Daily Current Affairs 31st March , 2023

Daily Current Affairs 31 March 2023 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

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NATIONAL NEWS

Jaipur to get India’s second largest cricket stadium named after Anil Agarwal
Vedanta’s Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) for the development of world’s 3rd largest cricket stadium in the village Chonp in Jaipur. 

• Vedanta’s HZL will spend INR 300 crore on the stadium, one of the largest corporate investments in India’s sports infrastructure. The stadium will be named “Anil Agarwal International Cricket Stadium, Jaipur”.

Punjab and Haryana HC takes ChatGPT’s help to decide on bail plea in murder case 
The Punjab and Haryana Court recently utilized the assistance of an AI chatbot called ChatGPT to make a decision regarding a bail application in a criminal case, marking the first time an Indian court has done so. 

• The bench, led by Justice Anoop Chitkara, requested feedback from ChatGPT during the hearing of the bail petition filed by an individual who was taken into custody in June 2020 for charges of criminal conspiracy, murder, rioting, and criminal intimidation.

BANKING & FINANCE

India Post Payments Bank partners Airtel to launch banking services on WhatsApp
Bharti Airtel, a leading telecommunications service provider in India, and India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) have announced the launch of WhatsApp Banking Services for IPPB customers. This service will allow customers to access banking services on their mobile phones with just a few clicks. 

• The initiative aims to augment the Government of India’s Digital India mission by enabling seamless connectivity between IPPB customers and their bank through WhatsApp.

Centre to borrow ₹8.88 lakh crore in first half of FY24
The government will frontload most of its gross market borrowings for 2023-24, with a plan to raise as much as ₹8.88 lakh crore of its record ₹15.43 lakh crore borrowing plan for the year in the first six months.

• Finalised in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, the borrowing programme for the first half of the coming year thus envisages raising 57.55% of the year’s total borrowings, in 26 weekly tranches of ₹31,000-39,000 crore. 
• The borrowing will be spread under 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, 30 and 40 year securities,the finance ministry said. 

World Bank approves $363 million loan to Karnataka for rural water supply programme
The World Bank has approved a USD 363 million loan to Karnataka, to provide a clean drinking water supply to two million rural households in the state through a piped water connection in their homes.

• According to a World Bank statement, the Karnataka Sustainable Rural Water Supply Program will support the Government of Karnataka’s ambition to provide functioning tap water connections to every rural household in the state.

Aditya Birla Health Insurance enters into bancassurance partnership with UCO Bank
Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co. Ltd. (ABHICL) has entered into a bancassurance partnership with UCO Bank for the distribution of health insurance products through the bank’s branches across the country. 

• This partnership will enable ABHICL to expand its national footprint by leveraging UCO Bank’s widely distributed network of 3,164 branches and reach out to more than 40 million customers of the bank across India. Commenting on the association. 

JICA extends ₹520 cr ODA loan for biodiversity conservation in West Bengal
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has signed a loan agreement with the Indian government to provide Japanese ODA loan amounting to JPY 9,308 million (approximately Rs 520 crore) for the Project for Forest and Biodiversity Conservation for Climate Change Response in West Bengal (WB-FBCCCR).

• The objective of the project is to mitigate and adapt to climate change and conserve and restore ecosystems by adopting ecosystem-based climate change measures, biodiversity conservation, livelihood improvement activities and institutional strengthening, thereby contributing to the sustainable socioeconomic development in West Bengal. 

Centre raises small savings deposit rates
The central government raised the interest rates on various small savings schems for the three months from 1 April to 30 June by 10 to 70 basis points, showed an official order.

• The increased rate of interest is applicable on schemes including National Savings Certificate, Kisan Vikas Patra, Monthly Income Savings Scheme and all post office time deposits.
• According to the revised rates, interests for the Senior Citizens Savings Scheme have been raised from 8% to 8.2%. Similarly, for Kisan Vikas Patra it has been hiked from 7% to 7.2%.
• The Centre has also increased the interest rate for the monthly income account scheme from 7.1% to 7.4%. Interest rates for one through five-year time deposit, excluding four year term, have also been increased

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Herbalife becomes official partner of Tata IPL 2023
Herbalife, a leading global nutrition company, has teamed up with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to become an official partner of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) for the 2023 season. 

• This partnership brings together two strong brands that share a passion for sports.

SPORTS

Shakib surpasses Southee to become the top T20I wicket-taker
Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan has surpassed Tim Southee to become the leading wicket-taker in the T20I format.

• His fifer allowed him to get past New Zealand’s veteran bowler Tim Southee. Shakib has 136 wickets in 114 T20I matches. On the other hand, Tim Southee has 134 wickets just two shy of Shakib’s tally, according to data from International Cricket Council (ICC).

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