Current Affairs July 2023

• Recently, the Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj released the Report on Panchayat Development Index (PDI). The PDI is a composite index that measures the performance of panchayats in achieving the Localization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  • • Panchayats are categorized into four grades: D (scores under 40%), C (40-60%), B (60-75%), A (75-90%), and A+ (above 90%).
    • The PDI considers nine themes, including poverty-free and enhanced livelihood, healthy village, child-friendly village, water-sufficient village, clean and green village, self-sufficient infrastructure, socially just and secured villages, good governance, and women-friendly village.

• According to the Export data released by the government of India for Financial Year 2023, Tamil Nadu (TN) becomes India’s leading exporter of electronic goods. Tamil Nadu is followed by Uttar Pradesh at 2^nd place and Karnataka at 3rd place.
• Comprehensive guideline for SIGHT (Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition) programme has been released by Ministry of New & Renewable Energy. SIGHT programme is a major financial measure under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, with an outlay of Rs 17,490 Crore.
• The HemisFestival in Ladakh is a renowned religious celebration that attracts numerous tourists to the picturesque region of Leh. Dedicated to the birth anniversary of Lord Padmasambhava, also known as Rinpoche, who played a crucial role in spreading Buddhism in the Himalayan region.
• Ministry of Power notified the “Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, 2023”, to develop India’s first domestic regulated carbon credit trading market. The scheme was first announced under the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022.The scheme was drafted by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), a statutory body under the Ministry of Power.
• The third unit of Kakrapar Atomic Power Project, India’s first indigenously developed 700-megawatt electric (MWe) nuclear power reactor at the Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP3) in Gujarat has commenced operations at full capacity.
• Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi has launched the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (NSCEM) as part of the National Health Mission, in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh to eliminate Anemia by
• Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and Development has released the postal cover on “9 Years of Telangana Statehood” and Picture Post Cards on “Buddhist Heritage in Telangana – Bavapur Kurru” in Hyderabad.
• The second edition of Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) meeting between India and Tanzania was held in Arusha, Tanzania. India and Tanzania have finalised a five-year roadmap to expand defence and maritime, infrastructure building and collaboration in military equipment and technology.
• Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) and the Indian Chamber of Food and Agriculture (ICFA) signed a MoU to promote growth and development within the food and agriculture sectors of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and India.
• First of its kind exhibition ‘Banking on World Heritage’ was Inaugurated at IGNCA, New Delhi by the Minister of Culture and External Affairs. The exhibition displays banknotes of G20 member nations, depicting world heritage sites listed by UNESCO, in a unique manner.
• Startup20 Shikhar Summit, organised by the Startup20 Engagement Group under the chairmanship of India G-20 has been concluded successfully in Gurugram, Haryana. The 2-day summit served as a platform for fostering innovations, collaborations, knowledge sharing, and strategic alliances within the global startup ecosystem.
  • • During the closing ceremony, Startup 20 President Dr. Chintan Vaishnav officially handed over the torch to Brazil as Brazil is to chair the G20 next year and has committed to continue the Startup 20 initiative in 2024.
• The Government has launched a “Scheme for Expansion and Modernization of Fire Services in the States” on 04.07.2023 from the earmarked allocation of Rs. 5,000 Crore of Preparedness and Capacity Building Funding Window under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for strengthening fire services in the States for the period upto 2025-26.
• India and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has signed a MoU to enhance cooperation in the areas of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and innovative air mobility.
• Indian Navy (IN) along with Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) has conducted the 7th edition of the bilateral Japan-India Maritime Exercise (JIMEX 23) in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
• The Seventh edition of Indian Navy – US Navy (IN – USN) Salvage and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) exercise, SALVEX was conducted from 26 Jun – 06 Jul 23 at Kochi.
• Under India’s first-ever Chairmanship, the 23rd Summit of the SCO Council of Heads of State will be held in the virtual format on 4 July 2023, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
  • • The theme of the Summit is ‘Towards a SECURE SCO’. The SECURE acronym was coined by the Prime Minister at the 2018 SCO Summit and stands for Security; Economy and Trade; Connectivity; Unity; Respect for Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity; and Environment.
    • PM Modi presents Indian AI-based language platform ‘Bhashini’ at SCO.  Bhashini was developed by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
    • Mandarin and Russian are the official languages of SCO. India is proposing to include English as the official language of the group.
    • During the summit, Iran became the new permanent member (9th) of SCO. The SCO grouping now 9 countries comprises China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
    • Belarus is set to become a full member by 2024 as the nation signed a Memorandum of Obligations which will lead to its membership.
• India and Singapore have signed a protocol document to extend the current MoU on Cooperation in Personnel Management and Public Administration for another five years till 2028.
• The Ministry of Education's release of the Performance Grading Index 2.0 for States/UTs for the year 2021-22 aims to enhance the education system's quality and outcomes.
  • • PGI 2.0 classifies States/UTs into ten grades.
    • The highest achievable grade is Daksh, awarded to those scoring over 940 points out of a total of 1000.
    • The lowest grade is Akanshi-3, given to those scoring up to 460 points.

• Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Electoral Tribunal of Panama signed a MoU to establish an institutional framework for their ongoing cooperation in the field of Election Management and Administration.
• USA and India conducted “Operation Broader Sword”, a bilateral multi-agency enforcement initiative, to identify illicit and illegal medical products shipped using the International Mail System.
• Bureau of Water Use Efficiency, under the National Water Mission (NWM) of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, has signed a MoU with the Indian Plumbing Association (IPA) towards achieving a water-positive India by improving water use efficiency.
• Ahmedabad (Gujarat), the Chair City of Urban 20(U20) 2023, hosted the two day U20 Mayoral Summit 2023 from 7th to 8th July 2023.
• The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in its recent notification announced that the largest refinery in northeast India, The Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) in Assam has been elevated from the ‘Schedule B’ to ‘Schedule A’ category Central Public Sector Enterprises(CPSE) by Government of India.
• Spain’s shipbuilder Navantia and Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T), India signed an ‘Teaming Agreement'(TA) in Delhi to jointly bid for a Rs. 43,000-crore project to build 6 advanced diesel-electric submarines for the Indian Navy.
• Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under Ministry of Communication (MoC) in collaboration with MyGov(Government of India’s citizen engagement platform), has launched the “Bharat Internet Utsav” to celebrate the transformative role of the internet by encouraging citizens to share their stories of how the internet has positively impacted their lives.
• “Bharat Internet Utsav” has been launched by Department of Telecommunications in collaboration with MyGov. To celebrate the transformative role of the internet by encouraging citizens to share their stories of how the internet has positively impacted their lives.
• Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has inaugurated Product Design Centre (PDC), set up at Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Kolkata. The centre has prototyping and system designing facilities equipped with all the software and printing technologies for system designing, prototyping, ideation and fabrication.
• The 50^th  meeting of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council was held in New Delhi. To mark the milestone of 50^th meeting of the GST Council, Union finance Minister released a short video film titled ‘GST Council- 50 steps towards a journey’ in the presence of the Members of the Council.
• Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry has successfully notified two new Quality Control Orders (QCOs)  recently. These QCOs on 'Potable Water Bottles' and 'Flame-Producing Lighters' will come into effect six months from the date of notification.
• Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has recently made history by becoming the first Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) in India to receive certification for its Anti-Bribery Management System (ABMS). The certification was awarded by the internationally accredited certification body InterCert USA. 
• New campaign for banks under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund named as BHARAT (Banks Heralding Accelerated Rural & Agriculture Transformation), launched by Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. To mobilize funds from banks.
• Odisha Television Limited (OTV introduced India's and Odisha's first regional multi-lingual Artificial Intelligence (AI) news anchor named "Lisa”.
• Action Taken Report (ATR) Module has been launched by Ministry of Panchayati Raj. The module aims to provide a more structured approach to the audit process, ensuring clarity on the actions taken in response to audit findings.
• Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport has become the first airport in India to get four runways and dual Eastern Cross Taxiway.
• During the 225th mid-term council meeting of the Indian Road Congress in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), with the technical assistance of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has developed five guidelines aimed at enhancing mountainous road infrastructure in India.
• Oppo India has announced the establishment of an Atal Tinkering lab (ATL) in kerala in collaboration with NITI Ayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) as knowledge Partners. This Programme motivates students to explore , experiment and undertake projects involving DIY kits in robotics, electronics, and rapid prototyping.
• Recently, NITI Aayog has released the Report “National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A Progress Review 2023”. The report has been prepared based on the latest National Family Health Survey-5 ( 2019-21 ). It has three equally weighted dimensions – Health, Education, and Standard of living. Key Highlights of the Report are as follow:
  • • India's population living in multidimensional poverty decreased from 24.85% in 2015-16 to 14.96% in 2019-21, reflecting a decline of 9.89 % points.
    • The rural areas of India experienced the fastest decline in poverty, with the poverty rate dropping from 32.59% to 19.28% between 2015-16 and 2019-21.
    • In urban areas, the poverty rate reduced from 8.65% to 5.27% during the same period.
    • In terms of number of Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) poor, Uttar Pradesh saw the largest decline in the number of poor individuals.
    • Bihar saw the fastest reduction in MPI value in absolute terms with the proportion of multidimensional poor reducing from 51.89% to 33.76% in 2019-21 followed by Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
    • The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) value for India has nearly halved from 0.117 to 0.066 between 2015-16 and 2019-21.
• Tamil Nadu topped the 3^rd edition of the NITI Aayog’s Export Preparedness Index 2022 with an overall score of 80.89, followed by Maharashtra (78.20) and Karnataka (76.36). The report, which presents a comprehensive analysis of India’s export performance in FY22.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India and Absolute®, a bioscience company, signed a MoU to jointly strengthen the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Government of India’s crop insurance scheme.
• Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship(MSDE) launched a free online training programme on Artificial Intelligence (AI), “AI for India 2.0“, on the occasion of World Youth Skills Day on 15th July.
• Gujarat government and OneWeb (a London-based Company) signed a MoU, for setting up India’s First Private ‘Satellite Network Portal Site’ in Gujarat. Aims to provide affordable internet access to villages, district panchayats, local administrative bodies, and other entities throughout India.
• The 3rd G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) 2023 meeting under the Indian Presidency was held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• India and the United States of America jointly launched a call for proposals on “Critical and Emerging Technology: Quantum Technologies and Artificial Intelligence for Transforming Lives“. The program was designed by the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) and the Secretariat for USISTEF. The objective is to promote technology innovation and entrepreneurship in commercially viable and socially relevant areas.
• India and Japan signed a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) for a semiconductor supply-chain partnership for government-to-government and industry-to-industry collaboration.
• Ministry of Culture and the Indian Navy signed a MoU to revive and maintain the 2000-year-old ancient stitched shipbuilding method known as the Tankai method. The project aims to leverage the expertise of the remaining traditional shipwrights in India and showcase their exceptional craftsmanship.
• India hosted the Global Food Regulators Summit for first time, held as part of the G-20 event, in New Delhi from 20th to 21st July 2023. The summit was organised by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
• NITI Aayog and Vasudha Foundation released the India Climate Energy Dashboard (ICED) 3.0 on 20 July 2023, in New Delhi. ICED is the country's one-stop platform for near real-time data on the energy sector, climate, and related economic datasets based on government-published sources.
• India's first ever Construction Innovation Hub (CIH) has been established in Kerala to promote affordable and sustainable building facilities to foster collaboration, innovation and knowledge-sharing among stakeholders.
• To commemorate 24 years of victory over Pakistan in the Kargil War of 1999 and to highlight the indomitable spirit of women, Indian Army in partnership with TVS Motors company, launched a Tri-Services ‘Nari Sashaktikaran Women Motorcycle Rally’ from National War Memorial, Delhi to Kargil War Memorial, Dras (Ladakh).
• IIT- Guwahati, Assam has signed a MoU with Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA). The MoU was signed with an objective to work together in pursuit of their goal of expanding awareness and knowledge on international affairs and Indian foreign policy.
• The Godda power plant is the first in India to have started operations with 100% flue gas desulphurization (FGD), selective catalytic reconverter (SCR) and zero water discharge for minimizing emissions and for environment friendly operations.
• Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar has nominated four women Parliamentarians to the panel of Vice-Chairpersons. They are PT Usha, S. Phangnon Konyak, Dr. Fauzia Khan, and Sulata Deo. The panel reconstituted before the Monsoon Session contains a total of eight names. V Vijayasai Reddy, Ghanshyam Tiwari, Dr. L. Hanumanthaiah, and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray have also been nominated to the panel of Vice-Chairpersons. All women members nominated to the panel are first-term Parliamentarians. Phangnon Konyak is the first-ever woman from Nagaland to be elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha. This is the first time in the history of the Upper House that equal representation has been given to women members in the panel of Vice-Chairpersons.
  • • PT Usha became the first nominated MP in Rajya Sabha to be nominated to the panel of Vice Chairpersons.
• The Rajasthan government introduced India’s first ever Gig workers Bill the ‘Rajasthan Platform Based Gig Workers (registration and welfare) Bill 2023’ to guarantee social security to gig workers.  As part of this initiative, the Rajasthan Platform Based Gig Workers Welfare Board will be established, enabling gig workers in the state to register with all the state’s aggregators.

An image of gig workers is shown above.

• HCLTech, a leading global technology company, has joined the XR Startup Program, an initiative between Meta and the MeitY Startup Hub to discover, nurture and accelerate extended reality (XR) technology startups in India.
• ‘Cannabis Research Project’ of CSIR-IIIM Jammu is a first of its kind in India initiated under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Private Public Partnership with a Canadian firm, which has a great potential to put substance of abuse for the good of mankind especially for patients suffering from neuropathies, cancer and epilepsy.
• Authoor betel leaves from Tamil Nadu receives GI certificate. The Tamil Nadu State Agriculture Marketing Board and NABARD Madurai Agribusiness Incubation Forum have awarded a Geographical Indication (GI) certificate to the Authoor betel leaves from Thoothukudi district in Tamil Nadu.

• India’s first Atal Incubation Centre in fisheries will be set up at Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) in Kochi to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and technological advancement in fisheries and related sectors.
• Union Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel, Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurated the 5th Helicopter & Small Aircraft Summit (Heli Summit 2023) in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh. He also launched RCS (Regional Connectivity Scheme) UDAN 5.2 and HeliSewa-App during the event.
• On 25th July 2023, Droupadi Murmu marked her first year as the 15th President of India. To commemorate the occasion, she inaugurated various projects.
  • • Inaugurated ‘Navachara’ an Artificial Intelligence(AI) enabled gallery developed by Rashtrapati Bhavan in collaboration with Intel India
    • Inaugurated ‘Sutra-kala Darpan’, a Textile Collection of Rashtrapati Bhavan, featuring antique textiles that document the building's illustrious legacy.
• The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare launched initiatives under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana to empower farmers and streamlining the operations. New initiatives are YES-Tech Manual, WINDS portal and door to door enrollment app AIDE/Sahayak, marking a turning point in India's crop insurance landscape.
• In order to foster collaboration in the field of AI and Emerging Technologies, ‘India AI’ – an IBD under Digital India Corporation and Meta have signed a MoU. The partnership will promote social inclusion, enhance government service delivery, and drive innovation using large language models, Generative AI, cognitive systems, and translation models.
• The 4th Energy Transitions Working Group (ETWG) Meeting under India’s G20 Presidency has been concluded in Goa. On the sidelines of the main event, the 14th Clean Energy Ministerial and 8th Mission Innovation Meeting too commenced. The theme of 4th Energy Transitions Working Group Meeting is "Advancing Clean Energy Together."
• Bengaluru, became the 1^st Indian city to be part of the World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF), a global network of cities that share research and intelligence to explore the role of culture in future prosperity.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (IECC) named as ‘Bharat Mandapam,’ at the redeveloped Pragati Maidan complex in Delhi.
• National Health Authority (NHA) launched the 100 Microsites project under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) to promote digital health adoption and enhance healthcare accessibility for all.
• The 4th Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) and Environment and Climate Ministers’ meeting was held in Chennai. G20 member countries & nine guest countries participated in the meeting with a shared interest in environmental conservation and sustainability.
• During visit in Rajasthan, PM Narendra Modi has launched a new type of Urea called “Urea Gold” which is coated with sulphur that can help improve the soil quality and reduce the expenses of the farmers. Urea Gold which is considered as “innovative fertilizer” is more economical and efficient than neem-coated urea.
• Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel inaugurated the 2nd edition of ‘SemiconIndia 2023’ in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. SemiconIndia 2023 stands as a testament to India’s unwavering dedication to establishing a thriving semiconductor ecosystem. Through its impressive magnitude and cutting-edge displays, the exhibition confidently showcases India’s potential as an emerging global center for semiconductor excellence.
• Ministry of Culture launched the virtual portal of Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) at Qutub Minar premises in New Delhi. Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar, a virtual museum that culturally maps over 6.5 lakh villages of India went live for the public. The objective of the launch is to integrate the information regarding villages by using technologies, in order to identify and document the cultural heritage and village life of India.
• President Droupadi Murmu laid the foundation stone for the “Divine Light House” of Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya (PBKIVV) at Dasabatia, Bhubaneswar Odisha.

• According to the 17th edition of the Global Peace Index 2023 released by international think-tank, the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), India has ranked at 126th position by climbing nine positions from 2022. The list is topped by Iceland.
• The United States of America (USA) officially accepted the Constitution of the United Nations Education, Culture and Science (UNESCO) on 10th July. From now on, it becomes, once more, a full member of UNESCO. Therefore USA re- joined UNESCO after 5 year.
• The report of “Burden of disease attributable to unsafe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in domestic settings: a global analysis for selected adverse health outcomes ” by World Health Organisation (WHO). According to the report children under the age of 5, unsafe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) was responsible for 395 000 deaths and 37 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). This represents 7.6% of all deaths and 7.5% of all DALYs in this age group.
• According to the report titled “Trade in services for development: Fostering sustainable growth and economic diversification” co-published by World Bank (WB) and World Trade Organisation (WTO) India has doubled its share of global commercial services exports to 4.4% in 2022 from 2% in 2005.
• The revised International Maritime Organisation Greenhouse gases (GHG) Strategy aims to reach net-zero GHG emissions from international shipping close to 2050.
• According to Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, multidimensional poverty has been declined in India, from 645 million people in 2005-2006 to 370 million in 2015-2016, and further to 230 million in 2019-2021. Total 415 million people moved out from poverty in India within just 15 years
• According to the 5th edition of Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific’s (UNESCAP), India has emerged as the best-performing country in the South Asian region in terms of trade facilitation.
• Dr. S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister visited Zanzibar from 05-06 July 2023,
  • • A MoU to set up the first ever campus of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras outside India was signed between the Government of Zanzibar and the Government of India during the visit.
    • He also attended a reception onboard Indian Naval Ship Trishul.
    • He also visited the Kidutani water supply project, funded by Government of India line of credit. The project will provide drinking water to 30,000 households in Zanzibar.
• A report titled ‘The Impact of Microplastics and Nanoplastics on Human Health‘ released by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). According to the report Microplastics and nanoplastics significantly affect the gut microbiomes of humans, animals, and the environment.
• Indian Naval Ship INS-Sunayna, a second Saryu-class patrol vessel, participated in 2-week long annual training exercise ‘Operation Southern Readiness 2023’, conducted in Seychelles to strengthen international collaboration at sea & enhances operational readiness.
• On the sidelines of the 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) in Jakarta, Saudi Arabia has officially become the 51st nation to accede to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC).
  • • With the signing of the TAC, Saudi Arabia demonstrates a strong commitment to adhere to the values and principles of ASEAN as embodied in the treaty. The TAC calls for cooperation, collaboration, and upholding international law to promote peace and stability in Southeast Asia and beyond.
• Prime Minister Modi’s participation in France’s Bastille Day celebrations, India and France commemorated their 25-year strategic partnership by unveiling the “Horizon 2047” roadmap. The roadmap focuses on defense, space, nuclear energy, climate change, education, and people-to-people connections. It emphasizes collaboration in digital public infrastructure, critical technology, defense cooperation, civil nuclear cooperation, and space cooperation.
• PM Narendra Modi has become the first Indian Prime Minister to have been conferred with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, France’s highest civilian and military honour, by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France.
• Adani Group commenced the full load power supply to Bangladesh from the Adani group’s Ultra Super-Critical Thermal Power Plant (USCTPP) in Godda, Jharkhand. This is India’s first commissioned transnational power project where 100% of the generated power is supplied to another nation.
• According to Henley Passport Index 2023- India ranked 80th by providing visa-free or visas on arrival access to 57 countries. Singapore is the world’s most powerful passport with visa-free access to 192 travel destinations out of 227 worldwide. India’s current rank ties it with countries like Togo and Senegal.
• Nomadic Elephant-2023, the 15th edition of India-Mongolia bilateral joint military exercise has conducted at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia from 17 to 31 July 2023.
• Rajiv Kumar, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India (ECI), took part in the 11th meeting of the Executive Board of the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) in Cartagena, Colombia from 10th to 14th July 2023.
• The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has become the first Arab country to be granted observer status of the Asia-Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG), the largest Financial Action Task Force-style regional body (FSRB) in the world. This choice came during the group's 2023 annual event in Vancouver, Canada, from July 9-14.
• India contributed USD 1 million as part of a voluntary contribution to the United Nations  towards expansion of usage of the Hindi language in the UN and to encourage inclusive dialogue and understanding.
• On July 22, 2023, the Commune of Monotone, Italy, along with Italian military historians, unveiled the V.C Yeshwant Ghadge Sundial Memorial in Montone, Perugia, Italy. This memorial honors the courageous Indian soldiers of the 4th, 8th, and 10th Divisions who participated in the Italian Campaign during World War II.

• Tata AIA, has introduced a first of its kind feature in the insurance industry by enabling digital payments through WhatsApp and Unified Payment Interfaces (UPI). This allows policyholders to make instant premium payments using these popular platforms, providing a hassle-free experience.
• World Bank has granted $ 1.5 billion to accelerate India’s development of low-carbon energy sources. This funding aims to assist India in scaling up renewable energy, fostering the growth of green hydrogen, and stimulating climate finance for investments in low-carbon energy.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently released its 27th Financial Stability Report (FSR), presenting an assessment of the Indian financial system’s resilience and risks.
• Indian Bank, in partnership with National E-Governance Service Limited (NeSL), has rolled out e-BG (Electronic Bank Guarantee) services under Project WAVE to reduce the number of old paper-based process.
• State Bank of India (SBI) revamped its digital banking app, 'YONO for Every Indian,' and introduced the Interoperable Cardless Cash Withdrawal (ICCW) facility, aimed at providing greater convenience to customers.
• Bank of India (BoI) became the first bank to officially roll out Mahila Samman Savings Certificate (MSSC) and operationalizing this scheme at all its branches.
• Airtel Payments Bank has collaborated with Park+ to enable FASTag-based smart parking at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport, Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
• Flipkart In collaboration with Axis Bank, has introduced a personal loan service accessible through Flipkart’s app. This loan facility allows individuals to obtain up to Rs 5 lakh, with a remarkable approval time of just 30 seconds and eliminates the need for document submission.
• NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Service Companies) has signed a MoU with MIDAS (Manchester's Inward Investment Agency) and MAG (Manchester Airports Groups) to promote innovation, investment, and technological exchange between Greater Manchester, the UK, and India.
• As per the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)’s “World Investment Report 2023(WIR 2023): Investing in Sustainable Energy for All”, Foreign Direct Investment(FDI) in Asia’s developing countries remained unchanged at USD 662 billion and India and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) were the top recipients , with an increase of 10% and 5% respectively.
• Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) has formed a 5-member working group for the Implementation of recommendations from the Reserve Bank of India’s committee on the working of Asset Reconstruction Companies which is chaired by Sudarshan Sen, a former Executive Director of RBI.
• PhonePe launched its Point-of-sale (POS) device that enables merchants to accept payments through Debit Cards, Credit Cards and UPI, with a simplified settlement experience.
• Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company (BAGIC) has hosted the first-ever General Insurance Festival of India (GIFI) in Pune, Maharashtra, which officially set a new Guinness World Records achievements for the largest attendance for an insurance conference.
• The three-day International Conference on Green Hydrogen (ICGH-2023), being organized during 5th – 7th July 2023 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi by the Government of India. Three Multilateral Development Banks i.e.  the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank have contributed USD 27 billion for India’s Green Growth.
• India’s leading Full-Stack Payments and Business Banking Platform, Razorpay unveiled its first international Payment Gateway in Malaysia aims to bridge the gap between local and international payment gateways.
• HDFC Bank became the first bank in the country to complete the integration process between UPI payment system and Digital currency.
• Campaign “The Great Indian Fixed Deposit (FD) Fest” has been launched by Fincare Small Finance Bank Limited (FSFBL) to raise awareness about the bank’s interest rate offering for all categories of customers and highlight the significance of fixed deposit (FD) as a stable and long-term investment suitable for everyone.
• Threads is a text-based app for public conversation that is based on Instagram, and was developed by Meta's Instagram team. Users will have to sign up for Instagram to use Threads, and can migrate with their same username and the accounts they were following on Instagram.
• To reduce the dependency on the US dollar, Bangladesh and India have initiated transactions in Rupees. India is the top export destination for Bangladesh in Asia. This marks the first time Bangladesh has engaged in bilateral trade with a foreign country outside the realm of the US dollar.
• Punjab National Bank has signed a MoU with AMUL to provide financial services to Federation’s supply network pan India under the MUDRA scheme.
• PhonePe Insurance became the first and only Platform in India to enable customers to pay for insurance in easy monthly installments through Unified Payments Interface (UPI) on the PhonePe app.
• Resources Acquisition Centre has been launched by Indian Bank. The primary objective of the initiative is to strengthen the retail deposit portfolio, which encompasses current deposit, savings bank and term deposit accounts.
• Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah launched the transfer of funds to the genuine depositors of Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies through CRCS-Sahara Refund Portal in New Delhi.
• World Bank has issued an official approval for the Bank of Israel to join the International Committee on Credit Reporting (ICCR). ICCR is the only recognized international standard setter and guideline issuer on credit reporting.
• For the fifth year in a row, Canara Bank topped the list of Public Sector Banks (PSBs) with the highest lending of Rs 187,813 crore in FY23 to Corporations and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) of States and Union Territories (UTs)
• According to the 2023 report titled 'State finances: A study of budgets of 2022-23' by the RBI. Tamil Nadu (TN) has the highest amount of outstanding debt among all States and Union Territories in India, followed by Uttar Pradesh.
• HDFC Bank achieved a significant milestone by overtaking State Bank of India (SBI) to secure the top spot in CRISIL’s Greenwich market share Leaders in Large Corporate Banking. The report by Coalition Greenwich, a division of CRISIL, highlights the changing dynamics in India’s corporate banking landscape, with larger private and foreign banks gaining traction at the expense of smaller banks, including public sector banks.
• The Federal Bank Limited has launched a unique Non-Resident  Saving Bank (SB) account scheme, named SB NRE (Non-Resident External) Eve+, which designed exclusively for the financial needs of NRI women.
• “Jeevan Kiran” a non-linked, non-participating, individual, savings, and life Insurance plan,  has been launched by Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), that offers a combination of protection and savings.
• Razorpay, a Finetech company announced the launch of its ‘Money Saver Export Account’, built specifically for small and mid-size exporters by offering up to 50% savings on international bank transfers for the Indian exporters.
• In a recent notification, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced the addition of “NongHyup Bank” to the Second Schedule of the RBI Act, 1934. This significant move marks a pivotal moment for NongHyup Bank. Nonghyup Bank is an agricultural bank headquartered in Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea.
• The SBI Ecowrap report, published by the State Bank of India's Economic Research Department, underscored that India is likely to get the tag of the world's third largest economy by FY28.

• Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the re-appointment of Tushar Mehta as Solicitor General of India.
• PM Prasad has been appointed as newly-appointed Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Coal India Limited (CIL) by succeeding Pramod Agrawal.
• The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), an intergovernmental military alliance decided to extend the tenure of Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO for another year until 1st October 2024.
• Ajit Agarkar has been appointed as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) new chairman of the Senior Men’s Selection Committee.
• B.Neeraja Prabhakar, appointed as the chairperson of the Research Advisory Committee (RAC) of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research (IIOPR) at Pedavegi in Andhra Pradesh. She assumed office on June 13, 2023 and will head a 10-member committee for a period of three years.
• The Department of Economic Affairs under the Ministry of Finance appointed K Rajaraman as the chairman of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA).
• Microsoft India appointed Irina Ghose as its Managing Director (MD).
• SBI Cards and Payment Services Limited has appointed Abhijit Chakravorty as its Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
• Sheikh Talal Fahad Al Sabah of Kuwait was elected as the new president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).
• Rakesh Pal has been appointed as the 25^th Director General of Indian Coast Guard (DGICG).
• Rajay Kumar Sinha, has been appointed as the Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SBI Capital Markets Limited (SBICAPS).
• Sat Pal Bhanoo has been appointed as the Managing Director (MD) of Life Insurance Corporation of India.
• A Madhavarao assumed charge as Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Defence.
• Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, the UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Trade, was chosen as the chair of the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13). This decision was announced at the WTO General Council in Geneva, Switzerland.
• James Ferguson ‘Jim’ Skea from the UK has been appointed as the new head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a UN body dedicated to enhancing our understanding of human-induced climate change.
• India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, has assumed the chairmanship of the 62^nd  Session of the Commission for Social Development (CSocD62).

• India’s first-ever Olympic medallist in women’s boxing, Mary Kom, has been honoured with the Global Indian Icon of the Year award at the annual UK-India Awards in Windsor, south-eastern England.
  • • Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur was honoured with “IGF UK Special Award: Lifetime Contribution to UK-India Relations”. The award recognised his contributions to cinema in both countries.
    • Kartiki Gonsalves, the debut director of the acclaimed documentary ‘The Elephant Whisperers,’ received the Tara Award from King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The Tara Award, inspired by the sacred bond between elephants and humans, acknowledges outstanding accomplishments in storytelling and advocacy for coexistence.
    • The Real Elephant Collective (TREC) was honored with the Mark Shand Award. TREC, an international NGO dedicated to protecting the Asian elephant, has made significant contributions to conservation efforts.
• Ajay Banga, the President of the World Bank, has been recognised on the Carnegie Corporation of New York’s annual “Great Immigrants” list. He is lauded for his contributions and efforts in enriching America and its democracy.
• Michael Rosen, a British children’s writer and performance poet, has been awarded the PEN Pinter Prize 2023.
• Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) accredited with Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) T3 Status which is a highest level of facilitation for Importers & Exporters by Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Ministry of Finance.
• All India Football Federation has announced the winners of AIFF annual awards for the season 2022-23.Lallianzuala Chhangte (Men category ) and Manisha Kalyan (Women categories) , has been named the AIFF Footballer of the year.
• Department of Health and Family Welfare under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) received the winner of Kreta Vikreta Gaurav Samman Samaroh, 2023 in Highest Single-Bid Procurements in the 2022-23.
• Coal India Limited has been honoured with the “Rising Star Award” in appreciation of its outstanding efforts to enhance procurement through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal in the fiscal FY 2022–23.
• Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co. Ltd, has won the Insurer Innovation Award 2023 for the Asia Pacific (APAC) region at The World’s Digital Insurance Awards. The award was presented to recognise Bajaj Allianz Life’s ground-breaking WhatsApp Conversational Platform which empower customers to digitally service their policies.
• NLC India Limited (NLCIL), under the Ministry of Coal, has declared the Winner of the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) award for the year 2023 in “Timely Payments (CPSEs)” category for promoting and encouraging business activities through e-Market.
• India won 4 gold medals and topped the medals tally at the 34^th International Biology Olympiad (IBO 2023) held at the United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.
• Union tourism minister G Kishan Reddy has been conferred with 'Global Incredible Inc Leadership Award' by the US India SME Council. US India SME Council is an organization that promotes trade, commerce, and people-to-people exchange programmes between the United States and India.
• Prof. Thalappil Pradeep from the Department of Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras has been honored with the prestigious ‘Eni Award,’ a highly regarded global recognition for scientific research in the fields of energy and environment.
• Carnatic vocalist Aruna Sairam and flautist Shashank Subramanyam were conferred the title Chevalier De L’orde Des Arts Et Des Lettres by the French government at a ceremony in Chennai on 15 July 2023. The award was given in recognition of their contribution to the music field and the development of Indo-France relations.
• The Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (JKRLM) has bagged the SKOCH Award under the theme “State of Governance India 2047” in Gold category for its outstanding efforts in creating marketing avenues for Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in the Union Territory.
• A 7 year-old girl Moksha Roy, Indian origin, has received the British Prime Minister’s Points of Light award for her outstanding efforts in helping the environment.  She began volunteering for a United Nations sustainability initiative against micro-plastic pollution when she was only three years old. She is now recognized as the world’s youngest sustainability advocate.
• The 169-year-old Byculla railway station in Mumbai, Maharashtra, which is India's oldest, won a 2022 UNESCO award for preserving cultural heritage in the Asia Pacific region.
• Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Odisha and leader of BJD, has served as CM for over 23 years, making him the second longest-serving Chief Minister (CM) in India. The top spot is held by Pawan Kumar Chamling, former CM of Sikkim.
• Prem Prakash, a famous journalist and the Founder & Chairman of Asian News International (ANI), received the Global Education Mentor (GEM) Award 2023 – Lifetime Achievement Award for his notable work in education and journalism over the years.

• Tamil Nadu Police, launched the ‘Police Drone Unit’, the first in India, for aerial surveillance in Chennai.
• 'Akshar River Cruise' has been virtually launched by Union Minister of Home Affairs and Cooperation on Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad (Gujarat). This is the first passenger catamaran built in India under the “Make in India” initiative.
• eSARAS- an e-commerce mobile application, has been launched by Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) to support the marketing of products made by women of Self-help Groups.
• IIT-Kanpur have developed the India’s first tractor that operates solely on 100% Dimethyl Ether (DME), an indigenous and renewable fuel. This breakthrough positions DME as a viable alternative fuel and engine technology for conventional diesel engines used in agriculture and transportation sectors.
• The government of Mongolia has granted 2 licenses to the SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, to function as an internet service provider utilizing Starlink, satellite communications service operated by SpaceX.
• The two-day ‘AI for Good’ Global Summit organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Geneva, Switzerland. The summit highlighted the deployment of specialized robots to aid in achieving the organization’s 17 Social Development Goals (SDGs).
• Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) issued an expression of interest (EoI) for the first-of-its-kind Transfer of Technology (ToT) of the small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV) to Indian private Space firms.
  • • The aim of this initiative is to boost the Indian Private Space Industries.
• Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways inaugurated the Differential Global Navigation Satellite System (DGNSS) “Sagar Sampark” in New Delh to boost the digitalisation in the maritime sector.
• Chinese private aerospace company became the world’s first aerospace company to launch a two-stage rocket ‘ZhuQue-2 Y-2’ using liquid methane as fuel and liquid oxygen (LOx) as oxidizer.
• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched ‘Chandrayaan-3 (Moon Craft)’ spacecraft into orbit from Satish Dhawan Space Centre- Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. It is India’s third lunar exploration mission. Chandrayaan 1 in 2008, Chandrayaan 2 in 2019.
• North Korea’s Hwasong-18, an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was successfully launched for the second time from Pyongyang, North Korea.
• During the 14th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM14) and the 8th Mission Innovation meeting from July 19-22, 2023, in Goa, India, the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) launched an unprecedented initiative called ‘Clean Energy Marine Hubs Initiative (CEM-Hubs)’ to amplify low-carbon fuel production.
  • • The CEM14/MI-8 event was spearheaded by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) affiliated with the Ministry of Power, in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology from the Ministry of Science and Technology.
    • The central theme of CEM14/MI-8 was 'Advancing Clean Energy Together
• IoTechWorld Avigation Private Limited, an Agri-drone manufacturer from Gurugram, Haryana, received a Type Certificate (TC) for its latest drone, 'AGRIBOT A6', from India's civil aviation regulatory authority, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
• Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)’s Falcon Heavy Rocket launched the Hughes JUPITER 3 mission(EchoStar XXIV), the world’s largest commercial communications satellite, to the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit(GTO) from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the United States of America(USA).

• Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal in the Men’s Javelin Throw at the Lausanne Diamond League.
• Indian Football Team won the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) - Bangabandhu Championship 2023, defeating Kuwait national football team at the finals, in Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru.
• Netherlands men’s hockey team won the 4th edition of Fédération Internationale de Hockey(FIH) Hockey Pro League 2022-23 by defeating Belgium.
• Indian Badminton Player Lakshya Sen won the Men’s Singles finals at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Yonex Canada Open 2023.

• India has secured the second position with an impressive haul of 11 medals, including six gold, one silver, and four bronze in the recently concluded biannual event, 2023 World Archery Youth Championships in Limerick, Ireland.
  • • Parth Salunkhe Clinches Gold in Under-21 Men’s Individual Category
    • Bhajan Kaur’s Bronze Medal Triumph in Women’s Under-21 Individual Category
• Overview of 136^th edition of The Wimbledon Championships -2023:

• Indian athletes won a total of 27 medals (3rd in the overall medal tally)- six gold, 12 silver and nine bronze - at the Asian Athletics Championships 2023, which was held in Bangkok, Thailand, from July 12 to 16. Thailand has chosen Hindu god “Hanuman” as the official mascot of 25th Asian Athletics Championships. Japan topped the medal tally with 37 medals
• A six-member Indian team won six medals – two gold, two silver, and two bronze at the 64th International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) 2023, which was held in Japan’s Chiba city from July 2 to July 13. The team finished ninth out of the 112 countries that competed. The gold medal was won by Atul Shatavart Nadig and Arjun Gupta, who both scored 37 points.
• Overview of US open -2023

• Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard of the Jumbo-Visma, Dutch professional bicycle racing team, has won 110th edition of the Tour de France for a second straight year on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, France.
• Indian Tennis Player Sumit Nagal won Men’s Singles title of the Tampere Open 2023 by defeating Dalibor Svrcina of Czech Republic in Tampere, Finland.
• India won 17 Medals (6 gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze)and secured the 2nd spot in the overall medal tally of the 3rd edition International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Junior World Championships 2023 Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun.

• Veteran United States (US) actor Alan Arkin, who received four Academy Award nominations and won an Oscar, has passed away.
• Karuvattu Mana Vasudevan Namboothiri, one of India’s fine line artists and a literary illustrator from Kerala passed away.
• Nirmala Buch, the first and only woman chief secretary of Madhya Pradesh (MP) (1991 to 1993) passed away.
• Renowned Indian mathematician and educationalist Mangala Narlikar, passed away at the age of 80.
• legendary American pop & jazz singer and recipient of 19 Grammy awards, Tony Bennett (Anthony Dominick Benedetto or Joe Bari) passed away at the age of 96.
• Former Chief Minister of keala, Oommen Chandy has passed away. 
• Milan Kundera, Czech Republic-born French writer passed away in Paris, France.
• Shirish Kanekar, Veteran Marathi writer and columnist passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra at the age of 80.

• ‘Through The Broken Glass: An Autobiography” has been authored by T.N. Seshan, the former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India.
• Former vice president Venkaiah Naidu unveiled a book named "As the wheel turns" in celebration of Rayala Corporation's 75th anniversary. The book was penned by Ranjit Pratap, the Managing Director of Rayala Corporation.

• Madhya Pradesh government has implemented the Mukhyamantri Sikho-Kamao Yojana (MMSKY) (CM Learn and Earn Scheme) for the skill development of the youths of MP. He started the process of registration of youth applicants in this scheme and interacted with the youths during the event organised at the Ravindra Bhavan in Bhopal, MP.
• ‘Mo Jungle Jami Yojana’ (My Forestland Scheme) has been launched by Odisha Government. With the aim to recognise all rights under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights Act)  2006 in the next two years.
• India's 1^st Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States (MANAS) chatbot has been launched in Jammu and Kashmir. To enhance mental health support for distressed people by initiating an instant conversation with those who are in need.
• The Tamil Nadu police have launched a new scheme called ‘Pengal Pathukaaptu Thittam’ (Women Safety Scheme) for women traveling alone at night between 10 pm and 7 am.
• Ama Pokhari Schme has been launched by Odisha government, which aims to rejuvenate 2,000 large water bodies in 115 urban local bodies in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
• Antyoday Shramik Suraksha Yojana, Pilot Project has been launched by Gujarat government. For the welfare of the workers from Nadia of Kheda district in Gujarat. Gujarat has become the first state in the India to introduce this scheme aiming to benefit the workers.
• ‘Ultra-Mega Project‘ agreement has been made between Maharashtra government and Gogoro Inc. (a Taiwanese-based battery-swapping service provider) to invest more than USD 1.5 billion over the next 8 years to manufacture Electric Vehicles (EVs), smart battery packs and battery swap stations across Maharashtra.
• ‘Mobile Dost App’- has been launched in Jammu and Kashmir, in line with Apka Mobile Hamara Daftar, an initiative for mobile-based delivery of citizen-centric services in J&K. This app, developed by the IT (Information Technology) department of J&K with support from the Haryana Government.
• Aapda Rahat Kosh- a digital platform initiative, has been launched by Himachal Pradesh to help the disaster-affected people in the Himachal Pradesh.
• Rajasthan government introduced Rajasthan Minimum Guaranteed Income Bill, 2023 aimed to provide social security to individuals and households of Rajasthan. The Bill focuses on 3 main areas such as Right to Minimum Guaranteed Income, Right to Guaranteed Employment and Right to Guaranteed Social Security Pension.
• Gruha Lakshmi scheme has been launched by Karnataka government, which provides Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of the households. The Scheme will benefit around 1.28 crore families in Karnataka.
• ‘Saagu Baagu’ project has been launched by Telangana & World Economic Forum. The project aims to provide AI-based agritech services to farmers in Telangana.The WEF report showcases the successful implementation of the pilot project launched through Artificial Intelligence for Agriculture Innovation (AI4AI) benefiting over 7,000 chilli farmers in Khammam district in Telangana.
• The administrative authority for the Greater Bengaluru metropolitan area, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Canada-based World Design Organisation (WDO), an international NGO. This collaboration aims to provide insights and recommendations for enhancing Bengaluru's infrastructure.
• Walmart and Flipkart signed a MoU with the government of Telangana to support the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Telangana.
• Tamil Nadu government and United Kingdom signed a MoU during the 4th G20 Environment & Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) Meeting in Chennai. To set up a botanical garden and also envisages launching projects to conserve mangroves, forests and wetlands, besides releasing a green rating framework for industrial de-carbonization in TN.