Daily Current Affairs and GK | 1 February 2023

Topic: Banking System

1. GST collection reached ₹ 1.55 lakh crore, the second highest-ever.

• The Gross GST collection in January was the second-highest. It broke the GST collection second-highest record of October 2022.
• In January, the GST collection was Rs 1.55 lakh crore. It includes CGST of 28 thousand 963 crores, SGST of 36 thousand 730 crores, and IGST of 79 thousand 599 crores.
• The highest GST collection was recorded ₹ 1.68 lakh crore in April 2022.
• In 2022-23, GST collection has crossed one lakh 50 thousand crore mark for the third time.
• In recent years, the government has made various efforts have been made to increase the tax base and improve compliance.
• A total of 2.42 crore GST returns were filed in the October-December 2022 quarter.
• Goods and Services Tax (GST) is an indirect destination tax based on the consumption of goods and services. It came into force on 1 July 2017.

Topic: Important Days

2. Indian Coast Guard Day: 01 February

• Indian Coast Guard Day is celebrated every year on 01 February.
• Indian Coast Guard Day is celebrated to honour the Indian Coast Guard, an organisation that plays a crucial role in India’s maritime security.
• This year, 47th Coast Guard Day observed on 01 February 2023.
• On August 18, 1978, the Parliament of India approved legislation creating the Indian Coast Guard Day. 
• Indian Coast Guard (ICG):
  • It works under the Ministry of Defense. It is headquartered in New Delhi. It was formally established on 1 February 1977.
  • It is an armed force, maritime, search and rescue, and law enforcement agency.
  • Vice Admiral V.A. Kamath was the first Director General of the Indian Coast Guard.

Topic: Defence

3. Indian Army's 'Exercise Topchi' conducted at the School of Artillery in Devlali, Maharashtra.

• Indigenously manufactured weapon systems were the highlight of the exercise.
• Exercise Topchi is an annual firepower demonstration and training exercise.
• The exercise took place under the stewardship of Lt Gen S Harimohan Iyer, AVSM, and Commandant School of Artillery.
• This year, the major focus has been on 'Atmanirbharata' (self-reliance).
• Lt Gen Iyer said the guns and other systems (K-9 Vajra, Dhanush system or M777 gun system) all have been assembled in India.
• He said that the SWATHI radar system has been made in India.
• This edition of "Exercise Topchi" showcased the integrated employment of firepower and surveillance assets.

Topic: Science and Technology

4. A Bengaluru-based start-up has developed a robot to clean oil tanks.

• The newly developed robot can go from one tanker to another. It performs the job similarly to a vacuum cleaner.
• The robot has been developed by Beta Tank Robotics Private Ltd.
• It can operate in oil tanks in petroleum refineries. So, it eliminates risk to human life.
• It was incubated at IIT Guwahati. Oil India Limited funded the project.
• D.C. Shekar, Director of Beta Tank Robotics Private Ltd. said the gas inside tanks is toxic and there is the risk of an explosion also.
• Normal robots with thermo-motors and electronics cannot be put inside the tanks due to the risk of fire.
• Robots that are controlled and powered by hydraulics can help lower the risk of fire.
• The robot is presently undergoing a safety assessment. It will be shown at the upcoming India Energy Week 2023.
• India Energy Week 2023 will be held in Bengaluru from February 6 to 8.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

5. Visit India Year 2023 initiative launched by Tourism Minister in New Delhi.

• On 31 January, Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy has launched Visit India Year-2023 in New Delhi and also unveiled its logo.
• Along with this, grand plans and activities have started to promote tourism in the country.
• Shri Reddy said that Visit India Year 2023 initiative is very important when India is chairing the G-20 organization this year.
• This year more than one lakh foreign delegates will visit India and they will be shown all aspects of India's culture, including monuments and festivals.
• The Ministry of Tourism is celebrating this year as 'Visit India Year 2023' to encourage inbound travel and the grand celebration of India@75 Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
• The "Visit India Year 2023" logo is a thoughtfully designed visual identity that is shaped like a grand namaste. Logo is inspired by our belief system of Atithi Devo Bhava.

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: State News/ Madhya Pradesh

6. Ladli Bahna Yojana will be started for the poor sisters in Madhya Pradesh.

• On the lines of Ladli Laxmi Yojana, now Ladli Bahna Yojana will be started for the sisters of the state.
• The government will start this new scheme for the lower middle class and poor women of Madhya Pradesh.
• Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced for this scheme on the occasion of Narmada Jayanti and Gaurav Divas.
• Under the scheme, poor sisters will be given an amount of ₹ 1000 per month, which does not come under the purview of income tax.
• In this way an amount of ₹ 12000 will be transferred to the accounts of the sisters in 1 year.
• It is estimated that 60 thousand crore rupees will be spent on the scheme in 5 years.
• Out of the total women population, more than 65 percent women will get the benefit of this scheme.

Topic: Personality in News

7. Senior advocate Shanti Bhushan died in Noida, UP on 31 January, 2023.

• He was India's Law Minister from 1977 to 1979. He was a senior advocate of the Supreme Court of India.
• His son, Prashant Bhushan, is also a lawyer in the Supreme Court of India.
• Courting Destiny: A Memoir is a book by Shanti Bhushan.
• On November 26, 2012, the Aam Aadmi Party was launched, and he became one of its founding members.
• As the Law minister, he introduced 44th Amendment of the Constitution of India.
• It repealed many provisions of 42nd Amendment of the Constitution, which is known as Mini-Constitution.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National Appointments

8. Madhvendra Singh has been appointed as the first CEO of the Gujarat Maritime Cluster (GMC).

• He has been appointed by Gujarat Ports Infrastructure Company Limited.
• GMC is the first of its kind Commercial Maritime Cluster in the country.
• It is aimed at creating a hub for maritime services of international standards.
• GMC was established by Gujarat Maritime Board through its subsidiary, Gujarat Ports Infrastructure Company Limited.
• GMC is the first and only maritime cluster in India at present.
• One of the biggest strengths of GMC is that it shall bring together the Industry, Government, Academia (Gujarat Maritime University), and the Alternate Dispute Resolution Centre.

Topic: National Appointment

9. Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi appointed as Drugs Controller General of India.

• The name of Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi as the new Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has been recommended by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
• The UPSC conducted interviews of the top contenders like Dr. VG Somani, Dr. Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, and Dr. Jai Prakash.
• Last year, Dr VG Somani’s term as DCGI was extended for three months. He was appointed DCGI for the first time in 2019.
• Drug Controller General of India (DCGI):
  • It is a department under the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation.
  • It is responsible for setting the standards for the manufacturing, import, sales and distribution of drugs in India.
  • It also has the authority to give approval to new drugs and regulate clinical trials.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

10. According to a new study, earth will warm up by two degrees Celsius by 2050.

• A new study has predicted that earth will warm by two degrees Celsius by 2050, even under a low-emission scenario.
• The average global temperature on Earth has increased by at least 1.1° Celsius (1.9° Fahrenheit) since 1880.
• Paris Agreement aims to limit the temperature rise below 2°C, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.
• The findings of the study has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on January 30, 2023.
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has projected that the earth will warm up by 2°C by 2050 only under a high-emission scenario.
• This new study contradicts the projection of the IPCC. It states that the earth will warm by two degrees Celsius by 2050, even under a low-emission scenario.
• Impact on human health, economic growth, crop yields, and coastal and small islands will be the main climate risks. Apart from these, the intensity of extreme climate events will increase.
• The researchers of the study have used artificial neural networks (ANN) to predict the time for reaching the 1.5 °C and 2°C thresholds.
• According to their findings, the world will most likely reach the 1.5°C threshold between 2033 and 2035.

Topic: Indian Economy

11. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey 2022-2023 in both the Houses of Parliament.

• The Economic Survey reviews how the economy performed in this financial year and the way forward for the next year.
• Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran has prepared the Economic Survey.
• The Economic Survey is released one day before the Union Budget for the next fiscal year, which begins on April 1.
• Annual Pre-Budget Economic Survey of India projects GDP growth rate of 6-6.8% for 2023-24.
• The Economic Survey 2022-23 projects a baseline GDP growth of 6.5 percent in real terms for 2023-24.
• According to the survey, the Indian economy is expected to grow at 7% in real terms during the current fiscal year.
• According to the survey, India has become the fifth largest economy in the world and the nominal GDP of India in March this year will be around US$ 3.5 trillion.
• According to the survey, the annual rate of inflation is below 6 percent and wholesale prices are rising at a rate below 5 percent.
• In the first nine months of the current financial year, exports of goods and services have increased by 16 percent as compared to the same period of 2021-22.
• The Economic Survey of India is an annual document released by the Ministry of Finance.
• For the first time the Economic Survey of the country was presented in the financial year 1950-51.
• After this, since 1964, the Ministry of Finance has been releasing the Economic Survey a day before the budget.

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: State News/ Andhra Pradesh

12. Visakhapatnam will be the new capital of Andhra Pradesh.

• Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said that the plan to develop Amaravati as the capital has been scrapped.
• Andhra Pradesh government is also organizing a Global Investors Summit in Visakhapatnam on 3rd and 4th March.
• The announcement of the new capital comes nine years after the formation of Telangana state and Hyderabad being given as its capital.
• The Andhra government in 2015 had announced that Amaravati would come up as the new capital.
• In 2020, the government had planned to have three capital cities–Visakhapatnam for the executive, Amaravati for the legislature and Kurnool for the judiciary.
• But in March 2022, the Andhra Pradesh High Court rejected the plan to make three capitals.
• Amaravati was rejected as the capital because it became the center of a land scam and a source of social, legal, economic and political friction over the years.

Topic: Indian Economy

13. Fiscal deficit is expected to be at 6.4 per cent of GDP in the financial year 2022-2023.

• Government is on the track to achieve the fiscal deficit target for FY 23.
• As per the survey, India’s economic growth has been mainly led by private consumption and capital formation.
• According to the survey, Gross Tax Revenue registered a year-on- year growth of 15.5% from April to November last year.
• The Union government emphasised on capital expenditure (Capex) despite higher revenue expenditure requirements.
• The government has increased spending in the social sector. Budgeted expenditure on health sector touched to 2.1% of GDP in FY23 (BE) and 2.2% in FY22 (RE).
• As per the survey, Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Under Five mortality rate (U5MR) and neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) have shown a steady decline.
• Since January 2022, Credit to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has grown by an average of around 30%.
• India has become the second-largest mobile phone manufacturer globally
• The services sector is expected to grow at 9.1% in FY23. India is one of the top ten services exporting countries in 2021.
• Gross Non-Performing Assets (GNPA) ratio reached to a seven- year low of 5%.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Biotechnology and Diseases

14. United Kingdom will be the country partner for BioAsia 2023.

• United Kingdom has partnered with the 20th edition of BioAsia, which will be hosted by the Government of Telangana.
• BioAsia 2023 is scheduled to be held from 24th to 26th February 2023 in Hyderabad.
• "Advancing for ONE: Shaping the next generation of humanized healthcare" is the theme of BioAsia 2023.
• The UK and the Government of Telangana will come together to share knowledge and best practices in lifescience.
• British companies are looking BioAsia as an opportunity to increase partnerships with India’s growing biotech industry.
• Prominent industry leaders, distinguished scientists, researchers, and entrepreneurs will take part in the event.
• BioAsia’s vision is to enhance and encourage newer innovations, discoveries and effective solutions in the biotechnology industry.
• BioAsia is focused on the growth of the biotech Industry by enabling an effective environment for fostering collaborations.
• BioAsia is a platform for companies to launch and showcase their products, and services.