Daily GK Update: 19th April 2023

 National & International Appointments

1. Vice Admiral Swaminathan becomes Controller of Personnel Services in Navy

• Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan assumed charge as Controller of Personnel Services on April 17, 2023.
• He was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987, and is a specialist in Communication and Electronic Warfare.
• Earlier, he served as the Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Command, Flag Officer Defence Advisory Group, and Flag Officer Sea Training.
• He was the second Commanding Officer of the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.

 National & International Appointments

2. New York Senate appoints Rowan Wilson as state's first Black chief judge

• The New York Senate has confirmed Judge Rowan Wilson (62) as the new chief judge of the Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court.
• He is also New York’s first Black chief judge.
• He was appointed by the 57th governor of New York, Kathy Hochul.
• Since 2017, he has been an associate judge of the Court of Appeals, New York's highest court.
• He studied at Harvard College, and graduated from Harvard Law School in 1984.

 National Affairs

3. Ganga mission clears projects worth ₹638 crore

• Eight projects worth ₹638 crore (approx) were approved in the 48th meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG).
• Chaired by: Director General, G Asok Kumar
• In an initiative to clean River Hindon, four projects worth Rs 407.39 crore were approved for pollution abatement in the Shamli district.
• As part of preparations for the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj in 2025, one project for the development of seven ghats was approved.

 International Affairs

4. India violated global trading rules in IT tariff dispute: WTO

• A World Trade Organisation (WTO) panel has ruled that India has violated global trading rules in a dispute against the European Union, Japan, and Taiwan.
• The case pertains to import duties for a wide range of products.
• In 2019, the EU, Japan, and Taiwan challenged the import duties on certain IT products.
• The EU had challenged India’s introduction of import duties between 7.5% and 20% for products such as mobile phones, mobile phone components, and accessories.

 Important Dates

5. World Liver Day 2023: 19 April

• World Liver Day is observed annually on April 19 to raise awareness about liver-related diseases.
• Theme 2023: Be vigilant, do a regular liver check-up, fatty liver can affect anyone
• This day educates the public on lifestyle modifications that can help prevent liver diseases, such as maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and getting vaccinated against hepatitis.
• As per the WHO, liver ailments amount to the 10th most common reason for death in India.

 Schemes

6. Govt launches 'Sangathan se Samriddhi' scheme

• Union Minister of Rural Development, Giriraj Singh has launched the ‘Sangathan Se Samriddhi’ campaign to empower marginalized rural households by bringing all eligible rural women into the fold of Self Help Groups (SHGs).
• The govt is targeting to bring 10 crore women under the purview of SHGs (existing nine crores).
• The govt has also set a target that every woman associated with SHGs should be able to earn 1 lakh rupees per annum.
• He also urged women to produce millet.

 International Affairs

7. India contributes $500,000 to UN entity for women empowerment

• Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj has handed over the cheque of USD 500,000 (Rs 4.09 crore) to the UN Women - United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
• The cheque was received by Sima Sami Bahous, Under Secretary General and Executive Director of UN Women.
• The Indian government is committed to the goals of gender equality, the empowerment of women, and gender mainstreaming.

 Banking & Finance

8. AU Small Finance Bank launches bill payments via video banking

• AU Small Finance Bank has become the country's first commercial bank to connect with the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) and deliver bill payment services via video banking.
• Aim: To increase digital accessibility and economic capabilities, which will lead to greater financial inclusion
• Customers can use this platform to pay their bills without having to go to a branch, which is especially useful for senior persons and others with mobility challenges.

 Honours & Awards

9. Karnataka Bags National Award For Fasal Bima Yojana

• Karnataka has bagged the national award for the best implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in the country.
• The state has recorded a 47.74% increase in the enrolment of farmers under the scheme, between the Kharif season 2021 and 2022.
• While the area covered under the scheme increased by 41.80%.
• The common service centers have also seen an enrolment of 4.66 lakh non-loanee farmers over the last six years.

 Honours & Awards

10. Utsa Patnaik selected for Malcolm Adiseshiah Award 2023

• A renowned economist of national and international repute, Utsa Patnaik has been selected for the Malcolm Adiseshiah Award 2023.
• It is granted for outstanding contributions to Development Studies.
• The award consists of a citation and a cash prize of Rs. 2 lakh.
• The award is given every year by the Malcolm & Elizabeth Adiseshiah Trust.
• It is annually given to an outstanding social scientist selected from nominations received by a specially constituted national jury.

 State Affairs

11. Kerala adopts Water Budget to tackle summer water shortage

• Kerala has become the first state to adopt a water budget in a bid to come up with a solution to water scarcity in certain regions.
• The first phase would cover 94-gram panchayats and 15-block panchayats.
• CM Pinarayi Vijayan released Public Water Budget.
• The third phase of the Ini Njan Ozhukatte (Let me flow now) project for the rehabilitation of irrigation networks in the Western Ghats was also launched.
• The idea of a water budget was first mooted by the state in 2019.

 State Affairs

12. Country’s first Mangrove Pitta Bird census undertaken in Bhitarkanika

• The first-ever census of Mangrove Pitta Bird was conducted by the Odisha forest officials in the Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary.
• In the first census, 179 mangrove pitta birds were sighted.
• The habitats of these beautiful birds are confined to mangrove forest areas in Odisha’s Bhitarkanika and Sundarban in West Bengal.
• Mangrove pitta is a colorful bird that has a black head with a brown crown.
• It feeds on crustaceans, mollusks, and insects.

 Books & Authors

13. Satinder Kumar Lambah's book 'In Pursuit of Peace' launched

• The memoir of the late Satinder Kumar Lambah, ‘In Pursuit of Peace: India-Pakistan Relations Under Six Prime Ministers’ was launched by Nina Lambah.
• It was forwarded by former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh.
• Satinder Kumar Lambah had served two tenures in Pakistan as Deputy Chief of Mission and High Commissioner and was Chairman of the National Security Advisory Board.
• He also served as a Special Representative for Afghanistan under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.