Today's Current Affairs 3rd March 2023

INTERNATIONAL

UK disappointed as Argentina withdraws from Falklands pact

The UK government on Thursday insisted the Falkland Islands remained British as Argentina walked away from a cooperation pact and demanded new talks over their sovereignty.

Known as the Malvinas in Spanish, the UK-ruled islands were the subject of a short, but brutal war after Argentina invaded in 1982. Britain drove out the invading force after dispatching a naval armada.

SPORTS

Indian Men’s National Hockey Team Appoints South Africa’s Craig Fulton as New Head Coach

Craig Fulton, former South African Coach announced as the New Chief Coach of the Men’s National Hockey Team of India. The Australian Graham Reid who exit after India's dismal show in the World Cup is replaced by him. He holds coaching experience of more than 25 years. Know how he emerged as a leading coach.

Men’s National Hockey Team of India designates Craig Fulton as the new Chief Coach on March 03, 2023 (Friday). The team previously failed to lend the World Cup at home. Craig Fulton has replaced the Australian Hockey Player Grahan John Reid who bid farewell after the country’s disappointing show in the World Cup.

OBITURY

Former diplomat, Padma Bhushan awardee Chandrashekhar Dasgupta is no more

Chandrashekhar Dasgupta, former Indian diplomat and the recipient of Padma Bhushan, passed away on Thursday at 82. During his almost four-decade-long career, he served as the ambassador to the European Union, Belgium, Luxembourg and China.

He joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) in 1962. He was the high commissioner to Singapore between 1981 and 1984 and Tanzania between 1984 and 1986. Dasgupta also held the vice-chair of the preparatory committees of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), popularly known as the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

Jishnu Barua becomes new chairperson of power regulator CERC

Jishnu Barua has become the new chairperson of power regulator Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC). "Union Minister for Power R K Singh administered the oath of office and secrecy to Jishnu Barua, chairperson, Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), here today,"

Barua was chief secretary of Assam from October 2020 to August 2022. Prior to this, he had been additional chief secretary to Assam looking after various departments of the state from August 2017 to October 2020.

IPS officer Rashmi Shukla appointed Director-General of Sashastra Seema Bal

The Central government has appointed Rashmi Shukla, an IPS officer of the Maharashtra cadre as the Director General (DG) of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) ,she will be replacing Anish Dayal Singh.

The 1988 batch officer has previously headed the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) as Additional Director General and has been the former Chief of Maharashtra Intelligence Department.

INPORTANT DAYS

World Wildlife Day

On 20 December 2013, at its 68th session, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in its resolution UN decided to proclaim 3 March, the international day of the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) on the planet raise awareness and benefits fauna and flora in 1973, as World Wildlife Day. The commemoration was proposed by Thailand to celebrate and raise awareness of the world's wild fauna and flora.

As this year's theme – 'Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation' – highlights, we need to work across governments, civil society, and the private sector to turn commitment into action. And we need much bolder actions now to cut emissions, accelerate renewables, and build climate resilience.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

ACF confers Grandmaster D Gukesh with Player-of-the-Year award

Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh has been honoured with Player-of-the-Year award by the Asian Chess Federation (ACF) for clinching the gold medal with a record-breaking score of 9/11 in the 44th Chess Olympiad at Mahabalipuram last year , In March last year, Gukesh became only the sixth Indian to break the 2700 Elo-rating mark, and the youngest Grandmaster from the country to be rated above 2700.

BOOKS & AUTHOR

“The Book of Bihari Literature” A short Stories collection : by Abhay Kumar

Bihar Minister of Industry, Samir Kumar Mahaseth has recently released a book titled “The Book of Bihari Literature”, edited by Abhay Kumar, an Indian poet- diplomat, during Grand Trunk Road Initiatives 3.0(GTRi 3.0) The book is a collection of short stories and poems written over a period of 2600 years, translated into English from various languages such as Angika, Bajjika, Bhojpuri, Magahi, Maithili, Hindi, Urdu, Pali, Sanskrit, and Farsi.

BANKING AND ECONOMY

SBI completes USD 1 billion syndicated social loan

Country’s largest commercial bank, State Bank of India (SBI) on Tuesday announced completion of a $1 billion Syndicated Social Loan Facility. This syndicated transaction is significant for SBI and the Indian ESG financing market since it is the biggest ESG (environment, social and governance) loan by a commercial bank in the Asia Pacific and the second-largest social loan globally. Additionally, this is the bank’s inaugural social loan and the first syndicated loan in the past five years.