NATIONAL NEWS

First G20 Health Working Group Meeting

• The first G-20 Health Working Group (HWG) meeting under India’s G-20 presidency began at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.

• This meeting will be held from 18 January to 20 January 2023.

• These HWG meetings will be held in various places in the country including Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, Goa, Hyderabad in Telangana and Gandhinagar in Gujarat.

• It will highlight PM Modi's call to showcase India's rich and diverse cultures.

• The meeting will be attended by representatives of G-20 member states.

First Constitution Literate District in India

• Kerala's Kollam district has become the first constitution literate district in the country.
• This was announced by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at a function presided over by Finance Minister KN Balagopal in Kollam.
• The Citizen Constitution Literacy campaign has been launched to educate the residents of Kollam district of Kerala about the basics of the Constitution.
• Its objective is to make Kollam district a constitutionally literate district.
• Under this campaign, more than seven lakh families of the district are being educated on the basic principles of the Constitution.
• Under the campaign, about 20 to 25 persons from each municipality and 10 to 15 persons from each gram panchayat are selected for training and are called senators.

B-20 Inception Meeting to be Organized in Gandhinagar

• As part of India’s G-20 presidency, a Business-20 (B-20) inception meeting will be organized at Gandhinagar in Gujarat between 22 January to 24 January.

• The meeting will be held to formulate policy recommendations to be submitted to G-20 ahead of the leaders’ Summit.

• This will be the first of 15 events that the State is set to organize as part of India’s G-20 presidency.

• The inaugural ceremony of the B-20 inception meeting will be attended by Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Ashwini Vaishnav, State Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, India’s Sherpa to G-20 Amitabh Kant, and Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran.

• More than 150 policy-makers, business executives, CEOs, and senior executives representing enterprises from G-20 countries will take part in the inaugural meeting.

India’s First Centre of Excellence of Online Gaming

• The Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajeev Chandrasekhar announced that India’s first Centre of Excellence (CoE) of online gaming will be set up in Shillong, Meghalaya by March 2023.

• The CoE will be set up under Digital India Startup Hub through the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI).

• The STPI was set up in 1991 as an autonomous society in the field of Science and Technology under the MeitY.

• Digital Skills have become necessary to thrive in the post-Covid world. Understanding the significance of digital skills in today’s era, MeitY is re-launching Skill India through Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 4.0.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

5th Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue

• Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) made an official visit to South Korea and co-chaired the 5th Foreign Policy and Security Dialogue (FPSD).

• India and South Korea agreed to work to make global supply chains more resilient and robust.

• Both the countries agreed to take bilateral trade to US$ 50 billion by 2030 from an all-time high of US$ 28 billion at present.

• Both sides also discussed opportunities for cooperation in new and emerging technologies.

• India has offered investment to Korean companies in manufacturing, infrastructure and other sectors.

BANKING

WDRA Signs MoU with SBI

• Warehousing Development Regulatory Authority (WDRA) signed a memorandum (MoU) of understanding with State Bank of India to help farmers in getting low interest rate loans.

• The objective of the MoU is to provide information on the benefits to the depositors besides carrying out further activities to improve agricultural finance in India.

• It is envisaged that the product will have far reaching consequences with regard to acceptance of e-NWRs (electronic Negotiable Warehouse Receipt) among small and marginal farmers.

• WDRA was constituted on 26 October 2010 under the Warehousing (Development and Regulation) Act, 2007.

• It is a Statutory Authority under the Department of Food and Public Distribution, Government of India.

SBI Launches e-Bank Guarantee Facility

• State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, has launched an e-Bank Guarantee (e-BG) facility in association with National e-Governance Services Limited (NeSL).

• The introduction of e-BG will replace this function with e-stamping and e-signature.

• It is to enhance transparency and reduce turnaround time from days to minutes.

• NeSL’s Digital Document Execution (DDE) platform, which provides e-Stamp and e-Sign functions, will facilitate the e-Bank Guarantee process.

• Beneficiaries will instantly receive an e-Bank Guarantee on NeSL’s platform without further verification.

• This facility will bring about a revolutionary change in the banking ecosystem, where bank guarantee is frequently used in large volumes.
• Currently, the bank issues these guarantees with physical stamping and wet signatures.

SPORTS

Malaysia Open Badminton Title

• Two-time world champion and defending Olympic champion Victor Axelsen (Denmark) and world champion Akane Yamaguchi (Japan) have won the men’s and women’s singles titles respectively in Malaysia Open Badminton 2023.

• Viktor Axelsen of Denmark won the tournament for the second time in a row by defeating Kodai Naraoka of Japan in the men's singles final.

• Japan's Akane defeated world number four Ahn Se-young of South Korea to win the title.

• Now these players will also present the title claim in the India Open to be held from the last week of January 2023.

AWARDS & PRIZES

Federal Bank Literary Award 2022

• Renowned author K Venu was awarded the Federal Bank Literary Award 2022 for his autobiography 'Oarnavashanthinte Katha'.

• Mr. Venu received the award from Balagopal Chandrasekhar, Chairman and Independent Director of Federal Bank, at a special event organised as part of the Kerala Literature Festival.

• This is the first literary award instituted by the Federal Bank.

‘Golden Kailasha’ Award

• A Rajasthani film ‘Nanera’ directed by Dipankar Prakash was awarded the 'Golden Kailasha' award for the best film at the Ajanta-Ellora Film Festival.

• 'Nanera' has also received the award for Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Editing.

• Under the award for the best film, 'Nanera' was given a trophy and a cash prize of one lakh rupees.

• The eighth edition of the film festival was organised in Aurangabad from 11 January to 15 January 2023.

• Akshata Pandavapura of Kannada film 'Koli Isru' (Chicken Curry) won the Best Child Artist and Best Actress award.
• Jeetu Kamal was awarded the best actor award for the Bengali film 'Aparajito' at the film festival.

Miss Universe 2022

• America's R'Bonnie Gabriel won the Miss Universe 2022 title at the 71st Miss Universe pageant.

• Amanda Dudamel of Venezuela was declared the first runner up while Anderina Martinez of Dominican Republic became the second runner up.

• R Bonnie Gabriel is a model, fashion designer and sewing instructor. She is the first American of Filipino descent to win Miss USA.

• Divita Rai took part from India, who could only reach the semi-finals.

• The 71st Miss Universe pageant was held in the city of New Orleans in the US state of Louisiana.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Deputy National Security Adviser in National Security Council Secretariat

• Retired director general of the Border Security Force (BSF) Pankaj Kumar Singh was appointed as the Deputy National Security Adviser in the National Security Council Secretariat for a period of two years.
• Pankaj Kumar Singh, a 1988 batch IPS officer of Rajasthan cadre, has been appointed on re-employment contract. He retired as the BSF chief on 31 December 2022.
• He had earlier served asInspector General of CRPF in Chhattisgarh and IG (Operations) at CRPF Headquarters in Delhi.

DEFENCE

Bilateral Naval Exercise 'Varuna' – 2023

• The 21st edition of the bilateral naval exercise "Varuna" between India and France began at the western seaboard.
• The exercise will be conducted for five days from 16 January to 20 January 2023.
• The 21st edition of the exercise will involve Indian Navy's indigenous Guided Missile Stealth Destroyer Ship INS Chennai, Guided Missile Frigate INS Teg Nauka, Maritime Patrol Aircraft P-8I and Dornier, integral helicopters and MiG29.
• The French Navy will be represented by aircraft carriers Charles de Gaulle, FS Forbin and Provence yachts, support ship FS Marne and maritime patrol aircraft Atlantique.
• Enhanced air defence exercises, tactical manoeuvres, surface firing, replenishment and other maritime operational activities will be conducted during the exercise.

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Startup Day

• National Startup Day is celebrated every year on 16 December.
• In the year 2022, India celebrated the first 'National Startup Day'.
• No specific theme has yet been chosen for the celebration of this day.
• In order to promote and encourage new businesses in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on 15 January 2022 that every year 16 January will be celebrated as 'National Startup Day'.
• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry have organised 'Startup India Innovation Week' from 10 January to 16 January.

Indian Army Day

• Indian Army Day 2023 is observed every year on the 15 January.
• One million Indians volunteered to serve in the British Army during World War I and almost 90,000 of them died in the war.
• Although the British military continued to be ‘Indianized’ until after the country gained its independence, the ultimate transfer took place on 15 January 1949, and this is the day we commemorate.

OBITUTARY

World’s Oldest Person Lucile Randon

• World's oldest person, Lucile Randon passed away. He was at the age of 118.
• She was born on 11 February 1904 in Southern France.
• Guinness World Records had officially recognised her status in April 2022.