Current Affairs March 2023

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

India’s first container feeder service, i.e. Hope Seven has been launched between Chennai-Puducherry ports.
Deakin University from Australia is set to become the 1^st foreign university to set up a campus in India. The independent campus will be established in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.
Chintan Shivir was organised by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on “Drugs: Quality Regulations & Enforcement” in Hyderabad, Telangana.
The government of Uttarakhand is set to establish India’s 1^st government mother milk bank, a facility that can ensure to provide the nutritional elements of mothers’ milk to new-borns.
On the occasion of National Science Day (28th February 2023), Ministry of Science and Technology, launched the Vaibhav Fellowship Scheme for Indian Diaspora abroad. This Fellowship aims to enhance the research ecosystem of Indian higher education institutions.
NTPC Limited has installed the nation’s 1^st Air Cooled Condenser (ACC) at its north Karanpura supercritical thermal plant in Jharkhand, which would aid in water conservation.
Olectra Greentech Limited (OGL) received India’s 1^st homologation certificate from International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) for its Electric tipper, India’s 1st 6×4 heavy-duty e-Tipper.
Tamil Nadu government has signed a letter of intent with the Danish Environmental Protection Agency of Denmark for sharing technology and cooperation in the water sector.
United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] and NITI Aayog organised a hybrid hackathon, called ‘LIFEathon’ to promote sustainable living and climate-positive behaviour by creating a pro-planet network.(Note:- NITI Aayog Vice Chairperson is Suman Bery)
Recently, the Ministry of Tourism has organised 3rd regional workshop on “Development of Sustainable and Responsible Tourist Destinations” at Hyderabad, Telangana, with the goal to develop sustainable and responsible tourist destinations and promote sustainable tourism across India.
National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) and National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has been signed a MoU to strengthen value-based sports education amongst school children and teachers.
Ministry of Rural Development and the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has been signed a MoU for providing design support for the products made by Self Help Groups (SHGs) of the Aajeevika Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM).
SADUN- South Asia Distribution Utility Network , has been launched by Ministry of Power to modernize distribution of utilities in South Asia via knowledge sharing among the region’s discoms (Distribution Companies), and to enable utility-to-utility connect.
Recently, to share inputs on research, technology and innovation, India has signed a MoU with Mexico. India’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Mexican Agencies can provide their effective inputs to the global society with Research and Innovation Partnerships for technology development, upscaling of each other’s Intellectual Property for commercialization, and Research Infrastructure Development & Sharing.
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports launched the Yuva Utsava-India@2047 from the Indian Institute of Technology Ropar in Punjab. “Yuva Utsav India @2047” is being held in all Indian districts by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYAS) through its flagship youth organisation, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS).
The first business to business (B2B) conference on expo on traditional medicine under Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Guwahati, Assam created a platform for buyers and sellers from various countries to explore the trade potential of traditional medicine to serve the needs of people across the globe.
The world’s 1^st - 200 meter long Bamboo Crash Barrier named “Bahu Balli” has been installed on the Vani-Warora Highway in Vidarbha, Maharashtra. This provides an alternative to steel and addresses environmental concerns and their aftermath.
Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, released the book “India’s Vaccine Growth Story – From Cowpox to Vaccine Maitri” authored by Sajjan Singh Yadav.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has approved the proposal under MoU between India’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to prevent trafficking in ‘Narcotic Drugs’, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals.
Recently, the Government has launched a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme “New India Literacy Program” (NILP) for implementation over five years from FY 2022-23 to 2026-27 with a financial outlay of ₹ 1037.90 crore. The New India Literacy Program has been launched to cover a target of 5.0 crore illiterates in the age group of 15 years and above.
During the International Zero Waste Day 2023 in New Delhi, Sh. Hardeep S. Puri, The Hon’ble Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, announced that 1000 cities are targeted to achieve a 3-Star Garbage Free rating by October 2024.

❱ The GFC-Star rating protocol, launched in January 2018 to promote a competitive and mission-driven approach among ULBs, has seen a significant increase in certification since its inception.

Konkan- 2023, the annual bilateral maritime exercise was held between the Indian Navy of India and the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom (from 20th to 22nd March 2023) at the Konkan coast in the Arabian Sea.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying jointly launched the “National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination (NAPRE) from India by 2030.”
According to the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), the import of urea (agricultural grade) on the Government account has extended the tenure of Indian Potash Limited (IPL) until 31st March 2024.
The Defence Ministry signed two contracts with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), at a total cost of over ₹3,700 crore for ‘Arudhra’ Medium Power Radars (MPR) and Radar Warning Receivers for the Indian Air Force.
“Vayu Prahar”- 96- hour Air-Land Exercise, was jointly conducted by Indian Army and Indian Air Force (IAF) along the Line of Actual Control in the eastern command during the 2^nd week of March 2023.
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has signed a MoU with the Society for Electronic Transactions and Security (SETS), both part of the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. As part of the memorandum of understanding (MoU), both the organisations will carry out joint research in deep tech and emerging tech areas like Cyber Security, IoT Security, Mobile Device Security, Financial Network Slice Security and Hardware Security, etc.
Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL), a company incorporated by NHAI to carry out Electronic Tolling collaborated with ‘MeitY Start-up Hub’ under aegis of MeitY and organized a Hackathon with Indian tech start-ups to foster innovation and technology-driven solutions to address the challenges of tolling and traffic management on the National Highways in India.

Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Raw Jute for the 2023–2024 season has been approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA). During the 2023–24 season, the MSP for Raw Jute has been fixed at ₹ 5050 per quintal from ₹ 4,750 per quintal for 2022-23 season.
Prime Minister Modi has recently launched an app called "Call Before You Dig" to prevent uncoordinated digging that can cause damage to underground utility assets, such as optical fibre cables.
To commemorate the successful completion of 30 years of Project Elephant and to give more impetus to conservation efforts, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest has decided to celebrate Gaj Utsav 2023 at Kaziranga National Park on April 7 and 8.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s new International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Area office and Innovation Centre in New Delhi. The area office of ITU in India will serve India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan and Iran, enhancing coordination among nations and fostering mutually beneficial economic cooperation.
Rajasthan state Assembly had passed a bill named ‘Right to Health’ to its residents
and became the first state in India to do so. The government aims to protect and fulfil the right and equality in health and well-being, under Article 47 and secure RTH as per the expanded definition of Article 21 of the Constitution.
The Government of India has decided to form a committee led by Finance Secretary TV Somanathan to recommend ways to reform the National Pension System (NPS) for government employees.
Aravalli Green Wall Project is a major initiative to green the 5 km buffer area around the Aravalli Hill Range in four states (Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi). This project has been launched by Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) has successfully developed a Bauxite Certified Reference Material (CRM) naming it as BARC B1201 in joint collaboration with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).This is the first of its kind CRM (Certified Reference Material) in India and 5^th in the World.
For procurement of two Integrated Electronic Warfare Systems ‘Project Himshakti’, Ministry of Defence has made contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)
Nidhi Khare will head the committee to monitor the stock of Tur (Arhar) held by importers, millers, traders, and other such entities. This committee has been constituted by the Department of Consumer Affairs under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
The ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is taking various measures for conservation and protection of Great Indian Bustard in the country, including in Rajasthan. The Great Indian Bustard is listed in Schedule-I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has constituted a 9-member task force chaired by Bhuvnesh Kumar to make India as a product developer and manufacturing nation in electronics industry.
The Delhi Declaration on Modernisation of Agricultural Education System in alignment with the National Education Policy issued jointly by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the World Bank highlights the need to incorporate digital resources and tools for effective and accessible teaching and learning in Agriculture.

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has amended the PFRDA (Redressal of Subscriber Grievance) Regulations 2015 and increased the upper age limit of the Ombudsman from 65 to 70 years.
Government of Odisha has issued a notification declaring the Gandhamardan Hill Range as a Biodiversity Heritage Site. This is the third Biodiversity Heritage Site of Odisha after Mandasuru Gorge, Kandhamal district in 2019 and Mahendragiri Hill Range in Gajapati district in 2022. Gandhamardan Hills has become the 37th biodiversity heritage site of India.
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has approved the development of Electronics Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) worth ₹ 180 crore in Kotur-Balur industrial area in Dharwad, Karnataka.
Prime Minister Modi has inaugurated the 7 kilometres commercial operations of the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) from Whitefield (Kadugodi) to Krishnarajapuram Metro stretch in Bengaluru, Karnataka. This is the second largest Metro network in India after Delhi Metro and Whitefield is the first tech corridor connected by Metro in Bengaluru.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the National Standards Body of India, has recently published new guidelines aimed at enhancing safety in the transportation of dangerous goods. The guidelines, known as ‘IS 18149:2023 - Transportation of Dangerous Goods — Guidelines’, have been formulated under the Transport Services Sectional Committee, SSD 01, of BIS, and is expected to set a new benchmark for the safe handling and transportation of hazardous materials across the country.
‘Swachhotsav’- is a 3-week women-led swachhata campaign, under the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban [SBM (U)] 2.0. This campaign has been launched by Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs
FRINJEX-23, the first edition of the Joint Military Exercise between the Indian and French Army was conducted at Pangode Military Station in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The theme for the exercise is “Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Operations in a Contested Environment”.
The 2^nd Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) meeting was held in Hyderabad (Telangana). The meeting, held from March 6-7, 2023, was led by GPFI Co-Chair and G20 India Presidency. India and Italy were announced as the new GPFI Co-Chairs with support from the whole membership. The new Co-Chairs have been selected for a duration of three years and their tenure will commence from 2024.
The Ministry of Power has mandated that new coal/lignite-based thermal plants either establish renewable energy capacity equivalent to at least 40% of the plant’s capacity or procure that much green energy under a Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO).
Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) has launched the MSME Competitive LEAN Scheme (MCLS). LEAN is defined set of management practices to improve efficiency and effectiveness by eliminating waste through kaizen. Kaizen is a Japanese word that essentially means ‘change for the better’ or ‘good change’.

❱ Under the scheme, MSMEs will implement LEAN manufacturing tools like 5S, Kaizen, KANBAN, Visual workplace, Poka Yoka etc. under the able guidance of trained and competent LEAN Consultants to attain LEAN levels like Basic, Intermediate and Advanced. Through the LEAN journey, MSMEs can reduce wastages substantially, increase productivity, improve quality, work safety, expanding their markets, and finally becoming competitive and profitable.

A report titled “Production and Promotion of Organic and Bio Fertilisers with Special Focus on Improving Economic Viability Of Gaushalas”, released by NITI Aayog. This report provides factual estimates of operating costs, fixed costs and other issues in respect of gaushalas and cost and investments involved in setting up Bio-CNG plant and PROM (Phosphate Rich Organic Manure) plant in Gaushalas.
Indian Army's Chetak Corps conducted Exercise Chetak Chaukasfocusing on planning, preparation, acquainting & updating of the database with all stakeholders to strengthen Rear Area Security.
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs(MCA) has appointed Grant Thornton Bharat LLP, one of the largest, fully integrated assurance, tax and advisory firms in India, to assist in the formulation of an Annual Capacity Building Plan(ACBP) for other organisations to make them ‘future ready’ and to meet the requirements of a vision of ‘New India’.
The theme of 3^rd session of the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR) was “Building Local Resilience in a Changing Climate”. This session was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 10, 2023, in New Delhi, Delhi.
“Landslide Atlas of India” has been prepared by the National Remote Sensing Centre (Hyderabad) one of the centres of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). As an atlas it provides the data of the most landslide-prone districts in India such as Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand) being ranked first; Tehri Garhwal (Uttarakhand) ranked 2nd and Thrissur (Kerala) ranked third.
Department of Consumer Affairs announced that the sale of hallmarked gold jewellery or gold artefacts without a 6 digit alphanumeric HUID (Hallmark Unique Identification) number, (for example, 4 11K027) consisting of alphabets and numbers, will not be allowed after 31st March 2023 i.e., from 1st April 2023 onwards.
The Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) unveiled India’s first and world’s second 100% methanol-powered 10-tonne prototype truck in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
‘India-Australia CEO Forum’ has been held at Mumbai (Maharashtra), in this forum both the countries agreed further the business relationship signed as the ‘Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA)’ for the next level of potential in trade and investment.
Government of India has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with Sweden with the aim to strengthen cooperation and promote research networking between research institutions from both nations.
Surekha Yadav (Maharashtra) became Asia’s 1st female loco pilot, she also became the 1^st woman to drive the recently launched semi-high speed Vande Bharat Express train.
Exercise Bold Kurukshetra 2023, the 13th edition of a bilateral armoured training exercise between India and the Singapore army, was held from March 6 to 13, 2023, at Jodhpur Military Station, Rajasthan, India.
The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India (GoI), in its 78^th round survey, carried out the ‘Multiple Indicator Survey (MIS)’ for the 1st time to cater the requirements of various national indicators of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).
Union Minister (FAHD) Shri Parshottam Rupala unveiled the department’s annual publication, the ‘Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2022’ on 15^th March 2023. The major highlights of “Basic Animal Husbandry statistics 2022” are given below:

❱ In the current year 2021-22, the milk production has registered an annual growth rate of 5.29%.

❱ Top five major milk producing States are Rajasthan (15.05%), Uttar Pradesh (14.93%), Madhya Pradesh (8.06%), Gujarat (7.56%) and Andhra Pradesh (6.97%).

❱ Total five major egg producing States are Andhra Pradesh (20.41%), Tamil Nadu (16.08%), Telangana (12.86%), West Bengal (8.84%) and Karnataka (6.38%).

❱ The total five major meat producing States are Maharashtra (12.25%), Uttar Pradesh (12.14%), West Bengal (11.63%), Andhra Pradesh (11.04%), and Telangana (10.82%).

❱ The top five major wool producing States are Rajasthan (45.91%), Jammu and Kashmir (23.19%), Gujarat (6.12%), Maharashtra (4.78%) and Himachal Pradesh (4.33%).

❱ The per-capita availability of milk is 444 gram/day during 2021-22 increased by 17 gram/day over previous year.

❱ In 2021-22, the per-capita availability of egg is 95 eggs/annum increased by 5 eggs/annum over previous year.

❱ The per-capita availability of meat is 6.82 kg/annum during 2021-22 increased by 0.30 kg/annum over previous year.

Yaoshang Festival, one of the important festivals of Manipur, very similar to Holi, is annually celebrated during the full moon of Lamta month of the Meitei lunar calendar.
Bumchu festival is celebrated at Tashiding Monastery, West Sikkimon the 15th day of the first month of the Lunar calendar corresponding to the month of February/March.
Ministry of Ayush and Ministry of Rural development has signed Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate in developing skilled personnel by imparting training to rural poor youth and women’s for Ayush healthcare system under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya-Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY).
The Gujarat government has proposed a second home for Asiatic lions in Gujarat at Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, about 100km away from their present home at Gir National Park.

❱ The report “Lion at 2047: A Vision for Amrutkal” prepared by the Wildlife Institute of India

Ministry of Textiles, has issued a notification to set up 7 Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks with a total outlay of ₹ 4,445 crore. The Parks will come up in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

❱ Government of India has signed a MoU with the Tamil Nadu (TN) government to establish India’s first PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel (PM MITRA) Park in Virudhunagar District, Tamil Nadu

‘Kashi’ has been declared the 1^st tourism & cultural capital of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the meeting of heads of SCO tourism administrations held in Kashi, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference 2023 was held at New Delhi, which was formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The conference was organised by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) [Ministry of Commerce and Industry]. PM also launched a book “Shree Anna: A Holistic Overview,” developed by FSSAI.

❱ Note:- India is the largest producer of millets in the world and Rajasthan is largest millet producing state in India

❱ National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd(NAFED) has signed a MoU with the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare to extend its support to Millets initiatives

India Post signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Shiprocket and Pickrr (logistics aggregator firms) to help MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) and enhance last-mile e-commerce delivery services across India.
Rampura Agucha Mine and Zawar Group of Mines of Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL) became the first GreenCo-certified mines. They received the GreenCo Silver rating from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for their sustainable mining operations.
Jindal Steel and Power Ltd. (JSPL) has received India’s 1^st Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) licence to produce India’s first fire-resistant steel at its Rail Mill and Special Profile Mill in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh.
The ‘City Finance Rankings 2022’ portal cityfinance.in/rankingshas been made live by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). The Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across the country can now participate in the Rankings through an entirely digital, 100% paperless, process. The ‘City Finance Rankings 2022’ have been launched with the objective of evaluating, recognizing and rewarding municipal bodies across the country on the basis of the quality of their current financial health and improvement over time in financial performance.
Africa-India Economic Foundation (AIEF) has signed a MoU with African Union, to work together on promoting business and trade relations between MSMEs. This landmark agreement, the first of its kind between an Indian private entity (AIEF) and the AU, would expand Indian business footprints in Africa.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurated 5 km-long India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (IBFP). IBFP is the 1^stcross border energy pipeline between India and Bangladesh. The IBFP is a cross-border pipeline that connects Siliguri in West Bengal, India to Dinajpur district of Bangladesh.
The Labour20 (L20) engagement group’s inception meet in Amritsar, Punjab as part of India’s G20 presidency, adopted two Joint Statements as the final outcome of the two-day deliberations; one calling for resolving the question of portability of social security among G20 nations as a first step towards universalisation of social security, and another for plugging the gender gap in the global work force.
Pakhala Diwas (Pakhala Day) was celebrated in Odisha. The day is annually celebrated across the globe where people eat a traditional Odia dish, Pakhala.
NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd has signed a MoU with the Indian Army, to develop green hydrogen initiatives at armed forces establishments through a Build, Own, and Operate (BOO) arrangement.
In 2023 second edition of AFINDEX between India and 23 nations of the Africa, was held in The theme of the exercise is focused on Humanitarian Mine Action and Peace Keeping Operations.
Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan, had 2-day visit to India for ‘Japan-India Summit Meeting 2023’. To discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in a number of fields, including defence and security, trade and investment, and high technology. Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi declared that the year 2023 will be celebrated as “Japan-India tourism exchange year” with the theme “Connecting the Himalayas with Mount Fuji”.
“Green Tug Transition Programme” has been announced by Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, in order to make India a “Global Hub for Green Ship Building” by 2030. Union minister Mr Sarbananda Sonowal also inaugurated India’s 1^st National Centre of Excellence in Green Port & Shipping (NCoEGPS). The NCoEGPS, headquartered within the TERI campus in Gurugram (Haryana).

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Egypt became a member of the New Development Bank, a multilateral development bank established by the BRICS states i.e. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
As per the report “Falling long-term growth prospects: Trends, Expectations, and Policies” published by the World Bank, highlighted that India’s potential economic growth can get a boost if government accelerates implementation of its ambitious reform agenda.
According to the tenth edition of Global Terrorism Index 2023, by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), India was ranked 13th and was listed among nations with a “high” impact of terrorism. Top 5 countries with the highest impact of terrorism are
1^st – Afghanistan; 2^nd Burkina Faso; 3^rd- Somalia; 4^th- Mali; 5^th – Syria
“Exercise Cobra Warrior” was conducted at the Waddington Air Force Base of the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom. For the first time Indian Air Force has participated.
According to the Arton Capital, Passport Index 2023 has been released, in which India’s Mobility score has reduced by three places to 70 from 73 in 2022. India’s Individual Passport Power Rank also fell by six places to 144 in 2023 from 138 in 2022.

❱ India ranks 71 in the Global Passport Power Rank 2023 due to the Mobility score of 70

❱ UAE ranks 1^st in both the Global Passport Power Rank 2023 & Individual Passport Power Rank 2023 followed by Sweden, Germany, and Finland.

Azerbaijan and Tajikistan have been certified as “malaria-free” by the World Health Organization (WHO) for having eradicated malaria in their territories after making a consistent, century-long effort to eliminate malaria.
International Committee On Monuments and Sites International Science Committee (ICOMOS ISC) recognised the Sípàapuni, a site located in Arizona, United States of America (USA) and sacred to the Hopi Native American Nation, as an important cultural place and awarded it the “ICOMOS ISC Water and Heritage Shield”.

❱ The Sípàapu is a rocky dome made of limestone as well as a spring located on the Little Colorado river, a tributary of Colorado. Sípàapu will be the 1st in the world to be awarded the ICOMOS ISC Water and Heritage Shield.

The Russian Navy test-fired supersonic anti-ship missiles at a mock target in the Sea of Japan. The Moskit cruise missile is a medium-range supersonic missile that was developed during the Soviet era. It is known for its speed and can destroy a ship within a range of up to 120 km. The NATO reporting name of the P-270 Moskit missile is SS-N-22 Sunburn.

Skytrax World Airport Awards 2023:

❱ Singapore Changi Airport became 'World's Best Airport' replacing Qatar. Singapore Changi Airport has been named the “World's Best Airport” in 2023 at the World Airport Awards 2023 ceremony held at Passenger Terminal EXPO in Netherlands,

❱ Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi has been awarded as the ‘Best Airport in India and South Asia’ and is ranked 36^t^h in 2023.

A P-8I aircraft of the Indian Navy had arrived at Guam, USA to participate in ‘Exercise Sea Dragon 23’, the third edition of the coordinated multi-lateral ASW (anti-submarine warfare) exercise for Long Range MR (Maritime Reconnaissance) ASW aircraft, conducted by the US Navy.
As TIME Magazine revealed its list of the “World's Best Places of 2023,” the Mayurbhanj region of Odisha and the Union Territory of Ladakh both have made a place in the list.

❱ Mayurbhanj is mentioned as the only place on earth to spot the rare black tiger.

According to the Global Commission on Economics of Water (GCEW) report “The What, Why and How of the World Water Crisis: Global Commission on the Economics of Water Phase 1 Review and Findings”, Food supply in India and across the globe will go down by at least 6% by 2050 as water crisis and heat stress caused by climate change will hit productivity.

❱ Under this scenario, China is at the top where food supply would be reduced by 22.4%, followed by South America by 19.4%.

As per the report by International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) ‘Global landscape of renewable energy finance, 2023’, the developing and emerging countries, which have 70% of the world’s population, attracted only 15%, of global investments in renewables in 2022.

❱ UBrazil, Chile and India have attracted the bulk of Renewable Energy investments.

❱ In India the investment per capita grew by 34% in between 2015 and 2021.

A first-of-its-kind World Health Organization (WHO) Global report on sodium intake reduction shows that the world is off-track to achieve its global target of reducing sodium intake by 30% by 2025. Sodium, an essential nutrient, increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and premature death when eaten in excess.

❱ As per the report, India’s Sodium intake is about 9.8 g salt/day and its Sodium Country Score was 2. [Note: Ranging from 1 (the lowest level) to 4 (the highest level)]

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released the report “Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2022“ in which , India continued to remain the world’s top arms importer for the 5 years between 2018 to 2022 despite 11% decline in its imports of arms.
Exercise La Perouse - France- has led multilateral naval exercise. Its 3^rd edition was held in Indian Ocean region between 13th to 14th March 2023. The Royal Australian Navy, French Navy, Indian Navy, Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force, Royal Navy, and United States Navy have participated in this Exercise.
Lahore (Pakistan), become the city with the worst air in the world in 2022 according to the 5^th edition of the annual global survey report of IQAir, ‘World Air Quality Report 2022’, and Chad in central Africa as the country with the most polluted air in 2022
IDEX- 23 (International Defence Exhibition) and NAVDEX-23 (Naval Defence Exhibition) were held in Abu Dhabi, UAE. In both regional naval and defence exhibitions, Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sumedha of the Indian Navy has participated in the exhibition.
As per the V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy) Institute which has published a report titled, “Democracy Report 2023: Defiance in the Face of Autocratization,” in which India has been ranked 97th in the Liberal Democracy Index and 108th in the Electoral Democracy Index.
The International Maritime Exercise/ Cutlass Express 2023 has been held in the Gulf region in which Indian Navy Ship -Trikand has participated which marks Indian Navy’s 1st IMX participation.
For the first time, United Nations members agreed on a legally binding ocean treaty “High Seas Treaty” to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity that lie outside the national boundaries (i.e. the international waters).

BANKING/ FINANCE/ ECONOMICS

An agreement has been made between RBL Bank and EXIM (Export-Import Bank of India) Bank for Cross Border Payments. On boarding RBL bank under India Exim Bank’s Trade Assistance Programme (TAP) to support cross-border trade transactions
Nishchit Aayush Plan has been launched by Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance Limited.
The Asian Development Bank will provide ₹ 1,311.20 crore under Phase1 of the proposed infrastructure development investment programme in Himachal Pradesh. The total cost of the project is ₹ 2357 crore.
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. [IRCTC], partnered with HDFC Bank Ltd to introduce the “IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card,” one of India’s most rewarding cobranded travel credit cards.
Small Industries Development Bank of India [SIDBI] signed a MoU with ShowReel to develop an online digital platform to support innovators and promote Entrepreneurship in India.
Himachal Pradesh government has launched Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and ‘Swadhan-e-pension-Gov’ services. This service would make bank transactions simpler and faster, especially for the elderly and those residing in remote places.
State Bank of India completed its 1st non-dollar transaction with Sri Lanka by paying for exports in Sri Lankan rupees to bring countries that lack US (United States) dollars into the trade mechanism.
Indian Government and World Bank, signed two complementary loans of $500 million Public Health Systems for Pandemic Preparedness Program [PHSPP] and $500 million Enhanced Health Service Delivery Program [EHSDP] to support and improve India’s healthcare infrastructure.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and state-owned Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) Limited are exploring a partnership on financing of renewable energy and green hydrogen projects in India.
The Governor of Reserve Bank of India Shaktikanta Das has launched the mission ‘Har Payment Digital’ as part of the Digital Payments Awareness Week [DPAW].
Global credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service (MIS) increased India’s economic growth projection for 2023 to 5.5% from 4.8% in November 2022 in its “Global Macro Outlook 2023- 24.
Tata Steel Mining Limited and GAIL India Limited has entered in MoU for the supply of natural gas to its Ferro Alloys Plant in Cuttack, Odisha to reduce carbon footprint in its operations.
ONGC and France’s TotalEnergies has signed a MoU for the exploration of deep-water blocks. This MoU will aid technical help to ONGC to explore and reduce greenhouse emissions in the development of deep water blocks, especially in Mahanadi and Andamans.
A MoU was signed between All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, and the Public Service Commission (PSC) of Mauritius. The examination section of AIIMS will assist the Mauritius PSC in preparing questions as per the requirement, conducting the examinations, marking the scripts, and preparation of the final result.
To promote digital literacy among women, Kotak Mahindra launched a digital campaign named ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’. The campaign calls for the digital inclusion of all with the hashtag, #IncludeAll.
“Unpause Initiative”- has been launched by Ujjivan Small Finance Bank (Ujjivan SFB) as part of its commitment to promote workplace diversity and inclusion. It is a programme designed to assist women who, for any reason, took a career break and are now prepared to re-join the workforce.
‘Empowering You To Achieve Your Dreams’ digital campaign has been launched by Tata AIA Life Insurance Company Limited
Partnership between Axis Bank and ITC Limited has been done to offer lending products and services to farmers who are a part of ITC’s agriculture ecosystem. This partnership is aimed at reaching out to the unserved and under-served farmers in rural areas.
Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced a reward system in order to recover fines from elusive offenders. In a circular, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) said that an informant will get up to ₹20 lakh for sharing information about the assets of defaulters.
Punjab National Bank signed a MoU with Central Warehousing Corporation to facilitate financing under e-NWR (Electronic Negotiable Warehousing Receipt). Warehouse Receipts are documents issued by warehouses to depositors against the commodities deposited in the warehouses.
‘Genius Plan’- has been launched by PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited. To help parents financially prepare for their children’s future.
Kochi Metro Rail Limited has become the first metro in India to accept the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
‘IND Super 400 Days’- it is a Term Deposit Product (TDP) with 0.05% higher interest rate to women investors and fixed maturity tenor of 400 days in the form of Fixed deposits (FD) /Money Multiplier Deposits (MMD). This type of product was introduced by Indian Bank.
‘Blossom Women’s Savings Account’- launched by Suryoday Small Finance Bank , which is designed for women customers with up to a 7% interest rate per annum. The account was created to support women to enable them to save, invest and move towards achieving their financial goals.
Canara Bank collaborated with National Payments Corporation of India, to launch the Rupay Credit Card through UPI (Unified Payments Interface) using the BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) app.
India’s 1^st US Debt Exchange Traded Fund ‘ ‘Bandhan US Treasury Bond 0-1 Year Fund of Fund’ was launched by Bandhan Mutual Fund. It is an open-ended fund of fund scheme investing in units/shares of overseas index funds and/or Exchange Traded Funds (ETF).
Google announced the completion of the first cohort of its start-ups accelerator programme for female founders in India. It launched its first edition of ‘Google For Startups Accelerator–India Women Founders’, a three-month programme, in 2022. The three-month programme included curriculum and engagement opportunities addressing areas like access to networks, capital, hiring challenges and mentorship.
Maharashtra has received a total of ₹10,88,502 crore as FDI inflow, which is higher than any other state across the country. Karnataka stands at second position with ₹5,51,044 crore as FDI inflow.
A global defence aerospace player Lockheed Martin Corporation, based in the United States (US), with India’s Tata Group have inked an agreement for the production of fighter plane wings at their joint venture (JV) facility i.e. at Tata Lockheed Matin Aerostructures Ltd (TLMAL) in Hyderabad, Telangana.
A generic memorandum of understanding was executed between the Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing, Kurnool (IIITDM Kurnool) and United Nations Association (UNA) mission group for A.P. and Telangana.
Reserve Bank of India has signed a MoU with the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates to promote collaboration and facilitate innovation in financial products and services.
“Startup Ecosystem Banking” a comprehensive suite of digital and physical solutions has been launched by ICICI Bank. This includes personal banking services for founders and employees, as well as treasury and transaction, banking solutions, digital integrations, handling Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and regulatory compliance.
Government of India has done a loan agreement with the World Bank Purpose for the construction of the Green National Highway Corridors Project (GNHCP) in 4 States such as Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
Bank of Baroda partnered with the Government of Tamil Nadu to offer cobranded RuPay Platinum Debit Card to the beneficiaries of the state government’s ‘Pudhumai Penn’ scheme.
VA Tech Wabag Ltd (Chennai based), a water technology firm, has won an Rs. 800 crore project funded by the World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Bangladesh. This company will design, build and operate a sewage treatment plant with a capacity of 200 million litres per day in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
According to the publication of Social Statistics Division of National Statistical Office under the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI), “Women and Men in India 2022”, Women in India holds 35.23% (nearly one-third) of bank accounts in all Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCB), but only with 20.07%( one-fifth) of total deposits.
The Reserve Bank of India has approved trading between India and Tanzania in national currencies, i.e., the Indian Rupee (INR) and Tanzanian Shilling (TSh), by enabling authorized banks in India to open Special Rupee Vostro Accounts with correspondent banks in Tanzania, a step that will benefit the business community.
Recently IndiaFirst Life Insurance Company (IndiaFirst Life) has received the final approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to launch Initial Public Offering (IPO) to raise funds.
The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has formed a committee to be headed by former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) executive director G Padmanabhan. To design a road-map to attract or onshore Indian start-ups domiciled abroad for setting up their base in GIFT City (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City) in Gujarat.
Power Finance Corporation Limited has made loan agreement with Japan Bank for International Cooperation. This agreement will ensure the effective reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and conservation of the global environment.
Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das, laid the foundation stone for a 'Greenfield Data Centre' and an 'Enterprise Computing & Cybersecurity Training Institute' in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
CRISIL (rating agency) expects India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth to touch 6% in fiscal year 2024, compared to 7% estimated by the National Statistics Office (NSO) for fiscal year 2023.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has increased its growth projection for India by 20 basis points to 5.9% for the fiscal year 2024.
As per the “Monthly Economic Review – February 2023” published by the Ministry of Finance (MoF), the Indian economy is projected to grow at 7% in the fiscal year 2022-2023 (FY23) despite global challenges.
As unified payments interface (UPI)-based transactions continue to break all records, India's ecommerce market is projected to grow from $83 billion in 2022 to $150 billion in 2026, as cash transactions decline further, suggests a report titled '2023 Global Payments Report' from global financial technology leader FIS.

❱ As of January 2023, UPI had the biggest year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth rate of 74.1% in transaction volume.

The World Bank has approved USD 108 million loan for ‘Assam Integrated River Basin Management Project (AIRBMP)’ to improve disaster preparedness and enhance flood forecasting in Assam.
“Anywhere Cashless” Feature- has been introduced by ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Ltd which enable customers to use cashless facilities at any hospital, even if it is not currently a part of ICICI Lombard’s hospital network.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India capital markets regulator, has extended the deadline for updating ‘choice of nomination’ by existing investors with trading and demat accounts to September 30, 2023, from the previous deadline of March 31, 2023.
South Indian Bank had a tie up with the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) for making direct tax collections from retail and corporate taxpayers.
The Reserve Bank of India has given permission for CRIF Connect Private, a subsidiary of Italy based CRIF S.P.A., to begin operations as an NBFC Account Aggregator (AA). With CRIF's legacy, expertise, and experience, CRIF Connect is ideally situated to serve the interests of financial institutions as well as customers.
The government of Japan has committed ₹ 7,084 crores to India for three infrastructure projects. These include Patna metro rail project (around ₹ 5,509 crores), a project for forest and biodiversity conservation for climate change response in West Bengal (approx. Rs 520 crores) and Rajasthan Water Sector Livelihood Improvement Project (RWSLIP) (about Rs 1,055 crores).
Public sector banks have written off around ₹91,000 crores in first 9 months of the current fiscal, according to data presented in the Rajya Sabha. Another set of data showed that PSBs have just managed to recover little over ₹1 out of ₹5 in written off accounts during FY22.
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a USD 100 million loan to the Indian state of Odisha to boost Odisha’s early forecasting systems for better disaster response and to expand social protection coverage for poor and vulnerable households via digital platforms.
According to a report by the economic think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), India’s merchandise imports for the fiscal year ending March 2023 are projected to exceed USD 700 billion, a 16% increase over last year.

❱ Six product categories such as Crude oil, coal (coke), diamonds (precious metal), chemicals (Pharma, rubber, plastics), electronics, and machinery—accounted for 82% of India’s total merchandise imports.

NTPC Limited of India has made an agreement with Sri Lankan government to build a 135-megawatt solar power plant in Sri Lanka’s eastern port district of Trincomalee to promote renewable energy.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh) received “Ispat Suraksha Puraskar” during Annual Award Function held at the SAIL Safety Organization (SSO) Ranchi, Jharkhand.
The Chief of Army Staff, General Manoj Pande, has presented the prestigious ‘President’s Standards’ (Nishan) to four Armoured Regiments i.e.

❱ 49 Armoured Regiment,

❱ 51 Armoured Regiment,

❱ 53 Armoured Regiment,

❱ 54 Armoured Regiment

The categories for which Nagpur Metro was presented with Asia Book of Records certification are `Longest Length of Metro Rail Corridor Construction in Shortest Time’, `First Solar PV System in a Metro Rail Project for Integrated Consumption’ and `Heaviest Single Span Double Decker Steel Bridge Truss over Railway tracks in Urban Area’, in Asia.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) along with National Informatics Centre (NIC), functioning as technology partner of the Government, has been recognized for its AuditOnline software programme at the WSIS Forum 2023 at the ITU Headquarters in Geneva for conducting online audit of all Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).

Tibetan spiritual leader, the 14th Dalai Lama, recognised an eight- year-Old U.S-born Mongolian boy as the reincarnation of a spiritual leader. He has been named as the 10th Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoche, the third highest leader in Tibetan Buddhism in a ceremony held at Dharmasala, Himachal Pradesh.
Luis Ángel Caffarelli, an Argentine-American mathematician and an expert in “partial differential equations” has been awarded with Abel Prize 2023. He is the first Latin American mathematician to receive the award.
Mumbai was recognised as the ‘2022 Tree Cities of the World’ for its contributions and commitment towards growing and maintaining the urban forest by the Arbor Day Foundation & Food and Agriculture Organisation.
Dhanya Rajendran, Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of the News Minute, was awarded the Chameli Devi Jain Award for ‘Outstanding Woman Mediaperson 2022’ at the event at the India International Centre in New Delhi.
Best FIFA Football Awards- 2022

❱ Argentina’s Lionel Messi was named Best FIFA Men’s player 2022.

❱ Spain’s midfielder Alexia Putellas was named Best FIFA Women’s player 2022 awards.

❱ The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper- Mary Earps

❱ The Best FIFA Men’s Coach - Lionel Scaloni

❱ The Best FIFA Women’s Coach - Sarina Wiegman

GSM Association (GSMA) has conferred Government Leadership Award 2023 to India for implementing best practices in telecom policy and regulation at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023 held in Barcelona, Spain.
Vinod Kumar Shukla, one of the most distinctive and distinguished of contemporary Hindi writers received the 2023 PEN/Nabokov award for achievement in international literature by PEN America.
Hari Balakrishnan, an Indian-born Computer scientist, has received the 2023 Marconi Prize in Washington, DC., USA. For his fundamental discoveries in wired and wireless networking, mobile sensing, and distributed systems.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, has been conferred with the Porter Prize 2023, for its efforts in health sector and especially in COVID-19 management.
Sashidhar Jagdishan, Managing Director of HDFC Bank has been named the Business Standard (BS) Banker of the Year 2022, due to his successful navigation of technology-related challenges while maintaining the bank’s strong performance.
NTPC has been honoured with the CBIP Award 2022 at the Scope Convention Centre, New Delhi for outstanding Contribution in Power Generation, attributed to its Vindhyachal Super Thermal Power Station, the largest power station in India, for its efficiency and high level of generation.
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu has won the fourth edition of the “British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Indian sportswoman of the year 2022”. She became the 1st Indian weightlifter to win the silver medal at Tokyo Olympic Games.
Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr L. Murugan presented the 8th National Photography awards in New Delhi. A total of 13 awards were presented during the ceremony today including 6 each in the Professional and Amateur category. The theme for the Professional category was “Life and Water”, while in the Amateur category the theme was “Cultural Heritage of India”.
Pritzker Architecture Prize 2023- was won by Sir David Alan Chipperfield (British civic architect, urban planner and activist).
Indira Gandhi International Airport -Delhi Airport, has been rated as one of the best and cleanest airports in the Asia Pacific region by Airports Council International (ACI) for its annual service quality award. Other cleanest airports in the Asia Pacific region are:

❱ Kuala Lumpur International Airport(Malaysia)

❱ Beijing Daxing International Airport (Beijing, China)

❱ Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport (Indonesia)

❱ Shanghai Pudong International Airport (Shanghai, China)

❱ The Best FIFA Women’s Coach - Sarina Wiegman

2023 Award by the international publication Central Banking :

❱ The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Shaktikanta Das, has been awarded the prestigious title of "Governor of the Year" for 2023 by Central Banking, a global economic research journal.

❱ The National Bank of Ukraine won the Central bank of the year award for the effort by its staff to cope with the impact of the war and keep the economy functioning.

Recently Bengaluru has been honoured with 2023 Partnership for Healthy Cities Award for Tobacco Control Efforts. Bengaluru is among five global cities that have been recognised for achievements in preventing non communicable diseases and injuries, with the Indian tech city's efforts in tobacco control winning, a $150,000 award from a leading global initiative supported by the WHO.
‘Innovation in Consumer Tech’ award has been given to Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Limited at the 13th Aegis Graham Bell Awards (AGBA) for its Hello Ujjivan app, India’s 1st visual-voice-vernacular banking app.
Music Academy Awards 2023:

❱ Bombay Jayashri, Padma Shri Awardee and Carnatic vocalist, has been awarded for the Sangita Kalanidhi award (2023), the highest contribution in the field of Carnatic music, of the Music Academy Awards.

❱ Nritya Kalanidhi 2023- Vasanthalakshmi Narasimhachari (Dance), Palkulangara Ambika (Vocalist).

❱ Sangita Kala Acharya 2023- K.S. Kalidas (Mridangam)

APPOINTMENTS

Dilma Vana Rousseff (Former Brazilian President) was elected as the President of the New Development Bank (NDB), formerly referred to as the BRICS Development Bank.
Salima Tete, an Indian Women’s Hockey team midfielder, has been appointed as the Asian Hockey Federation Athletes’ Ambassador from India for a term of two years.
Droupadi Murmu, President of India, has approved the appointment of the Chief Justices to three High Courts

❱ Justice Pritinker Diwaker (Allahabad HC)

❱ Justice Ramesh Sinha (Chhattisgarh HC)

❱ Justice K Vinod Chandran (Patna HC)

The Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reappointed Rafael Mariano Grossi as Director General of IAEA for a second four-year term.
Lalit Kumar Gupta has become a new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Mumbai (Maharashtra)-based Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), by the approval of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
Ajay Singh became as the President of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), India’s oldest apex chamber.
The Board of Hero MotoCorp announced the appointment of Niranjan Gupta as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, effective from May 1.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi, named Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed as crown prince of the
The Election Commission in the Indian state of Karnataka has selected Manjamma Jogati, a transgender folk dancer, as a poll icon to encourage more members of the transgender community to register and vote.
Shailesh Pathak became a new Secretary General of The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) with effect from 1st March 2023.
PepsiCo, the beverage company, has named actor Ranveer Singh as its brand ambassadorand launched a new campaign aimed at younger consumers as it prepares for a long summer, which could boost sales of cold drinks.
The National Assembly (NA) of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam elected Vo Van Thuong (Võ Văn Thưởng) (52 years old), as the new President of Vietnam for a term running until 2026.
Jishnu Barua has been appointed the new Chairperson of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), a key regulator of the power sector under the Ministry of Power.
Bola Tinubu, became a new President of Nigeria. He was the Presidential candidate of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Rashmi Shukla, has been appointed as the Director-General (DG) of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
Neiphiu Rio, has been sworn in as Chief Minister (CM) of Nagaland for the 5^th time, in the presence of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi at the Capital Cultural Hall, Kohima, Nagaland.

S. Dubey, took charge as the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) with immediate effect. He is the 28^th CGA of the Government of India.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was sworn in as the Prime Minister of
In the 1^st command appointment for a woman officer in the Indian Air Force (IAF), Group Captain Shaliza Dhami has been selected to take over the command of a frontline combat unitin the Western sector.
After the Indian Army recently cleared women officers for command roles, Colonel Geeta Rana of the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers has become the first woman officer to take over command of an independent field workshop in the Eastern Ladakh sector with China.
Ram Chandra Poudel was elected as the third President of Nepal. He succeed incumbent President Bidya Devi Bhandari.
Rohit Jawa would take over as the new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Hindustan Unilever Limited.
Xi Jinping, was unanimously appointed as President of China for the third time, making him China’s longest-serving leader since founding father Mao Zedong (1954-1959).
Mohit Joshi became a new MD and CEO of Tech Mahindra.
Tablesh Pandey became a new Managing Director (MD) of the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India.
Deepak Mohanty, became the Chairperson of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (MS Dhoni), has been appointed as the brand ambassador of Viacom18 Media Private Limited, Mumbai-based Media Company.

Name of State	New Chief Minister
1. Tripura	Manik Saha Sworn (2^nd term)
2. Meghalaya	Conrad K Sangma (2^nd term)
3. Nagaland	Neiphiu Rio (5^th time)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Kavilmadam Ramaswami Parvathy of India as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Tajikistan, with the host Government's approval.
K. Krithivasan, has been appointed as the new CEO of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).
G Krishnakumar has become new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL).
Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav has become the Vice President of Nepal.
Anup Bagchi has became a new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, launched the National Crop Insurance Portal’s (NCIP) digitized claim settlement module namely ‘DigiClaim’ under the ambit of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, to ease all insured farmers' lives and provide them with a sustainable financial flow and support.
“Haeil”- A nuclear-capable underwater drone, has been developed and tested by North Korea, this is the first weapon of its kind capable of generating a massive radioactive tsunami that can destroy naval strike groups and ports.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT, as part of the Government’s initiatives to deliver industry-ready employable skills to young Indians in all regions of the country, launched – The Skill Hub portal in Bengaluru.
The National Informatics Centre has developed a mobile software application called “Maaptol Grievance” to facilitate online registration and time-bound redressal of consumer grievances connected to the Legal Metrology Act and rules framed under it.
A new space systems design lab, equipped with the software to design, analyze and perform mission simulations for space systems, was inaugurated at Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) in Bopal.
Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnav has launched the country's first quantum computing based telecom network link in New Delhi. India's first quantum computing-based telecom network link has now been commissioned between Sanchar Bhavan and National Informatics Center office in New Delhi.
A private manufacturer Economic Explosives Limited (EEL) in Nagpur handed over the fully indigenized fuze YDB-60 to Indian Navy for Rocket Guided Bomb model, underwater Anti Submarine Warfare rocket used from major warships.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) received the 3^rd squadron of the S-400 `Triumf’ Surface-to-air defence missile system from Russia which will be deployed along the western sector, bordering Pakistan.
Researchers trying to uncover the secrets of Earth’s geology have revealed the fifth layer of the planet. Seismic waves generated by earthquakes have revealed new insights about the deepest parts of Earth’s inner core. The fifth layer is made of iron and nickel, the same materials that comprise the rest of the inner core.
ISRO is gearing up for a challenging experiment of controlled re-entry of a decommissioned low Earth orbiting satellite, namely Megha-Tropiques-1 (MT1), on March 7, 2023. MT1 was launched on October 12, 2011, as a joint satellite venture of ISRO and the French space agency, CNES for tropical weather and climate studies in uninhabited area in the Pacific Ocean between 5°S to 14°S latitude and 119°W to 100°W longitude was identified as the targeted re-entry zone for MT1.
NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) (NISAR) is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observatory being jointly developed by NASA and ISRO and it was handed over to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). NISAR will map the entire globe in 12 days and provide spatially and temporally consistent data for understanding changes in Earth’s ecosystems, ice mass, vegetation biomass, sea level rise, ground water and natural hazards including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh was addressing the International Women’s Day celebration programme organized by the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR). He informed that the Council CSIR has decided to start exclusive Research Grants for Women Scientists under CSIR-ASPIRE and an exclusive portal in this regard will be available from April 1, 2023.
Vayulink is a data link communication system developed by the Indian Air Force (IAF). The Vayulink system was showcased by the IAF at the Aero India 2023 show in Bengaluru recently. It uses the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), also known as NAVIC, to send radio communication to the base station when the signals are low. The important aspect of the Vayulink system is that it prevents fratricide or friendly fire. It is expected to help in better military movement coordination in complex war situations. The Vayulink system was developed by Wing Commander Vishal Mishra, an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter pilot.
The Indian Naval Ship Androth, the second in a series of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) was launched in Kolkata, West Bengal. It was built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. (GRSE), Kolkata, West Bengal.

SPORTS

Max Verstappen, a Belgian-Dutch motorsports racing driver, won the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix, which was held at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain.
The 74^th edition of the International Boxing Tournament “Strandja-2023” was held in Sofia, Bulgaria. India finished with 8 medals (3 silver and 5 bronze).

❱ In Men category silver medal was won by: Govind Kumar Sahan (48kg Category).

❱ In women category silver medal was won by: Anamika (50 kg), Anupama (81 kg), S. Kalaivani (48 kg).

Border-Gavaskar Trophy (India vs Australia) 2023 won by India - 2-1 for the record 11th time.

Z R Irani Cup 2023- Team Rest of India secured their 30th title win in the Indian domestic tournament, continuing their dominant performance. They defeated Madhya Pradesh by 238 runs and won Z R Irani Cup.
Wicketkeeper Timothy David Paine, a former Australia Test Cricket Captain, announced his retirement from first-class cricket.
Men's Singles title at BNP Paribas Open 2023 (also known as Indian Wells Masters) won by Carlos Alcaraz (Spain). He defeated Daniil Medvedev of Russia. BNP Paribas Open 2023 was held in Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Indian Wells, California, United States of America (USA).

❱ Women’s Singles title was won by Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan)

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023- won by Sergio Perez (Mexican racing driver)
ATK Mohun Bagan (ATKMB) Football Club, won their first Indian Super League (ISL) title by defeating Bengaluru Football Club in the finals of Hero Indian Super League held in Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Margoa, Goa.

❱ Award winner from Hero ISL:

✔ Hero of the League - Lallianzuala Chhange (Mumbai City Football Club)

✔ Golden Boot - Diego Mauricio (Odisha Football Club)

✔ Jindal Panther Golden Glove - Vishal Kaith (ATK Mohun Bagan)

✔ Emerging Player of the League - Sivasakthi Narayanan (Bengaluru FC)

✔ KFC Street Baller of League - Noah Sadaoui (FC Goa)

‘2023 Taoyuan Archery Asia Cup Stage I’ was held in Taoyuan, Chinese Taipe, from March 14 – 19, 2023. The Indian archers’ team topped the medal tally with 10 medals – five gold, four silver and one bronze.
The YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships 2023, the world’s oldest and most prestigious badminton tournament:

❱ Men’s Singles title won by - Li Shi Feng (China)

❱ Women’s Singles title won by - An Se Young (South Korea)

❱ Men’s Doubles title won by - Muhammad Rian and Ardianto (Indonesia)

Mahindra International Boxing Association (IBA) Women’s World Boxing Championship (WWBC) 2023. India topped the tally with 4 Gold medal. China stood second and Russia was third in the list.

❱ Indian Gold Medal Winners: Nitu Ghanghas (48 kg Category); Nikhat Zareen (50 kg Category); Lovlina Borgohain(75 kg Category); Saweety Boora (81 kg Category).

Mumbai Indians defeated the Delhi Capitals to win the inaugural TATA Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023 championship. The finals was held in Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, Maharastra on 26^thMarch 2023. Other award are as follow:

❱ Most Valuable Player - Hayley Matthews

❱ Orange cap winner (Top Run Scorer) - Meg Lanning (DC)

❱ Purple cap winner ( Highest Wicket Taker) - Hayley Matthews (MI)

❱ Safari Powerful Striker of the season - Sophie Devine (Royal Challengers Bangalore).

The Yonex Swiss Open 2023 was held in Switzerland, winner are as follows:

❱ Men Singles title won by - Koki Watanabe (Japan)

❱ Women Singles title won by - Pornpawee Chochuwong (Thailand)

❱ Men’s Doubles title won by - Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty(India)

❱ Women Doubles title won by Rena Miyaura & Ayako Sakuramoto (Japan).

International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Rifle/Pistol World Cup 2023 was held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Top three country in the list are as follow:

❱ 1^st China with 8 Gold and total 12 Medal

❱ 2^nd India with 1 Gold and total 7 Medal

❱ 3^rd Germany with 1 Gold and total 3 Medal

Lionel Messi score his 100^th international goal for Argentina in a match against Curacao.
Satwik Sairaj and Chirag Shetty won the Swiss Open 300 double title for the first time by defeating China's Ren Xiangyu and Tan Qiang.
Indian weightlifters Dhanush Loganathan and Jyoshna Sabar won bronze medals in their respective categories at the International Weightlifting Federation World Youth Championships in Durres, Albania.
Nikhat Zareen defeated Vietnam’s Nguyen Thị Tam to become the world champion in the 50kg category at the World Women’s Boxing Championship in New Delhi.
Ashneer Grover, co-founder of BharatPe, has launched a new cricket-focused fantasy sports app named CrickPe ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament.

OBITUARY

Pradeep Sarkar, Bollywood director and writer well-known for making films like “Parineeta”(2005) and “Mardaani”(2014), passed away.
Gordon Earle Moore, the co-founder of Intel Corporation & author of Moore’s law, passed away in Hawaii, United States of America.
Vareed Thekkethala, an Indian actor and Politician, passed away in Kochi, Kerala.
American Olympic athlete (competitive diver), Patricia Joan McCormick passed away at the age of 92 in California, the United States of America (USA).
Nobel literature laureate Kenzaburo e of Japan, passed away in Tokyo, Japan.
Sasthipada Chattopadhyay, a renowned Bengali novelist and short story writer, passed away in Howrah, West Bengal, at the age of 82.
American Olympic athlete (competitive diver), Patricia Joan McCormick passed away at the age of 92 in California, the United States of America (USA).
Nobel literature laureate Kenzaburo e of Japan, passed away in Tokyo, Japan.
Sasthipada Chattopadhyay, a renowned Bengali novelist and short story writer, passed away in Howrah, West Bengal, at the age of 82.
Chandrashekhar Dasgupta, a former Indian diplomat and the Padma Bhushan awardee, passed away at the age of 82.
Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi (A M Ahmadi), a former Chief Justice of India (CJI), passed away in New Delhi, at the age of 90.
Satyabrata Mookherjee, former Additional Solicitor General (ASG) of India and former Member of Parliament passed away in Kolkata, West Bengal, at the age of 90.
A world-renowned Indian dancer and Mohiniyattam exponent Dr Kanak Yatindra Rele (Padma Shri & Padma Bhushan awardee), passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
American High Jumper & Olympic Gold Medallist- Richard Douglas Fosbury passed away at the age of 76.
British writer, historian, and academician Patrick French passed away at the age of 57.
Two-time Maha Vir Chakra recipient, Wing Commander Jag Mohan Nath, the Indian Air Force (IAF) veteran passed away.
Abhay Chhajlani, Veteran Journalist and Padma Shri Awardee passed away.

BOOKS AND AUTHOR

“War and Women” a book authored by Dr M. A. Hasan is documented with the magnitude of torture and killings committed by the Pakistan Army during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
Tamil writer Perumal Murugan's 'Pyre', a novel about caste-based hatred, has been selected for the International Booker prize longlist for 2023.
“Phoolange”- is written by Lekhnath Chhetri, a writer based in Darjeeling, and focuses on the failed Gorkha movement for a separate state.
“A Matter of the Heart: Education in India” authored by Anurag Behar is the CEO of Azim Premji Foundation and founding vice-chancellor of Azim Premji University.
“Pandit. Deendayal Upadhyaya: Dispersions of Thought” and “Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya: Integral Humanism” has been authored by Professor B. Dharmalingam.
“As Good as My Word: A Memoir” has been authored by K.M. Chandrasekhar.
“Mundaka Upanishad: The Bridge to Immortality” has been authored by Dr Karan Singh, former Member of Parliament (MP)
“Bipin: The Man Behind the Uniform” is authored authored by Rachna Biswat Rawat.
“A Matter of the Heart: Education in India” is authored by Anurag Behar.
“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj” is authored by Shrimant Kokate.

IMPORTANT DATES

Zero Discrimination Day 2023 is observed on 1st March under the theme “Save lives: Decriminalise”.
National Science Day 2023 is observed across India on February 28 in commemoration of the discovery of the Raman Effect (28th February 1928) by the Indian Scientist Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman.
World Wildlife Day annually observed across the globe on 3rd of March, is an International Day recognized by the United Nations to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora.
World Hearing Day is annually observed across the globe on March 3 to raise awareness regarding hearing loss and promote ear and hearing care across the globe, and call for action to address hearing loss and related issues. It theme in 2023 was “Ear and hearing care for all! Let’s make it a reality”.
The first ever World Seagrass Day across the globe was observed on 1st March 2023. It is an International Day recognized by the UN.
National Security Day is annually observed across India on March 4^th. The National Security Day is also known as Rashtriya Suraksha Diwas.
World Day of Fight Against Sexual Exploitation is annually observed across the globe on 4^th of March to create awareness about preventing sexual exploitation and to provide support to victims of sexual abuse.
World Obesity Day is annually observed across the globe on March 4^th. In 2023 it was observed under the theme “Changing Perspectives: Let’s Talk About Obesity”.
International Women’s Day is annually observed across the globe on 8^th of March. Theme of 2023 was “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”.
Jan Aushadhi Diwas is annually observed across India on 7^th of March to create awareness about the importance of Generic Medicines and to highlight the benefits of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana. Fifth Jan Aushadhi Diwas was celebrated on 7th March 2023 under the theme “Jan Aushadhi-Jan Upyogi”.
World Kidney Day is annually observed across the globe on the 2^nd Thursday of March. The theme of World Kidney Day 2023 is “Kidney Health for All- Preparing for the unexpected, supporting the vulnerable”.
International Day of Mathematics is annually observed across the globe on March 14 to create awareness about the importance of mathematics. Theme of International Day of Mathematics of 2023 is “Mathematics for Everyone”.
World Consumer Rights Day is annually observed across the globe on March 15. In 2023 it observed with the theme of “Empowering consumers through clean energy transitions”.
International Day of Action for Rivers was observed across the globe on 14^th of March. In 2023, it marks the celebration of the 26th anniversary of the IDAR.
The theme of National Vaccination Day 2023 is “Vaccine Prevents the Unwanted” annually observed on 16^th of March. National Vaccination Day in India is also known as “Polio Ravivar”.
International Day of Women Judges is annually observed across the globe on March 10. It is an international day recognized by the United Nations (UN). In 2023 it had observed with the campaign “Women in Justice, Women for Justice”.
1^st ever International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness was observed on 5th March 2023 to promote awareness and understanding of disarmament issues among the public, especially young people.
First Ever UN’s International Day to Combat Islamophobia- was observed across the globe on March 15.
National Pharmacy Education Day is annually observed across India on March 06. The day, 6th March marks the birth anniversary of Professor Mahadeva Lal Schroff, Father of Indian Pharmacy Education.
Global Recycling Day is annually observed across the globe on March 18. The theme of Global Recycling Day 2023 was “Creative Innovation”.
World Sparrow Day is observed annually across the globe on March 20. The theme of World Sparrow Day 2023 is “I Love Sparrows”.
World Oral Health is observed annually across the globe on March 20. The theme of this year is “2023: Be Proud of Your Mouth for a lifetime of smiles”.
World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People was observed across the globe on March 20.
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was observed across the globe on March 21. The theme of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 2023 focuses on ‘the urgency of combating racism and racial discrimination, 75 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)”.
World Poetry Day was observed across the globe on March 21. World Poetry Day 2023 was under the theme “Always be a poet, even in prose”.
World Down Syndrome Day was observed across the globe on March 21. Theme of World Down Syndrome Day 2023 was “With Us Not For Us”.
World Water Day was observed across the globe on March 22. The theme of World Water Day 2023 was Accelerating change.
International Day of Forests was observed across the globe on March 21. It is an international day recognized by the United Nations. The theme of this year was the “Forests and Health”. This day is annually organized by the United Nations Forum on Forests and the Food and Agriculture Organization.
International Day of Nowruz was observed across the globe on March 21. It is an international day recognized by the United Nations.
World Puppetry Day was observed across the globe on March 21. To recognize puppetry as a global art form this year the day was observed under the theme of “Call of the Forest”.
World Meteorological Day was observed across the globe on March 23. This year the day was observed under the theme of “The Future of Weather, Climate, and Water across Generations”.
World Tuberculosis Day was observed across the globe on March 24. This year World Tuberculosis Day 2023 was observed under the theme “Yes! We Can End TB!”.
Shaheed Diwas or Martyrs’ Day was observed in India on March 23 to pay tribute to Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, and Sukhdev ,who were hanged to death in 1931 in the Central Jail at Lahore (now in Pakistan) in the Lahore Conspiracy case.
World Theatre Day was observed across the globe on March 27. Theme of World Theatre Day 2023 was “Theatre and a Culture of Peace”.
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade was observed across the globe on March 25. The 2023 theme was: “Fighting slavery’s legacy of racism through transformative education”.
The 1^st ever International Day of Zero Waste was observed on 30^th March 2023 and recognised as International Day by the United Nations. It was to create awareness about the importance of zero waste and encourage everyone to prevent and minimize waste and promotes a societal shift towards a circular economy.

STATE NEWS

‘Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana’- has been launched by Madhya Pradesh government.
Tamil Nadu Government and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) signed a MoU to develop a comprehensive Urban Cooling programme in Tamil Nadu to meet the objectives under the TN State Action Plan on Climate Change.
Paytm and the Andhra Pradesh Government have signed a MoU, to promote mutual cooperation and financial inclusion in the areas of Industrial Development, Public Health, Cyber Security in Andhra Pradesh.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister presented the State Budget also termed as ‘Bharose ka budget’ with a motto of ‘Gadbo Nava Chhattisgarh.
‘Go Green, Go Organic’ cover for Sikkim has been released by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Ministry of Communications and Electronics & Information Technology. This cover acknowledges the state’s achievements in organic farming, and the importance of sustainable development for India.
The Government of Andhra Pradesh has conducted the “Global Investors Summit 2023” at Visakhapatnam on March 03 – 04, 2023.
Himachal Pradesh has recently begun the commercial cultivation of licorice (Mulethi) to become the first state in India to have organized cultivation of Mulethi.
‘Arogya Mahila’- a new health programme for women has been launched by Telangana govt. on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2023.
“Modi Awas” Gharkul Yojana- was announced by Maharashtra government in state Budget session 2023. Under which up to 10 lakh houses for backward-class beneficiaries will be built over the next three years with Rs 12,000 crore.
“Mukhya Mantri Janajati Jeebika Mission” was launched by Odisha govt. to create new Livelihoods Cluster Development (LCD) initiative for tribal people. The scheme will be implemented by the ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare department, over a period of 3 years from 2023-24 to 2025-26.
Sweden India Business Council has signed a MoU with the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation for cooperation in the area of waste disposal to renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure and transportation, defence manufacturing, and investment.
Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance, Government of India, presented a ₹ 1,18,500 crore budget for the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) for 2023-2024 in the Lok Sabha session.
The Bhaav Antar Bhugtan Yojana, a crop insurance scheme for horticulture growers, will be introduced by the Punjab government as a risk reduction measure.
A new district named Mauganj has been created by Madhya Pradesh Govt. with this total number of districts in MP became 53.
“Jharniyojan Portal” was launched by Jharkhand government. This portal provides a platform for employers and job seekers in the state.
Himachal Pradesh Government has signed a MoU with the French Development Agency, to improve drinking water and sanitation services in five towns of the state.
Madhya Pradesh Government has signed a MoU with Samunnati (India’s largest agri - enterprise) to encourage sustainable practises, redesigning the course material pertaining to agriculture and rural economic empowerment, and redesigning the course curriculum overall.
The Government of Uttar Pradesh and Quality Council of India, launched the “Uttar Pradesh Gunvatta Sankalp” (Uttar Pradesh Quality Mission) at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has inaugurated the 'Pathashree-Rastashree' project in Singur, Bengal. 'Pathashree-Rastashree' is a flagship project of the Government of West Bengal to strengthen road infrastructure and enhance connectivity to villages by building 12,000 km of roads in 22 districts of the state.
Jaipur to get India’s second largest and world’s third-largest cricket stadium named after Anil Agarwal.
Indian Railways has successfully completed 100% electrification of railway network in the state of Haryana in March 2023 and with this achievement, Haryana has become the first state in India to have 100% electrified railway network.
‘Sahakar Samridhi Soudha’ is to be constructed in Karnataka. Union Minister for Home and Cooperation Amit Shah laid the foundation stone of ‘Sahakar Samridhi Soudha’ in Bengaluru.
The 71^st All India Police Athletics Cluster Championship is being organized by the Border Security Force from 21 to 25 March 2023. It was being organized in Lucknow after 10 years.
Media Personnel Security Bill-2023 was presented and passed in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly. Chhattisgarh is the second state in the country, where the Media Personnel Security Bill has been passed, whereas Maharashtra is the first state.
Rajasthan's Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Ramesh Chand Meena virtually inaugurated the second phase of 'Rajiv Gandhi Jalsanchay Yojana (RGJSY)' at the state level program organized at Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur on World Water Day.
'State Youth Policy and Youth Portal’- has been unveiled by Madhya Pradesh on 23 March 2023 at Motilal Nehru Stadium in Bhopal on Martyr's Day (Shaheed Diwas).
The Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal in New Delhi has charged a penalty of ₹10 crore on the Kerala government for its failure to check the indiscriminate pollution of the Vembanad and Ashtamudi lakes, listed as Ramsar sites.
West Bengal, Bihar have lowest police-public ratio compiled by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), the ratio for the whole country as on January 1, 2022 of police personnel per lakh persons is 196.23 as per sanctioned strength and 152.80 as per actual strength.
A cheetah named Sasha, brought from Namibia, died at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh due to kidney disease.

Table Of Contents−

▪ Current Affairs March 2023
- ▪ NATIONAL AFFAIRS
- ▪ INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
- ▪ BANKING/ FINANCE/ ECONOMICS
- ▪ AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
- ▪ APPOINTMENTS
- ▪ SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
- ▪ SPORTS
- ▪ OBITUARY
- ▪ BOOKS AND AUTHOR
- ▪ IMPORTANT DATES
- ▪ STATE NEWS

General Knowledge Book For Competitive Exams

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

India’s first container feeder service, i.e. Hope Seven has been launched between Chennai-Puducherry ports.
Deakin University from Australia is set to become the 1^st foreign university to set up a campus in India. The independent campus will be established in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.
Chintan Shivir was organised by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on “Drugs: Quality Regulations & Enforcement” in Hyderabad, Telangana.
The government of Uttarakhand is set to establish India’s 1^st government mother milk bank, a facility that can ensure to provide the nutritional elements of mothers’ milk to new-borns.
On the occasion of National Science Day (28th February 2023), Ministry of Science and Technology, launched the Vaibhav Fellowship Scheme for Indian Diaspora abroad. This Fellowship aims to enhance the research ecosystem of Indian higher education institutions.
NTPC Limited has installed the nation’s 1^st Air Cooled Condenser (ACC) at its north Karanpura supercritical thermal plant in Jharkhand, which would aid in water conservation.
Olectra Greentech Limited (OGL) received India’s 1^st homologation certificate from International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) for its Electric tipper, India’s 1st 6×4 heavy-duty e-Tipper.
Tamil Nadu government has signed a letter of intent with the Danish Environmental Protection Agency of Denmark for sharing technology and cooperation in the water sector.
United Nations Development Programme [UNDP] and NITI Aayog organised a hybrid hackathon, called ‘LIFEathon’ to promote sustainable living and climate-positive behaviour by creating a pro-planet network.(Note:- NITI Aayog Vice Chairperson is Suman Bery)
Recently, the Ministry of Tourism has organised 3rd regional workshop on “Development of Sustainable and Responsible Tourist Destinations” at Hyderabad, Telangana, with the goal to develop sustainable and responsible tourist destinations and promote sustainable tourism across India.
National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) and National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has been signed a MoU to strengthen value-based sports education amongst school children and teachers.
Ministry of Rural Development and the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) has been signed a MoU for providing design support for the products made by Self Help Groups (SHGs) of the Aajeevika Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM).
SADUN- South Asia Distribution Utility Network , has been launched by Ministry of Power to modernize distribution of utilities in South Asia via knowledge sharing among the region’s discoms (Distribution Companies), and to enable utility-to-utility connect.
Recently, to share inputs on research, technology and innovation, India has signed a MoU with Mexico. India’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Mexican Agencies can provide their effective inputs to the global society with Research and Innovation Partnerships for technology development, upscaling of each other’s Intellectual Property for commercialization, and Research Infrastructure Development & Sharing.
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports launched the Yuva Utsava-India@2047 from the Indian Institute of Technology Ropar in Punjab. “Yuva Utsav India @2047” is being held in all Indian districts by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYAS) through its flagship youth organisation, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS).
The first business to business (B2B) conference on expo on traditional medicine under Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Guwahati, Assam created a platform for buyers and sellers from various countries to explore the trade potential of traditional medicine to serve the needs of people across the globe.
The world’s 1^st - 200 meter long Bamboo Crash Barrier named “Bahu Balli” has been installed on the Vani-Warora Highway in Vidarbha, Maharashtra. This provides an alternative to steel and addresses environmental concerns and their aftermath.
Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, released the book “India’s Vaccine Growth Story – From Cowpox to Vaccine Maitri” authored by Sajjan Singh Yadav.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has approved the proposal under MoU between India’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to prevent trafficking in ‘Narcotic Drugs’, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals.
Recently, the Government has launched a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme “New India Literacy Program” (NILP) for implementation over five years from FY 2022-23 to 2026-27 with a financial outlay of ₹ 1037.90 crore. The New India Literacy Program has been launched to cover a target of 5.0 crore illiterates in the age group of 15 years and above.
During the International Zero Waste Day 2023 in New Delhi, Sh. Hardeep S. Puri, The Hon’ble Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, announced that 1000 cities are targeted to achieve a 3-Star Garbage Free rating by October 2024.
- The GFC-Star rating protocol, launched in January 2018 to promote a competitive and mission-driven approach among ULBs, has seen a significant increase in certification since its inception.

Konkan- 2023, the annual bilateral maritime exercise was held between the Indian Navy of India and the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom (from 20th to 22nd March 2023) at the Konkan coast in the Arabian Sea.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying jointly launched the “National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination (NAPRE) from India by 2030.”
According to the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), the import of urea (agricultural grade) on the Government account has extended the tenure of Indian Potash Limited (IPL) until 31st March 2024.
The Defence Ministry signed two contracts with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), at a total cost of over ₹3,700 crore for ‘Arudhra’ Medium Power Radars (MPR) and Radar Warning Receivers for the Indian Air Force.
“Vayu Prahar”- 96- hour Air-Land Exercise, was jointly conducted by Indian Army and Indian Air Force (IAF) along the Line of Actual Control in the eastern command during the 2^nd week of March 2023.
Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has signed a MoU with the Society for Electronic Transactions and Security (SETS), both part of the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. As part of the memorandum of understanding (MoU), both the organisations will carry out joint research in deep tech and emerging tech areas like Cyber Security, IoT Security, Mobile Device Security, Financial Network Slice Security and Hardware Security, etc.
Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL), a company incorporated by NHAI to carry out Electronic Tolling collaborated with ‘MeitY Start-up Hub’ under aegis of MeitY and organized a Hackathon with Indian tech start-ups to foster innovation and technology- driven solutions to address the challenges of tolling and traffic management on the National Highways in India.

Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Raw Jute for the 2023–2024 season has been approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA). During the 2023–24 season, the MSP for Raw Jute has been fixed at ₹ 5050 per quintal from ₹ 4,750 per quintal for 2022-23 season.
Prime Minister Modi has recently launched an app called "Call Before You Dig" to prevent uncoordinated digging that can cause damage to underground utility assets, such as optical fibre cables.
To commemorate the successful completion of 30 years of Project Elephant and to give more impetus to conservation efforts, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest has decided to celebrate Gaj Utsav 2023 at Kaziranga National Park on April 7 and 8.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s new International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Area office and Innovation Centre in New Delhi. The area office of ITU in India will serve India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan and Iran, enhancing coordination among nations and fostering mutually beneficial economic cooperation.
Rajasthan state Assembly had passed a bill named ‘Right to Health’ to its residents
and became the first state in India to do so. The government aims to protect and fulfil the right and equality in health and well-being, under Article 47 and secure RTH as per the expanded definition of Article 21 of the Constitution.
The Government of India has decided to form a committee led by Finance Secretary TV Somanathan to recommend ways to reform the National Pension System (NPS) for government employees.
Aravalli Green Wall Project is a major initiative to green the 5 km buffer area around the Aravalli Hill Range in four states (Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi). This project has been launched by Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) has successfully developed a Bauxite Certified Reference Material (CRM) naming it as BARC B1201 in joint collaboration with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).This is the first of its kind CRM (Certified Reference Material) in India and 5^th in the World.
For procurement of two Integrated Electronic Warfare Systems ‘Project Himshakti’, Ministry of Defence has made contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)
Nidhi Khare will head the committee to monitor the stock of Tur (Arhar) held by importers, millers, traders, and other such entities. This committee has been constituted by the Department of Consumer Affairs under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
The ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is taking various measures for conservation and protection of Great Indian Bustard in the country, including in Rajasthan. The Great Indian Bustard is listed in Schedule-I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has constituted a 9-member task force chaired by Bhuvnesh Kumar to make India as a product developer and manufacturing nation in electronics industry.
The Delhi Declaration on Modernisation of Agricultural Education System in alignment with the National Education Policy issued jointly by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the World Bank highlights the need to incorporate digital resources and tools for effective and accessible teaching and learning in Agriculture.

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has amended the PFRDA (Redressal of Subscriber Grievance) Regulations 2015 and increased the upper age limit of the Ombudsman from 65 to 70 years.
Government of Odisha has issued a notification declaring the Gandhamardan Hill Range as a Biodiversity Heritage Site. This is the third Biodiversity Heritage Site of Odisha after Mandasuru Gorge, Kandhamal district in 2019 and Mahendragiri Hill Range in Gajapati district in 2022. Gandhamardan Hills has become the 37th biodiversity heritage site of India.
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has approved the development of Electronics Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) worth ₹ 180 crore in Kotur-Balur industrial area in Dharwad, Karnataka.
Prime Minister Modi has inaugurated the 7 kilometres commercial operations of the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) from Whitefield (Kadugodi) to Krishnarajapuram Metro stretch in Bengaluru, Karnataka. This is the second largest Metro network in India after Delhi Metro and Whitefield is the first tech corridor connected by Metro in Bengaluru.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the National Standards Body of India, has recently published new guidelines aimed at enhancing safety in the transportation of dangerous goods. The guidelines, known as ‘IS 18149:2023 - Transportation of Dangerous Goods — Guidelines’, have been formulated under the Transport Services Sectional Committee, SSD 01, of BIS, and is expected to set a new benchmark for the safe handling and transportation of hazardous materials across the country.
‘Swachhotsav’- is a 3-week women-led swachhata campaign, under the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban [SBM (U)] 2.0. This campaign has been launched by Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs
FRINJEX-23, the first edition of the Joint Military Exercise between the Indian and French Army was conducted at Pangode Military Station in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The theme for the exercise is “Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Operations in a Contested Environment”.
The 2^nd Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) meeting was held in Hyderabad (Telangana). The meeting, held from March 6-7, 2023, was led by GPFI Co-Chair and G20 India Presidency. India and Italy were announced as the new GPFI Co-Chairs with support from the whole membership. The new Co-Chairs have been selected for a duration of three years and their tenure will commence from 2024.
The Ministry of Power has mandated that new coal/lignite-based thermal plants either establish renewable energy capacity equivalent to at least 40% of the plant’s capacity or procure that much green energy under a Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO).
Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) has launched the MSME Competitive LEAN Scheme (MCLS). LEAN is defined set of management practices to improve efficiency and effectiveness by eliminating waste through kaizen. Kaizen is a Japanese word that essentially means ‘change for the better’ or ‘good change’.
- Under the scheme, MSMEs will implement LEAN manufacturing tools like 5S, Kaizen, KANBAN, Visual workplace, Poka Yoka etc. under the able guidance of trained and competent LEAN Consultants to attain LEAN levels like Basic, Intermediate and Advanced. Through the LEAN journey, MSMEs can reduce wastages substantially, increase productivity, improve quality, work safety, expanding their markets, and finally becoming competitive and profitable.
A report titled “Production and Promotion of Organic and Bio Fertilisers with Special Focus on Improving Economic Viability Of Gaushalas”, released by NITI Aayog. This report provides factual estimates of operating costs, fixed costs and other issues in respect of gaushalas and cost and investments involved in setting up Bio-CNG plant and PROM (Phosphate Rich Organic Manure) plant in Gaushalas.
Indian Army's Chetak Corps conducted Exercise Chetak Chaukasfocusing on planning, preparation, acquainting & updating of the database with all stakeholders to strengthen Rear Area Security.
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs(MCA) has appointed Grant Thornton Bharat LLP, one of the largest, fully integrated assurance, tax and advisory firms in India, to assist in the formulation of an Annual Capacity Building Plan(ACBP) for other organisations to make them ‘future ready’ and to meet the requirements of a vision of ‘New India’.
The theme of 3^rd session of the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR) was “Building Local Resilience in a Changing Climate”. This session was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 10, 2023, in New Delhi, Delhi.
“Landslide Atlas of India” has been prepared by the National Remote Sensing Centre (Hyderabad) one of the centres of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). As an atlas it provides the data of the most landslide-prone districts in India such as Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand) being ranked first; Tehri Garhwal (Uttarakhand) ranked 2nd and Thrissur (Kerala) ranked third.
Department of Consumer Affairs announced that the sale of hallmarked gold jewellery or gold artefacts without a 6 digit alphanumeric HUID (Hallmark Unique Identification) number, (for example, 4 11K027) consisting of alphabets and numbers, will not be allowed after 31st March 2023 i.e., from 1st April 2023 onwards.
The Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) unveiled India’s first and world’s second 100% methanol-powered 10-tonne prototype truck in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
‘India-Australia CEO Forum’ has been held at Mumbai (Maharashtra), in this forum both the countries agreed further the business relationship signed as the ‘Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA)’ for the next level of potential in trade and investment.
Government of India has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with Sweden with the aim to strengthen cooperation and promote research networking between research institutions from both nations.
Surekha Yadav (Maharashtra) became Asia’s 1st female loco pilot, she also became the 1^st woman to drive the recently launched semi-high speed Vande Bharat Express train.
Exercise Bold Kurukshetra 2023, the 13th edition of a bilateral armoured training exercise between India and the Singapore army, was held from March 6 to 13, 2023, at Jodhpur Military Station, Rajasthan, India.
The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India (GoI), in its 78^th round survey, carried out the ‘Multiple Indicator Survey (MIS)’ for the 1st time to cater the requirements of various national indicators of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).
- In the current year 2021-22, the milk production has registered an annual growth rate of 5.29%.
- Top five major milk producing States are Rajasthan (15.05%), Uttar Pradesh (14.93%), Madhya Pradesh (8.06%), Gujarat (7.56%) and Andhra Pradesh (6.97%).
- Total five major egg producing States are Andhra Pradesh (20.41%), Tamil Nadu (16.08%), Telangana (12.86%), West Bengal (8.84%) and Karnataka (6.38%).
- The total five major meat producing States are Maharashtra (12.25%), Uttar Pradesh (12.14%), West Bengal (11.63%), Andhra Pradesh (11.04%), and Telangana (10.82%).
- The top five major wool producing States are Rajasthan (45.91%), Jammu and Kashmir (23.19%), Gujarat (6.12%), Maharashtra (4.78%) and Himachal Pradesh (4.33%).
- The per-capita availability of milk is 444 gram/day during 2021-22 increased by 17 gram/day over previous year.
- In 2021-22, the per-capita availability of egg is 95 eggs/annum increased by 5 eggs/annum over previous year.
- The per-capita availability of meat is 6.82 kg/annum during 2021-22 increased by 0.30 kg/annum over previous year.

Yaoshang Festival, one of the important festivals of Manipur, very similar to Holi, is annually celebrated during the full moon of Lamta month of the Meitei lunar calendar.
Bumchu festival is celebrated at Tashiding Monastery, West Sikkimon the 15th day of the first month of the Lunar calendar corresponding to the month of February/March.
Ministry of Ayush and Ministry of Rural development has signed Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate in developing skilled personnel by imparting training to rural poor youth and women’s for Ayush healthcare system under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya-Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY).
The Gujarat government has proposed a second home for Asiatic lions in Gujarat at Barda Wildlife Sanctuary, about 100km away from their present home at Gir National Park.
- The report “Lion at 2047: A Vision for Amrutkal” prepared by the Wildlife Institute of India
Ministry of Textiles, has issued a notification to set up 7 Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks with a total outlay of ₹ 4,445 crore. The Parks will come up in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
- Government of India has signed a MoU with the Tamil Nadu (TN) government to establish India’s first PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel (PM MITRA) Park in Virudhunagar District, Tamil Nadu

‘Kashi’ has been declared the 1^st tourism & cultural capital of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) at the meeting of heads of SCO tourism administrations held in Kashi, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference 2023 was held at New Delhi, which was formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The conference was organised by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) [Ministry of Commerce and Industry]. PM also launched a book “Shree Anna: A Holistic Overview,” developed by FSSAI.
- Note:- India is the largest producer of millets in the world and Rajasthan is largest millet producing state in India
- National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd(NAFED) has signed a MoU with the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare to extend its support to Millets initiatives

India Post signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Shiprocket and Pickrr (logistics aggregator firms) to help MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) and enhance last-mile e-commerce delivery services across India.
Rampura Agucha Mine and Zawar Group of Mines of Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL) became the first GreenCo-certified mines. They received the GreenCo Silver rating from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for their sustainable mining operations.
Jindal Steel and Power Ltd. (JSPL) has received India’s 1^st Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) licence to produce India’s first fire-resistant steel at its Rail Mill and Special Profile Mill in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh.
The ‘City Finance Rankings 2022’ portal cityfinance.in/rankingshas been made live by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). The Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across the country can now participate in the Rankings through an entirely digital, 100% paperless, process. The ‘City Finance Rankings 2022’ have been launched with the objective of evaluating, recognizing and rewarding municipal bodies across the country on the basis of the quality of their current financial health and improvement over time in financial performance.
Africa-India Economic Foundation (AIEF) has signed a MoU with African Union, to work together on promoting business and trade relations between MSMEs. This landmark agreement, the first of its kind between an Indian private entity (AIEF) and the AU, would expand Indian business footprints in Africa.
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurated 5 km-long India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (IBFP). IBFP is the 1^stcross border energy pipeline between India and Bangladesh. The IBFP is a cross-border pipeline that connects Siliguri in West Bengal, India to Dinajpur district of Bangladesh.
The Labour20 (L20) engagement group’s inception meet in Amritsar, Punjab as part of India’s G20 presidency, adopted two Joint Statements as the final outcome of the two-day deliberations; one calling for resolving the question of portability of social security among G20 nations as a first step towards universalisation of social security, and another for plugging the gender gap in the global work force.
Pakhala Diwas (Pakhala Day) was celebrated in Odisha. The day is annually celebrated across the globe where people eat a traditional Odia dish, Pakhala.
NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd has signed a MoU with the Indian Army, to develop green hydrogen initiatives at armed forces establishments through a Build, Own, and Operate (BOO) arrangement.
In 2023 second edition of AFINDEX between India and 23 nations of the Africa, was held in The theme of the exercise is focused on Humanitarian Mine Action and Peace Keeping Operations.
Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan, had 2-day visit to India for ‘Japan-India Summit Meeting 2023’. To discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in a number of fields, including defence and security, trade and investment, and high technology. Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi declared that the year 2023 will be celebrated as “Japan-India tourism exchange year” with the theme “Connecting the Himalayas with Mount Fuji”.
“Green Tug Transition Programme” has been announced by Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, in order to make India a “Global Hub for Green Ship Building” by 2030. Union minister Mr Sarbananda Sonowal also inaugurated India’s 1^st National Centre of Excellence in Green Port & Shipping (NCoEGPS). The NCoEGPS, headquartered within the TERI campus in Gurugram (Haryana).

STATE NEWS

‘Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana’- has been launched by Madhya Pradesh government.
Tamil Nadu Government and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) signed a MoU to develop a comprehensive Urban Cooling programme in Tamil Nadu to meet the objectives under the TN State Action Plan on Climate Change.
Paytm and the Andhra Pradesh Government have signed a MoU, to promote mutual cooperation and financial inclusion in the areas of Industrial Development, Public Health, Cyber Security in Andhra Pradesh.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister presented the State Budget also termed as ‘Bharose ka budget’ with a motto of ‘Gadbo Nava Chhattisgarh.
‘Go Green, Go Organic’ cover for Sikkim has been released by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Ministry of Communications and Electronics & Information Technology. This cover acknowledges the state’s achievements in organic farming, and the importance of sustainable development for India.
The Government of Andhra Pradesh has conducted the “Global Investors Summit 2023” at Visakhapatnam on March 03 – 04, 2023.
Himachal Pradesh has recently begun the commercial cultivation of licorice (Mulethi) to become the first state in India to have organized cultivation of
‘Arogya Mahila’- a new health programme for women has been launched by Telangana govt. on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2023.
“Modi Awas” Gharkul Yojana- was announced by Maharashtra government in state Budget session 2023. Under which up to 10 lakh houses for backward-class beneficiaries will be built over the next three years with Rs 12,000 crore.
“Mukhya Mantri Janajati Jeebika Mission” was launched by Odisha govt. to create new Livelihoods Cluster Development (LCD) initiative for tribal people. The scheme will be implemented by the ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare department, over a period of 3 years from 2023-24 to 2025-26.
Sweden India Business Council has signed a MoU with the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation for cooperation in the area of waste disposal to renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure and transportation, defence manufacturing, and investment.
Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance, Government of India, presented a ₹ 1,18,500 crore budget for the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) for 2023-2024 in the Lok Sabha session.
The Bhaav Antar Bhugtan Yojana, a crop insurance scheme for horticulture growers, will be introduced by the Punjab government as a risk reduction measure.
A new district named Mauganj has been created by Madhya Pradesh Govt. with this total number of districts in MP became 53.
“Jharniyojan Portal” was launched by Jharkhand government. This portal provides a platform for employers and job seekers in the state.
Himachal Pradesh Government has signed a MoU with the French Development Agency, to improve drinking water and sanitation services in five towns of the state.
Madhya Pradesh Government has signed a MoU with Samunnati (India’s largest agri - enterprise) to encourage sustainable practises, redesigning the course material pertaining to agriculture and rural economic empowerment, and redesigning the course curriculum overall.
The Government of Uttar Pradesh and Quality Council of India, launched the “Uttar Pradesh Gunvatta Sankalp” (Uttar Pradesh Quality Mission) at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has inaugurated the 'Pathashree-Rastashree' project in Singur, Bengal. 'Pathashree-Rastashree' is a flagship project of the Government of West Bengal to strengthen road infrastructure and enhance connectivity to villages by building 12,000 km of roads in 22 districts of the state.
Jaipur to get India’s second largest and world’s third-largest cricket stadium named after Anil Agarwal.
Indian Railways has successfully completed 100% electrification of railway network in the state of Haryana in March 2023 and with this achievement, Haryana has become the first state in India to have 100% electrified railway network.
‘Sahakar Samridhi Soudha’ is to be constructed in Union Minister for Home and Cooperation Amit Shah laid the foundation stone of ‘Sahakar Samridhi Soudha’ in Bengaluru.
The 71^st All India Police Athletics Cluster Championship is being organized by the Border Security Force from 21 to 25 March 2023. It was being organized in Lucknow after 10 years.
Media Personnel Security Bill-2023 was presented and passed in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly. Chhattisgarh is the second state in the country, where the Media Personnel Security Bill has been passed, whereas Maharashtra is the first state.
Rajasthan's Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Ramesh Chand Meena virtually inaugurated the second phase of 'Rajiv Gandhi Jalsanchay Yojana (RGJSY)' at the state level program organized at Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur on World Water Day.
'State Youth Policy and Youth Portal’- has been unveiled by Madhya Pradesh on 23 March 2023 at Motilal Nehru Stadium in Bhopal on Martyr's Day (Shaheed Diwas).
The Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal in New Delhi has charged a penalty of ₹10 crore on the Kerala government for its failure to check the indiscriminate pollution of the Vembanad and Ashtamudi lakes, listed as Ramsar sites.
West Bengal, Bihar have lowest police-public ratio compiled by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), the ratio for the whole country as on January 1, 2022 of police personnel per lakh persons is 196.23 as per sanctioned strength and 152.80 as per actual strength.
A cheetah named Sasha, brought from Namibia, died at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh due to kidney disease.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Egypt became a member of the New Development Bank, a multilateral development bank established by the BRICS states i.e. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
As per the report “Falling long-term growth prospects: Trends, Expectations, and Policies” published by the World Bank, highlighted that India’s potential economic growth can get a boost if government accelerates implementation of its ambitious reform agenda.
According to the tenth edition of Global Terrorism Index 2023, by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), India was ranked 13th and was listed among nations with a “high” impact of terrorism. Top 5 countries with the highest impact of terrorism are
1^st – Afghanistan; 2^nd Burkina Faso; 3^rd- Somalia; 4^th- Mali; 5^th – Syria

“Exercise Cobra Warrior” was conducted at the Waddington Air Force Base of the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom. For the first time Indian Air Force has participated.
According to the Arton Capital, Passport Index 2023 has been released, in which India’s Mobility score has reduced by three places to 70 from 73 in 2022. India’s Individual Passport Power Rank also fell by six places to 144 in 2023 from 138 in 2022.
- India ranks 71 in the Global Passport Power Rank 2023 due to the Mobility score of 70
- UAE ranks 1^st in both the Global Passport Power Rank 2023 & Individual Passport Power Rank 2023 followed by Sweden, Germany, and Finland.
Azerbaijan and Tajikistan have been certified as “malaria-free” by the World Health Organization (WHO) for having eradicated malaria in their territories after making a consistent, century-long effort to eliminate malaria.
International Committee On Monuments and Sites International Science Committee (ICOMOS ISC) recognised the Sípàapuni, a site located in Arizona, United States of America (USA) and sacred to the Hopi Native American Nation, as an important cultural place and awarded it the “ICOMOS ISC Water and Heritage Shield”.
The Sípàapu is a rocky dome made of limestone as well as a spring located on the Little Colorado river, a tributary of Colorado. Sípàapu will be the 1st in the world to be awarded the ICOMOS ISC Water and Heritage Shield.
The Russian Navy test-fired supersonic anti-ship missiles at a mock target in the Sea of Japan. The Moskit cruise missile is a medium-range supersonic missile that was developed during the Soviet era. It is known for its speed and can destroy a ship within a range of up to 120 km. The NATO reporting name of the P-270 Moskit missile is SS-N-22 Sunburn.
- Skytrax World Airport Awards 2023:
  - Singapore Changi Airport became 'World's Best Airport' replacing Qatar. Singapore Changi Airport has been named the “World's Best Airport” in 2023 at the World Airport Awards 2023 ceremony held at Passenger Terminal EXPO in Netherlands,
  - Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi has been awarded as the ‘Best Airport in India and South Asia’ and is ranked 36^t^h in 2023.
- A P-8I aircraft of the Indian Navy had arrived at Guam, USA to participate in ‘Exercise Sea Dragon 23’, the third edition of the coordinated multi-lateral ASW (anti-submarine warfare) exercise for Long Range MR (Maritime Reconnaissance) ASW aircraft, conducted by the US Navy.
- As TIME Magazine revealed its list of the “World's Best Places of 2023,” the Mayurbhanj region of Odisha and the Union Territory of Ladakh both have made a place in the list.
  - Mayurbhanj is mentioned as the only place on earth to spot the rare black tiger.
- According to the Global Commission on Economics of Water (GCEW) report “The What, Why and How of the World Water Crisis: Global Commission on the Economics of Water Phase 1 Review and Findings”, Food supply in India and across the globe will go down by at least 6% by 2050 as water crisis and heat stress caused by climate change will hit productivity.
  - Under this scenario, China is at the top where food supply would be reduced by 22.4%, followed by South America by 19.4%.
- As per the report by International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) ‘Global landscape of renewable energy finance, 2023’, the developing and emerging countries, which have 70% of the world’s population, attracted only 15%, of global investments in renewables in 2022.
  - Brazil, Chile and India have attracted the bulk of Renewable Energy investments.
  - In India the investment per capita grew by 34% in between 2015 and 2021.
- United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) has done Accreditation Master Agreement(AMA) with Green Climate Fund (GCF) to launching a new 5 years of partnership (from 2023-2027) to provide vital climate finance to countries in the critical decade for action.
A first-of-its-kind World Health Organization (WHO) Global report on sodium intake reduction shows that the world is off-track to achieve its global target of reducing sodium intake by 30% by 2025. Sodium, an essential nutrient, increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and premature death when eaten in excess.
- As per the report, India’s Sodium intake is about 9.8 g salt/day and its Sodium Country Score was 2. [Note: Ranging from 1 (the lowest level) to 4 (the highest level)]

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released the report “Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2022“ in which , India continued to remain the world’s top arms importer for the 5 years between 2018 to 2022 despite 11% decline in its imports of arms.
Exercise La Perouse - France- has led multilateral naval exercise. Its 3^rd edition was held in Indian Ocean region between 13th to 14th March 2023. The Royal Australian Navy, French Navy, Indian Navy, Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force, Royal Navy, and United States Navy have participated in this Exercise.
Lahore (Pakistan), become the city with the worst air in the world in 2022 according to the 5^th edition of the annual global survey report of IQAir, ‘World Air Quality Report 2022’, and Chad in central Africa as the country with the most polluted air in 2022
IDEX- 23 (International Defence Exhibition) and NAVDEX-23 (Naval Defence Exhibition) were held in Abu Dhabi, UAE. In both regional naval and defence exhibitions, Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sumedha of the Indian Navy has participated in the exhibition.
As per the V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy) Institute which has published a report titled, “Democracy Report 2023: Defiance in the Face of Autocratization,” in which India has been ranked 97th in the Liberal Democracy Index and 108th in the Electoral Democracy Index.
The International Maritime Exercise/ Cutlass Express 2023 has been held in the Gulf region in which Indian Navy Ship -Trikand has participated which marks Indian Navy’s 1st IMX participation.
For the first time, United Nations members agreed on a legally binding ocean treaty “High Seas Treaty” to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity that lie outside the national boundaries (i.e. the international waters).

BANKING AND FINANCE

An agreement has been made between RBL Bank and EXIM (Export-Import Bank of India) Bank for Cross Border Payments. On boarding RBL bank under India Exim Bank’s Trade Assistance Programme (TAP) to support cross-border trade transactions
Nishchit Aayush Plan has been launched by Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance Limited.
The Asian Development Bank will provide ₹ 1,311.20 crore under Phase1 of the proposed infrastructure development investment programme in Himachal Pradesh. The total cost of the project is ₹ 2357 crore.
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. [IRCTC], partnered with HDFC Bank Ltd to introduce the “IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card,” one of India’s most rewarding cobranded travel credit cards.
Small Industries Development Bank of India [SIDBI] signed a MoU with ShowReel to develop an online digital platform to support innovators and promote Entrepreneurship in India.
Himachal Pradesh government has launched Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and ‘Swadhan-e-pension-Gov’ This service would make bank transactions simpler and faster, especially for the elderly and those residing in remote places.
State Bank of India completed its 1st non-dollar transaction with Sri Lanka by paying for exports in Sri Lankan rupees to bring countries that lack US (United States) dollars into the trade mechanism.
Indian Government and World Bank, signed two complementary loans of $500 million Public Health Systems for Pandemic Preparedness Program [PHSPP] and $500 million Enhanced Health Service Delivery Program [EHSDP] to support and improve India’s healthcare infrastructure.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and state-owned Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) Limited are exploring a partnership on financing of renewable energy and green hydrogen projects in India.
The Governor of Reserve Bank of India Shaktikanta Das has launched the mission ‘Har Payment Digital’ as part of the Digital Payments Awareness Week [DPAW].
Global credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service (MIS) increased India’s economic growth projection for 2023 to 5.5% from 4.8% in November 2022 in its “Global Macro Outlook 2023- 24.
Tata Steel Mining Limited and GAIL India Limited has entered in MoU for the supply of natural gas to its Ferro Alloys Plant in Cuttack, Odisha to reduce carbon footprint in its operations.
ONGC and France’s TotalEnergies has signed a MoU for the exploration of deep-water blocks. This MoU will aid technical help to ONGC to explore and reduce greenhouse emissions in the development of deep water blocks, especially in Mahanadi and Andamans.
A MoU was signed between All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, and the Public Service Commission (PSC) of Mauritius. The examination section of AIIMS will assist the Mauritius PSC in preparing questions as per the requirement, conducting the examinations, marking the scripts, and preparation of the final result.
To promote digital literacy among women, Kotak Mahindra launched a digital campaign named ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’. The campaign calls for the digital inclusion of all with the hashtag, #IncludeAll.
“Unpause Initiative”- has been launched by Ujjivan Small Finance Bank (Ujjivan SFB) as part of its commitment to promote workplace diversity and inclusion. It is a programme designed to assist women who, for any reason, took a career break and are now prepared to re-join the workforce.
‘Empowering You To Achieve Your Dreams’ digital campaign has been launched by Tata AIA Life Insurance Company Limited
Partnership between Axis Bank and ITC Limited has been done to offer lending products and services to farmers who are a part of ITC’s agriculture ecosystem. This partnership is aimed at reaching out to the unserved and under-served farmers in rural areas.
Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced a reward system in order to recover fines from elusive offenders. In a circular, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) said that an informant will get up to ₹20 lakh for sharing information about the assets of defaulters.
Punjab National Bank signed a MoU with Central Warehousing Corporation to facilitate financing under e-NWR (Electronic Negotiable Warehousing Receipt). Warehouse Receipts are documents issued by warehouses to depositors against the commodities deposited in the warehouses.
‘Genius Plan’- has been launched by PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited. To help parents financially prepare for their children’s future.
Kochi Metro Rail Limited has become the first metro in India to accept the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
‘IND Super 400 Days’- it is a Term Deposit Product (TDP) with 05% higher interest rate to women investors and fixed maturity tenor of 400 days in the form of Fixed deposits (FD) /Money Multiplier Deposits (MMD). This type of product was introduced by Indian Bank.
‘Blossom Women’s Savings Account’- launched by Suryoday Small Finance Bank , which is designed for women customers with up to a 7% interest rate per annum. The account was created to support women to enable them to save, invest and move towards achieving their financial goals.
Canara Bank collaborated with National Payments Corporation of India, to launch the Rupay Credit Card through UPI (Unified Payments Interface) using the BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money)
India’s 1^st US Debt Exchange Traded Fund ‘ ‘Bandhan US Treasury Bond 0-1 Year Fund of Fund’ was launched by Bandhan Mutual Fund. It is an open-ended fund of fund scheme investing in units/shares of overseas index funds and/or Exchange Traded Funds (ETF).
Google announced the completion of the first cohort of its start-ups accelerator programme for female founders in India. It launched its first edition of ‘Google For Startups Accelerator–India Women Founders’, a three-month programme, in 2022. The three-month programme included curriculum and engagement opportunities addressing areas like access to networks, capital, hiring challenges and mentorship.
Maharashtrahas received a total of ₹10,88,502 crore as FDI inflow, which is higher than any other state across the country. Karnataka stands at second position with ₹5,51,044 crore as FDI inflow.
A global defence aerospace player Lockheed Martin Corporation, based in the United States (US), with India’s Tata Group have inked an agreement for the production of fighter plane wings at their joint venture (JV) facility i.e. at Tata Lockheed Matin Aerostructures Ltd (TLMAL) in Hyderabad, Telangana.
A generic memorandum of understanding was executed between the Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing, Kurnool (IIITDM Kurnool) and United Nations Association (UNA) mission group for P. and Telangana.
Reserve Bank of India has signed a MoU with the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates to promote collaboration and facilitate innovation in financial products and services.
“Startup Ecosystem Banking” a comprehensive suite of digital and physical solutions has been launched by ICICI Bank. This includes personal banking services for founders and employees, as well as treasury and transaction, banking solutions, digital integrations, handling Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and regulatory compliance.
Government of India has done a loan agreement with the World Bank Purpose for the construction of the Green National Highway Corridors Project (GNHCP) in 4 States such as Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
Bank of Baroda partnered with the Government of Tamil Nadu to offer cobranded RuPay Platinum Debit Card to the beneficiaries of the state government’s ‘Pudhumai Penn’
VA Tech Wabag Ltd (Chennai based), a water technology firm, has won an Rs. 800 crore project funded by the World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Bangladesh. This company will design, build and operate a sewage treatment plant with a capacity of 200 million litres per day in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
According to the publication of Social Statistics Division of National Statistical Office under the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI), “Women and Men in India 2022”, Women in India holds 23% (nearly one-third) of bank accounts in all Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCB), but only with 20.07%( one-fifth) of total deposits.
The Reserve Bank of India has approved trading between India and Tanzania in national currencies, i.e., the Indian Rupee (INR) and Tanzanian Shilling (TSh), by enabling authorized banks in India to open Special Rupee Vostro Accounts with correspondent banks in Tanzania, a step that will benefit the business community.
Recently IndiaFirst Life Insurance Company (IndiaFirst Life) has received the final approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to launch Initial Public Offering (IPO) to raise funds.
The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) has formed a committee to be headed by former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) executive director G Padmanabhan. To design a road-map to attract or onshore Indian start-ups domiciled abroad for setting up their base in GIFT City (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City) in Gujarat.
Power Finance Corporation Limited has made loan agreement with Japan Bank for International Cooperation. This agreement will ensure the effective reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and conservation of the global environment.
Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das, laid the foundation stone for a 'Greenfield Data Centre' and an 'Enterprise Computing & Cybersecurity Training Institute' in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
CRISIL (rating agency) expects India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth to touch 6% in fiscal year 2024, compared to 7% estimated by the National Statistics Office (NSO) for fiscal year 2023.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has increased its growth projection for India by 20 basis points to 9% for the fiscal year 2024.
As per the “Monthly Economic Review – February 2023” published by the Ministry of Finance (MoF), the Indian economy is projected to grow at 7% in the fiscal year 2022-2023 (FY23) despite global challenges.
As unified payments interface (UPI)-based transactions continue to break all records, India's ecommerce market is projected to grow from $83 billion in 2022 to $150 billion in 2026, as cash transactions decline further, suggests a report titled '2023 Global Payments Report' from global financial technology leader FIS.
- As of January 2023, UPI had the biggest year-on-year (Y-o-Y) growth rate of 74.1% in transaction volume.

The World Bank has approved USD 108 million loan for ‘Assam Integrated River Basin Management Project (AIRBMP)’ to improve disaster preparedness and enhance flood forecasting in Assam.
“Anywhere Cashless” Feature- has been introduced by ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Ltd which enable customers to use cashless facilities at any hospital, even if it is not currently a part of ICICI Lombard’s hospital network.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India capital markets regulator, has extended the deadline for updating ‘choice of nomination’ by existing investors with trading and demat accounts to September 30, 2023, from the previous deadline of March 31, 2023.
South Indian Bank had a tie up with the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) for making direct tax collections from retail and corporate taxpayers.
The Reserve Bank of India has given permission for CRIF Connect Private, a subsidiary of Italy based CRIF S.P.A., to begin operations as an NBFC Account Aggregator (AA). With CRIF's legacy, expertise, and experience, CRIF Connect is ideally situated to serve the interests of financial institutions as well as customers.
The government of Japan has committed ₹ 7,084 crores to India for three infrastructure projects. These include Patna metro rail project (around ₹ 5,509 crores), a project for forest and biodiversity conservation for climate change response in West Bengal (approx. Rs 520 crores) and Rajasthan Water Sector Livelihood Improvement Project (RWSLIP) (about Rs 1,055 crores).
Public sector banks have written off around ₹91,000 crores in first 9 months of the current fiscal, according to data presented in the Rajya Sabha. Another set of data showed that PSBs have just managed to recover little over ₹1 out of ₹5 in written off accounts during FY22.
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a USD 100 million loan to the Indian state of Odisha to boost Odisha’s early forecasting systems for better disaster response and to expand social protection coverage for poor and vulnerable households via digital platforms.
According to a report by the economic think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), India’s merchandise imports for the fiscal year ending March 2023 are projected to exceed USD 700 billion, a 16% increase over last year.
- Six product categories such as Crude oil, coal (coke), diamonds (precious metal), chemicals (Pharma, rubber, plastics), electronics, and machinery—accounted for 82% of India’s total merchandise imports.
NTPC Limited of India has made an agreement with Sri Lankan government to build a 135-megawatt solar power plant in Sri Lanka’s eastern port district of Trincomalee to promote renewable energy.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh) received “Ispat Suraksha Puraskar” during Annual Award Function held at the SAIL Safety Organization (SSO) Ranchi, Jharkhand.
The Chief of Army Staff, General Manoj Pande, has presented the prestigious ‘President’s Standards’ (Nishan) to four Armoured Regiments i.e.
- 49 Armoured Regiment,
- 51 Armoured Regiment,
- 53 Armoured Regiment,
- 54 Armoured Regiment

The categories for which Nagpur Metro was presented with Asia Book of Records certification are `Longest Length of Metro Rail Corridor Construction in Shortest Time’, `First Solar PV System in a Metro Rail Project for Integrated Consumption’ and `Heaviest Single Span Double Decker Steel Bridge Truss over Railway tracks in Urban Area’, in Asia.
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) along with National Informatics Centre (NIC), functioning as technology partner of the Government, has been recognized for its AuditOnline software programme at the WSIS Forum 2023 at the ITU Headquarters in Geneva for conducting online audit of all Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
Tibetan spiritual leader, the 14th Dalai Lama, recognised an eight- year-Old U.S-born Mongolian boy as the reincarnation of a spiritual leader. He has been named as the 10th Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa Rinpoche, the third highest leader in Tibetan Buddhism in a ceremony held at Dharmasala, Himachal Pradesh.
Luis Ángel Caffarelli, an Argentine-American mathematician and an expert in “partial differential equations” has been awarded with Abel Prize 2023. He is the first Latin American mathematician to receive the award.
Mumbai was recognised as the ‘2022 Tree Cities of the World’ for its contributions and commitment towards growing and maintaining the urban forest by the Arbor Day Foundation & Food and Agriculture Organisation.
Dhanya Rajendran, Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of the News Minute, was awarded the Chameli Devi Jain Award for ‘Outstanding Woman Mediaperson 2022’ at the event at the India International Centre in New Delhi.
Best FIFA Football Awards- 2022
- Argentina’s Lionel Messi was named Best FIFA Men’s player 2022.
- Spain’s midfielder Alexia Putellas was named Best FIFA Women’s player 2022 awards.
- The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper- Mary Earps
- The Best FIFA Men’s Coach - Lionel Scaloni
- The Best FIFA Women’s Coach - Sarina Wiegman
GSM Association (GSMA) has conferred Government Leadership Award 2023 to India for implementing best practices in telecom policy and regulation at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023 held in Barcelona, Spain.
Vinod Kumar Shukla, one of the most distinctive and distinguished of contemporary Hindi writers received the 2023 PEN/Nabokov award for achievement in international literature by PEN America.

Hari Balakrishnan, an Indian-born Computer scientist, has received the 2023 Marconi Prize in Washington, DC., USA. For his fundamental discoveries in wired and wireless networking, mobile sensing, and distributed systems.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, has been conferred with the Porter Prize 2023, for its efforts in health sector and especially in COVID-19 management.
Sashidhar Jagdishan, Managing Director of HDFC Bank has been named the Business Standard (BS) Banker of the Year 2022, due to his successful navigation of technology-related challenges while maintaining the bank’s strong performance.
NTPC has been honoured with the CBIP Award 2022 at the Scope Convention Centre, New Delhi for outstanding Contribution in Power Generation, attributed to its Vindhyachal Super Thermal Power Station, the largest power station in India, for its efficiency and high level of generation.
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu has won the fourth edition of the “British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Indian sportswoman of the year 2022”. She became the 1st Indian weightlifter to win the silver medal at Tokyo Olympic Games.
Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr L. Murugan presented the 8th National Photography awards in New Delhi. A total of 13 awards were presented during the ceremony today including 6 each in the Professional and Amateur category. The theme for the Professional category was “Life and Water”, while in the Amateur category the theme was “Cultural Heritage of India”.
Pritzker Architecture Prize 2023- was won by Sir David Alan Chipperfield (British civic architect, urban planner and activist).
Indira Gandhi International Airport -Delhi Airport, has been rated as one of the best and cleanest airports in the Asia Pacific region by Airports Council International (ACI) for its annual service quality award. Other cleanest airports in the Asia Pacific region are:
- Kuala Lumpur International Airport(Malaysia)
- Beijing Daxing International Airport (Beijing, China)
- Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport (Indonesia)
- Shanghai Pudong International Airport (Shanghai, China)
2023 Award by the international publication Central Banking :
- The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Shaktikanta Das, has been awarded the prestigious title of "Governor of the Year" for 2023 by Central Banking, a global economic research journal.
- The National Bank of Ukraine won the Central bank of the year award for the effort by its staff to cope with the impact of the war and keep the economy functioning.

Recently Bengaluru has been honoured with 2023 Partnership for Healthy Cities Award for Tobacco Control Efforts. Bengaluru is among five global cities that have been recognised for achievements in preventing non communicable diseases and injuries, with the Indian tech city's efforts in tobacco control winning, a $150,000 award from a leading global initiative supported by the WHO.
‘Innovation in Consumer Tech’ award has been given to Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Limited at the 13th Aegis Graham Bell Awards (AGBA) for its Hello Ujjivan app, India’s 1st visual-voice-vernacular banking app.
Music Academy Awards 2023:
- Bombay Jayashri, Padma Shri Awardee and Carnatic vocalist, has been awarded for the Sangita Kalanidhi award (2023), the highest contribution in the field of Carnatic music, of the Music Academy Awards.
- Nritya Kalanidhi 2023- Vasanthalakshmi Narasimhachari (Dance), Palkulangara Ambika (Vocalist).
- Sangita Kala Acharya 2023- K.S. Kalidas (Mridangam)

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Dilma Vana Rousseff (Former Brazilian President) was elected as the President of the New Development Bank (NDB), formerly referred to as the BRICS Development Bank.
Salima Tete, an Indian Women’s Hockey team midfielder, has been appointed as the Asian Hockey Federation Athletes’ Ambassador from India for a term of two years.
Droupadi Murmu, President of India, has approved the appointment of the Chief Justices to three High Courts
- Justice Pritinker Diwaker (Allahabad HC)
- Justice Ramesh Sinha (Chhattisgarh HC)
- Justice K Vinod Chandran (Patna HC)
The Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reappointed Rafael Mariano Grossi as Director General of IAEA for a second four-year term.
Lalit Kumar Gupta has become a new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Mumbai (Maharashtra)-based Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), by the approval of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
Ajay Singh became as the President of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), India’s oldest apex chamber.
The Board of Hero MotoCorp announced the appointment of Niranjan Gupta as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, effective from May 1.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi, named Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed as crown prince of the
The Election Commission in the Indian state of Karnataka has selected Manjamma Jogati, a transgender folk dancer, as a poll icon to encourage more members of the transgender community to register and vote.
Shailesh Pathak became a new Secretary General of The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) with effect from 1st March 2023.
PepsiCo, the beverage company, has named actor Ranveer Singh as its brand ambassadorand launched a new campaign aimed at younger consumers as it prepares for a long summer, which could boost sales of cold drinks.
The National Assembly (NA) of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam elected Vo Van Thuong (Võ Văn Thưởng) (52 years old), as the new President of Vietnam for a term running until 2026.
Jishnu Barua has been appointed the new Chairperson of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), a key regulator of the power sector under the Ministry of Power.
Bola Tinubu, became a new President of Nigeria. He was the Presidential candidate of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Rashmi Shukla, has been appointed as the Director-General (DG) of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
Neiphiu Rio, has been sworn in as Chief Minister (CM) of Nagaland for the 5^th time, in the presence of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi at the Capital Cultural Hall, Kohima, Nagaland.
S. Dubey, took charge as the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) with immediate effect. He is the 28^th CGA of the Government of India.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was sworn in as the Prime Minister of
In the 1^st command appointment for a woman officer in the Indian Air Force (IAF), Group Captain Shaliza Dhami has been selected to take over the command of a frontline combat unitin the Western sector.
After the Indian Army recently cleared women officers for command roles, Colonel Geeta Rana of the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers has become the first woman officer to take over command of an independent field workshop in the Eastern Ladakh sector with China.
Ram Chandra Poudel was elected as the third President of Nepal. He succeed incumbent President Bidya Devi Bhandari.
Rohit Jawa would take over as the new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Hindustan Unilever Limited.
Xi Jinping, was unanimously appointed as President of China for the third time, making him China’s longest-serving leader since founding father Mao Zedong (1954-1959).
Mohit Joshi became a new MD and CEO of Tech Mahindra.
Tablesh Pandey became a new Managing Director (MD) of the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India.
Deepak Mohanty, became the Chairperson of the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (MS Dhoni), has been appointed as the brand ambassador of Viacom18 Media Private Limited, Mumbai-based Media Company.

Name of State	New Chief Minister
1. Tripura	Manik Saha Sworn (2^nd term)
2. Meghalaya	Conrad K Sangma (2^nd term)
3. Nagaland	Neiphiu Rio (5^th time)

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Kavilmadam Ramaswami Parvathy of India as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Tajikistan, with the host Government's approval.
Krithivasan, has been appointed as the new CEO of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).
G Krishnakumar has become new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL).
Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav has become the Vice President of Nepal.
Anup Bagchi has became a new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, launched the National Crop Insurance Portal’s (NCIP) digitized claim settlement module namely ‘DigiClaim’ under the ambit of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, to ease all insured farmers' lives and provide them with a sustainable financial flow and support.
“Haeil”- A nuclear-capable underwater drone, has been developed and tested by North Korea, this is the first weapon of its kind capable of generating a massive radioactive tsunami that can destroy naval strike groups and ports.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT, as part of the Government’s initiatives to deliver industry-ready employable skills to young Indians in all regions of the country, launched – The Skill Hub portal in
The National Informatics Centre has developed a mobile software application called “Maaptol Grievance” to facilitate online registration and time-bound redressal of consumer grievances connected to the Legal Metrology Act and rules framed under it.
A new space systems design lab, equipped with the software to design, analyze and perform mission simulations for space systems, was inaugurated at Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) in Bopal.
Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnav has launched the country's first quantum computing based telecom network link in New Delhi. India's first quantum computing-based telecom network link has now been commissioned between Sanchar Bhavan and National Informatics Center office in New Delhi.
A private manufacturer Economic Explosives Limited (EEL) in Nagpur handed over the fully indigenized fuze YDB-60 to Indian Navy for Rocket Guided Bomb model, underwater Anti Submarine Warfare rocket used from major warships.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) received the 3^rd squadron of the S-400 `Triumf’ Surface-to-air defence missile system from Russia which will be deployed along the western sector, bordering Pakistan.
Researchers trying to uncover the secrets of Earth’s geology have revealed the fifth layer of the planet. Seismic waves generated by earthquakes have revealed new insights about the deepest parts of Earth’s inner core. The fifth layer is made of iron and nickel, the same materials that comprise the rest of the inner core.
ISRO is gearing up for a challenging experiment of controlled re-entry of a decommissioned low Earth orbiting satellite, namely Megha-Tropiques-1 (MT1), on March 7, 2023. MT1 was launched on October 12, 2011, as a joint satellite venture of ISRO and the French space agency, CNES for tropical weather and climate studies in uninhabited area in the Pacific Ocean between 5°S to 14°S latitude and 119°W to 100°W longitude was identified as the targeted re-entry zone for MT1.
NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) (NISAR) is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observatory being jointly developed by NASA and ISRO and it was handed over to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). NISAR will map the entire globe in 12 days and provide spatially and temporally consistent data for understanding changes in Earth’s ecosystems, ice mass, vegetation biomass, sea level rise, ground water and natural hazards including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides. of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR). He informed that the Council CSIR has decided to start exclusive Research Grants for Women Scientists under CSIR-ASPIRE and an exclusive portal in this regard will be available from April 1, 2023.
Vayulink is a data link communication system developed by the Indian Air Force (IAF). The Vayulink system was showcased by the IAF at the Aero India 2023 show in Bengaluru recently. It uses the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), also known as NAVIC, to send radio communication to the base station when the signals are low. The important aspect of the Vayulink system is that it prevents fratricide or friendly fire. It is expected to help in better military movement coordination in complex war situations. The Vayulink system was developed by Wing Commander Vishal Mishra, an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter pilot.
The Indian Naval Ship Androth, the second in a series of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC) was launched in Kolkata, West Bengal. It was built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. (GRSE), Kolkata, West Bengal.

SPORTS

Max Verstappen, a Belgian-Dutch motorsports racing driver, won the 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix, which was held at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain.
The 74^th edition of the International Boxing Tournament “Strandja-2023” was held in Sofia, Bulgaria. India finished with 8 medals (3 silver and 5 bronze).
- In Men category silver medal was won by: Govind Kumar Sahan (48kg Category).
- In women category silver medal was won by: Anamika (50 kg), Anupama (81 kg), S. Kalaivani (48 kg).
Border-Gavaskar Trophy (India vs Australia) 2023 won by India - 2-1 for the record 11th time.

Z R Irani Cup 2023- Team Rest of India secured their 30th title win in the Indian domestic tournament, continuing their dominant performance. They defeated Madhya Pradesh by 238 runs and won Z R Irani Cup.
Wicketkeeper Timothy David Paine, a former Australia Test Cricket Captain, announced his retirement from first-class cricket.
Men's Singles title at BNP Paribas Open 2023 (also known as Indian Wells Masters) won by Carlos Alcaraz (Spain). He defeated Daniil Medvedev of Russia. BNP Paribas Open 2023 was held in Indian Wells Tennis Garden, Indian Wells, California, United States of America (USA).
- Women’s Singles title was won by Elena Rybakina (Kazakhstan)

Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2023- won by Sergio Perez (Mexican racing driver)
ATK Mohun Bagan (ATKMB) Football Club, won their first Indian Super League (ISL) title by defeating Bengaluru Football Club in the finals of Hero Indian Super League held in Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Margoa, Goa.
- Award winner from Hero ISL:
  - Hero of the League - Lallianzuala Chhange (Mumbai City Football Club)
  - Golden Boot - Diego Mauricio (Odisha Football Club)
  - Jindal Panther Golden Glove - Vishal Kaith (ATK Mohun Bagan)
  - Emerging Player of the League - Sivasakthi Narayanan (Bengaluru FC)
  - KFC Street Baller of League - Noah Sadaoui (FC Goa)
‘2023 Taoyuan Archery Asia Cup Stage I’ was held in Taoyuan, Chinese Taipe, from March 14 – 19, 2023. The Indian archers’ team topped the medal tally with 10 medals – five gold, four silver and one bronze.
The YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships 2023, the world’s oldest and most prestigious badminton tournament:
- Men’s Singles title won by - Li Shi Feng (China)
- Women’s Singles title won by - An Se Young (South Korea)
- Men’s Doubles title won by - Muhammad Rian and Ardianto (Indonesia)
Mahindra International Boxing Association (IBA) Women’s World Boxing Championship (WWBC) 2023. India topped the tally with 4 Gold medal. China stood second and Russia was third in the list.
- Indian Gold Medal Winners: Nitu Ghanghas (48 kg Category); Nikhat Zareen (50 kg Category); Lovlina Borgohain(75 kg Category); Saweety Boora (81 kg Category).
Mumbai Indians defeated the Delhi Capitals to win the inaugural TATA Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023 championship. The finals was held in Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, Maharastra on 26^thMarch 2023. Other award are as follow:
- Most Valuable Player - Hayley Matthews
- Orange cap winner (Top Run Scorer) - Meg Lanning (DC)
- Purple cap winner ( Highest Wicket Taker) - Hayley Matthews (MI)
- Safari Powerful Striker of the season - Sophie Devine (Royal Challengers Bangalore).
The Yonex Swiss Open 2023 was held in Switzerland, winner are as follows:
- Men Singles title won by - Koki Watanabe (Japan)
- Women Singles title won by - Pornpawee Chochuwong (Thailand)
- Men’s Doubles title won by - Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty(India)
- Women Doubles title won by Rena Miyaura & Ayako Sakuramoto (Japan).
International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Rifle/Pistol World Cup 2023 was held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Top three country in the list are as follow:
- 1^st China with 8 Gold and total 12 Medal
- 2^nd India with 1 Gold and total 7 Medal
- 3^rd Germany with 1 Gold and total 3 Medal

Lionel Messi score his 100^th international goal for Argentina in a match against
Satwik Sairaj and Chirag Shetty won the Swiss Open 300 double title for the first time by defeating China's Ren Xiangyu and Tan Qiang.
Indian weightlifters Dhanush Loganathan and Jyoshna Sabar won bronze medals in their respective categories at the International Weightlifting Federation World Youth Championships in Durres, Albania.
Nikhat Zareen defeated Vietnam’s Nguyen Thị Tam to become the world champion in the 50kg category at the World Women’s Boxing Championship in New Delhi.
Ashneer Grover, co-founder of BharatPe, has launched a new cricket-focused fantasy sports app named CrickPe ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Zero Discrimination Day 2023 is observed on 1st March under the theme “Save lives: Decriminalise”.
National Science Day 2023 is observed across India on February 28 in commemoration of the discovery of the Raman Effect (28th February 1928) by the Indian Scientist Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman.
World Wildlife Day annually observed across the globe on 3rd of March, is an International Day recognized by the United Nations to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora.
World Hearing Day is annually observed across the globe on March 3 to raise awareness regarding hearing loss and promote ear and hearing care across the globe, and call for action to address hearing loss and related issues. It theme in 2023 was “Ear and hearing care for all! Let’s make it a reality”.
The first ever World Seagrass Day across the globe was observed on 1st March 2023. It is an International Day recognized by the UN.
National Security Day is annually observed across India on March 4^th. The National Security Day is also known as Rashtriya Suraksha Diwas.
World Day of Fight Against Sexual Exploitation is annually observed across the globe on 4^th of March to create awareness about preventing sexual exploitation and to provide support to victims of sexual abuse.
World Obesity Day is annually observed across the globe on March 4^th. In 2023 it was observed under the theme “Changing Perspectives: Let’s Talk About Obesity”.
International Women’s Day is annually observed across the globe on 8^th of March. Theme of 2023 was “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”.
Jan Aushadhi Diwas is annually observed across India on 7^th of March to create awareness about the importance of Generic Medicines and to highlight the benefits of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana. Fifth Jan Aushadhi Diwas was celebrated on 7th March 2023 under the theme “Jan Aushadhi-Jan Upyogi”.
World Kidney Day is annually observed across the globe on the 2^nd Thursday of March. The theme of World Kidney Day 2023 is “Kidney Health for All- Preparing for the unexpected, supporting the vulnerable”.
International Day of Mathematics is annually observed across the globe on March 14 to create awareness about the importance of mathematics. Theme of International Day of Mathematics of 2023 is “Mathematics for Everyone”.
World Consumer Rights Day is annually observed across the globe on March 15. In 2023 it observed with the theme of “Empowering consumers through clean energy transitions”.
International Day of Action for Rivers was observed across the globe on 14^th of March. In 2023, it marks the celebration of the 26th anniversary of the IDAR.
The theme of National Vaccination Day 2023 is “Vaccine Prevents the Unwanted” annually observed on 16^th of March. National Vaccination Day in India is also known as “Polio Ravivar”.
International Day of Women Judges is annually observed across the globe on March 10. It is an international day recognized by the United Nations (UN). In 2023 it had observed with the campaign “Women in Justice, Women for Justice”.
1^st ever International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness was observed on 5th March 2023 to promote awareness and understanding of disarmament issues among the public, especially young people.
First Ever UN’s International Day to Combat Islamophobia- was observed across the globe on March 15.
National Pharmacy Education Day is annually observed across India on March 06. The day, 6th March marks the birth anniversary of Professor Mahadeva Lal Schroff, Father of Indian Pharmacy Education.
Global Recycling Day is annually observed across the globe on March 18. The theme of Global Recycling Day 2023 was “Creative Innovation”.
World Sparrow Day is observed annually across the globe on March 20. The theme of World SparrowDay 2023 is “I Love Sparrows”.
World Oral Health is observed annually across the globe on March 20. The theme of this year is “2023: Be Proud of Your Mouth for a lifetime of smiles”.
World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People was observed across the globe on March 20.
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was observed across the globe on March 21. The theme of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 2023 focuses on ‘the urgency of combating racism and racial discrimination, 75 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)”.
World Poetry Day was observed across the globe on March 21. World Poetry Day 2023 was under the theme “Always be a poet, even in prose”.
World Down Syndrome Day was observed across the globe on March 21. Theme of World Down Syndrome Day 2023 was “With Us Not For Us”.
World Water Day was observed across the globe on March 22. The theme of World Water Day 2023 was Accelerating change.
International Day of Forests was observed across the globe on March 21. It is an international day recognized by the United Nations. The theme of this year was the “Forests and Health”. This day is annually organized by the United Nations Forum on Forests and the Food and Agriculture Organization.
International Day of Nowruz was observed across the globe on March 21. It is an international day recognized by the United Nations.
World Puppetry Day was observed across the globe on March 21. To recognize puppetry as a global art form this year the day was observed under the theme of “Call of the Forest”.
World Meteorological Day was observed across the globe on March 23. This year the day was observed under the theme of “The Future of Weather, Climate, and Water across Generations”.
World Tuberculosis Day was observed across the globe on March 24. This year World Tuberculosis Day 2023 was observed under the theme “Yes! We Can End TB!”.
Shaheed Diwas or Martyrs’ Day was observed in India on March 23 to pay tribute to Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, and Sukhdev ,who were hanged to death in 1931 in the Central Jail at Lahore (now in Pakistan) in the Lahore Conspiracy case.
World Theatre Day was observed across the globe on March 27. Theme of World Theatre Day 2023 was “Theatre and a Culture of Peace”.
International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade was observed across the globe on March 25. The 2023 theme was: “Fighting slavery’s legacy of racism through transformative education”.
The 1^st ever International Day of Zero Waste was observed on 30^th March 2023 and recognised as International Day by the United Nations. It was to create awareness about the importance of zero waste and encourage everyone to prevent and minimize waste and promotes a societal shift towards a circular economy.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

“War and Women” a book authored by Dr M. A. Hasan is documented with the magnitude of torture and killings committed by the Pakistan Army during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
Tamil writer Perumal Murugan's 'Pyre', a novel about caste-based hatred, has been selected for the International Booker prize longlist for 2023.
“Phoolange”- is written by Lekhnath Chhetri, a writer based in Darjeeling, and focuses on the failed Gorkha movement for a separate state.
“A Matter of the Heart: Education in India” authored by Anurag Behar is the CEO of Azim Premji Foundation and founding vice-chancellor of Azim Premji University.
“Pandit. Deendayal Upadhyaya: Dispersions of Thought” and “Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya: Integral Humanism” has been authored by Professor B. Dharmalingam.
“As Good as My Word: A Memoir” has been authored by K.M. Chandrasekhar.
“Mundaka Upanishad: The Bridge to Immortality” has been authored by Dr Karan Singh, former Member of Parliament (MP)
“Bipin: The Man Behind the Uniform” is authored authored by Rachna Biswat Rawat.
“A Matter of the Heart: Education in India” is authored by Anurag Behar.
“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj” is authored by Shrimant Kokate.

OBITUARIES

Pradeep Sarkar, Bollywood director and writer well-known for making films like “Parineeta”(2005) and “Mardaani”(2014), passed away.
Gordon Earle Moore, the co-founder of Intel Corporation & author of Moore’s law, passed away in Hawaii, United States of America.
Vareed Thekkethala, an Indian actor and Politician, passed away in Kochi, Kerala.
American Olympic athlete (competitive diver), Patricia Joan McCormick passed away at the age of 92 in California, the United States of America (USA).

Nobel literature laureate Kenzaburo e of Japan, passed away in Tokyo, Japan.
Sasthipada Chattopadhyay, a renowned Bengali novelist and short story writer, passed away in Howrah, West Bengal, at the age of 82.
American Olympic athlete (competitive diver), Patricia Joan McCormick passed away at the age of 92 in California, the United States of America (USA).
Nobel literature laureate Kenzaburo e of Japan, passed away in Tokyo, Japan.
Sasthipada Chattopadhyay, a renowned Bengali novelist and short story writer, passed away in Howrah, West Bengal, at the age of 82.
Chandrashekhar Dasgupta, a former Indian diplomat and the Padma Bhushan awardee, passed away at the age of 82.
Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi (A M Ahmadi), a former Chief Justice of India (CJI), passed away in New Delhi, at the age of 90.
Satyabrata Mookherjee, former Additional Solicitor General (ASG) of India and former Member of Parliament passed away in Kolkata, West Bengal, at the age of 90.
A world-renowned Indian dancer and Mohiniyattam exponent Dr Kanak Yatindra Rele (Padma Shri & Padma Bhushan awardee), passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
American High Jumper & Olympic Gold Medallist- Richard Douglas Fosbury passed away at the age of 76.
British writer, historian, and academician Patrick French passed away at the age of 57.
Two-time Maha Vir Chakra recipient, Wing Commander Jag Mohan Nath, the Indian Air Force (IAF) veteran passed away.
Abhay Chhajlani, Veteran Journalist and Padma Shri Awardee passed away.