Today's Current Affairs 31st January 2023

INTERNATIONAL

Radiation alert in Australia

• The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) has joined a week-long hunt for a missing radioactive capsule in the west of the country. The agency has announced it is working with the Western Australian government to locate the capsule, news agency Reuters reported. The radioactive capsule, part of a gauge used to measure iron ore density, is believed to have fallen from a truck during transportation, sparking a rediation alert.

 NATIONAL

Delhi-Mumbai Expressway: Sohna-Dausa stretch to be inaugurated on Feb 12.                                      

 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to inaugurate the first stretch (SohnaDausa) of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway on February 12. The length of Sohna (Haryana) to Dausa (Rajasthan) is about 210 kilometers.
• The travel time between Delhi and Jaipur is now expected to come down to around two hours. Currently, Jaipur-Delhi travel via Gurgaon takes around 4-5 hours, covering around 270 km. Earlier the inauguration was scheduled on January 4 but according to the latest updates, the date has been changed. The first stretch (Sohna-Dausa) of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway will be inaugurated on February 12.
• Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy said the state capital will be shifted Visakhapatnam. Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday announced that the city of Visakhapatnam will be the capital of the state. Speaking at the International Diplomatic Alliance meet in Delhi, CM Jagan said, “I am here to invite you all to Vishakapatnam, which is going to be our capital in the days to come. I will also be shifting to Vishakapatnam in the months to come. We are organising this Global Investor’s Summit there on March 3 and 4,” he said.     

President Droupadi Murmu will address the 31st Foundation Day of the National Commission for Women (NCW)

• The theme of the programme is ‘Sashakt Nari Sashakt Bharat’ aimed at acknowledging and celebrating the stories of women who have excelled and paved their journey to leave a mark.
• Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Zubin Irani and MoS, WCD,
• Dr Munjpara Mahendrabhai will also grace the occasion. The National Commissions, State Commissions for Women, Embassies, dignitaries from the legal fraternity, other departments and NGOs will be a part of the event.
• Amrit Udyan at President’s House opens for public .                                                                   
• Amrit Udyan at Rashtrapati Bhavan has been opened for the general public from today. On the occasion of the celebrations of 75 years of Independence as Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’, President Droupadi Murmu has given a common name to the Rashtrapati Bhavan gardens as Amrit Udyan. The visitors will be able to see specially cultivated tulips of twelve unique varieties at Amrit Udyan which are expected to bloom in phases.

Union Minister Sonowal "Me-Dam-Me-Phi", festival .                                                                     

• Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday hosted "Me-Dam-Me-Phi", a festival of Assam's Tai Ahom community to worship and pay respect to the ancestors, at his official residence here. Speaking on the occasion, Sonowal said the pious occasion gives an opportunity to pay respect to the ancestors and express gratitude for the rich heritage that they left behind

Former Law Minister and senior advocate Shanti Bhushan passed away on Tuesday .                          

 

• Former Law Minister and senior advocate Shanti Bhushan passed away on Tuesday. He was 97. PM Narendra Modi expressed his grief, saying: "He would be remembered for his contribution to the legal field and passion towards speaking for the underprivileged."

 SPORTS

India beat West Indies by eight wickets in Tri-nation series in South Africa - Women’s Cricket.   

• In Women’s Cricket, India registered a dominating eight-wicket win over the West Indies in the final group match in the ongoing Tri-Nation Series at Buffalo Park, in East London in South Africa.                                                                                                                                                  Put to bat first by the Indian side, the Caribbean nation posted a mere 94 for 6 in the stipulated 20 overs. In reply, India comfortably achieved the target of 95 runs with the loss of two wickets in 13.5 overs

 BANKING AND ECONOMY

Crypto-currency price on January 31 quick take: The global market cap stood at $1.04 trillion early Tuesday morning. 

• Bitcoin (BTC), the world’s oldest and most popular crypto, slid below the $23,000 mark on early Tuesday morning. Ethereum (ETH), on the other hand, managed to remain stable within the $1,500 range. Other popular altcoins — including the likes of Dogecoin (DOGE), Litecoin (LTC), Ripple (XRP), and Solana (SOL) — mostly landed in the reds. The MINA token continued to remain the top gainer, with a 24-hour gain of over 11 percent. BitDAO (BIT) emerged to be the biggest loser, with a 24-hour dip of over 17 percent.
• Economic Survey pegs GDP growth at 6.5% in real, 11% in nominal terms in 2023-24
• India’s GDP will grow at a baseline value of 11% in nominal terms and 6.5% in real terms in 2023-24, according to the 2022-23 Economic Survey, which was tabled in Parliament on January 31. The survey, which pegged real growth in the rage of 6-6.8% depending on downside and upside risks, underlined the fact that “agencies worldwide continue to project India has the fastest growing major economy” despite the three shocks of Covid-19, the Russia-Ukraine war, and synchronised policy rate hikes by central banks across the world that led to appreciation of the US dollar and widening of the current account deficit (CAD) in net importing economies.

 Adani loses $34bn in 3 days, now only 11th richest                                  

• With a current fortune of $84.4 billion, Adani now sits just one spot above rival and Reliance Industries Ltd. chairman Mukesh Ambani, whose net worth is $82.2 billion,
• Gautam Adani has slipped out of the list of the world's top 10 richest people and could soon be supplanted as Asia's wealthiest person if shares in his conglomerate continue to slide.
• IMF says, India to remain fastest-growing major economy in the world with 6.1 per cent growth in 2023 . The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that India to remain the fastest-growing major economy in the world despite global headwinds. The IMF released its January update on World Economic Outlook today. It said that India will grow at 6.1 per cent in 2023 before picking up to 6.8 per cent in 2024 fuelled by resilient domestic demand.  

 IMPORTANT DAYS

 International Zebra Day .       

• Every January 31, people around the world celebrate International Zebra Day. The purpose of the day is to spread knowledge about how you can support the conservation of this animal.