Current affairs 19 April 2023

India saw a record of ₹149.5 trillion UPI, card transactions in 2022.

According to a report by a French payment and transactional services firm, Bengaluru has topped the list of Indian cities in terms of the highest digital transactions in the year 2022.
The city recorded 29 million transactions worth ₹6500 crore in 2022.
Delhi ranked second followed by Mumbai, Pune, and Chennai.
Report title: India Digital Payments Annual Report
Payment modes like UPI, Debit and Credit cards processed 87.92 billion transactions.

Kenya has successfully launched its inaugural earth observation satellite, Taifa-1 using a SpaceX rocket from the United States
The satellite was carried by the Falcon 9 rocket, launched from Vandenberg Base in California.
It was developed over a two-year period at a cost of 50 million Kenyan shillings, with assistance from the Bulgarian aerospace firm Endurosat
Additionally, under SpaceX’s rideshare initiative, the launch rocket carried 50 payloads from other countries

Finance ministers from various Commonwealth countries have agreed for India to be the chair of the Finance Ministers Working Group for a Commonwealth Call for Reform of the Global Financial Architecture.
While Nigeria has been elected as the deputy chair of the Finance Ministers Working Group.
Their collective call for reform came at the Commonwealth Finance Ministers High-Level Working Group Meeting in Washington DC
Commonwealth Secretary-General: Patricia Scotland KC

PM Modi will inaugurate the first Global Buddhist Summit in New Delhi on April 20, 2023.
Theme 2023: Responses to Contemporary Challenges: Philosophy to Praxis
This two-day summit will be hosted by the Ministry of Culture and its grantee body International Buddhist Confederation.
It will be attended by scholars, Sangha leaders, and Dharma practitioners from all over the world.
It will also enhance the cultural and diplomatic relationships with other countries.

Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda has launched the Marketing and Logistics Development for Promotion of Tribal Products from North-Eastern Region (PTP-NER) scheme in Manipur.
This scheme has been introduced for the benefit of Scheduled Tribes of the North-Eastern Region.
Vision: To strengthen the livelihood opportunities for tribal artisans through increased efficiency in procurement, logistics and marketing of tribal products from North Eastern States.