News in Short

• Rohit Sharma has replaced ViratKohli as India’s new Test captain. Rohit was the frontrunner since he was appointed the Test vice-captain ahead of the recently concluded South Africa series.
• Kohli had stepped down as captain of India’s Test team, with immediate effect, a day after losing the Test series to South Africa 2-1 with a seven-wicket loss in Cape Town.
• In December, Rohit had also been appointed India’s ODI captain, ending Kohli’s five-year long white-ball reign.

• West Bengal Cabinet minister  SadhanPande died in Mumbai after prolonged illness. He was 71.
• Pande was a five-time MLA from Burtola constituency in North Kolkata till 2011 when TMC came to power in the state. He was later elected as an MLA from Maniktala constituency for three consecutive terms.
• He was retained as a Cabinet minister after TMC came to power for the third consecutive term in 2021. However, he was not allocated any portfolio due to his ill health.

• Andhra Pradesh Industries Minister MekapatiGoutham Reddy passed away following a heart attack in Hyderabad. He was 50.
• Mr Reddy returned to Hyderabad after spending 10 days in Dubai for Expo 2022. He also held the Information Technology portfolio.
• He was first elected as MLA from Atmakur in 2014 and then in 2019. He became a minister in the Andhra Pradesh cabinet led by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy after YSR Congress came to power in 2019.

• The Tamil Nadu Cashew Processors and Exporters Association (TNCPEA) has applied for a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Panruti cashews.
• GI tagging of Panruti cashews would not only provide a fillip to the industry but would also enhance the secondary economic activities in the region.
• Panruti cashews are slightly small and have a unique value in the market. Colloquially known as the ‘goldmine’ of Cuddalore, it has a huge demand across India and the world.

• External affairs minister S Jaishankar has warned nations not to get sucked into a debt trap by accepting aid from China.
• Jaishankar’s comments came during a discussion on the theme “Regional order and security in the Indo-Pacific” at the Munich Security Conference.
• Jaishankar participated in a discussion on the Indo-Pacific at the MSC, aimed at broadening discussions on the escalating tensions between NATO countries and Russia over Ukraine.