1) International Day of Women Judges: 10 March
•March 10 marks the International Day of Women Judges. On this day, the United National reaffirms its commitment to develop and implement appropriate and effective strategies and plans for the advancement of women in the judicial system and institution at the managerial and leadership level.
•Women in the judiciary system are a key to ensuring that courts represent their citizens, address concerns and give out good judgments. Women’s presence in the judiciary system enhances the legitimacy of courts and sends a powerful message saying that they’re open and accessible to those who want to seek justice.
2) Skoch State of Governance ranking 2021: Andhra Pradesh gets first rank
•Andhra Pradesh has retained its number one spot in the SKOCH State of Governance rankings for the second consecutive year. According to a release, the State retained the first rank for the second consecutive year. In 2020 too, Andhra Pradesh bagged top rank in governance. Andhra Pradesh was ranked at second position in 2018 and later it slipped to 4th position in 2019, according to Skoch.
3) 3rd National Youth Parliament Festival (NYPF) begins in New Delhi
•The 3rd edition of the National Youth Parliament Festival (NYPF) has been organised jointly by the Lok Sabha Secretariat and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on March 10 and 11, 2022, in the Central Hall of Parliament, New Delhi. Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur will address the inaugural session of NYPF on March 10, while the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will address the valedictory function on March 11.
4) Karnataka government launched ‘Women@Work’ programme
•The government of Karnataka has launched ‘Women@Work’ program to provide five lakh jobs within 2026 to women with necessary employable skills. The program aims to focus on the efforts of corporate programs on attracting women workforce. It has been developed by Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) in association with KTECH, Karnataka Skill Development Corporation. It will act as an enabler for women to actively participate and join the workforce through industry upskilling.
•All efforts are being made to provide 5,000 jobs for women as part of the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission and added that the government is keen to actualise this mission in the coming days.
5) National Land Monetization Corp approved by cabinet
•Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the establishment of the National Land Monetization Corporation (NLMC) as a wholly-owned Government of India corporation with an initial authorised share capital of 5000 crores and a paid-up share capital of 150 crore. The National Land Management Corporation (NLMC) would monetize surplus land and building assets owned by Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and other government organisations. The idea is in accordance with the 2021-22 Budget Announcement.
6) Union Minister of Power launches Virtual Smart Grid Knowledge Center
•As part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav Program, Union Minister for Power R.K. Singh launched the Virtual Smart Grid Knowledge Center (SGKC) and Innovation Park. Krishan Pal Gurjar, Minister of State for Power, was also in attendance.
7) Haryana’s CM announced ‘Sushma Swaraj Award’ for women
•Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, while presenting the state budget, has announced a ‘Sushma Swaraj Award’ for women for their significant achievements or contribution in different walks of life in the international and national spheres. The Sushma Swaraj Award will carry an award money of Rs 5 lakh along with a commendation.
8) Atal Innovation Mission expanded to to encourage AR skills in youth
•NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission announced a partnership with Snap Inc. to promote Augmented Reality (AR) skill development among Indian youth. Snap Inc. is a global camera firm whose camera plays a transformative role in how people view the world around them by merging what they see in the physical world with all that is available in the digital world.
9) Yoon Suk Yeol elected as new South Korean President
•Yoon Suk-yeol has been declared as the winner of the 2022 South Korean presidential election to be elected as the new President of the country. He is scheduled to assume office as president on May 10, 2022, for a fixed term of five years. Yoon Suk-yeol will succeed incumbent President Moon Jae-in.
•With more than 98 per cent of the ballots counted, Yoon had 48.6 per cent of the votes against his rival Lee Jae-Myung’s 47.8 per cent. Yoon is to take office in May and serve a single five-year term as leader of the world’s 10th-largest economy.
10) Hungary elects first-ever female president
•The Hungarian parliament has elected Katalin Novak, a close ally of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, as the EU member’s first-ever female president. Novak, who most recently served as a minister for family policy, portrayed her election as a victory for women. She was elected to the mostly ceremonial role by 137 votes to 51 in the parliament dominated by Orban’s right-wing Fidesz party ahead of opposition challenger Peter Rona, an economist.
•Novak will succeed Janos Ader, a co-founder of Orban’s governing right-wing Fidesz party who has held the job since 2012. She will take office after Ader’s term expires May 10.
11) Ashwani Bhatia (SBI MD) appointed as SEBI member
t•The cabinet has appointed Ashwani Bhatia, managing director (MD) of the State Bank of India (SBI), as a whole-time member (WTM) of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). According to some sources, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has also approved Ashwani Bhatia’s appointment as a whole-time member of SEBI for three years from the date of his assumption of the command.
12) CRISIL projected GDP growth forecast at 7.8% for 2022-23
•Domestic rating agency CRISIL retained its real GDP growth forecast at 7.8% for the fiscal year 2023, as compared with the 8.5% projected in the Economic Survey. FM Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget proposals focused on loosening the purse strings by boosting capital expenditure and going slow on fiscal consolidation are aimed in the right direction. The agency expects the nominal growth to come at 12-13%, higher than the 11.1% Budget Estimate, and the headline inflation to average 5.2%.
13) NaBFID to be regulated as AIFI under RBI Act
•Reserve Bank of India has announced that National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) will be regulated and supervised by it as an All India Financial Institution (AIFI) under the RBI Act, 1934. NaBFID will be regulated and supervised by RBI as an AIFI under Sections 45L and 45N of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
•Presently RBI has four AIFIs under it namely EXIM Bank, NABARD, NHB and SIDBI. NaBFID will be the fifth AIFI under RBI. NaBFID has been set up as a Development Financial Institution (DFI) to support the development of long-term infrastructure financing in India.