CA-EnGLISH-November 2023 - April 2024

NOVEMBER – 2023 – APRIL - 2024
TAMILNADU CURRENT AFFAIRS

➢ India’s First Net Zero Business Park
✓ CapitaLand Investment Limited (CLI) has commenced operations for Phase 1 of International
Tech Park Chennai, Radial Road (ITPC-Radial Road), the first business park in India to be
certified by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) as Net Zero for energy efficiency,
✓ water conservation and waste management.
✓ It first intends to invest over Singapore $500 million in Chennai over the next five years across
multiple asset classes.
➢ IIT Madras Sets Its First International Campus
✓ IIT Madras has become the first Indian Institute of Technology to establish an international
campus on the picturesque Zanzibar Island in East Africa.
➢ IIT Madras Launches Incubator Information Platform
✓ In a game-changing move, the Centre for Research on Startups and Risk Financing (CREST), an
Institute of Eminence Research Centre at IIT Madras, has introduced an exclusive information
platform tailored for incubators and accelerators.
➢ Intelligent Transport System
✓ The pilot project of the Intelligent Transport System for the city, with funding from the Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is set to be implemented by the Greater Chennai
Corporation (GCC) in January.
✓ The initiative aims to enhance traffic management and reduce signal stopping times,
contributing to improved commuter and motorist experiences.
➢ Ungalai Thedi, Ungal Ooril
✓ Aims to redress the grievances of the general public expeditiously.

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▪ Under the Ungalai Thedi, Ungal Ooril initiative, every District Collector will visit
and stay in a taluk for one day in a month to inspect government offices in that area
and listen to the grievances of the general public.
✓ The initiative is expected to bridge the gap between the people and the District Collectors.
➢ UGC upgrades Madras University to category-1
✓ Madras University is now a category 1 university in the country.

✓ A++ grade in NAAC gives it full autonomy to start courses and launch offshore campuses.
✓ The University Grants Commission has upgraded the status of University of Madras and
recognised it as a category-1 institution, following its improved NAAC score.
➢ Makkaludan Mudhalvar
✓ Under the scheme, special camps will be held in urban and rural local bodies to redress
grievances relating to 13 key departments.
✓ Officers from the 13 departments will receive and register petitions of people in the special
camps.
✓ All the petitions would be duly considered by the respective departments and appropriate
action would be taken within 30 days.
➢ Tamil Nadu retains ‘achiever’ status - Logistics Infra Rankings of States
✓ Tamil Nadu is this year’s top performer in a central government top ranking states and union
territories in terms of logistics infrastructure.
✓ The state maintained its “achiever” status within the coastal group in the Logistics Ease Across
Different States (LEADS) 2023 rankings by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
➢ World Bank provides $300 Million Loan to Tamil Nadu
✓ World Bank provides $300 million loan to Tamil Nadu to help 21 Urban Local Bodies.

✓ The $300 million Tamil Nadu Climate Resilient Urban Development Program will help 21 Urban
Local Bodies (ULBs) update their delivery systems and provide quality and efficient water
supply and sewerage services to consumers.
➢ State-Level Monitoring Committee (SLMC)
✓ The School Education Department has decided to set up a State-level monitoring committee
(SLMC) to address the infrastructure needs of schools. According to a government order, the
School Management Committee (SMC) had submitted a report in which it had sought to know
the requirements of each school.
✓ The SLMC was set up to address these needs, with the Chief Secretary as its chairman.
➢ Makkal Medai
✓ Makkal Medai, a citizen platform, looks to empower residents to handle disasters.
➢ Demonstration Fast Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Plant (DFRP)

✓ Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the Rs 400 crore Demonstration Fast
Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Plant (DFRP) at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic
Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam, to the nation.
➢ First Asia GCC Outside China In Tamil Nadu

✓ Adidas, the renowned athletic footwear and apparel giant, is making strategic
moves to enhance its global operations by establishing its first and only Global
Capacity Centre (GCC) in Asia outside of China
✓ The choice of Chennai as the location for this hub reflects the city’s rising
prominence in the global corporate landscape.
➢ Vinfast to build an integrated electric vehicle facility in Tamil Nadu

✓ Vietnamese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer VinFast on Saturday said it will
work towards building an integrated EV facility in the state with a total
investment of up to $2 billion.
➢ Global Investors Meet - GIM2024
✓ The Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister MK Stalin, revealed its
ambitious vision for the state to achieve a $1 trillion economy by 2030 during the
Global Investors Meet in Chennai on January 7.
✓ It strategically aims for $3.8-4.3 trillion in investments to attract FDI and boost
local expansion. The goal is holistic growth, ensuring prosperity across all regions
with a focus on climate consciousness and sustainability in all initiatives.
✓ Priorities include human capital growth, innovation through industry-academia
partnerships, fostering an industry-friendly climate, advocating transparent
governance, and developing sustainable infrastructure.
➢ Technology Education and Learning Support (TEALS)

✓ In an effort to bridge the digital divide, the School Education Department
has partnered with Microsoft to expand the Technology Education and
LearningSupport (TEALS) programme to more schools on Thursday.
➢ Nalam Naadi App

✓ Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi unveiled the Nalam
Naadi app on Tuesday for special educators to track students with learning
disabilities in Chennai.
➢ T.N. has the highest number of Operational SEZs

Tamil Nadu has the highest concentration of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in the
country, with 54 in operation in the State, which account for a third of its exports,
Alex Paul Menon, Development Commissioner, MEPZ (Madras Export Processing
Zone) SEZ, said at the Global Investors Meet on Monday.
➢ World Tamil Diaspora Day
✓ World Tamil Diaspora Day celebrated on 12 January in Chennai.
✓ Enathu Gramam, My Village, a unique scheme for the development of

villages was launched.
✓ Under this scheme, any person can adopt his native village and ensure its overall
development.
➢ TN BEAT EXPO 2024

✓ Business Conclave to Promote SC/ST entrepreneurs.
✓ The event is being held with support from the State government and Tamil Nadu
Adi Dravidar Housing and Development Corporation Limited (TAHDCO).
➢ Tamil Nadu - Highest Number Of Ramsar Sites In India

✓ The recent addition of the Longwood Shola Reserve Forest in The Nilgiris and the
Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary in Ariyalur has propelled the state to the forefront of
ecological conservation efforts in India.
✓ With these new designations, Tamil Nadu now boasts 16 Ramsar sites.
➢ ‘Kalaignar Sports Kit’ Initiative

✓ Named after the late Kalaignar Karunanidhi, the ‘Kalaignar Sports Kit’ initiative
is set to provide sporting kits to 12,000 village panchayats across the state.
➢ Ungalai Thedi, Ungal Ooril

✓ Tamil Nadu government, under the leadership of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, has
taken a significant step towards improving public service delivery and expediting
the implementation of various schemes through the launch of the “Ungalai Thedi,
Ungal Ooril” (Bringing Services to Your Doorstep) scheme.
✓ This innovative initiative aims to bridge the gap between the government and the
public by ensuring that the benefits of various schemes reach the grassroots level.
➢ T.N. Forms New Green Company to Aid in Energy Transition

✓ The State government, to give a push for green energy, has formed the Tamil Nadu
Green Energy Corporation Limited (TNGECL) by hiving off the RenewableEnergy
wing of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) and
merging it with Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency (TEDA).
➢ Tamil Nadu MSME Minister Unveils ‘Smart Cards’ To Aid Startups

✓ Tamil Nadu MSME Minister launched 2 pivotal initiatives: Smartcard scheme and
StartUp Challenge website, underscoring government’s commitment to nurturing
startups and fostering innovation in the state.
✓ This scheme aims to bolster startups in accessing crucial resources necessary for
their growth and operations, spanning human resources, legal advice, IT
infrastructure, media, and publicity.
➢ ‘Smart Cards’ Launched to Help Start-ups

✓ Miniser for MSME T.M. Anbarasan on Wednesday launched ‘Smart Cards’ for
start-ups.
✓ According to details provided by the Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission
(StartupTN), the ‘Smart Card’ offers a comprehensive selection of products and
services, at subsidised rates, tailored to meet the needs of start-ups in their early
stages.

➢ Maghizhchi
Tamil Nadu State Police is the only police force in the country to allocate funds
for providing mental and psychological treatment for police personnel, said
Director General of Police Shankar Jiwal in Madurai on Sunday.
➢ State Policy for Women

✓ Under the policy, which will be implemented over 10 years, the State envisages
raising the status of women through awareness, education, gainful employment and
capacity-building initiatives.
✓ The objective of the policy framework is to enable access to services such as health,
education and employment.
➢ Tholkudi Scheme
✓ New scheme aims to upgrade the basic amenities in tribal habitations and
improve their living standards.
✓ Through this initiative, road facilities, potable water, street lights and permanent
houses will be provided in tribal settlements.
➢ ISRO’s Second Spaceport In Tamil Nadu

✓ Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the Indian Space
Research Organisation’s (ISRO) second spaceport in Kulasekarapattinam, Tamil Nadu.
➢ VinFast’s Electric Car Facility in Thoothukudi

✓ Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Sunday laid the foundation stone for Vietnam-
headquartered VinFast Auto Limited’s electric car manufacturing facility, coming
up on 408 acres at the SIPCOT Industrial Complex in Sillaanaththam on the
outskirts of Thoothukudi at an outlay of 16,000 crore.
➢ Tamil Nadu Climate Summit 2.0

✓ Tamil Nadu, which has seen an increase of 84% in emissions from 2005 to 2019, from
101 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent to 184 million tons, needs nearly 475
GW of solar energy and 90 GW of wind power to achieve net zero emissions by
2070, according to the greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory, released atthe inaugural of
the Tamil Nadu Climate Summit 2.0 on Wednesday.
➢ T.N.’s Export of Electronic Goods Touches $7.37 billion

✓ Tamil Nadu’s electronic goods exports touched $7.37 billion and it accounted for
32.52% of India’s total export of electronics system design and manufacturing
(ESDM) goods of $22.65 billion for the period from April 2023 to January 2024.

➢ Neolithic Child Burial Site Unearthed In Chengalpattu, TN
✓ A groundbreaking archaeological discovery has been made in Chettimedu Pathur
village.
✓ Researchers from the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology at the

University of Madras have unearthed a child burial site dating back to the
Neolithic period, around 2500 BCE to 3000 BCE.
➢ ‘Neengal Nalama’
✓ “To ensure their proper implementation, a new initiative, ‘Neengal Nalama’, will
be launched on March 6.
✓ Under the scheme, the Chief Minister, Ministers, Secretaries, and Collectors will
interact with beneficiaries through phone calls to get their feedback on various
schemes and services offered by the government for further improvement.
➢ India’s First Indigenous Prototype Fast Breeder
✓ Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked the beginning of a new era in India’s nuclear
energy sector by witnessing the “Core Loading” at the Prototype Fast Breeder
Reactor (PFBR) in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu.
➢ PM SHRI School Scheme

✓ Tamil Nadu Signs MoU To Implement PM SHRI School Scheme.
✓ This initiative aims to enhance the quality of education in the state and align with
the objectives of the National Education Policy 2020.
➢ Global Conference on Lord Muruga
✓ The conference will be held in Palani, one of the six abodes of Muruga.
➢ Tamil Nadu Makes History with India’s Second Privately Developed Rocket
✓ Tamil Nadu is set to witness a historic event as one of its space startups, Agnikul
Cosmos Private Limited, prepares to launch its first rocket, Agnibaan Sub Orbital
Technology Demonstrator (SOrTeD), from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in
Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
✓ This launch marks several significant milestones in India’s space exploration
journey.
➢ Mudhalvarin Grama Salaigal Membattu Thittam’ (MGSMT)

✓ The Tamil Nadu government has recently accorded administrative sanction
for 1,000 crore to improve roads in village panchayats and panchayat unions
under the ‘Mudhalvarin Grama Salaigal Membattu Thittam’ (MGSMT)
during 2024- 25.
✓ The order is in line with the Finance Minister’s announcement in his Budget
speech for 2024-25 to improve about 2,000 km of roads in rural areas.
➢ Indian Coast Guard Aquatic Centre at ICGS Mandapam
➢ T.N. Leading the Country on Multiple Fronts

✓ The Export Preparedness Index, 2022, and the National Import–Export Record for Yearly
Analysis of Trade (NIRYAT) for 2022- 23, released by the Union government, showed
that the “Dravidian model of governance” was leading the country.
✓ Tamil Nadu also led the country in institutional deliveries and antenatal care, it said. The
annual report of the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry for 2022-23 had revealed
that Tamil Nadu had 50 Special Economic Zones (SEZ), the highest among the States, it
said. “In Gujarat, there are only 21 SEZs,” it added.
✓ According to the Export Preparedness Index, 2022, released by NITI Aayog, Tamil Nadu
had secured the first position by scoring between 80 and 100 on various parameters, it
said.
✓ As per the report released by NIRYAT, Tamil Nadu was second only to Maharashtra,
accounting for 16.30% of the total exports.
✓ Tamil Nadu had secured 3.31% (NFHS-5) in the National Multidimensional Poverty
Index, 2023, in terms of ‘Uncensored Headcount: Maternal Health’, while Gujarat secured
12.72%.
✓ Various reports released by the Centre showed that Tamil Nadu, under Chief Minister
M.K. Stalin, led the country on multiple fronts.
➢ State Ranks First in Export of Textiles and Leather Goods
➢ In Electronics Exports, Tamil Nadu jumps to Top

✓ Driven by the aggressive India push from global major Apple, the southern state of Tamil
Nadu has become the top state in terms of electronic goods exports in the financial year
2023-24, surpassing Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.
➢ Tamil Nadu Conducts Nilgiri Tahr Survey

✓ The Tamil Nadu government is conducting a three-day synchronised survey of the
Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius), the State animal.
✓ The survey is being conducted in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature
(WWF), the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), and the IUCN.
➢ Chithirai Festival
✓ Lord Kallazhagar’s annual ritual in Alagar Temple, Madurai during the Chithirai
festival saw thousands of devotees gathering to witness his ceremonial entry into the
Vaigai river.
✓ The festival, merging narratives of Lord Kallazhagar and Goddess Meenakshi’s marriage,
holds historical significance and promotes harmony.
✓ Alagar Temple is situated at the base of Alagar hills in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, and is one
of Lord Vishnu’s 108 abodes, revered as Kallazhagar
STATE
➢ India’s First ‘City Of Literature & Music’ By UNESCO

✓ Kozhikode’s new title as the ‘City of Literature’ marks a significant milestone, as it’s the
first city in India to hold this coveted distinction.
✓ This prestigious recognition was bestowed upon Kozhikode on World Cities Day,
alongside Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, which was recognized as a ‘City of Music‘.
Prague was the first city to receive the City of Literature title in 2014.
➢ Uniform Civil Code (UCC) - Uttarakhand

✓ Uttarakhand is on the brink of making history as it prepares to become the first state in
India to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
✓ As of now, Goa stands as the only state with a civil code, introduced during Portuguese
rule.
✓ Kerala is the first state in the country to formally oppose the UCC, showcasing the
diversity of opinions and perspectives on this crucial legal reform.
➢ Ladakh Secures 4th GI Tag For ‘Sea-buckthorn’

✓ The approval designates them as the Registered Proprietor for ‘Ladakh Seabuckthorn’
in Class 31.
✓ The GI tag serves as a mark of authenticity, ensuring that consumers can identify and
trust the origin of ‘Ladakh Seabuckthorn.’
➢ Best State Award for Inland Fisheries

✓ Uttar Pradesh has won an award for inland fisheries (plain areas) and will receive it
at Global Fisheries Conference-2023 place in Delhi on November 21 and 22.
➢ Bihar Reservation Amendment Bill

✓ The bill raises the reservation quota for Backward, Extremely Backward Classes,
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes from 50% to 65%, surpassing the 50% ceiling set
by the Supreme Court.
✓ The ‘Bihar Reservation Amendment Bill’ brings about a comprehensive re-evaluation of
reservation quotas across various categories.
➢ Saffron From Kishtwar Gets GI Tag

✓ Kishtwar saffron, a highly coveted spice that is grown and harvested in the Kishtwar
Region of Jammu and Kashmir, was recently awarded the famous Geographical
Indication (GI) label
India’s First Telecom Center Of Excellence

✓ Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has given approval for the establishment
of the country’s inaugural Telecom Center of Excellence in Saharanpur.
➢ UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List

✓ Gujarat’s traditional dance form ‘Garba’ has been included in the list of Intangible
Cultural Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO).
➢ Geographical Indication Tag

✓ Meghalaya’s Lakadong turmeric, known for its exceptional quality, has been granted the
prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal University

✓ Parliament passed bill to make Central Tribal University in Telangana December 16, 2023.
✓ Parliament has passed a bill to establish the Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal
University in Telangana.
➢ First Ever “School of Happiness”

✓ A first-of-its-kind school for imparting lessons on humanity and societal happiness will
take root in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) of Assam at the dawn of 2024.
✓ The foundation of the International School of Peace and Happiness is scheduled to be laid
in the first week of January at Bijni in Chirang district of western Assam, one of five in
the BTR.
➢ India’s First AI City in Lucknow

✓ Uttar Pradesh, India’s biggest state is going to make Lucknow the country’s first AI city.
This is a big step forward.
➢ India’s Petro Capital

✓ Gujarat has emerged as the nation’s petrochemical powerhouse, boasting the world’s
largest grassroots oil refinery and a state-of-the-art petrochemical complex.
➢ India’s First Submarine Tourism

✓ India’s first submarine tourism business will be started by the Gujarat government and
Mazgaon Dock Limited (MDL). This will make waves in the tourism industry.
➢ First State To Map All Accident Prone Sites

✓ Punjab has become the first in India to meticulously map all 784 accident

black spots using the Mappls App, a cutting-edge navigation system
developed by MapMyIndia.
➢ India's Longest Sea Bridge

✓ The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) or Atal Setu, longest sea
bridge in India is set to be inaugurated by the prime minister
Narendra Modi.
✓ 21.8 km in length and having six lanes, the bridge has been
constructed at awhopping cost of 18,000 crore.
✓ The bridge originates from Sewri in Mumbai and ends at Nhava
Sheva in Urantaluka in Raigad.
➢ World’s First ‘Black Tiger Safari’

✓ In a groundbreaking move, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has
unveiledplans for the establishment of the world’s first ‘black tiger safari’
near the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Mayurbhanj.
➢ Mahatari Vandan Yojana

✓ The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Chhattisgarh will roll out the
Mahatari Vandan Yojana — a monthly cash assistance scheme for married
women
➢ Kerala Welcomes ‘Iris’ Its First Generative AI Teacher

✓ Kerala schools have introduced Iris, a humanoid teacher, marking a
significantmilestone in the realm of educational technology.
➢ India’s 1st Dolphin Research Centre

✓ India’s first National Dolphin Research Center (NDRC) was officially
inaugurated by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar

➢ India’s First Driverless Metro Train
✓ The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has received the first set
of six train coaches for its upcoming driverless metro line, called the Yellow Line.
➢ UP Leads with Most GI-Tagged Products

✓ Northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has taken the lead in having the highest number of
Geographical Indication (GI) certified products in the country.
✓ With the recent addition of 15 new products, Uttar Pradesh now boasts a total of 69 GI-tagged
products, surpassing Tamil Nadu’s 58.
✓ The holy city of Varanasi has emerged as a leader in GI-tagged goods production, with a
remarkable 30 certified products – the highest from a single geographical area.
NATIONAL
➢ “One Nation, One Registration Platform’‘ For Doctors

✓ The National Medical Commission (NMC) has embarked on a mission to assign a unique
identification number to every doctor in the country by the end of 2024.
✓ The cornerstone of this initiative is the creation of the National Medical Register (NMR).
➢ Cruise Liner ‘COSTA SERENA’

✓ Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal will launch the
domestic sailing of the first International Cruise Liner ‘COSTA SERENA’ in Mumbai.
✓ Such cruise initiatives are part of ‘Dekho Apna Desh’, launched on Prime Minister’s appeal to
the middle class to prefer domestic tourism over international.
➢ Jal Diwali -“Water For Women, Women For Water Campaign”

✓ The primary aim of the campaign is to provide a platform for the active participation of women
in water governance.
➢ Digital Advertisement Policy, 2023

✓ This policy empowers the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC), the Central government’s
advertising wing, to conduct campaigns effectively in the digital realm.
✓ The ‘Digital Advertisement Policy, 2023’ represents a pivotal moment for the CBC, aligning its
mission with the changing media landscape and the increasing digitalization of media
consumption.
➢ Nayi Chetna – 2.0

✓ National Campaign against Gender Violence ‘Nai Chetna' to be launched.
✓ It will be observed across 34 states and UTs till 23 December 2023.
Campaign activities will deepen awareness on gender violence.
➢ PM-PVTG Mission And Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra

✓ Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to launch the PM-PVTG Development Mission, a
groundbreaking scheme aimed at fostering the comprehensive development of approximately
28 lakh people belonging to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
➢ International Trade Fair - 2023

✓ The 42nd edition of the India International Trade Fair -2023 will begin at Pragati Maidan in New
Delhi.
✓ The theme of the fourteen day fair is Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam which emphasizes the
significance of interconnectedness and cooperation in trade for achieving sustainable growth
and well-being.
➢ Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train

✓ Indian Railways in collaboration with IRCTC to launch Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train.
✓ In a move to promote Dekho Apna Desh and Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat initiatives, Indian
Railways, in collaboration with IRCTC, is set to launch the Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train.
➢ Barda Wildlife Sanctuary

✓ After Gir National Park and Sanctuary, the Barda Wildlife Sanctuary (BWLS) is set to become
the second home to Asiatic lions.
✓ The Gujarat Forest Department presented its proposal to make BWLS the second home to the
lions as part of “Project Lion @ 2047”.
➢ Silkyara-Barkot Tunnel in Uttarakhand

✓ On November 23, 2023, after 17 harrowing days trapped underground, all 41 workers were
successfully rescued from the collapsed Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand, India.
✓ The 4.5 km-tunnel is part of the Centre’s ambitious Char Dham project aimed at providing all-
weather connectivity between four prominent Hindu shrines in Uttarakhand – Badrinath,
Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.
➢ Blod+: India’s First On-Demand Blood Platform

✓ Blod.in has unveiled its groundbreaking healthcare software and logistics platform, Blod+.
✓ This innovation aims to revolutionize blood management and delivery, addressing the alarming
issue of blood wastage in healthcare facilities across the country.
➢ Jal Itihas Utsav

✓ Ministry of Jal Shakti Celebrates Water Heritage in Delhi.
✓ Ministry of Jal Shakti's 'Jal Itihas Utsav' raises awareness on water heritage preservation and
historical structure restoration.
➢ World’s First Portable Hospital

✓ The World’s first portable hospital, ‘Aarogya Maitri Aid Cube’ was unveiled in Gurugram.
➢ Lead IT 2.0
✓ PM Modi launches LeadIT 2.0, prioritizing inclusive industry transition.

✓ The initiative aims to co-develop low-carbon tech and offer financial aid to emerging economies.
➢ Mera Gaon, Meri Dharohar

✓ The primary objective of MGMD is to make the wealth of information about Indian villages
accessible to both virtual and real-time visitors.
✓ This aligns with the broader goals of the National Mission on Cultural Mapping, reflecting the
government’s commitment to document and map the cultural diversity inherent in villages
across the country.
➢ India Joins UN’s ‘Race To Resilience’ At COP28
✓ India has taken a significant step towards addressing the challenges posed by climate change
by joining the United Nations’ ‘Race to Resilience‘ global campaign.
✓ The ‘Race to Resilience’ is a worldwide platform that aims to unite non-state actors, investors,
businesses, cities, regions, and civil society.
✓ The goal is to enhance the resilience of the most vulnerable communities to the impacts of
climate change by 2030.
➢ India's Fastest' Solar-Electric Boat “Barracuda”
✓ 'India's fastest' solar-electric boat “Barracuda” launched.

✓ Furthering the objective of eco-friendly maritime transportation, Barracuda was launched on
December 13 at the yard of Nevalt Solar and Electric Boats located near Aroor in Alappuzha.
➢ 58 Airports covered under “Krishi Udan” Scheme

✓ The Scheme was launched in 2020 on international and national routes to assist farmers in
transporting agricultural products to help improve their value realization.
✓ Krishi Udan Scheme 2.0 was also announced in 2021 focusing on transporting perishable food
products from the hilly areas, North Eastern States, and tribal areas.
➢ PM inaugurated Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2023

✓ PM Modi inaugurated Kashi Tamil Sangamam 2023 in Varanasi, launching multi-lingual and
braille translations of classic Tamil literature.
✓ The event celebrated the age-old connection between Tamil Nadu and Kashi, with PM
highlighting the shared cultural heritage.
➢ Lok Sabha passes Bill on CEC, EC appointment

✓ The Lok Sabha has passed the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners
(Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023. The Bill replaces the Election
Commission (Conditions of Service of Election Commissioners and Transaction of Business)
Act, 1991.
✓ Till the Supreme Court ruling, Election Commissioners and Chief Election Commissioners
(CECs) had been appointed by the President after recommendations by the government.

✓ According to the Bill, the search committee, headed by the Law Minister and comprising two
Union Secretaries, will shortlist five names for consideration of the selection committee for
appointment as the CEC and ECs.
✓ The selection committee, which would be headed by the Prime Minister and comprise a Union
Minister nominated by the Prime Minister, and the leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok
Sabha, will select members of the Election Commission.
➢ ‘Paat-Mitro’ App for Farmers

✓ The Jute Corporation of India has unveiled the ‘Paat-Mitro’ app aimed at aiding jute
cultivation and income generation.
➢ Three Criminal Code Bills
✓ These bills, namely the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and
the Bharatiya Sakshya Act, received parliamentary approval and are poised to replace the age-
old Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872.
✓ The trio of bills aims to redefine various offenses and their corresponding punishments.
✓ Notably, the legislation provides a clear definition of terrorism and introduces a novel section
titled “Offences Against the State.”
➢ 'Heal in India, Heal by India' Initiative

✓ India aims to extend medical facilities worldwide through the initiative, aligning
with the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.
➢ India’s First Hygienic Food Street ‘Prasadam’
✓ Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya recently inaugurated
‘Prasadam,’ the nation’s first healthy and hygienic food street, in a grand
ceremony at Neelkanth Van, Mahakal Lok, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.
➢ National Youth Festival

✓ Prime Minister will inaugurate the 27th National Youth Festival at Nashik
inMaharashtra.

✓ National Youth Day is celebrated every year to honour the ideals and thoughts
ofSwami Vivekananda.
✓ The theme of the National Youth Festival this year is
MYBharat-ViksitBharat@2047- By the Youth, For the Youth.
➢ India’s First Dark Sky Park

✓ The Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Maharashtra is India's first Dark Sky
Park within a tiger reserve for earmarking areas around the park that restrict light pollution
for stargazers to access pristine dark skies.
➢ 9th India International Science Festival

✓ Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh will inaugurate
the 9th India International Science Festival in Faridabad, Haryana.
➢ Asia’s Largest Aviation Expo ‘Wings India 2024’
India 2024, Asia’s largest aviation expo, at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad.
✓ The theme of Wings India 2024 is “Connecting India to the World in Amrit
Kaal:Setting the Stage for India Civil Aviation @2047”.
✓ The aim is to support a USD 20 trillion economy by 2047 with a robust aviation
system.
➢ Farsi As India’s New Classical Language

✓ In a noteworthy development aimed at strengthening cultural ties, the
Government of India, under the New Education Policy, has decided to
include Farsi (Persian) as one of the nine classical languages of India.
✓ Farsi, also known as Persian, is an Indo-Iranian language belonging to the Iranian
branch of the Indo-Iranian languages.
➢ ‘Hamara Samvidhan, Hamara Samman’ Campaign

✓ Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurates 'Hamara Samvidhan, Hamara
Samman' campaign for India's 75th Republic Year at Dr Ambedkar International
Centre.
✓ The nationwide initiative aims to reinforce commitment to constitutional

principles, instilling pride and responsibility among citizens.
➢ The Public Examinations (Prevention Of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024

✓ The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024, represents a
comprehensive legal framework aimed at safeguarding the integrity and fairnessof
public examinations across India.
✓ The bill is introduced to address and prevent the use of unfair means in public
examinations.
➢ Bharat Rice
✓ 'Bharat Rice' launched by the government at subsidized rates for consumers.
✓ The rice will be available in packs of 5 kg and 10 kg at a discounted rate of Rs 29

per kg.
➢ White Paper On Economy

✓ India’s Budget session has been prolonged by a day to accommodate the
unveiling of a “white paper” addressing alleged economic
mismanagement during the previous Congress-led UPA government.
✓ A white paper is an official government publication that typically outlines
policyproposals, often distinguished by its white cover.
✓ In the context of macroeconomic mismanagement in India, a white paper would
likely offer a comprehensive analysis of various facets of the country’s
macroeconomic policies, performance, and challenges.
➢ Abu Dhabi’s First Hindu Stone Temple
Speaking at the inauguration of the temple built by the Bochasanwasi Akshar

Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS),
➢ India’s First Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS)
✓ India is set to launch its first Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) from
Uttarakhand, marking a significant milestone in the country’s healthcare and
aviation sectors.
➢ Sudarshan Setu
✓ "Sudarshan Setu", the nation's longest cable-stayed bridge, inaugurated by PM

Modi in Gujarat
✓ He dedicated to the nation "Sudarshan Setu," the nation's longest signature-stayed

bridge, which is approximately 2.32 km long.
✓ The bridge at Dwarka, Gujarat, connects the mainland of Okha with the island
ofBeyt Dwarka. According to PM Modi, the nation is headed toward becoming
the world's fifth-largest economy.
➢ India Unveils Largest Solar-Battery Project
✓ The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has commissioned India’s largest
solar-battery energy storage system (BESS) in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh.
➢ PM Modi Launches Projects worth 48,100 cr.

✓ Facing his third Lok Sabha election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose Rajkot,

the city where he was first elected an MLA, to launch projects worth 48,100 crore
across the country.
✓ This included the inauguration of five All India Institutes of Medical Sciences
(AIIMS) in five States and India’s longest cable-stayed bridge at Dwarka in
Gujarat.
➢ Five AIIMS
✓ He inaugurated AIIMS at Rajkot in Gujarat and e-dedicated to the nation four
more AIIMS at Bathinda (Punjab), Rae Bareli (Uttar Pradesh), Kalyani (West
Bengal), and Mangalagiri (Andhra Pradesh).
➢ Country’s First indigenous Hydrogen Fuel Cell Ferry

✓ The vessel has been built at the Cochin Shipyard.
✓ It will make urban mobility smooth and easy, according to a release issued by the
Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL).
➢ Establishment Of International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)

✓ The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the
establishment of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) with its headquarters
based in India.
➢ 75,000-crore ‘Free Electricity’ Solar Scheme

✓ The Union Cabinet approved a 75,021-crore package for the ‘PM-Surya Ghar:
Muft Bijli Yojana’ (PM Free Electricity scheme) to promote rooftop solar (RTS)
installations in India.
✓ The scheme envisages providing 300 units of “free electricity” every month to one crore
households.
✓ The Centre will fund, an accompanying press statement from the Union Power
Ministry says, 60% of the cost for installing 2 kW (kilowatt) systems and 40% of the
cost for systems of 2-3 kW capacity.
➢ Chakshu
✓ This initiative aims to foster collaboration among stakeholders to combat the
misuse of telecom resources in cyber-crime and financial frauds.‘Chakshu’ is a
citizen-centric facility introduced on the Sanchar Saathi portal.
✓ It aims to empower individuals to report suspected fraud communications
received via various channels, including calls, SMS, or WhatsApp.
➢ India’s First Underwater Metro Train Service

✓ Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s pioneering underwater metro
train service in Kolkata, ushering in a landmark achievement in the nation’s
infrastructure and urban development.
✓ The service, which is a significant component of the Kolkata Metro’s East-West

corridor, is designed to enhance connectivity between Howrah and Salt Lake, the

twin cities of West Bengal’s capital.
➢ ‘NITI For States’ Platform

✓ Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is set to inaugurate the ‘NITI For States’
platform, a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) initiative by NITI Aayog, in New
Delhi.
✓ The platform aims to enhance policy development and promote exemplary
governance throughout the Indian states.
➢ South Eastern Coalfield Limited’s Gevra Mine

✓ South Eastern Coalfield Limited’s (SECL) Gevra mine, located in Chhattisgarh, is on
the verge of becoming the largest coal mine in Asia.
➢ IndiaAI Mission
✓ This initiative aims to create an all-Indian AI ecosystem from scratch, bolstering
India’s technological prowess and fostering innovation in AI.
✓ IndiaAI will focus on developing safe and “responsible” AI initiatives through
indigenous software frameworks, government guidelines, and proper guardrails.
➢ World’s 2nd Largest Producer of Mobile Phones

✓ India is now the world’s 2nd largest producer of mobile phones.
➢ Jal Ministry launches "Jal Shakti Abhiyan : Catch the Rain 2024"
✓ Themed "Nari Shakti se Jal Shakti," the campaign underscores the pivotal role of
women in water conservation and management.
✓ The campaign aims to raise awareness and promote sustainable water practices.
➢ Centre Notifies CAA Rules Ahead of Polls

✓ Just days ahead of the announcement of Lok Sabha election, the Union Home
Ministry on Monday notified the Citizenship Amendment Rules, 2024 that would
enable the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) passed by
Parliament in 2019.
✓ Though the law facilitates citizenship to undocumented people belonging to Hindu,
Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi, Christian, and Jain communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh
and Afghanistan, the rules state that applicants will have to provide six types of
documents and specify the “date of entry” into India.

➢ India’s First Integrated Oil Palm Processing Unit
✓ Situated in Arunachal Pradesh’s Roing, this project aligns with Mission Palm Oil
under the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP).
➢ PM Launches Portal for Marginalised Sections

✓ Prime Minister launched the Pradhan Mantri Samajik Utthan evam Rozgar
Adharit Jankalyan (PM-SURAJ) portal for credit support to entrepreneurs
fromdisadvantaged sections of society virtually on Wednesday.
✓ PM gives you this guarantee – this campaign of development and respect for the
deprived class will intensify in the coming five years.”
Saksham App
✓ Saksham App has been launched by the Election Commission of India.
SakshamApp will facilitate easier voting for Persons with Disabilities
50 years of Chipko Movement

✓ The Chipko movement, which began in Uttarakhand (Chamoli Gopeshwar)
inearly 1973, marks its 50th anniversary.
➢ World’s First Om-Shaped Temple Inaugurated in Rajasthan

✓ The world’s first-ever temple designed in the iconic Om shape has been
inaugurated in the village of Jadan, Pali district, Rajasthan.
➢ 60 Traditional Products - GI Tag

✓ This is the first time that such a large number of products have been given the GI tag at one
go, a senior official from the Geographical Indications Registry said, adding that more States
were coming forward and filing applications to get a GI tag for their traditional products.
➢ Central Equipment Identity Register System (CEIR)

✓ As many as 1,580 lost or stolen mobile phones have been successfully recovered, thanks to
the Central Equipment Identity Register System (CEIR) which was introduced last year.
✓ It also facilitates reporting, blocking, unblocking, and tracing of IMEI (International Mobile
Equipment Identity) numbers for lost or stolen mobile devices across the country.
➢ India’s Nuclear Energy Roadmap: Achieving 1 Lakh MW by 2047

✓ In line with its ambitions for a sustainable energy future, India aims to ramp up its nuclear
power production significantly, targeting a capacity of 1 lakh MW by 2047.
➢ IRDAI Removes Age Bar for Purchasing Health Insurance

✓ The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has removed the age
limit for purchasing health insurance policies, with effect from April 1.
✓ Earlier, there was an age limit of 65 years to buy new health insurance policies. The IRDAI’s
latest move is aimed at bringing in extended health benefits to senior citizens.
➢ Shompen Cast their Vote for the First Time

✓ For the first time, members of the Shompen, one of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups
(PVTGs) in the country and who reside in the dense tropical rain forests of the Great Nicobar

island, on Friday took part in the election process by casting their votes in the Andaman and
Nicobar Lok Sabha constituency.
✓ The estimated population of Shompen was 229, as per the 2011 Census data.
➢ India’s First Multi-Purpose Green Hydrogen Pilot Project

✓ India’s First Multi-Purpose Green Hydrogen Pilot Project Inaugurated in Himachal Pradesh.
✓ It will be located at the 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power Station (NJHPS) in Jhakri,
Himachal Pradesh.
✓ The project, which is being led by Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN), wants to make green
hydrogen using clean energy sources.
SCHEMES
PM Kisan Bhai Scheme

✓ The scheme has two components – WRS and PRI.
✓ WRS provides farmers with a subsidy of 4 per quintal per month for storing their crops in
scientifically built warehouses for up to three months.
✓ PRI reduces the interest rate on pledge finance availed against eNegotiable Warehouse
Receipts (eNWRs) traded via the eNational Agriculture Market (eNAM) platform or other
registered e-trading platforms.
➢ Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra

The core objective of the Viksit Bharat Yatra is to raise awareness and facilitate the delivery of
welfare scheme benefits to the vulnerable population
➢ Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan

✓ A comprehensive initiative aimed at addressing the challenges faced by Particularly
Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
✓ The Ministry of Ayush plays a pivotal role in the PM-JANMAN initiative by establishing
Ayush Wellness Centres in line with existing norms.
✓ These wellness centres aim to provide traditional Ayush healthcare facilities to PVTG
habitations.
➢ ‘NAMO Drone Didi’ Scheme: Drones For Women’s Self-Help Groups

✓ Aims to empower 15,000 women Self Help Groups (SHGs) by providing drones for
agricultural purposes.
➢ MSME Ministry Unveils 3 RAMP Sub-Schemes

✓ The MSME Green Investment and Financing for Transformation Scheme (MSE GIFT
Scheme) is designed to propel enterprises towards adopting green technology.
✓ The MSE Scheme for Promotion and Investment in Circular Economy (MSE SPICE
Scheme), marks the government’s first-ever support for circular economy projects.
✓ In a move to modernize dispute resolution processes, the MSME Ministry introduced the
MSE Scheme on Online Dispute Resolution for Delayed Payments.
❖ PRITHVI VIGYAN Scheme

✓ Its objectives include: Strengthening the continuousmonitoring of the Earth’s
atmosphere, oceans, geosphere, cryosphere, and solid earth to track and
record essential changes.
❖ Pradhanmantri Suryodaya Yojana
✓ PM Modi Launches Sunrise Scheme To Install Solar Panels In 10 Million
Households.
✓ The initiative, named ‘Pradhanmantri Suryodaya Yojana,’ seeks to propel India

o towards self-reliance in the energy sector while benefitting the common citizens.
✓ The initiative is poised to empower households across India by enabling them to
generate their electricity through rooftop solar systems.
✓ By installing solar panels on one crore houses, the government aims to alleviate
the financial burden on the poor and middle class while fostering sustainability
and self-sufficiency in the energy domain.
Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana

✓ For the micro and small enterprises operating in the fisheries sector.
➢ PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana

✓ Aimed at fostering a greener future and facilitating the nation’s march towards
energy self-sufficiency, this initiative is set to revolutionize the energy landscapeof India
➢ Launches World’s Largest Grain Storage Scheme: Strengthening Cooperative Sector

The pilot project for the ‘World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative Sector’, expansion of PACS,
and digital transformation aim to enhance food security, economic development, and governance,
benefiting millions of farmers
NIKSHAY POSHAN YOJANA
The financial assistance is provided for the entire course of the anti-TB treatment
➢ Tamil Nadu Launches ‘Neengal Nalama’ Scheme

✓ A beneficiary outreach program aimed at reviewing the implementation of flagship
schemes and addressing the grievances of the public.
ONE VILLAGE ONE CROP SCHEME
• Demonstrations would be conducted on 5 to 10 acres in each village, focusing on one

crop per village, to spread awareness
➢ Mannuyir Kaathu Mannuyir Kaappom Scheme (CM MK MKS)

✓ Aimed at improving soil quality, and moving towards sustainable and chemical-free
agricultural practices for the well-being of society.
INTERNATIONAL
➢ ASEAN India Millet Festival 2023
✓ The Indian Mission to ASEAN in collaboration with Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’
Welfare is organizing the ASEAN-India Millet Festival 2023, in Indonesia
➢ India To Chair International Sugar Organisation
➢ Green Credit Initiative at COP-28

✓ The green credits initiative has been launched by PM Modi at COP28.
✓ The initiatives aim to encourage the plantations.
✓ The Green Credit Program is a "market-based mechanism designed to encourage voluntary
environmental actions in a variety of sectors by various stakeholders such as individuals,
communities, private sector industries, and companies.
➢ ‘UAE Consensus’
In Dubai, nations reached for a landmark agreement, the ‘UAE Consensus’ that calls for a
transition away from fossil fuels to achieve net zero by 2050
➢ International Year of Camelids

✓ The UN has designated 2024 as the International Year of Camelids.
➢ Gelephu Project
✓ Gelephu Smart City Project is expected to be an “economic corridor connecting South Asia
with Southeast Asia via India’s northeastern States”.
✓ The project is expected to include “zero emission” industries, a “mindfulness city” that plays
to Bhutan’s strength in tourism and wellness, as well as infrastructure companies.
✓ The Government of India agrees to construct the first India-Bhutan railway line to Gelephu.
➢ Eurasian Economic Union (EaEU)

✓ Free trade agreement (FTA) talks between India and the five-member Eurasian Economic
Union (EaEU), headed by Russia, are expected to commence soon.
➢ International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC)

✓ INSTC is a 7,200-km long multi-mode network of ship, rail, and road routes.
✓ The route primarily involves moving freight from India, Iran, Azerbaijan, and the
Russian Federation via ship, rail, and road.
✓ The primary objective of the INSTC project is to reduce costs in terms of time and
money over the traditional route currently being used.
✓ INSTC facilitates smoother transportation of goods, fostering economic
growth and enhancing connectivity between the member countries.
➢ Germany Overtakes Japan As Third-Largest Economy
➢ 32nd member of NATO

✓ Sweden has officially become the 32 member of NATO.
➢ Russian Presidential Elections

✓ For the fifth time, Vladimir Putin won the Russian Presidential Elections. Russian
President Vladimir Putin won the Presidential Elections for the fifth time.
✓ He got another six-year term with 87 per cent of the vote. The other candidatesgot

less than 5 per cent votes.
✓ Communist candidate Nikolai Kharitonov finished second and Vladislav
Davankov came third.
➢ India, EU Launch Initiative for EV Start-ups

✓ The European Union (EU) and India launched an Expression of Interest (EOI) for startups
working in Battery Recycling Technologies for Electric Vehicles (EVs) for a matchmaking
event.
✓ The matchmaking aims to enhance the cooperation between European and Indian Small and
Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and startups in the clean and green technologies sector.
➢ UK’s First Woman High Commissioner to India
INDIA AND OTHER COUNTRIES
INDIA AND OTHER AGREEMENT

COUNTRIES
India and the UK a. Young Professionals Scheme allow degree-holding
Indian nationals to live and work in Britain for up to two
years.
b. India and the United Kingdom - have agreed to create

‘India-UK NET zero innovation virtual centre’
c. The 12th Round of Ministerial India-UK Economic and

Financial Dialogue was held in New Delhi.
India and Australia 1. Australia-based Deakin and Wollongong - will be the
first foreign universities to set up campuses in India.
2. The two Australian universities will soon establish

campuses in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City
(GIFT City) in Gandhinagar
3. India- Australia 2+2 Dialogue

India and Bangladesh India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline (IBFP) will supply up to
1 million tonnes per annum of diesel from Numaligarh in
Assam to Bangladesh.
✓ The MoU on Digital Payment was signed

between NPCI and Bangladesh Bank.
✓ Developmental projects are the Akhaura-

Agartala cross-border rail link, the Khulna-
Mongla port rail line, and unit II of the Maitree
super thermal power plant.
India and Malaysia The Ministry of External Affairs declared that trade between India
and Malaysia can now be conducted using the Indian Rupee (INR) as
a mode of settlement, in addition to other currencies.
India and Sudan ‘Operation Kaveri’ to evacuate close to 3,000 Indian citizens stranded
in Sudan.
India and Israel 1. The Government of Israel - is partnering with India
through Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M)
to establish an India-Israel Center of Water Technology
(CoWT) in water resources management and water
technologies.
2. India has launched Operation Ajay to facilitate the

return from Israel of its citizens who wish to return
India and Myanmar ✓ “Operation Karuna” to provide humanitarian assistance to

Cyclone Mocha-hit Myanmar.
India and Nepal ✓ Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop the

Phukot Karnali Hydro-Electric Project in Nepal.
✓
India and United 1. India – has become the newest partner in the US-led
States Mineral Security Partnership (MSP).
2. India-US hi-tech handshake event at the White House in

Washington and the thematic focus of the Forum was on
‘AI for All’ and ‘Manufacturing for Mankind’.
3. Indo-US Task Force to Boost Electronics Trade to $100

Billion by 2033
4. India and the United States have taken a significant step

to boost collaboration among startups and promote
innovation through a memorandum of understanding
(MoU)
India and Japan ✓ Memorandum for semiconductor design, manufacturing,
equipment research, talent development and to bring
resilience in the semiconductor supply chain.
India and Italy ✓ They signed two agreements: the Mobility and
Migration Partnership Agreement and the Cultural
Exchange Programme.
India and Bhutan ✓ It was decided to undertake the Final Location Survey
(FLS), in consultation with the Bhutanese side, of the
proposed cross-border rail link connecting Kokrajhar
in Assam to Gelephu in Bhutan through Indian
support, according to a joint statement issued after the
talks.
✓ India will provide support of ten thousand crore rupees
to Bhutan over the next five years.
India and Brazil ✓ India and Brazil First-Ever ‘2+2’ Dialogue
✓ India and Brazil conducted their first-ever ‘2+2’ defence
and foreign ministerial
dialogue, discussing cooperation in key areas
CONFERENCE AND SUMMITS
CONFERENCE AND VENUE THEME / OBJECTIVE

SUMMITS
➢ Umagine Chennai 2023 Chennai Asia’s largest summit on technology and innovation
➢ First National Conference of ✓ , CM Stalin has urged the central

the All India Federation for government to carry out a caste-based
Social Justice census in the country to ensure social
justice and to streamline reservation for
minority populations.
➢ International Conference on Semmenche ✓ theme is 'the New Historicist Study to
Tamil Studies ri, Chennai rewrite the history of the Tamils, Tamil
Organised by Language, Literature, Culture and
International Civilization based on Tamil Classics and
Association of Tamil revaluations of early and recent
Research (IATR) excavations and finding in Keezhadi and
other scientific evidences of the Sangam
period'.
➢ Conference for Rejuvenation Gandhi ‘Water Man’ of India, Rajendra Singh – launched a
of Vaigai river Memorial 10-year plan for rejuvenating the Vaigai river
Museum in
Madurai.
➢ G-20 Ministerial Summit on Gandhinagar Women-Led Development: ensuring a sustainable,

Women Empowerment inclusive, and equitable global economic growth”.
➢ 43rd ASEAN Summit Jakarta, ✓ To reaffirm their commitment to regional
Indonesia, at cooperation, address common challenges,
the Jakarta
Convention and chart a course for a more prosperous and
Center resilient ASEAN community
➢ BRICS summit 2023 Johannesbur • BRICS Summit 2023 Theme: BRICS and Africa:
g, South Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth,
Africa Sustainable Development and Inclusive
Multilateralism
➢ World Sustainable New Delhi, Focused on the umbrella theme: Mainstreaming
Development India Sustainable Development and Climate Resilience
Summit (WSDS) 2023 for Collective Action
➢ G7 summit 2023 Hiroshima, ✓ to discussed over a range of issues that
Japan include Russia’s war on Ukraine, energy and
food supply concerns and the global economy
➢ UN 2023 Water UN ✓ To accelerate the progress on water related
Conference Headquarter goals and targets worldwide
s, New York,
USA
➢ AI Safety Summit Bletchley ✓ The agreement pledges to work together to
2023 Park,United assess the risks associated with artificial
Kingdom intelligence
➢ 14th International Copenhagen ✓ The theme of the summit is ‘Torture and
Conference of NHRIs , Denmark other ill-treatment: The role of NHRIs.’
➢ Conference On ➢ New ✓ The event will focus on India’s journey in the
‘Aerospace And Delh field over the last 75 years, showcasing the
Aviation In 2047’ i. achievements, technological advancements,
and the role of great visionaries
➢ 2nd Voice Of Global Virtual ✓ “Together for Everyone’s Growth with
South Summit gathering Everyone’s Trust.”
hosted by
India
➢ Global Fisheries Ahmedabad. ✓ Theme: Celebrating Fisheries and
Conference India Aquaculture Wealth.
2023
➢ India-Nordic Baltic New Delhi ✓ Business Conclave

Business Summit
➢ Global Partnership on New Delhi

Artificial Intelligence
➢ 27th WAIPA World New Delhi ✓ “Empowering Investors: IPAs Pioneering
Investment Future Growth.”
Conference

➢ 9th NAM Summit In Kampala, ✓ Theme ‘Deepening Cooperation for Shared
Uganda GlobalAffluence
Perth, ✓ Theme : “Towards a Stable and

➢ 7th Indian Ocean Australia SustainableIndian Ocean”.
Conference
➢ 60th Munich Security Germany

Conference
INDUS-X Summit New Delhi The India-U.S. Defence Acceleration

Ecosystem (INDUS-X)
BioAsia Summit 2024 Hyderabad, The theme for current year summit is
India “Transforming Life Sciences with Data andAI”
➢ World Future Energy Abu Dhabi ✓ The summit aims to foster dialogue on
Summit key issues like global climate action,
renewable energy, energy security, and
sustainable development.
➢ International Conference New Delhi.

on Disaster Resilient
Infrastructure
➢ Critical Minerals New Delhi. ✓ The summit will bring together a diverse
Summit array of Indian and international
stakeholders, including industry leaders,
startups, government officials, scientists,
academics, and policy experts.

DEFENCE EXERCISES
EXERCISES BETWEEN
➢ Joint Military Exercise DUSTLIK India and Uzbekistan
➢ Air Exercise Veer Guardian India and Japan
➢ Army Exercise “Cyclone-I” India and Egypt
➢ Exercise CORPAT and Indian and Bangladesh Navies
BONGOSAGAR
➢ Exercise MITRA SHAKTI India – Sri Lanka
➢ Exercise VAJRA PRAHAR The Indian Army and the US Army
Special Forces.
➢ Military Exercise Surya India and Nepal

Kiran- XVII
➢ VINBAX The Indian and Vietnamese Armies
➢ Exercise Dosti-16 India, Maldives & Sri Lanka
➢ Maritime Partnership Exercise 1. INS Sahyadri of Indian Navy and UK's
RFA Argus and Lyme Bay
2. growing bilateral defence cooperation
between India and UK.

➢ Desert Cyclone 2024 India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
➢ Joint Exercise ‘Sahyog Kaijin’
The Indian and Japanese Coast Guards
➢ Ex-Ayutthaya The Indian Navy and Royal Thai Navy (RTN)
➢ Exercise KHANJAR India-Kyrgyzstan
➢ EX- DESERT KNIGHT ✓ the Indian Air Force (IAF)
conducted Exercise Desert Knight
along with the French Air and
Space Force (FASF) and the United
Arab Emirates(UAE) Air Force.
India and Malaysia
➢ Exercise Samudra Laksamana

➢ Exercise ‘Bharat-Shakti’ The three forces of India – Army, Navy, and
Air Force
➢ Exercise “Sea Defenders The Indian Coast Guard has extensive

interactions with the US Coast Guard,
➢ Exercise “LAMITIYE-2024” ✓ India and Seychelles.
“EX TIGER TRIUMPH – 24” India-US Joint Military Exercise

➢ Exercise TRILAT-2024 ( maritime India- Mozambique-Tanzania Trilateral Exercise
exercise )

DEFENCE
DEFENCE PURPOSE / PLACE COUNTRY /

ORGANISATION
➢ Surat ➢ the First Navy Warship Named ➢ Mazagon
After a City in Gujarat Dock Limited
in Mumbai.
➢ Saab ➢ Sweden's Saab has become
the first foreign company to
bag 100% FDI in India's
Defence projects.
➢ INS Sandhayk ➢ The first in a series of four survey Garden Reach
ships being constructed by GRSE Shipbuilders and
for the navy Engineers (GRSE) Ltd
➢ voluntary initiative that seeks to Indian Navy
➢ 8th Edition Of increase maritime cooperation
Indian Ocean among navies of the littoral states
Naval of the Indian Ocean Region
Symposim
➢ Ugram ➢ Indigenous Assault Rifle DRDO
➢ Astra Missile ➢ air-to-air missile DRDO
➢ Operation ✓ to eliminate terrorists operating INDIAN ARMY

Sarvashakti in the sensitive Rajouri Poonch
sector.
➢ Gagan Shakti ✓ The exercise involves all air force INDIAN AIR FORCE
bases and assets scattered across
the country.
➢ Agni-Prime ✓ New generation ballistic missile DRDO and Strategic
called ‘Agni-Prime’. Forces Command (SFC)
➢ Sagar Kavach ✓ exercise involved the participation Indian Navy, Indian

of all maritime security agencies, Coast Guard, Marine
Police, Fisheries,
Customs, and other
security agencies.
➢ Man Portable Anti- DRDO
tank Guided Missile
(MPATGM) Weapon
System
➢ Operation Meghdoot ✓ Operation Meghdoot was the code- INDIAN ARMY

name for the Indian Armed Forces
operation to capture the Siachen
Glacier, a strategically crucial region
dominating Northern Ladakh.

➢ BrahMos Missiles ✓ India Delivers First Batch of
BrahMos Missiles to
Philippines
➢ ‘Poorvi Leher’ Mega ✓ Indian Navy Conducts ‘Poorvi INDIAN NAVY
Exercise Leher’ Mega Exercise to Test
Maritime Preparedness.
➢ High-Speed Low long-range supersonic air-to- The Indian Air Force
Drag-Mark 2 Missile ground missile (IAF) and Indian Navy
ECONOMY
➢ GST Collections Reach 1.72 Lakh Crore - October

✓ In October, India witnessed a significant rebound in its Gross Goods and Services Tax (GST)
collections, reaching a 10-month high of 1.72 lakh crore.
➢ Fitch Upgrades India’s Mid-Term GDP Growth Forecast to 6.2%

✓ Fitch, a rating agency, has revised India’s GDP growth projection for the mid-term from 5.5%
to 6.2%, reflecting confidence in India’s economic potential.
➢ India’s GDP Surpasses $4 Trillion Mark: A Historic Milestone

✓ In a significant economic achievement, India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has crossed
the $4 trillion mark in nominal terms.
➢ TN Ranks Fourth in attracting FDI

✓ Tamil Nadu ranks fourth in attracting FDI in the period between Oct 2019 and September
2023, after Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat.
➢ Indian economy to grow 6.3% in FY24 and FY25: IMF

✓ Indian economy is likely to log 6.3% growth in FY24 and FY25 on the back of macroeconomic
and financial stability, according to the International Monetary Fund’s Executive Board.
➢ India As Third Largest Economy By 2032

✓ The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) has recently released a ground-
breaking report projecting India’s trajectory as the preeminent global economic superpower
by the close of the century.
➢ India - 2nd largest producer of Steel in the World

✓ India’s Steel Sector records remarkable growth and emerges as the 2nd largest global
producer.
➢ Strong Growth In GST Collections: 1.65-Lakh Crore

✓ In a significant economic development, Goods and Services Tax (GST)
collections for December 2023 reached 1,64,882 crore, marking a notable
10.28% surge compared to the 1,49,507 crore collected in the same month the
previous year.
➢ India’s GST Collection – February 2024

India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection witnessed a significant surge of12.5% year-
on-year, reaching Rs 1.68 lakh crore in February, as stated by the government
➢ Morgan Stanley Raises India GDP Growth Forecast to 6.8%

✓ Morgan Stanley has increased its GDP growth forecast for India for the financial
year 2024-25 (FY25) to 6.8%, up from the previous estimate of 6.5%.
✓
➢ IMF Raises India’s GDP Growth Projection to 6.8%
➢ World Bank Projects India’s Economy

✓ The Indian economy is projected to grow at 7.5 per cent in 2024, the World Bank has said,
revising its earlier projections for the same period by 1.2 per cent.
APPOINTMENTS
PERSON POSITION/DESIGNATION
Brand ambassador of ICC World Cup 2023 Bollywood actor Shah Rukh
Khan
Chairperson of the National Green Tribunal(NGT) Justice Prakash Shrivastava
Central Vigilance Commissioner Praveen Kumar Srivastava
New director of the Central Bureau of Investigation Praveen Sood
(CBI)
Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission Manoj Soni
(UPSC)
New CEO of NITI Aayog BVR Subrahmanyam
Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Heeralal Samariya
Director of Special Protection Group ( SPG ) Alok Sharma
First woman Director General of the Indian Council of Kanchan Devi

Forestry Research Education (ICFRE)
CM of Telangana Revanth Reddy
India’s New Vice Chief Of Navy Staff Dinesh Tripathi
chief of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Nina Singh First Woman CISF
Chief
Chief Executive Officer of the Indian Olympic Raghuram Iyer

Association
India’s WTO Ambassador Senthil Pandian C
Lokpal Chairperson Justice A.M. Khanwilkar
First women sniper of BSF Suman Kumari

Nominated to RajyaSabha Sudha Murty
New Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir
Singh Sandhu
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar
Chief of National Investigation Agency ( NIA ) Sadanand Vasant Date
IG in Special Protection Group IPS Officer Love Kumar
Joint Director of CBI Anurag Kumar
Next Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Dinesh Kumar
Tripathi
AWARDS
AWARDS / PRIZES PERSON / ORGANISATION

Jnanpith Awards 2019: Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri
2020/21: Nilamani Phookan
2022: Damodar Mauzo
British Academy Book Prize Nandini Das for her debut book, ‘Courting India:
England, Mughal India, and the Origins of Empire.
Wildlife Photographer of the A 10 year-old-Bangalore kid, Vihaan Talya Vikas, won
Year the Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPY)
competition in the under-10 category.
Global Responsible Tourism Kerala
Award 2023
Lifetime Disturbing The Peace Salman Rushdie

Award
JCB Prize for Literature Perumal Murugan, for Literature for his novel, Fire Bird, an
English translation of his Tamil novel Aalanda Patchi.
Indira Gandhi Peace Prize Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Trained
Nurses Association of India (TNAI) as
representatives of the Covid warriors in the country
2023 Booker Prize Irish author Paul Lynch for his novel Prophet Song
Golden Peacock for Best Film at 'Endless Borders' directed by Abbas Amini
IFFI54
Nansen Award Abdullahi Mire has been named the winner of the
UNHRC’s prestigious Nansen Award
SKOCH Gold Award 2023 The Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL)
Légion d’Honneur’ (National Lalithambika VR , for her engagement in space

Order of the Legion of Honour) cooperation between France and India.
Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts Arshia Sattar

et des Lettres (Knight of the
Order of Arts and Letters)
Qatar WISE Prize 2023 Safeena Husain

Best Youth Athlete at APC Sheetal Devi
Awards
35th Jimmy George Foundation Olympian M. Sreeshankar
Award
Karmaveer Chakra Medal-2023 Hemachandran Ravikumar

“Order of Merit of the Italian Kabir Bedi
Republic” (Merito della
Repubblica Italiana)
2023 Indira Gandhi Peace Prize Ali Abu Awwad and Daniel Barenboim.
Nyholm Prize For Chemistry Professor Savita Ladage
Education Excellence
Miss India USA 2023 Rijul MainiS
Golden Bengal Tiger Award 1. The 29th Kolkata International Film Festival
(KIFF) concluded with a momentous highlight
as the Israeli film ‘Children of Nobody‘
secured the prestigious Golden Royal Bengal
Tiger Award for Best Film.
2. The movie, written and directed by Erez-

Tadmor from Tel-Aviv
Bhutan’s National Order of Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh
Merit Gold Medal
Leif Erikson Lunar Prize ISRO for Chandrayaan-3 Mission.
Sahitya Akademi Award 2023 Rajasekaran @ Devi Bharathi , For his novel Neervazhi
Padooum and this novel talks about barbers in Kongu
region
UNESCO Awards Spotlight 1. Rambagh Gate and Ramparts in Amritsar,
Indian Heritage Conservation Punjab
Efforts 2. The Church of Epiphany in Haryana
3. Bikaner House in Delhi
UNESCO’s ‘Most Beautiful Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA)
Airports’ Terminal 2 (T2)
Rabindranath Tagore Literary Sukrita Paul Kumar for her book, “Salt & Pepper:
Prize Selected Poems”.
ISAE Fellow for 2023 Dr. P. Indira Devi

John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Dr Gagandeep Kang
Health Award
World Literary Prize Mamta G. Sagar
South Asian Person of the Year by Avantika Vandanapu
Harvard
Asunta Lakra Award Deepika Soreng
Maa. Aranganathan Memorial Tamil scholars Thea. Gnanasundaram and K.V.
Awards Balasubramaniam
Aryabhatta Award Pavuluri Subba Rao

Prestigious Goldman Alok Shukla
Environmental Prize 2024
(Green Nobel Prize)
Nobel Prize 2023 Winners
Sl.No Field Nobel Prize Given For

Winners 2023
1 Physiology or ▪ Katalin Karikó ▪ For their discoveries concerning
Medicine nucleoside base modifications that
▪ Drew Weissman enabled the development of
effective mRNA vaccines against
COVID-19
2 Physics ▪ Pierre Agostini ▪ For experimental methods that
generate attosecond pulses of light
▪ Ferenc Krausz for the study of electron dynamics
in matter”
▪ Anne L’Huillier
3 Chemistry ▪ Moungi ▪ For the discovery and synthesis
Bawendi of quantum dots
▪ Louis Brus
▪ Alexei Ekimov
4 Literature ▪ Jon Fosse ▪ For his innovative plays and
prose which give voice to the
unsayable
5 Nobel Peace Prize ▪ Narges ▪ For her fight against the
Mohammadi oppression of women in Iran and
her fight to promote human rights
and freedom for all.
6 Nobel Prize in ▪ Claudia Goldin ▪ For having advanced our
Economic Sciences understanding of women’s labour
market outcomes.
➢ 77th Independence Day Awards – TN
Award Name Recipient

Thakaisal Tamil Award Dr. K. Veeramani
ABJ. Abdul Kalam Award Dr. W.B. Vasantha Gandaswamy
Kalpana Chawla Award for Courage Na. Muthamishelvi
and Adventure
Chief Minister’s Good Governance Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency
Award Dr. E. Theranirajan
W. Badrinarayanan
Tamilnadu Government Awards for T. Jayakumar – Best Doctor
outstanding service to the differently Shanthi Nilayam – Best institution
abled Ratan Vidyaakar – Best social worker

M/S Teddy Exports – Best Private
employer
Ramanathapuram Central cooperative
bank – best district central cooperative
bank
Outstanding contribution to social Village light – Welfare of women Best
welfare and outstanding service D. Stanley Peter – Great Social Worker
Best Corporations Tiruchirappalli
Tambaram
Best Municipal Corporation Rameswaram
Thiruthurapoondi
Mannargudi
Best Municipalities Vikravandi, Villupuram, Alangudi,
Pudukottai, Veerakalputur, Salem
PERSONALITIES
Hurun India Philanthropy List 2023
✓ HCLTech founder Shiv Nadar and his family have retained the top spot on the EdelGive
Hurun India Philanthropy List 2023.
➢ Shital Mahajan
✓ Indian skydiver Shital Mahajan jumped off a helicopter from the height of 21,500 ft in front
of the world’s highest peak, Mt Everest.
✓ She became the first woman to do so.
➢ Miss Universe 2023
✓ Sheynnis Palacios from Nicaragua crowned Miss Universe 2023
➢ Four Indian women - BBC 100 Women 2023 List

✓ Indian actress Dia Mirza, cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur, photographer Arati Kumar
Rao, and Tibetan Buddhist nun Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo are among the women who have
been selected for the BBC 100 Women 2023 list.
➢ Akshata Krishnamurthy
✓ Dr. Akshata Krishnamurthy is the first Indian citizen to operate the Mars Perseverance
rover.
✓ She currently works for NASA as the mission science phase lead for the NASA-ISRO
Synthetic Aperture Radar.
➢ 4 Indians among Forbes list of ‘World’s 100 Most Powerful Women’

Of 2023

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, HCL Corporation Chairperson Roshni Nadar
Malhotra, Steel Authority Of India Chairperson Soma Mondal and Biocon Executive
Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
➢ Army’s First Woman Subedar

✓ Shooter Preeti Rajak becomes Army’s first woman Subedar.
➢ First Transwoman TTE of Southern Railway
Sindhu Ganapathy, 37, has emerged as the first transwoman Travelling Ticket Examiner
(TTE) of Southern Railway
➢ Miss World 2024

✓ Krystyna Pyszková of the Czech Republic has been crowned the 71st Miss World in a
grand ceremony held in Mumbai.
➢ National Person with Disability (PwD) Icon

✓ Sheetal Devi has been announced by Election Commission as its National Person
with Disability (PwD) Icon.
➢ Bilquis Mir
✓ The First Indian Woman on the Paris Olympics Jury.
✓ Bilquis Mir, a canoeist from Jammu and Kashmir, will be the first woman from India to serve
on a jury for her country at the Summer Olympics in Paris.
Obituaries
Name of the Personality Field / Key Points

Profession
Bishan Singh Bedi Cricketers Legendary left-arm Spinner and Former
Indian Captain
Honored with the Padma Shri In 1970

Mankombu Sambasivan Agriculturist He is known as the father of the Green
Swaminathan or M.S. Revolution in India. He also received
Swaminathan the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1971
and the Albert Einstein World Science
Award in 1986.
N Valarmathi ISRO scientist She lent her voice to countdowns
announcement for the launch of
Chandrayaan-3 from Sriharikota.
Leela Omchery classical She was the head of the music
musician department at Delhi University for 28
years. She also translated literary
works from Tamil, such as Kalki’s
Parthiban Kanavu.

N. Sankaraiah communist Elected to the state assembly thrice in
leader 1967, 1977, and 1980, he also served as
the CPI-M state secretary of Tamil
Nadu from 1995 to 2002.
Justice Fathima Beevi Supreme India's first woman judge of the

Court Judge Supreme Court
Dr. SS Badrinath Founder and founder of one of India's biggest

Chairman of charitable eye hospitals, Sankara
Sankara Nethralaya, in Chennai.
Nethralaya
Dr. V Mohini Giri women’s She was awarded Padma Bhushan in
rights activist 2007 for her work in the field of women’s
rights.
Vijayakanth Actor-turned- Transitioning to politics, he successfully

politician led DMDK, allying with AIADMK in
2011, and secured the position of Leader
of the Opposition
Doctor Discovered India’s first oral

Dr. Nitya Anand contraceptive pill ‘Saheli’
British Peter Higgs gained fame for the
Peter Higgs Physicist discovery of ‘Higgs-Boson Particle’ i.e.
‘God Particle’
Sudhir Kakar Renowned Father of Indian Psychology
writer,
cultural critic
BOOKS AND AUTHORS
BOOK AUTHOR / Description

Snakes, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll Snakeman of India' Romulus Whitaker's
memoir and it published by
HarperCollins India.
‘Pranab, My Father: A Daughter Sharmishtha Mukherjee
Remembers’
BOOK
AUTHOR/DESCRIPTION
➢ India's Moment: Changing Power
Equations Around the World Dr.Mohan Kumar

➢ Breaking The Mould:
Reimagining India’s Economic Raghuram Rajan and Rohit Lamba
Future
➢ Maha Kavithai Vairamuthu and the book explores the
five elements- soil, wind, fire, sky, and
water.
“Four Stars of Destiny: An Manoj Mukund Naravane
Autobiography.”
➢ “Gandhi: A Life in Three Campaigns” M.J. Akbar, with co- author K. Natwar
Singh. The book examines Mahatma
Gandhi’s pivotal roles in three major
movements: the Non-Cooperation
Movement (1920), the Salt Satyagraha
(1930), and the Quit India Movement
(1942), underlining their significant
impact in undermining British rule in
India.
Conversations With Aurangzeb novel by Tamil literary icon Charu
Nivedita, translated into English by
Nandini Krishnan
Assam’s Braveheart Lachit Barphukan’ Union Home Minister and Minister of
Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, released the
book
An illustrated guideto the Lepidoptera Authored by Dhriti Banerjee and it is

of India: taxonomic procedures, family published by Zoological Survey of
characters, diversity and distribution India
➢ ‘The Idea of Democracy’ Sam Pitroda
➢ "Knife" British-American author Salman Rushdie

releases his memoir
➢ India’s Nuclear Titans The book traces the evolution of India
into a nuclear state while highlighting
the pivotal roles played by renowned
figures like Homi Bhabha, Vikram
Sarabhai, Abdul Kalam, and K.
Subrahmanyam, among othersand
edited by Soumya Awasthi and
Shrabana Barua
➢ The Winner’s Mindset Shane Watson.
SCIENCE, ENVIRONMENT & TECHNOLOGY
➢ India 4th Country landed Successfully on Moon

✓ India successfully landed its Chandrayaan-3 mission on the lunar surface on August 23, 2023,
making it the fourth country to do so after the United States, Russia, and China.
✓ The lander Vikram touched down on the south pole of the moon, a region that has never
been explored before.
✓ The rover Pragyan is expected to roll out of the lander and begin its exploration of the lunar
surface in the coming days.
➢ Aditya-L1 Recorded First-Ever Sight Of Solar Flares

✓ ISRO’s maiden solar mission, Aditya L1, has captured its first high-energy X-ray glimpse of
solar flares.
➢ Mika’ Becomes World’s First AI Human-Like Robot CEO
➢ First Chikungunya Vaccine – Ixchiq
➢ Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC)

A NASA experiment called Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) has marked a key
milestone in achieving “first light,” successfully transmitting and receiving data to and from
far beyond the Moon using a near-infrared laser
➢ Measles & Rubella Vaccine - ‘Mabella’

Indian Immunologicals, IIL, launched the measles and rubella vaccine ‘Mabella’ for children
➢ Gajraj System: AI-Based Elephant Protection on Indian Railways

✓ The Indian Railways has initiated a pioneering step towards wildlife conservation by
deploying the "Gajraj system," an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based solution.
➢ Cyclone Michaung
✓ The deep depression looming over the Bay of Bengal and Cyclone Michaung is
forecasted to make landfall near Bapatla on the morning of December 5, around 12
pm.
✓ Cyclone Michaung was named by Myanmar
➢ Google Reveals ‘Gemini’

✓ Gemini marks the first AI model to emerge from Alphabet following the merger of its
renowned AI research units, DeepMind and Google Brain
➢ AMRIT
✓ IIT Madras developed ‘AMRIT’ for removing Arsenic and Metal ions from water.
➢ Genrobotics Ranks Top 3 In Global AI Summit

✓ Genrobotics, a Kerala-based start-up, secured a spot among the top three AI start-ups in India
at the GPAI Summit 2023.
➢ India’s First Winter Arctic Expedition

✓ The Raman Research Institute (RRI) here is participating in the first winter Indian expedition
to the Arctic region.
✓ India has been running its own research station, Himadri, in Svalbard since 2008.
➢ Namdapha Flying Squirrel

✓ Anocturnal flying squirrel has resurfaced in Arunachal Pradesh after going missing for 42
years.
✓ The Namdapha flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus biswasi) was last described in 1981 based on
a single individual found in the 1,985 sq. km. Namdapha Tiger Reserve in Arunachal
Pradesh’s Changlang district.
➢ MedTech Mitra
✓ Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya virtually launched MedTech Mitra – a
strategic initiative to empower MedTech innovators and advance healthcare solutions.
➢ God of Chaos’ Asteroid

✓ NASA has relaunched a spacecraft to explore an asteroid nicknamed the “God of Chaos” that
will make an extremely close flyby of Earth in 2029.
✓ The asteroid Apophis, named after the Egyptian god of chaos, measures about 1,100 feet
wide.
➢ India’s First X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite

✓ For studying black holes and other celestial sources emitting X-rays.
➢ India’s First Indigenously Developed Hepatitis A Vaccine

✓ Indian Immunologicals Ltd launched India’s first indigenously developed Hepatitis
A vaccine, Havisure.
➢ Anuvadini’ App For Multilingual Education

✓ The initiative aims to make study materials for all school and higher education
courses available in digital form, specifically in Indian languages listed in the 8th
Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
➢ India’s Woman Robot Astronaut “Vyommitra”

✓ The mission, named after the Sanskrit words “Vyoma” (Space) and “Mitra” (Friend),
signifies a significant stride towards the ambitious Gaganyaan mission, the country’s
maiden manned space flight, slated for 2025.
➢ SWATI’ (Science for Women-A Technology & Innovation)
✓ Portal, aimed at creating a single online portal representing Indian Women and
Girls in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Medicine).
➢ World’s First Air Taxi – Introduced in DUBAI
➢ India’s First Indigenous Spy Satellite

✓ India is preparing to launch its first spy satellite developed by Tata
AdvancedSystems Ltd (TASL) aboard a SpaceX rocket in April.
✓ This satellite, designed for discreet information gathering, will bolster the
country’s defense capabilities by providing real-time monitoring and ground
control.
➢ ISRO Young Scientist Program 2024 (YUVIKA)

✓ Aims to promote curiosity and knowledge about space science, technology
among the youth and
school children.
Gaganyaan Mission – 4 Astronaut - Designates
✓ They are Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Group Captain Ajit
Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap and Wing Commander
ShubhanshuShukla.
➢ Genome India Project - 10,000 Indian Genomes Sequencing
✓ India first sequenced a complete human genome in 2006, creating a

database that is representative of the diversity of India’s population
✓ key step to being able to learn about genetic variants that are unique to India’s population groups
and use that to customise drugs and therapies.
▪ The United Kingdom, China, and the United States are among the countries that
have programmes to sequence at least 1,00,000 of their genomes.
➢ Test flight of Agni-5 with MIRV successful

✓ Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced the successful test-
•ring of Agni-5 ballistic missile with Multiple Independently Targetable
Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) technology by the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) under Mission Divyastra.
➢ Indian Scientist Prof Jayant Murthy Honoured with Asteroid Name
➢ Professor Jayant Murthy, an esteemed astrophysicist, has been recognized for his
remarkable contributions to the field by having an asteroid named after him –
(215884) Jayantmurthy.
➢ Station Shiv Shakti’: Chandrayaan-3’s Landing Site

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) approved the name ‘Station Shiv
Shakti’ for the landing site of Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander on the Moon
➢ POEM-3 mission
✓ Zero orbital debris mission accomplished by ISRO's POEM-3 mission
✓ the PSLV-C58/XPoSat mission has left practically zero debris in orbit.
➢ ‘Pushpak’ Reusable Landing Vehicle

▪ The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully
conducted the Pushpak Reusable Landing Vehicle (RLV) LEX 02
landing experiment at the Aeronautical Test Range in Chitradurga
➢ IIT-Madras Develops Electric Standing Wheelchair
➢ Gigantic’ Volcano On Mars

Researchers have uncovered a monumental discovery on Mars—a colossal volcano named
Noctis Volcano
➢ Stargate’ AI Supercomputer
✓ Microsoft And OpenAI Unveil $100 Billion ‘Stargate’ AI Supercomputer.
✓ In a groundbreaking collaboration, tech giants Microsoft and OpenAI have revealed plans to
construct an unprecedented artificial intelligence supercomputer known as “Stargate.”
➢ 125 Years of Kodaikanal Solar Observatory

✓ Located in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, is the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (KoSO), a solar
observatory.
✓ It is among the world’s oldest solar observatories, having been in operation since 1899, and
has spent more than 125 years at the forefront of solar study.
✓ Now celebrating 125 years of operation, the observatory is run by the Indian Institute of
Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru.
➢ Artificial Sun
✓ Scientists in South Korea have set a new world record using the Korea Superconducting
Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) device, an “artificial sun” nuclear fusion reactor.
✓ During tests conducted between December 2023 and February 2024, they generated plasma
temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius for a duration of 48 seconds.

➢ CAR-T Cell Therapy
✓ India's First Gene Therapy for Cancer Launched.
✓ The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, launched India's first home-grown gene
therapy for cancer at IIT Bombay on April 4, 2024.
➢ S.A.R.A.H. - Smart AI Resource Assistant for Health

✓ World Health Organization has launched S.A.R.A.H. It is a digital health promoter
prototype.
✓ It engages users 24 hours a day in 8 languages on many health topics, on any device.
➢ Moon Mission in 2040

✓ He indicated that Chandrayaan-4 marks the initial stride towards India’s aspiration of
landing an astronaut on the moon by 2040.
➢ Submersible Platform for Acoustic Characterisation and Evaluation (SPACE)

✓ In a significant step towards enhancing India’s naval capabilities, the Department of
Defence (R&D) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have
recently inaugurated a state-of-the-art facility called the Submersible Platform for Acoustic
Characterisation and Evaluation (SPACE) at the Underwater Acoustic Research Facility in
Kulamavu, Idukki, Kerala.
➢ Debris-Free Space Missions by 2030

✓ ISRO chairman S Somanath announced that the country aims to achieve debris-free space
missions by 2030.
✓ India is also planning to set up its own space station 'Bharatiya Antriksh Station' by 2035.
➢ Neptis philyra
✓ A rare butterfly species named Neptis philyra (Nymphalidae family), also known as
the long-streak sailor, has been discovered for the first time in India at the Tale Valley
Wildlife Sanctuary (TWS), Arunachal Pradesh by a team of butterfly enthusiasts.
SPORTS
The Mascot of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023
❖ Official ICC mascots for the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India are named ‘Blaze’ and ‘Tonk.’
❖ ‘Blaze’ is a female mascot known for rapid bowling and is equipped with a belt carrying
six power cricket orbs.
❖ ‘Tonk’ is a male mascot celebrated for his batting skills, featuring an electromagnetic bat
and versatile shot repertoire.
Grand Slam Tennis Winners 2023 with major stats, Tennis’ top Grand Slam winners of all-time

Tennis Grand Slam Schedule 2023
Tennis Event Date Location

Australian Open 16-29 January Melbourne Park, Melbourne,
2023 Australia
French Open 28 May-11 June Stade Roland Garros, Paris,
2023 France
The Championships 3-16 July 2023 All England Lawn Tennis &
Wimbledon Croquet Club, London, England
US Open 28 August-10 USTA Billie Jean King National
September 2023 Tennis Center, New York City, US
Winner of the Latest Tennis Tournament

Winner of the US Open 2023 – Men’s singles
❖ The men’s singles champion was Novak Djokovic, who defeated Daniil Medvedev in the
final.
❖ This was Djokovic’s fourth US Open title and his 24th Grand Slam title overall.
Winner of the US Open 2023 – Women’s singles
❖ The women’s singles champion was Coco Gauff, who defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
❖ This was Gauff’s first Grand Slam title.
Wimbledon Open 2023
Winner of the Wimbledon Open 2023 – Men’s singles
❖ Carlos Alcaraz won his first Wimbledon Men’s Singles title, defeating Novak Djokovic in
a thrilling five-set match.
Winner of the Wimbledon Open 2023 – Women’s singles
❖ Marketa Vondrousova becomes the third Czech woman to win the ladies singles title,
defeating Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-4.
❖ Markéta Vondroušová becomes the first unseeded woman to win the singles title at the All
England Club.
French Open 2023
Winner of the French Open 2023 – Men’s Singles

❖ The 2023 French Open men’s singles was won by Novak Djokovic, who defeated Casper
Ruud in the final, 6–3, 6–3, 6–0.
❖ It was Djokovic’s second French Open title and his 23rd Grand Slam title overall, tying
him with Serena Williams for the most in the Open Era.
❖ Djokovic had a relatively easy path to the final, dropping only one set in the tournament.
He defeated world number one Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals and world number
three Alexander Zverev in the semifinals.
Winner of the French Open 2023 – Women’s singles
❖ The 2023 French Open women’s singles was won by Iga Swiatek, who defeated Karolina
Muchova in the final, 6–2, 5–7, 6–4. It was Swiatek’s third French Open title and her fourth
Grand Slam title overall.
❖ Iga is the first Polish player to win the French Open since Jadwiga Jędrzejowska in 1939.
Świątek is the world No. 1 and the defending champion at the French Open.
Australian Open 2023

Winner of the Australian Open 2023 – Women’s singles
Winner of the Australian Open 2023 – Men’s singles
❖ Novak Djokovic Wins the Australian Open and ties Rafael Nadal’s Record for the most men’s
singles Grand Slam titles with 22.

➢ FIDE Grand Swiss Chess Event
✓ R. Vaishali emerged victorious at the Grand Swiss tournament held at the Isle of Man
➢ Asian Champions Trophy 2023

✓ The Indian women’s hockey team has emerged victorious in the Women’s Asian Champions
Trophy 2023, securing the gold medal for the second time in the competition’s history.
➢ World Billiards Championship - Pankaj Advani
➢ Davis Cup - Tennis

✓ Italy beats Australia, reclaims Davis Cup title after 47 years
➢ Kerala to Host Transplant Games

✓ The World Transplant Games Federation (WTGF), a worldwide organisation with
representation from more than 70 countries, has been celebrating the success of organ

transplantation and the gift of life through competitive sporting events for transplant
recipients since 1978.
➢ Vaishali Rameshbabu Becomes Grandmaster, Creating History

This achievement makes her only the third woman from India to become a Grandmaster,
following in the footsteps of Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli
International Tennis Hall of Fame

✓ Vijay Amritraj and Leander Paes created history by becoming the first Asian men to be
inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
➢ Khelo India Games

✓ Khelo India Games will be held in Tamil Nadu (Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Trichy)
from 19 to 31 January, 2024.
➢ Chennai Grand Masters 2023 - Chess

✓ In Chennai Grand Masters 2023 tournament, Dommaraju Gukesh clinched the title by
drawing with Pentala Harikrishna.
➢ 6th Khelo India Youth Games

➢ The mascot of 6th KIYG named “Veera Mangai” and the ceremonial torch named “Thamizh”
were also unveiled during the event.
➢ The mascot “Veera Mangai” is the replica of the legendary freedom fighter Tamil queen ‘Velu
Nachiyar.’
➢ India's First Multi-Sports Beach Games

✓ Madhya Pradesh became the overall champion in the first Beach Games
held inDiu.
Praggnanandhaa - India’s No.1 Chess Player
Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) Programme Launched

▪ This nationwide programme, under the Khelo India mission, aims to
identify talented athletes between the ages of 9 and 18 years, currently enrolled
in schoolsacross the country
Paris 2024 Olympics – Flag Bearer & Chef de mission

➢ 6th Shaastra Rapid FIDE Rated Chess Tournament
✓ IIT Madras is set to host the prestigious ‘6th Shaastra Rapid FIDE Rated Chess
Tournament’ on March 30 and 31, 2024
➢ Sathiyan Gnanasekaran Creates History at WTT Feeder Beirut 2024
Indian star paddler G. Sathiyan has achieved a remarkable feat by becoming thefirst-ever Indian to win
a men’s singles trophy at a WTT Feeder Series event
➢ Mirabai Chanu
✓ Mirabai Chanu has become the sole Indian weightlifter who qualified for the Paris Olympics
2024. After competing successfully in the IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand on April 1,
2024, Mirabai Chanu achieved this.
➢ Arjun Erigaisi
✓ India has a new No. 1 as Arjun Erigaisi Climbs to No. 9 in the World.
✓ With a standard rating of 2756, Erigaisi is ranked ninth in the world.
This is his debut in the top 10 of the Open standard list.
➢ 2024 Paris Olympics

✓ In wrestling, India’s star woman grapplers, Vinesh Phogat, Anshu Malik, and Reetika
Hooda, clinched the Paris Olympics 2024 quota at the Asian Olympic qualifiers in
Kyrgyzstan’s Bishkek.
➢ Candidates Chess Tournament

✓ In Chess, 17-year-old Indian prodigy, Dommaraju Gukesh made history as the youngest-ever
player to win the FIDE Candidates tournament in Toronto.
➢ Nethra Kumanan
✓ In Sailing, India’s Nethra Kumanan has bagged the Paris Olympics quota at the Last
Chance Regatta in Hyeres, France.
REPORT
➢ WHO Global TB Report
✓ Number of people newly diagnosed with TB was 7.5 million in 2022: WHO Global TB Report.
✓ According to the report, India recorded 2.8 million (28.2 lakh) TB cases in 2022, with a case
fatality ratio of 12 per cent
✓ India accounted for the highest number of tuberculosis (TB) cases in the world in 2022,
representing a staggering 27 percent of the global burden
➢ World Malaria Report 2023

✓ By the World Health Organization (WHO)
✓ It was revealed that India accounted for a staggering 66% of malaria cases in the
WHO South-East Asia Region in 2022.
➢ India Skills Report 2024

✓ As per the India Skills Report 2024, Kerala is the most preferred State to work in India. Kochi
and Thiruvananthapuram have emerged as premier employment destinations for the youth
in the country.
Chennai Tops As Best City For Indian Women

Chennai emerged as the top Indian city for women in 2023 in terms of
inclusivity and conduciveness to working women, as per findings from
diversity, equity, and inclusivity consultant Avtar Group’s Top Cities for
Women in India (TCWI) 2023.
➢ State of India’s Digital Economy Report, 2024

India is now the world’s third-most digitalized nation, behind only China and the USA
World Poverty Clock

India has successfully brought down the rate of extreme poverty below 3% of
its population as per World Poverty Clock
India Tops Global Arms Imports - SIPRI Report

According to the latest data from the Stockholm International Peace Research
Institute (SIPRI), India was the world’s top arms importer for the period 2019-
2023.
Hurun Global Rich List 2024

Mumbai Dethrones Beijing As Asia’s New ”Billionaire Capital”: Hurun Report.
India Employment Report 2024

International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Institute of Human
Development (IHD) have released the India Employment Report 2024.
As per the report, the share of India’s youth in the unemployed workforce is
almost 83%.
➢ India Employment Report 2024

✓ Employment Scenario in India Grim, says ILO report.
✓ The share of those with secondary or higher education among the unemployed youth in India
has almost doubled from 35.2% in 2000 to 65.7% in 2022, according to the India Employment
Report 2024 released by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Institute of
Human Development (IHD).
✓ The report says that youngsters account for almost 83% of the country’s unemployed
workforce.

➢ Katchatheevu Island Issue
✓ Katchatheevu Island is an uninhabited island spanning 285 acres in the Palk Strait between
India and Sri Lanka. It is 1.6 km in length and more than 300 m wide.
✓ St. Anthony's Church is the only structure on Katchatheevu Island. It was built in the 20th
century.
When did the Katchatheevu controversy begin?
✓ Sri Lanka claimed sovereignty over Katchatheevu due to the Portuguese occupation of the
island from 1505 to 1658.
✓ India claimed it due to possession by the Raja of Ramnad as part of its estate. Katchatheevu
has been a disputed territory between India and Sri Lanka since the British era.
✓ The island was ceded to Sri Lanka by the government of India through an agreement in 1974.
➢ WHO report: India second only to China in hepatitis B and C cases

✓ According to the report, 254 million people lived with hepatitis B and 50 million with
hepatitis C in 2022 globally.
✓ India, which was second only to China in the viral hepatitis burden, registered 8
million hepatitis B cases in 2022 while the number of hepatitis C infections stood at 5.5
million.
➢ Global Forest Watch

✓ According to the latest data from the Global Forest Watch monitoring project, 2.33 million
hectares of tree cover have been lost since 2000.
✓ As per the data, 95 per cent of the tree cover loss in India between 2013 to 2023 occurred
within natural forests.
✓ Between 2002 to 2023, India lost 4,14,000 hectares of humid primary forest (4.1 per cent),
which is 18 per cent of its total tree cover loss in the same period.
➢ UNFPA Report
✓ United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) latest report, titled “Interwoven Lives, Threads
of Hope: Ending Inequalities in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights,”
✓ India leads globally with an estimated population of 144.17 crore, surpassing China. The
report reveals that India’s population is expected to double in 77 years.
✓ Notably, 24% of India’s population falls in the 0-14 age bracket, indicating a significant youth
demographic.
➢ SIPRI Report
✓ India was the fourth largest military spender globally in 2023. At $83.6 billion, the country’s
military expenditure was 4.2% higher than in 2022.
✓ Meanwhile, global military expenditure rose by 7% to $2,443 billion in 2023, the steepest
annual rise since 2009, said the latest report by the Stockholm International Peace Research
Institute (SIPRI).
✓
RANKING
Ranking 2023
Index Released / Published India’s Topped by
by Rank
Economic Freedom Canadian think tank 87th Top 3 Country:
Index 2023 Fraser Institute 1. Singapore (World’s
freest economy)
2. Hong Kong
3. Switzerland
Global Innovation World Intellectual 40th Top 3 Country:
Index 2023 Property Organization 1. Switzerland
2. Sweden
3. USA
Global Yale and Columbia 180th Topped by:Denmark
Environment University researchers (world’s most
Performance Index sustainable country)
– 2022
Bottom country: India
Global Hunger Irish aid agency 111th Total of 20 countries,
Index – 2023 Concern Worldwide including Belarus, Chile,
and German China, Croatia shared
organisation Welt the top rank
Hunger Hilfe
World Happiness United Nation 126th Top 3 Country:
Report 2023 Sustainable 1. Finland
Development Solution 2. Denmark
Network 3. Iceland
• Bottom
rank: Afghanistan
World Press Reporters Without 161st Topped by:Norway
Freedom Index - Borders Bottom Rank:North
2023 Korea
Energy Transition World Economic 67th Topped by: Sweden
Index 2023 Forum’s (WEF)
Global International Institute 40th Topped 3 Country:
Competitiveness for Management
Index 2023 Development (IMD) 1. Denmark
2. Ireland
3. Switzerland
Global Gender Gap World Economic Forum 127th Topped by: Iceland
Report for 2023 (WEF) (most gender-equal
country)
International US Chamber of 43rd Top 3 Country
Intellectual Commerce Global • 1. United States
Property Index Innovation Policy • 2. United Kingdom
2022 Centre • 3. Germany
Henley Passport Henley & Partners in 80th Topped by: Singapore
Index 2023 collaboration with the
International Air
Transport Association
(IATA)
Sustainable UN Sustainable 120th Topped by: Finland
Development Development Solutions
Report 2021 Network
Global Peace Index Institute for Economics 126th Top 3 Country:
2023 and Peace (IEP) Sydney 1. Iceland
2. Denmark
3. Ireland
Global Food sponsored by Corteva 71st Ireland, Australia, UK,
Security (GFS) Agriscience designed Finland, Switzerland,
Index 2021 constructed by London- Netherlands, Canada,
based Economist Japan, France and US
Impact shared the top rank
Global International 10th Topped by: USA
Cybersecurity Telecommunication
Index 2020 Union (ITU)
Democracy Index Economist Intelligence 46th Topped by: Norway
2021 Unit
Electoral V-Dem Institute 108th Topped by: Denmark
Democracy Index
2023
Travel and World Economic Forum 54th • Topped by: Japan
Tourism • Bottom country: Chad
Competitiveness • India remains the top
Index 2021 performer in South
Asia.
Best Airport Skytrax, a UK-based Delhi’s • Topped by: Changi
Rankings 2023 consultancy Firm Indira Airport (Singapore)
Gandhi
Internationa
l Airport
(IGIA) has
been
declared the
best airport
in the South
Asian
region
QS World QS Quacquarelli IIT Bombay Top 3 Rank
University Symonds : 149th Rank 1. Massachusetts
Rankings 2024 Institute of Technology
(USA)
2. University of
Cambridge (UK)

3. University of Oxford
(UK)
Global Terrorism Institute for Economics 13th Topped by: Afghanistan
Index 2023 and Peace (IEP) with a score of 8.822
points.
Ease of Doing World Bank 63rd Topped by: New
Business Index Zealand
2020
Most Poulluted Swiss air tracking index 8th Top 3 most-polluted
Nations Ranking IQAir of Sweden in Nations worldwide
2023 collaboration with 1. Chad
UNEP and Greenpeace 2. Iraq
3. Pakistan
Global arms Stockholm International 1st 5 Largest arms
importer Ranking Peace Research Institute importers in the world
2023 (SIPRI) during 2018-22
1. India
2. Saudi Arabia
3. Qatar
4. Australia
5. China
Logistics World Bank 38th Top 3 Countries
Performance Index 1. Singapore
2023 2. Finland
3. Denmark
Index of Economic The Heritage 121st Top 3 Countries
Freedom 2023 Foundation 1. Singapore
2. New Zealand
3. Australia
Global Military Stockholm International 4th Top 3 Countries
Expenditure Peace Research Institute 1. United States
Report 2023 (SIPRI) 2. China
3. Russia
Global Unicorn The Hurun Research 3rd Top 3 Countries
Index 2023 Institute’s Global 1. United States
Unicorn Index 2023 2. China
3. India
World’s most United Nations 1st Top 3 Countries
populous nation 1. India
2023 2. China
3. United States
Most AI Stanford University 5th Top 3 Countries
investment 1. United States
Ranking 2023 2. China
3. United Kingdom
Busiest Airport in Airports Council 9th: Delhi’s Top 3 Busiest Airports
the world in 2022 International (ACI) Indira in the World for 2022
Gandhi 1. Hartsfield-Jackson
Internationa Atlanta International
l (IGI) Airport
Airport 2. Dallas Fort Worth
Airport (Dallas, Texas)
3. Denver Airport
(Colorado, USA)
Global Fintech Global research firm 3rd (17 Topped by: United
Unicorns Index Statista Fintech States (134 Fintech
2023 Unicorns) Unicorns)
The Air Quality IQAir Mumbai:- Topped by: Montreal
Index (AQI) 2023 2nd second (Canada): Most Cleanest
most City
polluted
city
Delhi:-6th
Human United Nation India - 134 Topped by :
Development Development Switzerland
Report 2023/24 Program ( UNDP )
World Happiness United Nation India - 126 Finland

Report Sustainable
Development
Solutions Network
Gender Inequality UNDP India - 108 Switzerland
Index (GII)
Inclusiveness published at India - 117 Newzealand
Index California University,
United States
2024 Military Global Firepower India – 4 United States
Rankings
Corruption Transparency India – 93 Denmark

Perceptions Index International
Hurun Global Hurun Research India – 3 United States
Unicorn Index Institute
2024
Domestic Index 2023
Index Released / Top State Additional Info

Published by
India Smart Cities Union Indore (Best • The awards celebrate the
Awards 2022 Housing and City) progress and achievements of
Ranking Urban Affairs Madhya Pradesh cities and states in promoting
Ministry (Best State) sustainable development and
enhancing the quality of urban
life.
• Top 3 Cities: –
1. Indore
2. Surat
3. Agra
• Top 3 State: –
1. Madhya Pradesh
2. Tamil Nadu
3. Rajasthan & Uttar Pradesh
Swachh Vayu Central Topped by • Top 3 City: –
Sarvekshan-2023 Pollution Indore (MP) 1. Indore
Ranking Control Board 2. Agra
3. Thane
Jal Jeevan Ministry of Jal Topped by: The mission’s ambitious goal of
Survekshan (JJS- Shakti (MoJS) Srinagar (J&K) – providing adequate quantities of
2023) Performing highest- clean, safe, and pressurized
Index performing drinking water on a consistent
district basis is a testament to the
government’s dedication to
improving the lives of millions.
Maximum Pradhan Ministry of Topped by:- • Top 3 State: –
Mantri Jan Dhan Finance Bihar 1. Bihar
Yojana (PMMY) 2. Uttar Pradesh
Beneficiaries 3. Tamil Nadu
Index Released / Stae Rank Additional

Published by Info
NITI Aayog’s Export NITI Aayog Topped By: Top 3 State:
Preparedness Index 2022 Tamil Nadu 1. Tamil
Nadu
2.
Maharashtra
3. Karnataka
Index / Report Released / Ranking Additional Points

Published by
National Institute National Institute Topped by IIT —
Ranking Framework Ranking Madras
(NIRF) Rank 2023 Framework (NIRF)
Environmental Centre for Science Topped by: In the past nine years, the
Performance Index and Environment Telanagana Telangana government has
2023 (CSE) planted around 273 crore
saplings, resulting in a
remarkable expansion of

forest cover. From 2015-16
to 2023, the forest area
increased from 19,854 to
26,969 square kilometers,
now accounting for 24.06%
of the state’s total
geographical area.
5th State Food Safety Ministry of Health Topped by Goa came out on top among
Index 2023 and Family Welfare Kerala (top- smaller states, while Jammu
performing state) and Kashmir, Delhi, and
Chandigarh ranked first,
second, and third,
respectively, among the
union territories.
Index / Released Ranking Additional

Report / Points
Published
by
First-ever Ministry Top 3 States in Highest number of water West
waterbody of Jal bodies: Bengal
census 2023 Shakti 1. West Bengal (7.47 lakh
2. Uttar Pradesh water
3. Odisha bodies) has
the highest
number of
water
bodies in
India, while
Sikkim has
the lowest.
Digital Payment Top 3 cities in terms of number of digital payment
payment services transactions:
transactions firm 1. Bengaluru
2022 Report Worldline 2. New Delhi
India 3. Mumbai

State Food The Food
Safety Safety
Index 2022- and
2023 Standards
Authority
of India
(FSSAI)
IMPORTANT DAYS
DATE DAY THEME

November 10 World Science Day For In 2023, the theme for
Peace And Development World Science Day for
Peace and Development is
“Building Trust in
Science.”
November 11 National Education Day Theme: "Embracing

Innovation"
November 14 Children’s Day The theme of this year’s
Children’s Day, ‘For every
child, every right’,
underscores the
commitment to uphold
the rights of every child
worldwide.
November 20 World Children’s Day Theme 2023 – For Every

Child, Every Right.
November 25 International Day For The global theme:
The Elimination Of “UNITE! Invest to prevent
Violence Against Women violence against women
and girls.”
November 26 Constitution Day Theme: “Freedom of mind

is the real freedom.
November 26 National Milk Day The theme for National
Milk Day is flexible and is a
part of the broader concept
of stressing the general
importance of consuming
milk.

December 01 World AIDS Day The theme for World AIDS Day
2023, “Let Communities Lead!.”
December 03 International Day of 2023 Theme: "United in action to
Persons with Disabilities rescue and achieve the SDGs for,
with and by persons with
disabilities"
December 04 Indian Navy Day The theme for Indian Navy Day
2023 is “Operational Efficiency,
Readiness, and Mission
Accomplishment in the Maritime
Domain”
December 05 World Soil Day Theme: ‘Soil and water, a source
of life.’
December 07 Armed Forces Flag Day It pay tribute to the indomitable
spirit and sacrifices of the
soldiers, sailors, and airmen who
stand guard at our borders
December 10 Human Rights Day Theme for 2023: Freedom,
Equality, and Justice for All.
December 10 Nobel Prize Day Theme: Truth, Trust and Hope
December 11 International Mountain Theme is “Restoring Mountain
Day Ecosystems”
December 18 Minorities Rights Day Theme for 2023 – Celebrating

Diversity and Inclusion
December 22 National Mathematics National Mathematics Day aims
Day to propagate the significance of
mathematics in various aspects
of life and illuminate
Ramanujan’s remarkable
contributions.
December 23 National Farmer’s Day – “Delivering Smart Solutions for
Kisan Diwas Sustainable Food Security and
Resilience".
December 25 Good Governance Day – Governance Day, or Sushasan
Sushasan Diwas Diwas is observed on December
25 every year to mark the
anniversary of former Prime
Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
January 04 World Braille Day Theme: "Empowering
Through
Inclusion and Diversity
January 09 Pravasi Bharatiya Theme "Diaspora:
Divas Reliable
Partners for India's Progressin
Amrit Kaal”.
January 11 National Human The Day serves as a poignant
Trafficking Awareness reminder of the need to address
Day this global crisis and bring an
end to the suffering endured by
victims.
January 12 National YouthDay The theme for National Youth
Day 2024 is “Viksit Yuva-Viksit
Bharat.” This theme reflects a
focus on youth empowerment
and nation-building.
January 15 Indian Army Day The theme for Indian Army

Day in 2024 is “In Service of
the
Nation.”
January 16 National Startup Day National Startup Day
emphasizes the critical role
startups play in driving
economic growth and job
creation
January 23 Parakram Diwas It commemorates Netaji’s birth
anniversary and is a tribute to
his brave legacy
January 24 National Girl Child Theme: “Saving our
Day Girls:
Educating our Girls.”
January 24 InternationalDay Theme “Learning for
Of Education Lasting
Peace”
January 25 National Voters’ Theme: ‘Nothing Like Voting, I
Day Vote for Sure’
January 25 National Tourism Day The theme for this year
is
‘Sustainable Journeys, Timeless
Memories.’
January 26 75th Republic Day of Republic Day theme,
India 2024: "Viksit Bharat" and
"Bharat - Loktantra ki Matruka"
January 28 World Leprosy Day The theme for World Leprosy
Day 2024 is “Beat Leprosy”
February 01 Indian Coast Guard Day The day honours the relentless
efforts of the Coast Guard
officers and personnel in
maintaining maritime security
and
responding to emergencies at
sea

February 02 World Wetlands Day The theme for World
Wetlands Day
2024, “Wetlands and
Human Wellbeing”
February 04 World Cancer Day Theme is: 'Close the Care Gap'.
February 10 World Pulses Day This year’s theme, “Pulses:
Nourishing
Soils and People”
February 11 International Day of The theme of International Day
Women and Girls in of Women and Girls in Science
Science 2024 is “Women and Girls in
Science Leadership, a New Era
for
Sustainability”
February 13 National Women’s We celebrate National Women’s
Day Day in India to the
remembrance of the social,
cultural, political and economic
achievements of Sarojini Naidu
in India
February 20 World Day Of Social The theme chosen for the World
Justice Day of Social Justice
2024, “Bridging Gaps,
Building Alliances”
February 21 International Mother The theme for International
Language Day Mother Language Day is
“Multilingual education – a
pillar of learning and
intergenerational learning”
February 27 World NGO Day Theme - “Building a Sustainable
Future: The Role of NGOs in
Achieving the Sustainable
Development Goals
(SDGs)”
February 28 National Science Day Theme - ‘Indigenous
Technologies for Viksit Bharat’,
emphasizing the importance of
promoting scientific,
technological, and innovation
skills
March 03 World Wildlife Day Theme: “Connecting People
and Planet: Exploring Digital
Innovation in Wildlife
Conservation.”
March 08 International Women's Theme is ‘Invest
Day in Women:
Accelerate Progress’

March 14 International Day of Theme: 'Playing with Math'.
Mathematics
March 15
World Consumer
This year, the theme is ‘Fair and
Rights Day responsible AI for consumers
March 16 National Theme: 'Vaccines for
Vaccination Day Work All’
March 21 World Forestry Day
Theme: 'Forests and
Innovation: New Solutions for
a better world
March 22 World Water Day The theme for World Water
Day
2024 is ‘Water for Peace’
March 23 World Meteorological The theme for World
Day Meteorological Day 2024 is
“Atthe Frontline of Climate
Action”
March 23 Shaheed Diwas or This day marks the anniversary
Martyrs’ Day of the execution of three Indian
freedom fighters- Bhagat Singh,
Sukhdev Thapar and
Shivaram
Rajguru in 1931
March 24 World Tuberculosis(TB) The theme for 2024 'Yes! We can
Day end TB!'
March 27 World Theatre Day The theme for World Theatre Day
2024 is 'Theatre
and a
Culture of Peace'
April 02 World Autism The theme for 2024 is
Awareness Day “Empowering Autistic Voices.”
April 06 National Library Day This day provides an opportunity

to reflect on the significance of
reading and the need to make
books and knowledge accessible
to all
April 07 World Health Day The theme for World Health Day
is “My Health, My Right”
April 11 World Parkinson's Day World Parkinson’s Day is
observed to raise awareness of
Parkinson’s disease
April 14 Ambedkar Jayanti Ambedkar Jayanti is observed on
14 April every year to
commemorate the birth
anniversary of Dr. Bhimrao Ramji
Ambedkar
April 17 World Hemophilia Day The theme is “Equitable access
for all: recognizing all bleeding
disorders”
April 21 National Civil Services This day offers a chance to

Day express gratitude towards the
contributions made by civil
servants to society
April 24 National Panchayati Raj National Panchayati Raj Day is

Day celebrated annually on April 24th
to commemorate the
establishment of the Panchayati
Raj system in India
April 25 World Malaria Day Theme 'Accelerating the fight
against malaria for a more
equitable world”

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CA-EnGLISH-November 2023 - April 2024

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NOVEMBER – 2023 – APRIL - 2024

TAMILNADU CURRENT AFFAIRS

➢ IIT Madras Sets Its First International Campus

➢ IIT Madras Launches Incubator Information Platform

➢ Intelligent Transport System

➢ Ungalai Thedi, Ungal Ooril

✓ Aims to redress the grievances of the general public expeditiously.

➢ UGC upgrades Madras University to category-1

✓ Madras University is now a category 1 university in the country.

➢ Tamil Nadu retains ‘achiever’ status - Logistics Infra Rankings of States

➢ World Bank provides $300 Million Loan to Tamil Nadu

2 | Page APPOLO STUDY CENTRE 044-24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

➢ State-Level Monitoring Committee (SLMC)

➢ Demonstration Fast Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Plant (DFRP)

➢ First Asia GCC Outside China In Tamil Nadu

➢ Vinfast to build an integrated electric vehicle facility in Tamil Nadu

➢ Technology Education and Learning Support (TEALS)

➢ Nalam Naadi App

➢ T.N. has the highest number of Operational SEZs

➢ World Tamil Diaspora Day

✓ World Tamil Diaspora Day celebrated on 12 January in Chennai.

✓ Enathu Gramam, My Village, a unique scheme for the development of

➢ TN BEAT EXPO 2024

➢ Tamil Nadu - Highest Number Of Ramsar Sites In India

➢ ‘Kalaignar Sports Kit’ Initiative

➢ Ungalai Thedi, Ungal Ooril

➢ T.N. Forms New Green Company to Aid in Energy Transition

➢ Tamil Nadu MSME Minister Unveils ‘Smart Cards’ To Aid Startups

➢ ‘Smart Cards’ Launched to Help Start-ups

5 | Page APPOLO STUDY CENTRE 044-24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

➢ State Policy for Women

➢ ISRO’s Second Spaceport In Tamil Nadu

➢ VinFast’s Electric Car Facility in Thoothukudi

➢ Tamil Nadu Climate Summit 2.0

➢ T.N.’s Export of Electronic Goods Touches $7.37 billion

6 | Page APPOLO STUDY CENTRE 044-24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

✓ Researchers from the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology at the

➢ India’s First Indigenous Prototype Fast Breeder

➢ PM SHRI School Scheme

➢ Global Conference on Lord Muruga

➢ Mudhalvarin Grama Salaigal Membattu Thittam’ (MGSMT)

7 | Page APPOLO STUDY CENTRE 044-24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

➢ Indian Coast Guard Aquatic Centre at ICGS Mandapam

➢ T.N. Leading the Country on Multiple Fronts

➢ State Ranks First in Export of Textiles and Leather Goods

➢ In Electronics Exports, Tamil Nadu jumps to Top

➢ Tamil Nadu Conducts Nilgiri Tahr Survey

➢ India’s First ‘City Of Literature & Music’ By UNESCO

➢ Uniform Civil Code (UCC) - Uttarakhand

➢ Ladakh Secures 4th GI Tag For ‘Sea-buckthorn’

➢ Best State Award for Inland Fisheries

➢ Bihar Reservation Amendment Bill

➢ Saffron From Kishtwar Gets GI Tag

9 | Page APPOLO STUDY CENTRE 044-24339436, 42867555, 9840226187

India’s First Telecom Center Of Excellence

➢ UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List

➢ Geographical Indication Tag

Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal University

➢ First Ever “School of Happiness”

➢ India’s First AI City in Lucknow