Daily Current Affairs – March 21, 2023
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National News
India can achieve energy independence by 2047, says US Energy Department study
- The study titled “Pathways to Atmanirbhar Bharat” stated India can achieve energy independence by 2047, when it celebrates 100 years of independence also India’s energy infrastructure needs an investment of USD3 trillion in the coming decades.
- It determined that achieving energy independence will generate significant economic, environmental, and energy benefits for India which include USD2.5 trillion in consumer savings through 2047, reducing fossil fuel import expenditure by 90 per cent or USD240 billion per year, enhancing India’s industrial competitiveness globally, and enabling its net-zero commitment ahead of schedule.
- The study shows that India’s energy independence pathway would involve the power sector installing more than 500 GW of non-fossil electricity generation capacity by 2030, a goal already announced by the government, followed by an 80 percent clean grid by 2040 and 90 percent by 2047.
- It says that nearly 100 percent of new vehicle sales could be electric by 2035. Heavy industrial production could shift primarily to green hydrogen and electrification.
FM Nirmala Sitharaman says total amount of Central govt debt or liabilities is estimated at about RS 155.8 lakh crore as on 31st March, 2023
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the total amount of the Central Government debt or liabilities is estimated at about 155.8 lakh crore rupees and it is 57.3 percent of GDP as on 31st March, 2023.
- External debt valued at current exchange rate is estimated at 7.03 lakh crore rupees and it is 2.6 percent of GDP.
- Ministry of Finance – Nirmala Sitharaman,Cabinet Minister (Rajya Sabha MP,Karnataka) – Bhagwat Karad, Minister of State (Rajya Sabha MP,Maharashtra) & Pankaj Choudhary, Minister of State (Maharajganj,UP)
State News
Karnataka gives nod to 78 industrial projects worth Rs 5,298.69 crores investment
- At the State Level Single Window Clearance Committee (SLSWCC) meeting chaired by the Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries Murugesh R Nirani the State Industries and Commerce Department has cleared a total of 78 investment proposals worth Rs 5,298.69 crore promising 13,917 jobs.
- The committee considered and approved 17 important large and medium size industrial projects with investments of more than Rs 50 crore.
- These projects are worth Rs 3,552.66 crore and are expected to create employment opportunities for 6,933 people in the State.
- Also, 59 new projects with investments of more than Rs 15 crore and less than Rs 50 crore were also approved.
- These projects worth Rs 1,542.88 crore would generate jobs for 6,984 people in Karnataka.
- Two projects of additional investment have also been approved, which will result in an investment of Rs 203.15 crore and would generate massive employment opportunities.
- Karnataka – Bengaluru (Capital) – Basavaraj Bommai (CM) – Thawarchand Gehlot (Governor) – Kannada (Language)
Asia's largest Tulip Garden opens for public at Srinagar in Jammu & Kashmir
- In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, The Indira Gandhi Tulip Garden, Asia’s largest tulip garden, ensconced between Dal Lake and the Zabarwan hills in Srinagar, opened for the public on March 19.
- Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at the opening ceremony said that about 68 varieties of tulips will bloom in the garden this year.
- Jammu & Kashmir – Srinagar (May–October)
- Jammu (Nov-April) (Capital) – Manoj Sinha (Lieutenant Governor) – Urdu, Kashmiri, Dogri, Hindi, English (Language)
Banking and Finance
PSU banks gross NPA declines to 5.53%; earn total profit of Rs 70,167 crores in Apr-Dec FY23
- The government has taken various reforms following which asset quality of public sector banks has improved significantly with gross NPA ratio declining from the peak of 14.6 per cent in March 2018 to 5.53 per cent in December 2022.
- All PSBs are in profit with aggregate profit being Rs 66,543 crore in 2021-22, and that further increased to Rs 70,167 crore in first nine months of current financial year, Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat K Karad.
- At the same time, resilience has increased with provision coverage ratio of PSBs rising from 46 per cent to 89.9 per cent in December 2022, he said, adding capital adequacy ratio of PSBs improved significantly from 11.5 per cent in March 2015 to 14.5 per cent in December 2022.
- Total market cap of PSBs (excluding IDBI Bank, which was categorised as private sector bank in January 2019) increased from Rs 4.52 lakh crore in March 2018 to Rs 10.63 lakh crore in December 2022.
- As per the information provided by Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH), the total estimated vehicle fleet is 30.48 crore (excluding data from Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Lakshadweep), of which 16.54 crore vehicles are uninsured.
- The government since 2016 has given ‘in-principle’ approval for strategic disinvestment of 36 cases of public sector enterprises (PSEs) and/or subsidiaries/ units/ joint ventures of PSEs/ banks.
- Of the 36 cases, 33 are being handled by Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) and 3 cases are being handled by the respective Administrative Ministry/Department.
Agreements and MoUs signed
India, World Food Programme sign MoU during Global Millets Conference
- The agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Food Programme (WFP) of the United Nations for cooperation between 2023-2027 during the Global Millets (Shree Anna) Conference.
- World Food Programme (WFP) – 19/12/1961 (Founded) – Rome, Italy (HQ) – David Muldrow Beasley (Executive Director)
- Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare – Narendra Singh Tomar,Cabinet Minister (Morena,UP) – Shobha Karandlaje,Minister of State (Udupi Chikmagalur,Karnataka), Kailash Choudhary, Minister of State (Barmer,Rajasthan)
Appointments
Care Fin Homes appoints Suresh Srinivasan Iyer as MD and CEO
- Suresh Srinivasan Iyer replaced Girish Kousgi as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Care Fin Homes.
- His tenure period is 3 years may further extended to 2 years.
- He was former Bandhan Bank Housing Finance head.
- Can Fin Homes Ltd, – 29/10/1987 (Founded) – Bengaluru (HQ) – Girish Kousgi (MD & CEO)
Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav sworn-in as Vice President of Nepal
- Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav replaces Nanda Bahadur Pun as 2nd Vice-President of Nepal.
- Nepal – Kathmandu (Capital) – Nepalese rupee (Currency) – Ram Chandra Poudel (President) – Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prime Minister) – Nepali (Language)
Awards and Recognitions
Bombay Jayashri chosen for Sangita Kalanidhi Award 2023 by Music Academy
- Renowned Carnatic vocalist and Padma Shri (2021) awardee Bombay Jayashri has been selected for the Sangita Kalanidhi award for 2023 by the Music Academy.
- Sangeetha Kalanidhi or Sangeeta Kalanidhi or Sangita Kalanidhi is the title awarded yearly to a Carnatic musician by the Madras Music Academy.
- The idea of the award was conceived in 1942 by the then Academy President KV Krishnaswami Iyer; and on 1 January 1943, all musicians who had presided over the annual conferences between 1929 and 1942 were awarded the title.
Sports News
Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
- 1st – Sergio Michel “Checo” Pérez Mendoza (Red Bull) – Mexican
- 2nd – Max Emilian Verstappen (Red Bull) – Dutch
- 3rd – Fernando Alonso Díaz (Aston Martin) – Spanish
Pankaj Advani retains Asian Billiards title
- Star Indian cueist Pankaj Advani retained his Asian Billiards title after defeating compatriot Brijesh Damani 5-1 in the final.
Bengaluru to host 2023 SAFF Championship
- All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Kalyan Chaubey announced that the 2023 South Asian Football Federation Championship (SAFF) will be hosted in Bengaluru from June 21 to July 3, 2023.
- This will be the 13th edition of the tournament, and India will be hosting it for the fourth time previously in 1999,2011 & 2015.
- Over the years, the Blue Tigers have asserted their dominance in the SAFF Championship, winning it eight times (1993,1997,1999,2005,2009,2011,2015,2021); the Maldives are the closest to India, having won the title twice.
- Kalyan Chaubey had won the SAFF Championship on two occasions with the Blue Tigers – 1999 in Goa, and 2005 in Karachi.
Varanasi to home UP’s Third International Cricket Venue
- Following Lucknow and Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh will now get its third international cricket stadium.
- The stadium will be constructed in Varanasi, which will begin in May-June of this year.
- Further, the construction of the stadium is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
ISSF World Cup Shooting Championship to begin at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh
- International Shooting Sports Federation- ISSF World Cup Shooting Championship is organised in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
- It is the 8th World Cup organised in India and the first international shooting tournament to be held outside New Delhi.
- Around 325 shooters from 33 countries and more than 75 technical officials will participate in the World Cup Shooting Championship.
- The Championship is being organized in collaboration with the Government of Madhya Pradesh and the Rifle Federation of India.
- The ISSF World Shooting Championships are governed by the International Shooting Sport Federation began in 1897.
- At Medal table India occupied 30th place with 21 medals (7 Gold,9 Silver,5 Bronze).
Important Days
ORDNANCE FACTORY DAY
- Ordnance Factory Day is observed on March 18, annually in India.
- The first Ordnance factory was set up by the British at Cossipore, Kolkata in 1801.
World Sparrow Day
- Every year on March 20 is celebrated as World Sparrow Day.
- 1st observed in 2010.
- Theme – “I Love Sparrows”
International Day of Happiness
- The General Assembly of the United Nations in its resolution 66/281 of 12 July 2012 proclaimed 20 March as the International Day of Happiness.
- 1st observed in 2013.
- Theme – “Be Mindful, Be Grateful, Be Kind.”
World Poetry Day
- World Poetry Day is celebrated on 21 March by UNESCO.
- 1st observed in 1999.
- Theme – “Always be a poet, even in prose”
World Down Syndrome Day
- World Forestry Day is observed on March 21 by United Nation General Assembly.
- 1st observed in 2012.
- Theme – “Forests and health”
World Forestry Day
- World Down Syndrome Day is observed annually on March 21 to create awareness about Down syndrome.
- It is a condition in which a child is born with an extra 21st chromosome.
- 1st observed in 2007.
- Theme – “With Us Not for Us”
Defence
India and Maldives review defence ties during 4th Defence Cooperation Dialogue at Male
- The 4th Defence Cooperation Dialogue between India and the Maldives was held in Male.
- The dialogue was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and his Maldivian counterpart Major General Abdulla Shamaal.
- 1st in 2016,2nd in 2019 and 3rd in 2022.
- Maldives – Male (Capital) – Maldivian rufiyaa (Currency) – Ibrahim Mohamed Solih (President) – Dhivehi (Language)
Daily Current Affairs - March 21, 2023 - Consolidated
- India can achieve energy independence by 2047, says US Energy Department study
- FM Nirmala Sitharaman says total amount of Central govt debt or liabilities is estimated at about RS 155.8 lakh crore as on 31st March, 2023
- Karnataka gives nod to 78 industrial projects worth Rs 5,298.69 crores investment
- Asia’s largest Tulip Garden opens for public at Srinagar in Jammu & Kashmir
- PSU banks gross NPA declines to 5.53%; earn total profit of Rs 70,167 crores in Apr-Dec FY23
- India, World Food Programme sign MoU during Global Millets Conference
- Care Fin Homes appoints Suresh Srinivasan Iyer as MD and CEO
- Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav sworn-in as Vice President of Nepal
- Bombay Jayashri chosen for Sangita Kalanidhi Award 2023 by Music Academy
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
- Pankaj Advani retains Asian Billiards title
- Bengaluru to host 2023 SAFF Championship
- Varanasi to home UP’s Third International Cricket Venue
- ISSF World Cup Shooting Championship to begin at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh
- ORDNANCE FACTORY DAY
- World Sparrow Day
- International Day of Happiness
- World Poetry Day
- World Down Syndrome Day
- World Forestry Day
- India and Maldives review defence ties during 4th Defence Cooperation Dialogue at Male
Daily Current Affairs - March , 2023
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