Current Affairs in Short: 17 January 2023

• On January 16, 2023, the 21st edition of the Bilateral Naval Exercise VARUNA between India and France began on the Western Seaboard. 
• The drill, which will go through January 2023, will include advanced air defense exercises, tactical manoeuvres, surface firings, underway replenishment, and other marine activities. 
• According to a statement from the Ministry of Defence, this exercise allows participants to learn from one another’s best practices.

• Vidisha, an aspirational district in Madhya Pradesh, is the first district in India to adopt innovative 5G use cases supplied by entrepreneurs on the ground. 
• It is a collaborative effort between the Vidisha District Administration and the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). 
• DoT is leading the ‘5G use case promotional pilot’ in Vidisha for deploying 5G/4G/IoT innovative solutions for startups and SMEs.

• Sri Lanka’s government is preparing to issue stamps commemorating the country’s 75th anniversary of independence.
• According to the Sri Lankan President’s Media Division, the commemorative stamp would feature a portrait of India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. 
• The country, which is in the grip of a financial crisis, will commemorate its 75th anniversary of independence on February 4, 2023.

Viacom 18 bagged Women’s IPL media rights

• The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on January 17, 2023, that Viacom 18 had secured the media rights for the next Women’s IPL for a staggering Rs 951 crore over a five-year period.
• The cricket body held an auction for the T20 League in Mumbai. 
• In March 2023, the Indian cricket board is set to begin its ambitious franchise-based T20 competition for women players, similar to the Indian Premier League.