DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: Jan. 16, 2023

Rajnath Singh launches ‘Soul of Steel’ Alpine Challenge

Tags: Defence National News

To promote tourism in border areas, the defence minister Rajnath Singh launched the “Soul of Steel" Alpine Challenge on 14 January.

An overview of the news

• Rajnath Singh also flagged off the 460 km long car rally 'Road to the End', a joint operation by the Indian Army and CLAW.

• The rally will reach its destination in the Garhwal Himalayas near Niti village in Chamoli district in the next three days.

• A team of Indian Special Forces veterans with multiple expertise in CLAW, mountaineering, skydiving, SCUBA diving, unarmed combat, multi-terrain survival techniques and emergency medical response will lead the challenge.

About ‘Soul of Steel’ challenge

• It will test the high altitude endurance of an individual and will initially feature 12 Indian participants and six international teams between the ages of 18 and 30.

• This challenge will run for three months.

• It is being organised by CLAW Global, a conglomerate of giants.

• The Indian Army is supporting the adventure challenge.

• It is modelled on the lines of the 'Ironman Triathlon', a long distance triathlon held in Europe that tests a person's physical abilities.

• The initiative aims to enable life skills training and youth development.

• This is also expected to give a boost to the global promotion of adventure tourism in Uttarakhand.

Piyush Goyal launched MAARG portal for startup mentorship

Tags: Economy/Finance National News

Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal launched the MAARG platform (Mentorship, Advisory, Assistance, Resilience, and Growth) on 16 January.

An overview of the news

• The portal would facilitate mentorship between startups and entrepreneurs across sectors, stages, and functions.

• It will allow startups to connect with mentors and discuss their mentorship needs.

• Startups can connect with academics, industry experts, successful founders, seasoned investors and others to receive personalised mentorship, clarity and practical advice on growth strategy.

Objectives of the MAARG Portal

• To provide guidance and support to startups throughout their life cycle.

• To establish a formal and structured platform that facilitates matchmaking between mentors and startups at large across diverse sectors.

• Establishing a result-oriented mechanism that allows tracking of the progress of the mentor-startup engagement.

Key Functions of MAARG Portal

• Tracking mentor and startup interactions to deliver impact.

• Enabling video calls and communication through the platform.

• Mobile friendly interface for ease of use.

• Communicate recognition and benefits of mentor contributions.

• Facilitate ecosystem supporters to host friendly events.

• Providing feedback, query and complaint mechanism.

Maghi Mela Festival

Tags: Festivals State News

Maghi Mela festival is being celebrated from January 14 in Punjab.

An overview of the news

• The Maghi Mela has been celebrated in the city of Sri Muktsar Sahib in Punjab for centuries in memory of the 40 Sikh warriors who died fighting the Mughals in the Battle of Khidrana in 1705.

• It was only after this war that Khidrana was named Muktsar or Mukti Kund.

About Maghi Mela

• Maghi Mela is held every year in the holy city of Sri Muktsar Sahib in January or in the month of Magh as per Nanakshahi calendar.

• It is one of the most important festivals of Sikhs.

• The festival marks the martyrdom of 40 Sikh soldiers fighting against the Mughals.

• In the 1700s, the Mughals and the Sikhs were at constant war with each other.

• The Khidrana War began when in 1704, during the siege of Anandpur Sahib by the Mughals, 40 Sikh soldiers deserted their posts.

About Battle of Khidrana

• In 1704, during the siege of Anandpur Sahib by the Mughals, 40 Sikh soldiers abandoned their posts and fled.

• On reaching their village near Amritsar, a woman named Mai Bhago scolded them and challenged the fighters to return to Anandpur Sahib in the service of their guru.

• With Mai Bhago the freshly inspired soldiers marched towards Anandpur Sahib to help Guru Gobind Singh.

• He met Guru Gobind Singh at Khidrana where he came face to face with the Mughal army and sacrificed his life in the process.

Rajasthan becomes first state to implement blindness control policy

Tags: State News

The Rajasthan Government implemented the Blindness Control Policy on 13th January. Rajasthan is the 'first state' in the country to implement this policy with the objective of 'right to sight vision'.

An overview of the news

• This is an innovative initiative by the Medical and Health Department of the state in the direction of realising the vision of a healthy Rajasthan in the state.

• On the directions of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, the document of the policy on prevention of blindness was made public by the Medical and Health Department.

• The policy has been implemented with the aim of bringing light to the lives of more than three lakh visually impaired people in the state.

• The blindness prevalence rate in the country in the year 2020 was 1.1 percent, which will be worked towards bringing it down to 0.3 percent through the 'Right to Sight Vision' policy.

• Under this policy of the State Government, Keratoplasty Center and Eye Bank will be compulsorily operated in all Government Medical Colleges.

• Cornea collected by private organisations and NGOs receiving financial assistance under this policy will be made available to government institutions on priority.

• Under the policy, efforts will be made in collaboration with voluntary organisations, trusts, hospitals and other charitable organisations working in this field in the districts.

• A large-scale campaign for eye donation will be launched by taking private organisations along.

• Special training will be given to eye specialists, eye surgeons, postgraduate students, counsellors and eye assistants working for eye donation.

America's R Bonnie Gabriel became Miss Universe 2022

Tags: Awards

America's R'Bonnie Gabriel won the Miss Universe 2022 title at the 71st Miss Universe pageant.

• Amanda Dudamel of Venezuela was declared the first runner up while Anderina Martinez of Dominican Republic became the second runner up.

• R Bonnie Gabriel, 28, is a model, fashion designer and sewing instructor. She is the first American of Filipino descent to win Miss USA.

• The pageant saw 84 women from around the world compete for the crown.

• Divita Rai took part from India, who could only reach the semi-finals.

• The 71st Miss Universe pageant was held in the city of New Orleans in the US state of Louisiana.

• India's Harnaaz Sandhu was crowned Miss Universe 2021, the third Indian to win the crown after Sushmita Sen (1994) and Lara Dutta (2000).

• The Miss Universe pageant was founded in 1952 by Pacific Mills, a California-based textile company.

• The first Miss Universe pageant was held in 1952 in Long Beach, California.

• Armi Kuusela of Finland won the first Miss Universe title.

National Startup Day 2023

Tags: Important Days

In order to promote and encourage new businesses in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on 15 January 2022 that every year 16 January will be celebrated as 'National Startup Day'.

An Overview of the news

• In the year 2022, India celebrated the first 'National Startup Day'.

• No specific theme has yet been chosen for the celebration of this day.

• This year, as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, several events were organised at over 75 locations in the country with an aim to foster the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation by involving the startup community.

• These range from dedicated workshops for women entrepreneurs, training for incubators, and mentorship workshops to stakeholder round tables, capacity building workshops, startup pitching sessions, etc.

• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry have organised 'Startup India Innovation Week' from January 10 to 16.

Startup India Innovation Week 2023

Tags: Economy/Finance Important Days National News

The 'Startup India Innovation Week' was organised by the 'Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade' (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry from January 10 to 16, 2023. 'National Startup Day' is also celebrated on 16 January.

An Overview of the news

• The main objective of organising the Startup India Innovation Week is to engage the stakeholders of the startup ecosystem in the country and to foster the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation in India.

• In this, knowledge sharing sessions are organised for entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs. 

• The sessions also included stakeholders from the startup ecosystem such as government officials, incubators, corporates and investors.

• As a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, various startup related events were organised at more than 75 locations across the country to foster the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation by engaging the startup community across the country.

• These include dedicated workshops for women entrepreneurs, training of incubators, mentoring workshops, capacity building workshops, startup pitching sessions, etc.

National Startup Awards

• To celebrate the National Startup Day, DPIIT organised a felicitation ceremony for the winners of the National Startup Awards, 2022 on January 16. 

• The felicitation ceremony recognized and rewarded the excellence displayed by startups and ecosystem enablers across various sectors, sub-sectors and categories.

World's 3rd Startup Ecosystem in India

• In the last few years, India has emerged as a 'hotspot' for startups. India has the third largest startup ecosystem in the world with 108 unicorns.

• There were 471 startups in the country in 2016, which increased to 86,456 in 2023. There has been an astonishing growth of over 15,000% in the number of startups in India in 6 years. 

• There were more than 100 unicorns in the country as of 5 May 2022, with a total valuation of $332.7 billion.

Startup India Programme

• The Startup India campaign was launched on 16 January 2016. DPIIT has recognized more than 75 thousand startups to coincide with the 75th year of independence.

• DPIIT under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry recently launched the MAARG portal.

• In this portal one can get an opportunity to connect with experts, industry experts, successful startup founders, investors as well as world class mentors and experts.

• In addition, under India's G20 chairmanship, Startup20 Engagement Group has been established. The establishment of Startup20 Engagement Group will encourage innovations and recognize the role of startups in the changing global landscape.

SPIC MACAY and Ministry of Culture collaborates for 'Music in the Park' series under “Shruti Amrut”

Tags: National News

SPIC MACAY organizes its very popular 'Music in the Park' series this year under the name “Shruti Amrut” in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the New Delhi Municipal Council. 

An overview of the news

• In this series, the first event of 2023 was held on 15 January in Nehru Park, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.

• The concert began with a sarod performance by Aman Ali Bangash, the 7th generation musician of the Senia Bangash Gharana. Accompanied by Anubrata Chatterjee (tabla) and Abhishek Mishra (tabla).

• This was followed by a Hindustani recital by Padma Bhushan Begum Parveen Sultana of Patiala Gharana, accompanied by Akram Khan (Tabla), Srinivas Acharya (Harmonium) and Shadab Sultana (Vocals).

About SPIC MACAY

• SPIC MACAY (Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture among Youth) is a non-political, nationwide, voluntary organization.

• It was founded in 1977 by Dr. Kiran Seth, Professor-Emeritus at IIT-Delhi, who was awarded the 'Padma Shri' in 2009 for his contribution to the arts.

• It enriches the quality of formal education by raising awareness about various aspects of Indian heritage and inspiring young minds to imbibe the values inherent in it.

• In 2011, SPIC MACAY was awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Award for its contribution to youth development.

Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu Festival

Tags: Festivals State News

Union Minister of Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal on 15 January burn the traditional Assamese Meji (bonfire) in Guwahati as part of the Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu celebration.

About Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu Festival

• Bhogali Bihu which is also known as Magh Bihu is being celebrated in every province in Assam with great enthusiasm. 

• This is a festival of farmers. It is celebrated in the month of 'Magha' in the middle of January.

• After the annual harvest, it is celebrated with community feasts.

• The main attraction of this festival is food. The night before 'Bhogali Bihu' which falls on 15th January is called 'Uruka' which means the night of feasts.

• The villagers build bamboo huts called 'Bhelaghor' or community kitchen where they start with the preparations for the festival.

• Various dishes made from sesame, jaggery (black syrup from sugarcane) and coconut along with vegetables, meat and sweets like pitha and laru are made to celebrate this festival.

• This festival is celebrated for a week. It is celebrated by singing, dancing, feasting and bonfires.

• As per the customs of the festival, people eat the food prepared for the feast at Bhelaghar and then burn the huts the next morning.

• The Sun God is worshiped on this day in different parts of India in the form of various festivals such as Pongal (Tamil Nadu), Maghi (Punjab) and Uttarayan (Gujarat).

Annual Meeting of World Economic Forum begins at Davos in Switzerland

Tags: Summits International News

The five-day annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) begins on 16 January 2023 in Davos, Switzerland. It is the 53rd edition of the World Economic Forum which will be organised till 20 January 2023.

An Overview of the news

• The theme of the meeting of the 53rd edition of the World Economic Forum is 'Cooperation in a Fragmented World'.

• The main topics of discussion in the meeting are likely to be discussed like the Ukraine crisis, global inflation, climate change etc.

Prominent global leaders participating in the meeting

• Global leaders attending the meeting include European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, South African President Cyril M. Ramaphosa, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yol, Swiss President Alain Berset and Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin etc. are the main ones.

Representation of India in the meeting

• Many Indian leaders are participating in the World Economic Forum meeting. Apart from Chief Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnav, Mansukh Mandaviya, Smriti Irani and RK Singh, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is also participating in these.

• Prominent business tycoons like Gautam Adani, Sanjiv Bajaj, Kumar Mangalam Birla, N Chandrasekaran, Nadir Godrej, Sajjan Jindal, Sunil Mittal, Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Nandan Nilekani, Adar Poonawalla, Rishad Premji attended the meeting.

World Economic Forum (WEF)

• WEF is a Swiss non-profit organisation.

• Establishment: 1971

• Headquarters: Cologny (Switzerland).

• Founder and Executive Chairman: Klaus Schwab.

• Chairperson: Borge Brende

Major reports published by WEF

• Global Gender Gap Report

• Global Risk Report

• Global Travel and Tourism Report

• Energy Transition Index (ETI)

• Global Competitiveness Report

India’s Anahat Singh Wins Girls’ U-15 Title in British Junior Open

Tags: Sports Sports News

India's Anahat Singh won the Girls Under-15 squash title at one of the most prestigious tournaments of the season, the British Junior Open, in Birmingham, UK.

An overview of the news

• Delhi's Anahat Singh defeated Egypt's Sohela Hazem 3-1 in the final.

• The British Junior Open is held every year in January in the UK where all the best players from around the world compete to win the coveted title.

• The win makes Anahat the most successful Indian player in the British Junior Open.

• It was her third final in the world's most prestigious squash tournament.

• Anahat, who represented India at the Commonwealth Games in August 2022, has reached the finals in all three of her appearances at the British Junior Open.

• She has won two gold medals and one silver in three appearances which is the highest medal tally by any Indian in the British Junior Open across all categories.

• She has also won the Scottish Junior Open to be held in Edinburgh, Scotland from December 28-30, 2022 in Girls Under-17 categories.

Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni won Bangkok Open tennis title

Tags: Sports Sports News

Top seeded Indian pair of Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni won the Bangkok Open title. This is their sixth title together on the ATP Challenger Tour.

An overview of the news

• Bhambri-Saket, playing their seventh final as a pair, beat Indonesian Christopher Rungkat and Australian Akira Santillan 2-6, 7-6, 14-12.

• The match between the two pairs lasted for one hour and 50 minutes.

• Last year, the Indian pair made it to six Challenger finals and won five of them.

• With this win, the 28-year-old Yuki can achieve a career-best ATP ranking of 90 in doubles, while the 35-year-old Saketh can move up to 74.

• They will next compete at the Australian Open—the first Grand Slam of the season—where he has been given a wild card entry.

Entire country to be covered by doppler weather radar network by 2025

Tags: Science and Technology National News

Union Minister of State for Earth Sciences, Dr Jitendra Singh on 15 January informed that by 2025, the entire country will be covered by Doppler weather radar network so that extreme weather events can be predicted more accurately.

An overview of the news

• The accuracy of the meteorological department's forecast regarding severe weather has improved by about 40 per cent in the last eight to nine years.

• In this sequence, by 2025, there will be a Doppler radar network across the country. The number of Doppler radars in the country has increased from 15 in 2013 to 37 in 2023.

• India will set up 25 more radars in the next two to three years, taking the number to 62.

• Speaking on the occasion of the 148th Foundation Day of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minister said with the improvement in forecasting, the disaster-related death rate has come down to single digit.

• IMD commissioned four Doppler Weather Radars (DWRs) in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir. This will strengthen the weather monitoring capabilities in the Western Himalayan region.

• These were installed at Surkanda Devi in Uttarakhand, Jot and Murari Devi in Himachal and Banihal Top in Jammu and Kashmir.

What is Doppler Weather Radar?

• It is a special type of radar that uses the Doppler effect to generate velocity data about objects at a distance.

• It is designed to improve accuracy in long range weather forecasting and monitoring using a parabolic dish antenna and a foam sandwich spherical radome.

What is Radar (Radio Detection and Ranging)?

• It is a device that uses electromagnetic waves in the microwave region to detect the location, height, intensity, and speed of moving and non-moving objects.

What is the Doppler effect?

• It refers to the change in wave frequency during the relative motion between a wave source and its observer. 

• It was discovered by Johann Doppler, who described it as a process of increasing or decreasing the luminosity of stars depending on the relative motion of the star.

Rajamouli's film 'RRR' wins Critics' Choice Award for Best Song

Tags: Awards

SS Rajamouli's film 'RRR' won the 28th Critics' Choice Awards 2023 for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Song.

• The film 'Rise, Roar, Revolt' ie RRR recently received the Golden Globe Award for the song 'Naatu Naatu'.

• The film also won the Critics' Choice Award for Best Song for the song 'Naatu Naatu'.

• For Best Song, 'RRR' was up against 'Where the Crowded Sing', 'Guilmeri del Toro Pinocchio', 'Top Gun: Maverick', 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' and 'White Noise'.

• RRR won the Best Foreign Language Film award beating films like 'All Quiet on the Western Front', 'Argentina 1985', 'Bardo', 'False Chronicle of a Dumpful of Truths', 'Close' and 'Decision to Leave'.

• Movie 'RRR'

• 'RRR' directed by SS Rajamouli is based on nationalism and brotherhood.

• It stars famous actors Ram Charan and Jr. NTR in lead roles.

• The film is based on the lives of real-life Indian revolutionaries Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem.

• The song 'Naatu Naatu' is composed by MM Keeravani and sung by Kaal Bhairav and Rahul Sipligunj.

India’s richest 1% own more than 40% of total wealth: Oxfam

Tags: Reports

According to a recent report by Oxfam International, more than 40 percent of India's total wealth is held by just one percent of the country's richest people, while 50 percent of the population has only three percent of the country's total wealth.

News Overview

• According to the report, from the beginning of the Corona epidemic in the country to November 2022, the wealth of the country's billionaires has increased by 121 percent.

• The total number of billionaires in the country has increased from 102 in 2020 to 166 in 2022.

• According to the report, the total wealth of the 100 richest people of India has increased to US$ 660 billion i.e. about Rs 54.12 lakh crore.

• According to the report, the contribution of the richest 10 percent of the country's 10 percent of the country's richest people was just 3 percent of the Rs 14.83 lakh crore collected through Goods and Services Tax (GST) during 2021-22.

• While about 64 percent contribution in this has been given by the people coming from the weakest 50 percent sections of the country in terms of economic status.

• Oxfam International said that a 5 percent tax on India's ten richest people could provide enough money to get children back to school.

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal hands over 9th to 10th century Nataraja idol to Archaeological Department official in Chittorgarh Fort

Tags: place in news National News

Union Minister of State for Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal has handed over the 9th to 10th century Nataraja statue to the Archaeological Department of Chittorgarh Fort, Rajasthan.

• The statue, which dates back to the 9th to 10th centuries, was stolen from the Shiva temple at Badoli in Chittorgarh district in 1998 and sold to a museum in London.

• After a long legal process, in the year 2020, it was successful in bringing this statue to India from a private museum in London.

• Now this statue will be kept under the protection of the Archaeological Survey Department in Kumbha Mahal.

• From the year 2014 till now, 229 idols of ancient importance have been brought back to India by the Government of India.

• On this occasion, the Union Minister of State for Culture, Arjun Ram Meghwal has also assured the construction of a ropeway on the Chittorgarh Fort and to connect Chittorgarh with the Bharatmala Yojana.

• Chittorgarh Fort

• Chittorgarh fort is the largest fort in India. It is located in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan.

• Chittor was the capital of Mewar.

• Chittor Fort was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 21 June 2013.

• This fort was built by the Mauryan dynasty king Chitrangad Maurya in the seventh century.

Virat Kohli became the fifth highest run scorer in ODI cricket

Tags: Sports News

During the third match of the series played against Sri Lanka, India's legendary batsman Virat Kohli has overtaken Mahela Jayawardene to become the fifth highest run-getter in ODI cricket.

• In the third ODI, Virat surpassed Mahela Jayawardene in the matter of scoring the most runs in ODI cricket as soon as he touched the figure of 62 runs.

• In the third ODI against Sri Lanka, Kohli scored an unbeaten 166 off 110 balls, in which many records were in his name.

• In ODI format, Kohli has scored 12754 runs in 268 matches, in which he has scored 46 centuries and 64 half-centuries.

• Top-5 players who scored the most runs in ODI cricket

• Sachin Tendulkar - 463 matches, 18426 runs

• Kumar Sangakkara - 404 matches, 14234 runs

• Ricky Ponting - 375 matches, 13704 runs

• Sanath Jayasuriya - 445 matches, 13430 runs

• Virat Kohli - 268 matches, 12754 runs

• Virat's other achievements -

• Kohli Kohli has become the player with the most number of centuries against a single team in the history of ODI cricket. He has scored 10 centuries against Sri Lanka.

• Virat Kohli has become the player with the highest number of centuries in ODIs on his home soil. Virat Kohli left Sachin Tendulkar behind in this matter, whose name has recorded a total of 20 centuries on Indian soil.

• Virat Kohli has come third in the list of batsmen who have scored the most runs at home in ODI cricket. He left behind Kallis of South Africa in this matter. In this case only Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar are ahead of Kohli.

NTPC REL signs MoU with Government of Tripura for cooperation in renewable energy development

Tags: State News

On January 16, 2023 NTPC Renewable Energy Limited (NTPC REL) in New Delhi signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Tripura for development of floating and ground mounted based renewable energy projects in the state.

• The MoU was signed by Rajeev Gupta, Chief General Manager, on behalf of NTPC REL and Shri Mahanand Debbarma, Director General & CEO, Renewable Energy Development Agency, on behalf of Tripura.

• This MoU will play a vital role in the development of large scale renewable energy projects in Tripura and will help the Government of Tripura to fulfill its clean energy commitments and obligations.

• About Tripura

• Capital - Agartala

• Governor - Satyadev Narayan Arya

• Chief Minister - Manik Shah

• State Bird - Green Imperial Pigeon (Ducula aenia)

• State Tree - Agar (Aquilaria malaccensis)

• State Flower - Nageshwar (Mesua Feria)

• Borders - Bangladesh, Mizoram and Assam.

India registers biggest win in ODI history against Sri Lanka

Tags: Sports News

India beat Sri Lanka by 317 runs in the third ODI at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram to register the biggest win by runs in ODI history.

• Batting first in this match, India scored 390 runs in 50 overs losing five wickets. In response, the Sri Lankan team could only manage 73 runs in 22 overs.

• India also made a clean sweep of Sri Lanka 3-0 in the 3-match series.

• Earlier this record was in the name of New Zealand who defeated Ireland by 290 runs in 2008.

• Earlier, the biggest win of the Indian team was 257 runs, which they achieved against Bermuda in 2007.

• ODI history top-5 biggest win