Monthly Current Affairs January 2024

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 Monthly Current Affairs January 2024
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Contents
NATIONAL AFFAIRS ........................................................................................................ 2
STATES AFFAIRS .......................................................................................................... 23
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS .............................................................................................. 47
REPORTS & INDICES ..................................................................................................... 52
GOVERNMENT SCHEMES & PROGRAMMES ........................................................................ 56
BUSINESS & ECONOMY ................................................................................................. 63
BANKING & FINANCE .................................................................................................... 73
RBI IN NEWS ............................................................................................................... 73
AWARDS & RECOGNITION ............................................................................................. 98
BOOKS & AUTHORS .................................................................................................... 121
PERSON IN NEWS ....................................................................................................... 121
OBITUARIES .............................................................................................................. 129
SPORTS .................................................................................................................... 132
IMPORTANT DAYS ....................................................................................................... 140

NATIONAL AFFAIRS
1. Union Minister of Mines, Coal, and Parliamentary Affairs, Pralhad Joshi has inaugurated the
2nd State Mining Ministers’ Conference in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

This 2nd conference of State Mining Ministers provides opportunities to discuss & deliberate
issues pertaining to the mining sector paving way to implement the reforms done in the
mining sector.
Chief Guest of the event: Dr Mohan Yadav, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh
The focal point of the conference is to develop strategies and increase the effectiveness of
the new policy reforms brought out by the Union Government.

2. The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the proposal for
equity investment for two thermal power plants in the country. These plants will be set up
by subsidiaries of Coal India Limited.
• A 660 MW supercritical coal-based thermal power will be set up in Madhya Pradesh

under the name of Amarkantak Thermal Electric Power Station. It will be operated as a

joint venture by South-East Coal Fields Limited (SECL) and Madhya Pradesh Power

Generating Company Limited (MPPGCL).

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 Monthly Current Affairs January 2024
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• The second 2×800 MW supercritical thermal power station will be set up by Mahanadi

Basin Power Limited in Sundergarh district of Odisha.

The total investment approved is Rs.5,607 crore. The total project cost is Rs.21,547 crore.
The two new thermal power plants will have a capacity of 2,260 MW.

3. The 2nd edition of India-Egypt Joint Special Forces Exercise CYCLONE has been conducted at
Anshas, Egypt from 22nd January to 1st February 2024.

The Indian Army contingent comprising 25 personnel have been represented by troops from
The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) and Egyptian contingent comprising 25 personnel
have been represented by Egyptian Commando Squadron and Egyptian Airborne Platoon.
The aim of the exercise is to acquaint both the sides with each other’s operating procedures
in the backdrop of Special Operations in desert/ semi desert terrain under Chapter VII of
United Nations Charter.
The exercise is designed to develop bilateral military cooperation and strengthen bond
between two armies through conduct of discussions and rehearsal of tactical military drills.
The exercise involves planning and execution of special operations in sub conventional
domain and conducted in three phases.
The first phase includes Military Exhibitions and Tactical Interactions, and second phase
focuses on training on Improvised Explosive Device (IED), counter IED and Combat First Aid.
The third and final phase encompasses Joint Tactical Exercise based on Fighting in Built-up
Area and Hostage Rescue Scenarios.
The first edition of the exercise was conducted in 2023 in India.

4. The 11th edition of the India-Kyrgyzstan Joint Special Forces “Exercise Khanjar” has been
conducted at the Special Forces Training School in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.

The exercise has been held from January 22 to February 3, 2024.

The Indian Army contingent, comprising 20 personnel, have been represented by troops
from The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), and the Kyrgyzstan contingent, comprising 20
personnel, have been represented by the Scorpion Brigade.
The exercise provides an opportunity for both sides to fortify defence ties while addressing
common concerns of international terrorism and extremism.

5. The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), under the administrative
control of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, has released ‘Pahal’- the insightful house
journal of its Vigilance Department.

This marks a significant step towards transparency, accountability, and the promotion of
renewable energy initiatives by IREDA.
The journal has been unveiled by Pradip Kumar Das, Chairman & Managing Director of
IREDA.

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 Monthly Current Affairs January 2024
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6. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Diamond Jubilee (75th year)
celebration of the Supreme Court of India (SCI) at the Supreme Court auditorium in Delhi.

The day marks the 75th anniversary of the inauguration of the Supreme Court of India on
28th January 1950.
During the occasion, PM Narendra Modi has launched citizen-centric information and
technology initiatives. These include:
• Digital Supreme Court Reports (Digi SCR) will make Supreme Court judgments available
to citizens of the country free of cost and in electronic format.
• Digital Courts 2.0 under e-Courts project to make court records available to Judges of
district courts in electronic form and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for transcribing
speech to text on a real-time basis.
• A new website of Supreme Court, available in both English and Hindi language,
redesigned with a user-friendly interface.
• Rs. 800 crores approved for expansion of Supreme Court building complex. Since 2014,
the government has disbursed more than Rs.7,000 crores for upgradation of physical
infrastructure of courts.

7. The 23rd edition of the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) will be held from
7-9 February 2024 in New Delhi. The summit deliberations will focus on the umbrella
theme: “Leadership for Sustainable Development and Climate Justice.”

This is the annual flagship event of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
The summit aims to address global challenges such as conflict, planetary crises, and setbacks
in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The summit will host prominent speakers, including ministers from Fiji, Kiribati, and Spain, as
well as representatives from the World Bank and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change.

8. India and France have agreed to jointly fund scientific research projects in the fields of
health, decarbonized hydrogen, marine sciences, and applied mathematics.

The decision was taken during the 2nd meeting of the Indo-French Joint Committee on Science
and Technology (JCST) at the India International Science Festival (IISF) 2024 held in Faridabad,
Haryana.
Both sides also pointed out the key role of mobility and networking in preparing future
cutting-edge scientific cooperation.

9. The Ministry of Tourism has organized the “Bharat Parv”, part of the Republic Day
celebrations, from 23-31 January at the Lawns and Gyan Path in front of the historic Red Fort
in Delhi.

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This year’s Bharat Parv showcases the participation of 26 Central Ministries and
Departments, each highlighting citizen-centric schemes and government initiatives such as
Mission Life, One District One Product, Viksit Bharat, Nari Shakti, and Ek Bharat Shreshtha
Bharat.
Bharat Parv was first launched in 2016.

10. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the setting up of two coal
gasification plants for Coal India Limited (CIL) to achieve the target of 100 MT coal
gasification by the year 2030 and to fulfil India’s dual objectives of self-reliance and energy
independence.
• The total investment in the joint venture of CIL and GAIL in West Bengal will be of 13
thousand 52 crore rupees.
• The total investment in the joint venture of CIL and GAIL in Jharsuguda district of Odisha
will be 11 thousand 782 crore rupees.

The Union Cabinet has also approved Rs 8,500 crore financial incentive scheme for coal
gasification projects.
• In the first category, Rs 4,050 crore has been provisioned for public sector utilities (PSUs)

in which up to three projects will be supported by providing a lump sum grant of Rs 1,350

crore or 15 per cent of capex, whichever is lower.

• In the second category, Rs 3,850 crore has been earmarked for both government and

private sector projects in which the lump sum grant of Rs 1,000 crore or 15 per cent of

capex, whichever is lower, is provided for each project.

• The third category is for demonstration projects (indigenous technology) and/or small-

scale product-based gasification plants under which Rs 600 crore has been provisioned by

the Centre. This would entail awarding a lump sum grant of Rs 100 crore or 15 per cent of

capex, whichever is lower.

Note: Coal gasification involves extracting methane from coal during the mining process and
utilising it for commercial purposes.

11. The 63rd Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) meeting has been organized in
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The meeting has been held under the Chairmanship of V.L.
Kantha Rao, Secretary, Ministry of Mines.

The Mineral Map of the newly carved out Union Territory of Ladakh has been released
on this occasion along with other significant publication of GSI.

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The proposed Annual Programme for ensuing Field Season year 2024-25 has been placed
before the Board for discussion.
During the ensuing year 2024-25, Geological Survey of India (GSI) has formulated about 1055
scientific programs for the year 2024-25, which includes 392 Mineral Development projects
(G2;G3;G4; and Offshore Explorations) that has the potential to generate auctionable mineral
blocks in near future.

CGPB:
The Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) is an important platform of the Geological
Survey of India (GSI), Ministry of Mines wherein the Annual Field Season Program (FSP) of GSI
is placed for discussion and to avoid duplication of work.
The Ministry of Mines, Government of India, vide notification dated 18th August 2023, had
revamped/ reconstituted the CGPB Committee into 12 theme-based groups.
The main objective of this reconstitution is to enable the States and other Stakeholders to
accrue benefit from wider participation and interaction with GSI to further their activities and
avoid duplication.

Additional Information:
The Geological Survey of India (GSI) was set up in 1851 primarily to find coal deposits for the
Railways. GSI, headquartered in Kolkata (West Bengal), has six regional offices located in
Lucknow, Jaipur, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Shillong and Kolkata and state unit offices in almost all
states of the country. GSI is an attached office to the Ministry of Mines.

12. The first edition of India-Saudi Arabia Joint Military Exercise ‘SADA TANSEEQ’ has been
commenced at Mahajan, Rajasthan.

Participants:
• The Saudi Arabian contingent comprising 45 personnel is being represented by Royal
Saudi Land Forces.
• The Indian Army contingent also comprising 45 personnel is being represented by a
Battalion from the Brigade of the Guards (Mechanised Infantry).

Objective: To train troops of both sides for Joint Operations in Semi Desert terrain under
Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.
The exercise will involve establishment of Mobile Vehicle Check Post, Cordon & Search
Operation, House Intervention Drill, Reflex Shooting, Slithering and Sniper Firing.

13. The 14th Ministerial-level meeting of the India- United States Trade Policy Forum (TPF) has
been held in New Delhi. Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal and U.S.
Trade Representative, Ambassador Katherine Tai have co-chaired the forum meeting.

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Key highlights of the meeting:
• Both nations agreed to establish a Joint Facilitative Mechanism (JFM) to mitigate non-tariff
barriers which would pursue mutual recognition of results from International
Laboratories and establish mutual recognition arrangements (MRAs), on a bilateral basis
whenever possible.
• Both nations acknowledged discussions on Social Security totalization agreement which
will give social security to Indian professionals working in US.
• Reiterated India’s interest in restoration of its beneficiary status under U.S. Generalized
System of Preferences (GSP) program.

GSP is largest and oldest US trade preference program to promote the economic
development by allowing duty-free entry for thousands of products from designated
beneficiary countries.
US removed India from GSP in 2019.
Indo-US Trade relations:
• U.S is India's biggest trading partner in 2022-23 at USD 128.55 billion.
• During 2022-23, USA was the third largest source of FDI into India.

Trade Policy Forum (TPF):

TPF was established in 2005. It is a platform for continuous engagement between two
countries in the area of trade and to enhance bilateral trade and investment relations.

14. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras will open its second IIT campus outside
India in Kandy, Sri Lanka. This has been announced by Sri Lanka’s Education Minister Dr
Susil Premajayantha.

The proposal was part of the Budget 2024 presented by Sri Lanka President Ranil
Wickremasinghe in his capacity as Finance Minister.
Earlier in December 2023, it was announced that IIT Delhi is scheduled to inaugurate a
campus in Abu Dhabi, while IIT Madras has established a presence in Zanzibar (Tanzania),
focusing on addressing the educational needs of African countries.
This initiative underscores the internationalization efforts within the Indian education sector.

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15. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted a
flight test of the New Generation AKASH (AKASH-NG) missile from the Integrated Test
Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.

The test involved intercepting a high-speed unmanned aerial target at a very low altitude.
AKASH NG Missile:
• The AKASH-NG is a medium-range, mobile surface-to-air missile defence system.

• It’s a state-of-the-art missile system that can intercept high-speed, agile aerial threats.

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 Monthly Current Affairs January 2024
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• It has a range of around 80 km.

• It has advanced technologies and features, such as improved missiles, seekers, and

radars.

• It also includes an indigenously developed Radio Frequency Seeker, Launcher, and Multi-

Function Radar.

16. Three Indian Navy Ships (INS) namely INS Cheetah, INS Guldar and INS Kumbhir have
been decommissioned simultaneously during a ceremony conducted at Port Blair,
Andaman & Nicobar (A&N).

All three ships rendered nearly 40 years of glorious service to India.

Cheetah, Guldar and Kumbhir were built at Gdynia Shipyard, Poland as Polnocny class
Landing Ships and were commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1984, 1985 and 1986
respectively.
Initially, Cheetah was based at Kochi and Chennai for brief periods, and Kumbhir and Guldar
were based at Visakhapatnam.
The ships were subsequently re-based at Andaman and Nicobar Command.
These ships conducted over 1300 beaching operations for landing of army troops ashore.

17. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has successfully launched an H-IIA rocket carrying Japan's
information-gathering satellite “Optical-8”. The launch took place from Tanegashima Space
Center.

This is the 48th launch of the H-IIA rocket since its inception in 2001.
This rocket is developed by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
The Optical-8 satellite is primarily designed for intelligence gathering. It is equipped with
advanced optical instruments to collect security information.

18. The Indian Navy and Royal Thai Navy (RTN) have conducted a maiden bilateral exercise,
named 'Ex-Ayutthaya', which literally translates to ‘The Invincible One’ or ‘Undefeatable’, and
symbolises the significance of two of the oldest cities Ayodhya in India and Ayutthaya in
Thailand.

The maiden exercise has been conducted from 20 to 23 December 2023.

The Indian Naval ships Kulish and IN LCU 56 have participated in the inaugural edition of
the exercise.
The RTN side is represented by His Thai Majesty's Ship (HTMS) Prachuap Khiri Khan.
The 36th edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) has also been
conducted along with the maiden bilateral exercise.
The Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both navies have participated in the Sea Phase of the
exercise.

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19. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has observed the 150th Year of its
establishment and service to the nation. The Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankar, graced
the occasion as Chief Guest in the inaugural ceremony celebration of 150th years of its
establishment.

Guest of Honour: Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of Earth Sciences

During the occasion, the Vice President released and launched the following:
• Souvenir on Evolution of IMD and its services since 1875

The souvenir brings out evolution and achievements of organisational structure,

observations, communication, modelling and services of IMD since 1875.
• WAFES- Decision Support System

IMD has developed the in-house Web-GIS-based integrated Decision Support System (DSS)
known as the Weather Analysis and Forecast Enabling System (WAFES), inspired by
Pancha Mahabhuta i.e. Water, Air, Fire, Earth and Sky.
The WAFES serves as a visualization platform to analyse meteorological observations and
prediction models, aiding decision-making for severe weather phenomena and their socio-
economic impact.
It provides real-time information for various sectors such as Urban, Power, Hydrology,
Health, Energy, Agriculture, Transport and Tourism under the "UPHHEATT" initiative (for the
cause of welfare).
• Panchayat Mausam Seva for farmers:

India Meteorological Department, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Ministry of Panchayati Raj and
Green Alert Mausam Sewa have jointly developed Panchayat Mausam Sewa Portal. Through
this portal weather forecast in English, Hindi and twelve regional languages will be provided
to every panchayat head and panchayat secretary to reach every village of the country.
• IMD’s Mobile App and Mausamgram:

IMD launched an integrated GIS based interactive mobile app MAUSAM for all weather-
related services like current weather, forecast of every hour to 7 days, Rainfall, Humidity,
Sunrise/Sunset, Moonrise/Moonset, Rain Alert, Lightning Alert, Cyclone Alert, Aviation and
Agro-Meteorological advisories. The app supports 12 Indian languages for varied users in
India.
IMD introduces "mausamgram," available through the Mobile App “Mausam”. It allows the
public to view observations, forecasts, and warnings for their location through a map or
search function using place names, pincodes, or coordinates.
• National Framework of Climate Services (NFCS):

IMD introduces the National Framework of Climate Services (NFCS).

IMD prepares the climatology of basic meteorological parameters like rainfall, temperature,
wind & pressure and the climate extremes like heat wave, cold wave, thunderstorm, cyclones,
depression, lows, heavy rainfall etc. It is being updated every 10 years.
Additional Information:

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The Government of India established the India Meteorological Department in 1875. It is the
National Meteorological Service of the country and the principal government agency in all
matters relating to meteorology and allied subjects.
Earlier, the headquarters of IMD was at Calcutta. It was later shifted to Shimla, then to Poona
(now Pune) and finally to New Delhi.
The Director General of Meteorology is the Head of the India Meteorological Department,
with headquarters at New Delhi.
IMD works under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

20. The Union Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt has flagged off the indigenously
developed Astra Missiles for supply to the Indian Air Force (IAF). The event has been held at
Bharat Dynamics Limited, Kanchanbagh Unit in Hyderabad, Telangana.

Astra is a beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missile.

It is indigenously developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
and manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).
The missile has a range of 100 plus km.
The missile is designed to engage and destroy highly manoeuvring supersonic aircraft.

21. Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, has approved a proposal to provide insurance cover to
casual workers employed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to build infrastructure in
remote areas.

The scheme will provide Rs.10 lakh (USD 13,500) to the families of casual paid labourers in
the event of death.
The scheme will provide social security and welfare to these workers and their families,
highlighting the risky roles they fill in hazardous terrains.
BRO employs up to one lakh casual workers to build border infrastructure in areas stretching
from Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim to Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
These projects include roads, bridges, tunnels, airfields and helipads.

22. The second International AYUSH Conference and Exhibition has been inaugurated at the
Dubai World Trade Centre, orchestrated by the Science India Forum and the Ministry of
AYUSH.

The three-day event is dedicated to showcase AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha,
Homeopathy) as a reliable healthcare system for preventing and managing Non-
Communicable Chronic Diseases (NCDs).
The focal theme of the conference, “Non-Communicable Chronic Diseases – Prevention &
Management through AYUSH,” aims to highlight AYUSH as a prevention-oriented and cost-
effective approach to creating a disease-free society.
Chief Guest: V. Muraleedharan, the Minister of State for External Affairs in the Government
of India

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23. Dr V.K. Saraswat, Member (S&T), NITI Aayog, has inaugurated India’s First National
Highway Steel Slag Road section on NH- 66 Mumbai-Goa National Highway.

This Steel Slag Road Technology (SSRT) has been developed by the CSIR-Central Road
Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI) in collaboration with the Ministry of Steel.
This will transform the waste of steel industries into wealth and will help the National
Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to build stronger and ecofriendly national highways in the
country.
JSW Steel, under the CSIR-CRRI technological guidance, has constructed the 1 km long four
lane steel slag road section on Indapur-Panvel Section of NH-66 Mumbai-Goa.
For construction of this road around 80,000 tons of CONARC Steel slag were converted as
processed steel slag aggregates at JSW Steel Dolvi, Raigad plant.

Steel slag:
Steel slag, by-product of steel making, is produced during the separation of molten steel from
impurities in steel -making furnaces. It can be used in several activities, such as construction
and paving, agricultural sector due to its ability to correct soil acidity, manufacture of
portland slag cement etc.

Note: India’s first six-lane steel slag-based road has been constructed in Surat, Gujarat.

24. The Government of India (GoI) has set a target to reduce road accidental death by 50
percent by 2030. This has been announced by the Union Minister for Road, Transport, and
Highways, Nitin Gadkari, while addressing a National conclave on Road Safety, organised by
CII in New Delhi.

In India, every hour 53 people get injured, and 19 deaths take place in road accidents.
As per the latest report by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the
number of road accidents in India has increased from 12 percent to over 4.6 lakh in 2022.

25. The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has imposed 50% duty on exports of molasses, a by-product
of sugarcane used as raw material for alcohol production, with effect from 18th January
2024. This ensures higher availability of ethanol for blending with petrol.
• Till November 2023, India had exported molasses worth USD 101.33 million in Financial

Year 2023-24.

• Every year, India exports 200,000-300,000 tonnes of molasses.

• In the 2022-23 (October to September) sugar season, 0.45 million tonnes of molasses

were exported from Maharashtra.

The Finance Ministry has also extended the existing concessional duty rates on imports of
crude and refined edible oils by one year till 31st March 2025.
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Export Duty:
Customs duty paid in the export country is called export duty. It is a tax applicable to goods
leaving the exporting country, and it is collected by the customs authorities.

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26. Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh has inaugurated the
9th Indian International Science Festival (IISF) at the Regional Centre for Biotechnology
(RCB) – Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) campus in Faridabad,
Haryana.

The primary objective of this festival is to commemorate the world of science, making it
accessible to all.
Main theme: “Science and Technology Public Outreach in Amrit Kaal”

Sub theme of IISF: “Space Exploration: Pioneering Solutions for a Better World”
The event is coordinated by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), National
Innovation Foundation (NIF) – India, and Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA).
The 9th IISF has been held from January 17, 2024, to January 20, 2024.
This festival has a total of 17 themes to showcase scientific achievements providing various
benefits to the participants and the public.
The IISF was first organized in 2015. The Department of Space and the Department of Atomic
Energy became part of IISF in 2021.

27. The I-STEM (Indian Science, Technology, and Engineering facilities Map) has launched
the Samavesha project at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru.

The objective is to promote research collaboration in India by improving access to facilities

and laboratories.
The platform facilitates the connection of researchers and industries with institutions
possessing the necessary equipment, allowing them to lease it for experiments.
The initiative seeks to reduce capital expenditure for researchers, industries, and startups,
and avoid the duplication of resources at the national level.
It will provide access to cutting-edge research infrastructure for new-age researchers,
startups, and industries nationwide, thereby facilitating innovation.
It will link researchers with scientific institutes via an online portal.

I-STEM:
It is a National Web portal for sharing R&D (Research and Development) facilities. It was
launched in 2020. It is an initiative of the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the
Government of India under the aegis of Prime Minister Science, Technology and Innovation
Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) mission.

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28. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan has inaugurated the 9th chapter of
‘Capsule on Science, Technology and Applied Research’ (CAPSTAR) at Military Institute of
Technology (MILIT), Pune.

The CAPSTER – 09 has been held as part of the 12th Raising Day celebrations of MILIT which
is commemorated on 19 January every year.
Theme of CAPSTER-09 is ‘Artificial Intelligence: Transforming Warfare.’
The three-day CAPSTER – 09 has witnessed the active participation from services, academia,
DRDO Labs and private defence industries.

MILIT:
The Military Institute of Technology (MILIT) is the tri-service technological training
establishment of the Indian Armed Forces in Girinagar near Pune, Maharashtra. It was raised
on 19th January 2012.
MILIT traces its roots to ‘Institute of Armament Studies.” Its motto is ‘Victory through
Technology.’

29. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will represent India at the 19th Non-Aligned
Movement (NAM) Summit to be held in Kampala, Uganda.

The 19th NAM Summit 2024 is scheduled from January 17 to 20, 2024.
Uganda will also host the Third South Summits and G77 meeting from January 21 to 23, 2024.
Uganda will be the chair of the NAM grouping from 2024-2027.

Non-Aligned Movement (NAM):

The Non-Aligned Movement was formed during the Cold War as an organization of States
that did not seek to formally align themselves with either the United States or the Soviet
Union but sought to remain independent or neutral.
The basic concept for the group originated in 1955 during discussions that took place at the
Asia-Africa Bandung Conference held in Indonesia.
The first NAM Summit Conference took place in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in September 1961.

Member countries: 53 countries from Africa, 40 from Asia, 26 from Latin America and the
Caribbean, and one from Europe (Belarus)
There are 18 countries and 10 international organizations that are Observers at NAM.
India is one of the founding members of the NAM and hosted the 7th NAM Summit in 1983 in
New Delhi.

30. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has co-chaired with his Nepal counterpart NP Saud a
comprehensive and productive meeting of the 7th India-Nepal Joint Commission in
Kathmandu.

The discussions focused on overall bilateral ties and covered a vast array of areas including
land, rail and air connectivity projects, defence cooperation, security, energy, power and
water resources.

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Key Agreements signed between India-Nepal includes:
• Cooperation in Renewable Energy Development.
• Export 10,000 MW of electricity over the next ten years.
• ISRO will launch Nepal’s Munal satellite on Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

31. Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah has chaired the ‘National
PACS Mega Conclave’ on Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) as Pradhan Mantri
Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

The Mega Conclave has been organized by the Ministry of Cooperation in collaboration with
National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).
Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) provide quality generic medicines to
general public, which cost 50-90% less than the branded medicines available in the open
market.
More than 2000 types of generic medicines and around 300 surgical items are made available
through these Kendras to common citizens at affordable prices.

Note: The Indian Government has set a target to increase the number of Pradhan Mantri
Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs) to 10,500 by the end of March 2025.

32. Aditya-L1, India's first solar observatory satellite, has successfully reached its designated
halo orbit at Lagrange Point 1 (L1) on 6th January 2024. ISRO’s Telemetry Tracking and
Command Network (ISTRAC) has achieved this feat after conducting complex manoeuvring.
• Aditya-L1 is placed in an empty space unlike other satellites that are put into orbits

around physical bodies like Earth, Moon, etc.

• Also, halo orbit is almost perpendicular to the line joining the Earth and the Sun unlike

close orbits around celestial bodies which are either circular or elliptical.

• With this, ISRO has become the third space agency to station a spacecraft at the L1.

The other two are NASA and the European Space Agency.

Aditya-L1 was launched on 2nd September 2023 with Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)
C57 to study Sun.
It will make observations for 5 years. It carries seven payloads.

Objectives:
• Coronal Heating and Solar Wind Acceleration;

• Initiation of Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), flares and near-earth space weather;

• Solar wind distribution and temperature anisotropy etc.

Lagrange points:

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At these points, gravitational pull of two large masses precisely equals the centripetal force
required for a small object to move with them. Thus, objects sent there tend to remain
stationary (ensuring a continuous, unobstructed view of the sun). There are five Lagrange
points.

33. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways has announced a Rs.45,000 crore
investment to develop river cruise tourism. The aim is to leverage India's inland waterways
for economic growth.

This investment includes Rs.35,000 crore for cruise vessels and Rs.10,000 crore for cruise
terminal infrastructure by 2047.
The decision has been taken at the inaugural Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC)
meeting held in Kolkata, West Bengal.
The plan includes expanding river cruise tourism from 8 to 26 waterways and increasing
cruise circuits with night stays from 17 to 80. The number of river cruise terminals is set to
rise from 15 to 185, expecting a significant boost in cruise tourism traffic by 2047.
The target is to increase the passenger capacity of cruise tourism traffic from 2 lakh to 15
lakh by 2047.

Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047:

It encompasses 46 initiatives to develop Inland Water Transport (IWT), focusing on creating
port-based agglomeration centres, coastal berths, and enhancing connectivity. This vision
aims to harness India's 7,500km coastline and inland waterways for inclusive growth and
employment.

34. Union Minister of Health, Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers, Mansukh
Mandaviya, and Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Dr. Mohan Yadav have jointly
inaugurated the country's first Healthy and Hygienic Food Street named “Prasadam” at
Neelkanth Van, Mahakal Lok, Ujjain.
• Prasadam aims to connect people in every corner of the country with pure and safe local

and traditional food.

• This is in line with the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’.

• The food street will be fully operational from February 2024 and will have 17 shops.

• This food street will serve traditional dishes made from coarse grains (Shri Anna) like

Rajgira, Sanwa, Kuttu, Ragi, Dal-Baphale, etc.

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will provide food handling

training and the 'Food Safety on Wheels' vehicle will inspect the food weekly.

• The food street at Neelkanth Van, Mahakal Lok in Ujjain, will be the first 100 food streets

built in many districts nationwide.

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35. The Indian Railways has achieved 6,577 route kilometres (RKMs) electrification in the
calendar year 2023. The Indian Railways is marching ahead towards 100 percent
electrification of Broad-Gauge tracks to provide an eco-friendly, faster and energy-efficient
mode of transportation.

With the latest figures, electrification stands at 93.83 percent of the total Broad-Gauge route
of the Indian Railways.
Total Broad Gauge (BG) network of 61,508 Route Kms have been electrified up to December
2023 which is 93.83 per cent of total Broad-Gauge route (65,556 RKMs) of Indian Railways.
Notably, the railways would need around 30.13 billion units of electricity after 100 percent
electrification drive.
So far, the Indian Railways has achieved 100 percent railway electrification in at least 14
states/UTs.

Note: Indian Railways has set a target to become the world's largest green railway by 2030.

36. India will chair the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and host its 46th session in New
Delhi from July 21 to 31, 2024. This has been announced by Vishal V Sharma, India’s
Permanent Representative to UNESCO.

The decision to hold the 46th session in India was confirmed during the 19th extraordinary
session of the World Heritage Committee in 2023.
This is the first time India is hosting an international cultural event of this scale.

World Heritage Committee:

It consists of representatives from 21 member states. It gathers annually to deliberate on
matters related to the identification, protection, conservation, and presentation of cultural
and natural heritage sites.

37. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will launch the Proba-3 mission of the
European Space Agency's (ESA) in September 2024 using the reliable PSLV-XL rocket.

Probe-3 mission involves two satellites, the Coronagraph spacecraft and the Occulter
spacecraft, to form a 144-meter-long solar coronagraph for the study of the Sun’s corona.
The two small satellites will be launched together in 2024 into a highly elliptical orbit (600 x
60530 km at around 59-degree inclination) in a stack configuration.
The Sun’s corona is the outermost layer of its atmosphere, characterised by a faint, and
ghostly glow.

38. Adani Defence and Aerospace has manufactured India's first indigenously manufactured
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) ‘Drishti 10 Starliner’ for the Indian Navy.

The UAV started its journey from Hyderabad to Porbandar, marking its induction into naval
maritime operations.

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The Drishti 10 Starliner represents a cutting-edge Intelligence, Surveillance, and
Reconnaissance (ISR) platform.
It boasts an impressive 36-hour endurance, a payload capacity of 450 kg, and holds the
distinction of being the sole all-weather military platform with STANAG 4671 certification.
It is authorized for flight in both segregated and unsegregated airspace.
It is equipped with multiple hard points and a 250 kg modular internal installation bay.

39. Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra
Pradhan, has attended the inaugural ceremony of the Kala Utsav 2023-24 as the Chief
Guest in New Delhi.

The Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, and National
Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) have jointly organized the Kala Utsav
2023-24 from 9-12 January 2024 at National Bal Bhavan and the Gandhi Smriti and Darshan
Samiti, New Delhi.
Kala Utsav 2023-24 have witnessed the performances in 10 art forms: Vocal Music – Classical;
Vocal Music – Traditional Folk; Instrumental Music – Percussive; Instrumental Music –
Melodic; Dance – Classical; Dance – Folk; Visual Arts (2-dimensional); Visual Arts (3-
dimensional); Indigenous Toys and Games; and Drama (Solo acting).

Kala Utsav:
It is an initiative of the Ministry of Education (MoE) under Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha, to
promote arts in education by nurturing and showcasing the artistic talent of school students
at the secondary stage in the country. The initiative is guided by the recommendations of the
National Curriculum Framework 2005 (NCF-2005).

40. The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has launched an
indigenous assault rifle, named “Ugram”, of the 7.62 x 51 mm calibre for the armed forces.

"Ugram":
• 'Ugram' is a state-of-the-art indigenous assault rifle.

• It has been developed by DRDO's Pune-based lab Armament Research and Development

Establishment (ARDE) in collaboration with Hyderabad-based Dwipa Armor India Private

Limited.

• This rifle has been designed on the basis of the General Staff Qualitative Requirements

(GSQR) of the Indian Army.

• It fires both in single and full auto mode.

• The rifle has an effective range of 500 meters and weighs less than four kilograms.

• This rifle has a 20-round magazine.

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41. The Government of India, in adherence to Article 280 of the Constitution, has established
the 16th Finance Commission, appointing Dr Arvind Panagariya, former Vice-Chairman of
NITI Aayog and Professor at Columbia University, as its chairman.

Joint Secretary in the Finance Ministry Ritvik Ranjanam Pandey will be the Secretary to the
commission.
• The specific terms of reference have been outlined, including the distribution of tax
proceeds between the Union and States, principles governing grants-in-aid to States, and
measures to bolster State funds for local bodies like Panchayats and Municipalities.
• The Commission has also been tasked with reviewing disaster management financing
arrangements under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and making recommendations
for improvements.
• The commission will submit its report for the five-year period (2026-27 to 2030-31) to the
President by October 31, 2025.

The Finance Commission is a constitutional body that gives suggestions on center-state

financial relations.

42. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has successfully launched the X-ray
Polarimeter Satellite (XpoSat), a space-based observatory to study X-ray polarisation and
its cosmic sources.

The PSLV-C58 rocket has carried the primary payload XPoSat and 10 other satellites into an
Eastward low inclination orbit on 1st January 2024 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in
Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
The PSLV-C58 has placed the primary satellite at the XPoSat in the desired orbit of 650 km
with six-degree inclination.
XpoSat is only the world’s second such mission. In 2021, NASA had launched Imaging X-ray
Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) to operate and perform X-ray polarisation measurements within
the soft X-ray band, whereas XPoSat will operate within the medium X-ray band.
XPoSat is India’s first dedicated polarimetry mission to study various dynamics of bright
astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions.
The objectives of this mission are:
• To measure polarisation of X-rays in the energy band 8-30keV emanating from about 50

potential cosmic sources through Thomson Scattering by POLIX payload.

• To carry out long term spectral and temporal studies of cosmic X-ray sources in the

energy band 0.8-15keV by XSPECT payload.

• To carry out polarisation and spectroscopic measurements of X-ray emissions from

cosmic sources by POLIX and XSPECT payloads respectively in the common energy band.

XPoSat Mission has two payloads:

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• The primary payload POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) will measure the

polarimetry parameters (degree and angle of polarization) in medium X-ray energy range

of 8-30 keV photons of astronomical origin. The payload is developed by Raman Research

Institute (RRI), Bangalore in collaboration with U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC).

• The XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) payload will give spectroscopic

information in the energy range of 0.8-15 keV. The payload is developed by Space

Astronomy Group of URSC.

43. The first edition of the Joint Military Exercise 'Desert Cyclone 2024' has been held between
India and UAE from January 2 to January 15 in Rajasthan.

The joint drills under 'Desert Cyclone 2024' aims to enhance interoperability by learning and
sharing best practices in urban operations.
Note: The first-ever India-UAE Joint Air Forces exercise took place in September 2008 at the
Al-Dhafra base in Abu Dhabi.

44. Union Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs and Petroleum & Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh
Puri, has inaugurated the National Street Food Festival 2023 in New Delhi.

This street food festival is organized by the National Association of Street Vendors of India
(NASVI) at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium till 31st January 2024.
This festival is the first ‘Zero Waste Street Food Festival’ in India.
During the event, he has highlighted the role of Prime Minister Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar
Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme in the empowerment of street vendors.
PM SVANidhi scheme has benefitted over 57 lakh street vendors across the country. The 45
percent of beneficiaries of the scheme are women and 72 percent belong to marginalised
sections.
Over 80 lakh loans have been sanctioned and 76 lakh 22 thousand loans worth 10 thousand
58 crore rupees have been disbursed under the scheme.
Note: PM SVANidhi was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, on June 01,
2020, for providing affordable Working Capital loan to street vendors to resume their
livelihoods that have been adversely affected due to Covid-19 lockdown.

45. Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane has inaugurated a new design and test facility at Aero
Engine Research and Development Centre (AERDC) of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in
Bengaluru, Karnataka.

The AERDC is currently involved in the design and development of several new engines
including two strategic engines - Hindustan Turbo Fan Engine (HTFE) of 25 kN thrust for
powering trainers, UAV’s, twin engine small fighter aircraft or regional jets and Hindustan
Turbo Shaft Engine (HTSE) of 1200 kN thrust for powering light and medium weight
helicopters (3.5 to 6.5 tonnes in single/ twin engine configuration).

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The new state-of-the-art facility, spanning over 10,000 sq. meters, houses special machines,
advanced setups leveraging on computational tools, in-house fabrication facility and two test
beds for testing HTFE-25 and one testbed each for testing HTSE-1200 and upcoming JV engine
for IMRH to be co-developed by Safran, France and HAL.
The newly developed facility has also set-ups for testing Air producer of Jaguar, Gas Turbine
Starter Unit (GTSU) - 110 M2 and 127E of Light Combat Aircraft, Auxiliary Power Units of
Indian Multi-Role Helicopter and Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, Gas Turbine Electrical
Generator (GTEG)-60 for An-32 aircraft.

46. The gross GST (Goods & Services Tax) revenue collected in the month of December 2023 is
Rs.1,64,882 crore out of which CGST is Rs.30,443 crore, SGST is Rs.37,935 crore, IGST is
Rs.84,255 crore (including Rs.41,534 crore collected on import of goods) and cess is Rs.12,249
crore (including Rs.1,079 crore collected on import of goods).
• This marks the seventh month so far in 2023 with collections exceeding Rs.1.60 lakh
crore.
• The government has settled Rs.40,057 crore to CGST and Rs.33,652 crore to SGST from
IGST. The total revenue of Centre and the States in the month of December, 2023 after
regular settlement is Rs.70,501 crore for CGST and Rs.71,587 crore for the SGST.
• The revenues for the month of December 2023 are 10.3% higher than the GST revenues
in the same month last year.

During the April-December 2023 period, gross GST collection witnessed a robust 12% y-o-y
growth, reaching Rs.14.97 lakh crore, as against Rs.13.40 lakh crore collected in the same
period of the previous year (April-December 2022).
The average monthly gross GST collection of Rs.1.66 lakh crore in the first 9-month period
this year represents a 12% increase compared to the Rs.1.49 lakh crore average recorded in
the corresponding period of FY23.
GST Collection of Previous Months (in rupees):
• July 2023 – 1,65,105 crore
• August 2023 – 1,59,069 crore
• September 2023 – 1,62,712 crore
• October 2023 – 1,72,003 crore
• November 2023 – 1,67,929 crore

47. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has introduced the National
Transit Pass System (NTPS) as a "One Nation-One Pass" regime to facilitate the seamless
transit of timber, bamboo, and other forest produce across the country.

Currently, the transit permits are issued for transport of timber and forest produce based on
state specific transit rules.
NTPS offers seamless transit permits, managing records for both inter-state and intra-state
transportation of timber, bamboo and other forest produce obtained from various sources
like private lands, government owned forest and private depots.

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The QR coded transit permits generated under NTPS will allow check gates across various
states to verify the validity of the permits and allow seamless transit.
It is designed for user convenience, featuring desktop and mobile applications for easy
registration and permit applications.
Transit permits will be issued for tree species which are regulated, while the users can self-
generate No Objection Certificates for exempted species.

48. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has formed a dedicated technical committee named
‘Marine Energy Conversion Systems Sectional Committee (MECSSC)’ to promote
standardization in the field of Marine Energy Conversion Systems (MECS).

Objectives of MECSSC:
• To set comprehensive standards and guidelines for various aspects related to MECS.
• To foster collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange in MECS.

MECSs are a group of technologies designed to extract energy from the ocean and convert it
into electricity.
The committee held its first meeting on 21st December 2023 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Additional Information:
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the National Standard Body of India established
under the BIS Act, 2016. It is headquartered in New Delhi. Its 5 Regional offices are at Kolkata
(Eastern), Chennai (Southern), Mumbai (Western), Chandigarh (Northern) and Delhi (Central).
• Director-General: Pramod Kumar Tiwari

49. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) under Directorate General of
Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, has launched the
‘National Single Window System (NSWS)’ to streamline the import of medical devices.

This unified portal is developed by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) through Invest India.
This portal becomes operational from 1st January 2024.
Initially, the NSWS will handle activities under the Medical Devices Rules, 2017, including
certificate of registration, manufacturing licenses, and import licenses for specific purposes.
The NSWS serves as a one-stop-shop for all approvals related to the import of medical
devices.
It facilitates applications for certificates of registration and licenses for manufacturing or
importing medical devices for various purposes, such as clinical investigations, tests,
evaluations, demonstrations, or training.
The existing portals like SUGAM and cdscomdonline will be disabled by 15th January 2024.

50. India, the world's third-largest energy consumer, has made its first-ever payment in
rupees for crude oil purchased from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

This is part of India's broader efforts to diversify oil suppliers, cut transaction costs, and
establish the rupee as a viable trade settlement currency.

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Payment in rupees for crude oil from UAE is as per agreement signed between two countries
in July 2022 which aims to boost India's efforts to cut transaction costs by eliminating dollar
conversions.
It is one of the steps in Internationalisation of Rupee.
Internationalisation of rupee is a process that involves increasing use of local currency in
cross-border transactions.
This initiative also aligns with the Reserve Bank of India's move on July 11, 2022, allowing
importers to pay in rupees and exporters to receive payments in the local currency.

51. The Union Cabinet has approved India’s participation in the international mega science
project, Square Kilometer Array (SKA), at an estimated cost of Rs.1250 crore, for
constructing the gigantic radio telescopes.

This approval covers funding support for the construction phase of the international SKA
Observatory (SKAO) spread over the next 7 years.
The project will be jointly funded by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and
Department of Science and Technology (DST), with DAE as the lead agency.
The Indian participation in SKA is a truly nationwide, inclusive project led by a consortium of
more than 20 academic and research institutes (with NCRA-TIFR as the nodal institute).
This project will operate simultaneously from two remote, radio-quiet locations in Western
Australia near Perth and in South Africa near Cape Town.
SKA-Mid, an array of 197 traditional dish antennas, is being built in South Africa while SKA-
Low, an array of 131,072 smaller tree-like antennas, is being built in Western Australia.
They are expected to be operational by 2029.
Note: In 2022, the National Centre for Radio Astronomy, Pune and SKAO signed cooperation
agreement for SKA project.

52. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands
Submarine Optical Fiber Connection (KLI-SOFC) project to ensure a paradigm shift in
communication infrastructure in the Lakshadweep islands.

This will enable faster and more reliable internet services, telemedicine, e-governance,
educational initiatives, digital banking, digital currency usage, digital literacy etc.
• The project is funded by Universal Services Obligation Fund (USOF), Department of

Telecommunications.

• Total link distance: 1,868 kilometres.

• Total cost of project: Rs.1072 crore plus taxes.

• For the first time since independence, Lakshadweep will be connected through Submarine

Optic Fibre Cable.

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• The project will play a significant role in achieving the objective of ‘Digital India’ and

‘National Broadband Mission’ and for rolling out of various e-governance projects of the

Government of India in Lakshadweep Islands.

• The bandwidth created under this project will be available to all Telecom Service Providers

(TSPs) to strengthen their telecom services in the Lakshadweep Islands.

He has also inaugurated various developmental projects worth more than Rs 1,150 crore
covering a wide range of sectors including technology, energy, water resources, healthcare,
and education.

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53. The 4th edition of the Orange Festival has been held from 24th to 25th January 2024 in
Rusoma village near Kohima in Nagaland. The festival has been organized under the aegis of
Rusoma Village Council in association with Kohima Smart City Development Limited, Rural
Development Department, Horticulture Department, Agriculture Department and Land
Resources Department.

Rüsoma Village is also known as the ‘Gardening village.’

The villagers of Rüsoma have a total of 14,100 standing fruit-bearing orange trees and 28,700
saplings under plantation.

54. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for
development projects worth over Rs.19,100 crores in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh.

The projects are related to several sectors like rail, road, oil and gas and urban development
and housing.
He has dedicated a 173 km long double line electrified section between New Khurja –
New Rewari on the Dedicated Freight Corridor. He dedicated the fourth line connecting the
Mathura-Palwal section and the Chipiyana Buzurg-Dadri section.
He has inaugurated Indian Oil’s Tundla-Gawaria Pipeline and dedicated ‘Integrated Industrial
Township at Greater Noida’ (IITGN).
He has also inaugurated the renovated Mathura sewerage scheme.

55. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel have
laid the foundation stone of Khodaldham Trust Cancer Hospital in Rajkot.

The Shree Khodaldham Trust (SKT), an organization for the Leuva Patel community, will build
a hospital and a cancer research center in Amreli village in Padadhari taluka of Rajkot.

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Till 2002, there were only 11 medical colleges in Gujarat, and their number has increased to
40 currently.

56. The Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam has identified Telangana as a key base for
setting up a second VLF (Very Low Frequency) communication transmission station.
• This station will be used to communicate with ships and submarines.
• The station will be located in the Damagudem forest area near Puduru in Vikarabad
district.
• As part of the project, a 27 km road will be constructed around Damagundam Reserve
Forest.
• The new VLF centre is expected to be completed in 2027.

Note: The first VLF station, called INS Kattabomman Radar Station, was established in
Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu in 1990.

57. Guwahati (Assam) will host the seventh edition of the India Rubber Meet (IRM 2024) on
23rd February to provide a platform for rubber stakeholders to interact, share knowledge,
address future concerns, and network for the advancement of the rubber industry.

The event, organised by the India Rubber Meet Forum (IRMF), will feature talks, panel
discussions, and interactions on various topics including the future of the global and Indian
natural rubber industry, economy and commodity prices, and challenges and opportunities
in the tyre, non-tyre, and synthetic rubber industry.
The theme this year is ‘Natural Rubber — Changing Landscape, Emerging Trends and Insights for
Tomorrow’.

58. Janata Dal (United) President Nitish Kumar has taken oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar
for a record ninth time. He has been sworn in by Bihar Governor Rajendra Arlekar at Raj
Bhavan in the presence of senior leaders including BJP national president J P Nadda.

He had first taken oath as the state’s Chief minister in 2000.

He again became Chief Minister in 2005 and also returned to power five years later.
BJP leaders, Samrat Choudhary and former Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha, are among those who
took oath of office. The two are named as Deputy Chief Ministers.

Note: Bihar Legislative Assembly has 243-member seats. The capital of Bihar is Patna.

59. Thiruvananthapuram International Airport (TIA), Kerala has been honoured with the
prestigious Excellence Award by Quality Circle Forum of India (QCFI) in the recent National
Convention on Quality Concepts 2024 in Nagpur, Maharashtra.

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The TIA has been selected for the recognition based on its continuous improvement
initiatives undertaken for airport operations.
The award jury praised TIA’s initiatives in establishing an effective mechanism to maintain the
Obstacle Limitation Surfaces (OLS) free from obstacles for safe aircraft operations and
sustenance of the biodiversity through its sustainability initiatives.

60. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Ram Mandir temple on razed Babri
mosque site in Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh), marking a momentous occasion in India’s history,
on 22nd January 2024.

Ramlalla idol:
• The 51-inch Ramlalla idol placed in the sanctum sanctorum of temple was sculpted by

Mysuru (Karnataka)-based Arun Yogiraj.

• The statue portrays Lord Ram as a five-year old i.e. Ram Lalla because this age is

considered as the age of innocence.

• The idol carved out of black stone showcases innocence, divinity, and royalty.

• The idol has a golden bow and arrow in his hands.

• Lord Hanuman has been engraved near the right foot of the idol and Lord Garuda near

left foot.

Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir:

• It was designed by architect Chandrakant B Sompura and his son Ashish in the Maru-

Gurjara architecture of Nagara style, a type of Hindu temple architecture found

primarily in northern India.

• It is built by Larsen and Toubro (L&T).

• The temple was built at an estimated cost of Rs.1800 crore.

• The three-storey temple premises spread across 70 acres, of which the temple and the

complex occupy 5.5 acres.

• The temple has a length of 380 feet, width of 250 feet and height of 161 feet.

• Ram Lalla’s dress was stitched by tailors Bhagwat Prasad and Shankar Lal.

• The main temple area spans 2.67 acres.

• It is made with pink sandstone and anchored by black granite.

• There will be 6 temples in all apart from the Ram Mandir viz. Surya Dev, Devi Bhagwati,

Ganesh Bhagwan, Bhagwan Shiv, Mandir of Maa Annapurna, and Mandir of Hanuman ji.

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• The temple is having 5 mandapas named ‘Kudu, Nritya, Rang, Kirtana, and Prarthana.’

• Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra looks after the construction and management of

Ram Temple.

61. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has inaugurated the 47th edition of the
International Kolkata Book Fair at Central Park, Mela Ground, Karunamoyee, Salt Lake.

It has been organized from 18th January to 31st January 2024.

The United Kingdom is the theme country for this year’s fair.
The U.K. pavilion is designed to immerse visitors in the essence of British culture, highlighting
its modern contributions to education, the English language, and the arts.
Nearly 20 countries are participating in this year’s book fair, which has become a big festival
for Kolkata.

International Kolkata Book Fair:

IKBR has been recognized by International Publishers Association, Geneva as the largest
book fair in terms of number of visitors Publishers from different parts of the country and
abroad regularly participate in this book fair which commences in the month of January every
year. Every year a country is invited to participate as the Focal Theme to showcase its
literature and culture.

62. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced plans for the establishment of the
world’s first ‘Black Tiger Safari’ near the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Mayurbhanj.

The safari will be established near Baripada over a 200-hectare area, adjoining National
Highway 18.
About 100 hectares will be display area and the balance area shall be utilised for creation of
veterinary care facilities, including rescue centre, staff infrastructure, and visitor amenities.
This project aims to provide tourists and visitors with a rare glimpse of the melanistic tigers,
commonly known as black tigers, recently spotted at the Similipal National Park.

63. The Zeliangrong community of Manipur has observed the Gaan-Ngai festival to bring
peace, prosperity, and unity to the people of Manipur. The festival also marks the beginning
of the New Year and bids farewell to the old year.

In 2024, the festival is observed on 23rd January.

• This festival is one of the biggest cultural and religious post-harvest festivals of the

Zeliangrong community that marks the end of the year when the farmers store their harvest

in their granaries.

• The festival is observed by all non-Christian villages of Zeliangrong tribes which includes,

Zeme, Liangmei, Rongmei, Kabui, Ipui, and others living in Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland.

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64. The Himalayan Cultural Heritage Foundation (HCHF) has organized the annual Ethnic
Mamani Festival 2024 in collaboration with the Ladakh Tourism Department.
• The festival has been organized at the 500 years old village, Styangkung, Barsoo Kargil

(Jammu & Kashmir) and Chiktan Shagaran in Ladakh.

• During Mamani, people would exchange food with their neighbours and relatives while

also worshipping a variety of spirits (Lha).

• These celebrations have helped in the revival of more than 35 Kargil Ladakh cuisines.

The Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Vishnu Deo Sai has observed the traditional Cherchera
festival at Dudhadhari Math in Raipur. The festival is observed annually on the full moon
night of ‘Paush’ Hindu calendar month in the happiness of taking the crops to their homes
after cultivation.
According to mythological belief, on this day Lord Shankar begged from Mata Annapurna, so
people used to donate green vegetables along with paddy on this day.

65. The Andhra Pradesh government has unveiled the world's tallest statue of the architect of
the Indian Constitution, Dr BR Ambedkar, in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.

This Ambedkar statue is called the Statue of Justice and it is around 206 feet from the
ground.
This Ambedkar statue in Andhra Pradesh is under the list of top 50 tallest statues around the
world, in which Statue of Unity tops.
The project to build the statue of justice cost around Rs.404.35 crore.
The project is built and spread over 18.81 acres of land which is built as a green park.
Around 400 tonnes of steel are used to build the Statue of Justice.

Note: One of the tallest Ambedkar statues outside India is situated in Maryland, US.

66. The Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF) will build the construction of a mosque in
Ayodhya named "Masjid Muhammed bin Abdullah," to foster unity and goodwill
transcending religious differences.

The construction is expected to span three to four years.

The ambitious project is set to redefine the cityscape of Ayodhya and serve as a symbol of
communal harmony.
Beyond the mosque, the IICF plans to construct a 500-bed hospital within the complex.

Note: In 2019, the Supreme Court of India declared the demolition of the Babri Masjid as
unlawful.

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67. Union Minister of Culture G. Kishan Reddy has inaugurated the National Skill Training
Institute for Women (NSTI (W)) at Vidyanagar in Hyderabad, Telangana.

NSTI (W) Hyderabad offers long-term courses under the Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS)
and Craft Instructor’s Training Scheme (CITS) in trades such as Fashion Designing &
Technology, Cosmetology, Architectural Draughtsman, Information Technology (support
executive), and IoT (Smart Agriculture).
The short-term courses, catering to high-demand skill areas, include Professional Beauty
Therapy, Cutting & Tailoring, Drafting, Cutting, Stitching & Finishing of dresses, Internet of
Things (IoT), AutoCAD & 3D REVIT.
The institute aims to train 2500 women annually, with 480 women enrolled in long-term
courses and an additional 2000 women in various short-term courses.

68. Union Minister for Ayush and Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal has laid
the foundation stone for Ayush Diksha, a first-of-its-kind centre for the development of
human resources for Ayush professionals.

This state-of-the-art centre will be developed within the campus of Central Ayurveda
Research Institute, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
The Ayush Diksha centre is being built with a budget of Rs.30 crore.
It will be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities including two auditoriums, 40 modern
rooms with all amenities, suites for VIPs, dedicated space for a natural library, discussion
rooms, modular kitchen, dining lounge, among other amenities.
The institution will offer training programmes for Ayush professionals, especially those from
Ayurveda.

69. Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has launched the first pilot
technology project to make jet fuel from alcohol in Pune, Maharashtra.

This pilot project has been set up in the research and development department of Praj Udyog
Group in Pirangut Industrial Estate near Pune.
This project will produce sustainable biological aviation fuel (SAF).
The flight from Pune to Delhi was completed in 2022 using bio aviation fuel made from
alcohol.
The biofuel production industry will have a huge scope in the future as even if at least one
percent of the total aviation fuel used in India is blended with this sustainable bio aviation
fuel, at least 14 crore litres of biofuel will be needed every year.

70. The ‘Gole Mela' festival has been organized at Jagannath temple in Udhampur, Jammu &
Kashmir. The devotees from Udhampur district and outside Jammu and Kashmir have
participated in the festival and paid obeisance at the temple.

Gole Mela' is organized twice every year.

The festival is a cultural and religious celebration, fostering a sense of community among
devotees.

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Note: Two ancient temples are dedicated to Lord Jagannatha across India. One is situated in
Puri, Orissa and other in Udhampur District of Jammu and Kashmir.

71. The Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Maharashtra has become India’s first Dark Sky Park
and the fifth such park in Asia for protecting night sky, preventing light pollution and
promoting astronomy.

A dark-sky preserve is an area, usually surrounding a park or observatory, that restricts

artificial light pollution. The purpose of the dark-sky movement is generally to promote
astronomy.
Note: The Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO), a high-altitude astronomy station located
in Hanle, and operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, is India’s first dark-sky
preserve.
Pench Tiger Reserve:
• It is named after Pench River which flows from north to south through Reserve.
• It is located in Satpura hills in Madhya Pradesh, and continues in Nagpur district in
Maharashtra as a separate Sanctuary.
• It was declared a National Park in 1975.
• Forest: Tropical dry deciduous with dominance of teak trees.
• Fauna: Tiger, Leopard, Jackal, Wolf, Deer, Hyena etc.
• The fictional works of Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book, are set
in the region.

72. The Indian and Japanese Coast Guards have conducted a successful joint exercise named
‘Sahyog Kaijin’ off the coast of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. This marks the 20th edition of this
exercise.

This exercise is a part of the ongoing collaboration between the two countries under the
Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) signed in 2006.
The joint exercise focused on enhancing interoperability and sharing best practices in
maritime law enforcement, search and rescue operations, and pollution response at sea.
The exercise involved the Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Shaurya and the Japan Coast
Guard Ship (JCGS) Yashima, along with other support vessels and aircraft.

73. Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has announced the inauguration of five new
airports in Uttar Pradesh in one month. This will take the total number of airports in the
state to 19.

The airports will be at Azamgarh, Aligarh, Moradabad, Chitrakoot and Shravasti.

The aim is to improve air connectivity in the state, facilitating greater accessibility and
economic development.

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On 30th December 2023, the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya was
inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

74. The state government of Karnataka has launched the Yuva Nidhi scheme, the fifth
guarantee promised by the ruling Congress government in Karnataka.

Under this scheme, the students who have completed graduation and diploma courses in
2023 will get an unemployment allowance for a period of two years.
The scheme will provide the unemployment assistance of Rs 3,000 per month to degree
holders and Rs 1,500 to diploma holders.
The candidates who remain unemployed after completion of 180 days of declaration of
results are eligible for the allowance.

75. A ‘Vulture Restaurant’ has been established in Koderma district, Jharkhand to address
adverse impact of livestock drugs, particularly diclofenac, on vultures.

Vulture restaurant is an undisturbed area where non-toxic, poison-free meat and carcasses
are provided for vultures and other scavengers. It is an example of in-situ conservation.
The first such restaurant was created in South Africa in 1966.
There are other such restaurants in Raigad, Gadhchiroli and Nashik district in Maharashtra
and Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh.
Diclofenac is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. It is used in veterinary practice that has
been proven toxic to vultures and other birds of prey.
Vultures:
• They are large carrion-eating birds found mainly in tropics and subtropics.
• The 9 species of vultures are found in India. Out of them, 3 species are migratory
(Cinereous vulture, Griffon vulture and Himalayan vulture).
• They maintain a clean environment by acting as nature's garbage collectors and control
the spread of wildlife diseases from rotting corpses.
• They are protected under Schedule (1) of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

76. The Kerala Drug Control Department has launched the Operation AMRITH
(Antimicrobial Resistance Intervention for Total Health) to prevent the overuse of
antibiotics in the state.

It involves surprise raids in retail medical shops to detect over the counter (OTC) sales of
antibiotics without doctor’s prescription.
Once a complaint is received, it is transferred to the corresponding zonal office for
verification, and immediate departmental actions are taken if a violation is detected.
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a global health concern as it refers to the ability of bacteria
and other microbes to resist the drugs used to inhibit or kill them. The overuse and misuse of
antibiotics contribute significantly to the development of AMR, posing a threat to public
health.

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Note: Kerala was the first state in India to develop a state action plan on antimicrobial
resistance (AMR), known as the Kerala Anti-Microbial Resistance Strategic Action Plan
(KARSAP), in 2018.

SBI Clerk Mains Free Mock Test

77. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has inaugurated Rs.800 crore Shrimandir
Parikrama Prakalpa (SMPP) or Jagannath Temple Heritage Corridor project in Puri.

The project includes various amenities such as parking areas, Shree Setu (a bridge), Shree
Danda (a road), pilgrimage center, restroom facilities, cloakrooms, toilets, and more to
enhance the pilgrim experience around the 12th century Jagannath Temple.
The 75-meter corridor will provide unobstructed pathways around the outer walls
(Meghanada Pacheri) of the shrine.
This corridor aims to provide pilgrims with a “visual connect” to the temple, enriching their
spiritual journey.
The Odisha government has planned to mobilise around 10,000 people daily for a month to
visit the shrine.

Jagannath Temple:
The temple is dedicated to Lord Jagannath, a form of Vishnu. It is a Hindu Temple. The
present temple was rebuilt from the 10th century onwards, on the site of an earlier temple,
and begun by Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva, the first king of the Eastern Ganga dynasty.
The Puri temple is famous for its annual Ratha Yatra, or chariot festival, in which the three
principal deities are pulled on huge and elaborately decorated temple cars.

78. Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated 29 National
Highway projects with an investment of more than 4,000 crore rupees from Hoshiarpur city
of Punjab.

The projects included:

• Construction of 4-laning of the section including Phagwara and Hoshiarpur bypass will
provide 100 kmph high-speed connectivity between Phagwara and Hoshiarpur and
reduce travel time from 1 hour to 30 minutes.
• Construction of the 4-lane Ladhowal Bypass connecting GT Road and National Highway
5 in Ludhiana will provide direct connectivity of Ludhiana-Ferozepur Highway to Delhi-
Jalandhar Highway (National Highway 44).
• Construction of the 4-laning of Talwandi Bhai to Firozpur section and Firozpur bypass
will improve connectivity.

He has also announced other new projects in terms of road connectivity. These include
construction of 45 km, 4-lane bypass at Mukerian, Dasuya and Bhogpur on Jalandhar to
Pathankot route at a cost of 1600 crore rupees and 30 km, 4-lane bypass from Tanda to
Hoshiarpur at a cost of 800 crore rupees.

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79. Union AYUSH Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has laid the foundation stone of the permanent
campus of the Regional Research Institute for Homoeopathy and Integrated Ayush
Wellness Centre at Azara in Guwahati, Assam.

A total amount of Rs. 53.89 crore has been sanctioned for this project.
This Institute was established as a Clinical Research Unit of Homeopathy in 1984 in the
rented building at Odalbakra, Guwahati.
Presently, it is situated at Bhetapara, Guwahati in old building of Central Ayurveda Research
Institute.
The Institute is providing laboratory services at very nominal rates and successfully
completed clinical trials on Skin disorders, Cholera /Gastroenteritis, chronic sinusitis &
bronchitis, Influenza like illness, uterine fibroid, otitis media, Hypertension, vitiligo, psoriasis,
migraine etc.

80. American aerospace company Boeing has opened its first distribution center in India,
located in Khurja, Uttar Pradesh. This parts warehouse, spanning 36,000 square feet, aims
to assist regional aviation customers in optimizing fleet utilization.

This is one of Being’s eight distribution centres in the world.

Boeing has pledged a USD 100 million investment in infrastructure and pilot training
programs to meet India’s growing demand for pilots over the next two decades.

81. Pongal is a traditional harvest festival observed annually in South India, particularly in the
states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. The festival honours Lord Surya
Narayan, the ruler of the planets, and is associated with crop harvesting. The festival is
known as Makar Sankranti in northern India.

The four-day festival will be celebrated from 15th January to 18th January 2024.
Four-days of Pongal:
• Bhogi Pongal:
Bhogi / Bogi marks the beginning of the Pongal festival celebrations. Indra, the Lord of the
Rain, is honoured on the first day in gratitude for the fertility of their agricultural land.
• Surya Pongal:
It is the main day of the Pongal celebration. Lord Surya is worshipped to bring good luck and
prosperity on the second day. Fresh milk is boiled till it crosses the vessel's edge to start the
day.
• Mattu Pongal:
It is the third day of the Pongal. Farm animals, like cows and oxen, are honoured on this day
since they enable farmers to successfully grow and harvest their crops.
• Kaanum Pongal:

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The fourth day or last day of Pongal is known as Kaanum or Knau Pongal. It is also referred to
as Karinaal in some regions of Tamil Nadu. On this day, people worship the Sun God and
offer food and Sarkarai Pongal.

82. The ‘Dhanu Yatra’, the largest open-air theatre festival, has been organized in Bargarh,
Odisha. The vibrant Dhanu Yatra is associated with the culture of Odisha.

The festival is being held from 15th January to 25th January 2024.
Dhanu Yatra Festival:
• The ‘Dhanu Yatra’, which marks the victory of good over evil, came into existence in

Bargarh in 1947-48 as part of the celebration of the country’s Independence and is held

annually for 7-11 days.

• It starts from the 5th day of ‘Pousasukla’ to end on ‘Pousapurnima’.

• It is about the episode of Krishna and Balaram's visit to Mathura to witness the Dhanu

ceremony organized by their (maternal) uncle Kansa.

• It concludes with the death of demon king Kansa and restoration of the throne to

Ugrasen.

• Bargarh becomes King Kansa’s Mathura, and Amapali becomes Gopapura, where Lord

Krishna spent his childhood.

• Apparently, the Jeera River represents the Yamuna during the famed Dhanu Yatra

celebration.

83. The Government of Maharashtra has declared a new wildlife habitat for the ‘canid’ wild

dog’s family in Sangli, as ‘Atpadi Conservation Reserve’, which is among the smallest at 9.48

sq. kms.

The new reserve will help preserve the habitat of wolves, jackals, foxes and hyenas in the
area, besides other mammals like deer, civets, rabbits and more that abound in the region.
The Atpadi Conservation Reserve helps connect the Maini Conservation Area in the west with
the Madhok Bird Sanctuary to its north-eastern boundary, which will make it a safe corridor
for the wildlife thriving there.
The new reserve comprises three types of forest cover: semi-evergreen, moist deciduous and
dry deciduous. It has 35 species of trees, 15 species of shrubs, 14 vines,116 species of herbs
and one parasitic plant.

84. The three-day International Camel Festival has been organized in the Bikaner district of
Rajasthan from 12th to 14th January 2024. The festival has been organized by the Tourism
Department of Rajasthan.
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• The festivities commence at Rampuriya Haveli with beautifully decorated camels, women

dressed in colourful traditional costumes and folk artists participating in the Heritage

Walk.

• The festival started from Rampuriya Haveli, passed through the main roads of the city and

concluded at Rao Bikaji ki Tekri.

• The Tourism Department organised Rangoli, Mehndi and drawing competitions for the

participants at Bikaji ki Tekri, with the winners receiving mementoes in recognition of their

skills and talents.

The Bikaner region is famous for its camels, which are known for their strength, endurance
and beauty. The Bikaner army had a Camel Corp called “Ganga Risala” which took part in
both the World Wars and as well as in conflicts in Somaliland, Egypt and China.

85. The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has inaugurated the Mumbai Trans Harbour
Link (MTHL) officially known as Atal Setu Nhava Sheva Sea Link in Navi Mumbai,
Maharashtra.

Atal Setu has been constructed at the cost of more than Rs.17,840 crores.
The foundation stone of the bridge was laid by the Prime Minister in December 2016.
Atal Setu:
• It is the longest bridge in India and also the longest sea bridge in India.
• It is about a 21.8 km long 6-lane bridge having about 16.5 km length over the sea and
about 5.5 km on the land.
• The bridge has been named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
• The bridge originates from Sewri in Mumbai and ends at Nhava Sheva in Uran taluka in
Raigad district.
• The project is financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), covering
80% of the total project cost, while the remaining portion is shared between the state and
central governments.

Note: Earlier, Dr Bhupen Hazarika Bridge was the longest bridge in India, over the River
Brahmaputra, in Assam. The 9.15 Km long river bridge.

86. The state government of Tamil Nadu has launched the Tamil Nadu Coastal Restoration
Mission, which is the fourth mission mode project of the State Government after Climate
Change Mission, Green Tamil Nadu Mission & Wetland Mission.

The mission focusses on 14 coastal districts in the State covering 1,076 km.
It will be implemented with assistance of the World Bank for a period of five years.

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The project outlines four key thematic areas including enhancement of coastal biodiversity,
coastal protection, improving livelihoods of the coastal communities and pollution control in
coastal areas.
The project will set up the first ever Tamil Nadu Blue Carbon Agency to harness the

potential of Blue Economy. The Tamil Nadu Blue Carbon Agency will undertake restoration of

Mangroves, Corals and Salt Marshes. Kariyachalli Island in Gulf of Mannar has been taken up

under the project for restoration of Corals.

87. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated three major infrastructure projects worth
more than Rs.4,000 crore at a function held at Wellingdon Island in Kochi, Kerala. The
project includes:

New Dry Dock (NDD):

The New Dry Dock, built at a cost of about Rs 1,800 crores at the existing premises of Cochin
Shipyard Limited (CSL), is a flagship project reflecting New India's engineering prowess.
The 310-meter-long stepped dry dock, with a width of 75/60 meters, depth of 13 meters and
a draught of up to 9.5 metres, is one of the largest marine infrastructures in the region.
International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF):
The International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF) project, built at a cost of about Rs 970 crores, has
a ship lift system with a capacity of 6000T, a transfer system, six workstations and a berth of
approximately 1,400 metres which can accommodate 7 vessels of 130-metre length
simultaneously.
LPG Import Terminal of Indian Oil Corporation Limited:
The Indian Oil’s LPG Import Terminal at Puthuvypeen, Kochi is built at the cost of about Rs
1,236 crores. The terminal has a 15400 MT storage capacity. The terminal will ensure a steady
supply of LPG for millions of households and businesses in the region.

88. Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, has inaugurated the Mega Expo under the
theme “Emerging StartUp Trends in North India” at Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir.

The Startup Expo has been organized jointly by the Biotechnology Industry Research
Assistance Council (BIRAC), DBT, GoI, and CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (CSIR-
IIIM), Jammu.
A total of 25 startups from North India, i.e. from Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh,
Punjab, and Delhi showcased their innovations and products in the Mega Expo.
The event has been organized to inform local youth about government startup schemes and
funding opportunities.

89. Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has inaugurated a mega food show,
‘Indusfood 2024’, in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The aim is to promote global trade from
the sector.

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The ‘Indusfood 2024’ show has been organized annually by the Trade Promotion Council of
India (TPCI) with the support of the Department of Commerce.
The show is the largest food and beverages show in South Asia.
Over 1,200 exhibitors, 7,500 global buyers have participated in the three-day exhibition.

90. The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has inaugurated and
laid the foundation stone of 12 National Highway projects with a total length of 105 km,
worth over Rs.1464 crore, in Kerala.

The proposed projects aim to enhance seamless connectivity between Tamil Nadu and
Kerala, ensuring swift and trouble-free transportation.
This will reduce overall transportation costs.

SBI Clerk Mains Free Mock Test

91. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched the upgraded social
welfare pension of Rs.3,000 per month with an expanded reach to cover 66.34 lakh
beneficiaries.

This marks an increase of Rs.250 as till now pension was at Rs.2,750.

The state government was spending Rs.1,968 crore every month on social pensions, and
volunteers, irrespective of public holidays, distributing pensions at sun-rise on the first of
every month to the pensioners.
The state government spent Rs.26,000 crore on Amma Vodi, Rs.33,330 crore on Rythu
Bharosa, Rs.19,178 crore on YSR Asara and Rs.14,129 crore on YSR Cheyutha.

92. Parshuam Kund Festival is observed annually in Arunachal Pradesh. It is an annual

religious fair where pilgrims come for a holy dip at Parshuram Kund on Makar Sankranti.

In 2024, the festival has been observed from 12th to 16th January.
Parshuram, son of Sage Jamadagni, was sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

93. The Uttar Pradesh government has distributed loans totaling Rs.6,55,684 crore in the last
six and a half years to boost the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) sector in the
state.

The sector has provided employment to 2.5 crore youths during this period.
The government has been providing loans to aspiring entrepreneurs every year, with the
amount exceeding the target each time.
In the financial year 2018-19, against the target of Rs.41,402 crores, the Uttar Pradesh
government disbursed loans of Rs.57,809 crores, up 140 percent of the target.
This boost is the result of the various initiatives launched by the UP government such as the
one district one product (ODOP) scheme, Mukhyamantri Gramodyog Rojgar Yojana,

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Mukhyamantri Yuva Swarojgar Yojana, and Vishwakarma Shram Samman Yojana, among
others.

94. The Chhattisgarh government has announced to launch the Shri Ramlala Darshan
(Ayodhya Dham) Scheme, offering pilgrimages for residents to visit Ayodhya. Under this
scheme, around 20,000 Chhattisgarh natives annually will visit the newly built Ram temple in
Ayodhya.

The scheme will be implemented by the Chhattisgarh Tourism Board.

The eligible residents are those between 18 to 75 years, found fit by the District Medical
Board.
Initially, the scheme will focus on individuals above 55 years.

95. Begumpet Airport, located in Hyderabad, Telangana, will host the aviation extravaganza,
“Wings India 2024”, from 18 to 21 January. This marks India’s most significant civil aviation
event.

The event will be organized by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in collaboration with the
Ministry of Civil Aviation.
This four-day extravaganza is anticipated to be Asia’s largest congregation.
This dedicated period aims to offer the public an immersive experience, showcasing the
latest technologies and advancements within the aviation industry.

96. The Assam government has launched ‘Baayu’, an app-based India's first 100% electric and
decentralised open mobility electric bike (e-bike) taxi service. This is an initiative of the
state government-run Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC).

Baayu, a collaboration between ASTC and Bikozee Ecotech a startup from Assam, aims to
generate 5,000 livelihood opportunities for driver partners in Assam while saving an
astounding 29,000 tons of carbon emissions annually.
Baayu is supported by Shoonya Zero pollution mobility campaign of NITI Aayog.
Baayu aims to improve air quality and public health by deploying electric vehicles in transport
and logistics sectors.

97. The Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendrabhai Patel has inaugurated the International Kite
Festival 2024 at Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

This festival is also known as Uttarayan.

The festival has been organized from 7th January to 14th January 2024.
A total of 153 international kite flyers from 55 countries, 68 national kite flyers from 12 states,
and 865 kite flyers from 23 cities of Gujarat are participating.
Festivities are scheduled in Vadodara on January 8, Ektanagar and Dwarka on January 9, Surat
and Rajkot on January 10, Dhordo and Vadnagar on January 11, and Nadabet on January 12.

International Kite Festival:

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It has been held in Ahmedabad annually since 1989 as part of the official celebration of
Uttarayan. The festival brings together master kite makers and flyers from around the world
to showcase their unique creations and demonstrate impressive flying techniques.

98. 'Aasha,' the cheetah named by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given birth to three cubs
in Kuno National Park (KNP), Madhya Pradesh. This feat marks a major milestone for the
cheetah restoration project in India.

This is the second litter of cheetah cubs to be born in the country since the start of Project
Cheetah.
Till now, there were 15 cheetahs at KNP, and the tally now stands at 18.
Under Project Cheetah, 20 Cheetahs were translocated from Namibia (8) and South Africa
(12) to KNP, Madhya Pradesh.
The cheetah was declared extinct in India by 1952, the only large carnivore species that went
extinct in Independent India.

99. Union Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has chaired the first
Inland Waterways Development Council Meeting in Kolkata, West Bengal.

During the meeting, he has unveiled groundbreaking initiatives, including Harit Nauka –
Guidelines for Green Transition of Inland Vessels and the River Cruise Tourism Roadmap
2047.
The Ministry has set a target to elevate the modal share of Inland Water Transportation from
the current 2% to 5%, aligning with the goals outlined in the Maritime India Vision 2030.

100. Gangasagar Mela, India's second largest pilgrimage gathering after Kumbh Mela, is
observed annually on the banks of the Ganges at Sagardwip or Sagar Island, West Bengal.
Devotees gather at confluence of Ganga and Bay of Bengal to take a sacred dip during Makar
Sankranti (mid-January).

In 2024, the festival has been observed from 9th January to 17th January.
Gangasagar is an island in Ganges delta located on continental shelf of Bay of Bengal roughly
100 kilometres south of Kolkata.

101. The Maharashtra government has appointed 1988 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer
Rashmi Shukla as the Director General of Police (DGP). She is the first woman police
officer to hold the top police post in the State.

She has replaced 1988 IPS batch officer Rajnish Seth, who retired last week to take charge as
chairman of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC).
She was on Central deputation heading the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
Prior to this, she was appointed as Additional Director-General of the Central Reserve Police
Force (CRPF) in February 2021.

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102. Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala, has
inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for the project to modernize and upgrade the
Paradip Fishing Harbour (PFH) in Paradip, Odisha.

The modernisation and upgradation of PFH will be done at a total estimated cost of
Rs.108.91 crore with 100% central financial assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya
Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) in collaboration with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and
Waterways under the Sagarmala Scheme.
This Fishing Harbour Project shall be implemented by Paradip Port Authority with a
completion period of 18 months.
This will improve its hygienic conditions and make it clean, pollution-free, and aesthetically
pleasing.
Paradip Fishing Harbour (PFH), spread across 43 acres, is located on the right bank of the
Mahanadi River. The harbour was initially built to oversee 370 numbers of 10-metre vessels,
80 numbers of 13-metre vessels, and 50 numbers of 15-metre vessels, as well as traditional
watercraft.

103. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has introduced the "Yogyasree" social
welfare scheme to provide free training modules for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled
Tribe (ST) students in the state.

The Yogyasree scheme encompasses the establishment of 50 training centres across the
state.
These centres will offer cost-free training for SC and ST students, focusing on competitive
examinations.
Additionally, 46 centres will provide similar opportunities for those aspiring to secure
government jobs and pursue careers in civil services.

104. Gujarat has emerged as India’s ‘Petro Capital’ with the world’s largest grassroot oil
refinery in Jamnagar and OPaL petrochemical complex at Dahej in Bharuch district.

Reliance Industries Ltd’s (RIL) Jamnagar refinery is the largest and most complex single-site
refinery in the world with 1.4 million barrels per day (MMBPD) crude processing capacity.
The Jamnagar refinery complex houses some of the world’s largest units, such as the
fluidized catalytic cracker, coker, alkylation, paraxylene, polypropylene, refinery off-gas
cracker, and petcoke gasification plants.

105. Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport and Bengaluru’s Kempegowda

International Airport have bagged global second and third positions respectively for on-
time performance in 2023 in the ‘global airports’ category. This is according to the rankings
released by the aviation analytics firm Cirium.

Bengaluru Airport has achieved 84.08 % punctuality rate in the year 2023.
Hyderabad Airport has achieved 84.42 % punctuality rate in the year 2023.

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USA’s Minneapolis’ St Paul International Airport topped the list of most airports across the
globe with a punctuality rate of 84.44%.
The Circum report stated that a flight is considered punctual if it departs or arrives with a
difference of 15 minutes from the scheduled time.

106. Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has inaugurated India’s first all-girls Sainik School
in Vrindavan, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. This sainik school named ‘Sanvid Gurukulam Girls
Sainik School’ is termed as a beacon of light for girls who aspire to join the armed forces and
protect the motherland.

The session of this school will start from April 2024.

This sainik school, with a strength of about 870 students, has been inaugurated under the
initiative of establishing 100 new sainik schools in partnership with NGOs/private/state
government schools in all states/Union territories.
These are in addition to the existing 33 sainik schools already functioning under the erstwhile
pattern.
The objectives behind the vision of setting up of 100 new sainik schools are to provide quality
education to the students in tune with the National Education Policy 2020 and give them
better career opportunities, including joining the armed forces.
The opening of such schools was announced by the Prime Minister in August 2023.

107. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has inaugurated an autonomous board established
by the state government to recruit efficient and skilled candidates for Public Sector Units
(PSUs) through a transparent selection process.

The board aims to enhance the efficiency of public sector institutions in the state.
The recruitment of PSUs under the Department of Industries and Commerce will be under
the board’s purview in the first phase.

108. President Droupadi Murmu will be the Chief Guest at the celebration of the Karbi Youth
Festival to be held at Taralangso, Diphu town in Karbi Anglong district of Assam.

This festival will be organized from 12th to 19th January 2024.

This festival will feature traditional art, folk dance, music, and indigenous tribal foods.
It is considered the oldest ethnic festival in India. It is organised by Karbi Cultural Society
(KCS).

109. The Maharashtra government has announced that the state will observe January 15 every
year as the state sports day to celebrate the birth anniversary of wrestler Khashaba
Jadhav, the first Indian to win an independent medal in the Olympics in 1952.
• Khashaba Jadhav was born on 15th January 1926 in Satara district, Maharashtra.

• He had won a bronze medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics held at Helsinki in Finland.

• He is the only Indian Olympic medalist who never received a Padma Award.

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• He was posthumously awarded Arjuna Award in 2000 for his contribution to wrestling.

Note: On 15 January 2023, Google honoured Khashaba Jadhav with a Google Doodle on his
97th birth anniversary.

110. The Gujarat government will introduce India's first submarine tourism to explore the
marine life surrounding Bet Dwarka, a small island off the coast of Dwarka city, which has a
mythological significance in the Hindu religion.

For this project, the Gujarat government has teamed up with the Mazagon Dock
Shipbuilders Limited (MDL).
The project is on the lines of the Titanic submersible expedition, which recently made news
after one of its vessels tragically imploded in the Atlantic Ocean.
The tourism facility is likely to be operationalised before Diwali 2024. It will enable tourists to
dive 100 metres below the sea in a submarine to experience the marine life around the
island.
Dwarka is believed to have a submerged city, which was created by Lord Krishna, according
to mythological texts.
The submarine will reportedly weigh around 35 tonnes and have a capacity to carry 30
passengers.
Each submarine will carry 24 tourists, and the vessel will be led by two experienced pilots and
a professional crew.

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111. The Maharashtra government has approved the Maharashtra Drone Mission (MDM) to
harness drone technology. This five-year implementation plan has been prepared based on a
report by a team of experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Bombay which
would be monitored by a committee headed by the Chief Secretary.
The Drone Mission will be headquartered at IIT-B.

112. The state government of Telangana has introduced a new common application form
named ‘Praja Palana Guarantee Darakasthu’ to enable access to schemes under its
flagship ‘six guarantees’ program to support disadvantaged sections.

The application form consists of two pages. The first page includes the applicant's details and
address, while the second page includes the necessary information to apply for the
guarantee schemes.
The applications under this standardized format are open from 1st January 2024 across the
state to extend direct benefit transfers under mass outreach initiatives.

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113. Uttar Pradesh has ranked first for the third consecutive year in recording the highest
entry rate on the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) platform. The state has logged
over 1.56 crore ICJS entries.

Additionally, the state’s platform usage encompasses:

• Criminal photographs/videos
• Court proceedings recordings
• Documentary evidence

Uttar Pradesh is followed by Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.

Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) platform:
The Inter-operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) is an initiative of the e-Committee of the
Supreme of Court to enable seamless transfer of data and information among different
pillars of the criminal justice system, like courts, police, jails and forensic science laboratories,
from one platform.
This platform is being implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
This platform allows High Courts and subordinate courts to access the metadata of FIRs and
charge sheets.

114. The North Eastern Handicrafts & Handlooms Development Corporation Limited
(NEHHDC) will establish “Ashtlaxmi Haat & Experience Centre” at Guwahati, Assam with
a project cost of Rs.7.6 crore to boost incomes for regional artisans.
• Ashtlaxmi Haat is named after Ashtalaxmi, the eight Hindu goddesses of wealth. This Haat
aims to showcase handicraft diversity from Northeast India’s eight states.
• The Haat will have 24 permanent stalls, which will provide a market access to artisans of
all Northeast states & will have an artisan residency to provide accommodation to artisans
from out station.

The NEHHDC is also setting up an ERI silk spinning plant at Integrated Textile Park,
Mushalpur, Baksa (Assam) with a Project cost Rs.14.92 crore. The plant once commissioned
will have a production capacity of 450 Kgs of ERI Silk Yarn per day.
North Eastern Handicrafts & Handlooms Development Corporation Limited (NEHHDC):
NEHHDC was incorporated in 1977 under the administrative control of the Ministry of
Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Government of India. It offers a range of
products from all the eight North Eastern states.
The organisation procures handicrafts and handlooms from artisans and weavers across the
region and retails the same through its chain of "Purbashree" Emporia located at Shillong,
Guwahati, Kolkata, New Delhi, Bangalore, and a Sales Promotion Office at Chennai.
• Corporate Office: Guwahati, Assam
• Chairman: Harpreet Singh

115. The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region has announced that the North
Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) has sanctioned Rs.766.47 crore
and disbursed Rs.547.11 crore to around 5,338 enterprises across sectors (education &

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 Monthly Current Affairs January 2024
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training food processing, handlooms & handicrafts, healthcare, hotels & tourism,
microfinance etc.) in northeast India between January-November 2023.

State-wise sanctions & disbursements during the period January-November 2023

(Rs. in crore)

Particular Aruna Assa Mani Meghal Mizor Nagal Sikki Tripu Tota
s chal m pur aya am and m ra l
Prade
sh

Sanction 14.37 500. 46.75 95.34 43.65 24.88 19.5 21.92 766.
05 2 47

Disbursem 14.46 353. 29.33 55.69 31.07 18.69 20.2 24.38 547.
ent 25 5 11

Additional Information:
North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) is a Public Limited Company
registered under the Companies Act 1956 on 9th August, 1995. NFDFi provides financial
assistance to micro, small, medium and large enterprises for setting up industrial,
infrastructure and agri-allied projects in the North Eastern Region and also microfinance
through MFI/NGOs.
• Headquarters: Guwahati, Assam
• Chairman: PVSLN Murty

116. The people of Gujarat have scripted history by performing mass Surya Namaskar
simultaneously at 108 places in the state with the first ray of Sun on the first day of the New
Year 2024.

The places include 51 historic sites of the state.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, and Minister for Home Affairs Harsh Sanghavi have attended
the state level event.
More than 2500 people have performed Surya Namaskar at the state-level function held at
the iconic Modhera Sun Temple in Mahesana district.
The function has also witnessed the felicitation of the winners of the state-level Mega Surya
Namaskar Competition.
This month-long competition has been organized for the first time in the state by the Gujarat
State Yog Board and the state government to popularise Surya Namaskar practice among
people.

117. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has flagged off 200 electric buses from
Guwahati in order to curb pollution. By 2025, the state aims to establish Guwahati as the
country’s first city to be powered by a 100 percent green public transportation system.

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This new fleet builds upon the 100 CNG buses dedicated to the New Year.
He has also launched the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), a versatile transport
card in Guwahati.
The card, introduced by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, is a one-stop solution for
facilitating payments of travel fares, toll taxes, and retail purchases, and allows cash
withdrawals.
The NCMC, operating via the RuPay card system, can be obtained as a prepaid, debit, or
credit card from associated banks.

118. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has announced that the state government has
reduced the qualifying age for old-age pension for tribals and dalits to 50 years from the
previous 60 years.

The government has taken this step because the death rate among tribals is high and they do
not get jobs after 60 years.
When Jharkhand was formed in 2000, only 16 lakh people received pension benefits.
Now, around 36 lakh people above the age of 60 years, widows above 18 years of age, and
also physically challenged persons receive the benefit of the pension.
In September 2023, the Jharkhand government decided to add the transgender community
under its universal pension scheme.

119. The Kerala Government has launched K-SMART (Kerala Solutions for Managing
Administrative Reformation and Transformation), which will bring all services of the
three-tier local self-government institutions on a unified digital platform.

This is the first such initiative in the country that the entire bouquet of services of a
department is being made available to the public on a digital platform.
K-SMART will provide a major relief to expatriates who want to avail various services of the
local bodies without visiting the offices.
Initially, K-SMART application, developed by Information Kerala Mission of the state IT
department, will be operational in corporations and municipalities. Gradually, it will be rolled
out in gram panchayats.
It is embedded with an Integrated Messaging System that facilitates delivery of the
acknowledgment receipt of complaints and applications in the portal that can be accessed
through login of the applicant or complainant as also via Whatsapp and email.
Note: Kerala is the first state in the country to declare Internet access a fundamental right.

120. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Assam government have signed a
Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) with the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) in
New Delhi.

Key highlights of this Tripartite peace accord:

• 97 out of 126 Assembly seats in Assam would be reserved for indigenous people, and the

future delimitation exercise would follow this principle.

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• Rs.1.5 lakh crore investment has been pledged in the peace accord, and constitutional

safeguards would be ensured by protecting land rights and putting restrictions on

migration from one constituency to another.

• ULFA agreed to shun violence, disband the organisation, and join the democratic process.

• The ULFA has also agreed to vacate all camps occupied by its armed cadres, engage in the

peaceful democratic process established by law and maintain the country's integrity.

• The Centre has agreed to provide a huge package and several big projects for the all-

round development of Assam.

ULFA

It was formed in 1979 with the demand for a “sovereign Assam” for the indigenous people of
the state. Since then, it has been involved in subversive activities that led to the central
government declaring it a banned outfit in 1990.
In 2011, ULFA split into two groups. Pro talk faction of ULFA joined peace talks with the
government in 2011 after an agreement for Suspension of Operations was signed.
Other faction known as ULFA (Independent) has not joined the peace process.

121. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated a new terminal building at Tiruchirappalli
International Airport in Tamil Nadu. The new terminal building has been developed at a
cost of more than Rs.1100 crore.
• The airport’s design has been inspired by the cultural vibrancy of Tiruchirappalli. It would

depict art forms from Kolam art to colours of Srirangam Temple and other theme

artworks.

• The two-level new international terminal building has the capacity to serve more than 44

lakh passengers annually and about 3500 passengers during peak hours.

• Tiruchirappalli International Airport is the second largest airport in terms of international

passenger traffic after Chennai in Tamil Nadu.

The Prime Minister has laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth
more than Rs.9,850 crore in Tamil Nadu.
He has also participated in the 38th Convocation Ceremony of the Bharathidasan University.

122. The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), under the
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, has organized the 12th
Divya Kala Mela in Surat, Gujarat from December 29, 2023, to January 7, 2024.

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The primary objective of the ‘Divya Kala Mela’ is to contribute to the economic empowerment
of Persons with Disabilities (PwD)/Divyangjan.
Around 100 Divyang artisans, artists, and entrepreneurs from approximately 20 states and
Union Territories have participated in the Surat event.
The Mela is co-hosted by the National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation
(NDFDC).
The ‘Divya Kala Mela’ series commenced in Delhi in December 2022, followed by events in
Mumbai, Bhopal, Guwahati, Indore, Jaipur, Varanasi, Secunderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, and
Patna.

123. The 58th All-India Annual Conference of Director Generals and Inspector Generals of
Police has been held at Rajasthan International Centre located at Jhalana in Jaipur,
Rajasthan from 5th to 7th January 2024.

The three-day conference has addressed the important topics such as counter-terrorism,
counter-insurgency and cyber security.
The conference has covered various aspects of policing and national security, such as
strengthening borders, cybercrime, data governance, anti-terrorism challenges, prison
reforms, Left-wing extremism or naxalism and narcotics smuggling. It is the result of
extensive deliberations involving police and intelligence officers at district, state and national
levels on identified themes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has attended the conference.

All-India Annual Conference of DGP, & IGP:

• The Intelligence Bureau organized the first-ever Conference of the IGPs in India in 1920
and since then, these conferences have been held regularly in New Delhi.
• The first such conference held post-independence was inaugurated by the first Home
Minister of the country, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, on January 12, 1950.
• Initially, it was a biennial event, but after 1973, it became an annual meeting for the heads
of police organizations of the states and union territories, as well as central police
organizations.

124. The Government of Assam has launched Gunotsav 2024, a program to assess the
performance of 40 lakh students studying in 43,498 government schools across 35 districts.
• Gunotsav is an initiative launched by the Government of Assam in 2017 to cover all

primary and secondary schools in the state.

• This initiative aims to increase accountability and improve education quality. It involves

teachers, students, administrators, and local communities.

• The four core areas viz. Scholastic (children's learning outcomes), Co-scholastic,

community participation and Infrastructure are checked in the Gunotsav exercise.

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• 18,098 external evaluators have been deployed throughout the state to check the

assessment process.

125. The Himachal Pradesh government has issued a notification to grant Scheduled Tribe
(ST) status to the Hatti community in the Trans-Giri area of Sirmaur district.

On August 4, 2023, the Government of India had notified the Constitution (Schedule Tribes)
Order (Second Amendment) Act, 2023 in the Gazette to give ST status to the Hatti community.
The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Third Amendment) Bill, 2022 passed in the Lok
Sabha on December 16, 2022, for the inclusion of Hatti community in the list of ST in relation
to Himachal Pradesh.
Hattis is demanding Schedule Tribe status since 1967 when tribal status was accorded to
people living in Jaunsar Bawar in Uttarakhand, which shares a border with the Sirmaur
district.

Hatti Community:
• The Hatti community is a close-knit community who got their name from their tradition
of selling homegrown vegetables, crops, meat, and wool, etc. at small markets called
‘haat’ in towns.
• The Hatti community is governed by a traditional council called ‘khumbli’.
• The Hatti homeland straddles the Himachal-Uttarakhand border in the basin of the
Giri and Tons rivers, both tributaries of the Yamuna.
• There are two Hatti clans, in Trans-Giri (Himachal Pradesh) and Jaunsar Bawar
(Uttarakhand), have similar traditions, and inter-marriages are common.
• They have sizeable presence in about nine Assembly seats in the Sirmaur and Shimla
regions.

Note: According to the 2011 Census of India, the total tribal population of Himachal Pradesh
is 3,92,126, which is 5.7% of the total population of the state.

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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
126. Japan has become the 5th country to achieve a soft moon landing with the successful
deployment of the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) spacecraft.

The mission, led by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), marks a significant leap in
precision landing technology with potential applications for future lunar exploration.
However, SLIM’s solar panel had failed to generate power, which could shorten its activity on
the moon.

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 Monthly Current Affairs January 2024
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SLIM attempted to land within 100 metres (328 feet) of its target, versus the conventional
accuracy of several kilometres.

127. Saudi Arabia will open its first alcohol store in the capital Riyadh which will serve
exclusively non-Muslim diplomats. The customers will have to register via a mobile app, get a
clearance code from the foreign ministry, and respect monthly quotas with their purchases.

This move is expected to enhance Saudi Arabia’s diplomatic relations, particularly with
Western countries, where alcohol consumption is a part of social and official engagements.

128. Denmark has launched the Green Fuels Alliance India (GFAI) initiative to boost
collaborative efforts between India and Denmark in the sustainable energy solutions sector.
This new partnership seeks to promote growth in green fuels like clean hydrogen while
helping both countries progress their shared goal of reaching carbon neutrality.

The GFAI is led by the Danish Embassy and Consulate General in India.
It aligns with sustainability objectives under the 2020 Green Strategic Partnership signed
between the two nations.
The GFAI aligns with India’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2070 and Denmark’s by
2050.

129. The parliament of South Korea has passed a Bill banning the production and sale of dog
meat to prevent the cruel slaughter of dogs without actually banning their consumption.

The Bill aims to ban the sale, distribution, butchery, and breeding of dogs for their meat by
2027.
Its provisions will be implemented in 2027, following a three-year grace period for dog farm
owners, meat restaurants, and other workers in the trade to close their businesses or find
alternative sources of employment.
Under the Bill, slaughtering dogs for consumption can attract fines of up to 30 million won
(approximately Rs 19 lakh) or imprisonment of up to three years.
Selling and breeding dogs for consumption can also attract a 2-year prison sentence or a fine
of 20 million won (Rs 12.58 lakh).
Other Asian countries and territories that have banned the dog meat trade are Singapore,
Thailand, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

130. The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) as a
malaria-free country. With this, Cabo Verde joins the ranks of 43 countries and 1 territory
that WHO has awarded this certification.

Cabo Verde is the third country to be certified in the WHO African region, joining Mauritius
and Algeria which were certified in 1973 and 2019 respectively.

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Malaria burden is the highest on the African continent, which accounted for approximately
95% of global malaria cases and 96% of related deaths in 2021.
The certification is granted when a country has shown, with rigorous, credible evidence, that
the chain of indigenous malaria transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes has been interrupted
nationwide for at least the past three consecutive years.
A country must also demonstrate the capacity to prevent the re-establishment of
transmission.

131. Switzerland will host the Ukraine Peace Summit at the request of Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The summit aims to resolve the conflict sparked by Russia’s incursion
into Ukraine in 2022.

It will highlight Switzerland’s role as a neutral mediator.

Switzerland has previously acted as a broker to resolve conflicts and could now help find a
resolution for the war that began when Russia sent troops into Ukraine on Feb 24, 2022.

132. Kyrgyzstan has officially declared the Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) as its national
symbol, signifying its commitment to conservation and ecological balance.

The snow leopard holds historical importance in Kyrgyz culture, featuring in the story of
Manas, a Kyrgyz folk hero, revered as a symbol of greatness, courage, and resilience.
Snow leopard is often referred to as the ‘ghost of the mountains.’
Snow leopards are vital for ecological balance, inhabiting 1/3 of the global territory.
A decline in their population poses risks to various species.
In the IUCN-World Conservation Union's Red List of Threatened Species, the snow leopard is
listed as Vulnerable.

133. France will become the first European country to issue digital Schengen visas to visitors
for the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024. The initiative aims to streamline the visa application
process.

France has announced plans to shift entirely to online procedures for 70,0000 French
Schengen Visas, in a move that aligns with the EU’s digitalization plans.
France began operations of the “Olympic Consulate” system from January 1, 2024, dedicated
to processing visa applications for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Schengen area includes 23 of the 27 EU member countries, along with associated
neighbours Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.

134. SpaceX, an American company, has launched the first batch of Starlink satellites with
“Direct-to-Cell” capabilities through Falcon 9 rocket.

Direct-to-Cell satellites have an advanced eNodeB modem onboard that acts like a cell phone
tower in space.
It allows Starlink to deliver direct satellite broadband connectivity on smartphones anywhere
on the Earth.

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 Monthly Current Affairs January 2024
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It will also connect Internet of Things (IoT) devices with common LTE (Long-Term Evolution)
standards.
The direct-to-cell service at first will begin with text messaging followed by voice and data
capabilities in the coming years.

135. Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a graphene
semiconductor that is compatible with conventional microelectronics processing methods.

For the first time, graphene has showed band gap property.
Band Gap is a crucial electronic property that allows semiconductors to switch on and off.
Graphene:
It is a two-dimensional single-atom-thick layer of carbon atoms bonded in a hexagonal
honeycomb lattice structure. It is extracted from graphite and displays unique
physicochemical properties like: High surface area, excellent thermal conductivity, etc.

136. Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, has been re-elected to the post for a fifth
term. She led the Awami League party in the recent elections and secured more than half of
the parliamentary seats.

She is the world’s longest-serving female head of government.

She has been re-elected to parliament from the Gopalganj-3 constituency.
She bagged 249,965 votes while her nearest rival M Nizam Uddin Lashkar from the
Bangladesh Supreme Party secured just 469 votes.
She has been voted to parliament from the Gopalganj-3 seat for the eighth time since 1986.

137. United Launch Alliance, a private company in America, has launched the lunar lander,
named Peregrine-1, on 8 January 2024 via Vulcan Centaur rocket from Cape Canaveral Space
Force Station in Florida.

Peregrine-1 will land on the mid-latitude region of the Moon on 23rd February 2024.
The spot on the Moon where Peregrine-1 will land is Sinus Viscositatis or “Bay of Stickiness.”
Peregrine-1 has been made by USA’s Astrobotic company.
There are 15 payloads on Peregrine-1. Of these, 5 payloads belong to NASA.
As part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, the mission aims to
unravel the mysteries of the Moon.
Objectives of the mission are to analyse the lunar exosphere, assess the thermal properties
and hydrogen content of the lunar regolith, study magnetic fields, examine the radiation
environment, and test advanced solar arrays.

138. Tropical Cyclone Alvaro has impacted southwest Madagascar, hitting the region on
January 1st, 2024. This marked the first major cyclone influence during the 2023-2024 in the
southwest Indian Ocean.

Alvaro is the first cyclone of 2024. It made landfall near Morombe in Madagascar on January
1, 2024.

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This cyclone has particularly affected provinces like Atsimo-Andrefana in Madagascar.
According to latest data, Cyclone Alvaro has affected over 16,100 people so far with at least 5
reported dead and 8400 displaced in the southern African country known for vanilla and
lemur populations.

139. China has launched a new satellite named Einstein Probe (EP), which uses new X-ray
detection technology inspired by the functioning of a lobster eye, to observe cosmic
phenomenon.

The satellite has been launched by a Long March-2C carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite
Launch Centre in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
The satellite is shaped like a lotus in full bloom and features 12 petals and two stamens.
The 12 'petals' are 12 modules consisting of wide-field X-ray telescopes (WXT), while the two
'stamens' consist of two modules of follow-up X-ray telescopes (FXT).

140. China has successfully launched a Long March-11 carrier rocket into space, sending three
satellites into planned orbit. The Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center has launched the rocket
from waters off the coast of Yangjiang, south China's Guangdong Province.

The satellites will be mainly used for space science and technology experiments.
This is the 503rd mission of the Long March carrier rocket series.

141. Pakistan People’s Party has nominated Dr Saveera Parkash to contest from Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa’s Buner district in the General Elections.

With this, she has become the first woman from the minority Hindu community to contest
in the provincial elections in Pakistan.
She will contest for the PK-25 seat on the 8th February 2024 elections.
The decision comes following the Pakistan Electoral Commission’s mandate of having at least
5% women candidates on general seats.

142. China has introduced a revolutionary new ocean drilling vessel called the ‘Mengxiang’,
designed to penetrate the Earth’s crust and reach the mantle for the first time in human
history.

The vessel, aptly named "dream" in Chinese, represents a significant stride in deep-sea
drilling capabilities, aiming to breach the Mohorovicic discontinuity over 7,000 metres
beneath the ocean floor and reach where humanity has never ventured before.
The vessel is crafted through collaboration between China’s Geological Survey and over 150
institutes.
The Mengxiang is an enormous specially equipped ship capable of withstanding extreme
conditions.
This vessel can navigate global waters, traveling up to 15,000 nautical miles and operating for
120 days per port call.

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143. The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) bloc of major emerging economies
has announced induction of five full members into it as part of an attempt to expand its
strategic heft against the backdrop of Western dominance in world affairs.

BRICS has become a 10-nation body now with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the
United Arab Emirates joining it as new members with effect from 1st January 2024.
In August 2023, BRICS bloc announced it was admitting six new members in a bid to counter
the Western-led global order.
However, Argentina's new President Javier Milei has officially declined the invitation to join
the BRICS.
BRICS:
The grouping took shape in September 2006 and it originally comprised Brazil, Russia, India
and China (BRIC). It was renamed as BRICS after South Africa was accepted as a full member
in September 2010.
Note: Russia is the Chair of BRICS in 2024 and will host the BRICS summit in Kazan in October
2024 under the theme "Strengthening of multilateralism for the purposes of just global
development and security”

144. Denmark's Queen Margrethe II, Europe's longest-serving monarch, has decided that she
will abdicate on 14th January 2024 after 52 years on the throne. She will be succeeded by her
eldest son Crown Prince Frederik.

She has been Europe’s only reigning queen after the death of Britain’s Elizabeth II.
She has been hailed for subtly modernising Danish royalty in her half-century on the throne.
The queen, known for her artistic talents, has been hugely popular in Denmark.
She has managed to be a queen who has united the Danish nation in a time of large changes:
globalization, the appearance of the multicultural state, economic crises in the 1970s, 1980s
and again in 2008 to 2015, and the pandemic.

SBI Clerk Mains Free Mock Test

REPORTS & INDICES

145. As per the recent reports, the Indian stock market has pipped Hong Kong to become the
fourth largest equity market globally based on market capitalization.

The combined value of shares listed on Indian exchanges reached USD 4.33 trillion, versus
USD 4.29 trillion for Hong Kong, as per the data compiled by Bloomberg.
Its value crossed USD 4 trillion for the first time on 5th December 2023, with about half of that
coming in the past four years.
The top three stock markets are the U.S., China, and Japan.
Currently, the US is the world’s biggest market with a Mcap of USD 50.86 trillion, followed by
China with a Mcap of USD 8.44 trillion and Japan at USD 6.36 trillion.

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146. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has released the World Employment and
Social Outlook: Trends 2024 report, which highlighted that Global Unemployment rate is set
to increase in 2024 and growing inequalities and stagnant productivity are causes for
concern.
• The global unemployment rate stood at 5.1% in 2023, a modest improvement from 2022.
• The report projects a modest rise in the global unemployment rate to 5.2% in 2024, citing
an increase in joblessness across advanced economies.
• The report forecasts that the number of unemployed individuals globally will surge by two
million, contributing to the uptick in the unemployment rate.
• Income inequality has widened, and disposable incomes have declined in the majority of

G20 countries.

• The number of workers living in extreme poverty (earning less than USD 2.15 per person

per day in purchasing power parity terms) grew by about 1 million in 2023.

• The number of workers living in moderate poverty (earning less than USD3.65 per day per

person in PPP terms) increased by 8.4 million in 2023.

Note: Disposable income is net income. It's the amount left over after taxes.

147. Prof Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog has released the discussion paper
"Multidimensional Poverty in India since 2005-06”. Oxford Policy and Human
Development Initiative (OPHI) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have
provided technical inputs for this paper.

Findings of the discussion paper:

• India has registered a significant decline in multidimensional poverty in India from 29.17%
in 2013-14 to 11.28% in 2022-23 i.e. a reduction of 17.89 percentage points.
• Uttar Pradesh registered the largest decline in the number of poor with 5.94 crore
people escaping multidimensional poverty during the last nine years. It is followed by
Bihar at 3.77 crore, Madhya Pradesh at 2.30 crore and Rajasthan at 1.87 crore.
• The pace of decline in poverty Headcount Ratio (HCR) using exponential method was
much faster between 2015-16 to 2019-21 (10.66% annual rate of decline) compared to
period 2005-06 to 2015-16 (7.69% annual rate of decline).
• All 12 indicators of MPI (Multidimensional Poverty Index) have recorded significant
improvement.
• 24.82 crore individuals escaped multidimensional poverty in the last 9 years.
• India is all set to reach single-digit poverty levels during 2024.
• India is likely to achieve SDG Target 1.2 (reducing multidimensional poverty by at least
half) well before 2030.

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Note: HCR is the percentage of a population that falls below the Poverty Line.
Multidimensional Poverty is a measure of poverty that captures deprivations in education
and access to basic infrastructure in addition to income or consumption at the USD 2.15
international poverty line (as per World Bank).
Additional Information:
NITI Aayog published the first edition of national Multidimensional Poverty Index for India
in 2021. The Index is based on the Alkire-Foster (AF) methodology that identifies people as
poor based on universally acknowledged metric designed to assess acute poverty, providing
a complementary perspective to conventional monetary poverty measures.
It includes three dimensions and 12 indicators.
Sub-indices of the National MPI:
• Headcount Ratio (H): How many are poor?
• Intensity of Poverty (A): How poor are the poor?

148. Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, has released the entire list of the
4th edition of the States’ Startup Ranking 2022 on the occasion of National Startup Day (16th
January 2024).

The aim is to recognize and reward outstanding Startups with high potential for employment
generation or wealth creation, demonstrating measurable social impact.
The states and union territories are ranked by the Department for Promotion of Industry and
Internal Trade (DPIIT), a department under commerce ministry.
According to the DPIIT report, total 33 states and UTs participated in the exercise ranked
under five categories:
Category: Best performers; Top performers; Leaders; Aspiring leaders and Emerging startup
ecosystems.
The ‘Best Performer’ is the topmost startup ranking level, followed by the ‘Top Performer’
title.
Best Performing States: Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu
Top Performers: Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Telangana.
Leaders: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa,
Manipur, and Tripura.
Aspiring leaders: Bihar, Haryana, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Nagaland.
Emerging startup ecosystems: Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Chandigarh.
Startup India:
The Startup India initiative was launched on 16 January 2016 to build a strong ecosystem for
nurturing innovation, boosting startups, and encouraging investments in the startup
ecosystem of the country.

149. The Henley Passport Index, which ranks the world's most travel-friendly passports, has
released its list for 2024. The rankings are based on the analysis of data provided by the
International Air Transport Association (IATA).

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Six countries have shared the top spot in the 2024 Henley Passport Index. These countries
are France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain with a score of 194.
As per the latest rankings, Finland, Sweden, and South Korea shared the second rank with a
score of 193, while Austria, Denmark, Ireland and Netherlands occupied the third spot with a
score of 192.
India has improved its ranking in the index and ranked at 80th position from 84th position.
Those holding an Indian passport have visa-free access to 62 destinations. India shares its
rank with Uzbekistan.
Ranking low on the index are Pakistan (101), Iraq (102), Syria (103) and Afghanistan (104).
Other neighbours of India are ranked as follows: Maldives (58), China (62), Bhutan (87),
Myanmar (92), Sri Lanka (96), Bangladesh (97), and Nepal (98).

150. The Economic Research Department of the State Bank of India (SBI) has released a new SBI
Research report in January 2024.

Key highlights of the report:

• Individual income inequality in India has decreased between the financial years 2013-14

and 2021-22.

• In terms of Gini coefficient, income inequality of taxable income group has declined from

0.472 to 0.402.

• 36.3% of taxpayers have moved from lower income to higher income tax bucket.

• The top 2.5% of taxpayer’s contribution in income has declined from 2.81% to 2.28%

during the financial years 2013-14 and 2021-22.

• Female labour force participation is rising.

• Micro firms are transitioning towards small, medium and large size firms.

These findings dispel the notion of 'K- shaped' growth or recovery.

K-shaped recovery happens when different sections of an economy recover at starkly
different rates.
Gini coefficient:
• Gini coefficient is a statistical measure of income or wealth inequality, ranging from 0
(perfect equality) to 1 (perfect inequality).
• Theoretically, values over 1 are possible due to negative income or wealth.
• Gini coefficient larger than 0.40 is considered high.

151. As per the report by crypto trading platform CoinSwitch, Delhi has topped in India’s
crypto adoption, followed by Bangalore and Mumbai. The parameter for this is in terms of
value invested.

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• As per the report, more than 20 percent of India’s total crypto investments are
concentrated in the three major metropolitan areas: Delhi (9 percent), Bangalore (8
percent) and Mumbai (5 percent).
• Ghaziabad has claimed the 10th position in the list of the top invested cities, replacing
Patna.
• Around 75% of crypto investors are under 35 years old, while women make up 9% of
India’s crypto investor base.
• Dogecoin, Bitcoin, and Ethereum are the most invested cryptocurrencies of the year.

UIIC Assistant Free Mock Test

GOVERNMENT SCHEMES & PROGRAMMES
152. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the 'Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana'
(PSY) under which one crore households will get rooftop solar across the nation.

The scheme aims to equip one crore poor to middle-class households with rooftop solar
panels in a bit to provide electricity from solar energy.
PSY will reduce their electricity bills and offer additional income for surplus electricity
generation.
PSY will also support the Grid Connected Solar Rooftop Programme (2014).
The national campaign will also be started to mobilize residential segment consumers to
adopt rooftop solar in large numbers.

Grid Connected Solar Rooftop Programme:

Objective: To achieve a cumulative installed capacity of 40,000 Megawatt (MW) by 2026.

The current installed grid-connected solar rooftop capacity is about 11GW.
Its 2nd phase was launched in 2019.
The funding is provided under 2 components:
• Component A - Central Financial Assistance (CFA)/ Subsidy is provided to the residential
Electricity consumers.
• Component B - DISCOMs are covered.

Ministry: Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE)

Note: A solar rooftop system consists of solar modules, solar inverter(s) and other electrical
components such as meter(s), cables etc.

153. REC Limited, a Maharatna power finance company, will lend up to Rs.1,20,000 crore for
the installation of rooftop solar panels under the Pradhan Mantri Suryoday Yojana.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has designated REC as the overall programme
implementation agency for implementation of rooftop solar in the country and have been
given a target of 1 crore households to be covered in a period of 1 year.

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REC’s Board has authorized the management to issue a Line of Credit to eight central public
sector undertakings that are going to act as renewable energy services companies to the
tune of about Rs 15,000 crore each.

Note: The Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana (PMSY) is a newly announced scheme by the
Indian government aiming to install rooftop solar systems on 1 crore (10 million) households.

154. The President of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) JP Nadda has launched the “Gaon Chalo
Abhiyan” in Delhi, a nationwide campaign to connect with rural and urban communities.

Under the Gaon Chalo Abhiyaan, BJP workers aim to reach seven lakh villages and urban
booths, disseminating the achievements of Narendra Modi government.
Over 30 lakh party workers will participate in the Abhiyaan.

155. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has addressed the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Janjati
Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) across the country via video conferencing.

The beneficiaries who interacted directly with the PM belonged to Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand,
Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra, which have major Particularly
Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) communities and population.
During the occasion, the Prime Minister also released the first instalment of Rs. 540 crores in
bank accounts of PVTG beneficiaries across 19 States and Union Territories, for construction
of 1 lakh pucca houses under the rural housing scheme Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin
(PMAY-G).
PM-JANMAN:
• It was launched for the socio-economic welfare of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups

(PVTGs) on 15th November 2023 on the occasion of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas.

• PM-JANMAN, with a budget of approximately Rs 24,000 crore, focuses on 11 critical

interventions through nine ministries.

• It is aimed at improving socio-economic conditions of PVTGs by saturating PVTG

households and habitations with basic facilities such as safe housing, clean drinking water

and sanitation, improved access to education, health and nutrition, electricity, road and

telecom connectivity, and sustainable livelihood opportunities.

156. Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation (MoSPI) Rao Inderjit Singh has launched the MPLADS (Member of Parliament
Local Area Development Scheme) e-SAKSHI Mobile Application for the revised fund flow
procedure under MPLAD Scheme.

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The mobile app will provide convenience and accessibility, allowing MPs to propose, track,
and oversee the projects at their fingertips.
This real-time access enhances decision-making processes, enabling swift responses to
emerging needs or issues.
MPLAD Scheme:
• It is a central sector scheme under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme

Implementation (MoSPI).

• The objective of MPLAD Scheme is to enable the Members of Parliament (MPs) to

recommend works of developmental nature with emphasis on the creation of durable

community assets based on the locally felt needs.

• At least 15 percent of MPLADS entitlement allocated for areas inhabited by Scheduled

Caste population and 7.5 percent for areas inhabited by Scheduled Tribe population.

• The funds are non-lapsable i.e. if money is not utilised, it gets carried to next year.

• The district authority must inspect at least 10% of all work under implementation every

year.

157. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has launched the ‘New Solar Power
Scheme’ for electrification in habitations and villages of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups
(PVTG).

This scheme is a part of the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM
JANMAN) aimed at Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) Habitations/Villages.
The scheme covers the period from 2023-24 to 2025-26.
It focuses on electrifying 1 lakh un-electrified households in PVTG areas across 18 states
and the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
The scheme involves the provision of off-grid solar systems for households where grid
electricity is not feasible.
It includes solar lighting for 1500 Multi-Purpose Centres (MPCs) in PVTG areas lacking grid
electricity.
The financial outlay for the scheme is Rs. 515 crores, with specific allocations for the
provision of solar off-grid systems and solar lighting in MPCs.

158. The Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, Government of India
has launched the ‘Prerana: An Experiential Learning program’.

Objective: To provide a meaningful, unique, and inspiring experience to all participants,

thereby empowering them with leadership qualities.
Prerana is a week-long residential program for selected students of class IX to XII.
It is an experiential and inspirational learning program for students with the best-in-class
technology where heritage meets innovation.

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A batch of 20 selected students (10 boys and 10 girls) will attend the program, every week
from various parts of the country.
Prerana program will run from a Vernacular School, established in 1888, in one of the oldest
living cities of India, Vadnagar, district Mehsana, Gujarat.
The curriculum of Prerana School, prepared by IIT Gandhi Nagar, is rooted in nine value-
based themes:
• Swabhiman and Vinay
• Shaurya and Sahas
• Parishram and Samarpan
• Karuna and Sewa
• Vividhta and Ekta
• Satyanishtha and Shuchita
• Navachar and Jigyasa
• Shraddha aur Vishwas
• Swatantrata and Kartavya

It aims to embody the spirit of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" and foster unity in diversity.

159. The Union Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister, has approved the “Prithvi Vigyan (Prithvi)”
scheme of the Ministry of Earth Sciences. The initiative has a budget of Rs 4,797 crore and
is scheduled to run from 2021 to 2026.

The scheme includes five ongoing sub-schemes, which are as follows:

• Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling Observing Systems & Services (ACROSS)
• Ocean Services, Modelling Application, Resources and Technology (O-SMART)
• Polar Science and Cryosphere Research (PACER)
• Seismology and Geosciences (SAGE)
• Research, Education, Training and Outreach (REACHOUT)

Objectives of the Scheme are:

• Long-term observations of the atmosphere, ocean, geosphere, cryosphere, and solid
earth to record the vital signals of the Earth System and change.
• Developing Modelling systems for understanding and predicting weather, ocean, and
climate risks, as well as understanding the science of climate change.
• Exploration of the Earth’s polar and high seas regions in search of new phenomena and
resources.
• Technology development for the investigation and sustainable utilisation of oceanic
resources for societal purposes.
• Knowledge and ideas from Earth systems science are translated into services for societal,
environmental, and economic benefit.

160. SVAMITVA (Survey of villages and mapping with improvised technology in village areas)
Scheme of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has won the Best Innovation Award in Public

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Policy Dialogues 2024, Conclave of the Bharti Institute of Public Policy (BIPP), Indian School
of Business (ISB), Hyderabad.

Ministry of Panchayati Raj has participated in the Public Policy Dialogues-2024 and
presented the “Digital Transformation Initiatives in Land Governance through SVAMITVA
Scheme” in the innovation sandbox presentation segment of the Conclave and for this
presentation the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has received the 1st prize in the Innovation
Sandbox Presentation.
SVAMITVA scheme:
• It is a central sector scheme that was launched on 24th April 2020 by the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.
• Objective: To establish clear ownership of property in rural areas, with issuance of legal
ownership cards to the property owners.
• The scheme uses drone technology for mapping land parcels.
• Under the SVAMITVA scheme, SVAMITVA property cards are being provided to the
individuals to monetize the property, enabling loans from banks and comprehensive
planning at the village level.

161. Hardeep S. Puri, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, and Petroleum and Natural
Gas, has inaugurated a seminar on ‘Grievance Redressal Committee (GRC) for Street Vendors’
at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

The seminar aimed to sensitise all States and Union territories on the importance of robust
GRCs and brought together key stakeholders, including GRC members, to enhance their
understanding of the legal provisions within the Street Vendors Act 2014.
During the seminar, two websites, the refreshed “Portal for Affordable Credit and Interest
Subvention Access” (PAiSA portal) Dashboard and the PM SVANidhi Mission Monitoring
Portal, have been launched by the Hon’ble Minister.
These portals will provide real-time progress updates on the mission and scheme, fostering
transparency and accountability.
PM SVANidhi:
Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs launched PM SVANidhi scheme on June 01, 2020, to
address the challenges faced by Street Vendors and help them in resuming the businesses
adversely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
PAiSA portal:
The portal was launched on 26th November 2018. The web platform was designed and
developed by Allahabad Bank which is the Nodal bank.

162. The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India
has nominated three Indian cities viz. Indore and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh and Udaipur
in Rajasthan for the Wetland City Accreditation (WCA) scheme under the Ramsar
Convention.

These are the 1st three Indian cities to be nominated for WCA.

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• Indore: Sirpur Wetland and Yashwant Sagar
• Bhopal: Bhoj Wetland
• Udaipur: Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Rang Sagar, Swaroop Sagar, and Doodh Talai

The WCA is a voluntary accreditation system established by the Ramsar Convention during
the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP) 12, 2015.
The aim is to recognize cities that have taken exceptional steps to safeguard their urban
wetlands.
Ramsar Convention:
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty aimed at the conservation and sustainable
use of wetlands. This treaty was adopted on 2nd February 1971, in the city of Ramsar, on the
shores of the Caspian Sea, in Iran.
Note: 75 wetlands in India are protected under the Ramsar Convention treaty.

163. Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala and
Union Minister of State Dr. L. Murugan have jointly inaugurated the 10th edition of Sagar
Parikrama, a coastal yatra spreading awareness about government welfare schemes among
fishermen, from Chennai Port on 1st January 2024.

It ran till 6th January 2024.

The scope of the 10th phase will include the remaining coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh,
Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla, Krishna, West Godavari, Konaseema, Kakinada, Visakhapatnam,
Vizianagaram and Srikakulam.
Yanam district of Puducherry will also be included in this.
Sagar Parikrama:
• The first phase of ‘Sagar Parikrama’ was started from Mandvi, Gujarat on 5 March 2022

and ended in Porbandar on 6 March 2022.

• Sagar Parikrama passes through the coastal states/union territories of Gujarat, Daman

and Diu, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Andaman and Nicobar, Kerala, Tamil Nadu,

Puducherry, and part of Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

Note: India is the second leading country in the world regarding fish production through
aquaculture. India is the world's fourth largest fish exporter, contributing 7.7% to global fish
production. India ranks first in the world in inland fish production and third in overall fish
production.

164. All the "Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra" schemes as well as all the flagship schemes of Govt.
of India are nearing 100% saturation in Udhampur district of Jammu & Kashmir.

This has been announced by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh after a review meeting with the
officers of the District Administration and other senior officers of the UEED.

Vikasit Bharat Sankalp Yatra:

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It is a nationwide campaign to raise awareness through outreach activities to achieve
saturation of schemes of Govt. of India across the country covering all Gram Panchayats,
Nagar Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies.
The campaign is being taken up by adopting a whole of government approach with active
involvement of various Ministries/Departments of Government of India, State Governments,
Central Govt. Organizations, and Institutions.

165. Jammu and Kashmir has become the first Union Territory (UT) to implement the PM
Vishwakarma Yojana (PMVY), an initiative that aims to empower and enhance the skills of
the craftsman community.

30 trainees have enrolled in the first batch focused on tailoring and dress design at the ITI
center in Shopian.
This implementation aims to foster local businesses and self-employment.

PM Vishwakarma Yojana (PMVY):

• This Central Sector Scheme was launched on 17th September 2023.
• The scheme is launched to uplift traditional artisans and craftspeople.
• It is fully funded by the Government of India, with an initial outlay of Rs 13,000 crore.
• Timeline: 5 years from FY23-24 to FY27-28.
• It is being implemented by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME),
the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the Department of
Financial Services (DFS), the Ministry of Finance (MoF), the Government of India.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of MSME
• There are 18 traditional trades covered under the scheme.
• The scheme provides collateral-free loans of up to Rs.3 lakhs in two tranches of Rs.1 lakh
and Rs.2 lakhs, according to their requirements. These loans can be paid back in 18
months and 30 months, respectively.
• Loan is provided at a concessional interest rate fixed at 5%, with the Government of India
subvention to the extent of 8%.
• The artisans will receive basic training of 5-7 days and advanced training of 15 days or
more, along with a stipend of Rs. 500 per day as wage compensation, and a free modern
toolkit worth Rs.15,000 for trained Vishwakarmas.

166. Ministry of Power has recently completed 9 years of distributing and selling LED lights
under its flagship Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) programme.

Achievements-
• More than 36.8 crore LEDs have been distributed across the country so far.

• Over 48.42 billion Kilowatt-hour per annum energy has been saved.

• 9,789 megawatts of peak demand have been avoided.

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• There has been a substantial reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA):

• It is a zero-subsidy scheme.
• It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5th January 2015.
• It is being implemented by the Ministry of Power.
• It is touted as the world’s largest domestic lighting project.
• It is also known as the LED-based Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP).
• It aims to promote the efficient usage of energy for all i.e., its consumption, savings and
lighting.
• Every domestic household having a metered connection from their respective Electricity
Distribution Company is eligible to get the LED bulbs under the Scheme.
• The programme is spearheaded by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited.
• The Scheme was established by replacing Bachat Lamp Yojana.

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BUSINESS & ECONOMY
167. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, India has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Communications of the
Republic of Cuba for cooperation in the field of sharing successful digital solutions
implemented at population scale for digital transformation.

The MoU intends to promote digital transformation through capacity-building programs,

exchange of best practices, and other collaborative activities to mutually benefit the digital
ecosystems of both countries.
India will assist Cuba in adopting Digital Public Infrastructure, fostering development
partnerships for enhanced collaboration.

168. The Union Cabinet, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a
three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Electronics
and Information Technology of India and the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and
Information Technology of Oman to foster collaboration and cooperation in the field of
Information Technology (IT).

The MoU was signed on 15th December 2023.

This MoU will strengthen the ties between India and Oman, promoting bilateral collaboration
in both government-to-government (G2G) and business-to-business (B2B) dimensions.

169. The Ministry of Defence has signed a deal with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) for
the acquisition of 14 fast patrol vessels (FPVs) for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) at a cost of
Rs.1,070.47 crore.

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These multi role FPVs will be indigenously designed, developed, and manufactured by MDL
under Buy (Indian-IDDM) Category and will be delivered in total 63 months.
These FPVs will be equipped with multipurpose drones, wirelessly controlled remote water
rescue craft lifebuoy and AI capability etc. enabling greater flexibility and operational edge to
the ICG to face new age multidimensional challenges.

170. The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the proposal for
signing of a protocol for the establishment of Joint Economic and Trade Committee
(JETCO) between the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the
Republic of India and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic.

The establishment of JETCO will facilitate mitigating challenges in export of Indian products of
mutual dialogue and pave the way for boosting exports of pharmaceuticals, automobiles and
engineering goods manufactured in India.

171. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has joined hands with filmmaker Rajkumar
Hirani for a short film titled “My Vote, My Duty” to spread awareness about voting.

The film features messages from Sachin Tendulkar, Rajkummar Rao, Amitabh Bachchan, R
Madhavan, Raveena Tandon, Vicky Kaushal, Boman Irani, Arshad Warsi, Bhumi Pednekar, and
Mona Singh.
The film aims to address attitudinal barriers such as indifference and apathy, reaffirming the
importance of each vote.
The film is produced by Rajkumar Hirani and directed by Sanjiv Kishinchandani.
The film highlights the impact of every single vote.
The film was released on National Voters’ Day (25th January).

172. THDC India Limited, a public sector undertaking, has established a benchmark in Green
Hydrogen production, by successfully implementing India’s one of the first pilot project
aligned with the “National Green Hydrogen Mission”.

The project will be India’s largest electrolyser end fuel cell-based pilot project.

173. The Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik has inaugurated the fourth edition of the
National Chilika Birds Festival. The festival is jointly organised by the Department of
Tourism, the Department of Forest, Environment and Climate Change and the Chilika
Development Authority.

The festival has witnessed the participation of 52 selected birders from across the country.

174. Telecom major Reliance Jio and Chinese smartphone company OnePlus have teamed up
to set up a 5G innovation lab in India. The alliance between OnePlus and Jio aims to provide
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OnePlus and Jio True 5G users with differentiated features and an unparalleled network
experience.

The lab will serve as a hub for testing and developing new technologies.

175. Tata Group and European aerospace company Airbus have signed an agreement to
manufacture H125 civilian helicopters together in India. The partnership would include air
and space tech, maritime tech, including underwater domain awareness, and equipment and
systems related to land warfare.

Under this partnership with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), Airbus Helicopters will set
up a final assembly line (FAL) for H125 civilian helicopters. This will be India’s first private
helicopter manufacturing facility.
The FAL will take 24 months to set up and deliveries of the first ‘made-in-India’ H125s are
expected to commence in 2026.

176. The Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (KABIL) has signed an agreement with Catamarca Minera Y
Energética Sociedad Del Estado (CAMYEN), a state-owned mining and energy company in the
Argentine province of Catamarca, to acquire five lithium mines in Argentina.

This is the first ever lithium exploration and mining project by a state-owned company.
KABIL will start exploration and development of five lithium brine blocks:
• Cortadera-I
• Cortadera-VII
• Cortadera-VIII
• Cateo-2022-01810132
• Cortadera-VI

This exploration will cover an area of about 15,703 hectares in the Catamarca province.
The project cost is about Rs.200 crores.
KABIL is also preparing to set up a branch office at Catamarca, Argentina.

177. South Korean firm Simmtech Co Ltd has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with the Gujarat government to set up its plant in Sanand at a cost of Rs.1,250 crore to
create a semiconductor ecosystem in the state.

This MoU has been announced by the Union Minister for Electronics and Information
Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024 in
Gandhinagar.
The core focus of Simmtech’s operations revolves around the production of semiconductor
substrates.

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During a seminar on “Semiconductor & Electronics” held on the second day of the Vibrant
Gujarat Global Summit, Union Minister has also unveiled the ambitious plan for Gujarat to
manufacture India’s first indigenous semiconductor chip by 2024.

178. The World Economic Forum (WEF) has collaborated with the Telangana government to
jointly establish the 19th Centre of the World Economic Forum’s Fourth Industrial Revolution
Network (4IR) in Hyderabad.

The centre aims to align with the broader vision of the Telangana government and WEF,
emphasizing collaborative efforts to enhance lifestyles and living standards.
The C4IR in Hyderabad will become the world’s premier healthcare hub.
The centre will provide the employment opportunities in the healthcare sector and foster
partnerships between the government and small and medium enterprises.
The centre will officially launch during BioAsia 2024 to be held in February 2024.

179. IndoSpace, a key player in industrial real estate, has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the government of Tamil Nadu during the Tamil Nadu Global
Investors Meet 2024.

The entity will invest Rs.2000 crore in the state.

This investment by IndoSpace is anticipated to generate 15,000 new jobs, providing a
substantial boost to employment opportunities in the state.

180. Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd (HPL), a leading petrochemicals company in India, has become
the first ISO 27001:2022 certified petrochemical organization in the industry by BSI
(British Standards Institution), a renowned certification body.

This showcases HPL’s commitment to maintain a robust and secure information security
governance structure throughout its digital transformation journey.
HPL has demonstrated its ability to protect sensitive information and ensure the
confidentiality, integrity, and availability of valuable data and systems.
ISO 27001:2022 is the standard of ISMS (Information Security Management System) program
to protect the information assets of the organization.

British Standards Institution (BSI):

BSI is the world’s first Standards Body and founding member of ISO from the United
Kingdom. BSI produces technical standards on various products, services, and supplies
certification and standards-related services to businesses.

181. Clean Core Thorium Energy, a Chicago-based company, has developed ANEEL (Advanced
Nuclear Energy for Enriched Life), a fuel that combines Thorium and High Assay Low
Enriched Uranium (HALEU).

This fuel is named ‘ANEEL’ in honour of India’s foremost nuclear scientist Dr Anil Kakodkar.
ANEEL can be used in India’s existing Pressurized Heavy-Water Reactors (PHWRs).

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India has the world’s largest reserves of Thorium, estimated at 1.07 million tonnes, and
ANEEL could facilitate the efficient utilization of Thorium in nuclear reactors.
The fuel’s benefits include reduced nuclear waste volume, lower operating costs, and longer-
lasting efficiency.

Note: Thorium with atomic number 90 and symbol (Th) is a naturally occurring radioactive
metal that is found at low levels in soil, rocks, water, plants, and animals. It can be used as a
nuclear fuel through breeding to uranium-233 (U-233).

182. Tata Power's arm Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) worth Rs.70,000 crore in the renewable energy
sector with the Gujarat government.

This MoU has been signed during the 10th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024
in Gandhinagar.
The MoU has been signed for the development of 10,000 MW of renewable energy power
projects in Gujarat.
The 10,000 MW renewable energy power projects comprise solar, wind, hybrid, Round The
Clock (RTC), peak, and Firm and Dispatchable Renewable Energy (FDRE), covering an
extensive 50,000-acre of encumbrance-free government land.

183. HydroSense Lab of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has developed India’s
first high-resolution landslide susceptibility map that uses the latest data and data
collection and mapping techniques.

The map aims to assist policymakers and organizations in landslide investigation and
mitigation, and the team plans to develop a Landslide Early Warning System for India.
The map provides a high-resolution overview with a detailed resolution of 100 sqm.
The map incorporates 1.5 lakh known landslide events from sources like the Geological
Survey of India (GSI).
It also considers 16 landslide conditioning factors, including soil cover, tree density, proximity
to roads or mountains, etc.

Note: A landslide is a movement of a mass of rock, earth or debris down a slope.

184. Coal India Limited (CIL), a Maharatna company, has inked a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with EdCIL (India) Limited to digitize education in eleven districts of
Jharkhand.
• The project will be implemented in 11 districts of Jharkhand within a period of three years.

• These 11 districts have mining areas of three subsidiaries of CIL namely Eastern Coalfields

Ltd. (ECL), Bharat Coking Coal Ltd. (BCCL) and Central Coalfields Ltd. (CCL).

• The estimate cost of the project is Rs. 27.08 crores.

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• One smart classroom and one ICT (Information & Communication Technology) lab will be

installed in each identified school.

• The project also has provision of teacher training and three-year maintenance of installed

equipment.

185. Microsoft has introduced a new initiative called ‘AI Odyssey’, a pioneering initiative aiming
to train 100,000 developers in India on advanced AI technologies and tools.

The program has two levels that participants need to complete by January 31, 2024.
First level: Educates participants on how to use Azure AI services to create and deploy AI
solutions for different scenarios.
Second level: Challenges participants to prove their AI skills by completing an online
assessment with interactive lab tasks that earns them Microsoft Applied Skills credentials, a
new verifiable credential that validates their ability to solve real-world problems with AI.

186. Tamil Nadu has received investment proposals worth Rs.6.64 lakh crore through 631
Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs).

These MoUs were signed during the conclusion of the first Global Investors Meet (GIM 2024)
held at Chennai Trade Centre.
A total of 26,90,657 jobs are expected to be generated from these investments that include
direct employment for 14,54,712 persons and indirect employment for 12,35,945 persons.
Key investment proposals: Tata Power (Rs.70,800 crore), Adani Group (Rs.42,768 crore),
Sembcorp (Rs.36,238 crore), Leap Green Energy Pvt. Ltd. (Rs.17,400 crore) and Chennai
Petroleum Corporation Limited (Rs.17,000 crore).
The proposed investments would be across sectors such as advanced electronics
manufacturing, green energy non-leather footwear, automobiles and e-vehicles, defence and
aerospace, data centres, global capability centres, Information Technology and Digital
Services.
The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M K Stalin, has also inaugurated TANFUND, which aims to
bridge the gap between start-ups in Tamil Nadu and investment partners in India and across
the world.

187. India has signed a Bilateral Haj Agreement 2024 with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
(KSA). The agreement has been signed by Union Minister for Women and Child Development
and Minority Affairs Smriti Zubin Irani accompanied by V. Muraleedharan, Minister of State
for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs with H.E. Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah,
Minister of Hajj and Umrah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

A total of 1,75,025 pilgrims from India are finalized for Haj 2024.
Out of these, 1,40,020 seats are reserved for the Haj Committee of India, benefiting first-time
pilgrims, while 35,005 pilgrims can proceed through Haj Group Operators.
Ministry of Minority Affairs is the nodal ministry to conduct Haj pilgrimage in India.

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Note: The Hajj is a religious pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia that is
mandatory for all able-bodied Muslims who can afford it. The Hajj takes place during the
Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah and involves several rituals. Dhu al-Hijjah is the twelfth and
final month of the Islamic calendar.

188. The business incubator and the entrepreneurship development centre of IIM Kozhikode,
IIMK Live, has launched, ‘FINN X’, a fintech themed accelerator programme.

This programme is implemented in collaboration with the International Financial Services

Centres Authority (IFSCA).
FINN X will be a 3-month accelerator programme which seeks to bolster the growth of fintech
start-ups.
IFSCA offers grants up to Rs.75 lakh which includes a grant of Rs.15 lakh and, a proof of
concept (PoC) grant of Rs.50 lakh, sand-box grant of Rs.30 lakh, and green fintech grant up to
Rs.75 lakh.
The programme will support start-ups in accelerating their innovation trajectory by assisting
them in obtaining funding support, mentorship, market access, and training support from
IIMK Live.

189. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has inked a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) under the Indian
Space Research Organization (ISRO) for three years to develop and report a “Green Cover
Index” for the extensive network of National Highways in India.

The NRSC will undertake a comprehensive pan-India estimation of green cover, referred to as
the ‘Green Cover Index’ for National Highways using high-resolution satellite imagery.
The index will witness the use of emerging technologies to enhance in-situ data collection,
supplement plantation management, and monitoring, including performance audits
conducted by NHAI.

190. REC Limited, a Maharatna CPSE established in 1969, under the Ministry of Power, has
entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rail Vikas Nigam Limited
(RVNL), a "Schedule ‘A’ Navratna” company under the Ministry of Railways, to extend financial
support of up to Rs.35,000 crore for infrastructure projects over the next five years.

These projects constitute multi-modal logistics hub projects, rail infrastructure projects, road,
port, and metro projects where RVNL has forayed into.

191. Ratle Hydro Electric Power Corporation Limited (RHPCL), a joint venture company of
NHPC Limited and Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC), has
signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Rajasthan Urja Vikas and IT Services
Limited, for offtake of power generated from 850 MW Ratle Hydroelectric Project,
Kishtwar in the union territory of Jammu & Kashmir.

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The PPA has been signed for a period of 40 years.
This Run of River (ROR) project harvest the energy from flowing water to generate electricity
in the absence of a large dam and reservoir.
It is located on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir.

192. The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the signing of
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and the United States Agency for
International Development (USAID/India) to support Indian Railways in achieving ‘net zero
carbon emission’ by 2030.

The MoU provides a platform for Indian Railways to interact and share the latest
developments and knowledge in the railway sector.
The MoU facilitates utility modernization, advanced energy solutions and systems, regional
energy and market integration and private sector participation and engagement, training and
seminars/workshops focusing on specific technology areas like Renewable Energy, energy
efficiency and other interactions for knowledge sharing.
Technical assistance for the services under this MoU is intended to be provided by USAID
under the SAREP initiative.

193. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the signing
of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas,
Government of India and the Ministry of Natural Resources, Republic of Guyana on
cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector.

This MoU reflects a renewed commitment to sustainable energy practices and strategic
global partnerships.

194. Coal India Limited (CIL), a Maharatna company, has teamed up with the National Skill
Development Corporation (NSDC) to set up a Multi Skill Development Institutes (MSDIs). As
per the MoU, one MSDI will be set up in each subsidiary with CCL, BCCL, MCL, NCL & SECL
covered in the first phase, and the remaining subsidiaries in the second phase.

The existing infrastructure available at CIL subsidiaries will be developed as MSDIs.

The project will cover one-time capex for repurposing of existing infrastructure as MSDIs and
Recurring & Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) expenses per year.

195. The Union Cabinet has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Mauritius Research and Innovation
Council (MRIC) concerning cooperation on the development of a joint small satellite.

This MoU was signed at Port Louis, Mauritius, on November 01, 2023.
The MoU will help to establish a framework for cooperation between ISRO and MRIC on the
development of a joint satellite as well as for cooperation on the use of the MRIC's Ground
Station.

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The satellite realisation is proposed to be completed in a 15-month time frame.
The estimated cost for the realisation of the joint satellite is Rs.20 crore, which the
government of India will bear.
196. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has collaborated with the Government
of Assam’s flagship Arohan scheme to motivate meritorious students to pursue STEM
subjects in their higher education.

Under the Arohan scheme, IIT Guwahati has hosted meritorious students (Mentees) along
with their Guide teachers/Officers in a total of 12 batches.
To date, the Institute has successfully hosted 3311 students (2009 girls and 1302 boys) and
few hundred mentee teachers, inspiring them to explore the vast opportunities and interests
in STEM education.

197. Reliance Jio Infocomm has teamed up with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Bombay to launch 'Bharat GPT', a large language model specifically tailor for India’s needs.

The company has planned to launch an operating system for smart televisions.
The company stated that the next 10 years will be defined by large-language models and
generative AI.

198. Flipkart has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Adani Total Gas Ltd
(ATGL) for supply chain decarbonization. The MoU aims to reduce Flipkart's carbon footprint
in the primary, secondary, and tertiary movements of goods across sourcing locations,
warehouses, and customer deliveries.

Under the MoU, ATGL will provide decarbonizing solutions, supporting Flipkart’s transition to
cleaner fuel options, including natural gas, and the integration of electric vehicles (EVs).

199. Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal has launched a new e-commerce start-up OppDoor,
business-to-business (B2B) platform. The software services platform will help emerging e-
commerce brands expand globally.

The startup will provide services to e-commerce firms related to design, product, human
resource, and other backend support, according to media reports.
These services will be provided to enterprises willing to expand their businesses to other
regions by leveraging network platforms like Amazon and others.
OppDoor:
• The startup is registered in Singapore and was established in May 2021.

• The company is operating as a venture capital firm and was earlier known as ‘Three State

Ventures Pte Ltd.’ The company is receiving investment from different startups across

India (like Curefood, and Scapia).

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• The company’s main aim is to help firms achieve e-commerce excellence across the globe.

Its main purpose is to support e-commerce companies to expand operations globally by

providing them with end-to-end solutions.

• OppDoor provides services primarily in 8 countries: Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan,

Mexico, Singapore, the UK, and the US.

200. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ), India's largest ports and logistics
company, has appointed Ashwani Gupta, former global chief operating officer at Nissan
Motors, as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, with effect from January 4,
2024.

He has also appointed as the Whole-Time Director of the company for a period of 3 years
which shall take effect from the date of his obtaining the Director Identification Number and
completion of other formalities relating to his appointment as Whole-Time Director, subject
to approval of shareholders.
The company has elevated CEO Karan Adani to the role of Managing Director (MD). He has
replaced Gautam Adani as the MD of the company.
Gautam Adani is now re-designated as ‘Executive Chairman’ of APSEZ.
Note: Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) is located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

201. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the Punjab government’s
purchase of a private thermal plant, Goindwal Sahib Thermal Power Plant.

CCI has approved the proposed acquisition of 100 percent shareholding of GVK Power
(Goindwal Sahib) Ltd by Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL).
PSPCL will acquire the 540 MW thermal plant for Rs.1,080 crore.
This is the first time that a State has purchased a thermal plant.
The 540-MW thermal plant will be named after Guru Amardass, the third Guru of Sikhs.

202. One97 Communications Ltd (OCL), the owner of Paytm, has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Ayodhya Nagar Nigam to enable mobile payments in Ayodhya
using the Paytm-pioneered QR code, Soundbox, and card machines.

The aim is to provide seamless mobile payment services during the much-anticipated
inauguration of Ram Mandir in the city on 22nd January 2024.
Under this MoU, the company will also deploy Paytm card machines at cash collection
centres under State Nagar Nigam departments.

203. ArcelorMittal has partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras’
Hyperloop Technology teams, Avishkar Hyperloop, a student team, and TuTr Hyperloop, a
startup incubated in IIT Madras, to create "Asia's first" Hyperloop test track facility.

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The companies, ArcelorMittal and ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS), are providing
foundational steel materials as well as engineering, design, and project management
expertise to support the construction of this facility at the 163-acre Discovery campus of IIT
Madras, located at Thaiyur on the outskirts of Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
The Ministry of Railways is also a key partner.
ArcelorMittal and AM/NS will supply 400 tonnes of steel for the fabrication of a 400-metre
vacuum tube at the site.
The test facility is expected to be operational by the end of Q1, 2024.

204. Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has become the first Indian company to chemically
recycle plastic waste-based pyrolysis oil into International Sustainability & Carbon
Certification (ISCC)-Plus certified circular Polymers.

This innovation is a testimony to RIL’s commitment to reducing plastic waste and supporting
the circular economy in India.
Reliance shipped its first batch of ISCC-Plus-certified circular polymers, named CircuRepol
(Polypropylene) and CircuRelene (Polyethylene).
Reliance’s Jamnagar refinery became the first refinery to get the important ISCC-Plus
certification, proving that it can produce circular polymers through chemical recycling.
The ISCC-Plus certification guarantees that traceability and rules are followed in making
circular polymers.
RIL has developed a technology that turns different types of plastic waste, including single-
use and multi-layered plastics, into pyrolysis oil.

205. KABIL (Khanij Bidesh India Ltd) will invest Rs.211 crore (USD 25.712 million) over a five-
year period for exploration stage activities of five lithium blocks in Fiambala area of
Argentina.

The KABIL board approved proposals of signing an exploration and development agreement
with CAMYEN, a state-owned miner in Argentina’s Catamarca province and opening of branch
office in Catamarca.

UIIC Assistant Free Mock Test

BANKING & FINANCE
206. The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) to co-finance renewable energy
projects in India.

The MoU aims to streamline loan syndication and underwriting processes, management of
Trust and Retention Account (TRA) for IREDA borrowers, and work towards fixed interest
rates over a 3-4-year period for IREDA borrowings.

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207. Bank of Baroda, an Indian public sector bank, has launched its new 'bob-360 deposit
scheme’, a special short-term retail deposit scheme offering higher interest rates up to
7.60% p.a. for 360 days, which includes 0.50% p.a. for senior citizens.

The scheme opens on 15th January 2024 and is applicable on retail deposits below Rs 2 crore.

208. The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has launched a new saving and annuity plan
“Jeevan Dhara II”, a non-linked, non-participating, individual, savings, and deferred annuity
plan.

Key features:
• The minimum age of entry into the Jeevan Dhara II policy is 20 years and the maximum

age of entry into the policy can be 80/70/65 years minus the deferment period,

depending upon the annuity option chosen.

• The annuity is guaranteed from inception and 11 annuity options are available to

prospective policyholders.

• Available Deferment Period [from 5 years to 15 years (in case of Regular Premium) and

from 1 year to 15 years (in case of Single Premium)] i.e. when to start annuity payments

as per your requirements.

• Mode of Annuity payments (yearly, half-yearly, quarterly, and monthly).

• The minimum instalment premium payable (for other than yearly mode) in any case shall

not be less than Rs.1,000.

• The non-participating plan provides life cover during deferment period and offers higher

annuity rate at higher age.

• Loan facilities shall be available during or after the deferment period under annuity

options with return of premium/ purchase price.

Deferment Period (DP) refers to the period, in years, as chosen by the policyholder,
commencing from the Date of Commencement of policy to the Date of Vesting.

209. ICICI Bank Canada, a subsidiary of ICICI Bank Ltd., has launched the app Money2India,
which allows customers of any Canadian bank to send money to any bank in India without an
account with ICICI Bank Canada.

The customers can send money directly through the app via Visa or Mastercard.
The customers can send up to USD 22,446 in a single transaction and can set up recurring
transfers.

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The app features two-factor authentication and a one-time password.

210. Zomato Payments Private Limited (ZPPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Zomato, has
received the certificate of authorization from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a
payment aggregator.

ZPPL has been granted certificate of authorization dated 24th January 2024.
ZPPL has been incorporated to carry out the business as payment aggregator and issuer of
pre-paid payment instruments.

211. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has given its approval to four companies,
JNK India, Entero Healthcare Solutions, Exicom Tele-Systems, and Akme Fintrade, to
raise funds through initial public offerings (IPOs).

These four firms, which had filed their preliminary papers with the markets watchdog
between June 2023 and October 2023, obtained observation letters on 16-19 January 2024.

212. BOB Financial Solutions Limited (BFSL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of Baroda,
has been rebranded as ‘BOBCARD Limited’ with the tagline “Credit Reimagined”.

BFSL has also unveiled a new logo called ‘Baroda Sun’, which comprises dual ‘B’ letterforms
that hold the rays of the rising sun.
BOBCARD offers an array of consumer and commercial credit cards and caters to all
segments of customers with varied needs, including shopping, travel and business cards for
large corporates and MSMEs.

213. HDFC Bank, India's largest private sector bank, has become the first lender in India to
achieve the milestone of 20 million credit cards in force.

The lender forayed into the credit card business in 2001 and hit the 10-million mark in 2017.
HDFC Bank is the largest issuer of card issuers in the country, which commands over a fourth
of the overall card market in terms of numbers.
HDFC Bank’s cards in circulation stood at nearly 19.51 million in November 2023 as
compared to 19.18 million cards in October 2023.
HDFC Bank is followed by SBI Card, ICICI Bank, and Axis Bank, in terms of the number of
credit cards issued.

214. Bank of Baroda (BoB) has raised Rs. 5,000 Crores through the issuance of Long-Term
Infrastructure Bonds. The Bank received a total of 128 bids amounting to Rs. 14,950 Crores
against the total issue size of Rs. 5,000 Crores (Base issue of Rs. 1,000 Crores and Greenshoe
option to retain oversubscription up to Rs.4,000 Crores).

This translates to ~15 times the base issue size and ~3 times the total issue size.
The bank accepted bids for Rs. 5,000 Crores at a coupon of 7.57% p.a.

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These bonds are senior, unsecured, listed, rated, taxable Bonds, having a fixed maturity of 10
years from the date of allotment.
The allotment of these bonds took place on 25th January 2024.
The bonds are rated AAA with a Stable outlook by CRISIL and India Ratings.

215. Canara HSBC Life Insurance has introduced “iSelect Guaranteed Future Plus”, a
comprehensive plan designed to deliver life insurance and assured benefits.

It is a non-linked, non-participating, and individual savings life insurance plan.

The policy offers four different plans namely Endowment Option, Regular Income Option,
Long-Term Income with Return of Premium Option, and Early Income Option.

216. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has extended the timeline for market
rumour verification for the 2nd time. The deadline is extended to 1st June 2024 from 1st
February 2024 for the top 100 companies and to 31st December 2024 from 1st August 2024
for the top 250 companies.

The market rumour verification is under the provision to regulation 30(11) of the LODR
Regulations.

Other news associated with SEBI:

SEBI has released a framework for offer for sale (OFS) of shares to employees through stock
exchanges. Under this framework, promoters of eligible companies will be permitted to sell
shares within two weeks from the offer for sale (OFS) transaction to the employees of such
companies.

217. SBI Life Insurance has launched two new products, ‘SBI Life - Saral Swadhan Supreme’
and ‘SBI Life - Smart Swadhan Supreme’. These products cater to the insurance needs of
individuals and fulfil their financial commitments.

Key features of the Saral Swadhan Supreme and Smart Swadhan Supreme plans:
• Policyholders can opt for regular premium payments or choose a limited premium

payment term of 7, 10, or 15 years.

• A flexible policy term ranging from 10 to 30 years, offering tailored solutions to meet

diverse financial goals.

• Upon maturity, policyholders are entitled to receive 100% of the total premiums (total of

all the premiums received, excluding any extra premium, any rider premiums, and taxes)

paid during the policy's duration.

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• Both these policies offer a minimum sum assured of Rs. 25 lakhs, however, while SBI Life -

Saral Swadhan Supreme is capped at Rs. 50 lakhs, SBI Life - Smart Swadhan Supreme has

no upper limit for the maximum sum assured.

218. ICICI Lombard will acquire a 1.08 % stake in Karnataka Bank for a cash consideration of
Rs.100 crore. The Board of Directors of Karnataka Bank has granted approval for the
infusion of an additional equity capital of Rs.700 crore.

Within this allocation, up to Rs.100 crore is earmarked for raising funds through a
preferential issue of shares, while the remaining Rs.600 crore will be garnered through
private placement(s) and qualified institutions placements.

219. The General Insurance Council has introduced an initiative, 'Cashless Everywhere', to
facilitate cashless hospitalization for policyholders even in non-empanelled hospitals.

Hospitals with 15 beds, registered under the Clinical Establishment Act, can provide cashless
hospitalization.
Under the cashless facility, policyholders don’t need to pay for treatment out of pocket in the
event of hospitalisation, subject to admissibility of the claim.
The ‘cashless everywhere’ facility will be subject to customers intimating their insurer 48
hours prior to admission for elective procedures, and 48 hours post admission in case of
emergency treatments.

220. The World Bank, operating through the International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD), has launched 7-year USD 100 million principal-protected Plastic
Waste Reduction-Linked Bond to support the World Bank’s mission to eradicate extreme
poverty and enhance global prosperity sustainably.

The bond’s focus is on preventing plastic waste leakage into nature and oceans.
This transaction marks the first in the Sovereign, Supranational, and Agency (SSA) market in
US dollars for 2024.
Citi served as the Lead Manager for this bond.
The Bond will be listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange in Luxembourg.
The Bond will mature in January 2031.

221. REC Limited, a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE), has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Investment and Infrastructure
Fund Limited (NIIFL) to boost renewable energy and infrastructure financing in India.

Under this MoU, REC and NIIFL will work together on funding solutions for renewable energy
and large-scale infrastructure projects in India.

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222. The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has collaborated with Nadathur
S Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (NSRCEL), an innovation and
entrepreneurship hub of IIM Bangalore, to establish a pre-seed fund, specifically for start-
ups in the Deep Tech and emerging businesses areas.

This MoU has laid the foundation for a multi-year relationship to nurture start-ups and lead
them towards scaling up their business activities.

223. The Ministry of Rural Development has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
with the State Bank of India (SBI) to facilitate enterprise financing for rural self-help groups
(SHG).

SBI introduced a specialised financial product Svyam Siddha, exclusively tailored for SHG
women entrepreneurs seeking loans up to Rs 5 lakhs.
This initiative is designed to alleviate the challenges associated with extensive documentation
requirements for bank loan applications and reduce the turnaround time (TAT).

224. Indian Bank has inked a pact with FPL Technologies to launch the Indian Bank One Co-
Branded Credit Card. The card leverages the Visa and RuPay platforms.

These cards will be issued by Indian Bank and managed by FPL Technologies.
The Indian Bank One co-branded credit card boasts of international validity with a 1% forex
fee and aims to offer a range of features tailored to the diverse needs of digitally savvy Indian
consumers.

225. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has notified that investors will be
allowed to freeze or block their trading account if any suspicious activity is detected.

The framework for the same will be laid down on or before 1st April 2024 and will be
implemented from 1st July 2024.
The framework will include the following: modes through which a client can
request/communicate to the Trading Member for voluntarily blocking the trading accounts;
issuing of acknowledgement to the clients on receipt of message; and the time period within
which the request shall be processed, and the trading account shall be frozen/blocked.
It will also include the action a trading member has to take once such a request is received
and the process of re-enabling the client for traders/ transfers.

226. The New Development Bank (NDB) has signed an agreement to provide a USD 500-
million loan to Gujarat government. As part of Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2024, a project loan
will be provided for the State's Mukhayamantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

NDB will support the roads and buildings department of the State government for
construction of an estimated 1,200 km of roads.

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NDB will also provide knowledge support to strengthen the rural road network in the State by
adopting new technology, safeguarding the environment and implementing safer road
designs.

227. The State Bank of India (SBI) has introduced a special fixed deposit (FD) scheme “SBI
Green Rupee Term Deposit (SGRTD)” to mobilise funds to support environment-friendly
initiatives and projects, thereby fostering the growth of a green finance ecosystem in India.

This scheme is open to resident individuals, non-individuals, and NRI customers.

The scheme offers investors the flexibility to choose from three distinct tenors: 1111 days,
1777 days, and 2222 days.
Interest rate for retail deposits:
• 1111 Days- 6.65 %
• 1777 Days- 6.65 %
• 2222 Days- 6.40 %

Interest rate for bulk deposits:

• 1111 Days- 6.15 %
• 1777 Days- 6.15 %
• 2222 Days- 5.90 %

The pre-mature withdrawal is allowed.

Green Deposit:
Green deposit means an interest-bearing deposit, received by the regulated entities (RE) for a
fixed period the proceeds of which are earmarked for being allocated towards green finance
as per RBI's notification dated April 11, 2023. The deposits raised under the framework are
covered by the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).

228. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has announced the launch of the UPI-
PayNow linkage that will enable Indians to receive remittances directly into their bank
accounts from Singapore and vice-versa.

Presently, users of mobile-based applications such as Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM),
PhonePe, and Paytm can access the service.
Banks including Axis Bank, DBS Bank India, ICICI Bank, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank,
and State Bank of India (SBI) provide this functionality through their respective apps.
The UPI-PayNow facility will be available to users throughout the year.

229. Karnataka Bank (KBL), a leading private sector bank, has collaborated with Clix Capital
through the Yubi Co.lend Platform to provide loans to the Indian MSME sector, which is one
of the biggest contributors to India’s GDP and employment growth.

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This collaboration is in line with the Reserve Bank of India’s guidelines on co-lending by banks
and NBFCs to priority sectors.
This collaboration combines Karnataka Bank’s low cost of funds, end-to-end digital
capabilities and expertise to offer credit facilities to this segment along with Clix Capital's
strong & easy lending tech platform and robust due diligence.

230. The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), a government-owned insurance giant, has
reclaimed its status as the most valued public sector undertaking, surpassing the market
capitalization of State Bank of India.

SBI has a market cap of Rs 5.63 lakh crore, while LIC has overtaken it with a market
capitalization (Mcap) of Rs 5.64 lakh crore.
On 17th January 2024, SBI stock witnessed a 1.5 percent decline to Rs 624, whereas LIC
traded at Rs 896 on the BSE, showing a 0.2 percent increase.
The benchmark BSE Sensex experienced a 1.02 percent loss, settling at 72,386 points.
In 2023, LIC witnessed a remarkable gain of over 22%, and in the ongoing year, 2024, it has
surged by an additional 7.5%.

231. DLabs at the Indian School of Business (ISB) has introduced the 'Build for Billions', a
startup accelerator programme, themed around financial inclusion for the informal economy,
in association with Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) and Union Bank of India.

The objective of this program is to support visionary fintech startups addressing challenges
faced by gig workers, migrant workers, domestic workers, and others in the informal sector.
The 50-day equity-free accelerator by the business incubator DLabs, offers comprehensive
support, including mentorship, capacity building, resources, networking opportunities, the
chance to pitch to banks and investors, and a unique piloting opportunity with Union Bank.

232. Google India Digital Services (Google Pay India) has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with NPCI International Payment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the
National Payments Corporation of India, to expand the Unified Payments Interface (UPI)
globally.

The MoU has three key objectives:

• To broaden the use of UPI payments for travellers outside of India, enabling them to
conveniently make transactions abroad.
• To assist in establishing UPI-like digital payment systems in other countries.
• To focus on easing the process of remittances between countries by utilizing the UPI
infrastructure, thereby simplifying cross-border financial exchanges.

233. Yes Bank has introduced SmartFin, an end-to-end digital Supply Chain Finance (SCF)
platform, powered by Veefin Solutions. The initiative aims to support Micro, Small, and
Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) by leveraging SCF models for enhanced working capital
efficiencies.

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The SmartFin platform will help us drive the required operational & financial efficiencies for
all stakeholders.

234. Tata Consumer Products has acquired a complete 100% stake in Capital Foods Private
Limited, renowned for marketing products under the brands Ching's Secret and Smith &
Jones.

The transaction, valued at Rs.5,100 crore, will be an all-cash deal.

Tata Consumer has entered into Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) and Shareholders’
Agreement (SHA) with the existing promoters and shareholders of the target company to
acquire the entire issued equity share capital in a phased manner.
The company would initially acquire 75 percent of the equity shareholding, with the
remaining 25 percent to be procured over the next three years.

235. Mumbai-based UBS Securities India Private Limited has reduced the growth of the Indian
economy for the financial year 2024-25 (FY25) to 6.2% from 6.3%.

This indicates that India's Gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to reach USD 3.9 trillion
in FY25, up from USD 3.57 trillion in FY24 on a likely 7 percent growth, as consumption
growth is likely to stabilise at 4.7 percent from 4.5 percent in FY24.
This growth is anticipated due to the favourable combination of neutral policy settings,
positive credit momentum, and manageable macroeconomic macros amid a 15-year high
household debt levels.

236. According to the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) report released in
January 2024, India’s GDP is expected to surpass USD 4 trillion in 2024-25 and reach USD 5
trillion by 2026-27.

It also projected India’s GDP to reach USD 7 trillion by 2030, as India is committed to
attaining the status of a developed economy by 2047 under the initiative of ‘Viksit Bharat.’
The report expects the inflation trajectory to average at around 4.5 percent in 2024.
The analysis is based on lead macroeconomic indicators including the GDP Growth, Export
Growth, Gross National Savings, Total Investments, and Debt to GDP Ratio.

237. IndusInd Bank has launched the ‘EazyDiner IndusInd Bank Platinum Credit Card’, in
collaboration with EazyDiner. This credit card is poised to transform the dining landscape for
cardholders with a taste for diverse restaurant experiences.

This card provides additional discount of Rs. 500 while paying through the EazyDiner App via
PayEazy for both dining as well as for take-away at select restaurants.
The card comes with a complimentary EazyDiner Prime membership for 3 months, that
provides guaranteed discounts from 25% up to 50%, at over 2000 premium restaurants,
without any joining or annual fees.
The cardholders can renew their Prime membership upon spending Rs.30,000 every 90 days.
The card offers up to 2 reward points on every Rs.100 spent.

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238. Max Life Insurance has launched the Midcap Momentum Index Fund, a first-of-its kind
in the unit linked insurance plan (ULIP) segment. The new fund aims to replicate the Nifty
Midcap 150 Momentum 50 Index by investing in companies with similar weights as in the
index and generating returns as closely as possible, subject to tracking error.

Investors can participate in the new fund until 29th January 2024, at a unit price of Rs 10.
This new fund offering (NFO) will invest in stock which have witnessed 175% Compound
Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in asset under management (AUM) over the last three financial
years (FY20-23).
NFO targets the growth potential of mid-cap companies.
Note: NFO is the first subscription offering for any fund being launched by an investment
company.

239. REC Limited, a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of
Power, has issued its first Japanese Yen green bonds worth 61.1 (JPY) billion.

These bonds are a part of the USD 10 billion global medium-term notes programme.
The bonds with tenures of 5 years, 5.25 years, and 10 years are issued at yields of 1.76
percent, 1.79 percent, and 2.20 percent, respectively.
The proceeds from the bond issuance will be dedicated to financing eligible green projects.
This is REC Limited's 11th venture into the international bond market and the first-ever Yen
Bond issuance by an Indian public sector undertaking (PSU).
This represents the largest Yen-denominated issuance from India and the largest non-
sovereign Yen-denominated issuance ever from South and South East Asia.

240. India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has revised India’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product)
growth estimate for FY24 to 6.7 percent from 6.2 percent estimated earlier.

Ind-Ra has attributed the revision to a resilient economy, sustained govt capex, and the
potential for a new private corporate capex expenditure cycle for the upgrade.
The agency also anticipates a slowdown in private final consumption expenditure predicting
a growth of 5.2% YOY in the current fiscal.

241. The National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation,
has released the First Advance Estimates (FAE) of National Income for the financial year
2023-24, both at Constant (2011-12) and Current Prices.

Indian economy is expected to grow by 7.3% in FY24.

Real GDP or GDP at Constant (2011-12) Prices in the year 2023-24 is estimated to attain a
level of Rs.171.79 lakh crore, as against the Provisional Estimate of GDP for the year 2022-23
of Rs.160.06 lakh crore, released on 31st May, 2023. The growth in real GDP during 2023-24 is
estimated at 7.3 percent as compared to 7.2 percent in 2022-23.
Nominal GDP or GDP at Current Prices in the year 2023-24 is estimated at Rs.296.58 lakh
crore, as against the Provisional Estimate of GDP for the year 2022-23 of Rs.272.41 lakh

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crore, released on 31st May 2023. The growth in nominal GDP during 2023-24 is estimated at
8.9 percent as compared to 16.1 percent in 2022-23.
The construction sector has been estimated to have double-digit growth of 10.7 percent.
It highlighted that all the economic sectors have fared well by witnessing more than six
percent, except for the Agriculture and Allied sectors, for which the estimated growth is 1.8
percent.

242. Canara Bank has launched its new Data and Analytics Centre (DnA) in Bengaluru,
Karnataka. The Centre, planned as a hub of excellence, is equipped with state-of-the-art
facilities to support innovation and collaboration.

The lender will also open a separate cyber-security wing from 1st April 2024 as the bank steps
up its investment in cyber security initiatives to prevent customers from falling into the trap
of online fraudsters.
The wing will be headed by a general manager and monitor digital transactions on a real-time
basis and trigger alerts if a fraudster is trying to break into a customer’s account.

243. The State Bank of India (SBI) has raised USD 250 million through issuance of the Green
Notes to fund sustainable projects. The bank has concluded the successful placement of USD
250 million senior unsecured Green floating rate notes, referred to as ‘The Green Notes’.

This issuance will mature on 29th December 2028.

This is a part of SBI’s USD 10 billion medium-term note programme and has been conducted
through a private placement facilitated by its London branch.
Green Notes are issued on a floating rate basis of 1.20 percent above the Secured Overnight
Financing Rate (SOFR) and have been listed on the India International Exchange.
SOFR is a benchmark rate for dollar-denominated derivatives and loans, which replaced the
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR).

244. Bank of Baroda (BoB) has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with REC
Limited, a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise established in 1969, under Ministry of
Power, to facilitate joint sanctions of loans to fund power, infrastructure, and logistics
projects in the country.

The MoU has been signed for 3 years.

Both entities endeavour to champion initiatives that will invigorate economic development
and enhance accessibility to essential services nationwide.

245. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) sold a dual-tranche global benchmark bond valued
with a maturity of 3 years and with a maturity of 10 years to raise USD 5 billion to promote
social and economic development across Asia and the Pacific.

The raised funds will be contributed to ADB’s ordinary capital resources.

This 3-year bond will be maturing on 12th January 2027 and this 10-year bond will be
maturing on 12th January 2034.

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246. Karnataka Bank Limited (KBL) has entered into a co-lending arrangement with Satin
Creditcare Network Limited (SCNL) to provide financial support to Joint Liability Groups
(JLG) of economically active women in both rural and semi-urban areas and to give impetus
to the micro credit facilities segment of the country.

The arrangement will leverage Karnataka Bank’s low cost of funds and end-to-end digital
capabilities of KBL and Satin through Yubi platform for co-lending, to help the sourcing,
servicing and recovery of small-ticket income generation priority sector loans.

247. PhonePe has appointed former Yes Bank official Ritesh Pai as the Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) of its international payments business. He will lead the company's global expansion
plans.

Earlier, he served as senior group president and chief digital officer at Yes Bank, where he led
the digital strategy.
PhonePe:
PhonePe is an Indian digital payments and financial services company. It is headquartered in
Bengaluru, Karnataka. It was founded in December 2015, by Sameer Nigam, Rahul Chari and
Burzin Engineer.
CEO: Sameer Nigam

248. Vikas Sheel, a 1994-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Chhattisgarh cadre,
has been appointed as the Executive Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
• He is currently Additional Secretary and Mission Director, Jal Jeevan Mission under the
Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• He has been appointed for a period of three years from the date of assumption of the
charge.

Smita Sarangi has been appointed as Adviser to the Executive Director at ADB for a period
of 3 years.

249. Fino Payments Bank, a subsidiary of Fino Paytech Limited, has applied for a small finance
bank (SFB) license with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

During the quarter ended December 31, 2023, the RBI received one application under the
Guidelines for ‘on tap’ Licensing of Small Finance Banks in the Private Sector dated December
05, 2019 from Fino Payments Bank Limited.
As per the norms, payment banks that are controlled by residents and have completed five
years of operations are eligible for conversion into small finance banks after complying with
the legal and regulatory requirements of various authorities.
Fino Payments Bank:
Fino Payments Bank started operations in 2017 and completed five years of business in 2022.
MD and CEO: Rishi Gupta

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Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

250. Rajiv Shah, president of The Rockefeller Foundation, has been named as a ‘Class C’
director on the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. He has been
appointed for a three-year term ending December 31, 2026.

He has been leading the prominent philanthropic organization ‘the Rockefeller Foundation’
since 2017.
The Class C directors are appointed by the Board of Governors. Each year, one Class C
director at each Reserve Bank is designated by the Board of Governors as chair of the Bank’s
Board of Directors, and a second-Class C director is designated deputy chair.

251. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has appointed G Ram Mohan Rao as the
Executive Director (ED) for a period of three years. He will be handling the investigation
department and the internal inspection department.

Prior to the appointment, he was the regional director of the Eastern Regional Office of SEBI.

252. IndusInd Bank, in collaboration with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has
introduced the UPI-enabled “IndusInd Bank SammanRuPay Credit Card.”

This credit card is specially designed for government sector employees with an aim to
provide them with a range of exclusive benefits and enhance their overall banking
experience.
The card offers various advantages, including cashback on diverse expenditures,
complimentary movie tickets, no charges on cash advances, and waivers on surcharges for
transactions done through IRCTC and fuel purchases.

253. The World Bank in its biannual ‘Global Economic Prospects’ report has kept its FY25
economic growth projection for India unchanged at 6.4 percent, mainly on account of strong
domestic demand, rising public infrastructure spending and strong private-sector credit
growth.

The report has projected that the private consumption growth might taper off due to high
food inflation and diminishing pent-up demand.
Despite an estimated growth of 6.3% in FY24, the post-pandemic recovery is anticipated to
slow, gradually reaching 6.5% in FY26.
The organization forecasts a 2.4% expansion in the world economy for the current year,
down from 2.6% growth in 2023, 3% in 2022, and a notable 6.2% recovery in 2021 following
the pandemic-induced recession in 2020.

254. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has raised the minimum capital requirement for Small
Finance Banks (SFBs) from Rs.100 crore to Rs.200 crore, and permitted Payments Bank to
upgrade as SFBs.

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• This move aims to enhance the financial resilience of SFBs and ensure their long-term

sustainability.

• It is worth noting that all SFBs currently in operation have a net worth exceeding Rs 200

crore.

Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) transitioning to Small Finance Banks (SFBs) need an initial
net worth of Rs.100 crore to be increased to Rs.200 crore within 5 years.
Payments Banks, eligible as per guidelines, can apply for SFB conversion after 5 years of
operation.

255. Brookfield Asset Management (BAM) through its affiliate Data Infrastructure Trust (DIT)
will acquire the Indian unit of American Tower Corporation (ATC) for an enterprise value of
around USD 2.5 billion.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and expected to close in the second half of
2024.
After acquisition, BAM will become India’s largest tower company with 2.53 lakh towers.
Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (RIL) is the anchor client of BAM whereas Vodafone Idea
Limited (VI) is the anchor client of ATC.

256. Zerodha Fund House (ZFH) has launched India's first Growth Liquid ETF - Zerodha Nifty
1D Rate Liquid ETF. The new fund offer (NFO) will be available till January 12, 2024.

The fund is expected to be listed on the NSE and BSE exchanges by January 24, 2024.
The objective is to mirror the total returns of securities represented by the Nifty 50 Total
Returns index before expenses, subject to tracking errors, fees, and expenses.
The new scheme follows Nifty 1D Rate Index, which measures the returns generated by
market participants lending in the overnight market, as its benchmark.

257. Karnataka Bank Limited (KBL) has teamed up with Digivriddhi Technologies Private
Limited (DGV) to provide financial services to support the requirements of dairy farmers and
dairy societies.

The services will be made available at Village Dairy Co-operative Societies, associated with
Milk unions of Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF).
This association with DGV will enable the KBL to provide seamless and innovative end-to-end
digital product for dairy farmers.

258. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), arm of the World
Bank, has priced a 5-year Sustainable Development Bond in Great British Pound Sterling
(GBP) to raise GBP 1.5 billion from investors, contributing to finance sustainable
development initiatives in World Bank countries.

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The bond will mature on 2nd October 2028, and it is listed on the Luxembourg Stock
Exchange (LSE) in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.
Citigroup Inc., NatWest Markets Plc, Santander Bank and Toronto Dominion Securities are the
joint lead managers of the transaction.

259. The Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, has increased the interest rate
on the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) scheme by 20 basis points for the fourth quarter (Q4)
of the current fiscal year 2023-24 (FY24), which runs from 1st January 2024 to 31st March
2024.

The government has also hiked the three-year term deposit scheme by 10 basis points for
the January-March quarter, while retaining the rates for all other small savings schemes.

Instruments Rates of Rates of Rates of Rates of Compoundin

interest interest interest interest g

(%) (%) (%) (%)

(Q1 of (Q2 of (Q3 of (Q4 of

FY24) FY24) FY24) FY24)

Savings Deposit (SD) 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 Annual

1 Year Time Deposit 6.8 6.9 6.9 6.9 Quarterly

(TD)

2 Year Time Deposit 6.9 7.0 7.0 7.0 Quarterly

(TD)

3 Year Time Deposit 7.0 7 7 7.1 Quarterly

(TD)

5 Year Time Deposit 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 Quarterly

(TD)

5 Year Recurring 6.2 6.5 6.7 6.7 Quarterly

Deposit (RD)

5 Year Senior Citizens 8.2 8.2 8.2 8.2 Paid Quarterly

Savings Scheme

(SCSS)

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5 year Monthly 7.4 7.4 7.4 7.4 Paid Monthly

Income Scheme (MIS)

5 Year National 7.7 7.7 7.7 7.7 Annual

Savings Certificate

(NSC)

Public Provident Fund 7.1 7.1 7.1 7.1 Annual

(PPF) Scheme

Kisan Vikas Patra 7.5 (will 7.5 (will 7.5 (will 7.5 (will Annual

(KVP) mature mature in mature in mature

in 115 115 115 in 115

months) months) months) months)

Sukanya Samriddhi 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.2 Annual

Account Scheme

(SSAS)

Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme (SSAS):

• SSAS was launched in 2015.
• The minimum annual contribution to the Sukanya Samriddhi Account is Rs.250 and the
maximum contribution is Rs.1.5 lakh in a financial year.
• Accounts can be opened in name of a girl child till her age of 10 years.
• The interest generated through the Sukanya Samriddhi Account (SSA) is tax-free.
• An investor can claim income tax benefits up to Rs.1.50 lakh invested in an SSY account
in the single financial year under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act.
• After a girl reaches 18 years of age, guardians can withdraw money from the account
up to 50% of the balance in a financial year. The withdrawals can be accomplished in a
single transaction or instalments, with a maximum of one withdrawal per year with up
to a limit of 5 years.

260. Reliance Power has inked a pact to sell its 1,200 MW Kalai II hydroelectric project in
Arunachal Pradesh for Rs.128.39 crore to THDC India. The aim is to monetise the
hydroelectric power project.

Under this pact, there will transfer of the development rights and associated physical assets,
studies, clearances, designs, and intellectual properties of the proposed 1,200 MW Kalai-II
hydroelectric project located at the Lohit River basin of Arunachal Pradesh to THDC for an
aggregate consideration of Rs 128.39 crore, subject to certain indemnities, representations
and covenants.

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261. The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has appointed S Sunder Krishnan as the new
Chief Risk Officer (CRO). He will replace Pratap Chandra Paikray.

He is a chartered accountant and has 18 years of experience from leadership roles at

Reliance Nippon Life Insurance.

262. The Indian Overseas Bank has introduced ‘Savings Account Portability Online’ scheme
to simplify the savings account portability process for customers relocating to different
locations.

With the new online scheme, customers don’t have to fill out those endless forms and wait
for days and weeks for the account transfer to materialise.

263. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched the Application
Supported by Blocked Account (ASBA)-like facility in the secondary market on 1st
January 2024.

ASBA-like facility of ‘Trading supported by blocked amount in secondary market’ through

block mechanism was approved by the market regulator SEBI, based on the Reserve Bank of
India approved facility of single-block-and-multiple-debit in UPI, with the implementation
timeline of 1 January 2024.
Initially, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank customers can avail of this facility.
During this pilot, investors can block funds in their bank accounts, which will only be debited
by the clearing corporations upon trade confirmation during settlement. Clearing
corporations will directly process payouts to these clients on a T+1 basis, which means any
trade-related settlements must be completed within one day from the day of the transaction.
This beta launch is facilitated by brokerage app Groww, and UPI apps such as BHIM, and Yes
Pay Next.
HDFC Bank, HSBC, ICICI Bank, and Yes Bank are serving as sponsor banks for the Clearing
Corporation and exchanges.

Application Supported by Blocked Account (ASBA):

ASBA is a process used to apply for Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) or Follow-on Public Offerings
(FPOs) in India.
Under this process, investors’ application money remains in their bank accounts but is
temporarily blocked or reserved until the shares are allotted.
Once the shares are allotted, the blocked amount is debited from the investor’s account, and
the remaining amount is unblocked or released.
Investors may submit their ASBA applications to these SCSB (Self Certified Syndicate Banks)
Note: The secondary market is where investors buy and sell securities.

264. Veteran banker Ashok Vaswani has assumed charge as the Managing Director (MD) and
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kotak Mahindra Bank.

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He has replaced Dipak Gupta, who was the interim MD and CEO, following founder director
Uday Kotak stepping down as the head of the bank, effective September 1, 2023.
He has been appointed for a period of three years with effect from January 1, 2024.
Prior to this, he served as the CEO of Citigroup Asia Pacific and was a member of both the
Citigroup Global Operating Committee and management committees.

265. PNB Housing Finance, a housing finance company, has announced that India Ratings and
Research (Ind-Ra) has upgraded the rating of the company’s non-convertible debentures
(NCDs) to ‘IND AA+’ from ‘IND AA’ with stable outlook.

NCDs limit has been split into bank loans and NCDs and ‘IND AA+’ rating has been assigned
to the bank loans.
The key drivers for the rating upgrade are granularization of loan book with 96 percent being
retail and almost complete rundown of the corporate book, robust capital buffers post equity
infusion of Rs.2,500 through rights issue, improved asset quality, diversified resource profile
with the ability to raise funds from banks and the capital markets, adequate liquidity and
improvement in profitability.

266. The Bank of India (BoI) has launched a 175-day tenor fixed deposit scheme named
‘Super Special Fixed Deposit’ at an interest of 7.50 percent per annum for deposits of Rs.2
crore & above to less than Rs.50 crore, amid liquidity tightness in the banking system and
credit growth outstripping deposit growth.

This scheme is a high-yielding avenue for HNIs (high net worth individuals) and Corporates to
deploy their surplus funds for the short term.
The special fixed deposit is for domestic rupee term deposit only.
This scheme is effective from 1st January 2024.
On deposits below Rs 2 crore, BoI currently pays 4.50 percent interest for a 175-day tenor. In
the less than 2-year deposit category, the highest interest rate that the bank is currently
paying is 7.25 percent for a 2-year deposit.

267. The volume of UPI (Unified Payments Interface) transactions has increased month after
month as the total monthly transaction amount touched Rs.18.23 lakh crore in December
2023, 54 percent higher than the corresponding data of 2022.

In terms of the number of transactions, the figure reached 12.02 billion, witnessing 42
percent higher than the previous year figure.
The transaction amount had hit Rs.17.40 lakh crore in November 2023 and Rs.17.16 lakh
crore in October 2023.
The number of UPI transactions had hit 11.24 billion in November 2023 and 11.41 billion in
October 2023.
UPI:
UPI (Unified Payments Interface) is a system developed by the National Payments
Corporation of India (NPCI) and regulated by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). It allows users

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to send and receive money instantly using just their phone numbers or unique identifiers
called UPI IDs.

268. Bharti Airtel Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bharti Airtel, has entered into an
agreement for the acquisition of 49.45 lakh shares or 97.1 percent stake in Beetel
Teletech, another Bharti Group company.

The cost of acquisition will be Rs.669 crore.

This acquisition is a part of the company’s strategy to enable indigenisation initiatives within
its own ecosystem of telecom products in line with the Government’s ‘Make In India’ policy
and add distribution and service capabilities (including system integration) largely for the
enterprise business.

269. AU Small Finance Bank, in collaboration with Mastercard, has launched the Mastercard
Debit Card. This innovative offering is tailor-made for the bank’s Corporate Salary
customers and is rolled out with the overarching theme of #Swipe&Save.

The card caters to the lifestyle requirements of the contemporary Corporate Salary class by
presenting exclusive deals across various prominent categories.

270. Zuno General Insurance, formerly known as Edelweiss General Insurance, has introduced
its newest health insurance plan named ‘Zuno Health Plus Policy’ that offers coverage to
nine family members in a single policy.

The policy offers cover between Rs.5 lakh and Rs.5 crore with no capping on room rent.
The policy enables unlimited restoration for unrelated ailments and offers two-times benefit
from the first day under the recharge benefit for related ailments.
The policy offers cashless facility across 10,000 hospitals.
The policy also offers ‘cash in advance’ facility through which it gives advance payment to the
policyholder directly to provide immediate support.

271. PayNearby has joined hands with Star Health and Allied Insurance to enhance the
accessibility and affordability of health insurance coverage throughout the country, with a
particular focus on the semi-urban and rural population.

This alliance will provide insurance to millions of currently uninsured individuals nationwide,
leveraging PayNearby’s extensive Distribution-as-a-Service (DaaS) network, which boasts over
a million active outlets.
Under this alliance, Star Health’s carefully crafted insurance products will be made available
at local retail stores.

272. P Santhosh, Chief General Manager of Canara Bank, has been appointed as the Managing
Director (MD) of National Asset Reconstruction of India (NARCL) with effect from 5th January
2024.

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He has succeeded Natarajan Sundar, who resigned from the post.
Note: A total of 10 Public Sector Banks (PSBs) have transferred Non-Performing Assets of
over Rs. 11,617 crore to NARCL between January and November 2023.
National Asset Reconstruction of India (NARCL):
NARCL is incorporated on 7th July 2021 with majority stake held by Public Sector Banks and
balance by private banks with Canara Bank being the sponsor bank. It is registered with the
Reserve Bank of India as an Asset Reconstruction Company under Securitisation and
Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002.
• Chairman: Diwakar Gupta
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

273. LEO1 (formerly known as Financepeer), an Edu-fintech startup, in collaboration with NSDL
Payments Bank Limited (NPBL), the wholly owned subsidiary of National Securities
Depository Limited (NSDL) and Mastercard, has introduced ‘LEO 1 Card’ which is India's first
numberless Prepaid ID card for students and educational institutions.

The cardholder should be of minimum 18 years old.

With the LEO1 card, parents will be able to send money digitally and monitor category-wise
usage of the card and overall spending.
The card acts as a contactless debit card as well as identity card.

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RBI IN NEWS
274. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the appointment of Praveen Achuthan
Kutty as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of DCB Bank.

The appointment is for a period of three years with effect from 29th April 2024.
He will succeed Murali Natrajan.

275. The Reserve Bank of India has approved the Life Insurance Corporation of India’s (LIC)
application to acquire up to 9.99 percent aggregate holding of paid-up share capital in HDFC
Bank.

LIC has been advised by RBI to acquire the major shareholding in HDFC Bank within a period
of one year.
LIC must ensure that the aggregate holding in the Bank does not exceed 9.99% of the paid-up
share capital or voting rights of the Bank at all times.

276. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has received bids aggregating Rs.3.08-lakh crore for
allotment of funds from banks against the notified amount of Rs.2.50-lakh crore at the 15-
day variable rate repo (VRR) auction.

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The banking system’s overall liquidity deficit rose to Rs.3,46,367 crore on 24th January against
Rs.3,33,961 crore on 23rd January and Rs.1,28,794 crore as on 1st January 2024.
The RBI allotted liquidity aggregating Rs.2,50,010 crore to the bidders (banks) at a weighted
average rate of 6.73 percent.
As on 24th January 2024, system liquidity deficit is near an all-time high of Rs.3.5-lakh crore on
account of GST payments.
As per the report by the India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra), banking liquidity has been
under stress for more than a quarter due to higher cash withdrawal led by the festival
demand, and a moderation in government spending.

Variable Repo Rate:

When RBI desires to infuse liquidity in economy but Banks are not eager to borrow from RBI
at Repo Rates as interest rates in economy may already be lower, in that case RBI allows
Banks to borrow at rate decided by market generally lower than Repo Rate (though not less
than Reverse Repo Rate) for duration more than One Day.
Repo Rate in simple term is the rate at which Banks borrows money from RBI for one day
also known as overnight borrowing.
Reverse Repo Rate is the rate which Bank gets from RBI when they deposit money with RBI
for one day.

277. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed monetary penalties, of varying degrees,
against ESAF Small Finance Bank, Dhanlaxmi Bank, and Punjab and Sind Bank over
various non-compliances.

A penalty of Rs.1.20 crore has been imposed on Dhanlaxmi Bank for non-compliance with
certain directions on 'Loans and Advances – Statutory and Other Restrictions', KYC, and
certain norms related to the interest rate on deposits.
This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers vested in RBI conferred under the
provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Section 46(4)(i) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
A penalty of Rs.1 crore has been imposed on Punjab and Sind Bank for non-compliance
with certain directions on 'Loans and Advances – Statutory and Other Restrictions'.
A penalty of Rs.29.55 lakh has been imposed on ESAF Small Finance Bank for non-
compliance with its directions on 'Customer Service in Banks'.

278. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the re-appointment of Dr
Michael Debabrata Patra as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for a
period of one year with effect from 15th January 2024 or until further orders, whichever is
earlier.

This is the second time that the Government has extended his tenure by a year.
He took over as Deputy Governor of RBI for three years in January 2020.

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Prior to his elevation, he was Executive Director at RBI.
He oversees the functioning of Departments such as Monetary Policy Department, Financial
Stability, Statistics and Information Management, Economic and Policy Research, Financial
Markets Regulation, Financial Markets Operations, among others.

279. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued draft framework that lays down broad functions,
governance standards, and eligibility criteria for setting up a Self-Regulatory Organization
for Fintech Companies (SRO-FT).

The main idea behind the framework is to empower the fintech sector to function and
innovate responsibly even in the absence of formal regulations.
The SRO-FT should be responsible for addressing cases of grievance, conflict of interest or
dispute among its members.
The SRO-FT will be able to enhance a regulatory compliance culture among fintechs and build
capacities of the sectoral players.
The organisation needs to be a ‘not-for-profit’ and be able to deploy technological solutions
within a reasonable timeframe.
At least one-third of members on the board, including the chairperson, should be
independent, and without any active association with a fintech entity.
To maintain credibility, the SRO-FT should operate independently, free from the influence of
any single member or group of members.

280. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the licence of Karnataka-based “The Hiriyur
Urban Co-operative Bank Ltd” as the bank does not have adequate capital and earning
prospects.

The bank ceases to carry on banking business, with effect from the close of business on
January 12, 2024.
Consequent to the cancellation of its licence, the lender is prohibited from conducting the
business of ‘banking’ which includes, among other things, acceptance of deposits and
repayment of deposits as defined in Section 5(b) read with Section 56 of the Banking
Regulation Act, 1949 with immediate effect.
On liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to receive deposit insurance claim amount
of his/her deposits up to a monetary ceiling of Rs.5 lakh from Deposit Insurance and Credit
Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) subject to the provisions of DICGC Act, 1961.
As per the data submitted by the bank, 99.93% of the depositors are entitled to receive full
amount of their deposits from DICGC.

281. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has updated Know Your Customer (KYC) master direction
for Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) who transact with regulated entities (REs) in order to
comply with the recommendations of intergovernmental organisation Financial Action Task
Force (FATF).

This change is expected to provide more clarity to undertake Customer Due Diligence (CDD).

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As per the revised definition, PEPs are individuals who are or have been entrusted with
prominent public functions by a foreign country, including:
• Heads of states/governments
• Senior politicians
• Senior government or judicial or military officers
• Senior executives of state-owned corporations and
• Important political party officials

Paris-based FATF recommends financial institutions to conduct additional due diligence

measures for PEP clients.
Prevention of Money-laundering (Maintenance of Records) Rules, 2005 also mentions
PEP.

282. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted approval for the reverse merger of IDFC Ltd
with its banking subsidiary IDFC First Bank. The boards of IDFC First Bank and IDFC have
approved the reverse merger in July 2023.

As part of the composite scheme of amalgamation, IDFC FHCL will first merge with IDFC and
then IDFC into IDFC First Bank Ltd.
The scheme remains subject to other statutory and regulatory approvals, including from the
National Company Law Tribunal and the respective shareholders and creditors of the
companies involved under the applicable laws.
Under the proposed reverse merger scheme, an IDFC shareholder will get 155 shares for
every 100 shares she/he holds in the bank. Both stocks have a face value of Rs 10 each.
Post the merger, the standalone book value per share of the bank will increase by 4.9
percent, as calculated on the audited financials as of March 2023.
As of June 2023, IDFC through its non-financial holding company, owned 39.93 percent in
IDFC First Bank.

283. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to enhance the bulk deposit limit for large
urban co-operative banks (UCBs) to Rs.1 crore and above from the current Rs.15 lakh and
above.

Specifically, the new bulk deposit limit applies to UCBs in the Tier 3 (with deposits more than
Rs.1,000 crore and up to Rs.10,000 crore) and Tier 4 (with deposits more than Rs.10,000
crore) categories.
All other UCBs (that is, other than scheduled UCBs in Tiers 3 and 4), the definition of bulk
deposit will continue to be “single rupee term deposits of Rs.15 lakh and above.
UCBs may be categorised into four tiers for regulatory purposes:
• Tier 1 with all unit UCBs and salary earner’s UCBs (irrespective of deposit size) and all
other UCBs having deposits up to Rs 100 crore.
• Tier 2 with UCBs of deposits between Rs 100 crore and Rs 1,000 crore.
• Tier 3 with UCBs of deposits between Rs 1,000 crore and Rs 10,000 crore.
• Tier 4 with UCBs of deposits more than Rs 10,000 crore.

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284. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the Payments Infrastructure Development
Fund (PIDF) scheme for two years up to December 31, 2025 and also widen its scope.

Key highlights:
• The beneficiaries of the PM Vishwakarma Scheme have been included as merchants

under the PIDF scheme.

• Soundbox devices and Aadhaar-enabled biometric devices are eligible to claim

subsidy as part of the scheme.

• The subsidy for special focus areas, such as North Eastern states, Jammu and Kashmir,

and Ladakh, has been standardised at 90 percent from 75 percent of the device cost,

irrespective of the device type.

As of 30th November 2023, the corpus of PIDF stands at Rs 1,026.37 crore.

It aims to increase the number of acceptance devices in the country by adding 30 lakh
touchpoints every year.
In Special Focus regions such as North Eastern states, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh,
around 105,000 and 1.96 million physical and digital devices were deployed as of November
2023.
Physical devices include PoS, mPoS (mobile PoS), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), PSTN
(Public Switched Telephone Network), among others. Similarly, digital devices include inter-
operable QR code-based payments such as UPI QR, Bharat QR, among others.
PIDF:
The scheme was launched in 2021 for a period of three years.
The PIDF scheme was set up to encourage the deployment of payment acceptance
infrastructure such as physical Point of Sale (PoS) terminals, Quick Response (QR) codes, in
tier three to tier-six centres, and aforementioned regions.
PIDF is governed through an Advisory Council and managed and administered by RBI.

285. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted a payment aggregator (PA) licence to Tata
Payments, Tata group's digital payments app. This will help the firm facilitate ecommerce
transactions through its platform.

Tata Pay comes under the Tata Digital business unit of the conglomerate.
In 2022, Tata Group launched its digital payments application on the Unified Payments
Interface in partnership with ICICI Bank.
This is the second payments business to be housed within the Tata group. It also owns the
licence to run 'white label ATMs' in rural India under the subsidiary Tata Communications
through the brand name Indicash.
Bengaluru-based identity verification startup, DigiO, backed by investment platform Groww,
has also secured the PA licence as of 1st January 2024.

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Other PA: Razorpay, Cashfree, Paymentz, Google Pay, Open Financial Technologies, Enkash,
etc.
Payment Aggregator (PA):
A PA, also known as a merchant aggregator, is a third-party service provider that allows
merchants to accept payment from customers by integrating it into their websites or apps.
Under the payment aggregator model, merchants can process transactions through the
aggregator’s Merchant Identification Number (MID).
A PA in India is incorporated under the Companies Act 2013. A PA can be a bank or a non-
bank entity.
Since a PA handles funds, it requires a license from the RBI.
However, only non-bank payment aggregators require unique authorization from RBI.

286. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) have
announced several reforms to expand the scope of the Unified Payment Interface (UPI).
These new reforms are effective from 1st January 2024.

Key reforms:
• The transaction limit for UPI Lite wallets has been raised from Rs.200 to Rs.500.

• UPI payments to Rs.1 lakh for credit card repayments, mutual fund subscriptions and

insurance premiums will not require an additional factor authentication.

• NPCI has announced ‘UPI for Secondary Market’ and it has entered its Beta phase. The

app enables limited pilot customers to block funds post-trade confirmation, settling

payments on a T+1 basis via Clearing Corporations.

• The UPI limit for payments to hospitals and educational institutions has been

increased from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.

• NPCI has directed banks and online payment apps like Google Pay, Paytm and PhonePe to

deactivate all UPI IDs that have been lying dormant for over a year.

287. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the deadline for the implementation of
guidelines for lenders on Penal Charges in Loan Accounts by three months i.e., from 1
January 2024 to 1 April 2024, as a part of fair lending practices.

The new guidelines, which were released in August 2023, stated that non-compliance would
not result in the imposition of penal interest.
This extension applies to new loans, while existing loans must be switched to the new penal
regime by 30 June 2024.
For existing loans, the switch to the new penal charges regime must be made on the next
review or renewal date falling on or after April 2024, but no later than 30 June 2024.

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As per the RBI guidelines, if a penalty is charged for non-compliance, it will be treated as
penal charges instead of penal interest and there will be no capitalisation of penal charges.
Therefore, no further interest will be calculated on such charges.
The guidelines also stipulated that the quantum of penal charges would be reasonable and
commensurate with the non-compliance without being discriminatory within a particular loan
category.
The guidelines had also mentioned that the penal charges in case of loans sanctioned to
individual borrowers for purposes other than business will not be higher than the penal
charges applicable to non-individual borrowers for similar non-compliance.
These instructions will not apply to credit cards which are covered under product specific
directions.

UIIC Assistant Free Mock Test

AWARDS & RECOGNITION
288. The President of India Droupadi Murmu has approved the conferment of 132 Padma
Awards for the year 2024. The list comprises 5 Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and
110 Padma Shri awards.

30 of the awardees are women and the list also includes 8 persons from the category of
Foreigners / NRI / PIO / OCI and 9 Posthumous awardees.
Padma Vibhushan (5): (Awarded for exceptional and distinguished service)

Name Field State/Region/Country

Ms. Vyjayantimala Bali Art Tamil Nadu

Shri Konidela Chiranjeevi Art Andhra Pradesh

Shri M Venkaiah Naidu Public Affairs Andhra Pradesh

Shri Bindeshwar Pathak Social Work Bihar

(Posthumous)

Ms. Padma Subrahmanyam Art Tamil Nadu

Padma Bhushan (17): (Awarded for distinguished service of high order)

Name Field State/Region/Country

Ms. M Fathima Beevi Public Affairs Kerala

(Posthumous)

Shri Hormusji N Cama Literature & Maharashtra

Education -
Journalism

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Shri Mithun Chakraborty Art West Bengal

Shri Sitaram Jindal Trade & Industry Karnataka

Shri Young Liu Trade & Industry Taiwan

Shri Ashwin Balachand Mehta Medicine Maharashtra

Shri Satyabrata Mookherjee Public Affairs West Bengal

(Posthumous)

Shri Ram Naik Public Affairs Maharashtra

Shri Tejas Madhusudan Patel Medicine Gujarat

Shri Olanchery Rajagopal Public Affairs Kerala

Shri Dattatray Ambadas Art Maharashtra

Mayaloo alias Rajdutt

Shri Togdan Rinpoche Others - Spiritualism Ladakh

(Posthumous)

Shri Pyarelal Sharma Art Maharashtra

Shri Chandreshwar Prasad Medicine Bihar

Thakur

Ms. Usha Uthup Art West Bengal

Shri Vijaykanth Art Tamil Nadu

(Posthumous)

Shri Kundan Vyas Literature & Maharashtra

Education -
Journalism

Padma Shri (110): (Awarded for distinguished service in any field)

Name Field State/Region/Country

Shri Khalil Ahamad Art Uttar Pradesh

Shri Badrappan M Art Tamil Nadu

Shri Kaluram Bamaniya Art Madhya Pradesh

Ms. Rezwana Choudhury Art Bangladesh

Bannya

Ms. Naseem Bano Art Uttar Pradesh

Shri Ramlal Bareth Art Chhattisgarh

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Ms. Gita Roy Barman Art West Bengal

Ms. Parbati Baruah Social Work Assam

Shri Sarbeswar Basumatary Others - Agriculture Assam

Shri Som Datt Battu Art Himachal Pradesh

Ms. Takdira Begum Art West Bengal

Shri Sathyanarayana Beleri Others - Agriculture Kerala

Shri Drona Bhuyan Art Assam

Shri Ashok Kumar Biswas Art Bihar

Shri Rohan Machanda Sports Karnataka

Bopanna

Ms. Smriti Rekha Chakma Art Tripura

Shri Narayan Chakraborty Science & West Bengal

Engineering

Shri A Velu Ananda Chari Art Telangana

Shri Ram Chet Chaudhary Science & Uttar Pradesh

Engineering

Ms. K Chellammal Others - Agriculture Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Ms. Joshna Chinappa Sports Tamil Nadu

Ms. Charlotte Chopin Others - Yoga France

Shri Raghuveer Choudhary Literature & Gujarat

Education

Shri Joe D Cruz Literature & Tamil Nadu

Education

Shri Ghulam Nabi Dar Art Jammu & Kashmir

Shri Chitta Ranjan Debbarma Others - Spiritualism Tripura

Shri Uday Vishwanath Sports Maharashtra

Deshpande

Ms. Prema Dhanraj Medicine Karnataka

Shri Radha Krishan Dhiman Medicine Uttar Pradesh

Shri Manohar Krishana Dole Medicine Maharashtra

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Shri Pierre Sylvain Filliozat Literature & France
Education

Shri Mahabir Singh Guddu Art Haryana

Ms. Anupama Hoskere Art Karnataka

Shri Yazdi Maneksha Italia Medicine Gujarat

Shri Rajaram Jain Literature & Uttar Pradesh

Education

Shri Jankilal Art Rajasthan

Shri Ratan Kahar Art West Bengal

Shri Yashwant Singh Kathoch Literature & Uttarakhand

Education

Shri Zahir I Kazi Literature & Maharashtra

Education

Shri Gaurav Khanna Sports Uttar Pradesh

Shri Surendra Kishore Literature & Bihar

Education -
Journalism

Shri Dasari Kondappa Art Telangana

Shri Sridhar Makam Literature & Karnataka

Krishnamurthy Education

Ms. Yanung Jamoh Lego Others - Agriculture Arunachal Pradesh

Shri Jordan Lepcha Art Sikkim

Shri Satendra Singh Lohia Sports Madhya Pradesh

Shri Binod Maharana Art Odisha

Ms. Purnima Mahato Sports Jharkhand

Ms. Uma Maheshwari D Art Andhra Pradesh

Shri Dukhu Majhi Social Work West Bengal

Shri Ram Kumar Mallick Art Bihar

Shri Hemchand Manjhi Medicine Chhattisgarh

Shri Chandrashekhar Medicine Maharashtra

Mahadeorao Meshram

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Shri Surendra Mohan Mishra Art Uttar Pradesh
(Posthumous)

Shri Ali Mohammed & Shri Art Rajasthan

Ghani Mohammed*
(Duo)

Ms. Kalpana Morparia Trade & Industry Maharashtra

Ms. Chami Murmu Social Work Jharkhand

Shri Sasindran Muthuvel Public Affairs Papua New Guinea

Ms. G Nachiyar Medicine Tamil Nadu

Ms. Kiran Nadar Art Delhi

Shri Pakaravur Chithran Literature & Kerala

Namboodiripad Education
(Posthumous)

Shri Narayanan E P Art Kerala

Shri Shailesh Nayak Science & Delhi

Engineering

Shri Harish Nayak Literature & Gujarat

(Posthumous) Education

Shri Fred Negrit Literature & France

Education

Shri Hari Om Science & Haryana

Engineering

Shri Bhagabat Padhan Art Odisha

Shri Sanatan Rudra Pal Art West Bengal

Shri Shankar Baba Pundlikrao Social Work Maharashtra

Papalkar

Shri Radhe Shyam Pareek Medicine Uttar Pradesh

Shri Dayal Mavjibhai Parmar Medicine Gujarat

Shri Binod Kumar Pasayat Art Odisha

Ms. Silbi Passah Art Meghalaya

Ms. Shanti Devi Paswan & Shri Art Bihar

Shivan Paswan*
(Duo)

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 Monthly Current Affairs January 2024
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Shri Sanjay Anant Patil Others - Agriculture Goa

Shri Muni Narayana Prasad Literature & Kerala

Education

Shri K S Rajanna Social Work Karnataka

Shri Chandrashekar Medicine Karnataka

Channapatna Rajannachar

Shri Bhagwatilal Rajpurohit Literature & Madhya Pradesh

Education

Shri Romalo Ram Art Jammu & Kashmir

Shri Navjivan Rastogi Literature & Uttar Pradesh

Education

Ms. Nirmal Rishi Art Punjab

Shri Pran Sabharwal Art Punjab

Shri Gaddam Sammaiah Art Telangana

Shri Sangthankima Social Work Mizoram

Shri Machihan Sasa Art Manipur

Shri Omprakash Sharma Art Madhya Pradesh

Shri Eklabya Sharma Science & West Bengal

Engineering

Shri Ram Chander Sihag Science & Haryana

Engineering

Shri Harbinder Singh Sports Delhi

Shri Gurvinder Singh Social Work Haryana

Shri Godawari Singh Art Uttar Pradesh

Shri Ravi Prakash Singh Science & Mexico

Engineering

Shri Seshampatti T Sivalingam Art Tamil Nadu

Shri Somanna Social Work Karnataka

Shri Kethavath Somlal Literature & Telangana

Education

Ms. Shashi Soni Trade & Industry Karnataka

Ms. Urmila Srivastava Art Uttar Pradesh

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Shri Nepal Chandra Sutradhar Art West Bengal
(Posthumous)

Shri Gopinath Swain Art Odisha

Shri Laxman Bhatt Tailang Art Rajasthan

Ms. Maya Tandon Social Work Rajasthan

Ms. Aswathi Thirunal Gouri Literature & Kerala

Lakshmi Bayi Thampuratty Education

Shri Jagdish Labhshanker Art Gujarat

Trivedi

Ms. Sano Vamuzo Social Work Nagaland

Shri Balakrishnan Sadanam Art Kerala

Puthiya Veetil

Shri Kurella Vittalacharya Literature & Telangana

Education

Shri Kiran Vyas Others - Yoga France

Shri Jageshwar Yadav Social Work Chhattisgarh

Shri Babu Ram Yadav Art Uttar Pradesh

289. Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia has presented the 4th edition of “The
Wings India Awards” at an event held in Hyderabad, Telangana.
• Bangalore and Delhi Airports have jointly won the Best Airport Award for the year 2024.

• Vistara won the Best Airline of the Year award.

• Air India has been recognized for International Connectivity while Alliance Air has

recognition for Regional Connectivity.

• Air India Express has been declared a Sustainability Champion.

• GMR Group has been honoured as the Best Aviation Service Provider while Skyways Air

Services for cargo services, Indian Oil Skytanking Pvt. Ltd for Fuel Services, GMR for Aero

Academy.

290. The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) has announced that its tableau
‘Bharat: Mother of Democracy’ of the Ministry of Culture has secured the first prize
among the tableaux displayed by various ministries and departments during the Republic
Day Celebration Parade 2024 at Kartavya Path in New Delhi.

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The tableau highlighted India’s journey through the ages as a cradle of democratic principles,
reflecting the diverse and inclusive nature of its political system.
The Ministry of Home Affairs' tableau, depicting 'vibrant villages', has won the second prize.
Other winners:
Odisha's colourful tableau, which showcased women empowerment and the state's rich
handicraft and handloom sector during the 75th Republic Day parade, has won the first prize
among the tableaux presented by various states and Union Territories in the judge’s choice
category.
In the judge's category, Gujarat secured the second position, with Tamil Nadu ranking third.
Gujarat's tableau, featuring the Dhordo tourism village, has secured the first place in the
people's choice category.
In the people's choice category, Uttar Pradesh secured the second position and Andhra
Pradesh ranked third.

291. The Uttar Pradesh government has selected eminent scientist Dr Ritu Karidhal Srivastava
and renowned entrepreneur Naveen Tewari for the prestigious ‘UP Gaurav Samman’ award.

This award highlights the government’s commitment to acknowledging excellence and

inspiring future generations.
• Dr Ritu Karidhal Srivastava, who resides in Lucknow, played an important role in the

development of India’s Mars Orbiter Mission, Mangalyaan. She also served as the Deputy

Operations Director for this mission. Mangalyaan was one of ISRO’s greatest

achievements, making India the fourth country in the world to reach Mars.

• Eminent entrepreneur Naveen Tewari, a resident of Kanpur, who is regularly featured on

the covers of magazines like Forbes and Fortune, has created two unicorns and given

India its first unicorn ‘InMobi.’

The award carries a cash prize of Rs.11 lakh.

292. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the winners of the ICC Awards 2023.
• ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year (Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy): Pat Cummins (Australia)
• ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year (Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy): Nat Sciver-Brunt (England)
• ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year: Usman Khawaja (Australia)
• ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year: Virat Kohli (India)
• ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year: Chamari Athapathth (Sri Lanka)
• ICC Men’sT20I Cricketer of the Year: Surya Kumar Yadav (India)
• ICC Women’sT20I Cricketer of the Year: Chamari Athapathth (Sri Lanka)
• ICC Umpire of the Year (David Shepherd Trophy): Richard Illingworth (England)

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• ICC Spirit of Cricket of the Year Award: Zimbabwe
• ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year: Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand)
• ICC Women’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year: Phobe Litchfield (Australia)

293. The ceremony of the 2024 edition of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
awards have been held in Hyderabad, Telangana. The BCCI awards were held for the first
time since 2019.

Awardees:
• Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement award: Ravi Shastri, Farokh Engineer (2019-20).

• Polly Umrigar Award for Best Men’s Cricketer of the Year: Shubman Gill (2022-23),

Jasprit Bumrah (2021-22), Ravichandran Ashwin (2020-21), Mohammed Shami (2019-20).

• Best International Cricketer (Women): Deepti Sharma (2019-20, 2022-23), Smriti

Mandhana (2020-21, 2021-22).

• Best International Debut, Men: Mayank Agarwal (2019-20), Axar Patel (2020-21), Shreyas

Iyer (2021-22), Yashasvi Jaiswal (2022-23).

• Best International Debut, Women: Priya Punia (2019-20), Shafali Varma (2020-21), S

Meghna (2021-22), Amanjot Kaur (2022-23).

• Dilip Sardesai Award (2022-23): Highest Runs: Yashasvi Jaiswal; Highest Wickets: R

Ashwin.

• Most Runs in ODIs – Women: Punam Raut (2019-20), Mithali Raj (2020-21), Harmanpreet

Kaur (2021-22), Jemimah Rodrigues (2022-23).

• Most Wickets in ODIs – Women: Poonam Yadav (2019-20), Jhulan Goswami (2020-21),

Rajehwari Gayakwad (2021-22), Devika Vaidya (2022-23).

• Best Umpire in Domestic Cricket: KN Ananthapadmanabhan (2019-20), Vrinda Rathi

(2020-21), J Madangopal (2021-22), Rohan Pandit (2022-23).

• Best performance in domestic tournaments: Mumbai (2019-20).

• Lala Amarnath Award: Best all-rounder in domestic limited-over competitions: Baba

Aparajith (2019-20), Rishi Dhawan (2020-21, 2021-22), Riyan Parag (2022-23).

• Lala Amarnath Award: Best all-rounder in Ranji Trophy: Manishankar Mura Singh (2019-

20), Shams Mulani (2021-22), Saransh Jain (2022-23).

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• Madhavrao Scindia Trophy: Highest run-getter in Ranji Trophy: Rahul Dalal (2019-20),

Sarfaraz Khan (2021-22), Mayank Agarwal (2022-23).

• Madhavrao Scindia Trophy: Highest wicket-taker in Ranji Trophy: Jaydev Unadkat (2019-

20), Shams Mulani (2021-22), Jalaj Saxena (2022-23).

• MA Chidambaram Trophy: Highest wicket-taker in U19 Cooch Behar Trophy: Harsh

Dubey (2019-20), AR Nishad (2021-22), Manav Chothani (2022-23).

• MA Chidambaram Trophy: Highest run-getter in U19 Cooch Behar Trophy: P.

Kanpillewar (2019-20), Mayank Shandilya (2021-22), Danish Malewar (2022-23).

• MA Chidambaram Trophy: Highest wicket-taker in U23 Col Cok Nayudu Trophy: Ankush

Tyagi (2019-20), Harsh Dubey (2021-22), Vishal Jayswal (2022-23).

• MA Chidambaram Trophy: Highest run-getter in U23 Col Cok Nayudu Trophy: Parth

Palawat (2019-20), YV Rathod (2021-22), Kshitij Patel (2022-23).

294. Former Chief Justice of India and current Rajya Sabha MP, Ranjan Gogoi, will be honoured
with the prestigious ‘Assam Baibhav’ award 2023, the highest civilian award in Assam. He
will be given a citation, certificate, medal and a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh.

The award ceremony is scheduled to take place on 10th February 2024.

He was the 46th CJI of India and the first judge from the Northeast to hold the post.
During his tenure, the Supreme Court had given a historic verdict on the decade-old Ram
Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case.
Assam Saurav Award 2023:
• Hima Das - Athletics

• Dr. Kishan Chand Nauriyal: Art and Culture

• Elvis Ali Hazarika: Swimming and

• Nadiram Deuri: Tiwa Dance

This award will include a citation, certificate, medal, and a cash prize of Rs 4 lakh.
Assam Gaurav Award 2023:
• Ranjit Gogoi (Folk and Bihu dance exponent)

• Parvati Barua (animal protection activities)

• Debojit Chiangmai (sound engineer)

• Drono Bhuyan (Oja Pali)

• Neelam Dutta (Organic Farming)

• Anupam Deka (industrialist)

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• Soumyadeep Dutta (Wildlife Conservation)

• Basant Chiring Phukan (Mushroom Cultivation)

• Manendra Deka (Handicraft)

• Meenakshi Chetia (Social Service)

• Pakhila Lekhtepi (Karbi Lok)

• Tenzing Bodosa (Elephant Friendly Tea Garden)

• Nirmal De (mat)

• Jessin Kumbang Pao (weaving)

• Mary Hassa (social services)

• Upendra Rabha (black rice cultivation)

• Rahul Gupta (Hydroponic Farming)

This award will include a citation, certificate, medal and a cash prize of Rs 3 lakh.

295. Engineers India Limited (EIL) has been awarded with the prestigious SCOPE Eminence
Award in the category of Women Empowerment for the period 2019-20.

The award recognizes EIL’s exemplary commitment to fostering an inclusive & diverse work
environment and celebrating the outstanding achievement of its women workforce.

296. The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, has conferred the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal
Puraskar 2024, instituted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of
India, to 19 children for their exceptional achievements.

The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2024 is given in six categories: one child each in
the categories of Bravery, Science & Technology and Innovation, four in the category of Social
Service, five in the category of Sports, and seven in the category of Art & Culture.
The awardees, comprising 9 boys and 10 girls, hail from 18 States and Union Territories,
including two aspirational districts.

S. No Name State Category

1 Aaditya Vijay Bramhane Maharashtra Bravery

(posthumous)

2 Anushka Pathak Uttar Pradesh Art & Culture

3 Arijeet Banerjee West Bengal Art & Culture
4 Armaan Ubhrani Chhattisgarh Art & Culture

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5 Hetvi Kantibhai Khimsuriya Gujarat Art & Culture
6 Ishfaq Hamid Jammu & Kashmir Art & Culture
7 Md Hussain Bihar Art & Culture
8 Pendyala Laxmi Priya Telangana Art & Culture
9 Suhani Chauhan Delhi Innovation
10 Aryan Singh Rajasthan Science & Technology
11 Avnish Tiwari Madhya Pradesh Social Service
12 Garima Haryana Social Service
13 Jyotsna Aktar Tripura Social Service
14 Saiyam Mazumder Assam Social Service
15 Aaditya Yadav Uttar Pradesh Sports
16 Charvi A Karnataka Sports
17 Jesicca Neyi Saring Arunachal Pradesh Sports
18 Linthoi Chanambam Manipur Sports
19 R Surya Prasad Andhra Pradesh Sports

Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP):

The PMRBP awarded annually by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
It honours children aged 5–18 for excellence in Bravery, Art & Culture, Environment,
Innovation, Science & Technology, Social Service, and Sports that deserve national
recognition.
The awards include a medal, certificate, and citation booklet, presented the week before
Republic Day.
The awardees must receive the accolades personally, with posthumous exceptions for
bravery in Bal Shakti Puraskar.
Eligibility: Limited to Indian citizens residing in India.

297. The President of India has approved the conferment of Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of
Awards-2023 on 31 persons which includes Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak to 03, Uttam
Jeevan Raksha Padak to 07 and Jeevan Raksha Padak to 21 persons. Three awardees are
posthumous.

Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak:

• Master Anthony Vanmawia (Posthumous), Mizoram
• Ms. Melody Lalremruati (Posthumous), Mizoram
• Shri Sooraj R (Posthumous), Central Reserve Police Force

Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak:

• Shri Sahil Bisso Lad, Goa
• Ms. Kajal Kumari, Jharkhand
• Shri Naveen Kumar D, Telangana
• Shri Vinod Kumar, Border Roads Organisation
• Havildar Shera Ram, Ministry of Defence

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• Shri Mukesh Kumar, National Disaster Response Force
• Shri Naresh Kumar, National Investigation Agency

Jeevan Raksha Padak:

• Shri M S Anil Kumar, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
• Shri Jeetam Parameswara Rao, Andhra Pradesh
• Shri Samarjit Basumatary, Assam
• Shri Sudesh Kumar, Chandigarh
• Shri Justin George, Kerala
• Shri Wilson, Kerala
• Shri Padma Thinlass, Ladakh
• Shri Mohd Afzal, Ladakh
• Smt. Adika Rajaram Patil, Maharashtra
• Smt. Priyanka Bharat Kale, Maharashtra
• Smt. Sonali Sunil Balode, Maharashtra
• Shri Maria Michael A, Tamil Nadu
• Shri S Vijayakumar, Tamil Nadu
• Shri Naresh Joshi, Uttarakhand
• Shri Arjun Malik, Border Roads Organisation
• Shri Amit Kumar Singh, Border Security Force
• Shri Sher Singh, Central Industrial Security Force
• Shri Sonu Sharma, Central Industrial Security Force
• Shri Abdul Hameed, Ministry of Defence
• Shri Sunil Kumar Mishra, Ministry of Defence
• Shri Shashikant Kumar, Ministry of Railways

Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards:

• The award is given to a person for meritorious act of human nature in saving the life of a

person.

• The award is given in three categories, namely, Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak (Rs.2

lakh), Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak (Rs.1.5 lakh) and Jeevan Raksha Padak (Rs.1 lakh).

• Persons of all walks of life are eligible for these awards.

• The award can also be conferred posthumously.

298. The President of India Droupadi Murmu has approved the President’s Tatrakshak Medal
(PTM) and Tatrakshak Medal (TM) to six Indian Coast Guard (ICG) personnel for their act
of conspicuous gallantry, exceptional devotion to duty, distinguished/meritorious service on
the eve of 75th Republic Day.

President’s Tatrakshak Medal (Distinguished Service): IG Bhisham Sharma, TM (0247-L)

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Tatrakshak Medal (Gallantry)
• Comdt Sunil Dutt (0662-D)
• Comdt (JG) Saurabh (0735-S)

Tatrakshak Medal (Meritorious Service)

• DIG Anil Kumar Parayil (0265-C)
• DIG Jamal Taha (4085-J)
• Dipak Roy, P/Adh (AR), 01111-Z

Additional Information:
The President's Tatrakshak Medal is an Indian military decoration, awarded for selfless
devotion, distinguished and meritorious service in Indian Coast Guard. These awards are
being given to the personnel of Indian Coast Guard on the occasion of Republic Day and
Independence Day every year, since January 26, 1990.

299. Young Liu, the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Foxconn, the Taiwanese
multinational electronics contract manufacturer, has been bestowed with the prestigious
Padma Bhushan Award 2024.

He has received this award in the field of Trade & Industry.

He is the only foreigner in the list of ‘Padma Bhushan’ awardees this year (2024).
Young Liu founded three companies: A motherboard company Young Micro Systems in 1988,
a northbridge and southbridge IC design company in 1995 focused on the PC chipset and an
ITE Tech and an ADSL IC design company, ITeX in 1997.
Foxconn, headquartered in Taiwan, stands as the world’s largest contract manufacturer,
responsible for assembling approximately 70% of iPhones.
Note: Padma Bhushan is India's third-highest civilian award. It is awarded for distinguished
service of high order.

300. President of India Droupadi Murmu has announced Gallantry awards to 80 Armed Forces
personnel, including 12 posthumous, on the eve of 75th Republic Day.

These include six Kirti Chakras, including three posthumous; 16 Shaurya Chakras,
including two posthumous; 53 Sena Medals, including seven posthumous; one Nao Sena
Medal (Gallantry) and four Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).
The President has also approved 311 defence decorations to Armed Forces and other
personnel.
Kirti Chakra Awardees 2024:
• Major Digvijay Singh Rawat of the 21st Battalion (Parachute Regiment, Special Forces)
• Major Deependra Vikram Basnet from the Sikh Regiment’s fourth battalion
• Havildar Pawan Kumar Yadav from the 21st battalion of the Mahar Regiment
• Captain Anshuman Singh from the 26th Battalion of the Punjab Regiment (Army Medical
Corps

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• Havildar Abdul Majid of the Parachute Regiment’s ninth battalion (special forces)
• Sepoy Pawan Kumar from the 55th Battalion of Rashtriya Rifles

Shaurya Chakra Awardees 2024:

• Major Maneo Francis of the Parachute Regiment’s 21st battalion
• Major Amandeep Jakhar from the Sikh Regiment’s fourth battalion
• Naib Subedar Baria Sanjay Kumar Bhamar Singh of the Mahar Regiment
• Havildar Sanjay Kumar from 9 Assam Rifles
• Parshotam Kumar (civilian) from the Rashtriya Rifles
• Lieutenant Bimal Ranjan Behera of the Indian Navy
• Wing Commander Shailesh Singh (pilot) of the Indian Air Force
• Flight Lieutenant Hrishikesh Jayan Karuthedath (pilot) of the Indian Air Force
• Assistant Commandant Bibhor Kumar Singh of CRPF
• Mohan Lal from the Jammu and Kashmir Police
• Amit Raina from the Jammu and Kashmir Police
• Faroz Ahmad Dar from Jammu and Kashmir Police
• Varun Singh from the Jammu and Kashmir Police
• Captain MV Pranjal of the 63rd Battalion of Rashtriya Rifles
• Rifleman Alok Rao of 18 Assam Rifles

Note: The order of precedence of gallantry awards is the Param Vir Chakra, the Ashoka
Chakra, the Mahavir Chakra, the Kirti Chakra, the Vir Chakra and the Shaurya Chakra.
75th Republic Day 2024:
India has observed its 75th Republic Day on 26th January 2024. The day marks and celebrates
the date on which the Indian Constitution came into effect on 26th January 1950.
• Chief Guest of the 75th Republic Day is Emmanuel Macron, President of France

301. The Government of India has decided to confer Bharat Ratna 2024 to Karpoori Thakur, a
prominent Gandhian socialist leader and former Bihar chief minister.

He served as chief minister from December 1970 to June 1971 and from December 1977 to
April 1979.
Karpoori Thakur died on February 17, 1988.
Bharat Ratna:
• Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India, was instituted in 1954.
• This award is open to anyone, regardless of race, occupation, position, or gender.
• It is awarded in recognition of outstanding service or performance of the highest order in
any field of human endeavour.
• The awards are restricted to a maximum of three in a particular year.
• The Bharat Ratna does not come with any monetary grant.
• The award is recommended by Prime Minister to President of India.
• The recipient receives a Sanad (certificate) signed by President and a medallion.

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302. A 22-year-old US Air Force officer, Madison Marsh, has been crowned the Miss America
2024 title. This is the 96th edition of the Miss America pageant finals held in Orlando, Florida.
• This marks the first time an active-duty service member has clinched this prestigious title.
• She hails from Colorado, the home of the U.S. Air Force Academy.
• She is a second lieutenant in the US Air Force and master’s student at the Harvard
Kennedy School’s public policy program.

Ellie Breaux of Texas is the first runner-up in the beauty pageant.

303. President Draupadi Murmu has presented the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2023, initiated
under the Swachh Bharat Mission.

Key ranking parameters include:

• Citizen feedback evaluations
• Field assessments of sanitation indicators

Swachh Survekshan Awards 2023:

• Indore and Surat have been adjudged as the ‘cleanest cities’ in India in the category of
more than one lakh population. This is the 7th time that Indore has won the accolade of
the cleanest city in India.
• Navi Mumbai is ranked the third cleanest cities in India in the category of more than one
lakh population.
• Saswad in Maharashtra received the cleanest city award for urban centres with less than
1 lakh population while Patan in Chattisgarh and Lonavla in Maharashtra are the second
and third cleanest cities.
• Maharashtra got the first prize for cleanliness in the state category, Madhya Pradesh got
second, and Chhattisgarh got the award of third cleanest state.
• Varanasi and Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh clinched the top spots as the Cleanest Ganga
Towns.
• Mhow Cantonment Board is rated the cleanest cantonment.
• Chandigarh is honoured as the safest city for sanitation staff.
• West Bengal municipalities ranked last across all zones.

Swachh Survekshan:
It is an annual survey of cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation in cities and towns across India. It
was launched in 2016 as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, which aimed to make India
clean and free of open defecation by 2nd October 2019. It is conducted by the Ministry of
Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) with Quality Council of India (QCI) as its implementation
partner.

304. President of India Droupadi Murmu has honoured late Savita Kanswal posthumously with
Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award 2022 in Land Adventure. She made history by
becoming the first Indian woman to climb both Mt. Everest and Mt. Makalu within a
remarkable 16-day period.

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She received the prestigious award in recognition of her outstanding achievements in the
field of adventure.
The award has been presented to Radhe Shyam Kanswal, Savita's father, on behalf of his
daughter.
She hails from Uttarakhand.

Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award:

The award was formerly known as the National Adventure Awards. It is the highest adventure
sports honour of the Republic of India. The award is named after Tenzing Norgay, one of the
first two individuals to reach the summit of Mount Everest along with Edmund Hillary in 1953.
It was instituted in 1994.
It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The recipients are
honoured for their outstanding achievement in the field of adventure activities on land, sea
and air over the last three years.
The award comprises a bronze statuette of Tenzing Norgay along with a cash prize of Rs.15
lakh.

305. The National Institute of Construction Management and Research (NICMAR)

Hyderabad has been awarded the platinum certification under the Indian Green Building
Council’s Green Campus Rating.

This accomplishment highlights NICMAR Hyderabad’s commitment to sustainability and eco-

friendly practices in its campus operations and infrastructure.
The campus has over 25 trees per acre, for a total of 47% green cover, and water-efficient
irrigation systems. Drought-tolerant or native flora represent a substantial amount (90.04%)
of the landscape area, while turf covers a smaller fraction (9.96%).
The university has installed a sewage treatment plant (STP) to process 100% of the on-site
wastewater, which is then used for landscaping.
It has also created dedicated bicycle and pedestrian networks, supporting sustainable
transportation.

306. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has been awarded a mega order to construct 508 route km of high-
speed electrification system for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR)
Project, popularly referred to as the bullet train project.

The order has been bagged from an authorised Japanese agency.

This electrification system will enable trains to travel at speed of up to 320 kilometre per
hour.
This project is being funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and is being
implemented by an authorised Japanese agency acting for and on behalf of National High
Speed Rail Corporation Ltd.
The contract is valued between Rs.10,000-15,000 crore.

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307. The 17 Products from different States/UTs have bagged the Geographical Indications (GI)
tag. A GI is a sign used for products that have a specific geographical origin and possess
qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.

GI Tagged Products States/UTs

Lanjia Saura paintings, Dongaria Kondh shawl, Khajuri Guda, Odisha
Dhenkanal Magji, Similipal Kai Chutney, Nayagarh Kanteimundi
Brinjal, Koraput Kalajeera Rice
Handmade Carpets, Wancho Wooden Craft, Adi Kekir (Ginger) Arunachal
Pradesh
Tangail Saree, Garad Saree, Korial Saree, Kalonunia Rice, West Bengal
Sundarban Honey
Ramban Anardana Jammu &
Kashmir
Kachchhi Kharek Gujarat

308. Suchetha Satish from Kerala has created the Guinness World Record by singing in a total
of 140 languages during a concert titled Concert for Climate in Dubai, UAE.

She performed in 140 languages to raise awareness about Climate Change at the Indian
Consulate Auditorium in Dubai.
The number 140 has been chosen to represent the 140 nations that attended the COP 28
summit in Dubai.
She sang in 29 Indian languages and 91 international languages.
She attempted at 12 oms and with a rendition of a Sanskrit song called "Janki Jane" from
Dhwani which is a Malayalam movie.
She ended her streak with a Hindi song which is written by her mother, Sumitha Ayilliath, and
composed by Bollywood composer Monty Sharma.

309. Bengali writer Shirshendhu Mukyopadhyaya has been awarded the 2023 Kuvempu
Rashtriya Puraskar. He has written more than 90 books, including travelogues and fiction
for children.

He is the 11th recipient and the first Bengali writer to receive the award.
Kuvempu Rashtriya Puraskar:
• Kuvempu Rashtriya Puraskar is a national award, which is presented annually in memory
of the late poet laureate Kuvempu.
• It is given to a writer who has contributed in any of the languages recognised by the
Indian Constitution.
• It carries Rs.5 lakh cash award, a citation, and a silver medal.
• The award is instituted by Rashtriya Kuvempu Trust since 2013.

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310. The 81st edition of the Golden Globe Awards has been held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in
Los Angeles, California. The awards are bestowed for excellence in both American and
international film and television.

It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honour artists and professionals and their
work.
During the event, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer collected the eight awards and Greta
Gerwig’s Barbie collected nine awards.

Award Name Winner

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Da’Vine Joy Randolph, “The
a Motion Picture Holdovers”
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Robert Downey Jr.,
any Motion Picture “Oppenheimer”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Ali Wong, “Beef”
Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series, Steven Yeun, “Beef”

Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in Elizabeth Debicki, “The Crown”

a Television Series

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Matthew Macfadyen,

Television Series “Succession”

Best Screenplay — Motion Picture Justine Triet and Arthur

Harari, “Anatomy of a Fall”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Jeremy Allen White, “The

Musical or Comedy Bear”

Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television “Ricky Gervais: Armageddon”

Best Motion Picture — Non-English Language “Anatomy of a Fall” (France)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Ayo Edebiri, “The Bear”

Musical or Comedy

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Kieran Culkin, “Succession”

Drama

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Best Motion Picture — Animated “The Boy and the Heron”

Best Director — Motion Picture Christopher Nolan,

“Oppenheimer”
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Emma Stone, “Poor Things”
Musical or Comedy

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Cillian Murphy,

Drama “Oppenheimer”

Best Original Score — Motion Picture Ludwig Göransson,

“Oppenheimer”
Best Original Song — Motion Picture “What Was I Made For?” by
Billie Eilish and Finneas
O’Connell (from “Barbie”)
Cinematic and Box Office Achievement “Barbie”

Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series or “Beef”

Motion Picture Made for Television

Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy “The Bear”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Sarah Snook, “Succession”

Drama

Best Television Series – Drama “Succession”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Paul Giamatti, “The

Musical or Comedy Holdovers”

Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy “Poor Things”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Lily Gladstone, “Killers of the

Drama Flower Moon”

Best Motion Picture — Drama “Oppenheimer”

311. A jury led by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal has selected 5 Members of
Parliament (MPs) from Lok Sabha for the Sansad Ratna Award for the year 2024.

Name Party

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Sunkat Majumdar BJP
Shrikant Eknath Shiv
Shinde Sena
Sudhir Gupta BJP
Ramsingh Kolhe NCP
Kuldeep Rai Sharma Congress
The committee has also selected five MPs for the Sansad Maharatna Award from the
entire 17th Lok Sabha. They are: NK Premachandran (RSP, Kerala), Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury
(Indian National Congress, West Bengal), Bidyut Baran Mahato (BJP, Jharkhand), and Heena
Vijayakumar Gavit (BJP, Maharashtra).

312. The Sansad Maharatna Award winners of the previous 16th Lok Sabha will also be
honoured with the award this year. This year, there are three Parliamentarians who will be
given the award more than once. They are:
• Supriya Sule (NCP, Maharashtra),
• Shrirang Appa Barne (Shiv Sena, Maharashtra)
• Bhartruhari Mahtab (BJD, Odisha)

Three Standing Committees have also been selected for the Sansad Maha Ratna Awards.

• Agriculture Committee, headed by P C Gaddi Gowdar (BJP, Karnataka).

• Finance Committee, headed by Jayant Sinha (BJP, Jharkhand).
• Transport and Tourism Committee, currently chaired by Vijayasai Reddy (YSR Congress,
Andhra Pradesh).

Sansad Ratna Award:

This award was set up by Chennai-based non-profit charitable trust Prime Point Foundation
on the suggestion of former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam in 2010. This award is given
annually to those MPs whose work is the best in Parliament.
Sansad Maha Ratna Awards:
The awards are presented once in five years for consistency in performance during the term
of the Lok Sabha.

313. Prof. B.R. Kamboj, Vice Chancellor of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural
University, has been honoured with the prestigious M.S. Swaminathan Award in recognition
of his contributions as a scientist and extension specialist in the field of agronomy.

Thawar Chand Gehlot, the Governor of Karnataka, has presented him this award.
The award has been presented during the International Conference on 'One Health One
World,' held at Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Agricultural University at Gwalior in Madhya
Pradesh.
Prof B.R. Kamboj has published about 300 research papers and articles in national and
international journals, books and technical magazines.
M S Swaminathan Award:

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• It was instituted in 2004. It is named after the doyen of Indian Agriculture, Prof. M.S.
Swaminathan.
• It is a biennial award constituted by the Retired Indian Council of Agricultural Research
Employees Association (RICAREA) and Nuziveedu Seeds Limited (NSL).
• The award carries a Cash prize of Rs.2 lakhs (Rupees Two Lakhs only), a Medal, and a
Citation.
• The award is open to all, irrespective of his/her nationality.

314. Union Minister of External Affairs, Dr. S. Jaishankar and Union Commerce and Industry
Minister Piyush Goyal have inaugurated the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Utsav 2024’ at Bharat
Mandapam in New Delhi. It is a dynamic event crafted to display India's economic strength
and cultural richness.

Aatmanirbhar Bharat Utsav 2024 is being hosted by the Department for Promotion of
Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
During the event, the Ministers presented the National One District One Product (ODOP)
Awards 2023 to the winners.
There are a total of 24 Awards across 3 categories – for Districts, States and Union Territories
and Indian Missions Abroad which are received by their representatives at the ceremony.
List of Awardees for ODOP Awards 2023:

Districts Awards (Agriculture):

Rank District State Product Award

1. Alluri Sitharama Andhra Araku Coffee Gold

Raju Pradesh

2. Uttarkashi Uttarakhand Red Rice Silver

3. Shopian J&K Apple Bronze

4. Kandhamal Odisha Turmeric Bronze

5. Bathinda Punjab Honey Special

Mention

6. Burhanpur Madhya Banana Special

Pradesh Mention

Districts Awards (Non-Agriculture):

Rank District State Product Award

1. Kakinada Andhra Uppada Gold

Pradesh Jamdani Saree

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2. Banda Uttar Shazar Stone Silver
Pradesh Craft

3. Srikakulam Andhra Ponduru Cotton Bronze

Pradesh Sarees

4. Kurnool Andhra Handloom silk Bronze

Pradesh sarees

5. Annamayya Andhra Madanapalle Special

Pradesh Silk Sarees Mention

6. Guntur Andhra Mangalagiri Special

Pradesh handloom Mention

States (Category A):

Rank State Award

1. Uttar Gold
Pradesh

2. Gujarat Silver

3. Maharashtra Bronze

4. Punjab Bronze

5. Rajasthan Bronze

States (Category B):

Rank State Award

1. J&K Gold

2. Uttarakhand Silver

3. Meghalaya Bronze

4. Sikkim Bronze

Mission Aboard:

Rank Awardee Award

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1. Consulate General of India, Gold
Vancouver

2. Consulate General of India, Silver

New York

3. High Commission of India, Bronze

Nicosia

UIIC Assistant Free Mock Test

BOOKS & AUTHORS
315. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has released the book titled “Assam’s Braveheart Lachit
Barphukan” in Guwahati, Assam. The book is authored by Arup Kumar Dutta.

The book delves into the life of the legendary 17th-century Ahom warrior Lachit Barphukan. It
highlights his significant role in defending Assam against the Mughal army, chronicling
historical events and the enduring influence of Barphukan’s legacy.
The book is published by the State government.
It is available in English and translated into 24 Scheduled Indian languages.

316. Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Bhupendra
Yadav, has launched a book titled 'Modi: Energising a Green Future'.

The book is published by Pentagon Press in association with the Dr Shyama Prasad
Mookerjee Research Foundation.
The book is a compendium of insights contributed by distinguished decision-makers and
eminent experts from India and abroad.

317. General V.K. Singh (Retd.), Union Ministers of State (MoS), Ministry of Road Transport and
Highways (MoRTH) and Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has released the book ‘Sanskriti ke
Ayaam’.

The book, authored in Hindi language, is written by Manorama Mishra.

The book is published by the National Book Trust, India functioning under the Ministry of
Education (MoE).
The book depicts about Indian knowledge, tradition, and culture.

PERSON IN NEWS
318. Tarun Khulbe has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & Whole Time
Director of Jindal Stainless Ltd (JSL). He has been serving as the Whole Time Director of the
company since May 2018.

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He joined JSL as a general manager for the cold rolling mills at Hisar, Haryana, in October
2004.

319. Senior IPS officer Daljit Singh Chaudhary has been appointed as the Director General of
the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) for a period up to 30th November 2025.

He is a 1990 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre.
He is presently working as Special Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force
(CRPF).
The SSB guards India’s frontiers with Nepal and Bhutan.

320. Jagrut Kotecha has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Snacks and
beverage major ‘PepsiCo India’. He will succeed Ahmed El Sheikh, who will take over as CEO
for the Middle East Business Unit, in March 2024, after a seven-year stint in India.

He is currently Chief Commercial Officer for PepsiCo in Africa, Middle East, and South Asia
(AMESA).

321. Havildar Preeti Rajak, who is a champion trap shooter, has become the first woman to
hold the rank of Subedar in the Indian Army. She joined the Army in the Corps of Military
Police on 22nd December 2022.

She was the first meritorious sportswomen in the shooting discipline enrolled in the Army as
a Havildar.
During the 19th Asian Games, held at Hangzhou in China, she won a silver medal in the trap
women team event.
She is currently ranked sixth in India (trap women event) and is training at the Army
Marksmanship Unit (AMU) in preparation for the Paris Olympic Games 2024.
She hails from Madhya Pradesh.

322. Anil Kumar Lahoti, a former chairman and chief executive officer of the Railway Board, has
been appointed as the Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

He is a 1984 batch Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE) officer.

He has been appointed as TRAI chief for a period of three years from the date of assumption
of charge of the post or until he attains the age of 65 years or until further orders, whichever
is earlier.
He has succeeded PD Vaghela.

323. Bernardo Arevalo, an academic and former diplomat, has been sworn in as the President
of Guatemala during a ceremony at Miguel Angel Asturias theatre in Guatemala City,
Guatemala. He has replaced conservative politician Alejandro Giammattei whose government
has been engulfed in corruption scandals.

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324. Experian, a leading global information services company, has appointed Manish Jain as its
new Country Managing Director for Experian in India.

He will lead the company’s strategic initiatives, drive business growth, and cultivate strong
partnerships with clients and stakeholders.
Earlier, he served as the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Excelrate.
325. Vice Admiral AN Pramod has assumed charge as the Director General Naval Operations
(DGNO). He was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 July 1990. He is an alumnus of the
38th Integrated Cadet Course.

The Flag Officer is a CAT ‘A’ Sea King Air Operations Officer and a Communication &
Electronics Warfare Specialist.

326. Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty has been appointed as the Commandant in the Indian
Naval Academy. He was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01 Jul 1989. He is a specialist
in ‘Gunnery and Missiles’.

He served as the commissioning crew of INS Delhi and did all his specialist tenures onboard
the frontline Guided Missile Destroyer.
Earlier, he was Flag Officer Commanding the Western Fleet.

327. The Chief of Army Staff, General Manoj Pande, has announced that the Indian Army will
observe the year 2024 as the 'Year of Technology Absorption.’

This theme underscores the Army's focus and efforts to leverage technology as a catalyst for
transformative change.
The Indian Army personnel are being trained to leverage technology and exploit the cyber
domain effectively through institutionalised, procedural, and technological measures.

328. The Central government has appointed former Central Industrial Security Force Director
General Sheel Vardhan Singh, a 1986-batch IPS officer, as a member of the Union Public
Service Commission (UPSC).

He has been appointed by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, under Article 316 (11) of
the Constitution of India.
The term of his appointment will be regulated in accordance with the provisions of Article
316(2) of the Constitution of India, and the conditions of service will be governed by UPSC
(Members) Regulations 1969 as amended from time to time.
The UPSC conducts civil services examination annually to select officers of IAS, Indian Foreign
Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS), among others.
The Commission is headed by a chairman, and it can have a maximum of 10 members.
A UPSC member is appointed for a term of 6 years or until attaining 65 years of age.

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329. The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has appointed Maheshwar Rao as the
full-time Managing Director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL). He has
succeeded Anjum Parwez, who served in the position for almost two and a half years.

BMRCL recently reached a new milestone when it recorded a whopping 2 crore ridership in
December 2023, around 6.8 lakh passengers on an average daily, fetching a fare revenue of
Rs.55 crore.
Bengaluru’s metro network spans 73.81 km with phase 1 connecting Kadugodi and
Challaghatta (East-West corridor) with Silk Institute and Nagasandra (South-North corridor).

330. Tshering Tobgay, Leader of the People's Democratic Party, has become the Prime
Minister of Bhutan for a second time in a row. In Bhutan's parliamentary elections, the
People's Democratic Party secured a significant victory, claiming 30 out of 47 national
assembly seats.

The Bhutan Tendrel Party secured 17 seats.

331. William Lai, also known as Lai Ching-te, from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party
(DPP), has won the Taiwan presidential elections. This will potentially impact relations with
China over the next four years.

He is labelled an 'instigator of war' by China.

He fought elections against two opponents, i.e. the KMT's Hou and former Taipei Mayor Ko
Wen-je of the small Taiwan People's Party. He is known for his pro-democracy stance and his
strong opposition to China.
Earlier, he was the vice president of Taiwan since 2020.

332. Senthil Pandian C, a 2002 IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as
India's ambassador to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland. He
has been appointed for a period of three years from the date of assumption of charge.

He has replaced Brajendra Navnit.

Currently, he is serving as the commissioner of excise in Uttar Pradesh.

333. NIVEA India has appointed Geetika Mehta as its new Managing Director (MD). With this,
she joins the growing list of women heading fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG)
companies.

Earlier, she served as the MD of Hershey India.

She was also with the country’s largest FMCG firm, Hindustan Unilever, for 18 years.
She has replaced Neil George.
Note: Nivea is a German personal care brand that specializes in skin and body care.

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334. Seema Kumar has been appointed to the post of Member (Operations & Business
Development), Railway Board. Prior to this, she was Additional Member (Tourism &
Catering), Railway Board.

She also held the additional charge of Additional Member (Traffic), Additional Member
(Marketing & Business Development) and of Chairman & Managing Director of IRCTC at
various intervals.
She joined Indian Railways Traffic Service (IRTS) in 1988.

335. Gabriel Attal has become the new Prime Minister of France after the resignation of
Elisabeth Borne. He has become the youngest person to occupy France’s second-highest
office at 34 years old.

Currently, he is serving as the Education Minister of France.

336. Aruna Nayar, Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS) Officer of 1987 Batch and Level-16
empanelled IRMS officer has been appointed as the Secretary of Railway Board.

She has taken charge on 6th January 2024.

She was earlier working in Railway Board as Additional Member, Staff, from May 2023, and as
Principal Executive Director/Staff, Railway Board, from Feb 2022 to May 2023.
She is also the first IRPS officer to be empanelled in IRMS in Level-16.

337. Shashi Singh has been elected as the President of the All-India Rubber Industries
Association (AIRIA), the apex body for rubber industries in India.

He will succeed Ramesh Kejriwal as the President of AIRIA, playing a pivotal role in steering
the association forward.
Prior to assuming the role of President, Shashi Singh held the position of senior vice
president within AIRIA.
Other appointments:
• Zafar Ahmed, Managing Director of New India Rubber Works Pvt Ltd, has been elected as
the senior vice-president of AIRIA for 2023-24.
• Indra Parekh has been elected as the vice president of the Association.

338. Puneet Chhatwal, the Managing Director and CEO of Indian Hotels Company Limited, has
been appointed as the new Chairperson of the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism
& Hospitality (FAITH).

He has succeeded Nakul Anand, the former executive director at ITC Hotels.
He will also continue as the president of the Hotel Association of India (HAI), a position he
was re-elected to in 2022.

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339. Randhir Jaiswal, an officer of the 1998 batch of the Indian Foreign Service, has assumed
the position of the Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

He has replaced Arindam Bagchi, a 1995-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer.
He had served in Portugal, Cuba, South Africa and at India’s permanent mission to the United
Nations in New York.

340. The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIFL) has appointed Sanjiv
Aggarwal as the chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director (MD) of the company.
• His appointment will be effective from February 2024.
• He will succeed Rajiv Dhar, who has served as interim CEO & MD since May 2023.

National Infrastructure and Investment Fund (NIIF):

NIIF is India’s first-ever sovereign wealth fund (SWF). It was set up by the Indian Government
in the year 2015. It is an institution for enhancing infrastructure financing by investing in
greenfield (new), brownfield (existing) and stalled projects.
Headquarters: New Delhi

341. Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey, a senior diplomat of India, has been appointed as the
Secretary-General of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic
Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
• He has succeeded Tenzin Lekphell of Bhutan.
• He is the 4th SG of BIMSTEC and will remain in office for a period of three years.
• He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1990.
• He is also the first Indian to hold the post.
• Earlier, he served as the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations and
Other International Organizations in Geneva.

Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation

(BIMSTEC):
BIMSTEC is a regional organisation established in June 1997. Its secretariat was established in
the Bangladesh capital of Dhaka to provide an institutionalised framework for deepening and
enhancing cooperation.
Member states: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

342. Senior IAS officer Samir Kumar Sinha has been appointed as the Additional Secretary
and Director General (Acquisition) in the Defence Ministry. He, a 1994-batch Indian
Administrative Service (IAS) officer, is currently working in his Assam-Meghalaya cadre.

Other appointments:
• Bharat Harbanslal Khera, a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, has
been appointed as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and
Public Distribution.

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• Chandra Bhushan Kumar will be Additional Secretary as well as Mission Director for the
Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation’s Jal Jeevan Mission.
• Puja Singh Mandol, currently Joint Director General in the Directorate General of Civil
Aviation, has been appointed as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Statistics and
Programme Implementation.
• Sanjeev Kumar Jindal, at present a Joint Secretary in the Home Ministry, will now be
Additional Secretary.
• Asit Gopal, Commissioner of Eklavya Model Residential School of the National
Educational Society for Tribal Students under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, has been
named as Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor in the Ministry of Textiles.
• Senior bureaucrat Tripti Gurha will be Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Women and
Child Development.

343. Indian American Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy has been appointed as the
Representative of the United States on the Executive Board of the World Health
Organization (WHO).

The first Surgeon General of Indian descent, Vivek Hallegere Murthy, was confirmed by the
US Senate in March 2021 to serve as the 21st Surgeon General under President Joe Biden.
He previously served as the 19th Surgeon General under President Barack Obama.

344. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Ms. Sigrid Kaag of the
Netherlands as the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza pursuant
to Security Council Resolution 2720 (2023).

She will begin her assignment on 8 January 2024.

In this role, she will facilitate, coordinate, monitor, and verify humanitarian relief
consignments to Gaza.
She will also establish a United Nations mechanism to accelerate humanitarian relief
consignments to Gaza through States which are not party to the conflict.
She will be supported by the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in executing these
functions.

345. The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Andrew Paul
Saberton of the United Kingdom as Assistant Secretary-General to serve as Deputy
Executive Director (Management) of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

He has succeeded Ib Petersen of Denmark.

He has served as the Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director
(Management) ad interim since November 2023 and as UNFPA Comptroller and Director for
the Division of Management Services since September 2016.

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346. Vice Admiral Kiran Deshmukh has assumed duties as the Chief of Material of the Indian
Navy (IN) on 1st January 2024. He succeeded Vice Admiral Sandeep Naithani, who retired
following 39 years of praiseworthy service spearheading the Navy’s maintenance efforts.

He has been decorated with the Vishisht Seva Medal and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal for
navigating the Navy towards self-reliance through his outstanding leadership.
He, as the Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition, oversaw critical milestones like
the commissioning of India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier and light combat aircraft’s
maiden launch from it.

347. Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), a Schedule ‘A’, ‘Maharatna’ Public
Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Power, has appointed Ravindra Kumar Tyagi as its
new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD).

He has succeeded Sreekant Kandikuppa.

Prior to this, he was serving as Director (Operations) of the company.

348. Felix Tshisekedi has been re-elected as the President of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo. He received more than 73 percent of the votes in the recent elections.

He has won the presidential election for the second consecutive time.
He has defeated his rival opposition leader, Moise Katumbi.

349. Kia India has appointed Gwanggu Lee as the new Managing Director (MD) and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) with immediate effect. He is the third MD and CEO of Kia India.

He has succeeded Kook Hyun Shim and Tae Jin Park.

Kia:
Kia and Kia Motors Corporation is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer.
Kia currently sells five models, including Seltos, Sonet, and Carens, in the Indian market.
• Headquarters: Seoul, South Korea
• CEO: Ho-Sung Song

350. Pradip Kumar Das, Chief Managing Director (CMD) of the Indian Renewable Energy
Development Agency Limited (IREDA), has announced that the year 2024 will be christened
as 'Year of Human Resource Development and Discipline' to mark IREDA's future
roadmap into new strategic sectors and geographies.

This supports IREDA’s commitment to evolve and adapt to new challenges while prioritizing
the development and discipline of its human resources to drive the organization’s progress.
Additional Information:
The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) was established on 11th
March 1987 as a Public limited Government Company under the Companies Act, 1956 and it
promotes, develops, and extends financial assistance for Renewable Energy and Energy
Efficiency/Conservation Projects.

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351. Françoise Bettencourt Meyers, heiress to the L’Oréal beauty empire, has made history by
becoming the first woman to hold a USD 100 billion fortune, as per the Bloomberg
Billionaires Index.
• This milestone has been achieved through the surge in L’Oréal S.A. stock.
• As of that day, her net worth stood at $100.1 billion, shows Bloomberg’s data.
• She has been recognized as the 12th-richest person globally.

L’Oreal Group, the world’s largest cosmetics company, owns brands like Lancome and
Maybelline.
L’Oreal acquires Australian brand Aesop in a $2.5 billion deal in 2022. This marks the largest
brand acquisition in L’Oreal’s history.
352. The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has nominated Justice BR Gavai as the
Chairman of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC). He has succeeded Justice
Sanjiv Khanna.

Section 3A of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, confers power on the Central Authority
to constitute SCLSC for performing such functions as may be determined by the Central
Authority.

353. Nadia Calviño has been appointed as the President of the European Investment Bank
(EIB) with effect from 1st January 2024. She has replaced Werner Hoyer.

She has been appointed as the 8th President of the EU Bank.

She is the first woman to lead the institution.
She is also the first Spaniard to head the Bank.

354. Vice Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi has been appointed as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.
He succeeded Sanjay J Singh, who became Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western
Naval Command.

Vice Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi joined the Indian Navy on 1st July 1985.
Earlier, he was serving as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command.

UIIC Assistant Free Mock Test

OBITUARIES
355. Noted banker Rana Talwar has passed away at the age of 76 after being unwell for some
time. He began his career with Citibank India in 1969.

He joined Standard Chartered in 1997, assuming the position of CEO after some months,
becoming the first Asian to head an international bank.
He also founded Sabre Capital, a private equity firm.

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He was also a board member at DLF, having joined the realty major in 2006.

356. Dr Nitya Anand, the developer of India's first oral contraceptive pill ‘Saheli’, has passed
away at the age of 99. He was born in Lyallpur, Punjab Province, British India on 1 January
1925.

‘Saheli’ was the world’s first and only non-steroidal, non-hormonal, once-a-week oral
contraceptive pill. It was launched by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1986.
Saheli was incorporated in the National Family Programme of India in 2016.
He was an Indian medicinal chemist who was the director of Central Drug Research Institute
in Lucknow from 1974 to 1984.
He was awarded the Padma Shri by the Indian government in 2012.

357. Indian Urdu poet Munawwar Rana has passed away at the age of 71 in Lucknow, Uttar
Pradesh. He was born on 26th November 1952 in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh.

He published several poetries and ghazals with a distinct style of writing.

Most of his shers (couplets) have "mother" as the centre point of his love.
His Urdu ghazals have been translated into English by Tapan Kumar Pradhan.
He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2014 for his poetry book “Shahdaba.” He
returned the award in 2015.

358. Noted classical singer Prabha Atre has passed away at the age of 91 in Pune, Maharashtra.
She was born on 13th September 1932 in Pune, Bombay Presidency, Maharashtra.

She belonged to Kirana Gharana.

She received her training in classical music from the renowned Sureshbabu Mane, a
prominent exponent of the Kirana gharana.
She was equally proficient in different classical genres, be it khyal, tarana, thumri, dadra,
ghazal and bhajan, citing the influence of Ustad Amir Khan (founder of the Indore gharana)
for khyal and Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (Kasur gharana) for thumri.
She also had formal training in Kathak dance style.
Awards/Honours:
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1991)
• Padma Shri (1990)
• Padma Bhushan (2002)
• Padma Vibhushan (2022)

359. Noted music director K.J. Joy has passed away in Chennai, Tamil, Nadu. He was born on 14
June 1946 in Trichur, Cochin, Kerala. He was music director for the Malayalam film industry.
He composed music for 71 films.

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He began his career as music director in 1974.
His first film was Love Letter in 1975.
He also composed many songs for the youth, including the hit song En Swaram.

360. Former footballer Prabir Majumdar has passed away in Kolkata, West Bengal at the age of
77 after suffering from a brief illness.

He featured for the national side during the 1974 Asian Games held in Tehran (Iran), where
the team failed to create an impact and finished at the bottom of the group table.
In the domestic circuit, he was a part of East Bengal and Eastern Railways, besides also
representing Bengal in the Santosh Trophy.
He won several titles with East Bengal, which included the Calcutta Football League, IFA
Shield, Durand Cup, Rovers Cup, DCM Trophy, Bordoloi Trophy, and many more.

361. Hindustani classical singer and music maestro Utsad Rashid Khan has passed away in
Kolkata, West Bengal at the age of 55 due to prostate cancer. He was born on 1st July 1968 in
Sahaswan, Budaun, Uttar Pradesh.

He belonged to the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana.

His style of singing was influenced by legends like Amir Khan and Bhimsen Joshi.
He contributed to songs such as 'Aaoge Jab Tum', 'Aaj Koi Jogee Aave', 'Rishte Naate', 'Ishq Ka
Rang', and several others.
Awards:
• Padma Bhushan (2022)
• Padma Shri (2006)
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2006)

362. Football player Franz Beckenbauer has passed away at the age of 78 in Germany. He was
known in football-obsessed Germany as “the Kaiser” meaning “the Emperor.”

He collected 103 caps for West Germany, winning the 1972 European championship and then
the World Cup on home soil.
Franz Beckenbauer’s Bayern Munich team was the best club side in the world during the mid-
1970s.

363. Jacques Delors, a former President of the EU Commission, and key figure in the creation of
the euro currency, has passed away in Paris, France at the age of 98.

He was born on 20 July 1925 in Paris, France.

He served as the 8th President of the European Commission from 1985 to 1995.
He played a key role in the creation of the single market, the euro, and the modern European
Union.
He created a single market that made the free movement of persons, capital, goods, and
services within the European Economic Community (EEC) possible.

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364. Noted legal scholar Ved Prakash Nanda, an Indian American academic, has passed away
on 1st January 2024. He was serving as a John Evans Distinguished University Professor at the
University of Denver, Colorado in the US.

In 2006, he was honoured with a USD 1 million founding gift from DU alumni Doug and Mary
Scrivner to launch the Ved Nanda Center for International and Comparative Law.
He was awarded with the Padma Bhushan award in 2018 in the field of Literature and
Education.

SPORTS
365. Tata Group has won the right to remain the Indian Premier League (IPL) title sponsor for
another five years (2024 to 2028). The deal is valued at Rs.2500 crore.

The TATA Group earlier held the title sponsorship rights for the IPL in 2022 and 2023, paying
Rs 670 crore for the two-year rights.
Tata is also the title sponsor of the Women’s Premier League, the largest women’s T20 league
globally.

366. Badminton player Tai Tzu Ying from Chinese Taipei has won her first women’s singles
title at the India Open 2024, defeating Chen Yu Fei from China in a dominant straight-game
victory.

She displayed remarkable skill and resilience, winning in straight sets with scores of 21-16,
21-12.
Currently, she has been ranked world number three.
She secured a silver medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Other winners:
• Men's singles: Shi Yuqi (China)
• Men's doubles: Kang Min-hyuk and Seo Seung-jae (South Korea)
• Women's doubles : Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara (Japan)
• Mixed doubles: Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Thailand)

The 2024 India Open, a badminton tournament, has been held at the K. D. Jadhav Indoor
Stadium, New Delhi, India, from 16 to 21 January 2024.

367. South Africa is hosting the International Cricket Council (ICC) U-19 Cricket World Cup
2024. The World Cup started on 19 January 2024 and will conclude on 11 February 2024.

This 50-over tournament will feature 16 teams, with a total of 41 matches scheduled to be
played.
The initial phase of the tournament organizes the teams into four groups, each containing
four teams. This will be followed by the Super Six stage, comprising two groups of six teams
each.

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The Super Six stage will be crucial in determining which teams advance to the semifinals and
ultimately compete in the final.

368. The 2024 Australian Open, a Grand Slam level tennis tournament, has been held at
Melbourne Park, from 14–28 January 2024. It is the 112th edition of the Australian Open.

A 43-year-old Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna along with his Australian partner
Matthew Ebden has won the men’s doubles title by defeating the Italian pair of Simone
Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in the finals of Australian Open 2024.
This is Rohan Bopanna’s second grand slam title after the 2017 French Open win with his
Canadian partner Gabriela Dabrowski in mixed doubles.
He has surpassed the record of Australian tennis champion Ken Rosewall, who won a grand
slam at 37.
Australian Open title 2024:
• Men’s Singles: Jannik Sinner (Italy)
• Women’s Singles: Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus)
• Women’s Doubles: Hsieh Su-Wei (Taiwan) & Elise Mertens (Belgium)
• Mixed Doubles: Hsieh Su-wei (Taiwan) & Jan Zielinski (Poland)

369. The maiden edition of the FIH Women's Hockey5s World Cup, an international field
hockey competition, has been organised by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in
January 2024 in Oman, Muscat.

Netherlands has won the maiden edition of the FIH Women's Hockey5s World Cup by
defeating India 7–2 in the final.
Other awards:
• Best Player: Noor De Baat (Netherlands)
• Best Goalkeeper: Marta Kucharska (Poland)
• Best Junior Player: Deepika Soreng (India)
• Top Scorer: Teresa Viana (Uruguay) with 19 goals
• Women’s Challenger Trophy Winner: United States
• Women’s Challenger Trophy Runner-Up: Namibia

370. Indian women’s hockey team defender and penalty corner specialist Deep Grace Ekka has
announced her international retirement. She began her journey in international hockey as a
17-year-old in 2011 when she made her debut in the Four-Nation Tournament in Argentina.
• She was instrumental in India qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
• She was a vital part in the team’s defence line at the Tokyo Games where India finished
fourth.

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• She was a member of the Indian team that won bronze in the 2022 Birmingham
Commonwealth Games.
• She also represented the Indian teams that won medals in 2014 and 2018 Asian Games.
• She was also a member of the title-winning Indian teams in 2016 Women’s Asian
Champions Trophy and 2017 Asia Cup.

371. Formula One has announced that Madrid will host the Spanish Grand Prix from 2026 to
2035 on a new street circuit around the capital's IFEMA exhibition centre.

Madrid will take over from Barcelona, which has been the event’s home since 1991.
The new street circuit will feature a mix of street and non-street sections, spanning 5.47
kilometres with 20 corners.

372. The first edition of the Beach Games (2024) has been held at the pristine blue flag
certified Ghoghla Beach in Diu from 4th to 11th January. Around 1400 athletes, all under the
age of 21, from 28 states and Union Territories have participated in games like Tug of War,
Sea Swimming, Pencak Silat, Mallakhamb, Beach Volleyball, Beach Kabaddi, and Beach
Soccer.

The sport of Beach Boxing made its debut marking a historic moment in the nation's athletic
journey.
Madhya Pradesh has topped the inaugural Beach Games 2024 with 18 medals including 7
gold. It is followed by Maharashtra with 14 medals including 3 gold, while Tamil Nadu,
Uttarakhand, and hosts Dadra, Nagar Haveli, Diu & Daman secured 12 medals each.
Assam has won 8 medals, out of which 5 are Gold.
Lakshadweep has secured the gold medal in Beach Soccer.

Note: 12 of the beaches in India have Blue Flag certification given to cleanest beaches.

373. The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, has inaugurated the 5th edition of the
Meghalaya Games at PA Sangma Stadium in Tura, Meghalaya.

Around 3000 athletes have participated in the 5th Meghalaya Games across 23 disciplines.
The event has been played in 16 venues across the Tura town.
This is the first time in history that the Meghalaya Games has been held outside Shillong.

374. Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma has become the first male player to participate
in 150 T20 Internationals. This feat has been achieved during the second match against
Afghanistan at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

He returned to India’s T20I setup for the first time since the end of the ICC Men’s T20 World
Cup 2022. He led his side to a 6-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the first T20I in Mohali.
He also secured another milestone by becoming the first player to win 100 T20Is.
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He has scored 3853 runs in 149 games, with a strike rate of about 140 in T20Is.
He has also scored 4 hundreds in T20Is, tying Glenn Maxwell and Suryakumar Yadav for the
most.

375. Australian cricketer Shaun Marsh has announced his retirement from professional cricket,
with the Melbourne Renegades' fixture against Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League being
his last assignment.

He had scored more than 5,200 runs and 13 centuries.

His last match was against Sri Lanka at The Oval during the 2019 ODI World Cup.

376. The 2023 Best FIFA Football Awards have been presented to the winners in London, UK.
This is the eighth edition of the awards, presented annually by the sport's governing body,
the International Association Football Federation (FIFA).

Award category Winners

Best FIFA Men's Player Lionel Messi
(This is the third time Lionel Messi
received the award)
Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper Ederson (Manchester City)
Best FIFA Men's Coach Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)
Best FIFA Women's Player Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona)
Best FIFA Women's Goalkeeper Mary Earps (Manchester United)
Best FIFA Women's Coach Sarina Wiegman (England)

377. Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal has become the first Indian in 35 years to defeat a
seeded opponent in a Grand Slam. He defeated world number 27 Alexander Bublik of
Kazakhstan.

After defeating Alexander Bublik, he secured his place in the 2nd round of the Australian
Open.
In 1989, Ramesh Krishnan defeated Mats Wilander, the then-world number one and
defending champion at the Australian Open.
Sumit Nagal will be playing in the 2nd round of a Grand Slam for the 2nd time in his career.
In the 2020 US Open, he had lost to second seed and eventual champion Dominic Thiem 6-3,
6-3, 6-2 in the second round.
He made his Slam debut in the 2019 US Open against Roger Federer.
He hails from Haryana.

378. The Asian Shooting Championships 2024 for rifle and pistol shooters has been held in
Jakarta, Indonesia from January 8 to 17. The event is also doubled as the qualifying event
for the Paris 2024 Olympics for rifle and pistol shooters.

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Indian shooters have won 26 medals (14 gold, 7 silver and 5 bronze) at the championship
and obtained four Olympic quotas for the country.
Olympic quotas:
• Varun Tomar: Gold (men’s 10m air pistol events)
• Esha Singh: Gold (women’s 10m air pistol events)
• Rhythm Sangwan: Bronze (women’s 10m air pistol)
• Vijayveer Sidhu: Silver (men’s 25m rapid fire pistol)

India have now secured 17 Olympic quotas in shooting for the Paris 2024 Summer Games.

Other medal winners:

• Nancy (women’s 10m air rifle) - gold medal
• Akhil Sheoran (men’s 50m rifle 3 positions) - gold medal
• Yogesh Singh (men’s 25m centre fire pistol) - gold medal
• Yogesh Singh (men’s 25m standard pistol) - gold medal
• Esha Singh, Rhythm Sangwan and Surbhi Rao - women’s 10m air pistol team - gold medal
• Varun Tomar, Arjun Singh Cheema and Ujjawal Malik (men’s 10m air pistol team) - gold
medal
• Mehuli Ghosh and Rudrankksh Patil (10m air rifle mixed team) - gold medal
• Elavenil Valarivan, Nancy and Mehuli Ghosh (women’s 10m air rifle team) - gold medal
• Akhil Sheoran, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar and Swapnil Kusale (men’s 50m rifle 3
positions team event) - gold medal
• Sift Kaur Samra, Ashi Chouksey and Anjum Moudgil (women’s 50m rifle 3 positions team) -
gold medal
• Yogesh Singh, Amit Kumar and Om Prakash (men’s 25m standard pistol team) - gold
medal
• Yogesh Singh, Pankaj Yadav and Akshay Jain (men’s 25m centre fire pistol team) - gold
medal
• Arjun Singh Cheema (men’s 10m air pistol) - silver medal
• Elavenil Valarivan (women’s 10m air rifle) - silver medal
• Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar (men’s 50m rifle 3 positions) - silver medal
• Sift Kaur Samra (women’s 50m rifle 3 positions) silver medal
• Rhythm Sangwan and Arjun Singh Cheema (10m air pistol mixed team) - silver medal
• Rhythm Sangwan, Esha Singh and Simranpreet Kaur Brar (women’s 25m pistol team) -
silver medal
• Rudrankksh Patil (men’s 10m air rifle) - bronze medal
• Rhythm Sangwan (women’s 25m pistol event) - bronze medal
• Ashi Chouksey (women’s 50m rifle 3 positions) - bronze medal
• Arjun Babuta, Rudrankksh Patil, Sri Karthik Sabari Raj (men’s 10m air rifle team) - bronze
medal

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The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the Men’s and Women’s Player of
the Month award winners for December 2023.
• Australia skipper Pat Cummins has won the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for
December 2023 for bowling heroics in the Test triumph against Pakistan.
• Deepti Sharma of India has won the maiden ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for
December 2023 for her multi-format brilliance against England and Australia.

379. An 18-year-old Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa has become India's No. 1 chess player.
This feat has been achieved at the 2024 Tata Steel Chess Tournament held in Wijk aan Zee,
Netherlands, after defeating reigning world champion Ding Liren of China.

After this victory, he became only the second Indian after Vishwanathan Anand to defeat a
reigning champion.
He also surpassed Vishwanathan Anand to become India’s new number one Chess player in
terms of live ratings.
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa hails from Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

380. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has appointed Raghuram Iyer as the Chief
Executive Officer (CEO). He has been selected unanimously for the post by the IOA
Nomination Committee after thorough interviews and careful consideration of the shortlisted
candidates.

One of the eligibility criteria for the post of CEO is that the candidate should be a
management professional with an experience of not less than 10 years as the CEO of a
company/entity with an annual turnover of not less than Rs.25 crore.

Indian Olympic Association (IOA):

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is the governing body for the Olympic Movement and
the Commonwealth Games in India. The IOA was established in the year 1927 with Sir Dorabji
Tata and Dr. A.G. Noehren as the Founding President and Secretary General respectively.
India first participated in the Olympics in 1900 in Paris, France.
It is registered as a Non-Profit Organisation under the Societies Registration Act of 1860.
The members of IOA include National Sports Federations, State Olympic Associations, IOC
Members and other select multi-sport organisations.
It is headquartered in New Delhi.

381. South African batter Heinrich Klaasen has announced his retirement from Test cricket. He
made a test debut in 2019. He was included in the Northerns cricket team for the 2015 Africa
T20 Cup.

In February 2021, he captained South Africa for the first time in a T20I match.
He played a total of 4 Test matches. His last test match was against West Indies in 2023.
He was among the top run getters for South Africa in ODI World Cup 2023.

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382. A 23-year-old Divyakriti Singh Rathore of Rajasthan has received the prestigious Arjuna
Award from President Droupadi Murmu. With this, she has become the first Indian woman
to accomplish this feat in the domain of Equestrian.

She has been ranked No. 1 in Asia and No. 14 worldwide in the Global Dressage Rankings by
the International Equestrian Federation.
She also scored a Gold in team dressage event held in 2023 at the Asian Games in China
Hangzhou.
She won an individual silver and two bronze medals at the International Dressage
Competition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in December 2023.
She is the second woman from Rajasthan to get gold at the Asian Games after Rahi Sarnobat
who won the first gold medal at the Asian Games.

Equestrian sport:
Equestrian is the extended umbrella term for the sport including riding on horseback. The
Olympics characterises the game in three categories like dressage, eventing, and jumping
also called show jumping.

383. The German tennis team has won the United Cup 2024 title by defeating Poland 2-1 in
the tennis final held at the Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney, Australia.

This is the 2nd edition of the United Cup held from 29th December 2023 to 7th January 2024 in
Perth and Sydney, Australia.
Each tie (round) in the United Cup 2024 features three matches (men’s singles, women’s
singles, and mixed doubles).
• Germany’s Alexander Zverev (6th in the ATP ranking) defeated Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz
(9th ranked) in the men’s singles finals.
• In the women’s singles finals, Poland’s Iga Swiatek has defeated Angelique Kerber
(Germany).
• In the mixed doubles event, Alexander Zverev and Laura Siegemund (Germany) have
defeated Hubert Hurkacz and Iga Swiatek (Poland) in the finals.

The winning team received USD 23,155 in prize money.

384. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has inked a four-year media rights agreement
with Viacom 18 to broadcast and stream the upcoming FIH Cup, except the FIH Nations Cup.

Viacom18 will broadcast and stream the upcoming FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers, FIH
Hockey5s World Cup, FIH Hockey Pro League, and 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup on Sports18
and JioCinema.
This agreement runs for a four-year cycle (2023-2027).

385. Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Katie Moon has been named the International Event
Ambassador for the 19th edition of the Tata Mumbai Marathon.

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Tata Mumbai Marathon is a World Athletics Gold Label Race. It is promoted by Procam
International.
Katie Moon hails from the USA.
She won gold medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, 2022 World Athletics Championships and
2023 World Athletics Championships, and a silver at the 2022 World Indoor Championships.

386. A 22-year-old Polish tennis star Iga Świątek has topped the Forbes list of highest-paid
women athletes 2023 with USD 23.9 million. She won the French Open and ended the year
as the No.1 ranked player in the world.

She has been followed by freestyle skiing star Eileen Gu from China whose value is USD 22.1
million.
Tennis player Coco Gauff (USA) has secured the 3rd position with USD 21.7 million.
Indian Badminton star PV Sindhu has made it into the list of 2023’s highest-paid women
athletes by Forbes where she finished at the 16th spot alongside gymnast Simone Biles with
her USD 7.1 million earnings.
In 2022, PV Sindhu was placed 12th with her USD 7.1 million earnings in a list which was led
by Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka.
Hence, Option A is the correct answer.

387. Australian batter David Warner has officially announced his retirement from One Day
Internationals (ODIs). He is retiring from ODI cricket along with Tests but will be available
for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
• He is Australia's sixth-highest run scorer in the ODI format and is only second to former
captain Ricky Ponting's tally for most Centuries for Australia in ODIs.
• In ODIs, he scored 6,932 runs in 161 matches.
• He is a two-time World Cup winner, having won the title in 2015 at home and then in 2023
in India.
• He was Australia's second-highest run scorer in 2015 with 345 runs in eight innings with
one century at an average of 49.28 and strike rate of 120.20.
• In 2023, he was the highest run scorer for Australia with 535 runs in 11 matches at 48.63
and strike rate of 108.29.

388. Indian squash player Anhat Singh (Delhi) has won the Women's Under-19 title at the
2023 Scottish Junior Open Squash held in Edinburgh (Scotland). She has won the title by
defeating Robin McAlpine 11-6, 11-1 and 11-5 in the final.

Other winners of the Scottish Junior Open 2023:

Girls Under-13 Winner:
India’s Aadya Budhia won the girls' under-13 title.
Divyanshi Jain was the runner-up in the Under-11 category.
Boys Under-15 Winner:

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India's Subhashish Chaudhary won the title by defeating compatriot Shiven Agarwal 5-11, 11-
4, 6-11, 11-8, 11-5 in the boy’s under-15 final.
Boys Under-13 Winner:
Shrestha Iyer has won the title by defeating Shreyansh Jah 11-8, 11-8, 3-11, 11-8 in the Boys
Under-13 final.
Boys Under-11 Winners:
Prabhav Bajoria won the boys' under-11 final.

389. World 5000m silver medallist Beatrice Chebet of Kenya has smashed the women's 5km
world record with 14:13 at the annual Cursa dels Nassos road race held in Barcelona.

She has broken the world record set by Ethiopia's Ejegayehu Taye at the 2021 Cursa dels
Nassos in Barcelona.
Her performance also bettered the women’s world record set in a mixed race of 14:19,
achieved by Ethiopia’s Ejegayehu Taye at the same Barcelona meet in 2021.
The men’s race has won by Swiss Dominic Lobalu in 13:12, six seconds clear of runner-up
Mathew Kipkoech Kipruto of Kenya.

UIIC Assistant Free Mock Test

IMPORTANT DAYS
390. Global Family Day, also known as World Peace Day, is observed annually on 1st January to
promote the concept of harmony and unity in the world. The day started in 1997, when the
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) launched the International Decade for the Culture
of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World, with effect from the 1st day of the
new millennium.

391. The Defence Research and Development Organization’s (DRDO’s) Foundation Day is
observed annually on January 1 to commemorate the excellent work of the organisation in
making the nation strong and self-reliant in terms of science and technology and especially
military technologies.

The year 2024 marks the observance of the 66th Foundation Day of DRDO.
• It is a premier defence research and development agency under the Ministry of Defence,

Government of India.

• DRDO's first project for the Indian military was in surface-to-air missiles (SAM) known as

Project Indigo.

• It aims to make India self-reliant in critical defence technology and systems.

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• DRDO was formed in 1958 from the amalgamation of the then already functioning

Technical Development Establishment (TDEs) of the Indian Army and the Directorate of

Technical Development & Production (DTDP) with the Defence Science Organisation

(DSO).

• It is headquartered in New Delhi and its current Chairman is Samir V Kamat.

392. Copyright Law Day is celebrated annually on 1st January to emphasize the need to give
credit where it is due. The first copyright statute was made by British Statute of Anne 1710
and applied only to books.

In 1787, the United States Constitution protected copyrights to promote the progress of
science and useful arts.
Copyright:
Copyright is a legal term used to describe the rights that creators have over their literary and
artistic works. Works covered by copyright range from books, music, paintings, sculpture, and
films, to computer programs, databases, advertisements, maps, and technical drawings.

393. World Day of Peace is observed annually on 1st January by the Catholic Church. The day is
dedicated to universal peace on the Solemnity of Mary, the mother of God.

Pope Paul VI established this day in 1967, being inspired by the encyclical Pacem in Terris of
Pope John XXIII and with reference to his own encyclical Populorum Progressio.
The day was first observed on 1 January 1968.
On this occasion, Pope generally make authoritative declarations on the Catholic Social
Teachings (C.S.T.).
Note: United Nations observes the International Day of Peace (IDP) annually on 21
September.

394. World Introvert Day is observed annually on 2nd January to understand and value the
exceptional characteristics of introverted people. An introvert person is somebody who is
shy, calm and likes to invest energy alone instead of frequently being with others.

World Introvert Day was started from a blog post by psychologist and author Felicitas Heyne
named, “Here’s Why We Need a World Introvert Day” on her site “iPersonic”.
The date January 2 was chosen in light of the fact that it denotes the end of the holiday
season beginning from Christmas to New Year and permits introverts to take a collective full
breath.

395. International Mind-Body Wellness Day is observed annually on 3rd January to the
harmonious co-existence of physical and mental health.

The day promotes self-care, mindfulness, and holistic health practices among people around
the world in recognition of the mind-body connection.

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396. World Braille Day is observed annually on 4th January to recognize the right of access to
braille by blind people and raise awareness of the importance of braille as a means of
communication in the full realization of the human rights for blind and partially sighted
people. The day was first observed in 2019.

The day is also observed to mark the birth anniversary of Louis Braille, the inventor of Braille
– for people with visual disabilities. Louis Braille was born on 4th January 1809 in the town of
Coupvray in northern France.
The year 2024 marks the 215th birth anniversary of him.

397. Power System Operation Corporation (POSOCO) Day is observed annually on 3rd
January to commemorate its independent functioning that began on 3rd January 2017,
under Ministry of Power as one of the Power PSUs after separating from POWERGRID as its
subsidiary organization.

The year 2024 marks the commemoration of the 7th POSOCO Day.

398. The United States of America (USA) has observed 5th January as National Bird Day to
spread awareness of the significance of birds to our ecosystem.

The day was first observed by the Avian Welfare Coalition, which is involved in the cause of
promoting awareness about birds that are caught or end up in captivity for either monetary
profit or for human entertainment.
National Birds Day has been celebrated in America since 2002.
This date was chosen because it also happens to be the day for the yearly Christmas Bird
Count.
The theme of the National Birds Day 2024 is ‘Right to Fight’.

399. World Day of War Orphans is observed annually on 6th January to raise awareness about
children who have been orphaned due to wars. The day was initiated by the French
organization, SOS Enfants en Detresses.

Note: UNICEF describes an orphan as a child who is under 18 years of age who has lost one
or both parents to any cause of death.

400. Earth’s Rotation Day is observed annually on 8th January to recognize the pivotal
discovery of Earth’s rotation on its axis. This day is observed to mark the discovery made by
French Physicist Leon Foucault regarding the rotation of earth.

In 470 BC, the Greeks claimed that the earth rotates on its own back.
In 1851, Leon Foucault demonstrated the earth's rotation with the help of a pendulum.
There is a hypothetical line that passes almost vertically through the earth determines the
axis around which the earth rotates. The axis connects the north and the south pole.

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401. The African National Congress (ANC), a pivotal force in South Africa’s history, has
observed its Foundation Day on January 8, commemorating its establishment in 1912. This
day marks the ANC’s enduring commitment to uniting African people and defending their
rights and freedoms.

The ANC, initially founded as the South African Native National Congress (SANNC) in
Bloemfontein, symbolizes a landmark event in Africa’s struggle against centuries of
exploitation and humiliation.
The organization aimed to fight for the rights of black South Africans, to bring all Africans
together as one people, and to defend their rights and freedoms.

402. Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD), also known as Non-Resident Indian Day, is observed
annually on 9th January to strengthen the engagement of the overseas Indian community
with the Government of India and reconnect them with their roots. The day was first
observed in 2003.

Since 2015, its format has been revised to celebrate the PBD once every two years and to
hold theme based PBD Conferences during the intervening period with participation from
overseas diaspora experts, policy makers and stakeholders.
Background:
In the year 1915, Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa on this day. Following
his return, the Father of the Nation began and headed India's freedom struggle and changed
the lives of millions of Indians forever.
Note: The year 2015 marked 100 years of the return of Mahatma Gandhi.

403. Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, has addressed the 77th
Foundation Day celebration of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), a statutory body
functioning under the aegis of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution,
Government of India, virtually.

The event focuses on the theme ‘Dialogue for Strengthening Quality Ecosystem in India.’
BIS has completed its 76 glorious years in serving the Nation and has entered the 77th year
on 06 January 2024.
The main function of the 77th BIS foundation day 2024 programme has been held at Hotel
SAVERA, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Recent progress related to standards in India:
• Mandatory jewellery hallmarking covers 343 districts and 90% jewellery that people are
buying is hallmarked.
• About 156 Quality Control Orders (QCOs) of 672 products are being processed.

404. World Hindi Day, also known as Vishwa Hindi Diwas, is observed annually on 10th January
to promote the language at the global stage. The day also marks the anniversary of the first

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World Hindi Conference which was inaugurated on 10th January 1975 in Nagpur, by the
then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The celebration of first World Hindi Day was commenced on 10th January 2006 by former
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. This was also the first time that the Ministry of External
Affairs started celebrating the day abroad.

405. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of
Commerce and Industry, has been organizing the Startup India Innovation Week from
10th January 2024 to 18th January 2024 to celebrate the Indian Startup Ecosystem as well
as National Startup Day (16th January 2024).

Notably, 16th January 2024 marks the completion of 8 marvellous years of the launch of
Startup India.
The week aims to engage startup ecosystem stakeholders across the nation and spur the
spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation in India.

Note: The Startup India initiative was launched by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi on
16th January 2016 to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation, boosting startups,
and encouraging investments in the startup ecosystem of the country.

406. National Human Trafficking Awareness Day is observed annually on 11th January to
raise awareness about the prevention of illegal practice of human trafficking and slavery. The
day was established by the United States Senate in 2007.

Note: In 2010, President Obama dedicated the entire month of January to awareness and
prevention of human trafficking.

407. National Youth Day is observed annually on 12th January to commemorate the birth
anniversary of Swami Vivekananda who always motivated the youth of the country and
spoke about the right use of the youth in the development of the country.

The decision to celebrate Swami Vivekananda’s birthday as National Youth Day was taken in
1984, and it was first observed on 12th January 1985.
The year 2024 marks the observance of the 27th National Youth Day and the 161st birth
anniversary of Swami Vivekananda (12 January 1863).
The 27th National Youth Festival has been observed at Nashik, Maharashtra.

408. The Armed Forces Veterans’ Day is observed annually on 14th January, as on this day in
1953, the First Indian Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army Field Marshal KM Cariappa, who
led the Indian forces to victory in the 1947 war, formally retired from the Service. The day was
first observed in 2016.

The year 2024 marks the observance of the 8th Armed Forces Veterans’ Day.

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A Veteran Outreach Event to celebrate the 8th Armed Forces Veterans’ Day has been held at
Indira Gandhi Stadium, Alwar, Rajasthan.
The Indian Navy has also organized a Veterans’ Rally at Naval Base, Kochi for ex-servicemen
or widows from the tri-services.

409. Army Day is observed annually across India on 15th January to salute the valiant soldiers
who sacrificed their lives to protect the country and its citizens. The day is also marked to
commemorate the day when General (later Field Marshal) KM Carriappa took over the
command of the Army from General Sir FRR Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief in
1949 and became the first Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army post Independence.

The year 2024 marks the observance of the 76th Indian Army Day.
On January 15, 2024, the 76th Army Day Parade has been conducted by Surya Command
(Central Command of the Indian Army) at Lucknow Cantonment's 11 Gorkha Rifles
Regimental Centre.

410. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways provides a platform to celebrate National
Road Safety Week every year. This significant week in 2024 has been observed from
January 11 to 17 to create awareness around road safety.

National Road Safety Week aims to educate the public about the perils of reckless or
irresponsible driving.
The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways published its annual report for 2022-23 with
Road Accident statistics. In the report, the total number of road accidents in the year 2021
totalled 4,12,432.

411. Thiruvalluvar Day has been observed on 16th January 2024 to mark the birth anniversary
of Thiruvalluvar, a Tamil poet and philosopher. The day was first observed on 17th-18th May
in 1935.

Currently, the day is usually observed either on 15th or 16th January in Tamil Nadu and is a
part of Pongal celebrations.
Thiruvalluvar:
He is also known as Valluvar. He was a Tamil poet-saint. He is regarded as a cultural and
moral icon for Tamils across caste and religious lines. He is best known as the author of the
‘Tirukkuṟaḷ’, also known as ‘Kural’, a celebrated Tamil text which offers wisdom on ethics and
morality in different aspects of life.

412. National Startup Day is observed annually on 16th January to appreciate and promote the
Indian Startup Ecosystem. The day was first observed in 2022.

Note: Start-up India Innovation Week has been observed from 10th January to 18th January
2024.

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413. Women’s Healthy Weight Day is observed annually on the Thursday of the third week of
January. In 2024, the day falls on 18th January. The day aims to spread awareness around
the concept of healthy weight and steps to achieve the ideal weight.

Maintaining a healthy weight is important for both men and women and it not only helps you
feel better and more energetic but can also reduce risk of falling ill due to chronic diseases
like cardiovascular illness, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, thyroid issues to
name a few.

414. Kokborok Day (Tripuri language Day) is observed annually in the Indian state of Tripura to
celebrate the development of the Kokborok language. It is observed on 19 January every
year.

• The Kokborok language is an official language in Tripura.

• This day is chosen to commemorate its initial recognition as an official language in 1979.
• The year 2024 marks the observance of the 46th Kokborok Day.
Note: Kokborok is derived from ‘Kok’ means “verbal” and ‘borok’ means “people”.

415. The NDRF Raising Day is observed annually on 19th January by the National Disaster
Response Force (NDRF) in India to highlight the role of the NDRF personnel for their help and
assistance during disaster situations in India.

In 2024, the day marks the celebration of the 19th NDRF Raising Day.
Additional Information:
The National Disaster Response Force was constituted in 2006 for the purpose of a special
response to a threatening disaster situation under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
• Motto: Aapada Seva Sadaiv Sarvatra
• NDRF Chief: Atul Karwal

416. ‘Parakram Diwas’ (Courage Day) is observed annually across India on 23rd January to
commemorate the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The day is celebrated
to honour and remember Netaji’s indomitable spirit and selfless service to the nation. The
day was first observed in 2021.

The year 2024 marks the observance of the 127th birth anniversary of him.

Subhas Chandra Bose:

• He was born on 23rd January 1897, in Cuttack, Orissa Division, Bengal Province, to
Prabhavati Dutt Bose and Janakinath Bose.
• He joined the Indian National Congress in 1921.
• He started a newspaper called “Swaraj”.
• He had written a book called “The Indian Struggle”. The book covers the Indian
Independence movement between 1920 and 1942.
• The term “Jai Hind” was coined by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

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 Monthly Current Affairs January 2024
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• With the slogan “Give me blood and I will give you freedom”, he awakened the country
towards fighting against the British.
• He won the congress presidential elections at Haripura in 1938.
• Again in 1939 at Tripuri, he won the presidential elections against Gandhi's candidate
Pattabhi Sitaramayya. Due to ideological differences with Gandhi, Bose resigned and left
congress. Rajendra Prasad was appointed in his place.
• He founded a new party, 'the Forward Bloc'. The purpose was to consolidate the political
left and major support base in his home state Bengal.
• He built a force known as the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army) giving the slogan of
“Dilli Chalo”.

417. International Day of Education is observed annually on 24th January to celebrate the role
of education in bringing global peace and sustainable development. The day is organized by
the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Theme 2024: “Learning for Lasting Peace”

The year 2024 marks the 6th observation of International Day of Education.
The first-ever International Day of Education was observed on 24 January 2019 as per the
resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly on 3rd December 2018 to
celebrate the role of education in development.

418. The National Girl Child Day (NGCD) is observed annually across India on 24th January to
focus on the inequalities faced by girls, to promote the education, health & nutrition of the
girl child, and to spread awareness about the rights of a girl child.

The day was observed for the first time in 2008 as an initiative by the Ministry of Women and
Child Development and the Government of India.

419. National Tourism Day is observed annually on 25th January to raise awareness about the
importance of tourism for the country’s economy. The day is observed to cultivate awareness
among the global community of the importance of tourism and its social, political, financial
and cultural worth.

420. National Voters’ Day (NVD) is observed annually on 25th January to mark the foundation
day of the Election Commission of India (ECI), i.e. 25th January 1950. The main purpose of the
NVD celebration is to create electoral awareness amongst citizens and encourage them to
participate in the electoral process. The day was first observed in 2011.
• The year 2024 marks the 14th National Voters’ Day.
• Theme 2024: ‘Nothing Like Voting, I Vote for Sure’

421. International Customs Day is observed annually on 26th January to commemorate the
inaugural session of the World Customs Organisation (WCO), which was held on this day in

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1953. The day also raises awareness about the importance of customs authorities and their
role in the smooth movement of goods across borders. The day was first observed in 1983.

The year 2024 marks the observance of the 71th anniversary of the WCO.
Theme 2024: ‘Customs engaging traditional and new partners with purpose’

422. International Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed annually on 27th January to

commemorate the anniversary of the tragedy of the Holocaust, also known as the Shoah,
which was the genocide of European Jews during World War II.

Theme 2024: “Recognizing the Extraordinary Courage of Victims and Survivors of the
Holocaust”
United Nations designated the day in 2005 to serve as a date for official commemoration of
the victims of the Nazi regime and to promote Holocaust education throughout the world.
The day was first observed in 2006.

423. World Leprosy Day is observed globally on the last Sunday of January to raise global
awareness of this deadly ancient disease and call attention to the fact that it can be
prevented, treated, and cured.

In 2024, the World Leprosy Day falls on 28th January.

• The day was initiated in 1954 by French philanthropist and writer, Raoul Follereau, as a

tribute to the life of Mahatma Gandhi who had compassion for people afflicted with

leprosy.

• Theme 2024: “Beat Leprosy”

• As per the latest data, India accounts for almost 60 percent of the world's new leprosy

patients despite being declared leprosy-free in 2005.

Note: In India, World Leprosy Day is celebrated every year on 30 January, the anniversary of
Mahatma Gandhi’s death.

424. Data Privacy Day is annually observed across the globe on 28th January to spread
awareness about the significance of protecting Data Privacy Day 2024, promoting trust, and
respecting privacy.

• The day commemorates the anniversary of the opening for signature of Convention 108,

the global data protection Convention, on 28th January 1981.

• The year 2024 marks the observance of the 18th edition of Data Privacy Day.

• The day was first observed in 2007.

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425. Martyr’s Day or Shaheed Diwas is observed annually on 30th January to mark the death
anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The year 2024 marks the 76th death anniversary of
Mahatma Gandhi. The day is observed to remember the sacrifices made by freedom fighters
in the struggle for India’s independence and to pay our respects to them.

Note: The Raj Ghat is a memorial site to honour Mahatma Gandhi.

The Father of Nation, Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse in the Birla
House during his evening prayers on 30 January 1948. Gandhiji was a freedom fighter, a
simple man with huge determination, a man who had sacrificed his life for the independence,
welfare, and development of India.

Important Day Date/Month Theme for Remark

2024
Global Family Day 1st January The day was first observed in 1997.

World Day of Peace 1st January

World Introvert Day 2nd January

International Mind- 3rd January

Body Wellness Day
Power System 3rd January
Operation
Corporation
(POSOCO) Day
World Braille Day 4th January The day was first observed in 2019.

World Day of War 6th January

Orphans
Pravasi Bhartiya Divas 9th January The day was first observed in 2003.
(PBD)
World Hindi Day 10th January

Startup India 10th January

Innovation Week to 18th
January
National Human 11th January
Trafficking Awareness
Day
National Road Safety 11th to 17th
Week January 2024
National Youth Day 12th January The year 2024 marks the 27th
National Youth Day and the 161st

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 Monthly Current Affairs January 2024
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birth anniversary of Swami
Vivekananda (12 January 1863).
Armed Forces 14th January The day was first observed in 2016.
Veterans Day
Army Day 15th January The year 2024 marks the 76th
Indian Army Day.
National Start-up Day 16th January The day was first observed in 2022.

NDRF Raising Day 19th January In 2024, the day marks the
celebration of the 19th NDRF
Raising Day.
Parakram Diwas 23rd January The day commemorates the birth
anniversary of Netaji Subhas
Chandra Bose. The year 2024
marks the 127th birth anniversary
of him.
National Girl Child Day 24th January The day was first observed in 2008.

International Day of 24th January Learning for

Education Lasting Peace
National Tourism Day 25th January

National Voters’ Day 25th January Nothing Like The day was first observed in 2011.
Voting, I Vote
For sure
International Customs 26th January
Day
International 27th January Recognizing
Holocaust the
Remembrance Day Extraordinary
Courage of
Victims and
Survivors of
the Holocaust
Data Privacy Day 28th January

World Leprosy Day Last Sunday Beat Leprosy World Leprosy Day
of January
(29th January
2023)
th
World Neglected 30 January
Tropical Diseases Day

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