Current affairs 04 March 2023

President inaugurates 7th International Dharma-Dhamma Conference in Bhopal.

• President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the 7th International Dharma-Dhamma Conference at Bhopal (MP) on March 3, 2023, and will continue till March 5, 2023.
• Theme: Eastern Humanism for the New Era.
• Aim: To bring together religious, political, and thought leaders from Dharma-Dhamma traditions to ponder over building a philosophical framework for the emerging new world order.
• Organized by: India Foundation in collaboration with Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies.

World Bank’s Women, Business and the Law 2023 report released.

• According to the 9th Women, Business and the Law 2023 report, released by World Bank, UAE has topped the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region with 82.5 scores out of 100.
• Belgium, Canada, and Denmark topped all eight indicators.
• India scored 74.4 out of 100.
• Indicators: Mobility, Workplace, Pay, Marriage, Parenthood, Entrepreneurship, Assets, and Pension.
• It is an annual report that analyzes laws and regulations affecting women’s economic opportunity in 190 countries.

Himachal CM launches UPI e-services for Kangra Central Cooperative Bank.

• Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has launched Unified Payment Interface (UPI) and Swadhan-e-pension-Gov services for Kangra Central Cooperative Bank.
• Aim: To make bank transactions easier and quicker, especially for the elderly and those living in remote areas.
• These services would benefit thousands of account holders of the bank.
• He also released the bank's annual calendar on this occasion.

India host Quad Foreign Ministers meeting in New Delhi.

• India hosted the Quad Foreign Ministers in New Delhi on March 3, 2023.
• External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar chaired the meeting.
• The Foreign Ministers of Australia and Japan and the Secretary of State of the US participated in the meeting.
• It is an opportunity for the Ministers to continue their discussions held at their last meeting in New York in September 2022.
• QUAD: It is a strategic security dialogue between Australia, India, Japan, and the US.

IPS officer Rashmi Shukla appointed Director-General of Sashastra Seema Bal.

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of a 1988 batch IPS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, Rashmi Shukla as director general of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) till her superannuation (30.06.2024).
• Presently, she is serving as the Additional Director General of CRPF.
• SSB: A border protection force of India deployed along the borders with Nepal and Bhutan.
• SSB Founded: 1963; Headquarters: New Delhi.