Current Affairs

03rd February 2023.

Top 14 Daily Current Affairs: National & International News:

Here is the Current Affairs 03rd February 2023 covering the following news headlines: Madrid Book Fair, 1st Hydrogen train, 31st Foundation Day of NCW, State Song, International Solar Alliance.

National News

1. India to be Theme Country at 2025 Madrid International Book Fair

·        India will be invited as the focal country at the Madrid International Book Fair in 2025, the Ambassador of Spain to India, Jose Maria Ridao said.

·        Spain is the theme country at the 46th International Kolkata Book Fair.

·        The Madrid International Book Fair is an annual event held in the Buen Retiro Park in Madrid.

2. India’s 1st Hydrogen train will come by Dec 2023 on Heritage Routes: Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

·        The Indian Railways is introducing a green revolution and will be introducing hydrogen and electric trains to the eight heritage routes in the country by December 2023. The Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed this recently.

·        Talking about this initiative, Vaishnaw added that the new trains will run on the routes of Kalka-Shimla Railways, Nilgiri Mountain Railways, Darjeeling Hills, Kangra Railways, Bilimora Waghai, Mhow-Patalpani, Marwar-devgarh-Madriya and Matheran Hill Railways in Maharashtra.

·        Hydrogen engines have been developed by a few countries like Germany, France and China, and now India will also be a part of this, the minister added.

·        As a pilot project, the railways is manufacturing a prototype of hydrogen fuel-based train at the Northern Railway workshop. It would be test-run on the Sonipat-Jind section in Haryana.

3. President Droupadi Murmu addressed 31st Foundation Day of NCW

·        The President of India Droupadi Murmu addressed the 31st Foundation Day of the National Commission for Women in Delhi on January 31st, 2023.

·        The theme of the program was ‘Sashakt Nari Sashakt Bharat’ which aimed at acknowledging and celebrating the stories of women who have excelled and paved their journey to leave a mark.

·        Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Zubin Irani and MoS, WCD, Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai also graced the occasion.

·        NCW was founded in January 1992 as a statutory body under the National Commission for Women Act, of 1990.

·        It was established to review the constitutional and legal safeguards for women, recommend remedial legislative measures, facilitate the redressal of grievances, and advise the government on policy matters affecting women.

4. Azad Engineering is India’s first supplier of Parts for Nuclear Turbines

·        Azad Engineering Private Limited, a Hyderabad-based market leader in engineering, has been approved as the first Indian company to supply critical rotating parts for nuclear turbines. The company has delivered its first set of critical parts. These will be assembled on nuclear turbines manufactured in Belfort, France.

·        Azad Engineering has signed a long-term supply agreement with General Electric (GE) Steam Power for the supply of nuclear turbine parts.

·        They have signed a long-term agreement with GE Steam Power to manufacture critical rotating parts for nuclear turbines in one of the most stringent environments.

·        GE Steam Power informed that it offers a broad portfolio of technologies and services for power plants, helping customers deliver reliable power as they transition to a lower carbon future.

International News

5. Australia Announced Decision to Remove British Monarchy from its Banknotes

·        Australia announced it will erase the British monarch from its banknotes, replacing the late Queen Elizabeth II’s image on its $5 note with a design honoring Indigenous culture. The central bank’s decision to leave her successor Charles III off the $5 note means no Britain-based monarch will remain on Australia’s paper currency.

·        The central bank informed that its decision was supported by the center-left Labor government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who supports an eventual move to an Australian republic.

States News

6. MP Government has changed the name of Bhopal’s Islam Nagar village to ‘Jagdishpur’ with Immediate Effect

·        The Madhya Pradesh government announced that Islam Nagar village, situated in the Bhopal district, has been renamed as Jagdishpur. The MP administration, in an official release, declared the changes and mentioned the change in the name with immediate effect.

·        Islam nagar village is located at a distance of around 12 km from Bhopal and is famous for forts. According to certain accounts, the name of Islam Nagar used to be Jagdishpur 308 years ago.

·        The account says Dost Mohammed Khan established his capital 10km away from modern Bhopal, at Jagdishpur and named it Islam Nagar.

7. Eknath Shinde Declares ‘Jai Jai Maharashtra Majha’ As State Song

·        The Maharashtra government announced the Jai Jai Maharashtra Majha as the state song, which is usually performed at school cultural events on May 1, second only to the national anthem. The song will now be played on official occasions.

·        On February 19, the anniversary of the birth of Maratha monarch Chhatrapati Shivaji, the song will assume its official role.

·        At the moment, 12 other states—Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Odisha, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and Uttarakhand—have an official state song.

·        Raja Badhe, a poet who worked for All India Radio from 1956 to 1962, composed the song, which Shrinivas Khale set to music.

·        It was performed by well-known folk singer Shahir Sable in front of Yashwantrao Chavan during a ceremony for the creation of the state on May 1, 1960, at Shivaji Park in Dadar.

8. Government of Goa Launched Vision for All School Eye Health Program

·        The Government of Goa has launched the Vision for All School Eye Health program in partnership with OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation and Prasad Netralaya.

·        The program is an extension of the current Vision for All Goa eye health program. The Vision for All Goa eye health program commenced in February 2021 and its monthly camps have screened 50,000 citizens and provided free spectacles to 16,000 people in need.

·        The Vision for All School Eye Health will focus on training 2000 teachers on basic visual acuity tests for the children in their respective schools, followed by detailed refraction by qualified professionals from Prasad Netralaya.

·        OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation has committed to providing 25,000 free spectacles to children identified with refractive error.

·        Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant, informed that Identification and addressing eye health issues among children at the early stage itself is very critical and important to stop the further progression.

·        In this direction, the Government of Goa is organizing a training program for schoolteachers to identify eye health problems among children and refer them for further treatment.

Agreements News

9. India welcomes Congo into International Solar Alliance

·        India has welcomed Congo to International Solar Alliance. The External Affairs Ministry said Ambassador of Republic of Congo, Raymond Serge Bale signed the International Solar Alliance Framework Agreement in the presence of Joint Secretary (Economic Diplomacy).

·        The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is an action-oriented, member-driven, collaborative platform for increased deployment of solar energy technologies. 

·        Its basic motive is to facilitate energy access, ensure energy security, and drive energy transition in its member countries. The ISA was conceived as a joint effort by India and France to mobilize efforts against climate change through deployment of solar energy solutions.

·        The Headquarters is in India with its Interim Secretariat being set up in Gurugram. 

Business News

10. Adani Enterprises shares removed from US Indices

·        Under fire following allegations of fraud and stock manipulation, the Adani group has received another jolt from the US markets. The group’s flagship company Adani Enterprises has been removed from the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices effective February 7.

·        According to a note issued by S&P Dow Jones Indices, home to iconic financial market indicators, the decision to remove Adani Enterprises was taken “following a media & stakeholder analysis”.

·        The New York-based short-seller Hindenburg Research on January 24 accused the Adani group of using offshore shells for money laundering and fraud. Adani group denied the allegations, saying they were timed to hit its Rs 20,000 crore FPO.

Appointments News

11. Madhvendra Singh Appointed as First CEO of Gujarat Maritime Cluster

·        Madhvendra Singh appointed as the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gujarat Ports Infrastructure Company Limited of the Gujarat Maritime Cluster.

·        The Gujarat Maritime Cluster (GMC) is the first of its kind Commercial Maritime Cluster in the country aimed at creating a hub for maritime services of international standards.

·        Gujarat Maritime Board established GMC through its subsidiary, Gujarat Ports Infrastructure Company Limited, to provide impetus to the overhauling of the state and nation’s maritime sector by developing an integrated ecosystem of soft services related to the global maritime and shipping industry in line with the concept of ‘the sum of the whole is greater than the sum of the individual companies.

Awards News

12. Odisha’s VK Pandian honored with FIH President’s Award 2023

·        In the Finals of FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela, FIH President Tayyab Ikram presented the FIH President’s Award to VK Pandian, Secretary to the Chief Minister of Odisha, for his commendable contribution to hockey. The FIH President highlighted the crucial role played by CM Naveen Patnaik along with VK Pandian in hosting a glorious Hockey World Cup.

·        The FIH President’s Award recognizes individuals National Associations or other organizations for valuable services to hockey, whether direct or indirect or initiatives which have had a significant effect on hockey at the international level.

·        The FIH President informed that they have witnessed a truly exceptional phase of Odisha. Not only the state-of-the-art facilities but also the passion showcased by the Odisha people for hockey as much for the Indian team as for the others has been an absolute delight to experience.

·        VK Pandian informed that he is deeply honored and humbled to receive the FIH President’s Award. He considers himself as the representative of Team Odisha which put its heart and soul into making the World Cup a grand success.

Obituaries News

13. Legendary Telugu filmmaker K. Viswanath passes away at 92

·        Legendary film director K. Vishwanath passed away in Hyderabad on February 2, at the age of 92 while undergoing treatment for age-related illnesses at a hospital.

·        In a career spanning seven decades, Vishwanath wrote, directed and acted in several movies. Though his work was primarily in Telugu cinema, he also directed several Hindi remakes.

·        His films won five National Film Awards and seven state Nandi Awards. For his work, he was conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest award in Indian cinema, in 2017. He was also a recipient of the Padma Shri.

14. Noted Writer K.V. Tirumalesh Passed Away at 82 in Hyderaba

·        Noted Kannada writer K.V. Tirumalesh, 82, passed away in Hyderabad. K.V. Tirumalesh was suffering from age-related illnesses. He was regarded as one of the most versatile writers across genres and a man with eclectic interests.

·        He is primarily recognized as a poet and honored with the Sahitya Akademi award for his innovative work Akshaya Kavya — “a long narrative sans story or aim” as he described it — he wrote extensively across genres, including plays, short stories, novels, translations, and criticism.

·        K. V. Tirumalesh born in the year 1940, was an Indian poet, writer, and critic in the Kannada and English languages, and a retired professor. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for his collections of poems Akshaya Kavya in Kannada (2010).