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Daily Current Affairs PDF of 23rd September 2023

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CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND FINANCE

Ministry of Finance approves welfare measures for LIC agents and employees

• The Ministry of Finance approved a series of welfare measures for the benefit of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) agents and employees.
• The welfare measures are related to the amendments to LIC (Agents) Regulations, 2017, Enhancement of Gratuity Limit, and Unif orm Rate of Family Pension among others.
• More than 13 lakh agents and more than 1 lakh regular employees, who play a pivotal role in the growth of LIC and the deepening of insurance penetration in India, will benefit from these welfare measures.

The following welfare measures w.r.t. LIC agents and employees were approved:

• Enhancement of the gratuity limit from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh for LIC agents. It will bring substantial improvements to the working condition and benefits of LIC agents.
• Enabling reappointed agents to be eligible for renewal commission, thereby providing them with increased financial stability. Currently, LIC agents are not eligible for renewal commission on any business completed under the old agency.
• The term insurance cover for the agents has been expanded from the existing range of Rs. 3,000-10,000 rupees to Rs. 25,000-1,50,000. This enhancement in term insurance will significantly benefit the families of deceased agents, offering them a more substantial welfare benefit.
• Family pension at a uniform rate of @30% for the welfare of the families of LIC employees.

ADB moderates India's GDP growth hopes this year(2023) to 6.3%

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) pared its growth forecast for India’s economy to 6.3% for this year, from 6.4% estimated earlier, citing the impact of falling exports and erratic rainfall patterns that could hit farm output.
• The Bank’s economists also raised their inflation forecast for the year to 5.5% from 5% estimated in April and retained their real GDP growth projection for 2024-25 at 6.7%, influenced by expectations that private investment and industrial output will rise.
• Additionally, ADB revised its inflation projection for India for FY24 to 5.5 per cent, up from the previous 5 per cent.
• Food inflation picked up in July due to adverse weather conditions, contributing to a rise in South Asia's overall inflation rate.
• If India's agricultural output weakens and the rice export ban remains in place, this could escalate food price inflation in developing Asia

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

PM Narendra Modi to inaugurate 16 Atal Awasiya Vidyalayas built across Uttar Pradesh

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Varanasi to inaugurate 16 Atal Awasiya Vidyalayas built across Uttar Pradesh.
• These are built at a cost of over 11 hundred crore rupees to further enhance access to quality education for children of labourers, construction workers and orphans due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Each school is constructed on an area of 10 to 15 acres with classrooms, sports grounds, recreational areas, a mini auditorium, hostel complex, mess and residential flats for staff.
• These residential schools intend to eventually accommodate 1000 students each.
• Prime Minister Modi will also lay the foundation stone of the International Cricket Stadium in Varanasi.
• The cricket stadium, to be built in Ganjari, Rajatalab, Varanasi will be developed in a more than 30-acre area, at a cost of about 450 crore rupees.
• The stadium will have a capacity of 30,000 spectators.
• Prime Minister will attend the closing ceremony of Kashi Sansad Sanskritik Mahotsav 2023.
• The Mahotsav witnessed the participation of more than 37 thousand persons across 17 disciplines, who displayed their skills in singing, instrumental playing, nukkad natak and dancing.

IndiGo announces new direct flights connecting Hyderabad and Colombo from November 2023

• India's leading airline, IndiGo, has announced new direct flights connecting Hyderabad and Colombo from November this year.
• The development marks a significant milestone as IndiGo becomes the first Indian carrier to establish direct connectivity between the two vibrant cities.
• Local news portals and papers reported Head of Global Sales at IndiGo, Vinay Malhotra’s statement stressing his company’s focus towards delivering exceptional services and meeting the evolving needs of customers.
• Connectivity between India and Sri Lanka has been improved over last one year with flights having resumed between Jaffna and Chennai which have now been made daily.
• In addition, flight connectivity between Mumbai and Colombo has also started this year.
• Ferry services between Nagapattinam and Kankesanthurai are also scheduled to commence soon which has been a long pending demand.
• On the other hand, to cater to luxury segment of tourists visiting the island, an international luxury cruise has also been started in June this year connecting Chennai, Hambantota and Trincomalee.
• Traditionally, India has been the leading source market in terms of number of tourist arrivals into Sri Lanka.

India temporarily suspends visa services including E-visa for Canadian citizens citing security threats

• India has temporarily suspended visa services in Canada including E-visa.
• Addressing media in New Delhi, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi informed that the decision was taken due to the incitement of violence and inaction of Canadian authority and creating an environment that disrupts the functions of the Indian High Commission and Consulates in Canada.
• He also stated that Canadian citizens in a third country will not be able to apply for an Indian visa.
• However, the spokesperson informed that anyone with a valid visa or other documents can travel to India.
• Replying to a query on the number of Canadian Diplomats in India, Mr Bagchi stated that there will be a reduction of Diplomats from the Canadian side as India has called for parity in strength in the mutual diplomatic presence.
• Briefing on the Hardeep Nijjar row, the spokesperson said that so far Canada has not provided any specific information on the matter whereas India has shared specific evidence with Canada about criminal activities by individuals based on Canadian soil but has not been acted upon.
• Mr Bagchi also termed the comments made by the Canadian government on the issue as politically driven.
• He further stated that Canada has become a safe haven for organized terrorism and urged the Canadian authorities not to do so anymore.
• The Spokesperson also informed that over the years India has sought either extradition request of 25 individuals with terrorism charges or assistance from Canada to take action against them but the response has not been helpful.

Health Ministry reduces qualifying percentile for NEET PG Counselling to zero across all categories this year

• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has reduced the cut-off percentile for Postgraduate courses (Medical/ Dental) for NEET PG Counselling 2023.
• Now, the qualifying percentile has been reduced to 'zero' across all categories.
• This was announced in a notification issued by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC).
• All candidates who appeared for the NEET PG 2023 exam will now qualify to participate in the postgraduate medical counsel ling rounds. Medical aspirants can check out the official notice on the official website: mcc.nic.in
• MCC announced that the cut-off has been reduced to 0 from 291, out of a total of 800 marks, for the general category and 257 for the reserved category.
• Fresh registrations and choice filling process for the NEET PG counselling 2023 round 3 will also be opened again for those who are now eligible to take part.
• Candidates will be notified soon about the fresh NEET PG round 3 registration dates on the MCC's website.

PM to inaugurate ‘International Lawyers’ Conference 2023’ on 23rd September in New Delhi

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the ‘International Lawyers’ Conference 2023’ at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
• Prime Minister will also address the gathering on the occasion.
• International Lawyer's Conference 2023 is being organised by the Bar Council of India on the theme ‘Emerging Challenges in Justice Delivery System’ .
• The conference aims to serve as a platform for meaningful dialogue and discussion on various legal topics of national and international importance, foster the exchange of ideas and experiences, and strengthen international cooperation and understanding on legal issues.
• The conference, which is being organised for the first time in the country, will discuss topics such as emerging legal trends, challenges in cross-border litigation, legal technology, environmental law etc.
• The programme will witness the participation of distinguished judges, legal professionals, and leaders of the global legal fraternity.

Shri Manoj Ahuja launches Innovative Mobile Application and Web Portal for General Crop Estimation Survey (GCES) to Revolutionize Farming Practices

• Shri Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) launched the mobile application and the web portal for GCES (General Crop Estimation Survey).
• This revolutionary portal and mobile application have been designed to transform agricultural practices across the nation.
• Shri Ahuja emphasized the need for real-time estimates and technology in agriculture.
• He mentioned that the accuracy of the data is a very important component for truthful and reliable outcome generation and the responsibility of ensuring accuracy of the data lies with the data providers as well.
• Hence, he requested all the states to adopt the GCES portal and application to ensure creditability.

Key Challenges Addressed by GCES Web Portal and Mobile Application:

1. Delay in Reporting- Till date data collection, compilation and yield estimation is completely manual process that cause delay in reporting by states. In the new process, the field data will be collected using GPS enabled mobile application and will be stored in the server which ensures on time reporting of crop statistics.
2. Transparency- GPS enabled devices provide precise latitude and longitude coordinates for data collection points. This information ensures that data is linked to specific geographic locations, leaving no room for ambiguity or manipulation of data regarding where it was collected.

Key Features of the GCES Web Portal and Mobile Application:

1. Comprehensive Information- The portal and the app provide a comprehensive repository of yield estimation including village wise GCES plan and plot details where the crop cutting experiments are conducted, post harvesting crop weight and driage weight of the crop.
2. Geo-referencing- Geo-referencing is one of the key features of the mobile application, which enables the primary worker to draw the boundary of the experimental plot and upload photos of the plot as well as of the crops through it. This feature will ensure transparency and accuracy of the data as well.

Shri Kailash Choudhary Launches AI Chatbot for PM-KISAN Scheme

• Union Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India launched an AI Chatbot for the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme in New Delhi.
• The AI Chatbot launch marks a significant step towards enhancing the efficiency and reach of the PM-KISAN scheme, and also providing farmers prompt, clear, and accurate responses to their queries.
• Launching the AI Chatbot, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Kailash Choudhary said the initiative is in in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to bring positive change to the lives of farmers and improve governance through the use of technology.
• Shri Chaudhary said the AI Chatbot will help in accessing scheme information and resolving grievances.
• He also called upon the need to widen the service to link it with other related issues like weather information, soil conditions and bank payments etc.
• The minister complimented the Ministry officials for onboarding the technology in a short span of time and added that it will ease the burden for agriculture officials at the Centre and states.
• During the virtual event, dignitaries from the Government of India and the State Government gathered to celebrate this significant milestone in the agricultural sector.
• The successful launch of the AI Chatbot for PM KISAN scheme reaffirms the Government's commitment to leveraging technological advancements for the welfare of farmers.

About PM-KISAN

• The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) is a central sector scheme launched in February 2019 to support the financial needs of land-holding farmers in India. The scheme offers an annual financial benefit of Rs 6,000/- in three equal instalments to eligible farmers’ families through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode. Since its inception, over Rs. 2.61 Lakhs Crores disbursed to more than 11 Crore farmers so far, it stands as one of the largest DBT schemes globally. T

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

President Droupadi Murmu to inaugurate first Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show at Greater Noida

• President Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate the first Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show in India Expo Centre and Mart in Greater Noida.
• The trade show will be held from September 21 to 25.
• Governor of state Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister of UP Yogi Adityanath and Industrial Minister Nand Gopal Nandi will also be present on the inaugural pharmaceuticals, dairy, electronics, and e-commerce.

Key Highlights

• State government departments and institutions, along with Mumbai Dabbawala, will conduct informative sessions on various business activities.
• Additionally, 108 new startups will also participate in the show.
• More than five lakh visitors, including international attendees, are anticipated to attend the trade show.
• The five-day event will be held at the India Expo Mart in Knowledge Park, Greater Noida.
• It is expected to work as a platform for the products, specialities, cuisine and culture of the state to get international exposure and market opportunities.
• So far, around 400 participants from more than 60 countries have registered for the event.
• Over 2000 exhibitors will showcase their products across a wide spectrum of sectors, including function.
• Over 2000 exhibitors will showcase their products across a wide spectrum of sectors, including automobiles, handicrafts, healthcare, food processing, automobiles, handicrafts, healthcare, food processing, pharmaceuticals, dairy, electronics, and e-commerce. Entry for the general public to the show will be free.

The fourth meeting of the G-20 Infrastructure Working Group begins in Madhya Pradesh

• Under India's G-20 presidency, a two-day, fourth meeting of the G-20 Infrastructure Working Group began at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh.
• This is the last meeting of the Infrastructure Working Group under the Indian G20 Presidency.
• It has brought together more than 54 delegates from the G20 member countries, guest countries, and international organizations invited by India.
• The forum is deliberating on the key issues in continuation of the discussions held during the previous three IWG meetings.
• The meeting is being hosted and chaired by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India along with Australia and Brazil as co-chairs.
• In the various sessions of the meeting, the challenges faced in mobilizing financial resources along with promoting private investment in urban infrastructure were discussed.

4th Nadi Utsav to commence at IGNCA in New Delhi

• The 4th Nadi Utsav will commence at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) in New Delhi.
• The river-themed event will focus on Yamuna this year.
• The three-day event will feature a wide rang e of programs including Cultural Performances, a book fair, a documentary film festival, and a puppet show.
• It will also showcase exhibition events featuring pictures, Sanjhi Art, and paintings by school children, all around the theme of river conservation.
• National Mission on Cultural Mapping Assistant Director Abhay Mishra expressed his desire for a huge turnout and a heightened awareness regarding the water bodies amongst the youth and public.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

India-US Army to host Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference from 25th September

• The Defence Ministry, the Indian Army and the United States Army will co-host a joint military conference in New Delhi from the 25th to the 27th of September 2023.
• Chiefs of Armies and delegates of thirty-five countries will attend the 13th Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference IPACC, the 47th Indo-Pacific Armies Management Seminar IPAMS, and the 9th Senior Enlisted Leaders Forum SELF.
• The Ministry, it will primarily feature Army Chiefs and senior-level leaders from land forces of the Indo-Pacific region.
• It added the conference will allow the exchange of ideas and views on security and contemporary issues.
• The core effort of the forum will be to promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region through mutual understanding, dialogue, and friend ship amongst the littoral partners.
• The central theme for this forum is “Together for Peace: Sustaining Peace and Stability in the Indo-Pacific Region.”
• This event will be organized in Manekshaw Centre in Delhi Cantt and will see over 150 delegates participate in various Plenary and Round-Table Sessions.
• It will feature plenary sessions and informal meetings in three tiers.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

In Wrestling, India's Antim Panghal wins bronze medal at World Championships in Serbia

• Young Indian wrestler Antim Panghal secured a bronze medal in the women's 53 kg category at the ongoing World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.
• He also secured the Paris Olympics 2024 quota for India.
• 19-year-old Antim beat two-time European Champion Emma Jonna Denise Malmgren in the bronze medal bout by 16-6.
• This is India's first medal at the ongoing edition of the tournament.
• Antim has captured India's 23rd medal in the World Championships till date, which includes one gold, five silver and 17 bronze medals.
• Earlier, Antim Panghal had upset 2022 world champion Dominique Olivia Parrish of the USA 3-2 in the opening round.
• The Indian grappler then sealed a win over Poland’s Roksana Marta Zasina in the round of 16 before winning 9-6 against Russia’s Natalia Malysheva in the quarter-finals.
• However, Vanesa Kaladzinskaya of Belarus got the better of Antim by a 5-4 margin in the women’s 53kg freestyle semi-finals at the World Championships 2023.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

3 Idiots Actor Akhil Mishra Passed Away At 67

• Actor Akhil Mishra, who has worked in films such as the Aamir Khan-starrer ‘3 Idiots’ and ‘Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain’ passed away after an accident in the kitchen.
• He was 67.

About Akhil

• Akhil Mishra, was born in 1965.
• He has worked in films such as ‘Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi’, ‘Gandhi, My Father’ and television serials such as ‘Pradhanmantri’.
• He gained popularity by doing the cameo role of Librarian Dubey in '3 Idiots' and playing the role of Umed Singh Bundela in Uttaran starring Tina Datta and Rashami Desai.
• Akhil was first married to Manju Mishra in 1983 who had acted with him in his first feature film 'Dhat Tere...Ki' in 1983 and a serial 'Grihalakshmi Ka Jinn'.
• After Manju’s death in 1997, he got married to German actress Suzanne Bernert in February 2009.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of Sign Languages 2023: September 23

• The International Day of Sign Languages is celebrated every year on 23rd September.
• The UN General Assembly announced that the International Day of Sign Language is observed on 23rd September of every year.
• The International Day of Sign Languages was first celebrated in the year of 2018.
• It is observed as part of the International Week of the Deaf.
• September 23 is chosen to celebrate this day because on this date the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) was formed in the year of 1951.
• According to the World Federation of the Deaf, more than 70 million people are deaf all over the world.
• Most of them are from developing countries.
• Overall, there are more than 300 different languages used by them.

Daily CA One-Liner : September 23 

• The Ministry of Finance approved a series of welfare measures for the benefit of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) agents and employees.
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) pared its growth forecast for India’s economy to 6.3% for this year, from 6.4% estimated earlier, citing the impact of falling exports and erratic rainfall patterns that could hit farm output.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Varanasi to inaugurate 16 Atal Awasiya Vidyalayas built across Uttar Pradesh.
• India's leading airline, IndiGo, has announced new direct flights connecting Hyderabad and Colombo from November this year.
• India has temporarily suspended visa services in Canada including E-visa.
• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has reduced the cut-off percentile for Postgraduate courses (Medical/ Dental) for NEET PG Counselling 2023
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate ‘International Lawyers’ Conference 2023’ at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi
• Shri Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) launched the mobile application and the web portal for GCES (General Crop Estimation Survey).
• The Union Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India launched an AI Chatbot for the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme in New Delhi.
• President Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate the first Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show in India Expo Centre and Mart in Greater Noida.
• Under India's G-20 presidency, a two-day, fourth meeting of the G-20 Infrastructure Working Group began at Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh.
• The 4th Nadi Utsav will commence at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) in New Delhi.
• The Defence Ministry, the Indian Army and the United States Army will co-host a joint military conference in New Delhi from the 25th to the 27th of this month.
• Young Indian wrestler Antim Panghal secured a bronze medal in the women's 53 kg category at the ongoing World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.
• Actor Akhil Mishra, who has worked in films such as the Aamir Khan-starrer ‘3 Idiots’ and ‘Bhopal: A Prayer for Rain’ passed away after an accident in the kitchen.
• The International Day of Sign Languages is celebrated every year on 23rd September.