Current Affairs 9 February 2023

We are here for you to provide the important Recent and Latest Current Affairs 9 February 2023, which have unique updates of Latest Current Affairs 2022 events from all newspapers such as The Hindu, The Economic Times, PIB, Times of India, PTI, Indian Express, Business Standard and all Government official websites.

Our Current Affairs January 2023 events will help you to get more marks in Banking, Insurance, SSC, Railways, UPSC, CLAT and all State Government Exams. Also, try our Latest Current Affairs Quiz and Monthly Current Affairs 2022 PDF which will be a pedestrian to crack your exams.

Read Current Affairs in CareersCloud APP, Course Name – Learn Current Affairs – Free Course – Click Here to Download the APP
We are Hiring – Subject Matter Expert | CA Video Creator | Content Developers(Pondicherry)

Click here for Current Affairs 8 February 2023

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

MoA&FW & Digital Green signs MoU to develop National Level Digital Extension Platformi.On February 6, 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Digital Green under Public Private Partnership (PPP) framework to build a national-level digital extension platform.
ii.The platform, set to be launched within six months, will strengthen the extension system and make it more efficient and effective by connecting farmers to the strong foundation of the digital agriculture ecosystem that is being built by the government.
iii.MoA&FW will also formulate a new certification system for organic cotton, and derivatives as a part of its efforts to promote Indian export.  In this regard, the ministry will set up a committee to look into the issues of organic certification of cotton and its derivatives.
About Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW):
Union Minister– Narendra Singh Tomar (Constituency- Morena, Madhya Pradesh)
Minister of state – Sushri Shobha Karandlaje; Kailash Choudhary 
Secretary– Manoj Ahuja
>> Read Full News

India’s G20 Presidency 2023: G20 Meetings Held in February 2023India is hosting the prestigious G20 (Group of Twenty) summit in 2023, as the country holds the G20 Presidency from December 1, 2022, to November 30, 2023.

• The theme for India’s G20 Presidency is “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” which refers to “One Earth, One Family, One Future. It is taken from the Maha Upanishad, an ancient Sanskrit text.

i.The G20 is the leading forum for economic cooperation on a global scale.
ii.G20 Members: It has 20 members, including 19 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, United Kingdom (UK), United States (US), and the European Union (EU).
iii.The first “G20 Energy Transition Working Group” (ETWG) Meeting under India’s G20 Presidency was held in Bengaluru, Karnataka, from February 5-7, 2023.
iv.The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Meta, parent company of Facebook, have partnered for the “G20 Stay Safe Online Campaign.”
v.Meta has also launched the #DigitalSuraksha campaign to educate the youth against misinformation, with the objective of raising cyber safety awareness and protecting people from falling victim to prevailing online frauds.
About Malaysia:
Prime Minister (PM) – Anwar Ibrahim
Capital – Kuala Lumpur
Currency – Malaysian Ringgit (MYR)
>> Read Full News

Concurrent Events of India Energy Week 2023: India hosted the AMER9, OPEC released ‘World Oil Outlook 2045’i.India hosted the 9th Asian Ministerial Energy Roundtable (AMER9) in association with the International Energy Forum (IEF) on 7 February 2023 at the India Energy Week 2023 which was held from February 6–8, 2023, in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
ii.The Ministry of Petroleum has signed a pact with the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) for strengthening cooperation in the field of data and research and for enhancing global energy security, stability, and sustainability.
iii.As per report ‘World Oil Outlook 2045’ released by Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) at the India Energy Week 2023, India and China alone will account for 37% of global GDP in 2045, whereas the OECD region will account for 34%.
iv.Greenko Group has signed an agreement with Belgium-based John Cockerill for supply of 28 units of 5 MW alkaline electrolysers to be installed at a green ammonia plant being set up at Una in Himachal Pradesh.
About Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas:
Union Minister –  Hardeep Singh Puri (Rajya Sabha  Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of state – Rameswar Teli (Dibrugarh, Assam)
>> Read Full News

K Rajaraman launches ‘IEEE C-DOT Certified Telecom Expert Program ’

On 7th February 2023, K Rajaraman, Chairman, Digital Communications Commission (DCC) & Secretary of the Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications (MOC), launched the ‘IEEE C-DOT Certified Telecom Expert Program (ICCTEP)’ to bring learning in the areas of Telecom including 5G, Cyber Security and Quantum Communication to bridge the skill gap. The first program launched on the platform is on 5G and beyond.

• The program was collaborated by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) to create telecommunication courses, promote and train students and professionals, create job opportunities, and bridge the digital divide.
• It was launched during the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) Workshop centred on “Next Generation Connectivity” in New Delhi, Delhi.

IEEE Blended Learning Program (BLP) aims to upskill young professionals in Wireless, Optical, Broadcasting, Telecom Validation & Security.

Shobha Karandlaje, MoS Agriculture, released NCAER Report on Farm Machinery Industry in IndiaOn 7th February 2023, Shobha Karandlaje, Union Minister of State(MoS) for Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, released the National Council of Applied Economic Research(NCAER)’s new report titled “Making India a Global Power House on Farm Machinery Industry” in Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, Delhi.

• This study was sponsored by Mahendra & Mahendra.

Note: NCAER is one of the premier economic policy research think tanks in India.
Gist of the report: 
i.The report highlights the challenges, proposes reforms and presents a vision for making India a hub for non-tractor farm machinery.
ii.The study makes a comparative assessment of the non-tractor farm machinery industry, interprets global practices, and introduces a road map to transform India into a manufacturing and export centre for non-tractor farm technology.
iii.The report also focused on India’s need to have a vision for the next 15 years to convert it into a production and export hub for non-tractor farm machinery.
Recommendations: 
The report recommends measures and reforms by benchmarking global practices that will be examined by the team of policymakers for making the best solutions in farm mechanization.
Additional info:
i.Union MoS Shobha Karandlaje stated that the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare(MoA&FW) is promoting farm mechanization through various schemes and programmes such as Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), Crop Residue Management (CRM), Drones promotion.
ii.She also highlighted the significance of the training and testing of agricultural machines including tractors, power tillers, and combine harvesters by Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institutes (FMTTIs).
iii.The FMTTIs have contributed to the testing and training of farm machines and provided a pool of around 2.3 lakhs of skilled professionals in farm mechanization.

DGGI & NFSU signs MoU for Setting Up of Digital Forensic Laboratories On 7th February 2023, the Directorate General of GST (Goods and Services Tax) Intelligence (DGGI) and the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up digital forensic laboratories along with the exchange of information and knowledge, technological advancement and skill development in the field of digital forensics.
Signatories: 
The MoU was signed by Surjit Bhujabal, Principal Director General of DGGI and Dr J. M. Vyas, Vice Chancellor of NFSU, Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Features of the MoU: 
i. The MoU will facilitate DGGI and NFSU to establish digital forensic laboratories, collaborate in research and training initiatives, and exchange technical support.
ii. This MoU will strengthen the DGGI’s investigative and digital forensic capabilities and help the organisation bring effective prosecutions and secure convictions of the guilty.

• The quick and effective convictions of Serious tax offenders will secure government revenues and plug leakages and will also ensure trade facilitation by ensuring a fair tax regime for the honest taxpayer.

iii. This will be a significant step for DGGI to have the requisite physical infrastructure, skill sets, and knowledge in the area of digital forensics
Significance of DGGI and NFSU: 
i. DGGI, the apex intelligence organisation under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), is responsible for gathering and disseminating information and implementing the required controls to prevent GST evasion.

• DGGI uses data analytical tools and cutting-edge technologies to detect substantial tax evasion and disrupt huge false invoice rackets.

ii. NFSU is an institution of national importance established by the Parliament of India to promote forensic science education and research.

• NFSU, the first and only forensic sciences institute, is equipped with state-of-the-art digital forensics technology and the capacity to study and analyse digital evidence.
• It has established cooperations with a number of governmental agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate of DRDO, and Central Bureau of Investigation, as well as international organisations and nations in the field of digital forensics.

Note –India’s farm power availability is at 2.49 Kw/ha in year 2018-19 which is much lower as compared to Korea (+7 kw/ha), Japan (+14kw/ha), USA(+7kw/ha).

About the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI):
DGGI was formerly known as the Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence (DGCEI).

• DGGI was founded in 1979 as the Directorate General of Anti-Evasion (DGAE) and was later renamed DGCEI.

Principal Director General- Surjit Bhujabal
Headquarters- New Delhi, Delhi
About the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU):
Vice Chancellor- Dr J. M. Vyas
Headquarters- Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Establishment- 2009

Hillary Clinton Announces USD 50 Million Climate Fund for Women 

Hillary Clinton, former United States (US) secretary of state has announced a first-of-its-kind “Global Climate Resilience Fund” of USD 50 million from the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) to support women in the fight against climate change in collaboration with the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA).

• Hillary Clinton was on a two-day visit to Gujarat, commemorating the 50th anniversary of SEWA as a trade union.

The goal of the fund is to enable women and communities to confront the challenges caused by the rising temperatures brought on by climate change, as well as to offer new opportunities for employment and education.
Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA)
i.Elaben Bhatt (89), who passed away in November 2022, founded SEWA in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in 1972.
ii.SEWA operates in 18 states and has a membership of 25 lakh women in the informal sector.
Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)
i.Former US President Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III) founded CGI in 2005 to bring established and emerging global leaders together to create and execute solutions to the world ’s most challenging problems.
ii.CGI collaborates with partners to create new, precise, and measurable commitments to action in climate resilience, health equity, and inclusive economic recovery and growth.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

India tops as most inclusive nation for religious minorities: Global Minority Report
As per the Centre for Policy Analysis’ (CPA) inaugural assessment on global minorities in its’ Global Minority Report’, India has topped one among 110 nations for its inclusivity measures towards religious minorities. India has the highest level of religious minorities’ acceptance.

• India is followed by South Korea, Japan, Panama, and the United States (US) at the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th positions respectively.
• The report, released by former Vice President (VP) of India Venkaiah Naidu in November 2022, is based on conceptual issues relating to human rights, minorities, the concept of religious freedom and cultural dilemma of religious minorities, causes of religious differences and more.

Key Points:
i.Maldives, Afghanistan, and Somalia are at the bottom of the list.
ii.The United Kingdom(UK) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are at positions 54 and 61, respectively.
iii. India’s Constitution has unique provisions for promoting religious minorities in culture and education and there are no similar provisions for linguistic and religious minorities in any other constitution. There is also no restriction on any religious sects in India.

• However, there have been reports of conflict between the majority and minority communities.

iv.The report noted that the United Nations (UN) may use India’s minority policy as a model for other nations due to the model’s inclusiveness and lack of discrimination against many religions and their sects.
v.The purpose of this report is also to educate the world community on the prevalence of discrimination against minorities based on their faith in different nations.

Curtailing Pollution is Essential to Reduce Superbugs: UNEP Report

According to the recent report released by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Bracing for Superbugs: strengthening environmental action in the One Health response to antimicrobial resistance, reduction of pollution created by pharmaceuticals, agricultural and healthcare sectors is essential to reduce the emergence, transmission and spread of superbugs, a strain of bacteria which has become resistant to every known antibiotic.

• Superbugs are other instances of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

The report was released during the Sixth Meeting of the Global Leaders Group on AMR held in Barbados.
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR):
i.Antimicrobials are essential in reducing the burden of infectious diseases in humans, animals and plants.
ii.The development and spread of AMR mean that the antimicrobials which are used to prevent and treat infections in humans, animals and plants are becoming ineffective.
iii.AMR has therefore emerged as a principal public health problem.
Key Points:
i.According to the WHO, AMR is listed among the top 10 global threats to health.
ii.It is estimated that in 2019 around 1.27 million deaths were attributed to drug-resistant infection and 4.95 million deaths were associated with bacterial AMR.
iii.It is estimated that AMR causes around 10 million additional direct deaths annually by 2050.
iv.The AMR is also expected to result in a GDP drop of at least USD 3.4 trillion annually by 2030 and push around 24 million more people into extreme poverty.
One Health Response: 
i.The report calls for a multisectoral One Health response which recognises that the health of people, animals, plants and the environment are closely related and interdependent.

• The One Health Joint Plan of Action was launched by the Quadripartite Alliance, including UNEP, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

ii.One Health response to AMR will reduce the risk and burden of AMR on humans and nature and will help to address the triple planetary crisis.
iii.The triple planetary crisis entails higher temperatures and extreme weather patterns, land-use changes that alter its microbial diversity, as well as biological and chemical pollution.

CloudSEK report: India Accounts for Most Cyber Attacks in Asia in 2022

According to the Global Threat Landscape Report 2021-2022 by CloudSEK, a contextual AI company that predicts Cyber Threats, India is the most targeted country by hackers in Asia in both 2021 and 2022. Globally, India is the 2nd most targeted country in 2022 while the United States of America(USA) remained the most targeted country.

• The number of cyber attacks targeting India has increased by 24.3% in 2022.
• Indonesia, Russia and China are the 3rd, 4th and 5th most targeted countries in 2022.

Region-based findings: 
i.Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America are the most targeted regions in both the years 2021 and 2022.
ii.Asia & Pacific remained the most targeted region, receiving 20.4% of all attacks in 2021 and 24.1% of all attacks in 2022. The number of attacks targeting Asia & Pacific increased by 26.43% in 2022.
iii.Europe which accounted for around 18% of all attacks in both 2021 and 2022 is the 2nd most targeted region in 2022. The number of attacks on Europe has increased by 8.28%.

• Europe was the 3rd most targeted region in 2021.

iv.North America accounted for 18.9% of all attacks in 2021 and 16% of all attacks in 2022. The total number of attacks observed a 9.68% decline.
The Global attacks remained the most significant but saw a slight decline, accounting for 29.2% of the total attacks in 2021 and 27.5% of the total attacks in 2022.
Key Points:
i.With an increase in sophisticated and targeted cyber attacks, the number of cybercrime increased in 2022. This is attributed to an increase in underground activity leading to a rise in the utility of malicious tools and malware.
ii.Due to new technologies plagued with various vulnerabilities the sectors like electric vehicles were targeted by the threat actors.
iii.In 2022, Ransomware attacks increased from 0.3%(least common) in 2021 to 8% in 2022 (the 3rd most common).
iv.Globally, the attacks on the government sector have increased from 4.1% in 2021 to 12.1% in 2022.

BANKING & FINANCE

Bajaj Allianz Life unveils Sustainable Equity Fund; KMAMC launches Kotak Banking & Financial Services FundBajaj Finserv’s life insurance arm, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance has launched Sustainable Equity Fund namely ‘Bajaj Allianz Life Sustainable Equity Fund ‘ enabling investors to invest in companies that are socially responsible and have been evaluated on relevant Environment (E), Social (S), and Governance (G) factors. This new fund offer (NFO) is available for subscription now, and is available on the insurer’s following flagship ULIPs (Unit Linked Insurance Plans):

• Bajaj Allianz Life Goal Assure – A Unit-linked Non-Participating Life Insurance Plan.
• Bajaj Allianz Life Smart Wealth Goal – A Unit-linked Non-Participating Life Insurance Plan
• Bajaj Allianz Life Future Wealth Gain – A Non-Participating, Unit-Linked, Individual, Endowment Life Insurance Plan
• Bajaj Allianz Life Longlife Goal – A Unit-Linked Non-Participating Whole Life Insurance Plan
• Bajaj Allianz Future Gain – A Unit-Linked Endowment Insurance Plan

Key Points:
i.It is benchmarked to the Nifty 100 ESG Index.
ii.The fund will keep ensure the ESG quotient of investor decisions remains strong as it will park investors’ money in businesses that have high ESG scores.
iii.To identify the businesses for the same, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance will evaluate organizations based on its internal proprietary ESG factor model, which will assess data such as public disclosures, investor presentations, annual reports, etc.

• Then, ESG principles combined with the existing investment decision-making process will allow the screening of stocks for the fund.

Kotak Mahindra Launches Kotak Banking & Financial Services Fund
Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company Ltd (KMAMC/Kotak Mutual Fund) launched ‘Kotak Banking & Financial Services Fund’ an open-ended equity scheme investing in the Banking and Financial Services sectors.

• The scheme opens for public subscription on February 6th, 2023 and closes on February 20th, 2023.

Key Points:
i.Investors can invest a minimum amount of Rs 5,000 and subsequently in multiples of Re.1 for purchase and Re 0.01 for switches during the NFO period.
ii.Its objective is to generate long term capital appreciation from a portfolio that is invested predominantly in equity and equity related securities of companies engaged in banking and financial services sector.
About Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance:
MD & CEO– Tarun Chugh
Headquartered– Pune, Maharashtra

Global Fintech Ascenda Announces Partnership with Axis Bank to Power Its Innovative New Rewards Program

Axis Bank Limited (Axis Bank), India’s third largest private sector bank, has partnered with Ascenda (Singapore), to power its creative new rewards programme, the Axis Bank Points/Miles Transfer Program.

• Ascenda is a world leader in enabling global rewards cards and payment value propositions for financial brands.

Axis Bank Points/Miles Transfer Program
i.It is a programme specifically designed for Axis Bank credit cardholders.
ii.Customers can use this to seamlessly transfer their Edge Rewards Points and Edge Miles to domestic and international loyalty program partners across airlines and hotels.
iii.e ligible cards include Select Axis Bank credit and debit cards.
Click here for the detailed list
Key Points:
i.Axis Bank will make use of Ascenda’s premium rewards infrastructure and points exchange marketplace to create a novel product that targets the steadily growing premium traveller segment.
ii.As of September 30, 2022, Axis Bank had 4,760 branches in India spread across 2,676 cities and towns, as well as 16,043 ATMs.
iii.The Axis Group includes Axis Mutual Fund, Axis Securities Ltd., Axis Finance, Axis Trustee, Axis Capital, A.TReDS Ltd., Freecharge and Axis Bank Foundation.
About Axis Bank Limited:
MD & CEO – Amitabh Chaudhry
Establishment – 1993
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Tagline – Badhti Ka Naam Zindagi

Paytm Payments Bank partners with NPCI to introduce RuPay Credit Card on UPI

Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL) introduced the ‘RuPay credit card on UPI’ in collaboration with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), allowing users to link their RuPay credit cards to the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) infrastructure.
The partnership will allow RuPay credit card holders to use the UPI service to pay for goods and services both online and offline.

• NPCI has been in discussions with India’s top lenders, including ICICI Bank, State Bank of India (SBI), Union Bank of India, and Axis Bank, to launch the “RuPay credit card on UPI” option.
• Shaktikanta Das, governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), stated in June 2022 that credit cards will be permitted to be linked to UPI, with the service initially going live with RuPay credit cards.
• In October 2022, NPCI released an operating circular for the linkage of the RuPay credit card and UPI.

The total UPI transaction in India touched 8 billion in January 2023, with the infrastructure processing close to Rs 12.98 lakh crore worth of payments.      

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS      

Raul Rebello appointed as MD & CEO-Designate of Mahindra Finance

Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Limited (Mahindra Finance or MMFSL), a subsidiary of Mahindra Group, has appointed Raul Rebello(45 years), who is currently the Chief Operating Officer(COO) of the company, as its new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Designate.

• He will assume the position of MD & CEO when the incumbent Ramesh Iyer superannuates on 29th April 2024.
• He joined MMFSL as COO in 2021 and previously he worked as Executive Vice President and the Head of Rural Lending and Financial Inclusion at Axis Bank Limited.

UPSC recommends Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi as New Drugs Controller General of India

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has recommended Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, Secretary-Cum-Scientific Director of the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission(IPC) as the new Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) head of Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO). The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MoH&FW) is yet to approve the appointment of DCGI.

• The top contenders for the DCGI interview were Dr V G Somani(current DCGI), Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, and Dr Jai Prakash.
• Dr VG Somani was appointed as the DCGI in August 2019 for a period of 3 years till 14th August 2022 and his tenure has been extended twice, for three months in August 2022 and in November 2022.
• DCGI is in charge of ensuring the quality of India’s drug supply. Additionally, it has the power to regulate clinical trials and approve new medications.         

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Skye Air launches “Skye UTM”, India’s First Traffic Management System for DronesOn 7th February 2023, Skye Air Mobility Private Limited(Skye Air), a Gurugram (Haryana)-based drone solutions provider, launched India’s first traffic management system for drones, named “Skye UTM”. 

• Skye UTM, was launched in the presence of Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways.
• The system, Skye UTM, will allow drone operators to plan routes, make flight plans and assess risks before running drone-based operations in India.

Key Highlights:
i. The control of airspace will rely on unmanned traffic management systems, which will enable multiple beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) drone operations to be run simultaneously by different firms.

• Such systems are provided globally by several companies, including United States(US)-based AirMap and Netherlands-based Airbus.

ii. Ankit Kumar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Skye Air, claims that the programme imports information from the government’s Digital Sky platform, which was developed to assist drone operators in planning flights in Indian airspace.

• The Digital Sky platform, run by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA),  was 1st introduced in 2018 and provides users with essential knowledge for conducting drone missions in India.

iii. Skye UTM will allow operators a “better understanding” of where they can fly.  The software has been tested on over 300 successful BVLOS flights.
iv. The information on drone flights planned through Skye UTM will also be shared with authorities before a take-off.

• After an operator submits the flight plan, information on the drone license number, drone operator’s contact, flight plan, purpose of flight, and duration and time of flight on Skye UTM, the information will be shared with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which can then reject a flight if it finds inconsistencies or possible disruptions with aircraft/helicopter operations.

v.Skye UTM is a Cloud-based aerial traffic management system that integrates unmanned air traffic with the manned aviation airspace

BVLOS:

• Beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) refers to drone flights where the pilot cannot see the drone.
• They enable firms to run drone missions over longer distances, which is necessary for logistics, the delivery of medicines, and more.
• Skye UTM will also offer latitude and longitude data, which is unavailable on Digital Sky.

 Skye Air Offer:
Skye Air also offers remote ID services to track drones, which is a piece of hardware that needs to be installed on drones to communicate real-time information on their location.

SPORTS

2023 Grand Prix Zagreb Open: Indian wrestlers conclude with Two Bronze Medals

Indian wrestlers concluded the Grand Prix Zagreb Open 2023, the first ranking series of 2023, held in Zagreb, Croatia from 1st to 5th February 2023, with 2 bronze medals.

• Aman Sehrawat, a freestyle wrestler and under-23 world champion, won the bronze medal in the men’s 57 kg category on the opening day.
• Ashu, the Greco-Roman wrestler, won the bronze in men’s 67 kg on the penultimate day of the competition.

Note: 15 Indian wrestlers competed at the Zagreb Open 2023.
Key Points: 
i. Aman Sehrawat, an Indian wrestler, defeated Zane Raye Rhodes Richards of the United States of America (USA) 10-4 to win India’s 1st medal in this edition of the tournament.

• Aliabbas Rzazade of Azerbaijan won the gold, beating Yuto Nishiuchi of Japan 2-0 in the 57 kg category.

ii. Ashu, an Indian wrestler, won India’s 2nd medal in the ranking series by blanking Adomas Grigaliunas of Lithuania 5-0 in the bronze medal match.

• Husiyuetu of China won the gold medal while Iran’s Reza Mahdi Abbasi won the silver medal in the 67 kg category.

Click here for the Results
Other Participants from India: 
Freestyle Wrestles: Vishal Kaliramana (men’s 70kg), Pankaj Malik (men’s 61kg), and Pruthviraj Babasaheb Patil (men’s 92kg).
Greco-Roman Wrestlers: Sagar (63kg bracket), Manjeet (55kg), Gyanender (60kg), Ankit Gulia (72kg) and Narinder Cheema (97kg).
Women Wrestling: Shivani Pawar ( 50kg), Sushma Shokeen ( 53kg), Reetika ( 72kg), and Kiran ( 76kg).
Prize Money:
The United World Wrestling (UWW) will award gold, silver and bronze medals, and money prize in each weight category. The gold winner will get 1500,00 CHF (the Swiss franc), the silver winner 750,00 CHF and the bronze winner 500,00 CHF.
About 2023 Grand Prix Zagreb Open:
The 2023 Grand Prix Zagreb Open was the first of the ranking series of United World Wrestling (UWW) in 2023.

• 2nd Ranking Series: 23-26 February, Alexandria, Egypt- 2023 Ibrahim Moustafa Tournament.
• 3rd Ranking Series: 1-4 June, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan- 2023 Kaba Uulu Kozhomkul & Raatbek Sanatbaev Tournament.
• 4th Ranking Series: 13-16 July, Budapest, Hungary- 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix & Polyák Imre Memorial Tournament.

OBITUARY

Noted Kannada Writer & Sahitya Akademi Awardee K.V. Tirumalesh Passed Away

Noted Kannada Writer and Sahitya Akademi Awardee K.V. Tirumalesh passed away in Hyderabad, Telangana, at the age of 82. He was born in 1940 in Karadka village in Kasargod, Madras Presidency, British India (now in Kasargod district, Kerala).
About K.V. Tirumalesh:
i. Retired professor K.V. Tirumalesh is an Indian poet, writer and critic in the Kannada and English languages. He was a linguist who trained and taught at the English and Foreign Languages ​​University (EFLU), Hyderabad, Telangana.
ii. He is regarded as one of the most significant modernist (Navya) poets of Kannada and made his debut in 1968 with the poetry collection “Mukhavadagalu” (Masks).

• His critical works include an essay on Da Ra Bendre’s poems and existentialism in Kannada.
• In a writing career spanning 5 decades, he has made significant contributions to the poetry, fiction, translation, criticism, and columns of Kannada literature.

iii. He translated Miguel de Cervantes’ “Don Quixote,” a work of Spanish literature, and the works of other writers, including French writer Gerard De Nerval, Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke, and American novelist Herman Melville.
iv. In addition to the two critically acclaimed plays Caligula and Tiberius, he also produced at least three novels and four collections of short tales. His works “Bendre Kavyashaili”, “Astitvavada” and “Kavyakarana” are critically acclaimed.
Awards:
K.V. Tirumalesh was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award, a literary honour in India, in 2015 for his collection of poems “Akshaya Kavya” (2010).

STATE NEWS

UP CM Yogi Adityanath inaugurates 1st VFS Global JVAC in Lucknow

The Chief Minister (CM) of Uttar Pradesh (UP), Yogi Adityanath has launched a new global gateway for the state with the inauguration of the first VFS Global Joint Visa Application Centre (JVAC) and the VFS Global Academy in Lucknow, UP.

• It is located strategically on the first floor of the Interstate Bus Terminal, Alambagh (Shalimar Gateway Mall), Lucknow.

Key Points:
i.This new facility equipped with modern amenities and services will have the capacity of processing approximately 1.2 lakh applications a year.
ii.Spread across 24,000 sq ft, the JVAC would cater to travellers bound to 10 countries such as Austria, The Netherlands, The Czech Republic, Switzerland, Estonia, Hungary, Portugal, Germany, Italy and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
iii.It will benefit the citizens of UP, who till now had to travel to other cities like New Delhi to submit their visa applications.
iv.VFS Global will also open an academy in partnership Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL) to train local youth in hospitality skills and enable employability in line with the UP-government’s skilling programme.
About Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL):
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer– Puneet Chhatwal
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

*******

List of Current Governors in India – AUGUST 2022

List of Current Chief Ministers in India – AUGUST 2022

*******

List of Less Important News – Click Here

*****Click Here View – AC Excluded News*****

Current Affairs Today (AffairsCloud Today)