Daily GK Update: 27th March 2023

 Sports

1. Mumbai Indians lift Women's Premier League trophy 2023 final

• Mumbai Indians have won the inaugural Women's Premier League final, held at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai from 4-26 March 2023.
• They defeated Delhi Capitals by 7 wickets.
• Mumbai Indians captain: Harmanpreet Kaur
• Awardees:
  • Most valuable player of the tournament: Hayley Matthews
  • Orange cap: Meg Lanning
  • Purple Cap: Hayley Matthews
  • Emerging Player of the season: Yastika Bhatia
  • Fairplay award: Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals
  • Catch of the season: Harmanpreet Kaur

 Science & Technology

2. ISRO successfully launches LVM 3 -M3 rocket with 36 satellites

• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched India's Launch Vehicle Mark (LVM) 3 -M3 satellite with 36 satellites of the One Web India-2 mission from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre Sriharikota.
• With this launch, OneWeb will have 616 of its satellites in orbit.
• The 43m-tall launch vehicle has successfully completed the three stages in the prescribed time limit including the involvement of the ignition of the cryogenic engine.

 Banking & Finance

3. MGNREGS wage rates revised by up to 10% for 2023-24

• The Centre has notified a hike in wage rates up to 10% under the rural job guarantee program, MGNREGS for 2023-24 with Haryana having the highest daily wage at ₹357 per day and Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh the lowest at ₹221.
• The wage hikes, which range from ₹7 to ₹26, will come into effect from April 1, 2023.
• It is a flagship program aimed at enhancing the livelihood security of households in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment.

 Important Dates

4. World Theatre Day 2023: 27th March

• The international theatre community and ITI centers celebrate World Theatre Day on March 27th every year to raise awareness about their importance in entertainment and the changes they bring to society.
• The theme for 2023 is "Theatre and a Culture of Peace."
• The International Theatre Institute founded World Theatre Day in 1961.
• ITI is a worldwide organization that promotes international exchange in theatre arts and promotes the values of UNESCO.

 Honours & Awards

5. Assam NGO wins Children’s Champion Award 2023

• An NGO from Assam’s Pathsala, Students’ Welfare Mission, which has been working for special and autistic children, was conferred with the Children’s Champion Award 2023.
• The Mission popularly known as Tapoban has been awarded in the health and nutrition category.
• The founder president of the Mission, Kumud Kalita, received the award that carries Rs 75,000, a certificate and a plaque.
• This award was instituted by the Delhi Commission for the Protection of Child Rights.

 Obituaries

6. Actor Innocent Vareed Thekkethala passes away

• Renowned Malayalam actor ‘Innocent’ Vareed Thekkethala passed away at 75.
• He joined the film industry in 1972 with the movie 'Nrityashala' starring Prem Nazir and Jayabharathi.
• He acted in over 700 films and was known for his comic roles.
• He was also a former Lok Sabha MP.
• He had won the 2014 Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate backed by the Left Democratic Front, from Chalakudy.
• He also acted in a few Hindi films, notably 'Malamaal Weekly'.

 Sports

7. Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain won gold at Women's Boxing Championships

• Indian Women Boxer, Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain have managed to win a gold medal at the Women's World Championships 2023.
• Nikhat Zareen won gold in the 50kg light flyweight division after defeating two-time Asian champion Nguyen Thi Tam of Vietnam by 5-0
• Lovlina Borgohain has secured her first gold at the competition after settling for bronze in the 2018 and 2019 editions.
• She defeated Australia's Caitlin Parker in the 75kg middle-weight category.

 Banking & Finance

8. ICICI Lombard becomes first to offer 'Anywhere Cashless' feature

• ICICI Lombard General Insurance launched the ‘Anywhere Cashless’ feature for health insurance policyholders to avail of cashless facilities at any hospital.
• The feature will be subject to the hospital’s acceptance of the cashless facility.
• Policyholders must inform the company 24 hours prior to the date of admission by giving basic information about the patient, policy details, hospital name, diagnosis, and treating doctor, among others.

 National Affairs

9. NIUA organized first Urban Climate Film Festival under U20 events

• The first Urban Climate Film Festival under U20 engagement events was organized by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) from 24-26 March 2023.
• A curated selection of 11 films from nine countries was showcased in the festival to create wider awareness of the impact of climate change on life in cities.
• The festival was organized with support from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the French Development Agency, and the European Union.

 National Affairs

10. Minister Bhupender Yadav launched Aravali Green Wall Project

• Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav launched the Aravalli Green Wall Project, a major initiative to green the 5 km buffer area around the Aravalli Hill Range in four states (Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Delhi).
• He also unveiled the National Action Plan to Combat Desertification and Land Degradation Through Forestry Interventions and a FAQ on Agro-forestry published by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education.