Current Affairs 3 March 2023

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Union Cabinet Approves Procurement of 70 HTT-40 Basic Trainer Aircraft from HAL for IAF Worth Rs. 6,828.36 Crore  The Union Cabinet has approved the procurement of 70 HTT-40 Basic Trainer Aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at a cost of Rs. 6,828.36 crore. The aircraft will be delivered over a six-year period.
i.The HTT-40 is a turboprop aircraft with improved training capabilities and superior low-speed handling qualities.
The Union Cabinet has given its assent to the signing of a contract with Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) for the acquisition of three Cadet Training Ships for Rs. 3,108.09 crore under the “Buy Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed, and Manufactured)” category.

• The ships will be designed, developed, and built indigenously in India at the L&T shipyard in Kattupalli, Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN).

About Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL):
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) (additional charge) – C.B. Ananthakrishnan
Established – 1940
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka
>> Read Full News

NTPC Commissions India’s First ACC at Its North Karanpura Plant in JharkhandNTPC Limited (NTPC), India’s state-owned power company, has installed the nation’s first Air-Cooled Condenser (ACC) at its North Karanpura supercritical thermal plant in Jharkhand, which would aid in water conservation.

• On March 1, 2023, NTPC started commercial operation of the first unit of 660 MW in North Karanpura (3 X 660 MW), in Jharkhand.

i.The North Karanpura plant will have a total capacity of 1,980 MW, or 3 units of 660 MW each.
NTPC Limited (NTPC) has completed consolidating its Renewable Energy (RE) portfolio under a single umbrella entity, NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL).

• It involves the transfer of NTPC’s RE assets/ entities to NGEL, a fully-owned subsidiary of NTPC that was established on April 7, 2022.

About the NTPC Ltd (formerly National Thermal Power Corporation Limited):
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) – Gurdeep Singh
Established – 1975
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi
>> Read Full News

CMIE: Unemployment Rate Rises to 7.45% in February

According to the data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), India’s unemployment rate rose by 7.45% in February 2023 from 7.14% in January 2023. The unemployment rate was 8.30% in December 2022, 8.03% in November 2022, and 7.92% in October 2022.

• Rural unemployment declined to 7.23% in February 2023 from 8.55% in January 2023, and Urban unemployment rose to 7.93% in February from 6.48% in January.
• Haryana had the highest unemployment rate among the state with 29.4%, followed by Rajasthan (28.3%) and Sikkim (21.0%).
• Chhattisgarh is the lowest unemployment rate among the states with 0.8%, followed by Madhya Pradesh (2.0%) and Odisha (2.1%).

IIT Guwahati signs MoU with SSA to develop Scientific Temper among students

Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-G), Assam, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Samagra Shiksha, Assam, (SSA) under the Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan of the Ministry of Education to develop scientific temper and strengthen students’ ability to handle challenging environments.

The MoU was signed between Prof. Vimal Katiyar, Dean of Research and Development, IIT Guwahati, and Sanjoy Dutta, ACS, Executive Director, Samagra Shiksha, Assam.

• The IIT-G collaborates with other higher education institutes through the Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan to mentor higher secondary schools across Assam.
• IIT Guwahati would assist SSA in conducting various State-level activities in a hybrid mode in State-run schools in Assam for secondary students as part of this collaboration.

Activities include State-level quiz competitions, the science and maths Olympiad, mentoring in 330 schools, science and maths club formation in 330 schools, and children’s science exhibition, among others.

Olectra Greentech’s India’s 1st Electric Tipper receives Roadworthiness Approval

On 1st March 2023,  Olectra Greentech Limited(OGL) received India’s first homologation certificate from ICAT  (International Centre for Automotive Technology) for its Electric tipper, India’s 1st 6×4 heavy-duty e-Tipper.

• The e-tipper is now roadworthy and adheres to all Central Motor Vehicles regulations.
• OGL is set to launch variants of the e-tipper and electric truck shortly.
• This e-tipper can be used 24×7 at work sites since it is silent and has zero carbon emissions.
• The ICAT certification is also recognised in the Netherlands, Singapore, Australia and other countries, which would allow it to even explore export opportunities.

Hyderabad (Telangana)-based Olectra Greentech Limited is a group company of Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Limited (MEIL).

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Indian Navy’s INS Sumedha Participates in ‘NAVDEX 23’ & ‘IDEX 23″Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sumedha of the Indian Navy participated in two important regional naval and defence exhibitions: IDEX 23 (International Defense Exhibition) and NAVDEX 23 (Naval Defense Exhibition 23) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), both of which were held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from February 20 to 24, 2023.

• IDEX 23 is the flagship defence exhibition of the UAE.
• The INS Sumedha is part of a large defence delegation representing India at the events.

About INS Sumedha
i.INS Sumedha is a Saryu-class Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel (NOPV) that was launched in March 2014.

• It is the third in the series and was constructed at Goa Shipyards Limited.

ii.The vessel has an array of weapon systems and sensors and can be deployed for multiple roles independently or in support of fleet operations.
IDEX – UAE
i.The UAE’s IDEX is an important strategic tri-service defence exhibition as it is the only international defence exhibition and conference hosted in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

• Modern defence technology, including land, sea, and air systems, were displayed at IDEX 23.

ii.’IDEX Next Gen,’ a programme specifically designed for space, was also introduced for the first time, offering startups the ability to showcase their cutting-edge technological advancements in both the naval and defence sectors.
Key Points:
i.NAVDEX featured a number of naval ships and vessels from 8 nations, including the UAE, China, Pakistan, Bahrain, Italy, Britain, and Kuwait.
ii.IDEX and NAVDEX had participation from numerous Indian defence firms in addition to the Indian Navy.
India-UAE Defence Ties
i.India and the UAE upgraded their relations into a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” during the visit of the then Crown Prince and current President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in January 2017 as the Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations.
ii.Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his fourth visit to the UAE in June 2022.
iii.”Zayed Talwar,” a bilateral naval exercise, is also conducted by India and the UAE.

• The first edition of this Indian Navy-UAE Navy bilateral exercise was held in March 2018, and the last edition was held in August 2021.

BANKING & FINANCE

SEBI Approves: NSE to launch NYMEX WTI crude oil and natural gas futures contracts; Bajaj Finserv to begin MF operationsOn March 02, 2023, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) received approval from SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) to launch the rupee-denominated NYMEX WTI crude oil and natural gas futures contracts in its commodity derivatives segment.

• The approval would enable NSE to trade rupee-denominated Nymex WTI crude oil and natural gas derivatives contracts for Indian market participants.
• NYMEX WTI Crude Oil and Natural Gas contracts are one of the world’s most traded commodity derivatives contracts generating interest from across the globe.
• The contracts would facilitate the Indian market participants to meet their trading objectives without price risk.

-Bajaj Finserv got SEBI approval to begin MF
Bajaj Finserv received in-principle approval from SEBI to begin its mutual fund (MF) operations. The total count of MF houses in India increased to 42 due to the addition of Bajaj Finserv Mutual Fund.
About Securities Exchange Board of India(SEBI):
Chairperson -Madhabi Puri Buch
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharastra
Establishment – 12 April 1992
>> Read Full News

HDFC Bank partners with IRCTC to launch Co-branded travel credit card

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC), a provider of catering services backed by the Indian Railway, partnered with HDFC Bank Ltd, India’s largest private sector lender, to introduce the “IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card,” one of India’s most rewarding co-branded travel credit cards.

• The “IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card” will be available in a single variant exclusively on the Rupay network of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
• HDFC Bank, India’s largest card issuer, is the first private sector bank to collaborate with the IRCTC to improve the user experience for train passengers beginning with ticket booking.

Rajni Hasija, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of IRCTC; Parag Rao, Group Head – Payments, Consumer Finance, Digital Banking, and IT; HDFC Bank; and Praveena Rai, COO Chief Operating Officer) of NPCI, launched the credit card in New Delhi, Delhi.
Key Benefits:
i.The card offers special benefits and the maximum savings on train ticket bookings made through the IRCTC Rail Connect app and ticketing website.
ii.In addition, cardholders will receive a joining bonus, booking discounts, and access to a number of executive lounges located in various Indian railway stations.
iii.The credit card will help to expedite online transactions while also providing best-in-class benefits and an improved user experience.
iv.This co-branded card will encourage wider adoption and spread of digital payments across India since RuPay Credit Cards are now available for use with UPI for payments. Click here to know more
About HDFC Bank Ltd:
MD & CEO – Sashidhar Jagdishan
Established – 1994
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline – We Understand Your World

SIDBI ink MoU with ShowReel to Develop Digital Platform to Support Innovators

In February 2023, the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ShowReel to develop an online digital platform to support innovators and promote Entrepreneurship in India.

• The platform would provide practical-based hand holding demonstration and equity funding for the innovators and ideators to think, analyze and create ideas to solve real-world development problems.
• The MoU intends to create a virtual ecosystem for entrepreneurs to harness use the intellectual capital, help and develop entrepreneurship.

Key Points:
i.Under the partnership, ShowReel will provide the technological expertise to build and run the online video platform.
ii.Whereas, SIDBI’s expertise would promote and finance MSMEs (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) and StartUps.
iii.The platform will provide access to training videos, market analysis, and mentorship, in addition to a virtual incubation program, practical solutions to real-world problems by providing video-based solutions to support entrepreneurs.
About Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI): 
Chairman & Managing Director – Sivasubramanian Ramann
Headquarters – Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Establishment – 2nd April 1990

HP CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu launches UPI E-Services for Kangra Central Cooperative Bank

On 1st March 2023, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the Chief Minister (CM) of Himachal Pradesh (HP), launched Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and ‘Swadhan-e-pension-Gov’ services for Kangra Central Cooperative Bank

• This service would make bank transactions simpler and faster, especially for the elderly and those residing in remote places.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Godrej & Boyce, Renmakch sign MoU to develop a ‘Make-in-India’ value chain for Indian RailwaysOn March 1, 2023, Godrej Tooling, a business of Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd. (G&B), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Thane (Maharashtra) based Renmakch India Private Limited for developing ‘Made in India’ workshop equipments by collaborating on Machinery & Plant (M&P) projects for Railways and Metro Rail.

• The period of MoU is 10 years.

What will be done under the MoU?
To introduce the latest technology for the Indian Railway industry from Europe and other developed countries and indigenize it for India i.e. to develop an import substitute under the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives.
Key Points:
i.With this collaboration, Godrej & Boyce can offer a complete value chain ranging from design to build for the Railways and can also bid on larger projects.
ii.The new technology will enhance railway and metro coach maintenance in India, increasing self-reliance and improving speed, quality, and safety.
iii.Godrej Tooling supplies jigs & fixtures, automation solutions, and workshop equipment for Railway workshops and Metro depots.
About Godrej & Boyce:
Chairman & Managing Director– Jamshyd N. Godrej
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

Indian-origin Computer Scientist Hari Balakrishnan awarded the 2023 Marconi Prize

Marconi Society has awarded Hari Balakrishnan, an Indian-born  Computer scientist, with the 2023 Marconi Prize for his fundamental discoveries in wired and wireless networking, mobile sensing, and distributed systems.

• Hari Balakrishnan is a Fujitsu Professor of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence(AI) in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States of America (USA).
• His work has improved the Internet and wireless communications and made millions of people safer by focusing his research on the use of technology to address significant societal issues.

He will be honoured at the Marconi Society’s annual awards Gala on 27th October 2023 in Washington, DC., USA.
About Hari Balakrishnan:
i. Hari Balakrishnan was born in 1972 in Nagpur, Maharashtra, India, and was raised in Bombay (Mumbai), Maharashtra, and Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Since 1998, he has been at MIT.
ii. Between 1999 and 2004, Hari Balakrishnan led the development of Cricket, an indoor locating system that employs an advanced method of distance estimation using radio and ultrasonic signals.
iii. In 2004, he led a team that developed the CarTel mobile sensing system, collaborating with Sam Madden, by instrumenting vehicles with mobile sensors to measure road and driving conditions.
iv. In 2010, he co-founded Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT) based on the findings of the CarTel project, which is one of the most successful startups to come out of academia in the past two decades.

• He has co-founded, worked at, and advised startups that have been acquired by companies including Cisco, TIBCO, Broadcom, Facebook, and Splunk.

v. In 2015, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering and to the American Academy of Arts and Science in 2017.
Awards:
In 2020, he was awarded the prestigious Infosys Prize in Engineering and Computer Science, and in 2021, he was awarded the SIGCOMM Lifetime Achievement Award.
About Marconi Prize:
i. The Marconi Prize is the flagship award of the Marconi Society given annually to innovators who have significantly contributed to raising digital inclusion through advanced information and communications technology.
ii.Established in 1974, the Marconi Prize is often referred to as the “Nobel Prize for Communications.”

• James Rhyne Killian, MIT’s 10th president (1948-1959), was the inaugural Marconi Prize winner in 1975

iii. Recipients of the Marconi Prize are suggested by an independent selection committee and approved by the Marconi Society Board.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS          

Vietnam’s National Assembly elects Vo Van Thuong as new President of VietnamOn 2nd March 2023, The National Assembly(NA) of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam elected Vo Van Thuong(Võ Văn Thưởng) (52 years old), a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam, as the new President of Vietnam for a term running until 2026.
He took oath as the new president of Vietnam during the NA’s extraordinary meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam.

• Vương Đình Huệ, Chairman of NA, on behalf of the parliament has recognised the oath of the new President.

Vo Van Thuong succeeds Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who resigned from the post of President in January 2023.

• Vo Van Thuong, nominated by the ruling communist party was elected with  98.38% of the votes(487 out of 488 votes).
• The election is a part of the reshuffle of Vietnam’s top leadership amid an anti-graft campaign.

Note: 
Võ Thị Ánh Xuân(53 years old), Vice President of Vietnam (since 2021) has served as the Acting State President since the stepping down of her predecessor Nguyễn Xuân Phúc on 17th January 2023.
About Vo Van Thuong:
i.Vo Van Thuong, from the southern province of Vĩnh Long, is the youngest member of the party’s Politburo, the country’s highest decision-making body.

• He began his political career at University in the Communist youth Union.
• He has been the youngest standing member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat since 1976.

iii.He has served as the Secretary of the central province Quảng Ngãi Party Committee in 2011, and the Deputy Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee from 2010 to 2015.
iv.He served as the standing deputy secretary of Ho Chi Minh City’s Municipal Party Committee from 2015-2020.
v.He became the head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education in 2016 and has been a standing member of the Secretariat since 2021.
vi.He also heads the central propaganda department of the communist party.
About Vietnam:
Prime Minister– Pham Minh Chinh
Capital– Hanoi
Currency– Vietnamese dong

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS   

Axis Bank acquires Citibank India’s Consumer Banking in Rs 11,603 croreOn 1st March 2023, Axis Bank Limited (formerly UTI Bank), a private-sector lender, completed the acquisition of Citibank India(Citi India)’s consumer Banking which includes loans, credit cards, wealth management and retail banking operations. The Axis Bank has paid a total purchase consideration of Rs 11,603 crore (USD 1.4 billion) to Citibank India.

• The deal also includes the sale of the consumer business of Citi’s non-banking financial company, Citicorp Finance (India) Limited, comprising asset-backed financing business, which includes commercial vehicle and construction equipment loans, as well as the personal loans portfolio.
• The acquisition excludes Citi’s institutional consumer business in India.

Axis Bank is the 4th-largest credit card issuer with a total base of 8.6 million cards. The deal will increase its credit cardholder base by around 2.5 million, elevating it to India’s top three card businesses.
Key Highlights:
i. Axis Bank and Citibank NA (acting through its branch in India) reached an agreement for the bank to acquire both the NBFC Consumer Business from Citicorp Finance (India) Limited (CFIL) and the India Consumer Business of Citibank in 2022.

• On 1st March 2023, the Consumer Business from CBNA and the NBFC Consumer Business from CFIL was acquired as going concerns, without specific assets and liabilities for either business having valuations assigned to them.

ii. As of January 31, 2023, the consideration for the acquisition is based on the contracted estimate of the closing positions of the assets, assets under management, and liabilities at Rs 11,603 crore.
Axis Requirements:
Axis Bank will assume ownership of Citibank’s India consumer business as well as its NBFC consumer business with effect from March 1, 2023, subject to and in compliance with the requirements and terms of the agreed contractual documents and settlement of consideration.

• Axis has required about 3 million unique customers of Citibank India, 7 offices, 21 branches, and 499 Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) across 18 cities.

Note:

• The retail book of Citibank is nearly Rs 68,000 crore, of which retail loans account for Rs 28,000 crore.
• With 1.2 million bank accounts, the total Citibank India business contributes 1.5% of profit to the lender’s global book.
• Citigroup announced its plan to exit the consumer banking business in India in 2021.

About Axis Bank Limited:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & Managing Director (MD)- Amitabh Chaudhry
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment- 1993
Tagline- Badhti Ka Naam Zindagi
About Citibank India:
CEO- Ashu Khullar
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment- 1902     

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NASA & SpaceX Launched Crew-6 With First Arab Astronaut to ISS On 2nd March 2023, SpaceX launched its Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) with 4 astronauts on board reusable  SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket from the NASA(National Aeronautics and Space Administration)’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United States of America(USA).

• The first long-duration astronaut from the United Arab Emirates(UAE) is among the 4 crew members flying to ISS.
• SpaceX Crew-6 is the 6th crewed operational NASA Commercial Crew flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft, and the 9th overall crewed orbital flight since 2020.
• This is the 4th time this capsule, named Endeavor, is flown to space and the 4th time it will visit the ISS.

About Crew-6: 
i.The Crew-6 launch is carrying 2 NASA astronauts, Mission Commander Stephen Bowen and Pilot Warren “Woody” Hoburg along with the UAE’s Sultan Al-Neyadi,  and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, who will serve as mission specialists for a space station science expedition.
ii.The members of Crew-6 will relieve the 4 astronauts of the Crew-5 mission that arrived at ISS in October 2022. That team is set to return to Earth in about a week.
iii.With the launch, there are now 14 people in space. Seven are on the International Space Station, three are on the Tiangong space station and four are in the Crew-6 capsule.
About the Member of the crew: 

• Stephen Bowen is a retired Navy submariner.
• Warren “Woody” Hoburg was a former research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT).
• Andrei Fedyaev is a retired military pilot from Russian Air Force.
• Sultan al-Neyadi is a communications engineer who served as a backup for the first Emirati astronaut, Hazzaa al-Mansoori.

About Sultan al-Neyadi, 
i.Sultan al-Neyadi was one of the two astronauts chosen by the UAE in 2018 to form the first batch of Emirati astronauts.
ii.He is only the 2nd person from the UAE to take part in a space mission after Hazza Al Mansouri.
iii.He is the first Arab astronaut set for an extended stay onboard the ISS.

OBITUARY

Padma Bhushan Awardee & Former Diplomat Chandrashekhar Dasgupta Passed Away

On 2nd March 2023, Chandrashekhar Dasgupta, a former Indian diplomat and the Padma Bhushan Awardee (2008), passed away at the age of 82. He was born on 2nd May 1940 in Kolkata, West Bengal.
About Chandrashekhar Dasgupta:
i. Chandrashekhar Dasgupta joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1962. Between 1981 and 1984, he served as high commissioner to Singapore, then between 1984 and 1986, he served as Tanzania’s high commissioner.
ii. Also, he served as vice-chair of the preparatory committees of the 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.
iii. In 2014 he was appointed as a member of the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change.
iv. He served as the Indian ambassador to China from 1993 to 1996. Later, he was the Indian Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union (EU) between 1996 and 2000, and served as the chairperson of the China Task Force.
v. Also, he wrote a book titled “War and Diplomacy in Kashmir, 1947-48” which discusses the onset of the Kashmir war and the Indo-Pakistan War of 1948. The “India and Bangladesh Liberation War” is another work by Chandrashekhar Dasgupta.
Award:
Chandrashekhar Dasgupta was awarded the 3rd-highest civilian honour, the Padma Bhushan, for Civil Service (Delhi) in 2008.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Short Stories collection “The Book of Bihari Literature” by Abhay K released at GTRi 3.0 in Patna 

On 27th February 2023, Samir Kumar Mahaseth, Bihar Minister of Industry, released a book titled “The Book of Bihari Literature”, edited by Abhay Kumar, an Indian poet-diplomat, during Grand Trunk Road Initiatives 3.0(GTRi 3.0) held from 25th to 26th February 2023 in Patna, Bihar.

• The book, published by HarperCollins, is a collection of short stories and poems written over a period of 2600 years, translated into English from various languages such as Angika, Bajjika, Bhojpuri, Magahi, Maithili, Hindi, Urdu, Pali, Sanskrit, and Farsi.
• Samir Kumar Mahaseth insisted that the book is an important contribution towards promoting the rich literature of Bihar across India and the world.

STATE NEWS

Madhya Pradesh govt presents Green Budget of Rs 3.14 lakh crore for FY24i.On March 1, 2023, the Finance Minister of Madhya Pradesh (MP) Jadgish Devda presented a green budget of Rs 3,14,025 crore for 2023-24 of MP. This is an increase of 12.5% from FY22’s budget of Rs. 2,79,237 crore. It is expected to have higher revenue growth of 16%.
ii.There is no provision for any new tax in the budget and stamp duty has also been cut in many categories.
iii.It was regarded as the ‘Budget of the public’.
iv.The budget has a revenue surplus of Rs 412.76 crore and the fiscal deficit is estimated at 4.02% of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).
v.The estimated revenue receipts are Rs 2,25,709.90 crore, which include state’s own tax amount of Rs 86,499.98 crore, state’s share of central taxes of Rs 80,183.67 crore, non-tax revenue of Rs 14,913.10 crore and grants-in-aid received from the Centre of Rs 44,113.15 crore.
About Madhya Pradesh (MP):
Chief Minister (CM)– Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Governor– Mangubhai C. Patel
Tiger Reserves– Kanha Tiger Reserve, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Panna Tiger Reserve
>> Read Full News

TN signs MoU with UNEP to implement Urban Cooling Programme in Tamil Nadu On 1st March 2023, the Tamil Nadu (TN) Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to develop a comprehensive Urban Cooling programme in Tamil Nadu to meet the objectives under the TN State Action Plan on Climate Change.

• UNEP is undertaking a nationwide cooling programme in collaboration with the National Institute of Urban Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark to support Indian cities in implementing sustainable cooling and heat resistance strategies.
• The Urban Cooling programme is being delivered under the framework of the Cool Coalition and the India-Denmark green Strategic Partnership.

Signatories:
The MoU was signed by Atul Bagai, Country Head (India) for UNEP and Supriya Sahu, an Additional Chief Secretary of Environment, Climate Change and Forests, Government of Tamil Nadu.
About Tamil Nadu:
Chief Minister (CM)- MK Stalin
Governor- R. N. Ravi
Wildlife Sanctuaries- Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary; Kalakad Wildlife Sanctuary
Tiger Reserve- Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve; Anamalai Tiger Reserve
About the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):
Executive Director- Inger Andersen
Headquarters- Nairobi, Kenya
Establishment- 1972
>> Read Full News

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