Today's Current Affairs 19th May 2023

NATIONAL

Bhopal becomes 1st city to measure Sustainable Development Goals progress

Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, has become the first city in India to measure its progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The city has adopted a Voluntary Local Review (VLR) process, which is a tool that helps cities to assess their progress on the SDGs and identify areas where they need to improve.

About: Voluntary Local Review - The VLR process in Bhopal was developed in collaboration with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and a number of other local stakeholders. It involved a comprehensive assessment of the city’s performance on the SDGs, including a review of data, interviews with stakeholders, and public consultations.

The VLR process in Bhopal is a valuable tool that can help other cities in India to measure their progress on the SDGs and identify areas where they need to improve. It is a step in the right direction for the city and for India as a whole.

IIT - Madras partners with Israel to establish ‘India - Israel Center of Water Technology’

The Government of Israel is partnering with India through the - Indian Institute of Technology Madras(IIT Madras) to establish an ‘India - Israel Center of Water Technology’ (CoWT) in Water Resources Management and Water Technologies at IIT Madras,

A letter of Intent was signed at New Delhi by Mr. Manoj Joshi, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras and Mr. NaorGilon, Ambassador of Israel to India, in presence of Shri. S. Jaishankarand Mr. Eli Cohen, Hon’ble External Affairs Ministers of India and Israel, respectively, in the presence of Prof. T. Pradeep, Institute Professor, IIT Madras.

Israel, a strategic partner to India, is a global leader in Integrated Water Resources Management. The MoHUA will collaborate with MASHAV, Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation, to establish this new centre, which will be located at IIT Madras.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launches State Dashboard

Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik rolled out the State Dashboard, a data and analytics-powered platform which will streamline performance monitoring of government schemes, aiding data-driven decision making.

The State Dashboard consists of three critical components – CM Dashboard, Department Dashboard and Administrative Action Monitoring Portal. The application appraises the performance of different administrative departments on 5T parameters. The CM dashboard shares huge data with the public and is a landmark initiative for transparency.

The standout features of this dashboard include Key Performance Indicators based on performance monitoring and a visual display of progress for timely decision-making. It showcases 30 different dashboards from 16 departments currently, with a plan to add more departments subsequently. It leverages the power of visualization and advanced analytics to appraise the performance of departments and their schemes.

 OBITURY

BJP MP Rattan Lal Kataria passes away At 71

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Haryana's Ambala, Rattan Lal Kataria, passes away at the age of 71. The three-time BJP MP was admitted to PGI Chandigarh, where he breathed his last.

Rattan Lal Kataria became an MP from Ambala for the first time in 1999, He was also associated with the RSS for over five decades.

He served as the President of the BJP - Haryana Unit, from 2000 to 2003, In 2014 he got elected to the 16^th Lok Sabha from Ambala as a candidate of BJP.

Rattan Lal Kataria became the Minister of State for Jal Shakti and Social Justice and Empowerment from 2019 to 2021.

APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit takes over as Deputy Chief of Air Staff

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit took over as the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, Ashutosh Dixit, an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, was Commissioned in the fighter stream on December 6 in 1986.

Mr Dixit is a qualified flying instructor as well as an experimental test pilot, with over 3,300 hours of flying experience on fighter, trainer and transport aircraft. He participated in operations 'Safed Sagar' and 'Rakshak'. Air Marshal Dixit commanded a Mirage 2,000 Squadron, a frontline fighter base in the Western sector, as well as a premier fighter training base. He has earlier served as Principle Director of Air Staff Requirement, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Projects) & Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Plans),

The Air Officer has also been the Air Defence Commander of Southern Air Command and was Senior Air Staff Officer, at South Western Air Command prior to taking over as the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff.

SUMMIT'S & MOU's

MoU signed for ferry service on Brahmaputra to connect 7 religious sites

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed to develop a 'Riverine Based Religious Tourism Circuit' between Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), Sagarmala Development Corporation Limited (SDCL), Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) and Department of Inland Waterways Transport (DIWT), Government of Assam.

The primary objective of the MoU is to establish a modern ferry service, operating on a 'Hop-On Hop-Off' mode, to connect seven historically significant temples situated on the banks of the Brahmaputra.

These sites include Kamakhya, Pandunath, Ashwaklanta, Doul Govinda, Umananda, Chakreshwar, and Auniti Satra. Passengers will be able to enjoy a seamless travel experience with ferry services departing every 30 minutes, providing a convenient means of exploring these spiritual landmarks. The circuit's route will commence from Hanuman Ghat, Uzan Bazar, which should reduce the overall travel time to under two hours for completing one full circuit.

The execution of this project will require an investment of Rs 45 crore and will be carried out through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), The funding for the project will be shared, with SDCL and IWAI jointly contributing 55 per cent of the costs, while ATDC will provide the remaining amount. Additionally, DIWT has offered the usage of Ghats near the temples, free of charge, to facilitate the initiative. 

MoUs for two community development projects signed between India and Nepal

The Embassy of India, Kathmandu and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, Government of Nepal has signed a memorandums of understanding (MoUs) for undertaking two High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal.

The projects are implemented under a grant assistance of the Government of India - one each in health care and education sectors, at a total estimated cost of around Rs 80.33 million,

These two projects, namely, construction of Malagiri Shanti Yogashram, Ramechhap District and Kedar Jyotipunja Multiple Campus, Doti District of Nepal will be implemented through Ramechhap Municipality and Badikedar Rural Municipality, respectively.

BANKING AND ECONOMY

SBI Funds Management gets RBI's nod to acquire 9.99% stake in HDFC Bank

State Bank of India (SBI) Funds Management received the approval of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to acquire up to 9.99 per cent stake in HDFC Bank.

SBI Funds Management has been advised by the central bank to complete the said stake acquisition in the bank within a period of six months i.e. by November 15, 2023. Further, SBI Funds Management must ensure that the aggregate holding in the Bank remains below 10 per cent of the paid-up share capital or voting rights of the bank at all times, it added.

RBI's approval that has been granted to SBI Funds Management is subject to the conditions, including compliance with the relevant provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, RBI’s Master Direction and Guidelines on Acquisition and Holding of Shares or Voting Rights in Banking Companies dated January 16, 2023, provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999, provisions of the regulations issued by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), and any other guidelines, regulations, and statutes as applicable.