Current Affairs 5 January 2023

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

State-run firms to remain exempt from Minimum Public Shareholding NormsThe Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has amended the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1956 which will exempt Indian state-run companies from the Minimum Public Shareholding (MPS) norm that requires listed companies to maintain a 25% public shareholding.

• These exempted entities will be the government and public sector undertakings (PSUs) that hold together or individually majority stake from the MPS norm.

Key Points:
i.Currently, as per SEBI norms, a company is required to have a MPS of 25% within one year of the merger with/acquisition of a company or three years after listing.
ii.The exemptions from the MPS norm will be valid for a specified period even if there is a change in ownership or control after the exemption is granted
iii.Extending this exemption will encourage more investors to buy stakes in government companies.
IDBI Bank exempted from MPS
Now, with the above changes in the regulations, IDBI Bank will also be exempted from MPS. The exact period of MPS exemption for IDBI Bank will be known to shortlisted bidders when the government shares the draft share purchase agreement (SPA) with them.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attended MoU Exchange Ceremony ‘Outreach Programme with MoE & MoSDE’ in New Delhii.On January 3, 2023, Union Minister Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence (MoD) attended the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Exchange Ceremony ‘Outreach Programme with Ministry of Education (MoE) & and Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MoSDE)’ in New Delhi, Delhi.
ii.The event saw the signing of MoUs and Agreements by MoD, MoE, MoSDE, Indian Army (IA), Indian Navy (IN), and Indian Air Force (IAF) with various stakeholders for the education and skill development of Agniveers.
iii.These MoUs will enable Agniveers to timely complete their education, develop additional qualities and skills while serving in the Armed Forces. These will also provide appropriate skill certificates in accordance with their expertise and experience.
About the Ministry of Defence (MoD):
Union Minister – Rajnath Singh (Constituency- Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State (MoS) – Ajay Bhatt (Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhand)
>> Read Full News

NTPC Launches India’s First Green Hydrogen Blending Operation in PNG Network

NTPC Ltd. (formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited), India’s state-owned and largest energy conglomerate, has launched India’s first green hydrogen-blending operation in the piped natural gas (PNG) network of its Kawas township in Surat, Gujarat.

• The project is a collaborative effort between NTPC Ltd and Gujarat Gas Limited (GGL) to decarbonize the cooking sector.

Backdrop
i.Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the project on July 30, 2022.
ii.The blending project would provide H2-NG (natural gas) to residents in the Kawas township of Adityanagar, Surat.

• Green hydrogen is generated in Kawas by electrolysis of water utilising power from a 1 MW (megawatt) floating solar project.

Key Points:
i.P. Ram Prasad, Head of the project, Kawas, launched the first molecule of green hydrogen.

• NTPC Kawas also hosted awareness workshops for township residents upon the launch of the blending operation.

ii.The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB), has approved a 5% volume/volume blending of green hydrogen with PNG to begin, with the blending level gradually increasing to 20% in a phased manner.

• Green hydrogen, when combined with natural gas, lowers carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions while maintaining the same net heating content.

iii.With this accomplishment, India has joined a select group of nations that includes Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom (UK) and is now at the centre of the world’s hydrogen economy.
iv.As a result, India would be able to export green hydrogen and green chemicals to the world at large, reducing its dependence on hydrocarbon imports and earning foreign exchange (forex).
About the NTPC Ltd (formerly National Thermal Power Corporation Limited):
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) – Gurdeep Singh
Established – 1975
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi

Manipur: Zeliangrong Community Celebrates Gaan Ngai Festival on 4th January 2023On 4th January 2023, the Zeliangrong or Kabui Community of Manipur celebrates the Gaan-Ngai festival to bring peace, prosperity and unity to the people of Manipur. The festival also marks the beginning of the new year and bids farewell to the old year.

Chief Minister(CM) of Manipur Nongthombam Biren Singh and Governor of Manipur La Ganesan greeted the people of Zeliangrong or Kabui Community on the occasion of the Gaan-Ngai festival.
Gaan-Ngai festival: 
i.Gaan-Ngai festival is one of the biggest cultural and religious post-harvest festivals of the Zeliangrong community that marks the end of the year when the farmers stores their harvest in their granaries.
ii.The festival is celebrated by all non-Christian villages of Zeliangrong tribes which includes, Zeme, Liangmei, Rongmei, Kabui, Inpui and others living in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.
About the  Zeliangrong Naga tribe:
i.Zeliangrong Naga tribe (comprising of Rongmei, Liangmei, Zemei and Pumei) are Tibeto-Burman (Indo-Mongoloid) of the Sino-Tibetan family of the Mongolian race.
ii.They are one of the major indigenous Naga communities living in the tri-junction of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland in India.
iii.The term Zeliangrong was coined on 15 February 1947 in Imphal, Manipur by combining the first syllables of the names of the three sub. ethnic groups: Ze, Liang, and Rong.
iv.It is classified as an ethno-cultural entity.
About Manipur: 
Chief Minister– Nongthombam Biren Singh
Governor– La Ganesan
Wildlife sanctuary -Khongjaingamba Ching Wildlife Sanctuary
Zoological park– Manipur Zoological Garden

PM Narendra Modi addresses 108th Indian Science Congress through Video ConferencingOn 3rd January 2023, Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister(PM) of India, virtually inaugurated and addressed the 108th edition of the Indian Science Congress (ISC), also known as ISC 2023, organised at Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj (RTM) Nagpur University, Nagpur, Maharashtra.

• 108th ISC is a 5-day event, held from 3rd January 2023 to 7th January 2023.
• 2023 also marks the centenary celebration of RTM Nagpur University.

The focal theme of the ISC 2023 is “Science and Technology for Sustainable Development with Women Empowerment”.

• The theme will centre on sustainable development, women’s empowerment, and the contribution of science and technology to these goals.

Note: The 108th ISC was scheduled to be held in 2021 and then in 2022, which was cancelled twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Background:
i. The ISC Association was founded in 1914 in Kolkata and held a meeting every year during the 1st week of January. It has a membership of more than 30,000 scientists.
ii. The 1st session of the Indian Science Congress was held from January 15-17 in 1914 at the Asiatic Society in Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal.
Highlights: 
i. The key highlight of ISC is sustainable development with inclusive involvement of all sections of society including women.
ii. Narendra Modi emphasised the importance of India’s scientific strength in India’s story of development over the next 25 years.
iii. He highlighted the abundant availability of data and technology in 21st-century India, which has the potential to take Indian science to new heights.
iv. He emphasised the benefits of partnerships with R&D labs and academic institutions for private companies and startups.
Key Points:
i. PM Narendra Modi noted that India is being counted among the top countries of the world as India moved to 40th place in the Global Innovation Index in 2022 from 81st place in 2015.

• India is ranked 3rd  in terms of the number of Doctors of Philosophy (PhDs) and startup ecosystems, followed by the United States (US) and China.

ii. The session is focused on sustainable development with inclusive involvement of all sections of society including women, and deliberate on holistic growth, reviewed economics, and sustainable goals.
iii. PM Narendra Modi noted that on the initiative of PM Modi and the proposal of the Government of India, the United Nations(UN) declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets.

BANKING & FINANCE

ADB, India sign $220 million loan pact to Strengthen Power Sector in Tripura

On January 3, 2023, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India (GoI) signed a $220 million loan pact for Tripura Power Distribution Strengthening and Generation Efficiency Improvement Project.

• The loan amount will be utilized towards improving energy security, quality of supply, efficiency, and resilience of power sector in Tripura.

Signatories:
Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance signed for GoI, and Hoe Yun Jeong, Officer-in-Charge of ADB’s India Resident Mission, signed for ADB.
Key Points:
i.The project will support the Government of Tripura’s efforts to strengthen its power sector through replacement of inefficient power plants, strengthen the distribution network and installation of smart meters that will help in increasing generation capacity, reduce distribution losses and to meet the increasing electricity demand.
ii.The Project will also fund the replacement of Rokhia power plant with a highly efficient combined cycle gas turbine that will reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHGs).
iii.The project will support at least 15 selected women self-help groups (SHGs) under Tripura rural livelihood mission.
iv.The project components will be designed to withstand heavy rainfall, lightning, and storms.
v.The distribution underground cabling will be installed by the horizontal directional drilling method or tunneling method to minimize road openings and reduce socio-environmental impacts during project implementation.
For Other Loan agreements of ADB with Indian States, Click Here.

ICICI Bank Introduces First-of-its-Kind Digital Solutions for ExportersIn a first-of-its-kind industry initiative, ICICI Bank Limited, a leading private sector bank in India, has launched Digital Solutions For Exporters, a comprehensive set of banking and value-added services on a single platform.

• The initiative intends to improve operational efficiency of exporters by decongesting the current time-consuming manual procedures.

Significance
i.The set of solutions digitizes every stage of the export process, including market research, export financing, foreign exchange (forex) services, and receiving export incentives.
ii.Additionally, the package of solutions provides first-in-the-industry features including Trade APIs (Application Programming Interface) and instant disbursal of Export Packing Credits (Insta EPC).
Key Services and Offerings of the Digital Solutions for Exporters
Insta EPC:
i.Exporters with an ICICI Bank relationship will benefit from the ease of instant and digital Export Packing Credit (EPC).

• This service is available for export-import transactions through ‘Trade Online’, the flagship digital platform of ICICI Bank.

Trade APIs:  
i.ICICI Bank provides Trade APIs, a future-ready industry-first solution for the seamless handling of export bills.

• APIs include Remittances, Letters of Credit, and Bank Guarantees.

About the ICICI Bank Limited:
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Sandeep Bakhshi
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment – 1994
>> Read Full News

Aegon Life Insurance Launches iTerm Prime Insurance Plan Aegon Life Insurance has launched the “iTerm Prime” insurance plan, which will fulfill the requirements of self-employed individuals by offering a special 10% discount (5% discount in addition to the 5% online discount for all) on the first-year premium.
Key Features of iTerm Prime
i.The flagship term insurance plan, iTerm Prime, gives a minimum sum assured for a life cover of Rs. 25 lakhs with no maximum limit on a consumer’s requirement.
ii.The minimum entry age is 18 years, while the maximum age for regular pay is 65 years and 50 years for limited pay.

• In the regular payment mode, the premium must be paid throughout the policy term.
• In limited pay, premiums can be paid for a fixed period of time while receiving policy coverage until the age of 70.

iii.To make the product more affordable to the end user, a special discount and flexible payment options have been provided.

• The product is available for purchase through Aegon Life’s website and its partners in a completely paperless method that requires no documents or uploads.
• Permanent Account N​umber (PAN), Aadhaar, or a driver’s licence are the only documents required to purchase insurance.

iv.The product also has a “Special Exit Value” (SEV) option, which allows the policyholder to get a refund of all premiums when they reach the age of 55.

• The entry age for this is 40 years, and the policy term is till 70 years.
• The policy provides a 15–30-day grace period for premium payments.

v.Additionally, the policy offers unique add-on features including Critical Illness Rider and Accidental Death Benefit Rider.
Key Points:
i.iTerm Prime is intended to promote life insurance access in emerging India.
ii.It digitizes underwriting and simplifies buying journeys, making insurance available to under-insured self-employed individuals, who make up the majority of India’s working population.

• The number of self-employed people in India stood at 333 million in 2021.

About Aegon Life Insurance:
Aegon Life Insurance Company is a joint venture (JV) between Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd. (BCCL), and Aegon NV.

• BCCL is the largest media conglomerate in India and also known as the Times Group.
• Aegon NV is a major international provider of life insurance, pensions, and asset management services.

MD and CEO – Satishwar Balakrishnan
Established – 2007
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

GA-ASI partners with Bharat Forge to Manufacture Aerostructures in India

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), a subsidiary of General Atomics(GA) based in San Diego, California, United States of America(USA), has partnered with Bharat Forge Limited, a part of Kalyani Group, to manufacture aerostructures – main landing gear components, subassemblies, and assemblies of remotely piloted aircraft in India.
About the partnership:
i.The partnership aims to support the development of a manufacturing ecosystem for high-end drones.
ii.The partnership between GA and Bharat Forge aims to enhance the capacity building of both companies and provide momentum to the large unmanned aircraft industry of India.
iii.Under this partnership, GA-ASI will work with Bharat Forge in the critical field of aerospace manufacturing.
iv.Bharat Forger will offer full-service supply capability from concept to product design, engineering, manufacturing testing and validation.
Note: 

• Aerospace is a high ‘technology intensive’ domain, that relies on product integrity, reliability, and zero defect.

About Bharat Forge Limited:
Chairman & Managing Director(CMD)– B N Kalyani
Headquarters– Pune, Maharashtra

Hindustan Copper signs MoU with IIT (ISM) Dhanbad to Enhance Copper Ore Production

On 4th January 2023, State-owned Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, Jharkhand, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at HCL Corporate Office in Kolkata, West Bengal.

• The MoU was signed in the presence of Arun Kumar Shukla, Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of HCL, Professor Rajiv Shekhar, Director of IIT (ISM), Dhanbad, for technical collaboration to increase the HCL’s copper ore production.
• It is the 1st collaboration of HCL, the only copper miner in India, with IIT (ISM), Dhanbad.
• The MoU will address HCL’s need for technical assistance, guidance and consultancy work from IIT-ISM for enhancing copper ore production.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Capt Shiva Chouhan Becomes 1st Woman Officer to be Deployed at Siachen, World’s Highest Battlefield

Captain Shiva Chouhan, hailing from Rajasthan, has become the first woman officer of the Indian Army to get operationally deployed at Siachen Glacier, Karakoram range in the Himalayas in ‎Ladakh‎, the world’s highest battlefield after training at Siachen Battle School.

• She is posted at the “Kumar Post” at an altitude of 15,632 feet where night temperatures are close to -25 degree Celsius.
• Capt Shiva Chouhan is an Engineer Officer from the Bengal Sappers. The Sappers team led by her will be in charge of numerous combat engineering tasks.

Kumar Post is named after the late Colonel Narinder ‘Bull’ Kumar (retd.), who was instrumental in launching ‘Operation Meghdoot’.        

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS  

India Takes Over Leadership Of Asian Pacific Postal Union; Vinaya Prakash Singh Elected As Secretary General  Dr. Vinaya Prakash Singh, former Member (Personnel), Postal Services Board, will take over as Secretary General of the Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) for a 4-year term, following the successful elections held during the 13th APPU Congress in Bangkok (Thailand) in August–September 2022.

• He will succeed Mr. Lin Hongliang of China, the outgoing Secretary General of the APPU, who was appointed in January 2014.
• This marked the first time an Indian has taken the lead of an international postal organisation.

With this, India will take over the leadership of the Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) in January 2023.
Note: India has been a member of APPU since 1973.

• The Director is chosen at the APPU Congress for a maximum of two terms.
  

Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU)
i.The Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) is an intergovernmental organisation with 32 member countries in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.

• The APPU was established in Manila (Philippines) in 1962 and has been headquartered in Bangkok since 2002.

ii.The APPU is the APAC region’s only restricted union of the Universal Postal Union (UPU), a specialized institution of the United Nations (UN).

• It  seeks to extend, facilitate, and improve postal relations between member nations and to foster collaboration in the postal services sector.

iii.APPU serves as the regional hub for various UPU projects and is responsible for ensuring that all UPU technical and operational projects are completed in the APAC region.

• It guarantees the best possible level of integration of the APAC region with the global postal network.

iv.The Secretary General of the APPU oversees the union’s operations and serves as the Director of the Asian Pacific Postal College (APPC), the largest intergovernmental postal training facility in the APAC region.

• South Korea would once again take part in the APPC Governing Board (GB) commencing in 2023.

About the Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU):
Secretary General – Dr. Vinaya Prakash Singh (India)
Headquarters – Bangkok, Thailand
Established – 1962 (created in 1961)

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reshuffles Cabinet & appoints Galymzhan Koishybayev as Deputy PM

On 4th January 2023, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan signed a decree to reshuffle the cabinet replacing 5 ministers and appointing Galymzhan Koishybayev as Deputy Prime Minister (PM) – Chief of Staff of the Government.

• Prior to this appointment, Galymzhan Koishybayev has been serving as the head of the Prime Minister’s Office since March 2019.
• He has also served as vice minister of foreign affairs.

According to the decree signed by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, new ministers for  Industry and Infrastructural Development, Environment and Natural Resources, Justice, Education, and Culture and Sports.
Details of Appointments:
i. Marat Karabayev was appointed as the Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development replacing Kairbek Uskenbaev.

• Marat Karabayev (35) has been the Vice Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development since July 2021.
• He held numerous posts over the period of several years in the Ministries of Agriculture, Industry and New Technologies, and Transport and Communications.

ii. Gani Beisembayev was appointed as the Minister of Education replacing Askhat Aimagambetov.

• Gani Beisembayev (53) has been the Vice Minister of Education since March 2022 (known as the Ministry of Education and Science until August).
• He worked for various state-affiliated organisations and educational institutions over the period of several years.

iii. Zulfiya Suleimenova was appointed as the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources replacing Serikkali Brekeshov.

• She has served as the Vice Minister of Ecology since March 2022.
• Prior to that, she worked as the President’s research assistant at the Kazakh Institute of Strategic Studies.

iv. Askhat Oralov was appointed as Minister of Culture and Sports replacing Dauren Abaev.
v. Azamat Eskaraev was appointed as the Minister of Justice replacing Serik Musin.

• Azamat Eskaraev has been in charge of the Prime Minister’s Office’s legal division since July 2019. He formerly held a number of posts within the Ministry of Justice.

Key Point;
On 2nd January 2023, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a document on transforming the Prime Minister’s office into a government apparatus tasked with coordinating the activities of central and local executive bodies and providing organizational, legal, material, and technical support for the government’s activities.
About the Republic of Kazakhstan:
President- Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
Prime Minister (PM)- Alikhan Smailov
Capital- Astana
Currency- Kazakhstani Tenge        

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS      

RBI approves SBI Mutual Funds to acquire 9.99% of Equitas SFB through Various SchemesOn 3rd January 2023, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approved SBI Funds Management Limited (SBIFML – SBI Mutual Funds) to acquire up to 9.99% of the paid-up equity capital of Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB) (formerly Equitas Microfinance Ltd) through various schemes of SBI Mutual Fund.
Key Highlights:
i. This approval by RBI is subject to compliance with the provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, Master Direction on Prior Approval for Acquisition of shares or voting rights in private sector banks and Master Direction on Ownership in Private sector Banks issued by RBI, provisions of the regulations issued by SEBI, provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 and any other statutes as applicable.

• This is valid for a year till 2nd January 2024.

ii. Equitas SFB provides goods and services to suit the demands of affluent and mass-affluent, corporates, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and individuals with limited access to formal finance channels.
About the SBI Funds Management Limited (SBIFML):
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Shamsher Singh
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment- 1992
About Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB):
MD & CEO- Vasudevan P N
Headquarters- Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Establishment- 2016  

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Pushan-Alpha: Digantara launches 2nd satellite to Monitor Space Weather onboard Falcon 9 rocket from Florida, USOn January 3, 2023, Bengaluru (Karnataka) based space situational awareness (SSA) start-up Digantara launched its second satellite Pushan-Alpha as a rideshare on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, carrying Transporter-6 mission to the low earth orbit (LEO), from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, United States (US).

• The Pushan-Alpha mission is named after the Hindu Solar (Sun) Deity considered as the God of journeys and protector of travellers.
• Transporter-6 was SpaceX’s sixth dedicated smallest rideshare mission carrying 114 payloads.

Point to be noted:
i.This launch will complement Digantara’s ROBust Integrating (ROBI) Proton Fluence Meter Mission that was launched on the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) PSLV C53 on June 30, 2022. It was world’s first commercial space-based space weather monitoring system
ii.This is the second launch by an Indian startup using Falcon 9 rocket after Bengaluru-headquartered-Pixxel launched Shakuntala, its first, hyperspectral satellite into space in April 2022.
Pushan-Alpha has 3 objectives:
i.To extend radiation measurements to the sun synchronous orbit
ii.To assess mid to high energy particle radiation from the South Atlantic Anomaly
iii.To investigate any co-relation of atmospheric drag and particle environment for enhanced orbit and debris modelling.
Key Points:
i.Pushan-Alpha will serve as a space weather testbed in the sun synchronous orbit for enhancing precision driven SSA applications.
ii.Digantara is developing infrastructure to address the difficulties of space operations and space traffic management through its Space Mission Assurance Platform.
iii.The founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Digantara Aerospace is Anirudh Sharma.

IIT Guwahati Aeromodelling Club Engineered Indigenous Multipurpose Drones

The Aeromodelling club of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati(Assam) has engineered 4 state-of-the-art Indigenous Multipurpose Drones capable of surveillance, precision photography and warehouse management. The drones were designed and developed in  IIT-Guwahati by the students in collaboration with the professors.
i.The 4 drones include,

•  “Warehouse Drones” for complex warehouse and inventory management;
• “Reaper Drones” for military and law enforcement usage,
• “Ornithopters” based on the design of birds for surveillance in tight spaces and wildlife photography, and
•  “RAVEN” an indigenously built VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) capable fixed-winged aircraft which can be used as a delivery or surveillance drone.

ii.The club has recently raised a seed fund from the Technology Incubation Centre (TIC) IIT-Guwahati to develop Reaper for commercialisation.

OBITUARY

Former Indian Football Player Shyamal Ghosh Passed Away

On 3rd January 2023, Shyamal Ghosh, former Indian Football player, passed away in Kolkata, West Bengal, at the age of 71.
Shyamal Ghosh made his International debut during the Merdeka Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1974 and went on to play 7 matches for India, including the Asian Games in 1974 in Tehran, Iran.

• He represented East Bengal and Mohun Bagan at the domestic level and won various titles including Kolkata League, IFA Shield, Durand Cup and Rovers Cup.
• He won the Santhosh Trophy thrice in 1975, 1976 and 1977 representing Bengal.
• Shyamal Ghosh received the Lifetime Achievement Award from East Bengal in 2016.
• Post retirement, he coached East Bengal to the CFL, Durand Cup and Kalinga Cup titles in 1993.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

MP Governor released Dr Ashvini Kumar Dwivedi’s Medical Book ‘Human Anatomy’ 

Mangubhai Patel, Governor of Madhya Pradesh(MP) released the medical book – ‘Human Anatomy’ in Hindi “Manav sharir Rachna Vigyan” written by Homeopathic Doctor Dr Ashvini Kumar Dwivedi, Professor and Head of Department of Physiology & Biochemistry SKRP Gujarati Homeopathic Medical College, Indore MP. Other co-writers of the Book are Dr Vaibhav Chaturvedi & Dr Kanak Dwivedi (Chaturvedi).
The book was released during the 3rd convocation ceremony of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hindi University Bhopal, MP.  This will be added to the few books on medical science in the Hindi language.

• The book is published by Madhya Pradesh Hindi Granth Academy.
• The book features 12 chapters like Introduction to Human Body, Bone & Joints, Muscles & tissues, Nervous System, etc.

Dr AK Dwivedi is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board in the Central Council for Research in Homeopathy, Ministry of AYUSH.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Braille Day 2023 – January 4United Nations (UN)’s World Braille Day is annually observed across the globe on January 4 to highlight and raise awareness about the importance of Braille as a means of communication for the partially sighted and blind.

• World Braille Day commemorates the birth anniversary of Louis Braille, a 19th-century French educator, who invented Braille in 1824.

4th January 2023 marks the observance of the 5th World Braille Day and the 214th birth anniversary of Louis Braille.
i. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/73/161 on 17th December 2018 and declared January 4 of each year as World Braille Day.
ii. The 1st ever World Braille Day was observed on 4th January 2019.
About the United Nations (UN):
Secretary-General- António Guterres
Headquarters- New York, USA
Establishment- 1945
>> Read Full News

STATE NEWS

Defence Minister Inaugurates 2 Infrastructures in J&K and Ladakh to Improve Road ConnectivityUnion Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh virtually inaugurated 2 infrastructure projects – Maitra Bridge in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) and the double-lane Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road connecting the Ladakh region with J&K.

• The 2 projects are aimed to improve road connectivity in J&K and Ladakh.

About Maitra Bridge:
i.Maitra Bridge also known as Jhula Bridge at Ramban, J&K is a 240-feet Bailey suspension bridge connecting the Ramban district administrative complex and Gool sub-division.
ii.The project has been completed within 31 days, 2 months ahead of its scheduled date of completion.
About Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road:
i.The Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road with a carriage-way width of 7 metres and road width of 12 metres connects Srinagar to Kargil and Leh.
ii.The total length of the road is 84.320 km.
iii.This connects the townships of Kashmir through Manigam, Kangan Hari-Ganiwan, Gund, Gagangir, Sonamarg, and Zozila, with Ladakh.
Key Points:
i.The Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road was among the 28 Border Roads Organisation(BRO) Infrastructure projects inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh from the Siyom Bridge site in Arunachal Pradesh.
ii.The road was physically inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal Shyambir at Hari Pora village.
About Ministry of Defence: 
Union Minister– Rajnath Singh (Constituency- Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State– Ajay Bhatt(Constituency- Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhand)

TN Governor R N Ravi Inaugurates Octave 2023 – Northeastern Cultural Festival

Tamil Nadu(TN) Governor Ravindra Narayana Ravi(RN Ravi) Inaugurated the Octave 2023 – Northeastern Cultural Festival held under the aegis of the South Zone Cultural Centre, (SZCC) Thanjavur, TN, under the Union Ministry of Culture, to showcase the indigenous art and culture of North East India.

• Octave 2023 is being organised at the Open Auditorium, Bharatiya Vidyashram, Kilpauk, Chennai, TN, from 3rd to 6th January 2023.
• Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh are among the participating states.

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