Daily GK Update: 29th April 2023

 Honours & Awards

1. Rajkummar Rao wins Best Male Actor award at 68th Filmfare Awards 2023

• Rajkummar Rao has been awarded the Best Male Actor award for his role in Badhaai Do at the 68th Hyundai Filmfare Awards on April 28, 2023.
• Alia Bhatt was awarded Best Actor (Female) for Gangubai Kathiawadi
• Other Winners:
  • Best Film: Gangubai Kathiawadi
  • Best Film (Critics'): Badhaai Do
  • Best Actor (Critics'): Sanjay Mishra (Vadh)
  • Best Actress (Critics'): Bhumi Pednekar (Badhaai Do) and Tabu (Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2)
  • Best Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Gangubai Kathiawadi)

 National & International Appointments

2. Govt appoints Debadatta Chand as Managing Director of Bank of Baroda

• The government has confirmed the appointment of Debadatta Chand as a Managing Director (MD) of the Bank of Baroda for three years.
• Currently, he is serving as Executive Director of the bank.
• He has succeeded Sanjiv Chadha, whose term was extended for five months till June 30 by the government.
• In January 2023, the Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) recommended Debadatta Chand as MD & CEO of the Bank of Baroda.
• Headquarters: Vadodara

 National Affairs

3. Imperial College London announces scholarships for Indian students

• Union MoS (IC) S&T, Dr Jitendra Singh visited the Imperial College London in the United Kingdom and interacted with the Indian students of the college.
• During his visit, the Imperial College London announced scholarships of £ 400,000 for Indian students studying in the college.
• Out of which 50% of the scholarship would be given to female students from India.
• Imperial College London is a public research university in London, England.

 Arts & Culture

4. Sinthan Snow Festival 2023 organized in J&K

• The Directorate of Tourism, Jammu and Kishtwar Tourism Development Authority (KTDA) is organizing a two-day Sinthan Snow Festival-2023 at Sinthan Maidan, Kishtwar, J&K from 29-30 April 2023.
• It is being organized in collaboration with the District Administration Kishtwar, the Jammu & Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture, and Languages (JKAACL), and the Army.
• This festival hosts a variety of activities like a Bike Rally, Paragliding, Snow Kayaking, and much more.

 National Affairs

5. Index of Eight Core Industries increases by 3.6 percent in March 2023

• The combined Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) has increased by 3.6% (provisional) in March 2023 as compared to the Index of March 2022.
• ICI measures the combined and individual performance of the production of eight core industries - Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel, Cement, and Electricity.
• The Eight Core Industries comprise 40.27% of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

 Important Dates

6. World Veterinary Day 2023: 29th April

• World Veterinary Day is celebrated on the last Saturday of April to mark the importance of veterinary doctors who serve to protect animals.
• In 2023, this day was observed on April 29.
• 2023 theme: Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness in the Veterinary Profession
• The World Veterinary Association (WVA) established World Veterinary Day in 2000 to recognize the role of veterinarians in safeguarding the health and well-being of animals, people, and the environment.

 Summits & Conferences

7. India Calling Conference 2023 organized by IMC in Mumbai

• The Indian Merchants Chamber has organized the 'India Calling Conference 2023' in Mumbai on April 29, 2023.
• The theme of the 2023 Conference is "Rising India- Inviting Partnership for Growth".
• The conference was attended by Union Minister for Commerce Piyush Goyal, Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, and MoS for Railways & Textiles Darshana Jardosh.
• Minister Piyush Goyal delivered the inaugural address at the 'India Calling Conference 2023'.

 Banking & Finance

8. Bank of India launched Shubh Arambh FD scheme for senior citizens

• Bank of India has launched the “Shubh Arambh Deposit" retail term deposit scheme for senior citizens.
• With this scheme, seniors, including super senior citizens can take benefit of an additional interest rate of 0.50% for senior citizens and 0.65% for super senior citizens.
• It provides super senior citizens seniors with 501-day fixed deposits at a high-interest rate of 7.80%.
• Other senior citizens between the ages of 60 and 80 can invest at a rate of 7.65%. 

 Books & Authors

9. PM Modi launched ‘Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamprashastih’ book

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the book ‘Saurashtra-Tamil Sangamprashastih’ by Shree Somnath Sanskrit University during the closing ceremony of ‘Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam’.
• PM Modi addressed the closing ceremony via video conferencing.
• The Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam takes forward this vision by celebrating the shared culture and heritage between Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
• The 10-day confluence saw more than 3000 Saurashtrian Tamils come to Somnath on a special train.

 Banking & Finance

10. ITC becomes India’s 6th valuable company

• FMCG giant ITC has overtaken the market capitalization of Infosys to become India’s sixth most valuable company on the stock exchanges.
• ITC’s market cap currently stands at ₹5.11 trillion (at the time of writing this report).
• This achievement comes after the share price of ITC rose 59% over the past year and 24% so far in 2023.
• Meanwhile, Infosys shares have fallen by 20% in 2023.
• Top 5: Reliance, TCS, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, HUL