CURRENT AFFAIRS OF 18th MARCH, 2023

CURRENT AFFAIRS OF  18^th MARCH, 2023

1. Every year on 18 March, Global Recycling Day is celebrated to raise awareness about the importance of recycling, increase people’s comprehension about the harmful effects of plastic on the environment and to encourage people to take action to reduce waste and protect the environment. The theme of Global Recycling Day 2023 is “Creative Innovation”. 
2. In India, Ordnance Factory Day is celebrated annually on 18 March, marking the establishment of the first Ordnance factory by the British in Cossipore, Kolkata, in 1801 during colonial rule and honour the contribution of the Indian Ordnance Factories in strengthening India’s defence capabilities.
3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurated the maiden cross-border oil pipeline between the two countries on 18 March, 2023 for diesel transportation to Bangladesh from India.
4. The Ministry of Culture has administered a Scheme by the name of ‘Financial Assistance for Veteran Artists’ (erstwhile ‘Scheme for Pension and Medical Aid to Artistes’) to provide financial assistance to veteran artists of the country of the age of 60 years and above in the form of monthly artists’ pension.  
5. Viacom18 has appointed MS Dhoni as its brand ambassador to promote digital sports viewing. 
6. Rachna Bisht Rawat, a journalist and writer from India, has recently written and published a book called ‘Bipin: The Man Behind the Uniform’.
7. Sikkim hosted a B20 or Business20 meeting under India’s G20 Presidency on 16 March, 2023 in Gangtok.
8. On 17 March 2023, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved the merger of HDFC Ltd and HDFC Bank, which is considered to be the largest merger in the history of corporate India.
9. Ayush Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated 26^th Convocation of Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth (RAV) in New Delhi on 16 March, 2023.
10. India hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Tourism Ministers’ Meeting on 17-18 March, 2023 in Kashi (Varanasi), Uttar Pradesh.
11. The Ministry of Steel on 17 March, 2023 signed 57 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with 27 companies for specialty steel production under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme.
12. President Droupadi Murmu presented the President’s Colour to INS Dronacharya in Kochi for its outstanding services on 16 March, 2023.
13. The National Gallery of Modern Art and the High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi inaugurated the exhibition ‘Geoffrey Bawa: It is Essential to be there’ on 17 March, 2023.
14. Shaktikanta Das, Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, has been honored with the title ‘Governor of the Year’ for 2023 by Central Banking, an international economic research journal.
15. IDFC FIRST Bank, a private sector bank in India, has become the official banking partner of the Mumbai Indians, a franchise cricket team that competes in the Indian Premier League (IPL). 
16. OneWeb, the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite company will launch 36 satellites with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 26 March, 2023.