Current Affairs 31 January 2023

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

MoE Released AISHE 2020-21: Enrolment in Higher Education Increases to 4.14 croreOn January 29, 2023, the Ministry of Education (MoE) released the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2020-2021.

• AISHE 2020-21 was the 11th annual Survey and 1st Survey being conducted using an entirely online data collection platform through the Web Data Capture Format (Web DCF), which was Developed by the Department of Higher Education and the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

Key Highlights of AISHE 2020-21:
i.A total of 1,113 Universities, 43,796 Colleges and 11,296 Stand Alone Institutions were registered in AISHE 2020-21.
ii.Total students’ enrolment in higher education in 2020-21 increased to around 4.14 crore (crossing the 4 crore mark for the 1st time) from 3.85 crore in 2019-20 with an increase of 7.5% from 2019-20 and 21% from 2014-15.
iii.The number of Universities in 2020-21 increased by 70 to 1,113 from 1,043 in 2019-20. Since 2014-15, there has been an increase of 353 Universities (46.4%).
iv.The number of Colleges has increased by 1453, to 43,796 in 2020-21 from 42,343 in 2019-20.
v.The total number of pass-outs has increased to 95.4 Lakh in 2020-21 as against 94 Lakh in 2019-20.
vi.The total number of teachers are 15,51,070 of which about 57.1% are male and 42.9% are female.
>> Read Full News

New Act renaming India International Arbitration Centre comes into force

On January 27, 2023, the ‘New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (Amendment) Act, 2022’ came into force that will rename the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre to the India International Arbitration Centre.

• The information for the same was provided by the Ministry of Law and Justice.
• It will amend the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Act, 2019.

Key Points:
i.The Act also establishes the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre and designates it as a national institute.
ii.The International Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution was replaced by the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre.
iii.It modifies Section 15(a) of the main Act and makes it easier to conduct international and domestic arbitration and other forms of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in the manner specified by the regulations.
iv.The Act allows the central government to provide for removing any difficulties in implementing the Act up to two years from the date of commencement of the Act.

• The Act extends this time period to 5 years.

v.The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was passed by Parliament during the Winter Session in December 2022. The Lok Sabha passed the Bill on August 8, 2022, and the Rajya Sabha passed it on December 14, 2022.

Note –  The Act came into force in the exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the New Delhi International Arbitration Centre (Amendment) Act, 2022 (23 of 2022)

IIRF MBA Ranking 2023: IIM Ahmedabad Is India’s Top Government MBA College, Followed by IIM-B and IIM-K; XLRI-Jamshedpur Tops Among Private CollegesAccording to the latest Indian Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF) ranking (2023), the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad (Gujarat), is the top government college in India for pursuing the Master of Business Administration (MBA) course.

• IIM Bengaluru (Karnataka) and IIM Kolkata (West Bengal) are ranked second and third, respectively, after IIM Ahmedabad.
• The top three colleges have remained unchanged since 2022.

i.The Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), came in first rank among private colleges, followed by the Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurugram (Haryana), and Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune (Maharashtra).
About Indian Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF)
i.IIRF is prepared and published by Education Post, a monthly magazine on higher education since 2012, and is India’s most authentic non-government ranking framework.
>> Read Full News

BANKING & FINANCE

NSE Ranked 3rd In The Equities Segment & World’s Largest Derivatives Exchange in 2022According to the Futures Industry Association (FIA), a derivatives trade body, the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE India) has once again emerged as the world’s largest derivatives exchange in terms of the number of contracts traded in 2022.

• The NSE India has retained its top spot for a record-breaking 4th year in a row.

Furthermore, according to World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) statistics, the NSE was named the 3rd largest exchange in the world in the equity segment by the number of trades (electronic order book) in 2022, up from 4th in 2021.
Key Points:
i.The benchmark equity index, the Nifty 50 (NIFTY), reached an all-time high of 18,887.60 in the calendar year (CY) 2022.

• Several product categories, including equity, equity derivatives, and currency derivatives, also experienced a great improvement in liquidity.

ii.In the equity segment, daily average turnover of Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) was Rs. 470 crore in CY 2022, a 51% increase year-on-year (Y-o-Y).

• In CY 2022, the daily average turnover of Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB) in the secondary market was Rs. 7 crore, signifying a 59% rise YoY.

iii.Government securities, which have been made available in the NSE’s equity segment, are seeing solid growth, though from a lower base, with daily average turnover reaching Rs. 3 crore in December 2022.
iv.The recently launched derivatives on the Nifty Financial Services index (FINNIFTY) have seen a successful increase in liquidity, similar to the derivatives on the Nifty 50 index (NIFTY) and the Nifty Bank index (BANKNIFTY).
v.NSE India intends to launch the Social Stock Exchange as a segment in the near future, subject to regulatory approvals.

• As a result, “social enterprises,” in particular Non-Profit organizations, would be able to reach a wider audience, mobilize funds by issuing instruments like zero-coupon zero-principal bonds, facilitate participants to support philanthropic causes, and improve the ecosystem’s efficiency and transparency.

vi.On the derivatives side, NSE is developing new products for the currency, interest rate, and commodity derivatives segments, and will eventually announce their launch, subject to regulatory approvals.
About the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd (NSE India):
MD & CEO – Ashishkumar Chauhan
Incorporated in – 1992 (commenced operations as a stock exchange in 1994)
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

Edelweiss Mutual Fund House Launches India’s First Passive Short-Duration FundEdelweiss Asset Management Limited, one of India’s fastest-growing AMCs, has launched the “Edelweiss CRISIL IBX 50:50 Gilt Plus SDL Short Duration Index Fund”, India’s first passive short-duration index fund.

• This New Fund Offer (NFO) is open for subscription from January 27,2023 to February 10, 2023.
• It is a cost-effective index fund that could be an ideal option for investors wishing to include fixed income as part of their asset allocation strategy.

Edelweiss Asset Management Limited was established under the Companies Act of 1956 and is authorized by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to act as the AMC for Edelweiss Mutual Fund schemes.
Edelweiss CRISIL IBX 50:50 Gilt Plus SDL Short Duration Index Fund
i.Edelweiss CRISIL IBX 50:50 Gilt Plus SDL Short Duration Index Fund, an open-ended index fund, would invest in 50% Indian Government Bonds (IGBs) and 50% State Development Loans (SDLs), subject to tracking errors.

• It will replicate the Edelweiss CRISIL IBX 50:50 Gilt Plus SDL September 2028 Index Fund, which was launched in October 2022, as a new Target Maturity Index Fund. This fund is designed to invest in a diverse portfolio of IGBs and SDLs.

ii.The Government Security (G-Sec) component will be created by choosing the most liquid government bonds with a minimum outstanding of Rs. 10,000 crores falling in duration buckets starting from 1 year to 5 years.
iii.The SDL portion will be built by first selecting the most liquid state issuers in each of the eligible duration buckets, followed by picking the most liquid International Securities Identification Number (ISIN) in each of these buckets with a minimum outstanding of Rs. 500 crore.

• The index will be rebalanced every quarter, with the first business day of the month serving as the effective date.
• The minimum subscription amount that investors may invest to this relatively low credit risk and high interest rate risk instrument is Rs. 5,000.
• During the NFO period, the Net Asset Value (NAV) is restricted to Rs. 10 per unit.

iv.The scheme may also invest in money market instruments to meet regulatory liquidity requirements.

• Money Market Instruments will only include Treasury Bills (T-Bills) and G-Secs with a residual maturity of up to one year, Tri-Party Repos, and any other similar instruments as defined from time to time by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

About Edelweiss Asset Management Limited (Edelweiss Mutual Fund):
MD & CEO – Radhika Gupta
Founded – 2008
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

SBM Bank raises Rs 99 crore from LIC through Tier-II Bonds

SBM Bank (India) Limited, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Mauritius-based SBM Group, has raised Rs 99 crore from Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India, through the issuance of the second tranche (tier II) of Basel-III compliant bonds on 24 January 2023.

• The SBM bank has raised the entire corpus from LIC, the largest financial organisation in India
• The bank issued its first tranche of tier-II bonds in April 2022, raising Rs 125 crore at a rate of 9.75%. This is the second tranche of those bonds.
• SBM Bank India has now raised a total of Rs 224 crore through Basel III compliant tier II bonds with this new round of capital raising from multiple investors.
• In 2022, SBM Bank India raised Rs 300 crore from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) under the automatic refinance facility.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

UN WESP 2023 slashes India’s Economic Growth Forecast by 20 bps to 5.8% for 2023The United Nations (UN) in its World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2023 Report slashed India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth forecast for the calendar year 2023 by 20bps (Basis Points) to 5.8% (from an estimated 6.4% in 2022) amid tighter monetary policy and weak global demand.

• However, for FY 2023-24, it kept its growth forecast unchanged for India at 6%.

The report is written by the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the regional economic commissions for Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific, and Western Asia.
Key Points:
i.In India, the unemployment rate dropped to a four-year low of 6.4% in 2022 due to stepped-up urban and rural employment. But youth employment remained below pre-pandemic levels, particularly among young women.
ii.India’s annual inflation is estimated at 7.1% in 2022 (exceeding the 2-6% target band) but is expected to reduce to 5.5% in 2023.

iii.Economic growth in India is projected to moderate in 2023, with higher interest rates weighing on investment and slower global growth weakening exports
iv.In India, the additional interest payments would amount to 8.7% of total government expenditures.
Global Scenario:
i.The global economic growth will slow down to 1.9% in 2023, one of the lowest in recent decades, from 3.1% previously forecast.
ii.The global growth in 2022 was 3% and it was expected to increase to 2.7% in 2024..
iii.The global trade will contract to 0.4% in 2023.

GRSE & Rolls Royce Solutions signs MoU to Manufacture Rolls Royce Marine Engines in IndiaOn 27th January 2023, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Limited, a Mini Ratna Category 1 Defence PSU, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rolls Royce Solutions of Germany to locally manufacture Rolls Royce’s high-quality marine diesel engine in India.

• The MoU aims to strengthen the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

Signatories: 
The MoU was signed by Commodore P R Hari (Retired), the Chief of GRSE, and GS Selwyn, the MTU head in India, in the presence of Vice Admiral Sandeep Naithani, the Chief of Materiel of the Indian Navy.
MTU S4000 Marine Engines:
i. According to the agreement, GRSE and Rolls Royce Solutions will work together to localise and produce the technologically advanced MTU S4000 (Maximum Transmission Unit Series 4000) governmental marine engines.
ii. These 746-4300 Kilowatt (KW) power output engines are compact, reliable, and easy to maintain.
iii. The S4000 engines will power Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs), Interceptor Boats (IBs), and Fast Attack Crafts (FACs) built by GRSE and other shipyards around India.
iv. MTU is a solution brand of Power Systems, a fully-owned subsidiary of Rolls Royce.
v. The manufacture of these engines in India would also provide a great opportunity to local industry, particularly Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) involved in the manufacture of components and spares
Key Points:
i. The MoU deal with the Transfer of Technology related to engines that will be assembled at GRSE’s Diesel Engine Plant in Ranchi, including engine assembly, painting, components sourcing, and after-sales support.
ii. The collaboration between GRSE & Rolls Royce Solution is a step towards the indigenisation of Marine Engines. It also creates a robust ecosystem of self-reliance in the naval shipbuilding domain.
About the Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Limited:
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD)- P R Hari
Headquarters- Kolkata, West Bengal
Establishment- 1884

IndianOil exports 1st consignment of AVGAS 100 LL to Papua New Guinea

Tamil Nadu-based Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) Limited has started the export of its first Special Aviation Fuel (SAF) for small aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), AVGAS (aviation gasoline) 100 LL, blue aviation gasoline with a high octane number, to Papua New Guinea.
S M Vaidya, Chairman of IndianOil flagged off the 1st export consignment of AVGAS 100 LL to Papua New Guinea from Gateway Terminals India (GTI) of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Container Terminal (JNPT).

• The shipment consisted of 16 KL (Kilolitre) of AVGAS packed in 80 barrels and was sent on 27th January 2023.
• India’s largest auto fuel retailer aims to tap the USD 1.92 billion AVGAS market by exporting the SAF which was launched in 2022.AV Gas market is expected to grow from the current $1.92 billion to $2.71 billion by 2029.
• The aircraft traffic in India is anticipated to increase by 7% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), while the global aviation gasoline market is projected to grow at 5% CAGR.
• The present production of AVGAS 100 LL is being done from IndianOil’s Gujarat Refinery which has a capacity of 5TMT per annum.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Petr Pavel, Former Chair of NATO Military Committee, elected as new President of Czech Republic On 28th January 2023, Petr Pavel (61-year-old), the former chairman of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)military committee, won the runoff vote defeating  former Prime Minister (PM) Andrej Babis, to become the 4th President of Czech Republic.

• He will succeed Milos Zeman who steps down in March 2023 at the end of his 2nd term.

Czech Presidential Election 2023: 

• With the ballots from 97% of almost 15,000 polling stations, Petr Pavel won 58.3% of the votes by defeating the former Prime Minister (PM) of the Czech Republic, Andrej Babis scored 41.7%.
• Turnout for the election was about 70 %, the highest since direct presidential elections were instigated in 2013.

Note: On 19th October 2022, Milos Zeman declared that he would step down in March 2023, at the conclusion of his 2nd term.
About Petr Pavel:
i. General Petr Pavel, born on 1 November 1961 in Planá u Mariánských Lázní, Czech Republic.
ii. He joined the military intelligence service in 1991 and served in the Czechoslovak troops of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), also known by its French acronym FORPRONU: Force de Protection des Nations Unies, in Bosnia.
iii. During the 1993 Bosnian War, when French forces were being held hostage by the Serbs, a South Slavic people, Petr Pavel rose to fame for having liberated them.
iv. He served for 3 years in NATO’s regional command in the Netherlands when the Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999.
v. From July 2012 to 2015, General Pavel served as Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, the highest-ranking officer in the Army and the principal military adviser to the Czech Government.
vi. He served as the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee from  2015 to 2018.with his term beginning in 2015 and retiring in 2018.
Awards and Recognition:
i. Paris awarded Petr Pavel the highest French order of merit, the National Order of the Legion of Honour (formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour), in 2012 for his bravery.
ii. He was awarded the Commander of the Legion of Merit (LOM), a military award of the United States (US) Armed Forces, for his work in the Military Committee.
iii. His other honours are Croix de Guerre (France) and Cross of Merit of the Minister of Defence of the Czech Republic.
About the Czech Republic:
Prime Minister (PM)- Petr Fiala
Capital- Prague
Currency- Czech Koruna

NMDC signs up World Boxing Champion Nikhat Zareen as its Brand AmbassadorNMDC Limited, formerly National Mineral Development Corporation, a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Steel, has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Nikhat Zareen, World Boxing Champion and gold medal winner of Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, to representing NMDC as its brand ambassador.

• NMDC has decided to be represented by someone who shares their commitment to bringing honour to India since they epitomise strength, an essential quality to NMDC.

Nikhat Zareen represents the strength, courage, agility and national pride that goes with the brand of the NMDC.
About Nikhat Zareen:
i. Nikhat Zareen is an Indian Boxerborn on 14th June 1996 in Nizamabad, Telangana.
ii. She was inducted into the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in Vishakhapatnam to train under Dronacharya awardee, IV Rao in 2009. In 2010, she won the golden best boxer title at the Erode Nationals.
iii. She won a gold medal at the 2011 AIBA (International Boxing Association (IBA), previously known as the Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur) Women’s Youth & Junior World Boxing Championship in Antalya, Turkey, and won a Senior Championship in 2016.
iv. In 2019, she won a silver medal in the Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament.
v. In 2022, she won the gold at the 2022 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championship in Istanbul, Turkey.

• She became the 5th Indian woman to win the gold medal at the IBA World Boxing Championship after Jeeny R.L., Mary Kom, Lekha K.C., and Laishrma Sarita Devi.

Note: In 2018, Zareen signed a brand endorsement deal with Adidas. Nikhat was appointed the official ambassador of her home town Nizamabad, Telangana.
Award:
Nikhat Zareen received Arjuna Award for Boxing from Draupadi Murmu, President of India, in 2022.
About NMDC Limited:
Chairman-Cum-Managing Director- Sumit Deb
Headquarters- Hyderabad, Telangana
Establishment- 1958            

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

US to test Nuclear Thermal Rocket Engine For Future Mars Missions

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced a collaboration to demonstrate a nuclear thermal rocket engine in space, an enabling capability for NASA crewed missions to Mars.

• Both NASA and DARPA will partner on the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) programme.
• According to NASA, using a nuclear thermal rocket enables a quicker transit time while lowering the risk for astronauts.
• For human missions to Mars, reducing transit times is essential since longer trips require more supplies and more robust systems.
• As early as 2027, NASA will collaborate with DARPA to develop and demonstrate advanced nuclear thermal propulsion technology.
• In order to get ready for crewed expeditions to Mars, this new technology would allow astronauts to travel to and from deep space more quickly than ever before.

SPORTS

Tennis: Australian Open 2023: Novak Djokovic claims Men’s Singles & Aryna Sabalenka won Women’s Singles

Novak Djokovic of Serbia claimed the men’s singles title at the Australian Open (AO) 2023 defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece by 6–3, 7–6(7–4), 7–6(7-5) during the finals held at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne Park, Melbourne (Victoria), Australia..
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus won the women’s singles title at AO 2023, her first major singles title, by defeating Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan by 4–6, 6–3, 6–4.

• Australian Open 2023, 111th edition of the Australian Open, the 55th in the Open Era, and the first major/Grand Slam of the year 2023 was held from January 16-29, 2023.
• The tournament is managed by Tennis Australia (formerly known as the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia), the Governing Body for Tennis in Australia.

About Australia:
Prime Minister– Anthony Albanese
Capital– Canberra
Currency– Australian Dollar
>> Read Full News

FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023: Germany won its 3rd Hockey World Cup Title On 29th January 2023, Germany(Nickname: Die Honamas) won the (Fédération Internationale de Hockey or  International Hockey Federation) FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 by defeating Belgium(Nickname: The Red Lions) by 5-4 in the Penalty shootout during the finals held in Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

• This marks Germany’s 3rd hockey World Cup title, earlier they won the world cup in 2002 and 2006.
• FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023, the 15th edition of the Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup, is a  quadrennial world championship for men’s national field hockey teams organised by the FIH.
• FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 was held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha and Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha from 13th to 29th January 2023.

About Fédération Internationale de Hockey (FIH – International Hockey Federation):
President– Tayyab Ikram
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Thierry Weil
Headquarters– Lausanne, Switzerland
>> Read Full News

Indian Cricketer Murali Vijay announces retirement from international cricket

Veteran Indian Cricketer Murali Vijay, hailing from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, has announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 38.

• He was a member of the Indian Test Team till 2018 and plays for Tamil Nadu in Domestic first class cricket.

About Murali Vijay: 
i.Murali Vijay made his international debut representing India in the final Test of the 2008-09 Border Gavaskar Trophy in Nagpur replacing Gautam Gambhir.
ii.He has played 61 Tests, 17 One Day International (ODIs) and nine Twenty20 International (T20Is) since 2008.
iii.Vijay was a key member of India’s Test squad for a five-year period between 2013 and 2018.
iv.He has scored 12 Test centuries and 15 half-centuries from 61 Tests. He has also scored 3982 runs at an average of 38.28.
v.He last played for India in a Test series against Australia in Perth in December 2018.
vi.In the Indian Premier League (IPL), he has played for Chennai Super Kings(CSK), Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and Punjab Kings.

• He was a part of CSK’s 2010 and 2011 IPL title-winning squad. he has also captained the Punjab Kings in 2016.

vii.He has scored 2619 runs in 106 IPL matches.
viii.His last appearance in professional cricket was in the IPL, in September 2020.
IX. M Vijay started his cricketing career in the first class cricket by representing Tamil Nadu in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (the Then Ranji One-Day Trophy) in 2006/2007.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Meghnad Desai Authored a New Book titled “The Poverty of Political Economics”

India-born naturalised British economist Meghnad Desai has authored a new book titled “The Poverty Of Political Economy: How Economics Abandoned the Poor” which highlights how the discipline of economics, since the time it evolved from the late 18th century, systematically kept the interests of the poor at the periphery.
The book is published by HarperCollins Publishers India.

• The book examines the philosophical traditions that have shaped economics across the world in this engrossing new book.
• Through this book, Meghnad Desai studies the contributions of economics to domestic and international politics from Adam Smith to John Maynard Keynes, and from the Great Depression to the collapse of the Lehmann Brothers.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day 2023 – January 30World Health Organisations’ (WHO)’s World Neglected Tropical Diseases (World NTDs) Day is annually observed across the globe on January 30 to create awareness of the devastating impact of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) on the poorest populations around the world.

• 30th January 2023 marks the observance of the 4th World NTD Day.

The theme of World NTD Day 2023 is “Act Now. Act Together. Invest in Neglected Tropical Diseases”.
Note: World NTD Day aims to mobilise political will and secure commitments to eliminate NTDs in support of the WHO’s NTD Roadmap 2021-2030, including the elimination of at least 1 NTD from 100 countries by 2030.
Background:
i. For the 1st time, World NTD Day was informally observed on January 30, 2020.
ii. On 31 May 2021, The 74th World Health Assembly (WHA) recognised 30th January as World Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) Day through decision WHA74(18).
iii. The proposal to recognise the day was made by the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
About the World Health Organisations (WHO):
Director General- Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland
Establishment- 1948
>> Read Full News

World Leprosy Day – 29th January 2023The World Leprosy Day(WLD) is annually observed across the globe on the last Sunday of January to create awareness about the fact that Leprosy, otherwise known as Hansen’s disease, still exists and to educate people to end leprosy-related stigma and discrimination. The day also aims to celebrate the people who have experienced leprosy.
i.World Leprosy Day 2023 falls on 29th January 2023 

• World Leprosy Day 2022 was observed on 30th January 2022 and the World Leprosy Day 2024 will be observed on 28th January 2024.
• 29th January 2023 marks the observance of the 70th World Leprosy Day.

ii.The theme for World Leprosy Day 2023 is ‘Act Now: End Leprosy’. 
iii.World Leprosy Day was established in 1954 by French journalist and activist, Raoul Follereau with 2 goals.
>> Read Full News

STATE NEWS

Delhi CM Launched Realtime Pollution Factors Gathering MechanismDelhi’s Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal launched mechanisms such as a real-time source apportionment ‘supersite’ and a mobile air quality management van to collect pollution data in real-time to identify factors that are responsible for increasing air pollution at any place in Delhi.

• Through this initiative, Delhi has become the first city in the country to get a real-time source segmentation of air pollution.
• The super site facility is located at Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya premises near ITO (Income Tax Office).
• The project has been initiated by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) in collaboration with IIT(Indian Institute of Technology) Kanpur, IIT Delhi, and TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute).
• The pollution forecasts from the super site will also help the government in taking policy decisions to combat pollution.

About Delhi:
Festival – Bhai Dooj Festival, Chhat Festival
Stadium – Arun Jaitley Stadium (Previously known as ‘Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium’), Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium

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