10th-12th March, 2023

1. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has decided to start exclusive Research Grants for Women Scientists under CSIR-ASPIRE and an exclusive portal in this regard will be available from April 1, 2023.
2. US has handed over NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) to ISRO.
3. Central Government has launched a High Price Day Ahead Market and Surplus Power Portal (PUShP) – an initiative to ensure greater availability of power during the peak demand season.
4. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) and the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), a CSIR lab under the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, have entered a ‘Master Research Alliance Agreement’ for collaborative research.
5. Telangana has launched ‘Aarogya Mahila’ scheme, women’s health programme, to provide medical services to women at the health centres for free of cost.
6. Himachal Pradesh has begun the commercial cultivation of mulethi (liquorice in English) for the first time.
7. Punjab govt has presented its state budget for 2023-24.
8. Kochi Metro has become the first metro in India to accept digital currency for parking facilities.
9. Odisha govt has launched the Livelihoods Cluster Development initiative under the ‘Mukhya Mantri Janajati Jeebika Mission’ to invest Rs 500 crore for empowering tribal communities in the state.
10. Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd has signed an MoU with Kerala Electrical & Allied Engineering (KEL), a state-owned enterprise of Kerala, for the joint research and development of a lightweight bailey bridge with a carbon fibre composite deck.
11. Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) has signed an MoU with the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK Surathkal) for cooperation in research and development for the development of emerging technologies and technical solutions for both defence and non-defence applications.
12. Mauganj has become the 53rd district of Madhya Pradesh.
13. “WHO Global Report: On Sodium Intake Reduction” report has been released.
14. Bengaluru-headquartered Ujjivan Small Finance Bank has launched the ‘Unpause Initiative’, a programme designed to assist women who have taken a career break for any reason and are now ready to return to the workforce.
15. One Point One Solutions, a Business Process Management solutions provider, has signed agreements with Kotak Mahindra Bank and DMI Finance, a pan India credit platform, to expand its services in Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI).
16. Yes Bank has partnered with Aadhar Housing Finance to offer home loans at competitive interest rates.
17. SEBI has extended the timeline until March 15 for submission of public comments on the proposed regulatory framework on ESG rating providers (ERP). Earlier, the deadline for submission of the comments was March 8.
18. SEBI has unveiled a framework for the adoption of cloud services by stock exchanges, clearing corporations and other regulated entities (REs) including depositories, Stockbrokers through exchanges, asset management companies (AMCs) and KYC registration agencies (KRAs).
19. SEBI has imposed restrictions on the placement of bids, price and volume for the companies undertaking share buyback through the stock exchange route.
20. SEBI has released the “Securities and Exchange Board of India (Grant of Reward to Informant under Recovery Proceedings) Guidelines, 2023”.
21. National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) issued a list of 15 designated Qualified Stockbrokers (QSBs).
22. India has the 5th highest number of female billionaires at 9 as per the City Index 2023, based on Forbes’ Live Billionaires Index (March 2023).
23. Bank of Baroda has approved up to 49% divestment in its subsidiary named BoB Financial Solutions.
24. PNB Metlife launched “Genius Plan”, an Individual, Non-Linked, Non-Participating, Savings. Life Insurance Plan.
25. Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) has signed an MoU to facilitate financing under e-NWR (Electronic Negotiable Warehousing Receipt).
26. PayNearby, India’s branchless banking and digital network, has released its annual ‘PayNearby Women Financial Index (PWFI)’ – a detailed analysis on ‘financial consumption by women at retail stores’ in 2022-23 – in association with the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH).
27. Axis Bank has collaborated with ITC Limited to offer Rural Lending Products to farmers.
28. Colonel Geeta Rana has taken charge of an independent field workshop in a forward and remote location in eastern Ladakh.
29. Rohit Jawa will take over as the new Managing Director and CEO of Hindustan Unilever Ltd. from 27th June 2023.
30. B Gopkumar, the managing director and CEO of Axis Securities, has been named as the new CEO of Axis Mutual Fund.
31. Xi Jinping has been elected as the President of China for a third term.
32. Senior Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Paudel has been elected as new President of Nepal.
33. March 9 (2nd Thursday of March) – World Kidney Day; Theme – Kidney Health for All – Preparing for the unexpected, supporting the vulnerable
34. March 10 – Central Industrial Security Force Raising Day (54th edition)
35. Ministry of Tourism has bagged the Golden & Silver Star at The International ‘Golden City Gate Tourism Awards 2023’ in ‘TV/Cinema Commercials International and Country International’ Category at ITB, Berlin 2023.
36. Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament 2023 (74th edition) has concluded in Sofia, Bulgaria.
37. Pat McCormick, Olympic diver from America, has passed away.

National News

1. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has decided to start exclusive Research Grants for Women Scientists under CSIR-ASPIRE and an exclusive portal in this regard will be available from April 1, 2023.
   • Only women scientists across the country will be eligible to apply for research grants to carry out R&D in major disciplines of science and engineering viz Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Engineering Sciences and inter/trans disciplinary sciences.
   • The total budget of a research proposal including research fellow’s stipend should generally not exceed the limit of Rs 25-30 lacs.

2. US has handed over NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) to ISRO.
   • US Air Force C-17 aircraft landed in Bengaluru to handover NISAR.
   • NISAR was envisioned by NASA and ISRO in 2014. It is expected to be launched in January 2024 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre into a near-polar orbit. The satellite will operate for a minimum of 3 years.
   • It is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observatory. NISAR will map the entire globe in 12 days.
   • NISAR will be the first radar of its kind in space to systematically map Earth, using two different radar frequencies (L-band and S-band) to measure changes in our planet’s surface less than a centimetre across.
   • The mission will provide critical information to help manage natural disasters and agriculture management and food security. It will provide data for infrastructure monitoring and management, such as monitoring of oil spills, urbanization, and deforestation.
3. Central Government has launched a High Price Day Ahead Market and Surplus Power Portal (PUShP) – an initiative to ensure greater availability of power during the peak demand season.
   • To keep the prices of electricity generated through gas and coal, the Ministry has created a separate segment called HP DAM for trading of such electricity.
   • Only the generating companies which have cost of producing power of more than Rs. 12 per unit would be allowed to operate in HP-DAM.
   • If the cost of production is less than Rs.12, the generators will have to offer power in the Power Exchange’s Integrated Day Ahead Market (I-DAM) only with a ceiling price of Rs.12.
4. Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) and the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), a CSIR lab under the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, have entered a ‘Master Research Alliance Agreement’ for collaborative research.

State News

1. Telangana has launched ‘Aarogya Mahila’ scheme, women’s health programme, to provide medical services to women at the health centres for free of cost.
   • The state will also launch the “Nutrition Kit” scheme for pregnant women, this Ram Navami.
2. Himachal Pradesh has begun the commercial cultivation of mulethi (liquorice in English) for the first time.
   • Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) – Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), Palampur has distributed the samplings to the farmers.
   • Director of the Institute – Dr Sanjay Kumar
   • Scientific name of Mulethi – glycyrrhiza glabra
3. Punjab govt has presented its state budget for 2023-24.
   • Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana (price difference payment scheme) for horticulture farmers has been announced in Punjab Budget 2023-24.
   • Under this scheme, the state govt. pays farmers the difference between official minimum support price (MSP) and the rate at which they sell their crops or model price whichever is higher.
   • Budgeted outlay – Rs 15 crores
   • Madhya Pradesh govt is also implementing a similar scheme with the same name i.e., Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana, whereby the government pays farmers the difference between official Minimum Support Price and the rate at which they sell their crops or Model Price whichever is higher.
4. Kochi Metro has become the first metro in India to accept digital currency for parking facilities.
5. Odisha govt has launched the Livelihoods Cluster Development initiative under the ‘Mukhya Mantri Janajati Jeebika Mission’ to invest Rs 500 crore for empowering tribal communities in the state.
   • Purpose – to empower tribal households by providing them with access to quality inputs, infrastructure support, training, capacity-building support, and marketing assistance
   • The initiative aims to enable tribal households to engage in well-planned farm-based and off-farm livelihood activities at the household level to enhance their income and quality of life.

Memorandum of Understand

1. Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd has signed an MoU with Kerala Electrical & Allied Engineering (KEL), a state-owned enterprise of Kerala, for the joint research and development of a lightweight bailey bridge with a carbon fibre composite deck.
2. Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) has signed an MoU with the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK Surathkal) for cooperation in research and development for the development of emerging technologies and technical solutions for both defence and non-defence applications.
3. Mauganj has become the 53rd district of Madhya Pradesh.

Reports and Indices

1. “WHO Global Report: On Sodium Intake Reduction” report has been released.
   • The largest number of diet-related deaths, an estimated 1.89 million each year, is associated with excessive intake of sodium, a well-established cause of raised blood pressure and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
   • The global average sodium intake is estimated to be 4310 mg/day (10.78 g of salt per day), which far exceeds the physiological requirement and is more than double the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation of <2000 mg of sodium (equivalent to <5 g of salt) per day in adults.

Banking and Economy

1. Bengaluru-headquartered Ujjivan Small Finance Bank has launched the ‘Unpause Initiative’, a programme designed to assist women who have taken a career break for any reason and are now ready to return to the workforce.
   • As part of the ‘Unpause Initiative,’ Ujjivan SFB has announced a special Hiring Drive and Employee referral programme for women who are resuming their careers.
   • The hiring programme will be implemented across the bank, and women from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
2. One Point One Solutions, a Business Process Management solutions provider, has signed agreements with Kotak Mahindra Bank and DMI Finance, a pan India credit platform, to expand its services in Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI).
3. Yes Bank has partnered with Aadhar Housing Finance to offer home loans at competitive interest rates.
   • This partnership is in accordance with the co-lending framework of the RBI to enable banks and non-banking companies to come together for lending.
4. SEBI has extended the timeline until March 15 for submission of public comments on the proposed regulatory framework on ESG rating providers (ERP). Earlier, the deadline for submission of the comments was March 8.
   • Under the consultation paper, ERPs can be allowed to register with the regulator under the CRA (Credit Rating Agencies) norms.
   • The role of ERPs has become important in making investment decisions, but their activities are not typically subject to regulatory or supervisory at present.
   • Therefore, SEBI proposed a regulatory and supervisory framework for ERPs.
5. SEBI has unveiled a framework for the adoption of cloud services by stock exchanges, clearing corporations and other regulated entities (REs) including depositories, Stockbrokers through exchanges, asset management companies (AMCs) and KYC registration agencies (KRAs).
   • The cloud framework has been drafted to provide baseline standards of security and for the legal and regulatory compliances by the Regulated Entities (REs). It will be in addition to the existing circulars, guidelines and advisories of Sebi.
6. SEBI has imposed restrictions on the placement of bids, price and volume for the companies undertaking share buyback through the stock exchange route.
   • Under the restrictions, a company will not be able to purchase more than 25% of the average daily trading volume (in value) of its shares in the 10 trading days preceding the day in which such purchases are made.
7. SEBI has released the “Securities and Exchange Board of India (Grant of Reward to Informant under Recovery Proceedings) Guidelines, 2023”.
   • Under this mechanism, Rs 20 lakhs or 10% of the amount recovered (whichever is less) will be given to informants as reward.
   • An informant is the person who provides credible information about the assets of the defaulter under recovery proceedings.
8. National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) issued a list of 15 designated Qualified Stockbrokers (QSBs).
   • These trading platforms act as QSB w.e.f., July 1, 2023.
   • A stockbroker will be designated as QSB based on four parameters — number of active clients, total available assets of clients, trading volumes. and end-of-day margin obligations.
   • All stockbrokers with a total score greater than or equal to 5 on these four parameters are identified as QSBs.
   • QSBs must follow enhanced obligations and discharge responsibilities to ensure appropriate governance structure, appropriate risk management policy and processes, scalable infrastructure and appropriate technical capacity among other things.
   • List of QSBs –
     • Zerodha Broking, 5Paisa Capital, HDFC Securities, IIFL Securities, ICICI Securities, Motilal Financial Services, Kotak Securities, Sharekhan, Angle One, Anand Rathi Share & Stockbrokers, Global Capital Market, Jainam Broking, Nextbillion Wealth and Investment, and RKSV Securities India, which is operated under the brand Upstox.
9. India has the 5th highest number of female billionaires at 9 as per the City Index 2023, based on Forbes’ Live Billionaires Index (March 2023).
   • USA has the highest number of female billionaires at 92, followed by China at 46, and Germany at 32.
10. Bank of Baroda has approved up to 49% divestment in its subsidiary named BoB Financial Solutions.
    • BFSL is a 100%-owned subsidiary of Bank of Baroda.
11. PNB Metlife launched “Genius Plan”, an Individual, Non-Linked, Non-Participating, Savings. Life Insurance Plan.
    • The plan is helping in protecting the child’s future in case of the beneficiary’s absence ensuring continued benefits.
12. Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) has signed an MoU to facilitate financing under e-NWR (Electronic Negotiable Warehousing Receipt).
    • Purpose – to provide easy finance to farmers, processors and traders against the pledge of agricultural produce stored in Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) godowns
13. PayNearby, India’s branchless banking and digital network, has released its annual ‘PayNearby Women Financial Index (PWFI)’ – a detailed analysis on ‘financial consumption by women at retail stores’ in 2022-23 – in association with the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH).
    • As per the report, more than 10,000 women entrepreneurs have dispensed over ₹900 crores of financial services in the last financial year.
    • It is the 3^rd edition of the report.
    • According to the survey, more than 75% of the retailers mentioned that women within the age group of 18-30 years were the most digitally adept, with over 60% of this age bracket owning a smartphone and accessing digital content through it. This was immediately followed by the age group 31-40 years.
14. Axis Bank has collaborated with ITC Limited to offer Rural Lending Products to farmers.
    • This partnership will enable Axis Bank to cater to the financial requirements of the unserved and under-served farmers based in the remote regions of the country.

Appointment

1. Colonel Geeta Rana has taken charge of an independent field workshop in a forward and remote location in eastern Ladakh.
   • She is from the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME).
2. Rohit Jawa will take over as the new Managing Director and CEO of Hindustan Unilever Ltd. from 27th June 2023.
   • Jawa will replace Sanjiv Mehta as Hindustan Unilever’s MD & CEO.
   • Jawa will join the HUL as CEO designate and whole-time director from 1st April 2023.
   • Jawa will also take over as President of Unilever South Asia w.e.f., 1st April 2023.
3. B Gopkumar, the managing director and CEO of Axis Securities, has been named as the new CEO of Axis Mutual Fund.
4. Xi Jinping has been elected as the President of China for a third term.
5. Senior Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Paudel has been elected as new President of Nepal.

Important Days

1. March 9 (2nd Thursday of March) – World Kidney Day; Theme – Kidney Health for All – Preparing for the unexpected, supporting the vulnerable
2. March 10 – Central Industrial Security Force Raising Day (54th edition)

Awards

1. Ministry of Tourism has bagged the Golden & Silver Star at The International ‘Golden City Gate Tourism Awards 2023’ in ‘TV/Cinema Commercials International and Country International’ Category at ITB, Berlin 2023.
   • The annual award ceremony takes place at ITB Berlin, the world’s leading tourism trade show.

Sports

1. Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament 2023 (74th edition) has concluded in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Miscellaneous

1. Pat McCormick, Olympic diver from America, has passed away.

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