Correct Answer : Option (B) - New Delhi

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the new International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Area office & Innovation Centre in India at a programme in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi  on 22nd March 2023.

* The Prime Minister also unveiled the Bharat 6G Vision Document and launched the 6G R&D Test Bed. He also launched the ‘Call before u Dig’ App.

* ITU is the United Nations' specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs).

* India signed a Host Country Agreement in March 2022 with ITU for the establishment of Area Office. It will serve India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Afghanistan and Iran, enhancing coordination among nations and fostering mutually beneficial economic cooperation in the region.

* Ms Doreen-Bogdan Martin, Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union thanked the Prime Minister for helping develop the new ITU Office and innovation center in India which marks a new chapter in the long history of India and ITU.

* She expressed confidence that ITU’s presence in the region will help the introduction of advanced technologies, improve capacity development, and foster entrepreneurship and partnerships while also responding to leads on the ground from digital services, skills, cyber security and digital inclusion.

* India is a role model for countries looking for digital transformation to grow their economies, rethink their government services, attract investments, remake commerce and empower their people..

* She further added that India is home to one of the biggest startup ecosystems, digital payments market and tech workforces in the world and the leadership of the Prime Minister has put India as a leader on the digital forefront of tech innovations and adoptions with game-changing initiatives like Aadhar, UPI among others that have turned India into a knowledge-based economy...

Source : PIB

Correct Answer : Option (C) - March 22

World Water day is celebrated on March 22 every year to spread awareness about the water crisis all over the world.

World Water Day 2023 Aim :  To achieve the vision of sustainable water and sanitation for all by 2030.

* The UN's World Water Development Report (WWDR) is an overview of the crisis. The report is published on World Water Day every year, giving policies and recommendations to decision-makers to offer best practices and in-depth analyses of the global water crisis.

World Water Day 2023 Theme : The theme for World Water Day 2023 is "Accelerating the change to solve the water and sanitation crisis."

The theme emphasises the requirement for stern action to protect the world from the water crisis. Addressing the issue, the UN said, "Billions of people and countless schools, businesses, healthcare centres, farms and factories don’t have the safe water and toilets they need. There is an urgent need to accelerate change – to go beyond business as usual."

World Water Day 2023 Significance :

* Water is vital for the existence of life, but many people don't have any access to it. World Water Day works as a reminder to the world to work in this direction to support conservation efforts. As per the UN report, one in four people does not have access to clean drinking water.

* Inadequate access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene causes death to around 1.4 million people annually, and 74 million people cut their life short.

* Around 44% of household wastewater globally is not treated properly. On the other hand, global water demand is expected to increase by 55% by 2050.

World Water Day History :

* The United Nations General Assembly adopted World Water Day on December 22, 1992. The resolution was adopted, and thereon March 22 was declared to be celebrated as World Water Day. The first World Water Day Was observed on March 22, 1993.

Source : Business Standard