Current Affairs

11^th March 2023.

Top 13 Daily Current Affairs: National & International News:

Here is the Current Affairs 11th March 2023 covering the following news headlines: Ram Chandra Paudel, Colombia military service, 4th women’s policy, tallest iconic national flag.

International News

1. Nepal elects Ram Chandra Paudel as its next president

·        Ram Chandra Paudel has been elected to serve as the new president of Nepal.

·        According to the Nepalese Election Commission, he received 33,800 electoral votes, while his opponent, Subash Chandra Nembwang, received 15,500 votes.

·        Ram Chandra Paudel received votes from 352 members of provincial assemblies and 214 members of parliament.

2. Colombia opens military service to women for first time in 25 years

·        Colombia has opened military service to women for the first time in 25 years. A cohort of 1,296 women have been enlisted in Colombia’s Army in the month of February.

·        Recruits must live on military bases for several months and earn a monthly stipend of only about $75, but some of the women in the new program hope it helps them build a career in the armed forces. They see it as a chance for a stable job and educational opportunities.

·        Colombia has long had compulsory military service for men ages 18 to 24. The army relies heavily on those young recruits to staff bases, protect infrastructure and carry out administrative tasks, while its professional soldiers confront drug trafficking gangs and rebel groups.

States News

3. Maharashtra to introduce 4th women’s policy

·        Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadanvis informed the Maharashtra’s Legislative Council that the state will introduce the fourth women’s policy to give more opportunities to women by considering the issues of women from all groups.

·        On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Council Neelam Gorhe tabled a proposal to provide equal and dignified positions to women in all sectors.

·        While replying to the proposal, Mr Fadanvis said that apart from education, and employment, the women’s policy will consider other important aspects, including economic empowerment and gender equality. He also announced that the government will introduce a rehabilitation scheme for those above 18 years old girls from the orphanage.

Defence News

4. Army installed J&K’s steep Doda district’s tallest iconic national flag

·        In the rugged Doda area of Jammu & Kashmir, the Army erected the tallest “Iconic National Banner”.

·        The highest tricolour in the Doda district, which has been erected on a 100-foot pole, was unfurled by Maj Gen Ajay Kumar, GOC Delta Force, Commander 9 Sector RR Brig. Samir K. Palande, DC Doda Vishesh Paul Mahajan, and SSP Abdul Qayoom.

5. Defence Ministry inks contract with HAL to procure 6 Dornier aircraft

·        The defence ministry sealed a deal with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to procure six Dornier aircraft at a cost of Rs 667 crore for the Indian Air Force.

·        The addition of the six aircraft will further bolster the operational capability of the IAF in remote areas, the defence ministry said announcing the contract.

·        The aircraft was used by IAF for route transport roles and communication duties. Subsequently, it has also been used for training of transport pilots of the IAF.

·        The aircraft is ideally suited for short-haul operations from semi-prepared and short runways of the North East and island chains of India.

Banking News

6. PNB Signs MoU With Central Warehousing Corporation To Facilitate Finance To Farmers

·        Punjab National Bank, nation’s public sector bank and Central Warehousing Corporation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate financing under e-NWR (Electronic Negotiable Warehousing Receipt).

·        The partnership is aimed at providing easy access to finance to farmers/ food processors/ traders against the pledge of agriculture commodities stored in CWC warehouses.

Appointment News

7. B Gopkumar named as Axis Mutual Fund’s MD and CEO

·        B Gopkumar, the managing director and CEO of Axis Securities, has been named the new CEO of renowned fund house Axis Mutual Fund by Axis Asset Management Company.

·        Chandresh Nigam, the previous CEO of the company, is replaced by Gopkumar. As head of equities from July 2009, Nigam became MD & CEO in May 2013 and oversaw the fund house for two stints totaling ten years.

8. Rohit Jawa is named as Sanjiv Mehta’s successor as HUL’s CEO

·        The selection of Rohit Jawa, a senior executive of the UK-based parent company Unilever, as Hindustan Unilever Ltd.’s (HUL) new managing director and CEO has been approved by the company’s board.

·        The FMCG behemoth informed the stock exchanges that the appointment, which is for a five-year term, will start on June 27, 2023. Sanjiv Mehta, the current MD and CEO of Hindustan Unilever since 2013, will be replaced by Jawa.

Agreements News

9. Australia, India agree on strengthening economic, defence ties

·        Australia and India have agreed to accelerate a broader economic partnership and to boost their defence ties, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in New Delhi.

·        Last year the two countries signed a free trade deal called the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), the first signed by India with a developed country in a decade.

·        However, a much larger Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) has been stuck in negotiations for over a decade.

Ranks and Reports News

10. Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag, Tehri top landslide index: ISRO report

·        Rudraprayag and Tehri the two districts in Uttarakhand are facing the highest risk of landslides, according to satellite data collected over the past two decades.

·        Data collected by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has highlighted that Rudraprayag and Tehri Garhwal are at the highest risk of facing landslides, having seen the highest number of landslide incidents in the past 20 years.

Books and Authors News

11. A book titled “As Good as My Word” wrote by KM Chandrasekhar

·        “As Good as My Word,” written by KM Chandrasekhar, who served as the Cabinet Secretary from 2007 to 2011, begins as an autobiography with descriptive descriptions of his early years, academic career, and college years, all of which take place inside the walls of a modest but orderly Malayali home.

·        The book offers a front-row seat to Indian politics and bureaucracy during the UPA era. In his book, Chandrasekhar gives a thorough overview of the UPA administration during one of its most difficult periods and talks about his own role in navigating India through many crises.

12. ‘Mundaka Upanishad: The Gateway to Eternity’, written by former MP Dr. Karan Singh, is released

·        Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar announced the released of the book “Mundaka Upanishad: The Gateway to Eternity”. Dr. Karan Singh, a former member of parliament, wrote the book at Upa-Rashtrapati Nivas in New Delhi. He is a philosopher and politician from India.

·        Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan initially released this book in 1987. But, the current edition is unique since it includes Dr. Kamal Kishor Mishra’s Hindi translation of Dr. Karan Singh’s texts, who also transliterated the Sanskrit text in accordance with international standards.

Miscellaneous News

13. Savitribai Phule Biography, Anniversary, Death, Education

·        Savitribai Phule was a Maharashtrian poet, educator, social reformer, and teacher. She made a significant contribution to advancing women’s rights in India along with her husband, Jyotiba Phule in Maharashtra.

·        Savitribai Phule is credited with founding the feminist movement in India. At Pune, near Bhidewada, Savitribai Phule and Jyotiba started one of the first early modern Indian girls’ schools in 1848.

·        Savitribai Phule worked to abolish prejudice and unjust treatment of people based on their gender and caste.