Daily GK Update: 28th February 2023

 Honours & Awards

1. Lionel Messi wins Best Men's Player 2022 at the FIFA awards

• Lionel Messi (35) won FIFA's best men's player of the year for 2022 after winning his maiden World Cup title with Argentina in December 2022 in Qatar.
• While Alexia Putellas (Spain) was awarded the best women's player for a second straight year.
• Other awardees:
  • Best fans award: Argentina
  • Fairplay award:  Luka Lochoshvili (Georgia)
  • Best men's coach: Lionel Scaloni (Argentina)
  • Best women's coach: Sarina Wiegman
  • Best goal (Puskas award): Marcin Oleksy

 National & International Appointments

2. Shailesh Pathak appointed FICCI secretary general

• The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has confirmed the appointment of former bureaucrat Shailesh Pathak as its secretary general, with effect from 1 March 2023.
• FICCI also announced that director general, Arun Chawla will be superannuated on June 30, 2023, and transition to an advisory role.
• He has worked with the government as an IAS officer as well as helmed large companies in the private sector.
• FICCI President: Shubhrakant panda

 International Affairs

3. PM of Italy Giorgia Meloni on 2 day visit to India

• Italy PM, Giorgia Meloni will be on a two-day visit to India on 2nd March 2023 with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and a high-powered business delegation.
• The Italian Prime Minister will be the Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker at the 8th Raisina Dialogue, 2023.
• Indian PM Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart will hold discussions on bilateral, regional, and global issues.
• Both countries are celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations.

 Important Dates

4. National Science Day 2023: 28th February

• India observed National Science Day on February 28 to honor the Indian scientist and physician, Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman as C.V. Raman for discovering the Raman Effect.
• Sir C V Raman received the Nobel Prize in 1930 for his discovery.
• Theme 2023: Global Science for Global Wellness
• Theme highlights: India’s emerging role on the global stage and its increasing visibility in the international community
• This day was first celebrated in India in 1986.

 National Affairs

5. Govt plans 10 'Clean Plant Centres' to boost fruit crop production

• The government is planning to set up 10 ‘Clean Plant Centres’ to boost the domestic production of the selected crops.
• These centres were already established in developed countries such as the US, Netherlands, and Israel.
• They will be set up under the ‘Atmanirbhar Clean Plant Program’.
• It was announced by FM Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget 2023-24.
• These centres will be established for fruit crops with a budget of Rs 2,200 crore in the next seven years till 2030.

 State Affairs

6. Karnataka's Byndoor to get country's first marina

• Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai has confirmed, that state will get India's first Marina which will be constructed at Byndoor in the Udupi district.
• Aim: To promote coastal tourism in the state
• The state government has received permission from the Government of India for the relaxation of Coastal Regulation Zone rules.
• The government also proposed to build a corridor of ancient temples like Madhukeshwara (Banavasi) and Dattatreya (Ganagapura) and promote Yatra tourism.

 National & International Appointments

7. Ranveer Singh appointed as the brand ambassador of Pepsi co

• Beverage maker PepsiCo has appointed actor Ranveer Singh as its brand ambassador and also unveiled a new campaign targeting younger consumers.
• He joined Pepsi's growing league of celebrity endorsers.
• The brand roped in actor Salman Khan in 2019.
• More recently, it also announced KGF actor, Yash as the brand’s new face.
• “Rise up Baby" is a youth movement that brings alive in different flavors.

 Science & Technology

8. Radio telescope 'ALMA' is set to get software and hardware upgrades

• Radio telescope, the Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA) is set to get software and hardware upgrades.
• Reason: To collect more data and produce sharper images than ever before
• ALMA is a radio telescope comprising 66 antennas located in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.
• The upgradation would take around five years to finish.
• It is operated under a partnership between the US, and 16 countries in Europe, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Chile.

 Science & Technology

9. Meta launches LLaMA model, a mightier research tool than OpenAI's GPT-3

• After OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google BARD, now Meta Platforms, Inc. has introduced a new research tool that will soon aid in building AI-based chatbots.
• The company has publicly released its Large Language Model Meta AI (LLaMA).
• LLaMA is a state-of-the-art foundational language model.
• It is developed to assist researchers in their work in the subfield of AI.
• This would be Meta’s third LLM after Glactica and Blender Bot 3 that were shut down immediately after incorrect results.

 National Affairs

10. IOC plans to set up green hydrogen plants

• Indian Oil Corporation Chairman, Shrikant Madhav Vaidya has revealed that the company is planning to set up green hydrogen plants at all its refineries by 2047.
• It is part of a Rs 2-lakh crore green transition plan to achieve net-zero emissions.
• It is also planning to set up a 7,000 tonnes p.a. green hydrogen-producing facility.
• IOC is restructuring its business with a greater emphasis on petrochemicals to hedge volatility in the fuel business.

 State Affairs

11. UP Govt signs Rs 5,000 crore MoA with Tata Technologies to upgrade 150 ITIs

• UP government has signed a Memorandum of Association (MoA) of over Rs 5,000 crore with Tata Technologies to upgrade 150 ITIs in the state.
• Aim: To help the youth upgrade their skills and make them fit for the modern-day industry
• This MoA will also help in the skill development of the youth of the state and will be helpful in taking forward the programs of Tata Technologies.
• The trained youth will be able to get jobs in prestigious institutions of Tata and abroad.

 State Affairs

12. MP Cabinet approves Ladli Behna Yojana

• Madhya Pradesh cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has approved the Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana to empower women at every level.
• Under this scheme, Rs 1000 (month) will be deposited in the account of women, irrespective of their class or caste, whose age is above 23 years.
• The Yojana will be launched on March 5, 2023.
• The applications are very simple, the team will visit to fill out the application in their village itself.

 Important Dates

13. 4th National Protein Day: 27 February

• The 4th National Protein Day is observed across the nation on 27th February as an annual awareness day to highlight the importance of adequate protein consumption.
• Theme 2023: Easy Access to Protein for All
• It was first observed on 27th February 2020.
• This day was initiated by the Right To Protein (RTP) with a focus on raising awareness of adequate protein consumption for better health and nutrition.
• Protein is a macronutrient essential to building muscle mass.