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 Daily Current Affairs PDF

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 Daily Current Affairs PDF

AFFAIRSCLOUD TODAY
Current Affairs 18 February 2023 : Headlines

1. First G20 Digital Economy Working Group meeting held in Lucknow, UP

2. MoS Jitendra Singh launches Capacity Building Programme for Senior Scientists
3. Indore hosted 1st Agriculture Deputies Meeting of AWG under India’s G20 Presidency
4. Kishan Reddy launched: Best Tourism Village Competition Portal; Global Tourism Investor
Summit 2023 portal & Rural Tourism Portal
5. President Droupadi Murmu inaugurates International Engineering and Technology Fair 2023
6. India ranks 4th among 51 countries in having quality entrepreneurship ecosystem: GEM NECI
2022/2023 Report
7. RBI introduced FCRA related Transaction Code in NEFT, RTGS Systems
8. NSDC & HDFC Life Collaborate to Boost Entrepreneurial Skills Among Youth in Insurance Sector
9. SBI launched new term deposit scheme Amrit Kalash with 7.6% interest rate for Senior Citizens
10. HDFC Bank Became 1st Private Sector Bank to Enable Linking of RuPay Credit Card on UPI; HDFC
Raises Rs 25,000 cr in India’s largest-ever Bond Issue
11. Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance launches ‘Anmol Suraksha Kawach‘
12. India’s GDP to Grow at 6.2% in FY24: Morgan Stanley
13. Tata Steel signs MoU with CBRI for Sustainable Mining Solutions
14. Tata Steel completes 1st Multi-Modal Shipment of TMT Bars from West Bengal to Tripura
15. Velocity launches India’s first ChatGPT-powered AI chatbot ‘Lexi’
16. HP Cabinet Approves Guidelines for Mukhya Mantri Sukh-Ashray Yojana

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS
First G20 Digital Economy Working Group meeting held in Lucknow, UP
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) hosted the first Digital Economy Working Group
(DEWG) meeting in India, as a part of India’s Presidency of the G20(Group of Twenty) from 13th to 15th
February 2023 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh(UP).

The DEWG meeting in India showcased India’s digital transformation journey and brought together G20
members, key knowledge partners, and guest countries to discuss digital public infrastructure, cybersecurity,
and digital skilling.
• The Chair of G20-DEWG was Alkesh Kumar Sharma, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and
Information Technology (MeitY)
• It was Co-Chaired by Sushil Pal, Joint Secretary, MeitY.
• The DEWG meeting in UP is the first of four events scheduled to be conducted in India. 3 more
physical events will be held at Hyderabad (Telangana), Pune (Maharashtra) and Bengaluru
(Karnataka).
Participants:
• G20 members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, EU, France, Germany, India, Indonesia,
Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Türkiye, United Kingdom (UK)
and United States of America (USA).
• 8 Guest Countries: Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain, and
the United Arab Emirates(UAE).
• International Organizations: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Bank, United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP)
Highlights:
i.Five workshops were held as a part of the meeting. These covered various topics related to digital public
infrastructure, cybersecurity solutions for MSMEs (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises), sustainable
development goals, and the use of geospatial technologies.
ii.Digital initiatives from the state of Uttar Pradesh were also showcased.
iii.During the 3 day meeting of the working group, the G20 members, guest countries and international
organisations discussed on 3 priority areas identified by India:
“Digital Public Infrastructure”, “Cybersecurity in the Digital Economy”, and “Digital Skilling”.
iv.The participants went on an excursion to Bara Imambara, a historic monument that is widely considered an
architectural masterpiece.
v.The final meeting was focused on the priority of Digital Skilling where India proposed mechanisms for
digitally skilled future ready workforce.
• The member nations appreciated the inclusion of digital skilling in the DEWG agenda.

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 Daily Current Affairs PDF
MeitY & UNDP partners to drive action on digital public infrastructure during G20 Presidency:
MeitY, Government of India(GoI), has partnered with UNDP to drive collective action on digital public
infrastructure during India’s G20 Presidency.
This partnership aims to catalyse knowledge and action in the digital space to achieve the Sustainable
Development Goals(SDG).
Key Points:
i.India’s G20 Presidency offers an opportunity to steer this vital global agenda through global digital
cooperation.
ii.UNDP is a part of this efforts and will continue to coordinate with the UN system and the broader
development community to explore synergies and bring new capabilities to focus equally on technologies,
technology governance, and local digital ecosystems required for implementing digital public infrastructure.
Digital public infrastructure:
i.Digital public infrastructure is powered by open and interoperable standards, designed and implemented with
people at the centre, is stepping in as a critical enabler to shorten the learning curve and lower implementation
costs, especially for low- and middle-income countries.
ii.Digital public infrastructure is open for all countries to adopt, reuse and replicate.
iii.The Digital public infrastructure drives innovation, competition and inclusion, and is governed by enabling
rules and relies on a technology layer, governance framework and a multistakeholder ecosystem.
Recent Related News:
i.India’s Civil 20 Engagement Group (C20), the official engagement group of India’s G20 (Group of 20)
leadership representing the voices of non-profit, voluntary citizens’ groups in service to society, was
inaugurated at Amritapuri in Kollam, Kerala.
ii.Meghalaya Governor BD Mishra, announced that as a part of the G20 (Group of 20) programme, Shillong, the
capital of Meghalaya, is set to host the Space 20 programme on 17th and 18th April 2023. The Space20
programme will discuss the contribution of the space partnerships to the economy of the countries.
About G20 India 2023:
India holds the Presidency of the G20 from 1 December 2022 to 30 November 2023.
Theme– ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ or ‘One Earth · One Family · One Future’
Secretariat– New Delhi, Delhi
G20 Sherpa– Amitabh Kant

MoS Jitendra Singh launches Capacity Building Programme for Senior Scientists
On February 16, 2023, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Jitendra Singh, Ministry of Science and
Technology (MoST) launched a ‘Capacity Building Programme for Senior Scientists in Effective Leadership
and Creativity’ at the Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad, Telangana.

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 Daily Current Affairs PDF
• The initiative is being organised in collaboration with the Capacity Building Commission (CBC), and
ASCI.
Key Points:
i.The program envisages to improve industry and private sector collaboration by providing creative thinking
skills to participating scientists.
ii.It also aims to enable scientific establishments to operate more effectively in today’s competitive
environment.
iii.MoS also launched E-modules on integrated Government Online Training (iGOT): An Introduction to science
communication, Data driven decision making and Code of conduct for Science and Technologies.
Participants:
ASCI Director General Dr. Nirmalya Bagchi, ASCI Chairman K Padamanabhaiah, FAST India CEO Jayant Krishna,
Wadhwani Institute of Technology and Policy CEO Prakash Kumar and STI CB Cell head Dr Arabinda Mitra
among others.
About Capacity Building Commission (CBC):
Chairman– Adil Zainulbhai
Headquarter– New Delhi, Delhi

Indore hosted 1st Agriculture Deputies Meeting of AWG under India’s G20 Presidency
The first Agriculture Deputies Meeting (ADM) of the Agriculture Working Group (AWG) under India’s G20
(Group of Twenty) Presidency, spanning 3 days, was held at Indore, Madhya Pradesh(MP), from 13th to 15th
February 2023.

• The session was chaired by Manoj Ahuja, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers
Welfare (DA&FW), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) and co-chaired by Dr
Smita Sirohi, Joint Secretary, DA&FW.
First Agriculture Deputies Meeting (ADM):
First-Day:
i. Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister(CM) of Madhya Pradesh, inaugurated the exhibition on the first day.
ii. The exhibition’s major attractions include Millets, its value-added food items, and stalls from animal
husbandry and fisheries.
iii. Bilateral activities to discuss issues related to agriculture were arranged for the first day of the inaugural
Meeting of the AWG.
Second-Day:
i. Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, inaugurated the session on 14th February 2023.
ii. On the 2nd day, presentations were made on the issue note for AWG, covering the four key themes:
• Food Security and Nutrition,
• Sustainable Agriculture with a climate-smart approach,
• Inclusive Agricultural value chains and food systems
• Digitalization for Agricultural Transformation.

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iii. The G20 agricultural agenda was the subject of bilateral meetings between host nations and member
nations.
Third-Day:
i. The final day of the programme began with technical theme-based seminars on the four themes.
Key Points:
i. As a memento for the participants to remember their trip to India, the programme concluded with a video
showcasing glimpses of the many events of the three days meeting.
ii. The event combined cultural, cuisine, and historical experiences with the added responsibility of taking part
in significant discussions during the meetings.
AWG – Events and Host Cities:
i. The 2nd and 3rd Agriculture Deputies Meeting (ADM) will be held in March 2023 in Chandigarh and June
2023 in Hyderabad, Telangana, respectively.
ii. Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) will be held in April 2023 in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

Kishan Reddy launched: Best Tourism Village Competition Portal; Global Tourism Investor
Summit 2023 portal & Rural Tourism Portal
On 16th February 2023, G. Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of Tourism, launched important initiatives ‘Best
Tourism Village Competition Portal’ and Rural Tourism Portal for tourism promotion in India, in the
presence of Ajay Bhatt, the Minister of States (MoS) for Tourism, in New Delhi, Delhi.
He also launched the Global Tourism Investor Summit 2023 portal during the event.
• The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) is set to organise the 1st Global Tourism Investors’ Summit from 17
to 19 May 2023, in the backdrop of India’s G20 Presidency, to showcase investible projects and
opportunities in the tourism and hospitality sector in India to domestic and international investors.
• The MoT’s “Best Tourism Village Competition” will have 3 stages, with entries being accepted at the
district, state, and national levels. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are in line with the
evaluation standards

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President Droupadi Murmu inaugurates International Engineering and Technology Fair 2023
On 16th February 2023, Droupadi Murmu, President of India, inaugurated the International Engineering and
Technology Fair (IETF) 2023 in New Delhi, Delhi.
IETF 2023 aims to showcase feats of engineering and technologies that promote harmony between nature and
science.
• IETF-2023 covers 11 areas of emerging technologies which would have a profound impact on the
economy and society of India.
• The determined effort in IETF-2023 is to display engineering and technological feats that promote
harmony between nature and science.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
India ranks 4th among 51 countries in having quality entrepreneurship ecosystem: GEM NECI
2022/2023 Report
According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) and National Entrepreneurship Context Index’’s
(NECI) report titled ‘Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2022/2023 Global Report Adapting to a “New
Normal” India is ranked 4th out of 51 nations in terms of having a high- quality entrepreneurial ecosystem.

• India’s most recent score of 6.1 demonstrates an overall improvement in the nation’s
entrepreneurial environment over time.
This is a significant improvement over the 2021 ranking of 16th overall.
Key Points:
i.India’s NECI score increased to 6.0 in 2020 (ranked 4th) from 5.8 in 2019, when it was ranked 6th among GEM
economies.
• However, there was a decline in 2021, with a score of 5.0 (barely sufficient) and a rank of 16.
ii.The GEM 2022/2023 Global Report also discusses findings from the Adult Population Survey (APS)
conducted in India with over 2,000 respondents, which indicated Indians outperforming in numerous start-up
fields.
iii.When it comes to seeking new opportunities as a result of the pandemic, India’s entrepreneurs were at the
top of the world (almost 70%).
iv.The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Taiwan are the top 3 countries in the GEM 2022/2023
Global Report.
GEM NECI Report
GEM defines an economy’s entrepreneurial context in terms of 13 distinctive features, called the
Entrepreneurship Framework Conditions (EFCs).
• The NECI results are based on the scores of each of the 51 participating economies’ framework
conditions.

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BANKING & FINANCE

RBI introduced FCRA related Transaction Code in NEFT, RTGS Systems
On February 16, 2023, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act
(FCRA) related transaction code in National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) and Real Time Gross Settlement
(RTGS) Systems.

• The instructions for the same were issued under Section 10 (2) read with Section 18 of Payment
and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 (Act 51 of 2007).
• It will be effective from March 15, 2023.
The changes mandate the member banks participating in payment systems to modify their core banking
solutions to capture the requisite details while forwarding the foreign donations through NEFT and RTGS
systems to State Bank of India(SBI).
What are the changes?
i.Originating banks are required to select two mandatory fields of NEFT/RTGS systems while remitting foreign
donations to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) account at SBI.
ii.Originating banks are also required to pass on donor details relating to ‘transaction without Legal Entity
Identifier (LEI) details’ and ‘transaction without LEI details’ as part of ‘Sender to remitter information’ in NEFT
and RTGS.
Background:
i.Under the FCRA, 2010 (amended as on September 28, 2020), foreign contributions must be received only in
the FCRA account of the SBI, New Delhi Main Branch (NDMB), Delhi.
ii.The contributions to the FCRA account are received directly from foreign banks through SWIFT (Society for
Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications) and from Indian intermediary banks through NEFT and
RTGS systems.
iii.As per the requirements of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the donor details such as name, address, country
of origin, amount, currency, and purpose of remittance are required to be captured in such transactions and SBI
is required to report the same to MHA on daily basis.
Click Here for Official Notification
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Governor– Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors– Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, T. Rabi Sankar
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment– 1st April 1935

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NSDC & HDFC Life Collaborate to Boost Entrepreneurial Skills Among Youth in Insurance
Sector
The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and HDFC Life Insurance Company Limited (HDFC Life),
one of India’s top life insurers, have partnered as part of the Skill India Mission to promote self-employment
and expand entrepreneurial prospects.

• NSDC is a nodal skill development agency under the Ministry of Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India (GoI).
Key Points:
i.NSDC will assist HDFC Life in employing competent life insurance advisors and improving its last-mile reach
as part of this agreement.
ii.The objective of this partnership is to promote entrepreneurship opportunities for financial and social
inclusion while also facilitating the creation of livelihoods through the teaching of soft skills.
iii.The partnership will provide training to candidates taking the Insurance Regulatory and Development
Authority of India (IRDAI) IC38 examination and would encourage skill enhancement.
National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)
i.NSDC is a not-for-profit public limited company incorporated on July 31, 2008, under section 25 of the
Companies Act, 1956 (corresponding to section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013). NSDC was set up by the Ministry
of Finance as Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
ii.NSDC has established 37 Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) and implements the government’s key skill development
initiatives, such as the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) and the National Apprenticeship
Promotion Scheme (NAPS), among others.
• Ved Mani Tiwari is the CEO of NSDC and MD of NSDC International.
About HDFC Life Insurance Company Limited (HDFC Life):
HDFC Life is a joint venture between HDFC Ltd., India’s leading housing finance company, and abrdn (Mauritius
Holdings) 2006 Limited, a global investment firm.
MD & CEO – Vibha Padalkar
Established – 2000
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra

SBI launched new term deposit scheme Amrit Kalash with 7.6% interest rate for Senior
Citizens
State Bank of India (SBI) has launched Amrit Kalash, a new limited-period term deposit scheme with an interest
rate of 7.6% for senior citizens and 7.1% for others.
• SBI staff and pensioners are applicable for an additional 1% interest rate. The scheme is launched
for both domestic and NRI (Non-Resident Indian) customers.
About Amrit Kalash deposit scheme:
i.Tenure: The deposit period under the scheme was 400 days
ii.Interest rate: The interest rate is 7.6% for senior citizens and 7.1% for others.

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• For the case of depositing Rs 1 lask under the Amrit Kalash scheme, it will provide an interest of
around Rs 8600 to senior citizens and Rs 8017 for others.
iii.Eligible deposits:
• Domestic Retail Term Deposits including NRI Rupee Term Deposits (< Rs 2 crore)
• New and Renewal Deposits
• Term Deposit and Special Term Deposit
iv.Payment of Interest:
• Term Deposits – At monthly/ quarterly/half yearly intervals
• Special Term Deposits- On maturity
v.Premature and loan facility will also be available on the new Amrit Kalash Deposit
vi.Availability, last date to apply: The scheme will be available between 15 February 2023 to 31 March 2023.
Thus the last date to apply for the scheme is 31st March 2023.
-SBI hikes FD rates
SBI has increased its fixed deposit (FD) interest rates by five basis points (bps) to 25 bps on different
categories. The interest rate hike is applicable for FDs below Rs 2 crore, effective from February 15, 2023.

HDFC Bank Became 1st Private Sector Bank to Enable Linking of RuPay Credit Card on UPI;
HDFC Raises Rs 25,000 cr in India’s largest-ever Bond Issue
HDFC Bank has become the 1st private sector bank in India to enable its customers to use (link)
their RuPay Credit Card on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with the BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) App
and other UPI-enabled apps.

• Objective: HDFC Bank RuPay Credit Cards are connected to a UPI ID to enable safe and secure
payment transactions.
Background:
i.Currently, UPI facilitates transactions by linking Savings / Current Accounts through the Debit Cards of users.
Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs) also facilitated access to the UPI payment system for making transactions.
ii.In order to further deepen the reach and usage, in June 2022, in its Monetary policy, the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) allowed the linking of credit cards to UPI.

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iii.At first, Rupay credit cards are enabled with this facility to provide more convenience to the customers in
making payments through the UPI platform.
Purpose:
i.Roughly 2-4 million merchants accept credit cards and more than 50 million accept UPI payments.
ii.Since UPI has become the most inclusive mode of payment in India, the current move to link RuPay Credit
Cards with UPI will include those 50 million UPI merchants in the formal credit economy.
iii.It will also increase the daily transaction (In December 2022, the daily transaction stood at 50 lakh a day).
Benefits of linking RuPay Credit Card with UPI:
i.Merchants will benefit from the increase in consumption by being part of the credit ecosystem with the
acceptance of credit cards using QR codes.
ii.It will provide a digitally enabled credit card experience to the customers and will enable them to make QR-
based, e-commerce payments using the credit card on UPI.
iii.The linking of credit cards to UPI will overcome customers from opening their bank accounts for everyday
transactions. The users will also be able to use credit to manage their cash flow without carrying their credit
cards.
Existing Users
i.Currently, 3 banks Punjab National Bank, Union Bank of India, and Indian Bank have allowed linking RuPay
Credit Card on UPI.
ii.Recently, Paytm Payments Bank also introduced RuPay Credit Card on UPI. Payment gateway, Razorpay, and
MobiKwik also have started allowing users to make payments via UPI apps using their credit cards.
Note – RuPay is the first-of-its-kind Global Card payment network from India, with wide acceptance at Shops,
ATMs (Automated teller Machines), and online.
-HDFC Raised Rs 25,000 crore via the issue of corporate bonds
Housing Development Finance Corp (HDFC) raised Rs 25,000 crore by issuing India’s largest privately-placed
10-year corporate bonds at a coupon of 7.97% on a private placement basis.
• The issue received 92 bids worth Rs 27,863 crore, of which the company retained 55 bids worth Rs
25,000 crore.
• It has now raised an aggregate of Rs 78,414 crore through bond issuance in FY23, the highest by any
company.
Note – The merging of HDFC with HDFC Bank is pending approval from the National Company Law Tribunal
and is likely to be completed by July 2023.

Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance launches ‘Anmol Suraksha Kawach‘

Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance Ltd (ABSLI), the life insurance subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital Limited
(ABCL), has introduced “ABSLI Anmol Suraksha Kawach“ to meet short-term protection needs of
policyholders.

“ABSLI Anmol Suraksha Kawach“

i.“ABSLI Anmol Suraksha Kawach” is a non-linked, non-participating individual life insurance product with a
pure risk premium for policyholders’ short-term protection needs, offering up to 5 years of life cover.

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ii.The plan provides a protection option for those between the ages of 25 and 55.
iii.Policyholders can customise their term plans by selecting their own premium payment terms, policy terms,
and sum assured.
Key features of ABSLI Anmol Suraksha Plan:
i.Short-term protection: Policyholders will be able to choose a short-term policy term of 2 to 5 years.
ii.Choice of premium payment term: Policyholders have the option of making a one-time payment or paying for
the entire insurance period.
iii.Variable Sum Assured Option: Policyholders can select from a variety of sum assured alternatives (from 50
Lakhs to 2 Crores in steps of 25 Lakhs).
iv.Protection until the age of 60: Policyholders will be eligible for coverage until the age of 60 years.
v.There is also no option of a loan on the policy.
About Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance Limited (ABSLI):
ABSLI is a 51:49 joint venture between the Aditya Birla Group and Sun Life Financial Inc., an international
financial services organization in Canada.
• Total assets under management (AUM) of ABSLI was Rs. 679,890 million as of December 31, 2022, a
rise of 15% from the previous year.
MD & CEO – Kamlesh Rao
Incorporation – 2000 (commenced operations 2001)

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

India’s GDP to Grow at 6.2% in FY24: Morgan Stanley
On February 16, 2023, Morgan Stanley in its research report projected India’s gross domestic product (GDP) to
grow at 6.2% in FY24 as drivers of domestic demand remain intact amid fears of an impending slowdown.

Key Points:
i.The key for sustained domestic demand is a pickup in capital expenditure (capex), which will help in creating
more jobs, higher income, higher saving, and higher investment.
ii.Incoming high-frequency data on indicators like private consumption and investment reflected a moderation
in the Q3FY23 driven by base effect and shift in the festival calendar rather than a slowdown.
iii.The Union Budget for FY24 had projected nominal GDP growth at 10.5%, as the Central Government
increased the capital investment outlay steeply for the third year in a row by 33% to Rs 10 trillion.
iv.The Economic Survey for 2022-23 projected that India would witness a growth between 6-6.8% in FY24.

Tata Steel signs MoU with CBRI for Sustainable Mining Solutions
On 14th February 2023, Tata Steel Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Central
Building Research Institute (CBRI), a member of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to
collaborate on mining research, academic growth, and sustainable solutions.
• The MoU establishes a platform for inventive and empirical mining research.

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Signatories:
The MoU was signed by D B Sundara Ramam, Vice President of Raw Materials at Tata Steel and Prof. Pradeep
Kumar Ramancharla, Director of CBRI.
Key Highlights:
i. Under this MoU, CBRI will offer scientific inputs to Tata Steel on slope stability analyses and control measures
in mining areas and on cost-effective and environmentally friendly green housing technologies for the
rehabilitation and resettlement of families in mining areas.
ii. The partnership will also include technical training and workshops on geotechnical knowledge and other
mining-related fields of science.
iii. CBRI is responsible for generating, cultivating, and promoting building science and technology in India.
iv. Under this MoU, Tata Steel will collaborate with the CBRI team to pioneer new ideas and guarantee the
welfare of the local communities.
About Tata Steel Limited:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & Managing Director (MD)- T V Narendran
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment- 1907
About the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI):
Director- Prof. Pradeep Kumar Ramancharla
Headquarters- Roorkee, Uttarakhand
Establishment- 1947

Tata Steel completes 1st Multi-Modal Shipment of TMT Bars from West Bengal to Tripura
Mumbai (Maharashtra)-based Tata Steel Limited successfully completed the 1st multi-modal shipment of 960
tonnes of steel TMT(Thermo Mechanically Treated) bars from Haldia Port in West Bengal to Agartala in Tripura
through the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route, reiterating its commitment to a sustainable future.
• In 17 days, the whole transportation process from flag-off to receiving material at the distributor’s
warehouse in Agartala was completed.
• In 2022, the company successfully transported 1,800 tonnes of finished steel products using the IBP
route via the Brahmaputra river from Haldia Port in West Bengal to Pandu Port in Assam.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Velocity launches India’s first ChatGPT-powered AI chatbot ‘Lexi’
Velocity, a Homegrown financial technology firm, launched “Lexi”, India’s 1st Artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot
integrated with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, an AI computer program.
• The company has integrated this latest advancement in AI with its existing analytics tool, ‘Velocity
Insights’.

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• Indian eCommerce brands that utilise Velocity Insights receive a daily business report on Whatsapp,
which led the company also integrate ChatGPT in the same Whatsapp interface.
• By providing AI-powered business insights in a conversational way and saving time for important
business operations, the combination of ChatGPT and Velocity Insights empowers eCommerce
entrepreneurs.

STATE NEWS
HP Cabinet Approves Guidelines for Mukhya Mantri Sukh-Ashray Yojana
On 16th February 2023, the 2nd Meeting of the Himachal Pradesh cabinet chaired by Chief Minister(CM)
Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, approved the guidelines for ‘Mukhya Mantri Sukh-Ashray Yojana’ that covers
Orphans, specially abled children, destitute women and senior citizens.

• The CM also noted that the orphan children, referred to as ‘Children of the State’, will be adopted by
the government.
• In January 2023, CM launched the Mukhya Mantri Sukh-Ashray Yojana(as CM’s Sukhashray Sahayata
Kosh) with a total outlay of Rs 101 crore for orphans.
Note:
The HP Cabinet also recommended to the Governor to convene the Budget session of the Vidhan Sabha from
14th March to 6th April, 2023. It would have 18 sittings.
Features of the Mukhya Mantri Sukh-Ashray Yojana:
i.The cabinet also decided that to offer better facilities for the inmates, the existing shelter homes, orphanages,
old-age homes, etc., will be refurbished under the Mukhya Mantri Sukh-Ashray Yojana.
• The mordern amenities such as common rooms, smart classes and coaching rooms, indoor and
outdoor sports facilities, a music room, and attached washrooms will be made available in the
shelters.
ii.Under the scheme, in a phased manner, integrated complexes with all basic amenities will be built at
Jawalamukhi in Kangra district and Sundernagar in Mandi district to support the destitute women and senior
citizens and orphans.
iii.Adequate coaching along with reference books and study materials will be provided to the children in the
orphanages to ensure quality education.
iv.Under the scheme, selected eminent persons from society will serve as mentors and provide counselling to
such children.
v.The cabinet also decided that the orphan children attaining the age of 18 years will be provided board and
lodging in after-care institutions till they attain the age of 27.
Financial assistance:
i.For orphans above 18 years of age, the government will provide RS 1 lakh per person per year for the
coaching hostel and tuition fee and a stipend of Rs 4000 per resident per month during the coaching period.

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ii.One-time financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh per person will be provided to eligible inmates after completing 18
years of age and wishing to start or invest in startups.
iii.Under this scheme, the inmates of these facilities will be offered Rs 2 lakhs or the actual expenditure
(whichever is less) for organising their marriage.
iv.A recurring deposit account will be opened for the inmates(children and destitute women) and financial
assistance of Rs 1000 per child (0-14 years) per month, Rs 2500 per child(15-18 years) per month will be
provided. Similar assistance applies to single women.
v.3 biswas(1 biwas = 1350 square feet) of land in rural areas, as well as the assistance of Rs 3 lakh will be
provided to landless orphans after he/she attains the age of 27 years, for the construction of their house.
vi.Rs 10000 will be deposited as apparel allowance for the residents of the orphanages, old age homes and Nari
Sewa Sadans.
About Himachal Pradesh:
Chief Minister– Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu
Governor– Shiv Pratap Shukla
Wildlife Sanctuary– Chandra Tal Wildlife Sanctuary; Churdhar Wildlife Sanctuary

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