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 AFFAIRSCLOUD TODAY
Current Affairs 10 May 2023 : Headlines

1. MoHUA and MoR jointly ink MoU with JICA for Project SMART
2. PMJJBY, PMSBY & APY Completes 8 Years; Recorded 16.2 crore, 34.2 crore & 5.2 crore
Enrolments
3. Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar launches Phase-III of Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana
4. India Post, CAIT and Tripta Technologies signed MoU for Logistics Services
5. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal receives 1st Indian Cargo Ship at the Sittwe Port, Myanmar
6. AU Small Finance Bank Partners with RuPay to Offer Cashback RuPay Credit Card
7. Kotak Mahindra Bank becomes India’s 1st to Relocate Mauritius Domiciled Fund to GIFT IFSC
8. Fitch Ratings has lowered India’s 2023-24 GDP forecast to 6% from 6.2%
9. 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards: Lionel Messi & Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce win top awards
10. 2023 Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism; Books, Drama and Music: Associated Press won Journalism
Prize under Public Service
11. Accenture appoints Ajay Vij as India MD & Sandeep Dutta as lead for India Market Unit; Rekha
Menon to Retire
12. Groww completes Rs 175 Cr Acquisition of Indiabulls’ Mutual Fund Business
13. Asian Weightlifting Championships Jinju 2023: India Finishes Campaign with 3 Silver Medals
14. Sahitya Akademi Awardee & Bengali author Samaresh Majumdar Passed away
15. Ajai Chowdhry Authored a New Book Titled “Just Aspire”
16. Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second
World War – 8-9 May 2023
17. World Portuguese Language Day 2023 – May 5
18. Max Life, IIA join hands to offer Life Insurance Access to 11 lakh MSME workforce in UP

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 NATIONAL AFFAIRS
MoHUA and MoR jointly ink MoU with JICA for Project SMART
On May 8, 2023, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been inked between the Ministry of Housing &
Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and Ministry of Railways (MoR) with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
for ‘Station Area Development along Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (Project-SMART)’.

• It was inked for four High Speed Rail Stations viz. Sabarmati, Surat in Gujarat and Virar and Thane in
Maharashtra; out of 12 stations in-route.
• Surat, Virar and Thane are Green fields while Sabarmati is a Brown field development.
What is Project SMART?
Its goal is to improve the areas around the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Railway (MAHSR) stations to make
it easier for commuters, other people and businesses to access them more conveniently.
• It will also encourage economic growth in these areas.
• The project will also help the government and other authorities to better plan, develop, and manage
the places near the stations.
Note:
i.MoHUA, Governments of Gujarat, Maharashtra and JICA are organizing a series of Seminars and field visits for
the Project–SMART in Delhi, Ahmedabad (Gujarat) and Mumbai (Maharashtra). The first seminar was
organized at Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi on May 8, 2023.
ii.Officers from Japan Embassy, JICA, MoR, National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited, MoHUA, Town and
Country Planning Organisation (TCPO) deliberated during the seminar.
iii.This will contribute to the preparation of ‘Station Area Development Plans’ for Sabarmati, Surat, Virar and
Thane HSR Stations and model handbook, containing experiences and methodologies adopted in Japan, India
and other countries for Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and Station Area Development.
About Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA):
President– Akihiko Tanaka
Headquarters– Tokyo, Japan

PMJJBY, PMSBY & APY Completes 8 Years; Recorded 16.2 crore, 34.2 crore & 5.2 crore
Enrolments
9th May 2023 marks the 8th anniversary of the three major social security (Jan Suraksha) schemes, Pradhan
Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Atal
Pension Yojana (APY).
• Union Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman stated that till 26th April 2023, 16.2 crore, 34.2 crore
and 5.2 crore enrolments have been done under PMJJBY, PMSBY & APY respectively. The total
enrollment under all three schemes are 55.6 crore.
Backdrop: The two low-cost insurance schemes of PMJJBY and PMSBY and the guaranteed pension scheme of
APY were launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 9, 2015, from Kolkata, West Bengal.

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 • The three schemes were built under the initiative of ‘National Mission for Financial
Inclusion’ which was launched to ensure that every citizen in India has access to banking facilities,
financial literacy, and social security coverage.
Three social security schemes are dedicated to the welfare of the citizens, recognising the need for securing
human life from unforeseen risks/losses and financial uncertainties.
The schemes were launched to expand the coverage of insurance and pension to provide the poor and
marginalised sections of society the much-needed financial security through affordable products.
About the Schemes in Brief:
a.Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY):
i.Scheme Detail: It is an insurance scheme of the Ministry of Finance, offering life insurance cover for death
due to any reason. It is a one-year cover, renewable from year to year.
ii.Eligibility:
• All individual account holders of participating banks/ Post offices in the age group of 18 to 50 years
are entitled to join.
• People who join the scheme before completing 50 years of age can continue to have the risk of life
cover up to the age of 55 years upon payment of the premium.
iii.Benefits:
• It offers a renewable one-year term life cover of Rs 2 Lakh to all the subscribing bank account
holders in the age group of 18-50 years, covering death due to any reason for a premium of Rs.
436/- per annum per subscriber, to be auto-debited from the subscriber’s bank account.
• The scheme is offered/administered through LIC (Life Insurance Corporation of India) and other
Life Insurance companies willing to offer the product on similar terms with necessary approvals and
tie-ups with Banks / Post office for this purpose.
iv.Achievements: As on 26.04.2023, the cumulative enrolments under the scheme have been more than 16.19
crore and an amount of Rs. 13,290.40 crore has been paid for 6,64,520 claims.
b.Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)
i.Scheme Detail: It is an Accident Insurance Scheme offering accidental death and disability cover for death or
disability on account of an accident.
ii.Eligibility: Individuals in the age group of 18-70 years having a savings bank or a post office account are
entitled to enroll under the scheme.
iii.Benefits
• On Death by accident – the Nominee shall get Rs 2 Lakh
• Total and irrecoverable disability due to accident – Rs 2 Lakh
• Partial disability – Rs 1 Lakh

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iv.Premium: Rs.20 per annum per member. The premium will be deducted from the account holder’s bank
account through ‘auto debit’ facility in one instalment on or before 1st June of each annual coverage period
under the scheme.
v.Achievements: As on 26.04.2023, the cumulative enrolments under the scheme have been more than 34.18
crore and an amount of Rs. 2,302.26 crore has been paid for 1,15,951 claims.
c.Atal Pension Yojana (APY)
i.Scheme Detail:
• It is an old-age income security scheme to addresses the longevity risks among workers in the
unorganized sector and encourages the workers to voluntarily save for their retirement.
• APY is administered by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) under the
overall administrative and institutional architecture of the National Pension System (NPS).
ii.Eligibility:
• The minimum age for joining APY is 18 years and the maximum age is 40 years.
• The age of exit and start of pension would be 60 years. Therefore, the minimum period of
contribution by the subscriber under APY would be 20 years or more.
• Exclusions: Tax Payers became not eligible to join APY from 1 October, 2022.
iii.Benefits: Subscribers would receive the guaranteed minimum monthly pension of Rs. 1000 or Rs. 2000 or
Rs. 3000 or Rs. 4000 or Rs. 5000 at the age of 60 years, based on the contributions made by the subscriber after
joining the scheme.
iv.Payment frequency: Subscribers can make contributions to APY on monthly/ quarterly / half-yearly basis.
v.Withdrawal from the Scheme: Subscribers can voluntarily exit from APY subject to certain conditions, on
deduction of Government co-contribution and return/interest thereon.
vi.Disbursement of the Scheme Benefits:
• The monthly pension could be availed by the subscriber, and after him to his spouse and after their
death, the pension corpus (as accumulated at age 60 of the subscriber) would be returned to the
nominee of the subscriber.
• In case of premature death of the subscriber (death before 60 years of age), the spouse of the
subscriber could continue contributing to the same APY account, for the remaining vesting period
(i.e. till the original subscriber would have attained the age of 60 years).
vii.Contribution by Union Government:
• The minimum pension would be guaranteed by the Government, i.e., if the accumulated corpus
based on contributions earns a lower than estimated return on investment and is inadequate to
provide the minimum guaranteed pension, the Central Government would fund such inadequacy.
• In case the returns on investment are higher, the subscribers would get enhanced pensionary
benefits.
viii.Achievements: As on 27.04.2023 more than 5 crore individuals have subscribed to the scheme.
Recent Related News:
As per the Ministry of Finance notification, those who pay income tax will not be allowed to enrol in the
Government’s Social Security Scheme Atal Pension Yojana (APY) from October 1, 2022.
About Ministry of Finance:
Union Minister – Nirmala Sitharaman (Rajya Sabha- Karnataka)
Minister of State (MoS) – Pankaj Chaudhary; Dr. Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad

Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar launches Phase-III of Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana

The 3rd phase of Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana (TBSY) was launched by the Minister of State
(MoS) Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) to commemorate the World
Thalassemia Day on May 8, 2023.
• TBSY is an imitative of MoHFW and which is being supported by Coal India Limited (CIL) as part of
their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

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 • The Minister also launched Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana Portal and released the Standard
Treatment Workflow for Sickle Cell Disease, developed by ICMR (Indian Council of Medical
Research), during the event.

About TBSY:
MoHFW has been implementing the TBSY since 2017 under the National Health Mission (NHM) to treat
Thalassemia, which is an inherited blood disorder that causes a body to have less hemoglobin than normal. Its
second phase was completed in March 2023.
• Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) program, a CIL’s CSR-funded initiative, is aimed to
provide a one-time cure opportunity to underprivileged Thalassemia patients who have a matched
sibling donor but do not have the financial resources to cover the cost of the procedure.
About 3rd phase of TBSY:
It will continue to provide financial assistance for a package cost of 10 lakhs per HSCT, directly transferred
from CIL to the institutions performing HSCT.
• The program has empanelled 10 reputed hospitals across India, including AIIMS, New Delhi; CMC
Vellore; Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai; MCGM Hospital, Mumbai; PGIMER,
Chandigarh; Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute, New Delhi; SGPGI, Lucknow; Narayana Hrudayalaya,
Bangalore; CMC, Ludhiana and Tata Medical Centre, Kolkata among others.

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India Post, CAIT and Tripta Technologies signed MoU for Logistics Services
On 9th May 2023, a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between India Post (a part of
the Department of Posts under the Ministry of Communications), Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) (an
apex body of trading community of India), and Tripta Technologies Private Limited for logistics services.

• The MoU was signed in the presence of Devusinh Chauhan, Minister of State (MoS) for
Communications at National Media Centre, New Delhi, Delhi.
• The MoU will benefit small and medium traders as they will be able to use India Post as a logistics
service provider across the country.
• This MoU is a significant milestone for taking e-commerce to small towns and rural areas and can
benefit thousands of traders.
Note: Tripta Technologies is Facilitated by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT)
Benefits of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU):
i. The Tripartite MoU between India Post, CAIT and Tripta Technologies will provide shipping and last-mile
delivery services to CAIT’s strong trader base and small and medium business in the unorganised sector.
ii. This initiative will streamline the parcel operations of India Post.
iii. It will enable delivery of goods for small businesses, by leveraging the vast network of India Post.
Additional information:
i. The Government of India has transformed the India Post by expanding service areas through technology
induction.
ii. Banking and insurance services have been initiated in India post along with financial inclusion services.
About India Post:
Director General (Postal Services)- Alok Sharma
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
About Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT):
Chairman– Mahendra Shah
President- B.C.Bhartia
Secretary General– Praveen Khandelwal
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal receives 1st Indian Cargo Ship at the Sittwe Port,
Myanmar
On 9th May 2023, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW),
received the 1st Indian cargo ship at Sittwe Port in Myanmar (formerly Burma) in the presence of Admiral Tin
Aung San, Myanmar Deputy Prime Minister (Dy PM) and Minister of Transport and Communications.
• He received the first Indian Cargo ship while inaugurating the Sittwe Port in Rakhine State,
Myanmar, along with Admiral Tin Aung San.
• The inauguration of Sittwe Port initiated the regular transit of cargo ships between Syama Prasad
Mookerjee Port in Kolkata (West Bengal), India to Sittwe Port in Rakhine, Myanmar.

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 • Sittwe Port’s opening will enhance bilateral and regional trade as well as contribute to the local
economy in Rakhine, Myanmar. Sittwe port development is part of the Kaladan Multimodal Transit
Transport Project (KMTTP).

BANKING & FINANCE

AU Small Finance Bank Partners with RuPay to Offer Cashback RuPay Credit Card
On May 9, 2023, the AU Small Finance Bank (SFB) partnered with RuPay to introduce the Business Cashback
RuPay credit card, a solution tailored to meet the financial requirements of self-employed (i.e. Micro, Small And
Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs)) customers and promote financial inclusion.

• The bank intends to provide multiple range of benefits to small businesses through this credit card.
Key People: The Credit Card was launched in the presence of Dilip Asbe, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Sanjay Agarwal, Managing Director (MD) & CEO of AU SFB.
Benifits:
• The card provides benefits like up to 2% cashback, 48 days of interest-free credit, and instant loans.
• It also offers fire insurance, burglary, and housebreaking coverage, etc. and simplifies the financial
operations of businesses.
• The credit card also provides lifestyle and travel benefits.
About AU Small Finance Bank Ltd.
MD & CEO – Sanjay Agarwal
Establishment – 1996
Headquarters – Jaipur, Rajasthan

Kotak Mahindra Bank becomes India’s 1st to Relocate Mauritius Domiciled Fund to GIFT IFSC
Mumbai (Maharashtra)-based Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited has become India’s 1st to relocate Mauritius
domiciled fund to Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT-city), Gujarat. On 6th May 2023, it successfully
re-domiciled Alchemy India Long Term Fund from Mauritius to GIFT City, India’s 1st International Financial
Services Centre (IFSC).
• Kotak Bank issued the 1st ever Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) licence to Alchemy’s Fund
incorporated in GIFT and registered with the International Financial Services Centres
Authority(IFSCA) for relocating from its original jurisdiction.
• This is the 1st FPI license issued by a custodian bank or designated depository participant (DDP) in
India, to a fund incorporated in GIFT City, to relocate an existing fund.
Note: In June 2023, Alchemy India Long Term Fund will complete 15 years of operation.

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 ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Fitch Ratings has lowered India’s 2023-24 GDP forecast to 6% from 6.2%
Fitch Ratings has lowered India’s 2023-24 (i.e. Financial Year 2023-24 (FY24)) GDP (Gross Domestic Product)
growth forecast to 6% from 6.2% of its earlier projection, amid increased inflation and interest rates along with
subdued global demand.

• The projection for FY25 also decreased to 6.7% from 6.9% projected earlier.
• India’s FY24 growth will be slower than the 7% expected in FY23, as weak domestic and global
demand is induced.
Highlights:
i.India’s long-term foreign-currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) is projected at ‘BBB-‘ with a stable outlook.
• This rating indicates that expectations of default risk are currently low and payment capacity to
meet financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions
are more likely to impair this capacity.
ii.India’s headline inflation will decline, but remain near the upper end of the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) 2%-
6% target band, averaging 5.8% in FY24 from 6.7% in FY23.
• Core inflation fell to 5.7% in March 2023, the lowest since July 2021.
iii.The 2022-23 current account deficit projection for India slashed to 2.3% of GDP from 3.3% in December
2022.
• It will narrow further to 1.9% deficit in 2023.
iv.The central government will meet its fiscal deficit target of 5.9% of GDP in 2023-24 from 6.4% in 2022.
• States deficits will rise from 2.7% of GDP estimated in FY23 to 2.8% of GDP in FY24.
• General government deficit (excluding divestments) will narrow to a still-high 8.8% of GDP in FY24
from 9.2% in FY23.
v.India’s general government debt remains elevated at 82.8% of GDP in FY23 and is likely to remain around
83% of GDP even in FY28.
vi.The private sector will show stronger investment growth as corporate and bank balance sheets are
improving. However, risks still remain due to India’s low labour force participation rates and an uneven reform
implementation record.
Note: India will be one of the fastest-growing nations bolstered by resilient investment prospects.

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 AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
2023 Laureus World Sports Awards: Lionel Messi & Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce win top awards
Lionel Messi, Argentine professional footballer and forward of Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain(PSG), was
honoured with the Laureus World Sportsman Of The Year 2023 at the 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards.

• Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Jamaican track and field sprinter, won the Laureus World
Sportswoman Of The Year 2023
The winners of the 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards, the most prestigious honours in sport, were honoured
in the ceremony held on 8th May 2023 in Paris, France.
• Laureus Awards 2023 marks the 24th edition of the Laureus World Sports Awards.
• The 2023 Awards will honour the most memorable sporting performances of 2022.
Key Points:
i.This is the 2nd time that Lionel Messi has been honoured with the Laureus World Sportsman Of The Year
Award. In 2020, he shared the award with British race car driver Lewis Hamilton.
• He also became the first person to win the team and individual award in the same year(2023).
ii.Lionel Messi, who won the 2022 Football World Cup with Argentina, was nominated for the Laureus World
Sportsman Of The Year Award along with PSG teammate Kylian Mbappé, Max Verstappen (motor racing),
Mondo Duplantis(athletics), Rafael Nadal(Tennis) and Stephen Curry(Basketball).
iii.Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won the 100 metres gold medal in the 2022 World Athletics Championships in
Eugene, Oregon, and become the 1st person to win five golds in an individual track event at the championships.
• She has won more global 100 metres titles than any other sprinter in history. She has also won the
Olympic gold medals in 2008(Beijing, China) and 2012(London, United Kingdom).
• Previously she was nominated for the Laureus Award in 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2020.
Highlights:
i.Danish footballer Christian Eriksen who also plays for Manchester United, won the Laureus World Comeback
of the Year award.
• Christian Eriksen, who suffered a cardiac arrest during the Euro 2020 game against Finland,
returned to the field in January 2022.
ii.Swiss para-athlete Catherine Debrunner won the Laureus World Sportsperson Of The Year With A Disability
after winning two marathons – 2022 Berlin Marathon and the 2022 London Marathon.
iii.The Sport for Good Award was presented to TeamUp, a programme for children displaced by war, by
Barcelona and Poland star Robert Lewandowski.
• Note: Slum Soccer, a project based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu(TN), which aims to use soccer to tackle
the root causes of homelessness in India, has been shortlisted for the 2023 Laureus World Sports
Awards under Laureus Sport For Good category.

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Winners of the 2023 Laureus World Sports Awards:
Category Winner Sport
Lionel Messi
Laureus World Sportsman Of The Year (Argentina) Football
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Athletics – track and field
Laureus World Sportswoman Of The Year (Jamaica) sprinter
Argentina Men’s Football
Laureus World Team Of The Year Team Football
Carlos Alcaraz
Laureus World Breakthrough Of The Year (Spain) Tennis
Christian Eriksen
Laureus World Comeback Of The Year (Denmark) Football
Laureus World Sportsperson Of The Year With A Catherine Debrunner Para Athletics – wheelchair
Disability (Switzerland) racer
Eileen Gu
Laureus World Action Sportsperson Of The Year (China) Freestyle Skiing
Laureus Sport For Good Teamup Global
Laureus Sport for Good:
i.Laureus’ Sport for Good City programme has been active in Paris since 2019.
ii.Laureus Sport for Good Award recognises an individual or organisation that has made a significant
contribution to transforming the lives of children and young people through sport.
About Laureus World Sports Awards:
i.Laureus World Sports Awards Limited is a company registered in England and Wales
ii.Laureus World Sports Awards, first presented in 2000, is the annual event that honours the greatest and
most inspirational sporting triumphs of the year and showcases the work of Laureus Sport for Good.
iii.The winners of the Laureus World Sports Awards are selected by the ultimate sports jury – the 71 Members
of the Laureus World Sports Academy, the living legends of sport honouring the greatest athletes of today.

2023 Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism; Books, Drama and Music: Associated Press won Journalism
Prize under Public Service
On 9th May 2023, the winners of the 2023 Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism; Books, Drama and Music; and Special
Citations were announced.

• Associated Press won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in Journalism under the Public Service category.
Associated Press’ journalists Mstyslav Chernov, Evgeniy Maloletka, Vasilisa Stepanenko and Lori
Hinnant were recognized for reporting from the besieged city of Mariupol that bore witness to the
slaughter of civilians in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper) and Trust, by Hernan Diaz (Riverhead Books)
won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in Books, Drama and Music under the Fiction category.

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 • The Pulitzer Prize, administered by Columbia University in New York, United States of
America(USA), is considered the most prestigious prize in US journalism.
• Categories: The Pulitzer Prize recognises the work in 22 categories, i.e. 15 journalism categories;
seven arts categories and one special citation.
About the Pulitzer Prize:
i.The Pulitzer Prize was established by Joseph Pulitzer, a Hungarian-American journalist and newspaper
publisher. The Pulitzer Prizes were first awarded in 1917.
ii.Eligibility:
• Only U.S. citizens are eligible to apply for the Prizes in Books, Drama and Music (with the exception
of the History category, in which the book must be a history of the United States but the author may
be of any nationality).
• For the Journalism competition, entrants may be of any nationality but work must have appeared in
U.S. newspaper, magazine or news site that publishes regularly.
iii.Gold Medal and Cash Prize:
• Out of the 22 categories, Only the winner in the Public Service category of the Journalism
competition is awarded a gold medal.
• The Public Service prize is always awarded to a news organization, not an individual, although an
individual may be named in the citation.
• In 21 other categories’ winners receive a US$15,000 cash award and a certificate.
2023 Pulitzer Prize winners in different Categories:
2023 Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism:
Category Winners
Associated Press, for the work of Mstyslav
Chernov, Evgeniy Maloletka, Vasilisa
Public Service Stepanenko and Lori Hinnant
Breaking News Reporting Staff of the Los Angeles Times
Investigative Reporting Staff of The Wall Street Journal
Explanatory Reporting Caitlin Dickerson of The Atlantic
Anna Wolfe of Mississippi Today, Ridgeland,
Miss.
Local Reporting (There were two winners under this John Archibald, Ashley Remkus, Ramsey
category. They don’t share the category, each receive the full Archibald and Challen Stephens of AL.com,
prize amount of US$15,000) Birmingham
National Reporting Caroline Kitchener of The Washington Post
International Reporting Staff of The New York Times
Feature Writing Eli Saslow of The Washington Post
Commentary Kyle Whitmire of AL.com, Birmingham
Criticism Andrea Long Chu of New York magazine
Nancy Ancrum, Amy Driscoll, Luisa Yanez,
Isadora Rangel and Lauren Costantino of the
Editorial Writing Miami Herald
Illustrated Reporting and Commentary Mona Chalabi, contributor, The New York Times
Breaking News Photography Photography Staff of Associated Press
Feature Photography Christina House of the Los Angeles Times
Audio Reporting Staff of Gimlet Media, notably Connie Walker

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2023 Pulitzer Prizes – Books, Drama & Music:
Category Winners
Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver (Harper)
Fiction Trust, by Hernan Diaz (Riverhead Books)
Drama English, by Sanaz Toossi
Freedom’s Dominion: A Saga of White Resistance to Federal Power, by Jefferson Cowie
History (Basic Books)
G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century, by Beverly Gage
Biography (Viking)
Memoir or
Autobiography Stay True, by Hua Hsu (Doubleday)
Then the War: And Selected Poems, 2007-2020, by Carl Phillips (Farrar, Straus and
Poetry Giroux)
His Name Is George Floyd: One Man’s Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice, by Robert
General Nonfiction Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa (Viking)
Music Omar, by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels
There were no Special Citations for 2023 Pulitzer Prizes.
Recent Related News:
On 7th March 2023, Sir David Alan Chipperfield (David Chipperfield), a 69-year-old British Civic Architect,
urban planner and activist, won the Pritzker Architecture Prize 2023, the architect’s most prestigious award,
for his timeless modern design that confronts climate urgencies, transform social relationships and
reinvigorates cities.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Accenture appoints Ajay Vij as India MD & Sandeep Dutta as lead for India Market Unit; Rekha
Menon to Retire
Accenture has appointed Ajay Vij to the newly created role of Country Managing Director (MD) and Sandeep
Dutta will take over as the lead for its India Market Unit.
Rekha Menon, Chairperson and Senior Managing Director of Accenture in India is set to retire on 30th June
2023 after a career spanning 2 decades at the company. The primary responsibilities of the chairperson will
now be undertaken by the new appointees.
• Ajay Vij, country managing director, would expand his current responsibilities as the Corporate
Services & Sustainability lead for India to provide overall leadership and promote coordinated
decision-making for important company priorities.
• Sandeep Dutta, the India Sales Lead, will now oversee Accenture’s India Market Unit, serving as its
India business lead responsible for developing business and operations in the domestic market,
focusing on growth, market differentiation, and clients.

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

Groww completes Rs 175 Cr Acquisition of Indiabulls’ Mutual Fund Business
Nextbillion Technology Private Limited, doing business as Groww – an investment platform, has acquired
the Mutual Fund business of Indiabulls Housing Finance Loans (IBHFL) for Rs.175.6 crore after receiving
the necessary approvals.

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 • In May 2021, Groww signed an agreement with IBHFL to acquire the entire stake of IBHFL in its
mutual fund subsidiaries Indiabulls Asset Management Company Limited (IAMCL) and Indiabulls
Trustee Company Limited (ITCL), trustee of IAMCL.

Highlights:
i. The Rs.175.6 crore agreement also included a cash equivalent of Rs. 100.62 crores, to be invested by Groww.
• In September 2021, the transaction, received approval from the competition regulator Competition
Commission of India (CCI).
ii.The closing date of the transaction was May 3 2023, and Groww doesn’t have any control or shareholding in
IAMCL and ITCL subsequent to the closing date.
iii. The sale of IAMCL was limited only to the mutual fund part of the business.
iv. The Alternate Investment Fund (AIF) and Portfolio Management Service (PMS) businesses will be separated
from the existing IAMCL structure, and remain under IBHFL.
Additional Information:
i. With this acquisition, Tiger Global and Sequoia (Investors of Groww) backed Groww, will now be able to
launch and manage its own mutual funds.
ii. Groww has raised $393 million till date, and was last valued at $3 billion after raising $251 million in
October 2021 in a round led by ICONIQ Growth, a tech focused direct investment effort that is affiliated with
ICONIQ Capital (an American wealth management and investment firm).
About Groww:
CEO&Co-founder– Lalit Keshre
Headquarters– Bengaluru, Karnataka
Founded in– 2016 (started operations in 2017)

SPORTS
Asian Weightlifting Championships Jinju 2023: India Finishes Campaign with 3 Silver Medals
Indian weightlifters concluded the Asian Weightlifting Championships Jinju 2023 in Jinju, South Korea, with a
total of 3 silver medals. Asian Weightlifting Championships Jinju 2023 was held from 03 to 13 May 2023 in
Jinju, South Korea.

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 • Bindyarani Devi, hailing from Manipur, won 2 silver medals in overall and clean & jerk under the
Women’s 55kg category.
• On 7th May 2023, Jeremy Lalrinnunga from Aizawl, Mizoram, won silver in snatch under the men’s
67kg.
Note: The Asian Weightlifting Championships 2023 will run till May 13 but India doesn’t have any
representation in any of the remaining categories.
Asian Weightlifting Championships 2023: India’s medal winners
Women’s
Name Category Medal
Overall
Bindyarani Devi (women’s 55kg event) Clean and Jerk Silver
Men’s
Jeremy Lalrinnunga (Men’s 67kg event) Snatch Silver
Note:
A total of 6 Indian weightlifters competed at the continental championships, which is second in the series of
qualifying events for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Bindyarani Devi:
On 6th May 2023, India’s Bindyarani Devi (24-year-old) clinched a Silver medal in the women’s 55kg category
with a combined lift of 194kg (snatch 83kg and 111kg in clean & jerk) at the Asian Weightlifting Championships
2023 in Jinju, South Korea. Bindyarani Devi also won the silver in the Clean and Jerk section.
• China’s Chen Guan Ling won the Gold medal with a combined lift of 204 kg (snatch 90kg + clean &
jerk 114kg).
• Vietnam’s Vo Thi Quynh Nhu bagged the Bronze with a combined lift of 192kg (snatch 88kg + clean
& jerk 104kg).
Jeremy Lalrinnunga:
On 7th May 2023, India’s Jeremy Lalrinnunga (20 years old) won a Silver medal in the Snatch section under
the Men’s 67 Kg category of the competition with a lift of 141kg but was unable to tally an overall total since he
was unable to lift the weight in each of his three attempts at the clean and jerk.
About the Asian Weightlifting Championships:
i. The Asian Weightlifting Championships is a weightlifting championship organised by the Asian Weightlifting
Federation for weightlifters from Asian countries.
• It has been held since 1969 for men and 1988 for women.
ii. In 2008, the championships served as the official qualification for Asian competitors to qualify for the 2008
Beijing Olympics.

OBITUARY
Sahitya Akademi Awardee & Bengali author Samaresh Majumdar Passed away
On 8th May 2023, the Sahitya Akademi Award winner and popular Bengali
writer Samaresh Majumdar passed away at the age of 79 in Kolkata, West Bengal. He was born on March 10,
1944 in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal.
About Samaresh Majumdar’s writing:
i. SamareshMajumdar made his writing debut with the novel titled “Dour” (Run), which was Published in
“Desh” (a Bengali literary magazine) in 1976.
• The Dour novel was later made into a film in 1979.

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ii. His famous Animesh quartet (a series of four novels) of Uttoradhikar, Kalbela, Kalpurush, and Mousalkal is
now considered a modern classic.
• He won the Sahitya Akademi Award for the second novel of the series, ‘Kalbela’, in 1984, which
was set against the backdrop of the Naxalite movement of West Bengal in 1960s and 1970s.
• It was later made into a film of the same name by director Gautam Ghosh in 2009.
iii. He was also credited for his creative character ‘Arjun’ (a detective cum science fiction character) in the
detective novels “Adventures of Detective Arjun”.
• The 2013 film “Arjun – Kalimpong E Sitaharan” is based on the novels – Sitaharan Rahasya and
Khunkharapi by Samaresh Majumdar
iv. He published a Novel titled ‘BunoHaansh’ in PujabarshikiAnondolok, which was later made into a Bengali
film named Buno Haansh in 2014.
Other Awards:
i. SamareshMajumdar got BFJA (Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Awards), Dishari and
ChalachitraPrasar Samiti award in 1982 for Best Script Writer.
ii. He got the Bankim Puroshkar award (the highest award given by the Government of West Bengal) in 2009
for contribution to Bengali fiction “Kolikataye Nobokumar”.
iii. He was awarded the Banga Bibhushan Samman, a title instituted by the West Bengal government to honour
the services of personalities in various fields in 2018.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Ajai Chowdhry Authored a New Book Titled “Just Aspire”
Ajai Chowdhry, one of the six founding members of HCL (Hindustan Computers Limited), authored a new book
titled “Just Aspire: Notes on Technology, Entrepreneurship and the Future”, published by Harper Business,
an Imprint of HarperCollins.
• “Just Aspire”, a motivational book, that focuses on the importance of having a positive mindset,
setting goals, and taking action to achieve them.
• This book talks about the journey of a small-town boy (Ajai Chowdhry) who turned into a Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of a global company.

IMPORTANT DAYS
Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second
World War – 8-9 May 2023
The United Nations(UN) annually marks the 8th and 9th of May as the “Time of Remembrance and
Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War” to pay tribute to the victims
of the Second World War(WWII).

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Significance of 8th May:
i.On May 8, 1945, World War II Allies – the United Kingdom(UK), the United States of America(USA), and the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany.
ii.The overall surrender of Nazi Germany to the Allies was signed by Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel in Karlshorst,
Berlin, Germany.
iii.The anniversary is also known as Victory in Europe or VE Day.
Background:
i.The United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/59/26 on 22nd November 2004
and declared the 8-9 May of every year as the Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost
Their Lives during the Second World War.
ii.The UNGA invited all the members to observe annually on either one or both days to pay tribute to all the
victims of the 2nd World War.
• The year 2005 marked the 60th anniversary of the end of the 2nd World War.
iii.The UNGA adopted the resolution A/RES/64/257 on 2nd March 2010 invited all the member states,
organisations of UN systems, non-governmental organizations and individuals to observe May 8-9 to pay
tribute to all victims of the Second World War.
• 2010 marks the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II.
World War II:
i.The Second World War was fought between the Axis powers and the Allies. Germany, Italy, and Japan were
part of the Axis and The UK, USSR and the USA are the allies.
ii.It was fought in Europe, in Russia, North Africa, and in Asia.
iii.In August 1945, the USA dropped the atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,
hastening the end of the Second World War.

World Portuguese Language Day 2023 – May 5

World Portuguese Language Day is annually observed across the globe on May 5 to highlight the important
role the Portuguese language plays in maintaining human civilization and culture.

Background:
i. Since 2005, the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) Member States have observed May 5 as
a day of the Portuguese language and Lusophone culture.

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 • On their initiative, the CPLP Member States also organised the 1st celebration of the Portuguese
language at the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)
headquarters (Paris, France) in 2006.
ii. The UNESCO General Conference’s 40th session, held in 2019, proclaimed May 5 of every year as “World
Portuguese Language Day”.
iii. The 1st ever World Language Day was observed on 5th May 2020.
History of Portuguese Language:
i. The Portuguese language, one of the world’s most spoken and widespread languages across the globe,
originated from Latin in the Western Iberian Peninsula.
• Portuguese is the official language of Portugal, Brazil, Angola, Sao Tome and Principe, Mozambique,
Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Macao, Equatorial Guinea and East Timor
• It is also used in Macau, a territory under Portuguese administration until 1999, and in Goa.
ii. A Portuguese-speaking person or nation is referred to as “Lusophone” (lusófono).
iii. Around 228.5 million people speak Portuguese as their first (mother) language worldwide.
iv. It is also the official language of the UNESCO General Conference and several other multiple regional
organisations.
About the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):
Director-General- Audrey Azoulay
Headquarters- Paris, France
Establishment- 1945 (came into force in 1946)
Members- 193 Members and 11 Associate Members.

STATE NEWS
Max Life, IIA join hands to offer Life Insurance Access to 11 lakh MSME workforce in UP
Max Life Insurance Company Ltd. (Max Life) signed a strategic partnership with the Indian Industries
Association (IIA) to provide life insurance plans to the MSME (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) sector’s
workforce in Uttar Pradesh (UP).

Note: Max Life is the appointed lead insurer for the state of Uttar Pradesh under IRDAI’s State insurance plan.
Now, Max Life aims to enhance accessibility and drive affordable insurance penetration across UP.
What is in the MoU?
With this partnership, Max Life will be positioned as IIA’s preferred partner, thus will utilize its extensive
network across industrialized districts, to offer life insurance access to more than 11 lakh MSME workforce
affiliated with IIA, their families in the State, and to reach underserved population in UP.
• These activities will be undertaken with Sana Insurance Brokers Pvt. Ltd. as the enrolment
partner to engage with the MSME workforce.
About Max Life Insurance Company Ltd. (Max Life):
It is a joint venture between Max Financial Services (part of Max Group) and Axis Bank.

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Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer– Prashant Tripathy
Headquarters– Gurugram, Haryana
About Indian Industries Association (IIA):
President– Ashok Kumar Agarwal
National Office– New Delhi, Delhi

GA Questions Asked in Exams

• Affairscloud’s Self Analysis for General Awareness Section

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