Current Affairs - January 2024

Month January 2024 Type All

180 Current Affairs were found in Month - January 2024 for Type - All

Appointments
1. Bernardo Arévalo has been named as new President of Guatemala (Central America).
Also, Karin Herrera has been named as vice-president.
2. Sanjiv Khanna has been named as Executive Chairperson of National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).
3. Succès Masra has been named new Prime Minister of Chad (Central Africa).
4. Champai Soren has been named as new (7th) Chief Minister of Jharkhand, after earlier CM Hemant Soren had resigned.
5. Frederik X has been named new King of Denmark, acceding to throne following his mother Margrethe II's abdication
(after her 52 years long reign).
6. Gabriel Attal has been named new prime minister of France.
Aged 34, he is youngest PM of France.
7. Lai Ching-te has been elected as president of Taiwan (Officially called Republic of China).
He is set to be first president to assume the office through election instead of a predecessor's death.
8. Nadia Calvino (Spain) has been named new president of Kirchberg (Luxembourg) based European Investment Bank,
becoming first woman to hold the post.
9. Nitish Kumar has been named chief minister of Bihar, for his record 9th term.
It came after he resigned as chief minister of govt formed in 2022 by an alliance comprising RJD, INC, CPI.
For his 9th term now, Nitish Kumar has rejoined BJP led NDA alliance. Vijay Kumar Sinha and Samrat Choudhary have
been named deput CMs.
10. P Santhosh has been named MD & CEO of National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL).
11. Raghuram Iyer has been named new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
12. Sheikh Hasina has been elected as Prime Minister of Bangladesh, for her 4th consecutive term.
13. Tshering Tobgay has been elected as Prime Minister of Bhutan, for his 2nd term.
14. Azerbaijan govt named Mukhtar Babayev as president-elect for 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference or
Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (commonly known as COP29), to be hosted by Azerbaijan in Baku in 2024.
Notably -
2023 Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP28) was hosted by Dubai (UAE).
2025 Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP30) will be hosted by Belém (Brazil).
India has proposed to host COP33 in India in 2028.
15. Govt named Daljit Singh Chaudhary as Director General of paramilitary force Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
16. Govt named Senthil Pandian C as India's Permanent Representative to Geneva based World Trade Organization (WTO),
succeeding Brajendra Navnit.
17. Govt named Vikas Sheel as Executive Director of Manila (Philippines) based Asian Development Bank (ADB).
His earlier role of Mission Director of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) shall be taken up by Chandra Bhushan Kumar.
18. Govt named members of newly formed 16th finance Commission, headed by Arvind Panagariya (former NITI Aayog Vice-
Chairman).
Members are Ajay Narayan Jha, Annie George Mathew, Niranjan Rajadhyaksha & Soumya Kanti Ghosh.
Background -
 Govt had recently constituted 16th Finance Commission, in pursuance to Article 280(1) of the Constitution.
It will be chaired by Arvind Panagariya (former NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman), while Ritvik Ranjanam
Pandey has been named as Secretary to the Commission.
16th FC has been asked to make its report available by 31st October 2025, to give recommendations for
devolution of taxes and other fiscal matters for 5 fiscal years (covering FY27 (2026-27) to FY31 (2030-31)).
Earlier, 15th FC was constituted in November 2017 and submitted its final report On 01 Feb 2021, chaired
by Nand Kishore Singh (covering FY22 (2021-22) to FY26 (2025-26)).
About -
Finance Commissions are constituted by President of India under Article 280 of the Indian Constitution, to
define financial relations between central and state governments.
First Finance Commission was established in 1951, chaired by K C Neogy.
Finance Commission consists of a chairman and four other members.
19. Govt re-appointed Michael Debabrata as a Deputy Governor of RBI, for further period of 1 year.
RBI Board has 4 Deputy Governors. Other 3 - M Rajeshwar Rao, T Rabi Sankar & Swaminathan J.
Shaktikanta Das is Governor of RBI.
20. Misc. Appointments (Jan 2024) -
Randhir Jaiswal has been named official spokesperson in Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), succeeding Arindam Bagchi,
who was named India’s next Permanent Representative to United Nations and other international organizations based in
Geneva.
Sheel Vardhan Singh has been named new Member in UPSC.
UPSC has 1 Chairman (Manoj Soni Currently) & upto 10 members.
New Indian Ambassadors Appointed -
Raveesh Kumar - Czech Republic
Manish Prabhat - Denmark
Madhumita Hazarika Bhagat - Turkmenistan
Vidhu P Nair - Angola
Maharashtra govt named Rashmi Shukla as Chief of State Police (DGP). She is 1st female to hold the post.
National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIFL) named Sanjiv Aggarwal as its MD & CEO.
NIIFL maintains infrastructure investments funds for international and Indian investors anchored by Government of
India.
RBI approved appointment of Praveen Achuthan Kutty as MD & CEO of DCB Bank.
Prasanna Bhalachandra Varale (Former Chief Justice of Karnataka HC) has been named as as a Judge of Supreme Court of
India, taking sitting strength of SC to max possible number of 34.
Azali Assoumani has been re-elected as President of Comoros (East Africa), for his 4th term.
21. New Members named in Railway Board -
Satish Kumar - Member (Traction & Rolling Stock)
Seema Kumar - Member (Operations & Business Development)
About -
Railway Board has 4 Members and 1 Chairman (Jaya Varma Sinha currently).
22. President Droupadi Murmu nominated Satnam Singh Sandhu (Chandigarh University founder) to the Rajya Sabha.
Rajya Sabha membership is limited to 250, out of which upto 12 members are nominated by President of India, and rest are
elected by State legislative assemblies members.
Top

Awards
1. Notable Winners at 29th Critics' Choice Awards (Hosted in Los Angeles (USA)) -
Best Picture - Oppenheimer
Best Director - Christopher Nolan (for Oppenheimer )
Best Actor - Paul Giamatti (for The Holdovers)
Best Actress - Emma Stone (for Poor Things)
Best Supporting Actor - Robert Downey Jr. (for Oppenheimer)
 Best Supporting Actress - Da'Vine Joy Randolph ( for The Holdovers )
Best Foreign Language Film - Anatomy of a Fall (France)
2. 2023 ICC Awards Winners -
Men's Awards -
Cricketer of the Year (Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy) - Pat Cummins (Australia)
Test Cricketer of the Year - Usman Khawaja (Australia)
ODI Cricketer of the Year - Virat Kohli (India). Its his 4th ODI Cricketer of the year title.
T20I Cricketer of the Year - Suryakumar Yadav (India). Its his 2nd T20 Cricketer of the year title.
Emerging Cricketer of the Year - Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand)
Associate Cricketer of the Year - Bas de Leede (Netherlands)
Women's Awards -
Cricketer of the Year (Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award) - Nat Sciver-Brunt (England)
ODI Cricketer of the Year - Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka)
T20I Cricketer of the Year - Hayley Matthews (WINDIES)
Emerging Cricketer of the Year - Phoebe Litchfield (Australia)
Associate Cricketer of the Year - Queentor Abel (Kenya)
Umpire of the Year (David Shepherd Trophy) - Richard Illingworth (England). Its his 3rd time winning this award.
Also, India's Rohit Sharma has been named captain of ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year 2023, and Suryakumar Yadav was
named captain of ICC Men's T20I Team of the Year 2023.
3. 81st Golden Globe Awards 2024 (hosted in California, USA) -
Best Motion Picture -
Drama - Oppenheimer
Musical / Comedy - Poor Things
Animated - The Boy and the Heron
Non-English - Anatomy of a Fall (France)
Best Performance in a Motion Picture (Drama) -
Actor - Cillian Murphy for Oppenheimer
Actress - Lily Gladstone for Killers of the Flower Moon
Best Performance in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) -
Actor - Paul Giamatti for The Holdovers
Actress - Emma Stone for Poor Things
Best Supporting Performance in a Motion Picture -
Supporting Actor - Robert Downey Jr. for Oppenheimer
Supporting Actress - Da'Vine Joy Randolph for The Holdovers
Best Director - Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer
Barbie received most nominations (9), and Oppenheimer won most awards (5).
Best Television Series -
Drama - Succession (HBO)
Musical or Comedy - The Bear (FX / Hulu)
4. BCCI Awards 2023 -
Polly Umrigar Award (Best Men's International Cricketer) -
Mohammed Shami for 2019-20
Ravichandran Ashwin for 2020-21
Jasprit Bumrah for 2021-22
Shubman Gill for 2022-23
Best International Cricketer (Women) -
Deepti Sharma for 2019-20 & 2022-23
Smriti Mandhana for 2020-21 and 2021-22
Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award - Farokh Engineer and Ravi Shastri
5. Best marching contingents & tableaux of Republic Day Parade 2024 -
Panel Results -
 Best three Tableaux (States/UTs) -
First - Odisha (Woman Empowerment in Viksit Bharat)
Second - Gujrat (Dhordo : A Global Icon Of Gujarat’s Border Tourism)
Third - Tamil Nadu (Kudavolai System in ancient Tamil Nadu – Mother of Democracy)
Ministries/Departments - Ministry of Culture – (Bharat : Mother of Democracy)
Best Marching Contingent among three services - Sikh Regiment Contingent
Best Marching Contingent among CAPF/other auxiliary forces - Delhi Police Women Marching Contingent
Online Poll (on MyGov) -
Best Marching Contingent among three services - Rajputana Rifles Regimental Marching Contingent
Best Marching Contingent among CAPF/other auxiliary forces - CRPF Woman Marching Contingent
Best three Tableaux (States/UTs):
First - Gujrat (Dhordo : A Global Icon Of Gujarat’s Border Tourism)
Second - Uttar Pradesh (Viksit Bharat Samradh Virasat)
Third - Andhra Pradesh (Transforming School Education in Andhra Pradesh – Making Students Globally
Competitive)
Best Tableau (Central Ministries/Departments) - Vibrant Villages (Ministry of Home Affairs)
Notably -
NCC Directorate Maharashtra contingent won Prime Minister’s Banner at Republic Day Camp 2024 event, for third
time in a row.
6. Padma Awards 2024 (Highest Civilian Awards in India) -
Padma Vibhushan (5)

SN Name Field State/Region/Country

1 Ms. Vyjayantimala Bali Art Tamil Nadu

2 Shri Konidela Chiranjeevi Art Andhra Pradesh

3 Shri M Venkaiah Naidu Public Affairs Andhra Pradesh

Shri Bindeshwar Pathak

4 Social Work Bihar
(Posthumous)

5 Ms. Padma Subrahmanyam Art Tamil Nadu

Padma Bhushan (17)

SN Name Field State/Region/Country

Ms. M Fathima Beevi

6 Public Affairs Kerala
(Posthumous)

7 Shri Hormusji N Cama Literature & Education - Journalism Maharashtra

8 Shri Mithun Chakraborty Art West Bengal

9 Shri Sitaram Jindal Trade & Industry Karnataka

10 Shri Young Liu Trade & Industry Taiwan

11 Shri Ashwin Balachand Mehta Medicine Maharashtra

Shri Satyabrata Mookherjee

12 Public Affairs West Bengal
(Posthumous)

13 Shri Ram Naik Public Affairs Maharashtra

14 Shri Tejas Madhusudan Patel Medicine Gujarat

15 Shri Olanchery Rajagopal Public Affairs Kerala

16 Shri Dattatray Ambadas Mayaloo alias Rajdutt Art Maharashtra

Shri Togdan Rinpoche

17 Others - Spiritualism Ladakh
(Posthumous)
18 Shri Pyarelal Sharma Art Maharashtra

19 Shri Chandreshwar Prasad Thakur Medicine Bihar

20 Ms. Usha Uthup Art West Bengal

Shri Vijaykanth
21 Art Tamil Nadu
(Posthumous)

22 Shri Kundan Vyas Literature & Education - Journalism Maharashtra

Padma Shri (110)

SN Name Field State/Region/Country

23 Shri Khalil Ahamad Art Uttar Pradesh

24 Shri Badrappan M Art Tamil Nadu

25 Shri Kaluram Bamaniya Art Madhya Pradesh

26 Ms. Rezwana Choudhury Bannya Art Bangladesh

27 Ms. Naseem Bano Art Uttar Pradesh

28 Shri Ramlal Bareth Art Chhattisgarh

29 Ms. Gita Roy Barman Art West Bengal

30 Ms. Parbati Baruah Social Work Assam

31 Shri Sarbeswar Basumatary Others - Agriculture Assam

32 Shri Som Datt Battu Art Himachal Pradesh

33 Ms. Takdira Begum Art West Bengal

34 Shri Sathyanarayana Beleri Others - Agriculture Kerala

35 Shri Drona Bhuyan Art Assam

36 Shri Ashok Kumar Biswas Art Bihar

37 Shri Rohan Machanda Bopanna Sports Karnataka

38 Ms. Smriti Rekha Chakma Art Tripura

39 Shri Narayan Chakraborty Science & Engineering West Bengal

40 Shri A Velu Ananda Chari Art Telangana

41 Shri Ram Chet Chaudhary Science & Engineering Uttar Pradesh

42 Ms. K Chellammal Others - Agriculture Andaman & Nicobar Islands

43 Ms. Joshna Chinappa Sports Tamil Nadu

44 Ms. Charlotte Chopin Others - Yoga France

45 Shri Raghuveer Choudhary Literature & Education Gujarat

46 Shri Joe D Cruz Literature & Education Tamil Nadu

47 Shri Ghulam Nabi Dar Art Jammu & Kashmir

48 Shri Chitta Ranjan Debbarma Others - Spiritualism Tripura

49 Shri Uday Vishwanath Deshpande Sports Maharashtra

50 Ms. Prema Dhanraj Medicine Karnataka

51 Shri Radha Krishan Dhiman Medicine Uttar Pradesh

52 Shri Manohar Krishana Dole Medicine Maharashtra

SN Name Field State/Region/Country

53 Shri Pierre Sylvain Filliozat Literature & Education France

54 Shri Mahabir Singh Guddu Art Haryana

55 Ms. Anupama Hoskere Art Karnataka

56 Shri Yazdi Maneksha Italia Medicine Gujarat

57 Shri Rajaram Jain Literature & Education Uttar Pradesh

58 Shri Jankilal Art Rajasthan

59 Shri Ratan Kahar Art West Bengal

60 Shri Yashwant Singh Kathoch Literature & Education Uttarakhand

61 Shri Zahir I Kazi Literature & Education Maharashtra

62 Shri Gaurav Khanna Sports Uttar Pradesh

63 Shri Surendra Kishore Literature & Education - Journalism Bihar

64 Shri Dasari Kondappa Art Telangana

65 Shri Sridhar Makam Krishnamurthy Literature & Education Karnataka

66 Ms. Yanung Jamoh Lego Others - Agriculture Arunachal Pradesh

67 Shri Jordan Lepcha Art Sikkim

68 Shri Satendra Singh Lohia Sports Madhya Pradesh

69 Shri Binod Maharana Art Odisha

70 Ms. Purnima Mahato Sports Jharkhand

71 Ms. Uma Maheshwari D Art Andhra Pradesh

72 Shri Dukhu Majhi Social Work West Bengal

73 Shri Ram Kumar Mallick Art Bihar

74 Shri Hemchand Manjhi Medicine Chhattisgarh

75 Shri Chandrashekhar Mahadeorao Meshram Medicine Maharashtra

Shri Surendra Mohan Mishra

76 Art Uttar Pradesh
(Posthumous)

Shri Ali Mohammed & Shri Ghani Mohammed*

77 Art Rajasthan
(Duo)

78 Ms. Kalpana Morparia Trade & Industry Maharashtra

79 Ms. Chami Murmu Social Work Jharkhand

80 Shri Sasindran Muthuvel Public Affairs Papua New Guinea

81 Ms. G Nachiyar Medicine Tamil Nadu

82 Ms. Kiran Nadar Art Delhi

Shri Pakaravur Chithran Namboodiripad

83 Literature & Education Kerala
(Posthumous)

84 Shri Narayanan E P Art Kerala

85 Shri Shailesh Nayak Science & Engineering Delhi

Shri Harish Nayak

86 Literature & Education Gujarat
(Posthumous)

87 Shri Fred Negrit Literature & Education France

SN Name Field State/Region/Country

88 Shri Hari Om Science & Engineering Haryana

89 Shri Bhagabat Padhan Art Odisha

90 Shri Sanatan Rudra Pal Art West Bengal

91 Shri Shankar Baba Pundlikrao Papalkar Social Work Maharashtra

92 Shri Radhe Shyam Pareek Medicine Uttar Pradesh

93 Shri Dayal Mavjibhai Parmar Medicine Gujarat

94 Shri Binod Kumar Pasayat Art Odisha

95 Ms. Silbi Passah Art Meghalaya

Ms. Shanti Devi Paswan & Shri Shivan Paswan*

96 Art Bihar
(Duo)

97 Shri Sanjay Anant Patil Others - Agriculture Goa

98 Shri Muni Narayana Prasad Literature & Education Kerala

99 Shri K S Rajanna Social Work Karnataka

100 Shri Chandrashekar Channapatna Rajannachar Medicine Karnataka

101 Shri Bhagwatilal Rajpurohit Literature & Education Madhya Pradesh

102 Shri Romalo Ram Art Jammu & Kashmir

103 Shri Navjivan Rastogi Literature & Education Uttar Pradesh

104 Ms. Nirmal Rishi Art Punjab

105 Shri Pran Sabharwal Art Punjab

106 Shri Gaddam Sammaiah Art Telangana

107 Shri Sangthankima Social Work Mizoram

108 Shri Machihan Sasa Art Manipur

109 Shri Omprakash Sharma Art Madhya Pradesh

110 Shri Eklabya Sharma Science & Engineering West Bengal

111 Shri Ram Chander Sihag Science & Engineering Haryana

112 Shri Harbinder Singh Sports Delhi

113 Shri Gurvinder Singh Social Work Haryana

114 Shri Godawari Singh Art Uttar Pradesh

115 Shri Ravi Prakash Singh Science & Engineering Mexico

116 Shri Seshampatti T Sivalingam Art Tamil Nadu

117 Shri Somanna Social Work Karnataka

118 Shri Kethavath Somlal Literature & Education Telangana

119 Ms. Shashi Soni Trade & Industry Karnataka

120 Ms. Urmila Srivastava Art Uttar Pradesh

Shri Nepal Chandra Sutradhar

121 Art West Bengal
(Posthumous)

122 Shri Gopinath Swain Art Odisha

123 Shri Laxman Bhatt Tailang Art Rajasthan

 SN Name Field State/Region/Country

124 Ms. Maya Tandon Social Work Rajasthan

125 Ms. Aswathi Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bayi Thampuratty Literature & Education Kerala

126 Shri Jagdish Labhshanker Trivedi Art Gujarat

127 Ms. Sano Vamuzo Social Work Nagaland

128 Shri Balakrishnan Sadanam Puthiya Veetil Art Kerala

129 Shri Kurella Vittalacharya Literature & Education Telangana

130 Shri Kiran Vyas Others - Yoga France

131 Shri Jageshwar Yadav Social Work Chhattisgarh

132 Shri Babu Ram Yadav Art Uttar Pradesh

Notably, Padma awardees are selected by a committee headed by cabinet secretary of India (Rajiv Gauba currently).
7. Assam govt announced winners of State's Civilian Awards for 2023.
Highest civilian award in State of Assam, called Assam Baibhav, shall be conferred on former Chief Justice of India
Ranjan Gogoi.
He is 3rd recepient of this award, after Ratan Tata (2021) & Tapan Saikia (2022).
The Award carries cash prize of 5 lakh, along with lifetime free medical treatment.
State government honored total 22 personalities under civilian awards 2023, including 1 Assam Baibhav, 4 Assam Saurav
and 17 Assam Gaurav awards.
Assam Saurav awardees include Kishan Chand Nauriyal (Arts and Culture), Elvis Ali Hazarika (Swimming), Hima Das
(Athletics) and Nadiram Deuri (Tiwa Dance). It carries cash prize of 4 lakh.
8. Bengali writer Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay has been awarded 2023 Kuvempu Rashtriya Puraskar, conferred by
Rashtrakavi Kuvempu Prathishtana in honour of late Kannada poet Kuvempu. The award carries cash prize of 5 lakh.
9. Malayalam Poet P N Gopikrishnan has been selected for Odakuzhal Award 2023 for his poetry collection Kavitha
Mamsabhojiyanu.
Instituted by Guruvayurappan Trust, this award consists of INR 30000 grant, and is given for best collection of short stories
in Malayalam.
10. Noted lyricist-screenwriter Javed Akhtar has been honored with Padmapani Lifetime Achievement Award at Ajanta-Ellora
Film Festival 2023.
11. President Droupadi Murmu conferred Swachh Survekshan awards 2023 at Bharat Mandapam (New Delhi) -
Surat (Gujarat) and Indore (Madhya Pradesh) have been Jointly named India's cleanest cities.
Earlier, Indore had conquered the top spot alone for 6 consecutive years.
Other Awardees -
Top 3 Cities with population under 1 lakh - Sasvad (Maharashtra), Patan (Gujarat) and Lonavala (Maharashtra)
Cleanest Cantonment Board - Mhow Cantonment Board (Madhya Pradesh)
Cleanest Ganga Towns - Varanasi (1), Prayagraj (2).
Best Performing States (Top 3) - Maharashtra (1), Madhya Pradesh (2) and Chhattisgarh (3).
Best Safaimitra Surakshit Sheher - Chandigarh.
12. President Droupadi Murmu conferred National Sports Awards 2023 and National Adventure Awards 2022 -
Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards 2022 -
Savita Kanswal (Posthumous) (Mountaineering)
Tulsi Chaitanya Mothukuri (Swimming)
Anshu Kumar Tiwari (Skydiving)
Parveen Singh (Mountaineering)
Notably, National Sports Awards 2023 were announced earlier in Dec 2023.
Top

Books
 1. Novel Conversations with Aurangzeb, written by Tamil Writer Charu Nivedita has been released. It has been translated
by Nandini Krishnan.
2. Book An Uncommon Love: The Early Life of Sudha and Narayana Murthy, authored by Chitra Banerjee
Divakaruni has been released.
3. Book Gandhi: A Life in Three Campaigns, authored by M J Akbar & K Natwar Singh has been released.
4. Book Major Shaitan Singh, PVC: The Man In Half Light, by Jai Samota has been released.
Major Shaitan Singh was honored by Param Vir Chakra (India's highest military decoration), for his bravery at Rezang La
during Sino-Indian War 1962.
5. Book Pranab My Father: A Daughter Remembers, authored by Sharmistha Mukherjee has been released.
6. Book Ram Mandir : Raashtr Mandir, Ek Saajhee Viraasat, written by Geeta Singh & Mohd. Aarif Khan has been
released.
7. Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav launched book Modi: Energising A Green Future, authored by R K Pachnanda,
Bibek Debroy, Anirban Ganguly & Uttam Kumar Sinha.
8. Former Indian Army Chief Manoj Mukund Naravane's autobiography titled Four Stars of Destiny, has been released.
9. Home Minister Amit Shah launched book Assam's Braveheart Lachit Barphukan, written by Arup Kumar Dutta.
10. Home Minister Amit Shah launched book A Promised Nation Hon'ble Shri Narendra Modi- the Maker of New India, written on
life and works of PM Narendra Modi, in Braille script.
Top

Days
1. Jan 04 is observed by UN as World Braille Day, marking birthday of Louis Braille, the creator of Braille writing system used
by visually impaired people.
2. Jan 06 is observed as Journalist Day by Maharashtra government, in memory of Balshastri Jambhekar, known as Father of
Marathi journalism. He started First newspaper in Marathi, named Darpan.
3. Jan 10 is observed as World Hindi day, being celebrated world wide since 2006. The language is spoken by over 45 crore
people globally.
Notably -
Similar sounding National Hindi Day (Hindi Diwas) is seperate from World Hindi Day.
National Hindi Day is observed on September 14, marking adoption of Hindi in Devanagari script as an official
language in Hindi speaking states.
On 50th birthday of Beohar Rajendra Simha on 14th September 1949, Hindi was adopted as an official language.
4. Jan 11 is observed as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
5. Jan 15 is observed as Indian Army Day.
It marks taking over of Lt Gen K M Cariappa (later Field Marshal) as commander-in-chief of the Indian Army in 1949 from
General Francis Butcher, the last British commander-in-chief of India.
General Cariappa retired on January 14, 1953. His retirement day is observed as Armed Forces Veterans Day, since 2017.
Notably, Indian Army has marked 2024 as Year of Technology Absorption.
Jan 15 is also observed as Thiruvalluvar Day, marking birth anniversary of Noted Tamil poet and philosopher Thiruvalluvar
(commonly known as Valluvar).
Jan 15, 2024 also marks 150th anniversary of establishment of India Meteorological Department (IMD), which was formed
on Jan 15, 1875.
6. Jan 16 is observed as National Startup Day, since 2022. On this occasion -
Startup Shala was launched for extensive handholding of startups at the scaleup stage, as Startup India’s flagship
Accelerator Program. The initiative is a 3-month long accelerator program for early-stage startups to provide them access to
knowledge, network, funds, or guidance required to scale up.
National Startup Awards 2023 were conferred.
7. Jan 19 is observed as Kokborok Day (Tripuri language Day), observed in Tripura.
8. Jan 21 is statehood day of Northeastern States of Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya (Formed in 1972).
9. Jan 23 is Birth Anniversary of notable Freedom Fighter Netaji Shri Subhash Chandra Bose.
In 2021, Govt had announced to celebrate January 23rd every year as 'Parakram Diwas', to commemorate birth
anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
 Notably -
Netaji revived Azad Hind Fauj (INA) in 1943, which was founded by Mohan Singh and Indian prisoners of war
captured by Japan during Malayan campaign and at Singapore in 1942. INA aimed to secure India's independence
from British rule, and was supported by Japanese Empire initially.
Soldiers of INA were persecuted later under infamous Lal Qila Trials by british Govt during 1945-1946. This led to
country-wide uproar against british rule and shaken up the already weakened british govt (due to world war 2). The
widespread revolt proved to be a major driver of India's independence from british rule in 1947.
On this occasion -
Govt announced winner of Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2024 -
60 Parachute Field Hospital (Uttar Pradesh) has been selected (in institutional category) for Subhash Chandra
Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2024.
About -
Govt instituted annual Subhas Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar to honour invaluable
contribution and selfless service rendered by individuals and organisations in field of disaster management.
It is announced every year on 23rd January, carrying cash prize of 51 lakh for an institution and 5 lakh for
an individual.
10. Jan 24 is foundation day of Uttar Pradesh, which was formed on Jan 24, 1950.
On this occasion, state govt conferred Uttar Pradesh Gaurav Samman 2023 (1st edition) on noted ISRO scientist Ritu
Karidhal Srivastava and Naveen Tiwari (CEO of Inmobi). Award carries cash prize of 11 lakh.
11. Jan 24 is observed as National Girl Child Day in India, initiated in 2008 by Ministry of Women and Child Development.
12. Jan 24 is observed by UNESCO as International Day of Education, with 2024 theme Learning for lasting peace.
13. Jan 25 is observed in India as National Voters’ Day, with 2024 theme Nothing Like Voting, I Vote For sure.
It marks Foundation day of Election Commission of India (ECI), which was established on 25th January 1950. It is observed
Since 2011.
On this occasion -
Short voter awareness film My Vote My Duty produced by ECI in association with filmmaker Raj Kumar Hirani was
screened.
A special commemorative postage stamp was released, to mark 75th year of Election Commission of India.
Jan 25 is also observed as -
Statehood day of Himachal Pradesh, formed in 1971.
National Tourism Day in India, with 2024 theme Sustainable Journeys, Timeless Memories.
Note that World Tourism day is observed on Sep 27.
14. Jan 26, 2024 has been observed by UN as 1st ever International Day of Clean Energy. It will be observed annually.
Jan 26 is also observed as International Customs Day.
15. Jan 26, 2024 observed as 75th Republic day of India. It marks enactment of Indian constitution on Jan 26, 1950.
Chief Guest -
President of France, Emmanuel Macron was Chief Guest at Republic Day 2024 celebrations.
Awards -
President Ram Nath kovind approved conferment of Jeevan Raksha Padak Series Awards 2023 on 31 persons, which
includes Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak to 3, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak to 7 and Jeevan Raksha Padak to 21
persons.
President Draupadi Murmu Conferred Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2024 to 19 children under various categories (age group
5-18 years).
President approved 391 Gallantry and other Defence decorations to Armed Forces personnel (Army - 269, Navy - 43,
Air Force - 70, CRPF - 1, BRDB - 3, Coast Guard - 1, J&K Police - 4). Awards Include 6 Kirti Chakras, 16
Shaurya Chakras.
Wartime Decorations -
No Paramvir Chakra Awardees This year.
No Mahavir Chakra Awardees This year.
No Vir Chakra Awardees This year.
Peacetime Decorations -
 No Ashoka Chakra Awardees This year.
Kirti Chakra (All from Army) -
Major Digvijay Singh Rawat
Major Deependra Vikram Basnet
Captain Anshuman Singh
Havildar Pawan Kumar Yadav
Havildar Abdul Majid
Sepoy Pawan Kumar
Shaurya Chakra -
Major Maneo Francis (Army)
Major Amandeep Jakhar (Army)
Captain Mv Pranjal (Army)
Captain Akshat Upadhyay (Army)
Naib Subedar Baria Sanjay Kumar Bhamar Sinh (Army)
Havildar Sanjay Kumar (Army)
Rifleman Alok Rao (Army)
Parshotam Kumar (Army (Civilian))
Lieutenant Bimal Ranjan Behera (Navy)
Wing Commander Shailesh Singh (Air Force)
Flight Lieutenant Hrishikesh Jayan Karuthedath (Air Force)
Assistant Commandant Bibhor Kumar Singh (CRPF)
Mohan Lal (J&k Police)
ASI Amit Raina (J&k Police)
SI Faroz Ahmad Dar (J&k Police)
Constable Varun Singh (J&k Police)
About -
India's Top Peacetime Gallantary Awards are - Ashoka Chakra > Kirti Chakra > Shaurya Chakra.
India's Top Wartime Gallantary Awards are - Param Vir Chakra > Maha Vir Chakra > Vir Chakra.
President Also approved gallantary Decorations to Coast Guard Personnel, which includes 1 President’s
Tatrakshak Medal (Distinguished Service) - Bhisham Sharma, 2 Tatrakshak Medal (Gallantry) and 3 Tatrakshak
Medal (Meritorious Service).
Other Notable Points -
Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated year long pan India campaign Hamara Samvidhan, Hamara
Samman, at Dr Ambedkar International Centre (New Delhi), to commemorate 75th Year of India as Republic.
Campaign will be undertaken by Department of Justice (Ministry of Law and Justice).
16. Jan 27 is observed by UN as International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust.
The Holocaust was World War II genocide of European Jews. Between 1941 and 1945. Germany murdered over 60 lakh
Jews, around two-thirds of Europe's Jewish population.
17. Jan 28 is observed globally as Data Privacy Day.
18. Jan 30 is observed as Martyr's Day, marking death anniversary of M K Gandhi. He was killed on this day in 1948, by Nathuram
Godse.
Jan 30 is also observed by WHO as World neglected tropical diseases Day.
19. Jan 31 is observed as International Zebra Day.
20. Jan 9 is observed as Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, established in 2003. It marks contribution of overseas Indian community in
development of India. It commemorates return of M K Gandhi from South Africa to India on 9 January 1915.
This day came into effect in 2003, but in 2015 it was revised and since then, PBD Convention has been organised once every
2 years.
Last (17th), PBD Convention was held during Jan 8-10, 2023 at Indore (Madhya Pradesh). Next PBD convention will be held
during Jan 8-10, 2025.
21. January 12 is observed as National youth Day in india, to commemorate birth anniversary of Legendary Philiosopher Shri
Swami Vivekananda. It has been observed since 1984.
 On this occasion -
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated 27th National Youth Festival in Nashik (Maharashtra).
Theme was ViksitBharat@2047 – By the Youth, For the Youth.
15 young individuals were conferred with National Youth Award at 27th National Youth Festival 2024.
Karnataka Govt began disbursement under Yuva Nidhi scheme, which offers monthly unemployment allowance of Rs
3000 to graduates and 1500 to diploma holders who passed in 2022-23 academic year.
Allowance would be given for 2 years from date of announcement of the result, or till he/she becomes
employed/self-employed (whichever is earlier).
Urban Youth Unit at NIUA and YuWaah - UNICEF partnered to solidify commitment to empowering young people for
urban governance.
Also, Jan 12-16 is observed annually as National Youth Week.
Notably, International Youth Day is celebrated on August 12 by United Nations..
22. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways annually observes Road Safety Week between Jan 11-17.
Top

Defence
1. 1st edition of Bilateral Maritime Exercise between Indian & Thailand Navies, named Ex-Ayutthaya (which translates to the
invincible one) has been hosted by Thailand, along with 36th edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT).
2. 1st edition of Joint India-UAE Army exercise DESERT CYCLONE held at Mahajan (Rajasthan).
3. Indian and Japanese Coast Guards conducted joint exercise Sahyog Kaijin, off the coast of Chennai.
4. As per Military Strength Rankings 2024 by Global Firepower -
Top 5 Strongest Armies - US (1), Russia (2), China (3), India (4), South Korea (5)
5. Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted Exercise Desert Knight over Arabian sea, along Air Forces from France & UAE.
6. Indian Navy Ships Cheetah, Guldar and Kumbhir have been decommissioned, after 4 decades of services.
Cheetah, Guldar and Kumbhir were built at Gdynia Shipyard (Poland) as Polnocny class Landing Ships, and were
commissioned into Indian Navy in 1984, 1985 and 1986 respectively.
7. Indian Navy participated in Ex Sea Dragon 24 (4th edition), an Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) exercise organized by US
Navy. It was also attended by navies from Australia, South Korea & Japan.
8. Indian Navy received its first indigenous medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) drone, the Drishti 10 Starliner
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
It will boost Navy's intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.
Drishti 10 Starliner drone has been built by Adani Defence and Aerospace at its Hyderabad facility, with technology transfer
from Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems.
9. Misc. Defence News (Jan 2024) -
Defence Ministry approved raising 4 new National Cadet Corps (NCC) Units in UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. It
includes one Mixed (Boys & Girls) Army Battalion each at Udhampur (J&K), Kupwara (J&K) and Kargil (Ladakh), and one
Air Squadron at Udhampur (J&K).
DRDO successfully test fired New Generation AKASH (AKASH-NG) surface-to-air missile, with Operational range 70-80
KM.
DRDO launched indigenously developed assault rifle named Ugram, to replace ageing INSAS rifle currently used by Armed
Forces.
It has been developed by DRDO Unit Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) and Hyderabad-
based private firm Dvipa Armour India Private Limited.
9th chapter of Capsule on Science, Technology and Applied Research (CAPSTAR) held at Military Institute of Technology
(MILIT) Pune, with participation from services, academia, DRDO Labs and private defence industries.
Ajay Bhatt (Minister of State for Defence) flagged off indigenously developed Astra Mk-1 air-to-air missiles produced by
Bharat Dynamics Limited (with range upto 110 KM), for induction into Indian Air Force (IAF).
Indian Army launched Operation Sarvashakti, to eliminate terrorists operating on both sides of Pir Panjal mountain ranges
in J&K UT.
Ministry of Defence signed Contract with Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL), for acquisition of 14 Fast
Patrol Vessels (FPVs) for Indian Coast Guard, at cost 1070 crores.
 Top

Economy
1. First Advance Estimates of National Income for FY24 (2023-24), released by National Statistical Office (Ministry of Statistics
and Programme Implementation) -
Real GDP (GDP at Constant (2011-12) Prices) in 2023-24 is estimated to be 171.79 lakh crores, as against Provisional
Estimate of GDP for 2022-23 of 160.06 lakh crore (7.3% growth).
Nominal GDP (GDP at Current Prices) in 2023-24 is estimated at 296.58 lakh crores, as against Provisional Estimate of GDP
for 2022-23 of 272.41 lakh crores(8.9 % growth).
About -
First Advance Estimates of GDP were introduced in 2016-17, to serve as essential inputs to the Budget exercise. It is
based on limited data and compiled using Benchmark-Indicator Method.
2. Yes Bank Launched SmartFin, as an advanced digital Supply Chain Finance (SCF) platform developed in collaboration with
Veefin Solutions, to support Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
3. IndusInd Bank launched UPI-enabled Samman RuPay Credit Card in association with National Payments Corporation of
India (NPCI), tailored for government sector employees.
4. Inflation and Trade Data for December 2023 -
Inflation -
Wholesale price Index (WPI) based (wholesale inflation) -
WPI based inflation increased to 0.73 % in December 2023.
WPI Inflation in last 12 months -
November 2023 - 0.26 %
October 2023 - (-) 0.52 % (Negative)
September 2023 - (-) 0.26 % (Negative)
August 2023 - (-) 0.52 % (Negative)
July 2023 - (-) 1.36 % (Negative)
June 2023 - (-) 4.12 % (Negative) (lowest in 8 years)
May 2023 - (-) 3.48 % (Negative)
April 2023 - (-) 0.92 % (Negative)
March 2023 - 1.34 %
February 2023 - 3.85 %
January 2023 - 4.73 %
December 2022 - 4.95 %
Consumer Price Index (CPI) Based (retail inflation) -
CPI-based inflation rate for December 2023 increased to 5.69%.
CPI Inflation in Last 12 Months -
November 2023 - 5.55 %
October 2023 - 4.87 %
September 2023 - 5.02 %
August 2023 - 6.83 %
July 2023 - 7.44 % (15 Month High)
June 2023 - 4.81 %
May 2023 - 4.25 % (25 Month Low)
April 2023 - 4.7 %
March 2023 - 5.66 %
February 2023 - 6.44 %
January 2023 - 6.52 %
December 2022 - 5.72 %
Trade -
Overall Trade December 2023 (Merchandise + Services) -
Overall Imports - 71.50
 Overall Exports - 66.33
Overall Trade Deficit - 5.17 Billion USD
Compared to Last Month (November 2023)
Overall Imports - 67.88
Overall Exports - 62.58
Overall Trade Deficit - 5.30 Billion USD
Notably, India's Overall Trade Deficit stood at 21 month low of 1.38 Billion USD, in April 2023.
Notable facts about India’s Trade during Previous Financial Year (FY 23 (2022-23)) -
Exports stood at highest ever USD 770.18 billion during FY 2022-23, growing 13.84 % over FY 2021-22.
Out of this, Merchandise exports stood at USD 447.46 billion & Services exports at USD 322.72
billion, both a new annual record.
US and UAE retained first and second places respectively as India's largest export destinations, during
FY 2022-23. Netherlands rose to third place, replacing China.
In terms of overall trade too (exports + imports), US remained India's top partner in 2022-23, with $128.55
Billion Trade (Exports $78.31 billion & imports $50.24 billion).
5. State Bank of India (SBI) launched Green Rupee Term Deposit scheme, to mobilise funds to support environment-friendly
initiatives and projects, to help foster growth of a green finance ecosystem in India. Tenors and Interest rates (50 basis points less
for bulk deposits) -
1111 Days- 6.65 %
1777 Days- 6.65 %
2222 Days- 6.40 %
6. As per IMF World Economy Outlook January 2024 Update -
Globally -
Growth is projected to stay 3.1 % in 2024 (same as 2023), and 3.2 % in 2025.
2024 global growth forecast has been increased to 3.1 % (from 2.9 % in Oct 2023 update), amid higher resilience
in USA and several large emerging / developing economies.
Global headline inflation is expected to fall to 5.8 % in 2024 and 4.4 % in 2025 (with 2025 forecast revised down). It is
still above pre-pandemic (2017–19) levels of 3.5 %.
Growth in Other notable regions -
India - Set to fall from 6.7 % in 2023 to 6.5 % in 2024 & 2025.
Notably, IMF has revised 2023 growth forecast for India from 6.3 % earlier to 6.7 % now.
US - 2.5 % (2023), 2.1 % (2024), 1.7 % (2025)
China - 5.2 % (2023), 4.6 % (2024), 4.1 % (2025)
7. As per United Nations' World Economic Situation and Prospects 2024 -
GDP Growth projections in notable regions -
USA - 1.4 % in 2024 (after 2.5 % in 2023)
European Union - 1.2 % in 2024 (after 0.5 % in 2023)
China - 4.7 % in 2024 (after 5.3 % in 2023)
South Asia - 5.2 % in 2024 (after 5.2 % in 2023)
India - 6.2 % in 2024 (after 6.3 % in 2023). India remains fastest growing large economy in the world.
Least developed countries - 5.0 % in 2024 (after 4.4 % in 2023). Notably, UN SDGs have set 7.0 % growth target for
LDCs.
8. As per Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) data on trends in Direct Tax collections during period FY14 (2013-14) - FY23
(2022-23) -
Net Direct Tax Collections increased from 638596 crores to 1663686 crores.
Gross Direct Tax Collections increased from 721604 crores to 1972248 crores.
Direct Tax to GDP ratio increased from 5.62% to 6.11%.
Cost of collection decreased from 0.57% to 0.51%, of total collection.
Number of ITRs filed increased from 3.80 crores to 7.78 crores.
9. As per World Bank’s latest Global Economic Prospects report -
 Global growth is projected to slow for third year in a row - from 2.6% in 2023 to 2.4% in 2024, before picking up to 2.7 % in
2025.
GDP Growth projections in notable regions -
USA - 1.6 % in 2024 & 1.7 % in 2025
South Asia - 5.6 % in 2024 & 5.9 % in 2025
China - 4.5 % in 2024 & 4.3 % in 2025
India - 6.4 % in 2024 & 6.5 % in 2025. India remains fastest growing large economy in the world.
10. As per data by Bloomberg -
Indian stock market went past Hong Kong to become 4th highest equity market globally, with value of shares listed on
Indian exchanges reaching USD 4.33 trillion.
Top 3 - US ($50.86 trillion), China ($8.44 trillion) and Japan ($6.36 trillion).
11. Asian Development Bank (ADB) and India's SAEL Industries Limited (through its subsidiary SAEL Solar P4 Private Limited)
signed loan agreement of $147 million, for development of a 400-megawatt (MW) greenfield solar power plant in Gujarat (India),
to support India’s ongoing transition toward clean energy and low-carbon growth.
12. Beijing based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) announced investment of Approx USD 58 million in Sustainable
Energy Infra Trust (SEIT), India’s largest renewable energy Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT).
SEIT has 8 operating solar power generation assets of 1.54 gigawatt-peak capacity in India, co-sponsored by Mahindra
Susten Private Limited and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan.
13. Competition Commission of India (CCI) Approvals -
Tata Electronics's acquisition of 100 % equity of Wistron Infocomm Manufacturing (India) Private Limited, from SMS
Infocomm (Singapore) Private Limited.
This will enable Tata Electronics to become 1st Indian iPhone maker.
Merger of Fincare Small Finance Bank into AU Small Finance Bank.
Under this all-share deal, shareholders of Fincare SFB will receive 579 shares in AU SFB for every 2000 shares they
hold in Fincare SFB.
14. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented report Indian Economy – A Review, prepared by office of Chief Economic
Advisor (CEA) V Anantha Nageswaran.
This report has been tabled in place of usual Economic Survey traditionally presented annually before Union Budget. As
2024 is a general elections year, Economc Survey has not been presented.
The report presents a comprehensive analysis of India’s economic journey over past 10 years, and aims to assess state of
Indian economy and provide insights into its future outlook.
15. GST revenue collected in December 2023 stood at 164882 crores (CGST 30443 crores, SGST 37935 crores, IGST 84255 crores &
cess 12249 crores).
16. Home Minister Amit Shah launched Computerization project of 1851 units of Agriculture and Rural Development Banks
(ARDBs) and Registrar of Cooperative Societies (RCSs) of all States/UTs, to modernize the cooperative sector and enhance
efficiency by bringing entire cooperative ecosystem on a digital platform.
17. ICICI Bank subsidiary ICICI Bank Canada launched its Money2India mobile banking app, enabling customers of all Canadian
banks to instantly transfer funds to any Indian bank without opening an account with ICICI Bank Canada.
Users can send amounts up to CAD 30000 in a single transaction.
18. In a supervisory action against Paytm Payments Bank (PPBL), under section 35A of Banking Regulation Act 1949 -
No further deposits shall be allowed in any PPBL customer accounts, prepaid instruments, wallets, FASTags, NCMC cards,
etc. after February 29, 2024.
However, Withdrawal or utilisation of balances by its customers (from mentioned products) will be permitted without any
restrictions.
Notably, Earlier in March 2022, RBI had directed PPBL to stop onboarding new customers.
19. Misc. Financial / Economy News (Jan 2024) -
Indian GDP Growth Forecasts -
India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) - 6.7% for FY24 (2023-24).
As per APAC Cross-Sector Outlook 2024 by Fitch Ratings - 6.9% for FY24 (2023-24) & 6.5 for FY25 (2024-25).
As per World Bank’s latest Global Economic Prospects report -
 Global growth is projected to slow for third year in a row - from 2.6% in 2023 to 2.4% in 2024, before picking up
to 2.7 % in 2025.
GDP Growth projections in notable regions -
USA - 1.6 % in 2024 & 1.7 % in 2025
South Asia - 5.6 % in 2024 & 5.9 % in 2025
China - 4.5 % in 2024 & 4.3 % in 2025
India - 6.4 % in 2024 & 6.5 % in 2025. India remains fastest growing large economy in the
world.
As per United Nations' World Economic Situation and Prospects 2024 -
GDP Growth projections in notable regions -
USA - 1.4 % in 2024 (after 2.5 % in 2023)
European Union - 1.2 % in 2024 (after 0.5 % in 2023)
China - 4.7 % in 2024 (after 5.3 % in 2023)
South Asia - 5.2 % in 2024 (after 5.2 % in 2023)
India - 6.2 % in 2024 (after 6.3 % in 2023). India remains fastest growing large economy in
the world.
Least developed countries - 5.0 % in 2024 (after 4.4 % in 2023). Notably, UN SDGs have set 7.0 % growth
target for LDCs.
Notable Penalties put by RBI -
ESAF Small Finance Bank - 29.55 Lakh
Punjab and Sind Bank - 1 crore
Dhanlaxmi Bank - 1.2 crore
NKGSB Co-operative Bank - 50 lakh
RBI Cancelled banking licence of -
Dabhoi (Gujarat) based Shree Mahalaxmi Mercantile Co-operative Bank
Hiriyur (Karnataka) based Hiriyur Urban Co-operative Bank
RBI Approved Power Finance Corporation (PFC)'s proposal to establish a finance company within Gujarat’s GIFT City, an
International Financial Services Centre (IFSC).
Tata Consumer Products Ltd acquired 100% stake in FMCG Brand Capital Foods (owner of brands Ching's Secret and
Smith & Jones) for 5100 crores.
Maharatna PSU REC Limited issued its 1st Japanese Yen (JPY) 61.1 billion (5-year, 5.25-year and 10-year) Green bonds,
under its US$ 10 billion Global Medium Term Notes Programme. Proceeds will be applied to finance Eligible Green Projects.
Govt announced to set up Trade Connect ePlatform, as an intermediary platform to connect Indian exporters /
entrepreneurs with stakeholders in international trade.
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) became most valuable PSU in India, after overtaking SBI.
LIC market cap reached 5.8 lakh crores, following a recent persistent rally in its shares.
Taiwanese electronics contract manufacturer Foxconn partnered with Indian IT Firm HCL Group, to establish a
semiconductor packaging and testing venture in India.
DLabs (business incubator at Indian School of Business (ISB)) launched startup accelerator programme called Build for
Billions, in partnership with Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) and Union Bank of India.
It aims to bridge gap between financial services and informal economy, by supporting fintech startups in developing
financial inclusion solutions for informal economy.
LIC launched its Jeevan Dhara II deferred annuity plan, with life cover during deferment period.
It provides higher annuity rates as policyholders age.
It has minimum entry age of 20 years.
Yes Bank became first Indian bank to execute an export finance transaction on International Trade Financing Services
Platform (ITFS) of RXIL Global IFSC Limited (RXIL), a cross-border fintech firm registered under International Financial
Services Centres Authority (IFSCA).
This facilitates arranging credit for exporters and importers from both Indian and Global Institutions, at competitive
pricing.
 Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas approved establishment of a subsidiary company by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
Limited (ONGC), focusing on green energy and gas ventures, to be named ONGC Green Limited.
RBI approved LIC's acquisition of up to 9.99% aggregate holding in HDFC Bank.
Krutrim AI (Founded by Ola Founder Bhavish Aggarwal) became India’s first AI startup to reach unicorn status (valuation of
$1 billion).
20. PM Narendra Modi released first instalment to 1 lakh beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin (PMAY - G) under
Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN).
Launched on Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas (Nov 15, 2023), PM-JANMAN focuses on 11 critical interventions through 9
Ministries, with budget of approx 24000 crores.
It aims at socio-economic welfare of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), by saturating PVTG households
and habitations with basic facilities.
21. RBI Digital Payments Index (RBI-DPI) for September 2023 stands at 418.77, against 395.57 for March 2023, showing growth in
Digital payments spcae.
RBI has been publishing DPI data since January 1, 2021 with March 2018 as base (100), to capture extent of digitisation of
payments across country.
22. RBI enhanced bulk deposit limit for large urban co-operative banks (UCBs) to 1 crore and above (from current 15 lakh and
above).
New bulk deposit limit applies to UCBs in Tier 3 (deposits between 1000-10000 crores) and Tier 4 (deposits over 10000
crores) categories.
23. RBI issued a draft framework for Self-Regulatory Organisations (SRO) focused on FinTech sector, to empower the growing
sector to function and innovate responsibly, even without formal regulations.
24. SBI announced raising $1 billion from overseas, to bolster domestic ESG (Environmental, social, and governance) financing
market, including a green shoe of $250 million.
Top

International
1. Kyrgyzstan declared snow leopard as its national symbol, underscoring its commitment to conservation and ecological
balance.
2. As per Henley Passport Index 2024 Global Ranking -
6 Nations have been ranked jointly at top (enabling visa-free access to 194 nations) - France, Germany, Italy, Japan,
Singapore, Spain.
Indian passport has been ranked at 80th place (jointly with Uzbekistan), enabling visa-free access to 62 nations.
3. As per 2024 Social Progress Index released by Social Progress Initiative -
Top 3 - Denmark (1), Norway (2), Finland (3)
Bottom 3 - Chad (168), Central African Republic (169), South Sudan (170)
India ranked 111 in list.
Neighbors - China (77), Pakistan (134), Sri Lanka (83), Bangladesh (121), Nepal (110)
4. As per Global 500 Brands Ranking 2024 by Brand Finance -
Top 5 firms globally - Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Samsung
Top 3 Indian Firms in list - Tata Group (64), Infosys (145), LIC (222)
Notably, As per IT Services Firms 2024 Ranking by Brand Finance -
Top 3 IT Firms globally - Accenture, TCS, Infosys
5. As per UK-based consultancy Skytrax -
Top 3 Airports globally in 2023 -
Changi Airport (Singapore)
Hamad Airport (Doha)
Haneda Airport (Tokyo)
Top 3 Indian Airports -
Delhi's IGI Airport (36th)
Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (65th)
Bangalore's Kempegowda International Airport (69th)
 6. Asian Development Bank (ADB) launched Climate Action Catalyst Fund (CACF), as a first-of-its-kind carbon fund under 2015
Paris Agreement.
It will aim to mobilize innovative carbon finance through purchase of carbon credits, to catalyze investments in
transformative mitigation actions in ADB’s developing member countries.
7. Govt announced to set up Bharat Park, an India-specific trade zone with a showroom and warehouse in UAE.
It will facilitate other countries to buy Indian goods, while payments will be secured in UAE.
Top

Meetings
1. 9th edition of India International Science Festival (IISF) 2023 held at THSTI campus in Faridabad (Haryana), with
theme Science and Technology Public Outreach in Amrit Kaal.
2. 10th edition of biennial Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit held at Gandhinagar (Gujarat). Theme for this edition
is Gateway to the Future.
This edition had 34 Partner countries and 16 Partner organisations.
Notable visiting heads of state included Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (President of UAE & Ruler of Abu Dhabi,
Chief Guest), Petr Fiala (PM of Czech Republic), Filipe Nyusi (President of Mozambique) & José Ramos-Horta (President
of Timor Leste).
Notable MOUs -
University of San Diego (USA) will set up its campus in GIFT City (Gandhinagar), in collaboration with IIT
Gandhinagar.
South Korean Semiconductor Substrates maker firm Simmtech will set up a unit to support semiconductor ecosystem
at Sanand near Ahmedabad.
Notably, India's first semiconductor chip factory is being set up by Micron at Sanand, which is expected to begin
production in December 2024. Simmtech will Ensure Uninterrupted Supplies to Micron's unit in Sanand.
During the summit, Shanghai-based New Development Bank (setup by BRICS Nations) signed 3 loan agreements
with India -
Loan of USD 500 million to develop 13500 kilometers of rural roads in Gujarat.
Loan of USD 115 million for an Integrated Sewerage System for city of Imphal (Manipur).
Loan of USD 70 million for rejuvenation of Lamphelpat waterbody and its surrounding areas in Imphal
(Manipur).
Notable Activities -
Joint Statement for India-Czechia Strategic Partnership on Innovation was adopted, to boost India-Czechia bilateral
relations.
MOUs signed between India and UAE -
Investment Cooperation in Innovative Healthcare Projects, Renewable Energy Sector & Food Park Development.
MOU between UAE Based Logistics firm DP World and Gujarat Govt, for Special Economic Zone (SEZ)
development, ports and related infrastructure.
Notably -
India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) had come into effect on May 1, 2022.
India-UAE bilateral trade reached USD 85 billion in 2022-23, targeted to be 100 billion USD (well before target
year of 2030).
3. 19th Summit of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) held in Kampala (Uganda), with theme Deepening Cooperation for Shared
Global Affluence.
India was represented by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. He also attended 3rd South Summit of the Group of 77 and
China (G-77), in Kampala.
About -
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 120 countries that are not formally aligned with or against any major
power bloc. It was founded in 1961, to advance interests of developing countries in the context of Cold War
confrontation.
4. Aatmanirbhar Bharat Utsav 2024 held at Bharat Mandapam (New Delhi).
During the summit, National One District One Product Awards 2023 were conferreed. Gold Winners -
 District Awards -
Agriculture - Alluri Sitharama Raju (Andhra Pradesh), for Araku Coffee
Non-Agriculture - Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh), for Uppada Jamdani Saree
States -
Category A - Uttar Pradesh
Category B - J&K
Mission Aboard -
Consulate General of India, Vancouver (Canada)
5. International Purple Fest 2024 held in Goa (2nd edition), showcasing diversity, inclusivity, and empowerment of
Divyangjans (PWDs) on a global scale.
On this occasion, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) and Enable India jointly introduced
a transformative 70-hour interactive Employability Skills course for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
6. Wings India 24 organized in Hyderabad (Telangana), as largest event in Civil Aviation sector in Asia, with theme Connecting
India to the World in Amrit Kaal: Setting the Stage for India Civil Aviation @2047. Notable Highligjhts -
UDAN 5.3 (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) was launched.
Airbus formed a 50:50 joint venture with Tata-owned Air India, to launch a world-class pilot training centre in Gurugram
(Haryana).
Airbus partnered with Tata Group to establish a Final Assembly Line (FAL) for helicopters in India, to produce Airbus’ best-
selling H125 helicopters in India.
Newly formed airline Akasa Air placed order for 150 narrow-body 737 MAX planes with US aircraft manufacturer Boeing,
costing $20 billion.
Kempegowda International Airport (Bengaluru) and Indira Gandhi International Airport (Delhi) were named Best Airport
of the Year, during Wings India Awards 2024.
7. Notable highlights from Annual World Economic Forum (WEF) Meet 2024 in Davos (Switzerland) -
India announced launch of Global Good Alliance for Gender Equity and Equality, to promote women-led development
globally.
Supported by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the alliance will be housed by CII Centre for Women Leadership,
with WEF as Network Partner and Invest India as Institutional Partner.
WEF and Telangana govt jointly established 19th Centre of WEF’s Fourth Industrial Revolution Network (4IR) in
Hyderabad, to help advance healthcare technology.
Official launch of the centre will be conducted during BioAsia 2024 (Feb 2024).
MoU signed between Adani Enterprises & Maharashtra govt, to set up 1 GW of hyperscale data infrastructure in state over
10 years, with investment of 50000 crores.
As per Edelman Trust Barometer 2024 released during WEF meet, India topped the charts in metrices of confidence in
businesses and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Top

National
1. Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) & National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM)
launched SMART 2.0 (Scope for Mainstreaming Ayurveda Research among Teaching professionals) program, to promote robust
clinical studies in priority areas of Ayurveda with Ayurveda academic institutions/hospitals across country.
2. Assam govt launched Mukhyamantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyaan, aimed at empowering rural women entrepreneurs who
are part of self-help groups.
This initiative introduces unique conditions, focusing specifically on number of children that applicant woman have (upto 3
children for General/OBC and upto 4 children for SC/ST women).
3. Kerala govt launched Operation Amrith (Antimicrobial Resistance Intervention For Total Health), to curb overuse of
antibiotics in state by checking over-the-counter sales of antibiotics without a doctor’s prescription.
AMR (antimicrobial resistance), refers to the ability of bacteria and microbes to resist the drugs used to inhibit or kill them.
Recognized as a silent pandemic, AMR is associated with 5 million annual deaths globally.
4. Maratha Military Landscapes of India has been named as India’s nomination for recognition as UNESCO World Heritage
List for 2024-25.
 12 components of this nomination are - Salher fort, Shivneri fort, Lohgad, Khanderi fort, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad,
Suvarnadurg, Panhala Fort, Vijay durg, Sindhudurg in Maharashtra and Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu.
5. Pench Tiger Reserve (located on Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra border) has been recognized as India’s 1st Dark Sky Park
(and 5th in Asia).
It has been recognized for its efforts to protect night sky and prevent light pollution, making it ideal for astronomy
enthusiasts.
6. West Bengal govt introduced a free training module for SC/ST students in state for various entrance and competitive
examinations, named Yogyasree.
7. As per 3rd advance estimates of area and production of various horticultural crops for year 2022-23, released by Ministry of
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare -
Estimation of total horticulture production for 2022-23 is 355.25 million tonnes, which is 8 million tonnes more than
2021-22.
Estimated Area under cultivation is 28.34 million hectares, against 28.04 in 2021-22.
8. As per States' Startup Ranking Framework 2022 -
Category A States (Population over 1 crore) -
Best performer - Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu
Top Performer - Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana
Category B States (Population under 1 crore) -
Best performer - Himachal Pradesh
Top Performer - Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya
9. As per NITI Aayog report Multidimensional Poverty in India since 2005-06 -
Between 2013-14 to 2022-23 -
24.82 crore people escaped multidimensional poverty, with decline in Poverty Headcount Ratio from 29.17% to 11.28%.
Uttar Pradesh registered largest decline in number of poor (5.94 crore people escaping multidimensional poverty),
followed by Bihar (3.77 crore), Madhya Pradesh (2.30 crore) and Rajasthan (1.87 crore).
All 12 indicators of MPI have recorded significant improvement during the period. India is likely to achieve its SDG
target of halving multidimensional poverty well before 2030.
About -
Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) is a globally recognized comprehensive measure that captures poverty in
multiple dimensions beyond monetary aspects.
MPI’s global methodology is based on robust Alkire and Foster (AF) method that identifies poverty based on
universally acknowledged metric designed to assess acute poverty.
10. Bihar Police announced Mission Investigation@75 Days, aiming to streamline and expedite criminal justice process in state,
Starting from January 01, 2024.
Under it, investigators will be mandated to complete investigation of cases within 75 days of registration of First Information
Reports (FIRs).
11. Cabinet Approvals (Jan 05, 2024) -
MOUs -
With United States for International Development/India (USAID/India), for supporting Indian Railways to achieve
Mission Net Zero Carbon Emission by 2030.
With Guyana - cooperation in hydrocarbon sector.
With Mauritius - cooperation in development of a Joint Small Satellite.
General -
Approved to declare Ayodhya Airport as an International Airport and naming it as Maharishi Valmiki International
Airport, Ayodhyadham.
Approved overarching scheme PRITHvi VIgyan (PRITHVI) of Ministry of Earth Sciences, for implementation during
2021-26 at cost 4797 crores.
It encompasses five ongoing sub-schemes -
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)
Major Objectives of overarching Prithvi Scheme -
Augmentation and sustainance of long-term observations of atmosphere, ocean, geosphere, cryosphere and
solid earth to record vital signs of the Earth System and change.
Development of modelling systems for understanding and predicting weather, ocean and climate hazards
and understanding the science of climate change.
Exploration polar and high seas regions of the Earth towards discovery of new phenomena and resources.
Development of technology for exploration and sustainable harnessing of oceanic resources for societal
applications.
Translation of knowledge and insights from Earth systems science into services for societal, environmental
and economic benefit.
12. Cabinet Approvals (Jan 18, 2024) -
MOUs -
With Ecuador, Dominican Republic, The Netherlands - Cooperation in field of Medical Products Regulation
With European Commission - Working Arrangements on Semiconductors Ecosystems under framework of EU-India
Trade and Technology Council.
With Kenya, Cuba - Cooperation in field of sharing successful Digital Solutions implemented at Population Scale for
Digital Transformation.
General -
Approved creation of 3 posts at level of Joint Secretary (2 posts of Joint Secretary and 1 post of Economic Adviser) for
recently constituted 16th Finance Commission (to be headed by Arvind Panagariya).
CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs) Approvals -
Proposal for equity investment by -
South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) for setting-up 1×660 MW Thermal Power Plant through JV of SECL
and MPPGCL
Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) for setting-up 2x800 MW Thermal Power Plant through Mahanadi Basin
Powe Ltd (MBPL - a subsidiary of MCL).
13. Cabinet Approvals (Jan 25, 2024) -
MOUs
With Oman - cooperation in field of Information Technology.
Approved signing of a protocol for establishment of Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) between India and
Caribbean nation Dominican Republic.
CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs) Approvals -
Approved scheme for promotion of Coal/Lignite Gasification Projects of Government PSUs and Private Sector, with
outlay 8500 crores towards incentive for coal gasification projects under three categories.
In category I - 4050 crores for Government PSUs in which upto 3 projects will be supported by providing lump-
sum grant of 1350 crore or 15% of capex, whichever is lower.
In category II - 3850 crores for private sector / Government PSUs in which lump-sum grant of 1000 crore or 15%
of capex, whichever is lower provided for each project.
At least one project will be bid out on tariff-based bidding process and its criteria will be designed in
consultation with NITI Aayog.
In category III - 600 crores for demonstration Projects (indigenous technology) and/or small-scale product-
based Gasification Plants under which lump-sum grant of 100 crore or 15% of capex, whichever is lower, will be
given to selected entity who will have a minimum Capex of 100 Crore and minimum production of 1500 Nm3/hr
Syn gas.
Approved equity investment by Coal India Limited (CIL) for -
Setting up of Coal-to-SNG (Synthetic Natural Gas) Project at ECL command area through a JV of CIL & GAIL
Project will be set up at Sonepur Bazari Area of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) in Burdwan district of
West Bengal.
Setting up of Coal-to-Ammonium Nitrate Project at MCL command area through a JV of CIL & BHEL.
 Project will be set up at Lakhanpur Area of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) in Jharsuguda district of
Odisha.
14. Department of School Education & Literacy (Ministry of Education) launched Experiential Learning program named Prerana,
aiming to empower participants with leadership qualities by offering them meaningful, unique, and inspiring experiences.
It is a week-long residential program for selected students of class IX to XII, to run from a Vernacular School, established in
1888, in Vadnagar (Gujarat).
A batch of 20 selected students (10 boys and 10 girls) will attend the program, every week from across country.
15. Environment Ministry submitted proposals for Wetland City Accreditation under Ramsar Convention on Wetlands for cities of
Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) & Udaipur (Rajasthan), as first Indian cities for which
nominations have been submitted for WCA.
About -
Ramsar Convention during COP12 (held in 2015) approved a voluntary Wetland City Accreditation system, which
recognizes cities which have taken exceptional steps to safeguard their urban wetlands. It aims to further promote
conservation of urban / peri-urban wetlands, as well as sustainable socio-economic benefits for local populations.
16. General News / Events (Jan 1-10, 2014) -
US designated 12 countries (China, North Korea, Pakistan, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, Russia, Saudi Arabia,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Myanmar) as Countries of Particular Concern for having engaged in or tolerated
particularly severe violations of religious freedom.
17. General News / Events (Jan 11-20, 2024) -
University Grants Commission (UGC) introduced Mulya Pravah 2.0, to promote ethical practices in higher education.
It is an updated version of original Mulya Pravah guideline, introduced in 2019.
A new campus of IIT Madras will soon be started in Kandy (Sri Lanka).
International Camel Festival 2024 held in Bikaner (Rajasthan).
Ministry of Home Affairs revoked Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act 2020 registration of New Delhi based
think-tank Centre for Policy Research (CPR).
British & Ukraine signed a new security agreement, to increase military funding for ukraine amid its war with Russia, to 2.5
billion pounds ($3.2bn).
India will chair & host UNESCO's World Heritage Committee's 46th session in July 2024 in New Delhi, making it India's 1st
time holding this event.
Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival 2024 held at Seijosa in Pakke Kessang district of Arunchal Pradesh, to acknowledge Nyishi
tribal group and its role in safeguarding hornbills of Pakke Tiger Reserve.
Traditional buffalo fight Moh-juj organized during Magh Bihu harvest festival in Assam.
It has been organized after a gap of 9 years, due to a ban imposed by supreme court.
2nd edition IInvenTiv held at IIT Hyderabad, as R &D Innovation Fair of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
NHAI launched One Vehicle, One FASTag initiative, to encourage users to use one FASTag per vehicle, to enhance efficiency
of Electronic Toll Collection system.
Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region organized Uttar Purvi Mahotsav 2024 at Bharat Mandapam (New Delhi),
showcasing rich diversity of North East India.
Ayush Minister Sarbananda Sonowal laid foundation of India's 1st Integrated Ayush Wellness Centre, to be set up at Azara
(Guwahati).
Health & Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated India’s 1st Healthy & Hygienic Food Street,
PRASADAM, at Mahakal Lok in Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh).
Indus Food 2024 organized at India Expo Mart in Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh), showcasing India's vibrant and diverse
food ecosystem.
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation launched MPLADS e-SAKSHI Mobile App, for revised fund flow
procedure under MPLAD Scheme.
18. General News / Events (Jan 21-31, 2024)
NITI Aayog, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare and UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) jointly
launched Investment Forum for Advancing Climate Resilient Agrifood Systems in India.
It aims to develop an investment and partnership strategy to advance climate resilient agrifood systems in India.
 Odisha govt announced to establish a melanistic tiger safari, as first of its kind in world, near Baripada (Mayurbhanj
District).
President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated Kaushal Bhawan in New Delhi, to mark empowering India’s youth through skills,
under Skill India Mission.
World Health Organization (WHO) certified Cabo Verde (island country of West Africa) as a malaria-free country, making it
43rd to achieve malaria-free status (3rd in Africa).
Ayush Minister Sarbananda Sonowal laid foundation stone for Ayush Diksha, as first of its kind centre for development of
human resources for Ayush professionals.
It will be developed within campus of Central Ayurveda Research Institute, Bhubaneswar.
Inline with recommendations of new National Education Policy 2020, govt directed all school / higher education regulators
to make study material in Indian languages (included in the 8th Schedule of Constitution) available for all courses in next 3
years.
It aims to provide students with opportunity to study in their own language, to give them a natural space to think
innovatively without any language barrier.
Govt had also launched Anuvadini App, to undertake translation of Engineering, Medical, Law, UG, PG and Skill
books. These books are available on ekumbh portal.
47th International Kolkata Book Fair has been organized in Kolkata, with United Kingdom (UK) as theme country.
PM Narendra Modi launched 173 Km long double line electrified section between New Khurja - New Rewari on Dedicated
Freight Corridor (DFC), as crucial connectivity between Western and Eastern DFCs.
This section is also known for a one kilometre long double line rail tunnel with high rise electrification, as first of its
kind in the world.
Annual Ethnic Mamani Festival organized at Historical Styangkung Village and Chiktan Shagaran in Ladakh.
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Diamond Jubilee celebrations (75th anniversary) of Supreme Court of India, including
unveiling of several initiatives such as Digital Supreme Court Reports (Digi SCR) & Digital Courts 2.0
World's largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas embarked on its first official voyage, out of Port of Miami in
USA.
It is approx 365 metres long and weighs around 250000 tons. It can carry approx 10000 passengers and crew at
maximum capacity.
Govt extended ban on Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) for 5 years, under Section 3(1) of Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act (UAPA) 1967.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched Ministry of Education - AICTE Investor Network, to bring students,
faculty, investors and the market on one platform to strengthen culture of innovation and address issue of start-up funding.
19. Govt announced to designate Farsi (Persian) as a classical language of India, under New Education Policy.
Tamil was the first language in India to receive classical language status in 2004, followed by Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu,
Malayalam and Odia.
Notably -
8th schedule of Indian Constitution lists 22 languages as official languages in India, and 6 languages as classical
languages of India. It will now also include Persian.
20. Govt launched National Single Window System, to streamline import, clinical investigations, and testing of medical devices.
It will act as a one-stop shop for all approvals required by investors, facilitating ease of doing business.
It has been developed by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).
21. Himachal Pradesh govt unveiled My School-My Pride campaign under Apna Vidyalay programme, aimed at revolutionizing
quality of education in government schools, through a holistic approach to student growth and development.
It will encourage active participation from individuals and organisations to adopt schools and contribute to various aspects
of students’ growth.
22. Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep S. Puri launchecd refreshed PAiSA (Portal for Affordable Credit and Interest
Subvention Access) Portal and PM SVANidhi Mission Monitoring Portal, to provide real-time progress updates on the mission
and scheme.
PM SVANidhi (Prime Minister Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi) was launched in 2020, to provide affordable loans to
street vendors (ranging 10000 - 50000).
23. Jharkhand Govt announced reduction in qualifying age for receiving old-age pension to 50 years (from 60 years earlier), for
women/SC/ST category beneficiaries.
24. Maharashtra govt declared a new Conservation Reserve in forest land of Sangli district, namely Atpadi Conservation Reserve.
It connects Maini Conservation Area in the west with Maldhok Bird Sanctuary in the northeast.
It will help in protection of wildlife corridors and preserve the habitat of wolves, deer, foxes, civets and other mammals in the
area.
25. Ministry of Education releasesd All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-2022 (conducted since 2011).
Enrolment in higher education increased to 4.33 crore in 2021-22 from 4.14 crore in 2020-21 and 3.42 crore in 2014-15.
Female enrolment increased to 2.07 crore in 2021-22 from 2.01 crore in 2020-21, and 1.57 crore in 2014-15.
Category wise -
SC - 66.23 lakh in 2021-22 (46.07 lakh in 2014-15).
ST - 27.1 lakh in 2021-22 (16.41 lakh in 2014-15).
OBC - 1.63 crore in 2021-22 (1.13 crore in 2014-15).
Among Disciplines at undergraduate level, enrolment is highest in Arts (34.2%), followed by science (14.8%), Commerce
(13.3%) and Engineering & Technology (11.8%).
Among streams at postgraduate level, maximum students are enrolled in Social Science (21.1%) followed by science (14.7%).
Number of Universities / University level institutions registered is 1168 (341 established since 2014-15).
Number of faculty/teachers in 2021-22 are 15.98 lakh, of which about 56.6% are male and 43.4% are female.
26. Ministry of Rural Development launched DAY-NRLM’s SARATHI app, as national tech solution for strategy for working with
most vulnerable households. It has been developed in partnership with The/Nudge Institute.
27. Misc. MOUs (January 2024) -
Between Indian Railways & Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), to reduce energy and water consumption, aimed at
lowering GHG (green house gas) emissions.
Notably, Indian Railways aims to be Net Zero Carbon Emitter by 2030.
Between IIT Roorkee & IIT Bhilai, to strengthen academic and research collaboration, to Forge Alliance for Tribal Research
and Preservation of Indian Knowledge Systems.
Between REC Limited & Bank of Baroda, to facilitate joint sanctions of loans to fund power, infrastructure and logistics
projects in country over 3 years.
Between Coal India Limited & National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) for Setting up of Multi Skill Development
Institutes (MSDIs) in each subsidiary of Coal India Limited.
Between NHPC & Gujarat Power Corporation Limited, for Rs 4000 crores investment in proposed 750 MW Kuppa Pumped
Hydro Storage Project.
Between Power Finance Corporation (PFC) & Gujarat Govt, to provide comprehensive financial backing of upto 25000
crores, for state's generation, transmission, and distribution projects.
Between National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) & ISRO's National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), to develop and
report a Green Cover Index for extensive network of National Highways in India.
Between Ministry of Rural Development's Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-
NRLM) & SBI, on Svyam Siddha - SBI’s Financial Product to finance SHG Women led Enterprises in Rural India.
Between Google India Digital Services and NPCI International Payments Ltd, to help expand UPI payments infrastructure
beyond India.
It will enable Indian travellers to conveniently make transactions abroad via Google Pay.
Also, NPCI commenced linkage of India's UPI with Singapore's PayNow, enabling Indians to receive remittances
instantly from Singapore-based Indian diaspora and vice-versa. The arrangement was announced in Feb 2023.
Between IIT Madras & Altair (tech firm providing solutions in simulation, high-performance computing and AI), to launch
an eMobility Simulation Lab.
Between Indian renewable energy firm ACME Group & Japanese integrated heavy industry group IHI Corporation, for
supply of green ammonia from Odisha to Japan.
Green Ammonia will be produced at ACME’s 1.2 MMTPA Green Ammonia project being developed at Gopalpur
(Odisha), with investment of 5 billion USD.
Term sheet covers supply of 0.4 MMTPA of green ammonia from Phase-1 of Odisha project in Gopalpur on a long-term
basis.
 Between state govts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Ministry of Jal Shakti, for implementation of Modified PKC-ERCP
(integration of original PKC with Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project of Rajasthan).
It is 2nd project under national perspective plan of interlinking of rivers (ILR) program of Government of India.
Between NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL) & Maharashtra Govt, for development of Green Hydrogen and derivatives
(Green Ammonia, Green Methanol) of up to 1 million Ton capacity per annum, Pumped Storage Projects of 2 GW &
Renewable energy projects up to 5 GW.
It envisages potential investment of approx 80000 crores in 5 years.
Between NHAI & Geological Survey of India, to help develop robust National Highways network by assisting NHAI with site
specific geotechnical consultancy.
28. Notable Points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Tamil Nadu & Lakshadweep -
Tamil Nadu -
Launched Demonstration Fast Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Plant (DFRP) at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research
(IGCAR) Kalpakkam.
It is only of its kind in world and is capable of reprocessing both carbide and oxide fuels discharged from fast
reactors.
Inaugurated New Terminal Building at Tiruchirappalli International Airport, with capacity of serving 44 lakh
passengers annually.
Lakshadweep -
Launched Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands Submarine Optical Fiber Connection (KLI - SOFC) project, to boost internet
speeds in Lakshasweep islands (upto 200 Gbps).
For the first time since independence, Lakshadweep has been connected through Submarine Optic Fibre Cable.
Launched Low Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) plant at Kadmat, to produce 1.5 lakh litres of clean
drinking water every day.
Launched Lakshadweep's first battery backed solar power project at Kavaratti.
29. Notable Points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Maharashtra -
Mumbai -
Inaugurated Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri - Nhava Sheva Atal Setu (earlier knwon as Mumbai Transharbour
link), built at cost over 17840 crores.
This approx 21.8 km long 6-lane bridge has 16.5 km length over sea and about 5.5 km on the land. It connects
Mumbai with Navi Mumbai.
It is longest bridge in India (also longest sea bridge in India), and world's 12th longest sea bridge.
It will provide faster connectivity to Mumbai International Airport and Navi Mumbai International Airport and
will also reduce travel time from Mumbai to Pune, Goa and South India.
Inaugurated Bharat Ratnam (Mega Common Facilitation Centre) for Gems and Jewellery sector at Santacruz
Electronic Export Processing Zone - Special Economic Zone (SEEPZ SEZ), as first of its kind in India with best
available machines in world including 3D Metal printing.
Launched Namo Mahila Shashaktikaran Abhiyaan, which aims to empower women in Maharashtra by providing skill
development training and entrepreneurship development.
Nashik -
Inaugurated 27th National Youth Festival in Nashik, on the occasion of National Youth Day (Jan 12).
30. Notable points from Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet (GIM) 2024 (3rd edition, hosted in Chennai) -
State govt released roadmap to making the State a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
Released Semiconductor and Advanced Electronics policy 2024, to attract companies to invest in semiconductor &
advanced electronics manufacturers in State.
Denmark announced its Green Fuels Alliance India (GFAI) initiative, to boost collaborative efforts with India in sustainable
energy sector and advance efforts towards global goals of carbon neutrality.
Notable MOUs -
Vietnamese electric vehicle firm VinFast announced to establish an integrated electric vehicle facility (Both EV and
battery manufacturing) in Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu), with investment of $2 billion.
31. Notable points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu -
Karnataka -
 Inaugurated Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center (BIETC) campus in Bengaluru.
Built with investment of 1600 crores, this 43 acre campus is Boeing’s largest such investment outside USA.
Launched Boeing Sukanya Program, that aims to support entry of more girl children from across India into
aviation sector.
It will facilitate females from across India to learn critical skills in science, technology, engineering and maths
(STEM) fields and train for jobs in aviation sector.
Tamil Nadu -
Launched revamped DD Podhigai channel as DD Tamil.
Inaugurated Khelo India Youth Games 2023 (6th edition) in Chennai.
Mascot for the games is Veera Mangai, an Indian queen who waged a war against British colonial rule. Logo for
the games incorporates figure of poet Thiruvalluvar.
Athletes from across India will participate in 26 sporting disciplines. Silambam, a traditional sport of Tamil
Nadu, is being introduced as a demo sport for the first time in KIYG.
32. Notable points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Andhra Pradesh and Kerala -
Andhra Pradesh -
Inaugurated new state-of-the-art campus of National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics (NACIN) at
Palasamudram, Sri Sathya Sai District (Andhra Pradesh).
Kerala -
Inaugurated New Dry Dock (NDD) & International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF) at Cochin Shipyard Limited (Kochi)-
NDD can handle strategic assets like future aircraft carriers up to 70000T displacement, and also large
commercial vessels, eliminating India's dependency on foreign nations for emergency national requirements.
ISRF will modernise and expand existing ship repair capabilities of CSL, to help make Kochi a global ship repair
hub.
33. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurated Malkangiri airport, to enhance connectivity and foster development in tribal-
dominated areas.
The airport is initially capable of accommodating nine-seateraircraft.
This takes number of operational airports in Odisha to 7.
34. PM Narendra Modi attended Pran Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony of Shri Ramlalla (Childhood form of Lord Shri
Ram) in newly built Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh).
On this occasion -
The auspicious occasion was celebrated by Hindus across Nation and world, in grand fervour.
PM released 6 special commemorative postage stamps to mark the grand occasion.
Chhattisgarh govt announced Ramlala Darshan Scheme, to enable its citizens to avail free-of-cost pilgrimage to newly
built Ram Temple at Ayodhya.
Approx 20000 Individuals in age group 18-75 shall be selected for Ayodhya visit each year.
Timeline of Ayodhya Land Dispute -
1528 - The ancient Temple at site of Birth of Lord Shri Ram was demolished by Muslim Invader Babur, and Babri
masjid was built over it in 1528 by Mughal commander Mir Baqi.
This action was in line with Islamic invaders' long standing approach to destroy all ancient Hindu religious sites
in India, to weaken India by depriving it of its rich cultural heritage.
Before 1940s, the masjid was officially known as Masjid-i-Janmasthan.
1858 - Nihang Sikhs installed Nishan Sahib and performed a havana inside Babri Masjid, also writing Ram inside it.
This was followed by riots in Ayodhya, after which British administration prohibited Hindus from conducting puja
(rituals) at the contested site. A platform was created for conducting rituals outside the mosque.
1885 - First Suit filed by Mahanth Raghubar Das to construct Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
1949 - Idols of Lord Ram found inside Babri Masjid. 5 other suits were filed both by Hindu and Muslim religious
organizations, Between 1950 and 1990.
1992 - Babri Masjid was demolished by Hindus.
2010 - Allahabad High Court pronounced a judgement that divided disputed land among Nirmohi Akhara, Sunni Waqf
Board and Ram Lalla.
 2019 - Supreme court overruled HC judgement and gave the site to Hindus, with muslims to be given 5 acre land
outside Ayodhya, to build a mosque.
SC referenced a report from Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as evidence suggesting presence of a non-
Islamic structure beneath demolished Babri Masjid.
Concerned Mosque will be made by Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation near Ayodhya, named Masjid Muhammed
bin Abdullah.
35. PM Narendra Modi launched Pradhanmantri Suryodaya Yojana, which aims to install rooftop solar on 1 crore houses
across nation.
Maharatna PSU REC Ltd has been designated as nodal agency for implementation of PM Suryoday Yojana.
Top

Persons
1. 125-foot-tall statue of Dr B R Ambedkar has been unveiled at Swarajya Maidan of Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh).
It has been named Statue of Social Justice.
The statue stands on an 81 feet tall base building, making its total height 206 feet, as fourth tallest statue in India.
2. Notable Visits from India (Jan 2024)
Smriti Irani (Minority Affairs & Women and Child Development Minister) visited Saudi Arabia.
She led first ever non-Muslim Indian delegation to Medina, one of Islam’s holiest cities in Saudi Arabia.
She also visited perimeter of Masjid-e-Nabwi (Prophet’s mosque) in Medina, which houses Prophet Muhammad’s
tomb.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited UK.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Nepal.
During the visit, Nepal and India signed a power trade agreement, for Nepal to export 10000 megawatts (MW) of
hydroelectricity to India over next 10 years.
3. Notable Visits to India (Jan 2024) -
Fahad Abdullah S Al-Ghofaily, Chief of Saudi Arabia Navy visited India.
President of 78th Session of United Nations General Assembly (PGA), Dennis Francis visited India.
He participated as a State guest in Republic Day Parade of Maharashtra.
Swiss Economy Minister Guy Parmelin (head of Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research)
visited India.
French President Emmanuel Macron visited India, to attend India's 75th republic day celebrations as chief guest.
Notable MOUs/Agreements signed during visit -
MoU Between ISRO's commercial arm NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) & French satellite launch company
Arianespace, to support satellite launch missions.
India and France adopted a Roadmap on Defence Industrial Cooperation, to identify co-operation opportunities
in defence industrial sector.
India and France declared 2026 as India-France Year of Innovation.
India agreed to join Mercator initiative, which aims to create a digital twin of the ocean, in preparation for 2025
UN Ocean Conference (3d edition), to be co-hosted by France and Costa Rica in Nice (France).
4. Obituaries (January 2024) -
Ved Prakash Nanda - Noted Indian-American Padma Bhushan awardee Academic.
Ustad Rashid Khan - Noted Padma Bhushan Awardee Hindustani classical musician, belonging to Rampur-Sahaswan
gharana.
Hariram Dwivedi - Noted Hindi Litterateur.
Munawwar Rana - Noted Sahitya Akademi Awardee Urdu language litterateur.
Prabha Atre - Noted Padma Vibhushan awardee classical singer, from Kirana gharana.
KJ Joy - Noted Music Composer in Malayalam film industry.
Norman Jewison - Noted Canadian filmmaker.
Top
Science
1. China launched lotus-shaped satellite Einstein Probe, aimed at observing mysterious transient phenomena in the universe
that flicker like fireworks.
2. Microsoft launched AI Odyssey initiative in India, aiming to train 100000 Indian developers in latest AI technologies, and
equip them with skills essential for executing AI projects aligning with business goals.
3. American Lunar Mission Peregrine Mission one has been declared as failed, after a fault prevented it from completing its
mission.
Built by Astrobotic Technology, the mission carried payloads for NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)
program. It was launched as maiden flight of Vulcan Centaur rocket, by United Launch Alliance (ULA). It aimed to land first
US built lunar lander on the Moon, since crewed Apollo Lunar Module on Apollo 17 in1972.
4. CoRover.ai launched indigenous generative AI platform BharatGPT as India's first Large Language Model (LLM), to
revolutionise AI conversations across 22 Indian languages.
5. European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) declared 2023 as hottest year on record, potentially marking
warmest period in last 100000 years.
2023 saw global average temperature of 14.98°C, 0.17°C higher than previous highest annual value in 2016.
2023 was 0.60°C warmer than 1991-2020 average and 1.48°C warmer than 1850-1900 pre-industrial level.
It sheds light on alarming trajectory of global warming, with each passing month breaking climate records and raising
concerns about upcoming consequences for the planet and humans.
6. I-STEM (Indian Science, Technology, and Engineering facilities Map), an initiative from Office of Principal Scientific Advisor,
organized Samavesha National event at Indian Institute of Science Bangalore (IISc), to revolutionise Research collaboration in
India.
I-STEM aims to connect Researchers/Industry/Start-ups with Lab facilities, to save their capital expenditure of purchasing
advanced equipment, by connecting them with institutions possessing required equipment.
7. ISRO launched XPOSAT (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) into an Eastward low inclination orbit, onboard PSLV-C58 rocket.
This space observatory will study polarisation of cosmic X-rays, with operational lifespan of minimum 5 years. It will study
50 brightest known sources in universe, after being placed in a circular low Earth orbit of 500–700 km.
It will complement efforts of NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE), which was launched in 2021.
Payloads -
Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays (POLIX) - Will measure degree and angle of polarization of astronomical sources in
medium X-ray range.
X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing (XSPECT) - Will measure spectroscopic information, timing of soft X-rays and
electromagnetic spectrum generated by different types of matter.
8. ISRO's Aditya-L1 spacecraft successfully reached Lagrangian point (L1), to study the sun in a halo orbit abround 1.5 million
away from Earth.
It was launched on September 2, 2023 onboard PSLV C57 rocket.
A satellite placed in halo orbit around L1 point can continuously view the Sun without any occultation/eclipses. It will study
solar atmosphere, solar magnetic storms, and their impact on environment around Earth. Planned mission duration is 5.2
years.
Payloads -
Sl.
Type Payload Capability
No.
1 Visible Emission Line Coronagraph(VELC) Corona/Imaging & Spectroscopy

Remote Sensing 2 Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) Photosphere and Chromosphere Imaging- Narrow & Broadband
Payloads 3 Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS) Soft X-ray spectrometer: Sun-as-a-star observation
4 High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer(HEL1OS) Hard X-ray spectrometer: Sun-as-a-star observation

Solar wind/Particle Analyzer Protons & Heavier Ions with

5 Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment(ASPEX)
directions
Solar wind/Particle Analyzer Electrons & Heavier Ions with
In-situ Payloads 6 Plasma Analyser Package For Aditya (PAPA)
directions
Advanced Tri-axial High Resolution Digital
7 In-situ magnetic field (Bx, By and Bz).
Magnetometers
 9. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)'s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) mission successfully landed
on moon surface, making Japan the 5th country to soft-land a spacecraft on Moon (after Soviet Union, US, China & India).
Mission includes rovers named Lunar Excursion Vehicle 1 (LEV-1) & Lunar Excursion Vehicle 2 (LEV-2).
SLIM was launched alongwith X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM), a joint X-ray space telescope
mission of JAXA & NASA, to provide breakthroughs in the study of structure formation of the universe, outflows from galaxy
nuclei, and dark matter.
10. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Intelligent Internet of
Things (IIoT) Sensors and India Innovation Centre for Graphene (as India’s first Graphene Centre), at Maker Village in Kochi
(Kerala).
CoE in IIoT Sensors will catalyze development of sensors within realm of Intelligent IoT systems.
IICG (set up by Kerala Govt along with Tata Steel Limited) will foster R&D and capacity building in area of Graphene and 2D
material systems.
These centres have been set up with Digital University Kerala and Thrissur-based Centre for Materials for Electronics
Technology (CMET) as technical partners.
11. Misc. Science News / Events (Jan 2024) -
Elon Musk led firm XAI launched GrokAI, to compete with Google bard and Microsoft ChatGPT. It has been launched
initially for Premium subscribers of Musk owned social media platform X (earlier twitter).
Researchers at Linköping University (Sweden) developed an electrically conductive soil for soilless cultivation (known as
hydroponics), which can enable seedlings to grow 50% faster when their root system is stimulated electrically through a new
cultivation substrate.
Japan launched intelligence-gathering satellite Optical-8, to improve military monitoring and response to natural disasters.
Chinese firm Betavolt developed nuclear battery capable of operating for 50 years, without requiring recharging (including
in smartphones).
It utilizes 63 nuclear isotopes compactly arranged within a module, operating by converting the energy released from
decaying isotopes into electricity.
Betavolt used nickel-63, a radioactive element, as the energy source for the battery.
Danish logistics firm Maersk unveiled its container ship Ane Maersk, as world’s first large container ship powered by green
methanol, to reduce emissions from shipping industry.
As per 1st survey on number of Snow Leopards in India (conduted by Wildlife Institute of India), population of Snow
leopards in India stands at 718.
Top

Sports
1. 2023 World Blitz Chess Championships (Samarkand, Uzbekistan) -
Men - Magnus Carlsen (Norway). Its his 7th world blitz title.
Women - Valentina Gunina (Russia).
2. 2023 World Rapid Chess Championships (Samarkand, Uzbekistan) -
Men - Magnus Carlsen (Norway). Its his 5th world Rapid title.
Women - Anastasia Bodnaruk (Russia). She defeated India’s Koneru Humpy in final, who won women’s individual silver
medal.
3. 2024 Adelaide International Tennis -
Men's singles - Jiří Lehečka (Czech Republic)
Women's singles - Jeļena Ostapenko (Latvia)
Men's doubles - Rajeev Ram (US) & Joe Salisbury (UK)
Women's doubles - Beatriz Haddad Maia (Brazil) & Taylor Townsend (US)
4. 2024 Asian Rifle/Pistol Championships (Jakarta, Indonesia) -
Medal Table -
Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 India 12 7 5 24

2 South Korea 5 3 6 14
 Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
3 China 3 3 1 7

4 Kazakhstan 2 1 2 5

5 Vietnam 1 2 0 3

India ranked at Top, with 24 medals (including 12 gold).

Individual Indian gold medalists -
Varun Tomar - Men's 10 m air pistol
Yogesh Singh - Men's 25 m standard pistol
Akhil Sheoran - Men's 50 m rifle 3 positions
Esha Singh - Women's 10 m air pistol
Nancy Mandhotra - Women's 10 m air rifle
5. 2024 Men's FIH Hockey5s World Cup (1st edition, hosted in Muscat (Oman)) -
Netherlands won the title, defeating Malaysia in final. Oman stayed at 3rd place.
Malaysia 's Akhimullah Anuar was named Best player.
6. 2024 United Cup Tennis (Hosted in Australia) -
Germany won the title, after Alexander Zverev (Germany) won against Hubert Hurkacz (Poland).
About -
United Cup is an international hard court tennis competition featuring mixed-gender teams from 18 countries.
2024 is 2nd edition of United cup. 1st edition was won by USA.
7. 2024 Women's FIH Hockey5s World Cup (1st edition, hosted in Muscat (Oman)) -
Netherlands won the title, defeating India in final. Poland stayed at 3rd place.
Netherlands's Noor de Baat was named Best player.
8. 2024 Asian Shotgun Championships (Kuwait City, Kuwait) -
Medal Table -
Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 China 5 3 1 9

2 Chinese Taipei 2 0 0 2

3 India 1 3 4 8

4 Kazakhstan 1 1 3 5

5 Iran 1 1 0 2

Notable Indian Medalists -

Gold - Women's Skeet team event, comprising Maheshwari Chauhan, Raiza Dhillon, Ganemat Sekhon.
Silver -
Anantjeet Singh Naruka (Men's Skeet)
Raiza Dhillon (Women's Skeet)
9. 2024 Grand Prix Zagreb Open wrestling (Zagreb, Croatia) -
Champions -
Freestyle - United States
Greco-Roman - Azerbaijan
Women - Ukraine
Notably -
India's Aman Sehrawat won gold in Men's freestyle 57 kg category.
As a result of sanctions by UWW imposed on Wrestling Federation of India for not conducting its elections on
time, wrestlers from India participated under name and flag of United World Wrestling (UWW).
10. 2024 Australian Open Grand Slam Tennis (112th edition, hosted in Melbourne) -
Men's singles - Jannik Sinner (Italy). He defeated Daniil Medvedev (Russia).
It was his 1st grand slam singles title.
Women's singles - Aryna Sabalenka (Belarus). She defeated Zheng Qinwen (China).
 It was her 2nd grand slam singles title (1st was Australian open 2023).
Men's doubles - Rohan Bopanna (India) & Matthew Ebden (Australia)
This is Rohan Bopanna's second grand slam doubles title (after 2017 French Open win).
It also made Rohan Bopanna the oldest player to claim No. 1 spot in men’s tennis doubles rankings, at age of 43.
Women's doubles - Hsieh Su-wei (Chinese Taipei) & Elise Mertens (Belgium)
Mixed doubles - Hsieh Su-wei (Chinese Taipei) & Jan Zieliński (Poland)
Boys' singles - Rei Sakamoto (Japan)
Girls' singles - Renáta Jamrichová (Slovakia)
Notably -
Sumit Nagal became first Indian tennis player to defeat a seeded opponent at a Grand Slam since 1989, when he
defeated Alexander Bublik (Kazakhstani) during Australian Open 2024.
Earlier, Ramesh Krishnan was first Indian player to beat a seeded opponent at a Grand Slam in 1989, when he
defeated Mats Wilander during 1989 Australian Open.
About-
Australian Open is one of 4 Grand slams in Tennis. Other 3 - French Open (May-Jun), Wimbledon (July) & US Open
(Aug-Sep).
11. 2024 India Open Badminton (New Delhi) -
Men's singles - Shi Yuqi (China)
Women's singles - Tai Tzu-ying (Chinese Taipei)
Men's doubles - South Korea's Kang Min-hyuk & Seo Seung-jae
Women's doubles - Japan's Mayu Matsumoto & Wakana Nagahara
Mixed doubles - Thailand's Dechapol Puavaranukroh & Sapsiree Taerattanachai
12. 2024 Malaysia Open badminton -
Men's singles - Anders Antonsen (Denmark)
Women's singles - An Se-young (South Korea)
Men's doubles - China's Liang Weikeng & Wang Chang
Women's doubles - China's Liu Shengshu & Tan Ning
Mixed doubles - Japan's Yuta Watanabe & Arisa Higashino
13. Beach Games 2024 (first multi-sports beach games in India) organized at blue flag certified Ghoghla Beach in Diu.
Madhya Pradesh emerged overall champion, followed by Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttarkhand and UT of Dadra,
Nagar Haveli, Diu & Daman.
Notably, Lakshadweep won gold medal in Beach Soccer, defeating Maharashtra.
14. Maharashtra topped the medal tally in Khelo India Youth Games 2024 (6th edition), hosted in 4 cities of Tamil Nadu.
Top 3 - Maharashtra (158, with 57 gold), Tamil Nadu (98, with 38 gold), Haryana (103, with 35 gold)
About -
Mascot for the games was Veera Mangai, an Indian queen who waged a war against British colonial rule. Logo for the
games incorporates figure of poet Thiruvalluvar.
Athletes from across India participated in 26 sporting disciplines.
Silambam, a traditional sport of Tamil Nadu, was introduced as a demo sport for the first time in KIYG.
Squash was introduced in Khelo India Youth Games for the first time, in 2024 edition.
15. Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2024 (Annual chess tournament held in Wijk aan Zee (the Netherlands)) -
Champions -
Masters - Wei Yi (China). He defeated India's Gukesh D in the finals.
Challengers - Leon Luke Mendonca (India). He defeated India's Divya Deshmukh in finals.
Notably, during the tournament, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa became Top ranked Indian chess player, after defeating
reigning world champion Ding Liren.
16. Indian Wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya (Tokyo Olympic silver medallist) won bronze medal at Grand Prix De France Henri
Deglane 2024 wrestling tournament in Nice (France).
As a result of sanctions by UWW imposed on Wrestling Federation of India for not conducting its elections on time,
wrestlers from India participated under name and flag of United World Wrestling (UWW).
17. Misc. Sports News (Jan 2024) -
Noted Australian cricketer David Warner announced his retirement from international Test & ODI cricket.
Kenya's Beatrice Chebet broke women's world 5km record in Barcelona (Spain), beating previous record of 14:29 with
timing of 14:13.
Indian winners at Scottish Junior Squash Open 2023 in Edinburgh -
Prabhav Bajoria (Boys Under 11)
Shresht Iyer (Boys Under 13)
Subhash Choudhary (Boys Under 15)
Aadya Budhia (Girls Under 13)
Anahat Singh (Girls Under 19)
India's Rohit Sharma became first men’s cricketer to feature in 150 T20 Internationals.
New Zealand cricketer Tim Southee became first bowler to take 150 wickets in T20 Internationals.
Australian cricketer Shaun Marsh announced his retirement from all forms of Cricket.
Binbin and Nini (a pair of Siberian tigers) have been named as Mascots for 2025 Asian Winter Games (9th edition, to be
hosted in Harbin (China)).
Sue Redfern (England) become first ICC appointed female neutral umpire (belonging to none of playing nations) to officiate
in a bilateral series (between Australia and South Africa).
Global soccer governing body FIFA's president Gianni Infantino has been honored with International Sports Personality of
the Year award, at 12th annual Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Awards in Dubai (UAE).
Tata Group retained title sponsorship of Indian Premier League (IPL) for upcoming 5 seasons (2024 to 2028), by paying
500 crore per season.
In 2022, Tata Group had replaced Chinese mobile manufacturer Vivo as IPL title sponsor for 2022 and 2023 seasons,
at cost 365 crore per season.
India’s Man Singh won gold medal at Asian Marathon Championships 2024 in Hong Kong.
Indian table tennis player Sreeja Akula won her 1st international title, at WTT Feeder Corpus Christi 2024 in Texas (USA).
Top

Read Important Ones