Today's Current Affairs 21st January 2023

NATIONAL

Deepest underground metro station in the country to start by March end

• The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (MahaMetro) has announced that the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS) will inspect a stretch of the Pune Metro in February, and clearances are expected in March. This line features India’s deepest underground station, which will be ready in a few months at the Civil Court and measures 33.1 metres (108.59 feet) in depth.
• The CMRS inspection will cover the part between Vanaz and Civil Court, as well as the section between Civil Court and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. MahaMetro, a joint special purpose vehicle (SPV) of Government of India and Government of Maharashtra, is the executing agency of Pune Metro rail project.
• A metro rake successfully completed its first test run between the Range Hills and Civil Court stations in Pune’s underground segment, covering 3 kilometres in around 30 minutes.

National AIDS Control Organisation forms Largest Human Red Ribbon Chain in Kalinga Stadium of Bhubaneswar, Odisha to create awareness on AIDS

• Odisha State AIDS Control Society organised an awareness program on HIV AIDS in coordination with the Department of Sports and Youth Services and Hockey India under the leadership of National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), on 19th January 2023. The spectators in the gallery included 4,800 students from various schools, Red Ribbon Club members from colleges, people from community, and participants from the Mission Shakti Department.
• Odisha continues to have a low HIV prevalence in the state with an adult prevalence of 0.14% and an estimated 52,108 people living with HIV (PLHIV). However, only half of the people living with HIV in the state are on the Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART).

 SPORTS

ICC Under 19 Womens T20 World Cup 2023

• The first edition of Women’s U19 T20 World Cup 2023 has been launched by International Cricket Council (ICC) and it is scheduled from 14th January to 29th January 2023. The first match of the Women’s U19 T20 World Cup 2023 was played between Australia Women U19 and Bangladesh Women U19 at Willowmoore Park, Benoni. A total of 16 teams are participating in the Women’s U19 T20 World Cup 2023.
• The Women’s U19 T20 World Cup 2023 has been scheduled from 14th January 2023 to 29th January 2023. Each day, four matches will be played. The super six round will begin on 20th January 2023 with the Semi-finals set to take place on the 27th of January and the Finals scheduled on 29th January 2023 at the JB Marks Oval in Potchefstroom. The table given below describes the Women’s U19 T20 World Cup 2023 schedule, and the venue of the matches.

 APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

Shooting World Cup 2023: HC appoints ex-SC Judge AK Sikri as administrator to see fund utilisation

• Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri, a retired judge from the Supreme Court, has been appointed by the Delhi High Court as Administrator to manage the use of funds for the next ISSF Shooting World Cup in 2023. The ISSF World Cup (Rifle/Pistol) will take place in March in Bhopal.
• Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad’s divisional bench noted that if there is any obstacle to arranging the World Cup event, which would require funds from the Central Government, the prestige of the nation will be harmed.
• The administrator may also enlist the services of any athlete of his choosing who has competed at the national or international level in shooting, according to the court. After the occurrence, the bench requested that a report be sent in a sealed cover.

Reed Hastings is stepping down as Netflix's co-CEO

• In order to transfer the keys over to longtime partner and co-CEO Ted Sarandos and chief operating officer Greg Peters, Netflix Inc. co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings resigned from his position as the company’s chief executive.
• In after-hours trading, Netflix shares increased 6.1% to $335.05 as the pioneer of streaming video also revealed that it had gained more customers than anticipated at the end of the previous year.
• As a result of losing consumers in the first half of 2022, the company has been under pressure.
• Its stock, once a favourite on Wall Street, has decreased by about 38% in the previous 12 months.
• Hastings will serve as executive chairman and share the role of chief executive with Sarandos and Peters.

 SUMMIT'S & MOU's

Memorandum of Agreement signed between Indian Ports Association and RIS for setting up Centre for Maritime Economy and Connectivity

• The Indian Ports Association (IPA) and Research & Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) signed a Memorandum of Agreement for setting up a Centre for Maritime Economy and Connectivity in the presence of the Minister for Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush Shri Sarbananda Sonowal. During the function, various other dignitaries were also present.
• Sanjeev Ranjan, Secretary (PSW) complimented the IPA and RIS teams for the effort put in for setting up the center.
• He informed that the proposed project of the Transhipment Port at Galathea bay at Greater Nicobar in Andaman & Nicobar Islands will be the future which will be advantageous for the BIMSTEC Nations.

ESAF Bank wins Inclusive Finance India Awards 2022

• ESAF Small Finance Bank has bagged the prestigious Inclusive Finance India Awards 2022 for its contributions in advancing the goal of financial inclusion and supporting inclusive growth. This award is a recognition of ESAF’s unique spectrum of Financial Inclusion projects ESAF Dhansree, ESAF Udyog Jyothi, LSEDP (Local Sustainable Economic Development Project), ESAF Balajyothi, ESAF Vayojyothi, and ESAF Garshom.
• The Inclusive Finance India Awards initiative aims to celebrate and encourage deserving institutions to continue to enhance outreach to the poor by way of motivating management and staff through recognition of their painstaking efforts and enhancing the credibility of the institution, thereby making it more attractive for funding.

 BOOKS & AUTHOR

Book ‘COACHING BEYOND: My Days with the Indian Cricket Team’ by R. Kaushik, R. Sridhar

• A book titled ‘COACHING BEYOND: My Days with the Indian Cricket Team’ authored by R. Kaushik & R. Sridhar. The book reflects primarily on R. Sridhar’s seven-year coaching tenure with the Indian cricket team as its fielding coach. This book isn’t as technical as it is anecdotal. It throws light, for instance, on how Virat Kohli overcame a dismal Test series in England in 2014 to smash four hundreds in as many matches in his next overseas outing, in Australia.
• It also traces Rishabh Pant’s journey towards becoming the ferocious ball-striker and outstanding gloveman he is today while delving into the minds of players and the support staff to analyse India’s progression towards the number 1 Test ranking. Revelations of behind-the-scenes parleys jostle with the then head coach Ravi Shastri’s motivational skills in a riveting read that provides an insider’s account of the rise and rise of Indian cricket.

 BANKING AND ECONOMY

CSR: Collaboration to Improve Road Safety: SBI General Insurance and Partners Join Forces

• SBI General Insurance, a leading general insurance company in India, has partnered with Doers NGO to support the Himachal Pradesh police in reducing the number of road accidents. As part of its CSR program, SBI General has provided a well-equipped ambulance for immediate medical care for road accident victims in the Mandi district within the crucial “Golden Hour”.
• The partnership between SBI General, Doers NGO, the Himachal Pradesh Police, and the Civil Hospital in Sundarnagar aims to provide timely treatment and access to lifesaving medical resources for road accident victims. In addition to this, SBI General has also collaborated with the Himachal Pradesh Police to provide road signages to increase awareness and caution in accident-prone areas on the highway, with the goal of preventing road accidents.
• According to a report by Ministry of Road Transports and Highways Transport Research Wing, road accidents in India kills almost 1.5 lakh people annually. India accounts for almost 11% of the accident-related deaths in the World.

 Canara Bank Sells its Stake in Russian JV to SBI for Rs 114 Crore

• Canara Bank said it plans to sell its stake in Russian Joint Venture(JV) Commercial Indo Bank LLC (CIBL) to the other venture partner State Bank of India (SBI) for about Rs 114 crore. CIBL, incorporated in 2003, is a joint venture in Russia between SBI (60 per cent) and Canara Bank (40 per cent).
• Based on the share sale agreement and with the consent of the Central Bank of Russia, the entire shares held by Canara Bank was transferred to SBI on November 30, 2022, said the Bengaluru-headquartered public sector in a regulatory filing. However, consideration ($14.67 million equivalent) in USD as agreed by the parties is not yet received, the Bank said. The transaction is expected to completed on or before March-end 2023.
• Canara Bank is an Indian public sector bank under the control and ownership of Ministry of Finance, Government of India. Established in 1906 at Mangalore by Ammembal Subba Rao Pai, the bank also has offices in London, Dubai and New York.