January English Magazine 2024

January 2024
1
PCS SIMPLIFIED
INDEX
Sr.No TOPIC PAGE NO.
1. National 3-20
2. International 21-31
3. Economic 32-34
4. Science and Technology 35-38
5. Defence 39-42
6. Environment 43-46
7. Scheme or Portal 47-53
8. Exercise 54-56
9. Events and Conferences 57-65
10. Awards and Honours 66-79
11. Index & Report 80-83
12. Sports 84-91
13. Day 92-98
14. Appointment 98-101
15. UP Special 102
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National
1. India to host UNESCO World Heritage Committee for the first
time
• The 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage

Committee will be held in New Delhi from 21 to 31 July UNESCO
2024. • The first General Conference
• It will be chaired by India. session of UNESCO was held in
Paris, the capital of France,
World Heritage Committee: between 19 November and 10
• The World Heritage Committee selects sites that can be December 1946, in which 30
listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. countries participated.
• The World Heritage Committee currently consists of 21 • It was established on 16 November
countries. 1945.
• Argentina, Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, India, Italy, • Its headquarters is located in
Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Paris, the capital of France.
Qatar, South Korea, Rwanda, Saint Vincent and the • It currently consists of about 195
Grenadines, Senegal, Turkey, Ukraine, Vietnam, member countries and 8 associate
Zambia member countries.
Note - • Current – Director General Audrey
• India became a member country of UNESCO in 1946. Azoulay
• UNESCO has protected 42 World Heritage Sites in India.
Launch of the 10th phase of Sagar Parikrama:

• Sagar Parikrama Phase-10 is scheduled to take place from January 1 to January 6, 2024 at
various locations in Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry.
Sagar Parikrama:
• It has been conceived as a part of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' in honour of our great freedom
fighters, sailors and fishermen.
• Sagar Parikrama aims to disseminate information about various schemes and programs related to
fisheries
• It also aims to promote fisheries and protect marine ecosystems.
Note:
• The journey of the first phase of 'Sagar Parikrama' started from Mandvi, Gujarat on 5 March 2022
and ended at Porbandar on 6 March 2022.
Fishing in India:
• India is the second leading country in the world in terms of fish production through aquaculture.
• India is the world's fourth largest fish exporter, contributing 7.7% of global fish production.
• India ranks first in the world in inland fish production and third in overall fish production.
2. Denmark unveils Green Fuels Alliance India (GFAI)

• At the Global Investors Meet (GIM) 2024, Denmark
unveiled the Green Fuels Alliance India (GFAI).
• This is an important initiative under the Green
Strategic Partnership (GSP) signed between India
and Denmark in 2020.
• GFAI aims to accelerate cooperation in sustainable
energy.
• GFAI's advisory board includes leading
organizations such as the India Hydrogen Alliance
and the Danish Energy Agency.
Note -
• This initiative promotes India's efforts to achieve
net zero emissions by 2070, demonstrating commitment towards sustainable energy development.
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3. First meeting of Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC)
• The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) will be holding the first meeting of the recently
constituted Inland Waterways Development Council (IWDC) in Kolkata.
• The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) functions under the Ministry of Shipping.
• “Guidelines for Green Transition of Inland Cruises” and “River Cruise Tourism Roadmap 2047”
were unveiled to promote waterways in India.
Key Facts
• The program aims to promote private investment in shipbuilding, cargo transportation and
creation of terminal infrastructure along national waterways.
• The number of overnight cruise circuits will be increased from 17 to 80.
• The number of river cruise terminals will be increased to 185
• Cruise tourism traffic with overnight stays will be increased from 5,000 to 1.20 lakh by 2047
Target -
• The ministry aims to increase the cargo modal share of inland waterways from 2% currently to 5%
under the Maritime India Vision 2030.
• The 2047 goals are to increase cargo volume from the current 120 million tonnes per year to more
than 500 million tonnes.
• Note -In West Bengal itself, under the Sagarmala initiative of the Central Government, more than
60 inland waterways development projects worth ₹16,300 crore are in various implementation
stages, of which 19 projects have already been completed.
4. Climate conference 2024

Green Climate Fund
• Climate conference 2024 held in • The Green Climate Fund (GCF) aims to raise
Mumbai, Maharashtra. money for projects.
• Its theme was "Decoding the Green • The Green Climate Fund was established in 2010.
Transformation for India." • It was established by the 194 countries bound by
• India's Ministry of Environment, Forest the United Nations Framework Convention on
and Climate Change organized an Climate Change.
event. • It is designed to act as an operational unit of the
• The event focused on the private financial mechanism of the Convention and is
sector, climate tech startups and headquartered in Korea.
institutional investors. • The Green Climate Fund is governed by a 24-
• The conference was organized under member board representing different countries.
the Green Climate Fund Readiness • The Board receives guidance from the Conference
Programme. UNDP India was the of the Parties (COP).
delivery partner. • The United Nations Framework Convention on
• India's goal of achieving net zero Climate Change (UNFCCC) created the fund.
emissions by 2070 was discussed at
the conference.

5. Signing of an agreement between India and Argentina
• An agreement for lithium exploration was signed between Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL)
and Camayen SE.
• Mineral Bids India Limited (KABIL) is a state-owned company of India while Catamarca Minera y
Energetica Sociedad del Estado (Camayan SE) is a state-owned company of Argentina.
• Under the agreement, KABIL will explore and develop five lithium brine blocks spanning 15,703
hectares in the Catamarca province of Argentina.
Note -
• Argentina is an important contributor to the "Lithium Triangle", along with Bolivia and Chile.
Bolivia is the largest holder of lithium
reserves.
• Lithium is primarily used in electronics
production, especially in rechargeable
lithium-ion batteries.
Lithium in India -
• The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has
identified significant lithium reserves of 5.9
million tonnes in the Salal-Haimana area of
Reasi district in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Lithium has also been discovered from
Degana, Revant hill of Nagaur, Rajasthan.
6. Persian will be included in the nine classical languages of India

• The Government of India has decided to include Persian as one of the nine classical languages of
India under the new education policy.
• It is a subfamily of Indo-European languages.
• It is the official language of Iran, and two varieties of Persian known as Dari and Tajik are official
languages in Afghanistan and Tajikistan, respectively.
Classical languages in India -
• Currently, six languages have 'classical' status: Tamil (declared in 2004), Sanskrit (2005),
Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Oriya (2014).
Basis for declaring classical language - -
• The high antiquity of its earliest texts/recorded history spans a period of 1500–2000 years.
• A collection of ancient literature/texts, considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers.
• The literary tradition must be original and not borrowed from any other speech community.
Note -
• Some of the modern Indo-European languages are: Hindi, Urdu, English, French, German,
Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, Persian, Bengali, Punjabi, Russian, etc.
• All these languages have emerged from the same primitive language, which can be called
Primitive Indo-European language.
• Indo-European is a family of languages (which includes most of the languages spoken in Europe,
India, and Iran).
• It derives from a common language spoken by farming peoples living in south-eastern Europe in
the third millennium BC.

7. Government of India declares 'Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Jammu and
Kashmir (TEH)' as an unlawful organization
• The government has declared TEH an unlawful organization under Section 3(1) of the Unlawful
Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Jammu and Kashmir
• This organization has been involved in banned activities to separate Jammu and Kashmir from
India and establish Islamic rule.
• Has been found involved in terrorist activities to promote separatism in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Syed Ali Shah Geelani founded Tehreek-e-Hurriyat organization on 7 August 2004.
Note:
• On December 27, the Central Government also declared Muslim League Jammu Kashmir Masrat
Alam Group illegal under UAPA.
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967:
• This law was made to prevent activities that threaten the sovereignty and unity of India.
• This law restricts the freedom granted by Article 19 of the Constitution.
• The Central Government can designate an organization as a terrorist organization if it commits or
participates in a terrorist act.
8. Guinness World Record for mass Surya Namaskar created in

Gujarat on the first day of New Year 2024
• 'Surya Namaskar' was performed by more than 50,000 people simultaneously at 108 places in
Gujarat, which is a Guinness World Record.
• Places for Surya Namaskar also include the iconic Modhera Sun Temple.
• The direct translation of 'Surya Namaskar' is to salute or greet the Sun.
• Surya Namaskar consists of a sequence of 12 powerful yoga postures.
• It is a great way to keep the body in perfect shape and keep the mind calm and healthy.
Modhera Sun Temple
• Modhera Sun Temple: On the banks of Pushpavati river in Mehsana district of Gujarat, King
Bhimdev I of Solanki dynasty built this temple in two parts in 1026 AD.
• The first part is of the sanctum sanctorum and the second part is of the assembly hall. There are
52 pillars in the assembly hall of the temple.
• This temple was constructed in Iranian style.
• Apart from the pictures of various gods and goddesses, episodes from Ramayana and
Mahabharata have been depicted on these pillars with excellent craftsmanship.
• Modhera temple is mentioned in many Puranas such as Skanda Purana and Brahma Purana.
9. Punjab becomes first state to map all accident-prone sites

• Punjab has become the first Indian state to comprehensively map all 784 accident-prone areas as
'black spots' on the navigation system Maples app.
• Navigation System Maps App is developed by MapMyIndia.
• It has been launched as part of the 'Road Safety Force'.
• Through this app, passengers will get this alert even before the black spot is 100 metres away.
Global State of Road Safety 2023 Report: Global road traffic deaths:
• World Health Organization released a report • 28% in the Southeast Asia region,
titled Global State of Road Safety 2023 • 25% in the Western Pacific,
• An increase of 15% has been seen in its • 19% in the African region,
mortality rate in India, which has increased
• 12% in the US region,
from 1.34 lakh in the year 2010 to 1.54 lakh
• 11% in the Eastern Mediterranean region
in the year 2021.
and
• Road accident deaths worldwide have
• 5% of deaths occurred in the European
declined by 5% between 2010 and 2021
region.

10. Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP)
• Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated the 12th General Assembly of the Asian Buddhist
Conference for Peace in New Delhi.
• The theme of the 12th General Assembly of the Asian Buddhist Conference is – The Buddhist
Voice of the Global South.”
Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP)
• ABCP is an organization that runs its
activities on the basis of the great
teachings of Lord Buddha.
• The Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace
(ABCP) was founded in 1970.
• The conference was jointly founded by
religious leaders from India, Sri Lanka
and Nepal, with its headquarters located
in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
• As a result of this valuable contribution,
the United Nations has registered ABCP
under ECOSOC status.
• The 11th ABCP General Assembly was
held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, where ABCP national centers gathered.
Music place Year
First Buddhist Conference Rajgrah 483 BC
Second Buddhist Conference Vaishali 383 BC
Third Buddhist Conference Patliputra 251 BC
Fourth Buddhist Conference Kundalvan first

(Kashmir) century
fifth buddhist conference Ujjain 172 AD
11. Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the temple in Abu

Dhabi on February 14
BAPS Organization:
• The BAPS Hindu Temple, located in the Abu • Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam
Murikha area of the capital, is the first Hindu Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS).
temple in the UAE.
• A socio-spiritual Hindu faith rooted in the
• During PM Modi's first visit to the UAE in Vedas, originated by Lord Swaminarayan in
2015, the country had allotted land in Abu the late 1700s.
Dhabi for the construction of a Hindu temple.
• Establishment: Formally established in
• Built on more than 5.4 hectares of land at a 1907 by Shastriji Maharaj (1865-1951).
cost of Rs 700 crore
• BAPS claims to operate more than 3,850
• The façade features an intricately designed centers worldwide, including 1,100
pink sandstone and marble with seven temples.
pinnacles representing each emirate of the
• The world's largest Hindu temple outside
UAE.
India, Akshardham in Robbinsville, New
Jersey, was built by BAPS.

12. NHAI signed an agreement with National Remote Sensing
Center (NRSC)
National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC)
• NHAI signed an MoU with NRSC on 3 • It is one of the major centers of the Space
January 2024 to develop and report Department of ISRO.
National Highways in India's "Green Cover • The headquarters of NRSC is in Hyderabad.
Index" • The National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC)
Green highway policy is responsible for remote sensing satellite data
• The Ministry of Road Transport and acquisition and processing, data
Highways (MoRTH) announced the 'Green dissemination, airborne remote sensing and
Highways Policy' in September 2015. decision support for disaster management.
• To promote the development of greener and • NRSC has a data acquisition center at
eco-friendly National Highway corridors Shadnagar near Hyderabad to receive data
across the country with the participation of from Indian remote sensing satellites as well
farmers, private sector and government as others.
institutions including the Forest
Department.
• This will resolve the issues coming in the way of
development and pave the way towards sustainable
development.
• Objective: To reduce the impact of air pollution and
dust by planting trees and bushes along the national
highways. They will act as natural absorbents for air
pollutants and prevent soil erosion on the
embankment slopes.
• Stakeholders: Contracts for greening highways will
be given to NGOs, agencies, private companies and
government organizations. These stakeholders will be
responsible for the survival and care of the trees.
13. Adidas will set up its Global Business Services (GBS) hub in
Chennai
• Adidas will set up its first and only Global Capability Center (GCC) in Asia outside China in
Chennai.
• Akhil Kapoor will head Adidas' Global Business Services (GBS).
Adidas AG
• Adidas AG is a German company that manufactures sports goods and clothing. It is the parent
company of the Adidas Group.
• It is the largest sports equipment manufacturing company in Europe.
• Adidas was founded in 1948 by Adolf "Eddie" Dassler.
• Registered in 1949, Adidas is currently based in Herzogenaurach, Germany along with Puma.

14. REC Limited entered into an agreement with Rail Vikas Nigam
Limited (RVNL)
• REC Limited has signed a Memorandum
Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL):
of Understanding (MoU) with Rail Vikas
Nigam Limited (RVNL). • It is a 100% central government owned public
sector undertaking.
• Under this agreement, infrastructure
projects worth up to Rs 35,000 crore will • Approval for the establishment of RVNL was
be developed. given by the Government of India on 19
December 2002.
• Under this agreement, infrastructure
projects across various domains • RVNL started operations in 2005.
including multi-modal logistics hubs, • It is working under the Ministry of Railways.
rail infrastructure, roads, ports and • It was granted the status of 13th Navratna
metro projects will be developed. company in April 2023.
Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) • It was set up to implement railway infrastructure
Limited: projects and raise extra budgetary resources for
• REC is a Non-Banking Financial Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs).
Company (NBFC). • Headquarters – New Delhi
• It was established in 1969.
• It focuses on power sector financing and infrastructure development across India.
• It comes under the Ministry of Power.
• REC was granted the status of 'Maharatna' Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) on 22
September 2022.
REC has been appointed as a nodal agency for the following schemes:
1. Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya)
2. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY)
3. National Electricity Fund (NEF)
15. Reliance Industries achieves India's first ISCC-Plus

certification
• ISCC-Plus certification applies to RIL's Jamnagar Refinery located in the state of Gujarat.
• RIL's Jamnagar Refinery has implemented a continuous catalytic pyrolysis technology, designed
to convert various plastic wastes, including single-use and multi-layered plastics, into pyrolysis
oil.
• Jamnagar Refinery has the capacity to produce up to 600 tonnes of pyrolysis oil per month.
ISCC-Plus Certification
• ISCC Plus is a sustainable certification scheme for bio-based, renewable and raw materials.
• It also links the entire supply chain, from farming, plastic recycling and electrolysis to the final
products of plastic or chemical manufacturers and brand owners.
• ISCC's zero deforestation policy ensures the protection of forests, high-carbon stock lands and
biodiversity.
18. Thanjavur dolls are on the verge of extinction

Thanjavur Dolls
• It was granted the Geographical Indication tag
in 2009.
• This craft was brought to Thanjavur by the
Maratha ruler Raja Serfoji in the early 19th
century.
• In Tamil language it is called Thanjavur
Thalayatti Bommai.
• Thanjavur dolls are mainly of two types, one is
the bobble-head version, and the other is the
reclining doll.
• Doll-makers use papier-mâché, plaster of
Paris, and other materials for the body.
• Copper sulfate powder is added as a fungicide.

16. Hijacked cargo ship 'MV Leela Norfolk' brought back safely
• All 21 crew members, including 15 Indians, aboard cargo ship 'MV Leela Norfolk' hijacked off the
coast of Somalia have been rescued.
• Considering the seriousness of the situation the crew immediately sent a message to UK Maritime
Trade Operations.
• The Indian Navy had responded to a distress call regarding the hijacking of the 84,000-tonne
ship.
• The Indian Naval Fleet consists of a warship, maritime patrol aircraft, helicopters, P-8I and long-
range aircraft and Predator MQ9B drones.
• Marcos, an elite commando of the Indian Navy, MV Leela Norfolk
rescued 15 Indians by clearing a cargo ship in the • MV Leela Norfolk is a cargo ship
Arabian Sea. sailing from Brazil to Bahrain.
UKMTO
• The flag of Liberia is on this cargo
• UKMTO is a British military organization that ship.
monitors the movements of various vessels in
• It was caught about 300 nautical
strategic waterways.
miles off the coast of Somalia.
• The Indian Navy is committed to ensuring the
security of commercial vessels in the region along with international partners and friendly
countries.
17. An inscription from the Kadamba period, dated to the 10th

century AD, has been discovered in the Mahadeva temple at
Kakoda in South Goa
Kadamba inscription Goa
• This inscription tells about the death of Talara • Goa is located on the south-west coast of
Nevayya of her son Gundayya. India in a region called Konkan.
• It is in the literary style of the Talangre • India's smallest state in terms of area is
inscription of Jayasimha I of the then period. • On December 9, 1961, it was liberated
• The paragraph on this inscription begins with a from the Portuguese by conducting
wonderful sentence ‘Be it well’ i.e. ‘Swasthi 'Operation Vijay'.
Shri’. • Sonsogor is the highest point of Goa
• The epigraph (an inscription on a building, Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks:
statue or coin) is inscribed in Kannada and • Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary
Nagari letters and dates back to the 10th • Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary
century AD and belongs to the Kadambas of • Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary
Goa. • Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary
Kadambas of Goa • Bhagwan Mahavir Sanctuary
• The Kadambas of Goa are descendants of Mayurasharma (founder of the Kadamba Kingdom of
Banavasi, 345–365 AD).
• They were feudatories/subordinates of the Chalukyas of Kalyan.
• Chalukya king Tailapa II appointed Kadamba Shasthadeva as the Mahamandaleshwar of Goa.
• Chandor, earlier known as Chandrapur. It was the capital of this dynasty and an important port.
• King Shashtadeva, after annexing Goa, the port Gopakpattana and Kapardika Dvipa and a large
part of South Konkan, made the port city Gopakpattana his subsidiary capital.

19. Seven products from Odisha were granted Geographical
Indication (GI) tag
Kapadganda Shawl
• It is woven and embroidered by women of the Dongria Kondh tribe, a particularly vulnerable tribal
group (PVTG) in the Niyamgiri hills in the Rayagada and Kalahandi districts of Odisha.
Lanjia Saurpa painting
• It is also known as idital.
• It belongs to the Lanjia Saura community.
• They mainly live in Rayagada district.
• These paintings are in the form of outdoor frescoes painted on the mud walls of houses.
Koraput Black Cumin Rice
• The black colored rice variety, also known as the 'Prince of Rice', is famous for its aroma, taste,
texture and nutritional value.
• Rice grains are similar to cumin seeds, hence it is also called black cumin.
Nayagarh Kanteemundi Brinjal
• The plants are resistant to major pests and can be grown with minimal pesticides.
Odisha Khajuri Jaggery (Jaggery)
• It is a natural sweetener extracted from date palm trees and originated in Gajapati district.
• Traditionally, jaggery is prepared in a trapezoidal form called 'Patli Jaggery'
• It is dark brown in color and has a unique taste.
Dhenkanal Maji
• It is a type of sweet made from buffalo milk cheese, which has distinctive characteristics in terms
of appearance, taste, flavor, shape and size.
20. Karnataka High Court bans mining and quarrying activities at

KRS Dam
• Krishna-Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam is located in Mandya district of Karnataka.
• The Karnataka High Court banned all mining and quarrying activities within a 20 kilometer
radius of this dam.
• This restriction has been implemented under the provisions of the Security Act 2021.
Krishna-Raj Sagar (KRS) Dam
• It is a type of gravity dam located on the Kaveri River which was constructed in 1932 in
Karnataka.
• The dam is named after Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV, the ruler of the Mysore Kingdom.
• The construction of this dam was planned by M. Note -
Visvesvaraya in 1932 during the reign of the
• Kaveri originates in the Brahmagiri
Wodeyar Raja; Therefore, this dam is also called M.
Hills in the Western Ghats of
Visvesvaraya Dam.
Karnataka.
• The water from this dam is used for irrigation and
• The major tributaries of Kaveri are
drinking purposes in Mysore and Mandya.
Arkavati, Hemavati, Lakshman
• The water released from this dam is also used in Tirtha, Shimsha, Kabini and Harangi.
Tamil Nadu.
• Vrindavan Garden is situated near this dam.
21. Vision 10 'Starliner' Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)

• This is an indigenously built Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
• It was developed by Adani Defense and Aerospace.
• It is an advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platform with 36 hours of
endurance and 450 kg payload capacity.
• It is an all-weather military platform.
• It is designed to have high endurance, battle-proven capabilities and advanced features, providing
a significant boost to India's naval capabilities.
• It is equipped with advanced communication systems, including satellite communications and
line-of-sight (LOS) data links, ensuring reliable and secure data transmission.

22. The Chief Minister of West Bengal had urged the Central
Government to include 'Bengali' as a classical language
• Currently, six languages have 'classical' status: Tamil (declared in 2004), Sanskrit (2005),
Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Oriya (2014).
Bengali language
• It is an official language of West Bengal.
• It is the second most spoken language in India and the seventh most spoken language in the
world.
• The Bengali people have a rich heritage and culture dating back to prehistoric times.
• Bengali is written from left to right.
The classical language norms developed by the Government of

India are as follows:-
• The high antiquity of its earliest texts/recorded history spanning a
period of 1500–2000 years;
• A collection of ancient literature/texts, considered a valuable
heritage by generations of speakers;
• The literary tradition must be original and not borrowed from any
other speech community;
• Because classical language and literature differ from modern ones,
there may also be a discontinuity between the classical language
and its later forms or branches.
23. 'Startup India Innovation Week'

• DPIIT is organizing 'Startup India Innovation Week' from 10 to 18 January 2024.
• 'Startup India Innovation Week 2024' began on January 10 with an Ask Me Anything (AMA)
session with 'Ecosystem Enablers'.
• The Ask Me Anything session focused on 'Opportunities for emerging startups through
incubators'.
MAARG Mentorship Series

• The first mentorship session under the MAARG Mentorship Series for budding entrepreneurs
focused on 'From Idea to Execution - Building a Solid Business Plan'.
• The second mentorship session under the MAARG Mentorship Series focused on 'Understanding
the business structures and processes that comprise an entity'.
'Startup School'
• 'Startup Shala' - Startup India's flagship accelerator program was launched to comprehensively
support startups in the scaleup
stage.
• This initiative is a 3-month
accelerator program for new
startups.
• It gives them access to the
knowledge, networks, funds or
guidance they need to move
forward.
Startup India
• Launched by PM Narendra Modi
on 16 January 2016.
• It was launched as a call to the
country's innovators,
entrepreneurs and thinkers to
lead sustainable economic
growth and create large-scale
employment opportunities.

24. Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) will set up
a new campus in Kandy, Sri Lanka
• This proposal is included in the budget for the year
2024 presented by Sri Lankan President Ranil
Wickremesinghe as Finance Minister.
• The new campus will create opportunities for Sri
Lankan students to pursue university education of
international standards within their country.
• The establishment of the campus will be facilitated
by a set of "powerful rules and regulations" to ensure
monitoring, quality and governance of non-state
universities in Sri Lanka.
25. Value Stream 2.0: Values and Ethics of UGC in Higher

Education
Main objectives of Value Stream 2.0
• In a significant step to promote ethical practices in
• To develop human values and ethics
higher education, the University Grants Commission
(UGC) of India has launched Value Stream 2.0. • Promote honesty and integrity
• Value Stream 2.0 is an updated version of the original • encourage critical thinking
Value Stream Guidelines, which the UGC introduced • Increasing transparency and
in 2019. accountability
• These guidelines have been revised to incorporate the • rewarding ethical behavior
key recommendations of the National Education Policy, 2020 (NEP-2020) announced on July 29,
2020.
26. India's first dark sky park

Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR)
• Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra has been • This reserve is located in Seoni in
designated India's first and fifth in Asia Dark Sky Madhya Pradesh and Chhindwara in
Park, protecting the night sky and preventing light Nagpur district in Maharashtra.
pollution. • It is named after the Pench River,
• Dark Sky Place certification focuses on lighting which flows from north to south
policy, dark sky-friendly retrofits, outreach and through the reserve.
education, and night sky monitoring. • The area is the original story of
• PTR becomes the fifth such park in Asia. Deirdre Kipling's famous "The Jungle
Book".
27. Mumbai Trans Harbor Link (MTHL) inaugurated

• Mumbai Trans Harbor Link, officially named Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Trans Harbor Link
• It is also called Sewri-Nhava Sheva Trans Harbor Link or Atal Setu.
• The bridge starts at Sewri in South Mumbai, crosses Thane Creek north of Elephanta Island, and
ends at Chirle near Nhava Sheva in Navi Mumbai's Uran taluka.
• It is the longest sea bridge in India and the 12th longest sea bridge in the world.
• The bridge has a capacity to handle 70,000 vehicles per day.
When was it started
• Construction of the bridge began in April 2018 and it was inaugurated by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on 12 January 2024.
Bridge length
• MTHL is 21.8 km long, consisting of a 16.5 km sea bridge and a 5.5 km land bridge at either end
of the bridge.
Technique
• Orthotropic deck has been used in its construction. Which has been done for the first time in any
Pal production in India.
• Note - Parts of the orthotropic deck were manufactured in Japan, Myanmar, Taiwan and Vietnam

28. Discovery of two important natural gas reserves in Mahanadi
Basin Block
• State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has recently discovered two significant
natural gas reserves in the Mahanadi Basin block in the Bay of Bengal.
Mahanadi River Basin
• It is the 8th largest river basin in the country, covering about 4.28% of the total geographical area
of the country.
• The catchment area of the basin extends over major parts of Chhattisgarh and Odisha and
comparatively smaller parts of Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
• It is bounded by the hills of Central India in the north, the Eastern Ghats in the south and east
and the Maikala ranges in the west.
• The main soils found in the basin are red and yellow soils.
Mahanadi
• It is the main east-flowing peninsular river in India.
• The river originates in the Sihawa mountain range in the Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh state.
• In terms of water capacity, it ranks second among peninsular rivers after Godavari River.
• The total length of the river from its origin to its discharge into the Bay of Bengal is 851 km, of
which 357 km is in Chhattisgarh and 494 km in Odisha.
• Tributaries: Seonath, Hasdev, Mand and Eeb join the Mahanadi from the left, while Ong, Tel and
Jonk join it from the right.
• Note - ONGC was established on 14 August 1956 by the Government of India. It was given
'Maharatna' status by the Government of India in November 2010.
29. National Security Advisors (NSA) meeting

• The NSAs meeting to discuss the peace plan for
Ukraine was held in Davos a day before the
formal start of the 54th WEF meeting.
• For the first time, national security advisors of 90
countries met in Davos.
30. 'One Vehicle, One Fastag' Initiative

• National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has launched 'One Vehicle, One Fastag' initiative.
• It aims to increase the efficiency of the electronic toll collection system and provide seamless
movement at toll plazas.
FASTags
• It is a device that uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to make toll payments
directly while the vehicle is moving.
• It is an RFID passive tag which is used to make toll payments directly from the prepaid or
savings/current account linked to the customers.
• Toll fare is deducted directly from the customer's linked account.

31. Tripura government has allotted land for rehabilitation of
Mizoram Bru refugees
• Bru refugees and the Government of Tripura and Government of Mizoram have signed an
agreement.
• It was done under the leadership of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
• As per the agreement, a total of 6,959 Bru (also known as Reang) tribe families are to be
permanently resettled at 12 different locations in four districts of Tripura state.
• The Central Government has allocated approximately Rs 600 crore to permanently resettle more
than 35 thousand Bru-Reang refugees of Mizoram in Tripura.
Bru community
• Members of this tribal group are natives of the Shan province of Myanmar, who migrated from
Myanmar and settled in Mizoram a few centuries ago.
• The Bru community is the largest minority tribal group
in Mizoram.
• This tribe is also known as Reang.
• Of the 75 tribal groups classified as Particularly
Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) by the Government of
India, the Reang tribe is one of them.
• Their language is Reang, which is part of the Kokborok
language family of Tibet-Myanmar. In Reang language
'Bru' means 'human'.
• This tribe follows the Vaishnava sect of Hindu religion.
• Textiles woven by Bru women:- These women are Rinai,
Risa, Basei, Pandri, Kutai, Rikatu, Baki, Kamchai.
Kamchai) etc.
33. Five new galleries inaugurated in Hyderabad's Salar Jung

Museum
• Union Minister Mr. Kishan Reddy inaugurates five diverse galleries at Salar Jung Museum in
Hyderabad
Variety performances
• Indian Sculpture Gallery: It houses about 40 artefacts, some of which date back to the 2nd
century BCE, including a fragment from Bharhut with a lotus medallion and 'Anantasayana
Vishnu' from the Kakatiya period.
• Bidriware Gallery: A display of 300 unique objects including exquisite 'hookah' bases and ewers.
• Lamp and Chandelier Gallery: Displaying 180 antiques from around the world.
• European Bronze Gallery: Over 100 bronze statues.
• European Marble Gallery: 50 exquisite marble sculptures displayed.
Salar Jung Museum
• Salar Jung Museum is an art museum located at Dar-ul-Shifa on the southern bank of the Musa
River in Hyderabad city, the capital of Telangana state.
• It is one of the three national museums of India
• Salarjung Museum was established in 1951
• In 1961, the Salarjung Mu
• seum and its library were declared an "Institution of National Importance" through an "Act of
Parliament".

32. Remains of a 2,800-year-old human settlement have been
discovered in Vadnagar, Gujarat
• It is often mentioned in the Puranas and even in the travelogue of the great Chinese traveler Hieu-
en-Tsang (7th century) as a rich and prosperous city.
Vadnagar
features:
• The ancient city of Vadnagar is an L-shaped city with Lake Sharmistha situated on its
northeastern edge.
• The entire ancient city of Vadnagar is built on an ancient mound.
• Vadnagar city is divided into several blocks, also called mohallas or madhs. These neighborhoods
are named after a temple, community or business
• The oldest temple, Ambaji Mata Temple, dates back to the 10th–11th century, while other
important Hindu and Jain temples within the city date back to the 17th century.
Vadnagar city is surrounded by fortifications made of bricks and partly of stone.
34. Masjid Muhammad Bin Abdullah"

• Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF) has announced to start the construction of a grand
mosque in Ayodhya from May.
• The mosque was named "Masjid Muhammad bin Abdullah" after the Prophet Muhammad.
• A new mosque will be constructed in Dhannipur village of Ayodhya.
• In this mosque, five minarets will be built on the five fundamentals of Islam. The first such
mosque will be built in Ayodhya, which will have
five minarets.
• IICF plans to build a 500-bed hospital within the
campus.
• At the time of Fajr Namaz, the lights of the
mosque will start switching off as soon as the sun
rises, whereas at the time of Maghrib Namaz, the
lights will start turning on as the sun sets.
• Haji Arafat said, 'A wonderful Quran is being
prepared, whose length is 21 feet and it will open
at a length of 18-18 feet. This Quran is being
made in saffron color.
35. Our Constitution, our right to respect

• At a historic event at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, Vice President Shri Jagdeep
Dhankhar launched the nationwide campaign ‘Our Constitution, Our Respect’ to mark India’s
75th year as a republic
• In this, themes like Justice for all, Justice for every home, New India, New Resolution and
Vidhi Jagriti Abhiyan have been included.
• In this, the objective of Sabko Nyay-Har Ghar Nyay is to connect the villagers through village level
entrepreneurs of Common Service Centers and motivate them to read the Sabko Nyay Pledge.
• Another activity named Nav Bharat Nav Sankalp
aims to encourage the public to adopt the Panch
Prana resolutions by reciting the Panch Pran
pledge.
• Vidhi Jagriti Abhiyaan aims to involve students in
spreading the message of Panch Pran in the
villages adopted by Law Colleges under the Pro
Bono Club Scheme.
Nyaya Setu
• Nyaya Setu will be inaugurated in the upcoming
programme. This is an important and
transformative step towards providing legal
services to the needy people, especially in remote areas.

36. Central government launches 'Anuvadini' app for multilingual
education
• The Central Government has decided to make
study material available in digital form in the
Indian languages included in the 8th Schedule of
the Constitution of India for all courses under
school and higher education to provide students an
opportunity to study in their mother tongue.
• The central government has launched 'Anuvadini'
app, an artificial intelligence-based platform.
• The University Grants Commission (UGC), All India
Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the
School Education Department have been directed
to ensure availability of study material in regional
languages.
37. Tenughat Thermal Power Station (TTPS) is being expanded.

• Tenughat Thermal Power Station (TTPS)
• Tenughat Thermal Power Station (TTPS) is a coal based thermal power plant.
• It is located in Lalpania village of Bokaro district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
• TTPS has two units with an installed capacity of 210 MW.
• It is owned by Tenughat Vidyut Nigam Limited,
a Jharkhand state-owned company.
Other thermal power plants in Jharkhand
• Bokaro Thermal Power Station
• Chandrapura Thermal Power Station,
• Godda Thermal Power Station
• Jojoba Power Plant,
• Koderma Thermal Power Station,
• Maithon Power Plant,
• North Karnapura Thermal Power Station,
• Patratu Super Thermal Power Project
38. India provides 40,000 liters of Malathion to Afghanistan

against locust menace
• By providing assistance to combat the locust menace, India actively contributed to curbing the
spread of locusts in neighboring Central Asian countries.
• Taliban Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Mawlawi Ataullah Omari expressed his
sincere appreciation for India's assistance.
Malathion
• Malathion is an organophosphate insecticide that acts as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor.
• In the USSR, it is known as carbophos, in New Zealand and Australia as maldisson, and in South
Africa as mercaptothione.
• Malathion is produced by adding dimethyl dithiophosphoric acid to diethyl maleate or diethyl
fumarate.
• It is an eco-friendly pesticide effective in dry areas with minimal water use.

39. Rajasthan's Desert National Park may get UNESCO World
Heritage status
• The Desert National Park was added to
the UNESCO tentative list in 2009. United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Desert National Park (DNP) Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
• Desert National Park is a national park • (UNESCO) was established on November 16,
located near the cities of Jaisalmer and 1945. It consists of 195 members and 8
Barmer in the Indian state of Rajasthan. associate members.
• The Desert National Park is spread over • The organization's headquarters are located in
an area of 3162 sq km, out of which 1900 Paris and Ms. Audrey Azoulay is its current
sq km is in Jaisalmer district and the Director-General.
remaining 1262 sq km is in Barmer • The headquarters of the organization is located
district of Rajasthan state. in Paris
• The Wood Fossil Park at Akal, located 17 • Current Director General- Ms. Audrey Azoulay.
km from Jaisalmer and under the jurisdiction of the Desert National Park, preserves the fossil
remains of these 180 million year old forests.
Note -
• India has 42 UNESCO heritage sites, of which 34 are of cultural importance, 7 are natural
wonders and 1 has a mix of both cultural and natural importance.
40. Dr. Nitya Anand passes away

• Dr. Nitya Anand, who discovered India's first oral contraceptive pill 'Saheli', passed away in
Lucknow at the age of 99.
• Anand played an important role in the discovery
of centroman, better known as Saheli.
• Saheli was launched in 1986 by former Prime
Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi.
Key facts -
• Dr. Nitya Anand was previously the Director of
the Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) from
1974 to 1984.
• Anand was awarded Padmashree.
• CSIR – Central Drug Research Institute, located
in Lucknow, is one of the premier research
institutes of India.

41. Integrated Industrial Township (IITGN) inaugurated in Greater
Noida
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated the Integrated Industrial Township (IITGN) in
Greater Noida, a smart township spread over 750 acres.
• This Rs 1,700 crore project aims to provide all the necessary industrial infrastructure and
facilities.
Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor
• IITGN has been jointly developed by Delhi
• This corridor is being built along with the
Mumbai Industrial Corridor and Greater Noida
Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC)
Authority.
between Delhi and Mumbai, which will
• So far, eight major companies including Haier, cover a total distance of 1504 km.
Form Mobile and Guru Amardas have invested
• DMIC passes through the states of Uttar
over Rs 4,000 crore in the township and created
Pradesh, Delhi National Capital Territory,
around 11,000 jobs.
Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and
• IITGN is a city which is now ready for investors Maharashtra.
from all over the world with every facility
• It starts from Dadri in Delhi NCR and
required for business and daily life.
ends at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust near
• This includes renovation of 60 meter wide major Mumbai.
roads in Greater Noida West to improve
connectivity.
42. National Initiative for Rehabilitation of Beggars at Religious,

Historical and Tourist Sites
• The Central Government has identified 30 cities of religious, historical and tourist importance
across India for survey and rehabilitation of adults and children engaged in begging.
• Under this, these places have to be made free from beggary by 2026.
• The scheme is being implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in 30 cities
under the “Support for Marginalized Persons for Livelihood and Enterprises” (SMILE) scheme.
Cities and religious places
10 places religious places
• Ayodhya, Omkareshwar, Kangra, Somnath, Ujjain, Bodh Gaya, Trimbakeshwar, Pavagadh,
Mudair and Guwahati are included.
Tourist places
• Jaisalmer, Thiruvananthapuram, Vijayawada, Kushinagar, Sanchi, Kevadiya, Srinagar, Namsai,
Khajuraho, and Puducherry. Whereas Warangal, Tezpur, Kozhikode, Amritsar, Udaipur, Cuttack,
Indore, Mysore, Panchkula, Shimla, Tezpur are in the list of historical cities.
Main advantages:
Smile Scheme - Support to Marginalized Persons
for Livelihood and Enterprise" • Scholarship for Transgender Students
• The Central Government has launched SMILE • Skill development and livelihood
Scheme on 12th February 2022 for the welfare opportunities
of transgender communities and beggars. • gender-affirmation surgery
• Housing facilities through 'Garima Grih'
There are 2 sub-schemes under this. • Transgender security cells in states
• Comprehensive Rehabilitation Scheme to • National Portal and Helpline
benefit transgender persons in the Central • Survey, mobilization, rescue, shelter and
Region rehabilitation of beggars.
• A Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Beggars

43. All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-2022
Highlights of AISHE 2021-22:
• In 2021-22, the overall gross enrollment ratio (GER) in higher education for the 18-23 year age
group increased to 28.4%, from 27.3% in 2020-21 and 23.7% in the base year 2014-15.
• Female GER increased from 27.9% (2.01 crore) in 2020-21 and 22.9% in 2014-15 to 28.5% (2.07
crore) in 2021-22.
• The GER of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students has also increased by about
2%. In 2020-21, the GER of SC students was 25.6% and that of ST students was 23.4%, while in
2021-22 it increased to 27.2% and 25.8% respectively.
• Enrollment of OBC students has also increased from 1.13 crore in 2014-15 to 1.63 crore in 2021-
22.
• About 78.9 percent of the total students are enrolled in undergraduate level courses and 12.1
percent are enrolled in postgraduate level courses.
• Among undergraduate level subjects in AISHE 2021-22, Arts (34.2%) have the highest enrollment,
followed by Science (14.8%), Commerce (13.3%), Engineering and Technology (11.8%).
• Among postgraduate level streams in AISHE 2021-22, most of the students are enrolled in Social
Sciences (21.1%), followed by
Sciences (14.7%).
All India Survey on Higher Education

(AISHE)
• AISHE reports have been published
by the Ministry of Education since
2011.
• Higher education is defined as
education obtained after completing
12 years of schooling or equivalent.
• The survey covers all institutions
providing higher education in the
country.
44. Army officer and physiotherapist Captain Harpreet Chandi

• 32-year-old Indian-origin British Sikh Army officer and physiotherapist Captain Harpreet Chandi,
also known as Polar Preet, has created history
by becoming the first black woman to complete
a solo, unassisted journey to the South Pole.
• Chandy announced his history-making feat on
his live blog at the end of day 40 on Monday,
when he traveled 700 miles (1,127 kilometers)
with his full kit and in temperatures and wind
speeds of minus 50 degrees Celsius. The
battleship traveled 700 miles (1,127
kilometers). About 60 miles per hour.

International
1. World Health Organization (WHO) declares Cape Verde malaria
free country
• Cape Verde has now become the third country in the WHO African Region to be certified malaria-
free, along with Mauritius and Algeria.
• African country Mauritius was given the status of malaria-free country in 1973 and Algeria in
2019.
Malaria
• Cape Verde, a group of 10 islands in the mid-
• Malaria is a vector-borne infectious
Atlantic Ocean, was once badly affected by
disease spread by protozoan parasites.
malaria.
Certification by WHO - • The carrier of the malaria parasite is
the female Anopheles mosquito.
• WHO certifies a country as malaria-free when there
has been no nationwide malaria transmission for • After entering the human body, the
at least 3 years parasites initially multiply within liver
cells and then attack red blood cells
• It must have a fully functional surveillance and
(RBCs).
response system to prevent re-establishment of
indigenous transmission. • Of the five parasite species that affect
Other facts - humans, P. falciparum and P. vivax
pose the greatest threat.
• In March 2023, the World Health Organization
declared Azerbaijan and Tajikistan malaria free. • Malaria infection is treated with
antimalarial drugs such as quinine or
• China and El Salvador were certified malaria free
artemisinin.
in 2021.
• India has not been certified malaria free.
• So far WHO has provided 'malaria free' certification to 43 countries and 1 territory.
2. New members included in BRICS

• On 1 January 2024, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates joined
BRICS as new full members.
• This group has now become an organization of 10 countries.
• The decision to include the six countries was taken during the 15th BRICS summit held in
Johannesburg.
Note -
• Just 3 days before joining BRICS, Argentina's new President Javier Milli decided to withdraw his
country's plan to join BRICS.
• The 15th BRICS summit was held in Johannesburg, South Africa in August 2023.
• The first BRIC summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia in 2009.
• South Africa was admitted to the BRICS group in 2010. After this the group adopted the short
name BRICS.
• In 2014, the establishment of a New Development Bank (NDB) was proposed at the Fortaleza
Summit in Brazil.
• India hosted the presidency of the 2021 BRICS summit.

3. World's largest lithium reserves discovered beneath California's
Salton Sea
• The US Department of Energy has discovered About Lithium:
reserves of an estimated 18 million tons of • It is soft and white like silver and is an
lithium in the Salton Sea, California. alkaline and rare metal.
• Total resources in the Salton Sea area could • It is the lightest metal and the lightest solid
produce more than 3,400 kilo tons of element.
lithium.
• It is also used to make non-rechargeable
Salton Sea:
batteries for things like heart pacemakers,
• It is a shallow, brackish lake located in the toys, and watches.
lower Colorado Desert in Southern California
• Countries with the largest lithium reserves:
(USA).
Chile > Australia > Argentina
• It is a geological depression located between
• Largest lithium producing countries:
mountain ranges and below sea level.
Australia > Chile > China
• The present lake was formed by the flow of
water from the Colorado River.
4. Organization of World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting

Various reports released by the World
• The five-day 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum:
Economic Forum (WEF) is being held in Davos, • Global gender gap report
Switzerland from 15 January 2024. • Global risk report
• The theme of this year's meeting is • Global Competitiveness Report
'Reconstruction Trust'. • Travel and Tourism Competitiveness
• India was represented in the meeting by three Report
Union ministers Smriti Irani, Ashwini Vaishnav • Inclusive Growth and Development Report
and Hardeep Singh Puri. • global human capital report
• Chief Ministers of three states are also
participating -
1. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde,
2. Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy
and
3. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
World Economic Forum (WEF)

• A Swiss non-profit and international
organization founded in 1971 and
headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
• WEF provides a common platform for political,
business, social and academic leaders to shape
the global, regional and industrial agenda.
• Its meeting is held in Daos.
• World Economic Forum President: Borge Brende
5. World population increased by 75 million this year:

• According to data released by the US Census Bureau, the According to United Nations data
world population increased by 75 million people last year.
• The current population of India
Key points of the report:
is 1,428,627,663 which is:
• The estimated world population on January 1, 2024 will
• 0 – 14 age group – 25%
be 8,019,876,189.
• 15 - 64 age group - 68 %
• The world population figure on January 1, 2023 was 7.94
• Over 65 years – 7%
billion.
• The global population is expected to increase by approximately 75 million in 2023.
• The worldwide growth rate in 2023 was just less than 1 percent.
• By the beginning of 2024, there are projected to be 4.3 births and two deaths every second
worldwide.
• It took about 11 years for the population to grow to 1 billion.
• It will take about 14 years for the population to reach 9 billion.
Note:
• According to UN Report-2022, by 2050 half of the world's population will be in only 8 countries.

• These include India, Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Philippines and Tanzania.
6. A giant ocean drilling ship named Mengxiang

• China has built a giant ocean drilling ship called
the Mengxiang for humanity's first drilling into
the Earth's crust.
• Mengxiang aims to breach the Mohorovicic
discontinuity (Moho) approximately 7 km below.
This boundary separates the crust from the
mantle.
• No prior mission has sampled the mantle, home
to unique rock composition and extreme
pressures and temperatures.
7. Greece decided to reopen the gates of its more than 2,300-year-

old monument, the Aegae Palace
• The Palace of Aigai is located near Greece's northern port city of Thessaloniki, which was later
plundered and destroyed by the Romans.
• Its restoration and renovation, with help from the European Union (EU), cost more than $22
million.
• It was the largest building built in the classical Greek style of architecture – covering an area of
15,000 square meters (160,000 sq ft) and containing large banquet halls, places of worship and
courtyards.
• The place Aegai is currently known as Vergina.
Note - The correct order-
• The palace was built by Philip II, father of Alexander the Great Greece - Aegae Palace
• The Palace of Aegae was designed for Philip II by an architect Italy -Pompeii
named Pytheos, who is also known for building the mausoleum Cambodia –Angkor Wat
at Halicarnassus. Afghanistan- Arachosia
• The site was continuously inhabited from the Early Bronze Age
(3rd millennium BC), while in the Early Iron Age (11th to 8th century BC) it became an important,
prosperous and densely populated centre.
8. India began its four-year term as a member of the United

Nations Statistical Commission.
United Nations Statistical Commission
• It was established in 1947 and is the supreme body
of the global statistical system.
• It is the highest decision-making body for
international statistical activities.
• The Statistics Commission oversees the work of the
United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD).
• It is a functional commission of the United
Nations Economic and Social Council.
• The tenure of the members is four years.
• India was last a member of the Statistical Commission in 2004
• Headquarters: New York

9. Nepal to export 10,000 MW power to India in next 10 years
• India and Nepal signed an agreement to export
10,000 MW of electricity to India in the next 10
years.
• Nepal's Energy Secretary Gopal Sigdel and his
Indian counterpart Pankaj Aggarwal signed the
bilateral agreement.
• Last year, during the visit of Prime Minister Pushpa
Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' to India from May 31 to
June 3, an agreement was reached on export of
electricity between the two countries.
10. Kyrgyzstan officially declared the snow leopard as its national

symbol:
• The snow leopard was officially declared as the national symbol of Kyrgyzstan by the President of
Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov.
About Snow Leopard:
• Its scientific name is Panthera uncia and it is also called the 'ghost of the mountains'.
• Number of countries with snow leopards (12) – Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan
Protection :
• IUCN Red List – Vulnerable
• 'Convention on International Trade in Note:
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora' • Project Snow Leopard-launched in
(CITES): Listed in Appendix-I. 2009 by the Government of India.
• Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 - Schedule-I • It is the state animal of Ladakh and
Major locations of snow leopard in India: Himachal Pradesh.
• Hemis National Park, Ladakh (known as the • The Himal Patrakshan Program was
'Global Capital of Snow Leopards') launched in October 2020 to protect
• Great Himalayan National Park, Himachal snow leopards.
Pradesh
• Gangotri National Park, Uttarakhand
• Kanchenjunga National Park, Sikkim
11. Ecuador's President recently declared a 60-day nationwide

state of emergency
• Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa recently declared a 60-day nationwide state of emergency
after the country's most wanted criminal escaped from custody.
• The leader of the notorious Los Choneros gang, José Adolfo Macias, known as "Fito", escaped from
Guayaquil prison.
• He was sentenced to 35 years in prison for setting up a drug processing lab and carrying out
mass murders.
Ecuador
• Ecuador is located to the west of the Pacific Ocean, and has a coastline of 2,237 km.
• The equator passes through Ecuador.
• Cotopaxi in Ecuador is one of the tallest active volcanoes in the world.
• To the north is Colombia (708 km border) and to the east and south is Peru (1,529 km border).
14. Agreement for cooperation between Ukraine and Britain

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak signed an
unprecedented security agreement between their countries in Kiev
• The signed security agreement will remain in effect until Ukraine becomes a member of NATO.
• British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promised humanitarian aid and security guarantees, as well
as £2.5 billion of military aid.
• Ukraine can buy thousands of drones after getting support from Britain.

12. Satellite Einstein Probe (EP)
• Lotus-shaped satellite Einstein Probe (EP) launched by a Long March 2C rocket from the Xichang
Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province, China.
Features
• Weighing approximately 1.45 tonnes, this satellite is in the shape of a blooming lotus.
• It has 12 petals, 2 stamens and 12 modules, which are equipped with wide-field X-ray telescopes.
• Stamen has two modules of follow up X-ray telescope.
• These telescopes form a space observatory.
• It will observe cosmic interactions for the next three years.
Objectives of the satellite "Einstein Probe":
• Observing mysterious transient events in the universe.
• Getting the first light from supernova explosions.
• Discovery of X-ray signals accompanying gravitational waves.
• Discovery of dormant black holes and other
celestial objects.
Long March 2C:
• It was developed and manufactured by the China
Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT).
• Long March 2C was first launched in the year
1982.
• It is a two-stage medium-lift launch vehicle of
China.
• It can send payloads of up to 3,850 kg to low Earth
orbit and payloads of up to 1,250 kg to
Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO).
13. US names countries including China, North Korea, Pakistan

for violating religious freedom
• The United States added several countries to its list of 'countries of particular concern' due to
serious violations of religious freedom.
• This decision was taken under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.
Countries of special concern
• China, North Korea, Pakistan, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran,
Nicaragua, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan and Myanmar
Countries on special watch list

• Algeria, Azerbaijan, Central African Republic,
Comoros and Vietnam
Designated as 'Institutions of Special Concern'

• Various extremist groups include al-Shabaab, Boko
Haram, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Houthis, ISIS-
Sahel, ISIS-West Africa, al-Qaeda affiliate Jamaat
Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin, and the Taliban.
15. Declaration of emergency in Papua New Guinea

• A pay dispute led to riots, resulting in 16 deaths and widespread lawlessness.
• Prime Minister James Marape suspended top officials, including the police chief and finance and
treasury bureaucrats, as he launched a review into the riot.
• Military personnel are set to quell further unrest as the government refuses to impose new taxes
on police and promises to address pay shortfalls.
Papua New Guinea
• Papua New Guinea is an independent nation in the Pacific Ocean region near Indonesia.
• It is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean region.
• Its capital is Port Moresby.

16. UN helicopter seized by al-Shabaab in Somalia
• Al-Shabaab captured a UN helicopter, taking at least six passengers, including military personnel,
hostage.
• The helicopter suffered a technical snag after taking off from Beledweyne and landing near Gadun
village in Galgadud area
Al-shabaab
• Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen, commonly known as al-Shabaab, is a Sunni Islamic military
and political organization based in Somalia.
• Countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates have
designated it as a terrorist organization.
• In addition to its activities in Somalia, the group
also operates in other East African countries,
spreading its insurgency to the border areas of
Kenya.
Somalia
• Somalia is a country located on the eastern coast
of Africa.
• Djibouti is situated in the northwest, Kenya in the
southwest, Gulf of Aden in the north, Indian
Ocean in the east and Ethiopia in the west.
17. William Le Shing-te elected as President in Taiwan elections

• Taiwan's ruling party leader and current Vice President William Lai Ching-te has won the
presidential election.
• Lai Ching and his Democratic Progressive Party (DTP) are considered a staunch opponent of
China.
William Le Shing-Te
• In the 80s, Taiwan played an important role in ending the nearly 40-year-old martial law.
• Contested legislative elections for the first time in 1998 and won. Then in 2010 he became the
mayor of Tainan city.
• He played an important role in developing the island's high-tech chip industry
• As mayor, he got a semiconductor manufacturing plant set up in a local science park.
• Lai was elected as Vice President in November 2019.
• Lai is the leader of the pan-green coalition. He is a supporter of a separate Taiwan identity and a
vocal opponent of unification with China.
18. Bernardo Arévalo

• Bernardo Arévalo, 65, was sworn in as the new President of Guatemala early Monday.
• Bernardo Arévalo is the son of former Guatemalan President Juan José Arévalo.
• Bernardo Arévalo was born in Uruguay, where his father was living in exile, in 1954
Guatemala
• Guatemala is a country located in Central America, bordered by Mexico to the northwest, the
Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras
and El Salvador to the southeast.
• The capital of the democratic country is Guatemala City.
• Official language of Guatemala: Spanish.

19. Two government schools in Silicon Valley will include Hindi as
a world language in their curriculum for the first time
• Fremont Unified School District (FUSD)
Board decided to start a pilot program for World Hindi Day
teaching Hindi. • World Hindi Day is celebrated every year on
• Hindi will be included in the curriculum of 10 January to promote Hindi globally.
Horner Middle School and Irvington High • The theme of Hindi Day this year 2024 is
School in the 2024-25 session starting in 'Hindi - linking traditional knowledge and
August. artificial intelligence'.
• 65 percent of the student population at
Horner Middle School and Irvington High
School is Indian American.
Note -
• Fremont, California has the highest number of
Indian Americans.
• In such a situation, the decision to teach
Hindi as an optional subject in two
government schools is being welcomed.
Hindi is taught in different countries

• Mauritius, Fiji, Japan, Italy, Nepal, South
Africa, Finland etc.
• Apart from this, recently Britain has also
decided to start teaching Hindi language in
1500 schools from this academic session.
• For this, the British government has also allocated a budget of Rs 2 crore.
• Hindi has been given the status of official language in Fiji.
20. Saima Wajid

World Health Organization (WHO)
• Bangladesh's Saima Wajid has been • Established in 1948 as a specialized agency of
sworn in as the Regional Director for the the United Nations.
South-East Asia Region of the World • WHO started work from 7 April 1948. Therefore,
Health Organization (WHO). currently World Health Day is celebrated every
• Saima Wajid defeated Shambhu Prasad year on 7 April.
Acharya of Nepal by six votes in the • Currently 194 countries are members of WHO.
election to become the South East Asia
• WHO is an inter-governmental organization. It
regional director.
generally works closely with the health ministries
Note -
of its member countries.
• Saima Wajid is the daughter of
• Headquarters: Located in Geneva, Switzerland.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh
• Director General: Dr. Tedros Adhanom
Hasina.
Ghebreyesus
• Saima Wajid has worked extensively on
autism

21. Sweden becomes NATO member after Türkiye's approval
• Membership of NATO requires all of its members to
approve countries' applications to join the alliance.
• After getting NATO's approval, Sweden became the
32nd member.
• With Sweden becoming a member of NATO, the
Baltic coastline will fall under NATO territory.
• NATO's main and military headquarters are located
in Brussels, Belgium.
Note
• Finland joined the alliance on April 4, 2023.
• Hungary is currently in the process of joining the
North Atlantic Treaty.
22. Saudi Arabia to open first alcohol store for diplomats

• The planned alcohol store will be accessible
exclusively to diplomats.
• In recent years, Saudi Arabia has launched a
series of socio-economic reforms under Vision
2030 under the leadership of Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman.
• These reforms aim to modernize the Saudi
economy and society, reduce its dependence on
oil, and open up to more international norms.
23. Japan becomes the fifth country to successfully soft-land on the Moon
• Smart Lander for Investigating Moon or SLIM is a

lunar lander being developed by Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency (JAXA).
• SLIM landed near Xioli Crater south of the lunar
equator using precision technology
• Group of countries making soft landing: Japan
has become the fifth country to reach the surface
of the Moon after the United States, Soviet Union,
China and India.
• This lander will go to the area of low gravity and
conduct research, which can prove to be a
milestone in the scientific study of the solar
system in the future.
• This mission has been launched by ‘Japan
Aerospace Exploration Agency’.
24. Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV) infection

• The International Health Regulations
National Focal Point (IHR NFP) in Argentina
provided information to the World Health
Organization about Western equine
encephalitis virus (WEEV) infection.
• It is a mosquito-borne infection caused by
Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV),
which belongs to the Togaviridae family of
viruses.
• It is a recombinant of Eastern equine
encephalitis virus (EEEV) and Sindbis-like
virus.
• The virus is spread to people and horses by
the bites of infected mosquitoes (Culex
tarsalis and Aedes taeniorhynchus) and birds during the wet, summer months.

25. Kenneth Eugene Smith is executed in Alabama using nitrogen
gas
• Kenneth Smith, convicted of murder in 1988, has been killed by nitrogen hypoxia.
• This is the first person to die from nitrogen hypoxia.
Nitrogen hypoxia
• In this death by nitrogen gas, pure nitrogen is given to the prisoner.
• By doing this, there is a lack of oxygen in the prisoner's body and then he dies due to suffocation.
• It is a relatively new alternative to more common forms of capital punishment such as lethal
injection and electric shock.
Nitrogen
• It is a colourless, odorless gas.
• It is used to make fertilizers, nitric acid, nylon, dyes and explosives.
• Large amounts of nitrogen are used in annealing stainless steel and other steel mill products.
• It is also used to freeze foods faster, helping them retain moisture, color, flavor, and texture.
• It is important for plant growth.
26. European Port Alliance

• The EU launched a "European Ports Alliance" to
harmonize ways to combat drug trafficking and
infiltration by criminal groups at ports.
• The initiative was inaugurated at the port of
Antwerp in Belgium, which is the main gateway
for cocaine into Europe.
• It includes EU interior ministers and
representatives from the bloc's 16 port and
maritime transport organizations.
• Drug trafficking groups include criminal gangs of
Moroccan origin in the Netherlands and criminal
gangs linked to Albanian and Italian mafia gangs
in Belgium.
• The Ports Alliance aims to increase information
sharing and adopt effective models while mapping
drug flows and dismantling the criminal groups
behind them.
28. Sultan Ibrahim appointed as the 17th King of Malaysia

• Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor, the southern state of Malaysia, took the oath of office at the
National Palace in Kuala Lumpur, the federal capital of Malaysia.
• According to a Bloomberg report, Raja has a net
worth of $5.7 billion.
• Sultan Ibrahim's wealth includes a number of
industries ranging from real estate, mining to
telecommunications and palm oil.
• He owns more than 300 luxury cars, including
one reportedly gifted to him by Adolf Hitler.
King of Malaysia
• The king acts as the guardian of Islam in the
Muslim-majority country.
• The federal Constitution requires the King to act
on the advice of the Prime Minister and the
Cabinet, with a few exceptions.
• The king is allowed to appoint a prime minister.

27. Three military-led West African states, Niger, Mali and Burkina
Faso, decided to leave the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS)
Alliance of Sahel States
• All three Sahelian nations – Burkina Faso, Mali • There is a mutual defense agreement
and Niger – are battling a growing jihadist created between Mali, Niger and
insurgency and deep poverty. Burkina Faso on 16 September 2023.
• Their strained relations with ECOWAS deteriorated • The agreement was created during the
after military coups toppled democratic 2023 Nigerian crisis.
governments in Niger (2021), Burkina Faso (2022) • The stated goal of the alliance is to
and Mali (2020). protect against potential threats of
ECOWAS armed rebellion or external aggression.
• The Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) is a regional political and economic
union.
• It was established through the Treaty of Lagos on
28 May 1975.
• Its headquarters is located in Abuja, Nigeria
Member Country:
• The fifteen member countries of ECOWAS
(Economic Group of West African Nations) are
Benin, Burkina Faso, Coba Verde, Côte d'Ivoire,
Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia,
Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and
Togo. Are included.
Objective
• ECOWAS is considered a pillar regional bloc of the
Africa-wide African Economic Community which
aims to promote continental integration.
• The main goal of ECOWAS is to achieve collective self-reliance for its member states by
progressively eliminating trade barriers and creating a single integrated trade area.
Note -
• India has had the status of observer country in ECOWAS since 2004.
• India has always supported the regional integration of ECOWAS and has continuously extended
support in the form of Line of Credit in the form of its ‘Africa Programme’.
29. Felix Tshisekedi

• Democratic Republic of Congo President Félix Tshisekedi wins re-election.
• Félix Tshisekedi defeated his rival opposition leader Moise Katumbi.
• According to Denis Kadima, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI),
Tshisekedi received more than 13 million votes out of 18 million.
Note:
• Congo is rich in natural resources. There are huge reserves of industrial diamonds, cobalt and
copper here.
• Neighboring countries – Congo, Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania, Zambia, Angola
• Most of Congo lies in the interior humid tropical or equatorial climate zone, extending five degrees
north and south of the equator.
• Congo gained independence from Belgium in 1960.
31. Sheikh Hasina will take oath as Prime Minister of Bangladesh

for the fifth time
• Sheikh Hasina's party Awami League has secured 223 seats in the 300-seat Parliament.
• Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina has been in power since 2009. This is Prime Minister
Hasina's eighth term as a Member of Parliament.
• Sheikh Hasina will become the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the fifth time.
• Awami League Party chief Hasina (76) has won the Gopalganj-III seat by a huge margin.
Note - BNP, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, boycotted the elections.

30. François Bettencott Meyers of France
• In December 2023, France's François Bettencott Meyers (70) became the first woman in the world
with a net worth of $100 billion.
• François Meyers is the chairman of Tithis, the holding company of L'Oréal, the world's largest
cosmetic company.
L'Oreal:
• According to a report in The Guardian, L'Oréal was founded in 1909 by Bettencott Meyers'
grandfather, Eugene Schueller.
• Actually, Eugene Schueller invented 'hair dye' and founded the L'Oreal company keeping in mind
its manufacturing and marketing.
32. Denmark's Queen Margrethe II decides to abdicate the throne

• Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, in her New
Year's speech, announced her decision to
abdicate the throne after 52 years of reign.
• She is Europe's longest-reigning monarch. He will
be succeeded by his son Crown Prince Frederick.
• Queen Margaret II, 83, ascended the throne on
January 14, 1972, at the age of 31, following the
death of her father, King Frederick.
33. Gabriel Attal

• In France, President Emmanuel Macron has named 34-year-old Gabriel Attal as the Prime
Minister of France.
• Gabriel becomes the youngest and first gay Prime Minister in the history of France.
• Atal, an ally of Macron, had earned considerable fame as a government spokesperson during the
Covid pandemic.
Elizabeth Bourne resigns
• Political tension had arisen in France over new immigration laws.
• Amidst this tension and pressure, there was huge political turmoil in the country.

Economic
1. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) disclosed the monetary penalty
imposed on Dhanlaxmi Bank, Punjab & Sindh Bank and ESAF
Small Finance Bank
Dhanlaxmi Bank (Fine: Rs 1.20 crore)
Reason – Loans sanctioned for more than 75% of the value of gold jewelry for non-agricultural
purposes.
Note -
• Dhanlaxmi Bank is a private sector bank operating in India. It was established in 1927.
• Its headquarters is in Thrissur, Kerala. Presently its Managing Director and Chief Executive
Officer is T. Latha.
Punjab and Sindh Bank (Fine: Rs 1 crore)

• Budgetary resources used for projects without ensuring sufficient revenue for debt repayment
Note -
• Punjab & Sind Bank is a major bank of North India.
• The headquarters of this bank is in New Delhi.
• In the year 1908, when Bhai Veer Singh, Sir Sunder Singh Majithia and Sardar Tirlochan Singh
established Punjab and Sindh Bank.
ESAF Small Finance Bank (Fine: Rs 29.55

lakh)
• Basic savings bank deposit account holders
permitted to open additional savings
accounts.
Note -
• ESAF Small Finance Bank is an Indian
small finance bank.
• Tts headquarters is in Thrissur, Kerala.
• ESAF Small Finance Bank received RBI
approval to operate as a scheduled bank in
December 2018, making it the fifth
scheduled bank in Kerala.
2. Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission

• The Central Government has appointed Arvind
functions:
Panagariya as the Chairman of the 16th Finance
Commission. • Division of net income between the
Union and the States.
• Ritwik Ranjanam Pandey has been made the
Secretary of the 16th Finance Commission. • Recommendation of grant/assistance
Arvind Panagariya: to the states from the Consolidated
Fund.
• Arvind Panagariya was the first vice-chairman of
NITI Aayog from January 2015 to August 2017. • Recommendation regarding
supplementary resources to raise
• Along with this, he recently worked as India's
funds for Panchayats and
Sherpa during the G20 meeting.
Municipalities in the States.
• Has led the Indian team at G20 meetings during
• Any other specific direction given by
the presidencies of Turkey (2015), China (2016)
the President which is in the interest of
and Germany (2017).
sound financial system of the country.
• The Government of India honored Panagariya with
the Padma Bhushan.
Note:
• The Finance Commission is mentioned in Articles 280 and 281 of the Indian Constitution. It is a
quasi-judicial and advisory body.
• The Finance Commission will consist of a Chairman and four other members appointed by the
President.

• The Commission submits its report to the President, which is presented before both Houses of
Parliament.
3. 239% increase in exports of Indian toy industry

• The Indian toy industry has recorded a 52% decline in imports and a 239% increase in exports in
the financial year 2022-23.
• The demand for Indian toys has increased in countries like the United Arab Emirates and
Australia.
• Toy exports were only $96 million in the
financial year 2014-15, which increased to
$326 million in the financial year 22-23.
• The number of manufacturing units has
doubled due to the dedicated efforts of the
government over a period of 6 years from
2014 to 2020.
China's share in total toys imports was 94
percent in 2013-14, which came down to 62
percent in the last financial year 22-23.
Note -
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in his
radio program "Mann Ki Baat" in August
2020 expressed his desire to establish India
as a global toy manufacturing hub.
• In this direction, the Government has taken
comprehensive measures like National
Action Plan for Promotion of Indigenous Toy
Clusters (NAPT).
4. India Post Payments Bank signs agreement with Hindustan Zinc

• India Post Payments Bank signed an MoU India Post Payments Bank
with Hindustan Zinc to provide financial • India Post Payments Bank was launched on
inclusion services to its Corporate Social September 1, 2018.
Responsibility (CSR) beneficiaries. • Its initial branches were opened in
• This agreement will ensure a lasting impact Jharkhand (Ranchi) and Chhattisgarh
on the lives of community beneficiaries (Raipur).
around Hindustan Zinc's operational areas. • India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has been
Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL: established under the Department of Posts,
• Hindustan Zinc Limited was established on Ministry of Communications.
10 January 1966. • Its 100 percent equity is owned by the
• Earlier it was a Central Public Sector Government of India.
Undertaking, which was sold by the • The bank provides simple and affordable
Government of India to Vedanta Limited in banking solutions to more than 8 crore
2003. customers across 5.57 lakh villages and
• Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL) is an cities in India through an intuitive interface
integrated Indian mining and processing available in 13 languages.
producer of zinc, lead, silver and cadmium.
• Headquarters – Udaipur, Rajasthan

5. AIIB invests $58.4 million in India's largest renewable energy
InvIT.
• Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has
invested Rs 4.86 billion (about US$58.4 million) in
Sustainable Energy Infra Trust (SEIT), India's
largest renewable energy infrastructure investment
trust (InvIT).
• Known as the Sustainable Energy Infra Trust
(SEIT), the InvIT is backed by eight operational
solar power generation assets.
• With a total capacity of 1.54 GW-peak,
strategically located across India.
6. Investment in maharashtra
• Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced the signing of 19 memorandums of
understanding (MOUs) during his visit to the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos.
• The state government announced investment pacts worth Rs 3.53 lakh crore (US$44 billion) in
various sectors including electronics, IT, data centres, gems and jewellery, agriculture, automobile
and renewable energy.
Major MoUs and Initiatives
• Inox Air Products: Green Hydrogen and Ammonia
Plants
• BC Jindal: Battery Separator Film Manufacturing
Facility
• Global Natural Resources Group: Expanding
paper production capacity
• ABInBev: expansion of the brewery business
• Adani Group: Dighi Port Expansion
• JSW Steel: Renewable Energy Enterprise
• Godrej Agrovet: Investing in animal feed
expansion and chemical sectors
• CtrlS Data Center: Installing a Solar Park
• Web Works: Investment in IT/ITeS Data Center
• Hyundai Motor: Expansion Plans

Science and Technology
1. A two-month-old baby girl suffering from bubble baby syndrome
recently underwent a bone marrow transplant (BMT) in Mumbai
• 'Bubble baby syndrome', medically known as

severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID).
• This disease is known as "living in a bubble"
syndrome
• Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is one of
the most severe types of primary immunodeficiency
(PI). Babies born with SCID lack white blood cells,
called T cells.
Note -
Lymphocytes come in two main types: B-cells and
T-cells.
• T cells identify "invaders", attack and kill them.
• B cells make antibodies that "remember" the infection and remain ready in case the body is
exposed to it again.
2. Government of India joins Square Kilometer Array Observatory

(SKAO)
• The government has approved India's participation in the Rs 1250 crore international mega-
science project, Square Kilometer Array (SKA).
Square Kilometer Array Observatory (SKAO)
• It is a new intergovernmental organization dedicated to radio astronomy and is headquartered in
the UK.
• Currently organizations from ten countries are
part of SKAO.
• These include Australia, Canada, China, India,
Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden,
Netherlands and UK.
• It is proposed to be the world's largest radio
telescope, which will be located in Africa and
Australia.
• SKAO is not a single instrument but a vast
collection of thousands of telescopic antennas at sites in South Africa and Australia.
3. Cabinet gives its nod to ISRO-MRIC collaboration in satellite

development
• Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Mauritius Research and Innovation Council
(MRIC) have signed an agreement in November 2023, Port Louis, Mauritius.
• This agreement will enable joint implementation of small satellites between ISRO and MRIC.
• The estimated cost of complete construction of the joint satellite is Rs 20 crore, the entire
expenditure of which will be borne by the Government of India.
• This joint satellite development will help ensure continued support from the Government of
Mauritius for the Indian ground station in Mauritius.
Mauritius
• The Republic of Mauritius is an island country located in the Indian Ocean, about 900 kilometers
southeast of the coast of the African continent and east of Madagascar.
• Mauritius is part of the Mascarene Islands. This chain of islands was formed due to undersea
volcanic eruptions which are no longer active.
• Port Louis, located in the northwest, is the capital and largest city of the island.
Note -
• From the Indian side, the construction of a military base in Agalega Island of Mauritius is almost
completed.

4. India's first Sun mission, Aditya-L1, reaches its destination
• India's first Sun mission, Aditya-L1, reached coronal orbit on 6 January 2024.
Aditya-L1 Mission
• Aditya-L1 was launched by PSLV-C57 on 2 September 2023.
• Aditya-L1 is the first space-based observatory-class Indian solar mission to study the Sun from a
distance of 1.5 million km.
• It took approximately 125 days to reach the L1 point.
• Aditya-L1 is also ISRO's second astronomy observatory-class mission after Astrosat (2015).
• Its objective is to gain information about phenomena such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), solar
flares and mysterious heating of the solar corona.
• L1 is the place in space where the gravitational force of the Sun and the Earth is equal.
• Lagrange points are special places in space where the gravitational forces of two large rotating
bodies, such as the Sun and Earth, balance each other.
• These can be used to reduce the fuel consumption required by a spacecraft to remain in position.
• Lagrange points are named in honor of the Italian-French mathematician Josephi-Louis Lagrange.
6. Scientists discover existence of high-frequency plasma waves in

Mars' upper atmosphere
Plasma waves
• In general, plasma waves are detected as short time scale fluctuations in electric and magnetic
field observations.
• These plasma waves play an important role in the energization and transport of charged particles
in the Earth's magnetosphere.
• Some plasma waves such as electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves act as scavenging agents for
Earth's radiation belts, which is dangerous for our satellites.
Magnetosphere
• The magnetosphere is the area around the Earth in which the Earth's magnetic field has a special
effect.
• Other planets in the solar system also have this
type of magnetosphere, but among all the planets
made of rock, Earth's magnetosphere is the
strongest.
Note -
• The magnetosphere originates from the
convection of charged and molten iron found
deep below the Earth's surface.
• The part of the magnetosphere that faces away
from the Sun extends far like a huge magnetic
tail. Its length does not remain the same and it
travels hundreds of times the radius of the Earth
and even goes far beyond the orbit of the Moon.

5. Rejupave technology was used for road construction by the
Border Roads Organization (BRO)
Rejupave technology used
• Sela tunnel under construction near India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh
• In the construction of high altitude bituminous road sections on LGG-Damteng-Yangste (LDY)
road.
Rejupave Technology
• It has been developed by India's oldest and premier road research organization, CSIR-Central
Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI).
• It is beneficial in construction of high altitude bituminous roads in low and sub-zero temperature
conditions.
CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CRRI)
• It was established in 1952
• It is a component of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
7. Scrub typhus
• According to a new study conducted in Typhus fever
Vellore, Tamil Nadu, each millimeter • Typhus fever is a group of bacterial diseases that
increase in rainfall could lead to a 0.5 to includes epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and
0.7 percent increase in monthly scrub murine typhus.
typhus cases. • Epidemic typhus: It is caused by Rickettsia
Scrub typhus prowazekii and is spread between people through
• It is an infectious disease caused by a contact with infected body lice.
bacteria called Orientia tsutsugamushi. • Scrub typhoid: It is caused by Orientia
• It is spread through infected mites. tsutsugamushi and is spread by chiggers.
• This disease spreads more in cold • Murine typhus: It is caused by Rickettsia typhi
months. spread by fleas. It occurs in tropical and
• It will not spread from one person to subtropical climates around the world.
another.
8. ISRO's advanced weather satellite INSAT-3DS upcoming launch

• INSAT-3DS is a follow-on satellite designed to provide continuity of services to the operational
INSAT-3D and 3DR spacecraft.
• Its primary objective is to significantly enhance the capabilities of ISRO's INSAT system for
weather monitoring and disaster early warning.
• The funded project has been jointly realized by ISRO and the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
• Assembly, integration and testing of the 2275 kg satellite has been completed at ISRO's UR Rao
Satellite Center in Bengaluru.
• The optical and infrared sensors on INSAT-3DS will be capable of scanning the Earth in multiple
bands of the spectrum.

9. North India's first human DNA bank
• North India's first human DNA bank is being set up at
Banaras Hindu University (BHU).
• On January 30, 2024, Automated DNA Extractor Machine
was installed in Dnyaneshwar Lab of Zoology Department
of BHU.
Automatic DNA Extractor Machine
• This is an indigenous machine from which DNA can be
extracted from any biological substance like blood, saliva,
hair or tissue.
• With its help, DNA can be isolated from about 32 samples
at a time in 30 minutes.

Defence
1. BrahMos missile will be exported to Philippines
• The first set of BrahMos missile systems will be handed over to the Philippines by the end of
March.
• This is DRDO's largest ever defense contract with a foreign nation, valued at US$375 million.
Brahmos
• The BrahMos missile is a supersonic cruise
missile named after two rivers, the
Brahmaputra in India and the Moskva in
Russia.
• BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is a
joint venture of DRDO and Russia's NPO
Mashinostroyenia.
• The missile has advanced stealth
technology and an embedded software
guidance system.
• BrahMos is a maneuverable missile. After
being fired, if the target changes its path
while reaching the target, then this missile
also changes its path and targets it.
• The missile has a range of 290 kilometers
and can carry 300 kg of explosive material.
• The speed of the missile is about three times the speed of sound.
2. A Falcon 9 rocket will be used to launch GSAT-20 (or GSAT-N2)

• ISRO's commercial arm, 'New Space India Limited'
(NSIL) will use SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket to launch the
heavy communications satellite GSAT-20 (or GSAT-
N2).
• This will be India's first mission launched from
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.
GSAT-20 satellite
• GSAT-20 is a satellite, which weighs 4700 kg.
• It provides Ka-Ka band high throughput (HTS)
capability with 32 beams with pan-India coverage
including Andaman and Nicobar, Jammu and
Kashmir and Lakshadweep islands.
• It provides HTS capacity of approximately 48gbps.
3. Indian warship INS Kabra arrives at Colombo port

INS Kabra
• It is a naval ship named after an island in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.
• It is built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) for the Indian Navy.
• It was the eighth in a series of 10 fast attack craft.
• These ships have been designed as a cost-effective platform for patrolling, anti-piracy and rescue
operations in India's Exclusive Economic Zone.
• INS Kabra is powered by three water jet propulsion engines, enabling it to reach speeds of over 35
knots.
• It is equipped with a range of weapons including the CRN-91 30 mm autocannon, Igla SA-18
surface-to-air missiles and heavy machine guns.
• It is marine compliant with the latest International Maritime Organization regulations on pollution
control.
International Maritime Organization
• The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN).
• Which was established through an agreement during the Geneva Conference in the year 1948.

• At present the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has a total of 174 members and 3
associate members.
• Its headquarters is located in London.
• Its main function is to create a regulatory framework for the shipping industry that is fair and
effective and can be universally adopted and implemented.
4. Defense Research and Development Organization has recently

launched an indigenous assault rifle named 'Ugram'
'Ugram Defense Research and Development
• 'Ugram' is a state-of-the-art indigenous Organization (DRDO)
assault rifle. • It is the research and development branch of
• It has been developed by the Armament the Ministry of Defense of the Government of
Research and Development Establishment India.
(ARDE), a unit of DRDO, in collaboration • DRDO was formed in 1958.
with a private industry partner. • DRDO was born from the amalgamation of
• It was developed in less than 100 days. Technical Development Establishments
Properties (TDEs) and Defense Science Organization
• This rifle has a 20 round magazine. (DSO) and Directorate of Technical
• It fires in both single and full auto modes. Development and Production (DTDP).
• Earlier in December the Defense Acquisition • DRDO has a network of about 41
Council approved the 7.62 x 51 mm caliber laboratories and 05 DRDO Young Scientist
for the Indian Armed Forces. The purchase of Laboratories (DYSLs).
70 thousand US-made Sig Sauer assault • Headquarters: New Delhi.
rifles of caliber was approved.
• This rifle has been designed on the basis of General Staff Qualitative Requirements (GSQR) of the
Indian Army.
5. DRDO successfully test fired new generation Akash (AKASH-NG)

missile
• The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully test-fired the new
generation Akash (AKASH-NG) missile on January 12, 2024.
• The test took place at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha.
Akash Missile (Akash-NG)
• There is now a new version of the Akash missile, known as Akash-NG.
• This surface-to-air missile can target objects up to 60 km away.
• The speed of this missile is up to 2.5 Mach.
• The Akash missile system was developed as a part of India's Integrated Guided-Missile
Development Program (IGMDP), which has been running for 30 years.
• It is supported by indigenously developed
radar named 'Rajendra'
Integrated Guided Missile Development
Program (IGMDP)
• In 1983, the Government of India approved
the Integrated Guided Missile Development
Program (IGMDP).
• The goal of the program was to build five
missiles: Prithvi, Trishul, Akash, Nag and a
technology demonstrator Agni missile.
• The project was completed in March 2012.
DRDO
• In 1958, the Research and Development
Unit of the Ministry of Defense of the
Government of India was formed.
• Its aim is to provide advanced defense
technology to India.

6. Zorawar Light Tank
• The tank is being developed and produced by DRDO in partnership with Larsen & Toubro.
• The Army has placed an order for the production and supply of 59 Zoravar Light Tanks by DRDO.
• To deal with the Chinese threat, the
Indian Army has launched Project
Zorawar.
Project Zorawar
• Indian Army has named its new project
after Zorawar Singh Kahluria.
• Served under Raja Gulab Singh of
Jammu and successfully conquered
Ladakh.
• Project Zoravar aims to develop a light
tank weighing no more than 25 tonnes,
• It is equipped with Artificial Intelligence
(AI), tactical surveillance drones and an
active protection system that gives it the
same firepower as a regular tank.
7. Project shaurya compilation

• Indian Army launched Project 'Shaurya Sankalp' to preserve its rich and glorious history under
Digital India Vision.
• It stores approximately 700 hours of audio-visual material and 11 lakh pages of 'declassified
records'.
• These records relate to the Jammu and Kashmir conflict of 1948, the Liberation of Goa (Operation
Vijay) of 1961 and the India-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971. These records include "after-action
reports" and films.
• There will be another kiosk in the upcoming 'History Sale' of the Army War College. This kiosk will
be accessible to researchers, academicians and scholar warriors. It will be in an interactive web
page format.
• With the digital repository, scholars, historians and academicians can now easily access these
documents for research.
• Note -The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) was established in 1984
in New Delhi with a vision to become the driving force behind heritage awareness and
conservation in India.
8. Flagged off indigenously developed Astra missiles for supply.

• Minister of State for Defense recently flagged off indigenously developed Astra missiles for supply
to the Indian Air Force (IAF) at Bharat Dynamics in Hyderabad.
Astra missile
• Astra is a beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air missile.
• It has been indigenously developed by Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).
• The missile also has a locally developed Ku-band active radar guidance system and a 15 kg
warhead.
• This weapon system is the best in its class in the world in the category of air-to-air missiles.
• Its strike range is more than 100 km. The biggest feature of this missile is that it has the power to
destroy even those enemy targets which the pilot cannot see.
9. 14th All India Police Commando Competition

• The 14th edition of the annual All India Police Commando Competition (AIPCC) was launched on
January 22, 2024 at the Greyhounds Training Center in Kapuluppada, Visakhapatnam.
• Notable participants include Special Operations Group (SOG) from Odisha and Chhattisgarh, C-
60 from Maharashtra, and paramilitary forces like BSF, CRPF, Assam Rifles, ITBP, RPF, SSB and
CISF.
• The competition is divided into five stages, each stage designed to test the competitors' ability,
stamina and teamwork.

10. Sambhav' (Secure Army Mobile Bharat Version)
• The Indian Army has developed an "end-to-end
secure mobile ecosystem" with instant
connectivity, named Sambhav.
• It has been developed on 5G technology.
• 'Sambhaav' has been developed to serve
infrastructure and civil-military purposes.
• 'Sambhaav' is developed on commercial cellular
networks rather than private networks.
Objective -
• The development of 'Shambhav' technology is
aimed at addressing the information security
challenges faced by the Indian Army.
11. First woman Subedar of Indian Army

• Havaldar Preeti Rajak became the first woman to
be promoted to the rank of Subedar in the Indian
Army.
• Joined Army as Havaldar in Shooting
• Rajak won a silver medal during the 19th Asian
Games held in Hangzhou, China.
• Currently ranked sixth in India in trap women's
event,
12. Sarvatra: A multispan mobile bridging system developed by

DRDO
• Sarvatra, is a multispan mobile bridging system.
• It has been developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) under the
Ministry of Defence.
• Sarvatra is emerging as an epitome of innovation, designed to rapidly bridge the gap, especially on
water bodies, enhancing connectivity and logistics efficiency for the Indian Army.
Key facts -
• Sarvatra truck-mounted design facilitates quick setup, ensuring operational readiness within 100
minutes Made from aluminum alloy.
Types of Everywhere
• The Indian Army uses two variants of the Sarvatra, 15 meter and 20 meter bridge systems.
• “The 20 meter Sarvatra bridge is designed to seamlessly bridge the 100 meter gap.”

Environment
1. 'Investment Forum to Advance Climate Resilient Agrifood
Systems'
• The Forum was launched during a two-day multi- Food and Agriculture Organizations
stakeholder meeting held at the India (FAO)
International Centre, New Delhi on January 18- • It is a specialized agency of the United
19, 2024. Nations.
Objective - • Its main focus is on global food and
• To develop an investment and partnership agricultural matters and it leads
strategy between government, private sectors, international efforts to prevent hunger.
farmer organizations and financial institutions to • World Food Day is celebrated every year
advance climate-resilient agri-food systems in on 16 October to commemorate the
India. anniversary of the founding of FAO in
1945.
Organization included in this forum - • The headquarters of FAO is located in
NITI Aayog, Rome, Italy.
• Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare • India is one of the founding members of
(MoA&FW), FAO.
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations (FAO)
2. Establishment of the world's first 'Black Tiger Safari'

• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has unveiled Other major protected areas in
plans to set up the world's first 'Black Tiger Safari' Odisha:
near Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Mayurbhanj. 1. Bhitarkanika National Park.
• The state government has identified approximately 2. Badrama Wildlife Sanctuary.
200 hectares of area adjacent to National Highway 3. Chilika (Nalban) Wildlife Sanctuary.
18 for setting up the proposed safari. 4. Hadgarh Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Simlipal Tiger Reserve is the only tiger habitat in the 5. Baisipalli Wildlife Sanctuary.
world where melanistic tigers are found, which have 6. Kotgarh Wildlife Sanctuary.
broad black stripes/lines on their body, which are 7. Nandankanan Wildlife Sanctuary.
thicker than normal tigers. 8. Lakhari Valley Wildlife Sanctuary.
Simlipal Tiger Reserve 9. Gahirmatha (Marine) Wildlife
• It was selected for the Tiger Reserve in the year Sanctuary.
1956.
• It was brought under Project Tiger in
1973.
• The Government of India declared it a
biosphere reserve in June 1994.
• This biosphere reserve is part of the
UNESCO World Network of Biosphere
Reserves since 2009.

3. Tropical Cyclone Alvaro
• Tropical Cyclone Alvaro made landfall in
southwestern Madagascar early in the new year.
• On January 1, 2024, this cyclone hit near Morombe
in Madagascar.
• Cyclone Alvaro has so far affected more than 16,100
people in the southern African country.
• Cyclone Alvaro has affected provinces such as
Etsimo-Andrefana in south-western Madagascar.
International project named REPRESA
• An international project called REPRESA was
launched in July 2023 to prepare for and respond to
tropical cyclones in the southern African region.
• The project involves partners from Southern Africa,
the UK and other European countries.
• It aims to increase community preparedness in
Madagascar and Southern Africa, the regions most
affected by tropical cyclones.
4. Sigeritis megahamaliensis
• The ancient hills of Meghamalai in Tamil Nadu have given birth to a new species of 'silverline'
butterflies.
• The distinct species belonging to the Cigarita genus was first detected in the highlands of Periyar
in Idukki in 2018.
• The species is restricted to Meghamalai and the adjacent Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Periyar Tiger Reserve
• It is situated in the Western Ghats of Kerala.
• It is named after the Periyar River, which originates
deep inside the reserve.
• It was designated as a sanctuary in the year 1950
and a tiger reserve in the year 1978.
• Two main rivers, the Pamba and the Periyar, flow
through the sanctuary.
• It is home to several tribal communities including
the Mannans and Palians.
• Vegetation: It includes tropical evergreen, semi-
evergreen and moist deciduous.
5. 'Night Trail' scheme implemented in Chandaka-Dampara

Wildlife Sanctuary
• The Forest Department in Odisha has planned a 'Night trail' for people, especially students and
researchers, in the Chandaka-Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary.
Chandaka-Dampara Wildlife Sanctuary
• It is located partly within Khurda and partly in the
Cuttack districts of Odisha state, and close to the
state capital, Bhubaneswar.
• Chandaka-Dampara Sanctuary is home to many
wildlife species including elephants, barking deer
and porcupines.
• Spread over 193.39 sq km of rolling table land and
small rolling hills, it has been a wildlife sanctuary
since August 1982.

6. Annual bird census in Chilika Lake, Odisha
• The bird census is being conducted in five different areas namely Chilika, Balugaon, Satpada,
Tangi and Rambha under Chilika Wildlife Division.
• Organizations like Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and
Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) participated in it.
Chilka Lake
• Chilka Lake is the largest brackish water lake in Asia.
• It is situated at the mouth of Daya River on the
east coast of India. Daya River flows into the Bay
of Bengal
• Chilika Lake is spread across three districts of
Odisha, Puri, Ganjam and Khordha.
• In 1981 a wetland of international importance –
was designated a “Ramsar Site”.
• Nalaban Island, located inside the lake, is a bird
sanctuary protected under the Wildlife (Protection)
Act, 1972.
Note:
• The largest saltwater lake in the world is the
Caspian Sea, which is located in Europe and Asia.
• Wular Lake in Jammu and Kashmir is the largest
freshwater lake in India.
7. Rajasthan's first 1800 MW standalone pumped hydropower

project
Kuno river
• Rajasthan's first 1800 MW standalone • This river originates from the Vindhya
pumped hydro project got approval to start mountain range
at Shahpur/Shahabad, Baran. • The Kuno River is an important river that
Standalone Pumped Hydroelectric Project flows through the middle of the Kuno
• Water from the Kuno River will be collected National Park, flowing from south to north in
on the hills where an upper reservoir will be the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.
constructed. • India's famous Cheetah Project is also a part
• It is currently owned by Greenco Energies. of Kuno National Park.
8. A new species of fungus has been discovered in Kerala, named

'Paramyrothecium indicum'
fungus-
Paramyrothecium indicum
• Fungi include yeast, rust, smut, mold,
• It is a new species of phytopathogenic
mildew and mushroom.
fungus.
• They are eukaryotic organisms, that is, their
• Phytopathogens are parasites that live on a
cells contain membrane-bound organelles
plant host.
and clearly defined nuclei.
• Most Paramyrothecium are phytopathogens.
• Reproduction: Fungi usually reproduce both
• They are responsible for serious plant
sexually and asexually.
diseases that can negatively impact crop
productivity.

9. Two possible new species of lamprey fish have been discovered
in California waters
• Lampreys are bony, jawless fish with eel-
like bodies, dating back more than 350
million years.
• They live in coastal and fresh waters and
are found in temperate regions around the
world except Africa.
• They breathe through a distinctive row of
seven pairs of tiny gill pores located
behind their mouth and eyes.
• Like sharks, their skeletons are made of
cartilage.
• They attach to larger animals such as fish
and whales by using their sucking
mouthparts.
• They feed as parasites, gnawing the host's
flesh with their sharp teeth and sucking blood.
10. The water of Retba Lake is virtually devoid of life and is on

the verge of extinction due to pollution and mining
• It is also known as Lac Rose (Pink Lake).
• It is located in the north of Senegal's Cap Vert
Peninsula, northeast of Dakar.
• The unusual color of the water is caused by harmless
halophilic bacteria that thrive in the high salinity
environment of the lake.

Scheme or Portal
1. Projects worth over Rs 1150 crore inaugurated in Kavaratti,
Lakshadweep by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
• The Prime Minister provided laptops to students under the Laptop Scheme and bicycles to school
girls under 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'.
• Farmers and fishermen were provided a PM Kisan Credit Card.
• The Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands Submarine Optical Fiber Connection (KLI-SOFC) project was
dedicated to the people on January 3.
• Women allowed to go on Hajj without 'Mehram'
• PM laid the foundation stone for the construction of five model Anganwadi centers (Nand Ghar) in
the five islands of Lakshadweep. These islands are Andrott, Chetlat, Kadmat, Agatti and Minicoy.
• The PM also laid the foundation stone for the renovation of the primary health facility at Kalpeni.
Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands Submarine Optical Fiber Connection
• PM inaugurates Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands Submarine Optical Fiber Connection
• Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands
Submarine Cable (KLI) Project
extends submarine cable connectivity
from Mainland (Kochi) to eleven
Lakshadweep Islands namely
Kavaratti, Agatti, Amini, Kadmatt,
Chatelet, Kalpeni, Minicoy, Androth,
Kiltan, Bangaram and Bitra. Has
gone. ,
• The project is funded by the
Universal Services Obligation Fund
(USOF), Department of
Telecommunications.
• E-governance, tourism, education, health, commerce and industries will get a boost.
• Total link distance: 1,868 kilometers.
2. "Earth Science (Earth)" Scheme

• It is an initiative of the Ministry of Earth Sciences Note -
(MoES) to enhance the understanding of the Atmosphere and Climate Research-
Earth and its vital signs. Modeling Observational Systems and
• An allocation of Rs 4,797 crore was made for the Services (ACROSS)
period 2021-26. • ACROSS scheme belongs to the
• Prithvi Scheme integrates five existing sub- atmospheric science programs of the
schemes: Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES)
• Atmosphere and Climate Research-Modeling • Schemes related to observation of
Observational Systems and Services (ACROSS) various aspects of weather and climate.
• Ocean Services, Modeling Applications, Each of these aspects is covered in the
Resources and Technology (O-SMART) form of eight sub-plans
• Polar Science and Cryosphere Research (PACER) • This scheme is being run by the
• Seismology and Geology (SAGE) Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) in
• Research, education, training and outreach collaboration with its units.
(Reachout). 1. India Meteorological Department (IMD),
2. National Center for Medium Range
• One of Earth's primary objectives is to enhance
Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF)
and maintain long-term observations of the
3. Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology
atmosphere, oceans, geosphere, cryosphere, and
(IITM)
solid Earth.
4. Indian National Center for Ocean
• Exploration of the polar regions and high seas is
Information Services (INCOIS).
another important aspect, which aims to discover
new phenomena and resources.

3. Republic Day Celebration-2024: 1.37 crore students from all
over India participated in Project Veer Gatha 3.0
• Project Veer Gatha Gallantry award
• It is a joint initiative of the Ministry of • Gallantry Awards have been instituted by the
Defense and the Ministry of Education. Government of India to honor acts of bravery
• It was established in 2021 under the and sacrifice by officers/personnel of the
Gallantry Awards Portal (GAP). Armed Forces, other legally constituted forces
• Project Veer Gatha provided a platform to and civilians.
school students to undertake creative • These are announced twice a year – on the
projects/activities based on gallantry award occasion of Republic Day and on the occasion
winners. of Diwas.
• Project Veer Gatha 3.0 was launched on • The order of precedence of awards is – Param
July 13, 2023. It presented a series of Vir Chakra, Ashok Chakra, Mahavir Chakra,
thoughtful topics for essay and paragraph Kirti Chakra, Vir Chakra and Shaurya
writing. Chakra.
4. Best Innovation Award - 'Svamitva Yojana'

• 'Svamitva Yojana' was honored with this award during the Public Policy Dialogue-2024 organized
by the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.
• This award was given to 'Svamitva Yojana' for its Innovation Sandbox Presentation.
• Ministry of Panchayati Raj was awarded the first prize in the Innovation Sandbox Presentation.
Note - Target -
Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with
• The target is to cover 6.62 lakh villages
Improvised Technology in Village Areas
across India by March 2025.
(SVAMITVA)
• To provide financial stability to the
"Ownership Plan"
citizens of rural India by enabling them
• SVAMITVA scheme was launched on 24 April
to use their property as a financial asset
2020 but it was launched nationally on 24 April
to access loans and other financial
2021 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
benefits.
• This is a scheme of the Ministry of Panchayati
• Creation of accurate land records and
Raj.
GIS maps for rural planning.
• Uses innovation and new technologies to clearly
• Determination of property tax.
identify land ownership in rural India.
• Reducing property disputes
• The aim is to prepare housing rights records of
the rural population using drone survey technology in collaboration with the Ministry of
Panchayati Raj, Government of India, State Revenue Department and Survey of India.
5. "Yogashree" scheme
• West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has recently launched a comprehensive social
welfare scheme called "Yogashree".
• This initiative aims to provide free training modules for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe
(ST) students in West Bengal.
• Yogashree scheme involves establishment of fifty training centers across the state.
• These centers will provide free training for SC and ST students focusing on competitive
examinations.

6. Samleshwari Temple Area Management and Local Economic
Initiative Scheme
• Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik recently Mahanadi River
inaugurated the SAMALEI project in Sambalpur. • Mahanadi River is the largest river of
• The project involves peripheral development of the Odisha.
temple, construction of a heritage corridor, pilgrim • Mahanadi originates from a mountain
facilities, etc. range called Sihawa located in
Samleshwari Temple Dhamtari district near Raipur.
• Samleshwari Temple is an ancient Hindu temple in • The Seonath, Hasdev, Mand and Ib
Sambalpur, western Odisha, India. join the Mahanadi from the left, while
• This temple is dedicated to the worship of Mother the Ong, Tel and Jonk join it from the
Sammaleshwari. right.
• The temple was established in the Kalinga Major Dams/Projects on Mahanadi:
architectural style. • Hirakud Dam: It is the longest dam of
• Nuakhai – Harvest festival, people offer newly India.
prepared rice to the goddess on this occasion. • Ravi Shankar Sagar, Dudhawa
• Situated on the banks of river Mahanadi, Goddess Reservoir, Sondur Reservoir, Hasdev
Samaleshwari has been worshiped since ancient Bango and Tandula are other major
times in the form of Jagatjanani, Adishakti, projects.
Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati.
• According to French traveler Tavernier and English historian Edward Gibbon, diamonds were
exported from Sambalpur to Rome.
7. A new initiative called 'Road Safety Force'

• Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has launched
a new initiative called 'Road Safety Force' to improve
the traffic system and reduce road accidents in the
state.
• The Road Safety Force will have 144 vehicles and
5,000 personnel who will be deployed on the roads
every 30 kilometers for the safety of people.
• More than 500 people die every month and about
6,000 people die (in road accidents) a year."
Punjab
• These five rivers are Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and
Jhelum.
• However, only the Sutlej, Ravi and Beas rivers flow
within the boundaries of today's Punjab.
• The state of Punjab is divided into three regions: Majha, Doaba and Malwa.

8. Ashtalakshmi Haat and Experience Center in Guwahati
• North Eastern Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation (NEHDC) is setting up
Ashtalakshmi Haat and Experience Center in Guwahati for Rs 7.6 crore.
• The Haat will have 24 permanent stalls, providing market access to artisans from all North
Eastern states
North Eastern Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation
• NEHHDC connects artisans to potential markets and consumers and provides economic, cultural
and social opportunities for artisans. It strives to develop and promote indigenous crafts of the
region by adding cultural value to consumers.
• NEHHDC offers a range of products from all the eight North Eastern states.
• It procures handicrafts and handlooms from artisans and weavers from across the region and
retails them.
• The Corporation also organizes training programs and seminars for skill and knowledge
upgradation of artisans and weavers.
9. Establishment of ERI Silk Spinning Plant

• NEHHDC is setting up an ERI Silk Spinning Plant at Integrated Textile Park, Mushalpur, Baksa
(Assam) at a project cost of Rs 14.92 crore.
• It is envisaged to provide direct employment to 375 persons and indirect livelihood to about
25,003 families.
• Once operational, the plant will have the capacity to produce 450 kg of ERI silk yarn per day.
10. Devika River Rejuvenation Project

• Union Minister of State (Independent Charge)
Namami Gange Programme:
Dr. Jitendra Singh inspects River Rejuvenation
• It was approved as a 'Flagship
Project "Devika"
Programme' of the Central Government in
• The Government of India launched this project
June 2014.
in February 2019 on the lines of 'Namami
• It is being operated under the Ministry of
Gange'.
Water Resources, Department of River
• This project is included in the National River
Development and Ganga Rejuvenation
Conservation Project (NRCP) of the Government
and Ministry of Jal Shakti.
of India.
• To train and highly motivate the local
• Built at a cost of over Rs 190 crore, the share of
youth to organize the activities envisaged
fund allocation is in the ratio of 90:10 by the
under the Namami Gange project.
Center and UT respectively.
• Brand Ambassador of Namami Gange
Devika River:
Program – Iconic Indian comic character,
• Devika river originates from the hill Sudh (pure)
Chacha Chaudhary.
Mahadev temple in Udhampur district of
Jammu and Kashmir
• This river flows and joins the Ravi river in Pakistan.
• This river is known as the sister of river Ganga.

11. Kochi-Lakshadweep Archipelago Submarine Optical Fiber
Connection Project
• It is a submarine cable connectivity project from the
mainland (Kochi) to eleven Lakshadweep islands
namely Kavaratti, Agatti, Amini, Kadmatt, Chatelet,
Kalpeni, Minicoy, Androth, Kiltan, Bangaram and
Bitra.
• The project is funded by the Universal Services
Obligation Fund (USOF), Department of
Telecommunications.
• Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) was the
project executing agency.
• This work was entrusted to M/s NEC Corporation
India Private Limited.
• For the first time after independence, Lakshadweep will be connected through submarine optic
fiber cable.
12. Program Gunotsav 2024

• Gunotsav is an initiative by the Government of
Assam covering all primary and secondary
schools in the state.
• 'Gunotsav' aims to increase accountability and
improve the quality of education
• The Assam government launched this program
to assess the performance of 40 lakh students
studying in 43,498 government schools in 35
districts.
• Schools are classified based on performance
as A+, A, B, C and D
• Gunotsav 2024 (Fifth Round) is scheduled in
three (03) phases in the month of January and
February 2024.
• Four major areas viz. The Gunotsav exercise
evaluates scholastic (learning outcomes of children), co-scholastic, infrastructure and community
participation.
• 'Gunotsav' is an initiative that started in 2017
13. Udupi station was recently included in the Railway Ministry's

Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS) for redevelopment.
Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS)
• It is an ongoing Indian Railways Mission launched
by the Ministry of Railways in February 2023 to
redevelop 1,309 stations across the country.
• It is based on master planning for the long term
and implementation of the elements of the master
plan according to the needs and conservation of the
station.
• This includes providing neat and clean waiting
areas, toilets, special facilities for the disabled and
food and beverage outlets.
• It involves providing seamless connectivity between
railway stations and other modes of transport,
such as buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws.

14. Anubhav Award Scheme 2024
• Government of India has notified the Experience Award Scheme 2024.
• To participate in this program, retiring Central Government employees/pensioners are required
to submit their experience documents 8 months before retirement and 1 year after retirement.
• It recognizes the contribution made by retired officers to nation building while serving in the
government and to documenting the administrative history of India through written narratives.
• Anubhav Portal, established in March 2015, serves as an online platform for retired and retired
government employees to share their experiences.
• This portal was launched by the Government of India, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances
and Pensions, Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare.
• Each Anubhav Award winner will receive a medal and certificate and a prize money of Rs 10,000.
• So far, 54 Anubhav Awards have been presented from 2016 to 2023.
15. Karnataka Government's 'Youth Fund Scheme'

• In a significant move aimed at addressing the Objective
concerns of unemployment among the youth, the • Financial assistance for
Karnataka government has launched the 'Yuva Nidhi unemployed youth.
Yojana' in Shivamogga district. • Emphasis on skill development and
• Yuva Nidhi Scheme focuses on providing financial entrepreneurship
assistance to unemployed youth, empowering them to • Government's commitment to
pursue skill development and entrepreneurship eliminate youth unemployment
opportunities. • Creation of a favorable environment
• The government is committed to provide Rs 3,000 per for self-employment.
month to degree holders and Rs 1,500 per month to • Overall development
diploma holders who are unable to secure
employment in the last six months and are not pursuing higher studies.
16. Coursera
• This is an online learning platform.
• On this, courses from global universities will
also be available in Hindi.
• Translation of courses from top Indian
institutions will be available in 18 languages.
• For this, it will also launch AI (Artificial
Intelligence) feature.
17. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi lays the foundation stone
of 8 AMRUT projects in Solapur, Maharashtra
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today laid the foundation stone of eight AMRUT (Atal Mission
for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) projects worth approximately Rs 2000 crore in
Solapur, Maharashtra.
AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) Projects
• Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) was launched in June 2015 by
PM Narendra Modi under the Government of
India.
• AMRUT Scheme is an initiative to provide basic
civic amenities in urban areas to improve the
quality of life with major focus on the poor and
the underprivileged.
• This initiative is a focused National Water
Mission, launched in 500 cities and covering
60% of the urban population.
• AMRUT Mission has been subsumed under
AMRUT 2.0, which was launched on October 01,
2021.

18. Projects worth over Rs 4,000 crore inaugurated in Kochi
New Dry Dock (NDD) at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL)
• The New Dry Dock (NDD), with a length of 310 meters, has been built on international standards
at an investment of Rs 1799 crore.
• It is capable of handling aircraft carriers double the displacement of Suezmax, Capesize, LNG
ships and jack up rigs.
CSL's International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF)
• India's first fully fledged pure ship repair ecosystem, the International Ship Repair Facility (ISRF)
was also inaugurated.
• ISRF will add 25% capacity to the country's ship repair industry.
• Located at Willingdon Island, Kochi, ISRF aims to modernize and expand CSL's existing ship
repair capabilities.
LPG Import Terminal of Indian Oil Corporation Limited
• Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) had an LPG import terminal at Puthuvypeen in Kochi.
• The terminal, with state-of-the-art infrastructure and storage capacity of 15,400 MT, aims to
achieve a turnover of 1.2 MMTPA.
Marine Amrit Kaal Vision 2047
• There is a roadmap for the development of the maritime sector for the Amrit period related to
making India self-reliant for 25 years i.e. by 2047.
• This includes a strategy to make major ports carbon-
neutral and emphasize domestic hydrogen production
and distribution.
• The port capacity is to be quadrupled to 10,000
million tonnes per annum (MTPA) by 2047, with the
aim of achieving 100 per cent public private
partnership (PPP) for 12 major ports.
• Carbon neutrality at all major ports, achieving
highest rank in cruise tourism, development of 25
cruise terminals, increase in operational waterways to
more than double and 500 million tonnes (MT) of
cargo, development of two new major ports, and
leading country in ship recycling.

Exercise
1. Desert Cyclone-2024:
• The joint military exercise Desert Cyclone- India's latest military exercises 2023:
2024 between the armies of India and UAE Adventure Kurukshetra:
will be conducted in the Thar Desert of • Event Date – 6 – 13 March 2023 (13th Edition)
Rajasthan from 2 January to 15 January • Venue – Jodhpur Military Station
2024. • Partner Country – Singapore
Objective of the exercise: Accuvein:
• Desert Cyclone aims to learn and share • Event Date – 11 – 24 June 2023 (12th Edition)
best practices in urban operations. • Venue – Chaubatiya, Uttarakhand
• The potential areas of bilateral cooperation • Participating Country – Maldives
in the defense sector include production Dagger:
and development of defense equipment, • Event Date – March 2023 (10th Edition)
joint exercises of the armed forces, • Venue – Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
especially naval exercises, sharing of • Partner Country – Kyrgyzstan
information on tactics and doctrines etc. Nomadic Elephant:
• Event Date – July 2023 (15th Edition)
• Venue – Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
• Participating Country – Mongolia
2. Multinational Naval Exercise- MILAN 24

• Indian Navy's multinational exercise, MILAN 24, is scheduled to be held at Visakhapatnam from
19 to 27 Feb 24.
• MILAN is a biennial multinational naval exercise
• The exercise was conducted at Visakhapatnam under the Eastern Naval Command with the
theme 'Cordiary-Cooperation-Cooperation'
• The exercise began in 1995 with the participation of four foreign countries (Indonesia, Singapore,
Sri Lanka and Thailand) under India's 'Look East Policy'.
• The MILAN 24 exercise will consist of two phases – 'Harbour Phase' and 'Sea Phase'.
• The port phase aims to promote cultural sharing among the participating nations and the sea
phase involves ships with maritime patrol aircraft and submarines of friendly foreign nations.
• The meeting is a demonstration of India's commitment towards promoting maritime cooperation
and security in the Indian Ocean region and has become a platform for nations to form
partnerships, exchange ideas and enhance maritime security to build maritime power.

3. Joint Exercise 'Cooperation' between Indian and Japanese
Coast Guard Kaijin
• Indian and Japanese Coast Guards have recently conducted a successful joint exercise named
'Sahyog Kaijin' off the coast of Chennai.
• The exercise involved Indian Coast Guard
Ship (ICGS) Shaurya and Japan Coast Guard
Ship (JCGS) Yashima along with other
supporting ships and aircraft.
• In the joint exercise code named ‘Sahyog
Kaijin’ in the Bay of Bengal, advanced
equipped ICGS Shaurya and JCGS Yashima
took action to rescue the crew of MT
Matsyadrishti and MV Anveshika.
• The initiative is linked to the Memorandum of
Cooperation signed in 2006 for joint training,
professional exchange and cultural dialogue
between the coast guards of the two countries.
4. Bilateral Maritime Exercise-Ayutthaya

• The first bilateral maritime exercise 'Ayutthaya' was
conducted between the Indian Navy (IN) and the Royal
Thai Navy (RTN).
• The India-Thailand bilateral exercise is being named 'X-
Ayutthaya', which literally means 'Invincible' or
'Unbeatable'.
• Indigenously built Indian Naval ships Kulish and IN LCU
56 participated in it.
• It symbolizes the importance, historical legacies, rich
cultural ties and shared historical narratives spanning
many centuries of the two oldest cities of India, Ayodhya
and Ayutthaya of Thailand.
5. Exercise Khanjar
• India-Kyrgyzstan joint special forces exercise Khanjar has begun at the Special Forces Training
School in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh.
• This is the 11th edition of the India-Kyrgyzstan joint special forces exercise.
• The exercise will focus on developing special forces skills, advanced techniques of insertion and
extraction.
• It was first launched in December 2011 in Nahan, India.
6. Excercise desert night

• Exercise Desert Night was conducted by the Indian
Air Force with the French Air and Space Force
(FASF) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air
Force over the Arabian Sea.
Equipment included in the exercise -
• Rafale fighter aircraft of the French Air and Space
Force (FASF) and a multi-role tanker transport
• UAE Air Force F-16
• Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Jaguar, AWACS, C-130-J and
Air to Air Refueler aircraft of the Indian Air Force
Note -

• The French Air Force took part ahead of the Republic Day parade as French President Emmanuel
Macron is the chief guest on Republic Day.
7. Joint military exercise 'Sada Tansiq' of India and Saudi Arabia

started in Rajasthan
• The inaugural edition of India and Saudi Arabia's joint military exercise 'Sada Tanseeq' began in
Mahajan, Rajasthan.
• This exercise is scheduled to begin from January 29 and continue till February 10, 2024.
• The Saudi Arabian contingent of 45 defense personnel is being led by the Royal Saudi Land
Forces.
• The Indian Army contingent also consists of 45 personnel, represented by a battalion of the
Brigade of the Guards (Mechanized Infantry).
Other exercises between India and Saudi Arabia

• India and Saudi Arabia conducted their first naval joint exercise Al-Mohad Al-Hindi.
• Exercise Al-Hindi aims to conduct tactical maneuvers, search and rescue operations and an
electronic warfare exercise to enhance interoperability.
Saudi Arab
• Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the Crown
Prince, is the de facto ruler
• In its western highlands, along the Red Sea,
lies the Hejaz, the birthplace of Islam and
home to that religion's holiest cities, Mecca
and Medina. In the geographical center of the
country is a region known as Najd
("highland").
• There are four main traditional regions—the
Hejaz, Asir, Najd, and Al-Hasa.
8. Three major exercises to be conducted by the Indian Air Force

(IAF) in 2024
Vayu Shakti-2024
• Vayu Shakti-2024 will showcase the firepower of the Indian Air Force's fighter fleet.
• It will be held in Jaisalmer on 17th February.
• The IAF will use all its frontline aircraft such as Rafale, Su-30MKI, LCA Tejas, Mirage 2000 and
MiG-29. They will launch individual missiles and bombs at designated ground targets.
Gaganshakti practice
• Exercise Gaganshakti will be conducted in April
2024.
• This will see full-scale activation of the entire
Indian Air Force from Ladakh to the Indian Ocean
and from Bhuj to Arunachal Pradesh.
• Key assets such as the S-400 air defense system
will also be activated on the western and northern
fronts.
Tarang Shakti-2024
• Exercise Tarang Shakti-2024 is the first
multinational air exercise
• There may be participation of major air forces like
Germany, France, Italy and the United States.
• This exercise will be organized in Jodhpur.

Events and Conferences
1. 27th National Youth Festival
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the

27th National Youth Festival in Nashik,
Maharashtra on January 12, 2024.
• This year's theme is, "MYBharat-
VixitBharat@2047 - By the youth, for the youth".
• This time around eight thousand participants
and many teams from 28 states and eight union
territories will participate in the event.
Youth festival
• Swami Vivekananda's birthday, 12 January, is
always celebrated as National Youth Day.
• It is a program of the Ministry of Youth Affairs
and Sports, Government of India and is
celebrated every year in one of the states under
joint venture.
• The objective of the Youth Festival is to propagate
the concept of national unity, spirit of communal
harmony, brotherhood, courage and courage by
showcasing their cultural prowess on a common
platform.
Note –
26th National Youth Festival
• 26th National Youth Festival organized in Hubli, Karnataka.
• The theme of this festival is 'Developed Youth - Developed India'.
2. India International Science Festival (IISF) 2023

• India International Science Festival (IISF) 2023 will begin on January 17, 2024 in Faridabad,
Haryana.
• It is being organized by the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
• The central theme is "Science and Technology Public Outreach in the Amrit Era".
Note -
India International Science Festival (IISF) is an
annual event
• It is jointly organized by the Ministry of Science
and Technology, Ministry of Earth Sciences,
Department of Space and Department of Atomic
Energy in collaboration with Vigyan Bharat I
• This festival is being organized since 2015
• The Science Festival aims to honor India's
achievements in cutting-edge areas of science
and technology.
4. Hethai Amman Festival
Badagas Community:
• Union Minister L Murugan • The Badagas are a cultural and linguistic group living in
performs traditional dance with the Nilgiri district of Tamil Nadu, India.
people of Badagas community on • The Badagas live in about 400 Hatti villages throughout
the occasion of Hethai Amman the district. The Badagas speak a language called
Festival in Ooty. Badaga.
• This festival is held on the first • The name Badaga comes from the Old Kannada
Monday after the full moon in the badagana, meaning 'north'.
Tamil month of Margazhi. • These Muslims had fled from the plains of Mysore to
• Every year, it is celebrated by the escape persecution.
Badagas community in the • The festival involves a procession with a sacred stick
Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. kept in the Hagotu.

3. International Purple Festival 2024
Goa
• International Purple Festival 2024 will be organized in
Goa from 8 to 13 January 2024. • Major beaches of Goa -
Calangute Beach, Baga Beach,
• The festival represents a vibrant celebration of
Miramar Beach, Donapaula
inclusivity and empowerment.
Beach are situated at the mouth
Chief Guest of International Purple Festival 2024
of Zuari River.
• Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant Chief Guest
• Panaji, the capital of Goa, is
• Union Minister of State for Social Justice and
situated on the banks of the
Empowerment Ramdas Athawale Guest of Honor
Mandvi River.
• Other distinguished guests were also present.
Objective:
• The objective of the festival is to showcase the talents of persons with disabilities through
attractive performances in music, dance and entertainment.
• A standout moment of the inauguration ceremony was the presentation of Purple named
'Dhumal'.
Organizers of the International Purple Festival 2024
• Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Goa
• Directorate of Social Welfare, Government of Goa
• Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment, Government of India.
6. Diamond Jubilee celebrations of Supreme Court inaugurated

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Diamond
Jubilee Celebrations of the Supreme Court today on 28
January at the Supreme Court Auditorium in Delhi.
• He also launched citizen-centric information and technology
initiatives, including the Digital Supreme Court Report (Digi
SCR), Digital Court 2.0 and a new website of the Supreme
Court.
Supreme Court
• The Supreme Court of India was established on 26 January
1950 in New Delhi.
• It was inaugurated on January 28, 1950.
• The Federal Court of India sat for 12 years between 1937 and 1950 in the Chamber of Princes,
which later became the home of the Supreme Court for many years.

5. 58th Annual Conference of Directors General and Inspectors
General of Police
• The 58th Annual Conference of Directors
General and Inspectors General of Police in Conference:
India will be held in Jaipur, Rajasthan. • Guwahati in the year 2014
• This conference is going to be held at • Dhordo, Rann of Kutch in the year 2015
Rajasthan International Center located in • National Police Academy, Hyderabad in the
Jhalana, Jaipur. year 2016
• During the conference, many issues • BSF Academy, Tekanpur in the year 2017
including cyber crime, technology in policing, • Kevadiya in the year 2018
challenges in countering terrorism, left wing • IISER, Pune in the year 2019
extremism, capacity building, prison reforms • Police Headquarters, Lucknow in the year
will be discussed. 2021
Other facts: • New Delhi in the year 2022
• The Intelligence Bureau organised the first
conference of IGPs in India in 1920 and
since then, these conferences have been
held regularly in New Delhi.
• The first such conference organised after
independence was inaugurated by the
country's first Home Minister, Sardar
Vallabhbhai Patel on 12 January 1950.
• The Prime Minister has also encouraged
organising annual DGP conferences across
the country since 2014.
7. Savitribai Phule and Rani Velu Nachiyar's birth anniversary

celebrated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi
Savitribai Phule
• Savitribai Phule, born on 3 January 1831 in a Dalit
family in Nayagaon, Satara district of Maharashtra,
was India's first female teacher.
• Apart from being a teacher, Savitribai Phule was also
the first leader of India's women's liberation
movement, social reformer and Marathi poetess.
• Savitribai, along with her husband, social worker
Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, established a school for girls
in 1848.
• Savitribai In 1854 she opened a shelter for
widows.
Rani Velu Nachiyar
• Rani Velu Nachiyar (3 January 1730 – 25
December 1796) was the queen of the Sivagangai
estate from c.
• Rani Velu Nachiyar, also known as Veeramangai,
was a princess of the Ramnad Kingdom of
Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu.
• In 1780–1790 she was the first Indian queen to
wage war with the East India Company in India.
• The Tamil people know her as Veeramangai
("brave woman").
• Nachiyar regained her husband's kingdom and
ruled it for ten years.
• In 1790, he was succeeded by his daughter
Vellaasi.

8. Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit
• The 10th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit (VGGS) will be held in Gandhinagar
from January 10 to 12, 2024.
• The theme of this edition is "Gateway to the Future".
• Heads of state of 4 countries will come to Gujarat to participate in the Vibrant Gujarat Summit
2024.
• This time 32 countries have become partner countries in the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, out of
which governors and ministers of 18 partner countries will come while delegations from the
remaining countries will participate.
• Major partner countries include Australia, Czech Republic, UAE, Germany, UK, Singapore,
Japan, Russia.
9. Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show

• The Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show was
inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi Vibrant Gujarat
on 9 January 2024. • It was conceived by Gujarat Chief
• Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show is being Minister Narendra Modi in the year 2003.
organized at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar. • The main objective of organizing this
• This time the theme of Vibrant Gujarat Global summit was to establish Gujarat as a
Summit is – Gateway to the Future. preferred investment destination state.
• Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show is India's • This summit provides an appropriate
largest global trade show ever. platform to brainstorm on an agenda
• A total of 100 countries are participating as related to global socio-economic
guest countries in the five-day global trade development, knowledge sharing etc.
exhibition.
Note -
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi did a road show with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al
Nahyan.
• This road show was organized from Sardar Patel International Airport Ahmedabad to
Gandhinagar.

10. Chandubi Mahotsav was celebrated on the banks of Chandubi
Lake in the state of Assam.
Chandubi Festival Chandubi Lake
• Held for five days on New Year on the banks of • Meaning of Chandubi Where in Khasi
Chandubi Lake. language Chand means five and
• Local folk culture, ethnic cuisine, local handlooms Doobi means drowning.
and costumes, boating etc. are organized in • It was constructed during a massive
Chandubi festival. earthquake in the year 1897.
• The main objective of Chandubi Mahotsav is to • A natural lake is located in Rabha
promote eco-tourism in this biodiversity hotspot of Hasong Autonomous Council of
Assam. Kamrup district of Assam.
• This festival provides an opportunity to various • It is a very rich wetland of the state
tribes – Rabha, Garo, Gorkha and Tea tribes – to with many species of aquatic flora
generate livelihood. and fauna.
11. Wings india 2024

Airports Authority of India (AAI):
• Wings India 2024 will be • It was formed by an Act of Parliament.
organized at Begumpet • It came into existence on 1 April 1995 by merging the then
Airport, Hyderabad from 18 to National Airports Authority and the International Airports
21 January 2024. Authority of India.
• It is the most important civil • It is responsible for the construction, development and
aviation program of the management of air cargo terminals for processing
country. international air cargo at international and domestic
• It will be jointly organized by airports in India.
the Ministry of Civil Aviation • US names countries including China, North Korea,
(MoCA) and the Federation of Pakistan for violating religious freedom.
Indian Chambers of
• The United States added several countries to its list of
Commerce and Indian
'countries of particular concern' due to serious violations of
Industry (FICCI).
religious freedom.
Federation of Indian Chambers
• This decision was taken under the International Religious
of Commerce and Industry
Freedom Act of 1998.
(FICCI):
Countries of special concern
• It was established in 1927 as a
• China, North Korea, Pakistan, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran,
non-governmental, non-profit
Nicaragua, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan
organization.
and Myanmar
• It is the largest and oldest
Countries on special watch list
apex business organization of
• Algeria, Azerbaijan, Central African Republic, Comoros and
India.
Vietnam.
• It serves its members from the
Designated as 'Institutions of Special Concern'
Indian private and public
• Various extremist groups include al-Shabaab, Boko
corporate sectors and
Haram, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Houthis, ISIS-Sahel,
multinational companies.
ISIS-West Africa, al-Qaeda affiliate Jamaat Nasr al-Islam
wal-Muslimin, and the Taliban.
12. Camel Festival

• International camel festival will be organized from 12
January to 14 January.
• , For the first time it is being organized at Dharnidhar
ground.
• The theme of the Camel Utsav festival is 'Icons of
Bikaner'.
• Heritage Walk, Bikaner Carnival as well as many
programs based on classical forms of arts will be
organized in this festival.
• The procession started from Rampuriya Haveli,
passed through the main roads of the city and
concluded at Rao Bikji ki Tekri.

Festival venue
Desert Festival Jaisalmer
Camel Festival Bikaner
Nagaur Fair Nagaur
Pushkar Fair Pushkar
elephant festival Jaipur
Mewar Festival Udaipur
winter festival Mount Abu
kite festival Jaipur
13. Divya Kala Mela 2024

• To empower disabled entrepreneurs, Divya
National Disability Finance and Development
Kala Mela is being organized in Nagpur
Corporation (NDFDC)
(Maharashtra) from 12 January to 21
January 2024. • NDFDC has been in operation since 1997.
• The scheme is implemented by the • It is an apex organization under the
Department of Empowerment of Persons Department of Empowerment of Persons with
with Disabilities (DEPWD), Ministry of Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and
Social Justice and Empowerment, Empowerment.
Government of India with the help of • NDFDC is owned by the Government of India.
NDFDC. • It acts as an apex body for the welfare of
• NDFDC stands for National Disability people with disabilities.
Finance and Development Corporation. • The Department has a scheme to promote the
Divine Art Fair: concept of empowerment for persons with
• This is a unique initiative of DEPWD disabilities, as part of which 'Divya Kala Mela'
towards economic empowerment of disabled is being organized across the country.
people.
• Divya Kala Mela provides an excellent platform for marketing and showcasing the products and
skills of people with disabilities (PWD).
• Divya Kala Mela, Nagpur is the 13th fair in the series starting from 2022.
• Earlier, Divya Kala Melas were organized in Delhi, Mumbai, Bhopal, Guwahati, Indore etc.
• The 12th fair was organized in Surat.
14. Cattle Festival kanuma

• Kanuma Festival is celebrated as a worship of cattle in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
• Generally, this harvest festival is celebrated on the third day of Makar Sankranti.
• Farmers display their bulls and decorated cattle in cattle processions organized at many places on
the streets.
• An important attraction of this festival is the bull fight and betting on cattle, known as Pasuvula
Panduga.
harvest Festival State
Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Haryana, Himachal, West Bengal and

Makar sankranti Punjab
crutch Punjab and Haryana
ladakh harvest festival Ladakh
Lohri Punjab
Bohag Bihu Assam
Vanga Meghalaya and Assam

Ka Pomblang
Nongkrem Meghalaya
Nuakhai Odisha
Nabanna West Bengal
Pongal Tamil Nadu
Onam Kerala
Vishu Kerala and Karnataka
Goody Padwa Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
15. Karbi Youth Festival

• President Draupadi Murmu attended the golden jubilee celebrations of the Karbi Youth Festival at
Taralongso near Karbi Anglong district headquarters of Diphu in Assam.
• Karbi Youth Festival is the oldest and largest ethnic festival of Northeast India.
• It is mainly celebrated by the Karbi and other ethnic communities living in the areas administered
by the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC).
• Karbi Youth Festival started in the early 1980s.
Note -
• The Karbi linguistically belong to the Tibeto-Burman group.
• Karbi tribe entered Assam from Central Asia
• Karbi is one of the tribes with the most diverse and rich cultural heritage.
• The mythological Karbi deity 'Ru Rangsina Sarpo' came from heaven and showed the path of
culture and tradition to the Karbi tribe.
• The elders of the residents of 'Rong-Arak', also known as 'Ronghang Rongbong' (the capital of the
Karbi religious king), on the permission of the king, singing 'Botor Kekur' (a prayer and weather
song) is done.
16. Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival (PPHF)

• The 9th edition of Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival (PPHF), the state festival of Arunachal Pradesh,
will be held at Seijosa in Pakke Kesang district from January 18-20, 2024.
• PPHF was held for the first time in 2015.
• The objective was to recognize the role played by the Nyishi tribal group in the conservation of
hornbills in the Pakse Tiger Reserve (PTR).
• The theme of the festival this year is Domutoh Domutoh, Paga Hum Domutoh. In the Nyishi
language it translates to 'Let our hornbills
Nyishi tribal
remain'.
Pakke Tiger Reserve • They are a people of eastern Bhutan and
the hill state of Arunachal Pradesh in
• It is located in East Kameng district of
northeastern India.
Arunachal Pradesh.
• They speak Tibeto-Burman languages of
• It is surrounded by Tenga Reserve Forest in the
the Sino-Tibetan family.
north, Doimara Reserve Forest in the west,
Nameri National Park and Tiger Reserve (Assam) • The Nyishi subsist from slash-and-burn
in the south. agriculture and hunting and fishing.
• It is situated to the north of Brahmaputra river.
• It consists of tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests.

17. India to host year-long 'Ramayana' festival in Delhi
• The festival will be inaugurated on January 18 from the historic Purana Qila (Old Fort) of Delhi.
• The cultural tour will pass through various cities like Lucknow, Ayodhya and Varanasi.
• Cultural activities will be started with the cooperation of state governments at iconic places
associated with Ramayana including Chitrakoot in Madhya Pradesh, Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh,
Sitamarhi in Bihar, Hampi in Karnataka and Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
• India aims to cross borders by including seven neighboring countries including Cambodia,
Malaysia, Laos, Thailand and Sri Lanka in the festival.
• The festival is an integral part of the seventh edition of “India International Ramayan Mela”.
18. Mamani Ethnic Food Festival

• Nyarpa is organized by the Himalayan Cultural Heritage Foundation in collaboration with Samiti
Stangkung.
• There were six food stalls at the festival, each representing a different village.
Award
• Yokma Group won the first prize, followed by Aziz Group at second place and Yokma Akhon
Group at third place.
Other festivals of Ladakh
• Hemis Festival- Hemis Monastery is one of the most famous monasteries of Ladakh. It organizes
Hemis Utsav every July to celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava.
• Saka Dawa – Saka Dawa is the most sacred Buddhist festival, celebrated during this sacred time
to commemorate the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha.
• Dosmoche Festival- Dosmoche Festival is celebrated every year in the courtyard below the Leh
Palace in Ladakh. This festival is also
celebrated in the Diskit Monastery of Nubra
Valley.
• Losar Festival – Losar Festival is celebrated
throughout Leh Ladakh in March as the
Tibetan New Year.
• Ladakh Harvest Festival- Ladakh Harvest
Festival takes place in September when it is
time to gather the harvest.
• Sindhu Darshan – The Sindhu Darshan
festival, first celebrated in 1997, was created
to promote tourism and honor our armed forces.
19. Organic Orange Festival

• With the intention of encouraging rural farmers to promote organic products and provide income
generation opportunity, the fourth edition of the two-day
Organic Orange Festival began in Nagaland's Rusoma village.
• Rusoma village is also known as 'horticulture village'.
• Premium orange tree can bear about 70 to 80 kg of weight.
• Announced to include Rusoma village under 'Horti Model
Village' 2025.
Horti Model Village'
• The HMV project is the first of its kind initiative by the State
Horticulture Department,
• This initiative has been launched under the Mission for
Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) for 2023-2024.
• The project aims to increase production of horticultural crops
like kiwi, citrus, banana, pineapple, dragon fruit and naga
chili in 16 villages in each district.
Nagaland
• Nagaland is bordered by Assam in the west, Arunachal Pradesh in the north, Burma in the east
and Manipur in the south.
• Nagaland was established on 1 December 1963 as the 16th state of India.
• The highest peak in Nagaland is Mount Saramati

20. President Draupadi Murmu nominates educationist Satnam
Singh Sandhu, founder of Chandigarh University, to Rajya Sabha.
Satnam Singh Sandhu
• Sandhu founded the Chandigarh Group of Colleges
(CGC) in Landran, Mohali in 2001.
• He founded Chandigarh University in 2012.
• Satnam Singh Sandhu is actively involved in large-scale
community efforts to improve health and well-being and
advance communal harmony through the NGOs 'Indian
Minorities Foundation' and New India Development
(NID) Foundation.

Awards & Honour
1. Odisha awarded for the best tableau during the 75th Republic
Day Parade
• Odisha was awarded the Best Tableau Award during the 75th Republic Day Parade 2024.
• Odisha in its tableau had showcased women empowerment as well as the rich handicrafts and
handloom sector of the state.
Awards in Judges' Choice Category: Awards in Popular Choice Category:

• Odisha's tableau first place • Gujarat's tableau got first place
• Gujarat second • Uttar Pradesh got second place
• 3rd of Tamil Nadu • Andhra Pradesh got third place
• Note -Public voting was conducted through MyGov platform for the award in the Popular Choice
category.
2. Padma Award
• The Padma Awards were announced on the eve of Republic Day on 25 January 2024. A total of
132 People will be given Padma Awards for this year 2024.
Padma Award
• Padma awards are one of the country's highest civilian awards. These awards are given in three
categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
• Padma awards are given in various disciplines or fields of activity. These mainly include arts,
social work, public events, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and
education, sports, civil services etc.
• 'Padma Vibhushan' award is given for rendering exceptional and distinguished service.
Padma Vibhushan 2024:
Order Name Field State/Territory/Country
1 Mrs. Vyjayantimala Bali Art Tamil Nadu
2 Conidela chiranjeevi Art Andhra Pradesh
3 Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu Public Works Andhra Pradesh
4 Mr. Bindeshwar Pathak social work Bihar
5 Padma Subramaniam Art Tamil Nadu
Padma Bhushan 2024:

Order Name Field
1 Ms M Fatima BV (posthumous) public Affairs

2 Shri Hormusji N Cama Literature and Education-
Journalism
3 Mr. Mithun Chakraborty Art
4 Shri Sitaram Jindal trade and Industry
5 Mr young liu trade and Industry
6 Mr. Ashwin Balchand Mehta Treatment
7 Shri Satyabrata Mukherjee (posthumous) public Affairs
8 Shri Ram Naik public Affairs
9 Mr. Tejas Madhusudan Patel Patel Medical
10 Sri Olancherry Rajagopal public Affairs
11 Shri Dattatreya Ambadas Mayalu aka Art

Rajdutt
12 Mr. Togdan Rinpoche (posthumously) Other - Spiritualism
13 Mr. Pyarelal Sharma Art
14 Shri Chandeshwar Prasad Thakur Treatment
15 Ms. Usha Uthup Art
16 Shri Vijayakant (posthumously) Art
17 Mr. Kundan Vyas Literature and Education-

Journalism
Padma Shri 2024:

Order Name Field
1 Mr. Khalil Ahmed Art
2 Mr. Badarappan M Art
3 Shri Kaluram Bamnia Art
4 Ms. Rezwana Chaudhary Bananya Art
5 Ms. Naseem Bano Art
6 Mr. Ramlal Bareth Art
7 Ms Geeta Roy Burman Art
8 Ms. Parbati Barua social work sn name field
9 Mr. Sarbeshwar Basumatary Other - Agriculture
10 Mr. Som Dutt Battu Art
11 Ms Takdira Begum Art
12 Sri Satyanarayana Bellary Other - Agriculture
13 Shri Drona Bhuiyan Art
14 Mr. Ashok Kumar Biswas Art
15 Mr. Rohan Machanda Bopanna game
16 Ms Smriti Rekha Chakma Art
17 Shri Narayan Chakraborty Science and Engineering

18 Sri A Velu Anand Chari Art
19 Shri Ram Chet Chaudhary Science and Engineering
20 Ms K Chellammal Other - Agriculture
21 Ms Joshna Chinappa game
22 Ms. Charlotte Chopin Other - Yoga
23 Mr. Raghuveer Chaudhary literature and education
24 Mr. Joe D'Cruz literature and education
25 Mr. Ghulam Nabi Dar Art
26 Mr. Chittaranjan Debbarma Other - Spiritualism
27 Shri Uday Vishwanath Deshpande game
29 Ms. Prema Dhanraj Medicine
30 Sri Radha Krishna Dhiman Medicine
31 Shri Manohar Krishna Dole Medicine
32 Mr. Pierre Sylvain Filliozat literature and education
33 Shri Mahabir Singh Guddu Art
34 Ms. Anupama Hoskere Art
35 Shri Rajaram Jain literature and education
36 Shri Jankilal Art
37 Mr. Ratan Kahar Art
38 Shri Yashwant Singh Katoch literature and education
39 Mr. Zaheer I Qazi literature and education
40 Mr. Gaurav Khanna game
41 Mr. Surendra Kishore Literature and Education-

Journalism
42 Mr. Dasari Kondappa Art
43 Sri Sridhar Makam Krishnamurthy literature and education
44 Ms Yanung Jamoh Lego Other - Agriculture
45 Mr. Jordan Lepcha Art
46 Mr. Satendra Singh Lohia game sn name field
47 Binod Maharana ji Art
48 Ms. Purnima Mahato game
49 Ms. Uma Maheshwari D Art
50 Shri Dukhu Majhi social work
51 Shri Ram Kumar Mallik Art
52 Mr. Hemchand Manjhi Treatment
53 Shri Chandrashekhar Mahadevrao Meshram Treatment
54 Shri Surendra Mohan Mishra (Posthumous) Art

55 Mr. Ali Mohammed and Mr. Ghani Mohammed* Art
(Pair)
56 Ms. Kalpana Morpariya trade and Industry
57 Ms. Chami Murmu social work
58 Sri Saseendran Muthuvel public Affairs
59 Ms. Nachiyar Treatment
60 Ms. Kiran Nadar Art
61 Sri Pakravur Chitran Namboodiripad literature and education

(posthumous)
62 Mr. Narayanan E.P Art
63 Mr. Shailesh Nayak Art
64 Shri Harish Naik (posthumously) literature and education
65 Mr. Fred Negritte literature and education
66 Srihari Om Science and Engineering
67 Shri Bhagwat Padhan Art
68 Shri Sanatan Rudra Pal Art
69 Shri Shankar Baba Pundalikrao Papalkar social work
70 Shriradheshyam Pareek Treatment
71 Shri Dayal Mavjibhai Parmar parmar therapy
72 Mr. Binod Kumar Pasayat Art
73 Ms. Silbi Pasah Art
74 Ms. Shanti Devi Paswan and Mr. Shivan Paswan Art
75 Mr. Sanjay Anant Patil Other - Agriculture
76 Shri Muni Narayan Prasad literature and education
77 Shri KS Rajanna social work
78 Shri Chandrashekhar Channapatna Treatment

Rajannachar
79 Shri Bhagwatilal Rajpurohit literature and education
80 Mr. Romalo Ram Art
81 Mr. Navjeevan Rastogi literature and education
82 Ms Nirmal Rishi Art
83 Mr. Pran Sabharwal Art
84 Sri Gaddam Sammayya Art
85 Sri Sangthankima social work
86 Mr. Machihan Sasa Art
87 Mr. Omprakash Sharma Art
88 Mr. Eklabya Sharma Science and Engineering
89 Shri Ram Chander Sihag Science and Engineering

90 Ms. Shashi Soni trade and Industry
91 Mr. Harbinder Singh game
92 Mr. Gurvinder Singh social work
93 Shri Godavari Singh Art
94 Shri Ravi Prakash Singh Science and Engineering
95 Sri Seshampatti T. Shivalingam Art
96 Mr. Somanna social work
97 Mr. Kethvath Somlal literature and education
98 Ms. Urmila Srivastava Art
99 Shri Nepal Chandra Sutradhar (posthumous) Art
100 Shri Gopinath Swain Art
101 Shri Laxman Bhatt Tailang Art
102 Ms Maya Tandon social work
103 Ms. Ashwathi Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bai literature and education
Thampuratti
104 Shri Jagdish Labhshankar Trivedi Art
105 Ms Sano Wamuzo social work
106 Sri Balakrishnan Sadanam Puthiya Veetil Art
107 Shri Kurela Vitthalacharya literature and education
108 Mr. Kiran Vyas Other - Yoga
109 Mr Jageshwar Yadav social work
110 Shri Babu Ram Yadav Art
3. Sansad Ratna Award to MPs

• A jury led by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal has selected five Lok Sabha MPs for the
Sansad Ratna Award this year.
• Sansad Ratna Award was started on the advice of former President APJ Abdul Kalam. He himself
launched the first edition of the awards ceremony in Chennai in 2010.
• K. Srinivasan is the founder chairman of the MP Ratna Award Committee.
• The award will be given at a ceremony in the capital Delhi on 17 February 2024.
MP who received the award for the second consecutive time
1. Supriya Sule (NCP, Maharashtra),
2. Shrirang Appa Barne (Shiv Sena, Maharashtra)
3. Bhartrihari Mahtab (BJD, Odisha)
Sansad Ratna Award Sansad Maharatna Award

• Sunkat majumdar-BJP • NK Premachandra-RSP
• Shrikant Eknath Shinde-Shiv Sena • Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary-Congress
• Sudhir Gupta-BJP • Vidyut Baran Mahato-BJP
• Ramsingh Kolhe-NCP • Heena Vijaykumar Gavit-BJP
• Kuldeep Rai Sharm-Congress

4. Awards for the year 2023 announced by the International
Cricket Council (ICC)
• Rachael Hayhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year:
• Nat Sciver-Brunt
• England all-rounder Nate Sciver-Brunt received the award for the second consecutive year.
ICC Women's ODI Cricket of the Year 2023:
• Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka)
• Athapaththu was rewarded for his exceptional year with the bat in ODIs.
ICC Men's Associate Cricketer of the Year 2023:
• Bas de Leede (Netherlands)
• Bas de Leede was named the ICC Men's Associate Cricketer of the Year 2023 for his all-round
performances in the year.
ICC Women's Associate Cricketer of the Year 2023:
• Quintor Abel (Kenya)
ICC Men's T20 Cricketer of the Year 2023:
• Suryakumar Yadav (India)
• India's T20 player Suryakumar Yadav has been honored with the ICC Men's T20 Cricketer of the
Year Award for the second consecutive year.
ICC Women's T20 Cricketer of the Year 2023:
• Mathews (West Indies)
• Matthews became the second West Indies player to win this honor.
• Former captain Stafanie Taylor was the first cricketer to win the award in 2015.
ICC Men's Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2023:
• Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand)
• Ravindra left behind South African fast bowler Gerald Coetzee, Sri Lankan fast bowler Dilshan
Madushanka and Indian batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal for this award.
ICC Women's Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2023:
• Lichfield (Australia)
• For this, Litchfield left behind Marufa Ector of Bangladesh, Lauren Bell of England and Darcy
Carter of Scotland.
David Shepherd Trophy for ICC Umpire of the Year:
• Richard Illingworth (England)
• Former England player Richard Illingworth received the David Shepherd Trophy for ICC Umpire of
the Year for the third time.
• He had previously won this award in 2019 and 2022.
• He is the second Englishman to win this honor after Richard Kettleborough.
ICC Men's Test Team of ICC Women's ODI Team of ICC Men's ODI Team of
the Year: the Year 2023: the Year:
• Usman Khawaja • Phoebe Litchfield • Rohit Sharma (C)
• Dimuth Karunaratne • Chamari Athapaththu, • Shubman Gill
• kane williamson Captain (Sri Lanka) • travis head
• Joe Root • elise perry • Virat Kohli
• travis head • amelia kerr • Darryl Mitchell
• Ravindra Jadeja • Beth Mooney (WK) • Heinrich Klaasen
• Alex Carey (WK) • Nat Sciver-Brunt (wicketkeeper)
• Pat Cummins(c) • Ashley Gardner • marco janson
• R Ashwin • Annabel Sutherland • adam zampa
• Mitchell Starc • Nadine de Klerk • Mohammad Siraj
• stuart broad • Lee Tahuhu • -Kuldeep Yadav
• nahida actor • Mohammed Shami
5. Bcci awards 2023

CK Nayudu Trophy for lifetime achievement:
• Farooq Engineer
• Ravi Shastri
Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy:
Best Women Cricketer (Junior Domestic):
• 2019-20 Best Women Cricketer (Junior Domestic): Kashvi Gautam (Chandigarh)

• 2021-22 Best Women Cricketer (Junior Domestic): Soumya Tiwari (Madhya Pradesh)
• 2022-23 Best Women Cricketer (Junior Domestic): Vaishnavi Sharma (Madhya Pradesh)
Best Women Cricketer (Senior Domestic ODI):
• 2019-20 Best Women's Cricketer (Senior Domestic ODI): Sai Purandre (Meghalaya)
• 2020-21 Best Women Cricketer (Senior Domestic ODI): Indrani Rai (Jharkhand)
• 2021-22 Best Women's Cricketer (Senior Domestic ODI): Kanika Ahuja (Punjab)
• 2022-23 Best Women's Cricketer (Senior Domestic ODI): Nabam Yapu (Arunachal Pradesh)
Highest wicket-taker (Under-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy):
• Highest wicket taker in 2019-20 (Under-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy): Nirdesh Baisoya (Meghalaya)
• Bowler with most wickets in 2022-23 (Under-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy): Anmoljeet Singh
(Punjab)
Highest run scorer (Under-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy):
• Batsman who scored most runs in 2019-20 (Under-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy): Uday Saharan
(Punjab)
• Batsman with most runs in 2022-23 (Under-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy): Vihaan Malhotra (Punjab)
MA Chidambaram Trophy:
• Most wickets in Cooch Behar Trophy:
• Most wickets in 2019-20 Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy: Harsh Dubey (Vidarbha)
• Most wickets in 2021-22 Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy: AR Nishad (Maharashtra)
• Most wickets in 2022-23 Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy: Manav Chotani (Saurashtra)
Most runs in Cooch Behar Trophy:
• Most runs in 2019-20 Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy: P Kanpilaver (Mumbai)
• Most runs in 2021-22 Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy: Mayank Shandilya (Haryana)
• Most runs in 2022-23 Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy: Danish Malewar (Vidarbha)
Most wickets in Colonel CK Nayudu Trophy:
• Most wickets in 2019-20 Under-23 Colonel CK Nayudu Trophy: Ankush Tyagi (Madhya Pradesh)
• Most wickets in 2021-22 Under-23 Colonel CK Nayudu Trophy: Harsh Dubey (Vidarbha)
• Most wickets in 2022-23 Under-23 Colonel CK Nayudu Trophy: Vishal B Jaiswal (Gujarat)
Most runs in Colonel CK Nayudu Trophy:
• Most runs in 2019-20 Under-23 Colonel CK Nayudu Trophy: Parth Palawat (Sikkim)
• Most runs in 2021-22 Under-23 Colonel CK Nayudu Trophy: YV Rathore (Vidarbha)
• Most runs in 2022-23 Under-23 Colonel CK Nayudu Trophy: Kshitij Patel (Gujarat)
Madhavrao Scindia Award (Ranji Trophy):
Most wickets in Ranji Trophy:
• Most wickets in 2019-20 Ranji Trophy: Jaydev Unadkat (Saurashtra)
• Most wickets in 2021-22 Ranji Trophy: Shams Mulani (Mumbai)
• Most wickets in 2022-23 Ranji Trophy: Jalaj Saxena (Kerala)
Most runs in Ranji Trophy:
• Most runs in 2019-20 Ranji Trophy: Rahul Dalal (Arunachal Pradesh)
• Most runs in 2021-22 Ranji Trophy: Sarfaraz Khan (Mumbai)
• Most runs in 2022-23 Ranji Trophy: Mayank Agarwal (Karnataka)
Lala Amarnath Award:
• 2019-20 Best All-Rounder – Domestic Limited Overs Competition: Baba Aparajith (Tamil Nadu)
• 2020-21 Best All-Rounder – Domestic Limited Overs Competition: Rishi Dhawan (Himachal
Pradesh)
• 2021-22 Best All-Rounder – Domestic Limited Over Competition: Rishi Dhawan (Himachal
Pradesh)
• 2022-23 Best Allrounder – Domestic Limited Overs Competition: Riyan Parag (Assam)
• Best Allrounder- Ranji Trophy:
2019-20 Best All-rounder- Ranji Trophy: MB Murasinghe (Tripura)
• 2021-22 Best All-Rounder- Ranji Trophy: Shams Mulani (Mumbai)
• 2022-23 Best All-Rounder- Ranji Trophy: Saransh Jain (Madhya Pradesh)
Best Cricket Association Award:
• Best performance in BCCI domestic tournaments in 2019-20: Mumbai
• Best performance in BCCI domestic tournaments in 2021-22: Madhya Pradesh
• Best performance in BCCI domestic tournaments in 2022-23: Saurashtra
Best Umpire Award in Domestic Cricket:
• 2019–20: Ananth Padmanabhan
• 2020-21: Vrinda Rathee
• 2021–22: Jayaraman Madangopal
• 2022-23: Rohan Pandit
Most ODI wickets (women):

• 2019-20 Most ODI wickets (women): Poonam Yadav
• 2020-21 Most ODI wickets (women): Jhulan Goswami
• 2021-22 Most ODI wickets (women): Rajeshwari Gaikwad
• 2022-23 Most ODI wickets (women): Devika Vaidya
Most ODI runs (women):
• 2019-20 Most ODI runs (women): Poonam Raut
• 2020-21 Most ODI runs (women): Mithali Raj
• 2021-22 Most ODI runs (women): Harmanpreet Kaur
• 2022-23 Most ODI runs (women): Jemimah Rodrigues
Dilip Sardesai Award (India-West Indies 2023 series):
• 2022-23 Most Test wickets: Ravichandran Ashwin
• 2022-23 Most Test runs: Yashasvi Jaiswal
Best International Cricketer (Women):
• 2019-20 Best International Cricketer (Women): Deepti Sharma
• 2020-22 Best International Cricketer (Women): Smriti Mandhana
• 2022-23 Best International Cricketer (Women): Deepti Sharma
Polly Umrigar Award for Best International Cricketer:
• 2019-20 Best International Cricketer (Men): Mohammed Shami
• 2020-21 Best International Cricketer (Men): Ravichandran Ashwin
• 2021-22 Best International Cricketer (Men): Jasprit Bumrah
• 2022-23 Best International Cricketer (Men): Shubman Gill
Note -
• The BCCI Awards ceremony was organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India on 23
January 2024 in Hyderabad.
• In this ceremony, Shubman Gill and Deepti Sharma were given the Best International Cricketer
Award.
6. Professor BR Kamboj honored with MS Swaminathan Award

M.S Swaminathan:
• Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana
Agricultural University Vice Chancellor • He was born on August 7, 1925 in Kumbakonam,
Professor BR Kamboj has been honored Tamil Nadu, India
with the MS Swaminathan Award. • Also served as independent chairman of the Food
MS Swaminathan Award and Agriculture Organization Council
• Trust for Advancement of Agricultural • He was widely recognized for his important role in
Sciences Dr. “Dr. MS Swaminathan the Green Revolution.
Award for Leadership in Agriculture” • Minimum Support Price (MSP) was included in the
has been instituted to honor MS 'Swaminathan Report'.
Swaminathan. • He was honored as the first World Food Prize
Note - winner in the year 1987.
• MS Swaminathan is considered the • He has also been awarded the Padma Shri (1967),
father of the Indian Green Padma Bhushan (1972) and Padma Vibhushan
Revolution, while Dr. Norman E. (1989).
Borlaug is the father of the Green Revolution.
7. Burhanpur gets national award for banana processing

• Burhanpur district has been given the National 'One District One Product Award 2023' for banana
processing at the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Utsav 2024' in New Delhi.
• The award has been given for increasing the production and trade of banana, the main crop of
Burhanpur, and especially for working in the processing sector.
• Banana packing and grading units have been established in the district, through which about 20
to 30 metric tons of bananas are exported daily to Dubai, Turkey, Bahrain and other countries.
• Besides, bananas are also supplied from the district to various states of the country like Delhi,
Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir etc.
• 25 ripening chambers and banana chips units have been established in the district.
8. Golden globe awards 2024

• The 81st Golden Globe Awards were held in Beverly Hills, in the western US state of California.
• In the Golden Globe Awards 2024, the film Barbie was nominated in 9 categories and
Oppenheimer was nominated in 8 categories.

Best Director - Motion Best Male Actor - Motion Best Actor - Motion Picture
Picture Picture - Drama Musical or Comedy
• Winner-Christopher Nolan • Winner – Cillian Murphy • Winner- Paul Giamatti
• Film - Oppenheimer • Film - Oppenheimer • Film- The Holdovers
Best Supporting Actor- Best Actress - Motion Picture Best Actress – Motion Picture
• Winner – Robert Downey - Drama Musical or Comedy
Jr. (Oppenheimer) • Winner- Lily Gladstone • Winner- Emma Stone
• Film - Killers of the Flower • Film - Poor Things
Moon
Best Motion Picture - Drama Best Motion Picture – Musical Best Motion Picture,
• Winner – Oppenheimer or Comedy Animation
• Winner - Nasty Things • Winner – The Boy and the
Heron
Best Motion Picture, Non- Best Screenplay- Best Original Song -
English Language • Winner – Justin Triot, • Song - What am I made for?
• Winner – Anatomy of a Fall Arthur Harari
(France) • Film - Anatomy of a Fall
Movie - Barbie
Songwriter – Billie Eilish
Golden globe awards

• The Golden Globe Awards are awards given for excellence in American and international film and
television.
• These awards are presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).
• The first Golden Globe Awards were held in Los Angeles in January 1944.
• AR Rahman was the first Indian to win a Golden Globe Award in the Best Score category for the
film Slumdog Millionaire.
• Natu Natu is the first Asian song to win a Golden Globe honor at the 80th Golden Globe Awards,
2023
9. Sucheta Satish
• Kerala's Sucheta Sathish sets a Guinness World Record during her performance at the 'Concert
for Climate' in Dubai on November 24, 2023
• He sang in 29 Indian languages and 91 international languages.
• During his concert, he created a new Guinness World Record by singing in 140 languages in 9
hours.
• Sucheta Satish, 16, performed in front of the audience at the Indian Consulate Auditorium in
Dubai during the Concert for Climate.
• The event was part of the COP 28 summit

10. ISRO honored with TV channel 'CNN-News18's "Indian of the
Year 2023" for 'outstanding achievements'
• This award was given by ISRO Chairman S. Somnath and received by Chandrayaan 3 Project
Director Dr. P. Veeramuthuvel.
Other facts
Social class men of Honor
Indian of the Year Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan
Entertainment director maniratnam
Youth Icon of the Year Award (Jury) Actress and doctor Trinetra Halder
Youth Icon (Popular) Composer and singer Anirudh Ravichander
climate warrior Arun Krishnamurthy and Salumarada Thimakka
Business State Bank of India Chairman Dinesh Khara
Special mention Hero of Uttarkashi
outstanding achievement Indian Space Research Organization
social change Ravi Kannan
game Neeraj Chopra
rising sports star Chess Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa
Note -The culmination of ISRO's achievements in 2023 was the first successful soft landing of
Chandrayaan-3 on the unexplored south-polar region of the Moon.
'Indian of the Year' (IOTY) 2023:

• 'Indian of the Year' (IOTY) was launched by national TV channel 'CNN-News18'.
• The 13th edition of the 'Indian of the Year' television awards was given on January 10, 2024 in
seven main categories.
• Note -The culmination of ISRO's achievements in 2023 was the first successful soft landing of
Chandrayaan-3 on the unexplored south-polar region of the Moon.
People included in the prestigious jury panel of "Indian of the Year Awards"
• Former Solicitor General of India - Harish Salve
• Screenwriter and Lyricist – Javed Akhtar
• Former Supreme Court Judge – Indu Malhotra
• Indian Athletics Federation - Anju Bobby George
• Chairman of RP Sanjiv Goenka Group - Sanjiv Goenka
• Environmental activist and lawyer - Afroz Shah
11. Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award

• President Draupadi Murmu posthumously presented the
Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award to brave
mountaineer Savita Kanswal of Lothru village in
Uttarkashi district at a ceremony.
• Savita Kanswal is the first Indian woman mountaineer to
scale both Mount Everest (8848 m) and Mount Makalu
(8485 m) within an astonishing period of 16 days.
• Savita did basic and then advanced course in
mountaineering from Nehru Institute of Mountaineering
(NIM), Uttarkashi in the year 2013.
• On October 4, 2022, a 29-member mountaineering team was hit by an avalanche while climbing
Draupadi Ka Danda peak in Uttarkashi.

12. Gandhi: A Life in Three Campaigns”
• Famous writer M.J. Akbar co-authored K. Unveiled a new book titled “Gandhi: A Life in Three
Campaigns” with Natwar Singh.
• This book throws light on the life and struggles of Mahatma Gandhi, particularly focusing on
three important mass campaigns led by him:
• Non-Cooperation Movement (1920): Highlighted Gandhi's ability to organize the masses against
British rule.
• Salt Satyagraha (1930): Transforming a pinch of salt into a symbol of resistance against colonial
exploitation.
• Quit India Movement (1942): A decisive call for the end of British colonialism in India.
13. 75th Primetime Emmy Awards

• The Emmy Awards are presented in 16 categories by the International Academy of Television Arts
and Sciences.
• The awards ceremony was delayed by nearly four months due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
• 'The Bear' and 'Succession' have won the most awards at the 75th Emmy Awards.
• The Bear" won Emmy Awards for Best Comedy as well as Best Actor, Best Director, Best Writer,
and Supporting Actor and Actress categories.
• Quinta Brunson won an Emmy for lead actress for 'Abbott Elementary'.
List of 75th Emmy Awards Winners:
1. Lead Actor Comedy Series: Jeremy Allen (The Bear)
2. "Abbott Elementary's" Quinta Brunson wins Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy Series.
3. Best Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series: Steven Yeun (Beef)
4. Best Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series: Ali Wong (Beef)
5. Best Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series: Paul Walter (Black Bird)
6. Supporting Actor (drama series): Matthew Macfadyen (Succession)
7. Supporting Actress (Drama Series): Jennifer Coolidge (The White Lotus)
8. Best Supporting Actress (Comedy Series): Ayo Adebiri (The Bear)
9. Supporting Actor Comedy Series: Ebon Moss-
Bachrach (The Bear)
10. Emmy 2024: Christopher Storer (The Bear) wins
comedy series directing.
11. Outstanding Supporting Actress in an Anthology
Series or Movie: Niecy Nash Bates
12. Best Limited or Anthology Series: Beef
13. Best Writing for a Comedy Series: The Bear
14. Best Writing Drama Series: Succession
15. Best Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series: Beef
16. Best Direction (Limited Series): Lee Sung Jin (Beef)
17. Best Talk Series: The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
(Comedy Central).
Note -'The Bear' and 'Succession' have won the most
awards at the 75th Emmy Awards.
14. Highest civilian award of Assam

'Assam Baibhav' Awards 2023: Assam Gaurav Award 2023:
• This honor was awarded to former Chief Justice This year 17 personalities will be given
of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi. 'Assam Gaurav' award
• Under this, citation, certificate, medal and a cash The main ones are -
prize of Rs 5 lakh were given. 1. Ranjit Gogoi (Folk and Bihu dance
• Ranjan Gogoi was the 46th CJI of India and the exponent)
first judge from the Northeast to hold the post. 2. Parvati Barua (animal protection
• During his tenure, the Supreme Court had given activities)
a historic verdict on the decade-old Ram 3. Debojit Chiangmai (sound engineer)
Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case. 4. Drona Bhuiyan (Oja Pali)
Assam Saurav Award 2023: 5. Neelam Dutta (Organic Farming)
The award will include a citation, certificate, 6. Anupam Deka (industrialist)
medal and a cash prize of Rs 4 lakh Soumyadeep Dutta (Wildlife Conservation)
• Hima Das - Athletics

• Dr. Kishan Chand Nauriyal: Art and Culture
• eElvis ali hazarika: swimming and
• Nadiram Deuri: Tiwa Dance
15. Joy awards 2024

• Alia Bhatt was honored with the Honorary Entertainment Makers Award at the Joy Awards
ceremony 2024.
• Became the first Indian woman to be honored at the Joy Awards 2024 held in Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia.
Saudi Arab
• Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the Crown Prince, is the de facto ruler
• In its western highlands, along the Red Sea, lies the Hejaz, the birthplace of Islam and home to
that religion's holiest cities, Mecca and Medina. In the geographical center of the country is a
region known as Najd ("highland").
• There are four main traditional regions—the Hejaz, Asir, Najd, and Al-Hasa.
Note -
• Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan have been honored at the Joy Awards for
their work and contribution to the entertainment business.
• Last year, Alia was honored with the National Award for her film 'Gangubai Kathiawadi'.
16. President Draupadi Murmu honored 19 exceptional children

with the Prime Minister's National Children's Award 2024 in New
Delhi
• The award winners include nine boys and ten girls from 18 states and union territories, including
two aspirational districts.
• The children were selected for their achievements in the field of art and culture, bravery,
innovation etc.
• President Murmu presented the Prime Minister National Child Awards-2024 in six categories -
seven for art and culture, one for bravery, one for innovation, one for science and technology, four
for social service and five for sports.
• The award winning children will participate in the Republic Day Parade on 26 January.
Note -
• A National Selection Committee chaired by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD)
finalizes the names of awardees for the Prime Minister's National Child Awards.
17. Karpuri Thakur posthumously awarded 'Bharat Ratna'

• Prominent Gandhian socialist leader and Bharat Ratna
former Chief Minister of Bihar Karpoori • Bharat Ratna is India's highest civilian
Thakur will be honored with 'Bharat Ratna' honor.
posthumously. • This honor is given for national service.
Karpuri Thakur • These services include arts, literature,
• Karpoori Thakur was born into the barber science, public service and sports.
caste in Pitaunjhiya, a village in Samastipur, • This honor was instituted on 2 January
now called Karpoorigram, during the British 1954 by the then President of India, Shri
rule in India. , Rajendra Prasad.
• Played an important role in the Quit India • Initially there was no provision for giving
Movement of 1942. this honor posthumously, this provision
• In 1973-77, he joined the student movement was added in 1955.
of Loknayak Jayaprakash. • Note
• Became MP from Samastipur parliamentary • On 25 January 2019, the government
constituency in 1977. announced the awards to social activist
• Loknayak Jai Prakash Narayan and socialist Nanaji Deshmukh (posthumously), singer-
thinker Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia were his music director Bhupen Hazarika
political gurus. (posthumously) and former President of
• He was the second Deputy Chief Minister of India Pranab Mukherjee.
Bihar state and twice Chief Minister.
• Lalu Prasad Yadav, Nitish Kumar, Ram Vilas Paswan and Sushil Kumar are Modi's political
gurus.

18. Ajit Mishra received the "Freedom of the City of London"
award
• Rajesh Mishra, Founder and Chairman, UK India Legal Partnership (UKILP) was honored with the
Freedom of the City of London award on January 23.
• UKILP, founded by Mishra, is a dynamic networking platform that is rapidly gaining recognition as
a leading hub for senior lawyers to foster relations between the legal communities of India and the
UK.
Freedom of the City of London
• The prestigious award was nominated by Chris Hayward,
policy chair of the Corporation of London, and Shravan
Joshi, vice-chair of the civic affairs committee.
• The award, given by the Corporation of London, dates
back to the 13th century and is awarded to dignitaries
who make outstanding contributions to the public life of
London.
Note -
• This award has been given to India's first Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru, late South African leader Nelson
Mandela and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Winston
Churchill and Margaret Thatcher, Singapore's first Prime
Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
19. Jeevan Raksha Medal

• Jeevan Raksha Padak series awards are given for meritorious acts of humanitarian nature in
saving the life of a person.
• This award is given in three categories, Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, Uttam Jeevan Raksha
Padak, and Jeevan Raksha Padak.
• The President has approved the conferment of Jeevan Raksha Padak Series Awards – 2023 to 31
persons, which include 03 Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, 07 Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak and
21 Jeevan Raksha Padak.
• Three persons have been given this award posthumously.
Best Jeevan Raksha Padak 2023:
1. Master Anthony Wanmawia (posthumous), Mizoram
2. Ms. Melody Lalremruti (posthumous), Mizoram
3. Shri Suraj R (Posthumous), Central Reserve Police Force
Uttam Jeevan Raksha Medal Jeevan Raksha Medal

1. Mr. Sahil Bhisu Lad, Goa 1. Shri M S Anil Kumar, Andaman and Nicobar
2. Ms. Kajal Kumari, Jharkhand Islands
3. Shri Naveen Kumar D, Telangana 2. Sri Jitam Parameshwara Rao, Andhra
4. Shri Vinod Kumar, Border Roads Pradesh
Organization 3. Shri Samarjeet Basumatary, Assam
5. Havildar Shera Ram, Ministry of Defense 4. Mr. Sudesh Kumar, Chandigarh
6. Shri Mukesh Kumar, National Disaster 5. Mr. Justin George, Kerala
Response Force 6. Sri Wilson, Kerala
7. Shri Naresh Kumar, National Investigation 7. Sri Padma Thinales, Ladakh
Agency 8. Shri Mohammad Afzal, Ladakh
9. Mrs. Adika Rajaram Patil, Maharashtra
10. Mrs. Priyanka Bharat Kale, Maharashtra
11. Mrs. Sonali Sunil Balode, Maharashtra
12. Sri Maria Michael A, Tamil Nadu
13. Shri S Vijayakumar, Tamil Nadu
14. Shri Naresh Joshi, Uttarakhand
15. Shri Arjun Malik, Border Roads Organization
16. Shri Amit Kumar Singh, Border Security
Force
17. Shri Sher Singh, Central Industrial Security
Force
18. Shri Sonu Sharma, Central Industrial
Security Force
19. Shri Abdul Hameed, Ministry of Defense

20. Shri Sunil Kumar Mishra, Ministry of
Defense
21. Shri Shashikant Kumar, Ministry of
Railways
• Note -The decorations of this award (medal, certificate signed by the Union Home Minister and
lump sum monetary allowance) are given to the awardee in due course of time by the Central
Ministry / Organization / State Government to which the award belongs.
20. 69th Filmfare Awards

Other Awards:
• The 69th Filmfare Awards ceremony was held
• Best Story - Amit Rai (OMG 2)
on 27–28 January 2024 in Gandhinagar
(Gujarat). • Best Song - Amitabh Bhattacharya (Tere
Vaaste- Zara Hatke Zara Bachke)
• Lifetime Achievement Award – David Dhawan
Winner • Best Music Album -Animal (Pritam,
Vishal Mishra, Manan Bhardwaj, Shreyas
• Best Film (Popular) - 12th Fail
Puranik, Jaani, Bhupinder Babbal, Ashim
• Best Director - Vidhu Vinod Chopra (12th Fail)
Kemson, Harshvardhan Rameshwar,
• Best Screenplay - 12th Fail
Gurinder Seagal)
• Best Playback Singer (Male) - Bhupinder
• Best Actor in a Leading Role - Ranbir Kapoor Babbal (Arjan Valley- Animal)
(Animals) • Best Playback Singer (Female) - Shilpa
• Best Actress in a Leading Role - Alia Bhatt Rao (Besharam Rang-Pathan)
(Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani) • Best Dialogue - Ishita Moitra (Rocky Aur
• Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male) - Vicky Rani Ki Love Story)
Kaushal (Donk) • Upcoming Music Talent (RD Burman
• Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Shabana Award) – Shreyas Puranik (from
Azmi (Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani) Satranga- Animal)
• Best Debut (Male) - Aditya Rawal
Best Film Critic - Awards: (Faraaz)
• Best Film - Zoram (Debasish Makhija) • Best Debut (Female) – Alizeh Agnihotri
• Best Actor - Vikrant Massey (12th Fail) (Phayre)
• Best Actress - Rani Mukherjee (Mrs. Chatterjee • Best Debut Director – Tarun Dudeja
vs. Norway) (Dhak Dhak)

Index & Report
1. World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2024 Report
• Indian economy will remain the fastest growing country
with a growth rate of 6.2 percent in 2024. India's GDP growth projections
for 2022-2025 (UN):
• India's GDP is expected to grow by 6.6 percent in 2025.
Reason for increase - • 2022 – 7.7%
• Better performance of domestic demand and service sector. • 2023 – 6.3%
• There is also a possibility of investors being attracted here • 2024 – 6.2%
in view of the worsening of China's economic situation. • 2025 – 6.6%
• control inflation Indian economy growth
forecast in 2024:
• In India, the government has increased capital expenditure
Organization Development
by 43 percent, which has helped in creating an investment
Projections
environment.
1. United Nations – 6.2%
2. World Bank – 6.3%
Note -
3. IMF – 6.3%
• According to the United Nations report, global economic
4. RBI – 6.5%
growth is estimated to be 2.4 percent by 2024.
2. Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2023

• Transparency International (TI) released the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2023 on January
30, 2024
• India slipped 8 places to 93rd in CPI, as against 85th in 2022. Position of India's
neighboring countries
• According to CPI 2023, in South Asia both Pakistan (133) and Sri
in CPI 2023
Lanka (115) are struggling with the burden of debt. These countries
are facing political instability. • Myanmar: 162
• Bangladesh (149) has dropped out of least developed country (LDC) • Bangladesh :149
status. This economic growth has been possible due to the • Pakistan: 133
sustained reduction in poverty and improvement in living • Sri Lanka: 115
conditions. • China: 76
Countries with least corruption: • Bhutan: 26
• Denmark is the first place where corruption is most prevalent, while countries like New Zealand
(3) and Singapore (5) have higher scores and less corruption.
Countries with most corruption:
• North Korea (172), Myanmar and Afghanistan (162) are at the bottom of the index.
• Somalia is the most corrupt country in terms of corruption. Somalia is at the bottom in the list of
180 countries of the world
Countries with strong corruption control mechanisms:
• Other countries with strong corruption control mechanisms include Australia (14), Hong Kong
(14), Japan (16), Bhutan (26), Taiwan (28) and South Korea (32).
Transparency International
• Transparency International (TI), an independent international organization, was created in 1993
with the aim of fighting corruption.
• Its mission is to "prevent corruption and promote transparency, accountability and integrity at all
levels and in all sectors of society".
• The international secretariat is in Berlin

3. World Employment and Social Outlook Report 2024
• A report named ‘World Employment and Social Outlook Report 2024’ was presented by the
International Labor Organization (ILO).
• According to this report of ILO, the number of unemployed people will increase by 2 million.
• The global unemployment rate will increase from 5.1 percent in 2023 to 5.2 percent in 2024.
• In 2023, the employment gap rate in high-income countries was 8.2 percent, compared to 20.5
percent for the low-income group.
• The unemployment rate in high-income countries is projected to be 4.5 percent in 2023, while the
rate for low-income countries is 5.7 percent.
International Labor Organization (ILO)
• It was established as an affiliated agency of the League of Nations by the 1919 Treaty of Versailles.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• ILO became the first specialized agency affiliated with the United Nations in 1946.
Objective of establishment of ILO:
• To achieve social justice for global and lasting peace.
• To promote internationally recognized human rights and labor rights.
• The International Labor Organization was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in the year 1969 for the
following work -
1. To work for the establishment of peace between different social classes.
2. To advocate for decent work and justice for workers
3. Providing technical assistance to developing countries
4. Henley Passport Index- 2024

• France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore and Spain top the list as the world's most powerful
passports, allowing visa-free entry to 194 global destinations.
• The top 10 is largely dominated by European countries.
• The average number of visits by travelers to visa-free destinations has almost doubled, from 58 in
2006 to 111 in 2024.
• India's passport is ranked 80th on the list, allowing citizens to travel to 62 countries without a
visa.
• Afghanistan is at the bottom of the list with entry to only 28 countries without a visa.
• Syria ranks second lowest with visa-free access to only 29 destinations, followed by Iraq with 31
and Pakistan with 34.
• The UAE offers visa-free access to 183 destinations.
Henley Passport
• This is the basic, official ranking of all passports in the world, ranked by the number of
destinations their holders can reach without prior visas.
• It began in 2006 as the Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index (HVRI).
• The index is based on exclusive data from the
International Air Transport Association (IATA), the
largest, most accurate travel information database,
and enhanced by the research team of Henley &
Partners. (Henley & Partners is a London-based
consulting firm).
• The index covers 199 different passports and 227
different travel destinations.
• The number of countries a particular passport can
access becomes its visa-free 'score'.
Note -
• IATA is an international trade body founded in 1945 by
a group of airlines.

5. Report by think tank Center for Research on Energy and Clean
Air (CREA)
• According to a report released by CREA, Barnihat in Meghalaya tops the list of polluted cities in
India.
• After this, Begusarai of Bihar (265 µg m-3) and Greater Noida of Uttar Pradesh (228 µg m-3) are at
second and third place respectively.
• Delhi is at eighth place in this list.
• The lowest level of PM10 was recorded at 29 micrograms per cubic meter in Silchar, Assam.
• Of the top 50 polluted cities, 18 are from Bihar, 8 from Haryana and 8 from Rajasthan.
National Clean Air Program (NCAP):
• It was launched in January 2019 to tackle the problem of air pollution.
• This program is run by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• A target of 20 to 30% reduction in particulate matter (PM) concentrations will be achieved by 2024
in 131 cities across 24 States/UTs compared to the base year 2017.
• The government has now set a new target of reducing PM concentrations in these cities by 40
percent by 2026.
Note -
• Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) is a non-profit think tank researching energy
and air pollution
• CREA was founded in Helsinki in 2019 with the goal of tracking the impacts of air pollution by
providing data-supported research products
6. Global Firepower Military Strength Ranking 2024

• 145 countries have been evaluated this year in the Global Fire Power Rankings for the year 2024
• Global Firepower has been releasing this index since 2006.
• This report was released keeping in mind more than 60 factors in the ranking.
• Lower scores indicate stronger military capability.
• In this, 0.0000 score is considered perfect.
key criteria
1. number of soldiers
2. military equipment
3. financial stability
4. military resources
5. natural resources
6. Industry
7. geographical condition
Top ten most powerful countries in the Ten least powerful countries in the
world: world:
1. America 1. Bhutan
2. Russia 2. Moldova
3. China 3. suriname
4. India 4. somalia
5. South Korea 5. benin
6. United Kingdom 6. liberia
7. Japan 7. belize
8. turkiye 8. Sierra Leone
9. Pakistan 9. Central African Republic
10. Italy 10. iceland
Objective of releasing Global Fire Power Ranking:

• This multidimensional approach aims to present a holistic picture of military capabilities beyond
firepower.
• Global Fire Power is expected to provide more information about the global military, taking into
account economic power, logistics and even geography.
Situation of India's neighboring countries-
• China is at 3rd, Pakistan at 9th, Myanmar at 35th, Bangladesh at 37th, Sri Lanka at 75th,
Afghanistan at 115th, Nepal at 128th and Bhutan at 145th.
• Maldives has not been included in this ranking.

7. State Startup Ranking Framework 2022 Report
• The report was released by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
• The report ranks states and union territories in five categories.
These mainly include:
1. Best performing states: Gujarat, Karnataka and Kerala
2. Top performing states: Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, Orissa and Maharashtra
3. Startup Leader Category Award: Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and
Andhra Pradesh
4. States with ambitious leadership: Bihar and Haryana
5. States developing emerging startup ecosystem: Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir
• India has the third largest startup ecosystem in the world.
• According to the DPIIT report, the number of startups has grown at the rate of 120 percent
annually in the last seven years.
• At present there are a total of 112 unicorn startups in the country. Their total value is Rs 30 lakh
crore.
• Patents have been granted to approximately 1,800 recognized startups. The number of such
recognized startups has exceeded 1.17 lakh.
8. Report on the status of snow leopards in India

• This is the first time such an assessment has been made. The snow leopard population in India
is 718.
Snow leopard numbers
• Ladakh (477), Uttarakhand (124), Himachal Pradesh (51), Arunachal Pradesh (36), Sikkim (21)
and Jammu and Kashmir (9).
Program-
• It was run in collaboration with the snow leopard range states and two conservation partners,
Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore and WWF-India.
• Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is the coordinator of this programme.
• The national population assessment of snow leopards in India is in line with the guidelines set by
the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in 2019.
Snow leopard
• Hemis National Park, Gangotri National Park, Kanchenjunga National Park and Great Himalayan
National Park are some of the protected areas where snow leopards are found.
• The snow leopard's range extends to 12 countries across Asia: Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Sports
1. Country's first Multi-Sports Games 2024 inaugurated in Diu
• The country's first 'Beach Games 2024' started on 4
January 2024 at Ghoghla Beach in Diu.
• Diu is part of the union territory of Dadra and Nagar
Haveli, Daman and Diu.
• A total of eight sports are being organized in the 'Beach
Games 2024'.
• The closing ceremony of the Beach Games 2024 will be
held at INS Khukri Memorial.
• More than 1,200 participants from more than 20 states
and union territories of the country are participating in
this event.
2. India defeated South Africa in the shortest test match ever

• The shortest cricket test match of 107 overs
in the 147-year history was played between Some of the shortest cricket test matches in
India and South Africa in Cape Town. history
• South Africa batted twice in the same day. • Australia and South Africa, 1935: 109.2 overs
• 23 wickets fell on the first day of the match, • West Indies and England, 1935: 112 overs
with an additional 10 wickets falling on the • England and Australia, 1888: 196 overs
second day. • England and Australia, 1888: 197 overs
• The Indian cricket team became the first
Asian team to win at the Newlands ground in Cape Town.
3. Australian open 2024

Men's Singles Winner:
• Italy's young tennis player Jannik Sinner won the Australian Open 2024 by defeating Russia's
Daniil Medvedev.
• Sinner has won the first Grand Slam title of his career.
Women's Singles Winner:
• Belarus' Aryna Sabalenka defeated China's Zheng Qianwen in the Australian Open final to win
her second consecutive Grand Slam title.
Men's Doubles Winner:
• India's famous tennis player Rohan Bopanna and Australia's Matthew Ebden won the men's
doubles title.
Women's Doubles Winner:
• Tennis players Hsieh Su Wei of Taiwan and Elise Mertens of Belgium defeated Latvian-Ukrainian
pair Jelena Ostapenko and Lyudmila Kichenok to win the Australian Open 2024.
Mixed doubles winners:
• Hsieh Su-Wei of Taiwan and Jan Zielinski of Poland won the Australian Open mixed doubles title
with a thrilling win over Desiree Krawczyk of the United States and Neil Skupski of Britain.

4. Madhya Pradesh becomes champion in "The Beach Games
2024"
• India's first multi-sports Beach Games "The Beach Games 2024" was held at the Blue Flag
certified Ghoghla Beach, Diu
• In this, 1,404 athletes under the age of 21 years from 28 states and union territories participated
in various sports.
Beach Games 2024 Results:
• Madhya Pradesh topped the medal table with a total of 18 medals including 7 gold.
• Maharashtra won 14 medals, including 3 gold, while Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and hosts Dadra,
Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu won 12 medals each.
• Assam won 8 medals, of which 5 were gold.
• Lakshadweep won gold medal in beach soccer.
Blue Flag Certification
• There is a special certificate given to a 'coast' i.e.
'Beach', which shows that the beach is plastic
free, litter free, solid waste management, tourism
facilities as per international standards,
environmental education and information etc.
• It is given by an organization called ‘Foundation
for Environmental Education’.
First Beach Games 2024 to be held:
• The 'Beach Games 2024' was organized from 4 to
11 January 2024.
• Meanwhile, a total of eight sports were organized
in the games.
• The closing ceremony of the Beach Games 2024
was held at INS Khukri Memorial.
5. Best fifa award 2023

• Argentina's star football player Lionel Messi was Messi received the award for the
awarded the Best Male Player award. eighth time
• Barcelona striker Etana Bonamati received the Best • Messi scored 52 goals for Manchester
FIFA Women's Player Award. City in all competitions.
• Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola wins Best • Messi also won FIFA's Best Male
Male Manager 2023 award. Player of 2019 award.
• England coach Sarina Wigman has been awarded • It has won this award on five
the Women's Best Coach award for a record fourth previous occasions (2009, 2010,
time. 2011, 2012, 2015).
• Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson was awarded • He has received this honor for the
the Best Male Goalkeeper award. eighth time in total.
• The Goalkeeper Award was presented to Manchester
United and England's number one goalkeeper Mary Earps.

6. Scottish Junior Open 2023
• India's young squash player Anahat Singh won
Other winners of the Scottish Junior
the Women's Under-19 title at the 2023
Open 2023:
Scottish Junior Open Squash held in
Girls Under-13 Winner:
Edinburgh (Scotland).
• Indian Aadya Budhia won the girls
• Anahat won the title by defeating Robin McAlpine
under-13 title.
11-6, 11-1 and 11-5 in the final.
• Divyanshi Jain was the runner-up in the
Anahat's performance in 2023:
Under-11 category.
• Won the women's singles title at the National
Boys Under-15 Winners:
Squash Championships‚ 2023.
• India's Subhashish Chaudhary won the
• Won gold medal in the Under-15 Girls category at
title by defeating compatriot Shiven
the 2023 British Junior Open Squash.
Agarwal 5-11, 11-4, 6-11, 11-8, 11-5 in
• Won gold medal in the under-17 girls category at the boys under-15 final.
the 2023 Asian Junior Squash Championship. Boys Under-13 Winners:
• Won mixed doubles bronze medal with Abhay • Shrestha Iyer emerged winner by
Singh in both the inaugural Mixed Doubles defeating Shreyansh Jah 11-8, 11-8, 3-
Championship and Asian Games. 11, 11-8 in the Boys Under-13 final.
• At the age of 14, she was the youngest member of Boys Under-11 Winners:
the Indian contingent for the 2022 • Prabhav Bajoria won the boys under-11
Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham. final.
National Squash Championship‚ 2023: 30th Asian Junior Individual Squash
• Held on – 17 – 23 November 2023 Championships:
• Venue – Chennai, Tamil Nadu • Held - 16 -20 August 2023
• Edition – 79th • Venue – Dalian, China
• Men's Singles Result - • Result of girls under-17 category -
• Winner – Velavan Senthilkumar (Tamil • Winner - Gold Medal - Anahat Singh (India)
Nadu) • Runner-up – Silver Medal – Anna Kwong
• Runner-up - Abhay Kumar (Tamil Nadu) (China)
• Women's Singles Result - PSA Women's World Squash Championships‚
• Winner – Anahat Singh (Delhi) 2023:
• Runner up – Tanvi Khanna (Delhi) • Held – 3 – 11 May 2023
• Venue – Chicago, USA
• Winner – Nour El Sherbini (Egypt)
• Runner-up – Nouran Gohar (Egypt)
8. FIH Hockey 5s Women's World Cup

• Netherlands won the cup by defeating India 7-2 in the final of the first FIH Hockey 5s Women's
World Cup played in Muscat, Oman.
Tournament Awards and Honors:
• Best Goalkeeper: Marta Kucharska (Poland)
• Best Junior Player - Deepika Soreng (India)
• Top scorer – Teresa Viana (Uruguay) with 19 goals
• Best Player - Noor De Baat (Netherlands)
hockey 5-s
• Hockey 5-s is a new and shorter format of hockey that is played with great speed and high skill.
• In this match which lasts for a total of 20 minutes, both the teams have five players each.
• The playing field for this shorter format is half the size of the regular field.

7. FIH Hockey 5s World Cup 2024
• The first edition of the FIH Hockey 5s World Cup will be held in Muscat, the capital of Oman. Both
men's and women's competitions will be held during the World Cup. Hockey 5s is played with 5
players per team.
FIH Hockey 5s Women's World Cup 2024:
• The FIH Hockey 5s Women's World Cup 2024 will be held from January 24 to January 27.
Teams:
• A total of 16 teams will participate.
• Pool A – Fiji, Malaysia, Netherlands, Oman
• Pool B – Australia, South Africa, Ukraine, Zambia
• Pool C – India, Namibia, Poland, United States
• Pool D – New Zealand, Paraguay, Thailand, Uruguay
About Indian Women's Team:
• Captain – Rajni Etimarpu (Goalkeeper)
• Vice Captain – Mahima Chaudhary
• Other members – Bansari Solanki, Akshata Abaso Dhekale, Jyoti Chhatri, Mariana Kujur,
Mumtaz Khan, Azmina Kujur, Rutaja Dadaso Pisal, and Deepika Soreng.
• FIH Hockey 5s Men's World Cup 2024:
The FIH Hockey 5s Men's World Cup 2024 will be held from January 28 to January 31:
Teams:
International Hockey Federation (FIH):
• A total of 16 teams will participate.
• The FIH (Fédération Internationale de
• Pool A – Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland
Hockey) is the governing body of men's
• Pool B – India Egypt, Jamaica, Switzerland and women's international hockey.
• Pool C – Australia, Kenya, New Zealand, Trinidad • Established – January 7, 1924
and Tobago
• India was the first Asian country to
• Pool D – Fiji, Malaysia, Oman, United States become a member of FIH in 1928.
Indian men's team:
• Headquarters – Lausanne, Switzerland
• Captain – Simranjit Singh
• Chairman – Mohammad Tayyab Ikram
• Vice Captain – Mandeep Mor
• Other members – Suraj Karkera, Prashant Kumar,
Manjeet, Mohammad Raheel Mousin, Maninder
Singh, Pawan Rajbhar, Gurjot Singh, Uttam Singh.
About Hockey 5-S?
• Hockey 5-s is a new and shorter format of hockey
played with great speed and high skill.
• In this match of a total 20 minutes, both the
teams have five players each.
• The playing field for this shorter format is half the
size of the regular field.
• As per FIH rules, the maximum size for Hockey 5-
S turf will be 55 X 42 metres, while the minimum
size will be 40 X 28 metres.
9. Beatrice Chabet breaks 5 km world record in Barcelona

• Kenya's Beatrice Chebet breaks the women's 5km marathon world record at the Cursa dels
Nassos in Barcelona.
Note -
• Beatrice Chebet (born 5 March 2000) is a Kenyan
long-distance runner. In 2022, she won a silver
medal in the 5000 meters at the World
Championships and became the Commonwealth,
African and Diamond League champion.
• Chebet won the gold medal for the women's senior
race at the 2023 World Cross Country
Championships.
• In June 2018, at the age of 18, Chebet won the
Kenyan Under-20 5000 meters.

10. Shooters Varun Tomar and Isha Singh
• Varun Tomar and Isha Singh secured 14th and 15th Olympic quota places for India in shooting at
the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Jakarta, Indonesia.
• Varun Tomar won the gold medal in the men's 10m air pistol event with a score of 239.6, while
Arjun Cheema won the silver medal.
• Isha Singh won the gold medal in the women's 10 meter air pistol event with a score of 243.1, and
Pakistan's Talat Kishmala won the silver medal, earning the second quota place.
• India won a total of three medals, including a team gold, on the opening day of the continental
competition.
• The qualifiers offer a total of four Olympic quota places in the The correct order-
men's and women's 10m air pistol events, with a maximum of Isha singh - Shooting
three quota places for Indian shooters. Sheetal Devi- Archery
• A total of 16 quota places are available for the Paris Olympics in Aditi Ashok- Golf
the Jakarta event. Ultimate
Paris Olympics: Panghal- Wrestling
• The 2024 Summer Olympic Games will be held from 26 July 2024 to 11 August 2024.
• But the football and rugby competitions will start on July 24.
• Breaking made its first appearance at the Youth Olympic Games in 2018 in Buenos Aires.
• Breaking, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing have been provisionally included in the
sports program of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Breaking
• Breaking is an urban dance style that originated in the Bronx borough of New York as a part of
hip-hop culture during the 1970s.
• It is characterized by a combination of athletic moves including spins, flips, and other complex
physical movements.
11. Mario Zagallo

• Mario Zagallo, the first footballer to win the
FIFA World Cup trophy as both a player and
coach, dies at the age of 92 in Brazil.
• Jagallo won two World Cups as a player, in
1958 and 1962.
• He also managed to win the World Cup as a
coach in 1970 and as an assistant coach in
1994.
12. Zagreb open 2024

• India's young Aman Sehrawat won the gold medal in the 57 kg category of men's singles event at
the Zagreb Open 2024.
• The 20-year-old wrestler defeated China's Zou Wanhao 10-0 in the final and won on the basis of
technical superiority.
• Recently honored with Dronacharya Award.
13. Asian Shooting Championship 2024

• The Asian Shooting Championship 2024 was
organized from 8 December 2023 to 11 January
2024 in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia.
• India tops the medal tally with seven gold, six silver
and six bronze medals.
• While China stood second with a total of 9 medals
including four gold, two silver and three bronze.
Note -
• In women's shooting, Rhythm Sangwan won a
bronze medal in the 25m pistol event at the Asian
Shooting Championship in Jakarta, Indonesia on
January 11.
• Nancy Mandhotra wins gold in women's 10m air rifle with a junior Asian record score of 252.8
points

14. Sumit Nagal- Australian Open
• The Australian Open 2024 is being held at Melbourne Park.
• India's Sumit Nagal defeated Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik to enter the second round of the
Australian Open tennis tournament for the first time.
• The Australian Open marks the opening Grand Slam of the tennis calendar year.
grand slam tennis tournament
• Four Grand Slam tennis tournaments are played every year.
• These are Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open respectively.
• The Australian Open and US Open are both played on hard courts, while the French Open is
played on clay and Wimbledon on grass.
Venue -
1. Melbourne Park hosts the Australian Open annually in January.
2. The French Open is held at Roland Garros, Paris in May–June.
3. The Wimbledon Open is an all-England tennis festival held in London in June–July.
4. The US Open is held in Flushing Meadows, New York in August–September.
15. Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2024

• In 'Tata Steel Chess Tournament', Rameshbabu Praggnanandha won the title by defeating world
number one chess champion Ding Liren (China).
• The world chess governing body releases ratings at
the beginning of each month.
Praggnanand became India's number one player
• Praggyanand has become India's number one player
in chess, leaving behind Vishwanathan Anand in
terms of live ratings.
Praggnanandha in Masters Group
1. Anish Giri of Netherlands is in first place in the
Masters group.
2. Alireza Firozha is in second place.
3. Praggnanandha is at third place in the table.
16. India open badminton 2024

• Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty lost to defending world champions Kang Min Hyuk
and Seo Seung Jae of Republic of Korea in the India Open 2024 men's doubles final in New Delhi.
• Satwik-Chirag pair had made it to the finals of the 2024 badminton season for the second
consecutive time.
• The pair of Satwik-Chirag has been the champion of India Open Badminton 2022.
India Open Badminton 2024 Winners Yonex Sunrise India Open 2024
• Men's Singles: Shi Yu Qi (People's Republic of • Yonex Sunrise India Open 2024 was
China) held from January 16 to 21 at the KD
• Women's Singles: Tai Tzu Ying (Chinese Taipei) Jadhav Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.
• Men's doubles: Kang Min Hyuk-Seo Seung Jae • It is the second event of the 2024
(South Korea) BWF World Tour.
• Mixed doubles: Mayu Matsumoto-Wakana
Nagahara (Japan)
• Women's doubles: Dechapol Puwaranukroh-Sapsiri Taertanachai (Thailand)

17. The sixth edition of Khelo India Youth Games was inaugurated
by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in Chennai, Tamil Nadu
• Athletes from all 36 states and union territories of India will participate.
• The Games will be held from 19 to 31 January 2024
in four cities of Tamil Nadu – Chennai, Madurai,
Trichy and Coimbatore.
• The mascot of Khelo India Youth Games 2023 has
been announced as Veera.
• The mascot symbolizes the strength and bravery of
Indian women, symbolizing the power of women in
sports.
• The logo of the games features the figure of the
famous poet Thiruvalluvar.
• Silambam, the traditional game of Tamil Nadu, will
be introduced as a demo game for the first time in
the history of Khelo India Youth Games.
18. Tata Sons Private Limited has been appointed as the Indian
Premier League (IPL) sponsor for the upcoming five seasons
• In 2022, the Tata Group initially replaced Chinese mobile manufacturer Vivo as the IPL title
sponsor for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
• Tata Sons Private Limited, as the current title sponsor, exercised its 'Right to Match' in response
to the valuation submitted by the Aditya Birla Group and secured the sponsorship for the next
five years.
• The Tata Group decided to pay a sum equal to the Rs 2,500 crore bid made by the Aditya Birla
Group and acquired the title sponsor rights.
Sports event -
• Earlier, Tata Sons had acquired these rights for the last 2 seasons for Rs 670 crore.
• The Board of Control for Cricket in India will
organize a total of 74 matches in IPL 2024, while in
the seasons 2025 and 2026, these matches will
increase to 84, while for the season 2027, the
number of these matches can increase to 94.
Chennai had won the 2023 IPL title
• The 16th season of the IPL will be held from March
22 this year, while the second season of the
Women's Premier League will start from the end of
February.
• In IPL 2023, Chennai Super Kings won the title for
the fifth time by defeating Gujarat Titans.
19. Ravi Kumar Dahiya

• Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Ravi Kumar Dahiya won
the bronze medal in the prestigious Grand Prix de
France Henri Deglen wrestling tournament held in Nice,
France.
• Ravi won this medal by registering a 10-4 victory over
Kairat Amirtayev of Kazakhstan in the bronze medal
match of men's 61 kg weight category.
• Dahiya has suffered setbacks in the form of injuries to
his right knee, including his ACL and MCL, which he
suffered during practice in February.
20. Madrid will host the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix starting in
2026

• The new track in Madrid is expected to be 5.47
kilometers long and have 20 corners.
• The new circuit, designed around the IFEMA
exhibition center in Madrid, will combine road
and non-road parts.
• It provides an exciting and tough experience for
the drivers with a qualifying lap time of 1 minute
and 32 seconds.
• Madrid will host the Grand Prix for 10 years
21. Grand slam Australian open 2024

• In the first Grand Slam Australian Open 2024, India's famous tennis player Rohan Bopanna along
with Matthew Ebden won the men's doubles title.
• The Bopanna-Ebden pair defeated Italy's Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavasori in the final.
Bopanna reached first place in men's doubles
ranking:
• 43 year old Bopanna has recently reached the
first position in men's doubles ranking.
• Rohan Bopanna was also selected for the
prestigious Padmashree Award 2024 this time.
Note -
• This is Rohan Bopanna's second Grand Slam title.
This is the first men's doubles title.
• Earlier, Bopanna had won his last Grand Slam
title in mixed doubles at the 2017 French Open.
22. Franz Beckenbauer dies at the age of 78

• Franz Beckenbauer, who won the FIFA World Cup as a player and manager, has died at the age of
78.
• He led the team to victory at the 1972 European
Championships and the 1974 World Cup,
earning him the Ballon d'Or in 1972 and 1976.
• He was instrumental in winning three
consecutive European Cup titles (1973/74,
1974/75, 1975/76), and five German league
titles.
• He guided the team to consecutive World Cup
finals in 1986 and 1990
• He served as vice-president of the German
Football Association in 1998.

Day
1. Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD)
• Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated every year on 9 January.
• Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa on 9 January 1915. That is why this day is
celebrated as Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas.
• The 17th PBD Conference will be held in 2023 and the 18th PBD Conference in 2025.
• The 17th PBD Conference 2023 was scheduled to be held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. And its
theme is “Diaspora: Trusted Partners for India's Progress in the Age of Amrit”.
• Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is a major program of the Ministry of External Affairs.
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award:
• Pravasi Bhartiya (PBSA) is the highest honor given to an overseas Indian.
• Awarded by the President of India to a non-resident Indian, a person of Indian origin or an NGO or
institution established or run by a non-resident Indian or a person of Indian origin
This award is given for the following areas
1. Spreading better understanding of India abroad
2. Support India's issues and concerns in a tangible form.
3. Building closer ties between India, the Indian diaspora and their country of residence
4. Social and humanitarian issues in India and abroad.
5. welfare of the local Indian community;
6. Philanthropic and philanthropic work;
7. The individual's excellence or outstanding work in any
field which has enhanced the prestige of India in the
country of residence; Or
8. Excellence in skills that have enhanced India's
reputation in that country (for non-professional workers)
Note -
• Celebrating Migrant Day started in 2003
• It was amended in the year 2015 and now it was decided
to celebrate it every two years.
• The 18th PBD Conference will be held in the year 2025.
• The 16th PBD Conference was held in 2021. Its theme
was "Contribution to Self-reliant India".
2. Indian army day

• Indian Army Day is celebrated every year on 15
January. Indian Army Day 2024:
• On the special occasion of Army Day, officers will • This year is the 76th Army Day.
parade in the presence of senior officials and the • This year the parade will be organized
Indian Army Chief will take the salute. under the command of the Army's
• This day is celebrated to commemorate the victory of 'Central Command', which is
the Indian Army over the British Army. headquartered in Lucknow.
• From 1949 to 2022, the Army Day Parade was held • The theme of Indian Army Day 2024
at the Cariappa Parade Ground in Delhi is "In the Service of the Nation".
Cantonment. • This year's theme also resembles the
• The responsibility of the parade in Bengaluru in Indian Army's motto, "Service Before
2023 rested with the Southern Command. Self".
3. National startup day

• Every year 16 January is celebrated as National Startup Day in India.
national startup day
• The establishment of National Startup Day on January 16 was announced by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on January 15, 2022.
• On this occasion, the Prime Minister had described startups as the 'backbone of new India'.
National Startup Week organized:
• The entire week from January 10 to 16 has been marked as National Startup Week.
• Startup India Innovation Week was organized by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

• THEM - Startups Unlocking Infinite Potential"
4. Prime Minister of India pays tribute to Saint Thiruvalluvar on

Thiruvalluvar Day
• It is usually celebrated on 15 or 16 January in Tamil Nadu.
• It is a part of the Pongal festival.
Thiruvalluvar
1. He was a poet and philosopher, he is considered a cultural icon by Tamils.
2. Tamil people fondly call him Valluvar.
Krithi Thirukkur
• His most popular work is Thirukkur, a collection of couplets on morality, politics, economy and
love.
Krithi Thirukkural
• Thiruvalluvar's primary work Tirukkural consists of 1330 couplets (Kural) divided into 133
sections of 10 couplets each.
• Each section covers a wide range of topics and provides moral, ethical and practical guidance to
readers.
5. Parikrama Diwas
• It is celebrated on 23 January to commemorate the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Subhash
Chandra Bose.
• This year marks the 127th birth anniversary of Bose, fondly known as 'Netaji'.
Subhash Chandra Bose
• He was born on January 23, 1897 in Cuttack, Orissa.
• In 1920 he passed the Civil Services Examination.
• Bose was elected President of the Indian National Congress for two consecutive terms but resigned
from the post after ideological conflict with Mahatma Gandhi.
• He formed the Azad Hind government in exile and regrouped and led the Indian National Army in
battles against the allies in Imphal and Burma.

6. International Education Day (IED)
• The United Nations General Assembly declared 24 January as International Education Day (IED)
to promote the role of education in peace and development.
• This year's theme: 'Learning for Sustainable Peace'.
Note -
• Celebrating International Education Day started in 2019.
• On December 3, 2018, a resolution was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in which
it was decided to celebrate January 24 as International Education Day.
Many legal provisions regarding education in
India
• In Article 45 of the Constitution, the provision
of universal, free and compulsory education is
the joint responsibility of the Center and the
State.
• Article 30 deals with the establishment of
educational institutions.
• Articles 15, 17 and 46 have provisions to
protect the educational interests of the weaker
sections of the Indian community.
7. National Girl Child Day

• National Girl Child Day is celebrated every year on 24 January.
• This day is celebrated with the aim of making girls aware of their rights and giving them respect in
the society along with equal opportunities for development.
theme -
• The theme of the year 2019 was 'Empowering girls for a brighter tomorrow'.
• The theme in 2020 was 'My Voice, Our Common Future'.
• 2021 was 'Digital Generation, Our Generation'
History of National Girl Child Day

• National Girl Child Day was established in 2008 by the Ministry of Women and Child
Development.
• The main reason for celebrating Girls' Day on January 24 is that on this day in 1966, Indira
Gandhi took oath as PM.
Note -
• The initiative, jointly run by the
Ministry of Women and Child
Development, Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare and Ministry of
Education, also aims to address the
issue of declining child sex ratio.
• According to the 2023 Gender Gap
Report of the World Economic Forum
(WEF), India ranks 127th out of 146
countries in terms of gender equality.
• Gender pay gap: On average, Indian
women earn only 64 percent of what
their male counterparts earn for the
same occupation and qualification level.
8. National Voters' Day (NVD)

• National Voters' Day (NVD) is celebrated every year on 25 January in India.
• It was organized by the Election Commission
• President Draupadi Murmu is the chief guest at this function organized by the Election
Commission.
• Theme of 2024: 'Nothing like voting, I voted for
sure'.
• The Election Commission of India (ECI) is
celebrating its 75th year of service to the
nation on January 25, 2024.
Election Commission of India (ECI)
• The Election Commission of India (ECI) was
established on January 25, 1950.
• To commemorate this, National Voter's Day is
celebrated every year on 25 January across the
country since 2011.
• The Election Commission of India is an
autonomous and semi-judicial institution
which was formed in India to freely and
impartially elect representatives from various
representative institutions of India.
• The Election Commission of India has the
power related to the elections of Assembly, Lok
Sabha, Rajya Sabha and President etc.
whereas the power of elections of Gram
Panchayat, Municipality, Metropolitan Council and Tehsil and District Council rests with the
respective State Election Commission.
9. Republic day 2024

• Republic Day is celebrated every year on 26 January in India.
• The theme of Republic Day 2024, “Vikshit Bharat” (Developed India) and “Bharat – Loktantra ki
Matrika” (India – Mother of Democracy),
• The guest of honor for the Republic Day 2024 celebrations is French President Emmanuel
Macron.
• This is the sixth time for a French leader to grace this prestigious event.
• On this day the Constitution of India came into force and our first President Dr. Rajendra Prasad
took oath as President.
• A total of 25 spectacular tableaux representing nine ministries and departments as well as 16
states and union territories marched on the duty path of the Republic Day Parade.
10. Martyr's Day (30 January)

Contribution to India's freedom struggle -
• India celebrates 30 January as Martyr's
Day to pay tribute to all those freedom • Champaran Satyagraha (1917), Ahmedabad
fighters. Mill Strike (1918), Kheda Satyagraha (1918)
Rowlatt Act (1919), Non-Cooperation Movement
• In 1948, Nathuram Godse assassinated
(1920 - 22), Civil Disobedience Movement
Mahatma Gandhi at Birla House in New
(1930), Gandhi-Irwin Pact (1931) Quit India
Delhi. Hence, this day is also celebrated
Movement ( 1942)
as the death anniversary of the country's
'Bapu' Mahatma Gandhi. • Books-Hind Swaraj, Experiments of Truth
(Autobiography)
• Weekly magazines: Young India, Harijan,
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Navjeevan, Indian Opinion
• Born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar
(Gujarat).
• Gandhiji came to India from South Africa on 9 January 1915. 9 January is celebrated every year
as 'Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas'.
11. World Hindi Day

• World Hindi Day is celebrated every year on 10 January with the aim of giving special status to
Hindi at the global level.
• The theme of World Hindi Day this year is “Hindi from Traditional Knowledge to Artificial
Intelligence”.
World Hindi Day
• The first event on Hindi at the global level was organized on 10 January 1974 in Nagpur,
Maharashtra.
• 122 delegates from 30 countries participated in this conference.
• In the year 1975, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi inaugurated the first World Hindi
Conference.
• In the year 2006, the then Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh had announced to
celebrate January 10 as World Hindi Day.
• The World Hindi Secretariat building is located in Port Louis, Mauritius.
Note -
• National Hindi Day is celebrated on 14 September.
• Recognizing the Hindi language, the Constituent Assembly gave Hindi the status of the official
language of the country on 14 September 1949.
• In the year 1918, Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi had emphasized on making Hindi
language the official language in the Hindi Sahitya Sammelan and also called it the language of
the masses.
official language
• Official language is the declared language of a state or country which is used for all official
purposes i.e. government work.
• Under Article 343(1) of the Indian Constitution, Hindi in Devanagari script has been declared the
official language of the Union.
Other facts
• The first All India Official Language Conference was held in Banaras on 13-14 November 2021.
• The second All India Official Language Conference was held in Surat on 14 September 2022.
• The third All India Official Language Conference was held in Pune on 14 September 2023.
• In 1960, the Central Hindi Directorate was established by the Government of India under the
Ministry of Education.
12. World braille day

• World Braille Day is celebrated on 4 January, the birthday of Louis Braille, the inventor of the
Braille script.
• Louis Braille was born in France in 1809.
• The United Nations declared January 4 as World Braille Day in a proclamation issued in 2018.
Theme – Reaching out to the blind and visually impaired
Programs organized on the occasion of Braille Day-
1. On the occasion of Braille Day, NIEPMD Muttukadu will organize a slogan and pamphlet
competition based on the life of Louis Braille. Along with this, the organization will organize Braille
writing and Braille reading competition along with entertaining games for children.
2. Braille writing competition, speech drama,
poetry and song competitions will be organized
by CRC Gorakhpur on the occasion of World
Braille Day.
3. Orientation Lecture about Braille and Hindi
Braille writing competition will be organized by
CRC Nagpur.
4. On the occasion of Braille Day, banner display
play by Shantiniketan Ratnapali Birbhum
(West Bengal), inauguration of the program and
speech by the chief guest, presentation of
cultural program by Disha Centre, rhyme
singing, dance presentation etc. by the
students of Disha Institute will be done.
5. CRC Lucknow will provide information about
Braille writing and reading competition, poetry
recitation competition and models of Braille
teaching in Hindi and English.

Appointment
1. Randhir Jaiswal
• Senior diplomat Randhir Jaiswal has been made the new spokesperson of the Indian External
Affairs Ministry.
Randhir Jaiswal
• Randhir Jaiswal is a 1998 batch IFS officer.
• He previously served as Consul General to New York from July 2020.
• Mr Jaiswal's diplomatic career includes assignments in Portugal, Cuba, South Africa and India's
Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.
• Randhir Jaiswal has been a part of India's permanent missions in various countries for more than
20 years.
• Jaiswal has served as consul at the Mission of India in New York since July 2020.
2. G Ram Mohan Rao

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) appointed G Ram Mohan Rao as Executive
Director (ED) for a tenure of three years.
• G Ram Mohan Rao holds engineering and MBA degrees from Osmania University, Hyderabad
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) was established on April 12, 1992 in
accordance with the provisions of the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992.
• Through the SEBI Act, 1992, it became an autonomous body and was given statutory powers.
• The basic function of SEBI is to protect the interests of investors in securities and to promote and
regulate the securities market..
• SEBI's headquarters is located in Mumbai and regional offices are in Ahmedabad, Kolkata,
Chennai and Delhi.
• SEBI is a semi-legislative and semi-judicial body that can draft regulations, conduct inquiries,
pass rules and impose penalties.
Note -
• Madhabi Puri Buch, a former whole-time member of the Securities and Exchange Board of India
(SEBI), has been appointed as its new chairperson, the first woman to lead SEBI.
3. Rashmi Shukla
• The Maharashtra government appointed distinguished 1988 batch Indian Police Service (IPS)
officer Rashmi Shukla as the Director General of Police (DGP).
• Ms Shukla has become the first woman to hold this prestigious post in the state.
• Prior to her current appointment, Ms Shukla led the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and served as
Additional Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
4. Raghuram Iyer
• The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) appointed former Indian Premier League team Rajasthan
Royals official Raghuram Iyer as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Indian Olympic Association (IOA)
• Sir Dorabji Tata first suggested creating a body for the Olympics around 1920.
• Subsequently, an All India Olympic Committee was formed in 1923–24.
• Indian Olympic Association i.e. IOA was formed in 1927. Its founding president was Sir Dorabji
Tata and Dr. A.G. Nohren was its secretary.
• IOA members include members of National Sports Associations, State Olympic Associations, the
International Olympic Committee and other select multi-sport organizations.
• The Indian Olympic Association has a 32-member Executive Council which is headed by a
President.
• Elections for the Executive Council are held once every 4 years.
Note -
• India's great athlete P.T. Usha is the first woman president of the Indian Olympic Association
(IOA).

5. Mr. Vikas Sheel
• Mr. Vikas Sheel is the Executive Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila.
• He is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of 1994 batch.
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on December 19,
1966 to facilitate the economic development of Asian countries.
• The Asian Development Bank is headquartered in Manila, Philippines.
• This bank was established with 31 members.
• Currently ADB has 68 members; Out of which 49 are from Asia and Pacific and 19 members are
external.
• ADB also depends on members' contributions, income from lending, and repayment of loans to
finance the organization.
Appointment of various bureaucrats
• Smita Sarangi appointed as Advisor to the Executive Director at ADB in Manila, Philippines.
• Kalyan Ravela, a senior bureaucrat, was
appointed as Counselor (Economic) in the
Indian Embassy in Beijing.
• 2002 batch IAS officer Senthil Pandian C has
been appointed. Ambassador/Permanent
Representative to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) in Geneva.
• M Balaji, a 2005 batch IAS officer, has been
appointed as Deputy Chief of Mission at the
Indian Embassy in Brussels.
• Parveen Kumar, now Advisor to the Executive
Director at the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) in Washington DC, USA.
6. Nadia calvino
• Nadia Calvino has been named the new President of the European Investment Bank
• Nadia Calvino is the First Deputy Prime Minister of
Spain and Minister of Economy and Digitalization
since July 2021.
• From 2014 to 2018, she was Director-General in
charge of the budget within the European Commission.
• Before joining the European Commission in September
2006, Ms. Calvino was a civil servant at the Ministry of
Economy in Spain
• Calvino was awarded the Master of Digital Award
(2021), the "Fernandez Latorre" Journalism Award
(2020), the 2012 Women's Leadership Award by Elite
Business School, and the 2007 Public Sector Lawyer of
the Year.

7. Ritesh Pai
• PhonePe appoints Ritesh Pai as CEO for international payments division
• PhonePe has 500 million registered users and 37 million merchants across India.
• The company has expanded into financial services like insurance, digital gold, mutual funds,
stock broking and lending.
• It has also forayed into adjacent tech-enabled businesses, including hyper-local shopping and a
localized app store.
8. Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey

• India's senior diplomat, Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey was appointed the Secretary General (SG)
of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
• He is the fourth SG of BIMSTEC and will remain its SG for a period of three years.
• He replaced Bhutan's Tenzin Lekfel.
• He served as Additional Secretary in charge of the Division of Disarmament and International
Security Affairs in the Ministry of External Affairs of India; Ambassador of India to the Sultanate
of Oman; Deputy Ambassador of India to France; Has been the Consul General of India in
Guangzhou, China.
Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
• This sub-regional organization came into existence through the Bangkok Declaration in the year
1997.
• It was initially formed with four member states with the acronym ‘BIST-EC’ (Bangladesh, India,
Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation).
• After Myanmar joined in 1997, its name was changed to ‘BIMST-EC’.
• After Nepal and Bhutan joined it in 2004, the name of the organization was changed to Bay of
Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Co-operation.
• Of its 7 members, 5 are from South Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri
Lanka and two - Myanmar and Thailand - are from South-East Asia.
9. Justice BR Gavai was appointed Chairman of the Supreme

Court Legal Services Committee (SCLSC)
Supreme Court Legal Services Committee
• It was constituted under Section 3A of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
• Its objective was to provide "free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of the
society" in matters falling within the jurisdiction of the apex court.
• Section 3A of the Act states that the Central Authority (National Legal Services Authority or
NALSA) shall constitute the Committee.
Appointment of member
• Both the Chairman and other members will be nominated by the Chief Justice of India (CJI). In
addition, the CJI can appoint the secretary of the committee.
Note -
• This post was earlier held by Justice Sanjeev Khanna.
• Justice Khanna has recently been appointed as the acting Chairman of the National Legal
Services Authority.
10. Justice Prasanna B Varale appointed Supreme Court judge

• Justice Prasanna B Varale, who currently serves as
the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court
• He will be the third sitting judge from the Dalit
community in the Supreme Court.
• He is ranked sixth in the all India seniority list of
High Court judges.
• Honorable Shri Justice Prasanna B. Varale: Born
on June 23, 1962 in Nipani, graduated in Arts and
Law from Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada
University
Collegium members
• Apart from CJI Chandrachud, the five-member collegium that recommends Supreme Court judges
includes Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, Surya Kant and Aniruddha Bose.
11. Government of India has appointed four members in the 16th

Finance Commission
• The Chairman of the Sixteenth Finance Commission is Arvind Panagariya
Member -
• AN Jha, former Expenditure Secretary and member of the 15th Finance Commission
• Annie George Mathew, Special Secretary, Department of Expenditure
• Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Advisor, State Bank of India
• Niranjan Rajadhyaksha, Executive Director,
Artha Global
Sixteenth Finance Commission
• In compliance with Article 280(1) of the
Constitution, the Government of India, with the
approval of the President, has established the
Sixteenth Finance Commission.
Note -
• K.C Niyogi was the chairman of the first Finance
Commission.
• Shri N.K. Singh was the Chairman of the
Fifteenth Finance Commission
12. Justice Pradeep Kumar Srivastava appointed judge of

Jharkhand HC
• The appointment of Justice Pradeep Kumar Srivastava, an additional judge in the Jharkhand
High Court, has been made permanent.
• This appointment has been made in exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 217 of
the Constitution of India.
Appointment of High Court judges
• A High Court judge will be appointed by the
President in consultation with the Chief Justice of
India (CJI), the Governor of the state.
• In case of appointment of a judge other than the
Chief Justice, the Chief Justice of the High Court
is consulted.
Note -
• Shri Chandrashekhar serves as the Chief Justice
of Jharkhand High Court from February 20, 2023
13. Chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)

• Former Railway Board chief Anil Kumar Lahoti has been
appointed chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority
of India (TRAI).
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)

• TRAI was established on 20 February 1997 by the
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997.
• TRAI Headquarters: New Delhi
• TRAI aims to create and improve favorable conditions for
the development of telecommunications in the country.
• TRAI consists of a Chairman, two whole-time members
and two part-time members. They are appointed by the
Government of India.
U.P. Special
1. UP tops in use of Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS)
• Uttar Pradesh has stood first in recording the highest entry rate on the Inter-Operable Criminal
Justice System (ICJS) platform for the third consecutive year.
About the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System Platform:
• The Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) platform has been conceptualized by the e-
Committee of the Supreme Court and is implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• The Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) platform has been launched by the e-
Committee of the Supreme Court of India with
the preparation of 'National Policy and Action
Plan for Implementation of ICT in the Indian
Judiciary'.
• The Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System
(ICJS) enables seamless transfer of data and
information between different pillars of the
criminal justice system, such as courts, police,
prisons and forensic scien ce laboratories.
Other facts:
• The e-Committee was proposed by the Chief
Justice of India, Shri Justice RC Lahoti.
2. Inauguration of All India Girls Sainik School

• Defense Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the first All India Girls Sainik School in Vrindavan,
Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
• The name of Girls Sainik School is Samvid Gurukulam Girls Sainik School.
• The first all-girls Sainik School, Samvid
Gurukulam Girls Sainik School, was
inaugurated with about 870 students.
Note:
• Admission of girls in Sainik Schools was
approved in 2019
• The establishment of 100 new Sainik Schools
by the National Education Policy 2020 aims to
provide quality education to the students.
• Sainik School Society (SSS) is registered
under the Societies Registration Act XXI of
1860.
3. 'Indus Food 2024'

• Shri Piyush Goyal inaugurates 'Indus Food
2024' at India Exposition Mart, Greater Noida.
• The Indian food retail market size is over $800
billion with a growth rate of 11% AGCR.
Note
• India's food processing industry contributes
about 14 percent to the GDP, 13 percent to
India's exports and six percent to the total
industrial investment.

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January 2024

4. Science and Technology 35-38

7. Scheme or Portal 47-53

9. Events and Conferences 57-65

10. Awards and Honours 66-79

11. Index & Report 80-83

12. Sports 84-91

13. Day 92-98

14. Appointment 98-101

15. UP Special 102

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• The 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage

Launch of the 10th phase of Sagar Parikrama:

2. Denmark unveils Green Fuels Alliance India (GFAI)

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4. Climate conference 2024

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6. Persian will be included in the nine classical languages of India

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8. Guinness World Record for mass Surya Namaskar created in

9. Punjab becomes first state to map all accident-prone sites

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Music place Year

First Buddhist Conference Rajgrah 483 BC

Second Buddhist Conference Vaishali 383 BC

Third Buddhist Conference Patliputra 251 BC

Fourth Buddhist Conference Kundalvan first

fifth buddhist conference Ujjain 172 AD

11. Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the temple in Abu

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15. Reliance Industries achieves India's first ISCC-Plus

18. Thanjavur dolls are on the verge of extinction

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17. An inscription from the Kadamba period, dated to the 10th

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20. Karnataka High Court bans mining and quarrying activities at

21. Vision 10 'Starliner' Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)

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The classical language norms developed by the Government of

23. 'Startup India Innovation Week'

MAARG Mentorship Series

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25. Value Stream 2.0: Values and Ethics of UGC in Higher

26. India's first dark sky park

27. Mumbai Trans Harbor Link (MTHL) inaugurated

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29. National Security Advisors (NSA) meeting

30. 'One Vehicle, One Fastag' Initiative

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33. Five new galleries inaugurated in Hyderabad's Salar Jung

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34. Masjid Muhammad Bin Abdullah"

35. Our Constitution, our right to respect

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37. Tenughat Thermal Power Station (TTPS) is being expanded.

38. India provides 40,000 liters of Malathion to Afghanistan

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40. Dr. Nitya Anand passes away

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