Current Affairs in English – March 5, 6 2023

March 5-6, 2023

National Events:

NCM:

• The Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) Iqbal Singh Lalpura, on 5 March 2023, announced that all Indians stranded in Libya have been evacuated. It was done by the NCM with the help of the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian Embassy in Tunisia.
• The country has been facing unrest ever since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011.

Uttar Pradesh government:

• Uttar Pradesh government on 5 March 2023, announced to waive road tax and registration fees on the purchase of Electric Vehicles (EVs) to promote electric vehicles.
• As per the UP Electric Vehicle Manufacturing and Mobility Policy 2022, a 100 percent tax exemption will be given on electric vehicles (EVS) sold and registered in Uttar Pradesh from October 14, 2022, to October 13, 2025.

Indian Navy:

• The Indian Navy on 5 March 2023 successfully test-fired in the Arabian Sea the ship-launched version of the BrahMos supersonic missile. The missile that was tested had the indigenous seeker and booster.
• BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, an India-Russian joint venture, produces supersonic cruise missiles that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms.

Nano liquid DAP:

• Union Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on 5 March 2023, announced the launch of nano liquid DAP (di-ammonium phosphate) fertilizer for the benefit of farmers.
• One bottle will be equivalent to one bag of DAP, which costs Rs 1,350. Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) is also planning to launch Nano-Potash, Nano-Zinc, and Nano-Copper fertilizers.

L20:

• The 1st Labour 20 (L20) meeting is scheduled to be held in Amritsar, Punjab from 19th to 20th March 2023. It comprises leaders and representatives of trade union centers of G20 countries who provide analyses and policy recommendations aimed at addressing labor-related issues.
• Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) is the lead national trade union center for organizing the L20 inception meeting.

INS Trikand:

• INS Trikand is participating in the International Maritime Exercise/ Cutlass Express 2023 (IMX/CE-23) being held in the Gulf region from 26 February to 16 March 2023.
• Participants from over 50 nations and international maritime agencies are participating in the exercise with the common aim of enhancing maritime security and keeping sea lanes in the region safe for maritime commerce.

Millet Mahotsav:

• A two-day Millet Mahotsav was organised by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries at Agra, Uttar Pradesh, from 3-4 March, 2023. The event was inaugurated by Minister of State for Law & Justice, Prof. SP Singh Baghel.
• Uttar Pradesh is the largest producer of food grains in India and accounted for about 18.89% share in the country’s total food grain output in 2020-21.

Pramerica Life Insurance Limited:

• Pramerica Life Insurance Limited has appointed Pankaj Gupta as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. The appointment has been approved by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and the Board of Pramerica Life Insurance.
• Pankaj Gupta succeeds Kalpana Sampat, who was the previous MD & CEO. Gupta will be responsible for driving strategic growth led transformation to bring Pramerica Life amongst the leading Life Insurance companies in India.

Mauganj:

• Mauganj was declared as 53rd district of Madhya Pradesh by Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. Mauganj is a tehsil of the Rewa district.
• CM Chouhan declared that Mauganj would become the 53rd MP district during a function in Rewa. It will be built by combining four of the Rewa district’s tehsils.

 “Laadli Behna”:

• Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, unveiled the “Laadli Behna” Yojana, under which qualified women will get 1,000 rupees every month in support.
• On March 5, the chief minister’s 65th birthday, the procedure for accepting applications for the benefit programme started.

 ‘ PM CARES for Children’:

• An ILO-UNICEF report on Social Protection for Children said 31 Indian states have implemented the national ‘ PM CARES for Children ‘ scheme launched during the pandemic with 10,793 full orphans (children who have lost both parents) and 151,322 half-orphans (children who have lost one parent) due to the pandemic taking the benefit of the scheme.
• The scheme was launched on 29th May, 2021 with the aim to support children who lost both or surviving parent(s), legal guardian/adoptive parents or single adoptive parent to Covid-19.

V-Dem Institute:

• India has now been ranked at the 108th spot globally for electoral democracy, far behind nations like Tanzania, Bolivia, Mexico, Singapore, and even Nigeria, which comes in at a modest 91st spot by V-Dem Institute in its Electoral Democracy Report for 2023.
• This ranking may come as a shock to many, but it is also far below nations like Tanzania, Bolivia, Mexico, Singapore, and even India.

Fifth Layer:

• Researchers trying to uncover the secrets of Earth’s geology have revealed the fifth layer of the planet. Seismic waves generated by earthquakes have revealed new insights about the deepest parts of Earth’s inner core. The fifth layer is made of iron and nickel, the same materials that comprise the rest of the inner core.
• The team of researchers from the Australian National University measured the speeds at which these seismic waves penetrate and pass through the Earth’s inner core.
• The team believes that this has presented evidence of a distinct layer inside Earth known as the innermost inner core. The existence of an internal metallic ball within the inner core, the innermost inner core, was hypothesised about 20 years ago.

Department of Social Justice and Empowerment:

• Department of Social Justice and Empowerment signed an MOU, with the Prajapati Brahma Kumari Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya, Mount Abu in New Delhi on 4 March 2023.
• It has been signed for spreading the message of Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, NMBA, among youth, women and students. NMBA is a flagship programme of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment which is operational in 372 districts.

‘Go Green, Go Organic’:

• Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and four Sikkim ministers released a unique cover of the Department of Posts, ‘Go Green, Go Organic’ for Sikkim.
• Sikkim has the title of the ‘first 100% organic state’ in the world. The state has also won the prestigious Future Policy Gold Award from the UN Food and Agriculture.

International Events:

India & Mexico:

• India and Mexico on 4 Mar 2023 signed an MoU on research, technology and innovation collaborations in New Delhi.
• It will specifically focus on several key technology areas including Aerospace, Electronics, Earth and Ocean Sciences and Water, Mining, Minerals, Clean Energy, Biotech and Healthcare. India will provide tangible results in the three priority areas of Water, Lithium and Vaccines.

International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness:

• Observed on 5 March, the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness plays a role in deepening the global public’s understanding about how disarmament efforts contribute to enhancing peace and security, preventing and ending armed conflicts, and curbing human suffering caused by weapons.
• The International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness seeks to promote better awareness and understanding of disarmament issues among the public, especially young people.

BSE and UN Women India:

• FinEMPOWER, a new initiative from BSE and UN Women India, was introduced at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
• In order to empower women towards financial security, BSE and UN Women have collaborated on a year-long capacity-building programme.

Sports Events:

Santosh Trophy national football championship:

• Karnataka ended their 54-year wait to win the Santosh Trophy national football championship, beating Meghalaya 3-2 in a pulsating final at the King Fahd International Stadium in the Saudi Arabia capital.

Max Verstappen:

• Max Verstappen won the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix from pole position, leading almost the entire race as he opened the defense of his back-to-back Formula One titles.
• It was the first time he had won in Bahrain and also the first time he had triumphed in a Formula One opener.