15th-17th April, 2023

1. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science & Technology, has released the magazines named Vigyan Pragati and Science Reporter.
2. India’s First Underwater Metro has been established under the Hooghly River, Kolkata. It will cover the distance from Howrah Maidan station at Esplanade to Sealdah railway stations.
3. Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Parshottam Rupala launched the Animal Pandemic Preparedness Initiative and World Bank-funded Animal Health System Support for One Health.
4. Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) have been integrated with Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs) and Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) to promote innovation in the agricultural sector by involving school students across India.
5. Uttarakhand CM Mr. Pushkar Singh Dhami launched ‘A-HELP’ (Accredited Agent for Health and Extension of Livestock Production) programme.
6. First AIIMS hospital of the North-East has been inaugurated in Guwahati, Assam.
7. State festivals celebrated in April 2023–
8. India has signed an MOU with the UN World Food Programme (WFP) for humanitarian food assistance of 10,000 tonnes of wheat for the people of Afghanistan.
9. Turkey has launched the world’s first drone carrier and the country’s largest assault ship named ‘The Anadolu’.
10. Ghana has become the first country in the world to approve a new malaria vaccine from Oxford University for fighting malaria.
11. Severe Tropical Cyclone Ilsa has hit Western Australia close to Port Hedland, the world’s largest iron ore export hub.
12. Japan, India and France have announced a common platform for talks among bilateral creditors to coordinate restructuring of Sri Lanka’s debt.
13. UNCTAD has released the “Trade and Development Report Update: Global Trends and Prospects” report.
14. According to the data given by the Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, India’s total imports increased by 16.5% to $714 billion as against $613 billion in FY22 in FY23.
15. The City Union Bank Ltd., (CUB) in association with Kaizen Secure Voiz Pvt. Ltd., has launched India’s first voice biometric authentication service for logging into its mobile banking application named “CUB All in One”.
16. Canara Bank and NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd (NBBL) have launched the cross-border inward bill payment services for Indians based in Oman.
17. HDFC Bank has signed a “Master Inter Bank Credit Agreement” with Export Import Bank of Korea for a USD 300 million line of credit.
18. HDFC Mutual has launched its three new mutual fund schemes, which are HDFC S&P BSE 500 Index Fund, HDFC NIFTY Midcap 150 Index Fund and HDFC NIFTY Small-cap 250 Index Fund.
19. Chennai-based drone start-up Garuda Aerospace has become the first drone company to receive Agri Drone Subsidy for their agricultural drones.
20. Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) has been accorded the status of Miniratna Category-I Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE).
21. Indian Oil Corporation is planning to set up a joint venture with US-based clean energy technology company LanzaJet Inc and multiple domestic airlines for production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
22. State Bank of India (SBI) has extended the validity of Amrit Kalash special fixed deposit (FD) scheme.
23. Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has launched ‘Mission 50K-EV4ECO’ scheme on a pilot basis for strengthening the EV ecosystem.
24. Paycraft, a homegrown payments company, has associated as Official Ticketing Service Provider to Chennai Metro for the Singara Chennai Card.
25. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has enabled FASTag-based payments at forest entry points across Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR).
26. According to the provisional data released by the Central Board of Direct Taxes, more than Rs 19.68 lakh crore gross direct tax was collected in 2022-23, which was Rs 7.21 lakh crore in the financial year 2013-14.
27. RBI has approved the re-appointment of Sanjay Agarwal as Managing Director & CEO and Uttam Tibrewal as Whole Time Director of AU Small Finance Bank (SFB).
28. April 13 – Siachen Day (39th edition)
29. April 14 – National Fire Services Day; Theme – Learn Fire Safety, Increase Productivity
30. April 14 – World Chagas Disease Day; Theme – Time to integrate Chagas disease into primary health care
31. Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, received the ‘Business Leader of the Decade Award’ at All India Management Association’s (AIMA) 13th Managing India Awards.
32. “Gandhi: Siyasat Aur Sampradayikta” book has been authored by Piyush Babele (journalist).
33. Uttara Baokar (national award-winning actress) has passed away.

National News

1. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science & Technology, has released the magazines named Vigyan Pragati and Science Reporter.
   Source: PIB
2. India’s First Underwater Metro has been established under the Hooghly River, Kolkata. It will cover the distance from Howrah Maidan station at Esplanade to Sealdah railway stations.
   Source: Times of India
3. Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri Parshottam Rupala launched the Animal Pandemic Preparedness Initiative and World Bank-funded Animal Health System Support for One Health.
   • Purpose – to enhance India’s preparedness and response to animal pandemics, with a focus on zoonotic diseases that pose a threat to both animal and human health
   • In the Animal Pandemic Preparedness Initiative (APPI) all aspects of disease prevention, control and pandemic preparedness are covered comprehensively.
   • The key elements include Integrated disease surveillance & monitoring, early warning & response, Vaccine/ diagnostics, R&D and production, and ecosystem coordination with funding and regulatory framework enablers.
   • The World Bank-funded project on “Animal Health System Support for One Health (AHSSOH)” aims at creating an ecosystem for a better animal health management system using the One Health approach covering five states in India.
   • 151 districts in Assam, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka are covered in this scheme.
   • It is a Central Sector Scheme with a budgetary outlay of Rs 1228.70 crores. The scheme’s duration is 5 years.
     Source: PIB
4. Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) have been integrated with Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs) and Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) to promote innovation in the agricultural sector by involving school students across India.
   • For this, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog have collaborated for this integration.
   • KVKs function as a ‘single window agricultural knowledge resource and capacity development centres’, and this collaboration will provide numerous stakeholders with necessary information, training, and inputs.
     Source: Economic Times

State News

1. Uttarakhand CM Mr. Pushkar Singh Dhami launched ‘A-HELP’ (Accredited Agent for Health and Extension of Livestock Production) programme.
   • Women are chosen under this program to strengthen livestock related activities in remote rural areas. They will be called “Pashu Sakhis”.
   • Roles to be performed by these women include preventing various infectious diseases of animals, artificial insemination under Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM), tagging of animals and animal insurance among other things.
   • Under the RGM, livestock breed improvement program will be conducted with the help of large number of trained A-HELP workers who are interested in performing Artificial Insemination by providing them additional training.
   • For launching this program, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) and National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) have signed an MOU to address the healthcare needs of the livestock population in a village.
   • The programme was successfully piloted in Madhya Pradesh and J&K.
     Source: PIB
2. First AIIMS hospital of the North-East has been inaugurated in Guwahati, Assam.
   • Prime Minister inaugurated Rs 14,300 crore worth of development projects on the first day of the state’s spring festival ‘Rongali Bihu’.
   • Assam entered into the Guinness World Records by performing the Bihu dance with 11,304 dancers and drummers at a single venue.
     Source: Economic Times
3. State festivals celebrated in April 2023–
   • Vaishakhi – North India (majorly Punjab)
   • Rongali Bihu – Assam
   • Naba Barsha – West Bengal
   • Vishu – Kerala
   • Puthandu Pirappu – Tamil’s New Year
     Source: News on Air

Memorandum of Understand

1. India has signed an MOU with the UN World Food Programme (WFP) for humanitarian food assistance of 10,000 tonnes of wheat for the people of Afghanistan.
   • Afghanistan is struggling with the food crisis.
     Source: Economic Times

International News

1. Turkey has launched the world’s first drone carrier and the country’s largest assault ship named ‘The Anadolu’.
   Source: Eurasian Times
2. Ghana has become the first country in the world to approve a new malaria vaccine from Oxford University for fighting malaria.
   Source: Reuters
3. Severe Tropical Cyclone Ilsa has hit Western Australia close to Port Hedland, the world’s largest iron ore export hub.
   • It is a category 2 cyclone.

4. Japan, India and France have announced a common platform for talks among bilateral creditors to coordinate restructuring of Sri Lanka’s debt.
   • It remains uncertain, whether Sri Lanka’s biggest bilateral creditor – China – will join the initiative, launched by Japan.
   • Sri Lanka owes $7.1 billion to bilateral creditors, with $3 billion owed to China, followed by $2.4 billion to the Paris Club and $1.6 billion to India.
     Source: Reuters

Reports And Indices

1. UNCTAD has released the “Trade and Development Report Update: Global Trends and Prospects” report.
   • The report projects India’s economic growth to decline to 6% in 2023 from 6.6% in 2022 because of the declining government expenditure.
   • The global growth rate is projected to decline because of slowing global growth and the financial fallout because of rising interest rates.
     Source: Official report of UNCTAD

Banking and Economy

1. The City Union Bank Ltd., (CUB) in association with Kaizen Secure Voiz Pvt. Ltd., has launched India’s first voice biometric authentication service for logging into its mobile banking application named “CUB All in One”.
   Source: The Hindu
2. Canara Bank and NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd (NBBL) have launched the cross-border inward bill payment services for Indians based in Oman.
   • NRIs can now leverage the robust platform offered by the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) to make bill payments on behalf of their families through the Musandam Exchange.
   • Indians living in Oman will now be able to make quick, simple and secure payments of bills for services back home.
   • Now, Canara Bank has become the first public sector bank in India to offer inbound cross-border bill payments through BBPS.
   • Musandam Exchange, managed by Canara Bank, is also the first exchange house in Oman to go live on cross-border inbound bill payments.

3. HDFC Bank has signed a “Master Inter Bank Credit Agreement” with Export Import Bank of Korea for a USD 300 million line of credit.
   • This line of credit would be utilised by HDFC Bank towards funding requirements of companies, having Korean equity holders as well as companies having business relationship with Korean companies.
     Source: Economic Times
4. HDFC Mutual has launched its three new mutual fund schemes, which are HDFC S&P BSE 500 Index Fund, HDFC NIFTY Midcap 150 Index Fund and HDFC NIFTY Small-cap 250 Index Fund.
   • The three investment schemes allow investors to diversify their portfolio to large, mid and small-cap segments.
     Source: LiveMint
5. Chennai-based drone start-up Garuda Aerospace has become the first drone company to receive Agri Drone Subsidy for their agricultural drones.
   • Garuda Kisan Drones were given to eight farmers under the Agri-drone subsidy at an event held in Pune.
   • This subsidy is part of the Indian government’s efforts to promote the use of agricultural drones.

6. Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) has been accorded the status of Miniratna Category-I Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE).
   • Incorporated in the year 2011, SECI is the primary implementing agency of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
     Source: PIB
7. Indian Oil Corporation is planning to set up a joint venture with US-based clean energy technology company LanzaJet Inc and multiple domestic airlines for production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
   • The proposed venture will set up a plant to make SAF with alcohol-to-jet technology at the state-run company’s Panipat refinery in Haryana at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore.
   • IOCL will hold 50% stake while LanzaJet Inc will hold 25%. The remaining 25% stake would be offered to a bunch of airline companies.
     Source: Economic Times
8. State Bank of India (SBI) has extended the validity of Amrit Kalash special fixed deposit (FD) scheme.
   • The bank previously introduced this retail term deposit programme, and it was valid from February 15, 2023, through March 31, 2023. Now, it has been extended till 30th June 2023.
   • The specific tenor scheme of “400 days” (Amrit Kalash) at Rate of Interest of 7.10 % w.e.f. 12- April- 2023. Senior Citizens are eligible for rate of interest of 7.60%.
     Source: LiveMint
9. Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has launched ‘Mission 50K-EV4ECO’ scheme on a pilot basis for strengthening the EV ecosystem.
   • The pilot scheme, which is the precursor to EVOLVE scheme by SIDBI-World Bank, has two components — direct lending and indirect lending.
   • Under direct lending, SIDBI will directly give loans to eligible MSMEs (including aggregators, fleet operators, and EV leasing companies) for the purchase of electric vehicles and develop charging infrastructure, including battery swapping.
   • The indirect scheme is targeted at NBFCs.
   • SIDBI aims at promoting EV as a priority in line with the national mission of EV30@30. Centre is targeting to achieve at least 30% sales to be electric by 2030.
     Source: Economic Times
10. Paycraft, a homegrown payments company, has associated as Official Ticketing Service Provider to Chennai Metro for the Singara Chennai Card.
    • Paycraft will be managing the end-to-end NCMC (National Common Mobility Card (NCMC)) Card ticketing system for Chennai Metro.
    • NCMC compliant card known as SINGARA Chennai Card issued on Paycraft’s Ticketing and Payments Platform.
      Source: Economic Times
11. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has enabled FASTag-based payments at forest entry points across Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR).
    • Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL), a company incorporated by NHAI, will carry out electronic tolling.
    • The tiger reserve is spread across both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
      Source: Times of India
12. According to the provisional data released by the Central Board of Direct Taxes, more than Rs 19.68 lakh crore gross direct tax was collected in 2022-23, which was Rs 7.21 lakh crore in the financial year 2013-14.
    • In these years, the gross tax collections have increased by 172.83%.
    • The net direct tax collection has witnessed 160% growth since 2013-14. More than Rs 16.61 lakh crore were collected as Direct Tax in 2022-23, which was over Rs 6.38 lakh crore in financial year 2013-14.
    • According to CBDT’s data, the direct tax to Gross Domestic Product ratio has increased from 62% in 2013-14 to 5.97% in 2021-22.
    • The direct tax buoyancy at 2.52 in the financial year 2021-22 is the highest direct tax buoyancy recorded over the last 15 years.
      • A tax is said to be buoyant if the tax revenues increase more than proportionately in response to a rise in national income or output.
        Source: News on Air
13. According to the data given by the Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, India’s merchandise imports increased by 5% to $714 billion as against $613 billion in FY22 in FY23.
    • Merchandise exports from India – $447 billion (6% rise from $442 billion in FY22)
    • Services exports during 2022-23 – $323 billion (increased by 16% as compared to USD 254 billion in 2021-22)
    • Services’ imports during 2022-23 – $177.94 billion in 2022-23
    • Overall Exports during 2022-23 – USD 770 billion (increased by 14% as against $676 billion in 2021-22)
    • Overall imports during 2022-23 – $892.18 billion
    • Trade Deficit in 2022-23 – (-) USD 122.00 Billion

Source: PIB

Appointments

1. RBI has approved the re-appointment of Sanjay Agarwal as Managing Director & CEO and Uttam Tibrewal as Whole Time Director of AU Small Finance Bank (SFB).
   Source: LiveMint

Important Days

1. April 13 – Siachen Day (39th edition)
   • Operation Meghdoot was the codename for the Indian Armed Forces’ operation to seize control of the Siachen Glacier in the then state of Jammu and Kashmir, precipitating the Siachen conflict.
     Source: Republic World
2. April 14 – National Fire Services Day; Theme – Learn Fire Safety, Increase Productivity
   • According to some websites, “Awareness in Fire Safety for Growth of National Infrastructure (AGNI)” is the theme of National Fire Services Day/Week 2023.
     Source: News18
3. April 14 – World Chagas Disease Day; Theme – Time to integrate Chagas disease into primary health care
   Source: WHO’s website
4. April 15 – World Art Day

   Source: UNESCO

Awards

1. Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, received the ‘Business Leader of the Decade Award’ at All India Management Association’s (AIMA) 13th Managing India Awards.
   • Tata Steel Chairman T V Narendran was facilitated with ‘AIMA-JRD Tata Corporate Leadership’ award.
   • Leading engineering services company ABB India bagged the ‘MNC in India of the Year’ award.

     Source: Business Standard

Miscellaneous

1. “Gandhi: Siyasat Aur Sampradayikta” book has been authored by Piyush Babele (journalist).
   Source: Outlook India
2. Uttara Baokar (national award-winning actress) has passed away.
   Source: Times of India

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