Current Affairs 8 February 2023

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS

PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates India Energy Week 2023 in Bengaluru, KarnatakaThe India Energy Week (IEW) 2023, the first significant occasion under India’s G20 (Group of Twenty) Presidency, was inaugurated by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on February 6, 2023, in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

• IEW 2023 will take place from February 6 to 8, 2023, at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

i.The IEW 2023 is held under the patronage of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoP&NG) of the Government of India (GoI) and is officially supported by the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI).
ii.PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the Helicopter Factory of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), India’s largest helicopter manufacturing facility, and unveiled the Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) in Tumakuru district, Karnataka.
iii.The first Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine (H2ICE) technology solution for heavy-duty trucks was introduced by Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and launched by PM Narendra Modi at IEW 2023 in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
iv.PM Narendra Modi unveiled ‘E20 Fuel’ as part of the IEW 2023 event and flagged off the Green Mobility Rally, which was organized by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) on behalf of Petronet LNG (PLL) and the oil and gas PSUs.
About the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoP&NG):
Union Minister – Hardeep Singh Puri (Rajya Sabha – Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State (MoS) – Rameswar Teli
>> Read Full News

GoI Constituted 16 Member Inter-Ministerial Committee to Draft Digital Competition ActOn 6th February 2023, the Government of India(GoI) constituted a 16-member inter-ministerial committee to analyse the need for a separate law for competition in the digital market and to draft a digital competition act within three months.

• The inter-ministerial committee is headed by Manoj Govil, Secretary of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs(MCA).

Background:
In December 2022, the report on  “Anti-Competitive Practices by Big Tech” by the  Standing Committee on Finance, headed by Jayant Sinha, Member of Parliament(MP) – Lok Sabha (Constituency- Hazaribagh, Jharkhand) recommended the enactment of the Digital Competition Act to ensure a fair, transparent, and contestable digital ecosystem.
About Ministry of Corporate Affairs(MCA):
Union Minister- Nirmala Sitharaman(RajyaSabha- Karnataka)  
Minister of State- Rao Inderjit Singh (Constituency- Gurugram, Haryana)
>> Read Full News

DoE mandates Depts, CPSEs to refund 95% of MSMEs securities till March 2022On February 6, 2023, the Department of Expenditure (DoE) under Ministry of Finance mandates all Departments and Public Sector Entities to refund 95% of the performance or bid security and liquidated damages forfeited/deducted Micro, Small And Medium Enterprises (MSME) in government tenders for over two years i.e. between February 19, 2020, and March 31, 2022 (during COVID-19 pandemic).
Eligibility:
i.All contractors or suppliers registered as MSME with the Ministry of MSME as on March 31, 2022, would be eligible to claim a refund of the forfeited amount for contracts which had an original delivery or completion period between February 19, 2020, and March 31, 2022.
ii.The relief will be provided in all contracts for the procurement of goods and services, entered into by any Ministry/ Department/ attached or subordinate office/ autonomous body/ Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE)/ Public Sector Financial Institution etc. with MSMEs.
Key Points:
i.This order by DoE followed the ‘Vivad se Vishwas-I’ scheme announced during the FY24 Union Budget which provide additional benefits for MSMEs in response to the difficulties they have faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic in executing contracts.
ii.These benefits include the refund of 95% of performance security, 95% of Bid security (Earnest Money Deposit), 95% of Liquidated Damages (LDs), and the revocation of debarment for firms that have defaulted due to the pandemic.

• However, no claim will be entertained in case a firm has been ignored for placement of any contract due to debarment in the interim period.

iii.The grant of relief will be monitored through Government e-Marketplace (GeM) and MSME vendors will be able to register on the GeM portal. The nodal officers of each procuring entity will verify the claim of the vendor and refund the due amount.

Telangana govt Launches Telangana Mobility Valley, India’s 1st mobility-focused cluster to attract investmentsOn 6th February 2023, K T Rama Rao, Minister for Information Technology(IT) and Industries, the Government of Telangana, launched the Telangana Mobility Valley (TMV), India’s 1st mobility focused cluster with an aim to attract investments of around Rs 50,000 crore and generate more than 4 lakh jobs in the next 5 years.

• The TMV was unveiled during the Mobility Next Hyderabad Summit 2023 (1st edition) held at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre, Hyderabad, Telangana.
• The summit was organised as a part of the Hyderabad E-Mobility Week (5th to 11th February 2023).

During the event, the Telangana Government announced 3 Memorandum of understanding(MoUs): ATS-TUV Rheinland MoU with the Telangana Government; Bosch Global Software Technologies MoU with BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus and Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge’s (TASK) MoU with Shell.
About Telangana: 
Chief Minister– K. Chandrashekar Rao
Governor– Tamilisai Soundararajan
National Park– Mrugavani National Park
Wildlife Sanctuary– Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary; Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary
>> Read Full News

India, EU set up three working groups under Trade and Tech CouncilOn February 6, 2023, European Commission(EC) announced that India and the European Union (EU) have formed three working groups under the ‘Trade and Technology Council (TTC)’ to strengthen strategic relationship with the trade bloc.

The three working groups are,
i. Working Group on Strategic Technologies, Digital Governance and Digital Connectivity: Chaired by Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology(MeitY).
ii. Working Group on Green & Clean Energy Technologies: Chaired by Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India.
iii. Working Group on Trade, Investment & Resilient Value Chains: Chaired by Secretary, Department of Commerce.
Key Points:
i.In April 2022, TTC was jointly launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen during the latter’s visit to India.

• TTC aims to tackle the challenges at the nexus of trade, trusted technology and security. Such a council is the first for India with any of its partners and second for the EU, after the United States (US)

ii.The first EU-India ministerial meeting of the council will take place before the next EU-India Summit in spring of 2023.
iii.Ministerial meetings of the council will take place at least once a year, with the venue alternating between the EU and India.

• The ministerial meetings of the TTC will rely on the preparatory work of the three working groups, which will meet within two weeks to focus on their work.

iv. The TTC will be co-chaired on the Indian side by the External Affairs Minister(EAM) Subrahmanyam Jaishankar; Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry; and Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology.

• It will be co-chaired on the EU side by Executive Vice-Presidents Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovskis.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

ADB Report: Greener trade & investment vital to tackle climate change in Asia & the PacificAccording to the Asian Economic Integration Report(AEIR) 2023: Trade, Investment, and Climate Change in Asia and the Pacific, released by Asian Development Bank (ADB) in February 2023, Greener trade and investment play a major role in tackling climate change in Asia and the Pacific.

• The greener trade and investment is also crucial for incorporating a separate chapter on efforts to mitigate environmental concerns in regional trade agreements can help ensure their effectiveness in achieving climate goals

Key Points:
i.The report states that increasing the coverage and depth of environment and climate change provisions or incorporating a separate chapter on climate change mitigation efforts into regional trade agreements will ensure effectiveness in achieving the climate goals.
ii.Clean and renewable energy like solar panels and wind turbines and resource-efficiency goods plays a major role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Climate change in  Asia and the Pacific:
i.AEIR 2023 states that Asia and the Pacific are one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change risk and yet it is responsible for around 50% of global annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
ii.The annual temperatures of Asia and the Pacific have increased faster in the last 3 decades compared to any other region. The annual temperatures are now 0.86 degrees celsius above the 1981-2010 average. Asia and the Pacific is warming faster than the global average(0.42-degree celsius).
iii.Asia is also increasingly facing more extreme precipitation incidences such as storms, floods, and landslides, having borne the brunt of almost 40% of disasters worldwide in the past 2 decades.
Trade and Investment in Asia and the Pacific: 
i.Trade and investment, which have played a major role in the economic growth of Asia in the past 10 years, have also led to an increase in CO2 emissions in the region.

• Measures like promoting trade in environmental goods and services, nurturing green businesses, developing carbon pricing mechanisms, and strengthening regional cooperation through trade and investment agreements will be required to revise this trend.

ii.The report states that the integration in Asia and the Pacific is progressing steadily and remained stable in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Trade growth moderated in 2022 following a strong rebound in 2021.
iii.The report stated that the rebound in 2021 pushed Asia’s merchandise trade volume 11.3% higher than its pre-pandemic lever, growth in trade has moderated in 2022 and high-frequency data indicate a slowdown in the region’s trade growth momentum.

Switzerland Becomes First WTO Member to Formally Accept New Agreement On Fisheries Subsidies  

On January 20, 2023, Switzerland became the first World Trade Organization (WTO) member to formally submit its acceptance of the WTO’s new “Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies”.

• Minister Guy Parmelin of Switzerland, Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education, and Research, submitted his country’s instrument of acceptance to Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director- General of WTO, at the informal WTO ministerial meeting conducted on the margins of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.

Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies
i.The WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies was adopted on June 17, 2022, at the 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) held in Geneva, Switzerland.

• It is a significant step forward for ocean sustainability by prohibiting harmful fisheries subsidies, which are a major contributor to the widespread degradation of the world’s fish stocks.

ii.It is the second agreement reached at the WTO since its inception, the first broad, legally binding multilateral agreement on ocean sustainability, and the first WTO agreement with an environmental focus.
iii.The agreement must be ratified by two-thirds of WTO members in order to come into effect.
Key Provisions:  
i.The agreement acknowledges the needs of developing and least-developed countries (LDCs) and creates a fund to provide technical support and capacity building to assist them in implementing the agreement.
ii.The Agreement forbids subsidies for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as well as unreported high seas fishing and fishing in overfished stocks.
iii.At MC12, members also agreed to continue working on unresolved issues in order to recommend new provisions that would enhance the disciplines of the Agreement at MC13.

BANKING & FINANCE

South Indian Bank launches SIB WealthSouth Indian Bank (SIB) launched SIB Wealth, a wealth management platform in partnership with Geojit Financial Services to offer a range of financial services to its High Net worth Individuals (HNI) customers to invest their money in the best financial instruments available in the market.
Key Points:
i.Under the platform, SIB will be offering the following products/services:

• Portfolio management services
• Alternative investment fund
• Systematic investment plan
• Mutual fund
• Bond
• Real estate funds
• Structured products

ii.This platform will enable the bank’s account holders to maximize their wealth through personalized, efficient, and convenient investment solutions.
iii.Geojit Financial Services is an investment services company with over 35 years of experience in providing effective financial solutions.
The launch of SIB Wealth is a significant step forward for the bank in its mission to provide comprehensive financial solutions to its customers.
About South Indian Bank (SIB):
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer – Murali Ramakrishnan
Headquarters– Thrissur, Kerala

Phonepe Becomes India’s First Fintech Platform to Support Cross-Border UPI PaymentsPhonePe has launched support for “UPI international” payments, making it India’s first fintech platform to enable cross-border Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payments.

• Indian users of PhonePe can utilize this feature to instantly pay foreign merchants using UPI when they are travelling abroad.

UPI international

• UPI International is intended to make transactions safe and simple for millions of Indians travelling abroad.
• It supports all international merchant outlets with a local QR (quick response) code in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Singapore, Mauritius, Nepal, and Bhutan.

Key Points:
i.Users of PhonePe can use the PhonePe App to activate their UPI-linked bank account for the service at the merchant’s location or in advance of travelling overseas.

• The customer will be required to enter their UPI pin in order to activate the service.

ii.This feature will allow PhonePe users to make foreign currency payments directly from their Indian bank account using UPI, just like they do with international debit cards.

• Previously, Indian customers had to pay at international merchant outlets in foreign currency or using their credit or Foreign exchange cards.

iii.The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), in partnership with its international arm, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), intends to expand UPI International to more countries in 2023. UPI was developed by NPCI.

• In January 2023, the NPCI approved UPI transactions for non-resident bank accounts such as Non-Resident External (NRE) and Non-Resident Ordinary (NRO) linked to international mobile numbers.
• Initially, transactions from mobile numbers of Non-resident Indians (NRIs) from 10 countries would be allowed: Singapore, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Oman, Qatar, the United States of America (USA), Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the United Kingdom (UK).

About PhonePe: 
i.PhonePe, the most valued fintech player in India, recently secured USD 350 million in funding from General Atlantic at a pre-money valuation of USD 12 billion.
ii.With 435 million registered users, PhonePe is now used by one in four Indians, making it the largest payments app in the country.
iii.Flipkart transferred its stake in PhonePe to its parent firm, Walmart, a US-based retail company, in December 2022.
Founder & CEO – Sameer Nigam
Founded – 2015
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka

Airtel Payments Banks launches BizKhata for Small Businesses & Merchant Partners

Airtel Payments Bank has announced the launch of BizKhata, a current account with unlimited transactions and instant activation for small merchants and business partners in India.
The Airtel Payments Bank current account – BizKhata
i.BizKhata by Airtel Payments Bank was created exclusively for small merchants and business owners who utilize savings accounts for business purposes since they cannot meet the minimum balance requirement of their business accounts.

• This current account has no minimum balance requirement.
• Business owners can use Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), Unified Payments Interface (UPI), National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT), and IFT to make online payments to any bank in India.
• In order to accept payments from any UPI app, the account is also linked to a QR (quick response) code.

ii.It unifies all business transactions on a single platform, enables them to keep accurate records, and offers other banking benefits.
iii.The current account solution will be available to both existing and new Airtel Payments Bank merchants and business partners.
iv.A business owner can instantly open this account with biometric authentication and minimum documentation.
Note: Delhi Metro and Airtel Payments Bank recently partnered to provide a top-up (recharge) service for Delhi Metro Smart Cards as well as additional convenience and features for Airtel Payments Bank users.
About Airtel Payments Banks Limited:
It was founded by Bharti Airtel, India’s largest telecom operator, and is regarded as India’s first payments bank.
MD & CEO – Anubrata Biswas
Launched – 2017
Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi

Government approves Fourth Executive Director post at Indian bank

On 6th February 2023, the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, stated that the Government of India has approved increasing the number of posts of executive directors in the Indian Bank from three to four.

• In August 2019, DFS announced that nationalised banks with a total business of Rs 10 lakh crore or more as per the last declared results should have 4 executive directors.
• The merger of Kolkata-based Allahabad Bank with Indian Bank on 1st April 2020 has created a combined entity with a business mix of over Rs 8-lakh crore, making Indian Bank the 7th largest bank in India.
• The total revenue generated by Indian Bank increased by 9% reaching the level of Rs 10,48,772 crore by the end of December 2022 from Rs 9,63,007 crore in December 2021.

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

Reliance Jio & GSMA launch Initiative to Train Rural Women in Digital Skills

On 7th February 2023, Reliance Jio and GSM (Groupe Speciale Mobile) Association (GSMA), the global mobile network operators’ organisation, announced the national roll-out of their Digital Skills Program to offer need-based training to rural women in India.
Aim: To give rural women and others from low-income/marginalized groups the training they need to effectively use their access to the internet.
Under this programme, the GSMA and Jio teams collaborated to identify existing digital skill gaps and develop need-based digital skills training toolkits that are India-specific.

• The toolkits were designed post extensive field research and user feedback. During the trial phase, more than 1,000 rural men and women from Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh took part and contributed to the improvement of the digital training toolkits. At present, the program is being rolled out in 10 states with a focus on reaching women and marginalized groups.
• Reliance Foundation will be supporting the roll-out through its large network and self-help groups, particularly in rural areas.

As per the GSMA’s ‘Mobile Gender Gap Report 2022’, women in India are 41% less likely than men to use mobile internet.

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS        

Hurun India Award: VP Nandakumar receives The Hurun Industry Achievement Award 2022

VP Nandakumar, Managing Director and Chief executive officer (CEO) of Manappuram Finance Limited, received The Hurun Industry Achievement Award 2022 for his remarkable achievements in the world of business. He received the award  from Rupert Hoogewerf, Founder & Chairman of Hurun Global, at Hurun India’s award ceremony held in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
The award recognises the contributions of Manappuram Finance in the non-banking finance space.

• The earlier recipients of this award were Adi Godrej, chairman of Godrej Group, Cyrus S. Poonawalla, Managing Director of Serum Institute of India Ltd, Kris Gopalakrishnan, co-founder of Infosys Ltd and Sanjiv Goenka of RPG Group.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS   

K Satyanarayana Raju appointed as New MD & CEO of Canara Bank On 7th February 2023, the Government of India(GoI) appointed K Satyanarayana Raju as Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the state-owned Canara Bank, with immediate effect.

• K Satyanarayana Raju succeeds L V Prabhakar who resigned from office on 31st December 2022.

About K Satyanarayana Raju:
i. K Satyanarayana Raju joined the erstwhile Vijaya Bank in 1988 and has risen to the level of Chief General Manager at the Bank of Baroda(BoB) (Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank were merged with BoB in 2019).
ii. During his tenure at BoB, he has headed various branches including a specialized corporate banking branch.

• He has also served as a Director in BoB Financial Solutions Limited, a Subsidiary of BoB.

iii. K. Satyanarayana Raju took charge as Executive Director of Canara Bank on 10th March 2021.

• He has overseen various verticals in Canara Bank including information technology & digital banking, inspection, compliance, gold loan, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), retail assets, corporate credit, marketing & public relations, etc.

iv. He also serves as a director on the boards of both Canara Computer Services Limited and Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company Limited.
v. He has rich experience in all segments of banking including branch banking, agri financing, credit monitoring, recovery, general administration, etc.
About Canara Bank: 
Canara Bank was established as Canara Hindu Permanent Fund Ltd. in 1906 and was renamed as Canara Bank Limited in 1910. The Canara bank was nationalised in 1969.
Non-Executive Chairman- Vijay Srirangan
MD & CEO- K. Satyanarayana Raju
Headquarters- Bengaluru, Karnataka
Tagline- Together we can

Myntra appointed Ranbir Kapoor as Brand Ambassador

Bengaluru (Karnataka)-based, Myntra, an Indian fashion e-commerce company owned by Flipkart, has appointed Ranbir Kapoor, an Indian Bollywood actor, as its new Brand Ambassador to endorse men’s fashion wear on the platform.

• He will feature in a brand campaign titled ‘Be Extraordinary Everyday’ slated to go live shortly alongside Kiara Advani.
• Myntra’s association with Kapoor will help the brand tap into his popularity and national appeal.
• Ranbir Kapoor has joined an all-star group representing Myntra that also includes Kiara Advani, Tamannaah Bhatia, and Vijay Deverakonda. This strengthens the platform’s ties to India’s film industry and establishes Myntra as the go-to source for the newest in on-trend fashion.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

IIT Madras & ISRO sign MoU to collaborate on application of XR in Indian Human Spaceflight Program Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the application of Extended Reality (XR) and other technologies in the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme(IHSP).
MoU Objective: 
i. IIT Madras is set to develop a training module for the Indian Spaceflight Programme using Augmented Reality(AR), Virtual Reality(VR), and Mixed Reality (MR).
ii. To advance Research and Development (R&D) in the domain of XR, ISRO would make use of the advanced technologies developed at the recently formed eXperiential Technology Innovation Centre (XTIC) at IIT Madras.
Key Points:
i. XR Technologies will benefit human spaceflight programs in various aspects, particularly in reducing the design cycle and simulating the space environment.
ii. IIT Madras will start with developing models of physiological systems and design optimization studies.
iii. In addition to creating XR technologies for the human spaceflight programme, the XTIC will train concerned HSFC engineers in this technology and help in the establishment of an XR/VR lab at the Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC).
iv. Anticipated outcomes of this collaboration:

• Modelling and Simulation of human physiology as well as space systems
• Outreach activities
• Visualization and optimization of design architecture
• Training ISRO scientists in developing their own XR systems

eXperiential Technology Innovation Centre (XTIC):
i. The XTIC established “CAVE”, a group of start-ups and industries working in the XR and haptics fields in India.
ii. Many applications, including outreach and education for the Human Spaceflight Program to Digital Twins, will make use of the ecosystem headed by XTIC.
iii. Aim: visualising and optimising design architecture, modelling and simulating human physiology and space systems, and training ISRO scientists to create their own XR systems.
Note: XTIC is India’s 1st Research and Product Innovation centre for XR and haptics Technology, a transdisciplinary centre encompassing several fields of engineering, medicine, psychology and arts.
About the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras):
Chairman- Dr Pawan Kumar Goenka
Headquarters- Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Establishment- 1959
About the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO):
Chairman- S. Somanath
Headquarters- Bengaluru
Establishment- 1969

Naval LCA & MIG29 K Fighter Aircraft Performed Maiden Landing & Take-off on INS VikrantOn 6th February 2023, Indian Navy’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and the MIG29 K Fighter Aircraft successfully performed their maiden landing and take-off attempts on the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vikrant, India’s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier.

• The indigenously developed LCA landings were carried out by the pilots of the Indian Navy.
• The maiden landing of MIG-29K marks the integration of the fighter aircraft with INS Vikrant.

Key Points:
i.The landing of LCA on INS Vikrant demonstrated the self-reliance in India’s capability to design, develop, construct and operate indigenous Aircraft carriers with indigenous fighter aircraft.
ii.This marks the first successful trials of the prototype aircraft indigenously designed and produced by the Aeronautical Development Agency(ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on an indigenous Aircraft Carrier.
Background:
i.INS Vikrant has been undertaking extensive Air Operations with Rotary Wing and Fixed Wing aircraft since December 2022 towards Air Certification and Flight Integration Trials to achieve being “Combat Ready”.
ii.The landing of LCA (Navy) and MiG-29K onboard INS Vikrant was carried out as a part of the aviation trials.
About INS Vikrant: 
i.INS Vikrant was commissioned by Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi on 2nd September 2022.
ii.The 45,000 metric tons vessel is 262 meters (~860 feet) long and around 60 meters (~197 feet) wide.
iii.The carrier was built at an estimated cost of Rs  20,000 crore by Cochin Shipyard Limited.
iv.This is the biggest ship ever built in India. With INS Vikrant, India joined the list of countries with the capability to design and build aircraft carrier ships, including the list are the United States of America(USA), the United Kingdom(UK), France, China and Russia.

SPORTS

Aaron Finch, Australia’s Most successful T20I captain, retires from International CricketOn 7th February 2023, Aaron James Finch, Australia’s most successful Twenty20 International (T20I) Captain, announced his retirement from International Cricket. Under his captaincy, Australia won their 1st International Cricket Council (ICC) T20i World Cup in 2021 against New Zealand in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

• In September 2022, Aaron Finch announced his retirement from the One Day International (ODI), 50-over format.

About Aaron James Finch:
i. Aaron Finch, 36, an Australian international cricketer, was born on 17 November 1986 in Colac, Victoria, Australia.
ii. As a junior, he was at Colac West Cricket Club in the Colac & District Cricket Association (CDCA) as a wicketkeeper.  He first represented Australia in the Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2006 in Sri Lanka.
iii. Aaron Finch made his International cricket debut in T20I against England in 2011 and made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in 2013.

• He has played 146 ODIs, and 103 T20Is for Australia across an international career spanning 12 years and scored 8,804 runs which include 17 ODI centuries, and 2 T20I centuries.

iv. In 2014, he was named Australia’s T20I captain, replacing George Bailey. He captained Australia in 76 T20Is, more than any other men’s player, leading the team to a maiden ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title in 2021. He has also won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 (ODI) (against New Zealand) with Australia headed by Michael Clarke, held at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia.
v. Finch has played county cricket in England, first for Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 2014 and 2015 before joining Surrey in 2016.
vi. He created a record in the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) history by representing nine franchises in 11 years  – Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), Pune Warriors India, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Lions, Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

• He has played 92 matches in the IPL, scoring 2091 runs at an average of 25.19 and a strike rate of 128.20.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Safer Internet Day 2023 – February 7Safer Internet Day (SID) is annually observed across the globe on the 2nd Day (Tuesday) of the 2nd week of February to raise awareness of emerging online issues and current concerns and to promote the safe and positive use of digital technology for children and young people.

• The day aims to inspire a national conversation about using technology responsibly, respectfully, critically, and creatively.

Safer Internet Day 2023 is observed on 7th February 2023, marking the 20th edition of SID.

• The 19th Edition of SID, SID 2022 was observed on 8th February 2022.
• The 21st Edition of SID, SID 2024 will be observed on 13th February 2024.

The theme of SID 2023 is “Together for a better internet“. This has been the campaign slogan of SID since 2019.
Background:
i. Safer Internet Day was initiated in 2004 by the EU SafeBorders Project and was later adopted by the Insafe network of European Safer Internet Centres (SICs) in 2005.
ii. The day is now celebrated in approximately 180 countries and territories worldwide.
iii. The 1st ever Safer Internet Day was observed on 6th February 2004. By then, 14 countries (13 European countries and Australia) celebrated the day.
>> Read Full News

World Interfaith Harmony Week 2023 – February 1-7United Nations (UN)’s World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW) is annually observed across the globe during the 1st week of February (1-7 February) to promote harmony between all people regardless of their faith.

• WIHW 2023 is observed from 1st to 7th February 2023. 
• The WIHW mantra, “Love of Good, Love of the Neighbor”, is not only a slogan but a plea and an existential imperative to ensure our survival as a species.

Background:
i. The WIHW was 1st proposed at the UNGA on 23rd September 2010 by H.M. King Abdullah II of Jordan.
ii. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/65/5 on 20th October 2010 and proclaimed the first week of February every year as World Interfaith Harmony Week.

• The 1st ever WIHW was observed on 1-7 February 2011.

Harmony in a World in Crisis – World Interfaith Harmony Week 2023
i. The event “Harmony in a World in Crisis” was organized during World Interfaith Harmony Week at the UN headquarters in New York City, United States of America (US).
ii. The event was focused on working together to achieve peace gender equality, mental health and wellbeing, and environmental preservation.
iii. The UNGA noted that mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue constitute important dimensions of a culture of peace, whereas it initiated the WIHW as a way to promote harmony amongst all people, regardless of their faith.
Key Points:
The World Interfaith Harmony Week is based on the pioneering work of “The Common Word initiative”, which was authored by Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad and released in 2007.

• This initiative called on Christian and Muslim leaders to engage in a dialogue based on two common fundamental religious Commandments; Love of God, and Love of the Neighbour. 
• The World Interfaith Harmony Week extends the Two Commandments by adding ‘Love of the Good, and Love of the Neighbour’.

STATE NEWS

Telangana Budget FY24: FM Harish Rao Presents Tax-Free Budget of Rs 2.9 lakhcr i.On February 6, 2023, the Finance Minister of Telangana, Thaneeru Harish Rao, presented the tax-free State Budget worth Rs 2.90 lakh crore for next financial year (FY) 2023-24 while giving priority to infrastructure development and public welfare in the latest budget.
ii.Tax revenue for FY24 is projected at Rs 1.31 lakh crore against the Rs 1.1 lakh crore in FY23.
iii.The highest allocation of Rs 31,426 crore will be for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development departments.
iv.For the State government’s flagship programme of Dalit Bandhu, Rs 12,980 crore sanctioned to ensure benefit for 1,100 beneficiaries per each of the 118 constituencies in the State in FY24.
About Telangana:
Capital– Hyderabad
Chief Minister– Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar Rao
Governor– Tamilisai Soundararajan
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