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Source: cnbc

34. 29 July- International Tiger Day

• Purpose- To raise awareness about the urgent need for tiger conservation. The day aims to
highlight the critical plight of tigers, whose populations have drastically declined due to
factors like habitat loss, poaching, and illegal wildlife trade.
India related numbers-
• India’s tiger population increased to 3,682 in 2022, up from 2,967 in 2018, which is an
annual rise of 6%.
• India is home to approximately 75% of the world’s tiger population.
• Madhya Pradesh (M.P.) has achieved a significant 50% increase in its tiger
population. With 785 tigers as per the latest tiger estimation exercise, Madhya Pradesh is
the leading Tiger State of India.
• India has 53 tiger reserves, with Madhya Pradesh accounting for 6 of them.

Source: cnbc, ToI

35. 22 July- 28 July- National Math Week

• Purpose- It encourages scientists and non-scientists to participate in surveys of moths.
Source: TH

AWARDS
1. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has honoured Rajindar Singh Dhatt, one of the last
surviving Sikh soldiers who fought in the Second World War, with a UK Points of Light
honour at a UK-India Week reception at 10 Downing Street in London.

pg. 175
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• UK Points of Light honour was conferred upon Rajindar Singh Dhatt during the India
Global Forum’s UK-India Week 2023.
Source: IE

2. Mary Kom has been honoured with the Global Indian Icon of the Year award at the annual
5th UK-India Awards in Windsor, south-eastern England.
• Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, behind Oscar-nominated 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age', received
a Lifetime Achievement Award.
• The awards are organised by India Global Forum (IGF) as part of UK-India Week.
• The Nehru Centre in London, the cultural wing of the Indian High Commission, won the UK-
India Award for Significant Contribution to UK-India Relations.
Source: The Week

3. Hurun Research Institute has released ASK Private Wealth Hurun India Future Unicorn
Index 2023.
• It is a ranking of India’s start-ups founded in the 2000s, worth at least $200 million, not yet
listed on a public exchange, and most likely to “go unicorn” within three years
(categorised as ‘gazelles’) or five years (cheetahs). The cut-off date was May 31, 2023.
• The rank has demoted eight gazelles — start-ups that were founded in 2000 and have the
potential to go to unicorn in three years — to cheetahs. It dropped 19 out of the unicorn list.
• EV start-up Ather Energy, quick commerce start-up Zepto and edtech start-up Leap
Scholar are the most valuable gazelles.
• Online furniture platform Pepperfry is the most valuable cheetah.
Source: BS

4. King Charles III and Queen Camilla presented the Elephant Family environmental award
to Indian conservationists: filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves behind Oscar-winning documentary
‘The Elephant Whisperers’ and the Real Elephant Collective (TREC) of 70 Adivasi artists.
• ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ won the 2023 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short
Film earlier this year.
• The Real Elephant Collective was awarded the Mark Shand Award, named in honour of
the late founder of Elephant Family. It is an international NGO dedicated to protecting the
Asian elephant.
Source: HT
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5. British children’s writer and performance poet Michael Rosen has been awarded the
prestigious PEN Pinter Prize 2023.
• The award is given to a writer from the UK, Ireland and the Commonwealth.
Source: IE

6. ‘Kreta Vikreta Gaurav Sammaan Samaaroh 2023’ awards have been announced by the
Government e-Marketplace (GeM) of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• Union government awards companies that effectively utilize the ‘GeM’, a dedicated e-
market platform for buying and procuring goods and services, through this award.
Category Winner Specifics
"Highest Single Bid Ministry of Health and Family -
Procurements in FY22-23" Welfare
“Timely Payments (CPSEs) NLC India Limited -
in 2023”
Gold Award in “Kreta-Vikreta Food Corporation of India for its exemplary commitment
Gaurav Samman” for the in the sphere of Public
year 2022-23 Procurement through GeM
Portal
Best performing state Uttar Pradesh UP - Area of doing business
(followed by Gujarat at 2nd
and Maharashtra at 3rd)
Golden Award in ‘Highest REC Limited -
Single Bid Procurements in
FY22-23' category
“GeM Star Buyers” category Mangalore Refinery and -
Petrochemical Ltd
Source: ANI, NE India Broadcast , The Print, ET, Free Press Journal, TOI, Karnataka News

7. All India Football Federation (AIFF) has announced the winners for their yearly awards for
the 2022-23 season.
Category Winner
AIFF Men's Footballer of the Year Lallianzuala Chhangte

pg. 177
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AIFF Women’s Footballer of the Year Manisha Kalyan

Men's Coach of the Year Clifford Miranda
Women’s Coach of the Year Priya Parathi Valappil
Men’s Emerging Player of the Year Akash Mishra
Women’s Emerging Player of the Year Shilji Shaji
Source- Khel Now

8. International Astronomical Union (IAU) has honoured Aswin Sekhar by naming a minor
planet after him.
• The honour has been conferred on him at the 2023 edition of Asteroids Comets Meteors
Conference held in Arizona.
• Asteroids are small celestial bodies within the solar system that orbit the Sun. They are
rocky, airless remnants from the initial formation of our solar system.
Source: Deccan Chronicle

9. International Tennis Federation (ITF) has awarded Justine Henin with Philippe Chatrier
Award (highest honour of ITF).
• The award is named after the former ITF president (Philippe Chatrier) and was
introduced in 1996. It recognizes people who have made significant contributions to the
sport on and off the court.
• Henin has won the French Open four times, the U.S. Open twice and the Australian
Open once. She was a two-time runner-up at Wimbledon. She won Olympic gold at the
2004 Athens Games.
Source: Business Standard

10. Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance won the Insurer Innovation Award 2023 for the APAC region at
The World's Digital Insurance Awards.
• Reason - Bajaj Allianz Life's ground-breaking WhatsApp Conversational Platform for
empowering customers to digitally services their policies seamlessly.
• The award is hosted by The Digital Insurer (TDI). It was the 8th edition of The World's
Digital Insurance Awards.
Source: ANI

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11. Coal India Limited won the Rising Star Award through the Government e-Marketplace
(GeM) portal in FY 2022–23.
Source: PSU Connect

12. 4 Indian-origin women have been named in the Forbes' list of America's 100 most
successful self-made women.
• Jayshree Ullal, president and CEO of computer networking firm Arista Networks has been
ranked 15th on the list, the highest among Indian-origin business leaders.
• Neerja Sethi, co-founder of IT consulting and outsourcing firm Syntel, has been ranked
25th on the list. She has a net worth of USD 990 million.
• Neha Narkehe, co-founder and former chief technology officer (CTO) of cloud company
Confluent, is ranked 50th on the list, with a net worth of USD 520 million.
• Indira Nooyi, the former chair and CEO of PepsiCo, is ranked 77th on the Forbes list. She
has a net worth of USD 350 million.
Source: Hindustan Times

13. Bajaj Allianz General Insurance has set a new Guinness World Records title for the
Largest Attendance for an Insurance Conference in the first-ever General Insurance
Festival of India (GIFI) hosted by it in Pune.
• The idea of GIFI is of creating a platform that brings together the best in the general
insurance industry.
• Bajaj Allianz General Insurance is India's leading private general insurance company.
• GIFI Awards received during the event-
S.No. Category Winner

1. Best Health Insurance Advisor in India Mayank Chander Kothari (Ahmedabad)

2. Best Motor Insurance Advisor in India- Shiv Kumar Gupta (Varanasi)
3. Best Property Insurance Advisor in India Priyadarshini Sheshadri (Bengaluru)
4. Best Multiline Insurance Advisor in India Prashant Shah (Mumbai)
5. Best Woman Insurance Advisor in India Priti Sameer Shah (Mumbai)

Knowledge Nuggets –
• MD & CEO of Bajaj Allianz General Insurance - Tapan Singhel

pg. 179
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• Bajaj Allianz is a joint venture between Bajaj Finserv Limited, India's most diversified
non-bank financial institution, and Allianz SE, the world's leading insurer and largest
asset manager.
• Allianz SE is headquartered in Munich, Germany.
Source: Business Standard

14. India has won 4 gold medals and topped the International Biology Olympiad medal tally for
the first time at the 34th edition of the competition held in Al Ain, UAE.
• A total of 293 students from 76 countries participated in the Olympiad.
• The winners from India are- Dhruv Advani from Bengaluru; Ishan Pednekar from Kota,
Rajasthan; Megh Chhabda from Jalna, Maharashtra; and Rohit Panda from Risali,
Chattisgarh.
• Singapore is the only other country that has won 4 gold medals in the Olympiad.
Source: IE

15. Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has been awarded with the best member federation award
by the Asian Athletics Association in Bangkok.
• AFI president Adille Sumariwalla received the award during a function hosted by Asian
Athletics Association.
Source: BS

16. International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the winners of the ICC Player of the Month
awards for June 2023.
• ICC Men’s Player of the Month- Sri Lanka’s record-breaking spinner Wanindu
Hasaranga.
• ICC Women’s Player of the Month- Australia’s star all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner
Source: ICC Cricket

17. Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (JKRLM) has bagged the SKOCH Award
under the theme “State of Governance India 2047” in gold category for outstanding efforts in
creating marketing avenues for Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
About SKOCH Awards
• Launched- 2003
• Conferred by an independent organisation.
pg. 180
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• Aim- To acknowledge people, projects and institutions that go the extra mile to make India
a better nation. The SKOCH Award covers the best of efforts in digital, financial and social
inclusion.
Source: NewsonAIR and SKOCH

18. 64th International Math Olympiad being held in Chiba, Japan has concluded.
• India’s rank- 9th (2 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze)
o This is the 4th time that the Indian team has secured a position in the top 10.
o India had finished 7th in 1998 and in 2001, and 9th in 2002.
• Total Countries- 112
• Top rank- China (5th consecutive time)
• Winners from India
o Gold- Atul Shatavart Nadig and Arjun Gupta
o Silver- Ananda Bhaduri and Siddharth Choppara
o Bronze- Adhitya Mangudy, and Archit Manas
• The International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) is the World Championship Mathematics
Competition for High School students and is held annually in a different country.
Source: ANI, imo2023

19. Union Minister of Tourism, Culture and Development of Northeast Region G Kishan
Reddy has been conferred with ‘Global Incredible Inc Leadership Award’ from ‘The US India
SME Council.
• The council promotes trade, commerce, and people-to-people exchange programmes
between the United States and India.
• He has been conferred the award in recognition of his endeavours towards promoting
tourism and the rich culture of India.
Source: The Hindu

20. T. Pradeep of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) has been selected for the
International Eni Award.
• The award has been instituted by the Italian energy company Eni and comprises a gold
medal, a citation and cash.
• He has been awarded in recognition of his work on sustainable and affordable nanoscale
material for removing toxic contaminants from water.
pg. 181
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Source: The Hindu

21. Carnatic vocalist Aruna Sairam and flautist Shashank Subramanyam have been awarded
the Chevalier award by the French government.
• The award honours personalities for their creativity in cultural spheres.
• Ms. Sairam and Mr. Subramanyam were conferred the title of Chevalier De L’orde des
Arts Et Des Lettres.
• Earlier, Ms. Sairam has also received the Padma Shri and Sangita Kalanidhi from The
Music Academy.
• Mr. Subramanyam has also been awarded Tamil Nadu government’s Kalaimamani for
his prowess in instrumental music.
Source: The Hindu

22. President Smt. Draupadi Murmu has presented 'Bhoomi Samman- 2023' awards.
“Bhoomi Samman”
• It is an award launched by the Union Ministry of Rural Development to recognize the
achievements of states and districts in the implementation of the Digital India Land
Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP).
• The award has been presented to 9 state secretaries and 68 district collectors along
with their teams who have excelled in achieving saturation of the core components of
DILRMP.
• DILRMP (previously National Land Record Modernization Programme) was revamped and
converted as a Central Sector Scheme with effect from 1st April, 2016 with 100% funding
by the Centre.
Source: PIB

23. Moksha Roy, a 7 yr old girl Indian-origin girl has been awarded the British Prime Minister’s
Points of Light award.
• She holds the distinction of being the world’s youngest sustainability advocate.
• She volunteered for a United Nations' sustainability initiative against microplastic pollution.
• Points of Light awards recognise outstanding people whose service is making a difference
in their communities and inspire others towards innovative solutions to social challenges.
Source: HT

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24. Ministry of Coal was awarded for its achievements on e- procurement through GeM by
Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• The Ministry of Coal has been awarded in the “Best Engagement” category, Coal India
Limited (CIL) has been awarded the “Rising Star” and NLC India Limited has been
awarded in the “TimelyPayments” category.
Source: PIB

25. Esther Vergeer (Dutch para-tennis player) and Rick Draney (US) have been added to the
International Tennis Hall of Fame.
• Both are wheelchair tennis players.
• They will be added to the Newport, Rhode Island, shrine.
Source: Sportstar

26. National Geoscience Awards 2022

• President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu has conferred the prestigious National Geoscience
Awards- 2022 (NGA) of the Ministry of Mines.
• 22 Geoscientists have received the awards under 3 categories.

o National Geoscience Award for Lifetime Achievement - Dr. Om Narain Bhargava

for work his in the Himalayas.
o National Young Geoscientist Award - Dr. Amiya Kumar Samal, for understanding
the variation of sub-continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) below different archean
cratons of the Indian shield.
o National Geoscience Awards in various fields of geosciences.
▪ Mineral Discovery and Exploration-
▪ Basic Geosciences,
▪ Applied Geosciences and Mining,
▪ Mineral Beneficiation and Sustainable Mineral Development.

pg. 183
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• The awards were instituted in 1966, and are a symbol of recognition and appreciation for
exceptional individuals and organizations that have demonstrated excellence, dedication
and innovation in the realm of Geosciences.
Source: PIB

27. 8th and 9th Community Radio Awards

• The awards were conferred during the 2-day Regional Community Radio Sammelan
(North) at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication in New Delhi.
• The National Community Radio Awards carry 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize for Rs, 1 Lakh, Rs.
75,000 and Rs. 50,000respectively.
• A total of 12 awards in 4 categories have been given.
• Details of awardees are given below: -
• Thematic Awards
o 1st: Radio Mind Tree, Haryana
▪ Programme: Hope Jeene Ki Rah
o 2nd: Radio Hirakhand, Odisha
▪ Programme: Adhar O PoshanBigyan
o 3rd: Green Radio, Bihar
▪ Programme: PoshanShrinkhla
• Most Innovative Community Engagement Awards
o 1st: Radio SDUttar Pradesh
▪ Programme: Hizra in Between
o 2nd: Kabir Radio, Uttar Pradesh
▪ Program: Selfie Le Le Re
o 3rd: Radio Mind Tree, Haryana
▪ Programme: Book Bugs
• Promoting Local Culture Awards
o 1st: Voice of SOA, Odisha
▪ Programme: Asmita
o 2nd: Friends FM, Tripura
▪ Programme: Revived a dying art: MASK & POT
o 3rd: PantnagarJanvani, Uttarakhand
▪ Program: Dadi Ma Ka Batua
• Sustainability Model Awards
pg. 184
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o 1st: Radio Hirakhand, Odisha

o 2nd: VayalagaVanoli, Tamil Nadu
o 3rd: VAGAD Radio “90.8”, Rajasthan
Source: PIB

28. Jindal Aluminium Limited has received AS9100D Aerospace Certification.

• This certification is a benchmark to recognise the company as a qualified manufacturer for
the aviation, space, and defence industry.
• This certification was developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers and the
European Association of Aerospace Industries.
Source: BS

29. India’s oldest Railway station (169 years) at Byculla, Central Mumbai has received Asia
Pacific Cultural heritage award from UNESCO.
Source: ANI

30. Max Life Insurance Company Ltd. has been appointed as the “Lead Insurer” for the State
of Uttar Pradesh by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI).
• Under the State Insurance Plan, IRDAI has initiated a collaborative platform with insurers
by assigning two states to each insurer to enhance financial awareness and drive insurance
inclusion.
Source: ToI

31. Asian News International (ANI) Chairman Prem Prakash has been honoured with Global
Education Mentor (GEM) Award 2023 – Lifetime Achievement Award.
• GEM Award aims to celebrate the achievements of those who have dedicated their lives to
improve education or its associated social sector in India and promoting innovative
approaches to teaching and learning
Source: ANI

pg. 185
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AWARDS
1. JSW Steel, a leading integrated steel manufacturer, has received GreenPro ecolabel for its
‘Automotive Steel’ products from JSW Steel Vijayanagar.
• The GreenPro Ecolabel has been developed by the Confederation of Indian Industry’s
Green Business Centre to recognise the highest standards of environmental
sustainability and product performance in the Indian manufacturing sector.
Source: HBL

2. Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, has named 0.5-metre diameter enclosed
free-jet hypersonic wind tunnel after late scientist and leader Professor Roddam
Narasimha.
• The tunnel will be named as ‘Roddam Narasimha Hypersonic Wind Tunnel’.
Source: Swarajyamag

3. Goan writer Damodar Mauzo has won the 57th Jnanpith Award, the country's highest literary
honour.
• Mauzo's 25 books have been published in Konkani and one in English. Many of his books
have also been translated in different languages.
• Mauzo's famous novel 'Karmelin' received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1983.
• Mauzo is the second Goan to receive the Jnanpith Award. Earlier, Ravindra Kelekar from
the coastal state got the award in 2008.
• Instituted in 1961, Jnanpith Award is the oldest and the highest Indian literary award
presented annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith to an author for their "outstanding
contribution towards literature".
Source: ET and Chronicle India

4. AIIMS-Nagpur has become the first AIIMS in the country to receive the prestigious NABH
(National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers) accreditation.
Knowledge Nuggets -

pg. 161
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• National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) is a

constituent board of Quality Council of India, set up to establish and operate
accreditation programme for healthcare organisations.
• CEO of NABH - Dr Atul Mohan Kochhar
Source: TOI and NABH

5. 'Bank of Baroda Rashtrabhasha Samman' Award 2023 (1st edition) will recognize literary
works in Indian languages and the translation of these into Hindi, and will be presented to both
the original author and the translator.
• The jury is chaired by Booker Prize winner Geetanjali Shree. Other members of the jury
include Arun Kamal (an Indian poet), Pushpesh Pant (an academic and historian),
Anamika, (a contemporary Indian poet and novelist), and Prabhat Ranjan (a Hindi fiction
writer and translator).
• The author of the original work and the respective Hindi translator of the award-winning
book will receive Rs 21 lakh and Rs 15 lakh respectively.
• In addition to this, the authors and the Hindi translators of the next five shortlisted books will
receive Rs. 3 lakh and Rs. 2 lakh each respectively.
Knowledge Nuggets -
• Founded on 20th July, 1908 by Sir Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, Bank of Baroda is
one of the leading commercial banks in India. At 63.97% stake, it is majorly owned by the
Government of India.
Source: ET

6. Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern received the Dame Grand Companionship, New
Zealand’s second-highest honour, as part of the King Charles Birthday Honours.
• Reason - for her service leading the country through a mass shooting and coronavirus
pandemic
• Current PM of New Zealand - Chris Hipkins
Source: News on Air and Al Jazeera

7. Indian-origin scientist Joyeeta Gupta has been awarded the Spinoza Prize, the highest
science award, which is also sometimes referred to as the ‘Dutch Nobel Prize’.
Source: IE

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8. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced the second edition of Antarashtriya

Yoga Diwas Media Samman.
• 33 awardees will get the award in three categories in Print, Television and Radio (11 in
each of these categories) across twenty-two Indian languages and English.
Source: The Print

9. Author Paterson Joseph won the 2023 Royal Society of Literature (RSL) Christopher
Bland Prize for his debut novel 'The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho'.
• The RSL Christopher Bland Prize is an annual award that is given to a debut writer for their
work of fiction or non-fiction, who is first published at the age of 50 or over.
• The winner receives a prize money of £10,000. This is the fifth year of the award.
Source: TOI

10. Jagdish Bakan, Wildlife Warden and District Forest Officer (DFO) of Ramanathapuram district,
has won the 2023 Michel Batisse Award for Biosphere Reserve Management from the
UNESCO.
• This US $12,000 award is given every two years during the MAB Council, in memory of Dr
Michel Batisse, for outstanding achievements in the management of the biosphere
reserves.
Knowledge Nuggets -
• The Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme of UNESCO is an intergovernmental
scientific programme that aims to enhance the harmonious relationship between people
and the environment.
• The World Network of Biosphere Reserves of MAB currently counts 738 sites in 134
countries all over the world, including 22 transboundary sites.
Source: The Hindu, UNESCO and MAB

11. Tata Group is the most valued brand in India, as per the Brand Finance India 100 2023
report.
• Infosys is at the 2nd spot with a brand value of $13 billion. It was followed by the Life
Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) with a value of $9.7 billion.
• Notably, Tata Group is the only Indian brand to feature in the top 100 of the Brand
Finance Global 500 2023.

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• Among the banks, the State Bank of India (SBI) had the highest brand value of $7.33
billion. It was followed by HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank.
Source: BS

12. The chief of the Reserve Bank of India, Shaktikanta Das was honoured with the title of
‘Governor of the Year’ for 2023 by Central Banking in London.
• Central Banking is an international economic research journal.
Source: LiveMint

13. The BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport) has won the UITP Awards, one of the
world’s most coveted prize in public transport.
• It was the winner in the ‘Climate and Health’, category and was also among the top three
finalists in ‘Public and Urban Transport Strategy’ category.
Source: TOI

14. Forbes has released its Global 2000 list for 2023.
• The Global 2000 ranks the largest companies in the world using four metrics: sales,
profits, assets and market value.
• Top – JP Morgan, followed by Saudi Aramco, and ICBC-China
• India – Reliance Industries at 45th rank (an increased by 8 ranks)
o SBI – 77th rank
o HDFC Bank – 128th rank
o ICICI Bank – 163rd rank
o ONGC – 226th rank
Source: Forbes and Daily Pioneer

15. South Indian Bank has won the prestigious Digital CX Awards in Singapore.
• The Awards, instituted by Singapore-based 'The Digital Banker', recognize excellence in
providing exceptional digital experiences to customers.
• The Bank has won the award under the SME loans category for its remarkable
performance in providing GST-based loans through a Technology platform.
Source: BS

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16. Geological Survey of India Training Institute (GSITI), Hyderabad was accredited as “Athi
Uttam” by the National Accreditation Board of Education and Training (NABET).
• The team from Capacity Building Commission (CBC), NABET and Quality Control of India
conducted the on-site assessment and awarded the Certificate of Accreditation with the
grading of Athi Uttam.
Knowledge Nuggets -
• GSITI is a national training facility, under the Ministry of Mines that provides training
and capacity building to multiple stakeholders including Central and State Departments,
PSUs (MECL, ONGC, OIL, NMDC), national academic institutions (IITs, Central
Universities and Colleges) and colleges.
• Established in 1976, GSITI with its headquarters at Hyderabad, has six Regional Training
Divisions (RTD) located at Hyderabad, Nagpur, Jaipur, Lucknow, Kolkata and Shillong.
Source: PIB

17. England all-rounder Moeen Ali has been recognised in the Queen's Platinum Jubilee
Honours list and awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to cricket.
Source: India Today

18. Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 will be conferred on Gita Press, Gorakhpur.
● The annual Gandhi Peace Prize was instituted in 1995 on the occasion of the 125th birth
anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The award carries an amount of ₹1 crore, a citation, a
plaque and an exquisite handicraft or handloom item.
Source: The Hindu

19. The Google Doodle honoured scientist Kamala Sohonie on her 112th birth anniversary on
June 18.
• Kamala Sohonie was the first Indian woman to get a PhD degree in a scientific
discipline and went on to win the Rashtrapati Award for her work on Neera, a palm
extract that could fight malnutrition among children from tribal communities in India.
Source: IE

20. Eminent poet, literary critic and Sahitya Akademi Award recipient Acharya N. Gopi has been
selected for Prof. Kothapalli Jayashankar Award.

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• The award has been instituted by Bharat Jagruthi, a cultural organisation and extended arm
of Bharat Rashtra Samithi.
Source: The Hindu

21. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met Ms. Falguni Shah, Indian American singer, composer
and Grammy award winner, in New York, USA.
• Ms. Shah has been lauded for her song ‘Abundance in Millets’.
Source: PIB

22. Noted author Salman Rushdie has been awarded the prestigious Peace Prize of the German
Book Trade for 2023 for his contribution to the literary world.
Source: Wion

23. A Kerala-based startup, Farmers Fresh Zone (FarmersFZ), has been selected for the
'Accelerator Programme’ by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the UN.
• FarmersFZ has figured in the list of 12 agri-food startups around the world for the UN
body to develop business.
Source: BS

24. India has emerged as a top country with LEED Zero green building projects, as per the US
Green Building Council (USGBC) and Green Business Certification Inc (GBCI).
• India has outperformed the United States of America and China.
• The United States and China have the second and third most LEED Zero certifications,
with 47 (30%) and 15 (10%) certifications respectively.
• LEED Zero recognises projects that have reached net zero or net positive status in the
categories of carbon, energy, water, or waste.
Source: HT

25. Writer Arundhati Roy has been awarded the 45th European Essay Prize for lifetime
achievement for the French translation of her compilation of essays titled Azadi: Liberté,
Fascisme, Fiction (Azadi: Freedom, Fascism, Fiction in English).
• Roy will receive a cash prize of CHF 20,000 (about Rs 18 lakh) at a ceremony in
September in Lausanne, Switzerland.

pg. 166
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Knowledge Nuggets -
• Since its inception in 1975, the award has honoured a book or the work of an author
“who, through their writings, contributes to nourishing and spreading the evolution of
thought”.
Source: Scroll.in

26. 4th National Water Awards-2022 have been conferred at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi by the
Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• A total of 41 winners, including joint winners, covering 11 categories, were felicitated.
Category First Prize Winner Prize Money
Best State Madhya Pradesh -
Best District Ganjam, Odisha -
Best Village Panchayat Jagannadhapuram Village
Panchayat, Telangana
Best Urban Local Body Chandigarh Municipal
Corporation, Chandigarh
Best Media Advance Water Digest Private
Limited Gurugram, Haryana
Best School Jamiyatpura Primary School,
Mehsana, Gujarat
First award: Rs.2 lakh
Best Institution for Campus Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine
Second award: Rs.1.5 lakh
usage Board, Reasi, Jammu and
Third award: Rs.1 lakh
Kashmir
Best Industry Barauni Thermal Power
Station, Begusarai, Bihar
Best NGO Arpan Seva Sansthan,
Udaipur, Rajasthan
Best Water User Association The Sanjeevani Piyat Sahkari
Mandli Ltd, Narmada, Gujarat
Best industry for CSR HCL Technologies Ltd
Source: DST and PIB

27. Star Alliance (HQ - Germany) has won the title of World’s Best Airline Alliance at Skytrax
World Airline Awards 2023, also known as the Oscars of the aviation industry.
pg. 167
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• Star Alliance is a global grouping of 26 airlines, including Air India, Lufthansa, Singapore
Airlines and South African Airlines.
Source: ET

28. Chennai-based lawyer-activist Lalitha Natarajan has been awarded the 2023 Iqbal Masih
Award for the Elimination of Child Labour by the US.
• The Iqbal Masih Award is a US Congress-mandated, non-monetary award established by
the Secretary of Labor in 2008 that honours extraordinary contributions to combat child
labour.
• The award commemorates World Day Against Child Labour (June 12).
Source: ANI

29. Two films from the WHO South-East Asia Region have won awards at this year's Health for
All Film Festival (HAFF) organized by WHO.
• 1st - 'One in 36 million: Story of Childhood Lead Poisoning in Bangladesh', directed by Arifur
Rahma and Mitali Das and produced by Pure Earth Bangladesh won the award under the
Better Health and Well-being category.
• 2nd - 'When Climate Change Turns Violent', a film by Vandita Sariya from India, won the
Special Prize under the Climate Change and Health category.
Source: WHO

30. Tata Power emerged as India's most attractive employer brand in 2023, followed by
Amazon and Tata Steel, according to HR services firm Randstad.
Source: Fortune India

31. ‘2022 Burgundy Private Hurun India 500: A Six-Month Update’ has been released by
Burgundy Pvt (Axis Bank’s entity) and Hurun India.
• Top - Reliance Industries Ltd, followed by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), and HDFC
Bank
Source: LiveMint

32. According to the 2023 edition of Henley's annual Private Wealth Migration Report, India is
set to lose as many as 6,500 high-net worth individuals (HNWIs) in 2023.

pg. 168
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• This is second only to China (13,500), and United Kingdom (3,200) has been placed on the
third place.
• As per the study, Dubai and Singapore are the most preferred destinations.
• Reasons for relocation – programs like ‘Golden Visa’ of UAE, favourable tax environment,
robust business ecosystem, and safe, peaceful environment
Source: HT

33. International Olympic Committee (IOC) presented the Director-General of the World
Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, with the Olympic Order for his
inspirational role in ensuring the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 took place despite the Covid-19
pandemic.
• At the same time, the IOC honoured the WHO, as an organisation, with the Olympic Cup
for 2021.
• International Olympic Committee (HQ - Lausanne, Switzerland) President - Thomas
Bach
• The Olympic Cup, created in 1906 by the IOC, is the highest distinction for an organisation
with a proven record of promoting the ideals of the Olympic Movement.
Source: BS

34. TIME100 Most Influential Companies of 2023 has been released.

• The list provides influential people in 5 categories – Leaders, Disrupters, Innovators, Titans,
Pioneers.
• Indians on the list -
o Meesho (Innovative retailer) and NPCI (Connecting commerce) – Pioneer category
Source: Time

35. Sahitya Akademi has announced 22 winners for Bal Sahitya Puraskar and 20 winners for
the YuvaPuraskar.
• The winners will receive a cash prize of Rs 50,000 each.
• Renowned children’s author Sudha Murtywill be awarded Bal Sahitya Puraskar for her
collection of stories titled ‘Grandparents’ Bag of Stories’.
Knowledge Nuggets -

pg. 169
[Type here]

• Bal Sahitya Puraskaris an annual award established by Sahitya Akademi in 2010. It

isgiven to writers who write for the age group of 9 years to 16 years old.
• Yuva Puraskar was introduced in 2011 by Sahitya Akademi to encourage young writers
writing in Indian languages and who are below the age of 35.
Source: IE

36. Harish Bhat (CMO of Tata Group) has been ranked 10th on Forbes list of top 50 Chief
Marketing Officers (CMOs).
• William White (CMO, Walmart) has topped the list.
• Morgan Stanley (CMO, McDonald’s) has been inducted into the Forbes CMO Hall of
Fame 2023 Class.
Source: HinduBusiness Line

37. Busta Rhymes (American Rapper) has been awarded the BET Lifetime Achievement Award
for 2023.
• The BET Awards is an annual awards ceremony that celebrates African Americans and
other minorities in music, entertainment, and sports.
• It is presented by the Black Entertainment Television (BET) network and has been held
since 2001.
Source: Economic Times

38. Five exceptional young scientists from Argentina, Cameroon, China, Egypt and Serbia
received the prestigious UNESCO-AI Fozan International Prize for the Promotion of Young
Scientists in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) during a
ceremony at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France.
• Each laureate won a prize money of US $50,000 and a medal.
• Dr Federico Ariel (Argentina), Professor Abdon Atangana (Cameroon), Professor Qiaomei
FU (China), Dr Hesham Omran (Egypt), and Dr Jelena Vladic (Serbia).
Source: UNESCO

SPORTS
1. India has defeated Pakistan in the Men's Junior Asia Cup 2023 here in Salalah, Oman.
Source: HT

pg. 170
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AWARDS
1. Former Lok Sabha MP Pandit Ramkishan was honoured with the title of Shatabdi Purush
(Man of the Century) in New Delhi.
Source: Indian Express

2. Popular UK-based Indian-origin actor-writer Meera Syal has been conferred a BAFTA
Fellowship, the highest accolade bestowed by the British Academy of Film and Television
Arts (BAFTA).
• Purpose – it is bestowed upon an individual in recognition of an outstanding and
exceptional contribution to film and/or television
• Syal’s best works - 'Goodness Gracious Me' and 'The Kumars at No. 42' (TV shows)
Source: Economic Times

3. 2023 Goldman Environmental Prize (aka Green Nobel Prize) has been announced to
recognise individuals who contribute towards environmental conservation.
Winners Nationality
Zafer Kizilkaya Turkey
Alessandra Korap Munduruku Brazil
Chilekwa Mumba Zambia
Tero Mustonen Finland
Delima Silalahi Indonesia
Diane Wilson USA

Knowledge Nuggets -
• The Goldman Environmental Prize was founded in 1989 by Richard and Rhoda Goldman.
• The Goldman Environmental Prize recognizes grassroots environmental heroes from
roughly the world’s six inhabited continental regions:
o Africa
o Asia
o Europe
o Islands & Island Nations
o North America

pg. 141
[Type here]

o South & Central America

Source: Goldmanprize.org

4. Fatimah Asghar (poet and screenwriter) won inaugural Carol Shields Prize for Fiction
(worth $150,000) for her debut novel “When We Were Sisters”.
• The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction is named for the late Pulitzer Prize-winning writer. It is
given for outstanding work by a woman or non-binary person in the U.S. or Canada.
Source: Economic Times

5. Maria Stepanova (Russian now living in exile in Berlin) has been awarded the prestigious
Leipzig Book Prize for European Understanding in 2023.
Source: Indian Express

6. Forbes released The World’s 10 Highest-Paid Athletes 2023.

• 1st - Cristiano Ronaldo (Portuguese)
• 2nd - Lionel Messi (Argentine)
Source: Forbes

7. Former President of India Ram Nath Kovind honoured Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with
the Bharat Ratna Dr Ambedkar Award 2023 for creating a fear-free Uttar Pradesh.
Source: Economic Times

8. Prince of Arcot Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali has won the Meritorious Service Award,
2023, given by the Indo-Australian Association (IAA).
• The award was given by Sara Kirlew, Australian Consul General to South India, and Dr
Susan Verghese, president, Indo-Australian Association.
Source: Times of India

9. Biologist Sathyabhama Das Biju, who is popularly known as ‘the Frogman of India’, has
been chosen for Harvard University’s prestigious Radcliffe fellowship.
• He will be a part of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study (or Harvard Radcliffe
Institute) at Harvard University.
Source: The Hindu

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10. 2023 Pulitzer Prizes have been announced by Columbia University for achievements in
newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United
States.
Category Winner
Public Service Associated Press
Fiction Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver
Trust, by Hernan Diaz
Drama English, by Sanaz Toossi
Biography G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the
American Century, by Beverly Gage
Memoir or Autobiography Stay True, by Hua Hsu
Poetry Then the War: And Selected Poems, 2007-
2020, by Carl Phillips
Music Omar, by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael
Abels
Source: Pulitzer.org

11. 2023 Laureus World Sport Awards have been announced.

Category Winner
Laureus World Sportsman of The Year Lionel Messi (Footballer, Argentine)
Laureus World Sportswoman of The Year Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Athlete, Jamaica)
Laureus World Team of The Year Argentine Men’s Football Team
Laureus World Breakthrough of The Year Carlos Alcaraz (Tennis, Spain)
Laureus World Sportsperson of The Year with Catherine Debrunner
A Disability
Laureus Sport For Good TeamUp

(A psycho-social support intervention

developed by War Child, Save the Children
and UNICEF Netherlands)
Source: Laureus

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[Type here]

12. Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd won the Steel Ministry’s "Ispat Rajbhasha Samman" First Prize
for the year 2021-22.
• RINL's March issue of Hindi In-house Magazine "Rashtriya Ispat Sugandh" was also
released.
• CMD of RINL - Shri Atul Bhatt
Source: PIB

13. Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama was presented with the 1959 Ramon Magsaysay
Award.
• Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, Philippines president Susanna B Afan and
foundation trustee Emily A Abrera personally presented the award to the spiritual at his
residence in Himachal Pradesh’s McLeod Ganj.
Source: Times of India

14. Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) Uttar Pradesh has been awarded the country's prestigious
HUDCO Award (2022-2023).
• The award given on the 53rd Foundation Day of Housing and Urban Development
Corporation Limited (HUDCO).
• This award has been given in the Best Practices to Improve the Living Environment
2022-23 category for cleanliness. Rs 1 lakh was also given to the UP government as part
of the award.
• J&K has won two awards including 'Overall best performing Union Territory’ and ‘Best
Performing UT for implementation of Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHCs)'.
Source: ANI

15. An environmental non-profit organisation called The Green Organisation in the UK presented
the Green World Award 2023 to recognise, honour, and promote the best practices for the
environment all over the world.
• Green World Champion of Champions is Grupo Ambipar-Brazil for their project Sustainable
BioCapsules – Transforming Waste into Trees.
• Indian organizations have won three awards, which are
Category Winner
Environmental Policy Silver - Chennai Metro Rail, India
Environmental Policy & Management Gold - Vedanta, India

pg. 144
[Type here]

CSR Gold - Power Grid Corporation of India

Source: GWA

16. 68th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2023 have been announced.

Category Winner
Best Film Gangubai Kathiawadi
Best Actor in Leading Role Rajkumar Rao for Badhai Do
Best Actress in Leading Role Alia Bhatt for Gangubai Kathiawadi
Source: Hyundai Filmfare

17. Indian American Neeli Bendapudi, the president of Penn State University, will be receiving the
American Immigration Council's 2023 Immigrant Achievement Award.
Source: HT

18. Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize 2023 has been won by Arinze Ifeakandu
(Nigeria).
Source: Swansea University

19. Prof. Jayant V. Narlikar has won ASI Govind Swarup Lifetime Achievement award for
Astronomy and Astrophysics for the year 2022.
Source: Astronomical Society of India

20. Author and translator Musharraf Ali Farooqi (Pakistani Canadian) has won the inaugural
edition of the Armory Square Prize for South Asian Literature in Translation.
• He translated Siddique Alam’s The Kettledrum and Other Stories from Urdu to English.
• US-based Armory Square Ventures is the sponsor of the award.
Source: Indian Express

21. National Technology Awards 2023 were announced by Technology Development Board
(TDB) of Ministry of Science & Technology.
• The categories of awards are Main, MSME, Startup, Translational Research and
Technology Business Incubator.
• A total of 11 winners are there in 2023.

pg. 145
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Category 1 – Main National Technology Award M/S Mylab Discovery

(Main) Solutions Private Limited,
Maharashtra
Prize - Rs.25 Lakh
Category 2 – MSME National Technology Award M/S Ideaforge Technology
(MSME Category) Limited, Maharashtra

Prize - Rs. 15 Lakhs M/S. Electronics Devices

Worldwide Private Limited,
Maharashtra

M/S. XIOTZ Private Limited,

Karnataka (Women Led
MSME)
Category 3 – Technology National Award (Technology M/S Kanpur Flower Recycling
Startup Start-up) Private Limited, Uttar Pradesh

Prize - Rs.15 Lakh M/S Sascan Meditech Private

Limited, Kerala

M/S Xyma Analytics Private

Limited, Tamil Nadu

M/S Wellrx Technologies

Private Limited, Haryana

M/S Qzense Labs Private

Limited, Karnataka (Women
Led Start Up)
Category 4 - Translational National Technology Award Prof. Govindaraju Thimmaiah
Research (Translational Research)

pg. 146
[Type here]

Category 5 - Technology National Technology Award T-hub Foundation, Telangana

Business Incubator (Technology Business
Incubator)
Source: PIB

22. Dr M.N. Nandakumara, a well-known UK-based Sanskrit scholar and the Executive
Director of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan centre in London, has been conferred an honorary
MBE by King Charles III for services to Indian classical arts in Britain.
• Nandakumara hails from the village of Mattur in Karnataka.
• The honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) is given by the British
monarch to foreign nationals for their contribution to public life.
Source: HT

23. Twenty countries and territories are represented on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Asia 2023 list. India
ranked first with 75 entries, followed by China (34), Japan (32), Singapore (30) and South
Korea (28).
Source: Forbes

24. “Time Shelter” novel, written by Georgi Gospodinov and translated into English by Angela
Rodel, has won the International Booker Prize 2023.
• This is the first time a novel originally published in Bulgarian has won the annual award.
• The Italian translation of “Time Shelter” won the Premio Strega Europeo prize last year.
Knowledge Nuggets -
• This award is given to a work of fiction translated into English and published in the United
Kingdom in the preceding year.
• Last year, the prize went to Geetanjali Shree’s Tomb of Sand from India, translated into
English by Daisy Rockwell.
Source: Indian Express

25. Kavitha Lankesh’s Gauri, the eponymous documentary film about her sister and slain
journalist Gauri Lankesh, won the “Best Long Documentary Award” at the South Asian
Film Festival of Montreal.
Source: The Wire

26. The regional winners of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2023 have been announced.
pg. 147
[Type here]

• Winners - Agnes Chew (Singapore, Asia), Hana Gammon (South Africa, Africa), Kwame
McPherson (Jamaica, Caribbean), Himali McInnes (New Zealand, Pacific), and Rue Baldry
(United Kingdom, Canada and Europe)

Source: Indian Express and Commonwealth Foundation

27. Trichy International Airport’s new terminal project has been awarded the international
safety award by the British Safety Council in the first-class merit category.
• ITD Cementation India Limited developed the terminal.
• The terminal building is being constructed as per the standards of ‘GRIHA’ (green rating for
integrated habitat assessment), in which the design maximizes the use of natural light
within the building and incorporates renewable energy measures.
Source: TOI

28. Sikh Empire's last ruler's daughter Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, daughter of Maharaja
Duleep Singh, was honoured with a commemorative Blue Plaque for her house (“The
Faraday House”) in London.
• Maharaja Duleep Singh settled in England in 1854.
• Princess Sophia Duleep Singh is also the goddaughter of Queen Victoria.
• The Blue Plaque scheme, run by the English Heritage charity, honours the significance of
buildings associated with historical figures.
• Named after another former resident, the eminent English physicist Michael Faraday
(1791–1867), Faraday House was Princess Sophia’s main residence for over four decades.
Source: LiveMint and Royal Trust, UK

pg. 148
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29. GMR Hyderabad International Airport has been recognized as the most punctual airport in
the world by aviation analytical firm, CIrium.
• Hyderabad airport topped the charts both in the ‘Global AIrports’ and ‘Large Airports’
categories.
Source: The Hindu

30. Hrithik Roshan won the Best Actor award in a Leading Role (male) at International Indian
Film Academy Awards (IIFA) 2023.
• Alia Bhatt won Best Actor in a Leading Role (female) at IIFA 2023 for Gangubai
Kathiawadi.
Source: HT

31. Cannes Film Festival 2023 (76th edition) -

Category Winners
Palme D’or Anatomie D’une Chute (Anatomy Of A Fall)
Directed By Justine Triet
Grand Prix The Zone Of Interest Directed By Jonathan
Glazer
Best Director Tran Anh Hùng For La Passion De Dodin
Bouffant (The Pot-au-feu)
Source: Cannes

SPORTS
1. 7th edition of the 2023 Men's Asian Champions Trophy will be hosted by Chennai, India in
August 2023.
• It is a men's field hockey tournament, played amongst the six best Asian hockey teams
— India, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, China and Pakistan.
• Asian Hockey Federation (HQ- Malaysia) organizes the tournament.
• It will be the first international hockey competition to be hosted in Chennai since the
Asia Cup, which was held there in 2007.
• Asian Games 2023 will be held in Hangzhou, China in September-October.
Knowledge Nuggets -

pg. 149
[Type here]

32. April 21 – World Creativity and Innovation Day

• World Creativity and Innovation Week is observed from April 15-21.
Source: UN’s website

33. April 22 - International Mother Earth Day / Earth Day; Theme - Invest in Our Planet
Source: Times of India

34. April 23 – World Book and Copyright Day; Theme - Indigenous Languages
Source: Indian Express

35. April 23 – UN English Language Day

Source: list of UN languages’day

36. April 24 – International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace

Source: UN’s website

37. April 26 - World Intellectual Property Day; Theme - Women and IP: Accelerating innovation
and creativity
Source: WIPO’s website

AWARDS
1. Alia Mir, a woman from Jammu and Kashmir, has been honoured with the Wildlife
Conservation Award by the J&K administration for her conservation efforts in the region.
• Alia is the first woman from Kashmir who works for the charity Wildlife SOS organisation
which is part of the Wildlife Rescue Team.

2. Tapoban (an Assam-based NGO that cares for special and autistic children) has won the
Children’s Champion Award 2023 in the health and nutrition category.
• The award, instituted by the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights in 2022,
recognises individuals and institutions championing the cause of children in education,
justice, health, nutrition, sports, and artistic expression.

pg. 137
[Type here]

3. Two CBI officers posted in Chandigarh were given President’s Police Medals for
Distinguished Service during the Diamond Jubilee Celebration function.
• The two officers were Joint Director, Vineet Vinayak, Chandigarh Zone, CBI, and
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Seema Pahuja, CBI, Chandigarh.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi conferred the medals on the two CBI officers.

4. Philanthropist and art collector Kiran Nadar conferred "Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur"
(Knight of the Legion of Honour) by French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain.
• Reason – her outstanding contribution in the field of art
• In 2022, Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA) joined hands with Alkazi Foundation, and
the French Institute in India to create "Converges", the largest exhibition of original
pictures from French photographers ever shown in India.
• This exhibition was brought to India as part of "Bonjour India 2022", a six-month cultural
festival organised by France across India as a present for India's 75th Independence
anniversary.
• It is the highest French civilian award, established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte.

5. Olivier Awards 2023 (47th edition) have been announced.

• The Olivier Awards are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise
excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital.
• Chennai-born Singaporean Actress Anjana Vasan has won the “Best Actress in a
Supporting Role” award.

6. Forbes World’s Billionaires List 2023 has been released.

• Top - Bernard Arnault (CEO of LVMH)
• India - Mukesh Ambani (9th rank)

7. Tripura has been awarded as the best performing state among north-eastern states in the
implementation of e-procurement.
• In this context, Tripura has been rewarded for completing the work within a specified time
under the power department's Saubhagya Yojana.

8. Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has given 'Life Membership' to World Cup winning captain
Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
pg. 138
[Type here]

• The club has also honoured Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, former women's national captain
Mithali Raj and the legendary Jhulan Goswami.
• A total of 19 new honorary life members who represented eight Test-playing countries were
honoured.

9. Bharat Biotech has won the `Best Production /Process Development’ award as part of the
Vaccine Industry Excellence (ViE) awards at the World Vaccine Congress 2023 held in
Washington, USA during April 3-6.
• Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech was the only Indian company in the list of VIE awards
in various categories, including best clinical trial company, best clinical trial network, best
central/specialty laboratory award, best contract research organisation, best
production/process development award, among others.
Knowledge Nuggets -
• Bharat Biotech is the world’s first producer of intranasal Covid-19 vaccine,
iNcovacc.
• Its intramuscular vaccine, Covaxin, is part of India’s public vaccination programme and
was also exported.
• The World Vaccine Congress is the largest global meeting for the stakeholders in the
vaccine value chain.
Source: The Hindu Business Line

10. Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has secured the top position in Time Magazine's annual
TIME100 list.
Source: Time Magazine

11. Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao, a prominent Indian American mathematician and statistician,
has been chosen for the 2023 International Prize in Statistics for his monumental work 75
years ago that revolutionised statistical thinking.
• The award will be presented to Rao at the biennial International Statistical Institute
World Statistics Congress in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
• He was also awarded the title of Padma Bhushan by the Indian Government (1968) and
Padma Vibhushan in 2001.
Knowledge Nuggets -

pg. 139
[Type here]

• The prize, given by the International Prize in Statistics Foundation, carries an award of
USD 80,000.
• The International Prize in Statistics is awarded every two years by a collaboration
among five leading international statistics organisations.
• The award is equivalent to the Nobel Prize in this field. The International Prize in
Statistics, along with the COPSS Presidents' Award, are the two highest honours in the
field of Statistics.
Source: LiveMint

12. The highest honour of Poland, the Order of the White Eagle, was presented to Ukraine’s
President Volodymyr Zelensky by the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda.
Source: Wion

13. Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, received the ‘Business Leader of
the Decade Award’ at All India Management Association's (AIMA) 13th Managing India
Awards.
• Tata Steel Chairman T V Narendran was facilitated with 'AIMA-JRD Tata Corporate
Leadership' award.
• Leading engineering services company ABB India bagged the 'MNC in India of the Year'
award.
Source: Business Standard

14. Rajasthan's Nandini Gupta has been crowned Femina Miss India World 2023.
Source: Times of India

15. Union Home Minister Amit Shah conferred the 'Maharashtra Bhushan-2022' Award on
social reformer Appasaheb Dharmadhikari.
• The award carries a prize money of Rs 25 lakhs.
Source: Hindustan Times

16. Utsa Patnaik, a renowned economist, has been selected for the Malcolm Adiseshiah Award
2023.
Knowledge Nuggets -

pg. 140
[Type here]

• The award is given every year by the Chennai-based Malcolm & Elizabeth Adiseshiah
Trust.
• The award will be given with a citation and a prize money of ₹2 lakh at a function to be
held in Chennai.
Source: The Hindu

17. Tata Steel has been recognised as 2023 Steel Sustainability Champion by the World Steel
Association for the 6th consecutive year.
• The Sustainability Champions were announced at the World Steel Special General
Meeting of the Board of Members held in Vienna, Austria.
• CEO & Managing Director, Tata Steel - T.V. Narendran
Knowledge Nuggets -
• The World Steel Association (worldsteel) is a non-profit organisation with headquarters
in Brussels, Belgium.
Source: Tata Steel’s website

18. Hurun Research Report has published the Global Unicorn Index 2023.
• India retains 3rd place with 68 unicorns.
• USA is at 1st position with 666 unicorns, China is at second with 316, and UK is at 4th with
49 unicorns, followed by Germany and Israel at 5th and 6th place.

pg. 141
[Type here]

Source: Hurun’s website

19. For the first time, Karnataka has won the national award for the best implementation of
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
• The state recorded a 47.74% increase in the enrolment of farmers under the scheme
between the kharif season 2021 and 2022.
• The area covered under the scheme increased by 41.80% in the state.
Source: Times of India

20. Wing Commander Deepika Misra became the first woman officer in the Indian Air Force to
be presented a gallantry award i.e., Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) at an Investiture
Ceremony held at the Air Force Auditorium in Subroto Park, New Delhi.
• Purpose - for "exceptional courage" displayed during a flood relief operation in Madhya
Pradesh
• Other awardees – 2 IAF officers were awarded Yudh Seva Medal, 13 officers and air
warriors received Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry), 13 officers Vayu Sena Medal and 30 got
Vishisht Seva Medal
• A total of 58 people -- 57 from the IAF and one from the Army -- received the awards.
Source: CNBC

21. Indian Navy has instituted two awards in memory of India's first Chief of Defence Staff Gen.
Bipin Rawat.
• First award - General Bipin Rawat rolling trophy for women officer

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o It will be awarded to the ‘Women Agniveer Trainee standing First in Overall Order of
Merit.’
• Second award - Gen. Bipin Rawat’s rolling trophy for the ‘Most Spirited Officer’
o This award recognizes and celebrates the spirit of General Rawat and encourages
officers to imbibe his qualities of conviction and decisiveness.
Source: News on Air

22. Ratan Tata, the Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, was conferred with Australia's highest
civilian honour, the Order of Australia, for his efforts in strengthening the India-Australia
bilateral relations.
Source: India Today

23. Midfielder Hardik Singh and goalkeeper Savita Punia conferred with the men’s and women’s
Indian ‘Balbir Singh’s Hockey Player of the Year’ awards.
• This was the fifth edition of Hockey India Annual Awards.
• Hockey India Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award for 2022 - Gurbux
Singh (Rs 30 lakh and a trophy)
• Best defender – Harmanpreet (men’s hockey team captain)
• Hockey India Dhanraj Pillay Award for Forward of the Year 2022 - Vandana Katariya
• Best Goalkeeper for 2022 - Krishan B Pathak was named the
• Best midfielder award - Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam
• Asunta Lakra Award for upcoming women’s player of the year for 2022 - Mumtaz Khan
• Indian junior men’s team that won gold at the Sultan of Johor Cup 2022 was also
felicitated with each player earning Rs 2 lakh each and the coaching staff receiving Rs 1
lakh each.
Source: Indian Express

SPORTS
1. 2023 Madrid Spain Masters (Badminton) - Men’s singles: Kenta Nishimoto (Japan);
Women’s Singles: Gregoria Mariska Tunjung (Indonesia)

pg. 143
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AWARDS
1. 13th edition of Sansad Ratna Awards for 2023 have been announced.
• A total of 13 awardees were felicitated.
Category Winner
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Lifetime Achievement TK Rangarajan (former Rajya Sabha MP from
Awards Tamil Nadu)

2. Sajjan Jindal (Chairman and Managing Director of JSW Group) was named the EY
Entrepreneur of the Year™ 2022 and will now represent India at the EY World
Entrepreneur of the Year Award (WEOY).

3. S&P Global has released The Commodity Insights Top 250 Global Energy Company
Rankings.
• Rank 1 – Saudi Arabian Oil Co.
• Rank 2 – Petrobras (Brazil)
• India’s companies – ONGC (at 14th rank), Reliance Industries (22nd rank), Indian Oil
Corporation (25th rank)

4. At the Hollywood Critics Association Film Awards 2023, ‘RRR’ movie won 5 awards.
• Awards are Best Action film, Best International Film, Best Original Song, Best Stunts, and
cast/crew of RRR won honorary HCA Spotlight Award.

5. 2023 Pen America Literary Awards have been announced in New York.
Category Winner
Pen/Nabokov Award for Achievement in Vinod Kumar Shukla (Hindi writer from India)
International Literature
Pen/Mike Nichols Writing for Performance Tina Fey (USA)
Award

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Pen/Laura Pels International Foundation for Erika Dickerson-Despenza (Chicago, US)

Theatre Award

6. Groupe Speciale Mobile Association (GSMA) has conferred Government Leadership

Award 2023 to India for implementing best practices in telecom policy and regulation.
• The award was given at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

7. 2023 Sportstar Aces Awards have been announced.

Category Winner
Sportsman of the Year (Cricket) Hardik Pandya
Sportswoman of the Year (Cricket) Harmanpreet Kaur
Sportsman of the Year (Team Sports) PR Sreejesh and Sunil Chhetri
Sportswoman of the Year (Team Sports) Savita Punia
Club of the Year Gujarat Titans
Lifetime Achievement Award Shyam Thapa

8. Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has received the Porter Prize 2023 for managing
COVID-19, also the approach, and involvement of various stakeholders especially involvement
of ASHA workers in the industry to create PPE Kits.
• The prize was announced during The India Dialog at Stanford University.
Knowledge Nuggets -
• Porter Prize is named after award-winning economist Michael E. Porter (Professor at
Harvard Business School).
• He has brought economic theory and strategy concepts to bear on many of the most
challenging problems faced by corporations, economies and societies, including market
competition and company strategy, economic development, the environment and
healthcare.
• The Porter Prize was established to recognize outstanding Japanese companies and to
enhance the competitiveness of Japanese industries.

9. Sashidhar Jagdishan (MD and CEO of HDFC Bank) has won the Business Standard
Banker of the Year 2022.

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10. NTPC Limited, has been honoured with the CBIP Award 2022 for ‘Outstanding
Contribution in Power Generation’, attributed to its Vindhyachal Super Thermal Power
Station, the largest power station in the country for its efficiency and high level of generation.

11. ACI World’s annual ASQ Awards have been announced for the year 2022.
• Cleanest Airports (Asia-Pacific) -
o Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
o Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia
o Shanghai Pudong International Airport, China
• Best Airports by Size and Region from India -
Category Winner
Under 2 million passengers per year Tiruchirappalli International Airport
(Tiruchirapalli, India)
5 to 15 million passengers per year Cochin International Airport (Cochin, India)
15 to 25 million passengers per year Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (Hyderabad,
India)
Over 40 million passengers per year Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International
Airport (Mumbai, India)
Indira Gandhi International Airport (Delhi,
India)

12. Sir David Alan Chipperfield CH (from England) has won the Pritzker Architecture Prize
2023.
Knowledge Nuggets -
• The Pritzker Prize is considered as the Nobel Prize of Architecture, with a prize money
of $100,000, a formal citation certificate.
• The international award was established by the Pritzker family of Chicago through their
Hyatt Foundation in USA.

13. Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr L. Murugan presented the
8th National Photography Awards in New Delhi.
• A total of 13 awards were presented.
Category Winner

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Lifetime Achievement Award (prize money - Rs Ms Sipra Das

3 lakh)
Professional Photographer of the Year Award Shri Sasi Kumar Ramachandran
(prize money - Rs 1 lakh)
Special Mention Awards in the Professional Shri Dipjyoti Banik
category (prize money – Rs 50,000) Shri Manish Kumar Chauhan
Shri R S Gopakumar
Shri Sudipto Das
Shri Umesh Harishchandra Nikam
Amateur Photographer of the Year Award Shri Arun Saha
(prize money – Rs 75,000)
Mention Awards in the Amateur category (prize Shri C S Sreeranj
money – Rs 30,000) Dr Mohit Wadhawan
Shri Ravishankar S L
Shri Subhadip Bose
Shri Tharun Adurugatla

14. India Philanthropy Report 2023 was released by non-profit Dasra and consulting firm Bain &
Company.
• India’s social sector spending as a percentage of GDP grew from 8.6% in FY 2021 to
9.6% in FY 2022 due to 35% growth in public spending.

15. Ministry of Tourism has bagged the Golden & Silver Star at The International ‘Golden City
Gate Tourism Awards 2023’ in ‘TV/Cinema Commercials International and Country
International’ Category at ITB, Berlin 2023.
• The annual award ceremony takes place at ITB Berlin, the world’s leading tourism trade
show.

16. 95th Oscar 2023 – India made history as “The Elephant Whisperers” movie got Best
Documentary –Short Film Award and “Naatu Naatu” song from RRR has won the Best
Original Song award.
• From India, “All That Breathes” movie was nominated in the “Documentary-Feature Film”
category. The movie has been produced by Shaunak Sen, Aman Mann and Teddy Leifer.

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Facts about “The Elephant Whisperers”

• The movie was shot in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu.
• Released Date – 2022
• Director - Kartiki Gonsalves
• 1st Indian documentary to win Oscar
Facts about “Naatu Naatu”
• Shot in – Ukraine, in front of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s house

History of Oscar in India -

• Bhanu Athaiya (Costume Designer) - 1st Oscar Winner from ‘Gandhi’ Movie
• Satyajit Ray (film director) – Honorary Oscar 1992 for Lifetime Achievement Award
• Resul Pookutty (sound engineer) - Best Sound Mixing Award for ‘Slumdog Millionaire’
• AR Rahman – 1st Indian to get nominations in 3 categories for the British-Indian movie
‘Slumdog Millionaire’. Of them, he won two awards – original song and another for the
track of ‘Jai Ho’

• Other awardees -

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o Best Picture – Everything Everywhere All at Once (directed by Daniel Kwan and
Daniel Scheinert)
o Best Actor in Leading Role – Branden Fraser for “The Whale” movie
o Best Actress in Leading Role – Michelle Yeoh for “Everything Everywhere All at
Once” role

17. Noted Hindi writer Dr Gyan Chaturvedi’s 2018 satirical novel, Pagalkhana, has won the 32nd
Vyas Samman, 2022.
Knowledge Nuggets -
• Literature Awards in India -
o Jnanpith given by Bharatiya Jnanpith org in New Delhi
o Sahitya Akademi Award - Sahitya Akademi
o Sahitya Akademi Fellowship - Sahitya Akademi
o Saraswati Samman - KK Birla Foundation
o Vyas Samman- KK Birla Foundation
o Bhasha Samman - Sahitya Akademi

18. RBI Governor Shaktikant Das won the 'Governor of the Year' 2023 award by the
international publication Central Banking.
• He was conferred the 'Central Banker of the Year, Asia-Pacific 2020' award by the
London based magazine-The Banker.
Knowledge Nuggets -
• Das was appointed the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India by the Appointments
Committee of the Cabinet in 2018 for a period of three years. In 2021, his tenure was
again increased for three years.
• According to the RBI Act of 1934, the Governor and a Deputy Governor shall hold office
for such term not exceeding five years as the Central Government may fix when
appointing them and shall be eligible for re-appointment.

19. World Economic Forum has announced the induction of the newest members of its Young
Global Leaders Class of 2023.
• Indians in the 2023 YGL Class -
Category Winner

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Academia/Think-tank Tanvi Ratna, Founder and Chief Executive

Officer, Policy 4.0. Research Foundation, India
Arts, Culture & Sports No Indian
Business Aakrit Vaish, Co-Founder and Chief Executive
Officer, Jio Haptik Technologies Limited, India
Vibin B Joseph, Executive Director and Chief
Executive Officer, BiOZEEN, India
Civil Society No Indian
Media No Indian
Public Figures Aaditya Thackeray, Leader, Shivsena, India
Madhukeshwar Desai, National Vice President,
BJYM (BJP Youth Wing), India

20. WHO has given “Partnership for Healthy Cities 2023” Award to five cities.
• Recipients - Montevideo, Uruguay for food policy; Mexico City, Mexico for road safety;
Vancouver, Canada for surveillance; Athens, Greece for overdose prevention, and
Bengaluru, India for tobacco control.

21. World’s Top 100 Airports 2023 has been released by Skytrax Research.
• Top 5 airports

• India’s topmost –
o 36th – Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport
o 65th – Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad
o 69th - Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru

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22. Tamil writer Perumal Murugan's novel 'Pookkuzhi', translated as 'Pyre' in English by
Anirudh Vasudevan, has become the first Tamil novel to be nominated for the International
Booker Prize 2023.

23. 13th edition of Aegis Graham Bell Awards has been announced.
• These awards are an initiative of Aegis School of Data Science, supported by the
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology; NITI Aayog and Skill India to
develop a culture of innovations in the country.
• The event was tech powered by leading ed-tech firm mUni Campus, Swissnex as the
country partner and various other incubation centers from IIT Madras to Villgro and investor
ecosystem partners like Indian Angel Network to IVCA and others.
Category Winners
Innovation in Digital Transformation Bharat Petroleum
Innovation in Charging Network & Infra L & T Technologies
Innovation in Agriculture Farmology
Innovation in Consumer Tech Ujjivan Small Finance Bank for its Hello Ujjivan
app

Note: Only the important ones are mentioned here, as per my opinion. You can read the entire list of
awardees here - https://bellaward.com/13th-winners-and-finalists/

24. Times Magazine has released the list of “The World's Greatest Places of 2023”.
• From India, Ladakh and Mayurbhanj (Odisha) are mentioned in the list.

25. Music Academy Awards 2023 -

Category Winner
Sangita Kalanidhi Awards 2023 Bombay Jayashri (Vocalist)
Nritya Kalanidhi Awards 2023 Vasanthalakshmi Narsimhachari
Sangita Kala Acharya 2023 Palkulangara Ambika Devi (Vocalist)
KS Kalidas
TTK Awards 2023 Thirunageswaram TR Subramaniam
Sargunanatha Odhuvar
Musicologist Award 2023 Arimalam S. Padmanabhan

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26. Argentinian American Luis Caffarelli (professor at the University of Texas) has won the Abel
Prize for Mathematics for his "seminal contributions to regularity theory for nonlinear partial
differential equations".
• Named after the Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel (1802-1829), the award
offers a prize of 7.5-million-kroner ($710,000) prize.

27. Hurun India has released the “2023 M3M Hurun Global Rich List- Global and India-
Specific".
• World’s Richest Person – Bernard Arnault (France) owner of LVMH, followed by Elon
Musk, owner of Tesla
o From India, Mukesh Ambani features on the list on 9th rank.
o Cyrus Poonawalla, founder of Serum Institute of India, ranks at 46 th rank. He is the
richest billionaire in the healthcare sector. He is the 3rd richest billionaire in India.
• India’s Richest Person – Mukesh Ambani

28. RINL Visakhapatnam received the national-level safety "Ispat Suraksha Puraskar", given by
the Joint Committee on Safety, Health & Environment in the Steel Industry.
• RINL Visakhapatnam also bagged Prestigious Award for "Zero Fatal Accident involving
Contract Labour" for the year 2022.
Knowledge Nuggets -
• The 'Joint Committee on Safety, Health & Environment in the Steel Industry'
(JCSSI), formerly known as 'Standing Committee on Safety for the Steel Industry'
(SCSSI) came into existence on 27th April 1973.
• The committee aims at safeguarding valuable human resource against possible hazards
in steel industry.
• JCSSI is a unique National level bipartite forum of management and trade union
representatives from both the public and private sector steel companies.

29. The Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL) has won a special literary
award on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
• The award has been conferred for his trilogy- The Unfinished Memoirs, The Prison Diaries
and the New China 1952.

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30. Forbes India has organised the 12th edition of its ‘Forbes India Leadership Awards 2023’.
Category Winner
GenNext Entrepreneur Isha Ambani (chair of Reliance Retail)
Lifetime Achievement Anil Manibhai Naik (chair of L&T)
Entrepreneur of the Year Abhay Soi (CMD of Max Healthcare Institute)
CEO of the Year CK Venkatraman (MD of Titan Company)
Emerging Innovator Skyroot Aerospace

31. Sipaapuni, a site located in Arizona, United States and sacred to the Hopi Native American
Nation has been awarded a ‘Water and Heritage Shield’ by the International Committee on
Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) International Science Committee.
• The Shield was awarded to the Black Mesa Trust (BMT), a Hopi grassroots organisation.
Knowledge Nuggets -
• International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) was founded in 1965 in
Warsaw because of the Venice Charter of 1964.
• It offers advice to UNESCO on World Heritage Sites.
• The International Science Committee is a part of the ICOMOS.

32. Ministry of Panchayati Raj, along with National Informatics Centre (NIC), has been
recognized for its AuditOnline software programme at the WSIS Forum 2023 at the ITU
headquarters in Geneva.
• The prestigious “ITU–World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prize 2023” is
given under the Category 7 — Action Line (AL) C7 — ICT Applications: e-Government —
for conducting online audit of all Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
• The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2023 is being organized
on the theme of ‘WSIS Action Lines for Building Back Better and Accelerating the
Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’.
Knowledge Nuggets -
• World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) is an annual award event
coordinated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), affiliated with the
United Nations (UN), in collaboration with UNESCO, UNDP and UNCTAD to promote
ICTs for achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals.

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33. Maha Metro Nagpur was honoured with the prestigious Asia Book of Records certification
for three different categories.
• The categories are ‘Longest Length of Metro Rail Corridor Construction in Shortest Time’,
‘First Solar PV System in a Metro Rail Project for Integrated Consumption’ and ‘Heaviest
Single Span Double Decker Steel Bridge Truss over Railway tracks in Urban Area’, in Asia.

34. Dhanya Rajendran, co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of The News Minute, has won the
Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Woman Media Person for 2022.
• The prestigious annual award, administered by the Media Foundation, consistently
recognises the presence of a vibrant, independent media.

35. Mumbai (India's commercial capital) has been included in the World Tree City 2022 list, for
the second consecutive year.
Knowledge Nuggets -
• The Arbor Day Foundation and the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organisation
(FAO) have been conducting the TWF for 50 years.
• ADF has planted more than 35 crore trees worldwide, with a target of 50 crore more
trees by 2027.
• To be recognised as a Tree City, a community must meet five core standards of caring
about the nature.

SPORTS
1. The inaugural edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) is being conducted at the DY
Patil Sports Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

2. Karnataka has defeated Meghalaya to win the Santosh Trophy National Football
Championship.

3. Daniil Medvedev (Russia) defeated his Russian compatriot Andrey Rublev to win the Dubai
Tennis Championships (ATP Tennis Tournament).

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