16th February, 2023

1. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme’s (USOAP) report, India’s aviation safety oversight ranking has jumped to the 55th position from 112th place earlier.
2. Ministry of Coal has launched the “Khanan Prahari” mobile app and the Coal Mine Surveillance and Management System (CMSMS) website.
3. Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) is hosting the 6th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) Leaders’ Meeting in Lucknow.
4. India is planning to launch a global initiative called “MIIRA” or Millet International Initiative for Research and Awareness for global coordination of millet research programs.
5. Uttar Pradesh government has launched the ‘Family ID – One Family One Identity’ portal to identify families as a unit for implementing the ‘one job per family’ proposal.
6. India’s first electric double-decker bus has been launched in Mumbai by Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST).
7. A two-day parliamentary workshop was organized at the Gujarat assembly.
8. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the monthly stipend scheme for junior lawyers to provide a stipend of Rs 3,000 every month to junior lawyers.
9. Puducherry has launched India’s first Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) framework to balance growth alongside sustainable management of ocean resources and coastal environment preservation.
10. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has released the Second Advance Estimates of production of major crops for agricultural year 2022-23.
11. Ammunition Cum Torpedo Cum Missile (ACTCM) Barge, Yard 125 was launched by Captain Prashant Saxena at M/s Suryadipta Projects Pvt Ltd, Thane.
12. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. has indigenously designed and developed a basic trainer aircraft HTT-40 to meet the primary training requirements of the Indian defence services.
13. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and The Ocean Cleanup have signed an MoU to collaborate on eliminating plastic pollution in oceans and rivers around the globe.
14. 12th World Hindi Conference (Vishwa Hindi Sammelan) is being organized in Nadi, Fiji from February 15-17, 2023 by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India in association with the Government of Fiji.
15. Rayyana Barnawi will become the first Saudi Arabian woman to go on a space mission to International Space Station.
16. Black Sea Grain Initiative was launched in 2022 by Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations to supply food grains by using the Ukrainian ports to ease global food inflation.
17. Financial Times has released the list of Top-MBA Universities and Institutes 2023.
18. HDFC Bank has launched a pilot known as ‘OfflinePay’ to test offline digital payments for customers and merchants enabling payments transactions even when there is no mobile network.
19. Liberty Global Plc has acquired a 9% stake in Vodafone Group Plc (British telecom company).
20. Cashfree Payments launched ‘Co-lend’, India’s first fully automated escrow management solution for co-lending.
21. ICICI Bank has signed an MoU with a European bank BNP Paribas in order to cater to the banking needs of European corporates operating in India and Indian companies in the European Union.
22. Air India has placed orders for 250 Airbus aircraft and 220 Boeing planes at a cost of $85 billion approx.
23. Central Board of Direct Taxes (chair – Nitin Gupta) has notified 6 different income tax return forms. Important forms –
24. Hyundai Motor India Ltd has signed on two more women cricketers – Yastika Bhatia and Renuka Singh Thakur – as its brand ambassadors.
25. Aniket Sunil Talati has been elected as the President of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
26. Mohammad Shahabuddin Chuppu has been declared as the next president-elect of
27. Royal Challengers Bangalore has appointed tennis legend Sania Mirza as the mentor of its Women’s Premier League (WPL) team.
28. Vivek Ramaswamy (an Indian American) is the CEO of Anti-Woke Inc. He is planning to contest in the 2024 US elections from Republican party.
29. World Day of the Sick; Theme – “Illness is part of our human condition. Yet, if the illness is experienced in isolation and abandonment, unaccompanied by care and compassion, it can become inhumane”
30. February 12 – International Darwin Day (birthday of Charles Darwin)
31. February 12 – National Productivity Day
32. February 13 – APEDA Foundation Day (37^th edition)
33. Akshata Rakshe has been crowned as the Taj Miss India 2023.
34. Germany’s former chancellor Angela Merkel was awarded the Felix Houphouet-Boigny UNESCO Peace Prize in Ivory Coast’s capital Yamoussoukro.
35. Dallas Open is a men’s ATP indoor hard court tennis tournament held in Dallas, Texas, USA.
36. Betway SA20 League is a T-20 franchise cricket tournament in South Africa.
37. Real Madrid F.C. has won the 5^th FIFA Club World Cup 2022 in Morocco by defeating Al Hilal F.C.
38. India’s Akshdeep Singh and Priyanka Goswami qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics and World Athletics Championships 2023.
39. Lalita Lajmi (Indian painter) has passed away

National News

1. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme’s (USOAP) report, India’s aviation safety oversight ranking has jumped to the 55th position from 112th place earlier.
   • This ranking is dynamic and is based upon the outcomes of various Audits undertaken by ICAO.
2. Ministry of Coal has launched the “Khanan Prahari” mobile app and the Coal Mine Surveillance and Management System (CMSMS) website.
   • Purpose – for reporting unauthorized coal mining activities so that monitoring and taking suitable action on it can be done by the concerned Law & Order enforcing authority
3. Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) is hosting the 6th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) Leaders’ Meeting in Lucknow.
   • Out of the eight SCO SAI member countries, the heads of SAIs from four countries – Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, alongside the CAG of India, are expected to take part in the three-day multilateral event.
   • Theme – ‘Integrating Emerging Technologies in Audit’
   • India signed two MOUs with the SAI of Kazakhstan and Tajikistan to strengthen cooperation in the field of auditing.
4. India is planning to launch a global initiative called “MIIRA” or Millet International Initiative for Research and Awareness for global coordination of millet research programs.
   • India will contribute the initial money for MIIRA initiative while each G20 member will later have to contribute to its budget in the form of a membership fee.
   • The Indian Institute of Millet Research in Hyderabad will be supported as the Center of Excellence for sharing best practices, research, and technologies at the international level.
   • MIIRA’s secretariat will be in Delhi.

State News

1. Uttar Pradesh government has launched the ‘Family ID – One Family One Identity’ portal to identify families as a unit for implementing the ‘one job per family’ proposal.
   • The families which do not have Ration Card, they can avail this card as their family ID. On the other hand, the families which have a Ration Card, for them, the Ration Card would act as the family ID.
2. India’s first electric double-decker bus has been launched in Mumbai by Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST).
3. A two-day parliamentary workshop was organized at the Gujarat assembly.
4. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the monthly stipend scheme for junior lawyers to provide a stipend of Rs 3,000 every month to junior lawyers.
5. Puducherry has launched India’s first Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) framework to balance growth alongside sustainable management of ocean resources and coastal environment preservation.
   • The framework is a part of a pact under the Indo-Norway Integrated Ocean Initiative.
   • Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) is the process of allocating spaces in marine zones for human activities.

Agricultural and Rural Development

1. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has released the Second Advance Estimates of production of major crops for agricultural year 2022-23.

Defence News

1. Ammunition Cum Torpedo Cum Missile (ACTCM) Barge, Yard 125 was launched by Captain Prashant Saxena at M/s Suryadipta Projects Pvt Ltd, Thane.
   • It is the first such barge in India.
2. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. has indigenously designed and developed a basic trainer aircraft HTT-40 to meet the primary training requirements of the Indian defence services.

Memorandum of understanding

1. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and The Ocean Cleanup have signed an MoU to collaborate on eliminating plastic pollution in oceans and rivers around the globe.

International News

1. 12th World Hindi Conference (Vishwa Hindi Sammelan) is being organized in Nadi, Fiji from February 15-17, 2023 by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India in association with the Government of Fiji.
   • Theme – “Hindi – Traditional Knowledge to Artificial Intelligence”

2. Rayyana Barnawi will become the first Saudi Arabian woman to go on a space mission to International Space Station.
   • Barnawi will join fellow Saudi astronaut Ali Al-Qarni on a 10-day mission to the ISS.
3. Black Sea Grain Initiative was launched in 2022 by Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations to supply food grains by using the Ukrainian ports to ease global food inflation.

Reports and Indices

1. Financial Times has released the list of Top-MBA Universities and Institutes 2023.

Banking and Economy

1. HDFC Bank has launched a pilot known as ‘OfflinePay’ to test offline digital payments for customers and merchants enabling payments transactions even when there is no mobile network.
   • It is the first-of-its-kind digital payment solution, launched in partnership with Sweden based Crunchfish Digital Cash AB, a subsidiary of Crunchfish AB, for merchants and customers under the RBI’s Regulatory Sandbox Program.
   • HDFC Bank has also sold its entire 9.95% equity stake held in Softcell Technologies Global Private Limited (STGPL) for a consideration of ₹9.94 crore.
2. Liberty Global Plc has acquired a 9% stake in Vodafone Group Plc (British telecom company).
3. Cashfree Payments launched ‘Co-lend’, India’s first fully automated escrow management solution for co-lending.
   • ‘Co-lend’ has been developed in line with the digital lending guidelines announced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
   • Cashfree is India’s leading payments and API banking solutions company.
4. ICICI Bank has signed an MoU with a European bank BNP Paribas in order to cater to the banking needs of European corporates operating in India and Indian companies in the European Union.
5. Air India has placed orders for 250 Airbus aircraft and 220 Boeing planes at a cost of $85 billion approx.
   • It is termed as the world’s biggest ever aviation deal.
6. Central Board of Direct Taxes (chair – Nitin Gupta) has notified 6 different income tax return forms. Important forms –
   • ITR-1 SAHAJ: It is for individuals whose income is less than Rs 50 lakh. The income shall be from house properties, salaries, and other sources. His agricultural income should be less than Rs 5,000.
   • ITR-4 SUGAM: These forms are for individuals whose income is less than Rs 50 lakh. They can be residents or LLPs.

Appointments

1. Hyundai Motor India Ltd has signed on two more women cricketers – Yastika Bhatia and Renuka Singh Thakur – as its brand ambassadors.
   • Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues have already been appointed as the brand ambassadors of Hyundai Motor.
2. Aniket Sunil Talati has been elected as the President of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
   • Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal has been elected as the Vice-President of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
3. Mohammad Shahabuddin Chuppu has been declared as the next president-elect of
4. Royal Challengers Bangalore has appointed tennis legend Sania Mirza as the mentor of its Women’s Premier League (WPL) team.
5. Vivek Ramaswamy (an Indian American) is the CEO of Anti-Woke Inc. He is planning to contest in the 2024 US elections from Republican party.
   • Nikki Haley (Indian-origin American) is also planning to fight the elections.
   • Nikki Haley, is a child of Indian immigrants who became South Carolina’s first female and Asian American governor.

Important Days

1. February 11
   • World Day of the Sick; Theme – “Illness is part of our human condition. Yet, if the illness is experienced in isolation and abandonment, unaccompanied by care and compassion, it can become inhumane”
   • International Day of Women and Girls in Science; Theme – Innovate. Demonstrate. Elevate. Advance. Sustain. (I.D.E.A.S.): Bringing Everyone Forward for Sustainable and Equitable Development
     • The 8th International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assembly took place at the UN Headquarters at New York City.
2. February 12 – International Darwin Day (birthday of Charles Darwin)
3. February 12 – National Productivity Day
   • February 12-18 – National Productivity Week; Theme – ‘Productivity, Green Growth, and Sustainability: Celebrating India’s G20 Presidency’

4. February 13 – APEDA Foundation Day (37th edition)

Awards

1. Akshata Rakshe has been crowned as the Taj Miss India 2023.
2. Germany’s former chancellor Angela Merkel was awarded the Felix Houphouet-Boigny UNESCO Peace Prize in Ivory Coast’s capital Yamoussoukro.
   • Merkel was hailed for welcoming more than 1.2 million refugees and asylum seekers to Germany in 2015 and 2016.

Sports

1. Dallas Open is a men’s ATP indoor hard court tennis tournament held in Dallas, Texas, USA.
   • Men’s Singles – Wu Yibing (first Chinese to win an ATP Tour)
2. Betway SA20 League is a T-20 franchise cricket tournament in South Africa.
   • Sunrisers Eastern Cape has won the T20 series.
3. Real Madrid F.C. has won the 5^th FIFA Club World Cup 2022 in Morocco by defeating Al Hilal F.C.
   • 2023 FIFA Club World Cup will be hosted by Saudi Arabia for first time from December 12 to December 22.
   • The number of teams in the FIFA Club World Cup is 7.
4. India’s Akshdeep Singh and Priyanka Goswami qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics and World Athletics Championships 2023.

Miscellaneous

1. Lalita Lajmi (Indian painter) has passed away.

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