Union Home Minister Amit Shah on March 19 greeted West Bengal's Matua community on the occasion of Matua Maha Mela 2023 and hoped that the festival will inspire people with the wisdom of Sri Sri Harichand Thakur ji.

• The mela, organised by the All India Matua Mahasangha, has been estimated to be visited by around 45 lakh people during the week to seek blessings of the sect founder.
• The mela is being organised to celebrate the 212th birth anniversary of Sri Sri Harichand Thakur ji, the founder of the Matua sect.
• The MatuaMahaMela2023 is an important event which showcases the vibrant culture of the Matua community.

The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters has decided to award the Abel Prize for 2023 to Luis A. Caffarelli of the University of Texas at Austin, USA for his seminal contributions to regularity theory for nonlinear partial differential equations including free-boundary problems and the Monge–Ampère equation. 

The Abel Prize will be presented to Luis A. Caffarelli at the award ceremony in Oslo on 23 May.

About Abel Prize

• The Abel Prize is funded by the Norwegian government and amounts to NOK 7.5 million
• The prize is awarded by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters and presented by His Majesty King Harald
• The choice of the Abel laureate is based on the recommendation by the Abel Committee, which is composed of five internationally recognised mathematicians

Maha Metro Nagpur was honoured with the prestigious Asia Book of Records certification for three different categories. 

• The certification and citation was presented by Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis at Metro Bhawan on March 19.
• The categories for which Nagpur Metro was presented with Asia Book of Records certification are ‘Longest Length of Metro Rail Corridor Construction in Shortest Time’, ‘First Solar PV System in a Metro Rail Project for Integrated Consumption’ and ‘Heaviest Single Span Double Decker Steel Bridge Truss over Railway tracks in Urban Area’, in Asia
• The citation and medal was handed over to Maha Metro MD Dr Brijesh Dixit by Fadnavis.

The Nritiya Kalanidhi award for dance will go to Vasanthalakshmi Narasimhachari. 

• Vasanthalakshmi Narasimhachari excels both in Bharathanatyam and Kuchipudi.
• “She is also a gifted linguist, lyricist and an accomplished nattuvanar.
• She learnt veena from Kamala Aswathama and dance from Adayar K. Lakshmanan and her late husband M.V. Narasimhachari with whom she paired in numerous performances,” the press release from the Academy said.

 Air Force (IAF) Mirage-2000 aircraft participated in Exercise Cobra Warrior hosted by the Royal Air Force in the UK.

• The exercise began on March 2 and will end on March 24, 2023. It is being directed by staff at RAF Waddington airbase.
• The exercise provides an opportunity for international allies to train together and develop operational tactics in the air, space, cyber, and land domains.
• The exercise involves joint training with six other air forces from the UK, Finland, Sweden, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, US, and Singapore.

Ministry of Defence on Thursday inked two separate contracts with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), at a total cost of over Rs 3,700 crore, to enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Air Force.

• The first contract, worth over Rs 2,800 crore, pertains to the supply of Medium Power Radars (MPR) ‘Arudhra’ for the Indian Air Force.
• The second contract, at an overall cost of approximately Rs 950 crore, relates to 129 DR-118 Radar Warning Receivers (RWR). Both projects are under Buy {Indian – IDMM (Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured)} category, defence ministry officials said later.
• These essentially embody the spirit of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and will help facilitate the realisation of the country’s journey to achieve self-reliance in defence manufacturing.
• MPR (Arudhra) radar has been indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and will be manufactured by BEL. Its successful trials have already been conducted by the Indian Air Force.

A joint maritime exercise Konkan 2023, was conducted between the Royal Navy of Britain and the Indian Navy from the 20th of March to the 22nd, off the Konkan coast in the Arabian Sea.

• The joint drill by the two navies demonstrated operational readiness, enhancing interoperability and improving the ability to conduct joint operations.
• The exercise will go a long way in bolstering the combined efforts of the Indian Navy and Royal Navy to strengthen maritime security and uphold a rules-based order in the region.
• INS Trishul, a guided missile frigate, and HMS Lancaster, a Type 23 guided missile frigate, participated in this edition and undertook multiple maritime drills to enhance interoperability and imbibe best practices.

The INS Androth, second in a series of eight Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC), was launched in Kolkata on Tuesday. It is built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata. 
Highlights

• INS Androth is about 77.6 metres long and 10.5 metres wide, and requires a draught of only 2.7 metres.
• These ships also carry lightweight torpedoes, ASW rockets and mines, a close-in weapon system (with a 30 mm gun) and 16.7 mm stabilised remote-controlled guns.
• The first ship of the series, the INS Arnala, was launched three months ago.

 India and 23 African nations began a nine-day mega military exercise in Pune with a greater aim to expand their overall military cooperation.

• A number of new generation equipment manufactured in India is being used at the exercise to give a feel of their efficacy to the troops of the participating nations.
• The African countries which are participating in the Africa-India Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX) include Botswana, Cameroon, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Morocco, Niger and Nigeria.
• Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Seychelles, Senegal, Sudan, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe are also attending the exercise.

The 4th Defence Cooperation Dialogue between India and the Maldives was held in Male.

• The dialogue was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and his Maldivian counterpart Major General Abdulla Shamaal.
• During the interaction, ongoing bilateral defence cooperation activities were reviewed and both sides expressed satisfaction at the increasing engagements.
• The talks covered the existing bilateral exercises, with both countries agreeing to increase the complexity of these drills.

Higher educational institutes from different parts of India participated in the Higher Education Meet 2023 inaugurated in Dhaka. Some of the top-ranking educational institutions from India are participating in the programme .

• In his address, the High Commissioner remarked that higher education has emerged as a centrepiece of India’s deep rooted partnership with Bangladesh.
• He also expressed his satisfaction that a large number of Indian students have been pursuing higher education in each other’s country.
• He invited more students from Bangladesh to take advantage of India’s globally reputed higher education system and build new bridges of friendship and understanding among the youth of the two countries.  
• Bangladesh Minister of Education Dr. Dipu Moni recognized the important role of education in promoting greater understanding between India and Bangladesh and thanked Study in India for its initiative to organise the event in Dhaka.

International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members is observed annually on March 25. It honors the life of journalist Alec Collett and several other staff members of the United Nations who have been abducted or killed over the years.

• This day was established by the United Nations to raise global awareness, demand justice, and protect the selfless lives of UN staff members and peacekeepers.
• More than 3,500 members of the U.N. staff have lost their lives to war, abductions, and natural disasters.
• The goal of the U.N. is to promote international peace and security, as well as foster friendly relations among the nations.

World TB Day is an opportunity to focus on the people affected by this disease and to call for accelerated action to end TB suffering and deaths. March 24 marks the day in 1882 when Dr Robert Koch announced that he had discovered the bacterium that causes TB, which opened the way towards diagnosing and curing this disease.

• TB alone claims 4 100 people lives each day and close to 27 000 people fall ill with this preventable and curable disease.
• The emergence of drug-resistant TB poses a major health threat that could put at risk the gains made to end the global TB epidemic. 
• Theme of the World TB Day 2023 is  'Yes! We can end TB'
• This year the spotlight of World TB Day will be on urging countries to ramp up progress in the lead-up to the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting on TB. PAHO/WHO will also issue a call to action with partners urging Member States to accelerate the rollout of the new WHO-recommended shorter all-oral treatment regimens for drug-resistant TB.

Every 23 March, the World Meteorological Organization commemorates the coming into force of the Convention establishing the World Meteorological Organization on 23 March 1950.

• The World Meteorological Day is recognized annually to highlight the great contribution of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services in maintaining the well being and safety of societies all around the globe.
• One of the main reasons behind celebrating the World Meteorological Day is to create awareness among people about the weather and climate related issues, and suggest preventive measures to address the problem.
• The theme for the upcoming celebrations of World Meteorological Day is - 2023: The Future of Weather, Climate and Water across Generations.

Every year on March 23, India observes "Martyr's Day" or "Shaheed Diwas," in order to pay tribute to the three revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar, who were hanged by the British.

• The day has a historical significance as it marks the day they were hanged in 1931 while fighting for India’s independence.
• India also observes Martyr's Day on January 30 in memory of Mahatma Gandhi. Politicians including the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu paid homage to the freedom fighters, and observed a two-minute silence in their memory. 

World Water Day is observed every year on 22nd March all over the world. It focuses attention on the importance of water and how to preserve it. As we know that water is essential for life, without water we can't survive.

• Up to 60% of the human adult body is water. All plants and animals need water to survive. If there was no water there would be no life on earth.
• Theme for World Water Day 2023 is Accelerating Change.
• The UN General Assembly made this day a yearly observance in 1993 in order to raise community understanding about the importance of conserving water.

Every year on March 20, people celebrate World Sparrow Day. It is designated to raise awareness about sparrow conservation and protection, as their numbers are declining globally.

• The first commemoration of the day occurred in 2010. The goal of the day is to educate people about the value of sparrows in the ecosystem, their role in pollination, and their importance in pest control.
• The theme of World Sparrow Day 2023 is “I Love Sparrows”, 

The international day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on 21 March, the date when police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid in 1960.

• This year marks the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a blueprint for international human rights principles. Drafted by representatives of diverse cultural and legal backgrounds from all corners of the world, it states that everyone is entitled to human rights and freedoms without distinctions of any kind, such as race, colour and descent. But racism and racial discrimination continue to deeply impact people all over the world.
• With that in mind, the 2023 theme for the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination focuses on the urgency of combatting racism and racial discrimination. 
• We must take prompt and powerful steps to advance equality and combat racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia.

The world poetry day is celebrated on March 21 annually.The day was first adopted by UNESCO in 1999 at the 30th General Conference in Paris.

• Poetry can be defined as a form of literature that celebrates the abstraction and beauty of words. The purpose of the poem is to explore human conditions through the power of imagery and metaphor.
• It has become an underlying source of alleviation of much of humanity's existential dilemmas, ideas from within, etc. The day honours the poets who continue the tradition in newer generations. 

World Down Syndrome Day is observed on 21 March each year in order to raise public awareness of Down syndrome. The day is celebrated since 2012 with the recommendation of United Nations General Assembly.

• The date for WDSD, the 21st day of the 3rd month, was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome.
• Down syndrome gets its name from the British doctor, John Langdon Down, who first clinically identified the condition in 1866. The estimated incidence of Down syndrome is between 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 1,100 live births worldwide.
• For WDSD 2019, the theme is “Leave no one behind”.

International Day of Forests 2023 will be celebrated on the theme, ‘Forests and Health,’ which calls for giving, not just taking, recognizing that healthy forests will bring healthy people.

• The UN General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 21 March as the International Day of Forests in 2012. The Day celebrates and raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests.
• On each International Day of Forests, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national, and international efforts to organize activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns.

International Day of Happiness is a global event arranged by the United Nations annually on March 20. It serves to remind us that being happy is a human right and worth celebrating — and if you’re not already happy on this day, the celebrations may change that!

• The first International Day of Happiness was celebrated, launched by Ndaba Mandela and Chelsea Clinton at the TedXTeen conference in New York City on Narch 20, 2013.
•  The theme for the 2023 International Day of Happiness is "Be Mindful. Be Grateful. Be Kind."

World Oral Health Day is celebrated every year on March 20. The day is celebrated to give people knowledge about ways to have good oral health.

• According to a report by the WHO Global Oral Health, approximately 75% of the world’s population suffer from permanent teeth caries, while 514 million children experience caries in primary teeth.
• The theme of this year’s World Oral Health Day is "Be Proud of Your Mouth".
• The theme of World Oral Health Day 2023 stresses the need for paying attention to one’s oral condition and work on preventing oral diseases.
• Bad breath is caused due to host of factors which commonly includes bad oral hygiene, smoking, underlying disease of ar, nose and throat and consumption of certain kinds of foods and drinks.

The Lok Sabha on Friday, March 24, passed the Finance Bill, 2023 with some amendments. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled ‘The Finance Bill, 2023’ in the lower house amid sloganeering by Opposition MPs demanding a JPC inquiry into the Adani Group issue.

• She introduced 64 official amendments to the Finance Bill which was tabled in Parliament on February 1 along with the Budget proposals.
• While preseting the bill the mnister also said, "RBI will look into the issues related to credit card payments for foreign tours not being captured under Liberalised Remittances Scheme (LRS)."

Indian economy is expected to grow at 7 per cent in FY23 despite global headwinds while retail inflation would moderate in line with wholesale inflation which fell to a 25-month low in January, the Finance Ministry said on Monday.

• This will provide a much-needed cushion to India’s external sector at a time when the Fed is likely to raise rates further and ensure that India’s external finances are not a major cause of concern, it said.
• The jump in net service exports over the previous year is a critical development as India increases its market share in both IT and non-IT services, whose demand has been triggered by the pandemic.

Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi has said that an estimated reserve of 5.9 million tonnes of lithium ore has been found by Geological Survey of India GSI in Salal-Haimna areas of Reasi district in Jammu and Kashmir.

• The extractable reserve will be established by the lessee after auction of the block and the likely date of extraction of lithium will also depend upon successful auction of the blocks.
• The Minister said, the estimated quantum of lithium-ion manufacturing that the reserves can support will be known after lessee has estimated extractable resources.
• He said, from April 2022 to January 2023 around 209 crore rupees worth of Lithium and over 18 thousand 554 crore rupees worth Lithium-ion was imported in India.

Dubai-based Emaar, a real estate developer from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has become the first overseas company to invest in a mega-mall spread over 10 lakh square feet in Srinagar, a first since the Centre ended Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional position in 2019. 

•  J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha participated in a Bhumi Pujan in Srinagar’s Sempora area on March 19 as part of the ceremony of laying the mall’s foundation stone. 
• The project will have a transformative impact on the Union Territory and will boost infrastructure and employment generation.
• Emaar Group will invest a total of ?500 crore, including ?250 crore for the mega-mall and setting up IT towers in Jammu and Srinagar.

Adani Group has suspended work on a Rs. 34,900 crore petrochemical project at Mundra in Gujarat as it focuses on resources to consolidate operations and address investor concerns following a damning report by a US-based short seller, sources said.

• The group's flagship Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL) had in 2021 incorporated a wholly-owned subsidiary, Mundra Petrochem Ltd for setting up a greenfield coal-to-PVC plant at Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) land in Kutch district of Gujarat.
• But after Hindenburg Research's January 24 report alleging accounting fraud, stock manipulations and other corporate governance lapses chopped off about USD 140 billion from the market value of Gautam Adani's empire, The group has suspended work petrochemical project at Mundra.

The Adani Group has indefinitely suspended work on its over $4 billion (approx Rs 34,000 crore) coal-to-polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant in Mundra, Gujarat, according to two sources aware of the development.

• The company has also scrapped its fundraising plans for the project.
• It was in talks to raise Rs 14000 crore from a consortium of seven-to eight banks led by the State Bank of India, according to an investment banker aware of the development.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the first submarine base of Bangladesh ‘BNS Sheikh Hasina’ at Pekua in Cox’s Bazar on Monday. Hailing the newly inaugurated naval base as an ‘ultra modern submarine base’,

• Prime Minister called the event a proud chapter in the history of Bangladesh navy.
• Inaugurating the submarine base virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban in Dhaka, Prime Minister Hasina said that the newly commissioned submarine base would help navy increase its operational capacity to secure the vast marine resources.
• Ships passing through the Bay of Bengal also can take help from the base, said Sheikh Hasina.

The three-day Nepal-India Literature Festival concluded with the adoption of a 10-point Biratnagar declaration. The festival was jointly organized by Biratnagar Metropolitan City and Krantidhara Literature Academy of Meerut, India.

• A 10-point declaration highlighting the mutual promotion of literature between Nepal and India was adopted.
• The declaration included translating Nepali literature into Hindi and Hindi into Nepali for mutual promotion, undertaking further research on connecting Mahabharat-era King Birat’s palace with the Mahabharat Circuit in coordination with the Department of Archeology and historians and encouraging young literary writers to further explore the archaeological artefacts.
• As many as 350 literary writers representing all seven provinces of Nepal and the majority of states of India participated in the festival. Over 200 litterateurs cited literary creations on the occasion.

President Xi Jinping heads to Russia on Monday hoping to deliver a breakthrough on Ukraine as China seeks to position itself as a peacemaker.

• Freshly reappointed for a third term in power, Mr. Xi is pushing a greater role for China on the global stage, and was crucial in mediating a surprise rapprochement between Middle Eastern rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia this month.

North Korea launched a suspected missile toward the sea on March 19, its neighbors said, as the North ramps up testing activities in response to U.S.-South Korean military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal.

• Japan’s Defense Ministry and coast guard said what appeared to be a North Korean missile was fired Sunday morning. They gave no further details.
• South Korea’s Yonhap news agency cited the South’s military as saying that North Korea had fired a ballistic missile toward its eastern waters.
• The launch, if confirmed, would be the North’s third round of weapons tests since the U.S. and South Korean militaries began their joint military drills last week.
• The North views the drills as a practice to launch an invasion, though the United States and South Korea have steadfastly said their training is defensive in nature. The latest U.S.-South Korean drills, which include computer simulations and field exercises, are to continue until Thursday.

The International Criminal Court on March 17, 2023 announced an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on the war crime accusation of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children.

• The Hague-based ICC said it had also issued a warrant against Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s presidential commissioner for children’s rights, on similar charges.
• Moscow dismissed the orders as “void”. Russia is not a party to the ICC so it was unclear if or how Mr. Putin could ever end up in the dock.
• War-battered Ukraine welcomed the ICC announcement, with President Volodymyr Zelensky hailing the “historic decision”.

Egypt became a member of BRICS' New Development Bank (NDB) which includes India, Brazil, Russia, China, and South Africa as member countries.

• According to an update posted on the bank's official website, Cairo completed all the necessary procedures to become an eligible member on February 20, 2023.
• It was given an official member status around that time. In 2020, the NDB board of Governors authorized the bank to hold a dialogue with potential member states of BRICS.
• Egypt's accession was later approved by NBD in December 2021. Earlier in September, the NDB board also approved similar procedures for United Arab Emirates (UAE), Uruguay, and Bangladesh. All three countries went on to become members of the bank. 

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund has approved Sri Lanka’s bailout program under an Extended Fund Facility. IMF has said the first tranche of the loan will be released in the next couple of days.

• Sri Lanka will immediately receive an initial disbursement of 333 million US Dollars. The extended fund facility of 3 billion dollars will be available through tranches over a 4 year period.
• In a virtual press conference, the IMF said Sri Lanka must present a debt restructuring strategy by the end of April to reach the IMF targets to achieve debt sustainability.
• The strategy will require uniform debt treatment with all creditors and talks in this direction will be key area of focus.

Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, is all set to host a working group meeting of tourism delegates from the G-20 nations in the last week of May.

• The city is undergoing a major makeover amid a stringent security plan for the high-profile event.
• Diplomatic sources said all the G-20 nations have received a formal invitation for the meeting, but most countries said it was too early to comment on their participation.
• It will be interesting to see how Saudi Arabia and Turkey, both members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as well as the G-20 grouping, react to the invitation.

Auto components major Bosch Ltd appointed Guruprasad Mudlapur appointed as its Managing Director, and President of the Bosch Group in India with effect from July 1, 2023.

• Muldapur will succeed Soumitra Bhattacharya who will be retiring from Bosch India effective June 30, 2023, after 28 years of service in various capacities.
• He has more than 15 years of experience in the Bosch Group and has held various positions in engineering and business management.
• He will also continue to hold the position of chief technology officer for Bosch Ltd.
• Previously, he was regional president and managing director of Bosch Automotive Electronics Pvt Ltd.

Filmmaker Pradeep Sarkar, best known for his movies "Parineeta" and "Mardaani", passed away at a hospital early on Friday, his wife Panchali said. He was 67.

• The director was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Lilavati hospital in suburban Bandra following a fever. He passed away between 3.10 am and 3.30 am at Lilavati hospital,
• Some of his other directorial ventures were "Laaga Chunari Mein Daag" (2007), "Lafangey Parindey" (2010), "Mardaani" (2014), and "Helicopter Eela" (2018).
• The news of Sarkar's death shocked his colleagues in the film industry.

Justice K. Vinod Chandran, judge of the High Court of Kerala, has been appointed as the Chief Justice of the Patna High Court.

• The Centre issued the transfer order of Mr. Vinod Chandran along with a few others.
• The transfer order comes after a few months of the Supreme Court collegium recommending him to the High Courts of Mumbai and Guwahati as Chief Justice before proposing his name to the Patna High Court.
• The collegium had also expressed its displeasure over the Centre delaying the transfer orders and appointments of a few judges to the High Courts and the Supreme Court.

Indian industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Tata has been appointed as an Honorary Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AO), for distinguished service to Australia-India bilateral relations, particularly trade, investment and philanthropy.

• Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell said that the Governor General of Australia announced his appointment.

• Ratan Tata is the Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, former Chairman of the Tata Group and one of the world's richest entrepreneurs.

• He tops the list of most humble entrepreneurs India has ever had.

The board of Invest India has appointed Manmeet K Nanda as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the investment promotion and facilitation body under the commerce ministry.

• The board approved the appointment of Nanda, an IAS officer of the West Bengal Cadre of 2000 Batch, as the new MD and CEO, the Commerce Ministry said in a statement .
• Nanda was previously serving as the Joint Secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
• Bagla has cited "personal reasons" for stepping down from the post.

CEAT company has appointed Arnab Banerjee as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) while Anant Goenka has been designated as Vice Chairman of the company. The new appointments will be effective from April 1, 2023.

• Arnab Banerjee is the new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CEAT Limited .
• He was previously serving as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the company. He joined CEAT in 2005 as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

US President Joe Biden will present the 2021 National Humanities Medals, in conjunction with the National Medals of Arts on Tuesday i.e. 21 March. Indian-American Vera Mindy Chokalingam, professionally known as Mindy Kaling will be awarded the 2021 National Humanities Medal among others.

• Mindy Kaling is a writer, producer and actor.
• She was born on 24 June 1979 and is a daughter of Indian immigrants.
• Mindy Kaling is an Emmy-nominated writer, producer, New York Times best-selling author, director, and actor.
• The National Medal of Arts is the highest award given to artists, arts patrons, and groups by the US government and honors exemplary individuals and organisations that have advanced the arts in America and offered inspiration to others through their distinguished achievement, support, or patronage.

Govt has approved the appointment of  Shri Lalit Kumar Gupta as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Cotton Corporation of India (CCI). .

• He is a Chartered Accountant (CA) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). He is also a member of the Institute of the Company Secretaries of India (ICSI).
• He has a rich experience in the Finance and related sector. Gupta has a very long association with Cotton Corporation of about 25 years. He joined CCI in August 1994.

G Krishnakumar has taken over as the new chairman and managing director of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), the company said on Friday.

• Krishnakumar, an electrical and electronics engineer from National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli and a postgraduate in finance management from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai, was executive director in the company before his elevation.
• Government headhunter, the Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB) had, in December last year, picked up Krishnakumar over company's Director (Finance) Vetsa Ramakrishna Gupta, Director (Refineries) S Khanna, and Director (Marketing) Sukhmal Kumar Jain.

Luxor Writing Instruments Private Limited, a company that makes stationery, has signed cricketer Virat Kohli as its new brand ambassador.

• Kohli will represent Luxor's stationery products and help the company increase its appeal among young writers, thereby enhancing its position as the leading writing instrument provider in the country.
• It is aimed specifically at establishing Luxor as a leading stationery brand in India and increasing the appeal of Luxor's stationery brand among the youth market.
• Indian stationery brand Luxor has partnered with Schneider Pens of Germany to introduce a premium range of creative writing instruments in India.

Pune based swimmer, Sampanna Ramesh Shelar has become the fastest Indian in under 21 group to swim across the Palk Strait from Talaimannar in Sri Lanka to Dhanuskodi in Tamil Nadu.

• He created this record by completing the distance of 29 Kms in 5 hours and 30 minutes. The previous record was 8 hours and 26 minutes.
• With this achievement, Mr. Shelar is planning to do solo swims across the English & Catalina Channels soon, to eventually complete swimming across the seven oceans popularly known as the Oceans Seven Challenge.
• His swim commenced at 6.00 am on Thursday from Talaimannar and he reached Dhanushkodiat 11.26 am completing the distance of 29 Kms. 
• He is a Bachelor of Physical Education student and trains under the guidance of Mr. Jitendra Khasnis.
• He is also the youngest and fastest swimmer in the world to swim the Bangla Channel twice. This record is also recorded in the Limca Book of Records.

Deepak Bagla, Managing Director and CEO of Invest India, an investment promotion and facilitation body under the commerce and industry ministry, has resigned from his post. 

• The National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of the Indian government, Invest India, was led by Deepak Bagla as managing director and CEO.
• The agency was set up in 2009 under section 25 of the Companies Act.

The Maharashtra government has given approval for a 75-feet tall 'Statue of Knowledge' dedicated to Dr B. R. Ambedkar in Latur city, local MP Sudhakar Shrangare said on Wednesday.

• The state government issued an order regarding the statue and also the beautification of the Ambedkar Park in the city, the BJP MP said.
• The minister further added, Rs 10 crore have been sanctioned for the entire project.
• The ground-breaking ceremony for the project will be performed on April 14, Dr Ambedkar's birth anniversary, the MP said.

The Indira Gandhi Tulip Garden, Asia's largest tulip garden, opened to the public on Sunday, nestled between Dal Lake and the Zabarwan hills in Srinagar.

• Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at the opening ceremony said that about 68 varieties of tulips will bloom in the garden this year. 
• In addition to 15 lakh tulips of various colours and hues, the garden, also known as Siraj Bagh, has other spring flowers on display, including hyacinths, daffodils, muscari, and cyclamens.

India and Tanzania have received approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to utilize their respective national currencies for settling bilateral trade.

• By employing their own currencies, the countries can expect a reduction in transaction costs, an improvement in cross-border trade efficiency, and an increase in trade volume, resulting in greater economic collaboration.
• Authorized banks in India and Tanzania will open Special Rupee Vostro Accounts (SRVAs) for bilateral trade settlement, following approval from the Reserve Bank of India.
• Bank of Baroda has received approval to establish SRVAs in 18 countries, including Tanzania. Under the agreement, Indian importers will pay INR, which will be deposited into the correspondent bank's designated Special Vostro account. 

Reserve Bank of India governor Shaktikanta Das on Wednesday laid the foundation stone of a new greenfield data centre and enterprise computing and cybersecurity training institute of the central bank in Bhubaneshwar.

• The new centre, spread over 18.55 acres, will look after the emerging requirements of the RBI and the financial sector, the central bank said via press release.
• Das highlighted the need to augment the RBI’s existing computing infrastructure and to support the same through cutting edge facilities for research in areas such as central banking, technology and cybersecurity.

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Ayush Shri Sarbananda Sonowal virtually launched Real-time Performance Monitoring Dashboard of MoPSW ‘Sagar Manthan’ – Digital platform having all the integrated data related to the ministry and other subsidiaries.

• This dashboard will transform the workings of various departments by improving well-coordinated real time information.
• This platform has been developed completely in-house under the guidance of Shri Sudhanshu Pant, IAS, Secretary, MoPSW in the span of less than 1.5 months efficiently.

Features of ‘SAGAR MANTHAN’ dashboard :

1. Data visualization

2. Real-time monitoring

3. Improved communication

4. Data-driven decision making

5. Increased accountability

National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL), a CPSE under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Govt. of India and CSIR-SERC (Structural Engineering Research Centre), Chennai signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 23.03.2023 for sharing knowledge on innovative ideas and technologies in the field of highway engineering. 

• The MoU was signed by Shri Chanchal Kumar, Managing Director, NHIDCL and Dr. N. Anandavalli, Director, CSIR-SERC, Chennai.
• This MoU can take up various activities of common interest such as sharing knowledge on innovative ideas and technologies in the field of highway engineering and other infrastructure works on mutually agreed terms and conditions.
• This collaboration will strengthen R&D activities in Road Sector and expected to provide lead in conducting, coordinating research, development and training in the area of Development of Highway Infrastructure.

A new study has found geological evidence of recent volcanic activities on the surface of venus.

• The discovery comes from NASA’s Magellan spacecraft, which orbited Venus some 30 years ago and used radar to peer through the thick clouds. Images made 8 months apart show a volcano’s circular mouth, or caldera, growing dramatically in a sudden collapse.
• On Earth, such collapses occur when magma that had supported the caldera vents or drains away, as happened during a 2018 eruption at Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano.
• Witnessing this unrest during the short observation period suggests either Magellan was spectacularly lucky, or, like Earth,

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch OneWeb India-2 mission from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on March 26.

•  Under a commercial agreement with NewSpace India Limited, ISRO will launch 72 satellites of the UK-based Network Access Associates Limited and place them in low Earth orbits.
• If the launch is successful, the Bharti Enterprise-backed UK-based company will complete its constellation of over 600 low-earth-orbit satellites in space, paving the way to offer space-based broadband internet services to every corner of the world.
• OneWeb has already launched internet from space services in countries located above 50 degrees north latitude — Alaska, Canada, Greenland, UK and Northern Europe.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Area office & Innovation Centre in India at a programme in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

• During the programme, Prime Minister also unveiled Bharat 6G Vision Document and launched a 6G R&D Test Bed. 
• ITU- a United Nations' specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs)- is headquartered in Geneva and has a vast network of field, regional and area offices.
• In March 2022, India had signed a Host Country Agreement with ITU for establishment of an area office which has been fully funded by India and is located on the second floor of the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) building at Mehrauli in New Delhi.
• The new office will serve India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan and Iran, a statement said, adding that it aims to enhance coordination among nations and ensure mutually beneficial economic cooperation in the region.

Asia's largest 4-meter International Liquid Mirror Telescope was launched in Devasthal in Uttarakhand on Tuesday. The observatory will explore the deep celestial sky, classifying objects from asteroids to supernovae, and space debris.

• The telescope was inaugurated by Science & Technology minister Dr. Jitendra Singh.
• The Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) has declared that the 4-meter International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) is operational and can now be used to observe the deep celestial sky.... Read more at: https://www.bankersadda.com/daily-current-affairs-22nd-march-2023.
• The International Liquid Mirror Telescope has a 4-meter-diameter rotating mirror made up of a thin layer of liquid mercury to collect and focus light.
• The metal mercury is in liquid form at room temperature, which is highly reflective and designed to survey the strip of the sky passing overhead each night.

China appealed Friday to other governments to treat its companies fairly after Britain and New Zealand joined the United States in restricting use of TikTok due to fears the Chinese-owned short video service might be a security risk.

• Governments are worried TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, might give browsing history or other data about users to China’s government or promote propaganda and disinformation.
• “We call on the countries concerned to recognise the objective facts, effectively respect the market economy” and provide “a non-discriminatory environment" for all companies, said foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin.
• TikTok is one focus of conflicts between China and other governments over technology and security that are disrupting processor chip, smartphone and other industries.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development will celebrate the fifth Poshan Pakhwada from 20th March to 3rd April 2023 with various activities nationwide.

• The Pakhwada aims to raise awareness about the importance of nutrition and promote healthy eating habits through Jan Andolan and Jan Bhagidari.
• Poshan Abhiyaan, launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 8th March 2018
• Poshan Abhiyan was launched with the aim to improve nutritional outcomes in a holistic manner. Behavioral change at individual and community level is an important component to achieve the desired goals of a Kuposhan-mukt Bharat.
• The theme of this year’s Poshan Pakhwada 2023 is "Nutrition for All: Together Towards a Healthy India". 

National women's hockey team midfielder Salima Tete was appointed the AHF Athletes Ambassador from India for a term of two years, starting March 25.

• Tete accepted the certificate and the position during the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Congress in Mungyeong, Korea.
• Tete, who led the Indian women's junior hockey team to a fourth-place finish at the 2021 FIH Women's Junior World Cup in Potchefstroom, South Africa, is among four players from Asia to be appointed for the position. 
• As the AHF Athletes Ambassador, Tete, along with the other selected athletes from Asia, will play a leadership role in international representation, development, and advocacy of athletes.

FIFA set a timeline to pick the 2027 Women's World Cup host, giving would-be candidates one month to join the contest ahead of a vote in May next year.

• Brazil, South Africa and a co-hosting project by Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany have previously said they want to bid for the tournament.
• FIFA said its ruling council — a 37-member global group chaired by the governing body's president Gianni Infantino — will select up to three bids late in the campaign for a vote by more than 200 member federations.
• The decision will be made at the FIFA Congress on May 17 next year at a venue not yet announced.

Mexican driver Sergio Perez secured a well-deserved victory from the pole position, putting in a dominant performance for the Red Bull Racing team.

• His teammate Max Verstappen put in an impressive comeback, racing from 15th place to finish second and snatching the fastest lap of the race on the final lap, retaining his lead in the Formula One championship by a single point.
• Perez's victory marked the second consecutive one-two finish for Red Bull this season, following Verstappen's win in the season opener in Bahrain.
• The Mexican driver put in a flawless performance, showcasing his speed, skill, and experience as he maintained his lead from start to finish, with Verstappen hot on his heels.

Ace Indian cueist Pankaj Advani defeated compatriot Dhruv Sitwala by six frames to win his eighth title at the 19th Asian 100 UP Billiards Championship 2022 . 

• Billiards Championship 2022 was held in Doha, Qatar.
• Overall this is Advani’s 24th international title and 8th Asian crown. Earlier, Advani had held off the stiff challenge of Pauk Sa of Myanmar to secure a spot in the final.
• He managed a 5-4 win after his opponent fought back strongly to level the match at four frames each.

India's Sarabjot Singh clinched the gold medal while Varun Tomar finished with bronze in the men's 10m Air Pistol event at the ISSF Rifle/Pistol World Cup 2023 in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

• Sarabjot Singh, a 2021 junior world gold medallist in the team and mixed team categories, defeated Azerbaijan's Ruslan Lunev 16-0 in the gold-medal match in the first final of the Bhopal ISSF World Cup.
• ISSF Shooting World Cup was inaugurated on March 21 in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh.

The 2023 Swiss Open badminton tournament started in Basel, Switzerland.

• The tournament will be played till 26 of this month. Indian shuttler PV Sindhu will begin her campaign tomorrow against local wildcard Jenjira Stadelmann. 
• In men’s singles, H S Prannoy will face China's Shi Yu Qi in his opening-round fixture on Wednesday. 
• Lakshya Sen takes on Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong and former silver medallist Kidambi Srikanth will be up against China’s Weng Hong Yang in their first-round matches.

Carlos Alcaraz returned to the top of the world rankings after sweeping past Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-2 to win the Indian Wells Masters title on Sunday.

• The Spanish top seed ended Medvedev's 19-match winning streak, denying him a fourth title in as many tournaments to ensure he will supplant Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic atop the rankings.
• Alcaraz, 19, who first reached world No 1 after winning the US Open last year, claimed his third Masters 1000 title and joined compatriot Rafael Nadal as the only players to win at least three as a teenager. Nadal won six before turning 20.

Former Australia test cricket captain Tim Paine has announced his retirement following the conclusion of Tasmania’s Sheffield Shield first-class match against Queensland .

• Wicketkeeper Paine captained Australia in 23 tests between early 2018 and 2021, playing 35 tests overall. He became Australia’s 46th test skipper after Steve Smith had his captaincy stripped in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal on Australia’s 2018 tour of South Africa.
• Paine stood down from the captaincy in late 2021 after it was revealed he had sent explicit text messages to a former Cricket Tasmania employee.
• Paine, who debuted against Pakistan at Lord’s in 2010, averaged 32.63 in test matches with a top score of 92 and made 157 dismissals behind the stumps. He also played 35 one-day internationals for Australia.

Indian Navy's Akshdeep Singh clinched the gold medal while Priyanka Goswami bagged bronze in the men's and women's categories respectively at the Asian 20km Race Walking Championships 2023 held in Nomi, Japan on 19-03-2023.

• Among the other Indian athletes, Vikash Singh and Paramjeet Bisht clocked 1:20:05 and 1:20:08, respectively, in the men's open category which saw them breach the 1:20:10 mark - the qualification standards for both the 2023 World Championships and Paris 2024 Olympics.
• At the National Championships earlier this month, Akshdeep Singh and Priyanka Goswami had already qualified for the World Championships and the Paris Olympics.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced the government will set up a sports university in the Kumaun region’s Haldwani town.

• Dhami, who made the announcement on the occasion of completion of one year of the formation of his government, said there had been longstanding demands from several sports associations for such a university.
• The international stadium of Haldwani will be upgraded into a sports university, he said.
• Earlier, the chief minister also held a meeting with the officials and discussed the proposed university.
• Dhami said there is no dearth of sporting talent in the state, and the university will give such talented people a chance to hone and display their skills further.
• Uttarakhand will hold several national level sports event in the coming year.

Rajasthan has the first state in India to make health a right of the people there. The Assembly on Tuesday passed the Rajasthan Right to Health Bill, 2022, which gives every resident the right to free emergency treatment at public or designated private hospitals.

• According to the bill's provisions, every resident will have the right to emergency treatment and care "without prepayment" at any "public health institution, health care establishment and designated health care centres".
• The government will reimburse the health care provider if a patient does not pay the charges after emergency care, stabilisation and referral.

In an endeavour to achieve the target of becoming a Net Zero Carbon Emitter by 2030, the Northeast Frontier Railway has completed the electrification of sections between Abhayapuri–Pancharatna and Dudhnai–Mendipathar on March 15, Chief Public Relations Officers (CPRO) Sabyasachi De said.

• Mendipathar is the only railway station in the northeastern state of Meghalaya which is in operation since 2014 after being inaugurated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India. 
• The Central Organization for Railway Electrification (CORE) has carried out the electrification works in these sections.
• After the commissioning of electric traction, trains hauled by electric locomotives will now be able to operate directly from Mendipathar in Meghalaya.

The Tamil Nadu State Disaster Plan, 2023 released by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin lists out action plans to undertake in case of various natural and human-made disasters.

• At an event in the Secretariat on Friday, the Chief Minister also released the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Policy, 2023.
• The Plan lists out elaborate action plans to deal with disasters such as earthquake, cyclone, tsunami, flood, urban flood, industrial and chemical disasters, biological and public health emergency, nuclear and radiological disasters and fire.

Tamil Nadu government has decided to provide subsidy to bring cultivation of millets in fallow lands and crop diversification to millets in 50,000 acres under its Tamil Nadu Millet Mission, said the Minister for Agriculture M.R.K.Panneerselvam.

• The minister added the state government will implement the Tamil Nadu Millet Mission for five years.
• “Under this scheme, subsidy will be given for bringing millet cultivation to fallow lands and crop diversification to millets in 50,000 acres. Hundred groups of millet producers will be formed by bringing together millet farmers and training programmes will be conducted for them,” Panneerselvam said.
• The agriculture minister added  millet festivals would be celebrated to create awareness among consumers and increase millet cultivation.  

Bihar State Foundation Day, Bihar Diwas, or Bihar Day, is observed on 22 March every year. It marks the formation of the state of Bihar when the state was carved out from the Bengal Presidency by the British in the year 1912.

• Bihar Diwas is a public holiday for all state and central government offices and companies as well as for schools. Apart from Bihar, it is celebrated in other countries as well by the Bihari diaspora.
• The day is celebrated with great aplomb with a multitude of cultural events in educational institutions and public premises by local people and eminent personalities.

In order to check the rising incidents of human-elephant conflict (HEC), West Bengal has launched a unique human-driven initiative, named "Gajamitra (Friends of Elephants)".

• Under this scheme, the state Forest Department has started the process of appointing 600 local youth from HEC-prone pockets both in north Bengal as well as in south Bengal as these Gajamitras.
• According to West Bengal Forest Minister Jyotipriyo Mullick, the recruitment process has already started. "Once the recruitment process is complete, the selected youths will be provided with android sets with the specially developed Gajamitra App installed there," he said.
• The selected youths will procure advance information about the movement of elephant herds, alert the forest department and local people, so that preventive measures can be taken for avoiding HEC, the minister added

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the One World TB Summit at Rudrakash Convention Centre in Varanasi on March 24. Governor of Uttar Pradesh Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were present on the occasion among other dignitaries.

• He also launched various initiatives including the TB-Mukt Panchayat, the official pan-India rollout of a shorter TB Preventive Treatment (TPT), the Family-centric care model for TB and the release of India’s Annual TB Report 2023.
• The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of the National Centre for Disease Control and High Containment Laboratory and inaugurated the site for the Metropolitan Public Health Surveillance Unit in Varanasi

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah chaired the Regional Conference on 'Drug Trafficking and National Security' at Bengaluru, Karnataka.

• The conference was attended by representatives from 5 southern states and 3 union territories. In the presence of the Union Home Minister, 9,298 kg of seized narcotics worth Rs 1,235 crore were destroyed.
• Apart from this, a Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between the Rashtriya Raksha University and the Government of Karnataka to open a new campus of the University at Shivamogga.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the One World TB Summit at Rudrakash Convention Centre in Varanasi on March 24. Governor of Uttar Pradesh Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were present on the occasion among other dignitaries.

• He also launched various initiatives including the TB-Mukt Panchayat, the official pan-India rollout of a shorter TB Preventive Treatment (TPT), the Family-centric care model for TB and the release of India’s Annual TB Report 2023.
• The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of the National Centre for Disease Control and High Containment Laboratory and inaugurated the site for the Metropolitan Public Health Surveillance Unit in Varanasi

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has invited his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to the G7 summit in May and Modi accepted.

• The two leaders met in New Delhi, the capital of India on Monday(20 March,2023).
• Both countries agreed to continue to commit to maintain a rules-based world order.
• Kishida told Modi that he wants the G7 summit in Hiroshima to be a chance to discuss strengthening relations with developing and emerging nations, collectively known as the Global South.
• The leaders agreed to promote cooperation between the G7 and G20 nations in the areas of funding development, food security and the environment.

The second G20 sustainable finance working group meet kick started off on 21-03-2023 at Udaipur in Rajasthan with a workshop on non-pricing policy levers to support sustainable development.

• Round table discussions were held on the need to do much more to achieve net zero carbon development.
• The session was focused on understanding the effectiveness of non.pricing policy levers in enabling low carbon development.
• It was mentioned that non-price-based policy levers (NPPLs) have performed better than expectations and are cost-effective in this regard.  

The Government will organise a two-day global Conference on Digital Health – Taking Universal Health Coverage to the last citizen in New Delhi .

• The Union Health Ministry said, leveraging India’s presidency of the G20, India and the WHO South-East Asia Regional Office will organise the  Conference.
• The conclave will bring together global leaders and health development partners, health policymakers, digital health innovators and influencers, academia, and other stakeholders. Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya will chair the two-day Global conference.
• The conference will address the issues to accelerate the implementation of connected digital health initiatives.

The Kerala government has been fined Rs 10 crore by the Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for their inability to prevent the uncontrolled pollution of the designated Ramsar sites.

• The Bench, led by its chairperson Adarsh Kumar Goel, said in its order dated March 22 that the penalty imposed on the basis of the ‘polluter pays principle’ had to be deposited in a ring-fenced account to be operated under the authority of the Chief Secretary.
• The penalty of ?10 crore had to be utilised for conservation/restoration measures by preparing an action plan to be preferably executed within six months. 

IPCC indicated preventing overshoot of 1.5°C was pretty much a matter of survival now as every increment of global warming will intensify multiple and concurrent hazards.

• Overshooting 1.5°C warming will lead to irreversible impacts and risks for human and natural systems, all growing with the magnitude and duration of overshoot, an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the key scientific authority on climate crisis, warned.
• In its final report of the panel’s sixth assessment cycle until at least 2028 (seventh assessment cycle), IPCC indicated preventing overshoot of 1.5°C was pretty much a matter of survival now as every increment of global warming will intensify multiple and concurrent hazards .
• It will also result in irreversible adverse impacts on polar, mountain, and coastal ecosystems, impacted by ice-sheet, glacier melt, or by accelerating and higher committed sea level rise.

• A curated selection of 11 films from 9 countries will be showcased to create wider awareness of the impact of climate change on life in cities and engage the public in the dialogue on sustainable urban development.
• The Urban Climate Film Festival will be launched on Friday, 24th March 2023 at the M.L. Bhartia Auditorium, Alliance Française, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi.
• The Urban Climate Film Festival aims to create larger awareness among the public about the environmental, social and economic impacts of climate change on cities.

 Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday launched the Mission Lifestyle for Environment’ (LiFE) in the state, a global mass movement under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

• Sarma said it promotes an environmentally conscious lifestyle, focusing on utilisation instead of wasteful consumption.
• Under this initiative, week-long activities will be carried out across all districts, addressing seven identified categories, including saving energy and water, reducing plastic and e-waste, and healthy lifestyles.