Launch of Sagar Setu Mobile App of National Logistics Portal Marine

• Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, launched the App Version of National Logistics Portal (Marine) ‘Sagar-Setu’. This app of National Logistics Portal (Marine) would help custodians in easier access to functionalities on a handheld device.
• The app's deliverables include features such as Login Module, Service Catalogue, Common Application Format, Letter of Credit, Bank Guarantee, Certification, and Track & Trace, among others.
• It will provide real-time information on activities that are normally unavailable to importers, exporters, and customs brokers, such as vessel-related information, gate, container freight stations, and transactions.
• It also enables digital transactions for payments required for the clearance process of import and export like container freight station charges, shipping line charges, transportation charges, etc.

International Day of Sports for Development and Peace

• The International Day of Sport for Development and Peace commemorates the first modern Olympic Games, which took place in 1896. In 2013, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly declared April 6 as International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.
• The day marks a special occasion for the sport to be celebrated as a tool to bring social change and foster peace and understanding.

Theme 2023

• According to UN, the global theme for the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace 2023 is 'Scoring for People and the Planet'.

50 Years of Bandipur Project Tiger Reserve

• Bandipur National Park, which is situated in Karnataka in India, celebrated its 50th anniversary as a Project Tiger Reserve recently.

Bandipur Tiger Reserve

• It was launched by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1973 with the objective of arresting the decline in the tiger population.
• It is an important part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, the country's first biosphere reserve, and is regarded as one of the best tiger habitats in the world.
• It was one of the first nine sanctuaries to be brought under the flagship program of Project Tiger in 1973.

Project Tiger Reserve

• Project Tiger was launched in 1973 with 9 tiger reserves for conserving our national animal, the tiger. Currently, the Project Tiger coverage has increased to 50, spread out in 18 tiger range states.
• It is an ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change providing central assistance to the tiger States for tiger conservation in designated tiger reserves.

‘digiPortfolio’ launched by DBS Bank India

• On its digibank platform, DBS Bank India has announced an innovative investment solution called "digiPortfolio."
• digiPortfolio matches the risk preferences of various investors by combining technology and human expertise to create a collection of investment options curated by Morningstar.
• DBS Bank aims to redefine the customer experience and make it more seamless by using data, AI, and advanced technologies. The offering includes different types of investment options, such as domestic equity, debt, and money market instruments, to ensure there are diverse portfolios to cater to different risk profiles of investors.

Managing Director & Head of DBS Bank India- Prashant Joshi

Director - Portfolio Specialist, Morningstar- Dhaval Kapadia

IIT Kanpur to Host Youth20 Consultation

• From April 5 to April 6, 2023, the Youth20 Consultation under India's G20 presidency will be held at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. The Y20 Consultation at IIT Kanpur will be attended by over 1200 youth delegates from India and abroad.
• The Y20 Consultation, under the aegis of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, is a pan-India activity in the run up to the final Youth-20 Summit to be held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The deliberations from these consultations will help in shaping future policies.

Theme 2023

• Five core themes are identified for the Y20 Summit 2023, out of which, IIT Kanpur will cater to two – “Future of Work: Industry 4.0, Innovation, & 21^st Century Skills”; and “Health, Well-being & Sports: Agenda for Youth”, during the Y20 Consultation.

By 2026, India Might Attain the Position of the World's Second-Largest Solar Manufacturer

• In recent years, India has been making notable progress towards adopting renewable energy, particularly solar energy. The country has set challenging objectives to increase its solar energy capacity and has been implementing diverse measures to realize them.
• Consequently, India is anticipated to acquire the position of the world's second-largest solar product manufacturer by 2026.
• A report from the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) suggests that India is expected to surpass Japan and become the world's second-largest manufacturer of solar products by the year 2026, with China being the only country ahead of it.
• As per the report, India is anticipated to raise its solar manufacturing capacity from 10 GW in 2020 to 50 GW by 2030, resulting in the creation of approximately 300,000 direct jobs and 900,000 indirect jobs.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky Has Been Decorated with Poland's Highest Award

• On Wednesday, the Ukrainian media reported that the Polish Presidential Chancellery issued a statement conferring the Order of the White Eagle, the highest award of Poland, upon Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.
• The award was given to Zelensky for his exceptional contributions in strengthening the ties between Ukraine and Poland.

The Order of the White Eagle

• Considered as the most ancient and prestigious Polish award, the Order of the White Eagle is granted to remarkable individuals who have significantly contributed to the Republic of Poland throughout their lifetime.

Kerela Tops the GI Tag List 2022-23

• According to data released by the GI Registry on Wednesday, Kerala has secured the top position among all Indian states in terms of the highest number of products receiving the Geographical Indication (GI) tag during the financial year 2022-23.
• As per the data published by the registry, the Geographical Indication (GI) recognition tag has been granted to Attappady Aattukombu Avara (beans), Attappady Thuvara (red gram), Onattukara Ellu (sesame), Kanthaloor Vattavada Veluthuli (garlic), and Kodungallur Pottuvellari (snap melon).
• Besides the 6 products from Kerala, Mithila Makhana (aquatic fox nut) from Bihar was selected for GI recognition followed by Alibag white onion from Maharashtra.
• The honours were also bestowed upon Tandur Redgram, the indigenous pea variety from Telangana, Ladakh Raktsey Karpo Apricot from Ladakh, and Gamosa handicrafts from Assam.

FIFA Had Withdrawn Peru's Hosting Rights to the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2023

• After holding thorough discussions with the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF), FIFA has decided to withdraw Peru's hosting privileges for the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2023.
• FIFA took this decision because the host nation was not capable of meeting its obligations to construct the necessary infrastructure for organizing the competition.
• Even though FIFA and the FPF shared a constructive partnership, it was concluded that there isn't adequate time to obtain the necessary investment and complete the essential work with the Peruvian government before the start of the tournament.
• The tournament remains scheduled to take place from 10 November to 2 December 2023, but the Bureau of the FIFA Council will now designate a new host in due course.

Bimonthly RBI Monetary Policy

• On 6 April 2023, the Reserve Bank of India declared its bimonthly monetary policy and affirmed that it would maintain the repo rate at 6.50 per cent.
• The statement of monetary policy, which was announced by the Governor Shaktikanta Das, disclosed that the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the RBI unanimously agreed on keeping the repo rate at 6.50 per cent, marking the first policy statement of the current fiscal year.
• The RBI Governor reported that economic activity has sustained its durability, and it is anticipated that the real GDP growth rate for the fiscal year 2022-23 would be around 7 per cent.
• The Governor also clarified that the discontinuation of accommodation measures and the suspension of repo rate hikes are only temporary for this meeting. The subsequent meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is planned to be held between 6 to 8 June 2023.