1. Current affairs JANUARY 2023
PART-2
 Henley Passport Index 2023 : Japan retained its
top position
 DRDO develops unmanned vehicle for operations
in Himalayan regions
 RRR's Naatu Naatu wins historic Golden Globe
for best original song
 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
 RBI to issue green bonds in two tranches of Rs
8,000 crore each

2. Henley Passport Index 2023 : Japan retained its top
position
• Japan has retained its position as the most favourable
passport in the world, according to the latest Henley Passport
Index, which allows visa-free entry to 193 global destinations.
• Japan is at the top for the fifth year in a row.
• Compared to last year India's position has improved by two
points. India is at 85th position in the ranking.
• 85. India, Mauritania, Uzbekistan (59 destination)

3. Top 10 countries in Henley Passport Index 2023
1. Japan - 193 destination
2. Singapore, South Korea - 192 destination
3. Germany, Spain - 190 destination
4. Finland, Italy, Luxembourg - 189 destination
5. Austria, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden - 188 destination
6. France, Ireland, Portugal, United Kingdom - 187 destination
7. Belgium, Czech Republic, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, United States - 186
8. Australia, Canada, Greece, Malta - 185 destination
9. Hungary, Poland - 184 destination
10. Lithuania, Slovakia - 183 destination

4. Surinder Chawla appointed as MD & CEO of Paytm
Payments Bank
• Paytm Payments Bank Limited (PPBL) has appointed veteran banker
Surinder Chawla as its new Managing Director (MD) and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO).
• The appointment has been approved by the Reserve Bank of India for
a period of three years.
• Chawla will replace Paytm Payments Bank CEO Satish Kumar Gupta,
who retires in October 2022, with Deepender Singh Rathore serving as
the interim CEO.
• Paytm founder and CEO - Vijay Shekhar Sharma
• Paytm founded- August 2010 (Noida)

6. Kevin McCarthy elected as new speaker of the US
House of Representatives
• Republican leader Kevin McCarthy has been elected as the
speaker of the US House of Representatives.
• Kevin McCarthy, 57, has replaced Nancy Pelosi, 82, the leader
of the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives.
• With this, President Joe Biden's Democratic Party has come in
the minority in the House of Representatives.

8. Khelo India Youth Games 2022 torch, theme song and
mascot unveiled
• State Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the mascot and
theme song for the fifth edition of Khelo India Youth Games to be
hosted by Madhya Pradesh.
• The mascot - 'Asha‘
• Theme song - 'Hindustan Ka Dil Dhadka Do...' sung by famous singer
Shaan.
• The torch of Khelo India Youth Games was named Amarkantak, on
which the figure of Maa Narmada is also engraved.

9. • On this occasion, CM Shivraj announced to give Rs 5 lakh for sports training to the
sportspersons who have won medals in Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and
Olympics and to give direct DSP posts to the players who have won medals.
• The Games will be hosted in Madhya Pradesh from 31 January 2023 to 11
February 2023.
• For the first time water sports namely Kayaking Canoeing, Canoe Salaam and
Fencing will be part of this edition of Khelo India Games.
• The eight host cities designated are Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Ujjain,
Maheshwar, Mandla and Balaghat.

11. Successful training launch of Prithvi-2 at Chandipur,
Odisha
• Prithvi-2 was successfully trained on 10 January 2023 from
the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur off the Odisha coast.
• Prithvi-II is an indigenously developed surface-to-surface short-
range ballistic missile (SRBM) with a range of approximately
250-350 km. and it can carry one ton payload.
• The missile system is capable of hitting targets with a very high
degree of accuracy.
• It was initially developed for the Indian Air Force as the
primary user and was later inducted into the Indian Army as
well.

13. • While the missile was first inducted into India's Strategic Forces
Command in 2003, it was the first missile developed under the
Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme
Five missiles developed under IGMDP
• Prithvi: Short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile.
• Agni: Surface-to-surface medium-range ballistic missile i.e. Agni
(1,2,3,4,5).
• Trishul: Short-range surface-to-air missile.
• Nag: Third generation anti-tank missile.
• Akash: Medium-range surface-to-air missile.

14. DRDO develops unmanned vehicle for operations in
Himalayan regions
• Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has
developed an unmanned aerial vehicle with the aim of
targeting logistics operations on the Himalayan border.
• This aircraft has been displayed by DRDO at the 108th Indian
Science Congress held in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
• This UAV can fly with a load of 5 to 25 kg. and is also capable of
dropping bombs in enemy territory.
• The aircraft can conduct autonomous missions within a radius
of five kilometres and automatically return to the origin after
delivering the cargo to the designated location.

15. • This multi-copter payload has been successfully tested by DRDO at an
altitude of 14 thousand feet in Sikkim. After two more trials, this UAV
will be inducted into the Armed Forces.
Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)
• Established - 1958.
• Headquarters - New Delhi
• Chairman - Sameer V Kamath

16. Chhattisgarh CM Celebrated Traditional ‘Cherchera’
Festival in Raipur
• Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel organised the
traditional festival 'Chherchera' at Dudhadhari Math in capital
Raipur.
• Chherchera festival is celebrated on the full moon night of the
Hindu calendar month of 'Paush'.
• It is a festival of receiving and giving charity. Giving charity
brings generosity in the mind and taking charity ends the ego
inside the person.
• On this occasion people from every class, including Annadata
(Farmers), donate food grains.

17. Chhattisgarh
• Capital: Raipur
• Governor: Anusuiya Uikey
• Chief Minister: Bhupesh Baghel

18. 120-feet-tall Polo Statue Inaugurated by Amit Shah in
Manipur
• On 6 January 2023, Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled a
120 feet tall statue of a Polo player at the Merging Polo
Complex in Imphal East district of Manipur. Various project
launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Polo game in Manipur
• Manipur is known as the birthplace of Polo in India; The
modern game of Polo is derived from Manipur.
• The oldest polo ground in the world is the Imphal Polo Ground
in Manipur.

20. Manipur
• Capital: Imphal
• Governor: La Ganesan
• Chief Minister: N. Biren Singh

21. Joshimath declared ‘landslide-subsidence zone’
• Joshimath, the gateway to Hemkund Sahib and Badrinath, has
been declared a landslide-subsidence zone.
• Joshimath in Uttarakhand is currently facing landslides. Big
cracks are being seen between people's houses and roads.
• Joshimath is a hill town located on the Rishikesh-Badrinath
National Highway (NH-7) in the Chamoli district of
Uttarakhand.
• The city is a tourist town as it serves as a rest stop for people
visiting Badrinath, Auli, Valley of Flowers, and Hemkund
Sahib.

22. Kerala declared first State to enable digital banking
service
• On 7 January 2023, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan
announced that Kerala has become the first state in the
country where the banking sector has now gone completely
digital.
• Kerala is the first state in the country to digitise at least one
savings and current account in all districts.

23. • It is noteworthy in this context that in the year 2021, Thrissur in Kerala
became the first district to implement full digital banking. After this,
Kottayam district of the state also implemented a full digital banking
system.
• The state chief minister also said in his address that the state
government's ambitious 'Kerala Fiber Optic Network' project, which is
almost complete, will bridge the digital divide.
• K-FON will ensure internet facility for all in the state and a 17,155 km
long optic fibre cable network has been laid. Once it is completed, the
internet will be available to all in the state at affordable rates or free of
cost.

24. International Kite Festival kicked off in Ahmedabad
• The International Kite Festival 2023 began on 8 January in
Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• The festival, which is being organised after a gap of two years,
was inaugurated by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
• G20 theme - 'One Earth, One Family, One Future'.
• Apart from Ahmedabad, the International Kite Festival will also
be organised in Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Dwarka, Somnath,
Dhordo and Kevadia.

26. • The 68 countries participating in the event include Australia, Canada,
France, Russia, Germany, Greece, Israel, Egypt, Colombia, Denmark,
New Zealand, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, South Africa, Belgium, Bahrain,
Iraq and Malaysia.
International Kite festival
• This festival has been celebrated every year on January 14 since 1989.

27. Odisha won the UN-Habitat's World Habitat Awards
2023 for Jaga Mission
• Odisha won the UN-Habitat World Habitat Awards 2023 for the state's 5T
(Transparency, Technology, Teamwork, Time, Transformation) initiative
Jaga Mission.
• Jaga Mission is a land ownership and slum upgradation program aimed at
empowering the lives of slum dwellers.
• Under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the Odisha
government has set an ambitious target of becoming the first slum-free
state in India.
• Earlier in 2019, Odisha's Jaga Mission received the World Habitat Award
for its success in providing land security for slum dwellers.

28. Odisha won the UN-Habitat's World Habitat Awards
2023 for Jaga Mission
• Odisha won the UN-Habitat World Habitat Awards 2023 for the state's 5T
(Transparency, Technology, Teamwork, Time, Transformation) initiative Jaga
Mission.
• An overview of the news
• Jaga Mission is a land ownership and slum upgradation program aimed at
empowering the lives of slum dwellers.
• Under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the Odisha
government has set an ambitious target of becoming the first slum-free state
in India.
• The state of Odisha is spearheading the Jaga Mission program to upgrade all
2,919 slums.
• The initiative has provided land patta security to 1,75,000 families in the last
five years.
• 100 percent households in 2,724 slums have been provided with piped water
connections, 707 slums have been converted into fully livable housing, 100

29. RRR's Naatu Naatu wins historic Golden Globe for best
original song
• South Cinema's film RRR has created history at the 80th
'Golden Globe Awards 2023' award ceremony, the film's Telugu
song 'Naatu Naatu' has won the Best Song award.
• 'Naatu Naatu' is the first Indian song to win this prestigious
award.
• The song was composed by MM Keeravani and sung by Kaala
Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj.
• In the 'Golden Globe Awards 2023' award, the film 'RRR'
received nominations in two categories, including 'Best Film -
Non-English' and the other 'Best Original Song - Motion
Picture'.

30. • 'RRR' directed by Rajamouli is based on nationalism and brotherhood.
• It stars famous actors Ram Charan and Jr. NTR in lead roles.
• Rajamouli recently won the prestigious New York Film Critics Circle Award
for Best Director.
• Earlier in the 'Foreign Language' category, the films 'Salaam Bombay!'
(1988) and 'Monsoon Wedding' (2001) were nominated. Both these films
were directed by Mira Nair and both the films are completely different
from 'RRR'.

32. CJI Chandrachud to be conferred with 'Award for
Global Leadership' by Harvard Law School Center
• Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud has been selected
for the "Award for Global Leadership" by the Harvard Law
School Center in recognition of his lifetime service to the legal
profession nationally and internationally.
• The award was presented to CJI Chandrachud in an online
program on 11 January 2023.

33. Dr DY Chandrachud
• Dhananjay Yashwant Chandrachud was born on 11 November 1959 in
Mumbai.
• LLB from Campus Law Center, University of Delhi
• LLM and Doctorate in Jurisprudence from Harvard Law School, USA .
• He took oath as the 50th CJI.

34. RBI to issue green bonds in two tranches of Rs 8,000
crore each
• The Reserve Bank of India on 6 January said that maiden
Sovereign Green Bonds (SGrBs) would be issued in two
tranches of Rs 8,000 crore each on January 25 and February 9.
• The central government is issuing these sovereign green bonds
as part of its total market borrowing. These bonds are being
issued to promote green infrastructure.
• The Central Government had released the framework of
Sovereign Green Bond on 9 November 2022.

36. • Sovereign green bonds worth Rs 8000 crore will be issued on January 25,
2023. In this, green bonds worth Rs 4000 crore will be issued for 5 years
and sovereign green bonds worth Rs 4000 crore will be issued for 10
years.
• Apart from this, Sovereign Green Bonds worth Rs 8000 crores will be
issued as the next instalment on 9 February 2023.

37. What are Sovereign Green Bonds?
• These are bonds that are used by the government to finance projects that have a
positive impact on the environment.
• The Green Bond was launched in 2007 by the European Investment Bank and the
World Bank.
• A Green Bond is an instrument that helps in raising funds for green projects.
• Funds from these bonds will be invested in public sector projects that help reduce
carbon intensity.
• These bonds fall into 9 broad categories. Some of these are projects like renewable
energy, energy efficiency, clean transportation, green building.
• The government aims to attract foreign investors through these bonds.
• Being asset linked, it becomes easier for the government to raise money through
these bonds.

38. • RBI was established on 1st April 1935 under the Reserve Bank of India Act,
1934.
• RBI was nationalised on 1st January 1949.
• The Central Office of RBI was initially established in Calcutta and then
permanently moved to Mumbai in 1937.
• The directors are appointed for a 4 year term by the Government of India
in keeping with the Reserve Bank of India Act.
• The First Governor of RBI was Sir Osborne Smith (1935 – 1937).
• The First Indian Governor of RBI was CD Deshmukh (1943 – 1949).
• The only Prime Minister who was the Governor of RBI was Manmohan
Singh (1982 – 1985).
• The First women deputy Governor of RBI was KJ Udeshi.

39. 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
• Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated every two years on 9
January to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian
community in the development of India.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the three-day 17th
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention and a digital exhibition on
the contribution of overseas Indians in the freedom struggle in
Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
• The theme of the Convention is "Diaspora: Reliable Partners
for India's Progress in the Age of Amrit".

40. About Pravasi Bhartiya Divas
• On January 9, 1915, this day was chosen as Pravasi Bhartiya Divas to
commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi to India from South
Africa.
• Celebration of Pravasi Diwas started in India in 2003.
• In the year 2015 it was revised and it was decided to celebrate Pravasi
Bharatiya Divas every two years.