1. IndusInd Bank signs co-financing loan agreement with Citibank and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
Tags: Economy/Finance National News
IndusInd Bank signed a co-financing loan agreement with Citibank and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for a funding line of $125 million.
An Overview of the News
The funding line will be used by IndusInd Bank to provide credit to the agriculture sector.
The co-financing includes JPY 13 billion (about $97.45 million) from JICA and a $30 million loan from Citibank to IndusInd Bank.
The collaboration between the three entities aims to support the development of the agriculture sector in India by providing financial support to farmers and other related businesses.
IndusInd Bank is a leading private sector bank in India with a strong presence in retail banking, corporate banking and treasury operations.
About IndusInd Bank
It is a leading financial services company in India, headquartered in Mumbai.
The Bank offers a variety of commercial, transactional and electronic banking services to meet the needs of a wide variety of customers. These include savings and current accounts, loans, credit cards, insurance and investment options.
IndusInd Bank was inaugurated in April 1994 by the then Union Finance Minister Manmohan Singh.
The present Chairman of the Board of IndusInd Bank is Arun Tiwari.
The tagline of the bank is "We Care Dil Se, We Make You Feel Richer".
About Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
Formation - 1 October 2003
Type - Corporate Administrative Agency
Purpose - Official Development Assistance
Headquarters - Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
Service Area - Worldwide
Official language - Japanese, English (secondary)
President - Akihiko Tanaka
Affiliation - Development Assistance Committee
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
About Citibank
Establishment - 16 June 1812
Founder - Samuel Osgood
Headquarters - New York, New York, United States
2. Central Bureau of Narcotics launches Unified Portal
Tags: National News
The Central Bureau of Narcotics launched the Unified Portal on 11th April and the portal was inaugurated by Shri Sanjay Malhotra, Revenue Secretary.
An Overviews of the News
- The portal has been launched towards strengthening the vision of Digital India during the period of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'.
- This portal is a one-stop solution for licensing and ExIM authorizations issued by the Bureau.
- The portal is designed to create efficiency, transparency and accountability among the users of the department to promote the growth of drugs and pharma sector, boost economy for "Atma Nirbhar Bharat", and meet the needs of pharma and chemical industries.
- The launch of the Unified Portal will ease the process of doing business with NDPS and Controlled Substances in the country with transparency and better compliance.
- The portal is integrated with other government services such as Bharat Kosh, GST, PAN-NSDL verification, e-Sanchit and UIDAI, facilitating a single point service for obtaining licence from CBN.
About Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN)
- The Central Bureau of Narcotics is a Central Government organisation dealing with international trade in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Precursor Chemicals under various United Nations Conventions and the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985.
- It is the nodal agency of the Government of India responsible for controlling the production, trade and consumption of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in India.
- It was established under the Indian Opium Act, 1857.
- It issues licences for the cultivation, production and distribution of narcotics and intoxicants.
- The CBN monitors and regulates the production and distribution of these substances, and combats illegal drug trafficking.
- The CBN collaborates with other law enforcement agencies such as the Narcotics Control Bureau, Customs and Excise Department to coordinate efforts to combat drug trafficking and abuse.
- CBN collaborates with international agencies such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) to combat the global problem of drug trafficking and abuse.
Establishment - 1935
Headquarters - Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh
3. Food Conclave-2023 in Hyderabad
Tags: National News
The two-day 'Food Conclave-2023' will be organized on April 28 and 29 in Hyderabad, Telangana.
An Overview of the News:
- The objective of the Food Conclave is to identify the main challenges and opportunities for the development of the Indian agri-food sector in the current decade.
- The event will consist of five thematic tracks covering various aspects of the agri-food sector.
- The main focus areas will be agriculture (green), edible oils (yellow), dairy (white), meat and poultry (pink), and aquaculture (blue).
Partner organizations of the event:
- The Government of Telangana is collaborating with several organizations to organize this session.
- The World Economic Forum-India, Indian Vegetable Oil Producers Association, Indian Dairy Association, Heifer International and Society of Aquaculture Professionals along with the Government of Telangana are involved in the event.
Telangana:
- Capital: Hyderabad
- Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan
- Chief Minister: K Chandrasekhar Rao
4. Ministry of Electronics & IT organized 35th CISO Deep Dive Training Program
Tags: National News
The event is being organized by the National e-Governance Division under its Capacity Building Scheme of the Ministry of Electronics & IT, with 22 participants from Central Ministries and States/UTs.
An Overview of the News:
- It is being organized at the 35th Chief Information Security Officers (CSIO) Intensive Training Program at the School of Planning and Architecture in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh from April 10-14, 2023.
Objective:
- To spread awareness about cyber-crime and ensure adequate security measures to tackle the growing menace.
- For this, the Cyber Secure India programme, an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics and IT with the mission of building the capacity of CISOs and frontline IT officers in all government departments, was envisaged.
5-Day Intensive Training for CISOs:
- A 5-day intensive training program has been designed for CISOs of Public Sector Banks and Insurance Companies, technical wings of police and security forces, CTOs and members of technical/PMU teams, subordinate agencies/PSUs.
- The objective of this training is to educate and enable CISOs in particular to understand cyber attacks comprehensively and thoroughly, gain necessary hands-on experience about the latest technologies in security and create an empowered e-commerce ecosystem for individual organizations and citizens at large. To deliver the benefits of infrastructure.
- Launched in the year 2018, CISO Training is a first of its kind partnership between the government and an industry association under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
5. Law Minister Kiren Rijiju released the first edition of the Dogri version of the Constitution of India
Tags: National
Union Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju released the first edition of the Dogri version of the Indian Constitution at the University of Jammu on 8 April.
An Overviews of the News
- The constitution was originally written in English and Hindi, but has been translated into many other languages in the past. Translation of the Constitution in Dogri was a long-standing demand of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
- The Dogri version of the constitution will enable people speaking this language to understand the fundamental rights and duties of citizens, the functioning of the government and the role of various institutions in the country.
- Releasing the Dogri version of the Constitution is an important step to promote awareness and understanding of the Constitution among the people of Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country where Dogri is spoken.
About Dogri language
- It is a language spoken primarily in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as parts of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Delhi.
- It is one of the 22 official languages recognized by the Indian Constitution and also an official language of the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
- In 2003, Dogri was recognized as the national language of India in the Indian Constitution.
- Dogri derives from Sanskrit, the ancient language of the Vedas (1500–1200 BCE), and is thus part of the larger Indo-European language family.
- The language has a rich literary tradition with prominent writers and poets including Padma Sachdev, Lalit Magotra and Ved Rahi.
- There are several dialects of Dogri, including Bhadravathi, Chamiyali, Pogli, and Kishtwari, each with its own unique characteristics.
About Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir was a state of India until August 2019, which was bifurcated as two union territories namely Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on 31 August 2019.
Capital- Srinagar (May-October), Jammu (November-April)
Lieutenant Governor - Manoj Sinha
Legislative Council - 36 seats
Legislative Assembly - 89 seats
Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, Justice - Koteshwar Singh
6. Aam Aadmi Party got the status of national party
Tags: National News
The Election Commission of India has granted national party status to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on 10 April 2023.
An Overview of the News:
- Along with this, the Election Commission of India has withdrawn the status of being a national party from many political parties. While many political parties were given the status of state level party.
National party status back:
- The Election Commission has withdrawn the national party status of Sharad Pawar's party NCP, CPI and Trinamool Congress (TMC).
- In Uttar Pradesh, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) has also been withdrawn as a state party.
Recognition received as a state level party:
- Revolutionary Socialist Party (West Bengal).
- Voice of the People's Party (Meghalaya).
- Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) (Nagaland).
- Tipra Motha Party (Tripura).
- BRS (Andhra Pradesh).
Right now there are only six national parties in the country:
- Indian National Congress (INC)
- Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M)
- Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
- Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)
- National People's Party (NPP)
- Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
Conditions to be recognized as a National Party:
- According to the Handbook of Political Parties and Election Symbols, 2019 of the Election Commission of India, a political party is considered a national party if:
- It is 'recognised' as a state party in four or more states; Or
- Get 6% of the total valid votes from 4 different states in the Lok Sabha or State Legislative Assemblies elections and additionally win 4 Lok Sabha seats. Or
- If it has won at least 2% of the total seats in the Lok Sabha from at least 3 states.
Conditions for recognition as a State Party:
- A party is recognized as a state party in a state if:
- It polls 6% of the valid votes polled in the state in the general election to the respective state legislative assembly and also it wins 2 seats in the same state legislative assembly.
- If it gets 6% of the total valid votes in the state in the general election to the Lok Sabha and also it wins 1 seat in the Lok Sabha from the same state.
- If it wins 3% of the seats in the Legislative Assembly or 3 seats in the Legislative Assembly (whichever is higher) in the general election to the Legislative Assembly of the concerned State.
- If it wins 1 seat in the Lok Sabha for every 25 seats allotted to the State or any part thereof in the general election to the Lok Sabha from the State concerned.
- If it secures 8% of the total valid votes polled in the State in a general election to the Lok Sabha for the State or State Legislative Assembly.
Aam Aadmi Party:
- Currently Aam Aadmi Party has government in two states:
- Union Territory and National Capital Delhi in February 2020 as well.
- The party formed the government with absolute majority in the 2022 assembly elections in Punjab.
- In the same year, the Aam Aadmi Party made its mayor for the first time in the Delhi MCD.
7. 4-day visit of Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Emin Zhaparova to India
Tags: International Relations
Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Emin Zhaparova arrived in India on 9 April 2023 on a four-day visit, the first official visit to the Eastern European country since the Russian aggression began in February 2022.
An overview of the news
- According to the information given by the Ministry, the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emin Zhaparova will be on an official visit to India from 9 to 12 April.
- Jhaparova held talks with Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). In which the two sides are expected to discuss bilateral relations, exchange views on the current situation in Ukraine and global issues of mutual interest.
- In India, Jhaparova will also meet Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi and Deputy National Security Advisor Vikram Misri.
- In the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India has urged both sides to find a peaceful solution to the disputes.
Ukraine:
- Capital: Kyiv
- President: Volodymyr Zelensky
- Currency: Ukrainian hryvnia
8. PM Modi launches Big Cat Alliance for conservation of seven cats
Tags: National News
On April 9, 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA) in Karnataka.
An Overview of the News
- IBCA focuses on the conservation of seven species of big cats, including tigers, lions, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, snow leopards, and clouded leopards.
- The alliance seeks to bring together countries, conservationists and experts from around the world to collaborate on conservation efforts for these seven big cat species.
- The purpose of the alliance is to facilitate collaboration between governments, NGOs and the private sector to create sustainable solutions for conservation.
- The introduction of the IBCA is an important step towards the conservation of these magnificent animals, as their populations face unprecedented threats from habitat loss, poaching and human-animal conflicts.
About Karnataka
- It is a state in southwest India and is bordered by Maharashtra to the north, Goa to the northwest, Andhra Pradesh to the east, Tamil Nadu to the southeast, and Kerala to the southwest.
- The state has a varied landscape, with the Arabian Sea to its west and the Western Ghats to its east.
- Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka, is known as the "Silicon Valley of India" and is a major centre of technology and innovation.
- Hampi, located in northern Karnataka, was once the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Destinations in Karnataka include the hill station of Coorg, the beach town of Gokarna and the historic city of Bijapur.
- Kannada is the official language of Karnataka, although English and Hindi are also widely spoken.
Chief Minister - Basavaraj Bommai
Governor - Thawar Chand Gehlot
Official Animal - Indian Elephant
Official Bird - Indian Roller
Official Dance - Yakshagana
Official Song - Jaya Bharat Jananiya Tanujate
9. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's visit to Uganda and Mozambique
Tags: International Relations
The Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is on a visit of two African countries Uganda and Mozambique from April 10 to 15, 2023.
An overview of the news:
- According to the Union Ministry of External Affairs, the External Affairs Minister will be on a visit to Uganda from 10 to 12 April. During this he will hold delegation level talks with Ugandan Foreign Minister General JJ Odongo.
S Jaishankar is also expected to meet prominent leaders of the country Uganda and other ministers.
- He is also likely to meet the country's leadership and other ministers.
- The External Affairs Minister will inaugurate the transit campus of the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) to be set up in collaboration with India.
- This will be the first campus of this university outside India. Jaishankar will also address a group of Ugandan businessmen and industrialists.
- During this, MoU is also expected to be signed between India and Uganda for setting up the first campus of NFSU outside India.
Mozambique Visit:
- The External Affairs Minister will visit Mozambique from 13 to 15 April. This will be the first visit by an External Affairs Minister of India to Mozambique.
- The fifth meeting of the India-Mozambique Joint Commission will be chaired by the Foreign Ministers of both the countries.
- During the visit, various types of assistance will be announced from the Indian side to both these countries. There will also be talk on defense cooperation with these two countries.
- In March 2023, India conducted military exercises with nine countries in Africa, as well as a separate meeting with the military chiefs of African countries.
- In March 2023, Cyclone Freddy caused havoc in Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar.
Uganda:
- Capital: Kampala
- President: Yoweri Museveni
- Prime Minister: Robinhood Nabanza
- Currency: Uganda Shilling
Mozambique:
- Capital: Maputo
- President: Philippe Nyusi
- Prime Minister: Carlos Agostinho do Rosário
- Currency: Mozambican metical (MZN)
10. Walkthrough for C-20 Working Group on Integrated Holistic Health organized by AIIA
Tags: National
On April 8, 2023, the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) under the Ministry of AYUSH organized a walkthrough for the 'C20 Working Group on Integrated Holistic Health'.
An overview of the news:
- The event was attended by a large gathering of over 400 delegates and the institute showcased how an integrated approach can be effectively implemented in the field of health care.
C-20:
- The C-20 is one of the eight official working groups of the G-20 Forum.
- The 19 countries in the C-20 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.
- C-20 India 2023 is one of the official engagement groups of G-20 which provides a platform for civil society organizations (CSOs) in the world to articulate people's aspirations for world leaders in G-20.
- The walkthrough, organized by the institute, took the delegates to the hospital and highlighted how an integrated approach in healthcare can be effectively implemented for the betterment of humanity.
- AIIA has also signed an MoU with Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University for cooperation and coordination in the field of research and education in the field of Ayurveda.
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham (AVV):
- AVV is a multi-campus, multi-disciplinary research academic university, hereinafter referred to as Amrita.
On this occasion, AIIA launched the Millet Calendar by Dr. Anita Bhatia, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of UN Women.
