IMPORTANT DAYS

Year 2023 being observed as International Year of millets

• The year 2023 is being observed all over the world as the International Year of the millets. India is the largest
producer of millets in the world. The Government of India proposed to the United Nations General
Assembly to declare 2023 as the International Year of the Millets.
• The proposal was accepted and passed by the 75th session of the UNGA in 2021 and 2023 was declared as
the International Year of Millets. The Government of India aims to make the International Year of the millets
a ‘People’s Movement’ and position India as the ‘Global Hub for Millets’.

World Hindi Day observed on 10th January

• World Hindi Day is celebrated every year on 10th January 10 to promote the Hindi language and its usage
worldwide. The first World Hindi Conference was held in January 1975 in Nagpur, Maharashtra. In 2006,
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced the day to be marked as World Hindi Day.
• In 2022, the World Heritage Centre of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation,
or UNESCO, agreed to publish descriptions of India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Hindi on its website.
The theme this year is “Hindi – Traditional Knowledge to Artificial Intelligence”.

National Youth Day observed on 12th January

• The National Youth Day is being celebrated on 12th January to commemorate the birth anniversary of Swami
Vivekananda. In 1984, the Indian government declared Swamiji's birth anniversary as National Youth Day and
since 1985, it has been celebrated to honor and recognize Vivekananda's teachings.
• In India, National Youth Day is celebrated to promote awareness of people's rights and to provide
information about them. Keeping the ideals of Swami Vivekananda alive and motivating young people is the
main objective of the celebration. The theme of this year is "Viksit Yuva-Viksit Bharat."

National Start-up Day observed on 16th January

• The founding day of Start-up India is commemorated as the National Start-up Day observed on 16th January.
The Central government has planned several events this year to celebrate the National start up day across
the country as the part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• The day is marked to encourage the spirit of entrepreneurship and promote achievements of Indian start-
ups. To celebrate the spirit of Indian start up ecosystem and mark this momentous day, DPIIT is organising
Start-up India Innovation Week from 10th to 16th January 2023.

UNESCO dedicated International Day of Education 2023 to Afghan girls, women

• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have decided to dedicate
the International Day of Education 2023 to Afghan girls and women. UNESCO will restate its plea to quickly
restore the fundamental rights of Afghan women to education.
• UNSECO and other international organizations must take concrete steps to address the issue of women and
girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. According to UNESCO, around 80% of school-aged Afghan

1 January, 2023
 girls and young women are out of school under the Taliban rule, as they denied them access to secondary
schools and universities.

National Girl Child Day observed on 24th January

• Every year National Girl Child Day celebrated on 24th January. The main objective of the celebrations is to
create awareness about education for girls and provide them with good health and nutrition. Also, the day
aims to eliminate gender biases in the country.
• The government of India launched several initiatives to raise the status of girl children in the country such as
Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, and Beti Bachao Beti Padao. The Government of India has not announced any
themes for this year’s celebrations.

National Voters Day observed on 25th January

• The National Voters Day observed every year on 25th January. The main objective behind the celebration is
to encourage, facilitate, and maximise enrolment, especially for new voters. The day has been celebrated
since 2011 across the country to mark the foundation day of the ECI.
• The theme for the year 2023 National Voters Day, ‘Nothing Like Voting, I Vote for Sure’ is dedicated to
voters and conveys individuals’ feelings and aspirations toward participation in the electoral process through
the power of their vote.

National Tourism Day observed on 25th January

• National Tourism Day is celebrated across the country on 25th January every year. The Ministry of Tourism
observes National Tourism Day to appreciate India’s beauty and spread awareness about the importance of
tourism and its impact on the economy.
• The first National Tourism Day was celebrated in 1948. In 1948, India formed its first tourism promotion
committee called the Tourist Traffic Committee. The United Nations and other international organizations
celebrate World Tourism Day on 27th September.

International Customs Day observed on 26th January

• The World Customs Organisation (WCO) marks International Customs Day on 26th January every year. The
occasion commemorates the WCO’s maiden session held in 1953. Every year, such authorities of WCO’s
member administrations organise events to celebrate International Customs Day.
• The theme of this year is ‘nurturing the next generation: Promoting a culture of knowledge-sharing and
professional pride in Customs.’ The aim is to heighten the sense of belonging to the global Customs
community.

Data Privacy Day observed on 28th January

• Every year the Data Privacy Day is observed on 28th January globally. The aim is to create more awareness
about the right to data protection and the various ways in which people can keep their data more safe. The
celebration was initiated by the Council of Europe in 2006.
• Year 2023 is 17th edition of the day. This year, leading organisations are expected to invest heavily in
updating more robust cyber security policies and procedures, enabling security automation, and monitoring
attack surfaces. The theme for this year is ‘Think Privacy First’.

2 January, 2023
 INDIAN AFFAIRS
India's first underwater metro expected to operational by December 2023
• In a first, Kolkata will soon have India’s first underwater metro service. The Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation
announced that the East-West Metro Corridor project is expected to be completed by December 2023. The
Kolkata metro tunnel in Kolkata is 13 metres below the riverbed and 33 metres below the ground.
• The underwater metro which will run through the Hoogly River will be connecting Howrah and Kolkata and
reduce the travel time from 90 minutes to 40 minutes. The metro trains that will use the underwater track
will take just 45 seconds to cross the 520-meter tunnel.

India’s second longest cable-stayed eight-lane Zuari Bridge opened in Goa

• Union Minister of Roads Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari have inaugurated the country’s second
longest cable-stayed eight-lane Zuari Bridge in Goa. Right-hand side (4-lane corridor) across the Zuari River
and approaches from Bambolim to Verna were thrown open for vehicular traffic.
• Gadkari also launched the PWD Goa App for integrated operations management. Through the insurance
scheme of the Government of Goa, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has given Rs 2 lakh each to the families of
the workers who died during the construction of the bridge.

CJI announced to launch project to provide free digital access to official law reports of its verdicts
• The Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud announced the launch of the electronic Supreme Court
Reports (e-SCR) project to provide free access to its about 34,000 judgements to lawyers, law students and
the common public.
• These verdicts will be available on the apex court website, mobile app and on the judgment portal of the
National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG); the CJI informed that at the outset of judicial proceedings on the first
working day of 2023. This will be free service available for lawyers across the country.

India received its first IVF mobile unit for animals

• India got its first In vitro fertilization (IVF) mobile unit for animals in Gujarat's Amreli. The mobile IVF lab was
inaugurated by union minister Purushottam Rupala. The IVF mobile van was "dedicated in a joint venture of
the Government of India and Amar Dairy."
• This is India's first IVF mobile unit. The IVF is a complex series of procedures used to help with fertility and
assist with the conception of a child. In animals, it is an advanced reproductive technology for the
multiplication of superior female germplasm at a higher rate.

Telangana Minister announced Hyderabad to become India’s first city with 100% sewerage facilities
• The Minister of Municipal Administration and Urban Development, IT and Industries of Telangana, K. T.
Rama Rao announced that Hyderabad will become the first city in India to have hundred per cent sewerage
facilities by April-May 2023.

3 January, 2023
• The minister informed that 31 new Sewage treatment plants are being built in the city with an investment of
Rs ₹3,866 crores. Keeping the floods of October 2020 in mind, we have developed the Strategic Nala
development program with around ₹1000 crores.

Odisha became 1st state to have separate registration for ‘vintage vehicles’
• Odisha became the ever Indian state to have a separate registration process for vintage vehicles (both two
and four wheelers) that are more than 50 years old after the ministry of road transport and highways
(MoRTH) made provision under Central Motor Vehicles (CMV) Rules, 1989, for the registration process of
vintage motor vehicles.
• MoRTH has taken initiatives to discourage the use of old vehicles by introducing a scrapping policy. Under
the CMV, 50 years old vehicles (two-wheelers and four-wheelers) from the date of their first registration
would be defined as ‘vintage motor vehicles’.

Election Commission launched 'Mission-929' to take voter turnout in Tripura to over 90

• The Election Commission of India(ECI) has started ‘Mission 929’ in Tripura .It will focus on 929 polling
booths across Tripura with a target to increase the voter turnout to 92% in the next assembly elections.
However the ECI has yet to announce the poll schedule of Tripura.
• According to the ECI, these booths recorded a voter turnout of less than 89% in the 2018 assembly polls.
Except for these booths almost all the booths in the state recorded a voter turnout of 91% or more .The
voter turnout was 89.5% in the 2018 Tripura assembly election.

Railways released energy-efficiency plan to reach 2030 net-zero goal

• The Ministry of Railway has been unveiled a five-point energy efficiency strategy to achieve carbon
neutrality by 2030. With efficient operations and increased use of renewable energy, the ministry hopes to
lower overall energy use. India has set a goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2070 as part of its
commitment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
• The policy is primarily focused on five action points: energy-efficient equipment and appliances, a cloud-
based data monitoring and management site, sustainable buildings, power quality and restoration, and
capacity building and awareness.

Government of Uttarakhand abolished system of revenue police

• The government of Uttarakhand has announced plans to eliminate the revenue policing system and integrate
revenue villages into regular police jurisdiction. All revenue villages will now be under regular policing system.
• The law and order in 1,800 revenue villages of Uttarakhand will now be handled by the state police. It was
introduced by the British in the hilly state 150 years back. Under the system the civil officials/patwari of the
Revenue department had the power to investigate and arrest the offenders just like police.

Union Ministry of Jal Shakti organised first All India Annual State Ministers Conference
• The Jal Shakti Ministry has organised the first All India Annual State Ministers Conference on Water in
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The aim is to bring together key policymakers to discuss ways to harness water
resources for sustainable development and human progress.
• The Conference has also deliberated on ‘5P’ mantra (Political will, Public financing, Partnerships, Public
Participation and Persuasion for sustainability). The theme of the 1st Conference (organised by the Union
Ministry of Jal Shakti in Bhopal, MP) is ‘Water Vision @ 2047’.

4 January, 2023
World's first Palm-leaf Manuscript Museum inaugurated in Kerala capital
• The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan has inaugurated the Palm leaf Manuscript Museum at the
renovated Central Archives in Thiruvananthapuram. The museum, which is being promoted as the "World's
First Palm-Leaf Manuscript Museum," was created by the Archives Department in partnership with the
Kerala Museum of History and Heritage at a cost of INR 3 crore.
• The museum contains a collection of administrative, socio-cultural, and economic records from the
Travancore kingdom, which lasted for 650 years until the end of the 19th century. The museum was
previously the Central Vernacular Records Office before being converted into a museum.

Indian Army deployed its largest women contingent of peacekeepers at UN mission

• India, among the largest troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping, is deploying a platoon of women
peacekeepers in Abyei, the country’s largest single unit of female Blue Helmets in a UN mission since 2007.
The move heralded India’s intent of increasing significantly number of women in peacekeeping contingents.
• India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj informed that the platoon of
women peacekeepers will be deployed in Abyei as part of the Indian Battalion in the United Nations Interim
Security Force, Abyei (UNISFA).

Ghaziabad-Pt DDU became longest fully ABS section of Indian Railways

• Indian Railways Ghaziabad-Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay section has become the nation’s longest fully
Automatic Block Signalling (ABS) section. The 762 km long route has been fully automated. With its
implementation, the increase in line capacity to run more train services will become possible.
• The Railways has planned to implement the project on existing high density train routes. The railway has
adopted the ‘Electronic Interlocking’ to derive benefits of digital and modern technologies in train operation
and to enhance safety.

Union Minister Amit Shah inaugurated 120-feet-tall polo statue in Manipur

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled a 120-foot-tall statue of a polo player riding a pony at Marjing Polo
Complex in Manipur's Imphal East district. Manipur is considered the birthplace of the game.
• Manipur hosts numerous polo tournaments at international, national and state levels. With housing several
polo grounds, including the world's oldest one, Manipur is registered in the Guinness World Records.
According to Guinness World Records, polo's origins in Manipur with having history of around 3100 BC,
when it was played as Sagol Kangjei.

Union Minister Rupala inaugurated 29 mobile veterinary units in Kerala

• Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Purushottam Rupala inaugurated 29 Mobile
Veterinary Units (MVUs) and Centralised Call Center in Thiruvananthapuram. It is a major step for the
benefit of the livestock farmers in Kerala. Kerala is deploying 50 MVUs in different districts.
• It will help transform the dairy sector from subsistence-based agricultural livelihood to a commercially viable
enterprise, resulting in gainful employment for the youth of Kerala. MVUs are components under the
Livestock Health and Disease Control (LH&DC) scheme.

India's first Inclusion Festival, Purple Fest began in Goa

• Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dr Virendra Kumar inaugurated 'Purple Fest: Celebrating
Diversity', India's first festival of inclusion, in Goa. It aims to showcase how we can come together to create a
welcoming and inclusive world for everyone.

5 January, 2023
• Purple Fest will feature a variety of exciting live performances, sports events, grand exhibitions, immersive
experience zones, accessible movie screenings, and discussions on important topics such as inclusive
education, tourism, employment and independent living.

In a first, Kerala sets up welfare board to provide pension to MGNREGS workers

• The government of Kerala has launched a welfare fund board for the workers registered for the MGNREGS
and the state’s urban job guarantee, Ayyankali Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme. This will facilitate the
workers to get a monthly pension from the board on they turn 60.
• This is the first time that a state government has formed a welfare fund board for MGNREGS workers. In
2021, the state Assembly had passed a Bill pertaining to the formation of the board. We will introduce
various relief measures for the workers.

Government of Uttar Pradesh launched “UP Global City” Campaign

• The Urban Development and Energy Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Arvind Kumar Sharma has launched a 100-
day “UP Global City” campaign in advance of the Global Investors Summit and G20 summit. The campaign
will be implemented in all 762 urban bodies in the state.
• The campaign aims to bring urban areas in the state up to global standards, with a focus on improving urban
facilities, air quality, cleanliness, and beautification, as well as proper garbage disposal.

Kerala became country’s first fully digital banking state

• Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan declared Kerala as the first state in the country to go fully digital in banking
service and this recognition would boost the state economy. The Chief Minister also informed that the
ambitious Kerala Fibre Optic Network (K-FON) project of the state government, which was almost 90%
completed, will reduce the digital divide.
• The K-FON will ensure internet facility to everyone in the state and 17,155 km-long optic fibre cable
network has been laid. Once the project gets completed, internet will be available to everyone in the state
either for a cheaper price or for free-of-cost

Osmanabad District Court became first court to introduce e-system of functioning in Maharashtra
• The Osmanabad District Court has become the first court in Maharashtra to introduce e-system of
functioning. Under this system, all the court-related work including filing, payment and other court services,
etc. can be done through mobile app or online modes.
• The system was inaugurated by Bombay High Court, Aurangabad bench’s Judge and Osmanabad Guardian
Judge, Arun Pednekar. The courts of all talukas of Osmanabad district are working on the e-system and 500
lawyers of the district have already registered for the new system.

Government of Uttar Pradesh announced to build Museum dedicated to Chandrashekhar Azad

• The Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Brajesh Pathak has announced that a museum dedicated to the
life of freedom fighter Chandrashekhar Azad will be built in state's Unnao district so that people can take
inspiration from it. He also visited a fair held at Badarka and garlanded his statue.
• Badarka is the native village of Chandrashekhar Azad's father. Azad was a prominent revolutionary in the
freedom struggle. In February 1931, in an encounter in Prayagraj, he killed three policemen of the British
Empire and shot himself when the last bullet was left with him.

6 January, 2023
Union Minister Amit Shah inaugurated 120-feet-tall Polo Statue in Manipur
• The Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled a 120 feet tall statue of a Polo player at the Merging Polo
Complex in Imphal East district of Manipur. He laid foundation stone of Rs 1,300 crore projects. The first
Medical College and Hospital of Manipur's hill district Churachandpur was also inaugurated.
• The foundation stone for construction of 40 police posts, of which 34 are located along the India-Myanmar
International Border and 6 along National Highway 37. Manipur is known as the birthplace of Polo in India;
the modern game of Polo is derived from Manipur.

India's first 5 G-enabled drones developed by IG Drones

• Start-up firm IG Drones, which was born out of Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology campus in
Odisha's Sambalpur, has developed a 5G-enabled drone that is capable of vertical take-off and landing. The
drone named Skyhawk can be used in defence and medical applications, among other sectors.
• The drone can carry a 10 kg payload and has an endurance of around five hours. With Telecom Service
Providers (TSPs) providing 5G services in the country, these drones can be controlled with much more
precision and can be controlled from the command centre directly rather than being on the field.

Prime Minister flagged off world’s longest River Cruise, Ganga Vilas
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the World's Longest River Cruise-MV Ganga Vilas through video
conferencing and opened Tent City in Varanasi. Around 3,200 km in 51 days to reach Dibrugarh in Assam via
Bangladesh, traversing across 27 river systems in the two countries.
• The beginning of the world's longest river cruise service on river Ganga is a landmark moment. With visits to
50 tourist spots, including World Heritage Sights, National Parks, river Ghats, and major cities like Patna in
Bihar, Sahibganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Guwahati.

Tata Power decided to set up India's 1st solar plant for housing society in Mumbai
• Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) will set up India’s first group captive solar plant for a
residential society in Mumbai. It will be generating 3 MW (megawatt) solar powers at a plant which will be
situated at Himayatnagar in Nanded, Maharashtra.
• The first-of-its-kind project in the city will result in 40% savings in electricity bills for consumers (cheaper
than grid) as 65% solar power will be supplied to meet the requirement of the society. The remaining 35%
will be normal supply for the consumer.

India’s largest student-run festival ‘Saarang’ began at IIT Madras

• The 28th edition of Saarang, India’s largest student-run festival began at IIT Madras. Saarang 2023 will feature
more than 100 events with participation from 500 colleges across the country. The Saarang 2023 is one of
the largest student-run festivals held completely in physical mode.
• It is expected to see over 80,000 people at the festival. IIT Madras is hosting the Saarang 2023 after two
years post Covid-19 pandemic. Saarang 2023 launched ‘Panacea’ as this year’s social cause.

Vidisha became 1st Indian district to implement state-of-the-art 5G use cases proposed by start-ups
• Vidisha, an aspirational district of Madhya Pradesh became the first ever district in India for on ground
deployment of innovative 5G use cases offered by start-ups. This feat has been achieved through a joint
initiative of Vidisha district administration and Center for Development of Telematics, Department of
Telecom (DoT) under the guidance of Additional Secretary (Telecom) and Administrator USOF.

7 January, 2023
• Department of Telecom (DoT) is promoting digital communication technology partnership of start-ups and
SMEs for potential user communities. This partnership is being done through Telecom Start-ups and MSME
Mission (TSuM) and 5G Vertical Engagement Partnership Program (VEPP).

MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar announced India's first CoE in online gaming to be set up in Shillong
• Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar announced that Digital
India Start-up Hub, through the Software Technology Parks of India, shall set up India’s first Centre of
Excellence in Online Gaming at Shillong by March 2023.
• The Minister announced another initiative of MeitY to set up a state-of-the-art facility under the National
Institute of Electronics and IT to provide training on cutting edge Digital Skills at Shillong. 10-acre campus
shall soon be ready for this purpose which shall cater to skilling requirement of youth in North East Region.

Bharatiya Janata Party became first world's first Digital Party

• The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has become the world's first fully digital party, with data on over three crore
office-bearers from national president to booth level being made available through an app called
Organisational Reporting and Analysis (SARAL).
• Through this app prepared with the simple name, it will be an important medium of communication within
the party along with making it easier for the general public to access the party's executive members from the
president to the booth level.

Rajasthan became first State to implement blindness control policy

• Rajasthan has become the first State to implement a policy to control blindness, with the objective of
ensuring the “right to sight”. A massive drive will be undertaken in the State to reduce the rate of blindness,
and bring light into the lives of over 3 lakh people suffering from visual impairment.
• The prevalence rate of blindness, which was 1.1% in 2020, will be brought down to 0.3%, through the
policy. The State government would mandatorily run keratoplasty centres for cornea transplant and eye
banks in medical colleges.

Kerala’s Kollam became India’s first Constitution literate district

• The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan declared Kollam to be India's first constitution-literate district,
stated that constitutional ideals must be integrated into our daily lives and government in order to attain
comprehensive constitutional literacy.
• As part of the ambitious campaign, around 16.3 lakh people in the district above the age of 10 have been
educated on various aspects of the Constitution and the strenuous process involved 2,200 trainers called
‘senators’. During the seven-month campaign, the senators visited schools, offices, auto stands and tribal
councils to spread awareness.

Indian Army cleared over 30 women officers for command roles for the first time
• The Indian Army has cleared more than 30 women officers for command roles. The Indian Army is holding
promotion boards for 108 vacancies of select Colonel Rank for women officers including batches from 1992
to 2005. Women soldiers are also being inducted through Agnipath entry scheme.
• The initial list of over 30 women officers has been cleared from different arms and services including Corps
of Engineers, Signals, Ordnance and Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. The women officers clearing the
boards would be given command roles and they could also be considered for future promotions also to
higher ranks in the force.

8 January, 2023
First G20 Health Working Group Meeting began in Thiruvananthapuram
• The first G-20 Health Working Group (HWG) meeting under India’s G-20 presidency began at
Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. These HWG meetings will be held in various places in the country including
Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, Goa, Hyderabad and Gandhinagar.
• It will highlight PM Modi's call to showcase India's rich and diverse cultures. The meeting will be attended by
representatives of G-20 member states, special invitees and relevant international organisations. India is
currently part of the G-20 Troika which refers to the top grouping within the G-20 which includes countries
like Indonesia, Brazil and India.

Jammu and Kashmir became first UT to completely shift to E-governance mode

• Jammu and Kashmir has become the first Union Territory of India to go completely digital. Jammu and
Kashmir is also emerging as a model of digital government in the country with a transparent and accountable
governance system.
• The main objective of making government services online is to make people online. Through this, citizens
can avail government services digitally without going to government office. With the digitization of
government offices, now government offices will be in the pocket of the citizens.

NCERT notified India’s first national assessment regulator

• The National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) has notified India’s first national
assessment regulator, PARAKH, which will work on setting norms, standards and guidelines for student
assessment and evaluation for all recognised school boards in the country.
• The regulator aims to set up assessment guidelines for all boards to help remove disparities in scores of
students enrolled with different state boards. PARAKH has been launched as part of implementation of the
National Education Policy 2020 that envisaged a standard-setting body to advise school boards regarding
new assessment patterns and latest research, and promote collaborations between them.

Hyderabad selected to host WEF Centre for Fourth Industrial Revolution

• The World Economic Forum has chosen Hyderabad to set up its Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
focused on healthcare and life sciences. The announcement was made after the Telangana government and
the WEF signed a cooperation agreement during the Forum's annual meeting in Davos.
• The collaboration agreement was signed by Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director, WEF and Sakthi Nagappan,
CEO, Telangana Life Sciences Foundation. Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Telangana will be an
autonomous, non-profit organisation that will focus on healthcare and life sciences.

National AIDS Control Organisation created largest Human Red Ribbon Chain in Bhubaneswar
• The Odisha State AIDS Control Society organised an awareness program on HIV AIDS in coordination with
the Department of Sports and Youth Services and Hockey India under the leadership of National AIDS
Control Organization (NACO).
• The event created the 'Largest Human Red Ribbon Chain' at the East Gallery of the Kalinga Stadium in
Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The event was attended by 4,800 students from various schools, Red Ribbon Club
members from colleges, civil society and participants from Mission Shakti Department.

India surpassed China to become most populous country in the world

• According to projections by the World Population Review (WPR), India has surpassed China as the world’s
most populous nation. As per WPR, India’s population was 141.7 crore as of the end of 2022. India's
population is a little over 5 million, compared to 141.2 million declared by China.

9 January, 2023
• India, with 50% of its population below the age of 30, is poised to be the fastest growing major economy in
the world. Although India's population growth has slowed down, it will still increase till at least 2050. India,
the third largest economy in Asia, is currently self-sufficient in food production.

Wayanad became first district in country to provide basic documents to all tribal people
• Wayanad becomes the first district in the country to provide basic documents and facilities such as Aadhaar
cards, ration cards, birth/death certificates, election ID cards, bank accounts and health insurance to all tribes’
people.
• The Wayanad district administration has attained the meritorious achievement by providing 1,42,563 services
to as many as 64,670 tribal beneficiaries as part of the Akshaya Big Campaign for Document Digitisation
campaign. The drive was launched in November 2021 at Thondarnadu grama panchayat.

India's deepest Metro station to be set up at Pune Civil Court

• The Pune Metro is all set to complete work on the country’s deepest underground metro station in the city
by next month and make it operational by the end of March. The Civil Court Interchange station is 33.1
metre deep (108.59 feet) and will be the deepest metro station in the country.
• The station has also the speciality of having its roof at a height of 95 feet and the natural light of the sun falling
on the floor of the underground station. It is the only underground station that has sunlight falling on the
platform of the underground station.

Chief Minister of Odisha inaugurated ‘International Craft Summit’

• Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik inaugurated ‘International Craft Summit’ in Jajpur. It is a first of its
kind Crafts Summit which brings together leading craftsmen, and culture. International delegates from 15
countries have reached Jajpur to engage with local artisans and other stakeholders.
• Four United Nations agencies and five UNESCO Creative Cities have partnered to make this ambitious and
forward-looking event a reality on behalf of the State Government. Jajpur was the ancient capital of Odisha.
With its existing wealth of religious tourism, urban tourism and Buddhist tourism, it has the potential to
become major tourism hub.

American India Foundation inaugurated first STEM Innovation and Learning Center in Chennai
• The American India Foundation (AIF) inaugurated India’s first STEM Innovation and Learning Center (SILC).
STEM Innovation and Learning Center is inaugurated under the scheme of Vanavil Mandram at the
Government Higher Secondary School, MMDA Colony in Chennai.
• The Centre will introduce students to a Transdisciplinary learning approach through robotics, AI, Space
Technology, and the STEM Incubation workstation. It aims to nurture their curiosity in advanced STEM
courses while also assisting them in developing their innovative ideas into prototypes and providing a
platform to take part in State, National, or international level competitions.

CJI announced 1200 SC verdicts to be made available in 13 languages

• The Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud announced in open court that the Supreme Court will release
1,268 judgments in 13 Indian languages on Republic Day in a bid to make justice administration more
accessible to the common man.
• CJI Informed that to begin with, we have translated 1,091 judgments to Hindi, 21 in Odia, 14 Marathi, four
Assamese, one Garo, 17 Kannada, one Khasi, 29 Malayalam, three Nepali, four Punjabi, 52 Tamil, 28 Telugu
and three Urdu. The judgments would be made available in the court’s e-SCR portal.

10 January, 2023
First-ever India Stack developer conference held in Delhi
• The Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar inaugurated the
first-ever India Stack Developer Conference. The objective of conference was to increase the adoption of
India Stack among various nations. It was also attended by delegations from G20 countries.
• The event saw participation from more than 100 different start-up, industry associations and other
organisations. India Stack refers to the Indian government’s ambitious project to create a unified software
platform aimed at bringing the country’s population into the digital age.

India elected Vice-Chair at FAO’s session on Technical Working Group

• India will hold the position of Vice Chairperson at the 12th session of the group. The ITWG is to meet at
Rome in January 2023 and discuss animal genetic resources. USA is the Chair of the session. Along with India,
other countries will also hold the Vice Chair position.
• They are Spain, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Tonga, and Brazil. India will also hold the position of Rapporteur
along with the Vice Chair post. Rapporteur means the reporting officer. Bhupendra Nath Tripathi is to
represent India and hold these positions. The discussions will be held based on the inputs from the Domestic
Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS).

Government launched U-WIN platform for children and pregnant women

• The government of India has launched the Universal Immunisation Programme of India launched the U-WIN
platform. The platform will register details of vaccination doses provided to pregnant women in the country.
Post-pregnancy, the platform will administer birth doses.
• It is a replica of Co-WIN. Co-Win has been the backbone of India in administering COVID vaccine to the
citizens. The platform allows users to register for vaccination slots. It holds every detail about the user being
vaccinated. It also has information about the next vaccination due.

Chandigarh received North India’s largest floating solar power project

• Administrator of UT of Chandigarh, Banwari Lal Purohit inaugurated northern India’s largest floating solar
power project of 2000kWp worth Rs 11.70 crore at waterworks, Sector 39. He also inaugurated a 500kWp
floating solar project with fountains at Dhanas Lake.
• The floating solar power plant at waterworks has been installed at a cost of Rs 11.70 crore, including 10
years O&M, and the 500kWp floating solar power plant with fountains has been installed at Dhanas Lake at a
total cost of Rs 3.34 crore, including 10 years O&M for the plant as well as for the fountains.

National Child Science Congress began in Ahmedabad with More than 1400 delegates
• The National Council for Science and Technology operating under the Department of Science and
Technology recently organized the National Child Science Congress, 2023. The congress was hosted by the
Gujarat Council of Science City. It was held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• The National Child Science Congress is being held in the country since 1993. The focus of the congress is to
cultivate problem-solving skills in students. The theme of the congress was “Understanding Eco System for
Health and Wellbeing”. More than 1400 delegates attended the conference.

Indian Railways introduced ‘Ideal Train Profile’ to maximise seat occupancy

• The Indian Railways has introduced the ‘Ideal Train Profile’ to maximise the capacity utilisation and revenue
generation in reserved mail express trains by regularly analysing the demand pattern of every single train.
The Ideal Train Profile, a seat capacity optimisation decision support is done due to the fact that the number
of ticket-class combinations on a single train journey date can exceed ₹5,000.

11 January, 2023
• The pattern of demand for accommodation is not always on an end-to-end basis, but rather varies in all
trains depending on various factors such as its origin-destination pairs, timings, class of accommodation, and
availability of alternate trains or means of transportation.

Luminous announced to build India's first green solar panel factory in Uttarakhand
• Luminous Power Technologies revealed that it has planned to build India’s first green energy-based solar
panel manufacturing plant in Uttarakhand which will be operational by the end of this year. It will be setup in
Rudrapur which will be equipped with the latest technology to design and produce high-quality solar panels
that will be used for both residential and commercial applications.
• Once India’s first green energy-based solar panel will be operational, the facility, spread across 4.5 lakh
square feet per 10 acres will help enable a solar production capacity of 500 MW per annum.

Hemant Soren became first Chief Minister of state to visit former Maoist hotbed 'Budha Pahad'
• Hemant Soren became the first Jharkhand chief minister to visit the Budha Pahad' once a Maoist hotbed that
was freed from the red rebels' control by security forces after over three decades situated near the border
with Chhattisgarh.
• He is expected to launch a slew of welfare schemes in Budha Pahad', located around 150 km from state
capital Ranchi, along the Latehar and Garhwa districts. Security forces managed to free the area from the grip
of Maoists through 3 special operations that were launched since the beginning of April 2022.

Government of Jharkhand started first survey of migrants

• The Government of Jharkhand has been started the first survey of migrants. This survey will be done in 11
thousand houses in 24 districts of the state. The objective of the survey is to create a robust database of
migrants and migration patterns in the state.
• Around 8.5 lakh migrants returned to their home state, Jharkhand, during the COVID crisis. The survey is to
be conducted in 24 districts. Officers will knock on the doors of 11,000 households to take the survey. The
survey outputs will be used to create a state-level policy.

Amitabh Kant inaugurates India’s first Model G-20 Summit

• India’s G-20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant inaugurated India’s first Model G-20 Summit organised by Rambhau Mhalgi
Prabodhini’s Indian Institute of Democratic Leadership. The G-20 summit has been organised at the Uttan
campus of Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini near Mumbai to celebrate India's chairmanship and to take the idea of
G-20 to the youth.
• Students will get into the role of G-20 member countries and discuss various political and social issues in four
committees or tracks, namely Leader Track, Sherpa Track, Civil-20 and Business-20. Total of 150 youth from
across the country will participate in the program and will play role of delegates representing G-20 countries.

Prime Minister released special Rs 75 coin to mark 75 successful years of NCC

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a special day cover and a commemorative specially minted coin of Rs
75 denomination on the occasion of 75 successful years of the National Cadet Corps (NCC). NCC rally was
organised on the occasion of 75 years commemoration at Cariappa Maidan, Delhi.
• 196 officers and cadets from 19 foreign countries participated in the rally. The NCC was formed in 1948 on
the recommendation of H N Kunzru Committee-1946 under National Cadet Corps Act, 1948. NCC is the
largest uniformed youth organisation in the world.

12 January, 2023
First ever India-Japan bilateral air defence exercise ‘Veer Guardian 2023’ concluded
• The inaugural edition of the bilateral air exercise ‘Veer Guardian 2023’ between the Indian Air Force (IAF)
and Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) concluded in Japan. The 16-day joint exercise was conducted to
enhance air defense cooperation between the two air forces.
• Su-30 MKI pilot squadron leader Avani Chaturvedi participated in the bilateral air exercise ‘Veer Guardian
2023’. The Participants of the IAF contingent comprised four Su-30 MKI, two C-17, and one IL-78. The
Participants of the JASDF include four Mitsubishi F-2 and four F-15 combat jets.

Ernakulam became first district to register 10,000 new MSMEs

• The Government of Kerala launched the Enterprises Campaign during its 2022-23 budget. Also, the state
government declared the financial year 2022-23 as the Year of Enterprises. This was done to boost the
development of the MSME sector in the state.
• The campaign was held in different parts of the state under the tagline “My Enterprises, Nations Pride”.
Because of the campaign the number of MSME companies in the state increased. Ernakulam has become the
first district in the state to register more than ten thousand new MSMEs.

Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh announced new capital to Visakhapatnam

• The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh announced that the State capital would be shifted to Visakhapatnam.
Amaravati is the present capital of Andhra Pradesh.
• In November last year, Jagan Mohan Reddy government repealed the controversial AP Decentralisation and
Inclusive Development of All Regions Act, 2020 intended to establish three capitals for the State. The State
government had proposed three capitals, Visakhapatnam (Executive capital), Amaravati (Legislative capital)
and Kurnool (Judicial capital).

Government of Madhya Pradesh announced 'Laadli Bahna' scheme

• The Chief Minister Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced the implementation of Ladli Bahna
Yojana on the occasion of Narmada Jayanti. Through the scheme, ₹ 1000 per month will be given to the
sisters of poor and middle class families of Madhya Pradesh. Through the scheme, an amount of ₹ 60000 will
be added to each sister's account by the government in 5 years.
• To get the benefit of the scheme, the woman must be a resident of Madhya Pradesh. 65% sisters of Madhya
Pradesh will be able to get the benefit of this scheme.

13 January, 2023
 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Croatia adopted Euro and entered Europe's borderless zone
• Croatia switched to the euro and entered Europe's passport-free zone, two major milestones for the
country after joining the European Union nearly a decade ago. At midnight, the Balkan nation bid farewell to
its kuna currency and became the 20th member of the eurozone.
• It is now the 27th nation in the passport-free Schengen zone, the world's largest, which enables more than
400 million people to move freely around its members. The adoption of the euro will help shield Croatia's
economy at a time when inflation is soaring worldwide after Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent food and fuel
prices through the roof.

China becomes first country in Asia to launch Hydrogen powered Train

• China became the first country in Asia and second in the world to launch Hydrogen powered urban trains.
Germany was the first country to introduce hydrogen powered trains in September 2022. The operation of
the train will reduce CO2 emissions compared to diesel traction by 10 tons per year.
• Chinese company CRRC Corporations Limited built a train that has a top speed of 160 KM per hour and
can run without refuelling for 600 Kilometre. The German Coradia iLint serial train developed by French
company Alstom has set a record 1175 Km range without refuelling.

U.S. carried out first execution of a transgender person

• A Missouri inmate was put to death for a 2003 killing in what is believed to be the first execution of a
transgender person in the United States. Amber McLaughlin, 49, was convicted of stalking and killing a former
girlfriend, then dumping the body near the Mississippi River in St Louis.
• McLaughlin’s fate was sealed earlier when Republican Governor Mike Parson declined a clemency request. A
database on the website for the anti-execution Death Penalty Information Center shows that 1,558 people
have been executed since the death penalty was reinstated in the mid-1970s. All but 17 of those put to death
were men.

United Kingdom recorded 2022 as warmest year ever

• The United Kingdom's weather agency announced that 2022 was the country's warmest year ever as average
annual temperature in the year was more than 10 Celsius for the first time. It was also the first time on
record that the average annual temperature for the country was over 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees
Fahrenheit) since record-keeping began in 1884.
• The Met Office also confirmed that all four nations comprising the U.K.--England, Northern Ireland, Scotland
and Wales--recorded a record-breaking annual temperature in 2022. Since 1884, the top 10 warmest years
have all occurred since 2003, and 15 of the top 20 have occurred this century.

14 January, 2023
US approved world’s first vaccine for honeybees
• The US government has given nod to the world’s first vaccine for honeybees, taking a step forward in
protecting these pollinators which play a significant role in food production. There is no cure for this disease.
Thus, the only way to deal with the menace is to burn the colony of infected bees and their hives, while the
nearby colonies have to be treated with antibiotics
• The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved a conditional licence for a vaccine developed by
US biotech company, Dalan Animal Health, to defend honeybees from American foulbrood disease.

Government of France proposed to rise retirement age to 64 by 2030

• The government of France has proposed increases the legal retirement age from 62 to 64 by 2030 in a major
reform to the pension system. Reforming pensions was one of President Emmanuel Macron's main promises
when he was first elected in 2017.
• The retirement age will be raised gradually by three months a year, starting in September, she explained. By
2027 it would reach 63 years and 3 months, and the target age of 64 in 2030. A full pension from 2027 will
require working for 43 years (instead of 42 years currently).

Europe’s largest known deposit of rare earth elements found in Sweden

• Swedish state-owned mining company, LKAB announced that it has discovered more than one million tonnes
of rare earth oxides in the northern area of the country. This is the largest known deposit in Europe.
Currently, no rare earths are mined in Europe and it mostly imports them from other regions. 98% of rare
earths used by the European Union were sent by China.
• Rare earth elements or rare earth metals are a set of 17 chemical elements in the periodic table, the 15
lanthanides, plus scandium and yttrium, which tend to occur in the same ore deposits as the lanthanides, and
have similar chemical properties.

China’s population dropped for first time since 1961

• As per the China’s National Bureau of Statistics China, the biggest decline in the population of China has
been recorded after the year 1961. The death toll in China is more than the number of children born. The
population declined by roughly 850,000 to 1.41175 billion at the end of 2022.
• In China, 9.56 million people were born in 2022, while 10.41 million people died. China's birth rate last year
was just 6.77 births per 1,000 people, down from 7.52 births in 2021, the lowest ever. The main reason for
China's population decline is the one-child policy implemented between 1980 and 2015.

International Tourism Fair FITUR 2023 began in Madrid

• The 43rd edition of International Tourism Fair (FITUR), an International Tourism Fair inaugurated by King
Felipe VI of Spain in Madrid. With over 130 countries taking part in this edition, it is one of the biggest
tourism fairs in the world. The Ministry of Tourism from India is also participating in FITUR.
• Based on UNWTO's forward-looking scenarios for 2023, international tourist arrivals could reach 80% to
95% of pre-pandemic levels this year. This year’s Fitur motto is “Citizens of the World. We Are tourism”,
and its focus is on a healthy and sustainable future.

115-year-old woman became world’s oldest person

• Maria Branyas Morera is the new Guinness World Record holder and it is confirmed that she is now the
oldest living woman in the world. She is 115 years and 322 days old as of January 2023. Before the oldest
person living was Lucile Randon who was 118 years old as she passed away in January 2023.

15 January, 2023
• Maria Branyas Morera is a native of California and she was born in March 1907. After Eight years they
returned to Spain and settled in Catalonia. In 1915 her family arrived in Barcelona during the First World
War. She survived two World Wars, the Spanish Civil War, and the Spanish Flu pandemic.

UNESCO designated Ukraine’s Odesa a World Heritage in Danger site

• The UNESCO of the United Nations presents the tag of World Heritage in Danger. World Heritage Sites
face several problems such as development in tourism, war, natural disasters, poaching, urbanization, and
pollution. The site is located near the Black sea and is 500 kilometre from the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv.
Empress Catherine founded ODESA.
• To protect the sites from catastrophic damages, UNESCO designates them as World Heritage in Danger
sites. The list has 55 such sites. The ODESA of Ukraine was added to the list. Russian forces are conducting
frequent air strikes in Ukraine. For this reason, the world heritage site Odesa is in danger.

Uganda unveiled first commercial oil production drilling programme

• Uganda commissioned the first of its four planned oil rigs and the start of drilling the first production well, a
key milestone as the country races to meet its target of first oil output in 2025 after a long delay. The East
African country discovered commercial reserves of petroleum nearly two decades ago but production has
been repeatedly postponed over a lack of infrastructure such as a pipeline.
• The ceremony to launch the rig and the start of drilling programme of production wells was held at a site in
the Kingfisher project area in Kikuube district on shores of Lake Albert in the west of Uganda.

Canada announced to Commercialise World’s First Photonic-based Quantum Computer

• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced a new federal investment to build and commercialise
the world’s first photonic-based, fault-tolerant quantum computer.
• The investment of 40 million Canadian dollars ($32 million) will enable Xanadu Quantum Technologies Inc, a
Toronto-based Canadian quantum computing company, to develop the quantum computer which will have
the potential to provide world leading capabilities to help solve complex data problems and could be used in
variety of sectors such as finance, transportation, environmental modelling, and health.

India became 1st nation to extend assurance to Sri Lanka for its debt restructuring
• India has become the first creditor nation to extend assurance towards restructuring the debt of Sri Lanka
with financial assistance worth $4 billion as the island nation makes efforts to unlock a bridge financing
package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
• India will encourage greater investment in core areas of energy, tourism, and infrastructure. MEA, S.
Jaishankar’s visit also witnessed the signing of the MoU on the High Impact Community Development
program on socio-economic development.

World’s first guidelines created to prevent heart problems in kids fighting cancer
• The world’s first international clinical guidelines for preventing and treating heart problems in cancer
patients’ children have been developed. The guidelines, published in JACC: Advances, address cardiovascular
disease assessment, screening, and follow-up in pediatric cancer patients receiving novel molecular
treatments, immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.
• The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute-led expert consensus defined the high-risk group of cancer
patients who should have a heart check-up, standardised a strategy for screening and surveillance during
treatment, and provided recommendations to protect vulnerable young hearts.

16 January, 2023
 BANKING & FINANCE
SBI Card, Punjab & Sind Bank joined hands to launch co-brand credit cards
• The SBI Cards has partnered with Punjab & Sind Bank to launch co-brand credit cards for the bank's
customers. The new three card variants are PSB SBI Card ELITE, PSB SBI Card PRIME, and PSB Simply SAVE
SBI Card.
• PSB SBI Card ELITE and PSB SBI Card PRIME have been designed to offer lifestyle privileges and best in class
experience to premium and mass premium customers, respectively. PSB SimplySAVE SBI Card offers
rewarding experience to value conscious customers.

HDFC Bank partnered with Microsoft for digital transformation journey

• The HDFC Bank announced that it is partnering with Microsoft in the next phase of its digital transformation.
The private sector lender is developing in-house IPs as well as partnering with several companies, including
FinTechs, to co-create technology IPs.
• HDFC Bank will leverage Microsoft Azure to consolidate and modernise its enterprise data landscape
through a Federated Data Lake to scale its information management capabilities across enterprise reporting
and advanced analytics, using artificial intelligence.

IndusInd Bank partnered with British Airways and Qatar Airways to launch credit card
• IndusInd Bank, British Airways Executive Club and Qatar Airways Privilege Club announced their partnership
to introduce the unique multi-branded credit card, with two leading international airlines, powered by Visa.
• Through this proposition, members will soon be able to collect Avios, rewards currency for British Airways
Executive Club and Qatar Airways Privilege Club, by signing up and choosing their preferred loyalty
programme.

NABARD and ‘Hockey Wali Sarpanch’ signed pact to strengthen farmers

• Neeru Yadav, who is fondly known as 'Hockey Wali Sarpanch' has signed an agreement with NABARD to
start the Farmers Producers Organisation (FPO) with the assistance of SIIRD (Society of Indian Institute of
Rural Development).
• This initiative will strengthen farmers of Lambi Ahir Village, Rajasthan. FPO is a company that was formally
established by farmers. Producers can establish a business on the basis of equity shares, including farmers,
milk producers, fishers, weavers, rural artisans, and craftspeople.

South Indian Bank launched MSME online portal

• The South Indian Bank launched a MSME online portal providing instant online ‘In Principle’ approval of up to
₹1 crore. South Indian Bank is facilitating MSMEs to get instant funds. This initiative will help thousands of
micro and small businesses avail loans quickly.

17 January, 2023
• MSME enterprises are the most important pillars of the economy and the government is working towards
making the sector stronger. This development is at the backdrop of central government considering making
India a $5 trillion economy.

India's Fastest Payment app ‘PayRup’ launched

• PayRup, India’s fastest payment app was launched. PayRup is built by cutting-edge technology of web 3.0. It
provides advanced digital payment experience with outstanding user experience. PayRup users can pay utility
bills and landline bills, recharge their mobile, broadband, DTH, and purchase Gift Cards.
• PayRup services are planned to expand across various financial instruments, including multiple payment
services such as school fees, pay rent, and other payment collection services. Earlier PayRup has announced
ticketing and booking services for flights, buses, and hotels along with a few other USPs.

Standard Chartered became first foreign Bank to Trade Bond Futures in China
• Standard Chartered China has just become the first foreign-invested bank in China to engage in Chinese
Treasury bond futures trading. The move comes as China steps up efforts to draw global investors amid
months of foreign money outflows from its $20-trillion bond market.
• Standard Chartered Bank (China) Ltd had completed its first Treasury bond futures transaction in China,
with the permission of regulators. In February 2022, Standard Chartered Group would invest USD$300
million in its China-related operations over three years, to double their relevant profit contribution by 2024.

Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance and Punjab & Sind Bank announced strategic partnership
• Punjab & Sind Bank (PSB) and Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance have announced a partnership for distribution of
the latter’s life goals-based product suite to the bank’s customers.
• The partnership will allow Punjab & Sind Bank’s new and existing customers to avail a variety of retail life
insurance products from Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, including term, savings, retirement, and investment
options. The life insurer will work closely with the bank to enable customers to get seamless service and
help them achieve their long-term financial goals in a planned manner.

Union Bank of India partnered with Garuda Aerospace

• Union Bank of India (UBI) has partnered with Garuda Aerospace. Under the partnership, about 150 Garuda
Agri Kisan drones have received sanction for drone loans under the Kisan Pushpak Scheme.
• The drone loan will help farmers to digitise land record operations for crop production, spraying of
fertilisers, chemicals, growth promoters, pesticides, etc., with the help of drones. The partnership will be
useful for lead generation, customer acquisition, and due diligence of customers for credit deployment.

MasterCard expanded programme to promote STEM studies among girl students

• The MasterCard has launched the new phase of its flagship programme 'Girls4Tech' in India. This
programme is supported by the MasterCard Impact Fund and American India Foundation.
• The aim is to reach female students across the country by 2024 to encourage them to take up STEM
education. STEM refers to Science, Technology, engineering and mathematics to girls aged 8 to 14. In 2020-
21, the programme reached 17,820 girls across three districts in Tamil Nadu.

PNB became first public sector bank to launch Credit Cards for FDs
• PSU Punjab National Bank has announced to launch Credit card against fixed deposits, which marked as the
first public sector bank to start the service. Customers can avail the facility to get RuPay or VISA credit card
digitally against single or multiple FDs with 80% credit limit.

18 January, 2023
• Credit card against FDs will provide lounge access, exciting reward points, cash advance, and much more.
PNB becomes the first public sector bank to launch credit card against fixed deposits digitally. PNB has
increased the interest rate of fixed deposits across various tenures by 50 basis points.

PNB & Aadhar Housing Finance entered into co-lending partnership

• The Punjab National Bank and Aadhar Housing Finance Ltd (AHFL) have entered into a co-lending
agreement to offer home loans at competitive interest rates. The aim is to reach out to a large section of
society for providing easy and efficient home finance solutions.
• The co-lending framework of the RBI provides a tool for the Banks and NBFCs/HFCs to collaborate, and
leverage their respective strengths to provide an affordable solution to the unserved and underserved
sections of society.

Paytm & Citibank partnered for co-branded credit card, Paytm CITI Card
• Citibank and payments platform Paytm, have ended their partnership for a co-branded credit card Paytm
CITI Card, ahead of the merger of Citibank’s consumer banking business with Axis Bank.
• For existing Citi Rewards Credit Card customers, the bank has offered to replace the Paytm Citi cards with
Citi Cash Back Credit Card. The consent to swap to another Citi-branded credit Card will also serve as
consent for transfer of the cardholder’s banking relationship with Citibank to Axis Bank.

Edelweiss Mutual Fund launched India’s first passive short-term index fund
• Edelweiss Asset Management has launched a new fund offer (NFO) for India's first open-ended passive
short-duration index scheme. Called Edelweiss CRISIL IBX 50:50 Gilt plus SDL Short Duration Index Fund,
the scheme will invest in a diversified portfolio of Indian Government Bonds (IGBs) and State Development
Loans (SDLs).
• The scheme will invest 50% of its funds in IGBs and the rest in SDLs. The G-Sec portion will be constructed
by selecting the most liquid government bonds with a minimum outstanding of Rs 10,000 crore falling in
duration buckets from one year to five years. Edelweiss Mutual Fund is a leader in the passive debt fund
category with the highest market share managing assets of over Rs 68,000 crore.

19 January, 2023
 BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Elon Musk became 1st person to lose $200 billion in net worth
• According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index Tesla Chief Elon Musk became the only person in history to lose
$200 billion from their net worth. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Musk's wealth declined to
$137 billion. Musk also sold several Tesla shares throughout the year.
• After the acquisition of Twitter, Musk had a takeover of Twitter, resulting in a loss of Tesla shares. Elon
Musk became the richest person in the world when his wealth reached $340 billion in November 2021. He
lost the title to French fashion and cosmetics magnate Bernard Arnault in December 2022.

ONGC became top profit making public sector enterprises in 2021-22

• According to the government of India’s Public Enterprise survey 2021-22, ONGC was the top profit
making central public sector enterprises (CPSE) in 2021-22. After ONGC the other most profit making
CPSE were Indian Oil Corporation, Power Grid, NTPC and SAIL.
• The net profit of operating public sector enterprises jumped 50.87% to Rs 2.49 lakh crore during 2021-22.
It was Rs 1.65 lakh crore in 2020-21. Major loss-making CPSEs were Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL),
Mahanagar Telecom Nigam Ltd, Air India Assets Holding Ltd, and Eastern Coalfields Ltd.

NTPC started India’s first green hydrogen blending operation in PNG network
• NTPC Limited has commissioned the country’s first green hydrogen blending project. The green hydrogen
blending has been started in the piped natural gas (PNG) network of NTPC Kawas Township, Surat. The
project is a joint effort of NTPC and Gujarat Gas Ltd (GGL).
• This set-up will supply H2-NG to households of Kawas Township at Adityanagar, Surat. Green hydrogen in
this project is made by electrolysis of water using power from the already installed 1 MW floating solar
project. So far, such a feat has been achieved only by a few countries such as UK, Germany, and Australia.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni launched Garuda Aerospace’s first digital film #KhetonKeKaptan
• Garuda Aerospace has launched its first-ever digital brand film #KhetonKeKaptan which is aimed at
encouraging youth and farmers to be captains of their respective farms.
• Conceptualized by Garuda Aerospace’s brand team and jointly produced with Dhoni Entertainment Private
Limited, film #KhetonKeKaptan. Garuda Aerospace has also launched a virtual learning platform and flagged
off its Drone Yathra which aims to create awareness amongst farmers in 775 districts across India using
technology with drones, according to a statement given by the company.

BPCL launched low smoke superior kerosene oil for Indian Army
• The Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) announced the launch of low-smoke Superior Kerosene
Oil (SKO) for the Indian Army in Jammu.

20 January, 2023
• BPCL has emerged as the first OMC to commence the supply of the new LSLA grade SKO supplies to the
Army, which will go a long way in improving the serving environment and alleviate the issues related to
smoke and smell in use of SKO.

Bisleri partnered with Mumbai Indians as hydration partner

• Bisleri has announced its next hydration partnership with five-time champions Mumbai Indians. The three-
year partnership will see Bisleri as the Official Hydration Partner. The association is set to begin with the
2023 cricketing season.
• Bisleri has also partnered with last year’s winning team, Gujarat Titans, and a series of marathons in the
country. It aims to reach a wider audience and strengthen its brand connect, especially among millennials and
Gen-Z. Wavemaker India established a partnership for Bisleri with the franchises.

ReNew Power installed India’s first 3x platform wind turbine generators in Karnataka
• ReNew Power announced that it has installed India’s first 3x platform wind turbine generators (WTGs) in
Gadag, Karnataka. WTGs have a nameplate capacity of 3.3-3.465 MW and have a height of 128-140 metres.
The project will produce enough energy to power over 1 million homes in India annually.
• The new WTG will be part of the countries first ’round the clock’ renewable energy project, a combination
of wind, solar and battery energy storage systems (BESS).

Jio-BP announced to build EV charging infrastructure for India unit of Citroen

• Jio-BP, a fuels and mobility joint venture between Reliance Industries Ltd and BP confirmed to build EV
charging infrastructure for India unit of French automobile manufacturer Citroen. Jio-bp will install DC fast
chargers across Citron's key dealership network and workshops across the country in phases.
• These chargers will also be open to the entire universe of EV car customers to help boost EV adoption
among consumers. With the New Citron -C3 All Electric scheduled for launch in the first quarter of 2023,
this partnership will ensure Jio-bp's charging infrastructure network is accessible via an app.

Sony Sports signed Hyundai Ioniq 5, Samsonite as sponsors for Australian Open
• Broadcaster Sony Sports Network, which will air the Australian Open this month across its channels and
OTT app SonyLiv. It has roped in sponsors like Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Samsonite as co-presenting sponsors
and Panasonic as an associate sponsor for the upcoming open.
• This will mark the return of the network's live tennis studio show, ‘Extraaa Serve’, hosted by Arpit Sharma;
Extraaa Serve will feature Olympian, Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist and Indian tennis player, Somdev
Devvarman, former tennis player Gaurav Natekar and Davis Cup player Purav Raja.

Siemens signed 3 billion euro contract to supply and service freight trains in India
• German engineering company, Siemens has signed a 3 billion euro contract to supply and service freight
trains in India; it is the biggest locomotive deal in its history. Siemens will deliver 1,200 electric locomotives
and provide servicing for 35 years under the agreement; also it is biggest ever in India.
• The Siemens-designed, 1,200-horsepower trains, with a top speed of 120 km (75 miles)/hour, will be
assembled in the Indian Railways Factory in Gujarat state over the next 11 years, with deliveries starting in 24
months. The company had previously been very strong in North America and central Europe.

Taiwan’s Gogoro, India’s Belrise announced to $2.5 bn on battery-swapping infra in Maharashtra

• An Indo-Taiwanese joint venture has signed a MoU with the Maharashtra government to set up a battery
swapping infrastructure which will witness an investment of $2.5 billion over eight years.

21 January, 2023
• The non-binding agreement was signed at the Maharashtra pavilion of the World Economic Forum in Davos,
Switzerland, between Taiwan’s Gogoro Inc and Pune-based Belrise Industries. The companies plan to build a
smart energy infrastructure in Maharashtra that is open and accessible and establishes battery swapping and
smart battery stations as a leading source for mobility and energy storage.

Amazon overtaken Apple as world’s most valuable brand

• According to brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance’s report, “Global 500 2023”, Amazon has reclaimed
the top spot as the world’s most valuable brand despite its brand value falling 15 per cent this year from
$350.3 billion to $299.3 billion. Amazon is back at top spot; its brand value has fallen by over $50 billion this
year, with its rating slipping from AAA+ to AAA.
• Apple has, meanwhile, slipped to second slot (down 16% to $297.5 billion from $355.1 billion). The other
tech-focused brands to lose value include Samsung Group (brand value down 7%, Alibaba.com (down 56%),
Facebook (down 42%) and WeChat (down 19%).

Adani partnered with Leyland, Ballard to make hydrogen fuelled electric truck
• Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) announced that it has signed an agreement with Ashok Leyland and
Canada's Ballard Power to launch a pilot project to develop a hydrogen fuel cell electric truck (FCET) for
mining logistics and transportation. The FCET is scheduled to be launched in India in 2023.
• The project led by Adani, will have Ballard supply the fuel cell engine, while Indian truck maker Ashok
Leyland will provide vehicle and technical support for the project. Hydrogen, made by splitting water with an
electrical process called electrolysis, can be used as a fuel.

Tata Boeing Aerospace delivered first fuselage for 6 AH-64 Apache to Indian Army
• Tata Boeing Aerospace (TBAL) has delivered the first fuselage for six AH-64 Apache attack helicopters
ordered by the Indian Army from its modern facility in Hyderabad. It has produced and supplied Boeing’s
Apache final assembly plant in Mesa, Arizona with over 190 fuselages.
• Boeing had completed the deliveries of all 22 AH-64E Apache helicopters to the Indian Air Force in 2020.
More than 90% of the parts used in these aero structures assemblies are manufactured within India through
over the 100 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) suppliers.

Yonex announced to expands manufacturing footprint in India

• Leading sporting equipment maker Yonex is expanding its manufacturing footprint in India. Yonex is a
sporting goods brand known for manufacturing carbon graphite goods, ranging from badminton and tennis
racquets to golf clubs among others.
• The Japanese major will begin selling made-in-India carbon graphite racquets, in a bid to offer them at more
affordable price points. The company set up a factory in Bengaluru in 2016 and making aluminium T-joint
racquets in India. These are used by beginners who play for fitness or recreation purposes.

Apple became first company to export phones worth $1 billion in a month from India
• iPhone maker Apple has become the first company from India to export smartphones worth $1 billion
(₹8,100 crore) in a single month, meeting the milestone in December 2022. December was also a record
month for the industry with mobile phone exports of over ₹10,000 crore.
• Apple overtook Samsung to become the leading mobile phone exporter in November and achieved $1
billion in mobile phone exports in December. Last year Apple became the world’s first company to hit $3
trillion market capitalization.

22 January, 2023
Amazon launched its own Amazon Air cargo service in India
• Amazon Inc. announced the launch of its air cargo service in India as its online sales increase. The e-
commerce firm started its full-time air cargo service, which it officially named Amazon Air. The retailer has
partnered with the cargo airline Quikjet to launch its own air freight service in the country.
• This is not the first market for the tech giant where it has launched its cargo service. India is the third
market to get Amazon’s cargo aircraft service. Amazon Air was first made available in the US market in
2016 and it later made it to Europe as well.

SII launched first made-in-India HPV vaccine for cervical cancer

• Serum Institute India launched the first made-in-India HPV vaccine on the occasion of India's national girl
child day and cervical cancer awareness month. The vaccine was launched by Union Home Minister Amit
Shah. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common group of viruses.
• In most individuals, it does not cause any problems, but some types can cause genital warts or cancer.
There are more than 100 different types.

PepsiCo and CARE introduced $18-million global programme in India

• PepsiCo Foundation and CARE launched their USD 18.2-million global agriculture-focused women
empowerment programme in India beginning with West Bengal. The programme 'She Feeds the World',
currently active in at least five countries, will commence from two districts in North Bengal of West Bengal.
Uttar Pradesh could be the next state.
• The PepsiCo Foundation invested USD 18.2 million to scale CARE's 'She Feeds the an World' initiative in six
countries, which is projected to impact five million small-scale women producers and their families over six
years between 2018 and 2024.

GRSE partnered Rolls Royce Solutions for building marine engines in India
• Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) have signed a MoU with Rolls Royce Solutions of Germany
for manufacturing high-quality marine diesel engines in India.
• The MoU was signed by the Chiefs of GRSE and MTU -- Commodore P R Hari (Retired), and the MTU head
in India, GS Selwyn in the presence of the Navy’s Chief of Material, Vice-Admiral Sandeep Naithani.

National Stock Exchange of India became largest derivatives exchange in the world
• In 2022, the daily average turnover of the exchange reached Rs 470 crores. With this NSE has become the
largest derivatives exchange in the world. This is the fourth consecutive time, NSE is holding this position.
Apart from the derivatives, the exchange was ranked third in equities.
• The positions and data are based on the statistics presented by the World Federation of Exchanges. It
maintains the statistics of stock exchanges in different parts of the world. In equity, the daily average turnover
of NSE was Rs 470 crore. This is 51% more as compared to 2021.

Netherlands became India's 3rd largest export hub in Apr-Dec 2022

• According to the Ministry of Commerce, Netherlands became India’s third largest export destination in FY
2023, for the months of April-December 2022. The Netherlands took over the UK, Hong Kong, Bangladesh,
and Germany to feature in the top three export markets for India.
• Previously, in 2021-22, the Netherlands was India’s fifth largest export hub while in 2020-21 it was the ninth.
An outbound shipment from India to the Netherlands in 2021-22 was US$12.55 billion, a jump from the
US$6.5 billion recorded in 2020-21.

23 January, 2023
 MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
Adani Group acquired NDTV founders’ 27.26% stake to raise stake to 64.7%
• The Adani Group has acquired a 27.26% equity stake in NDTV from Prannoy Roy and his wife Radhika Roy,
founders of the news broadcaster. Now 64.71% is the total stake of Adani Group in NDTV.
• Earlier in December 2022, Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy announced the sale of 27.26% out of their
remaining 32.26% shareholding in the NDTV to the Adani Group. Earlier Adani Group acquired a 29.18%
stake in NDTV by buying a company backed by the founders, Radhika Roy and Prannoy Roy.

Reliance announced to acquire 50% stake in Sosyo Hajoori Beverages

• Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd's subsidiary announced that it will acquire 50% stake in Gujarat-headquartered
Sosyo Hajoori Beverages Private Limited (SHBPL). The existing promoters, Hajoori family, will continue to
own the remaining stake in SHBPL.
• Sosyo is a heritage Indian brand with around 100 years of legacy in carbonated soft drinks (CSD) and juices.
Established in 1923 by Abbas Abdulrahim Hajoori, the company is one of the leading players in the domestic
soft drinks market. The Sosyo brand boasts a loyal customer base in Gujarat.

IndiGrid signed MoU to acquire 100% stake in Khargone Transmission

• IndiGrid signed a share purchase agreement for the acquisition of a 100% shareholding and economic
interest, in one or more tranches, in Khargone Transmission Ltd from Sterlite Power Transmission Ltd
(one of the Sponsor of IndiGrid) of about Rs 1,497.5 crore
• The completion of the acquisition would depend upon receipt of Unit holders consent, regulatory and
other relevant approvals as well as completion of contractual obligations.

NARCL acquired first stressed account from IDBI Bank-led lenders

• The National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd (NARCL) also known as India’s bad bank/Asset
Reconstruction Company (ARC) has acquired its first stressed asset Jaypee Infratech from IDBI Bank-led
lenders. It acquired its exposure aggregating about ₹9,234 crores at a 55% haircut.
• IDBI Bank, the lead bank to the consortium of lenders with an exposure of ₹3,750 crores received₹253
crores and ₹1,434.5 crore in the form of security receipts. The other lenders will receive cash and security
receipts depending on their exposure to the company.

Dell acquired cloud services start-up Cloudify for USD 100 million
• Dell announced to acquire Cloudify, an Israeli start-up that has built a platform for cloud orchestration and
infrastructure automation. Cloudify's tools are used by cloud architects and DevOps engineers to manage
containers, workloads, and more across hybrid environments.
• Dell spent close to 100 million dollars in buying the start-up to boost its cloud services business. This
purchase enables Dell to continuously enhance our cutting-edge service. Originally the start-up was spun out
from GigaSpaces in 2017. The start-up raised less than 8 million dollars.

24 January, 2023
 APPOINTMENTS &
RESIGNATIONS
Election Commission appointed Maithili Thakur as Bihar's state icon
• Folk singer Maithili Thakur was appointed the state icon for Bihar by the Election Commission. Thakur was
selected for the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar of the Sangeet Natak Akademi for her contribution to
the folk music of Bihar for 2021.
• The singer will create awareness among the voters for their participation in the electoral process. Maithili,
born in Bihar's Madhubani district was trained by their grandfather and father in folk, Hindustani classical
music, harmonium and tabla. She has rendered traditional folk songs of Bihar in Maithili, Bhojpuri & Hindi.

Jason Moo appointed as new Chief Executive Officer of Bank of Singapore

• Bank of Singapore, a private banking division of OCBC, has announced the appointment of Jason Moo as its
new Chief Executive Officer. The Moo will officially succeed Bahren Shaari in March 2023.
• Prior to joining BoS, Moo served as CEO for Goldman Sachs in Singapore and was head of private banking
for Southeast Asia and branch manager in Singapore at Julius Baer. Moo takes over from Bahren Shaari,
who was appointed CEO in 2015 and led the successful integration of Barclays Asia and growth of assets
under management from $55 billion to $109 billion as of September 2022.

Hong Ju Jeon appointed as Managing Director of LG Electronics India

• LG Electronics India has announced the appointment of a new Managing Director, Hong Ju Jeon. Jeon was
previously in charge of the Gulf region as subsidiary President. Additionally, he also held other senior
positions at LG Electronics as Managing Director of Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria subsidiaries.
• Under his leadership, LG has strengthened its product leadership & launched many sustainable initiatives. The
previous MD of LG India, Young Lak Kim has been promoted to the position of Executive Vice President and
will be joining as Korea Sales & Marketing Head.

Nalin Negi appointed as interim Chief Executive Officer of BharatPe

• BharatPe has appointed current chief financial officer Nalin Negi as the firm’s interim chief executive officer
until its board finds a replacement for Suhail Sameer, who stepped down from the position.
• This development comes amid several senior level exits within the company which took place in a matter of
months. Recently, three senior executives, including the Chief Technology Officer Vijay Aggarwal, PostPe's
head Nehul Malhotra, and Rajat Jain, Chief Product Officer for lending and consumer products, resigned from
the company.

25 January, 2023
Bandhan Bank appointed Saurav Ganguly as Brand Ambassador
• Bandhan Bank has launched its ‘Jahaan Bandhan, Wahaan Trust’ campaign featuring cricketer Sourav Ganguly
as its brand ambassador. This is the first time that Bandhan Bank has appointed a pan-India brand
ambassador. Bandhan Bank has established its presence in 34 states and union territories.
• The campaign was conceptualised by Leo Burnett Orchard, which was brought in as the bank’s creative
agency in August 2022. The marketing campaign will be visible across TV, print, out-of-home (OOH),
cinema and digital media, it claimed.

Surinder Chawla appointed as MD & CEO of Paytm Payments Bank

• Paytm Payments Bank announced that it has appointed Surinder Chawla as its new Managing Director (MD)
and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for a period of three years. The appointment has received the Reserve
Bank of India’s (RBI) nod.
• Chawla is a veteran banker with over 28 years of experience across institutions such as HDFC Bank, RBL
Bank, ABN Amro Bank, and Standard Chartered Bank. Prior to joining Paytm Payments Bank, Chawla was
heading branch banking at RBL Bank.

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance signed Suryakumar Yadav for as brand ambassador
• ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has announced the launch of its ‘360° Financial Protection with ICICI
Prudential Life Insurance’ digital-first campaign featuring cricketer Suryakumar Yadav. Yadav has emerged as
a consistent and dependable batter in the white ball format since his international debut.
• The campaign’s central message is how ICICI Prudential Life Insurance offers a comprehensive suite of
protection products providing all-around life cover that offers 360-degree financial protection in any critical
situation.

Meta appointed Vikas Purohit as Head of Global Business in India

• Meta announced the appointment of Vikas Purohit as the director of Meta's Global Business Group in India to
lead the strategy and delivery of the charter, focused on the country's largest advertisers and agency partners.
He will lead the strategy and delivery units under the advertising wing.
• He has served as the chief executive at Tata CLiQ till October 2022. He will report to Arun Srinivas, Director
and Head of Ads Business for Meta in India.

Prasanna Kumar Motupalli appointed as Chairman and MD of NLC India Limited

• Prasanna Kumar Motupalli was appointed as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the state-run NLC
India Ltd (NLCIL). The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Motupalli's appointment till
the date of his superannuation that is June 2026.
• He has over 30 years of experience in the generation sector across fuel management, operations and
maintenance, coal handling, and power plant erection. Motupalli currently serves as the Managing Director of
Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL).

Cricketer Smriti Mandhana signed by Herbalife Nutrition India as sponsored sports athlete
• Nutrition Company Herbalife Nutrition India Private Limited is partnering with international women’s
cricketer, Smriti Mandhana as a ‘nutrition sponsor’. Smriti Mandhana’s performance on the field made her
the first Indian women cricketer to be recognized as the ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2018.
The same year saw her winning the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award, a feat she repeated in 2021.

26 January, 2023
• With more than 150 sponsored teams and athletes around the world, Herbalife Nutrition has a proven track
record of working with athletes, using the science and innovation within our products and the support and
knowledge of our experts to help them optimize their performance.

Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber appointed as President of COP 28

• Shamma Al Mazrui, UAE Minister of State for Youth Affairs, and Razan Al Mubarak, President of the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has been appointed as the President of COP 28.
The 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, will take place from November to
December 2023 in UAE.
• The United Nations Climate Change Conferences are annual conferences held within the framework of the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

AC Charania selected as new Chief Technologist of NASA

• The AC Charania, an India-American aerospace industry expert has been appointed as NASA‘s new chief
technologist. He has been designated as principal advisor to Administrator Bill Nelson on programmes and
technology policy at NASA’s headquarters.
• Charania will be looking after NASA’s agency wide investments, mission requirements across six mission
directorates, external stakeholders, collaboration with other agencies and the private sector. The position
anointed to Charania was earlier headed by Bhavya Lal.

Ravi Kumar appointed as new Chief Executive Officer of Cognizant

• The Cognizant Technology Solutions announced that it has appointed Ravi Kumar as Chief Executive Officer
and member of the board. Kumar succeeds Brian Humphries in both roles.
• Kumar joins Cognizant after a 20-year career at Infosys, where he held various leadership roles, most
recently serving as president from January 2016 through October 2022. He has overseen Infosys business
operations in India, Latin America, Japan, and China. He has also overseen the Infosys Public Services and
Infosys Consulting Services subsidiaries.

Brazil appointed Sonia Guajajara as 1st Minister of indigenous people

• President-elect of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has announced the creation of new Ministry of Indigenous
People and the appointment of indigenous activist and environmentalist Sonia Guajajara as its first minister.
This is significant change from previous administration's stance on indigenous rights.
• The new Ministry of Indigenous People, led by Sonia Guajajara, will oversee policies ranging from land
demarcation to healthcare for Brazil's indigenous population.

Clare Lombardelli appointed as Chief Economist of OECD

• The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) appointed UK Treasury Adviser,
Clare Lombardelli as the next Chief Economist, with effect from May 2023. She has 20 years of experience
in economic analysis and policy-making in the United Kingdom.
• She will lead the OECD’s economic work, replacing France’s Laurence Boone, who has held the post since
2018. She started her career as an economist at the Bank of England. She has also worked at 10 Downing
Street and as a technical advisor for the International Monetary Fund.

Government extended Sanjiv Chadha’s term as MD and CEO of Bank of Baroda

• Bank of Baroda stated in a regulatory filing that the government has extended the term of Sanjiv Chadha as
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Bank of Baroda till June 2023.

27 January, 2023
• The Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB), the head-hunter for directors of state-owned banks and
financial institutions, recommended elevation of Executive Director (ED) Debadatta Chand as Managing
Director of Bank of Baroda.

Indian-American attorney became first LGBTQ woman of colour as U.S. City Council member
• Janani Ramachandran, an Indian-American attorney, has emerged as the youngest and the first queer woman
of colour to take oath as the Oakland City Council member in the U.S. state of California.
• She currently serves on the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs and has
previously served as a Commissioner at the City of Oakland Public Ethics Commission, according to her
website. The Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley pass-out has worked in several legal
non-profits.

Aruna Miller became first Indian American Lt. Governor of Maryland

• Hyderabad-born Aruna Miller made history by becoming the first Indian-American politician to be elected as
the lieutenant governor of the US state of Maryland. Miller took her oath on the Bhagwat Gita, as the 10th
lieutenant governor of the state.
• She was part of a historic Democratic ticket that sailed to victory in November last year and also gives
Maryland its first Black governor, its first Black attorney general and its first female comptroller. Miller has
served two terms in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2010 to 2018.

Praveen Sharma appointed as Director of National Health Authority

• Praveen Sharma has been selected for appointment as Director in the National Health Authority (Ayushman
Bharat Digital Mission) under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. Sharma has been appointed to the
post under the ‘Central Staffing Scheme’ for a period of five years
• Sharma is an Indian Defence Service of Engineers (IDSE) officer of 2005 batch. He may kindly be relieved of
his duties immediately with instructions to take up his new assignment in the National Health Authority
under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

Vedanta's Cairn Oil & Gas announced appointment of Nick Walker as new CEO
• Vedanta's Cairn Oil & Gas announced the appointment of Nick Walker as the new Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) of the company. Walker was president and chief executive officer at Lundin Energy, one of the leading
European independent E&P companies.
• Having worked previously in companies like BP, Talisman Energy and Africa Oil, he has over 30 years of
diverse international experience in technical, commercial and executive leadership roles. He will be the sixth
CEO of the company since mining billionaire Anil Agarwal-led group bought the company from Scottish
explorer Cairn Energy plc, now known as Capricorn Energy plc, in 2011.

Vikram Dev Dutt appointed as Director General of DGCA

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Dutt as the next
Director General of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Dutt is a 1993 batch IAS officer, currently
serving as the Chairman and Managing Director of Air India Assets Holding Ltd (AIAHL).
• He will replace incumbent DGCA chief Arun Kumar. Earlier, Dutt had also served as the CMD of Air India.
The ACC has also approved the extension of the central deputation tenure of Ashutosh Jindal, Additional
Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, for a period of one year.

28 January, 2023
Shamalbhai B Patel appointed as Chairman of Amul
• Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) announced the appointment of Shamalbhai B
Patel as its Chairman and Valamjibhai Humbal as Vice Chairman. Shamalbhai B Patel is the Chairman of
Sabarkantha District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd., Sabar dairy and associated with dairy
cooperatives of Gujarat since last 33 years.
• Sabar Union is one of largest dairy union of the state with annual sales turnover exceeding ₹6,800 crores
and farmer membership of 3.85 lakh milk producers.

Toyota Motor appointed Akio Toyoda as Chairman, Koji Sato President and CEO
• Japanese automajor Toyota Motor Corp. (TMC) announced that Akio Toyoda will be appointed as the new
Chairman of the Board of Directors and Koji Sato as the new President and Chief Executive Officer. Sato will
also be appointed as the member of its Board.
• Further, Takeshi Uchiyamada will resign from his post as Chairman of the Board of Directors, and will remain
a Board member. Toyoda is currently the company's President, Board Member, Chief Executive Officer and
operating Officer. Sato is currently the company's operating officer, Chief Branding Officer, Lexus
International Co. President, as well as GAZOO Racing Company President.

‘Biryani by Kilo’ roped in PV Sindhu as first brand ambassador

• Biryani by Kilo (BBK) has announced badminton champion PV Sindhu as it’s first-ever brand ambassador. PV
Sindhu is the precise personification of the ideology of the brand. The brand firmly believes that “Every good
thing takes time – Fursat Se”.
• This association is considerably more meaningful since PV Sindhu was born and brought up in Hyderabad and
shares a similar fondness for biryani.

Unilever appointed Hein Schumacher as new Chief Executive Officer

• The Unilever announced the appointment of Hein Schumacher as its new Chief Executive Officer, following
an extensive, global search process. Hein will replace Alan Jope, who announced in September 2022 his
intention to retire from Unilever.
• Hein is currently CEO of the global dairy and nutrition business Royal Friesland Campina and became a Non-
Executive Director of Unilever in October last year. He will begin as Unilever Chief Executive Officer by July
2023, after a one-month handover period.

Puma India roped in Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh as brand ambassador

• The PUMA India has announced the on-boarding of India’s women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur as its
brand ambassador. Kaur will endorse the brand’s footwear, apparel and accessories through multiple
activities and campaigns throughout the year, under the partnership.
• For the company, Kaur will join the company’s roster of sportspersons, including names such as Virat Kohli,
Usain Bolt, Sunil Chhetri, Mary Kom, Harleen Deol, and Avani Lekhara, among others.

29 January, 2023
 RANKINGS
RBI retained SBI, HDFC Bank and ICICI bank in Domestically Systemically Important Banks list
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has retained SBI, ICICI bank and HDFC bank in the list of Domestically
Systemically Important Banks (D-SIB) list for the year 2021. The concept of the D-SIB goes back to the
failure of big financial institutions in 2008 which led to a global financial crisis.
• D-SIBs are those interconnected entities, whose failure can impact the whole of the financial system and
create instability. Systemically important banks attract closer supervision and regulation from the country's
central bank as these entities are considered to be too big-to-fail banking companies.

India became world's 3rd largest auto market, surpasses Japan

• According to a report published by Nikkei Asia India for the first time surpassed Japan in auto sales last year
and moved up to third place globally. At least 4.25 million new cars were sold in the country, surpassing
Japan's 4.2 million sales.
• As per the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, the total number of new vehicles delivered in India
between January and November 2022 is 4.13 million. With 26.27 million vehicles sold in 2021, China
maintained its lead in the global auto market. The US remained second with 15.4 million vehicles, followed
by Japan with 4.44 million.

Delhi, Bengaluru included in 10 best-performing airports globally in 2022

• According to aviation analytics company Cirium, two Indian airports, Bengaluru and Delhi, have featured in
the list of top ten global airports in terms of on-time performance. Similarly, three Indian airlines IndiGo,
AirAsia India, and Vistara have been listed among the top ten airlines in Asia-Pacific.
• Bengaluru's airport was the second best airport globally in 2022 in terms of on-time arrivals and departures.
Japan's Haneda Airport was the best-performing airport. Indira Gandhi Airport stood seventh in the on-time
rankings globally.

Japan topped Henley Passport Index 2023

• According to Henley Passport Index 2023, the Japanese passport is the most powerful among all passports in
the world, as it allows visa-free access to as many as 193 countries for the fifth straight year. India, on the
other hand, improved its position by 2 spots from last year, and is currently ranked 85th on the index.
Mauritius and Uzbekistan passports are as powerful as India's passports.
• Singapore and South Korea are joint second in the ranking, followed by Germany and Spain. A holder of an
Indian passport can travel visa-free to 59 countries (60 in 2022). Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan and Yemen
are the worst in the ranking.

“Survival of the Richest: The India story” 2022 report released by Oxfam India
• The Oxfam India’s report on inequality in India released finds that just 5% of Indians own more than 60% of
the country’s wealth, while the bottom 50% of the population possess only 3% of the wealth. The
combined wealth of India’s 100 richest has touched $660 billion (Rs 54.12 lakh crore), an amount that could
fund the entire Union Budget for more than 18 months.

30 January, 2023
• Between 2012 and 2021, 40% of the wealth created in India has gone to just 1% of the population and only
a mere 3% of the wealth has gone to the bottom 50%, adding that the total number of billionaires in India
increased from 102 in 2020 to 166 billionaires in 2022.

Shah Rukh Khan became only Indian on world's richest actor list
• Shah Rukh Khan has been ranked fourth in a list of 8 richest actors in the world, released by World of
Statistics. SRK's net worth is 770 million dollars, according to the list. The actor is ranked above Hollywood
star Tom Cruise (more on the list later).
• The list is led by Seinfeld star Jerry Seinfeld and Tyler Perry with $1 billion. They are followed by Dwayne
Johnson, with $800 million. Shah Rukh Khan is the only Indian on the list. SRK, apart from acting, has a sports
business, his VFX Company and a host of other business ventures.

Uttar Pradesh topped charts for mobile gaming destination in India

• According to the India Mobile Gaming Report 2022 issued by the gaming platform Mobile Premier League
(MPL). Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the top location for mobile gamers, followed by Maharashtra,
Rajasthan, Bihar, and West Bengal, Pune is the leading city in Maharashtra’s second sport for video game
growth, followed by Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur, and Nashik.
• Among the most popular games played by participants were Ludo Dice, Carrom, Fruit Dart, Block Puzzle,
and Poker. 36% of all games in the state were played in Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Ghaziabad, and
Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh. India overtook Japan as top user of mobile games in 2016.

India ranked 4th in Global Fire Power Index 2023

• India’s military is ranked fourth in Global Fire Power Index 2023 that has ranked 145 countries. The most
powerful country in the world is the United States of America, followed by Russia, China, and India. Turkey
has once again emerged as the most powerful country in the Middle East and North African region. Egypt
and Iran are ranked second and third respectively in this index.
• Egypt is ranked as the most powerful Arab country. In this index, Lebanon has been described as the
weakest country in the Middle East. Global Firepower ranks countries based on troop strength, national
resources, financial status, logistics and geographic scale.

Mukesh Ambani ranked 2nd globally on Brand Guardianship Index 2023

• The Chairman of Reliance Industries Limited, Mukesh Ambani has ranked second on Brand Guardianship
Index 2023 list of the world’s top CEOs. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Reliance Industries Limited's Mukesh
Ambani are ranked first and second respectively in the Index (BGI).
• India’s Billionaire Mukesh Ambani has overtaken the likes of Satya Nadella of Microsoft and Google's Sundar
Pichai to be ranked No.1 among Indians. The Brand Guardianship Index consists of an 'equity' factor, which
reflects current beliefs, a 'performance' factor, which reflects the concrete results of these beliefs, and an
'investment' factor, which supports future performance.

Jio became India’s strongest brand, ranked 9th globally

• According to the latest 'Global 500-2023' report released by Brand Finance, Jio has emerged as the strongest
brand in India and is ranked 9th among the 25 strongest brands in the world. Brands like EY, Coca Cola,
Accenture, Porsche and Google precede Jio in the list.
• Whereas giants like Apple, Amazon, Alibaba and Pepsi have been left behind by Reliance Jio. With over 400
million subscribers, Reliance Jio is the largest mobile operator in India and the third largest in the world. The

31 January, 2023
 index is prepared on the basis of certain parameters such as marketing spend, awareness, consideration, and
trust and market share.

India became one among top nations to expand organic farming

• Based on reports by IFOAM -Organics International data, India is reported to have become one of the
top countries in the world that have the largest area of land reserved for organic farming.
• The total increase in lands reserved for organic farming in India has reached 3,59,000 hectares. In 2020 the
increase in global organic farming reached 3 million hectares among which Uruguay stood first with
5,89,000 hectares, while Argentina stood with 7,81,000 hectares and India with 3,59,000 hectares.

Delhi and Bengaluru ranked in top-50 global cities for women entrepreneurs
• Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai are among the top 50 cities providing a beneficial business environment for
women entrepreneurs, according to the findings of Dell Technologies’ 2023 Women Entrepreneur Cities
(WE Cities) Index. Delhi has demonstrated significant improvement over its score in 2017.
• Mumbai is a new entrant to this list and Bengaluru is one of the top 10 cities in the world which provides
accessibility and inclusive policies. The report ranked 55 global cities based on their ability to attract and
foster high-potential women entrepreneurs (HPWE) who want to start and scale a business. This year’s index
had 90 indicators across two categories and 5 pillars including an equality sub-pillar.

Ministry of Defence became top buyer of MSME goods in 2022

• According to the Government eMarketplace (GeM), the Ministry of Defence was the top procuring ministry
of goods and services from MSME sellers in the calendar year 2022. In 2022, the Defence Ministry procured
Rs 16,747 crores worth of goods and services from the MSME sector.
• In terms of state, Uttar Pradesh ranked top buyer of MSME goods worth Rs 9,642 crore through GeM in
2022. In 2022, the turnover of GeM was Rs 106,647 crores. This is expected to double in 2023. As
compared to 2016, when GeM was first launched, its turnover had increased by 17 times.

32 January, 2023
 AWARDS & HONOURS
Captain Shiva Chouhan became 1st woman officer to be deployed at Siachen
• Captain Shiva Chouhan of the Indian Army's Fire and Fury Corps became the first woman officer to get
operationally deployed at the world's highest battlefield, Siachen, after a month's arduous training at Siachen
Battle School along with other personnel.
• Chauhan has been deployed to the Kumar Post after completing "arduous training." Captain Shiva Chouhan
from Rajasthan is a Bengal Sapper. She did her schooling in Udaipur and holds a bachelor’s degree in civil
engineering from NJR Institute of Technology, Udaipur.

Odisha won World Habitat Award 2023 for its JAGA Mission
• Odisha government’s slum improvement and land titling programme, JAGA Mission has won the UN-
Habitat’s World Habitat Awards 2023. This year it was awarded the bronze medal. This is the second time
that the programme has received the UN-Habitat’s World Habitat Award.
• In 2019, the project received the World Habitat Awards for its success in providing land tenure security to
slum dwellers. This award is given by World Habitat, a United Kingdom -based organization, in partnership
with United Nation (UN)-Habitat, every year.

Lionel Messi named IFFHS Men’s World's Best Player of 2022

• Lionel Messi has been crowned the 'World's Best Player' for 2022 by the International Federation of Football
History and Statistics (IFFHS). He has emerged victorious after enjoying an exceptional year with both club
and country.
• He came out on top with a whopping 275 points, leaving his club teammate Kylian Mbappe in second position
with 35 points. Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema occupied the third position with 30 points. Meanwhile,
Luka Modric came fourth with 15 points and Erling Haaland fifth with five points.

Varanasi Cantt Railway Station awarded ‘Eat Right Station’ with certification by FSSAI
• The Varanasi Cantt Railway Station of the Indian Railways has been awarded the 5-Star 'Eat Right Station'
certification for providing high quality nutritious food to the passengers. The 'Eat Right Station' certification is
provided by FSSAI to railway stations which set the standard in providing safe and nutritious food to the
passengers.
• The other railway stations with this certification include Anand Vihar Terminal Railway Station, Chhatrapati
Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai Central Railway Station, Vadodara Railway Station, & Chandigarh Railway Station.

President of India presented Digital India Awards 2022

• The President of India, Droupadi Murmu has conferred the Digital India Awards 2022 to the winners. The e-
NAM (Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare) was awarded the platinum award in Digital
Empowerment of Citizens category.

33 January, 2023
• The Mine Mitra (Uttar Pradesh) was awarded in Digital Initiatives for Ease of Doing Business category. The
e-Vivechna App (Madhya Pradesh) was awarded the platinum award in Digital Initiatives at Grassroots Level.
The Digital India Awards 2022 have been presented to 22 innovative digital initiatives by government entities
at all levels under 7 categories for the year 2022.

'RRR' bagged first Golden Globe with 'Naatu Naatu' winning best original song
• "Naatu Naatu", the irrepressible, fun number from the blockbuster "RRR", danced its way to a Golden Globe
as the 'best original song-motion picture' and to Indian showbiz history at a star spangled awards ceremony.
The track has been composed by veteran music director MM Keeravaani and voiced by singers Kala Bhairava
and Rahul Sipligunj.
• The song, which beat the likes of Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Lady Gaga, to win the coveted award is the first
time that an Indian production has won a Golden Globe.

Avani Chaturvedi became 1st IAF woman pilot to participate in wargame

• For the first time an Indian Air Force (IAF) female fighter pilot, Squadron Leader Avani Chaturvedi, will
participate in aerial war games which are to be held aboard. She will be a part of the Indian contingent for
the maiden ‘Veer Guardian 2023’ joint exercise between India and Japan which will be hosted by the latter at
the Hyakuri Air Base. The Indian contingent will consist of 139 personnel.
• The exercise will be carried out by Japan Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF) and the Indian Air Force (IAF), at
the aforementioned air Base in Japan and its surrounding airspace in Omitama, and the Iruma Air Base in
Sayama. IAF’s Avani Chaturvedi was a part of the first batch of women to be commissioned as fighter pilots
in the country’s air force almost seven years ago.

Kerala broke Guinness record for goals scored

• Kerala has kicked itself into the Guinness Book of World Records by taking 4,500 penalty kicks in 12 hours.
The Department of Sports and Youth Affairs made it possible for the football-crazy State to set the Guinness
record at Dream Goal penalty shootout organised at Payyanad Football Stadium.
• The excitement was palpable at the stadium throughout the day as hundreds of footballers, students,
teachers and football lovers queued up to take the penalty kicks. Many missed, but some netted with
impeccable perfection. The zest of Malappuram was evident throughout.

FSSAI notified first-ever regulatory standards for basmati rice

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has specified identity standards for basmati rice
(including brown basmati, milled basmati, parboiled brown basmati, and milled parboiled basmati) for the
first time in the country.
• The standards, vide Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) First
Amendment Regulations, 2023 and notified in the Gazette of India, are aimed at establishing fair practices in
the trade of basmati rice and protect consumer interest, both domestically and globally.

Google Doodle honoured Indian wrestler Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav

• Google has celebrated the 97th birth anniversary of legendary Indian wrestler Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav,
also known as Pocket Dynamo, with a doodle. The celebrated wrestler became independent India’s first
athlete to clinch an Olympic medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki.
• The tribute on Google’s home page shows two sketches of the legendary wrestler. In one, Jadhav can be
seen in a tactical position, while the other shows him wearing an Indian jersey. According to Google
Doodle’s blog, the wrestler was born in Maharashtra’s Goleshwar village in 1926.

34 January, 2023
‘RRR’ won Critics Choice Awards 2023 for Best Foreign Language Film
• Filmmaker Rajamouli's film 'RRR' has won the Best Foreign Language Film at the Critics’ Choice Awards,
which took place at Fairmont Century Plaza, Los Angeles. Last week, the film won the Best Original Song
award at the prestigious Golden Globes 2023.
• SS Rajamouli, Jr NTR and Ram Charan attended the Golden Globes 2023 at Los Angeles with their spouses.
Naatu Naatu song from the film won the prestigious recognition. RRR is a fictional period drama based on
the lives of two Telugu freedom fighters, Alluri Seetharama Raju and Komaram Bheem, played by Ram
Charan and Jr NTR, respectively.

Goa Manohar International Airport Wins “Best Sustainable Greenfield Airport” award
• Goa Manohar International Airport (MIA) has been awarded the prestigious "Best Sustainable Greenfield
Airport" award under Aviation Sustainability and Environment at the Associated Chambers of Commerce and
Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) 14th International Conference.
• The award was presented for "outstanding initiatives" taken by Goa International Airport Limited (GGIAL) in
implementing sustainability. Goa Manohar International Airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi in December 2022. Commercial operation was slated by January 2023.

Assam's Charaideo Maidam nominated for UNESCO world Heritage Site tag
• The Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma informed that Centre government has decided to
nominate Assam’s Charaideo Maidams, the Ahom equivalent of the ancient Egyptian pyramids for the
UNESCO World Heritage Centre this year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose the maidams; representing
the late medieval (13th-19th century CE) mound burial tradition of the Tai Ahom community in Assam, from
among 52 sites across the country seeking the World Heritage Site tag.

R Vishnu Prasad honoured as most Eminent Scientist of the Year 2022

• R Vishnu Prasad has been conferred with the most prestigious scientific honour Indian Achievers Award for
the year 2022 by Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. So
far 69 patents have been registered in the name of R Vishnu Prasad.
• The award is given for outstanding contributions in various fields including culture, science, sports and
innovation. Vishnu Prasad, who has contributed to smart cities, solid waste management, large scale water
treatment, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, was selected by a jury headed by Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra.

Suryakumar Yadav named ICC "T20 Cricketer of the Year"

• Indian batter Suryakumar Yadav has been selected as the ICC T20 Cricketer of the Year for the year 2022
for his stellar performance. Suryakumar Yadav beat Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikander Raza, Pakistan wicket-
keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan, England all-rounder Sam Curran to win award.
• Suryakumar Yadav scored 1164 runs in 31 T20 matches played in 2022 and also became only the second
batsman in T20 history to score more than 1000 runs in a calendar year. Yadav hit 68 sixes in 2022, the
most by any batsman in a single year in the history of the format. Australia's Tahlia McGrath has been
awarded the ICC T20 Women's Cricketer of the Year award.

Visakhapatnam railway station received ‘Green Railway Station Certification’ with Platinum rating
• East Coast Railways’ Visakhapatnam railway station has received the prestigious ‘Green Railway Station
Certification’ with the highest Platinum rating. The certificate has been awarded by the Indian Green Building
Council (IGBC) for adopting green concepts.

35 January, 2023
• In 2022, Bhagalpur railway station (BGP) of Malda division, Eastern Railway (ER) received IGBC ‘Green
Railway Station Certification’ with a Silver rating by CII. In 2021, Central Railways’ Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
Terminus Railway Station was awarded IGBC Gold Certification.

Michelle Yeoh became first Asian to bag Oscar nomination for Best Actress
• The sci-fi film 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' landed as many as 11 nominations at the 2023 Oscars.
The film's lead Michelle Yeoh scripted history by becoming the first Asian to be nominated for Best Actress.
Yeoh also received the Best Actress award from the National Board of Review.
• The Academy Awards have been criticized in the past for nominating primarily white actors. However, this
year, several Asian actors have nods from the Academy including Yeoh’s costars Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie
Hsu, as well as Hong Chau for The Whale. This marks the highest number of Asian acting nominees
recognized by the academy in its history.

Uttarakhand selected as best state tableau of Republic Day parade

• Uttarakhand has been selected as the best state tableau among 17 States and Union Territories which
participated in the Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path in New Delhi. The Tableau of Uttrakhand had
showcased the world famous tourist destination Corbete National Pak and famous Cholia dance.
• The second place went to the tableau of Maharashtra and third position to Uttar Pradesh. Punjab Regiment
Centre Contingent has been named the best marching contingent among the three services. Central Reserve
Police Force has been named the best marching contingent among Central Armed Police Force and other
auxiliary forces. The tableaux of Ministry of Tribal Affairs was declared winner in the category of Central
Ministries and Departments.

Usman Khawaja bagged inaugural Shane Warne Men’s Test Player of the Year award
• Australian batter Usman Khawaja has won the inaugural Shane Warne Men’s Test Player of the Year award
following a superb 12 months in Australian whites. Since returning to the Test side in January 2022, Khawaja
has been leading scorer, accumulating1020 runs at 78.46 during the voting period.
• He capped off the voting period with an unbeaten 195 during the rain-affected New Year’s Test against
South Africa, his 3rd consecutive Test century at the venue. Khawaja was named in the ICC Test Team of the
Year alongside Australian teammates Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon and Marnus Labuschagne.

36 January, 2023
 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
IIT Madras partnered with DRDO to develop advanced defence technologies
• IIT Madras Centre of Excellence (CoE) has collaborated with the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) to develop Advanced Defence Technologies.
• IIT Madras CoE- ‘DRDO Industry Academia- Ramanujan Centre of Excellence’ (DIA-RCoE) will be
conducting a directed research process to meet the national defence and security needs of the nation. DIA-
RCoE was initially established by DRDO and then IIT Madras took it over.

Digantara launched second satellite to monitor space weather

• Digantara (Space start-up) has launched its second satellite Pushan-Alpha as rideshare on-board SpaceX’s
Transporter-6 mission from Cape Canaveral in Florida, US. The satellite will serve as a space weather
testbed in the sun synchronous orbit.
• It will also enhance precision driven situational space awareness applications. Its observations will help
complement Digantara’s ROBI (ROBust Integrating proton fluence meter) mission.

ISRO, Microsoft joined hands to empower spacetech start-ups in India

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Microsoft announced a collaboration to fuel the growth
of space technology start-ups in the country. Through this tie-up, the space tech start-ups identified by ISRO
will be on-boarded onto the Microsoft for Start-ups Founders Hub' platform, that supports start-ups at every
stage of their journey-from idea to unicorn.
• Through 'Microsoft for Start-ups Founders Hub', space-tech start up founders in India will have free access to
the tech tools, and resources they need to build and run their business.

DRDO developed unmanned aerial vehicle for operations in Himalayan frontier

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed an untethered multi-copter
payload, an unmanned aerial vehicle, capable of flying with 5 kg payload and even dropping bombs in enemy
territories with an aim to carry out logistic operations in the Himalayan frontier.
• The multi-copter was displayed by the DRDO at the 108th Indian Science Congress in Maharashtra’s Nagpur.
Successful trials of the multi-copter were conducted at Sikkim at an altitude of 14,000 ft. The product will be
ready for induction in the Armed Forces after two remaining trials

Axis Bank, IISc signed MoU to set up Centre for Mathematics and Computing
• Axis Bank announced signing a MoU with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru to establish a
Centre for Mathematics and Computing at the Institute.
• The centre spread over 1.6 lakh square feet will have labs and programmes benefitting faculty and students.
Additionally, it will host the new IISc B.Tech programme in Mathematics and Computing and the on-going

37 January, 2023
 Interdisciplinary PhD programme in Mathematical Sciences. Over 500 engineers and scientists are estimated
to be benefited annually.

Government of India banned six YouTube channels for spreading fake news
• The government of India banned six YouTube channels for propagating fake news and misinformation in its
latest attempt to curb the spread of fake news on social media platforms. The banned YouTube channels
were called out by the PIB Fact Check unit.
• The Press Information Bureau (PIB) names of these channels and the fake news being spread by them were
listed. The names of these channels are Nation TV, Sarokar Bharat, Nation 24, Samvad Samachar, Swarnim
Bharat, and Sambad TV.

MIT Researchers developed AI tool to predict risk of lung Cancer

• Lung cancer is the main cause of cancer death in the United States and around the world, researchers have
tested an AI tool known as "Sybil" that accurately predicts its risk for individuals with or without a significant
smoking history. Low-dose chest computed tomography (LDCT) is suggested for monitoring persons aged
50 to 80 with a significant history of smoking or who actively smoke.
• Lung cancer screening with LDCT has been demonstrated to lower lung cancer death by up to 24%. But as
rates of lung cancer climb among non-smokers, new strategies are needed to screen and accurately predict
lung cancer risk across a wider population.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal launched MAARG portal for start-up mentorship
• Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal launched the MAARG platform (Mentorship, Advisory,
Assistance, Resilience, and Growth). The portal would facilitate mentorship between start-ups and
entrepreneurs across sectors, stages, and functions.
• The objectives of the MAARG Portal is to provide guidance and support to start-ups throughout their life
cycle, to establish a formal and structured platform that facilitates matchmaking between mentors and start-
ups at large across diverse sectors.

South Africa launched of world's first Agri-Focused satellite

• The Chairperson of the South African Council for Space Affairs, Pontsho Maruping announced that the
successful launch of the world’s first agri-focused satellite called AgriSAT-1 /ZA 008 is expected to generate
over USD 100 million in revenue for South Africa.
• Dragonfly Aerospace launched the satellite, on a Space X Falcon 9 rocket. It is the world’s first agriculture-
focused satellite constellation providing the agriculture and forestry industry with high-quality data to support
efficient and sustainable practices. The satellite is the first of a 7-satellite constellation in low Earth orbit for
customer EOSDA (EOS Data Analytics).

ISRO 'Shukrayaan' mission to planet Venus reportedly shifted to 2031

• Sreekumar, the Satish Dhawan Professor at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) informed that the
organisation has not yet received approval from the Indian government for the Venus mission and that, as a
result, the mission may be delayed until 2031.
• The ISRO Venus mission, Shukrayaan I, was slated to take off in December 2024. The concept was
conceived in 2012; five years later, after the Department of Space got a 23% increase in the 2017–2018
budgets, ISRO started preliminary investigations. The organisation asked for payload suggestions from
research institutions in April 2017.

38 January, 2023
James Webb telescope discovered first Earth-sized exoplanet
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that the James Webb Space
Telescope has discovered its first new exoplanet. Researchers have labelled the planet as LHS 475 b, and it’s
roughly the same size as Earth. Exoplanets come in a host of different sizes.
• Located just 41 light-years away, the planet orbits very close to a red dwarf star and completes a full orbit in
just two days. Exoplanets are planets that orbit other stars and are beyond our solar system. According to
NASA, to date, more than 5,000 exoplanets have been discovered.

ASI discovered two 1200-year-old miniature stupas at Nalanda

• The Patna Circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered two 1200-year-old miniature
stupas during landscaping activities near the Sarai Tila mound within the complex of the world heritage site
'Nalanda Mahavihara' in Nalanda district of the state.
• The figures of Buddha are shown on the stupa carved out of stone. These stupas carved out of stone
depicting figures of Buddha are about 1200 years old. Such stupas were popular as votive offerings in India as
early as the 7th century. Stupas evolved from chortens in Tibet and pagodas in East Asia.

IIT Madras developed mobile operating system, BharOS

• An IIT Madras-incubated firm has developed an Indigenous Mobile Operating System; called ‘BharOS’. This
software can be installed on commercial off-the-shelf handsets. It provides a secure environment for users
and is a significant contribution towards ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat.’
• BharOS Services are currently being provided to organisations that have stringent privacy and security
requirements whose users handle sensitive information that requires confidential communications on
restricted apps on mobiles. Such users require access to private cloud services through private 5G networks.
BharOS comes with No Default Apps (NDA).

Squadrone became country’s first to fly autonomous drone in underground mines

• Bengaluru-based technology-driven mining services company, Squadrone has become the first Indian firm to
fly autonomous drones in underground mines in the country. Squadrone successfully completed a Proof of
Concept at Hindustan Zinc Ltd.’s (Vedanta) underground mines in Udaipur, Rajasthan.
• The success of this project had proved that the application of drone-based Hovermap LiDAR technology
would bring about a huge transformation in the way underground mines are worked in India and would
make a huge difference in the life of every miner in India with enhanced safety, productivity, and higher
efficiency.

US announced to test nuclear-powered spacecraft by 2027

• The United States plans to test a spacecraft engine powered by nuclear fission by 2027 as part of a long-
term NASA effort to demonstrate more efficient methods of propelling astronauts to Mars in the future.
NASA will partner with the U.S. military's research and development agency, DARPA, to develop a nuclear
thermal propulsion engine and launch it to space as soon as 2027.
• The U.S. space agency has studied for decades the concept of nuclear thermal propulsion, which introduces
heat from a nuclear fission reactor to a hydrogen propellant in order to provide a thrust believed to be far
more efficient than traditional chemical-based rocket engines.

StockEdge launched India's first AI-powered screening mechanism

• Kredent InfoEdge Pvt Ltd has announced the addition of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered Chart Pattern
Recognition feature in StockEdge, the highly popular stock market app that it has developed. This feature, a

39 January, 2023
 first in India, is expected to make chart pattern recognition very easy for the stock market participants of
India. This feature will help a trader to take positions in the market.
• Founded in 2016, StockEdge has lived by its goal of empowering retail investors in India. Over the years
StockEdge has tried to make the stock market participants self-reliant with its cutting-edge analytics tools
enabling them to take well-informed market calls.

Hero stone of Hoysala period discovered near Pandavpura

• A first-of-Its kind unique unpublished hero stone inscription and sculpture of the Hoysala period was
discovered by a team from the Centre of Excellence for Studies in Classical Kannada (CESCK) of Central
institute of Indian Languages in Mysuru.
• Following information given by Prof Rangaraju NS, archaeologist and heritage expert, Shashidara CA, a senior
research fellow of CESCK, found this special hero stone at Chakashettyhalli village in Pandavapura taluk of
Mandya district. The hero stone’s estampages were taken and after studying, it was found that Daasara
Shettihalli was an important administrative centre during the Hoysala period.

ISRO informed India’s first mission to Sun to be launched by July 2023

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to launch the Aditya-L1 mission by June or July this
year. Aditya-L1 is the first Indian space mission to observe the Sun and the solar corona.
• The Aditya-L1 mission will be launched by ISRO to the L1 orbit (which is the first Lagrangian point of the Sun-
Earth system). L1 orbit allows Aditya-L1 to look at the Sun continuously. In total Aditya-L1 have seven
payloads, of which the primary payload is the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC), designed and
fabricated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru.

Google researchers created AI model can turn text into music

• Researchers from Google have created an AI that can generate minutes-long musical pieces from text
prompts, and can even transform a whistled or hummed melody into other instruments, similar to how
systems like DALL-E generate images from written prompts.
• The model is called MusicLM, and while you can't play around with it for yourself, the company has uploaded
a bunch of samples that it produced using the model. MusicLM can even simulate human vocals, and while it
seems to get the tone and overall sound of voices right, there's a quality to them that's definitely off.

Ministry of Sports launched special app for Khelo India Youth Games
• The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the launch of a special mobile application for the Khelo
India Youth Games. This is the first time a dedicated app is launched for the games. The app will enable
participating athletes, coaches, support staff, parents of the athletes and officials from all states to have
access to all the information about the games on a click of a button.
• The app has a dedicated athlete login and supports them right from the time of registration to entire course
of the games. It allows them to check if their certified documents are uploaded before the start.

40 January, 2023
 SPORTS
BCCI introduced new selection criteria for Team India
• The BCCI announced a major change in the selection criteria of players. The new rule brought back the Yo-
Yo test and made it mandatory for players to be selected for the national team. Players must take a 'DEXA'
before being selected for the Indian team across all formats.
• The BCCI President, Roger Binny and Secretary, Jay Shah met India captain Rohit Sharma, head coach Rahul
Dravid and Chief Selector Chetan Sharma. The future of Indian cricket was discussed in the meeting, which
was also attended by National Cricket Academy (NCA) director VVS Laxman.

Jaydev Unadkat became first bowler to pick a first-over hat-trick in Ranji Trophy
• Jaydev Unadkat has rocked Delhi with an eight-wicket haul, including the first over hat-trick in the on-going
Ranji Trophy at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. Six of their 11 batters were dismissed
without even opening their account as the side was eventually bundled out for 133 runs.
• In the first over of the game, Unadkat took a hat-trick and became the first bowler to do so in the history
of Ranji Trophy. Karnataka’s Vinay Kumar took the previous earliest hat-trick in a match against Mumbai in
the 2017-18 quarter-final, but it was spread across the first and third overs.

World Boxing Council announced to create transgender category

• The World Boxing Council President, Mauricio Sulaiman announced plans to create a transgender league
and tournament within the sport he oversees. In his proposal, the WBC will begin to reach out to
interested parties next year. The WBC provided a list of guidelines for transgender boxers in August.
• Sulaiman stated that Transgender athletes will only be able to compete against each other. In addition, the
WBC would look into an “at birth” policy, which means “a trans fighter born a man would only be able to
fight a fellow Transgender fighter born a man.”

Cape Verde became first country to name stadium after Pele

• Cape Verde has become the first country to name a stadium after Pele since FIFA President Gianni Infantino
called on every nation to do so. Cape Verde, which is made up of a group of islands to the west of main
African continent in Atlantic Ocean, shares Portuguese as common language with Brazil.
• Cape Verde Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva confirmed their Estadio Nacional de Cabo Verde would be
renamed after Pele. The 15,000-seat stadium, which hosts football matches for the Cape Verde national
team, will be called ‘Pele Stadium’ in honour of the former New York Cosmos player.

Umran Malik became fastest bowler in India

• Indian pacer Umran Malik clocked in 155 kph on the speed radar in the first T20I against Sri Lanka to become
the fastest Indian bowler overshadowing Jasprit Bumrah’s record. The Jammu-born pacer surpassed
Bumrah’s record of 153.36 kph to earn the tag to be the fastest Indian bowler.
• Pacer Mohammed Shami is third on the list for bowling the fastest delivery. He racked up his pace to 153.3
kph while Navdeep Saini is fourth recording 152.85 kph on the speed.

41 January, 2023
Manchester City signed deal with Reliance Jio to spur India push
• Mukesh Ambani's Jio Platforms Limited (Jio) entered into a regional partnership with Manchester City,
enabling India's leading digital services brand become the Club's Official Mobile Communications Network
Partner in the country.
• As part of the agreement, Man City’s OTT platform CITY+ will be integrated into the JioTV platform
providing fans in India access to "exclusive club content including match highlights, live Manchester City
women’s team and elite development squad fixtures, match day content and City Studios documentaries.
The partnership will also allow Jio’s associate brands, RISE and Viacom18, to leverage several partnership
rights across their football and sports offerings

Belinda Clark became first women cricketer unveiled at Sydney Cricket Ground
• Australia’s Belinda Clark has become the first female cricketer to have a statue cast in her honour, a bronze
sculpture of the trailblazing former captain unveiled outside Sydney Cricket Ground.
• Clark played 15 tests and over 100 limited overs matches during 1991 to 2005 and became the first cricketer
to score a double-hundred in ODIs when she made 229 against Denmark in 1997. The 52-year-old’s statue
stands alongside former captains Richie Benaud and Steve Waugh at the ground.

International Hockey Federation partnered with JSW as global World Cup partner
• The International Hockey Federation has signed a partnership with the JSW Group for the upcoming FIH
Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela.
• The group supports and promotes Olympics in India and has created an Olympic Training Institute in the
Inspire Institute of Sport as well as has Olympic training centres across the country. The 15th edition of FIH’s
flagship event for men will be played in Odisha, India.

India’s Pranesh M became youngest Grandmaster at 16

• India has gained its 79th Grandmaster with the title being awarded to 16-year-old Pranesh M from Tamil
Nadu. Pranesh achieved the required 2500 ELO rating and won the Rilton Cup in the final round of the
competition, which featured 136 players representing 29 national federations. Pranesh finished in first place,
while his compatriot and fellow Grandmaster, R Raja Rithvik, finished in 8th place.
• Pranesh won his first norm at the 18th Delhi GM Open in January 2020 and his second norm at the Sunway
Sitges International Chess Festival in Spain in December 2021. In November 2022, he won his third norm at
the Asian Continental Chess Championship in Stockholm, Sweden, finally achieving the required ELO rating
to become a Grandmaster.

Telangana g announced to conduct to host first-ever Formula E World Championship race

• Telangana Special Chief Secretary (Municipal Administration) Arvind Kumar informed that first-ever ABB FIA
Formula E World Championship race in India to be held in Hyderabad in February 2023. The event has
started with the sale of tickets for the prestigious event getting underway.
• Hyderabad has been witnessing tremendous growth and Hyderabad has also won the 'world green city
award' recently. State Municipal Administration K T Rama Rao has been emphasising that Hyderabad should
aim to be among the top 25 cities in the world.

Anahat Singh clinched U-15 British Junior Open title

• Indian squash prodigy Anahat Singh clinched the girls under 15 squash title at the most prestigious British
Junior open tournament in Birmingham. The 14-year-old defeated Sohaila Hazem of Egypt, 3-1 in the final.
This year it was held after a Covid-induced gap of two years.

42 January, 2023
• The British Junior Open is held in January every year in the United Kingdom where all the best players from
all over the world compete to win the coveted title.

Hockey India entered in the world of Metaverse

• Hockey India launched the ‘Hockeyverse’ on their social media platforms and become India’s first national
sports federation to enter the world of the metaverse.
• The ‘Hockeyverse’ has some unique features and attractions like the replica of Rourkela stadium and ‘The
Time Machine’ which is designed based on time travel elements. This will provide a virtual experience in
which hockey fans from all around the globe can visit and experience their favourite sport from the comfort
of their home.

Falak Mumtaz Won gold medal at 23rd National Sqay Championship

• Falak Mumtaz, an 11-year-old girl from Jammu and Kashmir has bagged a gold medal in National Sqay
Championship. Falak Mumtaz has achieved a gold medal in the National Sqay Championship which was held
in Jammu. She is currently studying sixth standard at Aisha Ali Academy in Kulgam.
• The 23rd National Sqay Championship was organized by the SQAY Federation of India and hosted by Jammu
and Kashmir SQAY Association at Indoor Stadium Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu. Andhra Pradesh bagged 2nd
place and Odisha was in 3rd place.

India registered biggest win in ODI history against Sri Lanka

• India beat Sri Lanka by 317 runs in the third ODI at the Greenfield International Stadium in
Thiruvananthapuram to register the biggest win by runs in ODI history. Batting first in this match, India
scored 390 runs in 50 overs losing five wickets. Sri Lankan team could only manage 73 runs in 22 overs.
• Earlier this record was in the name of New Zealand who defeated Ireland by 290 runs in 2008. Earlier, the
biggest win of the Indian team was 257 runs, which they achieved against Bermuda in 2007.

Barcelona won the Spanish Super Cup for 14th time

• Barcelona beat Real Madrid 3-1 in Riyadh to win their 14th Spanish Super Cup title. Barcelona has won the
Supercup for the first time since 2018 and for the 14th time overall. Real Madrid has won the Supercup 12
times so far. This competition is being played since 1982.
• The Supercopa de España or Spanish Super Cup is a super cup tournament in Spanish football. The Super
Cup was previously played between the winner of the Spanish league and the champion team of the Copa
Del Rey. From the year 2020, now runner-up teams of both competitions also take part in it.

Rohit Sharma broke MS Dhoni’s ODI record of most sixes in India

• India captain Rohit Sharma edged former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s all-time record for most sixes in
ODIs in the country during the match against New Zealand. Rohit, who has played 238 matches, has hit 125
sixes, two more than Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
• Sachin Tendulkar is third with 71 maximums coming from his bat, while Yuvraj Singh is fourth on the list.
Rohit, who is currently batting, has scored more than 10,000 runs in ODIs, which comprises 29 centuries.
Rohit went past Dhoni’s all-time record in the fifth over of the game.

Shubman Gill became youngest player to score double century in ODIs

• Shubman Gill became the youngest batter to hit double hundred in one-day internationals during the first
ODI between India and New Zealand in Hyderabad. Gill is also the 5th Indian after Sachin Tendulkar,
Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan to hit an ODI double hundred.

43 January, 2023
• Ishan Kishan in December 2022 had become the youngest ODI double centurion but the record stood for
only 1 month and 8 days as Shubman Gill aged 23 years and 132 days. Rohit Sharma, the only player to hit 3
ODI doubles hundreds. Shubman Gill eventually got out for 208 off 149 balls

Netherlands recorded biggest-ever victory in Hockey World Cup history

• Netherlands went past Australia’s record of most goals scored by a team in a single FIH Men’s Hockey
World Cup match. In its final Pool C match, three-time winner Netherlands scored its 13th goal in the 48th
minute against Chile at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar to go past Australia’s 12-0 win over South Africa
during the 2010 edition.
• The Dutch side eventually won the match 14-0. The Netherlands, earned 18 penalty corners in the match, of
which they converted six, while Chile only received two.

Ministry of Sports held first Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) meeting outside Delhi
• The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports organised its first Mission Olympic Cell meeting outside Delhi and
during the Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar. The MOC members met to discuss the major agenda of
India's Olympic program and proposals for the Target Olympic Podium Scheme athletes.
• The Indian men's and women's hockey teams are the only teams that are funded under MYAS's TOPS
Scheme and get an annual expenditure of Rs 24 crore under Sports Authority of India's (SAI) Annual
Calendar for Training and Competitions (ACTC) scheme. Normally, MOC members from all over India
visit Delhi every month to discuss agenda related to TOPS.

Shubman Gill levelled Babar Azam's world record

• Indian opener Shubman Gill made his second century in the three-match series against New Zealand to
equal a rare record set by Babar Azam against West Indies in 2016. With the latest knock, Gill took his tally
of runs in the bilateral series to 360, having made 40 in the second ODI of the series.
• The tally of runs is the joint-most recorded by any batter in a bilateral ODI series of three matches or
lower. In 2016, Babar Azam also made 360 runs during the series against West Indies, registering three
hundreds in three matches.

ICC’s most followed international sports federation on social media

• According to a BCW Sports survey, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is the most followed
international sports federation on social media with 92.2 million followers across Instagram, Facebook,
Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube. The ICC increased its following by 16%, putting it a massive 40.8 million
followers ahead of second-placed FIFA (51.4 million).
• With 15.5 million followers, The International Basketball Federation ranked third, ahead of Volleyball World
(12.5 million) in fourth and World Athletics (9.9 million) in fifth; Volleyball World experienced the largest
overall growth in social media following for 2022, with a 35% increase across all platforms;

ICC named all-female panel of match officials for 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup
• An all-female panel of match officials has been announced for the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup
2023 in South Africa for the first time in the history of ICC global tournaments,
• Three match referees and 10 umpires will officiate the flagship women's event in South Africa next month as
part of the ICC’s strategic ambition of advancing the involvement and visibility of women in cricket. The
upcoming senior Women's T20 World Cup will feature 13 female match officials, figure that breaks the
existing record of 9 female officials at the on-going ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup.

44 January, 2023
India lifted inaugural Women’s U-19 T20 World Cup with win over England
• India won their maiden ICC title in women’s cricket as a bunch of sprightly and talented teenagers lifted the
inaugural U-19 World Cup with an emphatic seven-wicket victory over England.
• India first bundled out England for 68 in 17.1 overs and then returned to knock off the paltry target in 14
overs to lift the coveted trophy. The win also reaffirms India’s dominance at the U-19 level with the boys
winning the world title in the Caribbean last year.

Germany defeated Belgium 5-4 in penalty shootout to win FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup
• In the FIH Hockey World Cup, Germany has lifted the World Cup after 17 years beating Belgium 5-4 in a
penalty shootout, after the game ended 3-3 in the final at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. With this
victory, Germany now has three World Cup titles to their name, previously won in 2002 and 2006.
• This puts them on level with the Netherlands and Australia as one of the most successful teams in the
Hockey World Cup. The Netherlands beat Australia 3-1 to claim the bronze medal. It was the first time since
1998 that Australia failed to finish on the podium at the Hockey World Cup.

Novak Djokovic won record 10th Australian Open

• Novak Djokovic claimed a record-extending 10th Australian Open title after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3,
7-6(4), 7-6(5) and also levelled Rafael Nadal's record of 22 Grand Slam crowns. With the win, he also
reclaimed the world no.1 crown for the first time since June last year.
• 22 Grand Slams for Djokovic which puts him alongside Rafael Nadal in the list of most majors won in men's
singles tennis. Overall, the pair stands joint third alongside Steffi Graff as Magaret Court still dominates that
lost with 24 Slams in her career, across the two eras, followed by Serena Williams (23).

Yuzvendra Chahal became highest wicket-taker for team India in T20I history
• Yuzvendra Chahal has become the highest wicket-taker for Team India in T20I history. The leg-spinner
achieved the landmark during the second T20I against New Zealand in Lucknow. Chahal will look for
another breakthrough year after picking up 23 wickets in 21 T20Is last year.
• So far, he has scalped 91 wickets in 75 games. New Zealand’s Tim Southee is the highest wicket-taker in
T20Is, with 134 scalps in 107 matches. Shakib Al Hasan, Rashid Khan, Ish Sodhi and Lasith Malinga are the
other bowlers who have at least 100 wickets in the shortest format.

USA announced to host 16-team tournament ‘Copa America’ in 2024

• The United States will host the 2024 Copa America, which will feature 10 teams from South America and six
from North and Central America and the Caribbean. It will be the second time the Copa America has been
hosted outside of South America. Ecuador was originally scheduled to host the tournament but its
government informed in November it would be unable to host.
• The 2021 tournament took place in Brazil and was won by Argentina. The Copa America typically includes
the 10 Conmebol teams but this time will expand to include a further six from North and Central America
and the Caribbean, who must qualify through the Concacaf Nations League.

45 January, 2023
 BOOKS & AUTHORS
Former IAS Kaki Madhava Rao authored new book “Breaking Barriers”.
• Former IAS officer Kaki Madhava Rao has released a new book, "Breaking Barriers: The Story of a Dalit
Chief Secretary," which explores the inner workings of the civil service at the ground level and sheds light
on micro policies and governance.
• The book, published by Emesco Books Private Limited, is written by Rao, a 1962 batch Indian
Administrative Service (IAS) officer who retired as Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh. In addition to his
career in the IAS, Rao also served as a Director at the Reserve Bank of India and as a member of the Board
for Financial Supervision.

Shashi Tharoor’s new book ‘Ambedkar: A Life’ launched

• A book titled 'Ambedkar: A Life', authored by Shashi Tharoor has been launched at the Kitaab Kolkata event.
The event was organized by Prabha Khaitan Foundation (PKF) at the ITC Sonar presented by Shree Cement.
• The event was attended by bibliophiles’ young and old, members of Ehsaas Women and FICCI FLO. Other
notable books of Shashi Tharoor: Riot (2001), Why I Am A Hindu (2018), The Paradoxical Prime Minister
(2018), India: From Midnight to the Millennium (1997).

Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi released book titled 'Diary No.1'

• The former Chief Justice of India and member of the Rajya Sabha Ranjan Gogoi released a book 'Chief
Minister's Diary No.1' containing the account of events of the first year in office of Assam Chief Minister Dr
Himanta Biswa Sarma. Ranjan Gogoi is presently a member of Rajya Sabha.
• Terming him a fortunate Chief Minister who did not have to face any situation like a catastrophic earthquake
of 1950, the Indo-China War of 1962 or Assam Agitation, he stated that as a result, he could concentrate on
developmental activities.

Governor of Madhya Pradesh released Dr AK Dwivedi’s book ‘Human Anatomy’

• The Governor of Madhya Pradesh, Mangubhai Patel has released a new medical book in Hindi titled 'Human
Anatomy: Manav Sharir Rachna Vigyan', written by Dr AK Dwivedi and co-written by Dr Vaibhav Chaturvedi,
Dr Kanak Dwivedi, and Dr Ashvini Kumar Dwivedi.
• The foreword of the book has been written by Dr. Mohan Yadav, Minister of Higher Education in the
Madhya Pradesh Government and President of the Madhya Pradesh Hindi Granth Academy, while the
introduction has been written by Ashok Kadel, Director of Madhya Pradesh Hindi Granth Academy.

Sanjeev Sanyal's authored new book 'Revolutionaries' on role in India’s Freedom Struggle
• Noted economist and popular historian Sanjeev Sanyal is set to release his latest book, “Revolutionaries: The
Other Story of How India Won Its Freedom,” in January 2023. Sanyal has authored best-selling books

46 January, 2023
 including “Land of the Seven Rivers,” “The Ocean of Churn,” “India in the Age of Ideas,” and “The Indian
Renaissance.”
• He also co-authored and edited six Economic Surveys of the Government of India between 2017 and 2022,
and has published over 200 articles and columns in leading national and international publications.

M S Dhoni released autobiography of Prof. K.K. Abdul Gaffar

• Mahendra Singh Dhoni, a legendary cricket player, released Professor K.K. Abdul Gaffar’s book, “Njaan
Sakshi”. Senior journalist T.A. Shafi gave the book’s introduction. The first copy was received by Marwan Al
Mulla, the CEO of Dubai Health Authority (DHA), from M S Dhoni.
• He also presented copies of the book to dignitaries including actor Tovino Thomas present at the occasion.
Incidentally, the book includes the infamous disappearance of P. Rajan, an engineering student from
Kozhikode REC, during the emergency period and recalls the pressure put on him on behalf of the
government and the police to influence him as a witness in the case.

Prince Harry released his Memoir titled “Spare”

• Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, a member of the British royal family, has released his memoir titled “Spare”.
The book was written with the assistance of American novelist J. R. Moehringer. The book is published by
Transworld Publishers Ltd, a division of Penguin Random House.
• The book reveals the details of Harry’s relationship with his father, King Charles, his elder brother, Prince
William, and other members of the royal family. The memoir is already top of the best sellers in the UK for
online retailer Amazon. The memoir reveals the conflicts and personal tensions inside royal palaces, as
witnessed by Prince Harry.

“Jadunama” A book written on writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar released

• Jadunama, a book written on veteran writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar by Arvind Mandloi, was released. Javed’s
wife, actor Shabana Azmi and children Zoya and Farhan Akhtar were present at the book launch. Jadunama
is about a writer, poet, lyricist, and political activist.
• It is also about this one man’s struggle since childhood to till now and to create a hallmark of success in
everything he does. Named Jadu at birth, it was Javed sahab’s father, Jan Nisar Akhtar’s poem, ‘Lamha, lamha
kisi jadoo ka fasana hoga’ that was the inspiration behind the name.

Health Minister launched book titled 'braving a Viral Storm: India’s Covid-19 Vaccine Story'
• Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya officially launched the book titled 'Braving a
Viral Storm: India’s Covid-19 Vaccine Story' in New Delhi. The co-authors of the book are Ashish
Chandorkar and Suraj Sudhir.
• The release of the book follows the second anniversary of India's Covid-19 vaccination campaign in January
2021. In this book, the inside story of India's fight against Corona and the challenges of making a vaccine in
difficult circumstances are told.

A new book titled “Irrfan Khan: A Life in Movies” announced

• A new book “Irrfan Khan: A Life in Movies” will offer a compelling account of iconic actor Irrfan Khan’s life
and achievements, starting from his days at the prestigious National School of Drama (NSD) to his nearly a
decade-long stint in television and his gradual ascent in the film industry.
• In the book, film critic Shubhra Gupta engages key people, including director Mira Nair, Vishal Bharadwaj,
and Anurag Basu in conversation on the actor’s art, craft and legacy.

47 January, 2023
Italian man Michele Santelia created Guinness World Record by creating ‘mirror typing’ books
• An Italian man, Michele Santelia, has achieved a world record by typing copies of 81 books backwards, a
technique that he calls 'mirror writing', as per a report by the Guinness World Records (GWR).
• Without ever glancing up to double-check his work, Santelia types books backwards while simultaneously
using four entirely blank keyboards. He types every book in its original language whether it is Hieroglyphs,
Old Hebrew, Traditional Chinese, Mayan, Etruscan, Cuneiform or Voynich glyphs.

A Book titled ‘Come! Let’s run’ authored by Tamil Nadu Health Minister released
• The English version of the book titled ‘Come! Let’s Run’ by Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Minister,
Ma. Subramanian was released by Krishnamachari Srikkanth, former Captain of the Indian Cricket team. The
Tamil version of the same book titled ‘Odalam Vanga’ was released in March 2021.
• The book was published by Emerald Publishers and the English translation was done by Geeta Padmanaban
(a teacher) along with J. Joicy and Sharon.

A book titled ‘COACHING BEYOND’ by authored R. Kaushik, R. Sridhar

• Discover the inside story of Indian cricket team with 'COACHING BEYOND: My Days with the Indian
Cricket Team' written by R. Kaushik & R. Sridhar. The book primarily reflects on R. Sridhar’s seven-year
coaching tenure with the Indian cricket team as its fielding coach.
• The book is not technical but anecdotal, providing an insider's account of the rise and rise of Indian cricket.
The book covers Virat Kohli's journey, Rishabh Pant’s development and the team's progression towards the
number 1 Test ranking.

‘India’s Knowledge Supremacy: The New Dawn’ Book Written by Dr Ashwin Fernandes released
• A book titled “India’s Knowledge Supremacy: Dr. Ashwin Fernandes, an international Indian expat, has
published “The New Dawn” in all languages. The Honourable Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Education of
India, introduced this book at a gathering held at the Dr. Ambedkar International Center.
• This New book launched focuses on India’s knowledge supremacy, journey showcasing changing trends in
newly emerging India. Book is written by international Indian expat, Dr Ashwin Fernandes, who heads QS
Rankings in Middle East, Africa and South Asia. The book is published by Bloomsbury Publishing, a renowned
independent publishing house.

British economist Meghnad Desai Authored new book titled “The Poverty of Political Economics”
• India-born naturalised British economist Meghnad Desai has authored a new book titled “The Poverty Of
Political Economy: How Economics Abandoned the Poor” which highlights how the discipline of economics,
since the time it evolved from the late 18th century, systematically kept the interests of the poor at the
periphery. The book is published by HarperCollins Publishers India.
• The book examines the philosophical traditions that have shaped economics across the world in this
engrossing new book. Meghnad Desai takes a critical, introspective look at the bodies of thought that have
driven economics across the world.

48 January, 2023