Daily Current Affairs 2nd March , 2023

Daily Current Affairs 2 March 2023 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

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NATIONAL NEWS

In a first, Uttarakhand to set up ‘mother milk bank’
There’s hope for children whose mother dies during childbirth: the Uttarakhand health department plans to set up a ‘mother milk bank,’ the first such facility in the state.

• The facility can bring nutritional elements of mother’s milk to the newborn to a great extent,” Health Minister Dr Dhan Singh Rawat told.
• Under this scheme, lactating women will be able to donate milk to the bank.

Wildlife Board approves IAF mountain radar in Ladakh
With the National Board of Wildlife giving its approval, the decks have finally been cleared for the induction of the Indian Air Force’s mountain radar in Ladakh, just off the proposed new IAF base.

• A slew of new operational tracks to ensure better strategic connectivity to the critical boundary trijunction off Dokalam has also been approved.
• Likely to come up soon, is an ambitious and long-debated plan to set up a High-Altitude Air to Ground Firing range in Ladakh to ensure battle readiness in hostile high reaches of the Sino-India border.

Jitendra Singh launches Vaibhav Fellowship for the Indian Diaspora abroad 
Union Minister Jitendra Singh launched VAIBHAV Fellowship scheme for the Indian Diaspora abroad on National Science Day at New Delhi.

• Vaibhav Fellowship aims at improving the research ecosystem of India’s Higher Educational Institutions by facilitating academic and research collaborations between Indian Institutions and the best institutions in the world through mobility of faculty, researchers from overseas institutions to India.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Japan, U.S., S. Korea, Taiwan launch ‘Chip 4’ talks for supply chain
Japan, the United States, South Korea and Taiwan have held the first meeting of senior officials under a new U.S.-led framework to help ensure a stable supply of semiconductors, Japan’s industry ministry said.

• Officials from industry organizations in the four economies took part in the virtual conference of the “Chip 4” alliance to discuss ways to maintain supply chain resilience in times of natural disasters and other contingencies.
• In a bid to outcompete China technologically, the Biden administration launched a new dialogue forum with Japan and South Korea on friend-shoring semiconductors as it invites companies to compete for a share of the $50 billion already approved to revitalize the U.S. chip industry.

BANKING & FINANCE

IDFC & Federal Bank partner with Sa-Dhan on UPI123PAY
Private sector lenders IDFC First and Federal Bank will partner with association of microfinance institutions Sa-Dhan and Delhi-based fintech solutions provider NextGen to promote digital payments by feature phone users.

• The association with NextGen, Federal Bank and IDFC First will help in developing a new payment and collection system by using feature phones with the technological intervention being provided by them.

ADB to fund Himachal Pradesh tourism plan, education reforms 
Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that Asian Development Bank (ADB) had agreed in principle to provide that state with more than Rs 1,311 crore for phase-1 of the proposed tourism infrastructure development investment programme.

• The state wants to develop and promote its unexplored places in a phased manner for sustainable tourism. The first phase includes beautification of Palampur, convention centre at Dharamshala, theme park at Pragpur in Kangra district, wellness centres at Dharamshala, Shimla, Nadaun, and Kullu-Manali, along with high-end facility at Dharamshala.
• Besides, wayside amenities on the Mandi-Kullu national highway, the state will promote rafting and water park at Nadaun, Kaleshwar Mahadev in Kangra, water sport at Pong Dam, Tattapani, Nadaun, and Bangana, and wayside amenities at Baba Balak Nath, besides beautifying Mandi’s Shiv Dham. Sukhu laid out a plan for promoting adventure, religious, rural, health, and weekend tourism.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Reliance Jio second-strongest telecom brand in world, says report
Reliance Jio has climbed up to number two rank, up from fifth place last year in a list of the top 10 strongest telecom brands in the world.

• The list is by UK-based Brand Finance, a leading brand valuation company, and part of its latest global report on the world’s 150 most valuable telecom brands for 2023. 
• The rankings are based on a Brand Strength Index score which looks at various metrics that include evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance. Brand Finance’s assessment of stakeholder equity incorporates original market research data from over 150,000 respondents in 38 countries.
• Based on the scores, Reliance Jio is behind only Swisscom and ahead of Etisalat, MTC, and Singtel. Last year, it was fifth in the pecking order, behind Etisalat (in the top slot) Swisscom, PLDT, and MTN.

Angel One gets SEBI nod for mutual fund business
The stock broker has received an in-principle approval from Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) vide their letter dated 8 February 2023, for sponsoring a mutual fund.

• Accordingly, Angel One would be setting up an asset management company and the trustee company, in accordance with applicable Sebi Regulations and other applicable laws.
• Angel One is the largest listed retail stock broking house in India, in terms of active clients on NSE. The company provides broking and advisory services, margin funding, loans against shares and distribution of third-party financial products to its clients.

AWARDS

Writer Vinod Kumar Shukla wins 2023 PEN/Nabokov Lifetime Achievement Award
Acclaimed Hindi writer Vinod Kumar Shukla has won the 2023 PEN/Nabokov Award for achievement in international literature, PEN America, one of the most prestigious literary prizes worldwide announced.

• The short story writer, poet and essayist, Shukla, who is considered one of the greatest contemporary writers in the Hindi language, will receive the 59th Annual PEN Literary Awards at The Town Hall in New York.
• The PEN/Nabokov award is conferred annually to a living author whose body of work is of enduring originality and consummate craftsmanship.

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