Kapil Kathpal

SEBI Launches Information Database on Municipal Bonds

• SEBI has launched an information database on municipal
bonds. As part of efforts to develop the bond markets, an
outreach programme on municipal bonds and municipal
finance was organised by SEBI in New Delhi.

• The information database contains a wide range of

information in the form of statistics and regulations,
circulars, guidance note and Frequently Asked Questions
issued by Sebi in respect of municipal debt securities.

• A municipal bond is a debt security issued by a municipality

to finance its capital expenditures, including the construction
of highways, bridges or schools.
 Kapil Kathpal
Reserve Bank of India Says No Foreign
Investment Cap on Sovereign Green Bonds
• The sovereign green bonds issued by the Indian government will not have any
restrictions on foreign investment

• Such securities will be counted as specified securities under the fully

accessible route

• The fully accessible route introduced by RBI wherein certain specified

categories of Central Government securities are opened fully for non-resident
investors without any restrictions, apart from being available to domestic
investors as well.

• Now, the central bank has added sovereign green bonds to the list too.

• 5% of the notified amount for sale will be reserved for retail investors.

• SGrBs will be eligible for trading in the secondary market.

• SGrBs will be reckoned as eligible investment for SLR purpose.

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• Government of India (GOI) has announced the sale (issue)

of two Sovereign Green Bonds for a notified amount
of ₹8,000 crore
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GoI Switches Bonds Maturing in
2024 With RBI in Cash-Neutral Deal

• The Government of India has been conducting

conversion/switch operations with Reserve
Bank of India

• The GoI bought back 6.18% bonds maturing in

2024 (FY 2024-25) worth Rs. 22,610 crore
(USD 2.78 billion) at a price of Rs. 98.62, and it
issued 8.28% 2032 bonds to the RBI worth Rs.
21,025.914 crore at a price of Rs. 106.05.
 Kapil Kathpal
MoA&FW approves ‘Apple Cluster’
for Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian
• Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers
Welfare (MoA&FW) approved an “Apple
Cluster” for the Shopian district, Jammu and
Kashmir under the Cluster Development
Programme.

• The project’s estimated cost is Rs 135.23

crore, of which the MoA&FW will contribute
roughly Rs 37.05 crore as a grant-in-aid.
 Kapil Kathpal
Jammu and Kashmir Government
to Host its First SARAS Fair 2023
• The Jammu and Kashmir Government is set to host their first
SARAS Fair 2023 from 4th February to 14th February 2023.

• In the SARAS Fair 2023, artisans and women’s self-help groups

from across the country will showcase their crafts, Handicrafts,
handloom, and food.

• The fair would be organized at Bagh-e-Bahu, in Jammu.

• The SARAS Fair provides rural, and marginal producers an

opportunity to showcase their products, capacity, and skills of
livelihood. It is conducted under the guidance of the Ministry of
Rural Development.

• The SARAS Fair is organized jointly by the Central-State

Government as part of the National Rural Livelihood Mission
(NRLM) where entrepreneurs across the country are brought
together for marketing.
 Kapil Kathpal
Delhi launches ‘100 Days to Beat
Plastic’ Campaign by MCD
• Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena launched a
thematic 100-day campaign, “100 Days to Beat Plastic’
led by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

• The campaign aims to make areas under the municipal

corporation free of plastic.

• The campaign will end on 22nd April 2023, which

marks International Earth Day 2023.

• He also unveiled the mascot of the campaign – Nivaran

Dadi.
 Kapil Kathpal
NACO forms Largest Human Red Ribbon
Chain in Kalinga Stadium Odisha
• Odisha State AIDS Control Society organised an awareness program
on HIV AIDS in coordination with the Department of Sports and Youth
Services and Hockey India under the leadership of National AIDS Control
Organization.

• The spectators in the gallery included 4,800 students from various

schools, Red Ribbon Club members from colleges, people from
community, and participants from the Mission Shakti Department.

• The event created the ‘Largest Human Red Ribbon Chain‘ at the East
Gallery of the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

• The chain was formed during the following two matches: Malaysia vs New
Zealand & Netherland vs Chile

National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO):

• Director General: V Hekali Zhimomi
• Headquarters:New Delhi
• Founded: 1992
 Kapil Kathpal
IOA sets up Seven-member Committee
to Probe Allegations against WFI chief
• A seven-member committee has been constituted by the Indian Olympic
Association (IOA) to probe allegations of sexual harassment leveled by
prominent wrestlers against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

• The seven-member committee constituted by the IOA includes veteran

women boxer MC Mary Kom, wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, archer Dola
Banerjee and Indian Weightlifting Federation president Sahdev
Yadav, besides two lawyers Talish Ray and Shlok Chandra and former
shuttler Alaknanda Ashok.

• 30 wrestlers of India along with Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi
Malik made many serious allegations against the President of the
Wrestling Association, Brij Bhushan Singh.

• Wrestlers have made many serious allegations against Brijbhushan like

running the wrestling association in an arbitrary manner and not sending
coaches with wrestlers in many competitions and threatening to protest.

• Vinesh Phogat has accused Brij Bhushan of exploiting girls.

 Kapil Kathpal
IIT Guwahati signs MoU with AMTRON & RCH
• Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati signed
a Memorandum of Understanding with Assam
Electronics Development Corporation Ltd
(AMTRON) and RC Hobbytech Solutions Pvt.
Ltd. (RCH) to improve and advance drone-
based technology in Northeast India.
 Kapil Kathpal
Tripartite Agreement signed between UCSL, Department
of Fisheries & 5 Fishermen SHGs
• A tripartite agreement has been signed
between Malpe (Karnataka)-based Udupi
Cochin Shipyard Limited, Department of
Fisheries and five fishermen Self-Help Group
societies from Kerala to construct 10 Deep-Sea
Tuna Long Liner-cum-Gill netter fishing
vessels.

• The outlay for these advanced fishing vessels

will be Rs 14 crores.
 Kapil Kathpal
Bihar Govt inks MoU with FSI

• The Bihar Government, in collaboration with

the Forest Survey of India has decided to
conduct a “Tree Outside Forest field survey to
identify the dominant tree species that are
growing outside the Recorded Forest Areas in
Bihar.

• This would help farmers get additional income

by encouraging tree plantation on farmland
along with crops.
 Kapil Kathpal
IPA & RIS signed MoA to set up Centre
for Maritime Economy and Connectivity
• Indian Ports Association and Research & Information System for Developing
Countries have signed a Memorandum of Agreement to set up a Centre for
Maritime Economy and Connectivity.

• The proposed projects of the Transhipment Port at Galathea bay at Greater

Nicobar in Andaman and Nicobar Islands will be advantageous for the Bay of
Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
(BIMSTEC) Nations.

• Also Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, launched ‘Bharat Pravah – India

along its shores”, an initiative to highlight the importance of rivers-ports-
shipping in the life of common man through literature dialogue and
communication.

• Under the Bharat Pravah initiative, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping &
Waterways would organise events on various topics like Rivers and Sea-
Centric Development in India: Through a Historical Lens’ and ‘Sea, Rivers,
Ports and Ship in Folk Culture and Literature’, among others.

• The events will be organised at Mumbai, Kolkata, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam,

Varanasi, Calicut and other key hubs of waterways, ports, and shipping across
India.
 Kapil Kathpal
Indian films bag award for best
script writer and best actress at DIFF

• Two Indian films bagged awards for the best script

writer and best actress in the Asian Film Competition
section at the 21st Dhaka International Film Festival,
Bangladesh concluded.

• Anik Dutta directed film Aparajito (The Undefeated) got

the best scriptwriting award

• Ketaki Narayan was judged the best actress for her

role in Krishnendu Kalesh directed film Prappeda
(Hawk’s Muffin).
 Kapil Kathpal
• Ikkei Watanabe from Japan got the best actor award for the film Nakodo-
Matchmakers (Marriage Counsellor)

• The Iranian Film Bi-Mother (Motherless) got the best film award by the jury at
the DIFF.

• In the Bangladesh panorama category, Khandaker Sumon directed film

Saatao (Memories of Gloomy Monsoons) got the best film award.

• In the Women Filmmakers section, best documentary award was given to the
Sri Lankan film ‘Our Mother, Grandmother, Prime Minister: Sirimavo’ on the
life of Sri Lanka’s first woman Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike.

• The best feature film award in the Women Filmmakers section was given to
Akouse Me (Listen) from Greece, directed by Maria Douza.

• Katharina Woll was adjudged the best director in this category for her film Alle
Wollen Gelibet Werden (Everybody wants to be Loved).

• Mejbaur Rahman Sumon directed movie Hawa got the audience award for the
best film while Fakhrul Arefeen Khan directed film JK 1971 got the special
audience award.
 Kapil Kathpal
ESAF Bank bags Inclusive Finance India Awards 2022
• ESAF Small Finance Bank has bagged the prestigious
Inclusive Finance India Awards 2022 for its
contributions in advancing the goal of financial
inclusion and supporting inclusive growth.

ESAF
• Chairperson : P. R. Ravi Mohan
• MD & CEO : K. Paul Thomas
• Headquarters : Thrissur
 Kapil Kathpal
Indian Air Force to Conduct Exercise
‘PRALAY’ in Northeastern Part of India
• The Indian Air Force is set to conduct Exercise
PRALAY in the northeastern sector of India.

• Exercise PRALAY will include major combat

assets including the recently acquired Rafale
fighter in addition to Su-30 fighter jets and
other transport aircraft.
 Kapil Kathpal
Shamalbhai B Patel appointed as Chairman of Amul
• Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation that
markets milk and dairy products under the Amul brand
has announced the appointment of Shamalbhai B Patel
as its chairman and Valamjibhai Humbal as vice
chairman.

• Shamalbhai B Patel is the chairman of Sabarkantha

District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd., Sabar
dairy and related to dairy cooperatives of Gujarat since
final 33 years.

• Founders: Verghese Kurien & Tribhuvandas Kishibhai

Patel
• Headquarters: Anand
 Vedanta’s Cairn Oil & Gas Appointed Kapil Kathpal

Nick Walker as Chief Executive Officer

• Nick Walker has been announced as the Chief

Executive Officer of Cairn Oil & Gas, A unit of
Vedanta Ltd.

• Nick Walker has previously served as the

President and CEO at Lundin Energy

• Cairn Oil & Gas is the largest private crude oil

producer in India.
 Kapil Kathpal
Ex-SC judge AK Sikri appointed
Administrator of Shooting World Cup 2023
• Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri has been appointed
by the Delhi High Court as Administrator to
manage the use of funds for the next ISSF
Shooting World Cup in 2023.

• The ISSF World Cup (Rifle/Pistol) will take

place in March in Bhopal.
 Kapil Kathpal
Brand Guardianship Index 2023
• The Brand Guardianship Index 2023, ranking of the world’s top
100 CEOs or equivalents, was launched during the event hosted
in association with Deloitte during the World Economic Forum in
Davos, Switzerland.

• 6 Indian CEOs or equivalents are featured among the top 100 on

the index and 2 of them are among the top 10 (Mukesh Ambani
(2nd) and Natarajan Chandrasekaran(8th))

• The United States of America(USA) is the most represented

country on the index with 44 CEOs or equivalents followed by
China with 16 CEOs.

• Leena Nair, CEO of CHANEL ranked 11th on the list is the highest-
ranked female in Brand Guardianship Index 2023. Only 7 out of
100 brand guardians on the 2023 index are female.
 Kapil Kathpal
Brand Guardianship Index 2023 Top 5 (Global):

Rank CEO Company/Sector Country

1 Jensen Huang Nvidia (Tech) USA
2 Mukesh Ambani Reliance (Oil&Gas) India
3 Satya Nadella Microsoft(Tech) USA
4 Shantanu Narayen Adobe (Tech) USA
5 Sundar Pichai Google (Media) USA

Brand Guardianship Index 2023 Top 5 (India):

Rank Global Rank CEO Company/Sector

(India)
1 2 Mukesh Ambani Reliance (Oil&Gas)
2 8 Natarajan Chandrasekaran Tata Son (Engineering & Construction)
3 23 Anand Mahindra Mahindra (Automobiles)
4 26 Sunil Mittal Airtel (Telecoms)
5 48 Dinesh Kumar Khara State Bank of India(Banking)
 Kapil Kathpal
Book- ‘COACHING BEYOND: My Days with
the Indian Cricket Team’
• A book titled ‘COACHING BEYOND: My Days with the Indian
Cricket Team’ authored by R. Kaushik & R. Sridhar.

• The book reflects primarily on R. Sridhar’s seven-year coaching

tenure with the Indian cricket team as its fielding coach.

• R. Sridhar, a left-arm spinner who played for Hyderabad in the late

1990s

• He is the co-author of V.V.S Laxman’s autobiography, 281 And

Beyond as well as Gundappa Vishwanath’s autobiography, Wrist
Assured.
 Kapil Kathpal
Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings Resigns from his Post

• Netflix Inc. co-founder and CEO Reed

Hastings resigned from his position as
the company’s chief executive.
 Kapil Kathpal
Jeff Zients - Next chief of staff by Joe Biden

• US President Joe Biden will appoint former

COVID policy coordinator Jeff Zients as his
new chief of staff
 Kapil Kathpal
Air Marshal Harjit Singh Arora Passed Away

• Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) & Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
(AVSM) awardee Harjit Singh Arora, former Vice Chief of the Air
Staff Air Marshal, passed away in Delhi

• In December 1981, Harjit Singh Arora was commissioned as an

Indian Air Force fighter pilot.

• He had a flying experience of over 2600 hours on Mig (Mikoyan-

Gurevich)-21, Mig-29, and also helicopters.

• He served the force as the 44th Vice Chief of the Air Staff from
2019 to 2021.

• On 30th June 2021, Air Marshal Harjit Singh Arora superannuated.

• Harjit Singh Arora was awarded the AVSM in 2011 and the PVSM
in 2020.
 Kapil Kathpal
Parakram Diwas 2023 – January 23
• Parakram Diwas is annually observed across India on January 23 to
commemorate the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Subhas Chandra
Bose known as “Netaji”.

• 23rd January 2023 marks the 126th birth anniversary of Subhas Chandra
Bose.

• In 2021, the Government of India declared January 23 as Parakram

Diwas

• Subhas Chandra Bose was born on 23rd January 1897 in Cuttack, Orissa
Division of Bengal Presidency (Now in Odisha).

• He was elected the President of the All India Youth Congress and also the
Secretary of the Bengal State Congress in 1923.

• In 1927, Netaji and Jawaharlal Nehru became the 2 general secretaries of

the Indian National Congress

• Subhas Chandra Bose passed away in a plane crash on 18th August

1945.
 Kapil Kathpal

• On 23rd January 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually

participated in an event to name the 21 largest unnamed Islands
of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

• The Islands were named as per the Island’s size and the
Awardees’ ranks.

• The largest unnamed Island will be named after the 1st Param Vir
Chakra Awardee (Major Somnath Sharma).

• The 2nd largest unnamed will be named after the 2nd Param Vir
Chakra Awardee (Jadunath Singh).

• PM Narendra Modi unveiled a model of the National Memorial

dedicated to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose to be built on the Netaji
Subhash Chandra Bose Dweep (formerly Ross Islands).
 Kapil Kathpal
Uttar Pradesh celebrates Foundation Day
• The Uttar Pradesh state was formed on January 24,
1950.

• Under the order called United Provinces (Alteration of

Name) Order 1950, the provinces in the region were
grouped together to form the state of Uttar Pradesh.

• As India hadn’t become a republic then, the order was

passed by the Governor General of India.

• Chakravarthi Rajagopalachari acted as the Governor

General during this period.
 Kapil Kathpal
International Day of Education - 24 January 2023

• The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed 24 January

as International Day of Education, in celebration of the role of
education for peace and development.

• Recently, Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay has

decided to dedicate the 2023 International Day of Education
(January 24) to Afghan girls and women. Currently, 2.5 million
(80%) of school-aged Afghan girls and young women are out of
school, 1.2 million of whom were denied access to secondary
schools and universities following the decision of the de facto
authorities.

• The fifth International Day of Education will be celebrated under

the theme “to invest in people, prioritize education”.
 Kapil Kathpal
National Girl Child Day – 24th January 2023
• On January 24, the nation celebrates National
Girl Child Day.

• raise awareness of the injustices girls face in

Indian society, the Ministry of Women and Child
Development and the Indian government
started it in 2008.

• The Ministry of Education will host a

celebration with the theme “Self Defence
Training for Girls.”