NATIONAL:
1. Ajay Banga
Why in news – US President Biden has nominated Ajay Banga to be the next president of the World Bank.
Key Points –
• Ajay Banga is the first Indian-born nominee for the World Bank presidency.
• Current President David Malpas announced his resignation recently.
• World bank has historically been headed by someone from the United States while a European heads the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
About Mr Banga -
• He is former Mastercard CEO.
• Banga currently serves as Vice Chairman of General Atlantic, a private equity firm.
• His family’s roots are from Jalandhar, Punjab.
• In 2016, the Indian government awarded Banga with a Padma Shri.
2. HC Judgments in Regional Language
Why in news - The Kerala High Court became the first high court to publish judgments in the regional language (Malayalam).
Key Points –
• Judges - Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly.
• The Kerala High Court made use of SUVAS to translate the judgments.
• Earlier CJI DY Chandrachud announced that judgments of the Supreme Court would be translated in to four languages -Hindi, Gujarati, Odia, and Tamil.
About SUVAS -
• Full form - Supreme Court Vidhik Anuvaad Software.
• Aim - to translate judicial documents from English to nine vernacular languages and vice versa.
• SUVAS is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based tool.
3. ‘Real Shiv Sena’ Dispute
Why in news - EC recognized Shiv Sena faction led by Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde as the real Shiv.
Key Points –
• The party name and symbol of ‘Bow and Arrow’ would be retained by the Shinde group.
• EC relied on the “test of majority” to determine which faction would get to use the name ‘Shiv Sena’.
• Test of majority - Shinde had the support of 40 out 67 MLAs and MLCs, and 13 out of 22 MPs.
• Two other criteria for such decision - A test of party constitution and a test of aims and objects.
• Sadiq Ali case (1971) -
• A dispute arose between two factions of the Congress to get the party’s name and symbol.
• EC ruled that the faction backed by Indira Gandhi was the real Congress that was subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court.
INTERNATIONAL:
1. New START Treaty
Why in news - Russia suspended its participation in the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty with the United States.
Key Points –
• It is the last remaining major military agreement with the United States.
• Reason - Vladimir Putin accused the West of being directly involved in attempts to attack its strategic air bases.
About New START:
• Full form - Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.
• START-I was signed between the US and the erstwhile USSR in 1991, and came into force in 1994.
• New START treaty entered into force on February 5, 2011 and was extended in 2021 for 5 more years (till February 4, 2026).
2. New UN Resolution on Ukraine
Why in news - The UN General Assembly approved a nonbinding resolution on Feb 23, 2023 calling Russia to end hostilities in Ukraine.
Key Points –
• Feb 24, 2023 - First anniversary of Moscow invasion.
• It was passed by 141-7 vote with 32 abstentions.
• India and China abstained.
3. Ban on Caste Discrimination
Why in news - Seattle became the first city in the US to bring in legislation banning caste-based discrimination.
Key Points –
• It was approved by the Council by 6-1 vote (lone dissenter - Sara Nelson).
• The resolution was moved by Kshama Sawant, a Seattle City council member.
• In December 2019, Brandeis University near Boston became the first US college to include caste in its non-discrimination policy.
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES:
1. Suposhit Maa Abhiyan
Why in news – PM Narendra Modi has praised the initiative of ‘Suposhit Maa’ by Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla.
Key Points –
• In March 2020, Om Birla launched this initiative in Kota, Rajasthan.
• Aim - To keep every mother and child healthy.
• 1,000 kits of a 17 kg balanced diet were provided to 1,000 pregnant women in the first phase of the campaign.
REPORTS & INDICES:
1. Gross Domestic Climate Risk
Why in news - Australia-based Cross Dependency Initiative (XDI) released the report showing high risk of damage to the built environment due to climate change hazards.
Key Points –
• It assessed the physical climate risk in over 2,600 states and provinces around the world in 2050.
• 80% of the top 50 most at-risk states and provinces in 2050 are in China, the US and India.
• Guangzhou - The most economically vulnerable city in the world" to sea level rise by 2050.
• Florida - Only non-Chinese state in the top 10.
• 9 states in India are among the top 50 regions in the world.
• 9 states - Punjab, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala and Gujarat.
• Most vulnerable (India) – Bihar (22nd), Uttar Pradesh (25th) and Assam (28th).
SCIENCE – TECH:
1. Ama KrushAI
Why in news - India’s first AI chatbot for the agriculture sector - Ama KrushAI was launched at ‘Krushi Odisha 2023’.
Key Points –
• It would help farmers with the best agronomic practices, government schemes and loan products.
AWARDS & HONOURS:
1. 13th Sansad Ratna Awards 2023
Why in news - 13 MPs, 2 Parliamentary Committees and 1 Lifetime Achievement honour would be awarded during the 13th edition.
Key Points –
• Prominent Awardees –
• Manoj Kumar Jha (From RS) (RJD, Bihar).
• Vishambhar Prasad Nishad (Samajwadi Party, UP).
• Sukanta Majumdar (BJP, West Bengal). Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (INC, West Bengal)
• Two Committees –
• Finance Committee (Lok Sabha, under BJP’s Jayant Sinha)
• Transport, Tourism and Culture Committee (Rajya Sabha, under YSR Congress’s V Vijayasai Reddy).
• Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Lifetime Achievement Award - T K Rangarajan (former Rajya Sabha MP for two terms and a Senior CPIM Leader).
About the Awards –
• Instituted in 2010. First edition was launched in Chennai.
• Inspired by the teachings of former President APJ Abdul Kalam.
• Brainchild of K Srinivasan. He founded the Prime Point Foundation in 1999.
• The awards were started with support from IIT Madras.
SUMMITS & CONFERENCES:
1. 15th ELECRAMA 2023
Why in news - It was held at the India Expo Mart, Greater Noida on 18th February 2023.
Key Points –
• It is the World's largest electrical show by IEEMA.
• The Indian Electrical & Electronics Manufacturers' Association (IEEMA) is the apex association of the Indian electrical equipment manufacturing industry.
• IEEMA has commissioned a study on “New Energies Electrical and Electronics equipment landscapes 2030” for Green Hydrogen (GH2) value chain. The report was unveiled during ELECRAMA.
POINTERS:
• Who has been appointed as the new Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) - Dr. Rajeev Raghuvanshi.
• The construction of which tunnel has been approved by the Union Cabinet to provide all-weather connectivity in Ladakh - Shinku La Tunnel.
• Which ministry will organize the first Global Tourism Investment Summit in New Delhi - Ministry of Tourism.
• Where has India's first Maritime Spatial Planning Framework been launched as part of a pact under the Indo-Norway Integrated Ocean Initiative – Puducherry.
• Which cricketer became the fastest Indian to take the double of 250 wickets and 2,500 runs in Test cricket- Ravindra Jadeja.
• Justice Sonia Gokani has recently become the first woman Chief Justice of which state - Gujarat.
• Who has been honoured with the “Akbar Kakkattil Award” of Kerala - Subhash Chandran (novel Samudrashila).
• Government announced to set up how many labs to develop applications using 5G services – 100.
• Who recently inaugurated Nano Urea Liquid Plants of IFFCO at Aonla and Phulpur in Uttar Pradesh - Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya.
• Recently, the central government approved the formation of how many new ITBP battalions for the security of the Indo-China border – 7.