Daily Current Affairs 17th February 2023
National News
MoA signed between Central Water Commission (CWC) and IIT Roorkee for Development of International Centre of Excellence for Dams
- The Central Water Commission (CWC), Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti has signed a MoA for Development of International Centre of Excellence for Dams (ICED) under externally funded Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project Phase II and Phase III (DRIP Scheme).
- ICED, Roorkee will provide specialized technical support in investigations, modeling, research and innovations, and technical support services to the Indian and overseas dam owners, this MoA will remain valid for ten years.
Solar-powered drone SURAJ unveiled by Garuda Aerospace at Aero India 2023
- Garuda Aerospace unveiled its latest solar-powered unmanned reconnaissance aerial J-Glider – SURAJ at the Aero India 2023 show in Bengaluru.
- The drone’s J-shaped wings are equipped with solar-powered cells that serve as its primary fuel source, and SURAJ is an ISR high-altitude drone designed specifically for surveillance operations, providing real-time information to the high commanders.
4th edition of Indo Japan Joint Training Exercise “DHARMA GUARDIAN” 2023
- The 4th edition of joint military exercise, “EX DHARMA GUARDIAN”, between India and Japan is being conducted at Camp Imazu in Shiga province, Japan from 17 February to 02 March 2023.
- The scope of this exercise covers platoon level joint training on operations in jungle and semi urban/urban terrain,“Exercise Dharma Guardian” will further enhance the level of defense co-operation between Indian Army and Japanese Ground Self Defence Forces, furthering the bilateral relations between the two nations.
AICTE and BPRD Jointly Launch KAVACH-2023
- KAVACH-2023 is a unique kind of national hackathon jointly conducted by MoE’s Innovation Cell, AICTE, Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D, MHA) and Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C, MHA).
- KAVACH-2023, a national level hackathon was launched on 16th February 2023 to identify innovative ideas and technological solutions for addressing the cyber security and cybercrime challenges of the 21st century.
Defense Minister Launched the ‘iDEX Investor Hub’
- Defense Minister Rajnath Singh launched the ‘iDEX Investor Hub’ (iIH) an initiative launched by Defense Innovation Organization, under which more than Rs 200 crores had already been pledged by leading Indian investors.
- The iDEX Investor Hub‘aims to accelerate investment in the Defense sector and give investors a unified view of opportunities and innovations.
- iDEX – Innovations for Defence Excellence
International news
The slowest traffic movement cities list Published
- As per a survey conducted by TomTom, a geolocation technology specialist and published the slowest traffic movement cities,The survey compared 416 cities globally.
- The study also considered factors such as the cost of driving, time lost in traffic, and carbon emissions due to lengthy traffic jams.
| S.No | City Name |
| 1. | London, Uk |
| 2. | Bengaluru, India |
| 3. | Dublin, Ireland |
| 4. | Japanese town of Sapporo |
| 5. | Milan, Italy |
State news
Global Tech Summit 2023 held in Visakhapatnam
- The series of G-20 tech and business events will begin with the two-day Global Tech Summit (GTS) from February 16 – 17, 2023.
- Nearly 1,000 delegates from more than 25 countries will attend this summit. And also this summit brings many persons from the technology, pharma and agriculture industries to discuss the latest trends and advancements prevailing across the globe.
PM virtually inaugurated Jal Jan Abhiyan in Rajasthan
- The Jal Jan Abhiyan will be implemented by the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Brahma Kumaris organization,the campaign is to run for eight months.
- The main objective of the campaign is water conservation; during the campaign the volunteers from the organization will conduct a public awareness campaign on preserving water. They will focus on building new water bodies and also on preserving more than 5,000 water bodies.
3rd edition of Saras Aajeevika Mela to be held in Noida
- The Union ministry of rural development organizes the third edition of the Saras Aajeevika Mela, with a focus on art, craft and culture, will be organised from February 17 to March 5 at Noida.
- More than 150 stalls will be set up at the fair venue, where 300 craftswomen associated with self-help groups (SHGs) from 27 states will showcase their products.
- Saras Aajeevika Mela is an initiative by the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) by the Government of India.
35th Garden Tourism Festival to be held in Delhi
- The 35th Garden Tourism Festival at Garden of Five Senses, Saket, hosted by Delhi Tourism department from February 17-19, 2023.
- About 300 varieties of plants and flowers from countries like the US, UK, France and Russia will be displayed at the exhibition.
Appointments
Indian Army’s new Army Vice Chief was appointed
- The Indian Army has appointed Lt. Gen. MV Suchindra Kumar as the new Deputy Chief of Army Staff following the transfer of Lt. Gen. PS Raju, who served as Vice Chief of the Indian Army, to the South Western Army Command.
- Before being appointed as the Army vice Chief, Lt Gen MV Suchendra Kumar served as the deputy chief of Army Staff (strategy).
IREDA appoints Government nominee director on its board
- Padam Lal Negi and Ajay Yadav have been appointed as Government Nominee Directors on the board of the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA).
- Previously Padam Lal Negi was worked in the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy’s (MNRE) Financial Advisor & Ajay Yadav worked as a Joint Secretary.
Awards
Dada Saheb Phalke’ Award for the year 2023
- Kannada actor Rishabh Shetty directed the movie ‘Kantara’ based on the mythological story.
- In this case, the actor Rishabh Shetty, the protagonist of the film, has been announced with the ‘Dada Saheb Phalke’ award for the year 2023 in the most promising actor category.
Sports news
3rd edition of Khelo India Winter Games 2023
- The third edition of Khelo India Winter Games held at Gulmarg in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir.
- In this event,
- Jammu and Kashmir ranked first place with 26 gold, 25 silver and 25 bronze medals.
- Maharashtra ranked the second position with 14 gold, 8 silver and 6 bronze medals.
- Himachal Pradesh ranked third place with 10 golds, 14 silver and 7 bronze medals.
National Walking Championship 2023
- National Open Race Walking Championship 2023 held at Ranchi, Jharkhand from 14-15 February 2023.
- Ram Babu of Uttar Pradesh and Manju Rani of Punjab won the gold medal in the 35 km category in the national walking competition.
- In the men’s 20 km race,
- Akshdeep Singh won the gold medal,
- In the women’s 20 km race walk,
- Priyanka Goswami won the gold medal,
- From this victory Akshdeep Singh and Priyanka Goswami have qualified for World Athletics Championships 2023 and next year’s Olympics in Paris.
Important day
World Human Spirit Day
- World Human Spirit Day was started in 2003 by Michael Levy to serve as the day to promote a human spirit that lives a creative, peaceful, and loving life.
- World Human Spirit Day is observed every year on February 17 and aims to help strengthen the connection to our spiritual self as a way to stay grounded even amid societal pressure.
