Current affairs MAR 2023
 Tamil Nadu govt to launch five-year Tamil Nadu
Millet Mission
 Stadium named after hockey star Rani Rampal
 G Krishnakumar appointed as the chairman of
Bharat Petroleum Corporation
 ICC issues arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin over
Ukraine war crimes
 Sergio Pérez wins Saudi Arabia Grand Prix
2023
 International Day of Happiness: 20 March

Tamil Nadu govt to launch five-year Tamil Nadu Millet Mission
• Presenting the state’s Agriculture Budget for FY24 in the Assembly on
21 March, Tamil Nadu Minister for Agriculture MRK
Panneerselvam said the state government will implement the Tamil
Nadu Millet Mission for five years.
• The government has decided to take up millet cultivation in 50,000
acres of fallow land under its Tamil Nadu Millet Mission and provide
subsidy for crop diversification into millets.
• By bringing millet farmers together, 100 groups of millet producers will
be formed and training programs will be run for them.
• Subsidy will be provided for setting up sprinkler irrigation system in
12,500 acres.
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Tamil Nadu State
• The state was formed on 26 January 1950
• Bharatanatyam is dance form of Tamil Nadu.
• Tamil Nadu is the largest producer of bananas and flowers, the second
largest producer of mango, rubber, groundnut, coconut and the third
largest producer of coffee.
• Governor- Ravindra Narayan Ravi
• Chief Minister- M.K.Stalin
• Assembly seats 235 seats
• Rajya Sabha Seats - 18
• Lok Sabha seats- 39
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Stadium named after hockey star Rani Rampal, first woman to
get this honour
• Rae Bareli's hockey stadium is named after Rani Rampal, the
star hockey player of the Indian team. She has become the first
woman player from India to achieve this feat.
• The name of the hockey stadium has been changed to 'Rani's Girls
Hockey Turf' by MCF Rae Bareilly.
• Rani made a comeback to the Indian team during the tour of South
Africa earlier this year, when she was included in the 22-man squad.
• Rani made a comeback to the squad after last featuring in the FIH
Women's Hockey Pro League 2021-22 against Belgium, where she won
her 250th cap for India.
• The 28-year-old Rani had been battling injuries since the Tokyo
Olympics and was subsequently dropped from the 2022 World Cup
and Commonwealth Games squads.
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ISSF Shooting World Cup begins in Bhopal
• ISSF Shooting World Cup was inaugurated on March 21 in Bhopal, the
capital of Madhya Pradesh.
• This is the first ever to be held in India outside the national capital of
New Delhi.
• Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan was the
chief guest.
• The Chief Minister also inaugurated the new final hall at the Madhya
Pradesh State Shooting Academy.
• Luciano Rossi, President, the International Shooting Sport Federation
(ISSF), and Raninder Singh, President, National Rifle Association of
India (NRAI) were present in the opening ceremony.
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• Around 200 shooters from 30 countries will participate in the ISSF
Shooting World Cup.
ISSF World Championship
• The championship is administered by the International Shooting Sport
Federation (ISSF).
• These championships, including all shooting events of the ISSF, have
been held every four years since 1954.
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Bangladesh commissions its first submarine base
• Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the first submarine base of
Bangladesh ‘BNS Sheikh Hasina’ at Pekua in Cox’s Bazar on 20 March.
• This new submarine base will help the Navy to enhance its operational
capability to secure the vast maritime resources.
• Ships passing through the Bay of Bengal can also take help from this
base.
• The government of Bangladesh is working on 'Forces Goal 2030' to
transform its military force into a modern organization appropriate for
the times.
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Bangladesh
• Capital: Dhaka
• Prime Minister: Sheikh Hasina Wazed
• President: Abdul Hamid
• Currency: Taka
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G Krishnakumar appointed as the chairman of Bharat
Petroleum Corporation
• G Krishnakumar has been appointed as the Chairman and Managing
Director of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), a
'Maharatna' and Fortune Global 500 company.
• Krishnakumar is an Electrical and Electronics Engineer from National
Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, and a Post Graduate in Finance
Management from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies,
Mumbai.
• He was earlier an executive director in the company and
succeeds Arun Kumar Singh, who retires as chairman in October 2022.
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Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL)
• Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) is a state-owned oil and
gas company in India that was founded in 1952 and is headquartered
in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
• BPCL has a diverse range of products and services that cater to the
energy needs of customers in India and abroad.
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Women and Men in India 2022 report
• The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released
the “Women and Men in India 2022” report on 15 March.
Sex Ratio
• The sex ratio at birth increased by three points from 904 in 2017-19 to
907 in 2018-20.
• India's sex ratio (females per 1,000 males) is expected to be 952 by
2036, up from 943 in 2011.
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Age of Sex Structure
• India's age and sex composition is expected to see a decline in the
population under the age of 15 and an increase in the population over
the age of 60 by 2036.
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India ranks 13th in Global Terrorism Index and Afghanistan tops
• According to the 10th Global Terrorism Index (GTI) report, Afghanistan
has remained the most affected country by terrorism for the fourth
consecutive year while India is ranked 13th in this index.
• According to the report, India is among the 25 worst terrorism
affected countries in the world.
• The Communist Party of India (Maoist) has been listed as the 12th
deadliest terrorist group in the GTI report for the year 2022.
• The report surveyed 120 countries, of which 56 did not choose war
and terror as the biggest threat to their daily security.
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• The Global Terrorism Index is prepared by the Institute for Economics
and Peace.
• The Global Terrorism Index ranks 163 countries on four
indicators over five years and has four factors - the number of deaths
caused by terrorists per year, the number of terrorist incidents per
year, the number of injuries caused by terrorists per year, and Total
property damage caused by terrorism per year.
• GTI is a report based on data collected from the Global Terrorism
Database (GTD).
• The GTD is collected by the National Consortium for the Study of
Terrorism and Response to Terrorism (START) at the University of
Maryland.
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Lowest literacy rate in India found in Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh
and Rajasthan: Ministry of Education
• According to the Ministry of Education, Bihar has the lowest literacy
rate in India at 61.8%, while Kerala has the highest at 94%.
• Apart from Bihar, other states with low literacy rates are Arunachal
Pradesh at 65.3% and Rajasthan at 66.1%, while Lakshadweep with
91.85% and Mizoram with 91.33% follow Kerala.
• The literacy rate in rural India is 67.77%, while the literacy rate in
urban areas is 84.11%.
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Seven PM MITRA (Pradhan Mantri Mega Integrated Textile
Region and Apparel) Park sites announced
• Government, Ministry of Textiles, has issued a notification to set
up 7 Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA)
Parks with a total outlay of Rs. 4,445 crore.
• Seven sites were chosen out of 18 proposals for PM MITRA
parks which were received from 13 States.
• The Parks will come up in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Gujarat,
Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
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Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav becomes Nepal’s third Vice President
• Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav, a leader of the Janata Samajbadi
Party, has won the election to become Nepal‘s third Vice
President.
• He was able to secure victory over Astalaxmi Shakya of CPN
(UML) and Mamata Jha of the Janamat Party with support from
Nepali Congress, CPN (Maoist Centre), and the CPN (Unified
Socialist) including the ruling alliance.
• The election was held today with participation from 311 federal
lawmakers and 518 Provincial Assembly members.
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• Nepal Capital: Kathmandu;
• Nepal Prime minister: Pushpa Kamal Dahal;
• Nepal Currency: Nepalese Rupee
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Africa-India military exercise AFINDEX-23 begins in Pune
• India and 23 African nations on 21 March began a nine-day mega
military exercise Africa-India Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX) in Pune.
• Several new generation equipment made in India are being used in the
exercise to give a feel of India's efficacy to the soldiers of the
participating countries.
• Keeping in view India's outreach to Africa, joint exercises have
been hosted by the Indian Army.
• The theme of the exercise is “humanitarian mine action and
peacekeeping operations,”.
• Army Chief General Manoj Pandey will also host the 'India-Africa
Chiefs' Conference' on March 28, a day before the military exercise
ends.
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Participating African Countries
• Botswana, Cameroon, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia,
Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of
Congo, Rwanda, Seychelles, Senegal, Sudan, South Africa, Tanzania,
Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
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Ratan Tata appointed to 'Order of Australia' for bolstering
bilateral ties
• Indian industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata has been appointed
as an Honorary Officer in the General Division of the Order of
Australia (AO), for distinguished service to Australia-India bilateral
relations, particularly trade, investment and philanthropy.
• Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell said that the
Governor General of Australia announced his appointment.
• Ratan Tata is the Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, former Chairman of
the Tata Group and one of the world's richest entrepreneurs.
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ICC issues arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin over Ukraine war
crimes
• The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant
for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the forced transfer of
children to Russia after the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.
• Ukrainians accuse Russia of attempting genocide against them
and seeking to destroy their identity — partly through deporting
children to Russia.
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US recognized McMahon Line as international border
• A bipartisan resolution was passed by the US, formally
recognizing the McMahon Line as the international boundary
between China and India’s Arunachal Pradesh.
• The resolution rejected China’s claim that the state belongs to
its territory and instead acknowledged Arunachal Pradesh as an
integral part of India. Furthermore, the resolution expressed
support for India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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Sergio Pérez wins Saudi Arabia Grand Prix 2023
• At the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix of the 2023 Formula One
season, Sergio Perez displayed a dominant performance and
earned his first win.
• His teammate at Red Bull, Max Verstappen, secured the second
position after starting from the 15th spot. Although Verstappen
retained his lead in the championship standings with his fastest
lap, Fernando Alonso was the focus of the battle for the final
podium spot, finishing in third place.
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Sivasankari, the Renowned Tamil Writer, Honored with
Saraswati Samman 2022
• The KK Birla Foundation has announced that Tamil writer
Sivasankari will be the recipient of the prestigious Saraswati
Samman award for the year 2022, for her 2019 memoir, Surya
Vamsam. This award is one of the most esteemed recognitions
in Indian literature, and comes with a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh, a
plaque, and a citation.
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Pennaiyar River Dispute
• The Supreme Court’s deadline for the formation of an Inter-
State River Water Dispute Tribunal to resolve the disagreement
over the Pennaiyar River has elapsed, as negotiations have
failed to reach a resolution.
• The Pennaiyar River, also known as Thenpannai, is the second-
largest interstate East flowing river basin among the 12 basins
lying between Pennar and Cauvery basins.
• The river flows through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and empties
into the Bay of Bengal. The Inter-State River Water Disputes Act,
1956, allows for the resolution of water disputes through a
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Asia’s largest 4-metre liquid mirror telescope inaugurated in
Uttarakhand
• Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State (Independent
Charge) for Science & Technology, inaugurated Asia’s largest 4-
metre International Liquid Mirror Telescope at Devasthal,
Uttarakhand, in the presence of Lt. Gen (Retd.) Gurmeet Singh,
the Governor of Uttarakhand.
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• The Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences
(ARIES) has declared that the 4-meter International Liquid
Mirror Telescope (ILMT) is operational and can now be used to
observe the deep celestial sky. The telescope recorded its first
light in the second week of May 2022 and is located on the
Devasthal Observatory campus of ARIES in the Nainital district
of Uttarakhand. ARIES is an independent institute under the
Department of Science and Technology (DST) of the Indian
Government, situated at an altitude of 2450 meters.
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Rajasthan CM announced 19 new districts and three new
divisions
• On 17 March 2023, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced the
creation of 19 new districts and 3 new divisions in the state
during his course of the discussion on the Finance and
Appropriation Bill in the Legislative Assembly. Rajasthan will
now have 19 new districts and 3 new divisions, taking the
number of districts to 50 and divisions to 10.
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Hurun Global Rich List: India is 3rd in terms of Self-made Billionaires
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The World Happiness Report 2023: India ranked 126
• The 2023 World Happiness Report has been released, and it
shows that Finland remains the happiest country in the world
for the sixth year in a row. Denmark, Iceland, Israel, and the
Netherlands are the next happiest countries, with other
European countries such as Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, and
Luxembourg also making the top 10.
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Bihar State foundation day
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has greeted the people of Bihar
on 22nd March, Bihar State Foundation Day.
• This is the 111th Foundation Day of the state.
• Bihar Diwas is celebrated every year on 22 March to commemorate
the separation of Bihar from Bengal.
• Theme of 2023 Bihar Diwas is “ Yuva Shakti ki Pragati”.
• The day holds immense significance as it provides an opportunity to
celebrate the rich cultural heritage and history of Bihar.
• The state of Bihar was carved out from the Bengal presidency
on March 22 in 1912.
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International Day of Happiness: 20 March
• International Day of Happiness is celebrated as an annual festival
on 20 March. It aims to emphasise the importance of happiness and
the overall well-being of individuals.
• The theme : “Be Mindful, Be Grateful, Be Kind”.
• The United Nations started the event in 2013 as one way to mark the
occasion is by sharing heartfelt greetings and quotes with loved ones,
to inspire them to embrace happiness.
United Nations General Assembly
• President of the 77th session - H.E. saba korosi
• Headquarters – New York, United States
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International Day of Forests - 21 March
• March 21 is celebrated worldwide as the International Day of Forests
or World Forestry Day to raise awareness about the importance of
forests, woodlands and trees in our lives.
• The theme for the International Day of Forests in 2023 is "Forests and
Health",
• International Day of Forests encourages citizens, governments, non-
governmental organisations and other local, national and
international bodies to plant trees and make concerted efforts to save
forests from destruction.
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United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
• It is the main policy-making and representative part of the United
Nations and was created in 1945.
• It is one of the six principal parts of the United Nations (UN).
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