Current Affairs February 28th 2023| Current Affairs News

Dear Readers, Daily Current Affairs News Updates about the National and International events were listed here. Read Current Affairs Today here and stay updated with current news. Candidates those who are preparing for IBPS/SBI/PO/Clerk exam and all other competitive exams can use this and try the Current Affairs Quiz to test your knowledge level.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

Banking mergers in India have been beneficial to the banking sector – Reserve Bank of India paper

• According to a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) occasional paper, titled Do Bank Mergers Improve Efficiency? In the Indian Experience, banking mergers in India have been, on an average, beneficial to the banking sector as the financial performance and efficiency of acquirers improved post-merger.

Key Highlights :

• The study covered all registered Mergers & Acquisitions (M&As) in the Indian commercial banking industry, between 1997 and 2020.
• The sample was reduced to include17 merger cases during 1997- 2017 and 5 merger cases during 2019-2020 .
• The study’s findings suggest that the mean technical efficiency of acquirers increased from 90.88 in the pre-merger period to 93.80 post-merger after 3 years, and 94.24 post-merger after 5 years.
• Mergers have provided avenues for increasing the scale of operations, geographical diversification, and adoption of more efficient business strategies.
• Moreover, the impact was sharper in the medium term (-3 to +5 years period) as compared to the short-term (-1 to +1 years or -3 to +3 years period) .
• The improvement in capital adequacy ratio (CAR) and non-performing assets (NPA) post-merger indicates that the combined entity has become more resilient to financial risks.
• Post-merger, banks may have been able to cut some operating costs by consolidating bank branches/ATMs operating in the same area, etc.
• CAR is the ratio of a bank’s capital in relation to its risk weighted assets and current liabilities.
• During 1997-2022, there were 40 bank amalgamations in which 12 were between private sector banks (PVBs) and public sector banks (PSBs).

About RBI :

• Established : 1 April 1935
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Governor : Shaktikanta Das
• Deputy governors : Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra and T. Rabi Shankar

SEBI Proposes To Introduce 5 New Categories Under ESG Funds

• Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has proposed allowing mutual funds to introduce 5 new categories under ESG (environmental, social and governance) scheme.
• The five new categories should be exclusions, integration, best-in-class and positive screening, impact investing and sustainable objectives.

Sub-categories	Indicative description in brief
ESG exclusion scheme	Invests in securities after excluding it basis certain parameters like ESG related activities, business practices or business segments
ESG integration scheme	Invests in companies after considering ESG related factors to evaluate risk and return of investment along with financial factors
ESG best-in-class & positive screening scheme	Invests in companies that perform better than peers in terms of ESG parameters
ESG impact investing scheme	Invests in companies that bring positive, measurable social or environmental impact
ESG sustainable objective scheme	Invests in companies that are likely to benefit from a long-term macro or structural ESG-related trends

• The requirement should be made mandatory from April 1, 2023, SEBI suggested and sought comments from the public till March 6, 2023 on the proposals.

Key Highlights :

• Presently, mutual funds can launch only one ESG scheme under the thematic category of equity schemes.
• ESG schemes under the proposed new category should be permitted with a minimum 80% investment of total assets in equity or debt stocks of a particular theme as per the sub-categories.
• The remaining portion should also be in line with the broader ESG philosophy.

About ESG :

• Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is a framework that helps stakeholders understand how an organisation is managing risks and opportunities related to environmental, social, and governance criteria (sometimes called ESG factors).

About SEBI :

• Established : 12 April 1988 as an executive body and was given statutory powers on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman : Madhabi Puri Buch
• SEBI is the regulatory bodyfor securities and commodity markets in India under the ownership of the Ministry of Finance, GoI.

HDFC Bank Raises $750 Million In Dollar Bond Sale

• The country’s largest private sector lender HDFC Bank has raised USD 750 million through a dollar bond sale.
• HDFC bank will be paying a coupon of686%.
• The USD-denominated senior unsecured instruments will have a 3-year maturity, with settlement on 2 March 2023, and the maturity on 2 March 2026.
• The paper, rated Baa3 by Moody’s Rating Services and Bbb by S&P, will be listed on the India International Exchange.

 About HDFC Bank :

• Founded : August 1994
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• CEO : Sashidhar Jagdishan
• Tagline : We Understand Your World

Karnataka Bank & Paisalo Digital Limited enter into Co-Lending Agreement for MSEs

• Karnataka Bank and Paisalo Digital Limited, a non-deposit taking Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) registered with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), entered into a co-lending agreement to provide financial support to the low-income segment and to boost the country’s Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) segment of India.
• The agreement was exchanged in New Delhi by Gokuldas Pai, chief business officer of Karnataka Bank and Santanu Agarwal, deputy managing director of Paisalo.

Key Highlights :

• The arrangement will leverage Karnataka Bank’s low cost of funds and the end-to-end digital capabilities of KBL and Paisalo, to help the sourcing, servicing and recovery of small-ticket income generation priority sector loans.
• In line with the RBI’s guidelines on Co-lending by banks and NBFCs to Priority Sectors to improve the flow of credit to unserved and underserved segments

About Karnataka Bank :

• Headquarters : Mangaluru, Karnataka.
• MD & CEO : Mahabaleshwara M. S
• Karnataka Bank is a Scheduled Commercial Bank.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

101 more APMC mandis to be connected with e-NAM by March-end

• By March end, 101 more APMC mandis will be connected with e-NAM.
• The government has approved the integration of 101 more agricultural produce marketing committee (APMC) mandis into the electronic platform e-NAM.
• The total number of mandis will reach 1361 across the country by March 31.
• The joining of more mandis will increase turnover of e-NAM, which was ₹51,000 crore in 2021-22.
• In the current fiscal year, 260 mandis have joined the e-NAM platform.
• 2,40,500 traders and 1,08,237 commission agents have registered themselves on the electronic platform.
• The e-NAM platform allows online trading in 203 agricultural and horticultural products.
• Since the launch of e-NAM, total trade of 69 million tonnes worth ₹42 lakh crore has been recorded.
• The government is also planning to enrol private mandis who are interested in joining the e-NAM platform.

About e-NAM:

• e-NAM was launched on 14 April 2016.
• National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) is a pan-India electronic trading portal that provides an integrated national network for Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMCs).
• The integration of the mandis facilitates pan-India trade of agriculture commodities with better prices to farmers.
• It is being implemented by the Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

PM inaugurates ‘Barisu Kannada Dim Dimava’ at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi

• PM Modi inaugurated the ‘Barisu Kannada Dim Dimava’ cultural festival at Talkatora Stadium in Delhi.
• ‘Barisu Kannada Dim Dimava’ cultural festival has been organized to celebrate Karnataka’s culture, traditions and history.
• This festival has been organized under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• It gives an opportunity for artists to showcase the culture of Karnataka through dance, music, drama, and poetry.

Cabinet approves the ratification of three Protocols on Article 3 bis and Article 50 (a) & Article 56

• The Union Cabinet approved the ratification of three Protocols relating to amendments in the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention), 1944.
• The Chicago Convention has undergone a few amendments and India has been ratifying such amendments from time to time.

The ratification has been approved in the following three protocols:

• Protocol to insert Article 3 bis in the Chicago Convention, 1944 to refrain member States from resorting to the use of weapons against civil aircraft in flight (Protocol signed in May, 1984);
• Protocol to amend Article 50 (a) of the Chicago Convention, 1944 for raising the strength of the ICAO Council from 36 to 40 (Protocol signed in October, 2016); and
• Protocol to amend Article 56 of the Chicago Convention, 1944 for raising the strength of the Air Navigation Commission from 18 to 21 (Protocol signed in October, 2016).

About ICAO

• Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) was drafted in 1944 by 54 nations.
• It is also known as the Chicago Convention, established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
• It establishes rules of airspace, aircraft registration and safety, security, and sustainability, and details the rights of the signatories about air travel.
• International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is a UN specialized agency under UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
• It was established in 1944 to manage the administration and governance of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention).
• It is headquartered at Montreal, Canada.
• It has total 196 member countries including India.

APEDA participates in 28th edition of Gulfood 2023

• Agricultural and Process Food Export Development Authority (APEDA) is participating in the 28th edition of Gulfood 2023 being held in UAE.
• It is a platform that connects food and beverage sectors around the globe, providing ample of opportunities to Indian exporters, providing ample of opportunities to Indian exporters.
• There is participation of 5000 companies from 125 countries.
• More than 50 Indian exporters with a focus on Millet and its products through APEDA pavilion, are being showcased.
• APEDA has signed an MoU with Government of UAE through its nodal agency Al Dhara Holding SP LLC for procurement of food and food products from India.
• India ranks 8th with share of 2.33% in the global Agri exports.
• India’s total Agri Export is USD appx. 50 billion in 2021-22 with a contribution of more than 51% share by APEDA’s agricultural and processed food products export in the Indian Agri export basket during 2021-22.

About APEDA

• The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority is an Indian Apex-Export Trade Promotion Active government body.
• Founded: 13 February 1986
• Headquarters: New Delhi

Aadhaar Mitra: UIDAI launches new AI chatbot

• Aadhaar issuing body UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) has launched a new AI/ML-based chatbot called Aadhaar Mitra.
• The AI-powered chatbot will let individuals check their Aadhaar enrolment status, track their Aadhaar PVC card status, and information on enrolment centres.
• #ResidentFirst#UIDAI’s New AI/ML based chat support is now available for better resident interaction!
• Now Residents can track #Aadhaar PVC card status, register & track grievances etc.
• The feature can be available at the bottom right corner of the UIDAI website.
• At present, the service is available in Hindi and English.
• The chatbot eases the process of checking your Aadhaar update status.
• Users can locate a nearby Aadhaar enrolment centre by entering their Pincode of their location.
• The chatbot also tells individuals what to do when an Aadhaar card is lost.
• In addition, it also tells how an individual can download eAadhaar.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Financial Action Task Force Suspends Russia’s Membership

• Global anti-money laundering watchdog the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has suspended Russia’s membership for its “illegal, unprovoked and unjustified” full-scale military invasion of Ukraine.
• Russia’s actions were “unacceptably run” counter to FATF’s core principles that aims to promote security, safety, and integrity of the global financial system.
• Also FATF added Nigeria and South Africa to its grey list of countries subject to increased monitoring, and removed Cambodia and Morocco from the grey list category.

Key Highlights :

• As per the statement, the Russian Federation will remain a member of the Global Network as an active member of the Eurasian Group on Money Laundering (EAG) and retain its rights as an EAG member.
• The Russian Federation must continue to meet its financial obligations
• FATF will monitor the situation and consider at each of its plenary meetings whether there are sufficient reasons to remove or modify these restrictions.

About FATF :

• FATF is an inter-governmental policy-making and standard-setting body dedicated to combating money laundering and terrorist financing.
• It was established in 1989 during the Group of Seven (G7) Summit in Paris to develop policies against money laundering.
• Headquarters: Paris, France.
• President : T Raja Kumar
• FATF members include 39 countries, including the United States, India, China, Saudi Arabia, Britain, Germany, France, and the EU
• India became a member of FATF in 2010.

FATF has 2 types of lists:

Black List:

• Countries known as Non-Cooperative Countries or Territories (NCCTs) are put on the blacklist.
• These countries support terror funding and money laundering activities.
• The FATF revises the blacklist regularly, adding or deleting entries.
• Three countries North Korea, Iran, and Myanmar are currently in FATF’s blacklist.

Grey List:

• Countries that are considered a safe haven for supporting terror funding and money laundering are put on the FATF grey list.
• This inclusion serves as a warning to the country that it may enter the blacklist.

Criteria for FATF membership:

• The FATF-Style regional Bodies (FSRB) should be a regional group consisting of at least 5 – 6 member jurisdictions.

India Joins the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate

• India became the latest member of Agricultural Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM4C), on the margins of the I2U2 Business Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Aim :

• To accelerate investment and support for climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation, the United States (US) and the UAE have launched this global platform.
• India has joined the AIM4C, which was launched by the two nations in November 2021.
• At the I2U2 business forum, a letter was signed by the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs, Dumu Ravi, in which the Indian intention was expressed to join the AIM4C.
• On 22 February 2023 the inaugural I2U2 (Israel, India, United States and United Arab Emirates) business forum was held in Abu Dhabi.

About AIM4C :

• The AIM4C climate-smart wants to increase investment and support for innovation of agriculture and food systems.
• The AIM4C initiative has successfully increased these investments to more than USD 8 billion globally.
• With this announcement, India has joined more than 275 partners including 42 governments, who are working to collectively pursue the AIM4C mission by supporting investment.

Sri Lanka approves $442 million wind power project of Adani Group

• Sri Lanka’s Board of Investment (BOI) has issued a letter of approval to India’s Adani Green Energy Limited  (AGEL), for the 2 wind power plants to be set up in Mannar and Pooneryn at a total investment of USD 442 million

Key Highlights :

• The 2 wind power plants of 350 MW are scheduled to be commissioned in 2 years and they will be added to the national grid by 2025.
• The new project will generate 1500-2000 new employment opportunities.
• The wind power plant in Mannar will operate at a capacity of 250 MW (megawatt) while the wind power plant in Pooneryn will operate at a capacity of 100 MW.
• Currently, Sri Lanka generates power totaling some 4,200 MW a year, and the annual demand for energy is estimated to increase by about 5% over the next two decades.
• Authorities have informed that they aim to add about 2,800 MW renewable energy into the national grid over the next three years.

About AGEL :

• Founded : 2015
• Headquarters : Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
• MD & CEO : Vneet S. Jain

About Sri Lanka :

• President : Ranil Wickremesinghe
• Prime Minister : Dinesh Gunawardena
• Capitals : Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (legislative), Colombo (executive and judicial)
• Currency : Sri Lankan rupee

India to host Permanent Mission Roundtables at UN HeadQuarter as Chair of G- 20

• India, as Chair of the Group-20 (G-20), will host the 62^nd Permanent Mission Round Table at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit to be held in New York later 2023.

Key Highlights :

• During the event, India will focus on its growth story and achievements, as well as its goals to reap the potential benefits of the Global South.
• A roundtable titled ‘Gandhian Trusteeship: A panel discussion on Sustainable Lifestyles and Enduring Pace’ will be organised.
• On March 9,2023 a roundtable on ‘A world we women and girls want: Technology enabled social and economic advancement’ will be organised.
• On March 16,2023 a roundtable on ‘Grassroots leadership and transformation: Charting the path of empowerment through technology and skill development’ will be organized.
• A special event commemorating the birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar is being planned on April 14, 2023.
• The 2023 SDG Summit will be convened in September 2023, under the auspices of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde Announced As Chief Of Shiv Sena

• Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Shri Eknath Shinde was named the Shiv Sena chief leader following the national executive meeting of the party.
• He was elected as the Shiv Sena’s supreme leader during the party’s national executive meeting.
• This was the first national executive meeting of the Shiv Sena after Eknath Shinde got the party’s name and election symbol.
• The Shinde-led Sena faction has been allotted the ‘Shiv Sena’ name and the ‘bow and arrow’ symbol by the Election Commission (EC).

Key Highlights :

• Many important proposals were presented in this meeting, in which the proposal to give Bharat Ratna to Veer Savarkar was included.
• Also, a proposal was also submitted to give more employment opportunities to the local youth in all the projects in the state and also to give the status of special language to Marathi language.

About Eknath Shinde :

• He was the Cabinet Minister of Urban Development and Public Works (Public Undertakings) in the Cabinet of Uddhav Thackeray from 2019 to 2022.
• Currently he is serving as the 20th and current CM of Maharashtra from 30 June 2022.

About Shiv Sena :   

• Founded : 19 June 1966
• Founder : Bal Thackeray
• Shiv Sena’s election symbol is the Bow and Arrow.

About Maharashtra :

• Governor : Ramesh Bais
• Chief Minister : Eknath Shinde
• Capital : Mumbai
• National Park : Tadoba National Park, Navegaon National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuary : Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, Radhanagari Wildlife Sanctuary

Himachal Pradesh Becomes First State in India to Begin Organized Cultivation of Mulethi

• Himachal Pradesh (HP) has become the first state in India to start the organised commercial cultivation of Licorice (Mulethi).
• For the first time, planting material of Mulethi (Glycyrrhiza glabra) was distributed to the farmers to cultivate it commercially.
• The distribution of planting materials among the farmers was done by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT).

Key Highlights :

• The demand for Mulethi is high in India as it is not only used as a spice but also used in ayurvedic medicines.
• Currently, Mulethi is largely imported in India from other countries like Afghanistan, Nepal and China.
• The director of the institute, Sanjay Kumar also launched the “One Week- One Laboratory” program at CSIR-IHBT, Palampur from February 20-25, 2023

About Mulethi :

• Mulethi is a sweet-tasting perennial shrub.
• The roots have a sweet taste due to the glycyrrhizin present which is 50 times sweeter than sucrose.
• It is used as a natural sweetener in herbal medicines and flavouring in candies and tobacco.
• Mulethi is mainly grown in Afghanistan.
• It has been traditionally known and used as medicine in Ayurveda (known in Ayurveda as ‘Yashtimadhu’) for rejuvenation.

Uses :

• Herbal medicines use Mulethi for its natural sweetness.
• It is also used in traditional medicines against chest and lung diseases.
• It is used to flavour candies, tobacco, and alcohol, artificial and natural sweeteners.
• India imports 8,047 tonnes of liquorice annually from Afghanistan, China and Nepal.

About HP :

• Governor : Shiv Pratap Shukla
• Chief Minister : Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu
• Capital : Shimla, Dharamshala
• National Park : Great Himalayan National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuary : Chail Wildlife Sanctuary, Kanwar Wildlife Sanctuary

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Mr Aramane Giridhar gets extension as Defence Secretary till October 2024

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the extension in service of Mr Aramane Giridhar as Defense Secretary until October 2024.

About Aramane Giridhar :

• Giridhar, a 1988-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre.
• He took over as the Defence Secretary on 1 November 2022.
• He was to retire in June after completing 60 years.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

CCI gives nod to deal involving VVDN Technologies

• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the stake acquisition in VVDN Technologies (Target) by Kotak Funds and IBEF-IV (Acquirer).
• The proposed combination relates to acquisition of shareholding by the Kotak Special Situations Fund (KSSF)(Acquirer) and Kotak Pre-IPO Opportunities Fund (KPIOF) (Acquirer) through a combination of secondary share purchases of equity shares and subscription to compulsorily convertible debentures of VVDN Technologies.
• The deal has been cleared under the green channel route.

Key Highlights :

• VVDN Technologies is into providing electronic manufacturing services and original design manufacturing space with global operations.
• KSSF and KPIOF are collectively referred to as Kotak Funds.
• They are engaged in the business of investments to achieve long-term capital while IBEF-IV (India Business Excellence Fund IV) is a SEBI-registered alternative investment fund.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

NSE Indices launches country’s first ever Nifty India Municipal Bond Index

• National Stock Exchange of India (NSE Indices Ltd) officially announced the launch of the country’s first-ever municipal bond index.
• The new Nifty India Municipal Bond Index has been introduced in order to track the performance of municipal bonds issued by Indian Municipal Corporations across maturities as well as those institutions having investment grade credit ratings.
• The company instigated the launch of the Nifty India Municipal Bond Index at a Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) workshop on Municipal Debt Securities in Bengaluru.
• The index has 28 municipal bonds issued by 10 issuers all having credit ratings in the AA category.
• There is a rising demand that can be seen for such Municipal Bonds instruments among various investors.
• Moreover, the index constituents are referred to as assigned weights based on their superlative amount.
• NSE’s vision is to provide market representative benchmarks.
• Consequently, this index will act as a benchmark for asset managers.
• Also, it willalso be a reference index tracked by passive funds in the form of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), index funds, and h structured products, as asserted in the official notification.
• The Indian municipal bond market has seen an upturn in issuances after SEBI’s Issue and Listing of Municipal Debt Securities Regulations, 2015 was implemente, leadingd to an improved emphasis on municipal finance by policymakers.

About NSE:

• NSE Indices Limited is a branch of the National Stock Exchange of India with its headquarters located in Mumbai.
• Around 9 municipal bodies raised Rs 38.40 billion through bonds in the years 2016-17 and 2020-21, as stated in theReserve Bank of India report
• Founded : March 1998
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• CEO: Mukesh Agarwal
• NSE Indices Limited is a branch of the National Stock Exchange of India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

Sajjan Jindal has won the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award

• Sajjan Jindal has won the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2022.
• Sajjan Jindal, Chairman and Managing Director, JSW Group, has been awarded the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2022.
• He will now represent India at the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award (WEOY) in Monte Carlo in June 2023.
• The 7-member jury led by K V Kamath, former Chairman of ICICI Bank, selected Jindal as the EOY 2022 winner.
• He has been selected for his ‘exceptional entrepreneurial’ journey in scaling the global conglomerate.
• Sajjan Jindal, who earned the moniker “Man of Steel,” was the first Indian to hold the position of chairman of the World Steel Association.
• KP Singh, Chairman Emeritus of DLF Group, has been awarded with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Awards were also announced for other categories, with winners representing both startups to mature industries and young entrepreneurs

Prime Minister Hasina honours Dr. Mahendra Mishra with the International Mother Language Award in Dhaka

• Mahendra Mishra was conferred the International Mother Language Award by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka.
• Mahendra Mishra is an Indian educationist and social worker for the promotion of indigenous languages in Odisha.
• Dr. Mishra is the first Indian to receive this award.
• He has worked on the language, culture and education of the marginalised languages of Odisha.
• The award was instituted in 2021 by UNESCO.
• It is given in recognition of the extraordinary contribution to the preservation, revitalization and development of mother languages.
• PM Hasina conferred two international awards and two national awards to four recipients in Dhaka.
• Bangladeshi nationals Habibur Rahman and Ranjit Singha were given the national awards.
• Mahendra Kumar Mishra and Mother Language Lovers of World Society, Vancouver, Canada were conferred with international awards.
• International Mother Language Day has been celebrated on 21 February in 2023.

Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Award Ceremony was held in Mumbai

• The Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Award Ceremony was held.
• The grand celebration took place at Taj Lands End in Mumbai.
• The Indian drama film ‘Kashmir Files’ was honoured with the ‘Best Film’ award at the festival. This tragic tale has been directed by Indian filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri.
• Along with this, the iconic actor Anupam Kher took the Most Versatile Actor Of The Year award for the film.

The list of all the winners who won the prestigious level awards at the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival 2023 is mentioned below.

• Outstanding Contribution In The Film Industry – Rekha
• Best Film – The Kashmir Files
• Most Versatile Actor Of The Year – Anupam Kher for The Kashmir Files
• Best Actor – Ranbir Kapoor for Brahmastra: Part 1
• Best Actress – Alia Bhatt for Gangubai Kathiawadi
• Best Director – R Balki for Chup: Revenge of The Artist
• Best Web Series: Rudra – The Edge of Darkness
• Critics Best Actor – Varun Dhawan for Bhediya
• Film of The Year – RRR
• Television Series of The Year – Anupamaa
• Best Male Singer – Sachet Tandon for Maiyya Mainu
• Best Female Singer – Neeti Mohan for Meri Jaan

About Dadasaheb Phalke Award

• India’s most prestigious award is Dadasaheb Phalke Award in the cinematic industry.
• It is conducted on annual basis by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation which is established by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

Uttar Pradesh govt, Singapore Trade Ministry sign MoU for economic cooperation

• The Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for economic cooperation with the Uttar Pradesh government.
• The MoU is in addition to the deals signed at the UP Global Investors Summit.
• Under the agreement, the governments of Singapore and Uttar Pradesh will cooperate in areas of mutual interest, including urban development, sustainable development industry and skill development.
• The agreement also includes a Sustainable Industrial Park, upgradation and digitization of MSMEs, content development, training pedagogy (pedagogy training), training of trainers, certification as well as training of government officials.
• A Joint Partnership Committee (JPC) will be formed for planning, monitoring, implementation and review of cooperative activities of the MoU.
• According to the UP government press release, six companies of Singapore have also signed MoU.
• Venture Capitalist Golden State Capital has signed MoU for investment in UP.
• The firm is looking forward to setting up a data centre facility in UP’s Greater Noida.
• SATS Ltd is eager to begin its second food production facility in Uttar Pradesh.
• SATS LTD is a leading provider of food solutions and SATS Food Solutions India will soon be opening a Central Frozen Food Production Plant in Bengaluru.
• VANS Chemistry has signed an MoU to build an e-waste collection and pre-dismantling center in UP’s Greater Noida and it will be the main centre of the company in North India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND REPORTS

Nine Indian states among top 50 regions facing climate change risk

• According to a recently released report, nine Indian states are among the top 50 regions in the world with the highest risk of damage due to climate change.
• India is among the frontrunners in terms of exposure of its infrastructure to the vulnerabilities of climate change, according to a recent global physical climate risk report, prepared by the Cross Dependency Initiative (XDI).
• The report, titled Gross Domestic Climate Risks 2023 ranked several provinces across the world by analysing 320 million assets globally and using climate models, projections, satellite images and available government data.
• Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Assam had the highest Aggregated Damage Ratio (ADR).
• ADR is the total amount of damage to the built environment in a particular region in 2050.
• Bihar is India’s most vulnerable state with 22nd rank globally.
• Uttar Pradesh is at 25 and Assam at 28th.
• The report also analysed the extent of percentage increase of damages between 1990 and 2050.
• Among the top nine most vulnerable states in India, Assam reported the highest percentage increase in their damages by 331 percent, followed by Bihar (141%), Uttar Pradesh (96%) and Maharashtra (81%).
• China had the highest number of regions.
• 80 per cent of the top 50 most at-risk states and provinces in 2050 are in China, the United States or India.
• In terms of overall damage risk, Asia has the most to lose due to climate change.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Cameron Norrie beats world No 2 Carlos Alcaraz to claim Rio Open

• World number 2 Carlos Alcaraz won the Argentina Open in a spectacular performance, defeating Cameron Norrie in the final.
• The 19-year-old Spain’s Carlos has won his seventh ATP Tour title.
• Alcaraz is the first Spanish player since Rafael Nadal in 2015 to win the title in Buenos Aires.
• In 2022, he also became the youngest US Open champion since Pete Sampras in 1990.
• Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini won the doubles tennis title at the 2023 Argentina Open, defeating Nicolás Barrientos and Ariel Behar in the final.

Deepti Sharma becomes first Indian to take 100 T20I wickets

• Deepti Sharma has become the first Indian bowler to complete 100 wickets in T20Is.
• The 25-year-old reached the landmark in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup match against West Indies.
• The all-rounder has scalped 100 wickets in 89 T20Is.
• She surpassed Poonam Yadav, who has taken 98 wickets in 72 games.
• Overall, Anisa Mohammad of WI-W is at the top of the bowling charts with 125 dismissals in 117 games.
• No India men’s player has completed 100 wickets in the shortest format of the game.
• Yuzvendra Chahal has 91 scalps in 75 matches.
• Meanwhile, Deepti was bought by UP Warriorz for INR 2.6 crore ahead of the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

National Science Day 2023: February 28

• Every year, national science is celebrated on February 28 all over Indi
• It is celebrated every year to mark the discovery of the “Raman effect”.
• The National Science Day 2023 Theme is “Global Science for Global Wellbeing”
• Sukumar Chandra Sirkar (1898-1983) is one who invented science day.
• In 1928, when Raman made the discovery in his laboratory at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS) in Kolkata, 32 research scholars were working under his guidance and Sukumar was one among them.
• The National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC) requested the Central Government to designate 28 February as National Science Day (NSD) in 1986.
• It was done to honor not just the achievements of Sir C.V. Raman but also of other scientists for their achievements in the scientific field.
• Upon approval, National Science Day is celebrated all over India in schools, colleges, universities, and other institutions.
• Following the first NSD on Feb 28 1987, the National Council for Science and Technology Communication announced the creation of the National Science Popularization awards which recognized individuals for their contributions to the realm of science and communication.

Rare Disease Day 2023: February 28

• February 28 is announced as Rare Disease day 2023.
• Rare Disease Day 2023 theme is “Share Your Colors.”
• Founded by the European Organization for Rare Diseases, the first Rare Disease Day was celebrated in 2008 on February 29.
• A “rare” date that happens only once every four years.
• Since then, Rare Disease Day has taken place on the last day of February, a month is known for having a rare number of days.
• The day is held to raise awareness for rare diseases and improve access to treatment and medical representation for individuals with rare diseases and their families.

Daily CA One- Liner: Feb 28

• By March end, 101 more APMC mandis will be connected with e-NAM
• PM Modi inaugurated the ‘Barisu Kannada Dim Dimava’ cultural festival at Talkatora Stadium in Delhi.
• The Union Cabinet approved the ratification of three Protocols relating to amendments in the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention), 1944
• Agricultural and Process Food Export Development Authority (APEDA) is participating in the 28th edition of Gulfood 2023 being held in UAE
• Aadhaar issuing body UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) has launched a new AI/ML-based chatbot called Aadhaar Mitra
• National Stock Exchange of India (NSE Indices Ltd) officially announced the launch of the country’s first-ever municipal bond index.
• Sajjan Jindal has won the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2022
• Mahendra Mishra was conferred the International Mother Language Award by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka.
• The Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Award Ceremony was held.
• The Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for economic cooperation with the Uttar Pradesh government.
• According to a recently released report, nine Indian states are among the top 50 regions in the world with the highest risk of damage due to climate change
• World number 2 Carlos Alcaraz won the Argentina Open in a spectacular performance, defeating Cameron Norrie in the final
• Deepti Sharma has become the first Indian bowler to complete 100 wickets in T20Is
• Every year, national science is celebrated on February 28 all over India
• February 28 is announced as Rare Disease day 2023
• According to a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) occasional paper, titled Do Bank Mergers Improve Efficiency? The Indian Experience, banking mergers in India have been, on an average, beneficial to the banking sector as the financial performance and efficiency of acquirers improved post-merger.
• Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has proposed allowing mutual funds to introduce 5 new categories under ESG (environmental, social and governance) scheme.
• The country’s largest private sector lender HDFC Bank has raised USD 750 million through a dollar bond sale.
• Karnataka Bank and Paisalo Digital Limited, a non-deposit taking Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) registered with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), entered into a co-lending agreement to provide financial support to the low-income segment and to boost the country’s Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) segment of India.
• Global anti-money laundering watchdog the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has suspended Russia’s membership for its “illegal, unprovoked and unjustified” full-scale military invasion of Ukraine.
• India became the latest member of Agricultural Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM4C), on the margins of the I2U2 Business Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
• The Sri Lanka’s Board of Investment (BOI) has issued a letter of approval to India’s Adani Green Energy Limited  (AGEL), for the 2 wind power plants to be set up in Mannar and Pooneryn at a total investment of USD 442 million
• India, as Chair of the Group-20 (G-20), will host the 62^nd Permanent Mission Round Table at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters ahead of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit to be held in New York later 2023.
• Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Shri Eknath Shinde was named the Shiv Sena chief leader following the national executive meeting of the party.
• Himachal Pradesh (HP) has become the first state in India to start the organised commercial cultivation of Licorice (Mulethi).
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the extension in service of Mr Aramane Giridhar as Defense Secretary until October 2024.
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the stake acquisition in VVDN Technologies (Target) by Kotak Funds and IBEF-IV (Acquirer).