18th February 2023 Current Affairs are incorporated with the important news that made the current affairs headlines for banking, UPSC or other competitive exams. Daily Current Affairs is the complete bag of important news that is held all day long. One should have complete knowledge about banking terms, current affairs news, etc. So, here is the Top News of the Day for 18th February 2023 to help you prepare the Latest Current Affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz.
Here is the Current Affairs 18th February 2023 covering the following news headlines: KAVACH-2023, Jaguar Land Rover India, Forex Reserves, Swaraj Trophy 2021-22, LORA Ballistic Missile.
1. AICTE and BPRD Jointly Launch KAVACH-2023
Advancing India’s cyber-preparedness, KAVACH-2023, a national level hackathon was launched to identify innovative ideas and technological solutions for addressing the cyber security and cybercrime challenges of the 21st century. KAVACH-2023 is a one-of-a-kind national hackathon jointly developed by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) and Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre.
2. mPassport Police App: Police verification for passport in just 5 days
The “mPassport Police App, developed by the consular, passport and visa division of the external affairs ministry for law enforcement agencies, is being rolled out along with 350 tablets to personnel of the Special Branch of Delhi Police. These personnel are responsible for carrying out verification of antecedents of passport applicants. A new app developed by the external affairs ministry and rolled out in New Delhi is expected to cut the time for police verification of passport applicants to five days and reduce the scope for misuse of the process. The new digital services were launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the 76th Raising Day Parade of Delhi Police.
3. Spanish Government Passed Law Providing ‘Menstrual Leave’ First Time in Europe
The Spanish government approved a historic law granting paid medical leave to women suffering from severe menstrual pain is the first for any European country. These leave facilities are available in a handful of countries including Japan, Indonesia, and Zambia. Equality Minister Irene Montero informed that it is a historic day of progress in feminist rights.
4. Russia-China and South Africa starts joint military exercise
In what some nations claim is an endorsement of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, South Africa is beginning a joint military drill with Russia and China. The 10-day naval exercises, which will go on on the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine, have drawn criticism from the US as well. The South African government, however, insists that it is still impartial in the conflict and that it frequently hosts such exercises with other nations, such as France and the US.
5. BCCI’s Chief Selector Chetan Sharma Resigned After Sting Operation
BCCI’s Chief selector Chetan Sharma has resigned from his post following a sting operation conducted by a TV news channel, where he shared internal information about the team and selection process. Chetan Sharma sent his resignation to BCCI Secretary Jay Shah who accepted it. Earlier, in a sting operation, the 57-year-old was heard saying that Indian players have their own doctors outside of cricket, who are always available for them.
6. Tata Motors VP Rajan Amba named as MD of Jaguar Land Rover India
Tata Motors, has been appointed Rajan Amba as the Managing Director of Jaguar Land Rover India. He will take charge on March 1, 2023. Amba replaces Rohit Suri, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Amba’s contributions have been instrumental in improving customer experience and expanding Tata Motors’ retail network. He has been spearheading the commercial teams since October 2020. Rajan will be replacing Rohit Suri, who announced his retirement from the position of MD and President back in January 2023.
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7. Central Water Commission, IIT Roorkee to develop international centre of excellence for dams
The Central Water Commission (CWC), Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti entered into a Memorandum of Agreement for Development of International Centre of Excellence for Dams (ICED) under externally funded Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project Phase II and Phase III. This MoA will remain valid for ten years or till the duration of the DRIP Phase-II and Phase-II Scheme, whichever is earlier, from the date of signing.
8. Forex Reserves decline by $8.31 bn to $566.94 bn
As the US dollar rises due to the speculation that the Federal Reserve will continue to tighten repo rates, it has bogged down the Indian Rupee. The need to tackle a free fall in the value of the Rupee, was bound to trigger a sell off of foreign currency by the Reserve Bank of India. This may have triggered a $8.31 billion in India’s foreign exchange reserves for the week that ended on February 10. This has taken the reserves down to $566.94 billion.
9. India’s GDP likely to grow at 6.2% in FY24, says Morgan Stanley
India’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow at 6.2 per cent in FY24 as drivers of domestic demand remain intact amid fears of an impending slowdown, Morgan Stanley said in a research report released. The report said that as the economy fully reopened in 2022 leading to a cyclical recovery in consumption, pickup in private capex with healthy balance sheets in the private corporate and financial sector, and acceleration in government capital spending, the world’s fifth largest economy will breach the consensus GDP growth figure of 6 per cent.
10. Kollam district won Swaraj Trophy 2021-22 for Best District Panchayat
The Kollam district panchayat has won the Swaraj Trophy for the best district panchayat in the State for the 2021-22 financial year. The Kannur district panchayat stood second in the rankings. Kollam district, is one of 14 districts of the state of Kerala, India. The district has a cross-section of Kerala’s natural attributes; it is endowed with a long coastline, a major Laccadive Sea seaport and an inland lake. The district has many water bodies.
11. BEL to Manufacture Israel’s LORA Ballistic Missile for Indian Tri-Services
Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has signed an MoU with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for the domestic manufacture and supply of its Long-Range Artillery Weapon System (LORA) for the Indian Tri-services. This state-of-the-art strategic weapon system will be manufactured by BEL, as the prime contractor, based on the workshare arrangement with IAI. The MoU was signed at the ongoing Aero India 2023 and it is an outcome of the growing partnership between India and Israel in the field of high-technology strategic defense systems.
12. World’s First Cloud-Built Demonstration Satellite Launched JANUS-1 Successfully
Antaris announced that the world’s first satellite fully conceived, designed, and manufactured using the company’s end-to-end cloud platform, JANUS-1 has successfully reached orbit. JANUS-1 rode on the Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) SSLV-D2 rocket. JANUS-1 was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre of India under a commercial arrangement with New Space India Limited (NSIL). The JANUS-1 satellite features five payloads from a range of global providers, which will be commissioned and begin nominal operations.
13. Intel Launched ‘Sapphire Rapids’ Processors for Professional Creators
Intel has launched the new Xeon W-3400 and Xeon W-2400 desktop workstation processors (code-named Sapphire Rapids), which are built for professional creators to provide massive performance for media and entertainment, engineering, and data science professionals. According to Intel, the new workstation processors are available for pre-order from industry partners, with system availability beginning in March.
14. Govt Approves Rs 4,800 Crore Scheme For Holistic Development Of Border Villages
The Cabinet approved the ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’ to ensure the comprehensive development of villages along the northern border areas. Out of the financial allocation of Rs 4,800 crore, Rs 2,500 crore would be used for constructing roads. To improve the quality of life and encourage people to stay in their native locations in border areas, the union government announced a Rs 4,800 crore centrally sponsored scheme for four years through FY26.
15. World Pangolin Day 2023 observed on February 18th
World Pangolin Day is observed annually on the third Saturday in February, and this year it falls on February 18. It is a day to remember and celebrate pangolins, raise awareness, and fight against global pangolin capture in Africa and Asia. Pangolin Day marks the 12th edition of the event. An estimated one million of these magnificent creatures have been and continue to be harvested from the wild in African and Asian nations to meet the enormous demand for their scale, skin, blood, and even foetuses, which are believed to have multiple purposes in fashion, traditional medicine, and cookery.
16. Mirzapur actor Shahnawaz Pradhan passes away
Shahnawaz Pradhan, best known for featuring in series Mirzapur and movie Raees, has passed away. He was in his late 50s. He has played character roles in films M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, Khuda Haafiz, Raees and Phantom; web series The Family Man and Hostages, and TV show Krishna and 24 among others.
17. Yakshagana Bhagavat Balipa Narayana Bhagavatha passes away at 85
Famous Yakshagana singer and screenwriter Balipa Narayan Bhagwat passed away at the age of 85. He had mastered a unique style of singing, due to which fans have given it the name of ‘Balipa Style’. Rich in voice, Bhagwat has written more than 30 Yakshagana ‘Prasanga’ (scripts). He was well versed in over 100 Yakshagana episodes, which he composed by heart. He had served in the field of Yakshagana for about 60 years. He was the chief Bhagwat of Kateel Durgaparameshwari Prasadita Yakshagana Mandali (Kateel Mela).
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