Current Affairs

05th and 06th February 2023

Top 21 Daily Current Affairs: National & International News:

Here is the Current Affairs 05th and 06th February 2023 covering the following news headlines: Lata Mangeshkar, Pervez Musharraf, Dipa Karmakar, National Beach Soccer Championships, Grammy Awards 2023, EAC-PM, House Intelligence Committee.

National News

1. Amit Shah Laid Foundation Stone for India’s Fifth Nano Urea Plant in Deoghar

·        Union Home Minister Amit Shah laid the foundation stone of a ₹450 crore nano urea plant and township of the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) in Deoghar, Jharkhand. The nano urea plant will be the fifth such plant in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the world’s first nano urea plant in Gujarat in 2021. According to Union Minister Amit Shah Nano Urea will benefit farmers and it is already being exported to five countries.

·        Nano Urea helps in improving the crop productivity, soil health, and nutritional quality of products and aims to address the imbalance and excessive use of conventional urea.

·        IFFCO Managing Director US Awasthi informed us that the plant is scheduled to be commissioned in December next year.

·        He also states that the nano urea plant will be constructed at a cost of ₹300 crore and the township at a cost of ₹150 crores.

International News

2. Indian-American Ami Bera Appointed to House Intelligence Committee

·        Indian-American Congressman Dr. Ami Bera has been appointed as a member of a powerful US House Committee handling intelligence-related matters.

·        The House Permanent Selection Committee on Intelligence is charged with providing oversight of the country’s intelligence activities, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), National Security Agency (NSA) as well as the military intelligence programs.

3. Earthquake of magnitude 7.8 kills 95, knocks down buildings in Turkey

·        A 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook Turkey followed by another strong quake which was felt in several provinces in the region, knocking down a number of buildings, reports said.

·        The US Geological Survey said quake was centred about 33 kilometres (20 miles) from Gaziantep about 26 kilometres (16 miles) from the town of Nurdagi.

·        It was centred 18 kilometres (11 miles) deep, according to the US Geological Survey. Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management agency was centred in the town of Pazarcik, in Kahramanmaras province. 

4. India, France, UAE Establish Trilateral Cooperation Initiative, in fields including Energy, Defence & Economy

·        India, France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced the creation of a formal trilateral cooperation initiative for projects in solar and nuclear energy, the fight against climate change and joint production of military hardware.

·        The initiative will also act as a platform to bolster cooperation on sustainable projects between the development agencies of the three countries, which will also work to align their economic, technological and social policies with the objectives of the Paris Agreement, according to a joint statement.

Appointments News

5. Mahindra Finance Appointed Raul Rebello as MD and CEO-Designate

·        Mahindra Finance has appointed Raul Rebello as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Designate. Mahindra Finance is the vehicle financing unit of the Mahindra & Mahindra Group.

·        Raul Rebello is currently the Chief Operating Officer of the company and will take charge as MD and CEO when Ramesh Iyer retires on 29th April 2024.

6. EAC-PM: Shamika Ravi appointed as member in EAC-PM

·        Economics professor and researcher Shamika Ravi has been appointed as a member of the Economic Advisory Council to Prime Minister (EAC-PM). She is currently non-resident senior fellow of the governance studies program at the Brookings Institution Washington D.C.

·        EAC-PM, chaired by economist Bibek Debroy, currently has one member and six part-time members. Member Sanjeev Sanyal welcomed Ravi in a social media post. Part-time members of the advisory body include economist Rakesh Mohan and Sajjid Z. Chinoy, Managing Director and Chief India Economist at J.P. Morgan.

Banking News

7. HDFC Bank tie-up with NIIT for training program for relationship management roles

·        HDFC Bank, one of the leading private sector banks of India, has partnered with National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT) Limited, a global talent development corporation, to build a large pool of skilled Virtual Relationship Management professionals for the banking industry. Virtual Relationship managers (VRMs) act as one point of contact for all requirements or issues of bank’s managed customers.

·        VRMs are a high potential channel for banks for revenue generation through customer retention, cross-selling and portfolio management. Building effective relationships with clients to retain and developing sustainable relationships. Identify customer financial and other banking needs then make referrals to others where appropriate.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

·        HDFC Bank CEO: Sashidhar Jagdishan (27 Oct 2020–);

·        HDFC Bank Founded: August 1994, Mumbai;

·        HDFC Bank Headquarters: Mumbai.

Business News

·       7. Government Approved Conversion of Rs 16,133 Crore Interest dues of Vodafone Idea into Equity

·        The government has approved conversion of over Rs 16,133 crore interest dues of debt-ridden Vodafone Idea into equity, after receiving a firm commitment from Aditya Birla Group to run the company and bring necessary investment, telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. Equity shares of face value of Rs 10 each will be issued to the government at the same price.

·        “Ministry of Communications passed an order today i.e 3 February, 2023 directing the Company to convert the NPV of the interest related to deferment of spectrum auction instalments and AGR Dues into equity shares to be issued to the Government of India,” the filing said.

8. Reliance Retail to Accept Digital Currency for Payments

·        In the process of the adoption of the Central Bank of Digital Currency (CDDC), Reliance Retail started accepting digital rupees or e-rupee for payments at its store. The payment through digital currency has been started in Reliance Retail’s Freshpik store in Mumbai but will soon be expanded to other 17,000 stores of India’s largest retailer.

·        The initiative of pioneering digital currency acceptance at the Reliance stores is in line with the company’s strategic vision of offering the power of choice to Indian consumers.

·        Reliance Retail has partnered with Innoviti Technologies, ICICI Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank to enable acceptance of the digital rupee.

·        Customers using their choice of digital rupee app powered by ICICI Bank or Kotak Mahindra Bank need to simply scan the QR code in the terminal and enter their passcode to authorize payment through e-rupee.

9. Payment acceptance devices under PIDF increase to 1.87 crore till Dec 2022

·        According to the RBI’s most recent status report, there were approximately 1.87 crore physical and digital payment acceptance devices deployed under the Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) Scheme as of December 31, 2022.

·        As of September 30th, 2021, there were 4,85,415 physical devices (PoS, mPoS (mobile PoS), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network), etc.) and 1,82,88,974 digital devices (inter-operable QR code-based payments such as UPI QR, Bharat QR, etc.).

·        The Reserve Bank will begin implementing the PIDF Scheme on January 1, 2021, and it will subsidise the installation of Points of Sale (PoS) infrastructure in tier-3 to tier-6 cities as well as the northeastern states of the nation.

Ranks and Reports News

10. PM Modi Emerged as World’s Most Popular Leader, with approval rating of 78%

·        PM Narendra Modi has been pegged as the world’s most popular leader with an approval rating of 78 per cent as per a survey by a US-based consulting firm ‘Morning Consult.’ As per the rating PM Modi’s ratings trump those of other leaders including US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The poll surveyed 22 global leaders for the ratings. Neither Vladimir Putin nor Xi Jinping figured among the 22 popular leaders globally.

·        PM Modi garnered 78 per cent of approval ratings, way ahead of US President Joe Biden, who received 40 per cent ratings. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, came in second with 68 per cent ratings and Swiss President Alain Berset occupied the third position with 62 per cent approval rating.

·        The list is updated regularly with US President Joe Biden currently ranking number seven. Out of the 22 countries, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, South Korean President Yoon Seok-youl and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ranked among the last three in the list.

Awards News

11. Grammy Awards 2023 Winners List: All you need to Know 65th Grammy Awards

·        The Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles played host to the 65th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony on February 5, 2023. It honoured the top performers, songs, and recordings from the eligibility year, which spanned October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2022.

·        November 15, 2022 saw the announcement of the nominations. The 63rd and 64th ceremonies were presented by South African comedian Trevor Noah, who served as host once more this year.

12. Dr Peggy Mohan bags ‘Mathrubhumi Book of The Year’ award

·        Author Dr Peggy Mohan has bagged the ‘Mathrubhumi Book of The Year’ award at the fourth edition of Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters (MBIFL 2023).

·        Her book ‘Wanderers, Kings and Merchants,’ portraying evolution of language as the outcome of migrations, won the award that carries Rs two lakh as cash prize and a sculpture. Nobel Laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah presented the award to Mohan at the valedictory ceremony of the four-day MBIFL 2023.

Sports News

13. Kerala wins inaugural champions of National Beach Soccer Championships

·        Kerala has crowned to their bulging cabinet of national football trophies, putting on a show in the final of the National Beach Soccer Championships and overwhelming Punjab 13-4, to win the title, at Dumas Beach, Surat.

·        In the third place game played earlier in the day, Delhi beat Uttarakhand 3-1.

National Beach Soccer Championships: Key points

·        Kerala’s goalkeeper Santhosh Kasmeer was awarded the best goalkeeper of the tournament.

·        Rajasthan’s Amit Godara was the highest goalscorer, with 27 goals.

·        The best player of the tournament was awarded to Kerala’s Siju S.

14. Gymnast Dipa Karmakar Handed 21-Month Ban After Failing Dope Test

·        Gymnast Dipa Karmakar has been handed a 21-month ban for failing a dope test conducted by the International Testing Agency.

·        Dipa Karmakar’s dope sample collected out-of-competition by the ITA, which is an independent organization that manages the anti-doping program of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) was found to contain Higenamine which is a prohibited substance under World Anti-doping Agency Code.

·        The ITA confirms that Dipa Karmakar has been suspended for 21 months, effective until 10th July 2023 after testing positive for higenamine.

·        The positive sample was collected on behalf of the FIG in the scope of an out-of-competition control on 11th October 2021.

·        The Switzerland-based non-profit organization works under the supervision of WADA and the International Olympics Committee to implement Anti-doping programs for various international federations.

·        The ITA further informed Karmakar’s dope issue was resolved under a case resolution agreement under article 10.8.2 of the FIG Anti-Doping Rules and an equivalent provision in the WADA.

Science and Technology News

15. ISRO plans to develop astronaut training module with IIT Madras

·        ISRO and Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) plans to develop a training module for the Indian Spaceflight Programme using Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality / Mixed Reality (AR / VR / MR).

·        ISRO aims to utilise the advanced technologies created at the newly-established eXperiential Technology Innovation Centre (XTIC) at IIT Madras to promote Research and Development (R&D) in the domain of Extended Reality.

·        The project will include building virtual models and simulations of human physiology, as well as space systems, which will be key to understanding how the human body reacts and adapts to long duration spaceflight — such as a journey to the moon. Other aspects of the project include visualizing and optimizing the design and architecture of space-faring equipment, such as the interiors of a mission’s crew module.

Important Days

16. International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation 2023

·        International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is observed on February 6.

·        This year, the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation: Delivering the Global Promise launched the 2023 theme; “Partnership with Men and Boys to transform Social and gender Norms to End FGM”.

·        In 2012, the UN General Assembly designated February 6th as the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, with the aim to amplify and direct the efforts on the elimination of this practice.

Obituaries News

17. Pervez Musharraf, Former Pakistani General & President, Dies in Dubai at 79

·        Pakistan’s former president Pervez Musharraf passed away in Dubai at the age of 79 due to a prolonged illness. Musharraf, who was admitted to a hospital in Dubai, was shifted to the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) in Rawalpindi earlier.

·        Pervez Musharraf, who was in Dubai since March 2016, was undergoing treatment for amyloidosis. It is a rare disease that occurs when an abnormal protein, called amyloid, builds up in your organs and interferes with their normal function.

·        Pervez Musharraf was the tenth president of the South Asian nation after the successful military coup in 1999 and 7th top general from 1998 to 2007.

18. Padma Bhushan Awardee and Legendary Singer Vani Jayaram Passes Away

·        Vani Jayaram, 78, a legendary playback singer from the South film industry passed away. She breathed her last at her Chennai home in Haddows Road, Nungambakkam. The National Awardee recipient died due to age-related issues. On this year’s Republic Day, she was awarded the prestigious Padma Bhushan to recognize her contribution to Indian music for over 50 years.

·        Vani Jayaram passed away before accepting the award. Along with this, Vani has also bagged four State Awards, three National Awards, International awards, and many more.

·        Her untimely demise came as a shock to the entire film industry. Several South celebs took to their social media handle to mourn her demise and pay respect to her.

Miscellaneous News

19. Lata Mangeshkar’s 1st Death Anniversary, Sudarsan Pattnaik Pays Tribute

·        An international sand artist named Sudarsan Pattnaik made a sand sculpture of the late singer Lata Mangeshkar at Puri Beach in the state of Odisha to commemorate her first death anniversary.

·        With the words “Tribute to Bharat Ratna Lata Ji, Meri Awaaz Hi Pehechan Hai,” he built a stunning sculpture. Using around 5 tonnes of sand and a 6-foot-tall sand sculpture of the late singer that included a massive gramophone record, Pattnaik built it.

20. Indian Railways Launches WhatsApp Food Delivery Facility ‘Zoop’

·        Passengers traveling in Indian Railways can now order food online through WhatsApp while undertaking a journey by using their PNR number. This comes as a step further towards making e-catering services more customer-centric in Indian Railways.

·        The Indian Railways has recently started WhatsApp Communication for railway passengers to order food through e-catering services.

·        The Indian Railways initially planned a two-stage implementation of e-catering services through WhatsApp Communication.

·        In the first phase, the Business WhatsApp number will send a message to the customer booking e-ticket for opting for e-catering services by clicking the link www.ecatering.irctc.co.in.

21. Yaya Tso to be Ladakh’s first biodiversity heritage site

·        Yaya Tso, known as birds’ paradise for its beautiful lake located at an altitude of 4,820 metres, has been proposed as Ladakh’s first biodiversity heritage site (BHS).

·        The Biodiversity Management Committee, the panchayat of Chumathang village, along with SECURE Himalaya Project recently resolved to declare Yaya Tso as Ladakh’s first BHS under the Biological Diversity Act.

·        The resolution was signed after multiple rounds of consultations between the village stakeholders and SECURE Himalaya project to declare the high-altitude lake and its catchment as a biodiversity heritage site.