Daily Current Affairs and GK | 3 March 2023

Topic: National Appointment

1. Rashmi Shukla appointed as Director-General of Sashastra Seema Bal.

• Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Rashmi Shukla has been appointed as the Director-General of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Rashmi Shukla.
• She was on central deputation in CRPF in Hyderabad.  
• Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB):
  • It was formed in 1963.
  • SSB is a border protection force of India which is deployed along the borders of Nepal and Bhutan.
  • It is one of the Central Armed Police Forces under the control of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
  • Its motto is “Service, security and Brotherhood.”

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

2. President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the 7^th International Dharma-Dhamma Conference in Bhopal.

• Governor Mangubhai Patel and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan were also present at the conference.
• It is being organised by the India Foundation in association with Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies.
• This conference is focused on the principle of humanism in the new era. It will conclude on 5 March.
• More than 350 scholars from 15 countries are taking part in the conference.
• Representatives from different countries like Bhutan, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam are participating in the conference.
• At this conference, 25 scholars will address 4 main sessions and 115 research papers will also be presented.

Topic: International Appointment

3. Vo Van Thuong elected as new President of the Vietnam.

• In a reshuffle of the country's top leadership amid an anti-graft campaign, Vietnam's National Assembly elected Vo Van Thuong as the country's new President on March 2.
• Thuong's election follows the abrupt resignation in January of his predecessor, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who was accused of wrongdoing by the party.
• Thuong received 98.38% of the vote, according to the parliament's online portal.
• Thuong is the party's youngest Politburo member, the country's highest decision-making body.
• Vietnam:
  • It is a South-East Asian country.
  • It is known for its beaches, rivers and Buddhist pagodas.
  • Its capital is Hanoi, and the currency is Vietnamese dong.
  • Pham Minh Chinh is the Prime Minister of Vietnam.

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: Awards and Prizes

4. Porter Prize 2023 given to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has received the Porter Prize 2023 for its efforts in the health sector, especially in Covid management.
• The award was announced at 'The India Dialogue' organized by the Institute for Competitiveness (IFC) Stanford University's US Asia Technology Management Center (USATMC) on February 23 and 24, 2023.
• It was presented to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in the virtual presence of Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare.
• The theme of the conference was "The Indian Economy 2023: Innovation, Competitiveness and Social Progress".
• The award recognizes the strategy, approach adopted by the GoI in the management of COVID-19 and the involvement of various stakeholders in the industry, especially the ASHA workers, for making PPE kits.
• It was also noted that the idea of vaccine development and vaccine manufacturing and the scale that India achieved, was tremendous
• India has distributed over 2.5 billion doses, which has been amazing. The Ministry has taken all necessary steps to deal with the COVID situation in the country.
• Porter Prize:
  • The award is named after economist, researcher, author, consultant, speaker, and teacher Michael E. Porter.
  • He has presented economic theory and strategy concepts to address many of the most challenging problems facing companies, economies and societies, including market competition and corporate strategy, economic growth, the environment and healthcare.
  • His research has received numerous awards, and he is one of the most cited scholars in economics and business today.

Topic: Important Days

5. 5th Jan Aushadhi Diwas 2023 celebrated by the Health Ministry.

• On 3 March, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in association with the Bureau of Pharmaceuticals and Indian Medical Devices, has celebrated the 5th Jan Aushadhi Diwas-2023 in States and Union Territories across the country.
• It has been celebrated under Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).
• The theme of the 5th Jan Aushadhi Diwas was “जन औषधि – सस्ती भी अच्छी भी”.
• The program was launched on 1st March with Jan Aushadhi Jan Chetna Abhiyan across the country.
• On 2 March, More than 34 Pratigya yatras were taken out across the country, out of which eight yatras were led by Members of Parliament.
• The ministry said that more than 5,000 citizens, including doctors, took a pledge to use generic medicines on the MyGov platform.
• The purpose of this pad yatra is to ensure easy access to Jan Aushadhi generic medicines to spread the knowledge related to Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Project.
• By the end of December 2023, the government has set a target of increasing the number of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) to 10,000.
• The prices of medicines available under Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana range from 50% to 90% less than the prices of branded medicines.
• During the financial year (2021-22), PMBJP has achieved sales of more than Rs 1100 crores in the current financial year, thereby saving about Rs 6600 crores to the citizens.

(Source: News on Air)

Topic: Summits/Conferences/Meetings

6. 8th National Conference on Economics of Competition Law held in New Delhi.

• On 3 March, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) organized the 8th National Conference on Economics of Competition Law.
• The convention is organized by CCI every year since 2016.
• Dr. V Ananth Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor delivered the keynote address in the inaugural session.
• The conference had one plenary session and two technical sessions.
• The theme of this year's plenary conference is 'Antitrust and Regulation: Interfaces and Synergies'.
• The conference is an effort to develop and sustain interest in the economics of competition law and to form an important group of economists on the subject of anti-competition.
• It brings together scholars, users, academics and experts working in the field of economics of competition law.
• The objectives of the conference are:-
  • To encourage research and discussion on contemporary issues related to the economics of competition law
  • To develop a better understanding of the relevant issues of competition in the Indian context
  • To draw inferences for enforcement of competition law in India

Topic: Summits/ Conferences/ Meetings

7. India hosted Quad Foreign Ministers meeting in New Delhi on 03 March 2023.

• External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar chaired the meeting.
• Foreign Ministers of Australia and Japan and the Secretary of State of the US participated in the meeting.
• The meeting presented an opportunity for the Ministers to continue their discussions held at their last meeting in New York in September 2022.
• They exchanged views on recent developments in the Indo-Pacific region.
• The Ministers also reviewed the progress made by the Quad in pursuit of its constructive agenda.
• QUAD:
  • It was established in 2007.
  • Australia, India, Japan, and the United States are members of this forum.

Topic: Indian Polity

8. Results of state elections in Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura have been announced.

• In Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma’s National People's Party (NPP) emerged as the single largest party with 26 seats.
• BJP won only 2 seats in the 60-member assembly in Meghalaya.
• NPP’s ally, United Democratic Party was the second-largest party with 11 seats.
• Trinamool Congress and the Congress won five seats each in Meghalaya.
• In Nagaland and Meghalaya, state assembly elections were held on 27 February 2023.
• In Nagaland, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party won the election on maximum (25 out of 60) seats.
• Bharatiya Janata Party won the election on 12 out of 60 seats in Nagaland.
• Nationalist Congress Party and National People Party won 7 and 5 seats, respectively in Nagaland. 
• In Tripura, elections were held on 16 February 2023. BJP won 32 out of 60 seats in Tripura.
• Tipra Motha Party and Communist Party of India (Marxist) won 13 and 11 seats, respectively in Tripura.
• Indian National Congress won 3 seats and the Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura won one seat in Tripura. 

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

9. World Bank released Women, Business and the Law 2023 report.

• Women, Business and the Law 2023 is the ninth edition of the annual report.
• This report analyses the laws and regulations that affect the economic opportunity of women.
• As per the report, the UAE scored 82.5 out of 100 possible points across 35 sub-indicators.
• These 35 sub-indicators are divided into major eight areas: Mobility, Workplace, Pay, Marriage, Parenthood, Entrepreneurship, Assets, and Pension.
• In terms of passing laws and regulations that support women's rights and employment roles, the UAE is a regional and international leader.
• Major Highlights of the report are as follows:
  • Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, etc. have scored 100 on the Index.
  • India’s score is 74.4 on the Index.
  • West Bank and Gaza score is 26.3 on the Index.
  • UAE tops the MENA region by scoring 100% in 5 of 8 key indicators.
  • On average, women enjoy only 77 per cent of the legal rights as compared to men.
  • Around 2.4 billion women of working age live in those countries that do not grant them the same rights as men.
  • At the current pace of reform, it would take at least 50 years to achieve legal gender equality everywhere.
  • Only 34 gender-related legal reforms were recorded across 18 economies in 2022.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Important Days

10. World Wildlife Day: 3 March

• World Wildlife Day is celebrated every year on 3 March.
• The theme of this year’s World Wildlife Day is ‘Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation’
• The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed March 3 as the UN World Wildlife Day in 2013.
• World Wildlife Day is observed to raise awareness about protecting wild animals and plants.
• In 1973, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was signed on 3 March. This year, the 3rd March marks the 50th anniversary of CITES.
• CITES is an international agreement between governments. Its main aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species.
• In India, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is a statutory body for combating wildlife crime.
• Wildlife Crime Control Bureau assist customs authorities in the inspection as per the provisions of the Wild Life Protection Act of 1972.

Topic: State News/ Odisha

11. Gold mines have been found in three districts of Odisha.

• Odisha already accounts for around 98% of the country's chromite deposits.
• On 27 February, Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick informed the state assembly that gold mines have been found at different places in three districts of Odisha- Deogarh, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj.
• These gold deposits have been found in four locations in Keonjhar District, four locations in Mayurbhanj District, and one location in Deogarh District.
• These areas include Dimirimunda, Kushakala, Gotipur, Gopur, Joshipur, Suriaguda, Ruansila, Dhushura hill and Adas.
• According to GSI experts, an estimated 1,685 kg of gold ore has been detected along with copper in the Adas area.  
• As per report by World Gold Council, there is only one functional gold mine in India – Hutti mines in Karnataka. Ore from the main Hutti mine is now supplemented by satellite feeds from the Uti (open pit) and Hira-Buddinni (underground) deposits.
• India produced about 1.6 tonnes of gold in 2020.
• China is the largest producer of gold in the world. It is followed by Australia, Russia and Canada.

Topic: Committees/Commissions/Task Forces

12. An expert committee constituted by SC on Hindenburg Research report on Adani group companies.

• On 2 March, the Supreme Court has constituted an expert committee on issues emerging from the Hindenburg Research Report on Adani Group companies.
• The committee has been formed after a batch of PILs were filed on the recent stock crash of Adani Group due to allegations of fraud by US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research.
• There will be six members in this committee. The committee will be headed by Supreme Court judge Justice AM Sapre.
• Other members include former chairman of the State Bank of India O.P. Bhatt, retired Bombay High Court judge Justice J.P. Devadhar, former chief of the NDB of BRICS countries K.V. Kamath, co-founder of Infosys Nandan Nilekani and securities expert and lawyer Somasekhar Sundaresan.
• The Supreme Court has said that this committee will submit a sealed report in the court in two months.
• The Supreme Court has directed the market regulator SEBI to ensure that all information is given to the committee.
• The Supreme Court has also directed an inquiry into the violation of Section 19 of the SEBI Rules.
• The Supreme Court has also asked SEBI to examine issues related to any manipulation of share prices.

Topic: Indian Economy

13. SEBI has allowed NSE to launch rupee denominated Nymex WTI crude oil and natural gas futures contracts.

• National Stock Exchange (NSE) has received permission from Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to roll out rupee-denominated Nymex WTI crude oil and natural gas (henry hub) futures contracts in its commodity derivatives segment.
• Commodity derivatives segment of an exchange provides trading in futures.
• Futures contract is a standardized legal agreement between the two parties i.e. buyer and seller to buy or sell something at a predetermined price at specified date in future. The underlying assets in a futures contract may be commodities, stocks, currencies, interest rates, indices and bonds.
• A data licensing agreement has been signed between CME Group and NSE that allows NSE to list, trade and settle rupee-denominated Nymex WTI crude oil and natural gas derivatives contracts on the platform of CME.
• This has expanded the product offering by NSE in the energy basket as well as its overall commodity segment.
• Nymex WTI crude oil and natural gas contracts are among the world’s most traded commodity derivatives contracts.
• Trading in derivatives was started by NSE in 2000 and later on, it set up index options trading in 2001. Index options give the investor the right to purchase or sell the underlying stock for a definite time period.
• According to Futures Industry Association (FIA), in terms of trading volume (contracts) for 2022, NSE is the world’s largest exchange.
• As per World Federation of Exchanges, NSE is third in world in the cash equities by number of trades for 2022.

Topic: MoUs/ Agreements

14.Tamil Nadu and UNEP sign MoU for implementing urban cooling programme.

• The MoU was signed between Atul Bagai, Country Head of UNEP and Supriya Sahu, Environment Secretary of Tamil Nadu government.
• The signing of an MoU between Tamil Nadu and UNEP will address the quickly rising demand for cooling in cities of Tamil Nadu.
• The collaboration will support the implementation of initiatives to adapt and counteract rising heat.
• UNEP will work with various department of the state to create comprehensive action plans like increasing green cover in cities, building efficiency measures, improved urban design, etc.
• Tamil Nadu government had set up the first of its kind SPV in India-Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company- that guides three key missions- Green Tamil Nadu Mission, Tamil Nadu Wetland Mission and Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission.
• Tamil Nadu government announced to set up Tamil Nadu Green Climate Fund with a fund size of ₹1,000 crore. It also announced to set up climate change missions in all 38 districts.