Today's Current Affairs 12th January 2023

INTERNATIONAL

Gabon named its Vice-President and new Prime Minister of the country

• Gabon’s President Ali Bongo appointed the country’s first female Prime Minister Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda to the role of Vice-President and named a new PM to replace her.\Ossouka Raponda, 59, was appointed in July 2020 after her predecessor stepped down. She was Defence Minister before that. Ossouka Raponda was named Budget Minister in 2012 before being elected mayor of the capital Libreville in 2014, becoming the first woman to hold that position since 1956. She had to navigate a delicate political scene as Prime Minister after a coup attempt in 2019 while Bongo was on prolonged medical leave following a stroke.\Former Minister Alain-Claude Bilie By Nze will replace Ossouka Raponda and form a new government, Bongo’s secretary general Jean-Yves Teale said in a video statement posted on the presidency’s Twitter account.

 NATIONAL

India’s Fastest Payment App PayRup Launched

• India’s fastest payment app PayRup was launched in India on 9th January 2023. PayRup is built with the finest technology of web 3.0. PayRup provides an advanced digital payment experience with an outstanding user experience. PayRup users can pay utility bills and landline bills, recharge their mobile, broadband, DTH, and purchase gift cards.
• PayRup services are planned to expand across various financial instruments.These instruments include multiple payment services such as school fees, pay rent, and other payment collection services.
• PayRup has announced ticketing and booking services for flights, buses, and hotels along with other USPs.PayRup opens 24/7 customer care facilities for help and support for users.
• Customer Support desk runs with leading CRM technologies and supports by the global standard. PayRup ensured the 5 dimensions of service quality and follows SERVQUAL standards to provide the best service experience.

 SPORTS

France Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris Announces Retirement from International Football

• France team captain Hugo Lloris has announced his decision to retire from international football at the age of 36. Lloris represented France in four World Cups and three Euros and captained Les Blues to the World Cup trophy in 2018. The Tottenham Hotspur shotstopper led his team to the World Cup final in Qatar, where they were beaten by Argentina on penalties.
• The 36-year-old holds many records and is France’s most capped player with 145 appearances to his name. Lloris made his debut for Les Blues back in November 2008. He was handed the armband two years after his international debut and would go on to captain France in 121 matches.
• Deschamps paid tribute to the 36-year-old and called him a great servant of the France national team. The France coach went on to say that it was a honour and pleasure to be Lloris’ trainer and thanked him for his contributions to the team.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

DAC gives nod to purchase indigenous defence systems

• In an effort to shore up the air defence systems all along the Line of Actual Control(LAC) facing China, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) cleared the proposal for procurement of VSHORAD (IR Homing) missile system under design and development by the Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO). In view of the recent developments along the Northern borders(China) there is a need to focus on effective Air Defence (AD) weapon systems which are man portable and can be deployed quickly in rugged terrain and maritime domain. Procurement of VSHORAD, as a robust and quickly deployable system, will strengthen the Air Defence capabilities.
• India has been in talks with Russia since 2018 to procure the Igla-S air defence missiles at a cost of $1.5 billion under the VSHORAD programme in a bid to replace the Russian Igla-M systems which have been in use with the Army. However, with a strong pitch for ‘Atmanirbharta’ in defence, there has been little progress on this front in the last two years, with sources indicating that the deal has been put on hold for now.

Anti-tank, air defence missile systems: Defence ministry approved capital procurement proposals worth Rs. 4276 crore

• Defence Acquisition Council(DAC) approved three proposals worth 4,276 crore rupees to strengthen the country’s deterrence and combat readiness. Defence Ministry said, a meeting of Defence Acquisition Council held under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The DAC has accorded approval for procurement of HELINA Anti-Tank Guided Missiles, launchers and associated support equipment which will be integrated to the Advanced Light Helicopter.
• There were three proposals – two for the Army and third was for the Indian Navy. The defence ministry said the DAC accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for three capital acquisition proposals, amounting to ₹4,276 crore. The DAC granted approval for procurement of Brahmos Launcher and Fire Control System (FCS) for the Shivalik class of ships and next generation missile vessels (NGMVs) for the Indian Navy.

 IMPORTANT DAYS

National Youth Day: 12^th January 2023

• National Youth Day is celebrated every year on January 12 to mark the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Every year on this occasion, the government organises National Youth Festival in collaboration with one state willing to host from January 12 to January 16. This year Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurate the festival on January 12 in Huballi, Karnataka.
• The basic objective of National Youth Day is to bring the youth of the country together in an attempt to showcase their talents in various activities to cover almost all socio-cultural aspects of life, providing an opportunity to amateur young artists to express themselves and interact with fellow artists and to further learn the new art forms from experts of various disciplines.
• The Centre said the festival is held to provide exposure to youths at a national level and this year’s theme for the four-day programme is “Viksit Yuva – Viksit Bharat (Developed Youth – Developed India)”.

National Road Safety Week: 11^th to 17^th January 2023 

• Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India is observing the Road Safety Week from 11th to 17th January 2023, under “Swachhata Pakhwada”, to propagate the cause of safer roads for all. During the Week, various activities is being organised throughout the Country to create awareness among general public and to give an opportunity to all stakeholders to contribute to the cause of road safety. This includes various awareness campaigns related to causes of road accidents and measures to prevent them. Various activities with School/college students, drivers and all other road users have also been planned.
• Ministry will conduct several activities including Nukkad Nataks (Street Shows) and Sensitization Campaigns at various locations in the Capital. Further, Essay Writing & Poster Making competition for school students, Exhibition & Theatre Pavilion by corporates / PSUs / NGOs actively working in the field of road safety, Walkathon and Talks/ Interactions with senior officers will also be held at Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pusa, Delhi.

 AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

SII's Adar Poonawalla gets 1st Patangrao Kadam award for fight against Covid

• Devendra Fadnavis, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, honours Adar Poonawalla with Patangrao Kadam award for vaccine work. Devendra Fadnavis also praised Serum Institute of India and its CEO Adar Poonawalla on Sunday for their work in the fight against COVID-19.
• ‘Patangrao Kadam was a leader who founded 190 institutes to deliver great education and generate quality human resources.’
• Sharad Pawar, the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party, and Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, both attended the ceremony.
• As SII has produced 160 vaccinations, Adar Poonawalla is continuing his father Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla’s legacy, according to Pawar. The chief minister of HP requested that Bharti Vidyapeeth and SII establish facilities in his state.

 RANKING

Japan tops the World’s strongest passport list in 2023

• Japan continues to top the list of the world's most powerful passport for the year 2023, according to the Henley Passport Index report released on January 10. Japanese citizens can travel to as many as 193 countries visa-free or visa-on-arrival access destinations around the world.
• The second spot is shared by Singapore and South Korea and gives visa-free access destinations to 192 countries. Countries like France, Ireland, Portugal and the United Kingdom are tied at the sixth spot with a visa-free score of 187.
• Countries like the United States, Belgium, New Zealand, Norway, Czech Republic and Switzerland are tied at the seventh position with regard to the most powerful passports in the world with a visa-free score of 186.

 BANKING AND ECONOMY

World Bank forecasts India's FY23 GDP at 6.9%; warns of global recession

• India’s growth is expected to slow to 6.9 per cent in Financial Year 2023, a 0.6 percentage point decrease since June, as the global economy and rising uncertainty weigh on export and investment growth, according to the World Bank. The World Bank predicted that global growth in 2023 would slow to 1.7 per cent from the 3 per cent expected six months ago, citing elevated inflation, higher interest rates, reduced investment and disruptions caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• Growth in India is expected to slow from 8.7 per cent in FY 2021-22 to 6.9 per cent in FY2022-23, with the latter revised 0.6 percentage points lower since June. The global economic slowdown and rising uncertainty will weigh on export and investment growth.
• Growth is expected to slow to 6.6 per cent in FY2023-24 before returning to its potential rate of just above 6 per cent. India is predicted to have the fastest growing economy among the seven largest developing economies (EMDEs).