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CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

RBI imposes Rs 5 lakh penalty on HDFC for non-compliance of norms 

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 5 lakh on Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC) for non-compliance with certain provisions issued by the National Housing Bank (NHB).
• A statutory inspection of the company was conducted by NHB with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2020.
• HDFC failed to transfer matured deposits of certain depositors to designated bank accounts of such depositors during the period 2019-20
• The Finance (No. 2) Act, 2019, amended the National Housing Bank Act, 1987 conferring certain powers for regulation of Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) with the RBI.
• Also the RBI has imposed a penalty of Rs 11.25 lakh on IGH Holdings Private Limited, Mumbai for non-compliance with certain provisions.

About RBI :

• Established : 1 April 1935
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Governor : Shaktikanta Das
• Deputy governors : Mahesh Kumar Jain,M. Rajeshwar Rao,Michael Patra and T. Rabi Shankar

UCO Bank raises Rs 500 crore in AT1 bonds 

• UCO Bank has raised Rs.500 crore through Private Placement of BASEL III Compliant Additional Tier I Bonds(Series I).
• The security issued is 9.50% Unsecured, Subordinated, Perpetual, Non-Convertible Fully Paid Up, Taxable, Basel III Compliant Additional Tier I Bonds in the nature of Debenture of Rs.500 crore (Series I).
• Bonds will be listed on the WDM segment of NSE.
• Earlier, the bank had received an approval for raising Tier I Capital aggregating up to Rs 1000 crore in the form of Additional Tier I Bonds in one or more tranches up to FY24 i.e. till March 31, 2024.

About UCO Bank : 

• Established : 1943
• Headquarters : Kolkata, West Bengal, India
• CEO: Shri Soma Sankara Prasad.
• Tagline : Honours Your Trust
• UCO Bank, formerly United Commercial Bank, is a central public sector bank under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.

OmniCard in collaboration with NPCI, Goes live with UPI as a Prepaid Issuer  

• India's First Omnichannel Spending Platform, OmniCard has launched Unified Payments Interface (UPI) services without the need to link a Bank Account for its users.

Key Highlights : 

• OmniCard ensures the highest safety features for its users by offering a bank-independent UPI facility with its own UPI handle @OMNI.
• Users can pay with any UPI QR (Quick Response) code or any UPI ID using their OmniCard wallet balance without exposing their bank accounts.
• @OMNI UPI amplifies safety by ensuring a layer that limits the risk of the amount a user adds to their OmniCard wallet rather than exposing life savings stored in the bank accounts.
• Also, OmniCard is available as a RuPay Prepaid Card, RuPay OTG (Wearable) and is accepted across all merchants via POS offline and online gateways.
• OmniCard users also get the facility to withdraw cash at any ATM in India.

About OmniCard :

• Headquarters : Noida, Uttar Pradesh
• Chief Operating Officer & Co-Founder :  Abhishek Saxena
• OmniCard is an RBI-licensed PPI offering India’s 1st Omnichannel spending platform with UPI services for individuals as well as businesses.

SEBI Offers 60 days Relaxation To Large Registrars From Complying With Enhanced Requirements

• The Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) provided relaxation of 60 days to large Registrars to an issue/ Share Transfer Agents (RTAs) from complying with the enhanced requirements pertaining to periodic reporting.

Key Highlights : 

• Under the rules, QRTAs or qualified RTAs are required to comply with enhanced responsibilities through adoption and implementation of an internal policy framework and periodic reporting requirements.
• SEBI clarified that an RTA would be categorised as QRTA if at any time during a financial year, the combined number of physical and demat folios being serviced by the RTA for listed companies exceeds 2 crore.
• RTA will be considered as a QRTA from the date of categorisation as a QRTA and will be considered as such for the next 3 financial years, irrespective of subsequent fall in number of folios and will be liable to comply with all requirements specified by the regulator.

About SEBI :

• Established : 12 April 1988 as an executive body and was given statutory powers on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman : Madhabi Puri Buch
• SEBI is the regulatory body for securities and commodity markets in India under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance, GoI.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Setting up of PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks

• The Government of India recently announced the sites for setting up of 7 PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks for the Textile industry.
• Seven sites were chosen out of 18 proposals for PM MITRA parks which were received from 13 States.
• The Parks will come up in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
• It will offer the opportunity to create an Integrated Textiles Value Chain right from spinning, weaving, processing/dyeing and printing to garment manufacturing etc. at one location and will reduce the logistics cost of the Industry.
• A Special Purpose Vehicle owned by the Centre and State Government will be set up for each park which will oversee the implementation of the project.
• The Ministry of Textiles will provide financial support in the form of Development Capital Support up to Rs. 500 crores per park to the Park SPV.
• A Competitive Incentive Support (CIS) of up to Rs 300 crore per park to the units in PM MITRA Park shall also be provided to incentivise speedy implementation.

About the Scheme

• State governments will provide a contiguous and encumbrance-free land parcel of at least 1000 acres of land.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Textiles
• The Scheme has a budget outlay of 4445 Crore including administrative expenses of Rs 30 crore over the 7-year period up to 2027-28.
• The scheme will develop an integrated large-scale and modern industrial infrastructure facility (parks) for the total value-chain (spinning, weaving, processing, printing, etc) of the textile industry.
• These parks are envisaged to be located at sites which have inherent strengths for the textile industry to flourish and have necessary linkages to succeed.
• PM MITRA mega textile parks will boost the textiles sector in line with the 5F (Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign) vision.

First Bharat Gaurav tourist train from Telugu states starts from Secunderabad

• The first Bharat Gaurav special tourist train will commence its journey from Secunderabad railway station.
• The Bharat Gaurav train service will be launched by the Ind ian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) on March 18.
• SCR General Manager Arun Kumar Jain said that the ‘Punyakshetra Yatra: Puri – Kashi – Ayodhya’ Bharat Gaurav tour is a great opportunity for rail passengers intending to visit several historical and pilgrimage places.
• Punyakshetra Yatra, which is an eight nights and nine days tour from March 18 to 26 will cover important spiritual destinations such as Puri, Konark, Gaya, Varanasi, Ayodhya and Prayagraj.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

OECD raises global growth forecast but recovery 'fragile'

• OECD has released its latest interim outlook, titled “Fragile Recovery”.
• The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has revised its growth estimate for India upwards by 20 basis points to 5.9 per cent for FY24.
• It said India’s growth rate is likely to pick up to around 7% in FY 2024-25.
• As per OECD, India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expecte d to grow at 6.9% in FY23.
• OECD has raised its inflation forecast for India by 80 basis points to 5.8%.
• On 16 March 2023, Crisil projected India’s economy to grow at 6%.
• As per the OECD report, the global growth rate in 2023 and 2024 is projected to be at 2.6% and 2.9%, respectively.

About OECD:

• The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade.
• Headquarters: Paris, France.

Truecaller opens its first exclusive India office in Bengaluru

• Caller ID verification platform Truecaller announced the opening of its first exclusive office space outside of Sweden, in Bengaluru.
• The office was inaugurated virtually by Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship & Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
• Truecaller plans to use this facility as its primary hub to deliver India-first features and serve users globally.
• This office is the largest establishment of Truecaller outside of its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden.
• Alan Mamedi, CEO & Co-Founder of Truecaller.

Foxconn Will Invest Rs 1600 Crore To Launch New Factory In India For Manufacturing AirPods

• Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn has won an order to make AirPods for Apple Inc and plans to build a factory in India to produce the wireless earphones.
• The deal will see Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics maker and assembler of around 70 per cent of all iPhones, become an AirPod supplier for the first time and underlines efforts by the key Apple supplier to further diversify production away from China.
• AirPods are currently made by a range of Chinese suppliers.
• Foxconn will invest more than $200 million in the new India AirPod plant in Telangana.
• It wasn't immediately clear how much the AirPod order would be worth.
• Foxconn vies with Taiwanese rivals such as Wistron Corp and Pegatron Corp to win more orders from Apple, the world's most valuable company.
• A subsidiary, Foxconn Interconnect Technology Ltd, plans to start construction of a manufacturing facility in Telangana in the second half of this year and begin production by the end of 2024 at the earliest.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

International Ayurvet conclave on ‘Veterinary and Ayurveda’ inaugurated at Haridwar  

• The International Ayurvet conclave on the theme 'Veterinary and Ayurveda' has started at the Rishikul campus of an Ayurvedic University in Haridwar, Uttarakhand.
• Union Minister of State for Animal husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Shri Sanjiv Baliyan addressing the seminar.
• Ayurveda has been used since ancient times for the treatment of animals.
• The government has taken steps in this direction for proper use of Ayurveda.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

Rajasthan government announces creation of 19 new districts & 3 new divisions

• Rajasthan Chief Minister (CM) Shri Ashok Gehlot has announced the formation of 19 new districts and 3 new divisions in the state.
• He has proposed a budget of Rs 2,000 crore for the first phase of infrastructure and human resource development for the new districts and divisions.
• The new districts are Anoopgarh (Ganganagar), Balotra (Barmer), Beawar (Ajmer), Kekri (Ajmer), Deeg (Bharatpur), Deedwana-Kuchaman (Nagaur), Dudu (Jaipur), Gangapur City (Sawai Madhopur), Jaipur North, Jaipur South, Jodhpur East, Jodhpur West, Kotputli-Behror (Jaipur-Alwar), Khairthal (Alwar), Neem ka Thana (Sikar), Phalodi (Jodhpur), Salumber (Udaipur), Sanchore (Jalore) and Shahpura (Bhilwara).
• The 3 new divisions will be in Banswara, Pali and Sikar.
• 4 districts will be carved out from Jaipur - Jaipur North, Jaipur South, Dudu and Kotputli-Behror. 
• Kotputli is currently a part of Jaipur, while Behror is in Alwar.
• This is the first time since 2008 that new districts have been carved out in Rajasthan, taking the number of districts in the state to 50.

Other Announcements : 

• Mr. Gehlot also announced that the increased Rs 25 lakh package of the Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme would start from March 30, 2023.
• Previously, the limit of the package was Rs 10 lakh per family.
• He announced a 10% increase in the pension of state pensioners above the age of 75 years.
• He announced the construction of a corridor in Jaipur's Govind Dev Ji Temple on the lines of Ujjain's Mahakal and Rs 100 crore would be spent for this work.
• He also announced preparation of a DPR (Detailed Project Reports) for the development of famous temples such as Pushkar, Tripura Sundari, Sanvaliyaji, Salasar, Khole ke Hanuman Mandir, Tanot Mata and Shrinathji.

About Rajasthan : 

• Governor : Kalraj Mishra
• CM : Ashok Gehlot
• Capital : Jaipur
• National Parks : Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Ranthambore National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary , Jaisamand WL Sanctuary
• Tiger Reserve : Mukundara Tiger Reserve

Haryana Chief Minister Shri Manohar Lal Khattar launches financial aid scheme for people having annual income below Rs 1.80L

• Haryana Chief Minister (CM) Shri Manohar Lal Khattar launched Deen Dayal Updadhyay Antyodaya Parivar Suraksha Yojana (DAYALU) scheme for the poorest of the families in the event of a death or permanent disability of a kin.

Aim : 

• To provide financial assistance in case of death (natural or accidental) or permanent disability in respect of a member of a family having an annual income less than Rs 1.80 lakh.
• The financial assistance would vary depending on the age of the beneficiary.
• Also, the scheme will include an amount of Rs 2 lakh under Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY).
• The beneficiary of the scheme will be verified in the Family Information Data Repository (FIDR) database. 
• Haryana Parivar Suraksha Nyas (HPSN) will be the implementing agency for the DAYALU scheme.
• The CM stated that 3 key schemes namely Mukhyamantri Haryana Karamchari Durghatna Bima Yojna for covering Group C & D category employees working in the high-risk category and Safai Karamcharis, Mukhyamantri Vyapari Samuhik Niji Durghatna Bima Yojna for small traders in case of accidental death or permanent disability’ and Mukhyamantri Parivar Samriddhi Yojana for supporting a social security net to Antyodaya families have been started by the HPSN.

About Haryana : 

• Governor : Bandaru Dattatreya
• CM : Manohar Lal Khattar
• Capital : Chandigarh
• National Parks : Kalesar National Park, Sultanpur National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Bir Shikargah Wildlife Sanctuary

India's first tribal carbon-free village will come up in Bhiwandi                                                

• India's first tribal carbon-free village will come up in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, India.
• Union Rural Development Minister Shri Giriraj Singh, who was on a tour of Thane district, has assured funds for this project.
• Palli village in Jammu has become the first carbon neutral village in the country.
• Solar energy is being used in this village and all the records of Gram Panchayat are digital.
• A 500 KW solar project has been installed in this village.
• Solar projects will be set up in 15 villages of Bhiwandi Lok Sabha constituency under the carbon-free village initiative.
• It will make electricity available to the citizens at a cheap rate.

Mohalla bus scheme for last-mile connectivity likely in Delhi Budget 23-24

• The Delhi government is likely to announce a mohalla bus scheme for last-mile connectivity in the upcoming Budget 2023-24, among several new initiatives to modernise transport infrastructure in the Capital.
• Over 1,500 zero-emission e-buses are to be inducted in Delhi's fleet next year, making Delhi’s e-bus fleet largest in the country(presently, of Delhi government’s 7,379 buses, 300 are e-buses).
• As part of modernisation of the public transport infrastructure, the government will also develop multiple inter-state bus terminals (ISBTs) with airport-like amenities, multi-level bus depots and bus terminals.

About Delhi :

• Lt. Governor : Vinai Kumar Saxena
• Chief Minister : Arvind Kejriwal
• Capital : New Delhi
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, National Chambal Sanctuary

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Tamil writer Sivasankari gets selected for Saraswati Samman for the year 2022 for her book Survya Vamsam

• Saraswati Samman 2022 awarded to Tamil writer Sivasankari for her book Survya Vamsam.
• It is a book of memoirs in the Tamil language and was published in 2019.
• Shivshankari's literary career spans more than five decades.
• She is the author of 36 novels, 48 novellas, 150 short stories, 15 travelogues, seven collections of essays and three biographies, including one on former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
• The Chayan Parishad chooses the recipient under the chairmanship of former Supreme Court judge Arjan Kumar Sikri that comprises outstanding scholars and writers of the country.
• Saraswati Samman is one of the three literary awards instituted by the KK Birla Foundation in 1991.
• It is given annually for prose or poetry in any one of 22 languages in Schedule VIII of the Indian Constitution.
• It includes a plaque, a citation, and a cash prize of ₹15 lakh.
• It is given for work published within last 10 years.

‌Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium Gets Recognised As World’s Largest Fully Seated Hockey Stadium By Guinness Book Of World Records

• The Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium has been officially recognised as the largest fully-seated hockey stadium in the world.
• Guinness World Records officials handed over a certificate to this effect to the Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik ahead of Ind ia’s Pro League game against newly-crowned World champion Germany in front of a cheering capacity crowd.
• Built from scratch in just 15 months for the recently-held World Cup, the stadium can seat 20,011 with uninterrupted viewing experience and boasts of world-class facilities — for players and viewers.

International Booker Prize 2023 longlist:

• The novel 'Pookkuzhi' by Tamil writer Perumal Murugan, translated as 'Pyre' in English by Anirudh Vasudevan, has made a place in the International Booker Prize 2023 longlist.
• It became the first Tamil novel to be nominated for the Booker Prize.
• It was originally published in Tamil in 2013 and later translated into English in 2016 by Anirudhan Vasudevan.
• A total of 13 novels have made it to the long list this year.
• Apart from Tamil, Bulgarian and Catalan languages have made their debut this year.
• On March 14, the list was announced.
• On 18 April, the shortlist of six books will be announced and the winner will be announced on 23 May.
• In 2022, Geetanjali Shree's novel “Tomb of Sand” (Ret Samadhi) had won the International Booker Prize for the year 2022 and the book was translated from Hindi to English by Daisy Rockwell.
• International Booker Prize was formerly known as the Man Booker International Prize.
• The prize is awarded for a book translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland.
• Prize money of 50,000 pounds is shared equally between author and translator.

Hello Ujjivan app wins the prestigious 13th Aegis Graham Bell Awards

• Hello Ujjivan app has won 13th AGBA in the "Innovation in Consumer Tech" category.
• 13th AGBA is an initiative of Aegis School of Data Science.
• It is backed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, NITI Aayog and Skill India to foster an innovative culture in India.
• Hello, Ujjivan is the app of Ujjivan Small Finance Bank.
• It has been co-created with Navana.AI.
• It was launched in February 2023.
• It is the first mobile banking app in India that enables vernacular, visual and speech features to give bank’s customers access to banking financial services who have limited ability to read and write.
• Aegis Graham Bell Awards is a homage to Alexander Graham Bell.
• They were established by Aegis School of Business, Data Science and Cyber Security in 2010 to celebrate innovators and their innovations.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND INDEX

Tata Consultancy Services enters Forbes' list of 'America's Best Large Employers'

• Software major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been named to the Forbes annual list of "America's Best Large Employers".
• This recognition is based on an independent survey of 45,000 employees working for American companies with more than 1,000 employees.
• Software major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Monday said that it has been named to the Forbes annual list of "America's Best Large Employers".
• This recognition is based on an independent survey of 45,000 employees working for American companies with more than 1,000 employees.
• TCS is consistently recognised by the foremost authorities of corporate reputation in the US.
• In 2023, Fortune Magazine recognised TCS as one of the world's most admired companies.
• CareerBliss named TCS one of the 50 Happiest Companies of 2023.
• In addition to being lauded by the Top Employers Institute for building a diverse workforce and nurturing the next generation of technology talent, Forbes ranked TCS among the Best Employers in New York for 2022.

Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport adjudged best airport in South Asia: Skytrax

• Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport has received the award for the Best Airport in India and South Asia, a report by the international air transport rating organisation Skytrax .
• Singapore's Changi Airport is named the World’s Best Airport of 2023 followed by Doha Hamad airport.
• In 2022, Singapore ranked No 3 while Doha Hamad bagged the No 1 position.
• As per the release by Skytrax, Delhi airport is the only Indian airport to feature on top 50 airports across the world.
• In the list of the World’s Top 100 Airports 2023, Delhi airport is placed on 36th and moved up from 37th position in 2022.
• The other Indian airport on the list is Hyderabad airport which won the awards as the Best Regional Airport and Best Airport Staff in India and South Asia.
• Hyderabad airport ranks on no 65, dropped from 63 in 2022.
• The third Indian airport is Bengaluru which ranks at no 69, dropped from No. 61 in 2022. At No 84, Mumbai airport saw a significant drop in ranking from last year. In 2022, Mumbai airport ranked at No 65.
• The Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), a GMR Airports Infrastructure Ltd-led consortium, is operating IGIA, which is also the country's largest airport.

Global Terrorism Index 2023: Afghanistan Tops The List

• According to the the tenth Global Terrorism Index (GTI) report Afghanistan remains the country most impacted by terrorism for the fourth consecutive year, despite attacks and deaths falling by 75 per cent and 58 per cent, respectively.
• However, the report stressed that it “does not include acts of state repression and violence by state actors and, as such, acts committed by the Taliban are no longer included in the scope of the report since they took control of the government.”
• India ranked 13th on the index, marking only a marginal decrease from the previous year.
• In spite of being among the 25 worst-hit nations on the index, Indian respondents desisted from selecting war and terrorism as the biggest threat to their daily safety.
• As per the GTI, Afghanistan recorded 633 fatalities in 2022, despite terrorism-related deaths declining by 866 in 2022.
• Pakistan has surpassed Afghanistan as the country with the highest number of deaths due to terrorist attacks in South Asia, a position held by Afghanistan since 2017.
• Globally, deaths from terrorism fell by nine per cent to 6,701 deaths, marking a 38 per cent decrease from its peak in 2015.
• Another stagnant trend showed that South Asia remains the region with the worst average GTI score.
• The deadliest terrorist groups in the world in 2022 were Islamic State (IS) and its affiliates, followed by al-Shabaab, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM).
• Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) is the rebel group with the largest growth rate in Pakistan.
• Global Terrorism Index (GTI) is released by the Institute for Economics and Peace in Australia.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Mr Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav elected as the 3rd Vice President of Nepal

• Mr Ramsahaya Prasad Yadav, the leader of the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), was elected as Nepal's 3rd Vice President.
• Mr Yadav will succeed the incumbent Mr Nand Bahadur Pun on completion of his term.
• Mr Yadav defeated Astalaxmi Shakya of CPN (UML) and Mamata Jha of the Janamat Party to become the third Vice President of the Himalayan nation and the first Vice President of the Madhes region bordering India.
• According to the Election Commission, 52-year-old Yadav got 30,328 votes against the nearest rival Shakya's 16,328.
• There are 333 federal parliament members and 550 provincial assembly members, who were eligible voters during the vice-presidential election.
• The weightage of the vote of a federal MP is 79 and that of the province assembly member is 48.

About Vice Presidential Election of Nepal : 

• Article 67 of the Constitution of Nepal provides a Vice President in the country.
• The tenure of the Vice President is 5 years.
• This is the 3rd vice presidential election since the country adopted a republic system in the federal democratic republic system in 2008.
• Mr Paramananda Jha was elected the first Vice President of federal Nepal followed by Nanda Kishor Pun.
• On March 9, 2023 Mr Ram Chandra Poudel of the Nepali Congress was elected as the new President of Nepal.
• Like the President, an electoral college consisting of members of the Federal Parliament (House of Representatives and the National Assembly) and the Provincial Assemblies elects the Vice President.

About Mr Ramsahay Yadav : 

• Mr Yadav joined the Nepal Sadbhawana Party in 1990 to begin his political career.
• He is a Nepalese politician and former Nepalese Minister of Forests and Environment.
• He played a key role in the first Madhesh Movement and served as the organisation's initial general secretary (2007).
• He was chosen to represent Bara-2 in the House of Representatives.
• He was a representative in Nepal's first Federal Parliament. 

About Nepal : 

• Prime Minister : Pushpa Kamal Dahal
• President : Mr Ram Chandra Poudel
• Capital : Kathmandu
• Currency : Nepalese rupee

IAEA Board re-appoints Mr Rafael Grossi as Director General

• The Board of Governors of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has re-appointed Mr Rafael Grossi as the nuclear watchdog's Director General for a second four-year term.
• The IAEA’s 35-nation Board adopted the decision by acclamation at its quarterly meeting.
• His second term starts on 3 December, 2023 and runs until 2 December 2027.
• He is the 6th Director General since the IAEA was established in 1957.
• He has served as head of the UN nuclear watchdog since December 2019.

About IAEA : 

• Founded: 29 July 1957
• Headquarters: Vienna, Austria,
• Membership : 176 Member States
• The IAEA is an intergovernmental organisation that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

Lockheed Martin & Tata Group sign MoU to make fighter wings in India

• The United States (US) based defence and aerospace giant, Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) and India’s Tata Group, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to commence production of fighter wing shipsets at their joint venture (JV), Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Limited (TLMAL), located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
• The MoU entails the delivery of 29 fighter wing shipsets, with an option to produce additional shipsets, starting in 2025.

Key Highlights : 

• This collaboration marks a significant milestone in Lockheed Martin’s partnership with India, as TLMAL received official recognition from Lockheed Martin as a potential co-producer of fighter wings in October 2021.
• The partnership between Lockheed Martin and Tata Group supports Lockheed Martin’s F-21 offering for the procurement of 114 new fighter aircraft, exclusively for India and the Indian Air Force (IAF).
• This program represents a historic strategic and economic opportunity for the US-India relationship, catalysing future advanced technology cooperation.
• Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics established TLMAL as a joint venture in 2010, with TLMAL acting as the sole global source of C-130J empennage assemblies installed on all new Super Hercules aircraft.
• To date, TLMAL has delivered almost 200 C-130J empennages.

About Lockheed Martin : 

• Founded : March 15, 1995
• Headquarters : Bethesda, Maryland, United States
• Chairman, President, and CEO : James Taiclet
• It is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests.

Indian Air Force Deploys Mi-17 Helicopter To Fight Forest Fires In Goa

• The Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed one Mi-17 helicopter to contain the devastating Goa forest fire that rages for the sixth day.
• The IAF's Mi-17 joined the Indian Navy helicopters that were earlier deployed to put out the fire in Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Described as the worst forest fires, Goa is fighting 11 different wildfires currently active within the wildlife sanctuaries of the state that cover the hill ranges of the Western Ghats.

About IAF : 

• Established : 1932
• Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi, India
• Motto : Touch the sky with Glory
• Chief of the Air Staff : Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari

India to host military wargame ‘AFINDEX-23’ with 22 African nations

• The Indian Army is set to host the 2nd edition of the Africa-India field training exercise (AFINDEX-23) which will take place at Aundh Military Station, Pune, Maharashtra from March 21 to 30,2023 (9 day military exercise).
• Over 22 countries are scheduled to attend the conclave while 20 countries are expected to be part of the exercise.

Objective : 

• To continue to build upon the initiatives taken to strengthen India-Africa relations, with a focus on enhancing peace and security and creating opportunities to exchange ideas and perspectives.
• Chief of Army Staff Gen Manoj Pande will also host an ‘India-Africa Chiefs Conclave’ on March 28, 2023 & will take place over two sessions.
• The first session will explore the key aspects of defence partnership while the second session will focus on the Indian defence industry’s outreach to Africa.

History :

• The 1st Africa-India field training exercise was held in Pune in March 2019 which saw the participation of 20 African nations.
• The 1st India-Africa Defence Ministers Conclave was held on the sidelines of the DEFEXPO, 2020 in Lucknow.
• The joint exercise will promote the idea of Africa-India Militaries for Regional Unity (AMRUT) and will focus on incorporating the current dynamics of UN peacekeeping operations through practical and comprehensive discussions and tactical exercise.
• The exercise is divided into 4 phases in which trainers would be initially trained.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

UK Space Agency funds Rolls- Royce's plan to build nuclear reactor on moon

• The UK Space Agency (UKSA) would back research by Rolls-Royce looking at the use of nuclear power on the moon.
• The researchers from Rolls-Royce had been working on a Micro-Reactor program “to develop technology that will provide power needed for humans to live and work on the Moon.
• The UKSA will now provide £2.9 million of funding for the project and the firm has been asked to demonstrate how nuclear micro reactors could extend the duration of future missions to the Moon.
• The UKSA wanted to establish a new power source to support systems for communications, life-support and scientific experiments on the Moon.
• Rolls-Royce plans to have a reactor ready to send to the Moon by 2029.
• It will work with a variety of collaborators including the University of Oxford, University of Bangor, University of Brighton, University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

About UK Space Agency : 

• Founded : 1 April 2010
• Headquarters : Swindon, Wiltshire
• Chief Executive : Paul Bate

Launch of world's 1st 3D-printed rocket cancelled at last second

• The launch of the world's first 3D-printed rocket, Terran 1, was recently cancelled at the last second.
• 3D printing or additive manufacturing is a process of making three-dimensional solid objects from a digital file.

What is Terran 1?

• Terran 1 is the world’s first 3D-printed rocket.
• It is built by California aerospace startup Relativity Space.
• The rocket is 110 feet (33.5 metres) tall with a diameter of 7.5 feet (2.2 metres) .
• 85% of its mass is 3D printed with metal alloys, including the engines.
• It is powered by Aeon engines using liquid oxygen and liquid natural gas as propellants.
• It has 9 3D-printed Aeon 1 engines in its first stage and one 3D-printed Aeon Vacuum engine in its second stage.
• The rocket will eventually be capable of putting up to 2,755 pounds (1,250 kilograms) into low Earth orbit.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

World Poetry Day: March 21

• On 21st March 2023 World Poetry Day is observed all over the world.
• It is a global event celebrated on March 21st every year all over the world in order to honor the poets to continue to instill the tradition in newer generations
• The earliest poetry is believed to have surfaced with the “Epic of Gilgamesh” sometime during 2000 B.C., but it is likely that poetry existed even before the spread of literacy.
• In the 14th Century, Sonnets were Created and Francesco Petrarca’s writings are some of the most famous early ‘sonnets.’
• The day was proposed and adopted by UNESCO in 1999, on the occasion of its 30th General Conference held in Paris to “give fresh recognition and impetus to national, regional and international poetry movements.”
• On March 21st,2000 the first World Poetry day was celebrated

World Down Syndrome Day: March 21

• World Down Syndrome day 2023 is observed all over the world on March 21st, 2023.
• World Down Syndrome Day is observed to create awareness about Down syndrome.
• In 2005, the UN’s general assembly decided that in fulfilling the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal no one should be left behind and the persons with disabilities must also come forward to help the UN in its targets of Agenda 2030.
• WHO, which is the United Nations’ leading organization/department in terms of mental and physical health has been active and has further diversified its activities for better and unique health facilities for the tenants of planet earth.
• The convention was then opened for signatures on 30 March 2007.
• There were 82 signatories to the Convention, 44 signatories to the Optional Protocol, and 1 ratification of the Convention.
• This is the highest number of signatories in history to a UN Convention on its opening day.
• It is the first comprehensive human rights treaty of the 21st century and is the first human rights convention to be open for signature by regional integration
• The Convention entered into force on 3 May 2008.

World Forestry Day: March 21

• On March 21st, 2023 World Forest day is celebrated all over the world.
• It is an international event observed all over the world annually on March 21st every year to ring a bell among society about the importance of forests and the scores of benefits which are gained them.
• Previously, the 16th session of the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) voted to “World Forestry Day" in 1971.
• Then, from 2007 to 2012, the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) held six Forest Days.
• Partnering with Collaborative Partnership on Forest, 2011 was declared as the Year of Forests.
• On November 28, 2012, The United Nations General Assembly declared that March 21 shall be celebrated as World Forest Day.

Daily CA One-Liner: March 21

• The Government of India recently announced the sites for setting up of 7 PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks for the Textile industry
• The first Bharat Gaurav special tourist train will commence its journey from Secunderabad railway station
• OECD has released its latest interim outlook, titled “Fragile Recovery
• Caller ID verification platform Truecaller announced the opening of its first exclusive office space outside of Sweden, in Bengaluru
• Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn has won an order to make AirPods for Apple Inc and plans to build a factory in India to produce the wireless earphones.
• Saraswati Samman 2022 awarded to Tamil writer Sivasankari for her book Survya Vamsam
• The Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium has been officially recognised as the largest fully-seated hockey stadium in the world
• The novel 'Pookkuzhi' by Tamil writer Perumal Murugan, translated as 'Pyre' in English by Anirudh Vasudevan, has made a place in the International Booker Prize 2023 longlist
• Hello Ujjivan app has won 13th AGBA in the "Innovation in Consumer Tech" category
• Software major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been named to the Forbes annual list of "America's Best Large Employers
• Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport has received the award for the Best Airport in India and South Asia, a report by the international air transport rating organisation Skytrax
• According to the the tenth Global Terrorism Index (GTI) report Afghanistan remains the country most impacted by terrorism for the fourth consecutive year, despite attacks and deaths falling by 75 per cent and 58 per cent, respectively

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a penalty of Rs 5 lakh on Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited (HDFC) for non-compliance with certain provisions issued by the National Housing Bank (NHB).
• UCO Bank has raised Rs.500 crore through Private Placement of BASEL III Compliant Additional Tier I Bonds(Series I).
• India's First Omnichannel Spending Platform, OmniCard has launched Unified Payments Interface (UPI) services without the need to link a Bank Account for its users.
• The Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) provided relaxation of 60 days to large Registrars to an issue/ Share Transfer Agents (RTAs) from complying with the enhanced requirements pertaining to periodic reporting.
• The International Ayurvet conclave on the theme 'Veterinary and Ayurveda' has started at the Rishikul campus of an Ayurvedic University in Haridwar, Uttarakhand.
• Rajasthan Chief Minister (CM) Shri Ashok Gehlot has announced the formation of 19 new districts and 3 new divisions in the state.
• Haryana Chief Minister (CM) Shri Manohar Lal Khattar launched Deen Dayal Updadhyay Antyodaya Parivar Suraksha Yojana (DAYALU) scheme for the poorest of the families in the event of a death or permanent disability of a kin.
• India's first tribal carbon-free village will come up in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, India.
• The Delhi government is likely to announce a mohalla bus scheme for last-mile connectivity in the upcoming Budget 2023-24, among several new initiatives to modernise transport infrastructure in the Capital.
• Mr Ramsahaya Prasad Yadav, the leader of the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), was elected as Nepal's 3rd Vice President.
• The Board of Governors of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has re-appointed Mr Rafael Grossi as the nuclear watchdog's Director General for a second four-year term.
• The United States (US) based defence and aerospace giant, Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) and India’s Tata Group, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to commence production of fighter wing shipsets at their joint venture (JV), Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Limited (TLMAL), located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed one Mi-17 helicopter to contain the devastating Goa forest fire that rages for the sixth day.
• The Indian Army is set to host the 2nd edition of the Africa-India field training exercise (AFINDEX-23) which will take place at Aundh Military Station, Pune, Maharashtra from March 21 to 30,2023 (9 day military exercise).
• The UK Space Agency (UKSA) would back research by Rolls-Royce looking at the use of nuclear power on the moon.

• On 21st March 2023 World Poetry Day is observed all over the world
• World Down Syndrome day 2023 is observed all over the world on March 21st, 2023
• On March 21st, 2023 World Forest day is celebrated all over the world