Latest Current Affairs For Thursday 9th March, 2023

Yaoshang festival begins in Manipur

The Yaoshang festival has begun in Manipur on March 7, 2023, and will continue for five days.

The festival is celebrated by the Meetei who are predominantly Hindu and it is celebrated at the same time as Holi.

However, during the Yaoshang festival, apart from playing with colour, the festival also witnessed a number of cultural and religious activities for five days.

The Manipur Governor and CM conveyed warm greetings to the people of Manipur.

Ashwini Vaishnaw released special ‘Go Green, Go Organic’ cover for Sikkim

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and four Sikkim ministers released a unique cover of the Department of Posts, 'Go Green, Go Organic' for Sikkim.

The special cover is a testament to the state's achievements in organic farming and progress and a reminder of the importance of sustainable development for the entire country.

Sikkim is the first state in the world to get recognized as an Organic state by the World Book of Records (London).

India installs ‘World’s first’ bamboo crash barrier on Maharashtra Highway

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has installed a 200-meter-long Bamboo Crash Barrier on the Vani-Warora Highway in Maharashtra.

The highway connects the Chandrapur and Yavatmal districts of the state.

This Bamboo Crash Barrier has been christened as ‘Bahu Balli’.

Bahu Bali:

The bamboo species used in the making of this barrier is Bambusa Balcoa.

It is treated with creosote oil and coated with recycled High-Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE).

Odisha CM unveils Dakota aircraft for public viewing in Bhubaneswar

Odisha's CM, Naveen Patnaik has unveiled the iconic Dakota aircraft of legendary leader Biju Patnaik for public viewing at the Bhubaneswar Airport.

It was unveiled on the 107th birth anniversary of the former CM of Odisha.

It was brought from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata to Bhubaneswar on January 18, 2023.

A 10-member team of Aerospace Research Development required has dismantled the aircraft and packed it in proper shape for public viewing. 

Max Life partners with Ujjivan SFB to offer life insurance solutions

Max Life Insurance and Ujjivan Small Finance Bank have partnered to offer life insurance offerings to Ujjivan SFB’s customers.

Through this partnership, both will offer a range of savings, protection, retirement, and group life insurance plans to Ujjivan SFB customers.

Max Life Insurance Company Limited is a joint venture between Max Financial Services Limited and Axis Bank Limited.

Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Limited began its operations in February 2017.

International Women's Day 2023: 8th March

International Women's Day is observed every year on March 8 to raise awareness about gender equality and create a better society free of gender bias.

The day celebrates women and addresses issues such as women's equal rights, violence and abuse against women, and reproductive rights.

2023 Theme:  DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality. 

This theme emphasizes the importance of technology in bringing gender issues to light.

Indian Navy successfully tests MRSAM from INS Visakhapatnam

The Indian Navy successfully fired a medium-range surface-to-surface missile (MRSAM) from INS Visakhapatnam.

Reason: To validate the capability of the anti-tank missiles

MRSAM was developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and produced at Bharat Dynamics Ltd.

The DRDO has already handed over two other versions to Indian Army and Indian Air Force to augment the country’s air defense power.

BSE & UN Women India launches a new programme 'FinEMPOWER'

Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and UN Women India launched a new program named 'FinEMPOWER' on 8th March 2023.

It is a year-long joint capacity-building program between BSE and UN Women to empower women toward financial security.

BSE and UN Women India collaboratively organized the 'Ring the Bell for Gender Equality' ceremony to accelerate investment in women leaders and entrepreneurs at BSE.

MD and CEO of BSE: Sundararaman Ramamurthy

Arun Subramanian becomes first Indian-American judge in NY District court

Indian-American Arun Subramaniam has been confirmed as the first South Asian District Judge for the Southern District of New York.

His nomination was confirmed by Senate Majority Leader Senator Chuck Schumer by a vote of 58-37.

He received his Juris Doctor (J.D) from Columbia Law School in 2004 and his BA from Case Western Reserve University in 2001.

South District New York notably has one of the largest South Asian-American populations in the country.

Manik Saha sworn in as chief minister of Tripura for second time

Dr. Manik Saha has been sworn in as the new chief minister of Tripura for the second consecutive term.

Tripura governor Satyadeo Narain Arya administered the oath to him at Vivekananda Maidan in the capital city of Tripura, Agartala.

The oath ceremony was attended by PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

In 2022, he was made the chief minister after replacing Biplab Deb.

He joined the BJP in 2016 after quitting Congress.

He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in March 2022.

PM Narendra Modi to be awarded prestigious Lokmanya Tilak Award 2023

The Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust (Hind Swaraj Sangh) would confer the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2023 to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Pune on August 1, 2023.

Reason: This award recognizes PM Modi's supreme leadership under which India has climbed the ladder of progress

It is presented annually on the occasion of Lokmanya Tilak's death anniversary.

Other awardees: Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Sharad Pawar, Cyrus Poonawalla, and Manmohan Singh. 

J&K Bank wins award for Best Performance in CASA

Jammu & Kashmir Bank has been felicitated for the Best Performance in CASA-India (1st Runner up in Small Bank Category) at ICC Emerging Asia Banking Conclave & Awards 2022.

The event was participated by banks from India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka & Myanmar.

The function was organized by the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Goa.

Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is a non-governmental trade association and advocacy group headquartered in Calcutta.

India poised to become world’s 2nd-largest economy by 2075: Goldman Sachs

According to the Investment Bank Goldman Sachs, India is poised to become the world’s second-largest economy by 2075.

As per the report, India would cross Japan, Germany, and the US With a population of 1.4 billion people.

India’s GDP is estimated to expand remarkably, reaching 52.5 trillion dollars surpassing the US GDP projection.

The labour force participation set to make India the second-largest economy in the world by 2075.

L&T and Spain's Navantia sign agreement for submarine project

L&T has signed a teaming agreement with Spanish-based Navantia for the submission of a techno-commercial bid for the Indian Navy’s prestigious P75 (India) submarine program.

P75 (India) Submarine Project is expected to be valued at €4.8 billion.

Navantia would carry out the design of P75(I) submarines based on its S80 class of submarines.

The first S80 class submarine was launched in 2021 and is undergoing sea trials prior to its delivery to Spanish Navy. 

India overtakes China as most attractive emerging market for investing

According to a study by Invesco Global Sovereign Asset Management, India has overtaken China to become the most attractive emerging market for investing in sovereign wealth funds this year.

Reason: This is due to its solid demographics, political stability, and proactive regulation. 

Positives for the nation also include the rapidly expanding demography, strong regulatory actions, and a welcoming climate for sovereign investors.

World Population Day 2023: 11 July

World Population Day is observed every year on July 11 in order to raise awareness about global population issues, including population control.

2023 theme: Unleashing the power of gender equality: Uplifting the voices of women and girls to unlock our world’s infinite possibilities. 

It was established by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1989, after the day the world approximately reached a population of five billion, which was observed on 11 July 1987.

MoHUA conducts SBM-U 2.0 Planning & Implementation Review-cum-Workshop

The Housing Ministry organized a review-cum-workshop to evaluate and accelerate the planning and implementation of the SBM-Urban 2.0.

PM Modi launched the 2.0 versions of SBM-U and AMRUT on October 1, 2021.

SBM-U 2.0: Achieving 100% waste segregation in all households and premises and 100% door-to-door collection of segregated waste from each. 

AMRUT 2.0: To provide complete coverage of water supply to all households and sewerage and septage in 500 AMRUT cities. 

Gujarat CM launches pilot project of ‘Antyodaya Shramik Suraksha Yojana’

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel launched the Antyodaya Shram Suraksha Accident Insurance Scheme from Kheda

All those registered under the e-Shram portal from Nadiad will benefit from the scheme.

It is being implemented through the Indian Postal Department, the IPPB, and the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Under this scheme, insurance with a premium of Rs. 289 and Rs. 499 per year will be a big support to workers in the event of death or partial disability.

OCA elects Sheikh Talal as the new President

Kuwait’s Sheikh Talal Fahad Al Ahmad Al Sabah has been elected as the new President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

He replaced his older brother Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, who led the OCA for 30 years until 2021.

The OCA was founded in 1982 by his father Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who led it until 1990.

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is a governing body of sports in Asia, currently with 45 member National Olympic Committees.

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance wins Insurer Innovation Award 2023

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance has won the Insurer Innovation Award 2023 for the APAC region at the 8th World Digital Insurance Awards, hosted by TDI - The Digital Insurer.

Recognition: Bajaj Allianz Life's ground-breaking WhatsApp Conversational Platform - empowering customers to digitally services their policies seamlessly. 

The award entries were shortlisted by industry experts and the winner was selected by the community through pre-voting and live event voting.