Daily GK Update: 3rd May 2023

 National & International Appointments

1. Govt appoints Justice TS Sivagnanam as Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court

• The government of India has cleared the appointment of Justice T. S. Sivagnana (Senior Most judge of the Calcutta HC) as the Chief Justice of the High Court.
• Presently, he is serving as the Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court.
• On 25 October 2021, he took oath as a Judge of Calcutta High Court.
• He was appointed as an Additional Judge of Madras High Court and later he was appointed Permanent Judge on 29 March 2011.

 Sports

2. India surpasses Australia to become No.1 Test team in the ICC rankings

• Indian Men's team has surpassed Australia to become the number one Test team in the latest rankings released by ICC on May 2, 2023.
• Currently, India has topped the ranking with 121 points, while Australia ranked second with 116 points.
• Earlier this year, India posted a 2-1 series win against Australia to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the fourth consecutive time.
• England, South Africa, and New Zealand placed third, fourth, and fifth spots respectively.

 Banking & Finance

3. World Bank to provide 2.25 billion dollars to Bangladesh

• The World Bank will provide financial aid of 2.25 billion dollars to Bangladesh for five projects
  1. Accelerating transport and trade connectivity in Eastern South Asia worth $753.45 million
  2. USD 500 million for Resilient Infrastructure Building Project 
  3. USD 500 million First Bangladesh Green and Climate Resilient Development
  4. USD 250 million Sustainable Microenterprise and Resilient Transformation
  5. USD 250 million Bangladesh Environmental Sustainability and Transformation

 Agreement

4. Bharti Airtel to merge Sri Lanka operations with Dialog Axiata

• Sri Lanka’s mobile telecommunication firm, Dialog Axiata, and India’s Bharti Airtel have signed a binding term sheet for the merger of their Sri Lankan subsidiaries.
• With this merger, Bharti Airtel will get access to a large customer base in Sri Lanka.
• Bharti Airtel started its operations in 2009 in Sri Lanka and has a customer base of 1 million in the country.
• Dialog Axiata is a subsidiary of Malaysian Axiata.
• Dialog accounts for 57% of the mobile market in Sri Lanka.

 National Affairs

5. India's unemployment rate at a four-month high in April 2023

• According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), the unemployment rate of India has surged to a four-month high of 8.11% in April, compared to 7.14% in March 2023.
• The rise in the unemployment rate came on the back of higher labor participation, which has risen to 41.9% from 39.7% in March.
• Rural India: 20.3 million people entered the workforce and 95% of them got jobs
• Urban India: 5.2 million people entered the workforce, but only half of them got jobs

 Important Dates

6. World Press Freedom Day 2023: 3rd May

• World Press Freedom Day is observed annually on May 3 to raise awareness about the importance of freedom of the press.
• This year marks the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day.
• Theme 2023: Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of Expression as a Driver for all other human rights
• This day was first proclaimed by UNESCO in 1991 in response to the increasing number of attacks on journalists around the world.
• In 1993, UNGA declared May 3 as World Press Freedom Day.

 Banking & Finance

7. Airtel Payments Bank rolls out face authentication for AePS

• Airtel Payments Bank has collaborated with the National Payments Corporation of India to roll out Face Authentication for Aadhaar-enabled Payment System (AePS).
• AePS allows customers to carry out financial and non-financial transactions at any banking point using their Aadhaar number/ virtual ID to access their Aadhaar-linked bank account.
• This facility will enable customers to validate the transaction by undertaking face authentication along with the Aadhaar number.

 National & International Organizations

8. India slips in World Press Freedom Index, ranks 161 out of 180 countries

• According to the latest report released by global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, India’s ranking in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index has slipped to 161 out of 180 countries.
• In 2022, India was ranked at 150.
• Norway is ranked first for the seventh consecutive year, followed by  Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland
• Last three: North Korea (180th), China, and Vietnam
• It is based on five indicators-Political, Economic, Legal Framework, Sociocultural, and Safety

 State Affairs

9. Manipur CM launches facial recognition system for Inner Line Permits

• Manipur CM N Biren Singh launched the Facial Recognition System (FRS) for Inner Line Permit (ILP) system and flagged off two camera-mounted mobile FRS vehicles.
• It will help in the effective checking of ILP holders whose validity has expired and in better management of the system.
• The system has been implemented on a trial basis.
• In addition, two mobile vehicles will be stationed at different locations in Imphal East and West districts to identify ILP defaulters

 Agreement

10. IFSCA inks MoU with IHub-Data, IIIT Hyderabad

• International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) and IHub-Data, IIIT Hyderabad signed an MoU at the IIIT Hyderabad campus.
• Aim: For cooperation and understanding between IFSCA and IHub-Data to collaborate in supporting and facilitating FinTech and TechFin entities
• IFSCA is responsible for the development and regulation of international financial services.
• IFSCA aims to develop a strong global connection and focus on the needs of the Indian economy.

 Banking & Finance

11. Asia-Pacific to grow 4.6% in 2023: IMF

• According to the IMF report, the growth of the Asia-Pacific region is expected to increase to 4.6% in 2023 from 3.8% in 2022.
• The two largest emerging market economies (India & China) of the region are expected to contribute around half of global growth in 2023.
• 2023 will be challenging for the global economy, with global growth decelerating as the effects of monetary policy tightening and Russia's war in Ukraine continue to weigh on economic activity.

 Honours & Awards

12. British actress-author Meera Sayal receives BAFTA Fellowship

• UK-based Indian-origin actor-writer Meera Syal has been conferred a BAFTA Fellowship, the highest accolade bestowed by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).
• Recognition: For an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film/television
• She was honored with an MBE and then a CBE by the late Queen Elizabeth II for her contribution to drama and literature.
• She is best known for television shows such as 'Goodness Gracious Me' and 'The Kumars at No. 42'.

 National & International Organizations

13. Indian job market to witness 22% churn In 5 Years: WEF

• According to the WEF's latest Future of Jobs report, the Indian job market is estimated to witness 22% churn over the next five years, with top emerging roles coming from AI, machine learning, and data segments.
• Globally, the job market churn is estimated at 23%, with 69 million new jobs expected to be created and 83 million eliminated by 2027.
• Almost a quarter of jobs are expected to change in the next five years through a growth of 10.2% and a decline of 12.3%