Beepedia Weekly Current Affairs (Beepedia) 1st-8th March 2024

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
INDEX
RBI, Banking and Economy ___________________________________________ 3
SEBI and Financial Awareness _________________________________________ 6
NABARD and Agriculture ___________________________________________ 11
National __________________________________________________________ 14
International _____________________________________________________ 19
States____________________________________________________________ 21
Reports and Indexes _______________________________________________ 26
Science and Technology ___________________________________________ 28
Defence __________________________________________________________ 33
Events ___________________________________________________________ 36
Awards & Rewards ___________________________________________________ 39
Appointments _____________________________________________________ 41
Important Days ___________________________________________________ 42
Obituaries_________________________________________________________
Books ___________________________________________________________ 43
Sports ___________________________________________________________ 43
Download important documents:
 Weekly & Monthly BeePedia: https://www.ixambee.com/beepedia-gk-updates-

capsule?utm_source=ixamBee&utm_medium=header&utm_campaign=beepedia
 Hindi Weekly & Monthly BeePedia: https://www.ixambee.com/hi/beepedia-gk-updates-
capsule
For feedback, please contact: Email id: hello@ixambee.com
1 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com

Contact us at 92055 24028 (SMS/WhatsApp/call) or hello@ixambee.com
Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
RBI, Banking and Economy
RBI Actions Details

Penalties on Banks
₹23.30 lakh penalty for non-compliance with operational
- Shikshak Sahakari Bank, Nagpur instructions.
- Progressive Co-operative Bank, ₹1.00 lakh penalty for non-compliance with RBI directions on
Mumbai exposure norms and investments.
- Solapur District Central Co- ₹5.00 lakh penalty for contravention of Banking Regulation Act and
operative Bank RBI directions on Depositor Education.
₹5.00 lakh penalty for non-compliance with RBI's Supervisory
- Noble Co-operative Bank, Noida Action Framework.
- Adarsh Mahila Co-operative Bank, ₹5.00 lakh penalty for non-compliance with RBI directions on loans
Muzaffarnagar and advances.
Forex Reserves
- Total Reserves (Week ended Feb
23) $619.072 billion, up by $2.975 billion.
- Foreign Currency Assets $548.188 billion, increased by $2.405 billion.
- Gold Reserves $47.848 billion, increased by $472 million.
- Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) $18.197 billion, increased by $89 million.
- Reserve Position with IMF $4.839 billion, increased by $9 million.
RBI Actions on IIFL Finance
Ceased gold loan disbursals due to supervisory concerns; existing
- Direction portfolios can be serviced.
Merger Approval
- Fincare SFB with AU Small
Finance Bank Approved merger effective from April 01, 2024.
RBI Restrictions on JM Financial Products Ltd.

Ceased financing against shares and debentures; violations of
- Action regulatory guidelines noted.
RBI-Bank Indonesia Collaboration
- Memorandum of Understanding Framework to promote local currencies (INR and IDR) for cross-
(MoU) border transactions signed.
All current and capital-account transactions; aims to develop an
- Coverage INR-IDR foreign exchange market.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
RBI Actions Details

Internet Banking Interoperability
- Implementation Target (for NPCI
Bharat BillPay) 2024, to facilitate quicker settlement of funds for merchants.
Learn Along
About RBI
Founded: 1 April 1935 Headquarters: Mumbai Governor: Shaktikanta Das
Interoperability of internet banking system in 2024
 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is working to allow interoperability for internet banking
transactions which is expected to be operational in 2024 and will facilitate quicker settlement of
funds for merchants.
 The move is aimed at addressing delays in the actual receipt of payments by merchants and is a
part of the regulator’s payment vision 2025.
 The RBI has approved implementing such a system for NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd (NBBL).
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah to launch National Urban Co-operative
Finance and Development Corporation Limited (NUCFDC)
 Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah to launch National Urban Co-
operative Finance and Development Corporation Limited (NUCFDC), the Umbrella organization for
the Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) on 2nd March 2024 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.
 This initiative aims to modernize and strengthen the Urban Cooperative Banking Sector in India,
ultimately benefiting both the banks and their customers.
 The NUCFDC has received Certificate of Registration (CoR) from the Reserve Bank of India to
operate as a Non Banking Finance Company (NBFC) and serve as the umbrella organization for the
urban cooperative banking sector.
 In addition to this, it will be allowed to operate as a Self-Regulatory Organization (SRO) for the sector.
 The establishment of this umbrella organization will ensure specialized function and services to
cooperative banks, facilitate communication between banks and regulators, and address challenges
faced by Urban Cooperative Banks, such as technology constraints and issues regarding range of
services.
 The NUCFDC aims to raise capital, with plans to reach a capital base of Rs.300 crores. It intends to
utilize this capital to support Urban Cooperative Banks and develop a shared technology platform to
improve service offerings and reduce costs.
Kotak Mahindra Bank unveils ‘Smart Choice Gold Loan’
 Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. (KMBL) has announced the introduction of ‘Smart Choice Gold Loan’ for
customers.
 Unlike other credit products which have stringent eligibility criteria, gold loan has a simpler application
and disbursal process.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 By utilising gold as a collateral, borrowers can enjoy lower interest rates compared with
conventional credit, translating to savings during the course of the loan tenure.
Venture Center, BFI sign pact on biomedical innovation
 Venture Center has tied up with Blockchain For Impact (BFI) under the BFI-Biome Virtual Network
Program to expand initiatives aimed at nurturing innovation and driving advancements in
healthcare.
 Venture Center is the first incubator across India to partner BFI for the initiative.
 Under this programme, BFI will allocate more than $2 lakh over three years and leverage Venture
Center’s expertise for healthcare start-up programmes.
FDI inflows shrink by 21% to $41.31 billion in

2023, shows DPIIT data
 According to Department for Promotion of

Industry and Internal Trade data, Foreign direct
equity (FDI) investments contracted by 21 per
cent Y-o-Y to $41.31 billion during the calendar
year 2023.
 The sustained contraction in investment inflows
comes against the backdrop of uncertainties
and challenges in the global economy.
 This includes factors such as high inflation
and slowdown in developed countries.
GDP growth estimate for current year raised to 7.6%
 The National Statistical Office (NSO) raised India’s real GDP growth estimate for this year to 7.6%
from the 7.3% projected last month.
 It also scaled down its 7.2% growth estimate for 2022-23 to 7% and raised its 2021-22 estimate from
9.1% to 9.7%.
 The Gross Value Added (GVA) in the economy is projected to rise 6.9% this year, with the NSO
downgrading last year’s GVA growth to 6.7% from 7%.
 GDP growth for the first two quarters of this year was raised to 8.2% and 8.1%, further rising to 8.4% for
the October to December 2023 quarter (Q3).
Cabinet approves Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization Scheme, 2024
 Government of India has formulated New Industrial Development Scheme, UNNATI (Uttar Poorva
Transformative Industrialization Scheme), 2024 as a Central Sector Scheme for the development of
Industries and generation of employment in the states of North East Region.
 The scheme's main objective is to generate gainful employment, which will lead to the area's overall
socio-economic development.
 It will create productive economic activity in the manufacturing and service sectors.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 The following incentives would be available under the scheme to investors for setting up new units or
undertaking significant expansion of the existing units.
S. No Where GST is applicable Where GST is not applicable
1 Capital Investment Incentive (For Both Capital Investment Incentive (For Both New &
New & Expanding Units): Expanding Units):
Zone A: 30% of eligible value of

investment in plant and machinery /
Zone A: 30% of eligible value of investment in
construction of building & durable plant and machinery / construction of building &
physical assets with cap of Rs. 5Cr. durable physical assets with cap of Rs. 10 Cr.
Zone B: 50% of eligible value of Zone B: 50% of eligible value of investment in

investment in plant and machinery / plant and machinery / construction of building &
construction of building & durable durable physical assets with cap of Rs. 10 Cr.
physical assets with cap of Rs. 7.5 Cr.
2 Central Capital Interest Subvention (For Central Capital Interest Subvention (For Both
Both New & Expanding Units): New & Expanding Units):
Zone A: 3% interest subvention offered Zone A: 3% interest subvention offered for 7

for 7 years years
Zone B: 5% interest subvention offered Zone B: 5% interest subvention offered for 7
for 7 years years
3 Manufacturing & Services linked NIL

incentive (MSLI)– For New Units only –
linked to Net Payment of GST, i.e., GST
paid less Input Tax Credit with upper limit
of
Zone A: 75% of eligible value of

investment in P&M
Zone B: 100% of eligible value of
investment in P&M
Maximum Eligible benefits to one unit from all components of the scheme: Rs. 250 Cr.
Expenditure involved:
 The financial outlay of the proposed scheme is Rs.10,037 crore for the scheme period from the date of
notification for 10 years. (Additional 8 years for committed liabilities).

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 This will be a Central Sector Scheme.

 The scheme is proposed to be divided into two parts.
 Part A caters to the incentives to the eligible units (Rs. 9737 crores), and Part B, is for implementation
and institutional arrangements for the scheme. (Rs. 300 Crore).
Targets:
 The proposed scheme envisages approximately 2180 applications, and it is anticipated that direct
employment opportunities of about 83,000 will be generated during the scheme period.
 A significant number of indirect employment is also expected to be generated.
Salient features of the scheme:

 Scheme period: The scheme will be effective from the date of Notification and up to 31.03.2034 along with
8 years of committed liabilities.
 Commencement of Production or operation: All eligible Industrial Units to commence their production
or operation within 4 years from the grant of registration.
 Districts are categorized in two zones: Zone A (Industrially Advanced Districts) & Zone B (Industrially
Backward Districts)
 Earmarking of funds: 60% of the outlay of Part A has been earmarked to 8 NE states and 40% on First-In-
First-Out (FIFO) basis.
 For Micro industries (defined as per MSME industry norms), the P&M calculation will include the
building construction and P&M costs for Capital Investment Incentive.
 All new Industrial units and Expanding units would be eligible for the respective incentives.
PM Narendra Modi flags off first crude oil tanker from ONGC's KG project
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the first tanker - Swarna Sindhu - carrying crude oil produced
in state-owned ONGC’s Krishna Godavari deepwater block.
 At its peak production, this project will add 7 per cent each to India’s oil and gas production.
 Developed with an investment of over Rs 41,000 crore, the KG-DWN 98/2 Deepwater Oil Field M in
the Krishna Godavari Basin is considered to be one of the most technologically complex projects
in India's oil and gas industry to date.
 Total envisaged peak gas production and oil production from the project is about 10 Million Metric
Standard Cubic Meters per Day (MMSCMD) of natural gas, and 45,000 barrels of oil per day.
 During its life cycle, the project KG-DWN-98/2 Cluster-II will add a total of 30.5 Billion Cubic Meters
of Gas and 14.24 Million Metric Tonnes of oil to the Indian domestic oil and gas production.
SEBI and FINANCIAL AWARENESS

Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi launches new CSR initiatives of Coal India Limited (CIL)
 Union Minister for Coal, Mines & Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi launched new Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) initiatives of CIL in an event held at Ministry of Coal.
 Under the first initiative, CIL is taking its commitment towards quality education a step further by
commissioning smart classrooms in 70 Government schools.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 This is in continuation of a similar initiative launched for 11 districts of Jharkhand on 31.01.2024.

 The present project worth Rs. 2.42 crores will be executed by EdCIL (India) Limited, a Miniratna PSU
of the Govt. of India.
 The initiative is expected to improve the learning outcomes among students as well as reduce the
digital divide that exists between students of Government schools vis a vis Private schools.
 A new CSR scheme of CIL – Coal India Lok Sewa Protsahan Yojana was also launched on the occasion.
 The scheme is aimed at providing a financial support of Rs. 1 lakh per candidate to SC/ST and
Female/Third Gender candidates from coal mining districts of Coal India Limited who clear the
preliminary round of Civil Service/Forest Service Examinations conducted by the Union Public Service
Commission (UPSC) during year 2024 to 2026.
 A candidate should have an annual family income of less than Rs. 8 lakhs to avail the benefit under
the scheme.
Learn Along:
About CIL
 Coal India Limited (CIL) the state owned coal mining corporate came into being in November 1975.
 CIL is a Maharatna company - a privileged status conferred by Government of India to select state owned
enterprises in order to empower them to expand their operations and emerge as global giants..
 Chairman -cum- Managing Director: P M Prasad
Financial assistance under ‘Tea Development & Promotion Scheme’ increases by 82% from Rs. 290.81
crores to Rs.528.97 crore for 2024-25 and 2025-26
 The financial assistance for the Tea sector under the ‘Tea Development & Promotion Scheme’ has
been increased by 82% from Rs. 290.81 crores to Rs.528.97 crore for the next 2 financial years (2024-
25 and 2025-26).
 A range of incentives are planned to be provided to small tea growers by mobilizing them into SHGs
and FPOs.
 Setting up of 800 SHGs and 330 FPOs has been envisaged in the next 2 financial years with an
increased assistance of Rs 105.5 Cr compared to 40 SHGs & 8 FPOs previously planned with an
assistance of Rs 2.7 Cr.
 This will increase coverage of small tea growers from 1000 to more than 30,000 in the next two years.
 The assistance is aimed to increase their productivity and quality, greater value addition and thereby
greater price realization.
 The assistance/ support is for the common facilities like field mechanization equipment, leaf carriage
vehicles, leaf sheds, pruning machines, mechanical harvesters and storage godowns.
 The outlays have been increased by more than 10 times to Rs.72.42 crore in order to carry out
extensive promotion campaigns for ‘Indian Tea’, including Darjeeling and other GI Teas, in international
markets (to increase exports) and generic tea promotion campaigns in domestic markets (to increase
awareness on, and promotion of consumption of, safe and quality tea among consumers).
PFRDA inaugurates app to widen financial inclusion through fintech and to boost NPS
 In order to foster innovation and inclusivity within the NPS architecture, particularly through its
engagement of fintech entities as Point of Presence (PoP) thus, enhancing accessibility and convenience,
Deepak Mohanty, Chairperson, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA),
inaugurated Zerodha Broking Limited's NPS web-app, in New Delhi.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 The app offers seamless access of NPS to a wider subscriber base.

 NPS provides continuity to retirement saving account irrespective of one’s employment status and is
available for non-resident Indians (NRIs).
 As youngsters are tech savvy, the facilitation by Zerodha Broking Limited would expand access to
NPS.
Learn Along:
About PFRDA
 The Pension Fund Regulatory & Development Authority Act was passed on 19th September, 2013 and the same
was notified on 1st February, 2014.
 PFRDA is regulating NPS, subscribed by employees of Govt. of India, State Governments and by employees of
private institutions/organizations & unorganized sectors.
 Chairperson: Dr. Deepak Mohanty Hedquarters: New Delhi
NPCI joins hands with IISc to conduct joint research on blockchain, AI
 National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced the signing of a multi-year memorandum
of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, for conducting joint
research on blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
 The partnership will also propel further innovation through the establishment of the "NPCI-IISc Centre of
Excellence (CoE) for Deep Tech Research and Development".
 The partnership will also focus on scalable blockchain platforms and multi-modal analytics over
fintech data.
 Faculty members from five departments at IISc will work with NPCI researchers on practical
challenges related to these areas.
 NPCI's collaboration with IISc is aimed at solving complex technological and engineering problem
statements in the areas of scalability, privacy-preserving designs, neural networks, graph AI, large
language models (LLM), etc.
Learn Along:
About NPCI
 National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), an umbrella organisation for operating retail payments and
settlement systems in India, is an initiative of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA)
under the provisions of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007, for creating a robust Payment &
Settlement Infrastructure in India.
 MD & CEO: Mr. Dilip Asbe
Tech Fini joined hands with NPCI
 In another development, Mumbai's Fintech startup, Tech Fini, announced that it has joined hands
with NPCI to offer UPI 2.0 acquiring and issuing switch solutions to its merchants.
 The announcement comes at a time when the Fintech startup bagged UPI 2.0 Issuer & Acquirer, PCI
DSS, and ISO/IEC certifications from NPCI.
 This validation reaffirms the objective to equip our clients with a safe, flexible, and reliable digital
payment environment and foster a financially inclusive economy.
Kotak Life Insurance launches non-linked par product Kotak G.A.I.N

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 Private sector life insurer Kotak Life Insurance launched a non-linked participating product Kotak
G.A.I.N which offers long-term saving or income.
 The minimum annual premium payable to avail the product is Rs 50,000. While taking the policy, the
minimum age of the policyholder should be 90 days while the policy maturing age should be
minimum 40 years and maximum 85 years.
 The product provides three options to the policyholder to choose from:
 Under the first option, policyholders can receive regular income from the 1st month of policy
issuance for monthly payout mode and 1st year onwards for annual payout mode.
 Under the second option, income benefits will be used to purchase additional sum assured
throughout the policy term and receive it as lump sum or withdraw as per convenience.
 The third option is where the policyholder receives cash bonus from the end of the premium
payment term, and there is also guaranteed loyalty additions (GLASs) payable in the policy that can
also be used to pay the last 2 years premiums.
 All three variants of Kotak G.A.I.N will offer customers a blend of long-term income as well as life
cover.
 In December 2023, Kotak Mahindra Life had launched a participating product. According to the
management, the product which was a combination of term plan and ULIP – TULIP has received good
traction among the customers.
India-Nepal Enhance Financial Cooperation; Digital Payment To Be Inaugurated Soon
 RBI's updated regulation allows Nepali account holders to send Rs 2 lakhs per transaction (without any
limit) to. Walk-in customers can remit Rs. 50,000 per transaction (12 per yr).
 Unified Payment Interface-Nepal Clearing House Ltd (UPI/NCHL), which is to be inaugurated soon,
will further eliminate any inconvenience of carrying cash.
 In June 2023, the NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Nepal Clearing House Limited
(NCHL) joined hands to facilitate cross-border digital payments between India and Nepal by
integrating the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) of India and the National Payments Interface (NPI) of
Nepal.
Learn Along:
About UPI
 Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile
application (of any participating bank), merging several banking features, seamless fund routing & merchant
payments into one hood.
 It also caters to the “Peer to Peer” collect request which can be scheduled and paid as per requirement and
convenience.
 NPCI conducted a pilot launch with 21 member banks. The pilot launch was on 11th April 2016 by Dr. Raghuram
G Rajan, Governor, RBI at Mumbai.
Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) imposes penalty of Rs. 5,49,00,000 on Paytm Payments
Bank Ltd with reference to violations of its obligations under PMLA
 The Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND), in furtherance of the powers conferred upon the
Director FIU-IND under Section 13(2)(d) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, has

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
imposed a monetary penalty of Rs. 5,49,00,000 (rupees five crore forty nine lakh) on Paytm Payments
Bank Ltd with reference to the violations of its obligations under the PMLA read with the Prevention
of Money Laundering (Maintenance of Records) Rules, 2005 issued thereunder and applicable
guidelines and advisories issued by the Director FIU-IND.
MSME Minister Narayan Rane launches multiple women-oriented Entrepreneurial projects
 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Minister, Narayan Rane launched multiple women-
oriented Entrepreneurial projects at the 9th SHAKTI International Women Entrepreneurs Summit in
New Delhi.
 He launched the Panjikaran se, Pragati, Unnati - Udyamita se Pragati, and WEP Mentorship
Program.
 Such programs will help women, especially in MSME, to grow and boost productivity.
 The Shakti International Women Entrepreneurs Summit 2024 is an annual Conference on the
occasion of International Women’s Day to promote entrepreneurship amongst women.
Nagaland CM presents Budget, announces universal life insurance scheme
 Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio announced a fully-funded universal life insurance scheme as
he presented the Budget for 2024-25.
 The budget estimate is an increase of Rs 644.22 crore compared to the previous financial year
where the amount was at Rs 23,083.66 crore.
 Among significant measures, the state government announced a fully-funded universal life insurance
scheme to mitigate financial hardship due to untimely demise of a family's breadwinner.
 The Chief Minister's Universal Life Insurance Scheme will be fully funded by the state government.
 A life insurance coverage of Rs 2 lakh will be given and additionally, accidental insurance coverage
of Rs 2 lakh each will also be provided for the breadwinner and three other family members, Rio said.
 The accidental insurance component covers both disability and death.
 This scheme will cover every household in Nagaland and a provision of Rs 15 crore has been
provided to pay the cost of premium.
Dvara Money & Jana Small Finance Bank to enable Digital Banking in India
 Dvara Money (DM), a technology-driven financial solutions platform, has announced a partnership
with Jana Small Finance Bank.
 This collaboration is set to combine DM’s Spark Money platform with the technological capabilities of
Jana SFB.
 A significant element of this partnership is the Third-Party Application Providers (TPAP) capabilities.
 TPAP will enable the integration of a full-stack UPI solution into the Spark Money platform.
 This integration will allow customers to connect their savings accounts for payments, facilitating
seamless digital transactions.
Flipkart launches digital payments service Flipkart UPI

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 Ecommerce company Flipkart launched its UPI services, Flipkart UPI, in partnership with Axis Bank.
 The service will allow its users to make UPI payments without switching to other applications.
 The new UPI offering comes after Flipkart demerged with PhonePe, the largest UPI player, in late
2022.
Learn Along:
About UPI
 Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application
(of any participating bank), merging several banking features, seamless fund routing & merchant payments
into one hood.
 It also caters to the “Peer to Peer” collect request which can be scheduled and paid as per requirement and
convenience.
 NPCI conducted a pilot launch with 21 member banks. The pilot launch was on 11th April 2016 by Dr. Raghuram
G Rajan, Governor, RBI at Mumbai.
About Flipkart
Founded: 2007 Headquarters: Bangalore, Karnataka CEO: Kalyan Krishnamurthi
PB Fintech's subsidiary gets approval from IRDAI to act as 'composite insurance broker'
 PB Fintech announced that the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI),
has granted certificate of registration to the company's wholly owned subsidiary Policybazaar
Insurance Brokers to act as composite insurance broker.
 With grant of new certificate of registration, the category has been changed from direct insurance
broker (life & general) to composite insurance broker.
 PB Fintech is engaged in providing integrated online marketing and IT consulting and support
services largely for the financial services industry including insurance.
 It operates Policybazaar, the India's largest digital insurance marketplace and Paisabazaar that
provides services related to lending products.
 The company reported consolidated net profit of Rs 37.22 crore in Q3 FY24 as compared with a net
loss of Rs 87.62 crore recorded in Q3 FY23.
Learn Along:
About IRDAI
Chairman: Debasish Panda Founded: 1999 Headquarters: Hyderabad
Cabinet approves additional instalment of Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief to Central
Government employees and pensioners
 The Union Cabinet Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved to release an additional instalment
of Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners
w.e.f. 1.1.2024 representing an increase of 4% over the existing rate of 46% of the Basic Pay/Pension,
to compensate against price rise.
 The combined impact on the exchequer on account of both Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief
would be Rs.12,868.72 crore per annum.
 This will benefit about 49.18 lakh Central Government employees and 67.95 lakh pensioners.
 This increase is in accordance with the accepted formula, which is based on the recommendations of
the 7th Central Pay Commission.
NABARD and AGRICULTURE

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
Cabinet approves Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) rates for KHARIF Season, 2024 on Phosphatic and
Potassic (P&K) fertilizers and Inclusion of 3 new Fertilizer grades under NBS scheme
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the proposal of the
Department of Fertilizers for fixing the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) rates for KHARIF Season, 2024
on Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers and inclusion of 3 new fertilizer grades under NBS scheme.
 The tentative budgetary requirement for Kharif season 2024 would be approximately Rs.24,420
crore.
Benefits:
 Availability of fertilizers to farmers at subsidized, affordable and reasonable prices will be ensured.
 Rationalization of subsidy on P&K fertilizers in view of recent trends in the international prices of
fertilizers and inputs.
 Inclusion of three new grades in NBS will support in promoting balanced soil health and offer
alternatives to the framers to choose fertilizers fortified with micro-nutrients as per the soil
requirement.
 Implementation Strategy and targets:
 The subsidy on P&K fertilizers will be provided based on approved rates for Kharif 2024 (applicable
from 01.04.2024 to 30.09.2024) to ensure smooth availability of these fertilizers to the farmers at
affordable prices.
Telangana State government will rejoin the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana scheme
 Telangana State government will rejoin the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) scheme in
the interests of farmers and to save them from losses caused by natural calamities.
 There has been no crop insurance scheme in Telangana, ever since the BRS government opted
out of the scheme in 2020.
Learn Along:
About Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
 Launch: 2016
 Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) aims to support production in agriculture by providing affordable
crop insurance to ensure comprehensive risk cover for crops of farmers against all non-preventable natural risks
from pre-sowing to post-harvest stage, on an ‘Area Approach Basis’.
 Stakeholders: Central Government, State Governments, Banks, CSCs, Insurance Companies, Farmers
Govt launches gateway to facilitate post-harvest financing for farmers
 The government launched an online digital platform named "e-Upaja Kisaan Nidhi" to empower farmers
with access to pledge finance against harvested commodities.
 This initiative enables farmers to store their agricultural produce with the Warehousing
Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) and secure post-harvest loans from banks.
 The announcement was made by Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush
Goyal during the launch ceremony of "e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi" (Digital Gateway) of the WDRA in New Delhi.
 The digital gateway is developed collaboratively by the Department of Food and Public
Distribution, the Department of Financial Services, and Nabard to store their produce at any WDRA-
registered warehouse for six months, with an interest rate of seven per cent per annum.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
Cabinet approves Minimum Support Price for Raw Jute for 2024-25 Season
 The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given
its approval for the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for Raw Jute for 2024-25 season.
 The MSP of Raw Jute (TDN-3 equivalent to earlier TD-5 grade) has been fixed at Rs.5,335/- per quintal
for 2024-25 season.
 This would ensure a return of 64.8 percent over the all India weighted average cost of production.
 The announced MSP of raw jute for 2024-25 season is in line with the principle of fixing the MSP at
a level of at least 1.5 times all India weighted average cost of production as announced by the Government
in the Budget 2018-19.
 The decision is based on recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices
(CACP).
 The MSP for 2024-25 season is an increase of Rs.285/-per quintal for Raw Jute over the previous
season.
 In the last 10 years, the Government has increased MSP for Raw jute from Rs.2,400 per quintal in
2014-15 to Rs.5,335/- per quintal in 2024-25, registering a growth of 122 percent.
 The Jute Corporation of India (JCI) will continue as Central Government Nodal Agency to undertake
Price Support Operations and the losses incurred, if any, in such operations, will be fully reimbursed
by the Central Government.
Union Minister Arjun Munda and Giriraj Singh inaugurate four major key initiatives of Agriculture
Sector
 Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Arjun Munda and Union Minister for Rural
Development Shri Giriraj Singh inaugurated jointly four major key initiatives of Agriculture Sector i.e
Revamped Soil health card portal & mobile application, School Soil Health Programme, Krishi Sakhi
convergence Programme and Central Fertilizer Quality Control and Training Institutes’ (CFQCTI’s)
portal for fertilizer sample testing in Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi.
 The objective of these initiatives is to benefit the farmers even in remote areas and enable them to
do farming with ease.
Revamped Soil health Card Portal and Mobile Application –

 Soil health card portal has been revamped and mobile application has been introduced for soil sample
collection and testing.
 Portal has soil lab registry and the status of labs can be seen on real time basis.
 App based QR code enabled soil sample collection system has been introduced in Soil Health Card
Mobile Application.
 Under the new Portal, Centralized Dashboard at National, State and District Level have been provided.
School Soil Health Programme-

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 Department in collaboration with Department of School Education and Literacy has undertaken a pilot
project on school soil health programme.
 Under the project, 20 soil labs were set up in 20 schools of Kendriya and Navodaya Vidylaya of rural
areas.
 DA&FW through National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) will setup soil labs
in these schools.
 School students will collect soil samples, test in the labs set up in schools and generate Soil health
Card.
 The programme will provide students with the chance to conduct experiments, analyze soil samples,
and explore the fascinating biodiversity within the soil.
Krishi Sakhi Convergence Programme-

 Krishi Sakhis are the driving force behind a rural transformation. To further fuel this revolution, as a part
of the Convergence Initiative, between the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmer Welfare and Ministry of
Rural Development - an MoU was signed on 30.08.2023 between the Ministries to converge their
programs.
 As a part of the MoU, a joint initiative i.e Krishi Sakhis Training Programme to certify 70,000 Krishi
Sakhis as “Para-Extension Workers” was launched.
 Krishi Sakhis play a pivotal role in implementing schemes like National Mission of Natural Farming
(NMNF), Bio Resource Centres, Prdhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), and many more because
of their strength which lies in their Commitment, Passion, Hard work & enthusiasm..
CFQCTI Portal-
 In Fertiliser Quality Control System (FQCS) portal One Time Password (OTP) / SMS application
facility has been introduced for sample collection at Ports and its testing.
NATIONAL
Union govt. extends Ujjwala assistance by one more year
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the continuation of targeted
subsidy of Rs.300 per 14.2 kg cylinder (and proportionately pro-rated for 5 kg cylinder) for up to 12 refills
per year to be provided to the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) during FY 2024-
25.
 As on 1st March, 2024 there are more than 10.27 crore PMUY beneficiaries.
 The total expenditure will be Rs.12,000 crore for financial year 2024-25.
 The subsidy is credited directly to bank accounts of the eligible beneficiaries.
 India imports about 60% of it’s LPG requirement.
 To shield PMUY beneficiaries from the impact of sharp fluctuations in international prices of LPG and
to make LPG more affordable to PMUY consumers thereby ensuring sustained usage of LPG by them,
Government started a targeted subsidy of Rs.200/- per 14.2 kg cylinder for up to 12 refills per annum
(and proportionately pro-rated for 5 kg connections) to the PMUY consumers in May 2022.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
Learn Along:
About PMUY
 In May 2016, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MOPNG), introduced the ‘Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana’
(PMUY) as a flagship scheme with an objective to make clean cooking fuel such as LPG available to the rural
and deprived households which were otherwise using traditional cooking fuels such as firewood, coal, cow-dung
cakes etc.
 Usage of traditional cooking fuels had detrimental impacts on the health of rural women as well as on the
environment.
 The scheme was launched on 1st May 2016 in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Narendra
Modi.
 Ujjwala 2.0: Additional allocation of 1.6 Crore LPG Connections under PMUY scheme with special facility to migrant
households. Target number of connections under Ujjwala 2.0 was achieved during Dec’22, thus taking overall
connections under the scheme to 9.6 Crore.
NAMASTE Scheme: Ensuring Safety and Dignity of Workers engaged in cleaning of Sewer lines and
Septic Tank
 The National Action for Mechanized Sanitation Ecosystem or the NAMASTE Scheme is a testament
to the Government’s human-centric approach where no sanitation workers have to manually engage in
the hazardous task of sewer and septic tank cleaning operations.
 Jointly initiated by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Ministry of Housing and
Urban Affairs, the NAMASTE scheme will be implemented by the National Safai Karamcharis Finance
and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) for a period of three years from FY 2023-24 to FY 2025-26,
with a budget allocation of 349.73 crores.
 The scheme has a range of entitlements for Sewer and septic tank workers or the SSWs.
The components of the scheme include:
 Profiling of SSWs in ULBs through digital tools (~ 1 lakh SSW to be identified).
 Health Insurance of SSW under PM-JAY.
 Occupational safety training of SSWs and Sanitation Response Units for NAMASTE.
 Capital Subsidy up to Rs. 5.00 lakh for procurement of Sanitation Related Vehicles/ Equipment.
 Distribution of PPE to SSWs.
 Distribution of safety devices to Emergency Response Sanitation Unit (ERSU).
 IEC Campaign for awareness on SSW safety and dignity.
 Capacity building of ULB Nodal Officers and Surveyors on the Profiling Process and NAMASTE Mobile
Application
 The first component of NAMASTE is profiling of SSW that aims to create a national database for the
identification of Sewer and Septic Tank Workers (SSW). A unique NAMASTE ID shall be given to all
such SSWs.
GI recognition for Narasapur crochet lace craft revives hopes of struggling artisans
 The famed Narasapur crochet lace craft has received the Geographical Indications (GI) tag, giving a
new lease of life to the dying craft in the Godavari region of Andhra Pradesh.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 The Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce
and Industry registered the craft in the Geographical Indications Registry (GIR) on March 1 certifying that
the craft is geographically limited to 19 mandals in West Godavari and Dr. B.R.Ambedkar Konaseema
districts in the Godavari region.
 West Godavari District Alankriti Lace Manufacturing Mahila Mutual Aided Co-operative Societies’
Federation Limited (popularly known as Alankriti Federation), Narasapur All India Crochet Lace
Exporters Association and Andhra Pradesh Handicrafts Development Corporation Limited (APHDC)
jointly applied for the GI Tag for the crochet lace craft.
Learn Along:
About GI Tag
 A GI or Geographical Indication is a name or a sign given to certain products that relate to a specific
geographical location or origins like a region, town or country.
 Using Geographical Indications may be regarded as a certification that the particular product is produced as per
traditional methods, has certain specific qualities, or has a particular reputation because of its geographical origin.
Cabinet approves PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana for installing rooftop solar in One Crore
households
 The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved PM-Surya Ghar: Muft
Bijli Yojana with a total outlay of Rs.75,021 crore for installing rooftop solar and providing free electricity
up to 300 units every month for One Crore households.
 The Prime Minister had launched the scheme on 13th February, 2024.
The major highlights of the scheme include:
 Central Financial Assistance (CFA) for Residential Rooftop Solar

 The scheme provides a CFA of 60% of system cost for 2 kW systems and 40% of additional system
cost for systems between 2 to 3 kW capacity. The CFA will be capped at 3 kW. At current benchmark
prices, this will mean Rs 30,000 subsidy for 1 kW system, Rs 60,000 for 2 kW systems and Rs 78,000
for 3 kW systems or higher.
 The households will apply for subsidy through the National Portal and will be able to select a suitable
vendor for installing rooftop solar. The National Portal will assist the households in their decision-
making process by providing relevant information such as appropriate system sizes, benefits
calculator, vendor rating etc.
 Households will be able to access collateral-free low-interest loan products of around 7% at present
for installation of residential RTS systems up to 3 kW.
 A Model Solar Village will be developed in each district of the country to act as a role model for
adoption of rooftop solar in rural areas,
 Urban Local Bodies and Panchayati Raj Institutions shall also benefit from incentives for promoting
RTS installations in their areas.
 The scheme provides a component for payment security for renewable energy service company
(RESCO) based models as well as a fund for innovative projects in RTS.
Outcome and Impact
 Through this scheme, the households will be able to save electricity bills as well as earn additional
income through sale of surplus power to DISCOMs.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 A 3 kW system will be able to generate more than 300 units a month on an average for a household.
 The proposed scheme will result in addition of 30 GW of solar capacity through rooftop solar in the
residential sector, generating 1000 BUs of electricity and resulting in reduction of 720 million tonnes of
CO2 equivalent emissions over the 25-year lifetime of rooftop systems.
Cabinet approves establishment of International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the establishment of
International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) with headquarters in India with a one-time budgetary support of
Rs.150 crore for a period of five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28.
 Prime Minister had,on the occasion of Commemorating 50 years of India's Project Tiger on April 9, 2023,
formally announced launch of an International Big Cat Alliance aiming at securing the future of big cats
and landscapes they thrive.
 Seven big cats include Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar and the Cheetah out of
these five big cats viz. Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard and Cheetah are found in India.
 IBCA aims for mutual cooperation among countries for mutual benefit in furthering the conservation
agenda.
 The International Big Cat Alliance recognizes the importance of integrating biodiversity policies with
sustainable development goals (SDGs) to achieve holistic and inclusive conservation outcomes.
Prime Minister Inaugurates Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Ltd (HURL) fertilizer plant in Barauni
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and dedicated to the nation the Hindustan Urvarak &
Rasayan Ltd (HURL) fertilizer plant in Barauni.
 Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Ltd (HURL) fertilizer plant in Barauni developed at more than Rs 9500
crore, the plant will provide affordable urea to farmers and lead to an increase in their productivity and
financial stability.
 This will be the fourth fertilizer plant to be revived in the country.
Also Know:
 Barauni Fertilizer Plant of Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Limited (HURL) started urea production in Oct
2022.
 The state-of-the-art gas based Barauni Plant is part of the initiative taken by the Government to revive
the closed urea units of Fertilizer Corporation of India Ltd. (FCIL) and Hindustan Fertilizers
Corporation Ltd (HFCL) in order to achieve self-sufficiency in urea sector.
 HURL, incorporated on 15th June, 2016 is a Joint Venture Company by Coal India Limited (CIL), NTPC
Limited (NTPC), Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and FCIL/HFCL mandated to revive Gorakhpur,
Sindri and Barauni units with an estimated investment of Rs. 25,000 crores.
South Eastern Coalfield Limited’s Gevra Mine Set to Become The Largest Coal Mine in Asia
 Chhattisgarh-based Coal India subsidiary South Eastern Coalfield Limited’s Gevra mine is set to
become the largest coal mine in Asia.
 The mine has been granted environmental clearance to expand production capacity to 70 million
tons per annum from the current 52.5 million tons.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
Learn Along:
About Gevra
 Gevra is one of the megaprojects of South Eastern Coalfields Limited and became the largest coal mine in the
country last year with annual production for FY 22-23 reaching 52.5 million tons and has been contributing towards
energy security of the country for more than 40 years.
 The mine has a strike length of around 10 KM and a breadth of 4 KM.
Minister Hardeep S Puri inaugurates 201 CNG stations and India’s first Small Scale LNG Unit of GAIL
 The Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Housing & Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri dedicated
to the nation 201 CNG Stations and India’s first Small Scale LNG Unit of GAIL.
 The 201 CNG stations dedicated to the Nation have been set up by 15 City Gas Distribution (CGD)
entities of GAIL group in 52 Geographical Areas (Gas) across 17 states while India’s first small-scale
LNG unit has been set up by GAIL at its Vijaipur LPG plant.
Learn Along:
About GAIL
 GAIL (India) Ltd. was incorporated in August, 1984 as a Central Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoP&NG), with the mission of “accelerating and optimizing the effective
and economic use of Natural Gas and its fractions for the benefit of the national economy”.
 Government of India now holds 51.45% shares of the company.
 GAIL became a Navratna in 1997 and is now one of the ten Maharatna Public Sector Undertaking, the highest
status conferred to any PSU.
 Headquarters: New Delhi CMD: Sandeep Kumar Gupta
Govt Launches ‘Chaksu’ Portal To Report Fraudulent Calls
 The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) announced the launch of ‘Chakshu’ portal, introduced
to report suspected fraudulent communication from mobile numbers via calls, SMS, or social media
like WhatsApp.
 It will help to strengthen the fight against mobile-based scams.
 It has also integrated with the department of telecommunications ‘Sanchar Sathi portal’, new portal
Chakshu will trigger the re-verification of suspected fraudulent numbers.
NLC India Green Energy Limited (NIGEL) Signs Power Purchase Agreement with Gujarat Urja Vikas
Nigam Limited (GUVNL) for 600 MW Solar Power Project
 NLC India Limited (NLCIL) has incorporated a wholly owned subsidiary NLC India Green Energy Limited
(NIGEL) to carry out future Renewable Energy Projects.
 As a first initiative, NIGEL has signed the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Gujarat Urja Vikas
Nigam Limited (GUVNL) for the proposed 600 MW Solar Power Project at Khavda Solar Park, Bhuj
District, Gujarat.
 The entire power from the project will be procured by GUVNL with the PPA tariff for the electricity
from the project at Rs. 2.705/kWhr.
 The proposed 600 MW Solar Power Project in Khavda Solar Park will be the single largest Solar
project developed by NLCIL as on date.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
Learn Along:
About NLCIL
 The Company was incorporated on 14.11.1956.
 NLCIL is a Navratna Government of India Enterprise, under the administrative control of Ministry of Coal.
 The company has set its footprints in PAN India mode in the states of TamilNadu, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh,
Odisha, Jharkhand, Gujarat and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
 CMD: M. Prasanna Kumar
Minister of Communications, Railways, and Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini

Vaishnaw to launch NITI Aayog’s ‘NITI For States’ Platform
 Minister of Communications, Railways, and Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini

Vaishnaw will launch NITI Aayog’s NITI For States platform at Rang Bhawan auditorium, Akashvani,
New Delhi.
 The ‘NITI For States’, is a cross-sectoral knowledge platform designed to become a Digital Public
Infrastructure (DPI) for Policy and Good Governance.
 Prior to launching the platform Ashwini Vaishnaw will also inaugurate ‘Viksit Bharat Strategy Room’
at NITI Aayog.
 The ‘Viksit Bharat Strategy Room’ will enable rich visualization and engagement with insights,
information and knowledge to enable effective in-person decision-making.
Learn Along:
About NITI Aayog
Chairperson: Narendra Modi Founded: 1 January 2015
PM Narendra Modi launches India’s first underwater Metro line in Kolkata
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Kolkata Metro’s Esplanade-Howrah Maidan section,
which passes below the mighty Hooghly river through the country’s first underwater transportation
tunnel.
 The 4.8-km Esplanade-Howrah Maidan stretch, which is a part of the East-West Corridor, has been
built at a cost of ₹4,965 crore.
 The ₹1,430-crore Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay section of the New Garia-Airport line was
also inaugurated from the function at the Esplanade Metro station.
INTERNATIONAL
USIEF Announces Opening of Fulbright-Nehru Fellowship Applications for Indian Citizens
 The United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) has announced the opening of its annual
competition for Fulbright-Nehru and other Fulbright fellowships for Indian citizens.
 Funded by the Ministry of External Affairs, and the U.S. Department of State, such exchanges have
helped bring the people of India and the United States closer together through opportunities that
enrich fellows’ academic, research, teaching, and professional capacity.
 USIEF is now accepting applications from Indian citizens for the academic year 2025-26.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
Shehbaz Sharif becomes the Pakistan PM for second time
 Senior PML-N leader Shehbaz Sharif is set to become the next prime minister of Pakistan to lead
a coalition government after last month's elections produced a split mandate.
 Shehbaz Sharif, 72, who is the consensus candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)
and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), submitted his nomination.
Learn Along:
About Pakistan
Capital: Islamabad Currency: Pakistani rupee
Nicaragua becomes first Spanish-speaking nation to recognise Indian pharma standards
 Nicaragua has become the first nation in the Spanish-speaking world to recognise Indian
Pharmacopeia, as India and Nicaragua signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on
Pharmacopoeia on cooperation in the field of the regulation of medicines.
 Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) is an autonomous institution under the Union Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare, created to set standards for drugs in the country.
 IP is the official book of standards for drugs defining the specified limits and testing methods for
crude drugs and finished formulations.
 IP has a legal status within the Second Schedule of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940.
 All the drugs imported, manufactured and distributed in India must conform to the standards
codified in the IP.
 The IP has been recognised as a book of standard by six nations - Afghanistan, Ghana, Nepal,
Mauritius , Suriname and Nicaragua .
Learn Along:
About Nicargua
Capital: Managua Currency: Córdoba
Peru Declares Health Emergency Amidst Dengue Surge; Over 31,000 Cases Reported
 In Peru, the government has declared a health emergency due to the rapidly rising cases of dengue
fever across the South American country.The health emergency was declared in 20 of Peru's 25 regions.
Learn Along:
About Peru
Capital: Lima Currency: Peruvian sol Prime Minister: Alberto Otárola
Sweden officially joins NATO after completing its accession process
 Sweden formally joined NATO as the 32nd member of the transatlantic military alliance, ending decades
of neutrality as concerns about Russian aggression have spiked following Russia’s 2022 invasion of
Ukraine.
Learn Along:
About NATO
Founders: United States, France, United Kingdom, Norway, Italy, MORE
Founded: 4 April 1949, Washington, D.C., United States
Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
About Sweden
Prime minister: Ulf Kristersson Capital: Stockholm Currency: Swedish krona (SEK)
STATES
Cabinet approves introduction of the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in
Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the proposal of the Ministry of
Law & Justice for introduction of the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly
Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024 in Parliament.
 In order to ensure that the Constitutional rights of the Scheduled Tribes in the State of Goa are
safeguarded, it is imperative to enact a law to provide for enabling provisions empowering the
Election Commission to make amendments in the Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly
Constituencies Order, 2008 and readjust the seats in the Legislative Assembly of the State of Goa for the
Scheduled Tribes of the State.
The salient features of the proposed Bill are as under:-
 It empowers the Census Commissioner to ascertain and determine the population of the Scheduled Tribes
in the State of Goa after taking into account the population figures of the tribes which have been declared
as the Scheduled Tribes after publication of Census 2001. The Census Commissioner shall notify varied
population figures as ascertained and determined in the Gazette of India and thereafter, such population
figures shall be deemed to be final figures and supersede all previously published figures for the purpose
of giving proportionate representation to the Scheduled Tribes as provided in articles 332 of the
Constitution;
 it empowers the Election Commission to make necessary amendments in the Delimitation of Parliamentary
and Assembly Constituencies Order, 2008 for the purpose of giving proper representation to the Scheduled
Tribes in the Legislative Assembly of Goa by readjustment of constituencies in the Legislative Assembly;
 the Election Commission shall take into consideration the revised population figures of the Scheduled
Tribes and readjust the Legislative Assembly constituency having regard to the provisions of articles 170
and 332 of the Constitution and section 8 of the Delimitation Act, 2002;
 for the purpose of the readjustment of Legislative Assembly constituencies, the Election Commission of
India shall determine its own procedure and it will have certain powers of a civil court;
 it also empowers the Election Commission of India to publish in the Gazette the amendments made in the
Delimitation Order and dates of its operation. The amended Delimitation Order shall not affect the
constitution of the existing Legislative Assembly till dissolution;
 the proposed Bill also empowers the Election Commission to make necessary correction of the errors in
the said Delimitation Order
Kerala-owned OTT platform launched
 Kerala launched a government-owned OTT platform CSpace with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan
terming it as a decisive step in the onward journey of Malayalam cinema.
 The initiative would give prominence to films with artistic and cultural value without hurting the
mainstream film industry.
 The launch of CSpace also signifies leveraging of the cutting-edge technologies.
 CSpace will be managed by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 The platform, which operates on pay per view basis, allows viewers to watch a feature film for ₹75 and
shorter contents for much lesser price.
Learn Along:
About Kerala
Chief minister: Pinarayi Vijayan Governor: Arif Mohammed Khan Capital: Thiruvananthapuram
Kerala introduces its first generative AI teacher ‘Iris’
 Named Iris, the humanoid was unveiled last month at KTCT Higher Secondary School in
Thiruvananthapuram in collaboration with Makerlabs Edutech Private Limited.
 According to Makerlabs, Iris was built as part of the Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL), a 2021 NITI Aayog
project to boost students’ extracurricular activities in schools.
 Iris can speak three languages and also answer difficult questions, along with features including
voice assistant, interactive learning, manipulation capabilities, and mobilities.
 Iris is an “innovative voice assistant designed to aid in educational settings and DIY learning
environments”.
 This robot serves as a versatile teaching tool with interactive capabilities.
Neolithic child burial site discovered in Tamil Nadu
 Professors and students from the department of Ancient History and Archaeology, University of
Madras have found a neolithic child burial site at Chettimedu Pathur in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu.
 The team heading the excavation reported that it rare to find burials from the Neolithic period which
was between 5000-1500 BCE.
 The excavation, which began on February 5, led to the discovery of the burial site which featured a
child with a pot beside it.
 According to preliminary findings, the pot dates back to the Neolithic period and the age of the child
was between 9 and 11 years.
 This is the first time such a child burial has been identified in Tamil Nadu.It is believed to be from
5000 BC.
Learn Along:
About Tamil Nadu
Chief minister: M. K. Stalin Governor: R. N. Ravi Capital: Chennai
Telangana Govt to launch Indiramma Housing Scheme from March 11
 The Telangana State government will launch the Indiramma Housing Scheme from March 11 with
the first phase to see 3,500 houses being approved in each Assembly constituency.
 The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that poor and eligible people, who do not own a house,
get benefited under the scheme.
 Under the Indiramma Housing Scheme, those who own a plot of land will be given Rs.5 lakh for building
a new house in the plot. Homeless poor will be given Rs.5 lakh along with a house plot.
Learn Along:
About Telangana
Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan Chief minister: Anumula Revanth Reddy Capital: Hyderabad

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
Nagaland Assembly adopts resolution against decision to fence Indo-Myanmar border, scrap FMR
 The Nagaland Assembly on March 1 adopted a resolution urging the Centre to reconsider its
decision to fence the Indo-Myanmar border and scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) with the
neighbouring country.
 The Assembly also resolved to appeal to the central government to work out regulations for
movement of people across the boundary in consultation with the people inhabiting the border areas,
and for suitably bringing in the village council authorities concerned in the entire system of regulations.
 The Centre earlier this month ended the FMR, which allows people residing close to the India-Myanmar
border to venture 16 km into each other’s territory without visa.
 The 1643 km stretch of the Indo-Myanmar border is spread over four North Eastern states —
Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland.
Learn Along:
About Nagaland
Chief minister: Neiphiu Rio Capital: Kohima Governor: La. Ganesan
Prime Minister dedicates to the Nation the Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Ltd (HURL) Sindri Fertiliser
Plant
 The Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to nation the Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Ltd (HURL)
Sindri Fertiliser Plant at Sindri, Dhanbad, Jharkhand.
 The Prime Minister had laid the foundation of the fertilizer plant in 2018.
 Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Limited (HURL) is a Joint Venture Company of Public Sector
Undertakings (PSUs) namely, National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd (NTPC), Indian Oil
Corporation Ltd (IOCL), Coal India Ltd (CIL) and FCIL/HFCL, which was incorporated on 15th June,
2016, revived Sindri Fertilizer Unit by setting up New Ammonia-Urea Plant with installed capacity of
12.7 LMT per annum.
 The Sindri Plant started urea production on 05th November 2022.
 The plant aims to ensure adequate supply of urea to the farmers in the state of Jharkhand as well
as West Bengal, Odisha, Chhatisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.
Learn Along:
About Jharkhand
Chief minister: Champai Soren Capital: Ranchi Governor: C. P. Radhakrishnan
Dharmendra Pradhan launches Project ODISERV
 Union Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan,
launched Project ODISERV in Sambalpur to prepare young graduates of Odisha for employment
opportunities in the financial services sector.
 The Project ODISERV will empower the youth of the country, make them more employable and fulfil
their aspirations.
 National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development &
Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Bajaj Finserv Ltd. unveiled their first skill development initiative - Project
Odiserv at Gangadhar Meher University (GMU) in Sambalpur, Odisha.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 Project Odiserv is the inaugural skill development initiative, following the partnership announced by
NSDC and Bajaj Finserv in December 2023 in the presence of Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.
Learn Along:
About National Skill Development Corporation
 National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is the principal architect of the skill ecosystem in the country.
 It is a unique Public Private Partnership (PPP) enterprise working under the Ministry of Skill Development &
Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India.
 NSDC was established to catalyse the skilling ecosystem for private sector participation and be the strategic
implementation and knowledge partner to Skill India Mission to build efficient vocational training initiatives,
empowering India’s youth.
About Odisha
Chief minister: Naveen Patnaik Capital: Bhubaneswar Governor: Raghubar
UP emerges as the first State in country to issue five crore Ayushman cards under Ayushman Bharat
PMJAY
 Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the first State in the country to issue five crore Ayushman cards under
the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
 The State has issued 50,017,920 Ayushman cards and benefited 74,382,304 individuals.
 A total of 3,716 hospitals in the State are impaneled under this scheme.
Learn Along:
About Uttar Pradesh
Governor: Anandiben Patel Chief minister: Yogi Adityanath Capital: Lucknow
Uttar Pradesh launches 'MYUVA Scheme' to empower youth entrepreneurs
 Uttr Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is poised to launch the "Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami
Vikas Abhiyan (MYUVA)" scheme in Uttar Pradesh, aimed at nurturing entrepreneurship among the
state's youth.
 This ambitious initiative reflects the commitment to empowering young entrepreneurs and fostering
a culture of innovation and enterprise.
 Through MYUVA, aspiring youth will receive support and resources to kickstart their
entrepreneurial ventures, thereby contributing to the economic growth and development of Uttar
Pradesh.
 Under this scheme, the government aims to prepare one lakh young entrepreneurs every year by
providing interest-free loans for projects of up to Rs 5 lakh.
 The government has allocated Rs 1,000 crore in the budget for the financial year 2024-25 to support
this initiative.
 This innovative scheme is designed to empower educated and skilled youth across the state,
facilitating selfemployment opportunities and fostering the establishment of new MSMEs. By
promoting entrepreneurship, the initiative seeks to generate employment opportunities in both rural and
urban areas.
 Under the scheme, interest-free loans of up to Rs 5 lakh will be provided to projects in the industry
and service sectors.
 The goal is to directly benefit one million units (10 lakh units) over the next 10 years by financing
1,00,000 units annually.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
UP approves green hydrogen policy, setting up of 800 MW thermal plants
 The Uttar Pradesh government approved a green hydrogen policy, and a proposal for setting up two
units of 800 MW in Anpara in collaboration with NTPC at a cost of Rs 8,624 crore.
 The policy outlines an ambitious goal to produce one million metric tonne of green hydrogen annually
within the next 4 years, by 2028.
 The green hydrogen policy has been set for 5 years. Industries establishing themselves within this
timeframe will receive subsidies and other incentives totalling Rs 5,045 crore.
 This initiative will advance through a 50-50 partnership between the state government and NTPC.
 The financial structure involves 30 per cent equity shared between the state government and NTPC,
while the remaining 70 per cent will be financed through loans.
 The coal mine will be acquired from NCL (Northern Coalfields Ltd), which is located nearby, paving way
for production of cost-effective electricity, Sharma said.
 Two MoUs were signed with NTPC in 2023 Global Investors Summit.
Chapchar Kut festival celebrated across Mizoram
 Chapchar Kut - the biggest festival of Mizoram was celebrated across the state with full traditional
fervor and festivities.
 Chapchar Kut has been celebrated since time immemorial. In the olden days, it was celebrated for days
and weeks.
 But in modern times, the celebration has been shortened to a day or two.
 In recent times, the festival is celebrated on the first Friday of March every year.
 Chapchar Kut is being celebrated to thank God after completion of their most arduous task of jhum
operation - jungle clearing (clearing of the remnants of burning) at the beginning of a year.
Learn Along:
About Mizoram
Governor: Kambhampati Hari Babu Chief minister: Lalduhoma (ZPM) Capital: Aizawl
Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurates 3 new CIPET at Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Madhya
Pradesh
 Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers and Health and Family Welfare Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya
virtually inaugurated 3 centers of Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology
(CIPET) established in Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh from New Delhi.
 These three new CIPET centres dedicated to the nation by the Minister are CSTS Baddi (Himachal
Pradesh), CSTS, Ranchi (Jharkhand), and CSTS Gwalior (MP).
Learn Along:
About Himachal Pradesh
Capitals: Shimla (Summer), Dharamshala (Winter) CM: Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Governor: Shiv Pratap Shukla
About Jharkhand
Chief minister: Hemant Soren Capital:Ranchi Governor: C. P. Radhakrishnan
About Madhya Pradesh
Capital: Bhopal Governor: Mangubhai C. Patel Chief minister: Mohan Yadav

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
₹1,500 monthly aid for Himachal women
 Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu announced that under ‘Indira Gandhi Pyari
Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojana’, all the women above 18 years of age of the State will be given
₹1,500 per month.
CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum signs MoU with UCOST to deploy the Pine Needles-based fuel-
making technology in Champawat
 Under the directions and guidance of Hon'ble Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, an MoU was signed
on 5th March, between CSIR Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun and UCOST under the aegis
of the "Adarsh Champawat" mission.
 Under this agreement, the CSIR - Indian Institute of Petroleum will implement two major technologies
at the grassroots level in Champawat.
 The selected technologies include a briquetting unit with a capacity of 50 kg per hour based on
Pine Needles and 500 units of Improved Cookstoves for rural households.
 An extended field trial study will be conducted regarding energy conservation and its environmental
impact.
 The briquetting unit will be established in the Energy Park in Champawat as a part of the Women
Empowerment initiative. The briquettes produced will be used as fuel in homes and local industries.
Learn Along:
About Uttarakhand
CM: Pushkar Singh Dhami Governor: Gurmit Singh Capital: Dehradun
REPORTS AND INDEXES

India to become upper middle-income nation by 2031, to grow at 6.8%: CRISIL
 Crisil Ratings projected India's GDP growth at 6.8 per cent in the next fiscal and said the country will
become an upper middle-income nation by 2031 with the economy doubling to USD 7 trillion.
 According to its India Outlook report, the Indian economy will take support from domestic structural
reforms and cyclical levers and can retain -- perhaps even improve -- its growth prospects to become
the third largest economy by 2031.
 The next seven fiscals (2025-2031) will see the Indian economy crossing the USD 5 trillion-mark
and inching closer to USD 7 trillion.
 Crisil expects the economy to expand to USD USD 6.7 trillion by fiscal 2031.
 Fiscal 2031 will mark the year when India enters the club of upper middle-income countries with
per-capita income rising to USD 4,500.
 As per World Bank definition, lower-middle income countries are those with per-capita income of USD
1,000-4,000, and upper-middle income countries are those with per capita income between USD 4,000-
12,000.
Bloomberg index to include Indian bonds

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 Bloomberg will include India Fully Accessible Route (FAR) bonds in the Bloomberg Emerging Market
(EM) Local Currency Government Index and related indices, to be phased in over a ten-month period,
starting January 31, 2025.
 This comes about five months after JP Morgan had announced it would include India in its widely
tracked emerging market debt.
 The inclusion of Indian bonds in these two key indices could attract billions of dollars of foreign
investment in the Indian government securities (G-Sec) market.
 This could potentially lead to a decline in Indian bond yields and strengthen the rupee.
 FAR is a separate channel introduced by the RBI, in consultation with the Government, for non-resident
investment in G-Secs with effect from April 1, 2020.
India’s FY24 GDP growth could be within striking distance of 8%: SBI Ecowrap
 According to SBI’s economic research department, India’s FY24 GDP growth could be within striking
distance of 8 per cent even as the per capita GDP at current prices crossed ₹2 lakh mark in FY24 for the
first time.
 Defying all estimates, India’s economy grew by 8.4 per cent in Q3 FY24 after exhibiting more than 8 per
cent growth in the preceding two quarters.
 For FY24 GDP growth is expected to increase by 7.6 per cent. It estimates Q4 (January-March) GDP
growth at 5.9 per cent.
Moody’s pegs India’s FY24 growth at 8%
 According to Moody’s Investors Service India’s robust economic growth will continue and its real
GDP growth will accelerate to around 8% in 2023-24 from 7% in 2022-23.
 Government capital expenditure and strong domestic consumption will underpin India’s economic
growth.
 The global rating major’s growth estimate for this year is higher than the 7.6% uptick projected by the
National Statistical Office (NSO) in its second advance national income estimates released on February
29.
 According to Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das, real GDP growth is likely to be closer
to 8% as NSO’s current estimate of 5.9% GDP growth for Q4 of FY24 is likely to be overshot.
Bhupender Yadav releases report on Status of Leopards in India
 Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav released the report
on Status of Leopards in India, on 29th February, 2024 at New Delhi.
 The fifth cycle leopard population estimation was carried out by the National Tiger Conservation
Authority and Wildlife Institute of India, in collaboration with State Forest Departments, as part of the
quadrennial “Monitoring of Tiger, Co-predators, prey and their habitat” exercise in tiger range States.
Key Findings:

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 India's leopard population is estimated

at 13,874 (Range: 12,616 – 15,132)
individuals, representing stable
population in comparison to the similar
area being sampled in 2018 with 12852
(12,172-13,535) individuals.
 This estimate represent population of
70% of leopard habitat, the Himalayas
and semi arid parts of country which are
not tiger habitat were not sampled.
 Central India shows a stable or slightly
growing population of leopards (2018:
8071, 2022: 8820), Shivalik hills and
Gangetic plains experienced decline
(2018: 1253, 2022: 1109).
 In Shivalik hills and Gangetic plains,
there is a -3.4% decline per annum,
while the largest growth rate was in
Central India and Eastern Ghats of 1.5%.
 Madhya Pradesh houses the largest
population of leopards in the country
– 3907 (2018: 3421), followed by
Maharashtra (2022: 1985; 2018: 1,690), Karnataka (2022: 1,879 ; 2018: 1,783) and Tamil Nadu (2022: 1,070;
2018: 868). Tiger Reserves or sites with highest leopard population are, Nagarajunasagar Srisailam
(Andhra Pradesh), followed by Panna (Madhya Pradesh), and Satpura (Madhya Pradesh).
 The fifth cycle of leopard population estimation (2022) in India focused on forested habitats within 18
tiger states, covering four major tiger conservation landscapes. Non-forested habitats, arid, and high
Himalayas above 2000 msl (~ 30% area) were not sampled for leopard. This cycle conducted a foot survey
spanning 6,41,449 km to estimate carnivore signs and prey abundance. Camera traps were strategically
placed at 32,803 locations, resulting in a total of 4,70,81,881 photographs, resulting in 85,488 photo-
captures of leopard.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Cabinet Approves Ambitious IndiaAI Mission to Strengthen the AI Innovation Ecosystem
 The Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the comprehensive national-
level IndiaAI mission with a budget outlay of Rs.10,371.92 crore.
 The IndiaAI mission will establish a comprehensive ecosystem catalyzing AI innovation through
strategic programs and partnerships across the public and private sectors.
 It will drive responsible, inclusive growth of India's AI ecosystem by democratizing computing access,
improving data quality, developing indigenous AI capabilities, attracting top AI talent, enabling industry

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
collaboration, providing startup risk capital, ensuring socially impactful AI projects and bolstering ethical
AI,.
 The Mission will be implemented by ‘IndiaAI’ Independent Business Division (IBD) under Digital India
Corporation (DIC) and has the following components:
 IndiaAI Compute Capacity: The IndiaAI compute pillar will build a high-end scalable AI computing
ecosystem to cater to the increasing demands from India’s rapidly expanding AI start-ups and
research ecosystem. The ecosystem will comprise AI compute infrastructure of 10,000 or more
Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), built through public-private partnership. Further, an AI marketplace
will be designed to offer AI as a service and pre-trained models to AI innovators. It will act as a one-
stop solution for resources critical for AI innovation.
 IndiaAI Innovation Centre: The IndiaAI Innovation Centre will undertake the development and
deployment of indigenous Large Multimodal Models (LMMs) and domain-specific foundational models
in critical sectors.
 IndiaAI Datasets Platform - The IndiaAI Datasets Platform will streamline access to quality non-
personal datasets for AI Innovation. A unified data platform will be developed to provide a one-stop
solution for seamless access to non-personal datasets to Indian Startups and Researchers.
 IndiaAI Application Development Initiative - The IndiaAI Application Development Initiative will
promote the AI applications in critical sectors for the problem statements sourced from Central
Ministries, State Departments, and other institutions. The initiative will focus on
developing/scaling/promoting adoption of impactful AI solutions with potential for catalyzing large
scale socio-economic transformation.
 IndiaAI FutureSkills - IndiaAI FutureSkills is conceptualized to mitigate barriers to entry into AI
programs and will increase AI courses in undergraduate, masters-level, and Ph.D. programs. Further,
Data and AI Labs will be set-up in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities across India to impart foundational level
courses.
 IndiaAI Startup Financing: The IndiaAI Startup Financing pillar is conceptualized to support and
accelerate deep-tech AI startups and provide them streamlined access to funding to enable futuristic
AI Projects.
 Safe & Trusted AI - Recognizing the need for adequate guardrails to advance the responsible
development, deployment, and adoption of AI, the Safe & Trusted AI pillar will enable the
implementation of Responsible AI projects including the development of indigenous tools and
frameworks, self-assessment checklists for innovators, and other guidelines and governance
frameworks.
 The approved IndiaAI Mission will propel innovation and build domestic capacities to ensure the
tech sovereignty of India.
 It will also create highly skilled employment opportunities to harness the demographic dividend of
the country.
 IndiaAI Mission will help India demonstrate to the world how this transformative technology can be
used for social good and enhance its global competitiveness.
REC Limited joins hands with UNISED to support Education of Children in Siddharthnagar, Uttar
Pradesh

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 REC Limited, a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Power and a leading
Non-Banking Finance Company, has partnered with the Unit of Science and Educational
Development (UNISED) to support the education of around 75,500 children of Siddharthnagar district,
Uttar Pradesh.
 REC has entered into this partnership through its Corporate Social Responsibility arm REC
Foundation. REC has committed a financial assistance of Rs. 9.91 crores towards this noble cause.
 As part of this collaboration, UNISED will implement solar energy-operated smart classes and
establish joyful learning resource labs in government schools across Siddharthnagar district.
 This initiative aims to provide students with access to modern educational tools and resources,
empowering them to excel academically and creatively.
Learn Along:
About REC Limited
 REC is a 'Maharatna' Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Power, and is registered with RBI as
Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC), and Infrastructure Financing Company (IFC).
 REC finances the entire Power-Infrastructure sector comprising Generation, Transmission, Distribution,
Renewable Energy and new technologies like Electric Vehicles, Battery Storage, Pumped Storage Projects,
Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia projects.
 Recently, REC has also diversified into the Non-Power Infrastructure sector comprising Roads & Expressways,
Metro Rail, Airports, IT Communication, Social and Commercial Infrastructure (Educational Institution, Hospitals),
Ports and Electro-Mechanical (E&M) works in respect of various other sectors like Steel and Refinery.
Google unveils Genie AI which can create video games from text and image prompt
 Google's DeepMind team has unveiled "Genie" - a groundbreaking AI model poised to revolutionise
the gaming industry and creative endeavours alike.
 Genie introduced as an innovative platform capable of crafting interactive 2D video games from a
single image prompt or text description, marks a significant leap forward in the realm of artificial
intelligence.
 Developed by Google DeepMind's Open-Endedness Team, this pioneering project signifies a fusion of
cutting-edge technology and imaginative potential.
Learn Along:
About Google
Founded: 4 September 1998 Headquarters: California, U.S. CEO: Sundar Pichai
MoSPI Signs MoU with ISRO on Urban Frame Survey using Bhuvan
 The NSSO (FOD) under Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has entered into
a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) under the
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to facilitate Urban Frame Survey (UFS) in a digital mode
using the state-of-the-art Geo ICT tools and techniques using Bhuvan Platform.
 UFS is conducted in five-year phases to prepare and maintain a frame of compact urban geographical
units, which serve as sampling frame in urban sector, mainly for NSSO large scale Socio-Economic
Surveys.
 The UFS in digital form was carried out for the first time during Phase 2017-22 using Bhuvan platform
covering more than 5300 towns.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 In the current phase (2022 – 2027), survey works of around 8134 towns are planned with improved
and robust versions of Mobile, Desktop and Web Based GIS solutions built on Bhuvan Platform.
 This collaboration is aimed at transformation of UFS from analogue to digital mode and helps MoSPI
to achieve the targets of updating Urban Frame regularly in a timely manner.
Learn Along:
About ISRO
Headquarters: Bengaluru Chairman: Sreedhara Somanath Founded: 15 August 1969
ZSI names a newly discovered sea slug after President Murmu
 The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has named a new

marine species of head-shield sea slug with ruby red
spot which was discovered from West Bengal and
Odisha coast after President of India Droupadi Murmu.
 This species belonging to Melanochlamys genus was
discovered from Digha of West Bengal coast and
Udaipur of Odisha coast.
 The new species of head-shield sea slug, which is found
nowhere else in the world, has been named
Melanochlamys droupadi.
 Species of the genus Melanochlamys are characterised morphologically by a short, blunt and
cylindrical body and a smooth dorsal surface with two dorsal equal or unequal shields, named the
anterior cephalic and posterior shield.
Google partners with Shakti to battle misinformation ahead of general elections
 Google has announced a partnership to combat misinformation. The tech giant has partnered with
Shakti, an Indian fact-checking collective, to help detect online misinformation, including deepfakes.
 Shakti comprises of major Indian news outlets along with independent fact-checkers.
 It aims to create a common repository that news publishers can use to tackle the challenges of
misinformation at scale.
 Shakti will be driven by DataLEADS, in collaboration with the Misinformation Combat Alliance, The
Quint, VishvasNews, Boom, Factly, and Newschecker, with support from the Google News Initiative.
Learn Along:
About Google
Founded: 4 September 1998 Headquarters: California, U.S. CEO: Sundar Pichai
India’s 1st dolphin research centre inaugurated in Patna, will help in study of Gangetic Dolphins
 Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated India’s first-ever dolphin research centre in Patna.
 Built at a cost of Rs 30 crore, the National Dolphin Research Center (NDRC) stands on the banks of the
Ganges inside the Patna University campus and will help students and researchers understand the
behaviour of freshwater dolphins, particularly of those found in the Ganges.
 NDRC was scheduled to be inaugurated in December last year but due to delays in completion of
work, it was postponed.
Learn Along:

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 The foundation stone of this institute was laid by Nitish Kumar in the year 2020.
 The NDRC project was approved in 2013 by then Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh
Ahluwalia on the request of Professor R.K. Sinha — also known as the Dolphin Man of India — who was the
Professor of Zoology at Patna University at the time (he is currently the vice-chancellor of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi
University).
Astronomers discover 3 previously unknown moons orbiting planets in our solar system
 Astronomers have discovered three previously unknown moons around Uranus and Neptune, the
most distant planets in our solar system.
 The find includes one moon spotted orbiting Uranus — the first discovery of its kind in more than 20
years — and two detected in Neptune’s orbit.
 The three newly discovered moons are the faintest ever found around these two ice giant planets
using ground-based telescopes.
 The revelations will be helpful for missions that may be planned to explore Uranus and Neptune more
closely in the future, a priority for astronomers since the ice planets were only observed in detail with
Voyager 2 in the 1980s.
 The three moons were announced on February 23 by the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet
Center.
Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog and Meta join hands to establish Frontier Technology Labs in
schools to democratize access to future technologies and innovation
 In an effort to democratize future technologies and empower youth to innovate, Atal Innovation
Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog and Meta have announced the launch of Frontier Technology Labs
(FTLs).
 Atal Innovation Mission and Meta will partner to set up FTLs in schools of strategic importance to
ensure that students from diverse backgrounds across India will have equal opportunities to learn and
engage with frontier technologies.
 Till date, AIM has established 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) in schools across 722 districts in
India.
 The objective of ATLs is to foster curiosity, creativity, and imagination in young minds; and inculcate
skills such as design mindset, computational thinking, physical computing etc.
 The FTL is an advanced version of Atal Tinkering Lab equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure,
including all components of the Tinkering Lab to empower students to innovate using technologies
like Artificial Intelligence, Augmented & Virtual Reality, Blockchain, Cybersecurity, Robotics, 3D
Printing, and Internet of Things.
 The labs support the Government’s focus on equipping youth with digital skills to succeed in the
evolving landscape of technology and the global economy.
 The FTLs will be funded by Meta and Atal Innovation Mission will be the knowledge partner.
Learn Along:
About Atal Innovation Mission
 Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog is Government of India’s flagship initiative to promote a culture of
innovation and entrepreneurship in the country and was setup in 2016.
 All the initiatives of AIM are currently monitored and managed systematically using real-time MIS systems
and dynamic dashboards.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 AIM has launched the Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) program. ATL is a state-of-the-art space established in a
school with a goal to foster curiosity and innovation in young minds, between grade 6th to 12th across the
country through 21st century tools and technologies such as Internet of Things, 3D printing, rapid prototyping
tools, robotics, miniaturized electronics, do-it-yourself kits and many more.
About Meta
 CEO: Mark Founded: February 2004 Headquarters: California, United States
DEFENCE
INS Kiltan and Royal Malaysian Ship KD Lekir undertake maritime operations under Exercise
Samudra Laksamana
 Indian Naval Ship INS Kiltan and Royal Malaysian Ship KD Lekir undertook multifaceted maritime
operations during the sea phase of Exercise Samudra Laksamana off Visakhapatnam.
 Activities undertaken include gunnery firing, seamanship evolutions, sea boats, helicopters, and
maritime patrol aircraft operations.
 Sea Phase culminated with a traditional steam past, reinforcing the deep engagement between the
two navies.
1st Naval Commanders’ Conference of 2024
 The first edition of the Naval Commanders’ Conference of 2024 commenced on March 05, 2024.
 The inaugural session of the three-day event saw Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh embarking at sea
to witness the Indian Navy’s ability to conduct ‘twin-carrier operations’.
 Both aircraft carriers showcased the growing capabilities of the Navy to safeguard India’s maritime
interests.
 The Naval Commanders’ Conference, this time around, is being held in a hybrid format.
 It serves as a platform for Naval Commanders to deliberate on strategic, operational, and
administrative matters concerning maritime security.
Meet Suman Kumari, Woman From Himachal To Become The First Mahila Sniper In BSF
 Sub-inspector Suman Kumari made history by joining the Border Security Force (BSF) as its first
female sniper.
 She received "instructor grade" at the Central School of Weapons and Tactics (CSWT) in Indore, where
she had completed an eight-week sniper training.
Learn Along:
About BSF
Founded: 1 December 1965 Headquarters: New Delhi Director General: Nitin Agarwal
MoD inks MoU with BEML Limited, BEL & MIDHANI for indigenous development of Advanced Fuelling
& Control System for Engines for heavy duty applications
 Ministry of Defence has signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with BEML Limited,
Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI) for indigenous
development of Advanced Fuelling and Control System for Engines for heavy duty applications.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 This collaborative initiative will focus on leveraging indigenous capabilities to design, test, and
manufacture an Advanced Fuelling and Control System that offers enhanced efficiency, performance, and
reliability.
 By harnessing the latest advancements in engine technology and control systems, the companies aim to
extend their domain expertise for development of engine systems which will ensure self-reliance in
the field of Combat vehicles.
 The MoU corroborates the resolve of the Government to develop complex technologies within the
country under the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative.
DefConnect 2024: Raksha Mantri launches ADITI scheme to promote innovations in critical & strategic
defence technologies
 Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh launched Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX
(ADITI) scheme to promote innovations in critical and strategic defence technologies, during
DefConnect 2024 in New Delhi on March 04, 2024.
 Under the scheme, start-ups are eligible to receive grant-in-aid of up to Rs 25 crore for their research,
development, and innovation endeavours in defence technology.
 The scheme will nurture the innovation of youth, and help the country leap forward in the field of
technology.
 The ADITI scheme worth Rs 750 crore for the period 2023-24 to 2025-26 falls under the iDEX
(Innovations for Defence Excellence) framework of Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of
Defence.
 It aims to develop about 30 deep-tech critical and strategic technologies in the proposed timeframe.
 It also envisages to create a ‘Technology Watch Tool’ to bridge the gap between the expectations and
requirements of the modern Armed Forces and the capabilities of the defence innovation ecosystem.
 In the first edition of ADITI, 17 challenges – Indian Army (3), Indian Navy (5), Indian Air Force (5) and
Defence Space Agency (4) - have been launched.
DRDO successfully flight tests Very Short Range Air Defence System
 DRDO conducted two successful flight tests of Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS)
missile on 28th & 29th Feb 2024 from a ground based portable launcher off the coast of Odisha from
Integrated Test Range, Chandipur.
 These tests were carried out against high speed unmanned aerial targets under different interception
scenarios.
 During all the test flights, the targets were intercepted and destroyed by the missiles, meeting the
mission objectives.
 VSHORADS is a Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPAD) designed and developed indigenously
by Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and Indian Industry
Partners.
 The missile is propelled by a dual thrust solid motor and meant for neutralizing low altitude aerial
threats at short ranges.
Learn Along:

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
About DRDO
Formed: 1958 Chairman: Dr Samir V Kamat Headquarters: New Delhi
INDIAN NAVY TO ENHANCE ITS OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY WITH COMMISSIONING OF INS

JATAYU AT MINICOY ISLAND (LAKSHADWEEP)
 Indian Navy will commission Naval Detachment Minicoy as INS Jatayu on 06 Mar 2024.
 Naval Detachment Minicoy was set up in early 1980s under the operational command of Naval Officer-
in-Charge (Lakshadweep).
 Minicoy is the southernmost island of Lakshadweep which straddles the vital Sea Lines of
Communications (SLOCs).
 INS Jatayu is the second Naval base in Lakshadweep after INS Dweeprakshak in Kavaratti.
 With the commissioning of INS Jatayu, the Indian Navy will strengthen its foothold in the
Lakshadweep islands and along with extending operational surveillance, reach and sustenance, it will
usher in a new era of capacity building and comprehensive development of the island territories.
MH 60R ‘SEAHAWKS’ TO BE COMMISSIONED INTO THE INDIAN NAVY AS THE INAS 334 SQUADRON
 The Indian Navy will commission the newly inducted MH 60R Seahawk (a maritime variant of the
Blackhawk helicopter) multi-role helicopter on 06 Mar 2024 at INS Garuda, Kochi marking a pivotal
moment in India’s Defence modernisation journey.
 The Seahawks squadron will be commissioned in the Indian Navy as INAS 334.
 The helicopters are a part of the 24-aircraft FMS contract signed with the US government in Feb 2020.
 The helicopter is designed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), search
and rescue (SAR), medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) and vertical replenishment (VERTREP).
Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Ajay Bhatt Inaugurates ICG Jetty at Vadinaar, Dwaraka (Gujarat)
 Raksha Rajya Mantri, Ajay Bhatt inaugurated the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Jetty Vadinar on 01 Mar
2024, marking a significant step towards augmenting infrastructure development in the strategically
important Indian Coast Guard Region(North-West).
 The jetty construction was undertaken by Deendayal Port Authority(DPA) as a deposit work at a cost of
Rs. 74 Crores.
INDIA - MALAYSIA BILATERAL MARITIME EXERCISE SAMUDRA LAKSAMANA
 Exercise Samudra Laksamana is underway from 28 Feb - 02 Mar 24 at/ off Visakhapatnam.
 Indian Naval Ship Kiltan and Royal Malaysian Ship KD Lekir are participating in the 3rd edition of
this exercise which has harbour professional interactions followed by the operational phase at sea.
 The exercise aims to strengthen bonds and enhance interoperability between the Indian and Royal
Malaysian Navy.
US Coast Guard Ship Bertholf visits Port Blair for the joint exercise “Sea Defenders-2024” with Indian
Coast Guard

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 Marking a significant step in bolstering bilateral cooperation between the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and
the United States Coast Guard (USCG), the USCG Ship Bertholf reached Port Blair on 07 Mar 2024,
for joint exercise with Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
 Codenamed “Sea Defenders-2024”, the joint exercise is scheduled to take place on 09-10 Mar 2024 off
the coast of Port Blair.
 The exercise will simulate scenarios relevant to maritime piracy and asymmetric threats, including
simulated drone attacks on commercial merchant traffic, joint maritime search and rescue operations,
major firefighting, marine pollution response, and counter-drug interdiction exercises.
 Additionally, a simulated medical evacuation will be conducted to enhance readiness in emergency
situations.
 This exercise underscores the importance of international cooperation in addressing maritime
challenges.
5th generation fighter jet project gets CCS approval
 The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has approved the project for the design and development
of India’s fifth-generation fighter jet, Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), to be undertaken by
the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
 The AMCA is envisaged as a 25-tonne twin-engine stealth aircraft with an internal weapons bay and
diverterless supersonic intake which has been developed in India for the first time.
 Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., the production agency for the project, has initiated manufacturing
activities.
EVENTS
Sahitya Akademi's annual Festival of Letters to be held from 11th to 16th March 2024
 Sahitya Akademi, the National Academy of Letters, India, is completing 70 years this year and to
commemorate this occasion, the 'Sahityotsav' celebrated every year by the Akademi is being celebrated
this time as the world's largest literary festival from 11th to 16th March 2024.
 More than 1100 renowned writers and scholars are participating in more than 190 sessions, and more
than 175 languages of the country will also be represented in it.
 The Festival of Letters, organized in more than 190 sessions, will begin with the exhibition of the
major activities of the Akademi throughout the previous year.
 The prestigious Samvatsar lecture will be delivered by renowned Urdu writer and lyricist Gulzar on
March 13 at the Meghdoot open theatre.
Union Tribal Affairs Minister Sh. Arjun Munda announces ground-breaking partnerships for Tribal
Development with ISRO, AIIMS Delhi, IIT Delhi, IIM Calcutta and IISc Bengaluru
 Union Minister for Tribal Affairs and Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Arjun Munda, presided over the
launch of ground-breaking partnerships for tribal development, in New Delhi.
 Collaborating with the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) are esteemed institutions such as the Indian
Space Research Organization (ISRO), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru, All India Institute of

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Calcutta, and Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT) Delhi. Letters of Intent were exchanged between the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the
eminent institutions to formalize partnerships in various key areas.
 The partnerships will focus on key domains including Indigenous Practices; Telemedicine & Tribal
Health; Training & Capacity Building; Entrepreneurship; Technology Transfer, Patent, IPR; and Digitization
through Satellites; Use of Industry 4.0 Technologies (AI/ML, AR/VR) for tribal issues.
 The Government launched PM JANMAN with a total outlay of Rs 24 thousand crores, to
comprehensively develop 75 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), that lag behind in socio-
economic indicators of education, health, and livelihood.
 The Prime Minister also launched the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission in Shahdol,
Madhya Pradesh, aiming to eliminate Sickle Cell Anaemia by 2047, which is prevalent in the Tribal
Community. Similarly, the introduction of Eklavya Model Residential Schools aimed to provide quality
education to tribal students with residential facilities, comparable to Jawahar Navoday Vidyalaya and
Kendriya Vidyalaya Schools, even in remote areas of the country.
 During the event, Arjun Munda launched a coffee table book on PM JANMAN, a booklet on DAPST
(Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes), and a booklet highlighting the 10-year achievements of
the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Dr. V.K Paul, Member NITI Aayog launches National Birth Defect Awareness Month 2024
 Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana is an aspirational scheme which covers half of India’s health and
that can be instrumental in child health too along with existing Rashtriya Bal Swashtya Karyakram.
 Dr. V K Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog launched the National Birth Defect Awareness Month 2024.
 The theme of this National Birth Defect Awareness Month 2024 is “Breaking Barriers: inclusive support
for children with birth defects”.
Haj Suvidha App launched and Haj Guide for Haj-2024 released by Minister for Minority Affairs, Smt.
Smriti Zubin Irani
 Union Minister for Minority Affairs and Women and Child Development Smriti Zubin Irani,
inaugurated the two days’ Training of Trainers Programme as part of preparations towards Haj 2024
at Vigyan Bhavan.
 The Training of Trainers Programme is intended to sensitize and educate the trainers who impart
further training to the Haj pilgrims in order to ensure that the pilgrims have a fulfilling experience and
are aware of the various aspects of the pilgrimage.
 Haj Suvidha App has been developed by BISAG-N under the able guidance of the Union Minister for
Minority Affairs.
 Leveraging digital and mobile technologies, the Haj Suvidha app will provide necessary information
and direct access to important services like Training modules, Flight Details, Accommodation,
Emergency Helpline, Health, etc. at the fingertips of the Pilgrims.
Sarbananda Sonowal dedicates first-ever Made-in-India ASTDS tug
 Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of MoPSW & AYUSH inaugurated the 60T bollard pull tug
named ‘Ocean Grace’ and the Medical Mobile Unit (MMU), virtually on 2nd March, 2024.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 The Ocean Grace is the first make in India ASTDS Tug developed by the Cochin Shipyard Limited
under MoPSW.
 The Medical Mobile Unit (MMU) is part of port’s commitment to corporate social responsibility.
 The first ASTDS tug is powered by NIGATA main engines and a Power Z-Peller ZP Propulsion engine,
this tug is meticulously designed for optimal efficiency and reliability, guaranteeing seamless
navigation and proficient vessel assistance, especially for large vessels like VLCCs and ULCCs.
 The goal of the Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP) is to convert at least 50% of all tugs into
Green Tugs by 2030 and to have Green Tugs operating at all major ports.
 JNPA, DPA, PPA, and VoCPA will purchase two brand-new green tugs (battery-electric powered) from
Cochin Shipyard by 2027 as part of the first phase.
Secretary, Earth Sciences co-chairs the 1st ‘Blue Talks’ meeting on Ocean Health and Governance
 The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), hosted the 1st ‘Blue Talks’ meeting in New Delhi.
 The meeting was co-partnered by the Embassy of France and Embassy of Costa Rica in India.
 The meeting was jointly co-chaired by the Secretary, MoES Dr. M. Ravichandran, along with the
Ambassador of France to India, Mr. Thierry Mathou, and Costa Rica Chargée d'affaires, Ms. Sofia
Salas Monge.
 The core aim of the 1st Blue Talks meeting were to:
i) to exchange good practices and successful experiences on topics related to the governance and
health of the ocean,
ii) to seek recommendations and inputs from various stakeholders, both governmental and non-
governmental
iii) to reflect and to feed into the preparation of UNOC3 and
iv) to seek specific implementation actions in order to address the concerns over the ocean’s health.
 MoES, India has been recognized as a lead partner for the upcoming Ocean Conference in Nice, in
2025.
 India looks forward to a close cooperation with France and Costa Rica to prepare for this important
global event.
Launch of the Social Defence Fellowship
 National Institute of Social Defence (NISD), a part of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, in
collaboration with The/Nudge Institute - a Bangalore-based non-profit organization has launched a public-
private partnership known as ‘Social Defence Fellowship’, which aims to synergize the expertise of
senior private sector professionals with the vision and foresight of senior civil servants, toward
empowering marginalized communities.
 Five Social Defence Fellows were selected from a pool of 840+ applications from across the country and
went through a rigorous selection process.
 Over the span of 18-months, Fellows will work as part of the government system full-time, offering
strategic and implementation support by identifying challenges and opportunities and design their final
project charters.
 The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment the nodal Ministry for the welfare of the marginalized
and vulnerable sections of society.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 Each Fellow will collaborate with senior officials on priority areas including fostering
entrepreneurship and innovation within marginalized communities, enhancing access of specified
groups to welfare schemes and services, and promoting education empowerment initiatives.
NITI Aayog spearheads ‘National Conference to Accelerate Sustainable Development Goals’ in

partnership with Government of Rajasthan, UNDP and UN
 NITI Aayog organised the ‘National Conference on Accelerating Sustainable Development Goals’
in partnership with the host Government of Rajasthan and technical partners UNDP and UN in India
on 4th and 5th March, 2024 in Jaipur.
 The two-day conference brought together senior government officials from 31 States and Union
Territories and Government of India.
 The objectives of the conference were to encourage States and UTs to take stock of Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) localisation, exchange experiences on institutionalising the SDGs at the
subnational level, explore the SDG finance landscape at the national and subnational level and
charting a path for accelerating progress at the mid-point of the 2030 SDG agenda.
 This conference exemplifies NITI’s role as a platform for sharing the learnings and good practices
on SDGs from across the country.
 Three knowledge portals, UNDP ‘SDG Knowledge hub’, ‘Food and Nutrition Security Analysis
Dashboard’ of Government of Rajasthan, ‘SDG -2 (Zero Hunger) Dashboard’ of Government of
Rajasthan were inaugurated by Bhajanlal Sharma, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Rajasthan in the presence of
Shri Suman Bery, Hon’ble Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog and Dr. V.K. Paul, Hon’ble, Member, NITI Aayog.
 The UNDP SDG Knowledge hub is a one-stop portal which brings together good practices, SDG
indicator frameworks, SDG linked budgets, among other knowledge products produced by States and
UTs.
Learn Along:
About Rajasthan
Founded: 30 March 1949 Governor: Kalraj Mishra Capital:
Jaipur
About UNDP
Founded: 22 November 1965, United States Headquarters: New York, United States
AWARDS AND REWARDS

RK Swamy’s CMD Swamy bags IAA Golden Compass Award
 Srinivasan K. Swamy, CMD of integrated marketing services firm RK Swamy Ltd. has been presented
with the IAA Golden Compass Award at the 45th IAA World Congress held in Penang, Malaysia.
 Penang Governor Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak presented the award.
 The award honours significant global contributions to the field of marketing, advertising and media.
 This is the first time that this award is being bestowed upon an Indian industry leader.
Yatin Bhaskar Duggal Wins First Prize in National Youth Parliament Festival 2024

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 Yatin Bhaskar Duggal from Haryana won the first prize in the National Youth Parliament Festival,
2024, while Vaishna Pitchai from Tamil Nadu won the second prize and Kanishka Sharma from
Rajasthan the third prize.
Tiger Woods to Receive Bob Jones Award; USGA's Highest Honor
 Tiger Woods is set to receive one of the most prestigious awards in golf.
 Woods was bestowed the Bob Jones Award from the USGA for his "commitment to sportsmanship and
respect for golf's traditions."
 It is the highest honor awarded by the USGA.
 Jones was a star golfer in the early 20th century who notably competed as an amateur and won the
Grand Slam in 1930.
 He also was a co-founder of Augusta National Golf Club and created The Masters tournament.
 Woods is set to be honored June 12 during the 2024 U.S. Open.
 The award has been presented annually since 1955 and previous winners include Jack Nicklaus, Arnold
Palmer, Francis Ouimet, Annika Sorenstam and George H.W. Bush.
Sunil Bharti Mittal becomes first Indian citizen to be conferred an honorary Knighthood by Britain's
King
 Bharti Enterprises founder and chairman, Sunil Bharti Mittal has become the first Indian citizen to
receive an Honorary Knighthood from United Kingdom's King Charles III.
 The award grants Sunil Bharti Mittal the title of Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of
the British Empire, recognising his contributions to fostering stronger business ties between India and
the UK.
 An honorary Knighthood is one of the highest honours granted by the British Sovereign to civilians,
conferred upon foreign nationals in recognition of their exceptional contributions.
Scientist Pradeep Mahajan’s stem-cell research earns him 'Maharashtra Bhushan Award'
 Globally-acclaimed ,The Founder-Chairman of StemRX Bioscience Solutions Pvt. Ltd. and Chairman-cum-
Managing Director ,Mumbai scientist Pradeep V. Mahajan’s pioneering work in regenerative medicine
and stem-cells has earned him this year’s coveted ‘Maharashtra Bhushan Award’.
 Mahajan, 64, developed a unique stem-cell/platelet-based remedy to kill the Coronavirus “naturally,
with anti-inflammatory bodies”, which reduced the need for hospitalisation of Covid-19 patients by
nearly 75 per cent, lessening the load on the public health sector.
 Besides Mahajan, the other ‘Maharashtra Bhushan Award’ winners this year are -- Vijaykumar Yadav,
Dharmaveer Bharti, Rana Suryawanshi and Rahul Papal.
PM to present first ever National Creators Award on 8th March
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will present first ever National Creators Award on 8th March 2024 at
Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
 The National Creators Award is an effort to recognize excellence and impact across domains,
including storytelling, social change advocacy, environmental sustainability, education, gaming, among
others.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 The award is envisioned as a launchpad for using creativity to drive positive change.
 The award will be provided across twenty categories including the Best Storyteller Award; The
Disruptor of the Year; Celebrity Creator of the Year; Green Champion Award; Best Creator For Social
Change; Most Impactful Agri creator; Cultural Ambassador of The Year; International Creator award; Best
Travel Creator Award; Swachhta Ambassador Award; The New India Champion Award; Tech Creator
Award; Heritage Fashion Icon Award; Most Creative Creator (Male & Female); Best Creator in Food
Category; Best Creator in Education Category; Best Creator in Gaming Category; Best Micro Creator;
Best Nano Creator; Best Health and Fitness Creator.
APPOINTMENTS
Organization News Learn Along
Name
Bharat Petroleum Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) introduced Olympic and
Corporation World Javelin Champion Neeraj Chopra as the brand ambassador for
Limited their Premium Petrol ‘Speed’.
Electricity Benjamin L. Tlumtea has taken charge as Member of the Joint ---
Regulatory Electricity Regulatory Commission for Manipur and Mizoram. He was
Commission administered the Oath of Office and Secrecy by the Union Minister for
Power and New & Renewable Energy R. K. Singh today, March 7, 2024.
National Security Daljit Singh Chaudhary, a 1990 batch IPS officer, has been appointed Founded:
Guard as the Director General (DG) of the National Security Guard (NSG), 22 September
marking a significant development in India’s security apparatus. 1986
Daljit Singh Chaudhary, currently serving as the DG of Sashastra

Seema Bal (SSB), will now shoulder the additional responsibility of
leading the NSG, commonly referred to as the “black cats”.
Tamilnad The Reserve Bank has appointed Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Ltd.’s Headquarters
Mercantile Bank independent director S. Ravindran as part-time chairman of the bank from Thoothukudi
Ltd February 29 till August 2, 2026.
Currently, Mr. Ravindran is an independent director on the boards of

NSE, LTIDPL Invit Services, Shriram Finance and Bandhan AMC, the
lender said in a regulatory filing.
The non-executive part-time chairman post in TMB fell vacant after the
exit of S. Annamalai on February 2, 2020.
Bihar The Bihar government made a significant announcement, appointing
senior IAS officer Brajesh Mehrotra as the new chief secretary of the
state. This appointment underscores the government’s commitment to
efficient governance and administrative excellence.
Bank of India Bank of India (BoI) named M. R. Kumar as the Non-Executive Chairman. Founded:
He will be responsible for overseeing the overall growth trajectory of 7 September
the public sector lender. 1906
He was the Chairman of LIC India from 2019 to March 2023. Headquarters:
Mumbai

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
The bank named Rajiv Mishra as Executive Director. He will handle

stressed-asset resolution and recovery, including policy matters.
Lubrizol Speciality chemicals major Lubrizol has named Bhavana Bindra as MD ---
for India, Middle East & Africa (IMEA) Region.
She will be responsible for leading the company’s IMEA team to deliver
regional growth for Lubrizol and its customers based on a local-for-local
approach.
SAP German technology major SAP has appointed Manish Prasad as --
president and managing director for SAP Indian Subcontinent. He
succeeds Kulmeet Bawa, who takes on a global role to drive the growth
and adoption of the SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) for
global customers.
Slice Slice, the popular mango-flavored drink, has recently announced the ---
appointment of acclaimed actress Nayanthara as its latest brand
ambassador. This collaboration aims to strengthen Slice’s connection
with its audience and reaffirm its status as the go-to beverage for
mango enthusiasts.
Future Generali Alok Rungta has been appointed as the Managing Director and CEO of Headquarters
India Life Future Generali India Life Insurance, effective April 1st, pending Mumbai
Insurance regulatory approvals.
Founded
He will succeed Bruce De Broize, who currently holds the position until 2007
March 31st.
Alok Rungta, currently serving as the Deputy CEO and CFO, brings
over two decades of experience in the insurance industry to his new role.
IMPORTANT DAYS
Day/Week Observance Significance
March 1 Zero Discrimination Day Zero Discrimination Day is marked every year on March 1 by the
United Nations (UN) and other international organisations.
This day is observed by all the UN member countries and it aims
to promote equality before the law.
Executive Director of UNAIDS Michel Sidibé launched Zero
Discrimination Day in the major event held in Beijing and it was first
celebrated on March 1, 2014.
Zero Discrimination Day 2024 theme is “To protect everyone's
health, protect everyone's rights.”
3 March World Wildlife Day World Wildlife Day (WWD) is celebrated every year on 3 March to
celebrate wild animals and plants.
The theme for this year is Connecting People and Planet:
Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation.
4 March National Safety Day National Safety Day in India is observed every year on March 4,
2024. This day focuses on making safety and precautionary
measures a top priority of any sector.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
8 March International Women's International Women's Day is celebrated on 8 March in many

Day countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognized
for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national,
ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.
The first National Woman's Day was observed in the United States
on 28 February. The Socialist Party of America designated this day in
honour of the 1908 garment workers' strike in New York, where
women protested against working conditions.
In 2024 International Women’s Day is being celebrated under the
theme 'Invest in women: Accelerate progress”.
BOOKS
Book Title Author/s About the book
‘FIH Odisha Hockey --- Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik released a coffee
Men’s World Cup table book titled ‘FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup
2023’ 2023’ brought out by Sportstar.
The Conspiracy to Gotabaya Rajapaksa Two years after his dramatic ouster from office by a popular
oust me from the people’s movement, Sri Lanka’s former President Gotabaya
Presidency Rajapaksa has sought to defend his regime, by launching a
book ‘The Conspiracy to oust me from the Presidency’ that
attributes his political downfall to a “conspiracy” involving
foreign and local parties.
SPORTS
Khelo India University Games 2023 concludes in Guwahati
 The Khelo India University Games 2023, which started on the 17th of February, were officially declared
closed by the Assam sports Minister Shrimati Nandita Gorlosa at the Sarusajai Sports Complex in
Guwahati.
 Chandigarh University clinched the overall championships of the 4th Khelo India University Games
2023.
 Vikash (Men 51-54kg), Harsh (Men 57-60kg), Deepak (Men 60-63.5kg), Priya (women 54-57kg) and
Pranjal (women 66-70kg) clinched the gold medals for Chandigarh University, who took home the KIUG
crown for the first time in four editions with a total of 71 medals, including 32 gold, 18 silver and 21
bronze.
 Lovely Professional University were a distant second with 20 gold, 14 silver and eight bronze while
Guru Nanak Dev University finished third with 12 gold, 20 silver and 19 bronze and was only
contingent apart from the champions to cross the 50-medal mark.
Paul Pogba banned for four years for doping
 France and Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has been banned for four years for a doping offence
earlier this season.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 Pogba was provisionally suspended by Italy’s national anti-doping (NADO Italia) tribunal in
September after testing positive for testosterone - a banned substance.
Puneri Paltan reigns supreme against Haryana Steelers, clinches its first crown
 Puneri Paltan emerged victorious in the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 final, defeating Haryana
Steelers 28-25 at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium.
Sports Ministry revokes suspension of Paralympic Committee of India with immediate effect
 The Sports Ministry has revoked the suspension of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) with
immediate effect.
 The main ground for suspension is being addressed and PCI will be hosting the 2024 World Shooting
Para Sport World Cup from 6th March to 15 March, 2024 at New Delhi.
 The Ministry in February this year, had suspended the government recognition of PCI due to delay in
holding the election after the expiry of the term of the executive committee of PCI and non-compliance with
its guidelines.
Learn Along:
About Paralympic Committee of India
President: Deepa Malik Founded: 7 August 1994
Indian shuttler B Sai Praneeth announces retirement from international badminton
 Indian shuttler B Sai Praneeth has announced his retirement from international badminton.
 The 31-year-old battled nagging injuries since the Olympic Games in Tokyo and decided to hang his
boots due to that.
 In his 24-year-long career, he won a World Championships bronze medal and represented India at the
Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
 Following his retirement, Praneeth who has also won the 2017 Singapore Open, is set to begin a new
innings as the head coach of the Triangle Badminton Academy in the US.
Khelo India medal winners eligible for government jobs
 Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT) of the Government of India, in collaboration with the
Department of Sports, has introduced comprehensive reforms in the recruitment, promotion, and
incentives framework for athletes.
 The updated guidelines, presented in a memorandum issued on March 4, are aimed at providing
enhanced incentives, transparency, and inclusivity
 Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Anurag Singh Thakur announced that Khelo India medal
winner athletes will now be eligible for government jobs.
Spain Wins UEFA Women’s Nations League; Germany Earns Spot At 2024 Paris Olympics
 By easily dominating France, and led by an exceptional Aitana Bonmati, Spain won the UEFA Women’s
Nations League.

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 France, Spain and Germany will represent UEFA at the 2024 Olympics.
Key Points
o France, Spain, and Germany will represent UEFA at the 2024 Olympics.
o Australia and Japan qualified from Asia.
o The only seats still to be determined are Africa’s as the CAF’s final round is set to be played in April.
o Missed out on the Tokyo Olympics, Germany qualifies for Paris defeating the Dutch 2-0.
o The Netherlands, who made their first appearance in Tokyo, will not be in Paris.
o Qualified Teams - Paris 2024 Olympic
o 10 teams have already secured their spot at the soccer tournament of the upcoming Paris 2024 Summer
Olympic. 2 more spots will be determined in April.
1. France (hosts)
2. United States
3. Brazil
4. Colombia
5. Canada (title holders)
6. New Zealand
7. Australia
8. Japan
9. Spain
10. Germany
11. South Africa or Nigeria
12. Zambia or Morocco
A Summary Of The inaugural Season Of The UEFA Women's Nations League

1. Spain – Winners
2. France – Second Place
3. Germany – Third Place
4. Netherlands – Fourth Place
Giants’ Shabnam Shakil becomes the youngest player in WPL
 The 16-year-old Gujarat Giants pacer Shabnam Shakil became the youngest to play in the WPL,
making her debut against RCB.
International umpire Erasmus set to retire
 South Africa’s Marais Erasmus will retire from international umpiring after officiating in the second
and final Test between New Zealand and Australia in Christchurch.
BAI announces cash incentives for players, support staff

Weekly BeePedia
1st -8th March 2024
 Badminton Association of India announced a cash incentive of over ₹1.12 crore to the players and
support staff for their success in major international tournaments including Asian Games, Badminton
Asia Team Championship and the BWF World Juniors.
 The women’s team that won the Badminton Asia Team Championship (BATC) crown last month will get
₹35 lakh, 2022 Asian Games gold medallist men’s doubles combination of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy
and Chirag Shetty are awarded ₹12 lakh, 2022 Asian Games men’s singles bronze medallist H.S.
Prannoy will receive ₹5 lakh while the men’s team that bagged the 2022 Asian Games silver for the first
time will collectively get a prize sum of ₹40 lakh.
 The BAI has also rewarded 2023 BWF World Championships bronze medallist Ayush Shetty (₹ 1 lakh),
Badminton Asia Junior U-15 boys singles champion Bornil Aakash Changmai (₹ 2 lakh), U-17 girls singles
silver medallist Tanvi Sharma (₹1 lakh) and U-15 boys singles bronze medallist Jagsher Singh Khangurra
( 50,000).
Sources of the News:
The Hindu,The Indian Express,Business Standard, The Financial Express ,PIB, etc.


Beepedia Weekly Current Affairs (Beepedia) 1st-8th March 2024

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

Beepedia Weekly Current Affairs (Beepedia) 1st-8th March 2024

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Beepedia Weekly Current Affairs (Beepedia) 1st-8th March 2024

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Weekly BeePedia

1st -8th March 2024

RBI, Banking and Economy ___________________________________________ 3

SEBI and Financial Awareness _________________________________________ 6

NABARD and Agriculture ___________________________________________ 11

Reports and Indexes _______________________________________________ 26

Science and Technology ___________________________________________ 28

Awards & Rewards ___________________________________________________ 39

Important Days ___________________________________________________ 42

 Weekly & Monthly BeePedia: https://www.ixambee.com/beepedia-gk-updates-

For feedback, please contact: Email id: hello@ixambee.com

1 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com

RBI, Banking and Economy

RBI Actions Details

RBI Restrictions on JM Financial Products Ltd.

2 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com

RBI Actions Details

Interoperability of internet banking system in 2024

Kotak Mahindra Bank unveils ‘Smart Choice Gold Loan’

3 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com

Venture Center, BFI sign pact on biomedical innovation

FDI inflows shrink by 21% to $41.31 billion in

 According to Department for Promotion of

GDP growth estimate for current year raised to 7.6%

Cabinet approves Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization Scheme, 2024

4 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com

S. No Where GST is applicable Where GST is not applicable

Zone A: 30% of eligible value of

Zone B: 50% of eligible value of Zone B: 50% of eligible value of investment in

Zone A: 3% interest subvention offered Zone A: 3% interest subvention offered for 7

3 Manufacturing & Services linked NIL

Zone A: 75% of eligible value of

5 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com

 This will be a Central Sector Scheme.

Salient features of the scheme:

SEBI and FINANCIAL AWARENESS

6 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com

 This is in continuation of a similar initiative launched for 11 districts of Jharkhand on 31.01.2024.

7 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com

 The app offers seamless access of NPS to a wider subscriber base.

NPCI joins hands with IISc to conduct joint research on blockchain, AI

Tech Fini joined hands with NPCI

Kotak Life Insurance launches non-linked par product Kotak G.A.I.N

8 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com

India-Nepal Enhance Financial Cooperation; Digital Payment To Be Inaugurated Soon

9 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com

MSME Minister Narayan Rane launches multiple women-oriented Entrepreneurial projects

Nagaland CM presents Budget, announces universal life insurance scheme

Flipkart launches digital payments service Flipkart UPI

10 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com

NABARD and AGRICULTURE

11 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com

Govt launches gateway to facilitate post-harvest financing for farmers

12 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com

Revamped Soil health Card Portal and Mobile Application –

School Soil Health Programme-

13 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com

Krishi Sakhi Convergence Programme-

14 | P a g e All ixamBee Mock Tests are FREE Please visit www.ixamBee.com