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CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

NPCI recommends up to 1.1% interchange fee on UPI transactions of over ₹2,000 via PPIs

• National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has notified that an interchange fee of up to 1.1% will be applicable on merchant UPI (Unified Payments Interface) transactions done using prepaid payment instruments (PPIs) such as wallets or cards with effect from April 1, 2023.
• The charge will be levied on UPI payments of over ₹2,000 made to online merchants, large merchants and small offline merchants.
• However, on certain merchant categories, a lower interchange starting from 0.5%, might be levied as per applicable caps.

Key Highlights :

• Interchange will not be applicable on Peer-to-peer (P2P) and Peer-to-peer-merchant (P2PM) transactions between bank accounts and PPI wallets.
• However, PPI issuers will need to pay 15 bps as a “wallet loading service charge” to the remitter bank for loading over ₹2,000 in the prepaid wallet.
• This interchange pricing will be reviewed by September 30, 2023, as per the NPCI circular.
• NPCI also asked UPI service providers and merchants to boost interoperability by clearly and prominently displaying the UPI payment option, by September 30, 2023.

About NPCI :

• Founded : 2008
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• MD & CEO : Dilip Asbe

Public sector banks wrote off ₹91,000 cr in 9 months of FY23

• According to data presented in the Rajya Sabha, Public sector banks (PSBs) have written off around ₹91,000 crore in the first 9 months of the current fiscal.
• The PSBs have just managed to recover little over ₹1 out of ₹5 in written off accounts during FY22.

Key Highlights :

• In a written answer, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave bank-wise details of written off amounts with State Bank of India (SBI) on the top (₹17,356 crore) followed by Union Bank of India (UBI) (₹16,497 crore) and Bank of Baroda (BoB) (₹13,032 crore).
• All the scheduled commercial banks (PSBs, private banks and foreign banks) wrote-off around ₹61-lakh crore worth of loan in FY18 while recovery from written off accounts was less than ₹13,000 crore or around 8% of bad debts taken off from the book in that year.
• For the next four fiscal years, the percentage rose to 8, 12.8, 14.9 and 19.4%, respectively.
• During all these five years, the total amount in written off loan accounts was over ₹10 lakh crore, while recovery was over ₹3-lakh crore.
• This means the net written off amount was around ₹7-lakh crore.

Centre hikes dearness allowance by 4% to 42%

• Union Minister Shri Anurag Thakur announced that Dearness Allowance (DA) for central government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) for central government pensioners by 4%.
• This will increase the overall DA/DR from current 38% to 42%.
• The hiked DA/DR will be effective from January 1, 2023.

Key Highlights :

• The combined impact on the exchequer on account of both DA and DR will be ₹12,815.60 crore per annum.
• This move will benefit around 47.58 lakh central government employees and 69.76 lakh central government pensioners.
• The increase in DA and DR is in accordance with the accepted formula, based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission.
• Before this, the revision in DA/DR was announced in September 2022, by 4% to 38%, to be effective retrospectively from July 1, 2022.

About DA & DR :

• DA and DR are revised twice a year, in January and July.
• DA is given to government employees, while the DR is for pensioners.
• DA is a component of the salary paid to Central Government employees to offset the impact of inflation on their existing salaries.
• It is calculated as a percentage of the employee's basic salary, and is based on the latest Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW).
• The government's Labour Bureau, a division of the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoL&E) publishes the CPI-IW data every month.

PAN & Aadhaar card linking deadline extended to June 30, 2023

• The Government has extended the last date for linking Permanent Account Number (PAN) and Aadhaar by 3 months to June 30,2023, in order to provide some more time to the taxpayers.
• Earlier the last date was March 31, 2023.
• It must be noted that under the provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (the ‘Act’) every person who has been allotted a PAN as on July 01, 2017 and is eligible to obtain Aadhaar Number, is required to intimate his Aadhaar to the prescribed authority on or before 31 March, 2023, on payment of a prescribed fee.
• Failure to do so shall attract certain repercussions under the Act w.e.f. 1st April, 2023.
• However, now the date for intimating Aadhaar to the prescribed authority has been extended to 30 June, 2023.
• From 1st July, 2023, the PAN of taxpayers who have failed to intimate their Aadhaar, as required, shall become inoperative and the consequences during the period that PAN remains inoperative will be as follows:

1. no refund shall be made against such PANs;
2. interest shall not be payable on such refund for the period during which PAN remains inoperative;
3. TDS and TCS shall be deducted /collected at a higher rate, as provided in the Act.

• The PAN can be made operative again in 30 days, upon intimation of Aadhaar to the prescribed authority after payment of fee of 1,000
• PAN-Aadhaar linking is not required for Non Resident Indians (NRIs), individuals who are not citizens of India, senior citizens aged above 80 years and residents of Assam, Meghalaya and Jammu Kashmir.

About Ministry of Finance :

• Cabinet Minister : Nirmala Sitharaman
• Minister of State : Bhagwat Karad, Pankaj Choudhary

World Bank Approves $108 Million to Improve Disaster Preparedness for Flood-prone Districts of Assam

• The World Bank has approved a loan of USD 108 million (Rs 8,896,517,496) for Assam Integrated River Basin Management Project (AIRBMP) to improve its disaster preparedness and flood forecasting capabilities in Assam.
• The $108 million loan from the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has a maturity of 5 years and a grace period of 4 years.
• This loan is part of a larger USD 500 (Rs 40,890,925,000) million investment program for the state and is expected to benefit approximately 6 million people by reducing the risks of floods and river erosion.

Key Highlights : 

• The Project will help the state reduce vulnerability to floods and river erosion by building green infrastructure in the Beki and Buridehing river basins, protecting around 100,000 people.
• The Project will support Assam tackle the immediate challenges of floods and erosion while also helping manage its complex river systems.
• The Project will also help strengthen the state’s response to disasters through improved flood forecasting and accurate early warning systems, including mobile alerts.
• The Project will provide safer evacuation and shelter facilities including access to climate-resilient flood shelters.
• The government of Assam, according to the World Bank, has projected an increase in extreme rainfall events by 5-35% and an increase in the rise of flood events by more than 25% due to climate change.

About IBRD :

• Established : 1944
• Headquarters : Washington, D.C., United States.
• Membership : 189 countries
• IBRD is an international financial institution that is the lending arm of the World Bank Group.

About World Bank :

• Established : December 1944
• Headquarters : Washington, D.C., U.S
• President : David Malpass
• Membership : 189 countries

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Centre revises MGNREGS wage rates with Haryana being highest at ₹357 per day

• The Centre has notified a hike in wage rates under the rural job guarantee programme for the 2023-24 financial year with Haryana having the highest daily wage at ₹357 per day and Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh the lowest at ₹221.
• The Union Ministry of Rural Development issued a notification on the change in wage rates under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme on March 24.
• The notification was issued under Section 6 (1) of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005, which says the Centre may, by notification, specify the wage rate for its beneficiaries.
• The wage hikes, which range from ₹7 to ₹26, will come into effect from April 1.
• Compared to last year's rates, Rajasthan registered the highest percentage increase in wages.
• The revised wage for Rajasthan is ₹255 per day, up from ₹231 in 2022-23.
• In 2022-23, the two states had a daily wage of ₹
• The increases in the wages for states range between two and 10 per cent.
• Karnataka, Goa, Meghalaya and Manipur are among the states to register the lowest percentage increase.
• The scheme is a flagship programme aimed at enhancing the livelihood security of households in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer for unskilled manual work.

Export benefits under RoDTEP extended to certain textile items

• The central government has extended export benefits under the RoDTEP scheme to 18 items related to the textiles sector, including saari and lungi, intending to boost shipments of these goods.
• The RoDTEP scheme would refund to exporters the embedded central, state and local duties or taxes that were so far not been rebated or refunded.
• It was launched in January 2021 as a replacement for the Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS).
• Under this scheme, a rebate will have to be claimed as a percentage of the Freight On Board value of exports.
• Rebates will be issued in the form of a transferable duty credit/ electronic scrip (e-scrip) which will be maintained in an electronic ledger by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Japan commits Rs 7,084 crore for 3 infrastructure projects in India

• Japan has committed Rs 7,084.5 crore to India for 3 infrastructure projects, including

1. Patna (Bihar) Metro Rail Construction Project
2. Rajasthan Water Sector Livelihood Improvement Project
3. Project for Forest and Biodiversity Conservation for Climate Change Response in West Bengal (WB)

About Patna (Bihar) Metro Rail Construction Project :

• Japan would fund the Patna Metro Rail Construction Project (I) of JPY 98.612 billion (about Rs 5,509 crore).

Aim :

• To cope with the increase of traffic demand in the capital city of Bihar by constructing the new metro corridor 1 & 2, thereby contributing to the improvement of the urban environment and development of the economy as well as mitigation of climate change.

About Rajasthan Water Sector Livelihood Improvement Project :

• For this Japan will fund JPY 18.894 billion (about Rs 1,055.53 crore).

Aim :

• To improve the livelihoods of farmers as well as promote gender mainstreaming in the agriculture and irrigation sector in the State, by improving water use efficiency and agriculture productivity, through the improvement of existing irrigation facilities.

About Project for Forest and Biodiversity Conservation for Climate Change Response in WB :

• For this Japan will fund JPY 9.308 billion (about Rs 520 crore).

Aim :

• To mitigate and adapt to climate change, conserve and restore ecosystems by ecosystem based climate change measures, biodiversity conservation and restoration and etc

About Japan :

• Prime Minister : Fumio Kishida
• Capital : Tokyo
• Currency : Japanese yen

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launches flagship road 'Pathashree-Rastashree' project

• West Bengal (WB) Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the flagship project named ‘Pathashree-Rastashree’ in Singur, WB.

Aim :

• To strengthen road infrastructure and enhance connectivity to villages.
• Notably, the project was announced by state finance minister Shri Chandrima Bhattacharya while presenting the Budget in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly on February 15, 2023.

About ‘Pathashree-Rastashree’ project :

• Under the new scheme, around 12,000 km of roads will be developed or reconstructed in 29,475 villages of WB.
• Under the scheme, 8,767 roads have been approved which will benefit 22 districts of WB.
• Nearly 30,000 villages will benefit from the project.
• President Droupadi Murmu was on a two-day visit to West Bengal.
• It was her first visit to the WB after becoming President.
• She visited Belur Math and the main temple of Math & the temple architecture is a fusion of Hindu, Islamic, Christian and Buddhist art and motifs.

About West Bengal :

• Governor : C. V. Ananda Bose
• Chief Minister : Mamata Banerjee
• Capital : Kolkata
• National Park : Jaldapara National Park, Sunderban National Park, Singalila National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuary : Ramnabagan Wildlife Sanctuary, Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, Chaparamari Wildlife Sanctuary

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Mr Humza Yousaf elected as Scotland’s first Muslim First Minister

• The Pakistani-origin Mr Hamza Yusuf became the first Muslim, ‘First Minister’ of
• He becomes the youngest-ever leader aged 37 to lead the Scottish government.
• He is the first Muslim leader of a government in Western Europe.
• Mr Humza Yousaf has replaced Mr Nicola Sturgeon as the First minister.
• Mr Humza Yousaf won the Scottish National Party (SNP) leadership election to clinch the party's top job.
• Mr Yousaf received 71 votes in the election.

About Mr Hamza Yusuf :

• Mr Yusuf was born on April 7, 1985, in Glasgow, Scotland.
• In 2012, he was appointed as the Minister of Europe and International Development.
• In 2014, he became the Minister of Transport and the Islands.
• From 2018 to 2021, he served as a Justice Secretary under the first minister Nicola Sturgeon.

About first minister of Scotland :

• The First Minister is head of the Scottish Government
• The first minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy

About Scotland : 

• Capital : Edinburgh
• Currency : Pound sterling
• Scotland is a country in Western Europe that is part of Britain.

NDTV appoints former SEBI chairman Mr U.K. Sinha as non-executive chairman & Welspun India CEO Mr Dipali Goenka as independent directors

• Former Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) chairman Mr UK Sinha has been appointed as non-executive chairman and additional director of New Delhi Television Limited (NDTV) till March 26, 2025.
• In addition, NDTV has appointed Mr Dipali Goenka, MD & CEO, Welspun India, as Additional Director in the rank of Non-Executive Independent Women Director.
• Both appointments will come into effect from March 27, 2023 for a tenure of 2 years.
• The appointments came in the wake of a significant change in the leadership of NDTV following the acquisition of the company by its former promoters, Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy, by the Gautam Adani-led group.
• On December 30, 2022, Roys sold 26% stake in NDTV to Adani-owned entity AMG Media Network.

About NDTV :

• Founded : 1984
• Headquarters : New Delhi, Delhi, India
• Founders : Prannoy Roy , Radhika Roy
• NDTV is an Indian news media company focused on broadcast and digital news publishing.
• The Gautam Adani Group now controls about 65% stake in NDTV.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPS AND PORTAL

CRISP: Rubber Board launches comprehensive rubber information system

• Rubber Board has launched the CRISP mobile app.
• It will inform growers about rubber cultivation and provides solutions online.
• CRISP (Comprehensive Rubber Information System Platform) app has been developed by the Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII) in association with the Digital University of Kerala.
• The app has been launched by ZP Patel, Vice Chancellor, Navsari Agricultural University, Gujarat.
• Now, the farmers can receive the recommendation of RRII on production and productivity enhancement, etc. with the help of CRISP.
• At present, these facilities are provided to farmers through traditional extension methods.
• The e-library of RII has been also launched by KN Raghavan, Executive Director, Rubber Board.

About Rubber board

• Rubber Board is a statutory body under the Government of India.
• It was established under the Rubber Act 1947 for the overall development of the rubber industry in India.
• Its head office is located in Kottayam, Kerala.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOUR

Sacred Hopi site in Arizona awarded ICOMOS Water and Heritage Shield

• A site Sípàapu located in Arizona, United States and sacred to the Hopi Native American Nation has been awarded a ‘Water and Heritage Shield’ by the International Committee On Monuments and Sites International Science Committee (ICOMOS)
• The Hopi are known as one of the oldest living cultures in documented history, having migrated north to Arizona in the 12th century.
• The purpose of the Shield is to help the public become aware of the significance of water and indigenous sacred sites all over the world and the right to cultural and historical memory.
• The Sípàapu is a rocky dome made of limestone as well as a spring located on the Little Colorado river, a tributary of Colorado.
• Little Colorado joins the main stem of the river within the Grand Canyon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• International Committee On Monuments and Sites is a global non-governmental organization associated with UNESCO
• Its mission is to promote the conservation, protection, use and enhancement of monuments, building complexes and sites.
• It is an Advisory Body of the World Heritage Committee for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention of UNESCO.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

WE Hub ties up with Australia's Cyber West Sign to boost opportunities for Australian, Indian startups

• WE Hub, a state-led incubator for women entrepreneurs, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cyber West Sign, an Australian digital marketing agency, to promote cross-border opportunities for start-ups in both countries.
• The collaboration aims to help Australian start-ups break into the rapidly expanding Indian market and vice versa, by utilising the expertise of WE Hub and Cyber West Sign in their respective markets.
• Through this partnership, WE Hub and Cyber West Sign will provide start-ups with access to market insights, industry networks, and resources to help them navigate the challenges of expanding into new territories.
• WE Hub is a state-run platform for women entrepreneurs set up by the Telangana government.
• It supports women entrepreneurs with innovative ideas, solutions and entities focusing on emerging areas in technology and allied sectors.

NITK inks MoU with NJB to develop geo-cell products from Jute

• National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Jute Board (NJB) under the Union Ministry of Textiles to develop technology to make geo-cell products from jute and standardise them for various engineering applications.
• Jute is a natural material that is plentifully available in India.
• Almost 85 per cent of the world’s jute cultivation is concentrated in the Ganges Delta.
• Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE), the Centre for Water Resource Development and Management (CWRDM) and the Kerala Highway Research Institute (KHRI) are collaborating agencies for this project.
• Birla Jute Mill (a unit of Birla Corporation Ltd) is the industry partner.
• National Jute Board - India headquarters is at Kolkata, West Bengal.

Samunnati partners MP Govt to promote sustainable agri practices

• Samunnati has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Madhya Pradesh government, facilitated by Heartfulness Institute, Hyderabad.
• This association aims to strengthen the Chief Minister’s Community Leadership Development Programme (CMCLDP) of Madhya Pradesh, by redesigning the course curriculum pertaining to agriculture and rural economic empowerment, enhancing the web portal and learning app to promote sustainable practices.
• Samunnati, jointly with the Madhya Pradesh Jan Abhyan Parishad (MPJAP), will be exploring opportunities to build capacity among MPJAP cadres under its village level entrepreneurs initiative, leading to their overall socio-economic empowerment.

About Samunnati:

• Samunnati is a specialized agriculture value chain enabler providing innovative and customized financial and non-financial solutions.
• Anil Kumar SG, Founder and CEO, Samunnati.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

IIT Madras Researchers develops pocket-friendly device to detect milk adulteration in 30 seconds

• Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) Researchers have developed a three-dimensional (3D) paper-based portable device that can detect adulteration in milk within 30 seconds.
• The test could be even performed at home.
• The research was led by Pallab Sinha Mahapatra, associate professor, department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, along with research scholars Subhashis Patari and Priyankan Datta.
• The research paper has been published in the prestigious peer-review journal Nature.

Key Highlights :

• The device can detect multiple substances commonly used as adulterating agents including Urea, detergents, soap, starch, hydrogen peroxide, sodium-hydrogen-carbonate and salt, among others
• The conventional laboratory-based methods to test the purity of milk are both expensive and time-consuming.
• This new technology is affordable and could also test other liquids such as water, fresh juices, and milkshakes for traces of adulteration.
• Only one millilitre sample of any liquid is sufficient to test for adulteration.
• The adulteration of milk is a growing menace, especially in developing countries like India, Pakistan, China, and
• Consumption of adulterated milk could cause medical complications such as kidney problems, infant death, gastrointestinal complications, Diarrhoea, and even cancer

CURRENT AFFAIRS : PERSON IN NEWS

‘Ironman’ Mr Krishna Prakash becomes first person to swim from Gateway of India to Elephanta Caves

• Indian Police Service (IPS) Officer Mr Krishna Prakash become the first person to swim from the Gateway of India (located at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Marg in South Mumbai) to the famed Elephanta Caves (located at the Elephanta Island in Mumbai Harbour)
• He swam the opposite direction of the famed swimming route from Elephanta Caves to the Gateway of India, covering 20 kilometres in 5 hours and 26 minutes.

Key Highlights :

• The swimming campaign was part of a social awareness campaign, 'Drowning Prevention Awareness'.
• The event was organized by the National Institute of Swimming and was recognized by the World Open Water Swimming Association.
• It was certified by the Maharashtra Swimming Association, which is affiliated to the Maharashtra Olympic Association.
• In 2017, Mr Krishna Prakash completed the Ironman Triathlon, one of the most challenging sporting events in the world.
• It is a 3-day event in which participants have to complete a 3.8 km swim, 180.2 km cycle ride and 42.2 km run in 16-17 hours.
• This achievement earned Prakash the title of 'Iron Man' and earned him a mention in the World Book of Records.
• He was the first Indian Government Servant, Civil Servant, and Uniformed Services Officer, including Armed Forces and Paramilitary Forces, to earn this title

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

India bag 4 gold in World Women's Boxing Championship

• India won four gold in World Women’s Boxing Championship.
• Lovlina Borgohain defeated Caitlin Parker of Australia in the final of the 75-kilogram category at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex.
• This was Lovlina’s first gold medal at the World Championships.
• She won the bronze at the 2018 and 2019 editions.
• Lovlina Borgohain won the fourth gold medal for India at the tournament.
• India’s Nikhat Zareen earlier defeated Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Tam in the 50 kg light flyweight category.
• She became World Champion for the second successive time.
• She is only the 2nd Indian woman boxer after Mary Kom to win more than one world title.
• Nikhat Zareen won the third gold medal for India at the tournament.
• India’s Nitu Ghanghas (48kg) and Saweety Boora (81kg) won two gold medals at the Championships.
• The 2023 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships were the 13th edition of the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships.
• The 2023 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships was held in New Delhi from 15 to 26 March 2023.
• IBA Women's World Boxing Championships are biennial boxing competitions organised by the International Boxing Association (IBA).

Indian pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty win Swiss Open Super 300 Badminton doubles title in Basel

• India’s pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty wins their first title of the 2023 season in Basel.
• They defeated China’s Ren Xiang Yu and Tan Qiang by 21-19, 24-22 in the Swiss Open 2023.
• The world number sixth pair defeated the world number 21 pair.
• Watanabe won the Men’s single title while the women’s single title winner is P. Chochuwong.
• It is the first BWF (Badminton World Federation) doubles title for Ran kireddy and Shetty, and the fifth World Tour title of their career.
• Last year, they won the India Open and French Open.
• Satwik and Chirag also won the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold.
• PV Sindhu (2022), Saina Nehwal (2011, 2012) and Kidambi Srikanth (2015) and HS Prannoy (2016) are among the winners of the Swiss Open.
• This tournament was held at St. Jakobshalle in Basel, Switzerland from 21 to 26 March.

Mumbai Indians has won the Women's Premier League 2023

• Mumbai Indians has won the inaugural Women's Premier League 2023.
• They defeated Delhi Capitals by seven wickets at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.
• Mumbai Indians needed 132 runs to win and they won the match by scoring 134 runs in 19 overs in three balls losing 3 wickets.
• Nate Sciver-Brunt was the highest scorer for Mumbai scoring 60 not out.
• It is a women's Twenty20 cricket and owned and operated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
• This was the first season played in March 2023, with five teams.

1. Player of the Match - Nat Sciver-Brunt
2. Player of the Series and Purple Cap - Hayley Matthews

• Orange Cap - Meg Lanning

1. Catch of the Season - Harmanpreet Kaur
2. Emerging Player of the Year award - Yastika Bhatia.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Female Cheetah Sasha brought From Namibia to Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park, passed away

• The female Cheetah named Sasha, who was a part of the first batch of cheetahs flown Namibia into Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park (KNP), on September 17, 2022, has passed away.
• Sasha died after developing a kidney infection in January 2023.
• As part of a cheetah reintroduction programme, in September 2022,8 Namibian cheetahs, including 5 females and 3 males were brought to the KNP, to revive the species’ population in India, where they became extinct more than 70 years ago.

About Sasha :

• Sasha was a four-and-a-half-year-old female cheetah. She was one of 5 female cheetahs among 8 cheetahs, flown in from Namibia.

Daily CA One- Liner: March 31

• National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has notified that an interchange fee of up to 1.1% will be applicable on merchant UPI (Unified Payments Interface) transactions done using prepaid payment instruments (PPIs) such as wallets or cards with effect from April 1, 2023.
• According to data presented in the Rajya Sabha, Public sector banks (PSBs) have written off around ₹91,000 crore in the first 9 months of the current fiscal.
• Union Minister Shri Anurag Thakur announced that Dearness Allowance (DA) for central government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) for central government pensioners by 4%.
• The Government has extended the last date for linking Permanent Account Number (PAN) and Aadhaar by 3 months to June 30,2023, in order to provide some more time to the taxpayers.
• The World Bank has approved a loan of USD 108 million (Rs 8,896,517,496) for Assam Integrated River Basin Management Project (AIRBMP) to improve its disaster preparedness and flood forecasting capabilities in Assam.
• Japan has committed Rs 7,084.5 crore to India for 3 infrastructure projects, including Patna (Bihar) Metro Rail Construction Project, Rajasthan Water Sector Livelihood Improvement Project, Project for Forest and Biodiversity Conservation for Climate Change Response in West Bengal (WB)
• West Bengal (WB) Chief Minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the flagship project named ‘Pathashree-Rastashree’ in Singur, WB.
• The Pakistani-origin Mr Hamza Yusuf became the first Muslim ‘First Minister’ of
• Former Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) chairman Mr UK Sinha has been appointed as non-executive chairman and additional director of New Delhi Television Limited (NDTV) till March 26, 2025.
• Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) Researchers have developed a three-dimensional (3D) paper-based portable device that can detect adulteration in milk within 30 seconds.
• Indian Police Service (IPS) Officer Mr Krishna Prakash becoming the first person to swim from the Gateway of India (located at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Marg in South Mumbai) to the famed Elephanta Caves (located at the Elephanta Island in Mumbai Harbour)
• The Centre has notified a hike in wage rates under the rural job guarantee programme for the 2023-24 financial year with Haryana having the highest daily wage at ₹357 per day and Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh the lowest at ₹221
• The central government has extended export benefits under the RoDTEP scheme to 18 items related to the textiles sector, including saari and lungi, intending to boost shipments of these goods
• Rubber Board has launched the CRISP mobile app.
• A site Sípàapu located in Arizona, United States and sacred to the Hopi Native American Nation has been awarded a ‘Water and Heritage Shield’ by the International Committee On Monuments and Sites International Science Committee (ICOMOS)
• WE Hub, a state-led incubator for women entrepreneurs, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cyber West Sign, an Australian digital marketing agency, to promote cross-border opportunities for start-ups in both countries
• National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Jute Board (NJB) under the Union Ministry of Textiles to develop technology to make geo-cell products from jute and standardise them for various engineering applications
• Samunnati has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Madhya Pradesh government, facilitated by Heartfulness Institute, Hyderabad
• India won four gold in World Women’s Boxing Championship
• India’s pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty wins their first title of the 2023 season in Basel
• Mumbai Indians has won the inaugural Women's Premier League 2023
• The female Cheetah named Sasha, who was part of the first batch of cheetahs flown Namibia into Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park (KNP), on September 17, 2022, has passed away.