Current Affairs May 05th 2023| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

India Post Bank ties up with Forum of Industry Academic Knowledge Sharing to make postmen digitally literate

• India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has partnered with the Forum of Industry Academic Knowledge Sharing (FIAKS) platform to provide digital literacy and spread awareness among postmen (or Gramin Dak Sevaks) to avoid digital frauds.

What is FIAKS?

• FIAKS, a cross-border platform comprising over 5,000 members, will carry out research, development, and designing of digital content under the programme FIAKS Digital Shiksha Prasaar Abhiyaan along with other partners.
• The body will provide virtual and physical training to the postmen identified by IPPB.

About IPPB : 

• Founded: 1 September 2018
• Headquarters : New Delhi, India
• CEO: J. Venkatramu
• IPPB, is a division of India Post which is under the ownership of the Department of Post, a department under the Ministry of Communications of the Government of India.

India & Russia to explore possibility of accepting RuPay and Mir cards                                

• India and Russia will explore the possibility of accepting RuPay and Mir cards in each other’s country for hassle-free payments amid sanctions imposed by the West on Moscow.
• This decision was made during the meeting of the Internal Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological, and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC).

• This meeting was chaired by the External Affairs Minister of India Shri S Jaishankar and Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Shri Denis Manturov.

Key Highlights : 

• The mutual acceptance of RuPay (India) and Mir cards (Russia) will help Indian and Russian citizens to make hassle-free payments in Indian rupees and Russian ruble in their respective countries.
• In addition, the meeting also explored the possibility of interaction between India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Russia’s Faster Payments System (FPS).
• Besides, it was also agreed to look at adopting the Russian financial messaging system, Services Bureau of Financial Messaging System of the Bank of Russia, for cross border payments.
• Currently, overseas payments from India and vice versa are through the SWIFT network.
• Recently, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Singapore Prime Minister Mr Lee Hsien Loong launched the cross-border connectivity between UPI and PayNow.
• Linkage of India’s UPI and Singapore’s PayNow now allows people in the two countries to undertake faster and cost-efficient digital transfers.
• The PayNow-UPI linkage is the world’s first real-time payment systems linkage to use a scalable cloud-based infrastructure that can accommodate future increases in the volume of remittance traffic.
• To begin with, the State Bank of India (SBI), Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), Indian Bank and ICICI Bank will facilitate both inward and outward remittances while Axis Bank and DBS India will facilitate inward remittances.
• The UPI was launched in 2016, and since then it has emerged as the most popular and preferred payment mode pioneering person-to-person and person-to-merchant transactions, accounting for 75% of the total digital payments.
• National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) was incorporated in 2008 as an umbrella organisation for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India
• It has created a robust payment and settlement infrastructure in the country.
• It facilitates payments through a bouquet of retail payment products such as RuPay card, Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), UPI, Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM), BHIM Aadhaar, National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC Fastag) and Bharat BillPay.

Pine Labs partners with ICICI Bank to accept digital rupee on its PoS terminals

• Pine Labs, a merchant commerce omni channel platform, has announced the acceptance of Digital Rupee (e Rupee) on its PoS (Point of Sale) terminals in partnership with ICICI Bank.
• The technology integration between the two entities will now support e₹ acceptance at Pine Labs’ point-of-sale terminals across key retail outlets in Mumbai, Maharashtra and Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Key Highlights : 

• Pine Labs’ execution of the Digital Rupee payment process is completely digital via dynamic QR built within its smart Android PoS terminals.
• This would present a seamless payment option to the users and improve the operational efficiency of merchants with Pine Labs PoS terminals
• Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) Central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot for both person-to-person (P2P) and person-to-merchant (P2M) digital rupee transactions is currently live with leading banks like State Bank of India (SBI), ICICI Bank, Yes Bank, IDFC First Bank, Union Bank of India (UBI), Bank of Baroda (BoB), Kotak Mahindra Bank, and HDFC Bank.

About ICICI Bank Ltd : 

• Founded : 5 January 1994
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• MD & CEO : Sandeep Bakhshi
• Tagline : Hum Hai na khayal apka

About Pine Labs : 

• Founded : 1998
• Headquarters : Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
• CEO : B Amrish Rau

Pine Labs is an Indian company that provides financing and retail transaction technology.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

First 100% private-funded Gati Shakti terminal starts operations

• The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCC) commenced operations on the Rewari Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal (GCT) in public-private-partnership (PPP) mode.
• This becomes the first operational GCT with complete investment from a private player and zero revenue-sharing on account of the Indian Railways.
• The Rs 8-crore GCT in Haryana, built solely for container traffic, along the edge of Line 10 of the New Rewari station on Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), will be operated by Pristine Mega Logistics Park, which got the project in a race against state-owned Container Corporation of India (Concor) and shipping major DP World.
• The terminal has been made operational within 75 days of awarding of contract.
• The Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals (GCTs) are being developed by private players, and can be developed on non-Railway land or fully/partially on Railway land.

Asia’s largest underwater hydrocarbon pipeline across Brahmaputra

• Asia’s largest underwater hydro-carbon pipeline, below the river Brahmaputra connecting Jorhat and Majuli in Assam has been completed by the Indradhanush Gas Grid Limited (IGGL).
• The challenging task of laying a 24-inch diameter hydrocarbon pipeline beneath the mighty Brahmaputra river by Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) method was completed marking the completion of a major milestone in the construction of the North East Gas Grid (NEGG) connecting North East India to the National Gas Grid.
• The total length of the pipeline in this single HDD crossing is 4,080 metre across the main water channel of Brahmaputra river.
• This is the longest river crossing by any hydrocarbon pipeline of size 24-inch diameter and above in Asia and the second longest in the world.
• The total length of HDD crossing across the Brahmaputra river considering all major and minor water channels is 5,780 metre.
• The pipeline was laid in three separate HDD sections of length 1000 M, 4080 M and 700 M with the first and the third sections completed earlier.
• The next step will be tie-in of the three sections at two points, which will be located at 15 M and 8 M below Natural Ground Level (NGL).

About IGGL

• Indradhanush Gas Grid Limited, is a joint venture company of five major Oil PSUs – IOCL, ONGC, GAIL, OIL and NRL.
• It is implementing the North East Gas Grid Project connecting the major cities and demand centres of North East India with the National Gas Grid.

Amul identifies land in Telangana to set up milk processing plant with a capacity of 5LLPD

• The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF), the marketer of Amul has identified land at Vargal near Hyderabad to set up a milk processing plant with a capacity of 5 lakh litres per day (LLPD).
• The upcoming plant will be done through one of the 18 GCMMF member dairy unions, Sabarkantha District Cooperative Milk Union (Sabar Dairy).
• The procurement of milk will take place from the dairy producers of Telangana State.
• In December 2021, Sabar Dairy signed an agreement with the Telangana government to set up the facility with an estimated investment of ₹500 crore.
• The plant which will employ about 500 people, would also manufacture value-added dairy products such as curd, buttermilk, lassi, yoghurt, paneer, and sweets.
• Anand Milk Union Limited is an Indian state government-owned dairy-based cooperative society officially named the Gujarat Milk Marketing Federation based in Anand, Gujarat.
• It is under the ownership of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Limited, Department of Cooperation, Government of Gujarat.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Devendra Fadnavis unveils Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue in Mauritius

• Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis unveiled a 12-feet statue of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Mauritius to mark the strong bond between the two nations.
• It was his first visit to the island nation.
• The sculpture was created in India by a Delhi-based artist and sent to the island nation in a container ship.
• An Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between the Economic Development Board, Mauritius, and the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation to establish a platform for investment between the Western State and the island nation.
• Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was the founder of the Maratha Empire in western India.
• In April, 2023, the Shinde-Fadnavis government sanctioned an additional ₹8 crore for the second phase of construction.

About Shivaji : 

• Shivaji was crowned as King in 1674 C.E.
• His coronation took place at Raigadha with pomp and as per the Vedic rites, he took the title “Chatrapati”.

About Mauritius : 

• President : Prithvirajsing Roopun
• Prime Minister : Pravind Jugnauth
• Capital : Port Louis
• Currency : Mauritian rupee

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde Launches Electric Bus Service In Mumbai

• On the occasion of Maharashtra Day (May 01,2023) Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Shri Eknath Shinde launched electric Shivneri bus services between Mumbai and Pune. 
• The inaugural ceremony was held at Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai’s Malabar Hill.
• He also launched a campaign, named after Bal Thackeray, for cleanliness and beautification of bus stands.
• The new e-buses have a passenger-seating capacity of 43, besides seats for the driver and the co-driver.
• The manufacturer, Olectra Greentech Limited, has claimed that the buses can travel up to 250 kilometres on a single charge.
• Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) received a total of 8e-buses, with 6 yet to get clearance from the regional transport office (RTO).
• In another development, actor Makarand Anaspure has been appointed as the ‘goodwill ambassador’ for MSRTC.

About Maharashtra :

• Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari
• Chief minister: Eknath Shinde
• Capital: Mumbai
• National Park : Tadoba National Park, Navegaon National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnala Bird Sanctuary, Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary
• UNESCO Heritage Sites : Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, The Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai, Ajanta Caves, Elephanta Caves, Ellora Caves

Bihar Government starts Didi Libraries to Promote Reading Habit Among Children In Villages

• In a bid to encourage children in villages to promote the habit of reading, the Bihar government has started ‘Didi ki library’, established under Jeevika.
• The first Didi ki library or community library in Singheshwar was inaugurated by Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar on February 10, 2023.
• At least 100 libraries have been opened in 32 districts.
• Community Library and Career Development Centres (CLCDCs) have also been set up in many blocks of Bihar.

• There are a total of 12,318 members registered in all the 100 community libraries, of which about 80 per cent are girls.
• Till now, 63 government buildings have been taken over for the purpose, while the remaining 37 are being developed in private houses hired by Jeevika.
• Jeevika’s CEO : Rahul Kumar

About Bihar : 

• Governor : Rajendra Arlekar
• Chief Minister : Nitish Kumar
• Capital : Patna
• National Park : Valmiki National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuary : Udaypur Vanya Prani Sanctuary, Kanwar Jheel Bird Sanctuary

India’s 1st undersea twin tunnels to open in November in Mumbai

• India’s first undersea twin tunnels in South Mumbai, Maharashtra are nearing completion, & are set to open in November 2023.

About India’s First Undersea Twin Tunnel : 

• It is a 2.07-kilometer-long tunnel being built in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• The Tunnels are a part of the Rs 12,721-crore Mumbai Coastal Road Project (MCRP) being built by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
• The tunnels extend under the Arabian Sea towards North, covering Girgaon Chowpatty and Malabar Hill as well.

What is MCRP? 

• The 10.58-kilometre Mumbai Coastal Road Project (MCRP) connects Marine Drive to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link and during peak hours.
• The project is expected to reduce the 45-minute commute from Girgaon to Worli to just 10 minutes.
• The project also highlights the usage of India’s largest-ever tunnel boring machine (TBM) called Mavala.
• This machine weighs over 1,700 tonnes and stands about 12 metres tall.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

Nissan Plans Growth In Software And Electric vehicles Independent Of Renault Alliance

• Nissan is focusing on developing growth plans in software and electric vehicles independently from its partner Renault as both automakers work on finalizing the terms of their alliance
• As part of Nissan’s plans, the Japanese automaker is reportedly searching for a partner outside the auto industry to develop software that connects vehicles to cloud-based services.
• The alliance oversight board recently met to discuss a rebalance of the partnership, which will see Renault’s stake in Nissan reduced from 43% to 15%, matching Nissan’s stake in Renault.
• Nissan’s emerging strategy reflects a belief within the automaker that the 23-year-old alliance has run its course for many of the biggest challenges it faces.

About Nissan Motor Corporation

• Nissan Motor Corporation, often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan.

Bengaluru startup opens India’s first commercial Li-ion cell manufacturing line

• Bengaluru-based Log9 Materials, an advanced battery-technology and deep-technology startup, inaugurated India’s first commercial lithium-Ion (Li-ion) cell manufacturing facility on its campus in Jakkur, Bengaluru.
• The facility will produce batteries for electric vehicles.
• Log9’s commercial Li-ion cell manufacturing line has an initial capacity of 50 MWh.
• This facility will cater to the manufacturing of lithium-titanate oxide and lithium iron phosphate cells.
• The startup also launched its indigenously developed battery management system—Charvik, incorporated with state-of-the-art power control mechanisms—and its academic engagement programme named Log9 Rise to support talent pool creation in battery technologies in the country.
• Dr Akshay Singhal, co-founder & CEO of Log9 Materials.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Sharad Pawar resigns as Chief of Nationalist Congress Party                     

• Veteran politician Sharad Pawar stepped down as the chief of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
• He made the announcement of his retirement during the release of his autobiography titled, ‘Lok Majhe Sangati – Political Autobiography’.

About Sharad Pawar : 

• Pawar has served as the Chief Minister (CM) of Maharashtra for four terms.
• He has also served as the Minister of Defence (MoD) in the Cabinet of P.V Narsimha Rao and Minister of Agriculture in the Cabinet of Manmohan Singh.
• He was the first and former president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which was founded in 1999, after separating from the Indian National Congress.
• He is the chairperson of Maha Vikas Aghadi, a regional Maharashtra-based political alliance.
• In 2017, the Indian government conferred upon him Padma Vibhushan,the second-highest civilian honour of India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

BharatPe acquires 51% stake in non-banking financial company Trillion Loans

• India’s leading name in fintech, BharatPe has acquired a 51% majority stake in Trillion Loans, a Mumbai, Maharashtra-based NBFC (Non-Banking Financial Company).
• Trillion Loans, which sells a range of secured and unsecured loans to small businesses and credit products such as auto, gold and education loans to retail customers.
• With this acquisition, the fintech unicorn joins well-funded fintech peers like Cred, Uni and LendingKart in acquiring NBFCs to shore up their credit play.
• BharatPe also revealed that Ravindra Pandey, Nalin Negi and Sabyasachi Senapati have been appointed to the Board of Trillion Loans.

About Trillion Loans : 

• Trillion Loans is a fast-growing NBFC that claims to offer a range of secured and unsecured loans to Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including small business loans as well as working capital loans.
• Additionally, the company offers a range of products for consumers, such as education loans, auto and gold.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

Indian Army conducts ‘Buland Bharat’ exercise

• Indian Army conducted the ‘Buland Bharat’ exercise in the longest high-altitude Artillery Ranges of the eastern theatre.
• It is an integrated surveillance and firepower training exercise conducted by the Indian Army.
• It was a month-long training exercise that culminated in a test exercise.

About the exercise : 

• The exercise involved the synergised application of surveillance and firepower capabilities of the Artillery and the Infantry in close coordination with Special Forces, Aviation, and Central Armed Police Forces deployed in West Kameng and Tawang districts of Arunachal Pradesh.
• The exercise validated plans for bringing down integrated firepower by orchestrating synchronised firing by artillery guns and fire support components of the Infantry aimed toward the destruction of designated targets.
• During the exercise, Synergised surveillance and firepower from Infantry and Artillery radars, weapon systems and direction of fire from the air were practised.
• Uninterrupted communication on multiple media was also tested at long distances.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship explodes 4 minutes after take-off

• The Elon Musk-owned SpaceX’s Starship, world’s biggest rocket, exploded during its first test-flight to space from Boca Chica in Texas.
• The test was the first for the spacecraft manufacturer’s Starship spacecraft (the carrier) and Super Heavy rocket (the booster), collectively referred to as Starship.
• The Starship rocket is the world’s most powerful rocket ever built.
• The project comprises a rocket called Super Heavy Rocket and a spacecraft attached to its top called the Starship.

About Starship : 

• Starship is around 120 metres in height, with Super Heavy being 69 m tall and Starship being 50 m tall.
• Starships represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

About SpaceX : 

• Founded : March 14, 2002
• Headquarters : Hawthorne, California, United States
• CEO & Chairman : Elon Musk
• SpaceX is an American spacecraft manufacturer, launcher, and satellite communications corporation.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Satwik-Chirag pair wins gold medal at Badminton Asia Championships 2023

• Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first Indian men’s doubles pair to win a gold medal at the Badminton Asia Championships.
• The Indian duo beat the eighth-seeded Malaysian pair of Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi in the final in Dubai.
• In 2022, the sixth seeded pair had also won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games and a bronze medal at the World Championships.
• In this tournament, the previous best performance was a bronze medal win in 1971 by an Indian men’s doubles pair, Dipu Ghosh and Raman Ghosh.
• Overall, this is India’s second gold medal in this event.
• In 1965, Dinesh Khanna had won the men’s singles gold in Lucknow after beating Thailand’s Sangob Rattanusorn.
• The Championship is a tournament organized by the governing body Badminton Asia to choose the best badminton players in Asia.
• In 1962, the tournament was started.
• The 2023 Championships was held from 25 to 30 April 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
• The 2023 championships was the 40th edition of the Badminton Asia Championships.

Argentina to host 2023 FIFA U20 World Cup

• FIFA Council has announced Argentina as the official host of the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup 2023.
• Indonesia were the original tournament host but FIFA has removal them after a new bid submitted by the Argentinian Football Association (AFA).
• The hosting agreement has been signed by the AFA, along with all other relevant documents on the part of the host and local authorities.
• The FIFA U-20 World Cup will take place from 20 May to 11 June 2023 and will feature six groups of four teams.
• Argentina is the most successful nation in the history of the FIFA U-20 World Cup. They have won the tournament six times with their most recent victory in 2007.
• They last hosted the tournament in 2001.

About FIFA

• President: Gianni Infantino,
• Headquarters: Zürich, Switzerland.
• Founded: 21 May 1904

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BOOKS AND AUTHOR

Jaideep Mukherjee released his autobiography titled “Crosscourt”

• Renowned tennis player Jaideep Mukherjee released his autobiography titled “Crosscourt” in the presence of prominent Indian tennis players such as Ramesh Krishnan and Somdev Devvarman.
• Titled Crosscourt, co-authored by Papri Sen Sri Raman, and published by Vitasta, it is a welcome addition to India’s tennis literature.
• The book provides an insight into Mukherjee’s life and describes his journey as a successful tennis player.
• In addition to tennis, “Crosscourt” also covers various aspects of Mukherjee’s personal life, including her successes, failures, relationships and behind-the-scenes moments.

Remember:

• MA Hasan, – “War and Women”
• Anirudh Bhattacharjee’s – “Basu Chatterjee: And Middle-of-the-Road Cinema”
• Piyush babele’s -“Gandhi: Politics and Sect”
• “Phoolange” – Darjeeling writer Lekhnath Chhetri
• Anurag Behar’s – “A Matter of the Heart: Education in India”
• Rachna Biswat Rawat’s – “Bipin: The Man Behind the Uniform”
• KM Chandrasekhar’s – “As Good As My Word”
• Karan Singh, a former member of parliament, – “Mundaka Upanishad: The Gateway to Eternity”
• Nandini Das – “Courting India: England, Mughal India, and the Origin of Empire”

Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai to Publish 12 Books

• Twelve books written by Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai, in English and Malayalam, are being released in Delhi, Goa and Kerala in April and May.
• With the release of these books, the Governor will have authored 200 books in over five decades of public life.
• The books will be exhibited at specific centres after the release.
• The celebrations of completing 50 years of amazing writing will be done in Kozhikode.
• Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will release two of these books in Kozhikode on April 28 and on May 2, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will release one of the books in Thiruvananthapuram.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Arun Manilal Gandhi passed away

• Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson, author and socio-political activist Arun Manilal Gandhi passed away at the age of 89 in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.

About Arun Manilal Gandhi : 

• Arun Manilal Gandhi was born on 14 April 1934, in Durban,South Africa.
• He was a South African-born Indian-American author, and son of Manilal Gandhi, thus a grandson of nationalist leader Mahatma Gandhi.
• In 2017, he published The Gift of Anger: And Other Lessons From My Grandfather Mahatma Gandhi (New York: Gallery Books/Jeter Publishing 2017).

Daily CA One- Liner: May 5^th

• The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCC) commenced operations on the Rewari Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal (GCT) in public-private-partnership (PPP) mode
• Asia’s largest underwater hydro-carbon pipeline, below the river Brahmaputra connecting Jorhat and Majuli in Assam has been completed by the Indradhanush Gas Grid Limited (IGGL).
• The Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF), the marketer of Amul has identified land at Vargal near Hyderabad to set up a milk processing plant with a capacity of 5 lakh litres per day
• Nissan is focusing on developing growth plans in software and electric vehicles independently from its partner Renault as both automakers work on finalizing the terms of their alliance
• Bengaluru-based Log9 Materials, an advanced battery-technology and deep-technology startup, inaugurated India’s first commercial lithium-Ion (Li-ion) cell manufacturing facility on its campus in Jakkur, Bengaluru
• Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first Indian men’s doubles pair to win a gold medal at the Badminton Asia Championships
• FIFA Council has announced Argentina as the official host of the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup 2023
• Renowned tennis player Jaideep Mukherjee released his autobiography titled “Crosscourt” in the presence of prominent Indian tennis players such as Ramesh Krishnan and Somdev Devvarman
• Twelve books written by Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai, in English and Malayalam, are being released in Delhi, Goa and Kerala in April and May
• India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has partnered with the Forum of Industry Academic Knowledge Sharing (FIAKS) platform to provide digital literacy and spread awareness among postmen (or Gramin Dak Sevaks) to avoid digital frauds.
• India and Russia will explore the possibility of accepting RuPay and Mir cards in each other’s country for hassle-free payments amid sanctions imposed by the West on Moscow.
• Pine Labs, a merchant commerce omni channel platform, has announced the acceptance of Digital Rupee (e Rupee) on its PoS (Point of Sale) terminals in partnership with ICICI Bank.
• Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis unveiled a 12-feet statue of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Mauritius to mark the strong bond between the two nations.
• On the occasion of Maharashtra Day (May 01,2023) Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Shri Eknath Shinde launched electric Shivneri bus services between Mumbai and Pune. 
• In a bid to encourage children in villages to promote the habit of reading, the Bihar government has started ‘Didi ki library’, established under Jeevika.
• India’s first undersea twin tunnels in South Mumbai, Maharashtra are nearing completion, & are set to open in November 2023.
• Veteran politician Sharad Pawar stepped down as the chief of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
• India’s leading name in fintech, BharatPe has acquired a 51% majority stake in Trillion Loans, a Mumbai, Maharashtra-based NBFC (Non-Banking Financial Company).
• Indian Army conducted the ‘Buland Bharat’ exercise in the longest high-altitude Artillery Ranges of the eastern theatre.
• The Elon Musk-owned SpaceX’s Starship, world’s biggest rocket, exploded during its first test-flight to space from Boca Chica in Texas.
• Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson, author and socio-political activist Arun Manilal Gandhi passed away at the age of 89 in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.