Daily Current Affairs 22nd March 2023
National News
Increase of Forest Cover in Major Cities
- India State of Forest Report (ISFR) has released the data that the forest cover in seven major cities including Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad & Mumbai has increased significantly on 20th march 2023.
- Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Aswini Kumar Choubey said that Forest Survey of India (FSI), Dehradun which take a survey once in a two years since 1987 reported that the decadal growth from 2011 – 2021 is increased about 68 square kilometers.
First Submarine Base of Bangladesh
- Bangladesh’s first submarine base ‘BNS Sheikh Hasina’ was inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. She said her government is working on ‘Forces Goal 2030’ to modernize its military.
- The Bangladesh government has signed an agreement with China to build its submarine base.
India-Nepal Literary Festival
- Prathnagar Metropolitan City of Nepal and the Granithara Literary Academy of Meerut, India jointly organized the festival in Prath, Nepal.
- A 10-point declaration has been decided, including carrying out research on the translation of Nepali literature into Hindi and Hindi literature into Nepali.
State news
Special Features of Agriculture Budget 2023
- The Agriculture Budget 2023-2024 was tabled in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. Minister MRK Panneerselvam presented the Agriculture Budget.
- Special Features: Introduction of E-Agriculture Scheme, Special Scheme for Oilseeds, Rs.20 Crore Allocation for Coconut Development, Rs.2337 Crores for Crop Insurance Subsidy, One Agronomist for the District, Farmer Officer Communication Scheme 2.0, Coimbatore Collection in Coimbatore, Special for Sugarcane Incentives, Natural Fertilizer from Waste, Madurai Jasmine and Jackfruit, Chilli Drive, Subsidy for Cultivation of Winter Vegetables, Fund for Micro Irrigation, Training for Farmers in Foreign Countries, Separate Package Scheme for Cashew Cultivation and Banana, Palm Development Scheme, Award in the Name of Nammalwar, Small Food Restaurant, Rs. .14,000 crore in crop loans etc.
Appointment
New Vice President of Nepal
- Ram Sakaya Prasad Yadav was sworn in as the new Vice President of Nepal. President Sheetal Niwas administered the oath of office to him in a special ceremony held at the office.
- President Ram Chandra Baudel also administered the oath of secrecy to the newly elected Vice President.
An Indian-origin man has been appointed as the new CEO of Starbucks
- Laxman Narasimhan, who is of Indian origin, has taken over as the CEO of global coffee giant Starbucks. Narasimhan has worked as a Mechanical Engineer at Pune College of Engineering. He has also worked in countries like USA, Canada, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa.
- He was also the CEO of Reckitt, a multinational consumer health and nutrition company.
Archaeological studies
A 500-year-old Vijayanagara Empire Hero Stone sculpture
- A 16th century Vijayanagara Empire period middle stone sculpture was found in Thonugal, a village near Gariyapatti in Virudhunagar district. This sculpture is a two-and-a-half feet high and two-and-a-half feet wide slab of stone in relief.
- It has a carved image of a man and his wife and two jars. The design of the sculpture may date back to the 500-year-old Vijayanagara Empire.
Science and Technology
LVM-III rocket with 36 OneWeb satellites
- LVM-III is slated for launch on March 26 from the second launch pad at SDSC-SHAR at the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, ISRO said.
- This rocket carries 36 satellites belonging to OneWeb India-2 (OneWeb India).These satellites weigh about 5.8 tonnes and used to detect volcanic activity on the surface of Venus.
Sports news
Pankaj Advani won the title for the 2nd time
- Indian player Pankaj Advani has won the Asian Billiards Championship series.Pankaj Advani defeated Indian player Brijesh Damani by 5 to 1 in this match held in Doha.
- With this, Pankaj Advani has won the title of Asian Billiards Champion for the 2nd time.
Rybakina, Alcaraz win at Indian Wells
- The Indian Wells International Tennis Tournament is underway in the United States. In the women’s singles final, Elina Rybakina from Kazakhstan faced Arina Sabalenka from Belarus. Rybakina won the championship 7-6 (13-11), 6-4.
- Carlos Algarz won the men’s singles title. He won the match with the score of 6-3, 6-2. In this situation, Carlos Algarz has topped the International Tennis Federation ranking list.
CMJ Spirit of the Cricket Award 2022
- Nepal wicketkeeper-batsman Asif Shaikh received the Christopher Martin-Jenkins (CMJ) Spirit Award 2022 for his performance in the Men’s T20 International between Nepal and Ireland.
- The award is jointly presented by MCC and BCC. Asif Shaikh has also been awarded the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award.
Important day
International Forest Day
- International Forest Day is observed every year on March 21. It is observed to create global awareness among the people about the importance of forests for the survival of species.
- The theme for this year is “Forests and Health.
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
- This day is observed on March 21 every year. The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed to commemorate the 1960 shooting death of 69 peaceful protesters in Sharpeville, South Africa, who stood up against apartheid laws.
World Poetry Day
- World Poetry Day, celebrated on March 21, was declared by UNESCO in 1999 to encourage the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry around the world.
- The theme for World Poetry Day 2023 is “Always be a poet, even in prose”.
