Current affairs 15 March 2023

India remains world’s largest arms importer: SIPRI Data.

• According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report, despite an 11% drop in arms import between 2013-17 and 2018-22, India remained the world’s largest arms importer from 2018 to 2022 followed by Saudi Arabia.
• Russia was India’s largest arms supplier in the periods between 2013-17 and 2018-22.
• But Russia's share of arms imports to India fell from 64 to 45%.
• While France emerged as the second-largest arms supplier to India followed by the US.

Ministry of Jal Shakti to Identify 75 Water Heritage Sites.

• The Ministry of Jal Shakti had constituted a Committee to identify 75 Water Heritage Structure (WHS) in reference to 75 years of India's Independence.
• A total of 421 nominations were received and out of which, Committee has recommended 75 water heritage structures.
• It includes 5 WHS from Gujarat and 4 WHS from Andhra Pradesh.
• At present, there is no central fund allocated/disbursed for the maintenance of these sites.

India to host SCO Tourism Ministers’ Meeting 2023 in Kashi.

• India will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Tourism Ministers’ Meeting (TMM) on 17th -18th March 2023 in Kashi (designated as the first cultural capital of the SCO).
• During TMM, the Tourism Joint Action Plan on the Development of Cooperation in Tourism among SCO member countries would be adopted.
• India will also host the SCO Food Festival in Mumbai from 13-19 April 2023.
• India is the current chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Asia's 1st woman loco pilot, Surekha Yadav will operate Vande Bharat.

• Asia's first female locomotive pilot, Surekha Yadav is now operating the Vande Bharat Express.
• She operated Vande Bharat Express from Solapur to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminal (CSMT) in Maharashtra.
• She hails from Stara, Maharashtra, and become the country's first female train driver in 1988.
• She had won many awards at the state and national levels so far for her achievements.
• Union Minister of Railway: Ashwini Vaishnaw

India's retail inflation drops to 6.44% in February 2023.

• According to the data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), India's retail inflation has lowered to 6.44% in February 2023 from 6.52% in January 2023.
• But it remained above the upper band of the 4+/- 2 percent medium-term target of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for the second consecutive month.
• While food inflation eased marginally to 5.95 percent in February 2023 from 6% in January 2023, inflation for cereals, milk, and fruits picked up.