31st March, 2023

1. The First Meeting of G20-Chief Science Advisers Roundtable (G20-CSAR) was held at Ramnagar, Uttarakhand.
2. World Bank has announced a loan of $100 million for Odisha to strengthen early forecasting systems for improved response to disasters; and enhance its social protection coverage for poor and vulnerable households, through digital platforms.
3. Madhya Pradesh has released two tigers in Shivpuri’s Madhav National Park.
4. The ships of the First Training Squadron (1TS) of the Indian Navy, INS Tir and ICGS Sarathi visited Port Antsiranana, Madagascar from 20 to 23 March 2023 as part of long-range training deployment.
5. World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Azerbaijan and Tajikistan as Malaria-free countries for achieving elimination of malaria in their territories.
6. Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) has released a report titled “Blueprint for realising India’s E-Commerce Exports Potential”.
7. Arton Capital has released “The Passport Index 2023”.
8. World Food Program of FAO has released “The State of School Feeding Worldwide 2022”.
9. NITI Aayog released the “Production and Promotion of Organic and Bio fertilisers with Special Focus on Improving Economic Viability of Gaushalas” report.
10. India’s National Thermal Power Corporation has formed a joint venture with Sri Lanka’s state-run Ceylon Electricity Board to build a 135 MW solar power plant in Sampur, Trincomalee.
11. The Department of Financial Services (DFS) had given Rs 8,800 crore to the State Bank of India as part of recapitalisation exercise in FY18.
12. SEBI has introduced a framework for ‘scheme of arrangement’ by unlisted stock exchanges, clearing corporations and depositories.
13. Scottish National Party elected Humza Yousaf as its new leader.
14. March 30 – International Day of Zero Waste
15. Dhanya Rajendran, co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of The News Minute, has won the Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Woman Media Person for 2022.
16. Mumbai (India’s commercial capital) has been included in the World Tree City 2022 list, for the second consecutive year.
17. Basava, also known as Basavanna, was a 12th-century CE Indian statesman, philosopher, poet, Lingayat social reformer, and Hindu Shaivite social reformer.

National News

1. The First Meeting of G20-Chief Science Advisers Roundtable (G20-CSAR) was held at Ramnagar, Uttarakhand.
   • Four Themes –
     • Opportunities in One Health for better disease control and pandemic preparedness;
     • Synergizing Global Efforts to Expand Access to Scholarly Scientific Knowledge;
     • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Science & Technology (S&T); and,
     • An Institutional Mechanism for Inclusive, Continuous and Action- Oriented Global S&T Policy Dialogue

State News

1. World Bank has announced a loan of $100 million for Odisha to strengthen early forecasting systems for improved response to disasters; and enhance its social protection coverage for poor and vulnerable households, through digital platforms.
   • The bank also approved a $363 million loan to Karnataka to provide clean drinking water supply to 2 million rural households in the state through a piped water connection in their homes.
2. Madhya Pradesh has released two tigers in Shivpuri’s Madhav National Park.
   • The tiger was transferred from Satpura Tiger Reserve, and the tigress was shifted from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in the state.
   • A third tiger from Panna Tiger Reserve is expected to arrive at the park in two-three days

Defence News

1. The ships of the First Training Squadron (1TS) of the Indian Navy, INS Tir and ICGS Sarathi visited Port Antsiranana, Madagascar from 20 to 23 March 2023 as part of long-range training deployment.

International News

1. World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Azerbaijan and Tajikistan as Malaria-free countries for achieving elimination of malaria in their territories.
   • The certification follows a sustained, century-long effort to eradicate the disease by these countries.
   • With this new addition, a total of 41 countries and 1 territory have been certified as malaria-free by WHO, including 21 countries in the European Region.

Reports And Indices

1. Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) has released a report titled “Blueprint for realising India’s E-Commerce Exports Potential”.
   • India’s merchandise imports for the fiscal year ending March 2023 are estimated to touch US $710 billion, up from $613 billion in FY2022, an increase of over 15.8% over last year.

2. Arton Capital has released “The Passport Index 2023”.
   • Top – UAE (score 181)
   • India’s rank – 71st, shared with Tajikistan and Zimbabwe
3. World Food Program of FAO has released “The State of School Feeding Worldwide 2022”.
   • The State of School Feeding worldwide publication is issued every two years and uses the best available data sources to provide an overview of coverage, implementation practices and costs of school-based health and nutrition programmes worldwide.
   • 349 million people in 79 countries are marching towards starvation, including 153 million children and young people.
   • The report also showcases the work of the School Meals Coalition.
   • 418 million children now benefit from school meals worldwide, which is 30 million more than the 388 million children reached before the pandemic in early 2020.

4. NITI Aayog released the “Production and Promotion of Organic and Bio fertilisers with Special Focus on Improving Economic Viability of Gaushalas” report.
   • The report has been released by the Task Force (Prof Ramesh Chand, Member (Agriculture), NITI Aayog).
   • The Task Force was constituted by NITI Aayog to suggest measures to make gaushalas economically viable, address problem of stray and abandoned cattle and effective utilization of cow dung and cow urine in agriculture and energy sectors.

Banking and Economy

1. India’s National Thermal Power Corporation has formed a joint venture with Sri Lanka’s state-run Ceylon Electricity Board to build a 135 MW solar power plant in Sampur, Trincomalee.
2. The Department of Financial Services (DFS) had given Rs 8,800 crore to the State Bank of India as part of recapitalisation exercise in FY18.
   • The information was given in the Compliance Audit Report No. 1 of 2023 of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Union Government (Economic and Service Ministries – Civil) for the year ended March 2021.
   • DFS infused Rs 831 crore into Bank of Maharashtra in 2019-20 against the bank’s demand of Rs 798 crore to avoid surrender of funds amounting to Rs 33 crore.
3. SEBI has introduced a framework for ‘scheme of arrangement’ by unlisted stock exchanges, clearing corporations and depositories.
   • A scheme of arrangement is a court-approved agreement between a company and its shareholders or creditors. It may affect mergers and amalgamations and may alter shareholder or creditor rights.
   • At present, there is no specific provision for unlisted Market Infrastructure Institutions (MIIs) — stock exchanges, clearing corporations and depositories — to file the draft scheme of arrangement with Sebi prior to filing the application before any court or tribunal.
   • Separately, SEBI has also postponed the freezing of mutual funds with nominees till September 30, 2023.

Appointments

1. Scottish National Party elected Humza Yousaf as its new leader.
   • She has become the first person of colour and the first Muslim to serve as Scotland’s first minister since the post was established in 1999.

Important Days

1. March 30 – International Day of Zero Waste

Awards

1. Dhanya Rajendran, co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of The News Minute, has won the Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Woman Media Person for 2022.
   • The prestigious annual award, administered by the Media Foundation, consistently recognises the presence of a vibrant, independent media.
2. Mumbai (India’s commercial capital) has been included in the World Tree City 2022 list, for the second consecutive year.

Miscellaneous

1. Basava, also known as Basavanna, was a 12th-century CE Indian statesman, philosopher, poet, Lingayat social reformer, and Hindu Shaivite social reformer.
   • He was born in a small village called Basavana Bagewadi in modern-day Karnataka.

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