DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: Jan. 28, 2023

Arina Sabalenka won the Australian Open title

Tags: Sports Sports News

In the Australian Open 2023, Arina Sabalenka of Belarus has won the women's singles title by defeating Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan. Sabalenka has won a Grand title for the first time.

An overview of the news

• Sabalenka defeated Elena Rybakina 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 in the final match played at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on 28 January.

• Sabalenka has won the Grand Slam title for the first time, while Rybakina missed out on winning the Grand Slam for the second time.

• 22nd seed Rybakina won the Wimbledon title last year.

• It was Sabalenka's 11th win since the start of 2023, meaning the Belarusian player will now reach a career-best No. 2 ranking.

• Rybakina and Sabalenka met face to face for the fourth time in their tennis career. Earlier, there was a match between Rybakina and Sabalenka in the fourth round of the 2021 Wimbledon Championship.

• Sabalenka had won all the three matches before this.

NMDC signs up Champion Boxer Nikhat Zareen as its Brand Ambassador

Tags: Person in news

Hyderabad-based Navratna mining PSU NMDC, has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with World Boxing Champion and gold medal winner of Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games , Nikhat Zareen to represent NMDC as its brand ambassador.

An overview of the news

• The company has chosen to be represented by someone who has proven his commitment to bring laurels to the country.

• Nikhat Zareen represents the strength, courage, agility and national pride associated with the brand NMDC.

• Her commitment to bring glory to the nation resonates with company values. 

• Her personality is synonymous with the credibility and strong brand values of NMDC and this association will add to the overall brand of both the stakeholders.

Nikhat Zareen

• She won the gold medal at the women’s boxing world championships on May 20, 2022, in Istanbul, Turkey.

• She became the fifth Indian woman to win a boxing world championships gold medal.

• She joins an elite list of Indian boxers, including Mary Kom, Sarita Devi, Jenny RL and Lekha KC, who have become world champions.

• She was born on June 14, 1996, in Nizamabad, Telangana.

Medal won by Nikhat Zareen

• Gold medal : World Boxing Championships 2022, Istanbul

• Gold medal : Commonwealth Games 2022, Birmingham

• Bronze medal : Asian Boxing Championships 2019, Bangkok

• Gold medal : Women’s Junior and Youth World Boxing Championships, Istanbul

• Silver medal : Youth World Boxing Championships 2013, Albena

UN General Assembly president to visit India from Jan 29-31

Tags: International Relations International News

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President Saba Korosi will visit India from January 29-31 to discuss multilateral and regional issues.

An overview of the news

• Korosi, Hungarian diplomat who served as his country's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, is visiting India at the invitation of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

• He became the President of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2022.

• Besides holding talks with Jaishankar on key multilateral and regional issues of mutual interest, Korosi will hold talks with senior officials of NITI Aayog and India's G20 Presidency team.

• On January 30, Korosi will deliver a public speech at the Indian Council of World Affairs on the topic "Solidarity, Sustainability and Solutions through Science at the United Nations".

• He will also attend the "Beating the Retreat" ceremony on January 29 and pay floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat on January 30 on the occasion of Martyrs' Day.

• On January 31, Korosi will travel to Bengaluru, which will include an interaction with scientists from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and a field visit to an IISc-led water conservation project.

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

• It is the United Nation’s chief policy-making and representative organ and was created in 1945.

• It is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN).

• It serves as the main deliberative, policy making and representative organ of the United Nations.

• Its powers, structure, functions and procedures are set out in Chapter IV of the United Nations Charter.

• Its main functions are to prepare the budget of the United Nations, appoint non-permanent members to the Security Council, appoint the Secretary-General of the United Nations, receive reports from other parts of the United Nations system, and make recommendations through resolutions.

Govt renames Delhi's Mughal Gardens as 'Amrit Udyan'

Tags: National News

The Central government on 28 January renamed the Mughal Gardens in New Delhi's Rashtrapati Bhavan as 'Amrit Udyan'.

An overview of the news

• In keeping with the theme of 'Amrit Mahotsav' to commemorate 75 years of India's independence, the Union Government has renamed the Mughal Gardens as Amrit Udyan.

• On the occasion of 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav', the President of India has given a common name to Rashtrapati Bhavan Gardens as Amrit Udyan.

• The Central Government had last year renamed Delhi’s iconic Rajpath as “Kartavya Path”. 

• Rashtrapati Bhavan has a rich variety of gardens. Basically, they include East Lawn, Central Lawn, Long Garden and Circular Garden.

• This time the gardens (Herbal Garden, Bonsai Garden, Central Lawn, Long Garden and Circular Garden) will remain open for about two months.

• The gardens will open for the general public on January 31, 2023 and will remain open till March 26, 2023, except on Mondays. 

About Mughal Gardens

• The Mughal Gardens were designed by Edwin Lutyens in 1917, and the first saplings were planted in 1928–1929.

• Like the Rashtrapati Bhavan building, which has two different styles of architecture, Indian and Western.

• Lutyens brought together two different horticultural traditions, the Mughal style and the English flower garden, for the gardens.

• More gardens namely Herbal-I, Herbal-II, Tactile Garden, Bonsai Garden and Arogya Vanam were developed during the tenure of former Presidents Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and Ram Nath Kovind.

Khadi Fest-23 inaugurated in Mumbai

Tags: Festivals National News

Manoj Kumar, Chairman, Khadi and Village Industries Commission, inaugurated the Khadi Fest- 23 which will run from January 27 to February 24, 2023 at the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Headquarters in Mumbai. 

An overview of the news

• Events and exhibitions like Khadi Fest, Khadi Institutions, Prime Minister's Employment Generation Program - PMEGP and Fund Scheme for Regeneration of Traditional Industries - SFURTI units provide a platform to bring thousands of artisan products directly to the customers.

• The fest will showcase apparel made of Khadi, Pashmina, Kalamkari, Phulkari,  Tussar silk, etc while Dry-fruits, Tea, Kahwa, Honey, Bamboo Products, Carpets, Aloe Vera Products and others will be up for sale.

• On 2 October this year, Khadi India's Delhi outlet created an all-time record of selling Khadi worth Rs 1.34 crore in a single day.

• Last year, there was a record sale of one lakh fifteen thousand crore rupees of Khadi and village industry items.

• Apart from this, the Khadi Fest-2022 held on 3rd October registered a sale of Rs.3.03 crore.

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)

• The Khadi Village Industries Commission was established in 1957 under the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act 1956.

• It is under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

• It is responsible, along with other agencies, for the planning, promotion, organisation and implementation of programs for the development of Khadi and other village industries in rural areas.

• KVIC Chairman: Manoj Kumar

Startup-20's two-day inception meeting begins in Hyderabad

Tags: Economy/Finance National News

A two-day inception meeting of the Startup-20, the new engagement group of G-20 initiated by India, has begun in Hyderabad on 28 January. 

An overview of the news

• Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy, G-20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, Startup-20 President Chintan Vaishnav, JS Ashish Sinha from G-20 Secretariat and around 180 delegates from G-20 participated.

• As part of India's G20 presidency, a number of meetings and events will be held at various places across the country.

• It will provide a common platform to startups from G20 member countries to discuss a range of issues related to their establishment and operations.

• It aims to bridge the knowledge gap in the startup ecosystem economies of the member countries.

• This will help the government to make startup friendly policies.

About Startup -20

• Startup 20 is an important working group in the context of the need to generate more entrepreneurs for a growing economy.

• Startup 20 is based on three distinct pillars which include Foundations and Alliances, Finance and Inclusivity and Sustainability.

• The main objective of Startup 20 is to create a conducive environment for startups by increasing synergy between startups, corporates, investors, innovation agencies and other key ecosystem stakeholders.

• With its rich background of culture of innovation, Hyderabad is an ideal location for the inception ceremony of Startup 20 of G20 group.

• Startup 20 activities will include five events including Inception Meet, Summit and three other intervention events in different parts of India.

• Startup 20 Summit will be held in Gurugram from 3rd July.

Luminous to build India's first green solar panel factory in Uttarakhand

Tags: National News

Luminous Power Technologies on 27 January announced its plan to build the country's first green energy-based solar panel manufacturing factory in Uttarakhand.

An overview of the news

• The new manufacturing plant located in Rudrapur is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2023.

• This state-of-the-art facility will be equipped with the latest technology to design and produce high quality solar panels that will be used for both residential and commercial applications.

• Spread over 4.5 lakh sq ft/10 acres, the facility will help enable a solar generation capacity of 500 MW per annum, which can be scaled up to 1 GW.

• It will produce a range of solar panels with power output from 40W to 600W.

• The plant has been certified as a green facility by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) and will reduce CO2 emissions by over 70 million tonnes per year.

• This solar panel facility is completely robotic and will harness energy from 100 percent solar power.

Monument Mitra Scheme

Tags: Government Schemes Latest

The Culture Ministry will launch a new version of the Monument  Mitra scheme by partnering with private industries for the maintenance of one thousand ASI monuments.

An overview of the news

• The revised scheme will be based on the Corporate Social Responsibility model and a new website with the names of all the heritage sites will also be launched.

Monument friend scheme

• The Monument Mitra scheme was launched under the Ministry of Tourism.

• Recently the Monument Mitra scheme was shifted from Ministry of Tourism to Ministry of Culture.

• The objective of the project is to develop monuments, heritage and tourist places across India by inviting corporate entities, public sector companies or individuals to 'adopt' them.

Other initiatives of the government related to heritage conservation:

• National Mission for Monuments and Antiquities, 2007

• Adopt Heritage: Your Heritage, Your Identity Project

• Project Mausam

Coal India Ltd to Launch M-Sand Projects in a Big Way

Tags: Economy/Finance National News

With a focus on cost-effective and high-quality sand production, Coal India Limited's subsidiaries will commission five M-Sand (sand) plants by 2024.

An overview of the news

• Sand is classified as a "minor mineral" under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.

• Administrative control of minor minerals rests with the state governments and is regulated through state specific rules.

• Due to high demand, regular supply and complete ban on sand mining to protect the river ecosystem during monsoon, it has become very necessary to find an alternative to river sand.

• The 'Sand Mining Framework' (2018) prepared by the Ministry of Mines envisages alternative sources of sand obtained in the form of sand (M-Sand) manufactured from crushed rock fines (crusher dust) from overburden (OB) of coal mines .

• During 'opencast mining', the top soil and rocks are removed as waste and the broken rock (overburden or OB) is dumped in the dump to extract the coal.

What is M-sand?

• It is a form of artificial sand, which is made by crushing hard stones, mainly rocks or granite, into fine particles, which are then washed and pulverized.

• It is widely used as a substitute for river sand for construction purposes, mostly in the production of concrete and mortar mixes.

Advantages of M-sand 

• Using manufactured sand is more economical than using natural sand, as it can be produced in large quantities at a lower cost.

• This sand can have a uniform grain size, which can be beneficial for construction projects that require a specific type of sand.

• The use of manufactured sand reduces the need for mining natural sand. The mining of natural sand has negative environmental impacts.

• Its use can help reduce the amount of water needed for construction projects, as it does not need to be washed before use.

• Manufactured sand is more granular and has a rougher surface, making it more practical for construction projects.

Signing of MoU on Cultural Cooperation between the Government of India and the Government of Egypt

Tags: International Relations

India's Ministry of Culture signed an MoU with the Government of Egypt to strengthen cultural ties.

An overview of the news

• The MoU was signed by the Culture Minister of India, Shri G. Kishan Reddy and the Foreign Minister of Egypt, Shri Sameh Hassan Shoukry, in the presence of the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi and the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El Sisi.

• This MoU has been signed for a period of five years.

• Under the aegis of the MoU on Cultural Cooperation signed between India and Egypt, both the countries will host cultural activities in the fields of music, dance, theatre, literature, libraries, organising festivals in the respective countries, research and documentation etc.

About Egypt

• Egypt is a country located in North Africa.

• Egypt is home to famous monuments such as the Giza Pyramid Complex. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Pyramids of Giza are located on the banks of the Nile River. The Great Pyramid of Giza was built in 2560 BC.

• Capital - Cairo

• President – Abdel Fattah el-Sisi

• Currency - Egyptian pound

Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) launches “Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0”

Tags: Economy/Finance National News

Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) launched “Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0”- A District Outreach Program for expanding its presence in more than 685 districts of the country on 27 January.

An overview of the news

• It was e-launched by Arti Ahuja, Secretary (Ministry of Labour & Employment) from the EPFO Headquarters, in the presence of Central Provident Fund Commissioner (CPFC) and officers of EPFO. 

• It is a massive district outreach program in all the districts of the country through Nidhi Aapke Nikat program.

• The objective of this program is to reach all the districts of the country on the same day i.e. 27th of every month. EPFO has organised camps in 685 districts of the country.

About EPFO

• Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is a statutory organisation  set up under the Union  ministry of Labour and Employment was set up in 1951 by an Ordinance issued by the President. 

• Later Parliament passed the Employees' Provident Funds Scheme, act 1952.  

• It is the country’s largest social security organisation.

• EPFO assists the Central Board of Trustees in the administration of a provident fund scheme, pension scheme and an insurance scheme for the registered establishments in India. 

'She Feeds the World' program

Tags: National News

The 'She Feeds the World' program has been launched by PepsiCo and CARE in India.

An overview of the news

• The program will be initially implemented in Coochbehar and Alipurduar districts of West Bengal.

• Through this program, PepsiCo and CARE aim to improve the status of over 48,000 women. More than 1.5 million people of West Bengal will benefit from this program.

• The main objective of this program is to increase crop yield, increase income of women of BPL families, ensure access to healthy and balanced diet as well as provide training to women on sustainable agriculture.

• Women will be empowered in the agriculture sector through the programme, which will primarily focus on small-scale women producers.

• In developing countries, women make up about half the number of men in agricultural work and work 13 hours more per week than men.

• Research shows that if women farmers are given the same access to resources as men, they can increase their farm yields by 20-30 percent, potentially reducing the number of hungry people in the world by 150 million can be reduced.

Data Privacy Day

Tags: Important Days

Data Privacy Day is observed across the world on 28 January every year.

An overview of the news

• This year's theme is "Think Privacy First".

• The primary objective of organising this day is to sensitise the general public about data privacy and promote the dissemination of privacy practices and principles.

• The day encourages all stakeholders to fulfil their responsibility to develop a culture of privacy.

Efforts made to ensure data privacy and security in India

• Right to privacy was upheld as a fundamental right by the Supreme Court in KS Puttaswamy vs Union of India in 2017, following which the central government appointed a Justice BN Srikrishna committee to propose legislation to discipline data protection Was.

• The committee submitted its report and draft to the government in the form of the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2018.

• It was amended by the Parliament in the year 2019 and this new bill was named as 'The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019'.

Security measures available on apps like WhatsApp

• Two-Step Verification: This provides an additional layer of security to their end-to-end encrypted messaging account.

• Touch ID or Face ID Lock: This feature is available in various types of phones manufactured by Apple, Samsung, Google etc. Some phones also offer an under-screen fingerprint sensor, which uses ultrasound to image the fingerprint.

• Forward Limit: Applications like WhatsApp have set a limit of forwarding messages on five chats at a time. Thus, it restricts the exchange of information and prohibits the spread of misinformation.