NATIONAL NEWS

Ministry of I&B Partnered with Amazon India

• Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur announced a partnership between the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Amazon India in the field of media, entertainment and public awareness.

• This partnership will help strengthen industry-academia ties through scholarships, internships, masterclasses for students at the Film and Television Institute of India and Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute of India.

• This partnership will help in reducing the struggle period for talented artistes coming out of prestigious film institutes of India.

• The partnership between the Ministry and Amazon will create opportunities for Indian talent at the national and international levels.

Kerala Leads in GI Tags

• According to data shared by the GI Registry, Kerala received the highest number of Geographical Indication (GI) tags for products among all states in India in the fiscal year 23 (FY23).

• Several products from Kerala have been recognized with the GI tag, includingAttappadi Attucombu avara (beans), Attappadi thuvara (red gram), Onattukara elu (sesame), Kanthalloor vattavada veluthulli (garlic), and Kodungallur pottuvellari (snap melon).

• It is the short form of Geographical Indication and it is a unique identification of any region, town or state.

• The tag is given in the name of certain products or signs that symbolise the uniqueness of that particular region.

Banarasi Paan to Get GI Tag from Varanasi

• Banarasi paan has been awarded the GI tag, which signifies its unique identity and origin.

• Three other foods from the Varanasi region, including Banarasi Langda Mango, Ramnagar Bhanta (Brinjal), and Adamchini rice, have also received the GI tag.

• Banarasi paan is a popular mouth-freshener made from betel leaves, betel nut, slaked lime and many other ingredients.

• Banarasi paan is an important part of the cultural heritage of the city of Varanasi, having its origins in the Mughal era.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India Elected to UN Statistical Commission

• India has been elected as a member of the UN Statistical Commission, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the Programme Coordinating Board of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations.

• India was elected to the highest statistical body of the United Nations for a term of 4 years starting from 01 January 2024.

• India was elected as a member of this commission 20 years ago in 2004.
• In the highly competitive election for membership of the Statistical Commission, India secured 46 out of 53 votes in a secret ballot.

BANKING

Monetary Policy Committee

• The six-member Monetary Policy Committee, headed by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, announced the status quo on policy rates on 06 April.

• The Reserve Bank of India announced its bi-monthly monetary policy and kept the repo rate unchanged at 6.50 per cent.

• In the MPC meeting held in February, the repo rate was increased by 0.25 percent to 6.50 percent.

• The Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) rate will remain unchanged at 6.25 per cent.

• The Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate at 6.75 per cent.
• GDP growth in FY2024 could be 6.5%. The current account deficit stood at 2.7% of GDP in the October-December quarter of FY23.

ECONOMY

Global Trade Expected to Grow 1.7% in 2023

• The world trade organization (WTO) revised its global trade growth outlook for 2023 upwards to 1.7% from last October’s estimate of 1%.

• The World Trade Organization announced in its forecast that trade growth for 2024 is expected to be 3.2 percent.

• However, the WTO said the forecast is highly uncertain and at a downside risk given the impact of ongoing global tensions, food supply problems and monetary policy tightening.

• Global trade growth in 2023 is still projected to be low, despite a slight increase in gross domestic product (GDP) estimates since last fall.

SPORTS

MCC Life Membership

• The prestigious Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), based at cricket's mecca Lord's conferred its Honorary Life Membership to five Indian cricketers, including former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

• Apart from Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami have been given this honour.

• MCC CEO Guy Levander gave this membership to a total of 19 cricketers keeping in mind their contribution to international cricket.
• South Africa's Dale Steyn, England's Kevin Pietersen, Morgan, Pakistan's Mohammad Hafeez, Bangladesh's Mashrafe Mortaza and New Zealand's Ross Taylor are among those who got membership.
• As captain, Dhoni won the T20 World Cup in 2007, the World Cup in 2011 and the Champions Trophy in 2013.

First Woman On-Field Umpire in Full-Member Men’s T20Is

• New Zealand’s Kim Cotton became the first woman on-field umpire in a full-member men’s T20I during New Zealand’s second match against Sri Lanka in Dunedin.
• The 48-year-old Cotton has officiated as both on-field and TV umpire since 2018, in addition to 24 women's ODIs and 54 women's T20Is.
• Cotton first made an appearance in the men's game in 2020 as a TV umpire for the tied match between India and New Zealand in Hamilton.
• Cotton has also officiated in three T20 World Cups and an ODI World Cup since 2018, including the finals in 2020, 2022 and 2023.

Weightlifter Sanjita Chanu Banned for 4 Years by NADA

• Indian weightlifter and two-time Commonwealth Games winner Sanjita Chanu has been banned for four years by India's National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).

• The ban was imposed after Chanu tested positive for the anabolic-androgenic steroid Drostanolone, banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), during the National Games to be held in Gujarat in September-October 2022.

• As a result of the ban, Chanu would be stripped of her silver medal from the National Games.

RANKS, INDICES & REPORTS

India Justice Report 2022

• India Justice Report 2022 was released in New Delhi. This study relies on overall statistics from four pillars of justice delivery, includes Police, Judiciary, Prisons and Legal aid.

• Karnataka ranks first among 18 large and medium-sized states with a population of over one crore in terms of delivery of justice.

• Tamil Nadu is second and Telangana is third. Uttar Pradesh is at the 18th position, which is at the bottom.

• Among small states, Sikkim topped the list of seven small states with less than one crore population, followed by Arunachal Pradesh. Goa is at the bottom, at seventh position.
• According to the report, as of December 2022, the high courts were functioning with only 778 judges as against the sanctioned strength of 1,108.

AWARDS & PRIZES

Young Urologist of the Year Award

• Dr. Nitya Abraham, an Indian-American physician and professor, has been honored with the Young Urologist of the Year Award by the American Urological Association (AUA).

• She is an Associate Professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Program Director for the Montefiore Urology residency programme.

• Abraham has been chosen from the New York region for her accomplishments and contributions.

• Abraham has done remarkable work for countless students, residents, fellows and junior faculty in the New York area and at his institution.

• She is serving as the Chair of the Executive Curriculum Committee for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

National President of FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO)

• Sudha Shivakumar has been appointed as the 40th National President of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Ladies Organization (FLO), a women-led and women-focused business chamber from South East Asia.

• She is an investment banker and lawyer and his appointment was announced on 3 April.

• As National President, Shivakumar's main focus will be on empowering women by creating an enabling environment that promotes entrepreneurship, industry participation and economic growth of women.

• FLO is the women's wing of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), a non-profit organisation established in 1927 to promote trade and commerce in India.
• Its mission is to empower women through entrepreneurship, leadership and economic independence.

IMPORTANT DAYS

International Day of Sport for Development and Peace

• The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) is observed every year on 06 April.

• The day recognizes the importance of sport and physical activity in our individual lives and communities around the world.

• The theme for the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace 2023 is ‘Scoring for People and the Planet’.

• The theme highlights the positive impact of sport on sustainable development and peace, stressing the importance of using sport as a tool to achieve these goals.
• The United Nations General Assembly, during its 67th session, adopted resolution 67/296 on 23 August 2013, declaring 6 April as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.