US President Joe Biden has signed a bill that directs the federal government to make public intelligence about the origins of COVID-19

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1. Governor of Uttarakhand Lt Gen – Retd Gurmeet Singh inaugurated the International Liquid Mirror Telescope at Nainital from Virtual Yama

Uttarakhand  Governor  Lt Gen – Retd Gurmeet Singh  virtually   inaugurated the   4 -metre International Liquid Mirror Telescope -LIMT  at  Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences  in  Nainital from Dehradun . Union Minister of State for Science and Technology  Jitendra Singh were also present on the occasion. Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (AREES) announced that the world-class 4-metre International Liquid Mirror Telescope (IMLT) is now ready to explore the distant and deep celestial space. It received its first light in the second week of May 2022. This telescope is located at an altitude of 2450 meters in the observatory complex at Deosthal in Nainital district of Uttarakhand (India), AREES, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.

2. Global Terrorism Index – India ranked 13th, Afghanistan on top

 India ranks 13th  in the Global Terrorism  Index (GTI). Report shows that despite a decrease in attacks and deaths in  Afghanistan For the fourth consecutive year, it remains the most affected country by terrorism. The GTI report has been prepared by the think tank Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) using data from the Terrorism Tracker and other sources. Terrorism Tracker is providing a record of incidents of terrorist attacks since January 1, 2007. The dataset includes approximately 66,000 terrorist incidents from the period 2007 to 2022. Globally, terrorism-related deaths decreased by 9%, to 6,701 deaths, down 38% from their peak in 2015. Pakistan ranked second in terms of terrorism-related deaths worldwide in the year 2022, where 643 deaths occurred due to terrorism. South Asia continues to be the region with the worst average GTI score. 1 from terrorism in the year 2022 in South Asia, 354 deaths were recorded. Islamic State (IS) and its affiliates are the deadliest terrorist group globally for the eighth year in a row, recording the most attacks and deaths in 2022 than any other group.

3. US President Joe Biden has signed a bill that directs the federal government to make public intelligence about the origins of COVID-19

In a statement, he said   the  US  needs to get to the bottom of the origins of COVID-19,  including possible links to  the Wuhan Institute of Virology . The bill was passed in both the houses of the US Parliament without any disagreement. The bill cites a possible connection between research conducted in the Wuhan laboratory and the outbreak of COVID-19, which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020.

4. Round table discussion on zero carbon development held at G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group meeting in Udaipur, Rajasthan

The second meeting of the G-20 Permanent Finance Working Group for Sustainable Development  was held  in  Udaipur  ,  Rajasthan .  A round table discussion was held in the meeting  on the need to aim for zero carbon development . The session focused on the effectiveness of non-pricing policy in enabling low carbon development. The session noted that the non-price-based policy lever – NPPL has outperformed expectations in terms of cost. The need for green finance assessment and development of an ecosystem for green finance was also discussed.

5. INS Sujata visits Port Maputo, Mozambique

INS Sujatha, a Southern Naval Command  based at Kochi Base,   visited Port Maputo, Mozambique  as part of an overseas deployment between 19th and 20th of this month. The ship was received by Captain Nitin Kapoor, DA Pretoria, Commandant NRN Siva Babu, members of the Coast Guard and Captain Florentino Jose Narciso of the Mozambican Navy.

6. Minister of State for Culture Meenakshi Lekhi flags off Bharat Gaurav Train-North East Discovery: Beyond Guwahati from Safdarjung Railway Station, Delhi

Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture  Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi  flagged  off Bharat Gaurav train  from  Safdarjung Railway Station, New Delhi  “   North East Discovery: Beyond Guwahatiflagged off. This train has been specially designed to cover the states bordering North East India. Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train Launched Union Government’s Initiative to Promote Domestic Tourism One India Shrestha Bharat and Dekho Apna Desh in line with India. The fully air-conditioned train offers two types of facilities AC-1 and AC-2. The journey of the special tourist train started from Safdarjung Railway Station in New Delhi and will continue for the next 15 days. It will visit Guwahati, Sivasagar, Jorhat and Kaziranga in Assam, Unakoti, Agartala and Udaipur in Tripura, Dimapur and Kohima in Nagaland and Shillong and Cherrapunji in Meghalaya.

7. Indian Army initiates process for green hydrogen based micro grid power plant project in forward areas along northern borders

The Indian Army  has   initiated the process of green hydrogen based micro grid power plant project  in the forward areas along  the northern borders . The project will be implemented in areas that are not connected to the national and state grids. Indian Army and  National Thermal Power Corporation Renewable Energy Limited An MoU in this regard was signed in New Delhi between The Defense Ministry informed that the Indian Army will provide the land on a 25-year lease with a commitment to buy the power generated through a power purchase agreement. The proposed projects will be prepared and implemented by NTPC in Ladakh. The project involves setting up a solar power plant for hydrolysis of water to produce hydrogen from water. The ministry explained that during non-solar hours the plant would provide electricity through fuel cells. The ministry said this would create an environment for similar projects in the future and reduce dependence on fossil fuel-based generators.

8. Startup20 Engagement Group meeting held in Sikkim

The second meeting of the Startup20 Engagement Group  under  India’s  G20 Presidency  was held  on March 18-19  in Gangtok, Sikkim . The meet provided a unique opportunity to promote startups in North East India. The event was able to bring together representatives from G20 member and invited countries, representatives from multilateral organizations and stakeholders from the Indian startup ecosystem. During the initial meeting held in Hyderabad on 28 and 29 January 2023, the objectives and deliverables of the three taskforces were reworked to incorporate suggestions from all the delegates.

9. Rachna Bisht Rawat wrote a book titled “Bipin: The Man Behind the Uniform”

Rachna Bisht Rawat, a journalist and author,  has  recently written a book titled “ Bipin: The Man Behind the Uniform ”. The book is published by Penguin Brave, a publication of Penguin Random House. The book focuses on the life, personality and principles of late General Bipin Rawat. India’s first Chief of Defense Staff died in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu in the year 2021. This book was presented by the author Rachna to the Defense Minister of India, Rajnath Singh. It is a fitting tribute to the life and achievements of General Rawat.

10. Rajasthan Advocates Protection Bill, 2023 introduced

The Rajasthan Advocates Protection Bill, 2023  (Rajasthan Advocates Protection Bill, 2023)   was introduced by the Rajasthan government in the state assembly on 16 March. The bill aims  to prevent crimes against advocates such as assault, grievous hurt, criminal force and criminal intimidation, loss or damage to their property. The Bill was introduced in response to the increasing violence and false cases against advocates. The proposal for the bill came after a Jodhpur-based lawyer, Jugraj Chauhan, was stabbed to death by two men in broad daylight on February 18. Following the incident, advocates of several courts in the state called for a strike and an indefinite boycott of judicial work. He demanded a law to protect advocates and their families. On 28 February, the Rajasthan High Court took suo moto cognizance of the lawyers’ strike and said that any attempt to prevent any lawyer or litigant from entering the court and appearing in the court to argue the case would be viewed strictly .

11. SARS-CoV-2 may have originated from raccoon dog: report

Raccoon dog  is   endemic to East Asia . It has raccoon-like facial markings and is closely related to foxes. It has unique characteristics compared to canids (dogs, foxes and others) such as the ability to climb trees and hibernating during the cold season. SARS-CoV-2  in  raccoon dogs in a new study  There is evidence to suggest that it may have originated from Newly released genetic data collected from the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan suggests a link between COVID-19 and raccoon dogs, lending further credence to the theory that infected animals sold at Wuhan’s market may have spread the coronavirus. started the epidemic. The previous conclusion that there was no animal DNA in the samples has now been overturned by an international team of scientists. They found that some Covid-positive samples were enriched with raccoon dog DNA, while traces of DNA belonging to other mammals, including civets, were also present. According to the scientists, this discovery does not prove at the moment that raccoon dogs or other animals infected with Covid caused the epidemic, but the possibility is quite high.

12. Sampanna Ramesh sets record for fastest Indian to swim across Palk Strait

Sampanna Ramesh Shelar,  a   graduate student in  Physical Education,  has set a new record by becoming the fastest Indian to swim across the Palk Strait from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka to Dhanushkodi in Tamil Nadu  in  the under-21 category . He covered the distance of 29 km in just 5 hours 30 minutes breaking the previous record of 8 hours 26 minutes. He is coached by Mr. Jitendra Khasnis and plans to complete a solo swim across the English and Catalina channels to achieve the Ocean’s Seven Challenge.

13. FSIB suggests nomination of Ashwini Kumar as MD & CEO of UCO Bank

The Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB)  has suggested that  Ashwini Kumar  ,  executive director of  Indian Bank  , be appointed as the managing director of  UCO Bank . Kumar has previously held positions in several other public sector banks such as Bank of Baroda, Corporation Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce and Punjab National Bank (PNB).

14. Luxor ropes in Virat Kohli as brand ambassador

Stationery manufacturer  Lakshyaor Writing Instruments Pvt Ltd  has appointed  noted cricketer  Virat Kohli as its latest brand ambassador. The partnership aims to enhance the appeal of Luxor’s stationery brand to the youth market, and establish Luxor as a leading stationery brand in India.

15. Book titled “Snakes in the Ganga: Breaking India 2.0” authored by Mr. Rajeev Malhotra and Madam Vijaya Vishwanathan

“ Snakes in the Ganges: Breaking India 2.0”  written by Mr. Rajeev Malhotra  and  Mrs. Vijaya ViswanathanThe book titled ‘ is gaining a lot of recognition in India. The book highlights various threats to India’s national security from the United States, which are not perceived as major threats by the common Indian. Although many see the major threats to Indian national security as coming from Pakistan, China, terrorism, illegal immigration from Bangladesh, leftist hegemony and Islamic extremism, the book also considers the US a significant threat to India’s security. The authors point out that some United States media outlets, intellectuals, universities and political parties are working to promote an agenda of sowing division on the basis of race. Despite being a democratic country, the US has been accused of perpetuating activities that threaten the unity and integrity of India. overall,

16. Timeline list of world’s greatest places of 2023 released

Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district has been included  by  Times magazine in its list of  ‘ World’s Greatest Places in 2023′ , which also includes 50 extraordinary places in the world to explore. Whereas with Mayurbhanj,  Ladakh of the country have also been included in the list. According to the Times magazine, Mayurbhanj district has been described as the world’s most important and picturesque place with rare tigers, and ancient temples. The details published in the Times mention the reopening of Simlipal National Park, Mayurbhanj in November 2022, adding that now, visitor-guided safaris or self-guided bicycle tours will be offered to discover the unique flora and fauna of the national park. can be enjoyed. It includes indigenous handicrafts by the women of the region, intricate handlooms, weaving of Sabai grass, The focus on metal arts and the vanishing art of Dokra is also mentioned. It is noteworthy that keeping in view the security of the ecosystem of Similipal National Park, only 60 vehicles are allowed to enter this national park by the administration. Similipal National Park is home to Asian elephants and rare black tigers, Royal Bengal tiger and other mammals. More than forty species have permanent habitat. After a long gap due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a captivating dance festival “Chhau” of Mayurbhanj district is being organized in the UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the month of April, which is considered to be extremely mesmerizing to watch. Along with this, people gather on a large scale from far-flung areas to see it. The Royal Bengal is home to more than forty species of mammals, including the tiger. After a long gap due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a captivating dance festival “Chhau” of Mayurbhanj district is being organized in the UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the month of April, which is considered to be extremely mesmerizing to watch. Along with this, people gather on a large scale from far-flung areas to see it. The Royal Bengal is home to more than forty species of mammals, including the tiger. After a long gap due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a captivating dance festival “Chhau” of Mayurbhanj district is being organized in the UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the month of April, which is considered to be extremely mesmerizing to watch. Along with this, people gather on a large scale from far-flung areas to see it.

17. Swaya Robotics unveils India’s first indigenous quadruped robot and exoskeleton

Hyderabad-  based  Swaya Robotics company  in collaboration with two  DRDO  labs,  the Research and Development Establishment (R&DE)  in  Pune  and  the Defense Bio-Engineering and Electro Medical Laboratory (DEBEL)  in  Bengaluru , has developed India’s first  quadruped robot  and  wearable exo-skeleton made an agreement to make. The company has designed both the robots for multiple tasks in the industrial sector and healthcare, which are dual-use robots. The exo-skeleton has been specially designed for Indian soldiers and is aimed at increasing their physical strength, which will allow them to walk longer distances without tiring and carry heavy loads with less exertion. Quadruped robots are four-legged robots that can walk or run on uneven and rough gradients. These robots can carry loads of up to 25 kg and walk alongside soldiers. It is designed to navigate across unstructured gradients. To facilitate remote spying and surveillance, it is not actually safe for humans.

18. OECD raised India’s growth forecast to 5.9 percent in FY 2020-24

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has  raised   the  revised estimate of India’s growth for  FY24 by 20 basis points to 5.9 per cent. In its interim report ‘Fragile Recovery’, the organization said, ‘India’s growth forecast for FY 23-24 is at around 6 per cent during difficult financial conditions. It may further improve to around 7 per cent in the financial year 2024-25. The OECD estimates that India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate will be 6.9 as compared to 7 per cent estimated by the National Statistical Commission. In the December quarter of FY23, India’s economy had grown at a rate of 4.4 per cent on an annual basis.

19. World Down Syndrome Day: 21 March

World Down Syndrome Day  is observed every year  on  21 March  to develop awareness about  Down syndrome . The purpose of the day is to encourage people with Down syndrome to participate in daily activities so that they can lead a well lived life. On this occasion, a painting and pottery making workshop is being organized at the National Gallery of Modern Art, Delhi.

20. World Oral Health Day 2023: 20 March

World Oral Health Day is observed globally  every year  on 20 March  , with the primary objective of raising the importance of oral health. The purpose of Oral Health Day is to encourage individuals to adopt good oral hygiene practices, take care of their teeth and learn how to avoid dental problems. According to the World Health Organization Global Oral Health Report, approximately 75% of the world’s population has caries in their permanent teeth, while 514 million children have caries in their primary teeth. The World Dental Federation (FDI) launches a campaign with a special theme for World Oral Health Day every year. The theme for 2023 is ‘ Proud with your mouth ‘, the theme used for the last three years. This campaign was launched by FDI in 2021.

21. International Happiness Day: 20 March

International Happiness Day  is celebrated  every year  on 20 March . Its purpose is to emphasize the importance of happiness and overall well-being of individuals. The theme for this year’s International Day of Happiness is ” Be Mindful, Be Grateful, Be Kind “. On 12 July 2012, the United Nations General Assembly declared 20 March as the International Day of Happiness through resolution 66/281. The resolution accepted happiness and well-being as important goals and recognized their importance as objectives of public policy. Since this announcement, the event was first celebrated in 2013 and has since become a means of acknowledging the importance of happiness in people’s lives.