500 colleges across the country. The theme of this year’s Saarang edition is ‘Mystic Hues’ which celebrates how intertwined colors are with culture and tradition.
• Vidisha, an aspirational district of Madhya Pradesh became the first-ever district in India for on-ground deployment of innovative 5G use cases offered by startups - a joint initiative by Vidisha District Administration and Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the guidance of Additional Secretary (Telecom) & Administrator USOF.
• As a part of the Samudrayaan Mission undertaken by the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, India aims to send three persons to 6000 meters below sea level. Dr Jitendra Singh further elaborated that a vehicle called MATSYA will carry three-person to a depth of 6000 meters for exploration of deep-sea resources like minerals Blue Economy.
• Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed and successfully tested an AI tool called “Sybil” that effectively predicts lung cancer risk.
• Skyhawk- India’s first 5G-enabled drone. Startup firm IG Drones, which was born out of the Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) campus in Odisha's Sambalpur has developed a 5G-enabled drone that is capable of vertical take-off and landing.

• Dutch player Anish Giri wins Tata Steel Masters (chess) in 2023.
• Germany defeated Belgium to win the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2023, at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India on 29 January 2023.
  • The Netherlands won the bronze medal after defeating Australia 3–1.
  • List of Awards:

• Global Family Day is annually observed across the globe on January 1. To promote the concept of harmony and unity in the world.
• World Braille Day is annually observed across the globe on January 04. It is an International Day recognized by the United Nations (UN).
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• World Day of War Orphans is annually observed across the globe on January 6.
• Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas is annually celebrated across India on January 09.
• World Hindi Day 2023 is annually observed across the globe on January 10.
• National Youth Day 2023 is annually celebrated across India on January 12. To mark the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. The theme of the National Youth Festival 2023 is “Viksit Yuva-Viksit Bharat”.
• Parakram Diwas is annually observed across India on January 23. To commemorate the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose, fondly known as “Netaji”.
• National Girl Child Day is annually observed across India on January 24. To spread public awareness about inequities that girls face in Indian society and promote awareness about the rights of the girl child.
• National Voters’ Day is annually observed across India on January 25. The theme of 2023 National Voters’ Day is ‘Nothing Like Voting, I Vote for Sure’.

• International Day of Education is annually observed across the globe on January 24. The theme of International Day of Education (IDE) 2023 is “to invest in people, prioritize education”.
• National Tourism Day is annually observed across India on January 25. The day highlights the importance of tourism for India’s economy, which contributes 8.1% of employment and2% of the nation’s overall Gross domestic product (GDP).
• In the year 2023, India celebrated its 74th Republic Day on 26th January 2023. President of India, Droupadi Murmu, was accompanied by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El –Sisi, the chief guest of the 74th Republic Day, at the Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path.
• International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust is annually observed across the globe on January 27. It is an International Day recognized by the United Nations. To remember the victims of the Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, which was the genocide of European Jews during World War II.
• International Customs Day is annually observed across the globe on January 26. The theme of International Customs Day 2023 is “Nurturing the Next Generation: Promoting a Culture of Knowledge Sharing and Professional Pride in Customs”.
• Data Privacy Day is annually observed across the globe on January 28. Data Privacy Day or Data Protection Day commemorates the anniversary of the opening for signature of Convention 108, the global data protection Convention, on 28th January 1981.
• World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day is annually observed across the globe on January 30. It is an International Day recognized by the World Health Organisation. The theme of World NTD Day 2023 is “Act Now. Act Together. Invest in Neglected Tropical Diseases”.
• World Leprosy Day is annually observed across the globe on the last Sunday of January. World Leprosy Day 2023 falls on 29th January 2023. The theme for World Leprosy Day 2023 is ‘Act Now: End Leprosy’.

• A book titled ‘COACHING BEYOND: My Days with the Indian Cricket Team’ authored by Kaushik, R. Sridhar.
• British economist Meghnad Desai authored a Book titled “The Poverty of Political Economics.
• New Book Titled “India’s Knowledge Supremacy: The New Dawn” authored by Dr Ashwin Fernandes.
• “Revolutionaries- The Other Story of How India Won Its Freedom” authored by Sanjeev Sanyal, an Economist, Member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister.
• Techno-educationalist, Professor K.K. Abdul Gaffar’s autobiography, ‘Njaan Sakshi’ (me as the witness), was released by cricket legend Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
• A book titled “Roller Coaster: An Affair with Banking” was authored by Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
• Shubhra Gupta announced her new book “Irrfan Khan: A Life in Movies”.
• Prince Harry released his Memoir titled “Spare” assistant author is R. Moehringer
• New Book Title: “Mukhyamantri Diary 1” authored by Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister (CM) of Assam
• New Book Title: ‘Njaan Sakshi’ (me as the witness) authored by Professor K.K. Abdul Gaffar.
• “Braving A Viral Storm” Co-authors Aashish Chandorkar and Suraj Sudhi.
• “The World: A Family History” was authored by Simon Sebag Montefiore, a British historian.
• “Breaking Barriers: The Story of a Dalit Chief Secretary” authored by Kaki Madhava Rao, a former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer.
• “Ambedkar: A Life” authored by Shashi Tharoor.
• Medical Book Title: ‘Human Anatomy’ (in Hindi) authored by Dr Ashvini Kumar Dwivedi, Homeopathic Doctor, Professor & Head of the Department of Physiology & Biochemistry SKRP Gujarati Homeopathic Medical College.

• Renowned Assamese poet and Jnanpith awardee Nilamani Phukan passed away
• The world's oldest person, French nun Lucile Randon, passed away in January 2023 at the age of 118.
• The Vice President of the West African nation of Gambia, Badara Alieu Joof passed away after a short illness in India on 18 January 2023.
• The titular Nizam VIII of Hyderabad, Mukarram Jah (89 years old), also known as Nawab Mir Barket Ali Khan Walashan Mukarram Jah Bahadur, passed away at his residence in Istanbul, Türkiye.
• ‘Ironman of India’ Sabir Ali, who won the decathlon gold at the 1981 Asian Athletics Championships in Tokyo, passed away.
• Architect and Padma Bhushan awardee Balkrishna Doshi passed away at the age of 95.
• Gambian President Adama Barrow tweeted on 18 January 2023 that Gambia's Vice President 'Badra Ali Jofe' has passed away.
• On 13th January 2023, Dr A D Damodaran, a renowned scientist and former Director of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), passed away in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• The Congress MP (Member of Parliament) Santokh Singh Chaudhary aged 76 from Jalandhar (Lok Sabha constituency), Punjab has passed away due to a heart attack while taking part in the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
• Renowned British linguist Ronald Eaton Asher (R E Asher) who specialized in Dravidian languages has passed away.
• Badara Alieu Joof, the Vice-President (VP) of the Republic of the Gambia (West African country), passed away in India at the age of 65.
• On 18th January 2023, Padma Shri Awardee Prabhaben Sobhaghchand Shah, a Social Worker from Union Territory (UT) of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman, and Diu passed away.
• Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi (B.V. Doshi), a renowned Indian Architect and Padma Awardee passed away in Ahmedabad, Gujarat at the age of 95.
• Veteran Telugu film actor and former Member of Parliament (MP- Lok Sabha) Jamuna passed away in Hyderabad, Telangana.
• Grammy-winning singer Anita Pointer died at the age of 74 following a battle with cancer.
• Walter Cunningham, the last surviving astronaut from the first successful crewed space mission in NASA's Apollo program, died at the age of 90 on 3 January.
• A senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and former West Bengal governor, Keshari Nath Tripathi passed away.
• Padma Awardee Dr Tehemton Erach Udwadia, an Indian Surgeon and Gastroenterologist, who was known as the ‘father of laparoscopic surgery in India’ passed away
• Constantine II of Greece, Head of the Royal House of Greece, who reigned as the last King of the Hellenes from 6 March 1964 to 1 June 1973, died in Athens at the age of 82.
• Former Union minister Sharad Yadav died on January 12 at the age of 75.
• Renowned American singer-songwriter, Lisa Marie Presley passes away.