National Current Affairs
- The Vibrant Villages Programme focuses on developing the rural areas in the northern border states and union territories. More than 663 villages will be developed under the programme. It is to be implemented for two years, that is, between 2022-23 and 2025-26. The Central Government allocated Rs 4,800 crores for the scheme.
- The Government of India is to set up the first waste-to-hydrogen plant at a cost of Rs 430 crores in Pune.
- According to the Geological Survey of India, a Geo-heritage site is a place that provides insights into the evolution of the earth. Also, the place should be culturally significant. The Mawmluh Cave of Meghalaya was the first geo-heritage site of India.
- The National Mental Health Survey conducted in 2015-16 says that there are 150 million Indians suffering from mental illness. The numbers are so high because of a lack of awareness about mental illness symptoms. To increase awareness among the public, the Ministry of Culture launched Har Ghar Dhyan Campaign. The campaign will spread the importance of meditation to the public.
- INS Sumedha participated in the Naval Defence Exhibition called the NAVDEX and International Defence Exhibition called the IDEX conducted in Abu Dhabi recently.
- The NASSCOM report recently said that there are more than 27,000 startups in India. Of these, tech startups count to 1,300. The report further said that India is the third largest tech startup holder in the world. The US is the first largest tech startup holder and China is in second place.
- The Tribal Ministry is conducting the Aadi Mahotsav festival to promote tribal products. TRIFED organizes the festival on behalf of the ministry. The main objective of conducting Aadi Mahotav is to prevent the middlemen from exploiting the tribals.
- To enhance its services and to provide authorized safe food to its customers, IRCTC launched WhatsApp Food Delivery Facility. The WHATSAPP NUMBER is +91 – 8750001323.
- During the Union budget 2023, the Government of India launched the Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission. Under the Mission, the GoI is planning to eliminate the disease by 2047.
State Current Affairs
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated the Shivmogga airport in the state of Karnataka.
- The Union Minister for Science and Technology recently announced that a new nuclear plant is to be built in Gorakhpur, Haryana. This will be the first nuclear plant in North India.
- Kerala uses a BANDICOOT robot to clean sewage. With this, it has become the first state to launch robotic scavengers.
- The Government of India recently issued an order to boost sustainable agriculture in Jammu and Kashmir. According to the order, a project called “Innovative Extension Approaches for Revitalising Agriculture in J&K” will be implemented in the Union Territory.
- The State of Arunachal Pradesh celebrated its statehood day on February 20. President Murmu attended the state celebrations. The statehood was granted in 1987. It was the 24th state in the country.
- The Chief Minister of Kerala recently launched the Stipend scheme for lawyers in the state. The scheme is to be implemented by the Bar Council of the state.
- The Geological Survey of India has found lithium reserves in Jammu and Kashmir. They have been found in the Reasi district. Today India is importing Lithium from countries from Argentina and Australia.
- Mukhyamantri Tirth-Darshan Yojana was launched by the Madhya Pradesh Government. Under the scheme, the senior citizens will be taken on a spiritual tour free of cost.
- The Kerala Police recently arrested 2,507 gangsters under OPERATION AAG. It was launched throughout the state. The operation aimed on arresting the fugitives listed under the Kerala anti-Social Activities Prevention Act (KAAPA).
- The Rajasthan State Government recently announced the Wetland Ex-Situ Conservation Establishment (WESCE) plan. The French Government is to fund this project for a period of eight years. The total cost is estimated to be around Rs 1200 crores. The WESCE is a zoo that will be launched within the World Heritage site, Keoladeo National Park. The zoo will display dolphins, crocodiles, water buffaloes, and other exotic species.
- The Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation recently built MV Ganga Vihar, a floating restaurant at the NIT Ghat. The restaurant is on the Ganges. The first floating restaurant of India was built in Sirhind of Punjab. It was built in a small canal near a village.
- To give an early warning about fog in the country, the Bihar Government approved 50,000 USD. The funds will be used to develop the warning system. The system is to be developed in collaboration with the US National Center for Atmospheric Research.
- Marina is a specially designed place of pleasure for small boats and yachts. The Chief Minister of Karnataka recently announced that the first Marina of India will be constructed in Byndoor, Udupi district, Karnataka.
- PM Modi recently inaugurated the Global Investor Summit in Lucknow. More than 18,605 Memorandum of Understanding were signed during the summit. The state received Rs 33.5 lakh crores of investment.
Economy Current Affairs
- The smartphone giant NOKIA recently changed its brand identity for the first time in 60 years.
- The Vedanta group and the Foxconn of Taiwan have come together to build the first semiconductor manufacturing unit in Dholera of Gujarat.
- India-Singapore link Digital Payments UPI and PAYNOW. UPI is the mobile payment method in India. Similarly, PAYNOW is a mobile payment method in Singapore.
- Financial Literacy Week is celebrated between February 13 and February 17. The celebrations are organized by the Reserve Bank of India. RBI will conduct a mass media campaign to spread financial awareness during the week.
- Till 2022, credit cards couldn’t be used on UPI. In June 2022, the Reserve Bank of India allowed linking credit cards with UPI. Following this, MobiKwik is the first company to launch this feature.
- The ICE in H2-ICE stands for Internal Combustion Engine. It was developed by Reliance in partnership with Ashok Leyland. The H2-ICE truck is the first of its kind in India to be powered by hydrogen.
- During the India Energy Week 2023 event, PM Modi launched the E20 fuel. The fuel is being launched in 83 locations in India spread across 11 states and UTs. E20 means the fuel has 20% ethanol and 80% petrol. The India Energy Week was inaugurated by PM Modi in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
- The Monetary Policy Committee of RBI recently held its meeting on February 8, 2023. After holding the MPC meeting, the RBI made the following announcements: Inflation in the country is to stay above 4%. GDP Forecast: In 2024, it is to reach 6.4%. The repo rate increased by 25 bps, that is, to 6.5%.
International Current Affairs
- The exercise Desert Flag VIII was held in the UAE air base Al Dhafra. Indian Air Force participated in the exercise. The other countries that participated were the USA, Korea, Spain, Morocco, Bahrain, the UK, Australia, Kuwait, France, and UAE. For the first time, LCA Tejas of India is participating in a military exercise that was held outside the country. India sent two C-17 transport aircraft and five Tejas to the exercise.
- India and Uzbekistan conducted the fourth edition of the DUSTLIK 2023 military exercise in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.
- India and Japan recently conducted the Dharma Guardian Exercise. The exercise was held at Camp Imazu of Shiga province in Japan.
- India and USA military recently conducted the TARKASHA exercise. It was held in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The Special Operation Forces of the US and the National Security Guard of India participated in the exercise.
- The Cobra Warrior Exercise is to be held at Waddington Air Force Base in the UK in March 2023. It is a multinational exercise. Countries like Singapore, Finland, the USA, South Africa, and Sweden will participate in the exercise. India is also participating in the exercise.
- After traversing the Sunda Strait, the Indian submarine INS Sindhukesari docked in Indonesia. This is the first time an Indian submarine is docking in Indonesia. With this, INS Sindhukesari makes history in India-Indonesia relations.
- Chinese government has decided to block ChatGPT search engine in the country, citing concerns about propaganda and censorship.
- The Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate is a joint initiative of the US. It was started by UAE and USA. The main objective of the initiative is to address hunger and climate change.
- Brazil is the largest beef exporter in the world. And China is one of the largest beef consumers in the world. Brazil recently suspended its beef exports to China due to mad cow disease. The disease is also called Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy.
- The Union Cabinet recently approved the air Service Agreement that was signed between India and Guayana.
- The UAE recently hosted the vice-ministerial meeting of I2U2. I2U2 is a joint initiative of India, Israel, the USA, and the UAE.
- The Bharat Electronics Limited operating under the defence ministry recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) at the Aero India Air Show. According to the agreement, BEL and IAI will establish a joint venture. The JV will provide support to the missile defence system of the country.
- Spain has become the first country in Europe to pass the menstrual paid leave law.
- The European Union recently planned to ban the sale of gas and diesel cars. The ban will come into effect in 2035.
- Cyclone Gabrielle hit the New Zealand coast and caused severe damage.
- Rayyana Barnawi will be the first Arab woman to enter space.
- The World Health Organization recently confirmed the Marburg disease outbreak in Equatorial Guinea. Patients suffering from the disease experience diarrhoea, vomiting, and stomach pain.
- The India-ASEAN Digital Ministers Meeting was recently held in New Delhi. It was held virtually. The theme of the meeting was “Synergy towards a Sustainable Digital Future”.
- India and European Union recently established a new Trade and Technology Council. The council will work to provide security and prosperity. Under the council, the countries will focus on green technologies, connectivity, and resilient supply chains.
- The income that remains with the citizens after deducting taxes is called disposable income. The YouGov report says that more than one-third of urban Indian citizens claim that their disposable income has decreased.
- Turkey was hit by a 7.8 Ritcher earthquake recently. The earthquake caused severe damage to the people and was catastrophic. To help the people of Turkey, India launched Operation Dost.
- The FBI recently released its annual compilation of nationwide incidents. According to the report, Sikhs and Jews are the most targeted in hate crimes.
Sci-Tech Current Affairs
- So far scientists believed that there are only four layers in the earth. They are the outermost layer called the crust, and the middle layer called the mantle. And the innermost layer is called the core. The core is divided into two parts namely the inner core and the outer core. Recently, scientists discovered that there is another layer in the core.
- To counter the chat GPT, Google recently launched “BARD”.
- Italian researchers have discovered a Black Galaxy or Invisible Galaxy using ALMA. ALMA is Atacama Large Millimtre Array (Atacama Desert is in South America). The galaxy discovered is compact. It is young and has interstellar dust. The galaxy is forming new stars at the rate of 1000 times the Milky Way.
- Israeli researchers have used the antennae of the locusts to create sniffing robots. The bot is bio-hybrid and therefore its sniffing powers are higher than the electronic sniffers. With Machine learning, the bot has been taught to identify different smells.
- Skye Air is a startup delivering drones in different parts of India. The startup recently launched a Traffic Management System for drones. It is software and will allow drone operators to choose their routes.
- Qualcomm launched the first satellite-based two-way messaging. It is called Snapdragon Satellite. This means this you can use SMS just like WhatsApp. In two-way messaging like Whatsapp, both participants can send or receive messages simultaneously.
- A US scientist recently discovered quasicrystals. The major difference between an ordinary crystal and a quasi-crystal is that the atomic patterns in quasi-crystals do not repeat themselves as that of an ordinary crystal. They are rare to occur naturally. However, can be created artificially. So far, we have discovered only two naturally occurring quasicrystals. The recently discovered is the third naturally occurring quasicrystal.
- The smartphone giant APPLE is shifting towards micro LED. The micro LEDs are self-illuminating diodes. Their colour production and illumination are brighter than organic LEDs. Their energy consumption is less compared to normal LEDs.
- Samsung has partnered with IISc to research Electrostatic Discharge Protection. Electrostatic Discharge Protection is protecting the equipment from electromagnetic waves. It is the most essential part of Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC). Every electronic piece of equipment has to pass the EMC test to get certified as electromagnetically safe. It means it is neither affected by EM waves nor emits EM waves (that may affect other devices).
- Researchers recently found that CAR T-Cell therapy is a good cure for Ovarian cancer. The therapy works by mutating the CD3 chain. The therapy has already been proven to be effective in curing blood cancer in humans.
- The latest discovery revealed Jupiter has 12 more moons. With this, the count of Jupiter’s moons increased to 92. Saturn has 82 moons.
- Researchers from the University of Cambridge recently created a new form of water. It is called Amorphous ice. Though named ice, its molecular structure is close to water. As it has mixed states of both water and ice, it is called Amorphous ice. Amorphous means no clear state. It is neither water nor ice and hence amorphous ice.
- During the G20 meeting, India is to launch the International Biofuel Alliance just like the International Solar Alliance. To this, the USA and Brazil have agreed to back India.
Person In NEWS
- BVR Subrahmanyam is the new CEO of NITI Ayog.
- Chris Kipkins of New Zealand is to succeed Jacinda Ardern as PM.
- Retired director general of the Border Security Force (BSF), Shri Pankaj Kumar Singh, was recently appointed as the Deputy National Security Adviser in National Security Council Secretariat for a period of two years.
- UNICEF India: Ayushmann Khurrana named as National Ambassador of child rights.
- President Draupadi Murmu named new governors in 12 states and 1 UT
- Governor of Arunachal Pradesh Lt. General Kaiwalya Trivikram Parnaik (Retired)
- Governor of Sikkim Lakshman Prasad Acharya,
- Governor of Jharkhand C P Radhakrishnan,
- Governor of Himachal Pradesh Shiv Pratap Shukla,
- Governor of Assam Gulab Chand Kataria,
- Governor of Andhra Pradesh S. Abdul Nazeer
- Governor of Andhra Pradesh appointed as Governor of Chhattisgarh Justice (Retd) Biswa Bhusan Harichandan
- Governor of Chhattisgarh appointed as Governor of Manipur Anusuiya Uikye
- Governor of Manipur appointed as Governor of Nagaland La. Ganesan
- Governor of Bihar appointed as Governor of Meghalaya Phagu Chauhan
- Governor of Himachal Pradesh appointed as Governor of Bihar Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar
- Governor of Arunachal Pradesh appointed as Lt. Governor of Ladakh Brig (Dr) B D Mishra (Retd)
- Governor of Jharkhand appointed as Governor of Maharashtra Ramesh Bais
Sports Current Affairs
- The 2023 T20 Women’s World Cup was won by Australia (6th title) which was held in South Africa.
- The 2023 ISSF Shooting World Cup was held in Cairo. India’s Rudrankksh Patil and R Narmada Nithin won gold.
- Saudi Arabia to host 2027 Asian Cup Football Tournament.
- Madhya Pradesh wins senior women’s national hockey championship.
- Daniil Medvedev won the Qatar Open in his professional tennis debut by defeating Andy Murray.
- India’s Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil won the men’s 10m air rifle event at the ISSF World Cup 2023 in Cairo.
- Vignesh NR became the 80th Grandmaster of India.
- England Test captain Ben Stokes became the player to hit the most number of sixes in the history of Test cricket.
- Saurashtra defeated Bengal by nine wickets to clinch its second Ranji Trophy title at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
- Sania Mirza has been roped in as mentor of Royal Challengers Bangalore for the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL).
- Indian batter Smriti Mandhana was the most expensive buy at the inaugural Women’s Premier League auction in Mumbai. RCB snapped her up for INR 3.4 crore deal.
- In the Khelo India Youth Games – 2022, Maharashtra was the overall champion by securing a total of 161 medals.
- Rohit Sharma becomes 1st Indian skipper to record hundreds in all 3 formats.
- Indian Olympian Aditi Ashok won the 2023 Magical Kenya Ladies Open Title.
- Kerala wins inaugural champions of National Beach Soccer Championships.
- The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) won the hosting of the 2027 Asian Nations Cup.
Awards Current Affairs
- ‘President’s Colour’ honour to the Haryana Police.
- In 2023, the Raja Ram Mohan Roy National Award is presented to Journalist A.B.K. Prasad for his contributions towards journalism.
- Grammy Award Winners 2023
- Best Song of the Year: “Just Like That”, won by Bonnie Raitt Performed by Raiit
- Best Pop Solo Performance: “Renaissance” won by Beyonce
Important Days
- February 24, Central Excise Day.
- 21 February, International Mother Language Day.
- 20 February, World Day of Social Justice.
- February 13, World Radio Day.
- February 13, National Women’s Day.
- February 11, International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
- February 10, World Pulses Day.
- February 4, World Cancer Day.
- February 2, World Wetlands Day.
- In 2023, World Pangolin Day is celebrated on February 18. Every year the day is celebrated on the third Saturday of February month. The main objective of the celebration is to create awareness about the Pangolin population decline.
Also, refer,
- Current Affairs of January 2023
- Current Affairs of December 2022
- Current Affairs of November 2022
- Current Affairs of October 2022
- Current Affairs of August 2022
- Current Affairs Of July 2022
- Current Affairs of June 2022
- Current Affairs of May 2022
- Important Current Affairs of April 2022
- Important Current Affairs Of March 2022
- Download the pdf of 50 Science Questions From Previous Year UPSC Prelims