Daily GK Update: 13th January 2023

 National Affairs

1. PM Modi launches World’s Longest River Cruise-MV Ganga Vilas at Varanasi

• PM Narendra Modi launched the World’s Longest River Cruise-MV Ganga Vilas at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh via video conferencing on 13th Jan 2023.
• He has also inaugurated Tent City at Varanasi.
• About Cruise:
  • It will begin its journey from Varanasi to Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh.
  • It will sail around 3,200 km in 51 days.
  • It will cover major cities of India and Bangladesh - Patna (Bihar), Sahib Ganj (Jharkhand), Kolkata (WB), Dhaka (Bangladesh), and Guwahati (Assam)

 National & International Appointments

2. Cognizant appoints former Infosys president Ravi Kumar as CEO

• Former Infosys president, Ravi Kumar has been appointed as the new chief executive officer of Cognizant with immediate effect.
• He has succeeded CEO Brian Humphries, who will be departing from the company on March 15, 2023.
• The IT Giant Cognizant had previously announced the appointment of Ravi as President of Cognizant Americas, which will be given to Cognizant veteran Surya Gummadi.
• He has 20 years of experience in Infosys, where he held various leadership roles.

 Obituaries

3. Former Union Minister Sharad Yadav passes away

• Former Union Minister, Sharad Yadav has passed away at the age of 75 in Gurugram, Haryana.
• He had started his political career during the anti-emergency movement of the mid-1970s.
• He was first elected to the Lok Sabha at the age of 27 in 1974.
• He was elected from Uttar Pradesh's Badaun parliamentary seat in 1989.
• He was also elected from Bihar's Madhepura Lok Sabha constituency in 1991, 1996, 1999, and 2009.
• He had launched his own party Loktantrik Janata Dal.

 Banking & Finance

4. SBI launched e-Bank Guarantee facility

• SBI has associated with National e-Governance Services Ltd (NeSL) to launch e-Bank Guarantee (e-BG) facility.
• It will bring a revolutionary change in the banking ecosystem, where bank guarantee is frequently used in large volumes.
• Presently, the bank issues these guarantees with physical stamping and wet signatures.
• It will replace this function with e-stamping and e-signature.
• This initiative will enhance transparency and reduce turnaround time from days to minutes.

 National Affairs

5. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated School of Logistics

• The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal, and Tripura CM, Manik Saha have inaugurated the School of Logistics, Waterways, and Communication in Agartala, Tripura.
• Aim: To enable the talent to become world-class experts in the transportation and logistics sector.
• It has been set up under State Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (SIPARD), an autonomous body funded by the govt of Tripura and MoRD.

 Banking & Finance

6. NRIs can use international numbers for UPI payments

• NPCI has allowed non-resident holders - NRE/ NRO accounts to get onboarded and transact through UPI.
• The UPI ecosystem members must comply with NPCI's directions by April 30, 2023.
• Allowed countries (10 countries): Singapore, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Oman, Qatar, USA, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom
• This is subject to the fact that the member banks must ensure that such accounts are only allowed as per extant FEMA regulations.

 Books & Authors

7. Alibaba sells Paytm stake worth $125 million via block deal

• Alibaba Group has sold a 3.1% stake in Paytm worth $125 million through a block deal.
• Alibaba retained a 6.26 % stake in Paytm as of end-September 2022.
• Paytm was listed in 2021 after a mega $2.5 billion initial public offer (IPO).
• Block deal: Single transaction between two institutional players of a minimum quantity of 5 lakh shares or at least Rs. 5 Crores in value.
• It happens at the start of trading hours for about 35 minutes through a separate trading window.

 Science & Technology

8. Garuda Aerospace launched surveillance drone named Droni

• Garuda Aerospace and Former cricketer, Mahendra Singh Dhoni have launched a surveillance drone named ‘Droni.’
• MS Dhoni is an investor-cum-ambassador of Garuda Aerospace.
• Droni is a battery-operated quadcopter surveillance drone.
• Garuda Aerospace recently became the first-ever drone company in India to get dual DGCA approvals for both drone manufacturing type certificate and RTPO.
• In 2022, he unveiled the camera drone called Droni at the Global Drone Expo in Chennai.

 State Affairs

9. Meghalaya CM launched agriculture response vehicle scheme

• Meghalaya CM, Conrad Sangma launched the shared school bus system, prime tourism vehicles, and agriculture response vehicle scheme.
• The buses are part of Sustainable Transport and Efficient Mobility Society (STEMS) programme.
• Agriculture Response Vehicles: Provided to farmers' associations and groups for a strong transportation network
• Prime tourist vehicles: Step to improve the overall tourism sector, and to provide good transportation services to tourists

 Arts & Culture

10. ASI unearths two 1200-year-old miniature stupas at Nalanda

• The Patna circle of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered two miniature votive stupas dating back 1200 years near the Sarai Tila mound within the grounds of "Nalanda Mahavihara".
• The stupas, carved from stone, depict Buddha figures.
• Nalanda Mahavihara is a world heritage site in Bihar's Nalanda district.
• This site comprises the archaeological remains of a monastic and scholastic institution dating from the 3rd century BCE to the 13th century CE.

 State Affairs

11. Odisha govt CAMPA steering committee approves ₹1,086 crore action plan

• Odisha government’s state-level steering committee for CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management & Planning Authority) has approved an annual plan of Rs 1,086 crore action plan for 2023-24 to reduce man-animal conflict.
• The plan was approved during a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary S. C. Mohapatra
• He has also raised the issue relating to wildlife management activities that are being extensively being carried out through CAMPA funds.

 National Affairs

12. Godavari estuary in Andhra Pradesh become prime habitat for Indian Skimmer

• The Godavari estuary in Andhra Pradesh has become a prime and safe habitat for the Indian skimmer (Rynchops albicollis).
• On January 10, as many as 250 Indian Skimmers were sighted in the southern part of the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary (Andhra Pradesh) in a day during the Asian Waterbird Census-2023.
• Indian Skimmer migrates to the Godavari estuary for feeding.
• It is found in the coastal estuaries of western and eastern India.
• IUCN status: Endangered

 National Affairs

13. FSSAI notifies comprehensive regulatory standards for Basmati Rice

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has notified comprehensive regulatory standards for Basmati Rice for the first time and will come into effect from 1 August 2023.
• Aim: To establish fair practices in the trade of Basmati rice and protect consumer interest.
• As per the standards, Basmati rice shall possess natural fragrance characteristics of basmati rice and be free from artificial colouring, polishing agents, and artificial fragrances.