Today's Current Affairs 21st March 2023 

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 

‘Ab-CoV’ to help with development of drugs against new variants of COVID19

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Madras have developed an online open-source database of coronaviruses’ neutralizing antibodies that can also aid in the development of drugs against new variants of SARS-CoV-2.

The database, called Ab-CoV, contains detailed information about all COVID-related antibodies identified so far, including the source of each antibody, and the viral protein(s) and virus strains they recognize. It also encompasses crucial features such as binding affinity and neutralization profiles (IC50 and EC50) of antibodies.

Ab-CoV database includes 1,780 coronavirus-related antibodies including 211 nanobodies and contains more than 3,200 data points on half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50), half maximal effective concentration (EC50) & binding affinity (KD).

 APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS 

ICICI Bank veteran Anup Bagchi to take over as new MD and CEO of ICICI Prudential Life

The life insurance company, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has named Anup Bagchi as MD and CEO for 5 years, effective June 19, 2023. He will replace NS Kannan, who will superannuate from the services of the company on the completion of tenure of his appointment on June 18, 2023

Anup Bagchi is presently Executive Director, ICICI Bank and non-executive director of the company. And, to ensure a seamless transition, Bagchi has been appointed Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer with effect from May 1, 2023.  He is also on the board of ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company and Commerce Trade Services. Prior to this, Bagchi was the Managing Director and CEO of ICICI Securities. 

IMPORTANT DAYS 

National Gallery of Modern Art organizes a Painting & Pottery workshop on the occasion of “World Down Syndrome Day

On the occasion of World Down Syndrome Day, (21, March) the National Gallery of Modern Art has organized a Painting & Pottery workshop today at its premises in New Delhi. 

Director NGMA, Smt. Temsunaro Jamir Tripathi interacted with the participants and their parents. She addressed the gathering and said that the Gallery is organizing events and exclusively curated shows for the differently abled children. Further, she said that NGMA is actively involving civil society for public awareness and establishing a voice for people with special needs, such as "Autism Week '' and sign-language tours. These events align with the revised definition of museums: “Open to the public, accessible and inclusive, museums foster diversity and sustainability”.

The workshop will give a platform to express themselves creatively and showcase their abilities and ideas. The pottery session is guided by Gurugram based Shaurya Mehrotra, potter and artist with down syndrome.  

International Day of Forests

The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March the International Day of Forests in 2012 to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests. Countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns.

The organizers are - The United Nations Forum on Forests and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with Governments, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests and other relevant organizations in the field.  International Day of Forests: The theme for each year is chosen by the Collaborative Partnership on Forests. The theme for 2023 is 'forests and health.'

Forests cover one-third of the Earth’s landmass. Around 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihood, medicines, fuel, food, and shelter. Forests are also home to more than 80 percent of land animals, insects, and plants. There are 3 trillion trees in all the forests on Earth. Forests are defined as a large group of trees. In order to be considered an actual forest, trees have to cover at least 0.5 hectares. 

World Poetry Day

World Poetry Day is celebrated on 21 March, and was declared by UNESCO in 1999, "with the aim of supporting linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard". 

World Poetry Day on March 21st serves as a reminder of the magnitude that reading and writing poetry has enriched and inspired the way we live our lives. Ever since humans have been recording history, poetry has challenged the norm with new ways of thinking through allegory and complex emotion. Words have always been the binding source between people and allows us to see life from a new perspective. Poetry is the artistic mastery of this phenomena, by conveying emotions within us and creating the ability to influence others. It’s our poetic nature that allows words to be the bridge to our feelings. 

International  Nowruz Day

Every year on March 21, the International Nowruz Day is a much-anticipated global New Year’s festival that marks the spring equinox, It is celebrated as the beginning of the new year by more than 300 million people all around the world and has been celebrated for over 3,000 years in the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East and other regions.

Inscribed in 2009 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as a cultural tradition observed by numerous peoples, Nowruz is an ancestral festivity marking the first day of spring and the renewal of nature. It promotes values of peace and solidarity between generations and within families as well as reconciliation and neighbourliness, thus contributing to cultural diversity and friendship among peoples and different communities. 

World Down Syndrome Day

World Down Syndrome Day is marked each year on March 21, beginning in 2007. The 21st day of March was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome. Every year on March 21, World Down Syndrome Day is observed to create awareness about Down syndrome.  

Down syndrome is a naturally occurring chromosomal arrangement that has always been a part of the human condition. It exists in all regions globally and commonly affects learning styles, physical characteristics, and overall health. In order to ensure proper growth and development, social learning programs support and integrate with anyone who has Down syndrome. 

SUMMIT'S & MOU's 

Second G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group meeting to begin in Udaipur

The second Sustainable Finance Working Group (SFWG) meeting under India’s G20 Presidency will begin today: 21 March at Udaipur in Rajasthan. The three-day meeting will focus on the identification of relevant policies and best practices for mobilizing sustainable finance to help ensure global growth and stability.

This is the first time for the SFWG to go beyond climate-related issues and engage in dialogue for enabling enhanced financing for select  sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) primarily through nature-related data and reporting and social impact investing.

On the sidelines of the meeting, two workshops will also be organized today and tomorrow. The first workshop will be on  Non-Pricing Policy Levers to support Sustainable Investment.  The second Workshop will be on enabling finance for Sustainable Development Goals.More than 90 delegates from the member countries of G20, guest countries, and different international organizations are taking part in this mega-event.  

AWARDS & RECOGNITION 

Bombay Jayashri chosen for Sangita Kalanidhi Award 2023 by Music Academy

Renowned Carnatic vocalist and Padma Shri awardee Bombay Jayashri has been selected for the Sangita Kalanidhi award for 2023 by the Music Academy.

In a press release, the Music Academy said, Jayashri is one of the foremost among today’s Carnatic musicians, who initially trained under her parents and later under TR Balamani and violin maestro Lalgudi G Jayaraman. Besides Carnatic music, Jayashri is also trained on the veena, classical dance and Hindustani music.

‘She is known for her melodic and meditative style of singing. She has also been training underprivileged children in music and contributing through her art to social causes,” the release noted.