Current affairs 26 February 2023

India slips to 42nd rank in US Intellectual Property Rights Index.

• India has slipped to the 42nd position in the International Intellectual Property Rights Index 2023 out of 55 countries for 2022.
• India was ranked 40th in the index in 2021.
• It was launched by the US Chamber of Commerce's Global Innovation Policy Centre and is monitored by the Indian government.
• It evaluates the protection of IP rights in 55 of the world's leading economies, together representing approximately 90% of global GDP.
• Top performer: United States.

World’s longest river cruise "MV Ganga Vilas" to culminate its journey.

• World’s longest river cruise MV Ganga Vilas will culminate its journey on 28th February in Dibrugarh which started its journey on 13th January 2023
• It will cover a distance of 3,200 km in over 50 days before reaching Dibrugarh on the 28th February via Patna Sahib, Bodh Gaya, Vikramshila, Dhaka, the Suderbans and the Kaziranga national park.
• It is built with a unique design and a futuristic vision, three decks and 18 suites on board with a capacity of 36 tourists.

Rajkumar Ranjan Singh inaugurates the New Delhi World Book Fair 2023.

• Union Minister, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh has inaugurated New Delhi World Book Fair 2023, which is being held from 25 February to 5th March 2023 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
• It was organized by National Book Trust, India, in collaboration with ITPO (India Trade Promotion Organization).
• It will also have an NEP pavilion to mark the successful introduction of the National Education Policy 2020 and will have hundreds of authors, publishers from across the world.

J&K wins best adventure tourism destination award.

• Jammu & Kashmir Tourism has been chosen by India Today Tourism Survey for best adventure tourism award in recognition of its efforts in promoting Gulmarg as an adventure destination of international order.
• India Today award comes just within a month of South Asian Travel Trade Expo(SATTE) in which the J&K Tourism Department was awarded for its efforts in post COVID-19 recovery of the tourism sector.

INS Sindhukesari becomes the 1st Indian submarine to dock in Indonesia.

• INS Sindhukesari has become the 1st Indian submarine to dock in Indonesia and is a 3,000-tonne Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine.
• The submarine made its way to the Indonesian capital of Jakarta to dock after traversing through the nearby Sunda Strait and was part of INS Sindhukesari's first operational turnaround.
• It was designed as part of Project 877 and built under a contract between Rosvooruzhenie, Russia, and Ministry of Defence, India.