DAILY GK 23-25 FEB

 DAILY GK 23-25 FEB

1.        ‘JAADUI PITARA’: LEARNING-TEACHING MATERIAL FOR FOUNDATIONAL YEARS

·         Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched “Jaadui Pitara,” a play-based learning and teaching material for the foundational stage children in the age group of 3 to 8 years as envisioned by the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020).

·         “Jaadui Pitara” (magic collection) was created in accordance with the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) and is available in 13 Indian languages.

·         The NEP 2020 envisions a 5+3+3+4 curriculum pedagogical structure.

·         The NCF will have four stages – foundation or early childhood care, and education for preparatory,middle and secondary levels.

 

2.       FIRST GREEN BONDS listed on NSE

·         The Indore Municipal Corporation’s (IMC) Green Bonds have been listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE), marking the first-ever green bond issue by a municipal corporation in India.

·         The Green bonds are debt securities designated to finance environment-friendly projects.

·         National Stock Exchange (NSE):Headquartered– Mumbai, Maharashtra

·         Establishment– 1992 (commenced operations as a stock exchange- 1994)

 

3.       DPIFF AWARDS 2023

·         India’s only independent international film festival, Dadahaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) 2023, held in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

·         Bollywood actors Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt received awards in the Best Actor and Best Actress category for their performances in movies ‘Brahmastra: Part 1‘ and ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi.

·         Filmmaker SS Rajamouli’s Telugu Movie, ‘RRR’ received the Film of the year award and Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri’s Hindi Movie ‘The Kashmir Files’ won the Best Film award.

 

4.       13TH SANSAD RATNA AWARDS

·         The Jury Committee chaired by Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union Minister of State (MoS) for Parliamentary Affairs nominated 13 members of Parliament (MP) : 5 from Rajya Sabha and 8 from Lok Sabha for the 13th Sansad Ratna Awards (2023).

·         T K Rangarajan, Former Member of Parliament – Rajya Sabha for two terms  and a Senior Communist Party of India (Marxist)(CPI-M) Leader has been nominated for the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Lifetime Achievement Award.

 

5.       ASSOCHAM NEW VICE-PRESIDENT

·         Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM), a non-governmental trade association, announced the appointment of Sanjay Nayar, a global financial markets expert, as its new Vice-President.

·         Sanjay Nayar is a prominent finance professional in the banking landscape in India and private equity sectors with almost 40 years of experience in both the domestic and international financial markets.

 

6.       BOOK “MODI: SHAPING A GLOBAL ORDER IN FLUX”

·         The book was edited by Sujan Chinoy, Vijay Chauthaiwale, and Uttam Kumar Sinha; and the foreword was written by Dr S Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, Government of India.

 

7.       WORLD THINKING DAY 2023 – FEBRUARY 22

·         World Thinking Day (WTD) is annually observed across the globe on February 22 by Girl Scouts and Girl Guides in the 152 member organisations across the world.

·         The day is annually observed and organised by the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).

·         The theme “Our World, Our Peaceful Future: The environment, peace, and security”.

 

8.       UK OVERTAKES INDIA AS WORLD’S 6TH-BIGGEST STOCK MARKET

·         As per the data of Bloomberg, the United Kingdom (UK) became the world’s 6th-largest equity market surpassing India for the first time in almost 9 months (Since May 2022).

·         India’s stock market remains behind the UK due to a weaker rupee and falling share prices of companies in the Adani Group amid allegations of stock manipulation and accounting fraud by US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research.

 

9.       NEW DRUG CONTROLLER GENERAL OF INDIA

·         Dr Rajeev Raghuvanshi is appointed as new Drug Controller General of India(DCGI), head of Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO)

·         The appointment is made at “Level 14 of the Pay Matrix”, on a “short-term contract basis”.

 

10.    18TH UIC WORLD SECURITY CONGRESS

·         The 18th UIC World Security Congress, a 3-day Conference, was held in Jaipur, Rajasthan

·         It was jointly organised by the International Union of Railways (UIC – Union International Des Chemins) and the Railway Protection Force (RPF), India.

·         The theme of Congress is “Railway Security Strategy: Responses and Vision for Future”.

·         The 18th UIC World Security Congress concluded with the adoption of the Jaipur Declaration for rail safety and security by the attendees.

 

11.    NEW EXTERNAL AUDITOR OF ILO

·         Girish Chandra Murmu (G.C. Murmu), Comptroller and Auditor General(CAG) of India, has been selected as External Auditor of the International LabourOrganisation (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland, for a 4-year term (2024-2027).

·         ILO Director-General- Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo,Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland

·         Establishment- 1919,Members- 187 Member States

 

12.    I2U2 BUSINESS FORUM’S INAUGURAL MEETING HOSTED BY UAE

·         The inaugural I2U2 (a grouping of Israel, India, the UAE (United Arab Emirates), and the United States) Business Forum was hosted by the UAE in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

·         I2U2 Business Forum discussed building integrated agricultural facilities across India.

·          As a part of the forum’s initiative, the UAE is committed to a $2-billion investment for integrated agricultural facilities across India and the development of a 300-MW wind and solar power plant in Gujarat.

·         At the forum, India was represented by Dammu Ravi, secretary (economic relations) of the external affairs ministry.

·         On the sidelines of the I2U2 Business Forum, in Abu Dhabi, UAE, India became the latest member of the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM4C), which was launched by the UAE and the US at COP26 in November 2021.

 

13.    24TH EY ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARDS

·         Sajjan Jindal, Chairman and Managing Director(CMD) of Mumbai (Maharashtra)-based JSW Group, has been named the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2022 India at the 24th EY Entrepreneur of the Year™ Awards ceremony held in New Delhi, Delhi.

·         K P Singh, Chairman Emeritus, DLF Group was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his pioneering work in architecting the real-estate landscape of India.

 

14.    CENTRAL EXCISE DAY 2023 – FEBRUARY 24

·         The Central Excise Day is annually observed across India on 24th February to recognise and acknowledge the efforts and contributions of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) towards the development of India.

·         CBIC Chairman– VivekJohri,Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi

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DAILY GK 21,22 FEB

 DAILY GK 21,22 FEB

1.       AERO INDIA 2023

·         The 14th edition event took place at Air Force Station Yehlanka in Bengaluru, Karnataka

·         The theme of the event was “The runway to a billion opportunities.”

 

2.       12 CHEETAHS FROM SOUTH AFRICA AT KUNO NATIONAL PARK

·         Madhya Pradesh (MP) Chief Minister (CM) Shivraj Singh Chouhan released 12 cheetahs into the Kuno National Park (KNP) in Sheopur, MP. The cheetahs include 7 males and 5 females from South Africa (SA).

·         Now, the total number of Cheetahs in KNP has increased to 20.

·         KNP is situated on the northern side of the Vidhyachal mountains and is spread across more than 700 square km.

·         The Cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus, is the world’s fastest mammal. The average life span of a South African cheetah was 8-10 years.

·         This move comes after five months (September 17, 2022) when the first batch of 8 cheetahs arrived in KNP from Namibia.

 

3.       NORTH INDIA’S 1ST NUCLEAR PLANT TO BE SET UP IN HARYANA

·         North India’s 1st Nuclear Plant ‘Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojana’ (GHAVP) will be set up near Gorakhpur village in Fatehabad, Haryana.

·         In June 2017 approval was granted for the construction of 10 indigenously developed Pressurised Heavy-Water Reactors (PHWRs) of 700 MegaWatts (MW) each with a total cost of Rs 1.05 Lakh crore.

·         Kaiga Atomic Power Plant, Karnataka, Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Praiyonjan, Chutka Madhya Pradesh Atomic Power Project, Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Projects were planned for construction.

 

4.       WORLD’S HIGHEST WEATHER STATION REBUILT ON MOUNT EVEREST

·         The World’s Highest Weather Station, which was installed by the National Geographic Society (NatGeo), has been rebuilt on Mount Everest after it was destroyed due to hurricane-force winds on Mt Everest.

·         It was installed to automatically measure various meteorological phenomena.

 

5.       BANK OF MAHARASHTRA TOPS LIST OF PSBS IN LOAN GROWTH

·         As per an analysis of the latest financial results of Public Sector Banks (PSBs), Pune (Maharashtra) based Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) tops the list of PSBs in terms of loan growth percentage for the third quarter of FY23 (Q3 FY23).

·         It shows a growth of 21.67% in gross advances year-on-year (y-o-y) in Q3FY23.

·         BoM is followed by Union Bank with a growth rate of 19.80% in advances.

·         PSBs had a robust profit growth of 65% at Rs 29,175 crore during Q3FY23, with BoM emerging as the top performer in terms of percentage growth in profit. It recorded a 139% jump in profit at Rs 775 crore.

·         In value terms, SBI’s total loan book is at Rs 26,47,205 crore, which is more than 17 times higher than BOM’s lending book of Rs 1,56,962 crore.

·         In terms of asset quality, BoM and SBI were in the lowest quartile w.r.t. non-performing assets (NPAs) and net NPAs.

·         With regard to deposit growth, BoB topped the charts among PSBs with a growth rate of 14.50%,

·         In terms of total business growth, Union Bank of India recorded the highest growth of 16.07% during Q3FY23.

·         With regard to Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR), BoM recorded 17.53%, the highest among PSBs

 

6.       UNICEF INDIA NATIONAL AMBASSADOR

·         United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) India announced the appointment of Ayushmann Khurrana, a National Award-winning Bollywood Actor, as a National Ambassador.

·         In 2020, he was appointed UNICEF India’s Celebrity Advocate to advocate for ending violence against children and the broader child rights agenda.

 

7.       BADMINTON ASIA MIXED TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP 2023

·         The 3rd edition of Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships 2023/Tong Yun Kai Cup 2023 was at Dubai Exhibition Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

·         The championship was won by China with Gold medal by defeating South Korea with 3-1.

·         The 3rd position or Bronze medal was shared by India and Thailand.

·         India faced a 2-3 defeat against China in the semifinals.

 

8.       WORLD’S LARGEST DIVYANG PARK IN MAHARASHTRA

·         Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari,  laid the Foundation Stone of the world’s largest and unique ‘Divyang Park – Anubhuti Inclusive Park’ in Nagpur, Maharashtra.

·         The park will have facilities for all 21 types of disabilities, like a touch-and-smell garden, hydrotherapy unit, water therapy, and an independent room for mentally challenged children, and mother.

·         This park act as an initiative taken under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPWD Act).

·         Divyang is a Hindi word which means the one with a divine body part.

·         Prior to this persons with disabilities are referred to as viklang. The word viklang is Hindi for someone with non-functional body parts. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, uttered the word divyang and coined a new meaning for it.

·         United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) was formed on the 13th day of December, 2006. India signed the UNCRPD and subsequently ratified the same on 1st October, 2007.

·         RPWD Act was enacted in 2016 and came into force in 2017 to give effect to the UNCRPD. The act replace the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995.

·         As of now 21 types of disabilities were included under the act 

·         UN’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is annually observed on December 3.

 

9.       INDIA-UZBEKISTAN JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE

·         Ex-DUSTLIK IV – 2023, the 4th edition of the bilateral joint military exercise between the Indian Army and Uzbekistan Army commenced in Foreign Training Node in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.

·         45 soldiers each from Uzbekistan and Indian Army.

·         The Indian contingent will be represented by the 14th Battalion, The GARHWAL RIFLES

·         Uzbekistan Capital– Tashkent,President– Shavkat Mirziyoyev

 

10.    BVR SUBRAHMANYAM APPOINTED AS NITI AAYOG CEO

·         The Government of India (GoI) has approved the appointment of former Commerce Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam (56 years old) as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India).

·         Subrahmanyam will succeed incumbent CEO Parameswaran Iyer, who will join the World Bank (WB) as Executive Director in Washington, DC, United States (US) for a 3-year term.

·         NITI Aayog Chairperson – Prime Minister of India (Narendra Modi),Vice Chairperson – Suman Bery

·         Establishment – 2015,Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi

 

11.    RANJI TROPHY 2022-2023:

·         Saurashtra cricket team won the Mastercard Ranji Trophy 2022-2023 defeating Bengal cricket team(West Bengal) by 9 wickets in the finals of held in Eden Gardens in Kolkata, West Bengal.

·         This marks Saurashtra’s 2nd Ranji Trophy Title. Saurashtra won their maiden Ranji Trophy in 2020.

·         Jaydev Unadkat, captain of Saurashtra, was declared Man of the Match (finals)

·         Arpit Vasavada, a batsman for Saurashtra, was adjudged the Player of the Series

·         Ranji Trophy was founded by the Board of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI) in 1935.

·         The Ranji Trophy is named after one of India’s first test cricketers, Ranjit sinh ji, who played for England and Sussex.

·         Mumbai (Bombay) dominates the Ranji Trophy by winning the tournament 41 times.

 

12.    INDIA’S 80TH CHESS GRANDMASTER

·         Indian Chess Player N.R. Vignesh (25-year-old), from Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN), became India’s 80th Grandmaster (GM) after defeating International Master (IM) Ilja Schneider of Germany at Nord West Cup 2023 in Germany

·         He became the Grandmaster after crossing 2500 in the live ratings.

 

13.    INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY 2023 – FEBRUARY 21

·         United Nations (UN)’s International Mother Language Day (IMLD) is annually observed across the globe on February 21 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity, as well as multilingualism.

·         The theme of International Mother Language Day 2023 is “Multilingual education – a necessity to transform education”.

·         International Mother Language Day was established on the initiative of Bangladesh.

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