Current affairs 17 March 2023

Tamil writer Sivasankari to be awarded Saraswati Samman for 2022.

• Tamil writer Sivasankari has been selected for Saraswati Samman for the year 2022 for her book Survya Vamsam.
• This is a book of memoirs in Tamil language and was published in 2019.
• Saraswati Samman:
• It was instituted by the K.K. Birla Foundation in 1991.
• It is recognized as the most prestigious and the highest literary award in the country.
• It carries an award money of 15 lakh rupees, a Citation, and a Plaque.
• Prize money: £50,000, will be split equally between the author and translator.

NASA unveils new generation of spacesuit for humanity's return trip to Moon.

• NASA unveiled a new generation of spacesuit for humanity's return trip to the Moon.
• This spacesuit comes with specialist features to support astronauts as they conduct scientific experiments on the lunar surface.
• The prototype is said to be a better fit for female space travelers.
• NASA hopes to have the updated suit ready for the Artemis III mission to the Moon in 2025.
• A well-fitting suit is crucial to prevent excessive fatigue and at worst, physical harm.

Commercial Bank "1st in Qatar" to launch UPI remittance service to India.

• Commercial Bank, a digital Bank in Qatar has announced to launch of Unified Payment Interface (UPI) remittance service to India.
• With this decision, this bank becomes the 1st bank in Qatar to offer this service.
• Customers can use Commercial Banking digital platforms to initiate UPI payments using UPI-ID.
• The transactions can be completed within 60 seconds and are available 24/7.
• UPI is a convenient payment system that allows customers to transfer money in real time.

US recognizes McMahon Line as international border.

• The US has formally recognized the McMahon Line as the international boundary between India’s Arunachal Pradesh and China.
• The US has also rejected Beijing’s claim that the northeastern state falls under Chinese territory.
• A bipartisan resolution acknowledged Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of India.
• The resolution, titled Reaffirming the state of Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory and condemning the People’s Republic of China’s provocations in South Asia.

Minister Narender Singh Tomar inaugurates "AgriUnifest" in Bengaluru.

• Union Minister of Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar has inaugurated a 5-day cultural program AgriUnifest in Bengaluru.
• This program was organized by Bangalore Agricultural University in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
• It was participated by students from 60 State Agricultural Universities/Deemed Universities/Central Universities participated.
• Aim: To integrate Indian agriculture by connecting various Indian cultures.