National Affairs
1. India slips to 42nd rank in US Intellectual Property Rights Index
- India has slipped to the 42nd position in the International Intellectual Property Rights Index 2023 out of 55 countries for 2022.
- India was ranked 40th in the index in 2021.
- It was launched by the US Chamber of Commerce's Global Innovation Policy Centre and is monitored by the Indian government.
- It evaluates the protection of IP rights in 55 of the world's leading economies, together representing approximately 90% of global GDP.
- Top performer: United States.
Defense
2. INS Sindhukesari becomes the first Indian submarine to dock in Indonesia
- INS Sindhukesari has become the first Indian submarine to dock in Indonesia and is a 3,000-tonne Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine.
- The submarine made its way to the Indonesian capital of Jakarta to dock after traversing through the nearby Sunda Strait and was part of INS Sindhukesari's first operational turnaround.
- It was designed as part of Project 877 and built under a contract between Rosvooruzhenie, Russia, and Ministry of Defence, India.
Summits & Conferences
3. Union Minister inaugurates International Biotech Conclave in Northeast
- Union Minister, Jitendra Singh has inaugurated International Conference on Biotechnology for the first time since Independence in North East Region, along with the 22nd Congress of the International Society for Ethno-pharmacology and the 10th Congress of Society for Ethno-pharmacology (ISE SFEC-2023).
- It will be held from February 24-26, 2023 at the City Convention Centre, Imphal, Manipur.
- Theme: Reimagine Ethnopharmacology: Globalization of Traditional Medicine.
National Affairs
4. World’s longest river cruise ‘MV Ganga Vilas’ to culminate its journey
- World’s longest river cruise ‘MV Ganga Vilas’ will culminate its journey on 28th February in Dibrugarh which started its journey on 13th January 2023
- It will cover a distance of 3,200 km in over 50 days before reaching Dibrugarh on the 28th February via Patna Sahib, Bodh Gaya, Vikramshila, Dhaka, the Suderbans and the Kaziranga national park.
- It is built with a unique design and a futuristic vision, three decks and 18 suites on board with a capacity of 36 tourists.
Agreement
5. DST has signed LoI with Fraunhofer ISE on hydrogen & clean energy
- Department of Science and Technology (DST) has signed Letter of Intent (LoI) with Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) for a long-term collaboration focusing on hydrogen technologies.
- It will trigger development of higher Technology Readiness Level (TRL) for hydrogen energy clusters being set up by DST and identify existing technologies and potential interventions from Fraunhofer in green hydrogen, integrate them with indigenous technologies.
Summits & Conferences
6. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh inaugurates the New Delhi World Book Fair 2023
- Union Minister, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh has inaugurated New Delhi World Book Fair 2023, which is being held from 25 February to 5th March 2023 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi
- It was organized by National Book Trust, India, in collaboration with ITPO (India Trade Promotion Organization).
- It will also have an NEP pavilion to mark the successful introduction of the National Education Policy 2020 and will have hundreds of authors, publishers from across the world.
Arts & Culture
7. Three-day Ellora Ajanta International Festival 2023 begins today
- Three-day Ellora Ajanta International Festival 2023 has begun from today (25th February) in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
- This festival is a celebration of the cultural heritage and diversity of the region and promises to be a feast for the senses.
- It will feature a range of events, including live music performances, dance shows, art exhibitions, and food festivals.
- Ajanta and Ellora are two monumental rock-cut caves that define Indian art and architectural accomplishment.
Honours & Awards
8. J&K wins best adventure tourism destination award
- Jammu & Kashmir Tourism has been chosen by India Today Tourism Survey for best adventure tourism award in recognition of its efforts in promoting 'Gulmarg' as an adventure destination of international order.
- India Today award comes just within a month of South Asian Travel Trade Expo(SATTE) in which the J&K Tourism Department was awarded for its efforts in post COVID-19 recovery of the tourism sector.
National & International Appointments
9. B.V.R. Subrahmanyam joins as new Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog
- V.R. Subrahmanyam (IAS officer of 1987) has joined as Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog
- Prior to this, he has held important assignments over the last three decades in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Jammu and Kashmir, along with a stint at The World Bank
- He also holds the position of Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Chief Secretary of J & K, Principal Secretary in Govt of Chhattisgarh, and has held positions in the Prime Minister’s Office.
National & International Appointments
10. Lt Gen RS Reen took over as Director General Quality Assurance
- Lt Gen RS Reen (1986-batch officer) took over as the Director General Quality Assurance (DGQA) on 24th February, 2023, which is an Inter-Service Organization functioning under the Department of Defence Production in Ministry of Defence.
- He is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt from Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata and has headed a Senior Quality Assurance, Brig at Headquarters of DGQA and was Controller (Missile System) in Secunderabad.
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