Daily Current Affairs 07th February 2023

Current Affairs 07th February 2023 are incorporated with the important news that made the current affairs headlines for banking or other competitive exams. Daily Current Affairs is the complete bag of important news that is held all day long. One should have complete knowledge about banking terms, current affairs news, etc. So, here is the GK update for 07th February 2023 to help you prepare the Current affairs part. After reading this section, you can successfully attempt Current Affairs Quiz. 

Here is the Current Affairs 07th February 2023 covering the following news headlines: India Energy Week 2023, Surajkund Handicrafts Mela, Harvard Law Review, Economic Assistance Scheme, Bal Mitra.

Top 21 Daily Current Affairs: National & International News:

Here is providing below the top 21 important Daily General Knowledge 2022 updates with national & international news.

National News

1. PM Modi Inaugurated India Energy Week 2023 in Bengaluru

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the India Energy Week (IEW) 2023 event that aimed to showcase India’s rising prowess as an energy transition powerhouse. The IEW is being held in Bengaluru from 6^th to 8^th February 2023.
• Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, and CM Basavaraj Bommai also felicitated the event.
• PM Modi launched E20 fuel — a blend of 20 percent ethanol with petrol and dedicated Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd’s helicopter factory in Tumakuru to the nation.
• E20 fuel will be launched at 84 retail outlets of Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) in 11 States and UTs of India.

2. PM Modi Dedicates HAL Helicopter Factory to the Nation in Tumakuru

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the HAL Helicopter Factory to the nation in Tumakuru. He also laid the foundation stone of the Tumakuru Industrial Township and two Jal Jeevan Mission projects at Tiptur and Chikkanayakanahalli in Tumakuru.
• The Prime Minister took a walkthrough of the Helicopter Facility and Structure Hangar and unveiled the Light Utility Helicopter.
• The Prime Minister informed that Karnataka is a land of saints and sages that have always strengthened the Indian traditions of spirituality, knowledge, and scientific values. He also highlighted the special significance of Tumkuru and the contributions of Siddaganga Mutt. He informed me that the heritage of Anna, Akshara, and Ashray left behind by Pujya Shivkumar Swamy is being carried forward by Shri Siddalinga Swamy.

3. Vice-President Inaugurated 36th Surajkund Handicrafts Mela in Haryana

• Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated the 36th Surajkund International Crafts Mela at Faridabad, Haryana. On the inaugural occasion, he urged everyone to consider locally produced handicraft items when looking for gifts for their friends and relatives.
• The Vice President informed that the Surajkund Mela is an amazing display of the incredible diversity and heritage of India’s craftsmanship.
• The Vice President noted that Northeastern states are very important stakeholders in India’s look-east & act-east policy, which is turning out to be very impactful.
• Vice President Dhankhar also exhorted the youth to always keep ‘Bharat first’ and asked them to read and practice Fundamental Duties as enumerated in the constitution.
• The Surajkund International Crafts Mela 2023 inaugurated by the Vice President will be open from 3rd to 19th February 2023 at Surajkund, Haryana.

International News

3. India & EU to Create 3 Working Groups under Trade & Technology Council to boost ties

• India and the European Union (EU) announced the formation of three working groups under the ‘Trade and Technology Council’ that was set up to deepen strategic ties with the trade bloc.
• India and EU had in April last year agreed to establish a ‘Trade and Technology Council’, to tackle the challenges at the nexus of trade, trusted technology and security. Such a council is the first for India with any of its partners and second for the EU, following the first one it has set up with the United States (US). 
• On the EU side, the council will be co-chaired by Executive Vice-Presidents Margrethe Vestager and Valdis Dombrovskis. On the Indian side, it will be chaired by S Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology.

4. Indian-American Apsara Iyer elected as president of Harvard Law Review

• Indian-American student at Harvard Law School, Apsara Iyer has been elected president of the prestigious Harvard Law Review, becoming the first woman from the community to be named to the position in the prestigious publication’s 136-year history.
• She was elected the 137th president of the Harvard Law Review, which was founded in 1887 and is among the oldest student-run legal scholarship publications.
• Apsara Iyer’s distinguished predecessors in the role include Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and former president Barack Obama. She aims to include more editors in the process of reviewing and selecting articles and upholding the publication’s reputation for “high-quality” work.

5. India Provided 50 Buses to Sri Lanka Under Economic Assistance Scheme

• India delivered fifty buses to Sri Lanka at the Presidential Secretariat premises as Sri Lanka celebrated its 75^th Independence Day. High Commissioner of India Gopal Baglay handed over the buses to Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
• Ashok Leyland, the commercial vehicle maker Ashok Leyland had bagged the contract for supplying 500 buses to the Sri Lank Transport Board. The order is a part of a Line of Credit extended by the Export-Import Bank of India, under the Economic Assistance Scheme of the Indian government.
• In January, India gave 75 buses as part of its support to strengthen the transport of its southern neighbor which is going through its worst economic crisis since the 1948 independence from the British colony.
• Marking Sri Lanka’s 75th Independence anniversary, India has handed over another 50 buses to strengthen the rural transport services in Sri Lanka.

States News

5. Delhi child rights body unveils WhatsApp chatbot service ‘Bal Mitra’

• The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) unveiled “Bal Mitra,” a WhatsApp chatbot designed to improve communication between kids and parents in Delhi. “The chatbot ‘Bal Mitra’ will serve as a source of reliable information regarding children and their rights,” claims Manish Sisodia, the deputy chief minister of Delhi.
• The Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act of 2005 established DCPCR as a statutory body under the Delhi government.
• The chatbot’s features include tracking complaint progress, registering complaints, searching for admissions-related information, and more.
• The chatbot intends to protect the confidentiality of the issues reported through it and to deliver accurate information on a range of issues relating to children and their rights.
• The chatbot is an automated responding tool that will help with information distribution, make it easier for individuals to file complaints, and regular correspondence with complainants, among other things.

6. Kerala to Setup Green Hydrogen Hubs Over Next 2 Years 

• The Kerala government announced a scheme of Rs 200 crore for developing green hydrogen hubs at Trivandrum and Kochi. Kerala aims to become a 100 percent renewable energy-dependent state by 2040 and a net carbon-neutral state by 2050. The state has a favorable atmosphere for the production of green hydrogen.
• Green hydrogen which is produced using renewable energy will play an important role in eco-friendly development as hydrogen fuel can be used in long-haul vehicles and ships to reduce carbon emissions to great extent.
• An amount of Rs 10 crore is earmarked for an industrial park manufacturing EV batteries and allied equipment.
• An electric vehicle (EV) industrial park will be developed with the support of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).

Agreements News

6. International Seabed Authority with Headquarters in Jamaica has officially designated India as a “Pioneer Investor”

• Union Ministry of Science & Technology; Earth Sciences, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the world today recognises India’s Blue Economy resources and the International Seabed Authority with headquarters in Jamaica has officially designated India as a “Pioneer Investor“.
• The Union Ministry of Science & Technology said, the Blue Economy has been given high priority and the same is now being recognised globally. PM Modi referred to India’s Deep Sea Mission in his Independence Day address for two consecutive years in 2021 and 2022.
• International Seabed Authority (ISA) and Ministry of Earth Sciences also exchanged PMN (Polymetallic Nodules) exploration extension contract. This contract was initially signed on 25th March 2002 for a period of 15 years, which later was extended by the authority twice for 5 years period, during 2017 and 2022.

Economy News

7. India’s Unemployment Rate declined to four-month low at 7.14% in January

• India’s unemployment rate fell to 7.14% in January, the lowest in four months, from 8.30% in the previous month, data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) showed.
• The urban unemployment rate declined to 8.55% in January from 10.09% in the previous month, while the rural unemployment rate slipped to 6.48% from 7.44%, the data showed.

Awards News

8. BBC ISWOTY Award: Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik nominated

• Five athletes were nominated for the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year award, including wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, who recently protested WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and accused him of sexual abuse and intimidation.
• Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu, who won silver at the Tokyo Olympics, as well as renowned shuttler PV Sindhu and boxer Nikhat Zareen also made the cut.
• A public poll that started on Monday and will last until midnight on February 20 will determine the winner. The winner will be declared on March 5.

9. VP Nandakumar, Manappuram Finance gets Hurun India award

• Managing Director & CEO, Manappuram Finance Ltd, VP Nandakumar has bagged the Hurun India’s award for his remarkable achievements in the world of business. He received The Hurun Industry Achievement Award 2022 from top Hurun India officials at a function held in Mumbai.
• V.K. Mathews, founder and executive chairman, IBS Software, has been conferred the Hurun Industry Achievement Award 2022. The award was presented to Mr. Mathews at a function held in Mumbai. Mr Mathews was nominated for the award on the basis of the research made by the Hurun global team.

Ranks and Reports News

10. UN report: Record-breaking 2022 for North Korea crypto theft

• According to a current United Nations report, North Korea stole more bitcoin assets in 2022 than any other year and targeted the networks of multinational aerospace and defence industries.
• Independent sanctions monitors reported to a U.N. Security Council committee that (North Korea) used increasingly sophisticated cyber techniques to access digital networks used in cyber finance and to steal information with potential value, including to its weapons programmes.
• North Korea has been charged by the monitors of employing cyberattacks to support the funding of its nuclear and missile programmes.
• The monitors’ report, which was delivered to the North Korea sanctions committee of the 15-member council, stated that “a bigger worth of cryptocurrency assets was taken by DPRK actors in 2022 than in any prior year.”
• Prior to this, North Korea has refuted claims of hacking or other cyberattacks.

Business News

11. Reliance unveiled India’s 1st hydrogen-powered tech for heavy-duty trucks

• Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and Ashok Leyland unveiled India’s first Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine (H2-ICE) technology solution for heavy duty trucks. This technology was flagged off by PM Modi at the India Energy Week in Bengaluru.
• The Hydrogen tech solution will emit near zero emissions, deliver performance on par with conventional diesel trucks and reduce noise and with projected reductions in operating costs thus redefining the future of green mobility.
• RIL and Ashok Leyland, along with and other technical partners were engaged in developing this technology since the last year with first engines running in early 2022. The company is also simultaneously pursuing the opportunity to create an end-to-end Hydrogen eco system for mobility.

12. Google introduces AI chatbot ‘Bard’ to compete with Microsoft’s ChatGPT

• Google has unveiled an experimental conversation AI service called “Bard”, as it races to catch up with the wildly popular chatbot ChatGPT from the Microsoft-backed firm OpenAI.
• According to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, the service will be initially opened up to “trusted testers” before making it more widely available to the public in the coming weeks.
• This announcement comes as the tech giant’s flagship search business faces renewed competition from its Big Tech peer Microsoft which recently made a reported $10 billion investment in the upstart artificial intelligence (AI) research lab OpenAI and plans to add artificial intelligence capabilities across its range of software products including Google rival Bing.

13. Nasa’s all-electric X-57 plane is preparing to fly

• NASA’s “all-electric” plane X-57 is soon set to take off, the US space agency. The plane has 14 propellers along its wings and is powered entirely by electricity. Recently, NASA’s X-57 Maxwell performed successful thermal testing of its cruise motor controllers.
• Thermal testing is important because it validates the design, operability, and workmanship quality of aircraft controllers. The controllers have temperature-sensitive parts and must be able to withstand extreme conditions during flight.

Important takeaways for all competitive exams:

Schemes News

14. Government Extends PM-KUSUM Scheme till March 2026

• The government has extended PM-KUSUM scheme till March 2026 as its implementation was significantly affected due to the pandemic. Launched in 2019, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) aimed at adding solar capacity of 30,800 MW by 2022 with total central financial support of Rs 34,422 crore, including service charges to the implementing agencies.
• Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has launched the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evem Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) Scheme for farmers for installation of solar pumps and grid connected solar and other renewablepower plants in the country.
• The scheme aims to add solar and other renewable capacity of 30,800 MW by 2022 with total central financial support of Rs. 34,422 Croreincluding service charges to the implementing agencies.

15. Bhupender Yadav Launched ‘Save Wetlands Campaign’ For Wetland Conservation

• Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav launched the ‘Save Wetlands Campaign’ in the presence of the Chief Minister of Goa. This campaign is structured on a “whole of society” approach to wetlands conservation, enabling affirmative actions for wetlands conservation at all levels of society and involving all strata of society.
• This campaign over the next year will include sensitizing people to the value of wetlands, increasing the coverage of wetland mitras, and building citizen partnerships for wetlands conservation.
• Two publications were also released during the occasion, ‘India’s 75 Amrit Dharohar- India’s Ramsar Sites Factbook’ and ‘Managing Climate Risks in Wetlands – A Practitioner’s Guide.

Sports News

15. Australia’s, Aaron Finch retires from International cricket

• Australia’s longest-serving captain in the shortest format of the game, veteran batter Aaron Finch called time on his international career. Finch, who retired as the One Day International (ODI) captain of the Australian team last year, has confirmed his retirement from T20Is. Finch guided Australia to its maiden ICC World T20 title in 2021.
• Australia’s most successful captain in the history of T20I cricket, Finch will continue to play for Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League (BBL). Finch’s position in the Australian squad came under the scanner after the Men from Down failed to defend its T20 World Cup crown at home in 2022. Hosts Australia failed to make the knockout stage of the T20 World Cup last year.

16. Raphael Varane announced his retirement from international football

• France defender Raphael Varane is retiring from international football, ending a 10-year career with Les Bleus in which he won the World Cup in 2018 and was a runner-up four years later.
• The 29-year-old, who has 93 caps after making his debut in 2013, also helped Didier Deschamps’s side win the UEFA Nations League in the 2020-21 season.
• Varane made his international debut against Georgia in March 2013 and was a regular for Les Bleus all the way through to their 4-2 victory over Croatia in the 2022 World Cup final. He has been a reliable option for Didier Deschamps over recent years, but is ready to focus solely on events at Manchester United.

Summits and Conferences News

17. First Youth20 Inception Meeting 2023 Begins in Guwahati

• The first Youth20 (Y20) Inception Meeting 2023 under G20 began in Guwahati. Briefing the media ahead of the meeting  Meeta Rajivlochan, Secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs informed that Youth20 deliberations hope to reach out to youth and consult with them for their ideas for a better future.
• Meeta Rajivlochan highlighted the Five themes of Y20 that is to be discussed in the three-day event, which are, Future of Work, Industry 4.0, Innovation and 21st century; Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction: Making Sustainability as a Way of Life; Peace Building and Reconciliation: Ushering in an Era of No War; Shared Future: Youth in Democracy and Governance; Health, Wellbeing & Sports: Agenda for Youth.

Books and Authors News

18. A new book titled ‘The Best of Satyajit Ray’ offers a glimpse to Satyajit Ray’s

• A two-volume box set, ‘The Best of Satyajit Ray’ published by Penguin Random House India, is not only a treat for Ray enthusiasts but also a collector’s edition. A new anthology offers a glimpse into the fiction and non-fiction writings of the legendary filmmaker and polymath Satyajit Ray.
• The book set picks from the ever-popular adventures of Ray’s enduring creation, the professional sleuth, Feluda, to the chronicles of Professor Shonku, his short stories as well as writings on filmmaking, and his thoughts on world and Indian cinema.

Miscellaneous News

19. MeitY ban loan apps including non-Chinese apps like PayU’s LazyPay, Kissht

• The Indian government issued urgent and emergency orders to restrict 138 betting and gambling applications and 94 loan-providing apps. Players including PayU’s LazyPay, Kissht, and numerous more loan apps were impacted by the prohibition.
• A number of well-known fintechs may have their operations suspended as a result of the Ministry of Electronics and Information and Technology (MeitY) including them on a list of digital lenders whose websites and applications are to be blocked in India.
• PayU’s LazyPay and Kissht, which is backed by Vertex Growth and Brunei Investment, are among the lenders that are impacted by this most recent government directive concerning digital lending apps in India.
• Recently, MeitY blacklisted 94 loan applications and 138 betting apps that had ties to China and were suspected of participating in money laundering. It is still unknown whether online lenders like Kissht and LazyPay are included on the same list.

Important Current Affairs of 07th  February 2023