Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of Mar 08th to 14th Mar 2023. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBI Clerk 2023 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

• International Women’s Day 2023 is celebrated on 8th March 2023
• National No Smoking Day, is held every second Wednesday of March
• CISF Raising Day is celebrated on 10th March 2023
• International Day of Action of Rivers 2023 is an international event celebrated on March 14th, 2023

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

• The ministry of ports, shipping and waterways has sanctioned seven floating jetty projects situated on Gurupura River and Netravati River in Karnataka
• Bureau of India Standards (BIS) has prohibited the sale of hallmarked gold jewelry or gold artefacts without 6 digit alphanumeric Hallmark Unique Identification Number (HUID) after 31st March 2023
• World's first 200-meter-long Bamboo Crash Barrier has been installed on Vani-Warora Highway
• Union Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy R K Singh has recently launched the Voluntary Star Labelling Programme and iDEEKSHA portal
• President Droupadi Murmu launched the Jal Shakti Abhiyan - Catch the Rain 2023 campaign for the sustainability of drinking water in New Delhi.
• Union Minister Parshottam Rupala inaugurated Camel Product Processing Utilisation & Training Wing at ICAR-National Research Centre on Camel in Bikaner
• Hydrogen-based advanced Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) launched by Union Minister Shri Hardeep Singh Puri in New Delhi
• Nano liquid DAP fertilizer approved by the Government for farmers.
• Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Renuka Singh S aruta inaugurated the Mara Tribal Girls' Hostel in Lunglei in Mizoram
• Centre launched a first-of-its-kind National Survey of Enemy Properties
• India recently proposed to launch International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) to protect big cats and assured support over five years with guaranteed funding of $100 million
• IIM Kashipur’s Foundation for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (FIED) has helped facilitate ₹5 crore funding for 15 agri start-ups at Uttishtha 2023, its annual entrepreneurship summit recently
• PM Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese inaugurated the friendship hall of fame in Ahmedabad
• A High Price Day Ahead Market and Surplus Power Portal (PUShP) has been launched by the central government
• Union Minister Shri Hardeep Singh Puri launched a three-week long women-led cleanliness campaign 'Swachhotsav'.
• The Ministry of Power has mandated new coal or lignite-based thermal plants to either set up renewable energy capacity equivalent to at least 40 per cent of the thermal plant's capacity or procure that much supply of green energy under renewable purchase obligation
• First India-Bangladesh cross-border oil pipeline will be virtually inaugurated by PM Modi and Bangladesh PM Hasina on March 18
• NITI Aayog has released the Task Force report titled “Production and Promotion of Organic and Bio fertilisers with Special Focus on Improving Economic Viability of Gaushalas”.
• A new initiative called 'beggar-free city' has been started in Nagpur, Maharashtra
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has amended the Border Security Force, General Duty Cadre (Non-Gazetted) Recruitment Rules, 2015 to give 10% reservation for ex-Agniveers in BSF recruitment
• Central Railway has achieved complete electrification of its 3,825 kilometers long broad gauge network
• With the National Board of Wildlife giving its approval, the decks have finally been cleared for the induction of the Indian Air Force's mountain radar in Ladakh
• NTPC, the country’s largest integrated energy utility, has started commercial operation of 1st Unit of 660 MW at North Karanpura (3*660 MW), in Jharkhand.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• A group of 16 countries led by Vanuatu - an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, launched an effort to fight the problem of climate change at the United Nations (UN).

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Australia Mr Anthony Albanese held bilateral talks in New Delhi.

• The government of Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has announced plans to establish RAK Digital Assets Oasis, the world's first free zone dedicated to digital and virtual asset companies.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

• The government of Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has announced plans to establish RAK Digital Assets Oasis, the world's first free zone dedicated to digital and virtual asset companies.
• Madhya Pradesh (MP) Chief Minister (CM) Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has launched  a unique scheme namely Mukhyamantri Ladli Bahna Yojana at Jamboree Maidan in Bhopal, MP.
• The Group 20 (G20) delegates visited the Sultanpur National Park, formerly known as Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, located in the Gurgaon district in Haryana which is one of the 75 Ramsar sites in the country.
• Union Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw and 4 Sikkim ministers released a unique cover of the Department of Posts, 'Go Green, Go Organic' for Sikkim.
• Odisha Chief Minister (CM) Shri Naveen Patnaik unveiled former CM Biju Patnaik's iconic "Dakota" DC3 (AT-AUI) aircraft for public display at Biju Patnaik International Airport Bhubaneswar.
• The Yaoshang festival has begun and will continue for 5 days in Manipur.
• Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister (CM) Shri Yogi Adityanath has decided to exempt road tax and registration fees on purchase of Electric Vehicles (EVs) for 3 years from the 14th of October, 2022, to promote electric vehicles.
• Madhya Pradesh (MP) Chief Minister (CM) Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan declared Tehsil Mauganj of Rewa district as the 53rd district of MP.
• Attukal Pongala, arguably the largest festival of women in the world, began at the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
• The Keeladi museum was inaugurated by Tamil Nadu (TN) Chief Minister (CM) Shri M.K. Stalin in the Sivaganga district, TN.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

• A list of 15 designated Qualified Stock Brokers (QSBs) issued by the National Stock Exchange (NSE)
• Certain specified incomes of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) have been granted tax exemption by Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)
• BSE and UN Women India launched a new programme, 'FinEMPOWER', at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
• According to National Statistics Office (NSO) data, India’s per capita income has reached ₹72 lakhs in 2022-23 from ₹86,647 in 2014-15
• The government has stated that the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 will apply to trade in crypto currency or virtual assets
• Flipkart has launched ‘Flipkart Samarth Krishi’ program to provide farming communities and Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) with national market access and more negotiation power.
• Apple partner Foxconn is stepping up its India business plans and investments significantly, in a move that is being seen as a shift from China just like its key customer
• Mudra loans disbursal is likely to create an all-time record in the current financial year
• Project Icebreaker, a joint initiative from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) and the central banks of Israel, Norway, and Sweden, has successfully concluded a study on the potential benefits and challenges of using retail central bank digital currencies (CBDC) in international payments.
• Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani & his group will be investing in Andhra Pradesh to set up a 10-gigawatt renewable solar energy project

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND ECONOMY

• The Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Shri Shaktikanta Das launched the Mission ‘Har Payment Digital’ on the occasion of the Digital Payments Awareness Week (DPAW) 2023.
• The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has notified 15 stock brokers as Qualified Stock Brokers (QSBs).
• Max Life Insurance Company Ltd (Max Life) and Ujjivan Small Finance Bank (SFB) have launched a cooperation to provide Ujjivan SFB customers with holistic life insurance options.
• In a big boost to the insolvency regime, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has granted tax exemption to certain specified incomes of the insolvency regulator Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) for 5 financial years starting from the current fiscal.
• The European Investment Bank (EIB) and state-owned Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) Limited are exploring a partnership on financing of renewable energy and green hydrogen projects in India.
• The Government of India (GoI) and the World Bank signed two complementary loans of $500 million Public Health Systems for Pandemic Preparedness Program (PHSPP) & a $500 million Enhanced Health Service Delivery Program (EHSDP) to support and improve public healthcare infrastructure in India.
• In a move to safeguard customers from fraudulent payment of cheques, state-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) has made the Positive Pay System (PPS) compulsory for cheque payments worth Rs 5 lakh and above.
• Private sector lender City Union Bank (CUB) has launched its first-ever credit card service, the Dhi CUB Visa Signature Credit Card, in partnership with credit cards-as-a-service provider 42 Card Solutions Pvt Ltd (42 CS)
• On International Women’s Day,March 08, 2023 Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company (Kotak Mutual Fund) has launched a digital campaign named ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality,’.
• Financial services company Bajaj Finserv has received the final registration from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to start its mutual fund (MF) business operations under Bajaj Finserv Mutual Fund.
• Axis Bank, India’s third largest private sector bank, has collaborated with ITC Limited to offer the Bank’s lending products and services to farmers who are a part of ITC’s agriculture ecosystem.
• YES Bank has entered into a co-lending partnership with Aadhar Housing Finance Ltd to offer home loans at competitive interest rates.
• Ujjivan Small Finance Bank (Ujjivan SFB) has launched the ‘Unpause Initiative’, a programme designed to assist women who have taken a career break for any reason and are now ready to return to the workforce.
• According to the latest report by PayNearby in association with RBI Innovation Hub, Insurance penetration among women in rural India remains a concern with only 1% insured and 29% aware of the insurance products offered.
• Equitas Small Finance Bank has signed a partnership as the ‘Proud Banking Partner’ with the 2022 Tata IPL champions - Gujarat Titans for the 2023 season.
• A Mega Currency Chest has been opened by Bandhan Bank in Kolkata, West Bengal.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) infused liquidity amounting to ₹82,650 crore into the banking system via the 14-day Variable Rate Repo (VRR) auction.
• State-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Central Warehousing Corporation(CWC), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate financing under e-NWR (Electronic Negotiable Warehousing Receipt).
• In an initiative to promote Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has become the 1st metro in India to accept the digital currency in its parking facilities.
• The market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) announced a reward system of up to Rs 20 lakh for informants who share information about the assets of defaulters.
• Muthoot Finance has announced the extension of its National Pension Scheme (NPS) services to both its domestic and Non Non Resident Indian (NRI) customers through its website and the iMuthoot app.
• PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited (PNB MetLife), one of India’s leading life insurance companies has launced PNB MetLife Genius plan a new solution to help parents financially prepare to support their children’s future.

• The Government of India and the World Bank have signed two complementary loans of $500 million each to support and enhance India’s health sector development.
• The European Investment Bank and state-owned Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) Limited are exploring a partnership on financing of renewable energy and green hydrogen projects in India.
• ICICI Bank has launched an array of digital solutions for participants of the capital market and clients of custody services.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

• NTPC received the CBIP Award 2022 for ‘Outstanding Contribution in Power Generation’
• Sipra Das awarded with Lifetime Achievement award at the 8th National Photography Award ceremony
• Noted Hindi writer Dr Gyan Chaturvedi’s 2018 satirical novel, Pagalkhana, has been selected for the 32nd Vyas Samman, 2022
• In 95th Academy Awards ceremony, India’s ‘Naatu Naatu song’ from SS Rajamouli’s film RRR made history by becoming the first Indian film to win an Oscar for best original song

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

• A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court (SC) ruled that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs) should be appointed by the President on the advice of a committee.
• Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) of Nagaland leader Shri Neiphiu Rio was sworn in as the Chief Minister (CM) of Nagaland for the 5th time in Kohima, Nagaland.
• National People's Party (NPP) chief Shri Conrad K Sagma took oath as the CM of Meghalaya for a second consecutive term in presence of PM Shri Narendra Modi.
• Kuwait's crown prince Mr Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah re-appointed Mr Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf al-Sabah as Prime Minister(PM) of the Kuwait Government and asked him to nominate members of the new cabinet.
• Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Ms Shalija Dhami has become the first woman officer of the IAF to be given command of a frontline combat unit.
• Shri S S Dubey took charge as the 28th Controller General of Accounts (CGA), Ministry of Finance.
• Ms Salhoutuono Kruse, the National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) candidate from Western Angami seat, became the first woman to be sworn in as a minister in Nagaland’s history.
• Mr Arun Subramanian became the first Indian American to become the Judge of the Manhattan Federal District Court of New York.
• Reliance Industries has appointed Mr Hitesh Sethia, as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) of its newly created financial services unit, Jio Financial Services (JFS).
• PepsiCo owned snack brand Kurkure has onboarded Bollywood actor Sara Ali Khan as its new brand ambassador.
• Slice, a fruit-flavoured soft drinks brand from PepsiCo, has onboarded bollywood actor Kiara Advani as its brand ambassador replacing Katrina Kaif.
• Nepali Congress senior leader, Mr Ram Chandra Poudel has been elected as the 3rd President of Nepal & he will replace Ms Bidya Devi Bhandari
• The Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) Colonel Geeta Rana became the 1st female commander to assume control of a stand-alone field workshop in the Eastern Ladakh sector with China.
• China's Mr Xi Jinping sworn in for his third term as the country's head of state.
• Axis Asset Management Company has appointed Mr B Gopkumar, the managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) at Axis Securities, as the new MD & CEO of leading fund house Axis Asset Management Company Ltd. (AMC). 
• Consumer goods conglomerate Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has announced that Mr Rohit Jawa will take over as the new Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HUL for a tenure of 5 years starting from June 27, 2023, and will join the company as CEO designate and Whole-time Director from April 1, 2023. 
• IndusInd Bank has announced that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the re-appointment of Mr Sumant Kathpalia as Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Bank for a further period of 2 years with effect from March 24, 2023.
• Mr Bhanu Vohra has been named by Citi as Head of Commercial Banking in India.

• Pramerica Life Insurance Limited has appointed Pankaj Gupta as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND REPORTS

• India ranks 108th in the Electoral Democracy Index of the V-dem Democracy report 2023
• As per ACI, Delhi airport is one of the best and cleanest airports in Asia Pacific.
• According to UNICEF, since 2020, the number of pregnant women and nursing mothers suffering from undernutrition has increased by 25 percent in 12 countries.
• Maharashtra and Gujarat recorded a positive growth in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the current fiscal even as the overall FDI inflows into the country decelerated due to rising global interest rates, waning investor sentiment and gloomy growth outlook

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ENVIRONMENT

• A tiger and tigress were reintroduced in the Madhav National Park (MNP) in Madhya Pradesh’s (MP) Shivpuri district in a bid to revive the big cat population in the area.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT 

• First 'High Sea Treaty' has been signed by United Nations
• The Ministry of Rural Development has extended its Memorandum of Understanding with “NIFT” – the National Institute of Fashion Technology for providing design support for the products made by Self Help Groups of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihood Mission
• India and Mexico signed an agreement on research, technology and innovation cooperation in New Delhi.
• The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) under the Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry; and the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) signed an MoU to strengthen value-based sports education amongst school children and teachers
• Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kerala Electrical & Allied Engineering (KEL), a state-owned enterprise of Kerala, for the joint research and development of a lightweight bailey bridge with a carbon fibre composite deck
• Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) and HDFC Bank announced a partnership to launch a co-branded travel credit card.
• India and the US have signed a pact on establishing semiconductor supply chain and innovation partnership seeking to put in place a collaborative mechanism on semiconductor supply chain resiliency and diversification in view of the US’s CHIPS and Science Act and India’s Semiconductor Mission
• Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), the principal financial institution engaged in the promotion, financing and development of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ShowReel for developing an online digital platform 
• Boeing announced an agreement with GMR Aero Technic to establish a new Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) line in Hyderabad
• Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) have agreed to work together to offer enterprise customers captive non-public network (CNPN) services.
• Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Samagra Shiksha, Assam, (SSA) under the Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan to develop scientific temper and strengthen students' ability to handle challenging environments.
• Tata Steel Mining Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gas Authority of India (GAIL) Limited, in order to reduce carbon footprint in its operations, and for the supply of natural gas to its Ferro Alloys Plant at Athgarh in Odisha's Cuttack district.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

• Indian Naval Ship (INS) Trikand is participating in the International Maritime Exercise/ Cutlass Express 2023 (IMX/CE-23) being held in the Gulf region from 26 Feb to 16 Mar 23.
• The Indian Navy (IN) successfully test-fired the ship-launched version of the BrahMos supersonic missile in the Arabian Sea.
• In a historic first, 8 aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) landed at a Royal Saudi Air Force base heralding a new chapter in the defence relationship between the two countries.
• The maiden Joint Military Exercise FRINJEX-23 between Indian Army and French Army will be conducted at Pangode Military Station in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on March 7-8, 2023.
• A Russian submarine in the Sea of Japan has hit a land target over 1,000 kilometres (621 miles) away with a Kalibr cruise missile in a drill.
• The Indian Navy (IN) received for the first time a fully indigenised fuze YDB-60 for underwater Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) Rocket RGB(Rocket Guided Bomb) -60 used from major warships, through a private manufacturer M/s Economic Explosives Limited (EEL), Nagpur, Maharashtra, India.
• The Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed contracts with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) for procurement of 70 HTT-40 Basic Trainer Aircraft worth ₹9,936 crore & 3 Cadet Training Ships worth more than three thousand 100 crore rupees respectively.
• Indian Navy’s major Operational level exercise Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise TROPEX - 2023, conducted across the expanse of Indian Ocean Region (IOR) over a duration of 4 months from November 2022 to March 2023, culminated in the Arabian Sea.
• Colombia has allowed women to join the military for the first time in 25 years.
• The National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) cleared all ways for Indian Air Force (IAF) to set up mountain radars in Ladakh by giving approval for their induction.

• The Indian Navy's Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sumedha took part in two significant regional naval and defence exhibitions: the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) IDEX 23 (International Defense Exhibition) and NAVDEX 23 (Naval Defense Exhibition 23), both of which took place in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from February 20 to 24, 2023.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kashipur Foundation for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (FIED) helped facilitate Rs 5 crore funding for 15 agri start-ups at its annual entrepreneurship summit, 7th edition of Uttishtha 2023.
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted the flight acceptance hot test of the CE-20 cryogenic engine.
• The Indian Navy carried out a successful test-firing of a Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) from frontline warship Indian Naval Ship (INS) Visakhapatnam,Andhra Pradesh(AP).
• China Launched Zhongxing-26 (ChinaSat-26), a communications satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) by a Long March 3B rocket lifted off from Xichang Space Centre (XLSC), southwest China.
• The Indian Railways is collaborating with Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) under the Real Time Train Information System (RTIS) project.
• The US Space Agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has handed over the Earth observation satellite, NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at Bengaluru, Karnataka.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITION AND MERGERS

• Payment app Slice has invested $3.42 million to acquire a 5% equity stake in Guwahati-based North East Small Finance Bank.
• The Bank of Baroda (BoB) board has approved up to 49% divestment in its wholly owned subsidiary BoB Financial Solutions Ltd (BFSL).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

• Karnataka defeated Meghalaya by 3-2 to win the Santosh Trophy football after 54 years
• Defending champion Max Verstappen and Red Bull flexed their muscles at the start of the 2023 season, as the Dutchman won the season-opening race in Sakhir Bahrain Grand Prix by over 10 seconds over his teammate Sergio Perez
• Mirabai Chanu has won the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year (ISWOTY) award for the second consecutive time
• The ‘Rest of India’ team defeats Madhya Pradesh to lift the prestigious Irani Cup title
• Sports Minister Anurag Thakur launched Yuva Utsava - India@2047 from Ropar in Punjab
• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that the 140th IOC Session would be held in Mumbai from October 15 to 17

• Veteran Bollywood actor-writer-director Satish Kaushik passed away at the age of 67.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHORS

• Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya released the book ‘India’s Vaccine Growth Story - From Cowpox to Vaccine Maitri’ authored by Shri Sajjan Singh Yadav, Additional Secretary, Govt of India at the World Book fair 2023, at Pragati Maidan
• “As Good as My Word” This book by former Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrasekhar offers a critique of institutions and covers a period marked by much tumult

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

• Former union minister and the West Bengal(WB) Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP's) ex-president Satyabrata Mookherjee passed away in Kolkata, WB at the age of 90.
• A World renowned Indian classical dancer & Mohiniyattam exponent Kanak Y. Rele passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra at the age of 85.

• Satyabrata Mookherjee, a former Lok Sabha member and Additional Solicitor General (ASG) of India, died in Kolkata, West Bengal, on March 3, 2023, at the age of 90.