Here is the Current Affairs 16th February 2023
covering the following news headlines: National Aadi Mahotsav, Cheetah
Reintroduction Program, World Bank chief, Nikki Haley, Joint Exercise Tarkash,
‘iDEX Investor Hub’.
·
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
inaugurated the National Aadi Mahotsav on 16th February 2023 at Major Dhyan
Chand National Stadium, New Delhi.
·
This was announced at a media briefing
by the Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Arjun Munda in New Delhi. Minister of
State for Tribal Affairs, Renuka Saruta was also present on the occasion.
·
Arjun Munda also informed that the
Prime Minister will be given an overview of the products which will be on
display at various stalls and will engage with the artisans and the craftsmen
from the tribal communities.
·
The Minister further informed that the
Tribal Affairs Ministry is making all-out efforts to ensure full participation
and involvement of the tribal communities in realizing the Prime Minister’s
vision of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat.
·
He also said that the emphasis on the
organic production of products by the tribal communities can play a big role in
combating the challenge of global warming.
·
Union Environment Minister Bhupender
Yadav announced Twelve cheetahs will be flown in from South Africa on 18th
February.
·
Under the ambitious Cheetah
reintroduction program, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the first batch
of eight spotted felines — five females and three males — from Namibia into a
quarantine enclosure at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh on his 72nd
birthday on September 17 last year.
·
Presently, the eight cheetahs at Kuno
are killing prey every three-four day and are in good health. One of the
cheetahs was unwell as her creatinine levels had shot up. She has recovered
after treatment.
·
World Bank chief David Malpass has
announced his resignation nearly a year early. He ending a tenure at the head
of the development lender that was clouded by questions over his climate
stance.
·
The veteran of Republican administrations
in the United States was appointed to the role in 2019 when Donald Trump was
president and previously served as Under Secretary of the Treasury for
international affairs. Malpass’s term would have originally ended in 2024.
·
The US traditionally nominates the
head of the World Bank, with Europe nominating the heads of its twin Bretton
Woods institution, the International Monetary Fund.
·
Indian-origin Republican leader Nikki
Haley formally launched her 2024 presidential bid, casting herself as a
younger, fresher alternative to her one-time boss and former US President
Donald Trump.
·
Haley, 51, is the two-term Governor of
South Carolina and the former US Ambassador to the United Nations.
·
Haley was born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa
in Bamberg, South Carolina, to Indian immigrants. Her parents hailed from
Punjab and worked as teachers while also running a clothing store in rural
South Carolina.
·
She was raised as a Sikh but converted
to Christianity after marriage to Michael Haley in 1996.
·
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh
launched the ‘iDEX Investor Hub’ (iIH), under which more than Rs 200 crores had
already been pledged by leading Indian investors.
·
Defence Minister also launched the
ninth edition of ‘Defence India Startup Challenges (DISC 9)’ on “Cybersecurity”
during the annual defense innovation event ‘Manthan’ as part of the Aero India
2023.
·
Innovations for Defence Excellence
(iDEX) is the flagship initiative of the Department of Defence Production to
encourage start-ups and other such entities engaged in defense innovation.
·
The iDEX Investor Hub‘ aims to
accelerate investment in the Defence sector and give investors a unified view
of opportunities and innovations.
·
In Aero India, the Hindustan
Aeronautics Ltd has received the Indian Technical Standard Order (ITSO)
authorisation from Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for its
indigenously developed Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder
(FDR). CVR and FDR are popularly known as ‘black boxes’.
·
However, these recorders are painted
in orange colour to help in their recovery following an aircraft accident. CVR
and FDR are used to record critical flight parameters and audio environment in
a crash proof memory which is later used for investigation of aircraft incident
or accident.
·
A joint counter-terrorism exercise
Tarkash between National Security Guard (NSG) and US Special Operations Forces
(SOF) culminated in Chennai, after four weeks of intense training and joint
anti-terror exercises.
·
The main highlight of the exercise was
mock drills for the CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear)
counter terror response by special forces of both countries.
·
The training regimen of the exercise
included the conduct of urban counter-terrorism drills, combat shooting and
practice of long-range marksmanship, to enhance mutual warfare capabilities.
·
In the current geopolitical landscape,
Exercise Tarkash is a significant one as India is surrounded by two
nuclear-armed neighbours, China and Pakistan.
·
Drone startup Garuda Aerospace has
unveiled its solar-powered drone “SURAJ”, designed specifically for
surveillance operations, at Aero India 2023.
·
SURAJ is an ISR (intelligence,
surveillance, reconnaissance) high-altitude drone designed specifically for
surveillance operations, providing “real-time information to the high command
and protecting jawans on the ground.”
·
Principal Scientific Advisor to
Defence Minister and former DRDO Chief Dr. Satheesh Reddy unveiled it.
·
Recently, Garuda Aerospace had raised
USD 22 Million, the “largest ever” Series A funding in the drone sector.
·
The public sector oil refineries in
India are estimated to build green hydrogen capacity of 137,000 (1.37 lakh)
tonnes per annum (TPA) by 2030.
·
If fructified, besides boosting the
economy with investments and jobs, this massive capacity building in the green
hydrogen sector would reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a large way.
·
Dr S S V Ramakumar, Director of
R&D, Indian Oil Corporation has revealed the above information while
speaking at the India Energy Week in Bengaluru. He said that Indian Oil would
first put up a seven thousand TPA electrolysis plant at its Panipat refinery.
·
Also, Dr Ramakumar opined that biomass
gasification is a better way of producing green hydrogen in India.
·
Rolls-Royce, a British engineering
company, announced that it has received an order from Air India for 68 Trent
XWB-97 engines, in addition to an option for 20 more. The large A350 aircraft
of Airbus are powered by Rolls-Royce XWB engines.
·
Air India sealed an order for
procuring 250 Airbus passenger jets. The order comprises 40 Airbus A350s and
210 Airbus A320/321 aircraft. Separately, Air India ordered 220 planes from
Boeing.
·
This is the biggest-ever order for the
Trent XWB-97, which exclusively powers the Airbus A350-1000. Air India has also
ordered 12 Trent XWB-84, engines, the sole engine option for the Airbus
A350-900.
·
It also informed that this is the
first time that an Indian airline has ordered the Trent XWB and the deal will
make Air India the largest operator of the Trent XWB-97 in the world.
·
The RBI has granted a total of 32
in-principle authorisations to existing payment aggregators, to operate as
online payment aggregators, according to a press statement issued by the
central bank.
·
RBI also granted a total of 19 new
online PA authorisations to firms including Groww Pay Services, Juspay
Technologies, Mswipe Technologies, Tata Payments, and Zoho Payment Tech.
·
On the other hand, existing PAs such
as PayU Payments, Paytm Payment Services, and Freecharge Payment Technologies
had their applications returned by the RBI. The three firms are allowed to file
a fresh application 120 days from the date of return. While Freecharge’s
application was returned on Feb. 10, 2022; PayU and Paytm had theirs returned
on Jan. 10, 2023, and Nov. 25, 2022, respectively.
·
Over 50 applications to operate as
online aggregators were also returned by the RBI with the requirement to halt
online PA activity within 180 days from the date of return of the application.
These include Ola Financial Services, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism
Corp. or IRCTC, Khatabook, KredX, and Rupifi. PhonePe and Instamojo are
among 18 existing payment aggregators whose online PA applications are currently
under review.
·
Karnataka Bank was awarded with
‘Prathista Puraskar’ under ‘Digidhan Awards 2021-22’ by Ministry of Electronics
and Information Technology (MeitY), government of India for achieving target
with highest percentage in BHIM-UPI transactions in private sector bank
category.
·
Labelled as ‘KBL-NxT’, the bank is
currently undertaking an accelerated digital drive under its transformation
journey ‘KBL VIKAAS 2.0’. This award is an ideal tribute to the founding
fathers of this great institution as Karnataka Bank is stepping into its 100th
year of its fruitful existence.”
·
Karnataka Bank Limited was
incorporated on 18 February 1924, and commenced business on 23 May 1924. Its
founders established it at Mangalore, a coastal town in the Dakshina Kannada
district of Karnataka.
·
Karnataka Bank Limited is an Indian
private sector bank based in Mangalore.
·
Mumbai has been ranked as the
most-polluted city in India and second most polluted city globally within a
week between January 29 and February 8, according to Swiss air tracking index IQAir,
a real-time air quality monitor.
·
On January 29, Mumbai was ranked 10th
in the rankings for the poorest position. Mumbai then clinched the second spot
on February 2 before falling in the following days. Then it again rose to take
the second place on February 8.
·
On February 13, Mumbai took over Delhi
as the most polluted city in India and was the third most unhealthy city
worldwide for air quality worldwide.
·
The Ministry of Tourism under its
schemes of ‘Swadesh Darshan’ and ‘National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation
and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD)’ has identified four
pilgrim centers for development. They provide financial assistance to State
Governments/UT Administrations etc. for the development of tourism
infrastructure in the country.
·
The Ministry of Tourism has revamped
its Swadesh Darshan scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0) to develop
sustainable and responsible tourism destinations. Under SD2.0, the Ministry has
identified ‘Hampi’ and ‘Mysuru’ as destinations for development.
·
The Four Pilgrim Centres are:-
Development of Maa Chamundeshwari Devi Temple, Mysuru, Karnataka; Sri Madhwa
Vana, Kunjarugiri, Udupi District; Papnash Temple, Bidar District; Sri Renuka
Yallamma Temple, Saudatti, Belagavi District.
·
Writer Subhash Chandran’s novel
Samudrashila has been chosen for the Akbar Kakkattil Award instituted by a
trust in the memory of the short story writer and novelist from Kozhikode.
·
The novel was selected by a
three-member jury from among the literary works published in the last five
years.
·
The award consisting of a purse of Rs
50,000 and a sculpture will be presented to Mr. Subhash Chandran by writer M.
Mukundan at an event on February 17. M.K. Muneer, MLA, will deliver a
commemorative lecture. This novel also won the M. Sukumaran Memorial Literary
Award for the year 2021.
·
The ICC T-20 Women’s World Cup has
began in South Africa from 10th February 2023, with the opening match between
the host team, South Africa and Sri Lanka.
·
This is the first time that the ICC
T-20 Women’s World Cup tournament is taking place in an African nation. The
Indian team led by Harmanpreet Kaur.
·
As the Cup progresses, all the Women’s
World Cup T20 teams are eyeing to take the trophy home. There are 5 teams in
group 1–Australia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, New Zealand and Bangladesh.
·
While Australia is on the top by
winning 2 of 2 matches, New Zealand is languishing. Similar to Group 1, there
are 5 teams in group 2– England, India, Pakistan, Ireland and West Indies.
England tops the table, followed by India.
·
Union Minister of Chemicals and
Fertilizers, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the IFFCO Nano
Urea Liquid Plants at Aonla and Phulpur in Uttar Pradesh.
·
Dr. Mandaviya stated that it is an
important day because Nano urea plants have been dedicated to the nation. He
informed that Nano Urea, in the coming times will ensure the progress of the
farmers and increase their income.
· The Union Minister highlighted the benefits of Nano urea stating that it is the best green technology and provides solutions to pollution. It saves the soil and also increases productivity and hence is the best for the farmers.
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