Daily Current Affairs 18th March 2023: Your guide for daily General Knowledge Preparation
Dear Readers,
This post contains important current affairs of 18th March 2023. It includes all Major National, International, Business and Sports related current affairs of 18th March 2023. A brief explanation of every current affair is provided to further enhance your general knowledge. Once you have gone through these current affairs we would recommend to you to try 18th March 2023 Current affairs test.
National News
1. Leadership Transition at Bharat Petroleum Corporation
- G Krishnakumar has been instated as the chairman and managing director (MD) of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), following the retirement of Arun Kumar Singh in October 2022.
- Krishnakumar is expected to remain in this role until April 2025 or until further updates are given.
- BPCL, a central public sector enterprise under the aegis of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, oversees refineries situated in Bina, Kochi, and Mumbai.
Banking & Finance
2. Penalty on HDFC by RBI
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has levied a monetary fine of Rs 5 lakh on the mortgage lending company HDFC Ltd. This action comes as a result of HDFC’s negligence in transferring certain matured deposits to the designated accounts of depositors during the fiscal year 2019-20.
- HDFC’s actions were found to violate some clauses of the Housing Finance Companies (NHB) Directions of 2010.
- The current CEO of HDFC Bank is Sashidhar Jagdishan, with its head office located in Mumbai.
International News
3. Insights from the Global Terrorism Index
- Afghanistan has been identified as the nation most affected by terrorist activities for the fourth year in a row, even though there was a substantial decline in terrorist incidents and related deaths, as per the tenth Global Terrorism Index (GTI) findings.
- India’s position is 13th, which is only a slight drop from its previous ranking.
- Interestingly, despite being in the top 25 nations most impacted by terrorism, the Indian population did not view war and terrorism as major threats to their safety.
- Globally, there was a decline in terrorism-related deaths by nine percent. Pakistan, on the other hand, experienced a marked increase in such deaths.
- In terms of terrorist groups, Islamic State (IS) and its affiliates top the list, with others like al-Shabaab, Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) following.
Recent Indices
- World Air Quality Report: Top polluted cities include Lahore, Pakistan; Hotan, China; Bhiwadi Rajasthan, and Delhi.
- Electoral Democracy Index 2023: India stands at 108th, Denmark leads.
- International IP Index: India is at 42 out of 55, with the USA at the top.
- Global Fire Power Index 2023: India holds the 4th position while the US leads.
- Henley Passport Index 2023: India is at 85th rank, with Japan leading.
Defence
4. Introduction of the Inter-Services Organization Bill
- The Inter-Services Organization (Command, Control, and Discipline) Bill, 2023 was presented in the Lok Sabha. This bill aims to grant military commanders the authority to oversee soldiers and maintain discipline, irrespective of their specific service.
- This initiative precedes the anticipated formation of unified or joint commands, under which a single three-star general from the Indian Army, Navy, or IAF would have operational control over all resources and personnel.
Important Dates
5. Observance of Global Recycling Day on 18th March
- March 18th is marked as Global Recycling Day annually, emphasizing the vital role recycling plays in conserving our primary resources and ensuring a sustainable planet.
- Initiated in 2018, this day calls for global unity in prioritizing the environment.
- The 2023 theme is “Creative Innovation”.
- Recycling currently reduces CO2 emissions by over 700 million tonnes annually, a figure expected to rise to 1 billion tons by the end of this decade.
