Daily GK Update: 17th April 2023

Honours & Awards

Nandini Gupta (19) of Rajasthan has been crowned the 59th edition of the beauty pageant, Femina Miss India World 2023.
Meanwhile, Shreya Poonja from Delhi and Thounaojam Strela Luwang from Manipur were announced as the first runner-up and second runner-up, respectively.
She hails from Kota, Rajasthan, and holds a Business Management degree.
Femina Miss India 2023 was held at Indoor Stadium, Khuman Lampak, Imphal, Manipur.

National Affairs

According to the provisional data, released by the commerce ministry, the bilateral trade between India and the US increased by 7.65% to USD 128.55 in 2022-23 as against USD 119.5 billion in 2021-22.
The US has emerged as India's biggest trading partner in 2022-23.
During 2022-23, India's two-way commerce with China declined by about 1.5% to USD 113.83 billion.
In 2022-23, the UAE (USD 76.16 billion) was the third largest trading partner, followed by Saudi Arabia.

National Affairs

According to the government data, India's annual Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-based inflation has declined to a 29-month low of 1.34% in March 2023, as input prices continued to moderate.
This is the 10th straight month of decline in WPI-based inflation.
The WPI inflation data was 3.85% in February, 4.73% in January 2023, and 14.63% in March 2022.
While the food index inflation eased to 2.32% in March 2023 from 2.76% in February 2023.

International Affairs

Syria has become the world's foremost narco-state, as its economic survival now depends heavily on the production and export of Captagon.
Captagon is a banned illicit drug recognized by the UNODC (2021) and is a synthetic stimulant that combines amphetamine and caffeine.
According to the Collins Dictionary, "narco-state" refers to a nation where a significant portion of the economy is reliant on the illicit trade of narcotic drugs.

Banking & Finance

Russia’s Gazprombank has expanded its ties with banks in India to expedite trade between the two countries in national currencies, as Russia this year has become the biggest supplier of oil to India.
It is the third-largest lender of Russia by assets and a key conduit of the Russian energy trade.
In 2022, India implemented a broader framework to facilitate overseas trade in rupees, and since then many Russian institutions have opened vostro accounts with Indian banks.

Important Dates

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj is celebrating the National Panchayat Awards Week from 17th – 21st April 2023 as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav 2.0.
The ministry has conceptualized a series of Thematic Conferences for the National Panchayat Awards Week on the theme “Panchayaton ke Sankalpon ki Siddhi ka Utsav”.
Union Minister of Panchayati Raj, Giriraj Singh has released a booklet on ‘Best Practices on Works of Awardee Panchayats’.

Science & Technology

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Industry Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA-CoE) has been inaugurated at the Indian Institute of Technology -Hyderabad.
DRDO Chairman Dr Samir V Kamat inaugurated the facility at the campus of the IIT-Hyderabad at Sangareddy in Telangana.
The government is taking up futuristic projects towards long-term directed research needed for DRDO.
The DIA CoE IITH is the largest centre among all 15 CoEs in the country.

Important Dates

World Hemophilia Day is celebrated every year on April 17th to honor the birth anniversary of Frank Schnabel, who established the World Federation of Hemophilia.
Aim: To raise awareness and provide information about hemophilia and other bleeding disorders
It is a rare medical condition where the blood fails to clot correctly due to the lack of specific clotting factors.
Theme 2023: Access for All: Prevention of Bleeds as the Global Standard of Care

Summits & Conferences

A three-day Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) under India's G20 presidency has been started on April 17, 2023, in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
They will discuss sustainable agriculture and food systems for healthy people and the planet, Agriculture research and development, including food security and nutrition, public-private partnership etc.
The 'Millets And Other Ancient GRains International ReSearcH Initiative (MAHARISHI)' is also proposed.

Summits & Conferences

Confederate of Indian Industry (CII) has co-organized a Digital Health Summit 2023 with the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare on April 16, 2023.
The theme of the event was ‘Building One Health Together – Improving Health Equity’.
Objective: To bring together the policy makers, industry leaders, and global healthcare experts and thought leaders to deliberate upon key issues confronting the digital health space