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CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS
World Hindi Day: 10th January
- World Hindi Day 2023 is observed on the 10th of January 2023.
- To recognize the significance of the Hindi language and to represent the global Hindi-speaking population, Vishwa Hindi Diwas is observed.
- The inaugural World Hindi Conference, or Vishva Hindi Sammelan, was held in Nagpur, Maharashtra, in 1975, which is when World Hindi Day first became a thing.
- This day was dedicated to honouring both the Hindi language and the many authors who have contributed to its literature.
- Every year, Vishva Hindi Divas is observed to honour the Conference’s anniversary.
- On January 10, Hindi-speaking people around the world celebrate World Hindi Day.
- Many public and private organizations in India hold celebrations for the day, and people who speak Hindi abroad also commemorate it with equal fervour.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS
PM Modi Inaugurates Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas Convention 2023 In Indore:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore.
- The theme of the PBD convention is ‘Diaspora: Reliable partners for India’s progress in Amrit Kaal’.
- The Centre has organized the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention in partnership with the Madhya Pradesh government.
- S Jaishankar and Anurag Thakur addressed the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas program held as part of the PBD convention.
- Australia’s Member of Parliament Zaneta Mascarenhas was the guest of honour at the event.
- The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated on January 9 to mark the arrival of Mahatma Gandhi in Mumbai from South Africa on that day in 1915.
- Since 2015, the convention has been organized every two years to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the development of the nation.
- Modi also lauded Indore’s efforts in promoting the Swachh Bharat campaign and said the city is known worldwide for its food, adding to its identity as the “raajdhaani (capital)” of cleanliness and taste.
- President of Guyana Irfaan Ali was the chief guest, and President of Suriname Chandrikapersad Santokhi was the special guest of honour.
- Surinamese President Santokhi echoed Modi’s sentiments about Indore and said it was his honour to step foot on the soil of the cleanest city in India.
President Droupadi Murmu lays the foundation stone for SJVN’s 1,000 MW solar project in Rajasthan:
- President Droupadi Murmu virtually laid the foundation stone of state-owned energy firm SJVN’s 1,000 MW Bikaner Solar Power Project in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
- Governor of Rajasthan Kalraj Mishra and state Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also attended the event
- This project will be implemented through its wholly-owned subsidiary SJVN Green Energy Limited (SGEL).
- According to SJVN CMD Nand Lal Sharma, “Development cost of the project is Rs 5,492 crore and viability gap funding support of Rs 44.72 lakh per megawatt for this project is being done by IREDA.
- It will come up on a 5,000 acres area”.
- The project is scheduled to be commissioned by March 2024, the project will generate 2,454.55 million units (MU) in the first year and approximately 56,838 MU would be generated on a cumulative basis over 25 years.
- The project would also lead to a reduction in carbon emissions of 27,85,077 tonnes.
- Sharma further stated that the project will generate up to 200 direct and 1,000 indirect employment opportunities.
- As per the statement, SJVN has bagged the 1,000 MW Bikaner Solar Power Project under Central Public Sector Undertaking Scheme Phase-II, Tranche-III (Government Producer Scheme) through competitive bidding.
- The power generated by the project shall be for self-use or use by government/ government entities, either directly or through distribution companies.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS
India identifies copper and lithium mines in Argentina
- India has identified 2 lithium mines and 1 copper mine in Argentina for a possible acquisition or long-term lease.
- The Centre sent a team of 3 geologists to the Latin American nation to assess potential lithium deposits and possible acquisition opportunities in November 2022.
- The team consisted of one geologist from the Mineral Exploration Corporation Ltd (MECL), KABIL (Khanij Bidesh India Ltd), and the Geological Survey of India (GSI).
Key Highlights :
- Argentina is ranked among the main mineral reserves across the globe.
- Lithium reserves have been found in all the continents but Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia together are referred to as the “Lithium Triangle”– holding underneath in its salt flats more than 75% of the world supply.
- Argentina is the 4th largest producer of lithium.
- It also has the 3rd-largest reserve of minerals in the world.
- Australia is the top lithium producer globally.
- The US and China, are key producers of the mineral besides the Lithium Triangle.
- Lithium is widely used in manufacturing batteries and other electronic products.
About KABIL :
- Established: 2019
- KABIL is a joint venture formed through the participation of the National Aluminium Company (Nalco), Hindustan Copper (HCL), and Mineral Exploration Corporation Ltd (MECL).
Aim :
- To ensure a consistent supply of critical and strategic minerals in the domestic market.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS
Madhya Pradesh government to launch Chief Minister’s Residential Land Rights Scheme
- Madhya Pradesh (MP) Chief Minister (CM) Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the Chief Minister’s Residential Land Rights scheme (Mukhyamantri Awasiya Bhu Adhikar Yojana) from Bakpura Panchayat of Tikamgarh district in Madhya Pradesh (MP).
Aim :
- To give poor individuals the opportunity to build their own homes and includes the delivery of all other government benefits with the plot.
About Mukhyamantri Awasiya Bhu Adhikar Yojana :
- Free leases of residential land were distributed by CM Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan to the selected beneficiaries.
Eligibility :
- The CM had instructed the Revenue Department to identify the eligible beneficiaries for this scheme and prepare their data.
- Under the scheme, applications from 14 lakh people have been received from across MP.
- Out of these, residential plots worth Rs 120 crore were provided to 10,500 eligible beneficiaries of Tikamgarh district.
- Each beneficiary family was given a plot of about 600 square feet for the construction of houses
- Once a family gets a plot, they will also be eligible to avail the benefits of schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
- There will be no premium charged for these plots and will be allocated in the names of both the husband and the wife.
- Along with this, the CM also laid the foundation stone for development works worth Rs 255 crore.
About MP :
- Governor: Mangubhai C. Patel
- Chief Minister: Shivraj Singh Chouhan
- Capital: Bhopal
- National Parks: Kanha National Park, Bandhavgarh National Park
- Wildlife Sanctuaries: Bagdara Wildlife Sanctuary, Ken Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary, Narsinghgarh Wildlife Sanctuary
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING & FINANCE
RBI lifts restrictions on Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) lifted restrictions related to Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services (M&M Finance) on recovery operations via third-party collection agents.
- The lifting of restrictions followed submissions made by M&M Finance and its pledge to strengthen recovery practices and outsourcing arrangements while tightening the process of onboarding third-party agents and strengthening its accountability framework.
- The RBI action came after reports of a 27-year-old pregnant woman being allegedly crushed to death on 15 September 2022 in Jharkhand, by a tractor being driven by a recovery agent acting on behalf of M&M Finance.
About M&M Finance :
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- MD & CEO: Dr. Anish Shah
- Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Limited (MMFSL) is an Indian rural non-banking financial company
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
ICICI Bank launches digital solutions for exporters
- ICICI Bank has launched a first-of-its-kind initiative in the industry, digital solutions for exporters, and a comprehensive set of banking and value-added services on a single platform.
Aim :
- To simplify the journey of exporters by decongesting the current time-intensive manual procedures, thereby significantly improving their operational efficiency.
Key Highlights :
- The set of solutions digitises the entire export life-cycle from the discovery of export markets, export finance, and foreign exchange services to the receipt of export incentives.
- It also offers industry-first facilities such as instant disbursal of Export Packing Credit (Insta EPC) and Trade Application Programming Interface (APIs).
- Insta EPC provides export finance instantly, while Trade APIs enable the smooth handling of export transactions directly from exporters’ ERP systems, thereby providing greater convenience.
Insta EPC:
- Exporters, having a relationship with the Bank, will get the convenience of Export Packing Credit (EPC) instantly and digitally.
- This facility can be availed through Trade Online, the Bank’s flagship digital platform for export-import transactions.
Digital Letter of Credit facility (e-LC):
- The exporters can avail of the e-LC facility, which acts as a digital repository as well as makes LC available on a real-time basis, for verification of trade terms.
Electronic Bills of Lading (e-BL):
- The Bank has partnered with leading e-BL service providers to facilitate the end-to-end digital movement of trade documents across the world.
- This results in efficient working capital management by reducing turnaround time to a couple of days from the existing industry practice of 8-10 days
Trade APIs:
- The Bank offers Trade APIs, a future-ready industry-first solution, for the seamless handling of export bills.
- The range of APIs includes Remittances, Letters of Credit, and Bank Guarantees.
- The Trade API solution provides the exporters with a simplified ‘Do-It-Yourself (DIY)’ experience anytime anywhere.
- With APIs in place, exporters can initiate transactions via their ERPs directly with the Bank, thereby enhancing productivity
Trade accounts:
- Trade accounts offer foreign currency accounts namely Exchange Earners’ Foreign Currency Accounts (EEFC).
- This is a Current Account that allows exporters to hold their foreign currency earnings in the account, without converting them to local currency.
- This feature of the account helps exporters to reduce their foreign exchange transaction costs.
- It also offers specialized Current Accounts like One Globe Trade Account (OGTA) for export and import-related transactions.
Paperless exports solutions:
- The Bank’s digital solutions like e-Softex (catering to IT/ITeS exporters) and e-DOCs have simplified exporters’ journey across various stages by offering digital filing of documents, settlement, and reconciliation of export invoices, among others.
Foreign exchange solution:
- Exporters can book forex deals over the phone or online through digital platforms to get flexibility and transparency in booking rates.
About ICICI Bank :
- Founded: 5 January 1994
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- MD & CEO: Sandeep Bakhshi
Aegon Life Insurance launches iTerm Prime Insurance plan
- Aegon Life Insurance has launched the iTerm Prime Insurance plan, which will cater to the needs of self-employed individuals with a special 10% discount (5% discount in addition to a 5% online discount for all) on 1st-year premium.
- The policy also offers special add-on features like critical illness cover and accidental death.
About iTerm Prime Insurance plan :
- The iTerm Prime plan is designed to promote life insurance access in developing India.
- It offers a minimum sum assured of Rs 25 lakhs, with no upper limit on a consumer’s requirement.
- The plan can be purchased online through a completely paperless process and requires zero documentation or uploads.
- The product also offers a ‘Special Exit Value’ option that allows the policyholder to get all premiums back when they turn 55 years old.
- It is designed to encourage emerging India to gain access to life insurance.
- The policy also offers a death benefit, which is the highest of 11 times the annualized premium or 105% multiplied by the total premiums paid as on the date of death or base sum assured.
About Aegon Life Insurance :
- Founded: 2008
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- MD and CEO: Satishwar Balakrishnan
- It is a joint venture between Dutch Aegon N.V., a multinational insurance, pensions, and asset management company, and The Times Group (also called Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd), one of India’s largest media conglomerates.
GST collections stand at Rs 1.49 trillion in Dec 2022
- According to the Finance Ministry, the Goods & services tax (GST) collections for December 2022 stood at Rs 1,49,507 crore, 2.5% more than Rs 1,45,867 crore collected in November 2022.
- However, on a year-on-year basis, GST revenue collected for December 2022 was 15% higher than the collections of December 2021, which was Rs 1,29,780 crore.
Key Highlights :
- The gross GST revenue collected during December 2022 is Rs 1,49,507 crore, of which CGST is Rs 26,711 crore, SGST is Rs 33,357 crore, IGST is Rs 78,434 crore (including Rs 40,263 crore collected on import of goods) and cess is Rs 11,005 crore (including Rs 850 crore collected on import of goods).
- The total revenue of the Centre and the states after regular settlements in December 2022 is Rs 63,380 crore for CGST and Rs 64,451 crore for the SGST.
- Monthly GST revenues have been higher than Rs 1.4 trillion for the 10th month in a row.
World Bank’s flagship Gender Toolkit launched
- The ‘Toolkit on Enabling Gender-Responsive Urban Mobility and Public Spaces in India’ was launched at a session organized by the World Bank (WB) & the Chennai Urban Metropolitan Transport Authority in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN).
Key Highlights :
- Women are among the largest users of public transport across Indian cities & around 84% of trips made by women are estimated to be by public transport.
- The toolkit has been designed in response to a 2019 World Bank-supported survey of 6,048 respondents in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
- This survey found that between 2004 and 2019, men shifted to two-wheelers to commute to work, while women used auto-rickshaws or taxis, which tend to be more costly (per trip) than two-wheelers.
- India has amongst the lowest female labour force participation rates globally, at 8% in 2019-20.
- This toolkit has practical tools that can help policymakers and private or community-based organizations ensure safe and inclusive public spaces and public transport for women in India.
Key features of the Gender Toolkit :
- The Gender Toolkit is a two-volume guide that proposes a 4-pillar implementation framework for urban bodies to design a gender-responsive urban mobility and public spaces program.
- The 1st pillar focuses on the assessment of the ground situation, including the understanding of gender differences in mobility patterns, safety concerns, and gaps in policies and infrastructure.
- The 2nd pillar recommends integrating gender as a lens while planning and promoting gender inclusivity among policymakers and institutions.
- The 3rd pillar focuses on awareness creation and capacity building
- The 4th pillar emphasizes strengthening the infrastructure in a way that is gender inclusive.
About World Bank :
- Established: December 1944
- Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
- President : David Malpass
CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS
CJI DY Chandrachud to be conferred with the 2022 CLP Award for Global Leadership by Harvard Law School:
- The Harvard Law School Center on the Legal Profession has decided to confer Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud with the ‘Center on the Legal Profession Award for Global Leadership’.
- CLP’s highest professional distinction will be presented to CJI Chandrachud on January 11.
- Justice Chadrachud, who became chief justice in November 2022, holds an LLM and an SJD from Harvard Law School.
- According to CLP’s media release, the award is being presented to the CJI in recognition of his lifetime of service to the legal profession in India and around the world.
- The CLP will honour Justice Chandrachud’s storied career and everything he has done for the profession and the rule of law in India and around the world.
- Further, in receiving this award, Justice Chandrachud will join a select group of past recipients, including Samantha Power (former U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations under President Barack Obama and current head of the Agency for International Development), Brad Smith (Vice-Chair and President of Microsoft), the late Vernon Jordan (who throughout his distinguished career served as the President of the National Urban League, Senior Managing Director of Lazard Frères, Senior Partner at Akin Gump, a Member of the Board of Directors for several Fortune 500 companies, and a close advisor to Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama), and Kenneth Frazier (Executive Chair and former CEO of Merck).
CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND REPORTS
Bangalore, Delhi in the Top 10 best-performing global airports of 2022:
- Tracking the performance of airports and airlines, Cirium issued a list of the top-performing global airports of 2022 in which Bangalore’s Kempegowda International Airport won the 2nd rank, whereas Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport acquired the 7th spot.
- While Kempegowda International Airport saw on-time departure for 84.08% of 201,897 flights, Delhi’s IGI witnessed 81.84% on-time departure for 411,205 flights.
- Along with the above analytics, Cirium also released a list of the most punctual airlines globally wherein Azul Airlines surfaced as “the global leader”.
- It is a Brazilian carrier based in Barueri, a suburb of São Paulo.
- The airline is counted among Brazil’s top three airlines, which started operations in late 2008.
- It has, since, become the fastest-growing airline in the country and won many awards for its services.
The top 10 Rankings for best-performing global airports of 2022 according to Cirium’s report are as follows:
- Tokyo, Japan – (HND) Haneda Airport
- Bengaluru, India – (BLR) Kempegowda International Airport
- Salt Lake City, USA – (SLC) Salt Lake City International Airport
- Detroit, USA – (DTW) Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
- Philadelphia, USA – (PHL) Philadelphia International Airport
- USA – (MSP) Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
- Delhi, India – (DEL) Indira Gandhi International Airport
- Seattle, USA – (SEA) Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
- Bogotá, Colombia – (BOG) El Dorado International Airport
- North Carolina, USA – (CLT) Charlotte Douglas International Airport
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS
Forex reserves at $562.9 bn; fall by $70 bn in 2022:
- India’s foreign exchange reserves fell by $70.1 billion in 2022, data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) shows.
- The forex reserves stood at $562.9 billion in the week ended December 30.
- The decline in the forex reserves is partly due to the RBI intervention in the currency markets to stave off volatility and partly on account of the depreciation of other major currencies held by the central bank.
- The RBI net sold $33.42 billion till September, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said in the Lok Sabha earlier.
- The RBI holds major currencies including the pound sterling, yen, and euro in its reserves, which are expressed in US dollar terms.
- The rupee depreciated 10.2% against the US dollar in the calendar year 2022, according to Bloomberg data.
- The rupee breached 80 against the dollar in September and has remained at Rs 81-82 levels since then.
- With the US Federal Reserve retaining a hawkish stance on interest rates, the rupee might breach 83 levels, according to analysts.
- The increase during the week was mainly due to an increase in the gold reserves of $354 million, which was offset by a decline of $302 million in foreign currency assets.
- The RBI held 785.35 metric tonnes of gold as of September 30.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
US President Mr. Joe Biden Renominates Mr. Eric Garcetti As Envoy To India
- United States (US) President Mr. Joe Biden has renominated former Los Angeles Mayor Mr. Eric Garcetti as the Ambassador of the United States to India.
- The US has not had a full-time envoy in India since 2021 when the previous US envoy Mr. Kenneth I Juster completed his tenure.
- India currently chairs G20, resulting in scores of diplomatic activities between the two countries.
About Mr. Eric Garcetti :
- Garcetti, who served as the 42nd mayor of Los Angeles from July 2013 until December 2022, is a close aide of President Biden.
- In July 2021, Mr. Joe Biden nominated Mr. Garcetti as the United States Ambassador to India.
Mr. Prasanna Kumar Motupalli appointed as chairman and MD of NLC India Ltd
- Prasanna Kumar Motupalli was appointed as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the state-run NLC India Ltd (NLCIL), a Navratna Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Coal till the date of his superannuation is June 30, 2026.
About Mr Prasanna Kumar Motupalli :
- He has over 30 years of experience in the generation sector across fuel management, operations and maintenance, coal handling, and power plant erection.
- He worked with NTPC Limited as an Executive Director, handling corporate fuel management
- Motupalli currently serves as the Managing Director of Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL).
About NLC India Ltd :
- Founded: 1956
- Headquarters: Neyveli, Tamil Nadu, India
- It is a central public sector undertaking under the administrative control of the Ministry of Coal, Government of India
CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS
Captain Shiva Chouhan becomes the first 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 Glacier.
About Captain Shiva Chouhan :
- Capt Shiva Chouhan, who hails from Rajasthan, is a Bengal Sapper Officer.
- She successfully led the Sura Soi Cycling Expedition from the Siachen War Memorial to the Kargil War Memorial conducted on the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas in July 2022.
- She is an officer of the Fire and Fury Corps.
- In September 2021, a team of 8 specially-abled people created a world record by reaching Kumar Post at 15,632 feet height.
About Siachen Glacier :
- The Siachen Glacier is the highest battleground on the earth.
- It is spread over an area of 76 kilometres.
- It is the longest glacier in Karakoram and the second-longest in the world’s non-polar areas.
- Under Operation Meghdoot, the Indian Army took control of the entire Siachen glacier in 1984.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
ISRO to develop spatial infrastructure geoportal for Ladakh
- The government of the Union Territory of Ladakh has partnered with the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), a unit of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to develop a “Spatial Data Infrastructure geoportal ‘Geo-Ladakh’ for UT-Ladakh.
Key Highlights :
- The project encompasses spatial database generation (water resources, vegetation, and energy potential) using remote sensing, geospatial techniques, and the development of a Geo-portal for hosting this database.
- The project aims towards training of UT-Ladakh officials on Geospatial techniques and applications.
- The portal provides geospatial data visualization and analytics for UT-Ladakh, consisting of Spatial viewer, Carbon Neutrality, Geospatial utility mapping, and Geo-Tourism.
- Currently, ISRO is setting up an optical telescope at Hanle for tracking spacecraft and space objects.
- Also, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between IIRS (ISRO) and UT-Ladakh Administration towards carrying out the above work.
About ISRO :
- Established: 15 August 1969
- Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
- Chairman: Sreedhara Somanath
US Air Force unveils new B-21 Raider nuclear stealth bomber
- The United States Air Force has unveiled its latest high-tech strategic bomber, the B-21 Raider, which is the world’s 1st sixth-generation aircraft and can carry conventional and nuclear payloads.
- The next-generation stealth bomber was rolled out at arm’s manufacturer Northrop Grumman’s facility in
- The first new bomber in 30 years could cost nearly $700m (£569m) each and can carry nuclear and conventional weapons.
- The first flight by a B-21 is expected to take place in 2023.
About B-21 Raider :
- The B-21 Raider is named in honor of the Doolittle Raid of World War II when 80 airmen, led by Lt Col James ‘Jimmy’ Doolittle, and 16 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers set off on a mission that changed the Second World War.
- The B-21 is a long-range strike stealth bomber with high survivability.
- It will eventually replace the B-1 and B-2 models and the fleet is estimated to cost $203bn (£165bn) to develop, buy and operate over 30 years.
About Northrop Grumman Corporation :
- Founded: 1994
- Headquarters: Virginia, United States
- President & CEO: Kathy J. Warden
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS
Mascot, torch, and anthem of Khelo India Youth Games to be unveiled in Bhopal:
- In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will unveil the mascot, torch, and anthem of Khelo India Youth Games-2022 in a colourful program at Shaurya Smarak in Bhopal.
- Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Nishith Pramanik will be the guest of honour.
- Madhya Pradesh’s Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Smt. Yashodhara Raje Scindia informed that in this program various facets of Khelo India will be explained through drone and laser shows.
- Madhya Pradesh is hosting the fifth edition of the Khelo India Youth Games.
- In this sports event, to be held from the 30th of January to the 11th of February, six thousand players will show their sports skills in eight different cities for 13 days.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES
The last surviving Apollo 7 Astronaut Walter Cunningham Passed away
- The last surviving member of the first successful space mission under the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA’s) Apollo program, US astronaut Walter Cunningham, passed away at the age of 90.
About Walter Cunningham :
- Cunningham was born on March 16, 1932, in Creston, Iowa, United States (US).
- He was an American astronaut, fighter pilot, physicist, entrepreneur, and venture capitalist.
- He is NASA’s third civilian astronaut (after Neil Armstrong and Elliot See).
- He was part of the Apollo 7 mission which took off on October 11, 1968, and splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean 11 days later on October 22.
- Before joining NASA, he was enlisted in the US Navy and began training as a pilot in 1952.
- He served as a fighter pilot with the US Marine Corps on 54 missions in
Awards & Honors :
- Cunningham was awarded the NASA Exceptional Service Medal and NASA Distinguished Service Medal for his service.
Noted Rabindra Sangeet exponent Sumitra Sen Passed away
- Noted Rabindra Sangeet exponent Sumitra Sen passed away at the age of 89 in Kolkata
About Sumitra Sen :
- She is known for her performances of songs like “Jokhon Porbe Na Mor,” “Sokhi Vabona Kahare Bole,” and “Mone Ki Dwidha.”
Awards & Honors :
- In 2012, she was honoured with the Sangeet Mahasamman award by the West Bengal government.
About Rabindra Sangeet :
- Rabindra Sangeet, also known as Tagore Songs, is a collection of over 2,000 songs and poems written and composed by the Bengali polymath Rabindranath Tagore.
- Tagore was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 the first Indian & also the first non-European to receive such recognition.
Daily CA on January 10:
- World Hindi Day 2023 is observed on the 10th of January 2023.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore.
- President Droupadi Murmu virtually laid the foundation stone of state-owned energy firm SJVN’s 1,000 MW Bikaner Solar Power Project in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
- The Harvard Law School Center on the Legal Profession has decided to confer Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud with the ‘Center on the Legal Profession Award for Global Leadership’.
- Tracking the performance of airports and airlines, Cirium issued a list of the top-performing global airports of 2022 in which Bangalore’s Kempegowda International Airport won the 2nd rank, whereas Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport acquired the 7th spot.
- India’s foreign exchange reserves fell by $70.1 billion in 2022, data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) shows.
- In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will unveil the mascot, torch, and anthem of Khelo India Youth Games-2022 in a colourful program at Shaurya Smarak in Bhopal.
- India has identified 2 lithium mines and 1 copper mine in Argentina for a possible acquisition or long-term lease.
- Madhya Pradesh (MP) Chief Minister (CM) Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the Chief Minister’s Residential Land Rights scheme (Mukhyamantri Awasiya Bhu Adhikar Yojana) from Bakpura Panchayat of Tikamgarh district in Madhya Pradesh (MP).
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) lifted restrictions related to Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services (M&M Finance) on recovery operations via third-party collection agents.
- ICICI Bank has launched a first-of-its-kind initiative in the industry, digital solutions for exporters, and a comprehensive set of banking and value-added services on a single platform.
- Aegon Life Insurance has launched the iTerm Prime Insurance plan, which will cater to the needs of self-employed individuals with a special 10% discount (5% discount in addition to a 5% online discount for all) on 1st-year premium.
- According to the Finance Ministry, the Goods & services tax (GST) collections for December 2022 stood at Rs 1,49,507 crore, 2.5% more than Rs 1,45,867 crore collected in November 2022.
- The ‘Toolkit on Enabling Gender-Responsive Urban Mobility and Public Spaces in India’ was launched at a session organized by the World Bank (WB) & the Chennai Urban Metropolitan Transport Authority in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN).
- United States (US) President Mr. Joe Biden has renominated former Los Angeles Mayor Mr. Eric Garcetti as the Ambassador of the United States to India.
- Prasanna Kumar Motupalli was appointed as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the state-run NLC India Ltd (NLCIL), a Navratna Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Coal till the date of his superannuation is June 30, 2026.
- 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 Glacier.
- The government of the Union Territory of Ladakh has partnered with the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), a unit of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to develop a “Spatial Data Infrastructure geoportal ‘Geo-Ladakh’ for UT-Ladakh.
- The United States Air Force has unveiled its latest high-tech strategic bomber, the B-21 Raider, which is the world’s 1st sixth-generation aircraft and can carry conventional and nuclear payloads.
- The last surviving member of the first successful space mission under the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA’s) Apollo program, US astronaut Walter Cunningham, passed away at the age of 90.
- Noted Rabindra Sangeet exponent Sumitra Sen passed away at the age of 89 in Kolkata