Current Affairs March 07th 2023| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

IRCTC partners with HDFC Bank to launch India’s co-branded travel credit card      

• Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC), the public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Railways, and HDFC Bank, India’s largest private sector bank have partnered to launch one of India’s most rewarding co-branded travel credit cards, known as the IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card.
• The credit card was launched by Rajni Hasija, Chairman & Managing Director, IRCTC, Parag Rao, Group Head – Payments, Consumer Finance, Digital Banking and IT, HDFC Bank and Praveena Rai, COO, NPCI at a launch ceremony held at New Delhi, Delhi, India.
• HDFC Bank is the first private sector bank to partner with IRCTC to enhance the customer experience for train travellers, right from the time of booking their tickets.

About IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card : 

• The card is in a single variant and is available exclusively on the  National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) Rupay network.
• It will provide exclusive benefits and maximum savings on bookings of train tickets booked through the IRCTC’s ticketing website and through the IRCTC Rail Connect app.
• With RuPay Credit Cards now enabled on UPI for payments, this co-branded card will provide impetus to further adoption and reach of digital payments across India.”

About IRCTC : 

• Founded : 27 September 1999
• Headquarters : New Delhi, India
• Chairman & MD : Rajni Hasija

About HDFC Bank : 

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

RBI imposes restrictions on Musiri Urban Co-operative Bank   

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a Rs 5,000 cap on withdrawals by individual customers from Tamil Nadu (TN)-based Musiri Urban Co-operative Bank.
• Reason: It is a part of several restrictions imposed on the lender due to its deteriorating financial condition.
• The restrictions on the lender will remain in force for 6 months.
• The bank will continue to undertake banking business with restrictions until its financial position improves, and the RBI may consider modifications of the directions depending on circumstances

Key Highlights : 

• Without the approval of the RBI, the cooperative bank cannot grant loans, make any investments, or disburse any payments.
• Meanwhile, the eligible depositors would be entitled to receive a  deposit  insurance claim amount of his/her deposits up to Rs 5 lakh from the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation.
• The RBI also restricts the bank from entering into any compromise or arrangement and selling, transferring or otherwise disposing of any of its properties or assets except as notified in the RBI Direction.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Launches UPI E-Services For Kangra Central Cooperative Bank

• Himachal Pradesh (HP) Chief Minister (CM) Shri Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has launched UPI (Unified Payments Interface) and ‘Swadhan-e-pension-Gov’ services for Kangra Central Cooperative Bank

Aim:

• To make bank transactions easier and quicker, especially for the elderly and those living in remote areas
• These services would benefit thousands of account holders of the bank.
• He also released the bank’s annual calendar on this occasion

About HP : 

• Governor : Shiv Pratap Shukla
• Chief minister: Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu
• Capitals: Shimla (Summer), Dharamshala (Winter)

SIDBI & Showreel To Jointly Develop Digital Platform To Support Innovators

• The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ShowReel for developing an online digital platform to support innovators & promote Entrepreneurship in India.

Aim : 

• To provide handholding support to aspiring innovators with practical-based hand-holding demonstration and equity funding to channelise ideas offering solutions to a multitude of problems

Key Highlights : 

• The new virtual ecosystem is completely digital and is designed to provide citizens of India with a platform to think, analyse and create enterprising ideas to solve real-world development problems.
• ShowReel and SIDBI intend to create this virtual incubator, to harness intellectual capital, help and develop entrepreneurship.
• The platform will be a one-stop-shop for ideators and innovators, providing access to training videos, market analysis, and mentorship, in addition to a virtual incubation program.

About SIDBI : 

• Established : 2 April 1990
• Headquarters : Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
• Chairman & MD : Sivasubramanian Ramann
• The SIDBI is the apex regulatory body for overall licensing and regulation of micro, small and medium enterprise finance companies in India.
• It is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance , Government of India (GoI).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

President Murmu inaugurates 7th International Dharma-Dhamma Conference in Bhopal

• President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the 7th International Dharma-Dhamma Conference in Bhopal.
• Governor Mangubhai Patel and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan were also present at the conference.
• It is being organised by the India Foundation in association with Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies.
• This conference is focused on the principle of humanism in the new era.
• It will conclude on 5 March.
• More than 350 scholars from 15 countries are taking part in the conference.
• Representatives from different countries like Bhutan, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam are participating in the conference.
• At this conference, 25 scholars will address 4 main sessions and 115 research papers will also be presented.

Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare receives Porter Prize 2023

• The award was announced at ‘The India Dialogue’ organized by the Institute for Competitiveness (IFC) Stanford University’s US Asia Technology Management Center (USATMC).
• It was presented to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in the virtual presence of Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare.
• The theme of the conference was “The Indian Economy 2023: Innovation, Competitiveness and Social Progress”.
• The award recognizes the strategy, approach adopted by the GoI in the management of COVID-19 and the involvement of various stakeholders in the industry, especially the ASHA workers, for making PPE kits.
• It was also noted that the idea of vaccine development and vaccine manufacturing and the scale that India achieved, was tremendous
• India has distributed over 2.5 billion doses, which has been amazing.
• The Ministry has taken all necessary steps to deal with the COVID situation in the country.
• Porter Prize is named after economist, researcher, author, consultant, speaker, and teacher Michael E. Porter.
• He has presented economic theory and strategy concepts to address many of the most challenging problems facing companies, economies and societies, including market competition and corporate strategy, economic growth, the environment and healthcare.

Government launches Grievance Appellate Committee for social media firms

• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology recently launched the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) portal under the IT Rules, 2021.
• The GAC was one of the provisions in the recently amended Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
• GAC will look into user complaints regarding unsatisfactory grievance redressal by social media intermediaries.
• Three such bodies have been constituted of professionals from various fields.
• Each GAC will comprise three government-appointed, full-time members, including a chairperson.
• Any user aggrieved by a decision of a platform’s Grievance Officer can appeal to the GAC within 30 days of the receipt of communication from the Grievance Officer.
• The Committee has to dispose of the appeals within 15 days of receiving them.
• GAC’s decisions will be binding on the intermediary.
• The GAC will be a virtual Digital platform that will operate only online and digitally — wherein the entire appeal process, from the filing of the appeal to the decision thereof, shall be conducted digitally through the new portal https://gac.gov.in.
• The new portal lists out detailed FAQs for the convenience of users.
• The appellants can track the status of their appeal through the Appellant Login window.
• GAC will upload its order on the portal, and the appellant will receive notification of the same by SMS and email

Education Minister to launch self-assessment platform for Indian students

• The Ministry of Education (MoE) is set to launch a self-assessment platform for Indian students.
• SATHEE is a new initiative by the Ministry of Education in association with IIT Kanpur.
• It provides Indian students with a self-paced interactive learning and assessment platform to prepare for competitive and other exams.
• It will help students gain access to training and coaching for competitive examinations for free.

About SATHEE:

• SATHEE aims to make the students learn the concepts and focus on their weak topics so they feel confident to give any exams by watching videos prepared by IIT and IISc faculty members.
• It provides free learning resources, including 800 videos in 12 regional languages.
• The platform will also provide regular all-India mock tests to help prepare for competitive exams, in addition to mentorship sessions by IIT and AIIMS students who shall act like SATHEES.
• The interactive programme is currently open for coaching help for JEE  and NEET.
• It makes use of an indigenously-developed AI programme called Prutor, which was developed by IIT-Kanpur.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

India’s core sector output rises 7.8 pc in January 2023

• Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) grew by 7.8% (provisional ) in January 2023 in comparison to the Index of January 2022.
• The cumulative growth rate of Index of Eight Core Industries for the period April-January 2022-23 was 7.9% (provisional) in comparison to the same period of last year.
• For January 2023, seven of the eight core sectors have shown growth.
• Only crude oil has shown a contraction of 1.1%.
• Output growth in coal sector stood at 13.4%.
• Output growth in fertilizers and steel stood at 17.9% and 6.2%, respectively.
• Output growth in cement and electricity sectors stood at 4.6% and 12%, respectively.
• Natural gas sector has shown an output growth of 5.3% and refinery products output grew 4.5%.
• ICI for February 2023 will be released on 31st March 2023.

RIL sets up subsidiary for development of commercial properties

• Reliance Industries Ltd is foraying into the business of commercial property development and has set up a subsidiary called Reliance SOU Ltd.
• It has invested an initial capital of ₹1 lakh in the subsidiary.
• RIL’s interest in real estate or property development is not new.
• In 2019, it had acquired a 65 per cent stake in a real estate project in the business hub of Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai for ₹1,105 crore.
• A month later, it set up Reliance Navi Mumbai Infra Development for real estate development.
• It has a very active real estate division that undertakes major development projects for the group such as the Jio World Centre and Jio World Garden at Bandra Kurla.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

India, Australia Sign Framework Mechanism For Mutual Recognition of Education And Skill Qualifications

• India and Australia signed a ‘Framework Mechanism for Mutual Recognition of Qualifications’ that will help ease the mobility of students and professionals between the two countries.
• The agreement was signed following a bilateral meeting in New Delhi between Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and his Australian counterpart Jason Clare.
• At least 11 institutional-level memorandums were also exchanged between India and Australia’s university sectors, which will promote research and academic collaborations between the two countries in several key sectors.
• At least 11 institutional-level memorandums were also exchanged between India and Australia’s university sectors, which will promote research and academic collaborations between the two countries in several key sectors.
• India has set the target of providing 50 per cent of its youth with either higher education or skill education by 2035 and Australia would be privileged to partner with India in this programme.
• Two Australian universities will soon establish campuses in Gujarat’s GIFT City, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced.
• The two universities are Deakin University and Wollongong University.
• These are the first two foreign varsities to be setting up their campuses in GIFT City.
• Deakin University is ranked 266 in QS World University Rankings and is also among the top 50 young universities.
• It has four campuses in Australia and many students from India go to study there.
• Wollongong University is the first foreign university to open a campus in the UAE.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND INDEX

WABAG ranked 3rd globally among “Top 50 Private Water Companies”

• Chennai-based water technology firm Va Tech Wabag Ltd. (Wabag) said it had been ranked among the top three water companies globally by Global Water Intelligence (GWI), London, for ensuring safe and clean drinking water and sanitation to more than 88.8 million people across the globe.
• K.-based GWI is a water data analytics and publishing company.
• Each year it publishes a list of the world’s top 50 private operators.

About Wabag

• Wabag is the only Indian organisation to be featured in the top three water companies globally.
• VA Tech Wabag Ltd. is an Indian multinational company with headquarters in Chennai, India.
• CEO: Rajiv Mittal.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

United Kingdom & European Union start new chapter over Northern Ireland trade pact 

• The United Kingdom (UK) and European Union (EU) agreed upon the ‘Windsor Framework’. 
• It will replace the Northern Ireland Protocol.
• The deal could resolve the issue of imports and border checks in Northern Ireland, which is the most controversial aspect after the UK’s split from the EU.

About ‘Windsor Framework’ : 

• The ‘Windsor Framework’ will enable the free flow of trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland by creating green and red lanes for goods flowing into Northern Ireland.

Aim : 

• To fix issues of the Northern Ireland Protocol which was agreed upon by Boris Johnson and the EU in 2019.
• Goods that have to travel into Ireland will be placed in the red lane & they will face customs processes and other checks at Northern Ireland ports.
• British goods for Northern Ireland will be placed at the green lane at the ports.
• It will pass through minimal paperwork and checks.
• Northern Ireland is part of the UK but it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state.
• With this deal, the UK and the EU have managed to protect “Northern Ireland’s place in the union”.
• The UK government can fix the VAT rates applicable in Northern Ireland.

What is the Northern Ireland Protocol?

• Northern Ireland is a British-ruled province and part of the United Kingdom that shares a long porous border with Ireland, a member of the European Union.
• The protocol came into effect on January 1, 2021.
• The protocol is part of the Brexit deal, which sets Northern Ireland’s trade rules.
• It keeps Northern Ireland inside the EU’s single market for goods.
• The British Prime Minister also announced a new “Stormont brake”.

About Stormont brake : 

• “Stormont brake” allows the democratically elected Northern Ireland Assembly to oppose new EU goods rules that could have a significant effect on everyday lives in  Northern Ireland.
• The brake cannot be used for “trivial reasons” but reserved for “significantly different” rules

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

Tamil Nadu signs MoU with UNEP for implementing urban cooling programme in TN  

• The Tamil Nadu (TN) government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for implementing Urban Cooling Programme in TN to meet the objectives under the Tamil Nadu State Action Plan on Climate Change.
• The MoU was signed between Atul Bagai, Country Head of UNEP and Supriya Sahu, Environment Secretary of Tamil Nadu government.

Aim : 

• To address the rapidly increasing demand for cooling in cities while supporting implementation of initiatives to adapt and counteract rising heat.

Key Highlights : 

• UNEP will work with various departments of the state to create comprehensive action plans like increasing green cover in cities, building efficiency measures, improved urban design, etc.
• The MoU will facilitate capacity building and awareness raising for a wide range of stakeholders in Tamil Nadu on sustainable cooling including technological, financial, policy and institutional solutions.
• TN government had set up the first of its kind SPV in India-Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company- that guides 3 key missions-

1. Green Tamil Nadu Mission
2. Tamil Nadu Wetland Mission
3. Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission.

• TN government announced to set up Tamil Nadu Green Climate Fund with a fund size of ₹1,000 crore.
• It also announced plans to set up climate change missions in all 38 districts.

About Tamil Nadu :

• Governor: R. N. Ravi
• Chief minister: M. K. Stalin
• Capital: Chennai
• Dance : Bharatnatyam, Karakattam
• National Park : Mudumalai National Park, Mukurthi National Park, Guindy National Park, Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Kalakad Wildlife sanctuary, Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary
• Tiger Reserve : Anamalai Tiger Reserve

About UNEP : 

• Established : 5 June 1972
• Headquarters : Nairobi, Kenya
• Executive Director : Inger Andersen

Gold mines found in 3 districts of Odisha                             

• Odisha Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick has informed that gold mines have been found at different places in 3 districts of Odisha- Deogarh, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj.
• These gold deposits have been found in 4 locations in Keonjhar District, locations in Mayurbhanj District, and one location in Deogarh District.
• These areas include Dimirimunda, Kushakala, Gotipur, Gopur, Joshipur, Suriaguda, Ruansila, Dhushura hill and Adas.
• Surveys were done in these areas of Odisha in the 1970s and 80s.
• The survey campaign was conducted by the Directorate of Mines and Geology and the Geological Survey of India (GSI). 
• At that time the report of this survey was not made public.
• GSI had again conducted surveys in these 3 districts in the last 2 years.
• According to GSI experts, an estimated 1,685 kg of gold ore has been detected along with copper in the Adas area.
• As per a report by World Gold Council, there is only one functional gold mine in India – Hutti mines in Karnataka.
• Ore from the main Hutti mine is now supplemented by satellite feeds from the Uti (open pit) and Hira-Buddinni (underground) deposits.

Key Statistics : 

• India produced about 1.6 tonnes of gold in 2020.
• China is the largest producer of gold in the world.
• It is followed by Australia, Russia and Canada.

About Odisha : 

• Governor : Ganeshi Lal
• Chief Minister : Naveen Patnaik
• Capital : Bhubaneswar
• National Parks : Simlipal National Park, Bhitarkanika National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Chilika Wildlife Sanctuary, Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary, Kotagarh Wildlife Sanctuary

Asia’s longest ever cycle race flagged off from Srinagar in J&K                                    

• The Asia’s longest-ever cycle race was flagged off from Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar (J&K) and will culminate at Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu (TN)..
• The race which has been accorded the status of Asian Ultracycling Championship by the world Ultracycling Association was flagged off in Srinagar by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Shri Vijay Kumar Bidhuri.
• The route for this cycle race will be the longest highway covering the National Highway-44 of 3651 kilometres passing through 12 major states, 3 major metropolitan cities and over 20 major cities of the country.

About J&K :

• Lieutenant Governor : Manoj Sinha
• Capital : Srinagar, Jammu
• National Park : Kishtwar High Altitude National Park, Kazinag National Park, Dachigam National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Ramnagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS 

Vietnam’s Parliament Selects Mr Vo Van Thuong as its New President of Vietnam  

• A member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), Mr Vo Van Thuong, was elected as the new President of Vietnam by the National Assembly (NA) till the term ending 2026.
• He is the youngest person to serve in this position since the republic’s founding in 1945.
• Thuong’s election follows the sudden resignation of his predecessor Mr Nguyen Xuan Phuc in January, who the Party blamed for wrongdoing.
• Thuong received 98.38% (487 out of 488) of the vote, according to the parliament’s online portal.
• Recently, Vietnam’s Vice-State President Mr Vo Thi Anh Xuan was appointed Acting State President of Vietnam following the resignation of State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

About Mr Vo Van Thuong : 

• He began his political career in 1993.
• In 2003, he became secretary of the Communist Youth Union of Ho Chi Minh City.
• He was elected as a member of the SPV Central Committee for the third time in 2021 and became a member of the Politburo for the second time.
• He served as the standing secretary of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), also a member of the 15th National Assembly of Vietnam.
• He is currently a member of the Politburo, the country’s highest decision-making body.

About Vietnam : 

• President : Võ Văn Thưởng
• Prime Minister : Phạm Minh Chính
• Capital is Hanoi
• Currency : Vietnamese dong

Ruling Party Candidate Mr Bola Ahmed Tinubu elected as new president of Nigeria

• The ruling party candidate, Mr Bola Tinubu(70) has defeated vice president Mr Atiku Abubakar (opposition People’s Democratic Party) to win the disputed presidential election in Nigeria.
• He will become Nigeria’s 5th elected president since 1999.
• Mr Bola Ahmed Tinubu received 37% of the vote which is probably around 8.8 million while the main opposing candidate Abubakar won 29% with approximately 7 million.

• Bola Tinubu served as the Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 and Senator for Lagos West during the brief Third Republic

About Nigeria : 

• Capital : Abuja
• Currency : Naira

Pakistan Prime Minister appoints Mr Ramesh Singh Arora as first ambassador for Kartarpur Corridor

• Pakistan Prime Minister (PM) Mr Shehbaz Sharif has appointed Mr Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora as the Ambassador-at-Large for Kartarpur Corridor as part of efforts to attract Sikh pilgrims from across the world.
• His appointment comes as Kartarpur failed to attract the number of visitors Pakistan authorities had imagined after opening the critical holy site for Sikhs, especially those in India.
• This corridor links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan with the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district, Punjab, India.
• The 4 km-long corridor provides visa-free access to Indian pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib on the Pakistani sideAbout Shehbaz Sharif : 

• He hails from Kartarpur in Narowal.
• He is also the central general secretary of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) minorities wing.
• He played a prominent role in enacting “The Punjab Sikh Anand Karaj Marriage Act 2018”, making Pakistan the first country where Sikh Marriages Registration Act is enforced
• In November 2019, Prime Minister (PM) Mr Khan formally inaugurated the Kartarpur Corridor as part of the commemoration of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak at a colourful ceremony.

About Pakistan :

• President : Arif Alvi
• PM : Shehbaz Sharif
• Capital : Islamabad
• Currency : Pakistani rupee

Karnataka Bank appoints Mr Abhishek Sankar Bagchi as new Chief Financial Officer                                       

• Karnataka Bank Ltd has appointed Mr Abhishek Sankar Bagchi as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the bank on a contract basis.
• He replaced Mr Muralidhar Krishna Rao, whose tenure was completed on 1 March 2023.

About Mr Abhishek Sankar Bagchi : 

• Mr Bagchi is a Chartered Accountant and has a Global Diploma in International Financial Reporting (IFRS).
• He has over 18 years of work experience in RBI reporting, strategic planning, fund management, financial reporting, financial planning & control, taxation, and budgeting.
• He was CFO and Head of Finance at NSDL Payments Bank from September 2017.

About Karnataka Bank : 

• Founded : 18 February 1924
• Headquarters : Mangalore, Karnataka, India
• MD & CEO : Mahabaleshwara M. S
• Tagline : Your Family Bank Across India

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

Hockey India appoints South African Craig Fulton as new Chief Coach of Indian men’s hockey team

• Men’s National Hockey Team of India designates South Africa’s Craig Fulton as the new Chief Coach.
• The team previously failed to lend the World Cup at home.
• Craig Fulton has replaced the Australian Hockey Player Graham John Reid who bid farewell after the country’s disappointing show in the World Cup.
• Under the guidance of John Reid, the Indian team was led to a historic bronze medal-winning show at the Tokyo Olympics.
• In the past, Fulton has shown exemplary results while considering his previous stints as a coach.
• His fame began with a stint leading the Irish Men’s Team between 2014 to 2018 when the team qualified for the Rio Olympics in the year 2016.
• That was the very first Olympic qualification of the Irish team in hundred years.
• The historic feat also won him the FIH “Coach of the Year” award in 2015.

 Sayantan Das becomes India’s 81st Grandmaster

• Sayantan Das became India’s 81st Chess Grandmaster as well as the 11th player from West Bengal to bag the honour after he crossed the 2500-mark in live ratings and won the Cannes Open with a score of 7.5 out of
• The 26-year-old had achieved his final GM norm in 2017 but had to wait 6 years to cross the 2500-mark in order to become a grandmaster.

About FIDE:

• The International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation, commonly referred to by its French acronym FIDE, is an international organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
• President: Arkady Dvorkovich.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Former diplomat & Padma Bhushan awardee Chandrashekhar Dasgupta Passed away

• A former Indian diplomat and the recipient of Padma Bhushan,Chandrashekhar Dasgupta passed away at the age of 82.

About Chandrashekhar Dasgupta : 

• Dasgupta was born on 2 May 1940, in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
• He joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1962.
• He served as Indian ambassador to the European Union, Belgium, Luxembourg and China.
• He served as vice-chair of the preparatory committees of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), popularly known as the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
• He wrote a book titled War and Diplomacy in Kashmir, 1947-48.

Awards & Honors : 

• The Government of India (GoI) awarded him the 3rd highest civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan, in 2008, for his contributions to Indian civil service.

Daily CA One- Liner: Mar 7

• President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the 7th International Dharma-Dhamma Conference in Bhopal
• The award was announced at ‘The India Dialogue’ organized by the Institute for Competitiveness (IFC) Stanford University’s US Asia Technology Management Center (USATMC)
• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology recently launched the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) portal under the IT Rules, 2021
• The Ministry of Education (MoE) is set to launch a self-assessment platform for Indian students
• Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) grew by 7.8% (provisional ) in January 2023 in comparison to the Index of January 2022
• Reliance Industries Ltd is foraying into the business of commercial property development and has set up a subsidiary called Reliance SOU Ltd
• India and Australia signed a ‘Framework Mechanism for Mutual Recognition of Qualifications’ that will help ease the mobility of students and professionals between the two countries
• Chennai-based water technology firm Va Tech Wabag Ltd. (Wabag) said it had been ranked among the top three water companies globally by Global Water Intelligence (GWI), London, for ensuring safe and clean drinking water and sanitation to more than 88.8 million people across the globe
• Men’s National Hockey Team of India designates South Africa’s Craig Fulton as the new Chief Coach
• Sayantan Das became India’s 81st Chess Grandmaster as well as the 11th player from West Bengal to bag the honour after he crossed the 2500-mark in live ratings and won the Cannes Open with a score of 7.5 out of 9.
• Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC), the public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Railways, and HDFC Bank, India’s largest private sector bank has partnered to launch one of India’s most rewarding co-branded travel credit cards, known as the IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a Rs 5,000 cap on withdrawals by individual customers from Tamil Nadu (TN)-based Musiri Urban Co-operative Bank.
• Himachal Pradesh (HP) Chief Minister (CM) Shri Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has launched UPI (Unified Payments Interface) and ‘Swadhan-e-pension-Gov’ services for Kangra Central Cooperative Bank
• The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ShowReel for developing an online digital platform to support innovators & promote Entrepreneurship in
• The United Kingdom (UK) and European Union (EU) agreed upon the ‘Windsor Framework’ & it will replace the Northern Ireland Protocol.
• The Tamil Nadu (TN) government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for implementing Urban Cooling Programme in TN to meet the objectives under the Tamil Nadu State Action Plan on Climate Change.
• Odisha Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick has informed that gold mines have been found at different places in 3 districts of Odisha- Deogarh, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj.
• The Asia’s longest-ever cycle race was flagged off from Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar (J&K) and will culminate at Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu (TN)..
• A member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), Mr Vo Van Thuong, was elected as the new President of Vietnam by the National Assembly (NA) till the term ending 2026.
• The ruling party candidate, Mr Bola Tinubu(70) has defeated vice president Mr Atiku Abubakar (opposition People’s Democratic Party) to win the disputed presidential election in Nigeria.
• Pakistan Prime Minister (PM) Mr Shehbaz Sharif has appointed Mr Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora as the Ambassador-at-Large for Kartarpur Corridor as part of efforts to attract Sikh pilgrims from across the world.
• Karnataka Bank Ltd has appointed Mr Abhishek Sankar Bagchi as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the bank on a contract basis.
• A former Indian diplomat and the recipient of Padma Bhushan,Chandrashekhar Dasgupta passed away at the age of 82.