Today's Current Affairs 20th January 2023

INTERNATIONAL

India participates in international tourism trade fair FITUR in Madrid

• FITUR is the global meeting point for tourism professionals and the leading trade fair for inbound and outbound markets in Latin America. FITUR is the second most important tourism fair in the world. Around 10,000 national and international companies take part in each edition and there are more than 50,000 visitors spread over the different days of the event.
• FITUR 2023 has designed an extensive programme to diversify the specialised public in different thematic areas-

1. FiturTechy brings together the world of technology
2. FiturCruises brings together tourism platforms from the world of cruises
3. FiturSports does the same with the world of sports, and
4. FiturLGBT+, among others, presents the latest developments in the world of LGTB+ tourism.

India-Bangladesh Friendship pipeline to start supplying diesel to Bangladesh from June

• The India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (IBFPL) would begin supplying diesel to Bangladesh on an experimental basis in June of this year, according to State Minister for Power Nasrul Hamid.
  Nasrul Hamid responded to a written inquiry before the national parliament, Jatiya Sangsad, in Dhaka, by stating that a pipeline of 131.5 kilometres long has been built for importing fuel from India.
  5 kilometres of the pipeline are in Bangladesh, and 5 kilometres are in India, pre-commissioning of diesel imports through this pipeline is already in progress, according to UNB.

Vietnam President Nguyen Xuan Phuc announces his resignation following corruption scandals

• The continuous anti-corruption campaign has prompted President Nguyen Xuan Phuc of Vietnam to announce his resignation. In Vietnam, the anti-corruption campaign has resulted in the dismissal of several ministers. Two of President Phuc’s deputy prime ministers had resigned earlier.
• Former prime minister Phuc has been the country’s president since 2021.Between April 2021, when he was elected president, and 2016, the 69-year-old was Vietnam’s prime minister.
• The National Assembly must approve the president’s resignation; a special vote will be held today; however, it is anticipated that this will only be a formality.
• In a statement praising Phuc’s leadership, the Communist Party insisted that he was politically accountable for infractions and the misbehaviour of many officials who worked for him.

Hyderabad-Born Aruna Miller Becomes First Indian-American To Be Elected As Maryland Lieutenant Governor

• Aruna Miller has scripted history by becoming the first Indian-American politician to be sworn in as the Lieutenant Governor in the state of Maryland, adjoining the US capital. Aruna, 58, a former delegate to the Maryland House, made history when the Democrat became the 10th Lieutenant Governor of the state.
• The Lieutenant Governor is the state’s highest official following the Governor and assumes the role when the Governor is out of state or incapacitated. Moore became Maryland’s 63rd governor, the state’s first and the country’s only current Black chief executive. The newly sworn-in Lt Governor took her oath on the Bhagwat Gita.

UNGA adopts resolution on 'Education for Democracy' co-sponsored by India

• The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted a resolution titled ‘Education for Democracy’ that reaffirms the right of everyone to education. The resolution, which was co-sponsored by India, recognises that “education for all” contributes to the strengthening of democracy. The resolution encourages member states to integrate education for democracy into their education standards.
• This isn’t the first time that an education resolution has been adopted by the UN General Assembly. Earlier in 2015, a similar resolution was passed at the Assembly encouraging all UN entities to use education to promote peace, human rights, and democracy. The resolution aimed at encouraging member states to integrate education for democracy into their education standards.

Jacinda Ardern resigns as prime minister of New Zealand

• New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, a global figurehead of progressive politics, shocked the country. She was re-elected for a second term in 2020, the victory buoyed by her government’s “go hard and go early” approach to the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw New Zealand impose some of the world’s strictest border rules, separating families and shutting out almost all foreigners for almost two years.
• Ardern won international acclaim for her empathetic handling of the 2019 Christchurch mosque massacre, in which 51 Muslim worshippers were killed and another 40 wounded.
• Ardern had faced a tough election campaign this year. Her Liberal Labour Party won re-election two years ago in a landslide of historic proportions, but recent polls have put her party behind its conservative rivals.

 NATIONAL

EY projects India to become a US$26 trillion economy by 2047 with a six-fold increase in per capita income to US$15,000

• Ernst & Young, released a report titled India@100: Realizing the potential of a US$26 trillion economy. According to the estimates Indian economy will reach GDP size of US$26 trillion by 2047, the 100th year of the country’s independence.
• The per capita income is expected to increase to US$15,000, putting the country among the ranks of developed economies.

Growth Enablers As Per Report

1. World’s Information Technology and Services Hub
2. Digitalization: A Force Multiplier
3. Filing the credit gap to fuel growth
4. Thriving entrepreneurship spurred by private capital
5. Reaping the demographic dividend
6. Making domestic manufacturing competitive
7. Building the infrastructure of the future
8. Transition to sustainable energy

SPORTS

Hockey World Cup: Netherlands breaks record of most goals in a men’s HWC match, beats Chile 14-0

• The three-time champion Netherlands defeated Chile’s debutants by a score of a record-breaking 14-0 to qualify as the first team to the quarterfinals of the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup. The Netherlands finished at the top of Pool C with a maximum of nine points after racking up three victories in as many games.
• The largest margin of victory in a World Cup game was recorded by the third-ranked Netherlands against the 23rd-ranked Chile in the day’s second play.
• World No. 1 Australia previously held the record for the largest margin of victory in a hockey World Cup match after thrashing South Africa 12-0 in New Delhi.
• The Netherlands, who have won the World Cup three times and placed second in the previous two tournaments, earned 18 penalty corners in the match, of which they converted six, while Chile only received two.

Rohit Sharma breaks MS Dhoni’s record of most ODI sixes at home in IND vs NZ 1st ODI

• Indian captain Rohit Sharma has shattered a long-standing record held by MS Dhoni to become India’s most prolific six-hitter in the history of ODI cricket. At the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad, Rohit achieved this remarkable feat during the first ODI between India and New Zealand. The Indian captain’s knock included two maximums, breaking MS Dhoni’s long-standing record.
• Rohit is now India’s leading six-getter in the history of ODI cricket, with a total of 125 sixes to his name.

 AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Civil Aviation 2023: New Goa Manohar International Airport Wins 'Best Sustainable Greenfield Airport' Award

• The New Goa Manohar International Airport (MIA), built by the GMR Goa International Airport Ltd (GGIAL), a subsidiary of GMR Airports Infrastructure Limited, won the prestigious “Best Sustainable Greenfield Airport” award under Aviation Sustainability and Environment at ASSOCHAM 14th International Conference-cum-Awards for Civil Aviation 2023 at New Delhi.
• The award was presented for “excellent initiatives” taken by GGIAL in implementing sustainability as one of core concepts. During the conference, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia presented the award to the senior officials from GGIAL in the presence of industry dignitaries and participants.
• The forum recognises the companies engaged in civil aviation initiatives that adopt best practices and technological advancement in their daily operations, a GMR Goa International Airport release said.
• The criteria of awards are contribution, innovativeness, applicability, relevance and impact potential in their respective areas.