MARCH 2024

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Contents
1 GA IN NEWS......................................................................................................................................6
FIRST IN NEWS ....................................................................................................................................6
GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES .........................................................................................................12
SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES ...................................................................................................19
MOUs AND AGREEMENTS ............................................................................................................22
BANKING AND FINANCE ................................................................................................................26
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ............................................................................................................28
DEFENCE EXERCISES/ INITIATIVES/ TECHNOLOGY ...........................................................31
ENVIRONMENT .................................................................................................................................34
SPORTS ...............................................................................................................................................35
AWARDS ............................................................................................................................................38
APPOINTMENT .................................................................................................................................41
PERSONS IN NEWS ..........................................................................................................................46
BOOKS AND AUTHORS ..................................................................................................................48
FAIRS AND FESTIVALS ..................................................................................................................49
PLACES IN NEWS .............................................................................................................................49
DAYS IN NEWS .................................................................................................................................52
MISCELLANEOUS ............................................................................................................................54
2 GA + ESI ...........................................................................................................................................56

......................................................................................................................56
SOCIAL SECTOR - HEALTH ..........................................................................................................56
1.1 National Birth Defect Awareness Month 2024 ...........................................................................56
1.2 Indian Public Health Standards for AYUSH Healthcare Facilities ................................................57
1.3 National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAP-SE) ..............57
1.4 FSSAI Action Plan on Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) ..............................................................58
1.5 Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims............................................................................59
1.6 National Dental Commission Act 2023 .......................................................................................59
1.7 Poshan Pakhwada 2024 ..............................................................................................................60
1.8 Uniform Code for Pharmaceuticals Marketing Practices (UCPMP) 2024 ...................................60
1.9 National Cancer Grid ...................................................................................................................61

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SOCIAL SECTOR - EDUCATION ..................................................................................................61
1.10 National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 .....................................................................................61
1.11 National Curriculum for Early Childhood Care and Education ................................................62
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT ..........................................................63
1.12 Sixth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) .....................................63
1.13 Swachhata Green Leaf Rating (SGLR) ......................................................................................63
1.14 Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 ..............................................................................................64
1.15 Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain 2024 Campaign.................................................................65
1.16 Ethanol 100 Fuel ......................................................................................................................66
1.17 International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE) ......................66
INDIAN AGRICULTURE ...................................................................................................................67
1.18 International Year of Millets 2023 ...........................................................................................67
SOCIAL JUSTICE ..............................................................................................................................67
1.19 Women Entrepreneurship .......................................................................................................67
1.20 Social Defence Fellowship .......................................................................................................68
1.21 e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi....................................................................................................................68
1.22 Nyaya Sahayak Program ..........................................................................................................68
1.23 Pradhan Mantri Samajik Utthan evam Rozgar Adharit Jankalyan (PM-SURAJ) Portal............69
GLOBALIZATION ..............................................................................................................................69
1.24 India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) .............................................................69
1.25 Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) ..............................................................70
1.26 Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) .........................................................71
1.27 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) ..............................................................................71
1.28 G20 Group................................................................................................................................72
EMPLOYMENT GENERATION IN INDIA......................................................................................72
1.29 Project ODISERV.......................................................................................................................72
1.30 Patent Rules, 2024 ...................................................................................................................73
INDIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM ........................................................................................................73
1.31 Press & Registration of Periodicals Act (PRP Act), 2023 ..........................................................73
1.32 Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act of 1996 ........................................................74
1.33 NITI Aayog's 'NITI For States' Platform ....................................................................................74
1.34 IndiaAI Mission ........................................................................................................................75
1.35 Prime Minister's Visit to Jammu and Kashmir .........................................................................75

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 1.36 Right to Repair Portal India......................................................................................................76
1.37 Competition Act, 2002 .............................................................................................................77
1.38 Adopt a Heritage 2.0 Initiative.................................................................................................77
1.39 One Nation, One Election ........................................................................................................78
1.40 C-Vigil App ................................................................................................................................78
UNION BUDGET AND ECONOMIC SURVEY..............................................................................79
1.41 Central Borrowings in FY25 .....................................................................................................79
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENTS IN INDIA ...................................................................................80
1.42 Udyam Assist Platform ............................................................................................................80
1.43 LEAPS (Logistics Excellence, Advancement, and Performance Shield) ...................................80
1.44 Startup Mahakumbh ................................................................................................................80
1.45 PSUs in India ............................................................................................................................81

..........................................................................................................81
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT ..........................................................81
1.46 International Solar Alliance (ISA) .............................................................................................81
INDIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM ........................................................................................................82
1.47 Postal Ballots............................................................................................................................82
1.48 Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024 ....................................................................................82
1.49 Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) .........................................................................83
MEASUREMENT OF GROWTH .....................................................................................................83
1.50 Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) ..........................................................................................83
1.51 Government e-Marketplace (GeM) .........................................................................................84
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENTS IN INDIA ...................................................................................84
1.52 Competition Commission of India (CCI)...................................................................................84
3. GA + FINANCE..................................................................................................................................85

...................................................................................................................85
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN FINANCIAL SECTOR ...............................................................85
3.1 National Urban Cooperative Finance and Development Corporation Limited (NUCFDC) .........85
3.2 National Highways Infra Trust .....................................................................................................85

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 3.3 GIFT IFSC (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City International Financial Services Centre) .....86
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY MARKET .....................................................................................86
3.4 India Fully Accessible Route (FAR) Bonds ...................................................................................86
3.5 Asia's First Certified Green Municipal Bond ...............................................................................87
3.6 Avaana Sustainability Fund (ASF) ................................................................................................87
3.7 T+0 settlement by SEBI ...............................................................................................................88
3.8 Audio-Visual (AV) Presentations on Public Issues.......................................................................89
3.9 Minimum Public Shareholding (MPS) Norms..............................................................................89
3.10 International Mutual Fund (MF) Schemes ..............................................................................90
KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN FINANCIAL SECTOR .......................................................................90
3.11 Interoperability of Internet Banking System ...........................................................................90
3.12 UDGAM Portal .........................................................................................................................90
3.13 Sebi (REIT) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 ...........................................................................91
3.14 RBI Data on Bank Deposits ......................................................................................................92
3.15 Securities Exchange Board of India’s (SEBI’s) Settlement Scheme .........................................92
3.16 Unified Payment Interface (UPI)..............................................................................................93
3.17 Central Repository of Information on Large Credits (CRILC) ...................................................93
3.18 Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) ........................................................................................93
3.19 Domestic Systemically Important Insurers (D-SIIs) .................................................................93
3.20 IRDAI (Protection of Policyholders’ Interests and Allied Matters of Insurers) Regulations,
2024 94
3.21 Credit Cards .............................................................................................................................95
BANKING SYSTEM IN INDIA .........................................................................................................95
3.22 Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) ....................................................................................................95
Quick Revision .....................................................................................................................................96

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 1 GA IN NEWS
FIRST IN NEWS

S.No News Key Facts

• Inaugurated at: Kolkata, West Bengal

• It is constructed beneath Kolkata's Hooghly River, spanning 16.6
kilometers.
India’s first-ever
1. • It connects Howrah Maidan to Esplanade, forming part of the East-West
underwater metro tunnel
Metro corridor of Kolkata Metro.
• It also hosts India's deepest Metro station at Howrah, located 30 meters
below ground level.

• Name of the Oil Tanker: Swarna Sindhu.

• It was flagged off along multiple oil and gas projects worth about Rs
1.48 lakh crore, recently dedicated to nation by the PM from Begusarai,
Bihar.
First Crude Oil tanker o Other Notable Projects
from ONGC’s deep-water ✓ Inauguration of the Visakh Refinery Modernization Project
2. KG-DWN 98/2 Block in (VRMP) executed by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd
the Krishna Godavari (HPCL).
(KG) basin ✓ Inauguration of the Mumbai High North Redevelopment Phase
IV of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) and the
Barauni Refinery Expansion project by IndianOil.
• KG-DWN 98/2 Block is located off the Bay of Bengal on the Kakinada
coast, Andhra Pradesh.

• Inaugurated at: Paradip Port, Odisha

First-ever make-in-India • Developed by: Cochin Shipyard Limited, under the Ministry of Ports,
Approved Standardised Shipping and Waterways
3. Tug Design and • Developed under: Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP).
Specification (ASTDS) • Ocean Grace is a 60T bollard pull tug.
Tug -'Ocean Grace' Note: Green Tug Transition Programme (GTTP) covered in CurrentTap
February 2024.

• The Prime Minister of India witnessed the historic "Core Loading" at

India's first indigenous Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) (500
MWe) at Kalpakkam, Chengalpattu District, Tamil Nadu.
• The FBR is developed by Bhartiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd
(BHAVINI).
Commencement of "core • The FBR will use Uranium-Plutonium Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel initially,
loading" of India's first with plans for Thorium-232 utilization in later stages.
4. and totally indigenous • With the launch of the FBR, India has entered into the second stage of
fast breeder reactor at India’s three stage nuclear program.
Kalpakkam About BHAVINI
• Incorporated in: 2003
• Nodal Department: Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)
• Objective: constructing and commissioning the first 500 MWe Prototype
Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam.

About India’s three stage nuclear program

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 • Developed by: Homi Bhabha
• Stage I: Natural uranium-fueled Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors
(PHWRs),
• Stage II: Fast breeder reactors (FBRs) using plutonium-based fuel,
• Stage III: Advanced nuclear power systems using thorium.

• Inaugurated at: GAIL's Vijaipur LPG plant in Madhya Pradesh by the Union
Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas.
India’s first Small Scale • Along with the above initiative, 201 Compressed natural gas (CNG)
LNG Unit of Gas Stations in 17 States were also inaugurated.
5.
Authority of India Limited o The 201 CNG stations were set up by 15 City Gas Distribution (CGD)
(GAIL) entities of GAIL group.
• The initiative aligns with the Government of India’s vision to increase the
share of natural gas in the primary energy basket to 15% by 2030.

First country in the world

• Abortion rights activists in Paris celebrated the decision, highlighting the
to make abortion a
6. Eiffel Tower displaying the message "MyBodyMyChoice" as a symbol of
constitution right-
solidarity.
France

• Commissioned by: Larsen & Toubro (L&T)

India's first indigenously
• Commissioned at: Green Hydrogen Plant located at the A M Naik Heavy
7. built green hydrogen
Engineering Complex in Hazira, Gujarat.
electrolyser
• The electrolyser has the capacity to produce 200 Nm3/Hr of hydrogen.

• Launched by: US Consulate, in collaboration with the Mahratta Chamber

of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA).
• Aim: to bolster IT connections between the two countries.
First-ever US-India • Objectives and Scope:
8. Cyber Security Initiative o to bring together top cyber security experts globally to foster job
launched in Pune creation and develop innovative solutions in the cyber domain.
o It introduces a mentorship model in cyberspace, facilitating people-
to-people ties and promoting collaboration between the US and India
in cyber security.

• Launched by: Government of Kerala.

India’s first government-
• Cspace will be managed by Kerala State Film Development Corporation
9. owned (over-the-top)
(KSFDC).
OTT platform- “CSpace”
• Aim: to provide a curated content at just Rs 75 or much less

• The fuel will be produced at the Paradip refinery in Odisha.

First Indian firm to
• In addition to F1 fuel production, IOC has partnered with the FIM Asia
manufacture fuel for
10. Road Racing Championship to supply 'Storm' fuel, becoming the first
Formula 1 cars- Indian Oil
company in India to manufacture fuel with specifications used in road
Corporation (IOC)
racing.

• CoinSwitch has recently surpassed 2 crore registered users.

First Indian
cryptocurrency trading What is cryptocurrency?
11. platform with 2 crore
• It is a type of digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for
registered users-
security.
CoinSwitch
• cryptocurrencies operate on decentralized networks based on
blockchain technology.

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 Pakistani Punjab's first
• He has been allotted the portfolio of minorities of Punjab province.
12. Sikh minister- Sardar
• He hails from Narowal district, Punjab Province in Pakistan.
Ramesh Singh Arora

• Held at: Dubai Marina, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

• Organizers: Gravity Industries in collaboration with the Dubai Sports
World's First Jet Suit Council.
13.
Race • Also known as: "Iron Man pilot" race
• Winner of the race: Issa Kalfon from the United Kingdom. He won the
"Golden Jet Turbine" trophy.

India’s First FutureLABS

• Located at: Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC),
Center- “Centre for
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
14. Semiconductor Chips &
• Aim: to catalyze an ecosystem for next generation chip design,
Systems for Strategic
manufacturing, and research.
Electronics”.

• Held at: Cartagena de Indias, Colombia

First ever global forum • Organizers: Governments of Colombia 7 Spain, Bill & Melinda Gates
towards combating Foundation, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Global Financing Facility, Pan
cervical cancer- “Global American Health Organization (PAHO), United Nations Children's Fund
15. cervical cancer (UNICEF), United States Agency for International Development (USAID),
elimination forum: Unitaid, World Bank and World Health Organization (WHO).
advancing the call to • Nearly USD 600 million pledged with contributions from the World Bank
action” (USD 400 million over three years), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
(USD 180 million), and UNICEF (USD 10 million).

• India & Dominican Republic signed a protocol for the establishment of

Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) between both the
India’s first bilateral
countries.
institutional mechanism
16. • Aim: to strengthen and develop cooperation on trade, services, industrial
with Dominican Republic
technologies, and various other sectors.
on trade and commerce
• This agreement comes in the 25th year of the establishment of
diplomatic relations between India and the Dominican Republic.

North India’s First

17. Government • To be set up at Jasrota area of district Kathua, Jammu & Kashmir
Homoeopathic College

• Introduced at: KTCT Higher Secondary School, Thiruvananthapuram,

Kerala's First Generative
18. • Developed by: Makerlabs Edutech Private Limited.
AI Teacher- “Iris”
• Developed as part of Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL), a NITI Aayog project.

First woman sniper of

Border Security Force
19. • She is from Himachal Pradesh.
(BSF)- ‘Sub Inspector
Suman Kumari’

• Rajasthan & Karnataka have launched India’s first exploration licence

India’s first exploration
20. licence auction for
critical minerals
auction for critical minerals
o Karnataka: Launched an auction for one block containing Gold,
Copper, and Lithium.
o Rajasthan: Launched auctions for three blocks containing Rare Earth
Elements, Rare Metal, and Potash minerals.

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 • Legislative Changes: The Mines and Minerals (Development and
Regulation) Act, 1957 was amended through the MMDR Amendment Act,
2023, effective from 17 August 2023, introducing the new mineral
concession of Exploration Licence for 29 critical and deep-seated
minerals.

First Male Humanoid

21. Robot of Saudi Arabia- • Developed by: QSS, a Saudi based Robotics company.
Muhammad

India’s first-ever dolphin

• Established at: Patna University campus, Patna, Bihar
research centre -
22. • The centre will specifically focus on Gangetic River Dolphins (National
National Dolphin
Aquatic Animal of India).
Research Center (NDRC)

• It connects RV Road and Bommasandra

Bengaluru’s first • Initiative of: Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL)
23.
driverless metro train • Manufactured by: CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Co Ltd in collaboration with its
Indian partner Titagarh Rail Systems Ltd

Maiden all-women • Carried out by: Andaman & Nicobar Command of the Indian Navy.
24. maritime surveillance • Carried out on the 40th anniversary of INAS 318 (Naval Air squadron)
mission and International Women's Day.

India's first All-in-One • Launched by: IndusInd Bank, in collaboration with Mastercard
tokenizable wearables • Transactions below Rs. 5000 can be made through a tap-and-pay
25.
for both debit and credit mechanism, while those exceeding Rs. 5000 will require PIN
cards- ‘Indus PayWear’ verification, adhering to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines.

• Fly91 is based out of Goa.

First flight of Fly91, a
26. • Route of it first flight: Manohar International Airport (MOPA), Goa and
regional airline
Agatti Islands, Lakshadweep.

• Set up at: Jodhpur, Rajasthan

Indian Army's first AH- • Background: India and the US signed a contract for the acquisition of six
64E Apache attack Apaches for the Indian Army.
27.
helicopter squadron About Apache helicopters
• They are advanced multi-mission helicopters
• Developed by: Boeing; Also known as: 'tanks in the air'.

First Indian state to

purchase land in Jammu • Purpose: To build Maharashtra Bhawan in Jammu and Kashmir for
28.
and Kashmir- tourists at Ichgam, Budgam district.
‘Maharashtra’

First Private Sector

• Developed by: Space One Co., a Japanese startup
29. Rocket of Japan –
• It exploded shortly after the launch.
‘Kairos’

India's first LNG powered

30. • Launched by: Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation
bus

Kashmir hosts Inaugural • Held at: Srinagar

31.
Formula-4 Car Racing • Organized by: Federation of Motorsports Clubs of India

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 United Kingdom’s first
32. ever laser weapon- • It is a high-powered laser designed to target and neutralize drones.
“DragonFire”

India’s first Indoor

33. Athletics and Aquatic • Inaugurated at: Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
Center

First Black leader in any • He achieved this feat by becoming the new first minister of Wales.
34. European country- • Predecessor: Mark Drakeford
'Vaughan Gething' • Vaughan Gething was born in Zambia

• It is the first independent headquarters of the Indian Navy.

35. Nausena Bhawan
• Located at: Delhi Cantonment.
• Approved by: United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
• Sponsored by: United States; Co-sponsors: 123 countries.
• Adopted by consensus with the support of all 193 U.N. members.
• European Union's approval of world's first comprehensive AI rules was
First Resolution on
36. highlighted.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Objectives: To utilize AI in advancing the U.N.'s Sustainable development
goals for 2030.
• Resolution calls for support in helping developing countries access the
benefits of digital transformation and safe AI systems.

World’s first Om-Shaped • Located at: Jadan Village, Pali district of Rajasthan.
37. Temple- ‘Om Aakar’ • Swami Maheshwaranand Maharaj, founder of Om Ashram, is the visionary
temple behind this temple.

• It recently commenced operations; Set up by: 3F Oil Palm

India’s first integrated Oil • Location: Roing in lower Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh.
38.
Palm Processing Unit • Set up under: National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP)
Note: NMEO-OP will be covered in March 2024 SchemesTap Part-II.

• Launched by: Rajasthan Government.

• Launched under: National Hydrology Project.

First dedicated portal for

39. real time information on
water in dams, canals

• Launched by: Akums Drugs and Pharmaceuticals.

40.
• Purpose: to treat sickle cell disease in children.

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 India’s first indigenous
hydroxyurea oral
solution

• Developed by: IIT Guwahati & Assam Agricultural University.

First ever India-made • It is a recombinant vector vaccine.
41.
swine fever vaccine • IIT Guwahati has transferred the technology to BioMed Pvt Ltd. for
commercial production

First Miss Universe • Rumy Alqahtani will represent Saudi Arabia for the first time in Miss
42. Participant from Saudi Universe 2024 pageant.
Arabia • Miss Universe 2024 pageant will be held at Mexico.

World's first genetically

43. edited pig kidney -to- • Performed at: Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, USA.
human kidney transplant

Amul fresh milk to be

• Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), the brand
44. sold outside India for the
owner of Amul, to launch four variants of milk in the United States.
first time

First Southeast Asian • Thailand has achieved this feat by passing marriage equality bill.
45. country to legalise same • It is the third country in Asia to recognize same-sex marriage, after
sex marriage Taiwan and Nepal.

First Bangladeshi to be
• Name of the umpire: Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid
included in the Emirates
46. • He was also the first Bangladesh umpire to stand in an ICC Men’s Cricket
ICC Elite Panel of
World Cup.
Umpires

India's First AI-Based

47. • Name of the film: IRAH; Directed by: Sam Bhattacharjee
Film

• To be set up by: Jindal Advanced Materials (JAM) and Italy based MAE
India's first carbon fibre
48. S.p.A. through an MoU; Annual Capacity: 3,500 metric tonnes (MT)
facility
• JAM will be investing Rs 2,700 crore towards the project.
• Milestone achieved by Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), a
First Indian company to unit of Vedanta Aluminium, based in Korba, Chhattisgarh, India for
be certified with making primary aluminium products.
Aluminium Stewardship About ASI Performance Standard V3 Certification
49.
Initiative (ASI) • It is a comprehensive voluntary sustainability standard for the global
Performance Standard aluminium value chain.
V3 Certification • It outlines 11 principles and 62 criteria under three sustainability pillars:
Environment, Social, and Governance.

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 GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES

S.No Initiative Key Facts

• Bharat Pashudhan
o It is a digital database for livestock animals in India.
o Developed by: Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and
Dairying
o Developed under: National Digital Livestock Mission (NDLM).
o It utilizes a unique 12-digit Tag ID allocated to each livestock
animal.
Development Projects o out of an estimated 30.5 crore bovines, about 29.6 crore have
launched in Begusarai, already been tagged.
1.
Bihar by the Prime Minister • 1962 Farmers App
of India o It records all data and information present under the ‘Bharat
Pashudhan’ database.
o Developed by: Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and
Dairying.
o Developed under: National Digital Livestock Mission (NDLM).
• He inaugurated Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Ltd (HURL) fertilizer
plant in Barauni, Begusarai district, Bihar.
Note: NDLM will be covered under SchemesTap
• Initiatives of: Ministry of Minority Affairs
About Haj Suvidha App
• Developed by: Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space
Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N).
Haj Suvidha App and Haj • Objective: to streamline the pilgrimage experience and address
2.
Guide-2024 common problems faced by pilgrims.
About Haj Guide-2024
• Objective: to educate pilgrims about various aspects of the pilgrimage,
emphasizing the use of Haj Suvidha App.
• Published in 10 languages.

• Launched by: Department of Telecommunications (DoT)

Digital Intelligence
Platform (DIP) & ‘Chakshu
3.
(चक्षु)’ Facility on Sanchar
Saathi portal
• Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP)
o It is a secure platform facilitating real-time intelligence sharing
and coordination among stakeholders such as Telecom Service
Providers, law enforcement agencies, banks, and social media
platforms.
o It serves as a repository for citizen-initiated requests on the
Sanchar Saathi portal and shares relevant information based on
stakeholders' roles.
• Chakshu Facility on Sanchar Saathi Portal
o It enables citizens to report suspected fraud communication,
including instances like KYC expiry, impersonation scams, and
fraudulent disconnection claims.
o It enhances citizen engagement in combating cyber-crime and
financial fraud.

About Sanchar Saathi Portal

• Initiative of: DoT.
• Aim: empowering mobile subscribers and enhancing their security
while increasing awareness of government initiatives.

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 • Launched by: Government of Himachal Pradesh.
Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna • Highlight: The Government of Himachal Pradesh will provide Rs 1,500
4.
Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojna per month to women aged 18 to 60 years from the next financial year
as part of the initiative.

• Organized by: Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports through Nehru Yuva
Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and National Service Scheme (NSS).
• Theme: 'Young Voices: Engage and Empower for Nation’s
Transformation’
• Aim: to engage and empower young voices for the nation's
transformation.
National Youth Parliament
5. • Scope: organized at three levels covering 785 Districts.
Festival (NYPF) 2024
• Levels: District Youth Parliament, State Youth Parliament and National
Youth Parliament.
• Winners of NYPF
o First prize- Yatin Bhaskar Duggal from Haryana
o Second prize- Vaishna Pitchai from Tamil Nadu
o Third prize- Kanishka Sharma from Rajasthan.

• Recently, various joint initiatives between the Ministry of Health and

Family Welfare and the Ministry of AYUSH were launched at the 27th
convocation of Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth and the 29th
National Seminar on ‘Ayurvedo Amritanam’.
Key Initiatives launched:
• AYUSH-ICMR Advanced Centre for 5 Integrative Health Research
o Objective: To advance Integrative Health Research, integrate
traditional AYUSH practices with modern medical science.
o The following AIIMS will host these advance centres
✓ AIIMS Delhi- Advanced Centre for Integrative Health Research
in Gastro-intestinal Disorders & Advanced Centre for
Integrative Health Research in Women and Child Health
AYUSH-ICMR Advanced ✓ AIIMS Jodhpur: Advanced Centre for Integrative Health
6. Centre for Integrated Research in Geriatric Health
Health Research in AIIMS ✓ AIIMS Nagpur: Advanced Centre for Integrative Health
Research in Cancer Care
✓ AIIMS Rishikesh: Advanced Centre for Integrative Health
Research in Geriatric Health
o Multicentre clinical trial on Anaemia
✓ Initiative of: Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic
Sciences (CCRAS), under Ministry of AYUSH and ICMR
✓ Name of the trial/Research Study: “Efficacy and safety of
Punarnavadi Mandura alone and in combination with
Drakshavaleha compared to iron folic acid in the treatment of
moderate iron deficiency anaemia among non-pregnant
women of reproductive age group”
✓ The study will be carried out at 8 different sites.

• Recently, a special cover commemorating successful journey of 2nd

Phase of Dak Karmayogi Project was released.
7. Dak Karmayogi Project • 25 new courses were also launched under the Dak Karmayogi Project.

About Dak Karmayogi Project

• It is an online portal of Department of Posts.

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 • Objective: enhance the competencies of about 4 lakh Gramin Dak
Sevaks & Departmental employees by enabling the trainees to access
the uniform standardized training content online or in blended campus
mode to enable them to effectively deliver a number of Government to
Citizen (G2C) services for enhanced customer satisfaction.
• Launched under: National Programme for Civil Services Capacity
Building (Mission Karmayogi).

• He inaugurated the following projects

Development Projects
launched in Chandikhole,
8.
Odisha by the Prime
• Initiatives launched under: Urja Ganga Gas Pipeline Project or
Minister of India
o Indian Oil Corporation Limited Mono Ethylene Glycol project in
Paradip Refinery.
o 344 km long product pipeline traversing from Paradip in Odisha
to Haldia in West Bengal.
o 0.6 MMTPA LPG Import facility at Paradip.
Jagdishpur-Haldia Bokaro-Dhamra Natural Gas Pipeline (JHBDPL)
o It covers five big states viz, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West
Bengal and Odisha.
o Coordinated by: Indradhanush Gas Grid Limited (IGGL).

• Held at: Bettiah, West Champaran district, Bihar.

Viksit Bharat Viksit Bihar • Important Initiatives launched by the Prime Minister of India
9.
Program o 109 km long Indian Oil’s Muzaffarpur - Motihari LPG Pipeline
o Indian Oil’s LPG Bottling Plant & storage terminal at Motihari

• Recently, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research -National

Phenome India-CSIR Health
10. Cohort Knowledgebase
(PI-CHeCK)
Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-
NIScPR) has organized PI-CHeCK health check-up at its Pusa
Campus, New Delhi.
• PI-CHeCK is a flagship initiative of Council of Scientific and Industrial
Research (CSIR).
o Purpose: To advance personalized and precision medicine in India
by identifying India-specific risk factors for cardio metabolic
diseases.

• It is a centralized facility for semiconductor chip design

• It was highlighted during the 4th Semicon India futureDESIGN
Roadshow (Kerala).
About ChipIN
• Launch Year: 2024
• Ministry: Ministry of Electronics & IT.
• Established under: Design Linked Incentive Scheme (DLI) Scheme.
• Located At: Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
in Bengaluru.
11. ChipIN Centre • Objective: To
provide a
centralized design
facility with the
most advanced
tools for the entire
chip design cycle
and offer
aggregate

14 | P a g e
 services for fabrication and packaging.
• Targets: To expand access to state-of-the-art EDA (Electronic Design
Automation Tools) Tools to 85,000 students at B.Tech, M.Tech, and
PhD levels.
Note: Kindly Refer our ‘SchemesTap’ Document for Design Linked
Incentive Scheme (DLI) Scheme.

• Recently, on the occasion of the International Women’s Day, two

National Centres of Excellence for Women were exclusively set up.
• NCOE is an initiative of Sports Authority of India (SAI).
• Objective: To provide promising athletes with specialized training
National Centres of using state-of-the-art infrastructure, sports science support,
12.
Excellence (NCOE) individualized nutrition plans, and supervision under top-notch
coaches and support staff.
• Scope: The NCOEs will cover 23 focused/priority sports disciplines
identified for their medal-winning potential at international events.
• Total Centres: 23 NCOEs have been established across India.

• The Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai has awarded GI tag

for the following products
o Cuttack Rupa Tarakasi (Silver Filigree), Odisha
o Banglar Muslin, Bengal
o Narasapur Crochet Lace Products, Andhra Pradesh
o Kutch Rogan Craft, Gujarat
o Ratlam Riyawan Lahsun (Garlic), Madhya Pradesh
Geographical Indication o Ambaji White Marble, Gujarat
13.
(GI) Tags o Tripura Risa Textile,
o Hyderabad Lac Bangles,
• Majuli Mask, and Majuli Manuscript Painting, Assam.

About GI Tags
• A sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and
possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
• In India, GI registration is administered by the Geographical
Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act of 1999.

Imposition of 10% Lifetime • Initiative of: Karnataka State Government.

14. Tax on High-End Electric • Purpose: to boost state revenue and regulate the rapidly growing
Vehicles electric vehicle (EV) market in Karnataka.

• Recently, under this initiative, PNG facilities were commenced in 41

villages of Delhi.
• Led by: Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
• Objective: to develop and create necessary infrastructure in the
15. Dilli Gramodaya Abhiyan
urbanized villages and new urban areas of Delhi.
• Focus Area: bridging the gap between urban and rural life by providing
modern amenities and development projects to rural areas.
• Financial Allocation: Rs 960 crore

Prasar Bharti - Shared • Developed and operated by: Prasar Bharati

Audio Visuals for • It is a news sharing service
16. • Purpose: To democratize access to accurate and meaningful news
Broadcast and
Dissemination (PB-SHABD) content across the print and electronic media industry, particularly
benefiting smaller news organizations.

15 | P a g e
 • It offers daily news feeds in video, audio, text, photo, and other
formats, utilizing Prasar Bharati's vast network of reporters,
correspondents, and stringers
• It is offered as a free service for one year to all news organizations
registered with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting,
• It will provide news stories in all major Indian languages across fifty
categories.

• Recently, Light House Projects (LHP) in Lucknow and Ranchi were

inaugurated.
• LHP is an initiative of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• Launched under: Global Housing Technology Challenge.
• Aim: to showcase the use of innovative technologies for speedy,
17. Light House Projects (LHP)
economical, and quality construction in a sustainable manner, tailored
to regional geo-climatic and hazard conditions.
• Location of Six LHP: Chennai, Tamil Nadu; Rajkot, Gujarat; Indore,
Madhya Pradesh; Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh; Ranchi, Jharkhand;
Agartala, Tripura.

• Launched by: University Grants Commission’s Information and Library

Network Centre.
• Purpose: To achieve equal representation of women scientists and
She Research Network faculty members across various research areas, fostering professional
18.
India (SheRNI) networks, collaboration, and mentorship opportunities.
• SheRNI Database connects 81,818 profiles of Indian women in science
and research fields, showcasing their significant influence and
contributions.

Digital Criminal Case • Initiative of: National Investigation Agency (NIA)

19. Management System • It is a unique digital platform designed to aid NIA personnel in better
(CCMS) coordinating terrorism and organized crime cases.

• It is a compendium of new Criminal Laws by National Crime Records

20. 'Sankalan' mobile app Bureau (NCRB)
• A comprehensive guide for navigating through new criminal laws.

• Nearly 100 jails across India, have received the ‘Eat Right Campus’
certification from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
(FSSAI).
• Training of Food Safety Supervisors and food handlers in the jail
21. Eat Right India movement campuses through FSSAI's Food Safety Training and Certification
(FoSTaC) Programme is a critical component of the certification
process.
• Note: Eat Right India movement discussed in CurrentTap February
2024 under Government Initiatives in GA section.

• It is the second-longest election period in Indian history after the

first parliamentary elections held in 1951-52 which lasts 82 days
22. 18th Lok Sabha Elections o This marks only the second time that polls will extend into June.
• The shortest voting period for a general election in India was in 1980
for just four days.

16 | P a g e
 Initiatives launched by the Election Commission of India (ECI) as a part
of 18th Lok Sabha Elections
• 'Know Your Candidate' (KYC) mobile application
o Purpose: To empower voters with essential information about the
criminal records, assets, and liabilities of electoral candidates in
their constituencies
• Vote-from-home for citizens aged 85 and above & persons more
than 40% disability introduced for the first time.

• Launched by: IndianOil

• It is a cleaner and greener alternative to gasoline.
• Initially, it will be available at select 183 retail outlets across five
states – Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi, and
23. ETHANOL 100 fuel
Tamil Nadu.
• It will be later expanded to 400 retail outlets in these states.
• It is part of the Government of India’s efforts to achieve a 20%
ethanol blending target by 2025-26.

• Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) organized ‘Manak Mahotsav’

• Integrated Price Monitoring Dashboard
o Launched by Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA
o to provide analytics on daily retail and wholesale prices of 22
essential food commodities.
• DoCA has become one of the 14 OIML issuing authorities and 27 Test
Laboratories in the OIML- CS (Certification system) all over the world.
o RRSL, Ahmedabad issued 1st OIML certificate to Tokheim India
Pvt. Ltd.
• Launch of 2 books:
o “Consumer Protection and Legal Metrology in Ancient India:
Ancient Thoughts and Wisdom” – by Centre for Indian Economic
Key Initiatives for
History (Shri Ram College of Commerce) and DoCA.
Consumer Rights
o “The Consumer Journey” by Amar Chitra Katha, aimed at raising
Protection launched on
24. awareness among young minds about consumer rights and
World Consumer Rights
responsibilities.
Day 2024
• Felicitation of winners of the Dark Patterns Buster Hackathon 2023.
o Organised by DoCA in collaboration with IIT (BHU) to foster a
digital ecosystem that prioritizes transparency, accountability, and
consumer welfare.
• Dedicated web portal for the Central Consumer Protection Authority
(CCPA) to clamp down on persistent violations of advertising
guidelines and improve the consumer protection regime in India.
• Integrated Transmission Line Equipment testing facility inaugurated
at National Test House (NTH), Jaipur.

About CCPA
• It was established under the Consumer Protection Act 2019 to
address issues related to consumer rights violations, unfair trade
practices, and misleading advertisements.
• Constituted by: Department of Pharmaceuticals
• Composition of the committee:
Panel to reform prices of
25. o Three core members – Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals;
drugs and medical devices
Chairman, NPPA; and the Senior Economic Adviser, Department of
Pharmaceuticals.

17 | P a g e

26. Operation Indravati
Official Fact Checker for
27.
the Central Government
Free Seed Kits Distribution
28.
to Boost Millet Production
29. Trinetra app 2.0
MARLIN@CMFRI mobile
30.
app
BhashaNet Portal
31.
New Database To Promote
32. Accountability For Crime
Against Peacekeepers
o Two special invitees from the pharma industry - secretary-
general, Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), and chief executive
officer, Indian Drugs Manufacturers Association (IDMA).
• Initiative of: Government of India
• Purpose: to evacuate Indian nationals from Haiti to the Dominican
Republic due to the deteriorating security situation in Haiti.
o Both Haiti and Dominican Republic are located in the Caribbean
Sea.
• The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in
consultation with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB),
has notified the Fact Check Unit of the Press Information Bureau (PIB)
as the Official Fact Checker for the Central Government, under the IT
Amendment Rules 2023.
• Purpose: to address & counter misinformation related to government
affairs by ensuring the dissemination of accurate information.
• The Supreme Court has stayed the notification of setting up FCU, in
response to petitions filed against the FCU's potential impact on free
speech and expression.
• Launched under: Rajasthan Millet Promotion Mission
• Objective: To enhance millet production in the state by providing free
seed kits of millets and coarse grains to farmers.
• The Uttar Pradesh Police has integrated Trinetra app 2.0.
• It offers swift suspect identification, voice sample analysis for
cybercrime cases, etc
• Developed by: ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute
(CMFRI).
• It allows the public to upload photos of marine fish species from
India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
• Launched by: National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) & Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
• Launched on: Regional Universal Acceptance (UA)Day event
o India hosted the Regional UA Day on 21st March at New Delhi
o Theme of the event: "BhashaNet: Impetus Towards Universal
Acceptance".
o Supported by: Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers (ICANN).
• Aim: to advance digital inclusion and linguistic diversity in India; to
enable people from remote locations and different socioeconomic
backgrounds to access the multilingual Internet in India.
• Sponsored by: India; Hosted on: Unite Aware platform
• Launched on: second meeting of Group of Friends (GOF)
• Objective: to serve as an online repository, empowering to monitor and
address cases of malicious acts against Peacekeepers.
About GOF for Promoting Accountability for Crimes Against
Peacekeepers
• Launched in: 2022; Total Members: 40; Led by: India
18 | P a g e
 • Notified by: Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
• Introduction of age-based categories of certification - the existing
UA category into three age-based categories, viz. seven years (UA
Key Amendments of
7+), thirteen years (UA 13+), and sixteen years (UA 16+), instead of
33. Cinematograph
twelve years.
(Certification) Rules, 2024
• Increase in representation of women in the CBFC Board and CBFC’s
Advisory Panels, ensuring at least one-third of the members are
women & and preferably half shall be women.

Media Facilitation Portal for

34. Information on General • Launched by: Press Information Bureau (PIB).
Election 2024

• Launched by: Election Commission of India (ECI).

35. Saksham App • Aim: to facilitate easier voting for PWDs and to avail facilities at Polling
Stations.

Recommendations on • Released by: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)

‘Usage of Embedded SIM • Aim: enhancing the regulatory framework in light of the proliferation of
36. (eSIM) for Machine-to- 5G services.
Machine (M2M) • M2M eSIM is designed for IoT sensors, meters, trackers, and devices
Communications’ that often operate with minimal onsite human interaction.

• Launched by: Gujarat Government in collaboration with Microsoft and

Finland’s Kajaani University of Applied Sciences.
37. Shiksha Reform
• Aim: to revolutionize education using technology with high-quality
courses in cutting-edge fields such as AI and cyber security.

The Armed Forces (Special
38.
Powers) Act, 1958 [AFSPA]
• The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has extended AFSPA for six
months from April 1 in selected districts of Nagaland, Assam and
Arunachal Pradesh.
• AFSPA grants powers to the armed forces & Central Armed Police
Forces deployed in areas declared as “disturbed” to maintain public
order and national security.
o These powers include arrest without a warrant, search premises
without a warrant along with some other actions.

• Constituted by: Ministry of Steel; Constituted in: 2023

• Objective: to further aid the carbon reduction practices in the domestic
Task Force on 'Use of
steel industry by the usage of biochar
39. Biochar and Other Relevant
• It is the 14th Task Force approved by the Ministry to identify action
Products in Steel Making
points for each aspect of green steel production and the adoption of
sustainable manufacturing processes.

SUMMITS AND CONFERENCES

S.No Focus Area Key Outcomes

1. 100 Cube Conclave • Venue: Indian Institute of Management (IIM)Sambalpur, Odisha.

• Organized under: 100 Cube Odisha

19 | P a g e
 • Aim of the conclave: to create 100 Start-ups each with an average
worth of Rs. 100 crores by the time Odisha celebrates its 100th
anniversary in 2036.
• Highlights
o I-Hub foundation inaugurated at IIM Sambalpur to identify the
need for a dedicated entity for incubation.
o MoUs were exchanged between industry partners and IIM
Sambalpur and IIM Mumbai for the establishment of the Center
of Management Education in Angul, Odisha.

9th National Conference

• Organized by: Competition Commission of India (CCI)
2. on Economics of
• Venue: New Delhi.
Competition Law

17th Annual International • Organized by: Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC)
3. Biocuration Conference • Venue: Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB) in Faridabad,
(AIBC-2024) Haryana.

• Organized by: NITI Aayog, in partnership with the Government of

‘National Conference on
4. Accelerating Sustainable
Development Goals’
Rajasthan, UNDP (United Nations Development Program), and UN
(United Nations)
• Venue: Jaipur
• Objectives:
o to encourage States and UTs for SDG localization and
institutionalizing SDGs at the subnational level.
o To discuss SDG finance landscape and strategies to accelerate
progress towards
2030 SDG agenda.
• Launch of UNDP 'SDG
Knowledge hub', ‘Food
and Nutrition Security
Analysis Dashboard’ of
Government of Rajasthan,
and ‘SDG -2 (Zero
Hunger) Dashboard’ of
Government of Rajasthan.

Key Terminologies
• UNDP SDG Knowledge
Hub: A one-stop portal
that consolidates good practices, SDG indicator frameworks, SDG-
linked budgets, and other knowledge products by States and UTs.

• WTSA 2024 will be held in October 2024 at Pragati Maidan, New

Delhi.
Curtain Raiser of the World • International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will be hosting the event
Telecom Standardization for the first time in Asia.
Assembly Delhi 2024 Key Highlights
5.
(WTSA 2024) and India
• An MoU was signed between Department of Telecommunications
Mobile Congress (IMC
(DoT) & Ericsson for the "Ericsson Educate" program
2024).
o Aim: to strengthen capacity building and skill development in the
100 5G use case labs, enabling institutes to mentor students and
faculties in creating innovative 5G products and use cases.

20 | P a g e
 • Organized by: Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
• Key Information Shared
Interactive session for the o India is the 2nd largest tea producer (~ 900,000 tonnes/year) in
6. Small Tea Growers (STGs) the world.
in Coonoor o 20% of global tea is produced in Darjeeling, Nilgiris, and Assam.
o Tea is the World’s 2nd highest consumed beverage with the
highest consumption in China, India, Turkey and Pakistan.

• Organizing Body: Government of India.

• Focus on establishing India as a key player in semiconductor
manufacturing.
• Launch of 3 major semiconductor manufacturing projects.
• Semiconductor fabrication facility at Dholera Special Investment
Region (DSIR), Gujarat. (1st commercial semiconductor fab in the
country)
India’s Techade: Chips for
7. o Set up under the Modified Scheme for setting up of
Viksit Bharat Program
Semiconductor Fabs in India.
• 2 Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facilities in
Morigaon (Assam), and Sanand (Gujarat).
o Set up under the Modified Scheme for Semiconductor Assembly,
Testing, Marking and Packaging (ATMP).
• Note: Please find the details about above mentioned schemes in our
‘SchemesTap’ document.

• Held at: Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

• Theme: ‘Bharat Innovates’
• Organised by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India
(ASSOCHAM), National Association of Software and Service
8. Startup Mahakumbh
Companies (nasscom), Bootstrap Incubation & Advisory Foundation,
TiE, and Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association (IVCA).
• Supported by: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal
Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Summit for Democracy • Host: South Korea; Venue: Seoul

9.
2024 (Third edition) • Theme: “Democracy for Future Generations.”

• Organized by: School of Naval Oceanology & Meteorology (SNOM) and

Indian Naval Meteorological Analysis Centre (INMAC) at Southern
Naval Command
• Organized on: World Meteorological Day (23rd March)

MEGHAYAN 2024- a
• Theme of the event: "At the Frontline of Climate Action" (Theme of
World Meteorological Day).
METOC (Meteorological
10. • Initiative launched during the event
and Oceanographic)
seminar o Indian Naval Dynamic Resource for Weather Analysis (INDRA)
✓ Developed by: BISAG (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for
Space Applications and Geo-informatics) in coordination with
Directorate of Naval Oceanology and Meteorology, Indian Navy
• Objective: to disseminate weather related information and forecasts
empowering optimal & quick decision making.

21 | P a g e
 MOUs AND AGREEMENTS

S.No Signing Entities Key Facts

• Purpose of the MoU: to enhance cross-border Unified Payments

NPCI International
Interface (UPI) payments, focusing on streamlining remittances from
Payments Ltd (NIPL) and
1. Greece to India.
Greece-based Eurobank
• Aim: to revolutionise the process of international money transfers.
S.A.
Note: UPI discussed in CurrentTap February 2024 (News 3.6)

Google and Shakti, an • Aim of the partnership: to help detect online misinformation, including
2. Indian fact-checking deepfakes.
collective

• MoU signed at: Mobile World Congress 2024 at Barcelona, Spain

• Purpose of the MoU: to establish a strategic partnership that will foster
innovation in India and support India based developers and start-ups
working on innovative products and use cases.
Centre for Development
• Aim: stimulating India’s telecom ecosystem of developers, start-ups,
of Telematics (C-DOT)
3. academia, and industry partners.
and Qualcomm
• Qualcomm will provide expertise to C-DOT to develop and
Technologies Inc.
commercialize indigenous telecom products.

About C-DOT
• It is a Research and Development (R & D) center of the Department of
Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications.

• Purpose of the MoU: Boosting the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan
Coal India Limited (CIL) 2021 by enhancing multimodal connectivity infrastructure for coal
with Indian Institute of transportation.
4. Managements (IIM) • As part of the initiative, a one-year PGP-Ex programme titled
Mumbai and IIM “Logistics and Operations Excellence through Digitisation” will be
Sambalpur conducted for the executives of Coal India, serving in Mahanadi
Coalfields Limited (MCL) and other subsidiaries.

• Purpose of the Memorandum of Agreement: To support the education

of approximately 75,500 children in Siddharthnagar district, Uttar
REC Limited & Unit of
Pradesh.
5. Science and Educational
• REC Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of REC
Development (UNISED)
Limited, committed a financial assistance of Rs. 9.91 crores for this
initiative.

Government of India,
Government of Tripura,
and The Indigenous • Purpose: to resolve indigenous people's issues related to history, land,
6.
Progressive Regional political rights, economic development, identity, culture, and language.
Alliance/TIPRA (Tripra
Motha)

Ministry of Defence with • Purpose: indigenous development of Advanced Fuelling and Control
7. BEML Limited, Bharat System for Engines for heavy duty applications.
Electronics Limited (BEL)

22 | P a g e
 and Mishra Dhatu Nigam
Limited (MIDHANI)

Council of Scientific and

Industrial Research -
Central Scientific
Instruments Organisation • Purpose: collaboration in the design, development, and manufacturing
8.
(CSIR-CSIO) & Artificial of rehabilitation and assistive technology (AT).
Limbs Manufacturing
Corporation of India
(ALIMCO)

Signatories Purpose

Inclusive Science, Technology,

Department of
Empowerment of Persons
9.
with Disabilities (DePWD)
with three entities
Engineering and Mathematics
Foundation (I-STEM), Dhananjay
Sanjogta Foundation (operating
under the brand name - Mission
Accessibility), and National
Association for the Blind, Delhi
Vision Divyang Foundation, Rohini,
Delhi
enhancing a mobile application
platform for accessibility-related
issues using AI technology.
to provide up-to-date information
on government schemes for
PwDs, leveraging AI tools and
suitable technological platforms.

making approximately 10,000

pages of documents accessible to
National Association for the Blind,
PwDs, including government
Delhi
schemes, guidelines, legal reliefs,
and annual reports.

• NIGEL has won a tender for a 600 MW Solar Power Project in the
NLC India Green Energy GSECL Khavda Solar Park, Bhuj District, Gujarat, floated by GUVNL.
Limited (NIGEL) & Gujarat • NIGEL has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with GUVNL
10.
Urja Vikas Nigam Limited for the proposed project.
(GUVNL). • The proposed 600 MW Solar Power Project in Khavda Solar Park will
be the largest solar project developed by NLCIL to date.

Council Of Scientific and • Purpose of the MoU: to deploy technology for producing fuel from Pine
Industrial Research– Needles in Champawat. Uttarakhand.
Indian Institute of MoU signed under "Adarsh Champawat" mission.
11. Petroleum (CSIR–IIP) &
Uttarakhand Council for
Science and Technology
(UCOST)

• Aim: to acquire BBBS’s Vajra Sentinel System, an anti-drone system

Ministry of Defence & Big
for the Indian Army and Indian Air Force (IAF).
12. Bang Boom Solutions
• It is the largest contract under the Innovations for Defence
Private Limited (BBBS)
Excellence (iDEX) initiative, valued at Rs 200 crore.

23 | P a g e

Government of India and
13. the Asian Development
Bank (ADB)
• Loan Amount: USD 23 million
• Objective of the Loan Agreement: To enhance access to quality
fintech education, research, and innovation at the Gujarat International
Finance Tec-City (GIFT-City).
• The agreement aims to establish an International Fintech Institute
(IFI) at GIFT-City, Gandhinagar.
o GIFT City is an initiative of the Government of India and the State
Government of Gujarat to foster India’s financial services and
fintech ecosystem.

• Two MoUs & an Agreement signed between India and Bhutan

approved by the Union Cabinet.
• Purpose of the MoUs
o co-operation in the field of Energy Efficiency and Energy
Conservation Measures
✓ India will assist Bhutan to enhance energy efficiency in the
14. India and Bhutan
household sector by promoting star labeling programme
developed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency.
o General Supply of Petroleum, Oil, Lubricants (POL) and related
products from India to Bhutan.
✓ It will promote bilateral trade in the hydrocarbon sector.
• Purpose of the Agreement: cooperation in the areas of food safety.

• Objective: To enhance cooperation in the field of Law & Dispute

15. India and Singapore
Resolution

Khadi & Village Industries • Purpose: to style DD News and DD India anchors with Khadi attire,
16. Commission (KVIC) and aligning with the vision of popularizing Khadi in every home at a national
Prasar Bharati level.

• Purpose: To explore opportunities for

adding supercritical units to the
NTPC Limited & RVUNL existing Chhabra Thermal Power Plant.
17. (Rajasthan Vidyut
Utpadan Nigam Limited)

Universal Service • Purpose of the MoU: To proliferate affordable and accessible digital
Obligation Fund (USOF) services across the country, with a focus on rural India.
18. Prasar Bharati & Open • Aim: to bundle broadband services with Over-The-Top (OTT) and e-
Network for Digital commerce platforms, utilizing the BharatNet infrastructure under
Commerce (ONDC) USOF.

• Objective: To enhance workforce skills, promote employment, address

NIELIT, Government of
skill gaps and foster international cooperation.
India and Information
19. • Under the MoU, Free Digital Literacy flagship course will be offered to
Technology Institute (ITI),
Arab Republic of Egypt Egyptian students via National Institute of Electronics and Information
Technology (NIELIT) Virtual Academy.

24 | P a g e
 • Overall objective: transformation of Fair Price Shops (FPSs)
• MoU signed with Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI):
focuses on providing working capital assistance to FPSs through
SIDBI's digital platform, GST Sahay, facilitating the credit model for
Department of Food &
selling non-PDS commodities.
Public Distribution
20. • MoU signed with National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small
(DoF&PD) MOU with SIDBI
and NIESBUD Business Development (NIESBUD), under the Ministry of Skill
Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE): aimed at skill
development for FPS dealers to adapt to market changes and explore
new business opportunities. It emphasizes improving entrepreneurial
capabilities, digital, and financial literacy.

• Purpose: to build quality infrastructure and services toward improving

Government of India and
urban livability and mobility in the peri-urban areas of Ahmedabad city
21. the Asian Development
in Gujarat.
Bank (ADB)
• Loan Amount: USD 181 million.

National Payments • Purpose: To conduct joint research on Blockchain and Artificial

Corporation of India Intelligence (AI) technology.
22. (NPCI) & Indian Institute • “NPCI–IISc Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Deep Tech Research &
of Science (IISc), Development” will be established under the MoU to propel innovation
Bengaluru in blockchain platforms and multi-modal analytics over fintech data.

L&T Finance Holdings Ltd • Purpose: to support financing in rural and peri-urban areas in India,
(LTFH) & Japan with a significant focus on empowering women borrowers.
23.
International Cooperation • Loan Amount to be provided by JICA: USD 125 million
Agency (JICA) • At least 40% of the proceeds are designated for women borrowers.

• Purpose: To finance projects across power and non-power

infrastructure sectors in Rajasthan.
REC Limited and
24.
Government of Rajasthan
• REC Limited will provide loans of up to Rs 20,000 crores annually for
the next six years to various departments, undertakings, institutions,
and schemes of the Government of Rajasthan.

Comptroller and Auditor • Aim: to utilize AI's transformative potential for enhancing the
25. General (CAG) of India & efficiency, effectiveness, and insight of audit processes.
IIT, Delhi.

CSIR-National Institute for • Purpose: collaborate in the area of advanced materials for India’s
Interdisciplinary Science space programmes.
26. and Technology (CSIR-
NIIST) and the Vikram
Sarabhai Space Centre

CBI, India & European • Purpose: To establish cooperative relations between the law
Union Agency for Law enforcement authorities of the CBI and Europol to combat various
27.
Enforcement Cooperation forms of crime.
(Europol)

NTPC & Japan Bank for • Loan Amount: JPY 30 billion (USD 200 million)
28. International Cooperation • Loan offered under: GREEN (Global action for reconciling economic
(JBIC) growth and environment preservation) initiative of JBIC.

25 | P a g e
 • Loan will be divided half between NTPC and NREL.
• Purpose:
o to fund capital expenditure requirements of NTFC for Flue Gas
Desulphurization (FGD) technology.
• NREL will use the loan proceeds to fund capital expenditure for
renewable energy projects.

Tata Passenger Electric • Objective: to set up 5,000 EV charging stations across India.
29.
Mobility (TPEM) and HPCL • HPCL aims to install 5,000 EV charging stations by 2024.

• Aim of the JV: to manufacture cylindrical lithium-ion cells in India.

Indian Oil and Panasonic
30.
Energy
• Initiative aligned with Indian Oil’s effort to achieve net-zero
operational emissions target by 2046.

National Power Training • Objective: to establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Research &
31. Institute (NPTI) and PTC Development in the Energy Domain, with a focus on promoting
India sustainable development goals.

France based Starburst • Objective: To set up an innovative hub for startups in the Aviation,
32. Accelerator SARL & IIT Space, and Defence (ASD) sector with 100 million Euro in funding
Madras support.

• Objective: to provide 1,500 crore as concessionary financing Bhutan

for infrastructure development related to the GyalSung Infrastructure
Project.
• The first tranche (Rs 500 crore) was released in January and the
33. India & Bhutan second tranche (Rs 500 crore) has been released recently.

About GyalSung Infrastructure Project

• It was initiated by the King of Bhutan.
• Objective: to empower the youth of Bhutan and build a strong
foundation for Bhutan’s future.

BANKING AND FINANCE

S.No Program / Initiative Key Facts

• The Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) imposed a penalty of

Rs. 5,49,00,000 on Paytm Payments Bank Ltd for violations of its
obligations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act
(PMLA),2002 read with the Prevention of Money Laundering
(Maintenance of Records) Rules, 2005.
• Paytm Payments Bank failed to implement an internal mechanism to
Penalty on Paytm “detect and report” suspicious transactions as stipulated under PMLA
1. Payments Bank Ltd for and was unsuccessful in conducting due diligence of its payout
PMLA Violations service.
• Penalty imposed under the Section 13(2)(d) of PMLA.

About FIU-IND
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Finance
• Role: the central, national agency responsible for receiving, processing,
analyzing and disseminating information relating to suspect financial
transactions to enforcement agencies and foreign FIUs.

26 | P a g e
 • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the proposed merger of
Fincare Small Finance Bank Ltd with AU Small Finance Bank Ltd.
Merger of Fincare Small • The merger will come into effect from April 01, 2024.
2. Finance Bank Ltd with AU • RBI has approved the merger under the provisions of Section 44A (4)
Small Finance Bank Ltd. of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
• Section 44A of Banking Regulation Act, 1949 deals about the
procedure for amalgamation of banking companies.

• Launched by: Flipkart in partnership with Axis Bank

3. Flipkart UPI • It is flipkart’s own unified payments interface (UPI) handle to enhance
its digital payment offerings to customers.

• Launched: Future Generali India Insurance Company (FGII).

"Health Powher" Women’s
4.
Health Insurance Plan
• It is specifically tailored to address the unique healthcare needs of
women at various stages of their life.

• One97 Communications, parent company of Paytm, has collaborated

Partnership of One97 with four banks viz, State Bank of India (SBI), HDFC Bank, Axis Bank,
Communications with and Yes Bank.
5.
Major Banks for UPI • Objective: settling Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions
Transactions through the aforementioned banks upon acquiring the third-party app
provider (TPAP) license.

• Developed by: Zerodha Broking Limited

• Aim: to foster innovation and financial inclusivity within the National
Pension System (NPS) framework by engaging fintech entities as Point
of Presence (PoP) to enhance accessibility and convenience.
National Pension System About NPS
6.
(NPS) Web App • Launched in: 2004.
• Aim: to institute pension reforms and to inculcate the habit of saving for
retirement amongst the citizens.
• Administered by: Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority
(PFRDA).

• YES Bank is the Official Banking Partner for Team India at the Paris
Olympics 2024.
YES Bank partnership
• YES bank launched the 'Milkar Jitayengey' campaign and introduced
with Indian Olympic
7. the 'YES Glory Debit Card' for Olympic athletes.
Association for Paris
• YES bank has also unveiled the 'YES Glory' savings account
Olympics 2024
proposition, extending benefits to athletes and their immediate family
members.

Airtel Payments Bank • Launched by: Airtel Payments Bank, in partnership with Noise and
8.
Smart Watch Mastercard.

Lending support by DBS • DBS Bank India has announced USD 250 million lending support for
9.
Bank India start-ups and New Economy Companies.

• Launched by: Federal Bank

10. Flash Pay • It is the first RuPay Smart Keychain designed for contactless
payments, leveraging NCMC (National Common Mobility Card)
technology.

27 | P a g e

Introduction of Digital US
11. Dollar Fixed Deposits (FD)
for NRIs
• Contactless transactions can be done up to Rs 5000 without PIN
authentication.
• The daily transaction limit at POS terminals is Rs 1,00,000
• Launched by: Axis Bank, in its IFSC Banking Unit (IBU) at GIFT City,
Gujarat.
• It marks Axis Bank as the first bank to offer a fully digital journey for
opening GIFT City Deposits.
• NRI customers can access this service via 'Open by Axis Bank' app.
• Tenure: seven days to ten years

• Introduced by: PayU.

Downpayment EMI • For the first time, customers can make partial upfront payments for
12.
solution for online retail high-ticket items and convert the remaining amount into easy
Equated Monthly Instalments (EMI).
• The directive was part of the Amendment to the Master Direction -
RBI bars Federal and Credit Card and Debit Card – Issuance and Conduct Directions, 2022.
South Indian Bank from • Purpose: to ensure co-branded credit cards are correctly marketed and
13.
issuing co-branded credit labelled as products issued in partnership with another entity.
cards • Note: The abovesaid amendment discussed in RBI NewsTap-March
2024.
• Tata Sons will be selling 0.65% equity of TCS through a block deal.
Tata Sons' stake sale in
14. • Deal Value: Rs 9,362.3 crore ($1.13 billion).
TCS

• Launched by: Aditya Birla Housing Finance (ABHFL)

15. ABHFL- Finverse
• It is a unified digital lending platform for its home loan customers.
• Standard Chartered Bank sold its entire 7.18% stake in Central
Standard Chartered
Depository Services (India) Ltd for Rs 1,266 crore through an open
16. Bank's divestment from
market transaction.
CDSL

• RBI grants PA license to offline POS deploying company Innoviti

Payments & payment gateway Vegaah.
Payment Aggregator (PA)
17. Who are Payment Aggregators?
License
• Payment Aggregators act as a bridge between e-commerce sites and
customers for payment transactions.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

S.No Technology in News Key Facts

• Launched by: Google DeepMind.

1. Genie AI • It is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) model designed to create interactive
2D video games from simple text or image prompts.

• Scientists at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS),
Bengaluru, have developed a non-noble metal catalyst, Neodymium
Catalyst for Urea-Assisted Nickelate (NdNiO3), with metallic conductivity.
2.
Water Splitting • Neodymium nickelate efficiently oxidizes urea, significantly lowering
the energy demand for hydrogen generation through urea-assisted
water splitting.

28 | P a g e
 • Why in News: Sree Chitra valve has been in clinical use since its first
implantation in 1990, with nearly 2,00,000 devices successfully
implanted to date.
• Developed by: Sree Chitra
Tirunal Institute for Medical
Sciences and Technology
3. Sree Chitra Valve (SCTIMST), an autonomous
institute under Department of
Science and Technology (DST).
• Objective: To provide an affordable and effective solution for patients
requiring prosthetic heart valve replacements, particularly targeting
those suffering from Rheumatic heart disease.

IP/MPLS (Multiprotocol • It is India’s fastest router; Capacity: 2.4 Terabits per second (TBPS).
4.
Label Switching) router • Developed by: Department of Telecom, Centre for Development of
Telematics (CDOT), and Nivetti.

• It is a satellite mission aimed at tracking climate-heating methane

emissions from oil and gas companies globally.
• It was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California
aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Transporter-10
5. MethaneSAT
rideshare mission.
o Developed by: The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), in
collaboration with the New Zealand Space Agency, Harvard
University, British aerospace company BAE Systems, and Google.

• Launched by: NASA

• It will explore Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, with the objective of
searching for signs of life.
• A unique aspect of the mission is the inclusion of a 'message in a
bottle' concept, which involves sending a triangular metal plate with
6. Europa Clipper mission
an engraving of the poem "In Praise of Mystery: A Poem for Europa"
by US Poet Laureate Ada Limón.
• The metal plate also features etchings of 103 waveforms representing
the sound wave produced by saying the word “water” in 103 different
languages, including Hindi.

• Launched under: Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (Chang'e

Project).
• It was launched with two mini satellites, Tiandu-1 and -2, intended to
test for the construction of a future satellite constellation.
Queqiao-2 signal relay
7. • Queqiao-2 will serve as a communication relay between Earth and
satellite
the far side of the moon, supporting the upcoming Chang’e-6,
Chang’e-7, and Chang’e-8 missions.
o Chang'e, is an ongoing series of robotic Moon missions by the
China National Space Administration (CNSA).

• Launched by: Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC),

Space-borne Assistant and Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
8. Knowledge Hub for Crew • It is a multi-purpose app developed to assist astronauts on the
Interaction (SAKHI) app Gaganyaan space flight mission.
Note: Gaganyaan discussed in CurrentTap February 2024.

29 | P a g e
 • The International Astronomical Union (IAU) working group for
Planetary System Nomenclature approved the name 'Statio Shiv
Shakti' for the Vikram lander's landing site on the Moon.

Background
• Vikram is the lander module of Chandrayaan-3.
• Chandrayaan-3 includes a rover named Pragyan.
• Chandrayaan-3 was launched by ISRO from Satish Dhawan Space
Centre in Sriharikota.
9. Statio Shiv Shakti • By soft landing Vikram, India became the first nation to land on
Moon’s South Pole & the fourth country after Russia, the U.S. and
China to land on the moon.
• Project cost of Chandrayaan: Rs 615 crore (approx. USD 75 million).

Additional Information
• The impact site of Chandrayaan-1 was named as 'Jawahar Point' or
'Jawahar Sthal'.
• The point where Chandrayaan-2 left its footprints has been named
as 'Tiranga'
• The mission achieved zero debris in orbit by carefully planning the
re-entry of POEM-3 into the Earth's atmosphere.
About POEM-3
• Launched by: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
PSLV Orbital Experimental
• It is India’s unique inexpensive space platform using the spent PS4
10. Module-3 (POEM-3)
stage of the PSLV-C58 vehicle.
Mission
• It is a three-axis-attitude controlled platform with power generation
and telecommand & telemetry capabilities.
• It carried nine distinct experimental payloads for technology
demonstrations and scientific research.
• Discovered by: Scientists from Germany based Max Planck Institute
for Astronomy, utilizing data from the European Space Agency's Gaia
Discovery of two ancient space telescope.
11.
streams of stars • They have been named as Shakti and Shiva & formed 12-13 billion
years ago.
• They appear to be among the Milky Way's earliest building blocks
• ISRO has conducted the second landing test of Pushpak, its
12. Pushpak [(RLV) LEX 02]
Reusable Landing Vehicle (RLV).

Space science and • Initiative of: ISRO

Technology Awareness • Aim: to attract youth to the fields of space science and technology.
13.
Training (START) 2024 • It comprises introductory level topics on various verticals of space
programme science and technology.

• It has recently completed 25,000th orbit around Mars.

• The latest image showcases the Tharsis region, a quarter of Mars's
surface known for its massive volcanoes.
14. Mars Express orbiter
• It features Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano in the solar system.
About Mars Express
• Initiative of: European Space Agency (ESA); Launched in: 2003.
• Initiative of: scientist from National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF).
• The research marks the first-time scientists have been able to
Research on 'Vampire'
measure the speeds of the steady jets launched from neutron stars
15. Neutron Stars and
What are Neutron Stars?
Astrophysical Jets
• Neutron star refers to the remains of a massive dead star that
encountered a supernova explosion.

30 | P a g e
 • They can strip material from companion stars due to their strong
gravitational pull.
• This process can trigger thermonuclear explosions on the neutron
star's surface, leading to the emission of powerful astrophysical jets at
near-light speeds.
• This phenomenon has been dubbed "vampire neutron stars”.
• Skyroot Aerospace has successfully test-fired Kalam-250.
• Kalam-250 is a high-strength carbon composite rocket motor.
Kalam-250 (Stage-2 of • It is the first carbon-composite-built motor tested at ISRO & the
16.
Vikram-1 rocket) largest propulsion system ever designed and manufactured by the
Indian private sector so far.
• Now, Skyroot is close to India’s first private orbital rocket launch.
• Launched by: The World Health Organization (WHO).
• Aim: to assess the risk of
emerging coronaviruses of
public health importance,
including SARS-CoV-2 and
MERS-CoV.
• It builds on the WHO COVID-19
reference laboratory network
established in 2020 during the
CoViNet- a global network
17. early days of the COVID-19.
for coronaviruses
• It incorporates animal health
and environmental surveillance.
• Members: 36 laboratories from 21 countries in all 6 WHO regions,
including three labs from India, viz,
o Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National
Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur
o The Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of
Virology in Pune,
• The Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad.
• Initiative of: Microsoft and OpenAI
• Aim: To develop a groundbreaking artificial intelligence
"Stargate" Supercomputer supercomputer to significantly advance AI data center capabilities.
18. Project • Estimated cost: USD 100 billion.
• Microsoft is spearheading the financial backing.
• It is scheduled for launch in 2028.

Yunhai-2 meteorological • Launched by: China.

19. satellite • China’s aim to achieve 100 orbital launches in 2024.

DEFENCE EXERCISES/ INITIATIVES/ TECHNOLOGY

S.No Exercise/ Technology Key Facts

“MH-60R Seahawk • Recently, the Indian Navy commissioned the First Squadron of Anti-
Helicopters”- advanced Submarine MH-60R Seahawk Helicopters. (also known as Romeo).
1. anti-submarine and anti- • It has been commissioned in the Indian Navy as Indian Naval Air
surface warfare Squadron (INAS) 334.
helicopters. • The commissioning ceremony was held at INS Garuda, Kochi.

31 | P a g e
 • It is part of a USD 2.6 billion Foreign Military Sales deal with the
United States for 24 Lockheed Martin/Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk
helicopters.

• A Bilateral Maritime Exercise between the Indian and the Royal

SAMUDRA LAKSAMANA
2. Malaysian Navy.
(3rd edition)
• Venue: Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

• It is a new base of Indian Navy.

• Commissioned at: Minicoy Island, Lakshadweep.
3. INS Jatayu • It will be functioning under the Southern Naval Command.
• It is the second naval base in Lakshadweep after INS Dweeprakshak
in Kavaratti.

• Developed by: Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL),

Two Indigenous Explosive Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), and Defence Research and
4. Detectors for Indian Development Organisation (DRDO)
Security Forces • The detectors are based on Ion Mobility Spectrometry (lMS)
technique and Raman Back Scattering (RBS) principle respectively.

• Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Security has cleared a proposal

for 34 new Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv choppers.
• Of the total, nine will be inducted in the Indian Coast Guard while 25
5. Dhruv Helicopters
of them will go to the Indian Army.
• Dhruv is indigenously designed and developed by Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

• It is a Maritime Security Exercise

• Participating Forces: Indian Coast Guard (ICG) & United States Coast
6. Sea Defenders-2024
Guard (USCG)
• Held at: Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)

successfully test fired indigenously developed Agni-5 missile with
Multiple Independently Targetable Re-Entry Vehicle (MIRV)
technology.
• Using MIRV, multiple warheads can be deployed at different locations
in a single launch
• India has joined the elite list of countries that deployed MIRV missile
systems, including the US, the UK, France, Russia and China.

Mission Divyastra About Agni-V

7.
• It is an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)
• It is India's longest-range ballistic missile
• Range: 5,500 to 5,800 kilometres.; Designed by: DRDO
• Programme Director & Mission Lead: Sheena Rani (Also Known as
‘Divya Putri’).
• Project Director: Shankari Chandrasekaran.
• Dr Tessy Thomas, the first ever woman scientist to head a missile
project in India., also known as the missile woman of India, handled
the Agni project till last year.

32 | P a g e

Advanced Medium Combat
8.
Aircraft (AMCA)
• The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has approved the
indigenous design and development of the Advanced Medium
Combat Aircraft (AMCA).
• AMCA is a fifth-generation deep penetration combat aircraft.
• Five prototypes of the AMCA will be developed collaboratively by the
Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited (HAL), with contributions from private sectors.

'Bharat Shakti' - a Tri- • Held at: Pokhran, Rajasthan

9. Services Firing and • The exercise highlighted the indigenous production of weapon
Manoeuvre Exercise systems and platforms & emphasized Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

First ‘2+2’ Defence and

• Held at: New Delhi
Foreign Ministerial
10. • Focus Area of Discussion: to expand cooperation in areas of energy,
Dialogue between India and
critical minerals, technology and counter-terrorism.
Brazil

• Maiden Test-Firing of India’s First Indigenously-Made 1500 HP

1500 HP Engine for Main Engine for Main Battle Tanks was conducted recently.
11.
Battle Tanks • Developed by: Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), in collaboration
with the Ministry of Defence

EXERCISE LAMITIYE – 2024 • A biennial Joint Military Exercise between the Indian Army and
12.
(10th edition) Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF); held at Seychelles

• A bilateral tri-Service Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief

13. EX TIGER TRIUMPH – 24 (HADR) Exercise held at Eastern Seaboard
• Participating Countries: India and the United States.
• Agray and Akshay are the 5th and 6th ships of the 08 x ASW Shallow
Water Craft (SWC) Project for the Indian Navy.
14. 'Agray' and 'Akshay'
• Both the ships are built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers
(GRSE), Kolkata.
• A Trilateral (Trilat) joint maritime exercise between the navies of
IMT TRILAT- 2024 (2 nd
India, Mozambique, and Tanzania (IMT).
15.
edition) • Venue: Harbour phase held at Zanzibar (Tanzania) and Maputo
(Mozambique), with sea phase concluding at Nacala (Mozambique).
• A multinational maritime exercise held at Port Victoria, Seychelles
Exercise Cutlass Express - • Sponsored by: U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM)
16.
24 (CE – 24) • Led by: U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet.
• INS Tir represented Indian Navy at the exercise.
• It is an elite unit of the Indian Army.
Signals Technology • It has been raised to enhance the communication infrastructure of
17. Evaluation and Adaptation the Indian Army by researching and evaluating futuristic
Group (STEAG) communication technologies such as 6G, artificial intelligence,
machine learning, and quantum computing.
• HAL completed the first test fire of this aircraft.
Light combat aircraft (LCA)
18. • It will be supplied to the Indian Air Force (IAF) as a part of a contract
Tejas Mark 1A fighter jet
between HAL and the IAF.

Operation Sankalp (Op • It recently completed 100 days.

Sankalp) of Indian Navy- an • Venue: Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, and off the East Coast of Somalia.
19.
ongoing maritime security o The Bulgarian Ship MV Ruen was rescued from Somali pirates
operation under this operation.

33 | P a g e
 • It is on an overseas deployment to
Philippines, Vietnam, and Brunei.
o National Cadet Corps (NCC)
20. ICGS Samudra Paheredar
cadets are embarked on the ship
as part of the Puneet Sagar
Abhiyan.
• Set up at: New Delhi
Subsidiary of Israel o AeroSpace Services India is the sole authorised OEM's Technical
21. Representative for the entire Medium Range Surface-to-Air
Aerospace Industries
Missile (MRSAM) system.

ENVIRONMENT

S.No News Key Facts

• The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) discovered a new species of

marine slug molluscs in Odisha and Bengal.
New Species of Marine Slug
• It is named Melanochlamys Droupadi after President Droupadi
1. Named after President
Murmu.
Droupadi Murmu
• Melanochlamys Droupadi is only the second species of headshield
sea slug found in India.

2. Tropical Cyclone Megan • Formed in the Gulf of Carpentaria in the northern coast of Australia.

• It is a new species of flowering plant discovered in the Mishmi Hills

of Lohit district in Arunachal Pradesh.
3. Begonia Narahari
• Named after G. Narahari Sastry, a former Director of the CSIR-North
East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST) in Jorhat, Assam.

• Recently, UNESCO has endorsed the addition of 18 sites to the

UNESCO Global Geoparks network.
• Total number of geoparks has increased to 213 in 48 countries.

UNESCO Global Geopark About UNESCO Global Geoparks designation

4.
• Established in: 2015
• It recognizes geological heritage of international significance.
• These sites are managed with a holistic concept of protection,
education and sustainable development.

• A new species of deep-sea isopod discovered off the Kollam coast.

• Discovered by: scientists from Hiroshima University; Regional
5. Brucethoa isro
Forensics Science Laboratory, Kannur; & University of Kerala
• Named after: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

• Constituted by: Supreme Court of India

• Need: endangerment of the Great
Indian Bustard, primarily due to
Expert panel to balance
collisions with high-powered power
6. Bustard conservation with
cables.
sustainable energy goals
• Mandate: to determine the feasibility of underground and overhead
electric lines in areas identified as priority spots for the bustards in
Rajasthan and Gujarat.

34 | P a g e
 SPORTS

S.No Sports Event and Key Facts

Venue

• Puneri Paltan secured its first-ever Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) title by
defeating Haryana Steelers with a scoreline of 28-25 in the final held
at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad.
Pro Kabaddi League Season • Individual Accolades
1.
10 o Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the season: Aslam Inamdar (Puneri
Paltan's captain)
o Best Defender: Mohammadreza Chiyaneh
o Best Raider: Dabang Delhi's Ashu Malik
Turkish Women’s Cup 2024
2. (Football Tournament) • Winner: Kosovo; Runner-up: India
Venue: Alanya, Turkey

• Closing ceremony held at Sarusajai Sports Complex in Guwahati,

Assam.
• Medal Tally
o Chandigarh University securing their first-ever KIUG title.
✓ They topped the medal table with 32 gold, 18 silver, and 21
bronze medals, totaling 71 medals overall.
o Lovely Professional University secured the second position with
Khelo India University
3. 20 gold, 14 silver, and 8 bronze medals.
Games (KIUG) 2023
o Guru Nanak Dev University from Amritsar claimed the third spot
with 12 gold, 20 silver, and 19 bronze medals.
• Records and Achievements:
o Pratyasa Ray (Swimmer) of Utkal University and Jain University’s
Xavier Michael Dsouza (swimmer) were recognized as the most
successful female and male athletes, respectively, with multiple
gold medals in their events.

• India won the trophy by defeating England.

• Player of the series: Yashasvi Jaiswal
• Most Runs: Yashasvi Jaiswal (712 runs in 9 innings.)
o He became the became the second Indian after Sunil Gavaskar to
surpass 700 runs in a Test series.
Anthony de Mello Trophy,
4. • Most Wickets: Ravichandran Ashwin (26 in 10 innings).
2024
• India achieved a rare feat by winning a five-Test series 4-1 after
losing the first Test, a feat only accomplished for the fourth time in
Test history and the first in 112 years.
• The series set a new record for the highest number of sixes (102) in
a Test series.

5. Ranji Trophy 2024 • It is India’s iconic red-ball cricket championship.

35 | P a g e
 Finals Venue: Wankhede • Winner and Runner Up: Mumbai led by Ajinkya Rahane emerged as the
Stadium, Mumbai winner by defeating Vidarbha by 169 runs.
• Mumbai wins the title for the 42nd time.
• Player of the Tournament: Tanush Kotian (Mumbai).
• The Mumbai team will receive additional Rs 5 crore as Mumbai Cricket
Association (MCA) doubled prize money for winning the title.

First UEFA Women's • Finals held in: Seville, Spain

6. Nations League (football • Winner and Runner Up: Spain won the UEFA Women's Nations League,
competition) defeating France with a score of 2-0 in the final.

• Venue: Porte de la Chapelle Arena in Paris, France

2024 French Open
7. • Winner: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (India)
(badminton)
• Runner Up: Lee Jhe Huei and Yang Po Hsuan (Chinese Taipei)

Bahrain Formula One Grand • Winner: Max Verstappen (Netherlands) from Red Bull
8.
Prix • Runner Up: Sergio Perez (Mexico), also from Red Bull

• Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), led by Smriti Mandhana, secured

an eight-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals (DC).
• It is RCB's first-ever T20 title across both WPL and the Indian Premier
League (IPL).
• WPL 2024 Awards
o Player of the finals: Sophie Molineux (RCB)
Women's Premier League o Emerging player of the season - Shreyanka Patil (RCB)
9.
(WPL) 2024 o Most Valuable Player - Deepti Sharma (UP Warriorz)
o Orange Cap (leading run scorer) - Ellyse Perry (RCB)
o Purple Cap (leading wicket taker) - Shreyanka Patil (RCB)
o Most Sixes Award - Shafali Verma (DC)
o Best Strike Rate Award - Georgia Wareham (RCB)
o Catch of the season - S. Sajana (MI)
o Fair Play Award – RCB.

• The International Cricket Council (ICC) has mandated the use of stop
clocks in limited-overs international matches (ODIs and T20Is) starting
from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024
ICC Stop-Clock Rule
10. o T20 World Cup 2024 will be hosted by the West Indies and the
Mandate
USA.
• This rule requires the fielding side to start an over within 60 seconds
of the completion of the previous over.

North East Games 2024 (3rd • Venue: Three districts in Nagaland, viz, Chumoukedima, Dimapur, and
11.
edition) Kohima.

Khelo India Rising Talent • Purpose: To scout and nurture sporting talent among school children
12. Identification (KIRTI) aged 9 to 18 across the nation and utilize sports as a means to deter
Initiative youth from drug addiction and gadgetry distractions.

36 | P a g e
 • Launched across 50 centres in India by Ministry for Youth Affairs and
Sports.
• 50000 applicants are
being assessed in the 1st
phase across 10 sports,
including athletics, boxing,
wrestling, hockey, football
and wrestling.
• Aim: To conduct 20 lakh
assessments across the
country throughout the
year.
• KIRTI is part of the broader Khelo India Scheme.
• The program encourages every child with an interest in sports to
register through the MyBharat portal.
• Note: Please find the details about Khelo India Scheme in our
‘SchemesTap’ document.

• It is the first day-night Test (pink ball match) to be hosted by the

MCG.
Women's Ashes Test
• It will be the first women's Test to be played by the Australian
13. Host: Melbourne Cricket women's team at the MCG since 1949.
Ground (MCG), Australia • Significance: organized to mark the 90-year anniversary of the first
women's Test series, held in 1934, between Australia and England.

• Sunrisers Hyderabad (SH) scored the highest total in IPL history (277
runs) against Mumbai Indians.
Indian Premier League (IPL) • For the first time a team crossed the 275-run mark in IPL.
14.
2024 • SH also became the first team to score 150 runs in 10 overs in IPL.
• 2nd & 3rd highest total in IPL: RCB 263 runs (2013) & LSG 257 runs
(2023) respectively.
• India’s Sathiyan Gnanasekaran beat compatriot Manav Thakkar in
WTT Feeder Beirut 2024 the final to win the men’s singles title.
15. (Table Tennis) o Sathiyan Gnanasekaran is the first-ever Indian to win a men's
Venue: Beirut, Lebanon singles title at a WTT Feeder Series event.
• India’s Sreeja Akula won the women’s single title.
• Appointments by the Indian Olympic
Association (IOA)
o India's flag bearer: Sharath Kamal
(table tennis)
o Chef de mission: MC Mary Kom
2024 Paris Olympic Games
(boxing)
16. (33rd Summer Olympic
o Deputy chef de mission: Shiva
Games)
Keshavan (luge).
o Gagan Narang will oversee India's operations at the shooting
range.
• India will send its largest-ever shooting contingent to the Paris
Olympics, with 19 quotas secured.

6th Shaastra Rapid FIDE

17.
Rated Chess Tournament
• To be hosted by: IIT Madras.

• Winner (Men’s doubles): Rohan Bopanna (India)/Matthew Ebden

Miami Open Tennis
18. (Australia) (defeated Croatia's Ivan Dodic and America's Austin
Tournament
Krajicek)

37 | P a g e
 • Rohan Bopanna is the third Indian man in the Open Era to win a major
men's doubles title, following Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi.

AWARDS

S.No Award/Milestone Key Facts

• Held at: Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
Important Awardees:
• Best Celebrity Creator Award: Aman Gupta, Founder and CEO of boAT,
• New India Champion: Abhi and New
• Best Storyteller Award: Keerthika Govindhasamy
• Disruptor of the Year: Ranveer Allahbadia
1st National Creators • Green Champion Award: Ex-Scientist from ISRO, Ms. Pankti Pandey
1.
Awards • Cultural Ambassador of the Year: Maithili Thakur
• Best International Creator: Drew Hicks from America, Kiri Paul from
Tanzania, and Cassandra Mae Spittmann from Germany
• Best Travel Creator: Kamiya Jani; Gaming Creator Award: Nischay
• Tech Creator Award: Gaurav Chaudhary
• Swachhata Ambassador Award: Malhar Kalambe
• Best Creative Creator: Shraddha (Female); RJ Raunaq (Male)

• Awarded by: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

• Christoper Nolan’s "Oppenheimer" won the following seven from thirteen
nominations-
o Best Picture
o Best Director: Christoper Nolan (his first win at Oscar in the Best
Director category)
o Best Actor in a leading role: Cillian Murphy for Oppenheimer (This is
his first win at Oscars)
o Best Supporting Actor: Robert Downey Jr. (This is his first win at
Oscars)
o Best Cinematography, Best Editing & Best Original Score.
96th edition of the • “Poor Things” won the following four categories
2. Academy Awards o Best Actress in a leading role (Emma Stone), Best makeup and
(Oscars 2024) hairstyling, best costume design & Best production design
• Other Notable Wins
o Best Supporting Actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph for “The Holdovers”".
o Best Animated Feature Film: The Boy and the Heron
o Best Documentary: 20 Days in Mariupol by Mstyslav Chernov.
✓ It is the first Oscar in Ukrainian history.
✓ “To Kill a Tiger", set in a village in Jharkhand, was nominated in
this category.
✓ To Kill a Tiger is a Hindi-language Canadian documentary film,
directed by Nisha Pahuja.
• Renowned Indian Art director and producer Late Nitin Desai was among
the film personalities who were honoured in the 'In Memoriam' segment at
the event.

38 | P a g e
 • Awarded by: The Miss World Organization
• Venue: Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai,
Maharashtra.
• Title Winner: Krystyna Pyszkova from the Czech
Miss World 2024 (71st Republic
3.
edition) • First runner-up: Yasmina Zaytoun (Lebanon)
• India's Sini Shetty reached the final eight.
• Nita Mukesh Ambani, Founder & Chairperson, Reliance Foundation
received the prestigious 'Beauty with a Purpose Humanitarian Award' at
the event.

• Awarded to: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,

Government of India
Measles and Rubella
4. • Awarded by: Measles and Rubella Partnership
Champion Award
• Awarded at: the American Red Cross Headquarters
in Washington D.C., USA.

• Awarded to: Tiger Woods (Golf player from the United States).
5. Bob Jones Award • Bob Jones Award is the highest honor from the United States Golf
Association (USGA).

• Awarded to: Indian writer Amitav Ghosh

• Awarded by: Praemium Erasmianum Foundation in the Netherlands.
• Awarded for: exceptional contributions to writing on the planetary crisis
and climate change.
6. Erasmus Prize 2024
• Notable works of Amitav Ghosh: ‘The Great Derangement’, and ‘The
Nutmeg’s Curse’
• About Erasmus Prize: Awarded annually for “exceptional contributions” in
the humanities, social sciences, or arts.

• Conferred to: Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India. (First foreign
Order of the Druk
7. leader to receive this prestigious award.)
Gyalpo
• It is Bhutan’s highest civilian decoration.

• Awarded by: Wings Publication International

• Important Awardees
o Anupam Kher for “Lessons Life Taught Me, Unknowingly: An
Autobiography”
o Twinkle Khanna for “Welcome to Paradise”
Golden Book Award
8. o Rakhi Kapoor for “Breaking Free Embracing Me – Healing from
2024
childhood abuse and toxic conditioning”
o BK Shivani for “The Power of One Thought: Master Your Mind,
Master Your Life”.
• Purpose: to honors outstanding authors and their literary works that have
made significant contributions to the world of literature.

Chameli Devi Jain

• Winners: Greeshma Kuthar, an independent journalist, and Ritika Chopra
Award for Outstanding
9. of the Indian Express.
Woman Media Person
• Awarded by: Media Foundation
of the Year 2024

• Awarded to: TM Krishna (Carnatic vocalist)

10. Sangita Kalanidhi
• Awarded by: The Music Academy, Chennai.

39 | P a g e
 PV Narasimha Rao • Awarded to: Ratan Tata, former chairman of Tata Sons, for his outstanding
11.
Memorial Award contributions to philanthropy.

• Awardees: Uday Bhatia, founder of Uday Electric, and Manasi Gupta,

founder of Huesofthemind Foundation.
12. Diana Legacy Award
• The Diana Legacy Award is presented to young individuals who have
demonstrated exceptional commitment to improving the lives of others.

• Awarded to: Prabha Varma, a noted Malayalam poet

• Awarded for his work “Roudra Sathwikam".
Saraswati Samman About Saraswati Samman
13. literary award for • Awarded by: K K. Birla Foundation
2023. • Awarded annually for outstanding literary work in any Indian language
listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India.
• Reward: Rs 15 lakh, a citation and a plaque.

Awardees: Bina Agarwal (University of Manchester) & James K. Boyce

(University of Massachusetts Amherst), for their work in the field of social and
First edition of the environmental inequalities.
Global Inequality About GiRA
14. • Awarded by: The World Inequality Lab (WIL) and Sciences Po’s Center for
Research Award
(GiRA) Research on Social Inequalities (CRIS)
• Purpose: to recognize every two years researchers from all disciplines who
have made contribution to the understanding of global inequalities

• Awarded to: Michel Talagrand, a retired French

mathematician.
• Purpose: contributions to probability theory and functional
analysis
15. Abel Prize
About Abel Prize
• Awarded by: The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
• It is considered as the Nobel Prize in mathematics.
• Reward: 7.5 million Norwegian kroner

• Awarded to: Christopher Nolan (Knighthood), and his wife, Emma Thomas,
(Damehood) for their services to film.
o Christoper Nolan wrote the screenplay for Oscar-winning
Knighthood and "Oppenheimer" and produced it with Emma Thomas.
16.
Damehood About Knighthood
• Awarded by: British Government
• Awarded for significant contributions to various fields, including the arts.
• Damehood is the female equivalent of a knighthood

• Awarded by: Hermes – Air Transport

2024 Air Transport Organisation and ATN
17. • Airline of the Year: IndiGo
Awards
• Airport of the Year: iGA Istanbul Airport
• Held at: Athens, Greece.

• Awarded to: ISRO for Chandrayaan-3 mission (Space Category)

18. 66th Laureate Awards • Awarded by: Aviation Week Network, USA.

Additional Information

40 | P a g e
 • ISRO was also awarded Leif Erikson Lunar Prize from the Husavik
Museum, Iceland for Chandrayaan-3 mission.

• Indian of the Year: Women of India; Best Performing Small State: Goa
• The India First Award: Amitabh Kant (India's G20 Sherpa)
• Social Impact Influencer of the Year: Kusha Kapila
• Science Icons of the Year: Nigar Shaji (Project Director, Aditya L1), M
Srikanth (Mission Director, Chandrayaan-3), Dr P Veeramuthuvel (Project
Director, Chandrayaaan-3), K Kalpana (Associate Project Director,
NDTV India of the Year Chandrayaan-3)
19.
Awards 2023-2024 • Climate Influencer of the Year: Prajakta Koli
• Actor of the Year: Vikrant Massey; Director of the Year: Atlee
• Sports Performance of the Year: Cricketers Radha Yadav, Shreyanka
Patil, Sneh Rana and Shafali Verma; Entertainer of the Year: Sunny Deol
• Innovator of the Year: Peyush Bansal (Founder, LensKart)
• Entrepreneur of the Year: Deepinder Goyal (Founder & CEO, Zomato)
Business Leader of the Year: N Chandrasekaran (Chairperson, Tata Sons).
• Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT)'s “Mobile-enabled
Disaster Resilience through Cell Broadcast Emergency Alerting” has
been qualified for the WSIS Prizes 2024 in “Benefits in all aspects of life
- E-environment” category.
World Summit on the
About WSIS Prize
20. Information Society
• Purpose: to recognize projects / achievements that leverage the power of
(WSIS) Prizes 2024
ICT to accelerate achievement of sustainable development goals.
About WSIS
• Organizer: United Nations (UN); Co-hosts: ITU and the Swiss
confederation.

Times Power Icon • Awarded to: Vijay Jain, Managing Director of Star Estate.
21.
2024 Award Awarded by: The Times Group.

• Awarded to: Associated Press (AP) for Photo depicting the body of Shani
Louk, a German tourist, being paraded by Hamas.
Pictures of the Year
22. • Awarded under:"Team Picture Story of the Year" category.
Awards
• Awarded by: Donald W Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri
School of Journalism, USA.
• Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award: Ashok Kumar
• Balbir Singh Sr Award for Player of The Year (Men): Hardik Singh
• Balbir Singh Sr Award for Player of The Year (Women): Salima Tete
Hockey India Awards • Baljit Singh Award for Goalkeeper of the Year: PR Sreejesh
23.
2023 (6th edition) • Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Women – Under
21): Deepika Soreng
• Jugraj Singh Award for Upcoming Player of the Year (Men – Under 21):
Araijeet Singh Hundal.

APPOINTMENT

• Recently, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Gyanesh Kumar have been appointed as the
Election Commissioners in the Election Commission of India (ECI).
• Their appointment follows the sudden resignation of Arun Goel and retirement of
Anup Chandra Pandey. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu

41 | P a g e
• Their appointment marks the first under the new Chief Election Commissioner and
Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of
Office) Act, 2023.
Gyanesh Kumar

About Election Commission of India (ECI)

• It is a constitutional body responsible for administering election processes in
India.
• Established in: 1950; Headquarters: New Delhi
• Present Chief Election Commissioner of India: Rajiv Kumar.

• The President of India, nominated Sudha Murty as the member in the Rajya Sabha (Upper
House) on the occasion of International Women’s Day.
• She is the third woman among the nominated members. The
other two women nominees are PT Usha and Sonal Mansingh.
• She has been nominated under the Philanthropy and Education
category.
Sudha Murty
• She is a philanthropist, author, and the former Chairperson of
the Infosys Foundation. She is from Karnataka.

• He has been appointed as the Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled
Castes (NCSC).
• Luv Kush Kumar assumed the role of a Member of the NCSC.

About NCSC

• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

• Established in: 2004; Headquarters: New Delhi.
• Article 338 of the Indian constitution deals with NCSC.
• Objective: to provide safeguards against the exploitation of Scheduled Castes and Anglo- Kishor Makwana
Indian communities to promote and protect their social, educational, economic and cultural
interests.
• Composition: A Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson, and three additional Members.

• He has been elected as Pakistan's 14th President; Predecessor: Arif Alvi.

Asif Ali Zardari

• He has received a six-month extension as India's Foreign Secretary

Vinay Mohan
Kwatra

• He sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Haryana, succeeding

Manohar Lal Khattar.

Nayab Singh Saini

• He is the new Prime Minister of Peru.

• Predecessor: Alberto Otarola
Gustavo Adrianzen

42 | P a g e
 • He recently clinched his second term as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Shehbaz Sharif

• He has been re-appointed as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of Jana Small Finance Bank for a three-year term

Ajay Kanwal
• Appointed as the head of the newly created Artificial Intelligence (AI) unit at
Microsoft.
• Formerly the CEO of Google DeepMind and more recently of Inflection AI, Suleyman
is a British artificial intelligence pioneer, known for co-founding DeepMind
Mustafa Suleyman
• Named as the PwD national icon by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
• Para-archer and Arjuna Awardee., hailing from Jammu and Kashmir.
• First and the only international para-archery champion without upper limbs.

Sheetal Devi
• Re-elected as the President of the Russian Federation. for the fifth term.
• He will overtake Joseph Stalin and become Russia's longest-serving leader for
more than 200 years if he completes the term.

Vladimir Putin
• She has been appointed as the new spokesperson of the Government of India.
• She will serve as the principal director general (PDG) of the Press Information
Bureau (PIB)
• Predecessor: Succeeds Manish Desai.
• She is the fifth woman officer to head the PIB
Sheyphali B Sharan
• He is the new Prime Minister of Palestine.
• Predecessor: Mohammed Shtayyeh

Mohammad Mustafa
• He has been elected as the new President of Indonesia.
• Predecessor: Joko Widodo

Prabowo Subianto
• He has been given the additional charge of Ministry of Food Processing Industries
• Predecessor: Pashupati Kumar Paras
• He also serves as the Minister of Earth Sciences.
• He is the MP of Arunachal West Constituency
Kiren Rijiju
• He has been appointed as the Chairman of the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).
• He is the Managing Director and CEO of Central Bank of India.

MV Rao
• The Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) has selected nine executive
directors for public sector general insurers for the first time.
o Rashmi Bajpai and Amit Misra for Oriental Insurance Company
o H J Joshi and Radhika C S for GIC Re
o T Babu Paul and C G Prasad for National Insurance Company
o Sunita Gupta and P C Gothwal for United India

43 | P a g e
 o Dasarathi Singh for the Agriculture Insurance Company of India.
• New appointments in Life insurance companies by the FSIB.
o Girija Subramanian -CMD of the New India Assurance Company; Predecessor: Neerja Kapur
o Bhupesh Sushil Rahul - CMD of United India Insurance Company; Predecessor: Satyajit Tripathy.
• The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) unanimously appointed Saudi
Arabia to chair its 69th session in 2025.
• Saudi ambassador to the UN, Abdulaziz Alwasil will act as the chair of CSW.
About CSW
• It is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of Abdulaziz
gender equality and the empowerment of women. Alwasil
• Establishment: 1946; Headquarters: New York.
• Elected as the new President of the Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO).
• Predecessor: A Sakthivel.

About FIEO
• Establishment: 1965; Set up by: The Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Ashwani Kumar • It is the apex body of the Government recognised Export Promotion Councils, Commodity
Boards and Export Development Authorities in India
• He has been appointed as the President of the Indian Steel Association (ISA).
• Predecessor: Dilip Oommen

Naveen Jindal
• He has been named as the new Prime Minister of Portugal.
• Predecessor: Antonio Costa

Luis Montenegro
• He has been appointed as the new head of Microsoft Windows and Surface.
• He is an Indian-American
• Predecessor: Panos Panay

Pavan Davuluri
• He has been appointed as the new Chairman of Prasar Bharati.
• Predecessor: A Surya Prakash

Navneet Kumar
Sehgal
• He has been appointed as the Co-Chair of the Digital Innovation Board of the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
• He is the Secretary in the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India.
About Digital Innovation Board of the ITU
• Launched under: Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development.
o Digital Innovation Board is one of the three main vehicles of this alliance, the other
Dr. Neeraj Mittal
two vehicles are Digital Transformation Lab & Network of Acceleration Centres.
• Members: Ministers and Vice Ministers of Telecom/ICT from 23 Member Countries of ITU.
• Rahul Singh has been appointed as the new Chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
o Predecessor: Nidhi Chhibber.
• Nidhi Chhibber has been appointed as the Advisor in the Niti Aayog.
About Niti Aayog
• It is the apex public policy think tank of the Government of India; Established in: 2015.

44 | P a g e
 • He has been appointed as the new chairman of Surat
Diamond Bourse (SDB)
• Predecessor: Vallabh Lakhani

Govind Dholakia
• He has been appointed as the India’s new ambassador to Myanmar
• Predecessor: Vinay Kumar
• He served as sous-sherpa of the G20 during India’s presidency.
Abhay Thakur
• She has been appointed as the chairperson of the Digital News Publishers’ Association
(DNPA).
• Predecessor: Tanmay Maheshwari

Mariam Mammen
Mathew
• He has been appointed as the chief of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
• Predecessor: Dinkar Gupta.
About NIA
• Established in: 2008; Ministry: Ministry of Home Affairs; Headquarters: New Delhi
• India's premier investigating agency for probing terrorism and other national security- Sadanand Vasant
related crimes. Date
• He has been appointed as the Director General of the NDRR; Predecessor: Atul Karwal

About National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)

• Established in: 2006; Ministry: Ministry of Home Affairs
Piyush Anand
• He has been appointed as Director General of the Bureau of
Police Research and Development (BPRD).
• Predecessor: Balaji Srivastava
Rajeev Kumar
Sharma
• He has been appointed as the Assistant Secretary-General and Special Representative
of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction at UNDRR.
o Predecessor: Mami Mizutori of Japan
• He is the head of Department of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
• He led the G20 Working Group on Disaster Risk Reduction under India’s G20
Presidency.
About United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Kamal Kishore
• It is the UN agency mandated to lead and coordinate disaster risk reduction efforts.
• Established in: 1999; Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland; Director: Paola Albrito
• They both have been appointed as the co-chairs of the International Hockey
Federation's (FIH) new FIH Athletes Committee.
• PR Sreejesh is the goalkeeper of the Indian Hockey Team.
• Camila Caram is the skipper of Chile Women’s Hockey Team. PR Sreejesh Camila
Caram
• He has been appointed as the Chairman of ATMA.
About Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA)
• It is the national industry body for the automotive tyre sector in India.

Arnab Banerjee

45 | P a g e
• She took-over as the 41st National president of FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) for
2024-25.
About FLO
• FLO was established in 1983 & recently completed 40 years.
Joyshree Das Verma
• It is the oldest women-led and women-centric business chamber of South East Asia.

PERSONS IN NEWS

• He became the first bowler in cricket history to take a five-wicket haul (fifer) in both
his debut match and his 100th Test match.
• Ashwin took 9 wickets in his 100th Test, with Ben Foakes being his record-clinching
dismissal during the 5th test match between India and England.
• Ravichandran Ashwin surpassed Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) to record the best
bowling figures in a milestone 100th Test match
o He achieved 9/128 compared to Muralitharan's 9/141.
• He is now one of the four bowlers to have picked up a fifer in their 100th Test match
after Shane Warne (Australia), Anil Kumble and Muttiah Muralitharan Ravichandran Ashwin
• He also became the second Indian, after Anil Kumble, to take a fifer in his 100th
Test.

• He became the first pacer and the third bowler overall to take 700 wickets in Test
cricket.
• This milestone was reached during the fifth and final Test match Between India and
England at HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala by dismissing India's Kuldeep Yadav.
• He is behind Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan (800 wickets) and Australia's late
James Anderson Shane Warne (708 wickets).

• Recently, he became the first Indian wicket keeper to score 7,000 runs in T20
cricket.
• He achieved this feat during a match between CSK and Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL
2024.
• He also became the first wicketkeeper to execute 300 dismissals in T20 format by
dismissing Prithvi Shaw. MS Dhoni
o Previous record held by Dinesh Karthik and Kamran Akmal ( 274 dismissals
each).
• He recently became the first Indian cricketer to score 12,000 runs in T20 cricket
matches during the IPL 2024 opening match between CSK and RCB.
• He achieved this landmark after playing just 377 matches, making him the third-fastest
batter to reach 12,000 T20 runs.
• He is also the sixth batter worldwide to achieve this feat after Chris Gayle, Shoaib Malik,
Kieron Pollard, Alex Hales, and David Warner.
• In the same match, Kohli also completed 1,000 runs against CSK.

• He became the first Indian and the third player worldwide to score 100 fifty-plus scores
Virat Kohli
in T20 cricket during an IPL 2024 match against Punjab Kings (PBKS).
• The first two positions are being held by Chris Gayle (110 fifty-plus scores) & David
Warner (109 fifty-plus scores) respectively.

• Recently, she made her first state visit to Mauritius.

• The University of Mauritius conferred Honoris Causa Degree of Doctor of Civil Law
on the President of India.

Draupadi Murmu,
President of India

46 | P a g e
 • Recently, a 125-foot statue of Lachit Borphukan, a legendary Ahom general, was
unveiled in Assam's Jorhat.
• The statue was designed by Ram Vanji Sutar.
• Lachit Borphukan was an army commander of the Ahom kingdom, celebrated for his
leadership in the 1671 Battle of Saraighat against Mughal forces.
Lachit
• Ahom or Tai-Ahom is an ethnic group from the states of Assam and Arunachal
Borphukan
Pradesh.
• He recently visited India, his first overseas visit after assuming office as the Prime
Minister of Bhutan.

Dasho Tshering
Tobgay
• He recently announced to step down from his role as the Under-Secretary-General
for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator of the Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
• He is a British diplomat.

About OCHA
• It is a UN Body established to strengthen the international response to complex Martin Griffiths
emergencies and natural disasters; Headquarters: Geneva and New York
• The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has named an asteroid after him, to honour
his contributions to space missions, ultraviolet astronomy, and the study of the interstellar
medium.
• He is a Bengaluru based scientist & professor
• The asteroid, earlier known as 2005 EX296, has been renamed (215884) Jayantmurthy.
Jayant Murthy • The asteroid was discovered at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, USA.

About International Astronomical Union (IAU)

• Establishment: 1919; Headquarters: Paris, France
• He recently announced his plans to resign as CEO of Boeing.

Dave Calhoun

OBITUARIES
• He was a Japanese manga artist & anime creator.
• He was the creator of 'Dragon Ball' comics and anime.

Akira Toriyama
• He was an American lawyer and writer & a Polio survivor.
• He was also known as "the man in the iron lung" & "Polio Paul".

Paul Alexander
• He was the former Chief of Naval Staff.
• He played a heroic role during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971.
• He was honoured with the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Peace for his efforts towards
demilitarising and denuclearising South Asia.
Admiral Laxminarayan
Ramdas

47 | P a g e
• He was a famous archaeologist.
• He was a pivotal member of the team that excavated the Ram Janmabhoomi site in
Ayodhya.
• He was from Chhattisgarh. Arun Kumar Sharma
• He passed away recently.
• He was the former Prime Minister of Canada & a famous lawyer and businessman.

Brian Mulroney
• He was a Japanese Entrepreneur.
• He invented the world's first karaoke machine.

Shigeichi Negishi
• He was a Dutch-American biologist and primatologist.
• He was known for his work on the behavior and social intelligence of primates.

Frans de Waal
• He was a British-American playwright and film writer.
• He earned the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for "The King's
Speech”.

David Seidler
• He was the President of Ramakrishna Math and Mission.
• He was born in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu

Swami
Smaranananda
Maharaj
• He was an American Actor.
• He was the first Black man to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “An
Officer and a Gentleman".

Louis Gossett Jr
• He was an Israeli American author and psychologist.
• He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics for his research into how ingrained
neurological biases influence decision making.

Daniel Kahneman
• He was a writer based out of Karnataka.
• He won Sahitya Akademi annual translation award for his Kannada book Ondu Putada
Kathe (A short story).

Gurulinga Kapse

BOOKS AND AUTHORS

S.No Book Title Key Facts

48 | P a g e
 Basic Structure and
1. • Author: PS Sreedharan Pillai, Governor of Goa.
Republic

2. Swallowing the Sun • Author: Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri, a former diplomat and UN official.

The Conspiracy to oust

3. me from the • Author: Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Former President of Sri Lanka.
Presidency

"Code Dependent: • Author: Madhumita Murgia, an Indian-British journalist and commentator.

4. Living in the Shadow of • Madhumita Murgia has been shortlisted for the 2024 inaugural Women's
AI" Prize for Non-Fiction for this book.

FAIRS AND FESTIVALS

S.No Fair/ Festival Name Key Facts

• Organized at: National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), New Delhi.
• Aim: to inspire dialogue and reflection on the timeless themes of the
Ramayanam Chitra
1. Ramayana, showcasing the creativity of Indian artists.
Kavyam Exhibition
• It offered a platform for promoting cultural tourism and enhancing
people-to-people connections between India and Sri Lanka.
• It is the biggest festival of Mizoram
2. Chapchar Kut Festival • Venue: Assam Rifles Ground - Lammual, Aizawl city, Mizoram
• Celebrated by: Mizo community.
• Venue: All India Fine Arts & Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi
• Organized by: The Directorate of Lighthouse and Lightships, under the
Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.
Lighthouse Photo
3. • Highlight: The event showcased 100 photographs, capturing the
Exhibition
beauty and historical essence of India's lighthouses.
• Significance: It follows the recent inauguration of tourism facilities at
75 lighthouses.
• It is a digital exhibition based on the life of Subhash Chandra Bose
• Organized on the 134th Foundation Day of the National Archives of
India.
About National Archives of India
• Set up in 1891 at Calcutta (Kolkata) as the Imperial Records
4. Subhash Abhinandan
Department.
• Custodian of the records of enduring value of the Government of
India.
• It is the biggest archival repository in South Asia.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Culture; Location: New Delhi.
• Organized by: Ministry of Culture and Heartfulness.
Global Spirituality • Organized at: Kanha Shanti Vanam, the world’s largest meditation
5.
Mahotsav center, located at Hyderabad.
• Theme: “Inner Peace to World Peace”

PLACES IN NEWS

S.No Place Key Facts

49 | P a g e
 • Recently, a neolithic child burial site has been discovered by professors
Chettimedu Pathur, and students from the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology,
1. Chengalpattu District, University of Madras at Chettimedu Pathur.
Tamil Nadu • This is the first time a child burial from the Neolithic period (5000-1500
BCE.) has been identified in Tamil Nadu.
• Gevra Mine has recently received environmental clearance to expand its
production capacity to 70 million tons per annum from the current 52.5
million tons.
• With this approval, Gevra Mine is set to become the largest coal mine in
Gevra Mine,
2. Asia.
Chhattisgarh
• Gevra Mine is currently the largest coal mine in India, with an annual
production reaching 52.5 million tons.
• Gevra mine is operated by South Eastern Coalfield Limited (SECL), a
subsidiary of Coal India
• Adani Ammunition Complex was unveiled recently.
Adani Ammunition
• Initiative of: Adani Defence and Aerospace.
3. Complex, Kanpur,
• It is a twin facility to manufacture ammunition and missiles
Uttar Pradesh.
• It is South Asia’s largest ammunition & missiles complex.
• It has been declared as the 26th district of Arunachal Pradesh.
• Keyi Panyor will have its headquarters at Ter Gapin-Sam Sarth.
4. Keyi Panyor
• It has been carved out of Lower Subansiri, District.
• The new district was demanded by the people of the Nyishi community.

Central Sanskrit • Recently, the President of India graced and addressed the first
5.
University, New Delhi convocation of Central Sanskrit University.

• The Prime Minister of India recently visited Shankaracharya Hill as a part

of his visit to Jammu and Kashmir.
• Shankaracharya Hill is also known as Gopadri, Sandhimana-parvat, Koh-
Shankaracharya Hill,
e-Suleman, and Takht-i-Sulaiman.
6. Srinagar, Jammu &
• Shankaracharya Hill is known for housing Kashmir's oldest Hindu shrine,
Kashmir
the Shankaracharya Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva.
o This temple is a 'monument of national importance' protected by the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
• Location: West Kameng district, Arunachal Pradesh
• Constructed by: Border Roads Organisation (BRO); Altitude: 13,000 feet.
• Connectivity: It connects Tezpur, Assam to Tawang in the West Kameng
7. Sela Tunnel
district of Arunachal Pradesh.
• It is the world’s longest bi-lane tunnel & India’s highest tunnel
• The project features two tunnels and a link road.
• Initiative of: NHPC Limited
Dibang Multipurpose • To be developed near Munli village in Lower Dibang Valley District,
8.
Hydroelectric Project Arunachal Pradesh.
• It is set to be India’s highest dam, with a capacity of 2,880 MW.
• Location: Golaghat, Nagaon and Sonitpur districts of Assam.
Kaziranga National
9. • It is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Park
(UNESCO) world heritage site.
• Location: Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• The revamped Kochrab Ashram was recently
inaugurated on the anniversary of the Dandi
10. Kochrab Ashram
Yatra on March 12.
• Master Plan of Gandhi Ashram Memorial was also
released at the event.

50 | P a g e
 Bichom, Arunachal • Bichom has been inaugurated as the 27th district of Arunachal Pradesh,
11.
Pradesh carved out from West Kameng and East Kameng districts.

• The six sites are:

o Gwalior Fort,
o The Historical Group of Dhamnar,
Six Madhya Pradesh
o Bhojeshwar Mahadev Temple
Heritage Sites
12. o Rock Art Sites of Chambal Valley
Included in Tentative
o Khooni Bhandara, Burhanpur,
UNESCO List
o God Memorial of Ramnagar, Mandla.
• These sites will be nominated to be included in the prestigious list of
UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
• Recently, the Prime Minister of India inaugurated the Haryana section of
Dwarka Expressway.
• It is India's first elevated 8-lane access control urban expressway.
13. Dwarka Expressway
• It connects Dwarka (Delhi) and Gurugram (Haryana).
• It features India's first 4 km long 8-lane tunnel near Indira Gandhi
International Airport, Delhi, described as a 'shallow tunnel'.

Pokhara, Gandaki
14. • It has been declared as the tourism capital of Nepal.
province, Nepal

Kutch Copper, a • Located at: Mundra in Gujarat.

15. subsidiary of Adani • It is the world's largest single-location copper manufacturing plant.
Enterprises Ltd • Total Capacity: 1 million tonnes

• To be built by: Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

Nimmu-Padam-Darcha
16. • It is the third and the shortest road (298-km) to connect Manali and Leh.
Road, Ladakh
• It will cross only one pass- Shinkun La (16,558 feet)

Francis Scott Key • The bridge collapsed following a collision with a cargo ship.
17.
Bridge • Located at: Baltimore, Maryland, United States.

• Location: Thimpu, Bhutan.

Gyaltsuen Jetsun
• It was built with support from the Government of India.
Pema Wangchuk
18.
Mother and Child Additional Information
Hospital • India to provide aid of Rs 10,000 crore to Bhutan over the next five years.
• ASI is excavating this village to
find India's oldest temple.
Nachne village, Panna • The site is significant due to its
19. district, Madhya proximity to ancient temples such
Pradesh as a Gupta-era Parvati temple and
the Chaumukhi temple built by
the Kalachuri Dynasty.
• A 900-year-old Kannada inscription from the Kalyana Chalukya dynasty
20. Gangapuram Town was discovered near Chowdamma temple in this town at Mahabubnagar
district, Telangana
• The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has announced plans to restore
this temple located at Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir.
21. Martand Sun Temple • It was built by King Lalitaditya Muktapida of the Karkota dynasty in the
8th century.
• It is an ASI protected monument.

51 | P a g e
 DAYS IN NEWS
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 2

International
Wheelchair
Day

Theme:
“Transforming
Futures
Through
Inclusive
Innovation”.

World Civil
Defence Day

Theme: "Honor
Heroes and
Promote Safety
Skills"

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

National Safety
Day
World Wildlife
Day 2024 Theme: "Safety
Leadership for
environmental, International
Theme:
social, and Women's Day
"Connecting
People and governance (ESG) Theme: “Invest
Planet: Excellence" in women:
Exploring Accelerate
Marks the
Digital
establishment of progress”
Innovation in
Wildlife National Safety Campaign
Conservation". Council of India by Theme: “Inspire
Ministry of Labor Inclusion”

Google
World Hearing celebrated a
Day creative doodle
World Obesity created by
Theme:
Day 2024 artist Sophie
"Changing
Theme: "Let's Talk Diao.
mindsets: Let's
make ear and About Obesity
hearing care a And...".
reality for all!"

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

52 | P a g e
 World
International Consumer
Day of Action Rights Day
for Rivers
Theme: ‘Fair
Theme: ‘Water and responsible
for All’ AI for
consumers’

World Kidney
Day National
No Smoking
Theme: Kidney World Sleep Vaccination
Day
Health for All – Day Day (National
(observed Advancing Immunization
every year on Equitable Theme: ‘Sleep Day)
second Access to Care Equity for
Wednesday of and Optimal Global Health’. Theme:
Medication 'Vaccines Work
March)
Practice For All'

International International
Day of Day To Combat
Mathematics Islamophobia
Theme:
“Playing with
Math”
International Pi
Day
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
International
Day for the
Elimination of
Racial
Discrimination

World Oral Theme: "A

Global Recycling Health Day Decade of
Day Recognition,
Theme: 'A Justice, and
Theme: happy mouth Development:
#RecyclingHeroes is a happy Implementation World
body.' of the World Water Meteorological
International Day 2024 Day 2024
Decade for
People of Theme: 'Water Theme: “At the
African Descent for peace'. Frontline of
(2015 to Climate Action.”
2024)."
International World Poetry
Day of Day
Happiness
Theme:
Ordnance
Theme: "Standing on
Factories Day
"Reconnecting the Shoulders
for Happiness: of Giants"
Building
Resilient
Communities”

53 | P a g e
 French International
Language Day Day of Forests

Theme: Theme:
‘Create, "Forests and
innovate, innovation: new
undertake in solutions for a Earth Hour
French.’ better world". 2024 (8:30 pm
– 9:30 pm)
International
Day of Nowruz
(Persian New
World Year)
Sparrow Day

Theme:
“Sparrows: World Down
Give them a Syndrome Day
tweet- Shaheed Diwas
chance!”, “I Theme: "End
To mark death
Love the
anniversary of
Sparrows” and Stereotypes."
Bhagat Singh,
“We Love World
Sukhdev,
Sparrows” Puppetry Day
Rajguru
Theme: “The
Climate”
24 25 26 27 28 29 30

World
Purple Day
World World Theatre 70th Founders'
(Epilepsy Universal
Tuberculosis Day Day of the
Awareness Acceptance
(TB) Day Indian Institute International
Day) (UA) Day
Theme: of Public Day of Zero
Theme: “Yes! ‘Theatre and a Administration Waste 2024
Theme: Host: Belgrade,
We can end Culture of (IIPA), New
“Lets Talk Serbia
TB” Peace' Delhi
About
Epilepsy”.

31

Ministry of Home Affairs has declared 17th September as Hyderabad Liberation Day to mark the liberation
Note: of Hyderabad from Nizam’s rule and integrating to Union of India in 1948, followed by Military operation
known as “Operation Polo”

MISCELLANEOUS

S.No News Key Facts

• Additional Information:
Finland joined NATO as
the 31st member in
Sweden joined NATO as the
1. 2023.
32nd member

54 | P a g e

Supreme Court Ruling on
2. Parliamentary Immunity in
Vote-for-Bribe Cases
Karnataka Government
3. Withdraws Electric Bike
Taxi Scheme 2021
Female Personnel
4. Representation in Central
Paramilitary Forces in India
Singapore Introduces QR
5. Code System for Border
Crossings
Maharashtra makes
inclusion of mother's name
6.
mandatory in all
government documents
10-week Digital Health
7.
Enterprise Planning Course
Acquisition of Lanco
8.
Amarkantak Power
Allahabad High Court
9. strikes down UP Madrasa
Act
• A seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court of India has decisively
overturned the 1998 verdict from the Narasimha Rao vs. CBI case.
• The bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud declared the act
of bribery falls outside the protections afforded by parliamentary
privileges.
• The 1998 verdict granted MPs and MLAs immunity from criminal
prosecution for actions such as taking bribes for votes or speeches
made within the legislative houses, as outlined in Articles 105 and
194of the Constitution.
o Article 105 deals about Freedom of Speech in Parliament.
• Article 194 deals about the Freedom of Speech in the Legislature of
every state.
• Reason: operation of electric bike taxis was found to be "unsafe for
women" and violated the Motor Vehicles Act.
• Railway Protection Force (RPF) has the highest proportion of female
personnel among Central Paramilitary Forces in India, standing at
9%.
Initiatives launched by RPF
• Meri Saheli Initiative: Aimed at ensuring the safety of female
passengers.
• Operation Matrishakti: RPF's female personnel assist pregnant
women experiencing labor pains during train journeys
• Operation AAHT (Against Human Trafficking): Initiative to combat
human trafficking
• Operation Nanhe Farishtey: Campaign to rescue vulnerable children
in contact with railways
o Operation Dignity: Effort to rescue adults in need of care and
protection
--
--
• Launched by: UNICEF India, International Institute of Health
Management Research (IIHMR) Delhi, and IIT Bombay
• Aim: to bridge technology knowledge gaps among healthcare
professionals.
• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved 100%
acquisition of Lanco Amarkantak Power by Adani Power.
• The Allahabad High Court declared this act as unconstitutional
stating it violated the principle of secularism & the following articles
55 | P a g e
 o Article 14 (equality before law), Article 15 (prohibition of
discrimination on the grounds of religion and caste) and Article
21-A (right to education).

Florida Passes Law Banning

• Under the law, Minors aged 14-15 require parental consent to have
10. Social Media for Minors
a social media account.
Under 14

2 GA + ESI

SOCIAL SECTOR - HEALTH

1.1 National Birth Defect Awareness Month 2024

Why in News
• National Birth Defect Awareness Month 2024 was launched.
Key Highlights
• Theme: "Breaking Barriers: inclusive support for children with birth defects."
• Focuses on prevention, early identification,
and timely management of birth defects.
• This campaign is an effort for observing Birth
defect day (3rd of March every year).
• Ministry: Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare (MoHFW)
• Implementing Agency: Child Health division,
MoHFW, under Rashtriya Bal Swasthya
Karyakram (RBSK)
Additional Points
• Birth defects contribute to 4.9% of neonatal
mortality and 5.7% of U5MR mortality,
according to the Cause of Death Statistics
2017-19 report of Sample Registration
System under Registrar General of India.
About Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram
(RBSK)
• Launched in 2013 by National Rural Health
Mission under National Health Mission.
• Objective: To screen over 27 crore children
for 4 Ds: Defects at birth, Diseases, Deficiencies, and Development delays, covering 32
common health conditions.
• Program screens the children at 4 different levels:
o Comprehensive New born screening at Delivery points

56 | P a g e
 o Screening for visible birth defects in New born by ASHA during home visitation (With
Ministry of Women and Child Development)
o Children (6 weeks to 6 years) bi-annually screening at Anganwadis (With Ministry of
Women and Child Development)
o Children (6 years to 18 years) screening at Government and Government aided schools
once a year (With Ministry of Education)
• Features:
o Free of Cost Treatment through District Early Intervention Centres (DEICs) Including
surgeries at tertiary levels.
o State Governments can utilize services from private empanelled hospitals.
o Convergence with Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for sponsoring
equipment like hearing aids/implants for identified children with disabilities.

1.2 Indian Public Health Standards for AYUSH Healthcare Facilities

Why in News
• Indian Public Health Standards for AYUSH healthcare facilities were launched during the
joint mega event organized by Ministry of Ayush and Health and Family Welfare.
Key Highlights of Event
• Announcement of Multicentre Clinical Trial on Anaemia: By Central Council for Research
in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) under Ministry of AYUSH and Indian Council of Medical
Research (ICMR).
o To focuse on efficacy and safety of Ayurvedic formulations compared to
conventional iron folic acid treatment among non-pregnant women.
• Launch of Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth’s 27th Convocation & 29th National Seminar
titled ‘Ayurvedo Amritanam’.
• Lifetime Achievement Awards given to 3 stalwarts of Ayurveda.
o Vaidya Gurdip Singh, Gujarat
o Dr. P. Madhavankutty Varrier, Kerala
o Vaidya Vishnu Dutt Srikishan Sharma, Rajasthan
• 13 Ayurveda scholars honoured as ‘Fellow’ of Rashtreey Ayurveda Vidyapeeth (FRAV).
About Indian Public Health Standards for AYUSH Healthcare Facilities
• Launch Year: 2024.
• Ministry: Ministry of Ayush in collaboration with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Objective: To improve the quality of healthcare delivery across AYUSH facilities.
• Minimum Requirements for Beds and Personnel:
o At least 10 AYUSH beds per 50,000 population, 30 beds per 1.5 lakh population, and
50 beds per 2.5 lakh population.
• Essential Drugs List: Created for different levels of health centers and for different
streams of AYUSH, ensuring the availability of necessary medicines across all AYUSH
healthcare facilities.

1.3 National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming
(NAP-SE)

Why in News
• Union Health Ministry launched NAP-SE in India.

57 | P a g e
 Key Highlights
• Launch also included National Rabies Control
Programme Website and National One Health
Programme for Prevention and Control of
Zoonoses on the Integrated Health Initiative
Platform.

Miscellaneous Points
• National Snakebite Management Protocol:
Launched in collaboration with World Health
Organisation (WHO) in 2009 and updated in 2016,
providing guidelines for medical officers for the
management of snakebite cases.
• As per the Central Bureau of Health Investigation
(CBHI) reports (2016-2020), the average annual
snakebite cases in India are around 3 lakhs and
about 2000 deaths occur due to snakebite
envenoming.

1.4 FSSAI Action Plan on Anti-Microbial

Resistance (AMR)

Why in News
• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) unveiled an action plan on Anti-
Microbial Resistance (AMR) during the 43rd Central Advisory Committee meeting in
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.
Key Highlights
• Plan includes creating awareness among farmers about the judicious use of antibiotics
and conducting surveillance on anti-microbial susceptibility in the food matrix.

58 | P a g e
 • FSSAI directed States and UTs to work towards developing 100 food streets as ‘Healthy
and Hygienic Food Streets’ and stressed the importance of fortified rice awareness.
• States are instructed to prepare surveillance plans and to regularly meet with state
laboratories.
• A Guidance Document for Training of Food Handlers in educational institution canteens
was launched to strengthen food safety infrastructure.
o This initiative aims to train about 11 lakh food handlers working in the Canteens of
Universities, Colleges and Hostels in the next 2 years.
Miscellaneous Points
• Action plan is part of FSSAI’s responsibilities under the AMR National Action Plan-II.

1.5 Cashless Treatment of Road Accident Victims

Why in News
• Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has initiated a pilot program in Chandigarh to
provide cashless treatment to road accident victims.
Key Highlights
• Victims entitled to cashless treatment upto a maximum of Rs. 1.5 lakhs per accident per
person for a maximum period of 7 days from date of accident.
• Applicable to all road accidents caused by use of motor vehicle on any category of road.
• Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) packages for trauma and
polytrauma cases being co-opted.
• Claims raised by hospitals for providing treatment to be reimbursed from the Motor
Vehicle Accident Fund.
• Implementing Agency: National Health Authority (NHA)
• Objective: To provide timely medical care to road accident victims, especially during the
golden hour, and to establish a supportive ecosystem for cashless treatment.
• Data from Ministry’s Integrated Road Accident Database (iRAD) / e-Detailed Accident
Report (eDAR) will be utilised, where police personnel enter data on road accidents along
with photos and videos, to streamline and enhance the response process.
• This initiative was lagally mandated under section 162 of Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
• Motor Vehicles Amendment Act, 2019 provided for “a scheme for cashless treatment of
road accident victims” as well as a Motor Vehicle Accident Fund.
About Motor Vehicle Accident Fund
• Rules were issued in 2022.
• Fund comprises 3 accounts:
o Account for Insured Vehicles
o Account for Uninsured Vehicles or Hit and Run Motor Accident
o Hit and Run Compensation Amount
• Purpose: To facilitate the disbursement of funds for cashless treatment and compensation
in motor vehicle accidents.
• Compensation for hit and run motor accidents will be disbursed from Hit and Run
Compensation Account, in line with Compensation to Victims of Hit and Run Motor
Accidents Scheme, 2022.

1.6 National Dental Commission Act 2023

Why in News
59 | P a g e
 • Government of India has officially notified the rules for the National Dental Commission
Act.
Key Highlights
• Act replaces the Dentists Act of 1948.
• Implementing Agency: National Dental Commission.
• Features:
o Establishment of the National Dental Commission (To replace Dental Council of
India) with a chairperson, 8 ex-officio members, and 24 part-time members, selected
through a merit-based process led by Cabinet Secretary.
✓ 3 part-time members with a 4-year term and 10 part-time members on a rotation
basis, after every 2 years.
o Introduction of fixed tenures for the commission's chairperson, members, and
secretary with no option for reappointment.
o Empowerment of 3 autonomous boards: Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate Dental
Education Board, the Dental Assessment and Rating Board, and the Ethics and Dental
Registration Board.
o Introduces regulations on fees for half of the seats in private dental colleges.
o Aims to elevate dental education and professional standards to global benchmarks.
o Online National Register to maintain a live register of licensed professionals and
establish a Dental Advisory Council with representation from all States/Union
Territories to ensure comprehensive insights and guidance.
o State Dental Councils or Joint Dental Councils: Mandated establishment within a year
of the Act’s commencement to enhance regulatory framework and governance.

1.7 Poshan Pakhwada 2024

Why in News?
• Ministry of Women and Child
Development has organized
Poshan Pakhwada (Nutrition
Fortnight) 2024.

1.8 Uniform Code for

Pharmaceuticals
Marketing Practices
(UCPMP) 2024

Why in News
• Department of
Pharmaceuticals has notified
UCPMP 2024 to regulate
unethical practices in the pharmaceutical sector.
Key Highlights
• Pharma companies are now banned from offering gifts, monetary grants and travel
facilities to healthcare professionals or their family members unless they are speakers at
events.

60 | P a g e
 o Permissible gifts include informational and educational items like books or calendars,
valued at no more than Rs 1000, to serve as brand reminders without having
commercial value for healthcare professionals.
• Distribution of free drug samples is limited to qualified prescribers only.
o Monetary value of samples distributed by the company should not cross 2% of its
domestic sales of the company per year.
• Drug information provided must be balanced, accurate, and capable of substantiation.
• All associations are requested to constitute an Ethics Committee for Pharmaceutical
Marketing Practices (ECPMP), set up a dedicated UCPMP portal on their website, and
take further necessary steps towards implementation of this Code.
o Committee will comprise of 3 to 5 members and will be headed by the chief executive
officer (CEO) of the board.
• While pharmaceutical companies have adhered to a voluntary marketing practices code
since 2015, the new code is quasi-statutory.
• Entities must submit a self-declaration of compliance with the UCPMP annually.
• It restricts the use of absolutes such as "safe" without qualifications and prohibits the
promotion of a drug as "new" if it has been available or promoted in India for over a year.

1.9 National Cancer Grid

Why in News
• National Cancer Grid (NCG) has received a significant donation of Rs 100 crore from Axis
Bank.
Key Highlights
• Partnership Duration: A 5-year collaboration
between Tata Memorial Centre and Axis Bank.
• Objective: To improve access to cancer care,
support cancer research, and foster the digitization
of healthcare services.
• Funding will support National Tumour Biobank,
National Cancer Teleconsultation Network, cancer-
specific electronic medical records, and virtual skills
labs.
• A National Digital Cancer Registry with emphasis on
rare cancers and exceptional responders, is also part
of the initiative.

SOCIAL SECTOR - EDUCATION

1.10 National Education Policy (NEP) 2020

Why in News
• Union Minister of Education launched various initiatives aimed at the effective
implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Key Launches

61 | P a g e
 • DIETs of Excellence: Financial assistance of Rs 9000 crores for the physical upgrade of
all 613 District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) to develop them as DIETs of
Excellence.
o Upto Rs. 15 Crore per DIET will be provided
under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of
Samagra Shiksha.
• National Professional Standards for Teachers
(NPST): Provides a framework for teachers'
professional development.
• National Mission for Mentoring (NMM): Offers
mentoring to teachers for their professional and
personal development.
• National Vidya Samiksha Kendra: A research and
development center for evaluating and improving
educational programs.
• 200 TV Channels under PMeVidya:
o PMeVidya Initiative is aimed at unifying all efforts related to digital/online/on-air
education to enable multi-mode access to education.

1.11 National Curriculum for Early Childhood Care and Education

Why in News
• Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) launched a National Curriculum
for Early Childhood Care and Education for children aged 3 to 6 years and a National
Framework for Early Childhood Stimulation for children from birth to 3 years.
Key Highlights
• 85% of brain development occurs before the age of 6.
• Objective: To provide a structured approach towards the cognitive and emotional
development of children, from birth to 6 years.
• Part of the broader Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 schemes, under the
umbrella of Mission Shakti, focusing on comprehensive childcare.
• National Institute for Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) will lead the
training of Anganwadi functionaries on these new
guidelines.
• National Curriculum focuses on all domains of
development, aligning with the National
Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage
2022 as per the National Education Policy 2020.
o It introduces a weekly calendar comprising 36
weeks of active learning, 8 weeks of
reinforcement, and 4 weeks of initiation, with 5+1 days of play-based learning in one
week, and 3 blocks of activities in one day.
• National Framework emphasizes responsive caregiving and opportunities for early
learning, focusing on the principles of love, talk, play, and positive guidance for caregivers
and Anganwadi workers.
o 36 month-wise age-based activities provided in the Framework for early learning
within the home and at Anganwadi centres or creches.

62 | P a g e
 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT
1.12 Sixth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA)

Why in News
• Sixth Session of UNEA in Nairobi, Kenya,
concluded with the historic unanimous
adoption of a resolution on sustainable
lifestyles, initiated by India.
Key Highlights
• Resolution co-sponsored by Sri Lanka and
Bolivia.
• Objective of UNEA-6: To address the triple
planetary crisis of climate change, nature and
biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste.
About United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA)
• Established after 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, which
adopted "The Future We Want" document.
o This led to the transformation of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Governing Council into UNEA with universal membership of all 193 Member States.
• Roles and Functions:
o Sets the global environmental agenda.
o Sets strategic guidance for UNEP and defines policy responses.
o World’s highest-level decision-making body for matters related to environment.
o World’s only universal membership forum for the environment.
• UNEA Sessions: Held since 2014.
• UNEP Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya.

1.13 Swachhata Green Leaf Rating (SGLR)

On World Tourism Day 2023, India
Why in News launched ‘Travel for LiFE’, a sectoral
• Swachhata Green Leaf Rating (SGLR) in Hospitality program under Mission LiFE, targeted
towards the sustainable tourism sector, in
facilities was highlighted. partnership with Ministry of Environment,
Key Highlights Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC),
United Nations World Tourism
• Bison Resorts in Madhai, Madhya Pradesh, has
Organisation (UNWTO), and the United
received the first 5 Swachhata Green Leaf Rating Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Certificate of Recognition.
About SGLR Initiative
• Launched by: Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, in
collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism in 2023.
• Objective: Enhance aesthetic and sanitation levels of tourist facilities, promote sustainable
tourism.
• Features:
o Recognizes establishments with high cleanliness and environmental sustainability.
o Part of Travel for LiFE (TFL) under Mission LiFE, promoting sustainable tourism
awareness.
• 3 Phases of the Rating System:

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 o Orientation Phase,
Voluntary Declaration
Phase, and Verification
Phase.
• Rating Certification and
Scoring Method: Self-scoring
method based on sanitation
parameters.
o Ratings: ‘1 leaf’, ‘3 leaf’, ‘5
leaf’ based on total marks
scored in Solid Waste,
Faecal Sludge, and
Greywater Management.
• Marks Allocation:
o Total 200 marks: 80
(Faecal Sludge & Solid
Waste Management each),
40 (Greywater
Management).
• Certification Criteria:
o Minimum 50% marks in
each theme for certification.
o 100-130 marks: 1-Leaf
Status
o 130-180 marks: 3-Leaf
Status
o 180-200 marks: 5-Leaf
Status
• Territorial Coverage:
Nationwide.
Miscellaneous Points
• National Pilot on Swachhata
Green Leaf Rating in
Hospitality Facilities was launched in Pahalgam (Jammu & Kashmir), and Kaziranga
National Park (Assam).

1.14 Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972

Why in News
• Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notified Living Animal Species
(Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024, under Section 49M of the Wild Life (Protection)
Act, 1972, as amended in 2022.
Key Highlights
• New rules require individuals possessing scheduled animal species listed in CITES and
Schedule IV of the Act to register their possession within 6 months via the PARIVESH 2.0
portal from the date of commencement of these rules and thereafter within 30 days of
possession of such animal species to the concerned State Chief Wild Life Warden.

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 • Further, any transfer of possession, birth of offsprings of such animals and death shall
also be registered and reported, to the concerned
Chief Wild Life Warden through PARIVESH 2.0
portal.
• These rules do not apply to other wildlife that is
already protected under the Wildlife Protection Act
and cannot be kept in captivity.
Miscellaneous Points
• India is a party to the CITES, which requires that
appropriate measures are taken to enforce the
provisions of the Convention.
• Schedules in Wildlife Protection Act (Amended),
2022:
o Schedule I: Animal species with the highest
level of protection.
o Schedule II: Animal species with a relatively
lower degree of protection.
o Schedule III: Plant species.
o Schedule IV: Species protected under CITES.

1.15 Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain 2024 Campaign

Why in News
• Union Minister for Jal Shakti launched the 5th edition of the "Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the
Rain" campaign.
Key Highlights
• Theme: "Nari Shakti se Jal Shakti," aims to empower women in water conservation and
management.
• Coverage: All blocks of all districts across the
country.
• Timeline: 9th March to 30th November 2024.
• Interventions include (1) water conservation and
rainwater harvesting, (2) enumerating & geo-
tagging of all water bodies; preparation of
scientific plans for water conservation, (3) Setting
up of Jal Shakti Kendras in all districts, (4)
intensive afforestation and (5) awareness
generation.
About Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain
Campaign
• Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation,
launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) in 2019,
covering 256 water stressed districts, to initiate
water conservation at the grass-root level
through citizen participation to accelerate water conservation.

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 • A campaign. “Catch the Rain” with the tagline "Catch the Rain – where it falls when it falls”
was started by National Water Mission in 2020 to take up the Jal Shakti Abhiyan -II (JSA
-II).
• Later in 2021, The “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain” campaign with the theme “Catch
the Rain, where it falls, when it falls” was launched on 22 March, the World Water Day,
covering all districts.
• Implementing Agency: Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga
Rejuvenation, and Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, as part of National Water
Mission.
Note: Kindly go through our ‘SchemesTap’ for Atal Bhujal Yojna.

1.16 Ethanol 100 Fuel

Why in News
• Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas launched 'ETHANOL 100', a new automotive
fuel at 183 retail outlets across 5 states – Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, New
Delhi, and Tamil Nadu.
Key Highlights
• Part of India’s initiative to achieve a 20% ethanol blend in petrol by 2025-26.
• Objective: To promote the use of ethanol as a cleaner fuel alternative, reduce import
dependency, and support the agriculture sector.
• Includes a high-octane rating, typically between 100-105, suitable for high-
performance engines and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

1.17 International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy
(IPHE)

Why in News
• 41st Steering Committee Meeting of IPHE began in New Delhi.
About International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy
• Launch Year: Established in 2003 by the U.S. Government as "The International
Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy (IPHE)."
o Name was changed in 2009.
• Objective: To advance hydrogen and fuel cell technologies worldwide, facilitating
international collaboration and coordination among member countries.
• Features: Biannual steering committee meetings
that serve as platforms for information exchange,
policy and technical development discussions.
• Members: Comprises 23 member countries and the
European Commission.
• Chair of IPHE, elected by member countries, serves a
2-year term, with eligibility for renewal.
o Current Chair: South Africa. (India has not been
the chair till now).

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 INDIAN AGRICULTURE
1.18 International Year of Millets 2023

Why in News
• Closing ceremony of International Year of Millets 2023 was held at the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Italy.
About International Year of Millets 2023
• Launch Year: United Nations General Assembly at its 75th session declared 2023 as the
International Year of Millets in 2021, following a proposal by India supported by 72
countries.
• Objective: Promotion of millets as a 'Global Superfood' due to its sustainability and
nutritional benefits.
About Millets
• Millets are small-grained, annual, warm-weather cereals belonging to the grass family.
• Government of India notified millets as Nutri-Cereals in 2018, which includes:
o Major Millets: Sorghum (Jowar), Pearl Millet (Bajra), Finger Millet (Ragi/Mandua)
o Minor Millets: Foxtail Millet (Kangani/Kakun), Proso Millet (Cheena), Kodo Millet (Kodo),
Barnyard Millet (Sawa/Sanwa/ Jhangora), Little Millet (Kutki)
o 2 Pseudo -millets: Buckwheat (Kuttu) and Amaranthus (Chaulai)

SOCIAL JUSTICE
1.19 Women Entrepreneurship

Why in News
• Recently, significant advancements in women entrepreneurship were highlighted during
9th Annual Shakti International Women Entrepreneurs Summit in New Delhi, coinciding
with International Women's Day (March 8) celebrations.
o Summit was hosted by: India SME Forum, Ministry of MSME and Women Entrepreneurs
Forum.
Key Highlights
• Union Minister for MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) announced 3 new
initiatives to bolster women entrepreneurship in collaboration with Women
Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP):
o Panjikaran se Pragati: A national campaign to encourage women entrepreneurs to get
Udyam registered.
o WEP-Unnati-Udyamita se Pragati: An award-
to-reward program (ATR) offering
comprehensive capacity-building support.
o Mentorship Platform: Aims to connect women
entrepreneurs with mentors for guidance and
support.
• More than 1.40 crore MSMEs in India are now led by women.
Note: ZED Certification Scheme is covered in “SchemesTap” Document.

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1.20 Social Defence Fellowship

Why in News
• Social Defence Fellowship was launched as a public-private partnership by National
Institute of Social Defence (NISD) in partnership with The/Nudge Institute (Bangalore-
based non-profit organization).
Key Highlights
• Ministry: Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
• Objective: To empower marginalized communities by leveraging the expertise of senior
private sector professionals and senior civil servants.
• 5 Social Defence Fellows are selected.
o With an average of 25 years of experience, they will engage full-time in government
system for 18 months to provide strategic and implementation support.
• Focus areas: fostering entrepreneurship, enhancing access to welfare schemes, and
promoting educational empowerment within marginalized communities.

1.21 e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi

Why in News
• Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution launched the 'e-Kisan Upaj
Nidhi' to streamline warehousing logistics for farmers through technology.
Key Highlights
• Prevention of distress sales due to inadequate
post-harvest storage facilities.
o With no collateral and a reduced extra security
deposit policy, it supports farmers in securing
better prices for their produce.
• Simplifies the storage process for farmers at any
registered WDRA warehouse with a storage period
of 6 months at 7% interest per annum.
Additional Information
• Security deposit charges at Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority
(WDRA) registered warehouses to be reduced from 3% to 1%, aiming to encourage more
farmers to use warehousing facilities.
• WDRA targets 1 lakh warehouses to be registered on its online registration portal.

1.22 Nyaya Sahayak Program

Why in News
• Department of Justice (Ministry of Law and
Justice) commemorates 75th year of India as a
Republic with "Hamara Samvidhan – Hamara
Samman" regional event in Bikaner, introducing
"Nyaya Sahayak" program for 500 Aspirational
blocks.
Key Highlights

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 • Regional event was an extension of the national year-long Campaign titled "Hamara
Samvidhan Hamara Samman” launched in January, 2024 with an aim to reach
approximately 664,369 villages.
• Inauguration of the citizen-centric service Mela "Jan Sewa Janta ke Dwar" that showcased
different services/schemes/programmes
of the State Government of Rajasthan.
Note: Kindly refer to January Month
CurrentTap for more information on ‘Hamara
Samvidhan – Hamara Samman’ campaign.

1.23 Pradhan Mantri Samajik Utthan

evam Rozgar Adharit Jankalyan
(PM-SURAJ) Portal

Why in News
• Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment launched the Pradhan
Mantri Samajik Utthan evam Rozgar
Adharit Jankalyan (PM-SURAJ) portal.
About PM-SURAJ Portal
• Aim: To support credit assistance to
entrepreneurs from disadvantaged
communities.
• One-stop point where people from
disadvantaged sections of society can
apply for and monitor the progress of
all loan and credit schemes already
available to them and being implemented
by the Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment and its departments.
• Credit support will be provided to eligible
persons through banks, non-banking
finance companies-microfinance
institutions (NBFC-MFIs), and other
organisations.
• Aligns with government's commitment to
"Vanchiton Ko Variyata."

GLOBALIZATION
1.24 India-Middle East Europe
Economic Corridor (IMEC)

Why in News
• Union Cabinet approved Inter-
Governmental Framework Agreement
between India and the United Arab
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 Emirates, to explore potential joint investments and collaborations for developing the
IMEC.
• IMEC includes 2 separate corridors: Eastern corridor from India to the Gulf and
Northern corridor from the Gulf to Europe.

1.25 Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA)

Why in News
• India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) have signed the Trade and
Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA).
Additional Information
• EFTA is one important economic block
out of the three (other two – European
Union & UK) in Europe.
• EFTA’s market access offer covers 100%
of non-agri products and tariff
concession on Processed Agricultural
Products (PAP).
• India has offered 105 sub-sectors to
the EFTA and secured commitments in
128 sub-sectors from Switzerland, 114
from Norway, 107 from Liechtenstein,
and 110 from Iceland.
• Services offers from EFTA include
better access through digital delivery of
Services (Mode 1), commercial presence
(Mode 3) and improved commitments
and certainty for entry and temporary
stay of key personnel (Mode 4).
• The effective duty on Gold remains
untouched.
• The binding investments do not cover
foreign portfolio investment (FPIs).
• While EFTA will lift duties on Indian rice
exports except those used for animal

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 consumption, India will remove duties on Swiss chocolates and watches over 7 years.

1.26 Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for

Prosperity (IPEF)

Why in News
• IPEF held its first Ministerial meeting of 2024.
Key Highlights
• Announcement of 4 new Cooperative Work
Programs (CWPs) on carbon markets, clean electricity, employment creation and
labour rights, and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).
o CWPs are a mechanism through which the IPEF partners prioritize their focus and
resources on a common goal.
• Announcement of the inaugural IPEF Clean Economy Investor Forum, to be held in
Singapore in June 2024.
• Announcement of $33 million in initial grant funding for the IPEF Catalytic Capital Fund
to catalyze private investment in climate infrastructure projects across IPEF economies.
• Texts of the proposed Clean Economy Agreement, Fair Economy Agreement, and
Agreement on IPEF were also made public.
• Agreement on IPEF seeks to establish Governance Structure of IPEF, which include:
o IPEF Council: A ministerial-level body meeting annually to oversee the Framework's
operation and consider new agreements and member accessions.
o Joint Commission: Monitors implementation of specific agreements (Supply Chain,
Clean Economy, Fair Economy) to identify synergies and prevent work duplication.
About Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF)
• Launch Year: 2022
• 14 Participating Countries: Australia, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of
Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the United States,
and Vietnam.
• Objective: To strengthen economic cooperation among Indo-Pacific nations.
• 4 core pillars of work:
o Trade: Including digital trade (India has not joined this pillar)
o Supply Chains (Agreement on this pillar has been finalised)
o Clean Economy: Includes Clean energy, decarbonisation and infrastructure (1st
regional treaty-level agreement focused on the clean economy)
o Fair Economy: Tax and anti-corruption

1.27 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

Why in News
• 4th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Startup Forum was successfully hosted
in New Delhi.
Key Highlights
• Objective: To enhance startup interactions, promote innovation, job creation, and motivate
young entrepreneurs within the SCO Member States.

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 • Special Working Group for Startups and Innovation (SWG): All Member States agreed to
create the SWG during the Summit of SCO
Heads of State in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on
16th September 2022, permanently chaired
by India.
• India is set to host the 2nd meeting of the
SWG in November 2024 and the SCO
Startup Forum 5.0 in January 2025.
• SCO Startup Forum 1.0 was held in 2020.

1.28 G20 Group

Why in News
• 2nd Employment Working Group (EWG)
meeting under G20, co-chaired by India,
Brazil, and South Africa, commenced in
Brasilia to discuss labour, employment, and
social issues.
Key Highlights
• India, as a member of G20 Troika along with
Brazil and South Africa, co-chaired the
meeting.
Note: Kindly refer to ‘February Month CurrentTap’
for more details on ‘G20 Group.’

EMPLOYMENT GENERATION IN INDIA

1.29 Project ODISERV

Why in News
• Union Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) launched Project
ODISERV.
Key Highlights
• Objective: Project includes a 100-hour training program focusing on banking, finance,
and insurance skills, aiming to prepare a future-ready workforce.
• Project exemplifies industry-academia collaboration as per NEP (National Education
Policy) 2020 to bridge the education-skilling gap.
Additional Information
• A significant partnership between National Skill
Development Corporation (NSDC) and Bajaj
Finserv has been established, aiming to scale the
CPBFI programme across India, targeting
20,000 candidates initially across 22 states,
covering over 400 colleges.
o Project ODISERV marks first skill
development initiative under the
partnership.

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 o Partnership with NSDC will be elevated on Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH), a
comprehensive information gateway for all government-led skilling and
entrepreneurship initiatives to ensure students are not just academically equipped but
also excel in the financial sector.

1.30 Patent Rules, 2024

Why in News?
• Ministry of Commerce
and Industry has recently
notified the Patent Rules,
2024

INDIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM

1.31 Press & Registration of Periodicals Act (PRP Act), 2023

Why in News
• PRP Act, 2023, marking a significant update from the old PRB Act of 1867, came into force.
Key Highlights
• Act introduces an online system
for the registration of
newspapers and periodicals,
facilitated through the Press
Sewa Portal.
• Registrar of Newspapers for
India (RNI) has been renamed to
Press Registrar General of India
(PRGI).
• New Act exempts books and
journals of scientific, technical,
and academic nature from the
purview of registration, focusing on publications that contain public news or comments
on public news.

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 • Ministry: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
• Implementing Agency: Office of the Press Registrar General of India (PRGI)

1.32 Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act of 1996

Why in News
• Second Regional Conference on Strengthening of PESA was inaugurated in Ranchi
(Jharkhand) by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
Key Highlights
• Objective: To discuss progress and challenges in implementing PESA Act in PESA States.
• Emphasis was placed on the importance of converging schemes and increasing Own
Source Revenue for Gram Panchayat Development Plans in PESA States.
About PESA Act
• Launch Year: 1996.
• Ministry: Ministry of Panchayati Raj
• Objective: To extend the provisions of Part IX of the
Constitution, which relates to Panchayats, to the 5th
Schedule areas, with certain modifications and
exceptions, to enable self-governance through
traditional Gram Sabhas.
• Territorial Coverage: Scheduled Areas (Article 244 of the Constitution) in 10 states viz.
Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana.

1.33 NITI Aayog's 'NITI For States' Platform

Why in News
• Minister of Electronics & Information Technology launched 'NITI For States' platform.
Key Highlights
• Inauguration of 'Viksit Bharat Strategy Room' at NITI Aayog, designed to enable rich
visualization and engagement with data for in-person decision-making.
About NITI For States Platform
• Objective: To establish a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Policy and Good
Governance, improving decision-making quality through a cross-sectoral knowledge
repository.
• Features:
o Live repository across 10 sectors including
Agriculture, Education, Energy, Health,
Livelihoods and Skilling, Manufacturing, MSME,
Tourism, Urban, Water resources & WASH
across two cross-cutting themes - Gender and
Climate Change.
o Integration with iGOT Karmayogi platform for
online training modules, National Data and
Analytics Platform (NDAP) for data access, and support from National E-Governance
Division (NeGD), Multilingual support by Bhashini, and PM Gatishakti BISAG-N

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 (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics) team
contributes geospatial tools for area-based planning.

1.34 IndiaAI Mission

Why in News
• Union Cabinet approved the national-level IndiaAI AI (Artificial Intelligence) Mission.
About IndiaAI Mission
• Launch Year: 2024
• Ministry: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
• Budget allocation of Rs.10,371.92 crore for the next 5 years.
• Implementing Agency: IndiaAI Independent Business Division (IBD) under Digital India
Corporation (DIC)
• Objective: To establish a comprehensive ecosystem that catalyzes AI innovation across
various sectors.
• Components & Objectives:
o IndiaAI Compute Capacity: Building a scalable AI compute ecosystem with 10,000+
GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) through public-private partnerships, including an
AI marketplace for services and pre-trained models.
✓ Once built, AI infrastructure programme will be merged with the 2nd phase of
National Supercomputing Mission.
✓ Public-sector capacity will be created by the Centre for Development of Advanced
Computing (C-DAC), who will offer AI-compute-as-a-service, based on designed-
in-India Rudra servers.
o IndiaAI Innovation Centre: Development and deployment of indigenous Large
Multimodal Models (LMMs) and domain-specific foundational models in key sectors.
o IndiaAI Datasets Platform: Streamlining access to quality non-personal datasets for AI
innovation.
o IndiaAI Application Development Initiative: Promoting socio-economic AI applications
in critical sectors.
o IndiaAI FutureSkills: Enhancing AI education and setting up Data and AI Labs in Tier 2
and Tier 3 cities for foundational courses.
o IndiaAI Startup Financing: Supporting deep-tech AI startups.
o Safe & Trusted AI: Implementing Responsible AI projects.

1.35 Prime Minister's Visit to Jammu and Kashmir

Why in News
• Prime Minister visited Jammu and Kashmir for the "Viksit Bharat Viksit Jammu Kashmir"
programme.
Key Highlights
• Dedicated "Holistic Agriculture Development Programme" to the nation, worth Rs 5000
crores.
o To enhance agri-economy across horticulture, agriculture, and livestock husbandry
sectors in Jammu and Kashmir, targeting about 2.5 lakh farmers for skill development
through Daksh Kisan portal.
✓ Daksh Kisan empowers farmers and agri-preneurs by providing access to high-
quality training and educational resources.
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 ✓ Developed by Agriculture Production Department (J&K).
o To establish 2000 Kisan Khidmat Ghars (KKGs), One Stop Centers extending farmer-
oriented services.
• Launched 52 tourism sector projects under Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD Scheme.
o Including "Integrated Development of Hazratbal Shrine" project at Srinagar.
• Announced 42 tourist destinations selected under Challenge Based Destination
Development (CBDD) Scheme.
o Introduced in Union Budget 2023-24, for end-to-end tourist experiences promoting
sustainability and competitiveness.
o Identified in 4 categories - Culture & Heritage, Spiritual, Ecotourism & Amrit Dharohar
and Vibrant Village.
• Launched first-ever "Dekho Apna Desh People’s Choice 2024":
o A nationwide initiative on MyGov platform to engage citizens in identifying preferred
tourist attractions and understand tourist perceptions across 5 tourism categories -
Spiritual, Cultural & Heritage, Nature & Wildlife, Adventure, and other categories.
o 40 identified places to be developed as tourist destinations in the next 2 years.
• Initiated the "Chalo India Global Diaspora Campaign" encouraging more than 3 crore
overseas Indians to encourage at least 5 non-Indian friends to travel to India, acting as
cultural Ambassadors.
Note: Kindly refer to SchemesTap Document for Schemes.

1.36 Right to Repair Portal India

Why in News
• Department of Consumer Affairs hosted a
stakeholder meeting to discuss the onboarding
process for the Right to Repair Portal India.
About Right to Repair Portal
• Launch Year: National Consumer Rights Day (24th
December) 2022.
• Ministry: Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and
Public Distribution.
• Objective: Mandatory disclosure by manufacturers of product details for easier repair and
maintenance emphasising on consumer's right to information.
• Aim: To offer a cheaper alternative to expensive replacements to the customers, instead
of buying new products altogether.
• Features:
o Access to product manuals and repair videos.
o Information on pricing and warranty of spare parts.
o Details of service centers and third-party repairers.
o Explicit information on the country of origin of products.
• Sectors Covered:
o Farming Equipment
o Mobiles/Electronic Displays/Data Storage Components
o Consumer Durables
o Automobile Equipment

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1.37 Competition Act, 2002

Why in News
• Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) announced revisions to the threshold limits for asset
value and turnover for combination filings under the Competition Act, 2002.
Key Highlights
• Objective: To accommodate the growth of businesses
and to streamline the regulatory process for mergers
and acquisitions (M&As).
• MCA has enhanced the threshold value by 150 per
cent on the basis of the wholesale price index (WPI)
and exchange rate of the rupee.
• The relief is valid for a 2-year period from the date of
publication in the official gazette.
• Revised 'de-minimis' (small target exemption) threshold: (Combinations below this
threshold will be exempted from merger filing)
o ₹450 crore for Assets and ₹1,250 crore for Turnover.

1.38 Adopt a Heritage 2.0 Initiative

Why in News
• Minister of State for Culture launched the revamped
website of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
and introduced Memoranda of Understanding
(MoUs) for Monuments Adoption under the Adopt a
Heritage 2.0 initiative.
Key Highlights
• 14 monuments are set to be adopted for better
preservation and enhancement of visitor
experience.
About Adopt a Heritage 2.0
• Launch Year: 2023.
• Ministry: Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with Ministry of Culture.
• Implementing Agency: Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
• Objective: To invite corporate stakeholders for adopting monuments or heritage site to
contribute to their preservation and enhancement of amenities using CSR (Corporate
Social Responsibility) funds.
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 • Monument Mitras: Those who adopt Indian monuments, are called ‘Monument Mitras’.
• Initiative aligns with the Prime Minister's vision of 'Virasat Bhi, Vikas Bhi'.
• ASI developed a mobile app, 'Indian Heritage', and an e-Permission portal to facilitate
access to heritage monuments and streamline the permission process for photography,
filming, and developmental projects at monuments.
• Tenure of Adoption: 5 years, with a possibility of extension for another 5 years.

1.39 One Nation, One Election

Why in News
• High Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections
submitted its report to the President.
Key Highlights
• Chaired by: Former President Shri Ram Nath
Kovind.
• Committee recommended simultaneous elections
to the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies as the first step and hold municipal and
panchayat polls within 100 days of the general election in the next phase.
• Committee recommends setting an 'Appointed Date' through a presidential notification
at the first sitting of the Lok Sabha post-general
elections, marking the beginning of a new electoral
cycle.
• State Assemblies, formed after the 'Appointed Date'
and before the completion of the Lok Sabha's term,
would end before the subsequent general elections,
ensuring simultaneous elections thereafter.
• In cases of a hung Lok Sabha or a no-confidence
motion, fresh elections could be called, with the new
Lok Sabha serving only for the remaining term of the preceding House.
• New Assemblies, unless dissolved sooner, will last until the end of the Lok Sabha's full
term, aligning their elections with the Lok Sabha cycle.
• Constitutional Amendments: Suggested to Articles 83 and 172 for implementing changes
in the duration of the Houses of Parliament and State legislatures, respectively, without
needing ratification by the States.
• Simultaneous Elections in Local Bodies: Amendments to Articles 324A and 325
proposed to enable simultaneous elections in panchayats and municipalities and allow a
common electoral roll and voter ID cards, requiring ratification by States.
• In all, 18 amendments to the Constitution and other statutes have been suggested.
• Committee also recommends that there should be a single electoral roll and Electoral
Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) for use in elections to all the 3 tiers of Government.

1.40 C-Vigil App

Why in News
• C-Vigil app has emerged as a significant tool for voters to report election code violations.
About C-Vigil
• Launch Year: 2018

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 • Objective: To leverage digital technology to ensure free, fair, and inducement-free polls
by enabling voters to report election code violations.
• Features:
o User-friendly interface connecting citizens with district control rooms, returning
officers, and flying squads.
o Real-time reporting of incidents with
audio, photos, or videos (up to 2 minutes
long).
o Automatic geo-tagging for precise
location reporting.
o Anonymous complaint filing option.
o A 100-minute countdown feature for
time-bound responses.
o Operational only in election-bound
states, from the announcement of
elections till a day after the polls.

UNION BUDGET AND ECONOMIC SURVEY

1.41 Central Borrowings in FY25

Why in News
• Centre announces its borrowing plan for
the first half of FY25 (H1FY25).
Key Highlights
• Total Borrowing for FY25: ₹14.13 lakh
crore.
• First Half Borrowing: ₹7.5 lakh crore, or
53.08% of the total market borrowing.
• Plan includes issuance of 91-day, 182-
day, and 364-day treasury bills.
• RBI has set Ways and Means Advances
(WMA) limit at ₹1.50 lakh crore for
H1FY25.
• First time, green bonds worth Rs 12,000
crore will be issued in 2 tranches of Rs
6,000 crore each during the first half of
FY25, with a maturity period of 10 years.

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 • A new 15-year tenor dated security replaces the existing 14-year tenor paper.
• Government plans to sell Rs 67,000 crore of the 50-year bonds, which were introduced
in FY24.
o Before introduction of 50-year bond, longest tenor government bond was 40-year
bond.
• Government will continue to reserve the right to exercise greenshoe option to retain an
additional subscription of up to ₹2,000 crore.

INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENTS IN INDIA

1.42 Udyam Assist Platform

Why in News
• Udyam Assist Platform has surpassed 1.50
crore registrations of Informal Micro
Enterprises (IMEs).
Miscellaneous Points
• RBI (Reserve Bank of India) has categorized
IMEs with an Udyam Assist Certificate as
Micro Enterprises under MSME for the
purposes of Priority Sector Lending
classification.

1.43 LEAPS (Logistics Excellence,

Advancement, and Performance
Shield)

Why in News
• Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and
Industry, recently organized a Valedictory Session for the LEAPS program.
Key Highlights
• Objective: To acknowledge and award outstanding leadership and innovation within the
logistics industry, covering air, road, sea, rail freight, packaging, warehousing, and
multimodal transportation.
o To transform the Indian logistics industry in alignment with the National Logistics
Policy 2022 and PM GatiShakti.
• Winners of LEAPS 2023 were felicitated by DPIIT across the following 5 categories:
o Core Logistics, MSME, Startups, Institutions, Special Categories.

1.44 Startup Mahakumbh

Why in News
• Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry launched the
Bharat Startup Ecosystem Registry along with the
website and logo of First-ever Startup Mahakumbh at
the curtain raiser of ‘Startup Mahakumbh’.
About Startup Mahakumbh

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 • Theme: 'Bharat Innovates'.
• Implementing Agency: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
• Objective: Annual event to showcase the success and revolution of the Indian startup
ecosystem and facilitate the exchange of ideas and innovations.
• Organized by: Central government, with industry bodies.
• 10 Focus Sectors: Includes AI + SaaS, D2C/Consumer brands, Agritech, Fintech, Deep
Tech, Biotech & Pharma, Incubators, Climate Tech, E-sports, and B2B Manufacturing.
About Bharat Startup Ecosystem Registry
• Registry will act as a one-stop database with details on all startup ecosystem
stakeholders under one roof across different categories.
• Objective: To facilitate easy access and discovery, fostering collaboration and growth
within the ecosystem.

1.45 PSUs in India

Why in News
• Grid Controller of India Limited (GRID-INDIA) has been designated as a Miniratna
Category-I Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) by the Ministry of Power.
About PSUs In India
• Industrial Policy Resolution of 1956 categorized
industries under schedules A and B, marking the
beginning of PSUs in strategic sectors.
• Based on level of government ownership and control,
PSUs in India are classified into:
o Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs)
o Public Sector Banks (PSBs)
o State Level Public Enterprises (SLPEs)
• Department of Public Enterprises grants Maharatna, Navratna, or Miniratna status to
CPSEs based on their financial performance:
o Miniratna Category-I: Companies must have earned a profit in each of the previous 3
years, having a pre-tax profit of 30 crores or even more in at least one of 3 years.
o Miniratna Category-II: Companies must have continuously earned profits for the
previous 3 years and positive net worth.
✓ These companies can use up to 50% of their net worth without requesting the
government’s consent.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT

1.46 International Solar Alliance (ISA)

Why in News
• Panama ratified the ISA, joining as the 97th member nation.

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Key Highlights
• ISA, headquartered in Gurugram, now has 118 countries as signatories.
• Malta recently joined as the 119th member.
• ISA is supporting the growth of 9.5 GW of solar energy in projects across the world.
Note: ISA has been covered in ‘February Month CurrentTap’ Magazine.

INDIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM

1.47 Postal Ballots

Why in News
• Election Commission raised the minimum age for
senior citizens eligible for postal ballot voting
from 80 years to 85 years.
Key Highlights
• This amendment to the Conduct of Election Rules,
1961, reflects a response to the observed trend of
senior citizens preferring in-person voting over
postal ballots.
• Who is Eligible for Postal Ballot?
o Special voters
o Service voters
o Voters on election duty and;
o Electors subjected to preventive detention

1.48 Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024

Why in News
• Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has notified rules under Citizenship Amendment Act
(CAA).
Key Highlights
• New law introduces religion as the 6th criteria to
acquire citizenship in India, while excluding
Muslims.
o Other 5 Criteria: By birth in India, by descent,
through registration, by naturalisation, and
by incorporation of territory into India.
• CAA has reduced the residence requirement for
the naturalisation of eligible migrants from 12
years (throughout 12 months preceding the date
of application and 11 years in the aggregate of the
preceding 14 years) to just 6 years (throughout 12
months preceding the date of application and 5 years in the aggregate of the preceding 14
years).
• CAA will not be implemented in region mentioned under the 6th Schedule (Tribal Areas in
the States of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram) of Indian Constitution.

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 • Areas covered by the Inner Line Permit system (ILP), i.e. Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland,
Mizoram and Manipur, are also excluded from CAA law.
Additional Information
• CAA has also amended Citizenship Act 1955 to allow cancellation of OCI (Overseas
Citizen of India) registration if the person has violated any law notified by the central
government.
Note: More details about CAA have been covered in ‘January Month CurrentTap’ magazine.

1.49 Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA)

Why in News
• Union Home Ministry has extended the validity of
FCRA registration for NGOs till June 30, 2024.
Key Highlights
• This also applies to NGOs with a 5-year validity
period expiring between April 1 and June 30,
2024, allowing them to apply for renewal.
About FCRA
• FCRA mandates NGOs receiving foreign contributions to register under the act.
• 2020 Amendment:
o Banned transfer of foreign contributions to other persons or organizations.
o Reduced limit for administrative expenses from foreign contributions to 20% from
50%.
• FCRA registration valid for 5 years; renewal required within six months of expiry.
• Government can cancel FCRA registration for violations or inactivity over 2 years, with
a 3-year ban on re-registration.
• 2022 changes to FCRA rules raised the limit for foreign contributions from relatives
requiring no government intimation from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

MEASUREMENT OF GROWTH
1.50 Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI)

Why in News
• Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) for January 2024 was released.
About Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI)
• Base Year: 2011-12, aligning with Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
• Weights in IIP: Combined weight of these 8 core
industries is 40.27% of the IIP.
• Initially compiled with base 1980-81.
• Industry Weights:
o Coal: 10.3335%
o Natural Gas: 6.8768%
o Crude Oil: 8.9833%
o Refinery Products: 28.0376% (Highest)
o Fertilizers: 2.6276% (Lowest)

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 o Steel: 17.9166%
o Cement: 5.3720%
o Electricity: 19.8530%
• Calculation Method: Using Laspeyres’ fixed-base formula, as weighted averages of
Production Relatives of industries.

1.51 Government e-Marketplace

(GeM)

Why in News
• GeM has achieved a Gross
Merchandise Value (GMV) of ₹4
lakh crore in FY24, doubling from
FY23.
Key Highlights
• Services GMV crossed ₹2.05 lakh
crore.
• Out of the total GMV so far since inception of GeM in 2016, about 50% has gone to MSMEs
and startups (Much more than 25% mandated by the government).
• Highest procuring States: Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi.
• Highest procuring entities at the central level: Ministry of Coal, Ministry of Power and
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas and their subsidiaries.
• Government organization contributed nearly 85 % of this ₹ 4 lakh crore milestone.
Additional Information
• In terms of GMV, GeM is the 2nd largest in the world after KONEPS of South Korea.
• In terms of number of people attached and the number of transactions, GeM is world’s
number one.
• GeM has also started Startup Runway 2.0, where startups get an opportunity to showcase
their innovative products and services to government buyers and engage in public
procurement.

INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENTS IN INDIA

1.52 Competition Commission of India (CCI)

Why in News
• Following the Competition (Amendment) Act 2023, CCI has activated 2 schemes for
negotiated settlements in antitrust cases and accepting commitments from businesses
to change its business practices to address the
concerns (excluding Cartels) raised by the
competition authority.
Key Highlights
• Additionally, Amendments have broadened the
scope of penalties to include global turnover for
erring entities, with penalties up to 10% of turnover
or 3 times the profit for cartels.

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 • Modification to exclude income from house property and capital gains for individuals.
• Applicable to entities operating within and outside India, as global turnover is considered
for penalty computation.

3. GA + FINANCE

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN FINANCIAL SECTOR

3.1 National Urban Cooperative Finance and Development Corporation Limited
(NUCFDC)

Why in News
• NUCFDC was inaugurated in New Delhi.
Key Highlights
• Net non-performing assets (NPA) of Urban
Cooperative Banks (UCBs): 2.10%
About National Urban Cooperative Finance and
Development Corporation Limited (NUCFDC)
• Launch Year: 2024, in line with vision of 'Sahakar se Samriddhi' (Prosperity through
Cooperation).
• Ministry: Ministry of Cooperation
• Objective: To serve as an umbrella organization for UCBs, facilitating their development,
modernization, and capacity enhancement.
• NUCFDC has received the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) approval to function as a Non-
Banking Finance Company (NBFC) and serve as a Self-Regulatory Organisation (SRO)
for the urban cooperative banking sector.
• Target: Development of an Urban Cooperative Bank in every town under the "One Town-
One Urban Cooperative Bank" vision.
• Recommended by Vishwanathan Committee.
• It has to achieve its target paid-up capital within 1 year without depending on external
support.
o National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has committed ₹200 crore
to support NUCFDC.

3.2 National Highways Infra Trust

Why in News
• National Highways Infra Trust (NHIT) raised over Rs. 16,000 crores in "InvIT Round-3",
the largest monetization by NHAI and one of the largest in the Indian road sector's history.
About National Highways Infra Trust
• Launch Year: 2021.

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 • Ministry: Sponsored by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under Ministry of
Road Transport & Highways.
• Objective: To support the Government of India's National Monetization Pipeline by
facilitating investment in the roads sector.
• Features: NHIT operates as a Public Private Partnership (PPP), channelizing financial
capital into the development of India's road sector.
• Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Investment Board holds 25% of the units in NHIT.
• Territorial Coverage: NHIT's assets cover 9 states.
Note: Kindly refer to our ‘February Month CurrentTap’ for more information on InvITs.

3.3 GIFT IFSC (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City International Financial

Services Centre)

Why in News
• Expert Committee, chaired by the President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of
India (ICAI) Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal, on developing GIFT IFSC as a 'Global Finance and
Accounting Hub' submitted its report to the IFSCA (International Financial Services
Centre Authority).
Key Highlights
• Committee recommends that entities set up in
IFSC to carry out Bookkeeping, Accounting,
Taxation, and Financial Crime Compliance
Services should only be in the form of a company
or a Limited Liability Partnership.
o Branch of an Indian company or LLP may be
permitted only if the entity is regulated by any
of the 3 professional bodies - ICAI, ICSI or ICMAI.
o Any other entity established overseas may also be permitted to set-up a branch in
IFSC only if it doesn’t have any presence in India.
• Mandate a principal officer and compliance officer with specific qualifications for IFSC
units.
• Develop specialized educational programs and establish centres of excellence for skill
enhancement.
• Adopt and modify the UN's Central Product Classification Version 2.1 to align with
India's regulations.
Note: Kindly refer to ‘January Month CurrentTap’ for more details on ‘GIFT IFSC’ and ‘IFSCA’.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY MARKET

3.4 India Fully Accessible Route (FAR) Bonds

Why in News

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 • Bloomberg announced the inclusion of Indian Fully Accessible Route (FAR) bonds in the
Bloomberg Emerging Market (EM) Local Currency Government Index and related indices,
set to begin in January 2025.
Key Highlights
• Weight of FAR bonds will be increased in increments of 10% of their full market value
every month over the 10-month period ending in October 2025, at which point they will be
weighted at their full market value in the indices.
• Upon full inclusion, India will align with China
and South Korea in the Bloomberg Emerging
Market 10% Country Capped Index, expected
to be the 3rd largest country by weight.
• Using data as of January 2024, the index would
include 34 Indian securities and represent
7.26% of a $6.18 trillion index on a market value
weighted basis.
Note: This news is an update of similar news covered in January Month ‘CurrentTap’ magazine
(Article No. 3.9).

3.5 Asia's First Certified Green Municipal

Bond

Why in News?
• Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) in
Gujarat has issued Asia's first certified green
municipal bond.
Highlights
• Funds raised, through the issue of the bond:
Rupees 1 billion (USD 12.07 million)
• SBI Capital Markets and Tipsons Consultancy Services arranged the bond issue, with
technical assistance from the U.S. Treasury Department.
• Proceeds will be used for enhancing liquid wastewater management infrastructure in
Vadodara, Gujarat.
• This issuance received a green security certificate from the Climate Bond Initiative and
is rated AA+ by India Ratings.

3.6 Avaana Sustainability Fund (ASF)

Why in News?
• Avaana Sustainability Fund (ASF) is the first project anchored & secured by the Small
Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI).
Highlights
• Aim: To invest in early-stage companies that use technology to drive climate solutions and
sustainability in India.
• Approved by: Green Climate Fund (GCF), at its 38th board meeting in Kigali, Rwanda.
• Value of ASF: USD 120 million; GCF’s investment in the fund: USD 24.5 million

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 • Implementing Agency: SIDBI, as an accredited entity and direct access entity (DAE) of
the GCF, will manage the ASF under the guidance of the Union Ministry of Environment,
Forests and Climate Change
• The fund will focus on 4 transitions viz, built environment; energy industry; human
security, livelihood, wellbeing; and land use-forests and ecosystems.
About Green Climate Fund
• World’s largest climate fund, established within the framework of the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
• Mandate: To support developing countries and realize their Nationally Determined
Contributions (NDC) ambitions towards low-emissions, climate-resilient pathways.
• Located at Incheon, South Korea.

3.7 T+0 settlement by SEBI

Why in News
• Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) announced the launch of an optional T+0
settlement beta version for a selected set of 25 scrips and brokers.
Key Highlights
• T+1 settlement cycle, introduced in 2021 and completed in January 2023, now runs
alongside the newly introduced T+0 cycle.
• Companies would be required to do rumour verification within 24 hours of the trigger of
material impact on the stock prices.
• FPI Relaxations:
o SEBI has approved additional disclosure requirement exemptions for FPIs holding
more than 50% of their India equity AUM (Assets Under Management) in a single
corporate group, provided the concentrated holdings are in a listed company with no
identified promoter, and these composite holdings are less than 3% of the company's
total equity share capital.
o Timeline for disclosure of material changes by FPIs has been relaxed.
✓ FPI registrations expiring due to non-payment of the registration fee can now be
reactivated within 30 days from such expiry. Additionally, if an FPI does not
reactivate its registration within 30 days, it will be given 180 days to dispose of its
securities.
✓ Securities remaining unsold after 360 days from expiry will be deemed
compulsorily written-off and transferred to an escrow account.
• Regulatory Adjustments for IPOs (Initial Public
Offering) and Listed Entities:
o Now, promoter group entities and non-individual
shareholders holding more than 5% of the post-
offer equity share capital can contribute towards
the minimum promoters' contribution without
being identified as a promoter.
o Criteria for determining the increase or decrease
in the size of the offer for sale requiring fresh
filing have been simplified to be based on either
the issue size in rupees or the number of shares,
as disclosed in the draft offer document.

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 o Market capitalization-based compliance requirements for listed entities will now be
determined based on the average market capitalization of 6 months ending December
31, instead of a single day's market capitalization on March 31.
o SEBI will specify objective and uniform criteria for rumor verification regarding
material price movements of equity shares of listed entities.
• Provisions for Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs):
o SEBI approved proposals allowing Category I and II AIFs to create an encumbrance
on the equity of its investee companies in the infrastructure sector.
✓ To facilitate raising of debt/loan by such companies, subject to certain conditions.
o Additionally, a proposal was approved to allow AIFs to deal with unliquidated
investments, which are not sold due to a lack of liquidity during the winding-up
process, by continuing to hold such investments in the same scheme of the AIF and
entering into a Dissolution Period.
• Framework for Privately Placed InvITs:
o SEBI provided a framework for the issuance of subordinate units by privately placed
InvITs (Infrastructure Investment Trusts), expanding the instruments available for
infrastructure financing.

3.8 Audio-Visual (AV) Presentations on

Public Issues

Why in News
• SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India)
proposed the inclusion of audio-visual (AV)
representations in public issue documents to
enhance investor understanding of offers.
Key Highlights
• AV presentations will be bilingual, in English and Hindi, ensuring wider accessibility.
• Suggested duration for each AV presentation is capped at 8 minutes, covering material
disclosures such as risk factors, capital structure, and financial information.
• AV should be published by the issuer or the lead manager within 5 working days at both
the submission and resubmission stages of the Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP).
• AV presentations shall be made available on digital and social media platforms of the
Issuer and the Association of Investment Bankers of India (AIBI).

3.9 Minimum Public Shareholding (MPS)

Norms

Why in News
• Bank of Maharashtra, Indian Overseas Bank
(IOB), and 3 other PSUs are working to lower the
government's stake to less than 75% to meet
SEBI's MPS requirements.
Key Highlights
• Currently, 7 out of 12 PSBs (Public Sector Banks) complied with the 25% MPS norms.

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 • SEBI has allowed state-owned banks until
August 2024 to ensure a 25% MPS, with banks
considering various options like follow-on public
offerings (FPOs) or Qualified Institutional
Placement (QIP) for compliance.

3.10 International Mutual Fund (MF) Schemes

Why in News
• International mutual fund schemes are directed by
SEBI to stop accepting fresh investments in
schemes that invest in overseas ETFs due to a near
breach of the $1 billion ETF investment limit.
Key Highlights
• International MF schemes are currently utilizing
84% of the $7 billion limit for direct investments in
stocks listed overseas and 95% of the $1 billion
cap for investments in ETFs listed on foreign
bourses.
• International schemes are now taxed at investor’s slab rate, eliminating indexation
benefits.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN FINANCIAL SECTOR

3.11 Interoperability of Internet Banking System

Why in News
• The launch of an interoperable payment system for internet banking has been
announced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Key Highlights
• National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI)
Bharat BillPay Ltd (NBBL) has been approved to
implement this new system, aimed at facilitating
quicker settlement for merchants.
• Initiative is part of the RBI's Payments Vision 2025.
• Customers will be able to conduct net banking
transactions to pay businesses regardless of the
integration between their banks and the merchants’
payment aggregators.

3.12 UDGAM Portal

Why in News
• 30 banks, covering around 90% of unclaimed deposits in the DEA Fund of RBI, have joined
the RBI's UDGAM (Unclaimed Deposits-Gateway to Access inforMation) portal.
About UDGAM Portal
• Launch Year: 2023.

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 • Implementing Agency: Reserve Bank of India.
• Developed by: In collaboration with Reserve Bank Information Technology Pvt Ltd (ReBIT),
Indian Financial Technology & Allied Services (IFTAS), and other collaborating institutions.
• Portal allows for centralized searching of unclaimed deposits/accounts that are part of
the RBI's Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund.
• Provides a unique Unclaimed Deposit Reference
Number (UDRN) for each unclaimed account/deposit,
ensuring privacy and facilitating claim settlement.
About DEA Fund
• Launch Year: DEA Fund Scheme was notified and
came into effect in 2014.
• Developed by: Reserve Bank of India under Section
26A of Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
• Objective: To manage unclaimed deposits and use
them for depositor education and awareness
initiatives.
• Features:
o Includes unclaimed balances from various types of accounts and transactions that
have been inactive or unclaimed for 10 years or more.
o Entire amount, including accrued interest, is transferred to the DEA Fund.
o Depositors or their legal heirs can claim refunds, with no specific time limit, from
their respective banks, which in turn will be reimbursed by the DEA Fund.

3.13 Sebi (REIT) (Amendment) Regulations 2024

Why in News
• Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has
amended the REIT Regulations 2014 to establish
guidelines for Small and Medium Real Estate
Investment Trusts (SM REITs).
Key Highlights
• Amendments introduce SM REITs for both
commercial and residential properties, with a
fundraising start from ₹50 crore for a minimum of 200
investors.
• SM REITs are allowed to raise funds from both Indian
and foreign investors.
• Investment Manager Requirements: An investment manager applying for SM REIT
registration must have a net worth of at least ₹20 crore and at least 2 years of experience
in real estate or real estate fund management.
o Mandated to retain a minimum of 5% of the total outstanding units in each scheme
for a period of 2 years, starting from the 4th year post-listing, until the 5th year's end.
o SM REITs utilizing leverage must ensure a 15% co-investment by the manager, with
leverage capped at 49% of the REIT's assets.
o Not less than half of the directors of the investment manager should be independent,
and trustee should not be an associate of the investment manager.

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 • At least 95% of SM REIT assets must be fully developed and revenue-generating at the
time of listing, different from the 80% requirement for larger REITs.
• Minimum subscription amount of ₹10 lakh per investor.
o No unit holder shall enjoy superior voting or any other rights over another unit holder
within the same scheme.
• If the SM REIT fails to make an initial offer within 3 years from the date of registration, it
must surrender its certificate of registration and cease operations.
• Each SM REIT scheme must have a distinct name and cannot portray guaranteed returns.
o The size of the asset to be acquired must be between ₹50 crore and ₹500 crore, with
a minimum of 200 investors, excluding certain related parties.
• Minimum public offer and allotment in each scheme: At least 25% of the total
outstanding units.
• SM REITs are restricted from engaging in transactions with related parties, including
those for facility management and property management.
• Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) should directly own all assets acquired or proposed to
be acquired by the SM REIT scheme, which must invest at least 95% of its assets in
completed and revenue-generating properties.
o SPV shall raise capital only from equity investment.
o SPV may raise funds by way of borrowings from the scheme of SM REIT.

3.14 RBI Data on Bank Deposits

Why in News
• Private banks' share in total deposits rose from 25% at the end of FY18 to 34% by
December 2023.
Key Highlights
• Public sector banks' share decreased from 66% to 59% in the same period.
• Factors contributing to this shift include aggressive interest rate offerings by private
banks and improved customer relationship management, attracting a larger share of
fixed deposits.
• Deposits of private banks grew by 135% to Rs
68.4 trillion as of December 2023, from Rs 29
trillion as of 2018.

3.15 Securities Exchange Board of India’s

(SEBI’s) Settlement Scheme

Why in News
• SEBI has announced a settlement scheme for
entities involved in the illiquid stock options
segment of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
Key Highlights
• SEBI introduces a settlement opportunity for
entities that have executed reversal trades in the
stock options segment between April 2014 and
September 2015.

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 • Objective: Offers a method to settle without further legal delay or expense.
• Operational Period: March to May 2024.
• Post-Scheme Actions: SEBI will continue with actions against non-compliant entities as
per securities law.
• Includes entities facing legal proceedings before adjudicating officer/Securities
Appellate Tribunal (SAT)/courts/recovery officer.

3.16 Unified Payment Interface (UPI)

Why in News
• NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) and Fonepay Payment Service (Nepal) have
partnered to enable QR-code-based UPI transactions in Nepal.
Key Highlights
• Regulated by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), FonePay is Nepal’s first mobile payment network
to be licensed as a Payment System Operator (PSO).
Note: Kindly refer to our ‘February CurrentTap’ for more details on UPI.

3.17 Central Repository of Information on Large Credits (CRILC)

Why in News
• RBI has penalized DCB Bank and Tamilnad Mercantile Bank for not adhering to directives
related to the interest rate on advances and CRILC reporting standards.
About Central Repository of Information on Large Credits (CRILC)
• CRILC collects, stores and disseminates credit data to lenders, and banks are required
to submit report on weekly basis to CRILC, in case of any default by borrowing entities
with exposure of Rs. 5 crore and above.
• Administered by: Department of Supervision at Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• Requirement to report to the CRILC has been extended to Urban Cooperative Banks
(UCBs) with total assets of ₹500 crore and above in 2020.

3.18 Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs)

Why in News
• India has garnered the highest foreign funds flow in Asia in March since December 2023.
Key Highlights
• Domestic institutions have also invested around Rs 52,500 crore (Highest since 2020).

3.19 Domestic Systemically Important Insurers (D-SIIs)

Why in News
• Insurance Regulatory and Development
Authority of India (IRDAI) has reaffirmed the
status of Life Insurance Corporation of India
(LIC), General Insurance Corporation of India
(GIC Re) and the New India Assurance
Company as Domestic Systemically Important
Insurers (D-SIIs) for the year 2023-24,
continuing from their 2022-23 identification.

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About Domestic Systemically Important Insurers (D-SIIs)
• D-SIIs are insurance companies which are perceived as ‘too big or too important to fail’
(TBTF) based on their size, market importance, and domestic and global
interconnectedness.
o They are subjected to enhanced regulatory oversight to address systemic risks and
moral hazard issues, including higher corporate governance standards and
comprehensive risk management frameworks.
Miscellaneous Points
• State Bank of India, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank have been classified as domestic
systemically important banks.
o Reserve Bank had issued the Framework for dealing with Domestic Systemically
Important Banks (D-SIBs) in 2014.
o D-SIB framework requires Reserve Bank to disclose the names of banks designated as
D-SIBs starting from 2015 and place these banks in appropriate buckets depending
upon their Systemic Importance Scores (SISs).

3.20 IRDAI (Protection of Policyholders’ Interests and Allied Matters of Insurers)

Regulations, 2024

Why in News
• Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has approved 8 new
regulations aimed at safeguarding policyholder interests.
Key Highlights
• Reduction of 34 regulations into 6, with 2 new introductions, aiming at clarity and
coherence in regulatory frameworks.
• Bima Sugam Marketplace: Aims to democratize and universalize insurance by 2047.
o Bima Sugam Portal renamed as 'Rashtriya Bima Sugam Nigam Ltd' and is designed as
a not-for-profit firm under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013, offering free
services to consumers.
o Shareholding will be widely held among life, general, and health insurers with no
single entity having a controlling stake.
o Bima Sugam will have 2 IRDAI nominees on its board, in addition to its own chairman
and CEO, who will be appointed after consultation with the IRDAI.
• IRDAI has relaxed the proposed higher surrender value norms, making the surrender
value proportional to the policy years.
o Policyholders receive 30% of total premiums paid if policy is surrendered during 2nd
year.
o 3rd Year surrender entitles policyholders to 35% of the total premiums paid.
o 4th to 7th Year Surrender: entitles policyholders to 50% of the total premiums paid.
o Last Two Years Surrender: Surrendering during the last two years of the policy term
allows policyholders to recover 90% of the total premiums paid.
o A guaranteed surrender value is provided after the continuous payment of premiums
for at least two years.
• New Health Insurer: Registration of Galaxy Health and Allied Insurance Company,
increasing the total to 7 insurers in the health segment.
• IRDAI (Rural, Social Sector, and Motor Third Party Obligations) Regulations, 2024 while
consolidating existing norms has set Gram Panchayat as the new unit of measurement

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 for insurers’ rural obligations and prescribes unit of measurement for motor TP
obligations to be renewal of coverage to goods
carrying vehicles, passenger carrying vehicles and
tractors.
• Vision: "Insurance for all by 2047," aiming for
widespread access and inclusion.
• IRDAI mandates all new insurance policies to be
held in electronic format from April, 2024.
o E-Insurance Account (eIA): Policyholders can
manage their insurance documents digitally
through an eIA.
✓ IRDAI stipulates that each policyholder can only have one e-insurance account.
✓ No Cost for Opening e-Insurance Accounts.
o Every insurer must have a Board approved policy for issuing insurance policies in
electronic form.
o While e-insurance is the standard, policyholders can
request physical copies of their policy documents.

3.21 Credit Cards

Why in News
• Total number of credit cards issued in India has crossed
100 million (10 crore) mark as of February 2024.
Key Highlights
• The year-on-year growth rate of credit card
transactions in February 2024: 26.27%.
• HDFC Bank leads in credit card issuances, followed by
SBI Card, ICICI Bank, and Axis Bank.

BANKING SYSTEM IN INDIA

3.22 Regional Rural Banks (RRBs)

Why in News
• Government has allocated ₹6212.03 crore for the
recapitalization of RRBs to strengthen their financial
stability and support rural banking services.
Key Highlights
• Recapitalization support is provided to maintain the
minimum prescribed capital-to-risk (Weighted) Assets
ratio of 9%.
• This comes under a 3-year board-approved viability
plan (VP), introduced in FY23, with a well-defined
implementation mechanism aimed at achieving
sustainable viability.
• Consolidated Capital to Risk-weighted Assets Ratio
(CRAR) of RRBs: 13.83% (highest to date).

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 • RRBs have shown the highest ever consolidated net profit in FY 2023-24.
• Credit-Deposit ratio reached 72.13% as of September, 2023. (Highest in last 15 years).
About Regional Rural Banks
• Established under the provisions of an Ordinance passed in 1975 and RRB Act 1976.
• Objective: To provide basic banking and financial services to rural areas.
• RRBs are Indian Scheduled Commercial Banks (Government Banks) operating at regional
level in different states of India.
• First Regional Rural Bank (RRB) came into existence on Gandhi Jayanti in 1975 with the
formation of a Prathama Grameen Bank (sponsored by Punjab National Bank).
• RRBs may have branches set up for urban operations and their area of operation may
include urban area too.
o Area of operation of RRBs is limited to the area as notified by Government of India
covering one or more districts in the State.
• There are 43 RRBs sponsored by 12 scheduled commercial banks in India.

Quick Revision
• National Birth Defect Awareness Month 2024 initiated by NITI Aayog's Member (Health).
o Theme: "Breaking Barriers: inclusive support for children with birth defects."
o Campaign aligns with Birth Defect Day on March 3rd, under MoHFW's Child Health
division and Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK).
• RBSK Highlights:
o Started in 2013 to screen children for health conditions.
• Indian Public Health Standards for AYUSH Healthcare Facilities launched by Ministry of
Ayush in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
o At least 10 AYUSH beds per 50,000 population, 30 beds per 1.5 lakh population, and
50 beds per 2.5 lakh population.
o Essential Drugs List: Created for different levels of health centers and for different
streams of AYUSH, ensuring the availability of necessary medicines across all AYUSH
healthcare facilities.
• Sixth Session of UNEA concluded in Nairobi, Kenya, marking a significant milestone with
the adoption of a resolution on sustainable lifestyles, initiated by India.
o Unanimously adopted by all member states, co-sponsored by Sri Lanka and Bolivia.
o Inspired by the LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) concept proposed by India's Prime
Minister at COP26.
• About UNEA-6:
o Established post-2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.
o Recognized as the only universal environmental forum with membership from all 193
UNEP member states.
o Headquarters (of UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya, with UNEA sessions beginning in 2014.
• Swachhata Green Leaf Rating (SGLR) initiative emphasized for enhancing tourism
facilities' cleanliness and sustainability.
o Launched by: Ministry of Jal Shakti and Ministry of Tourism in 2023.
o First Recipient: Bison Resorts in Madhai, Madhya Pradesh, awarded Five Swachhata
Green Leaf Rating.

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• The Union Minister for MSME announced 3 new initiatives to support women
entrepreneurship, including Panjikaran se Pragati, WEP-Unnati-Udyamita se Pragati, and
a mentorship platform, during the 9th Annual Shakti International Women Entrepreneurs
Summit in New Delhi.
o These initiatives aim to increase the number of women-led MSMEs, which currently
stand at over 1.40 crore, and offer Zed Certification for free to women-owned
MSMEs, enhancing support and recognition for women entrepreneurs in India.
• The Social Defence Fellowship, initiated by NISD in partnership with The/Nudge Institute,
aims to empower marginalized communities through a public-private collaboration.
o Launched under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, the fellowship seeks
to harness the expertise of both private sector professionals and senior civil servants
for strategic and implementation support.
• Project ODISERV, launched by the Union Minister of Skill Development &
Entrepreneurship, aims to prepare young graduates in Odisha for employment in the
financial services sector, exemplifying industry-academia collaboration in line with NEP
2020.
o A partnership between NSDC and Bajaj Finserv seeks to scale the CPBFI programme
across India, targeting 20,000 candidates initially, with a focus on banking, finance,
and insurance skills through a 100-hour training program.
• National Urban Cooperative Finance and Development Corporation Limited (NUCFDC)
was inaugurated in New Delhi in 2024, under the Ministry of Cooperation, to support and
develop Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) with a Net NPA of 2.10%.
o Approved by RBI to function as an NBFC and SRO, NUCFDC aims to enhance the
capacity and modernization of UCBs, pursuing the vision of "One Town-One Urban
Cooperative Bank."
• The Press & Registration of Periodicals Act (PRP Act), 2023, updates the 1867 PRB Act,
introducing an online system for newspaper and periodical registration via the Press Sewa
Portal, under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
o The Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI) is rebranded as the Press Registrar General
of India (PRGI), excluding books and academic journals from registration, focusing on
publications with public news.
• Second Regional Conference on Strengthening of PESA was inaugurated in Ranchi,
Jharkhand, focusing on evaluating the implementation progress and challenges of the PESA
Act in Scheduled Areas.
o The PESA Act of 1996, under the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, aims to extend
constitutional panchayat provisions to 5th Schedule areas for self-governance and
empowerment of tribal communities across 10 states.
• Udyam Assist Platform, launched in 2023 by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises and implemented by SIDBI, has achieved over 1.50 crore registrations from
Informal Micro Enterprises (IMEs).
o Aimed at facilitating registration and formal recognition.
• Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) hosted a Valedictory
Session for the Logistics Excellence, Advancement, and Performance Shield (LEAPS) to
celebrate outstanding contributions in the logistics industry.
o LEAPS aligns with the National Logistics Policy 2022 and PM GatiShakti initiative.
o Awarded winners in 5 categories: Core Logistics, MSMEs, Startups, Institutions, and
Special Categories.

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• CCI introduces 2 schemes under the Competition (Amendment) Act 2023 for negotiated
settlements in antitrust cases and commitments from businesses to alter practices,
excluding cartel cases.
o Amendments now allow for penalties based on global turnover of up to 10% or 3 times
the profit for cartels, with exclusions for certain incomes in penalty computation for
individuals.
• SEBI launches a settlement scheme for entities involved in illiquid stock options on the
BSE, targeting those who executed reversal trades from April 2014 to September 2015.
o To provide a straightforward settlement path to avoid legal delays and expenses,
operational from March to May 2024.
• The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry launched the Bharat Startup Ecosystem
Registry and the Startup Mahakumbh's website and logo, marking the inauguration of the
first-ever event aimed at celebrating and integrating India's diverse startup ecosystem
under the theme 'Bharat Innovates'.
o Organized by the Central government and industry bodies to showcase startup
successes, , with DPIIT as the implementing agency.
o Startup Mahakumbh features 10 sector-focused pavilions.
• The 'e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi' initiative was launched to enhance warehousing logistics for
farmers, reducing security deposit charges at WDRA registered warehouses from 3% to
1%.
o Aimed at preventing distress sales by providing better post-harvest storage options,
the scheme offers simplified storage at a 7% interest rate for 6 months with no
collateral required.
o WDRA, the statutory regulatory authority overseeing this initiative, targets the
registration of 1 lakh warehouses on its online platform to facilitate access for farmers.
• Launched by Minister of Electronics & Information Technology, the NITI Aayog’s 'NITI For
States' platform aims to enhance policy and governance through Digital Public
Infrastructure.
o Features a 'Viksit Bharat Strategy Room' for data-driven decision-making and
integrates resources like iGOT Karmayogi, NDAP, Bhashini, and PM Gatishakti BISAG-
N for comprehensive governance support.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change introduced the Living Animal
Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024, under the Wild Life (Protection) Act,
1972, mandating registration of scheduled animal species possession on the PARIVESH
2.0 portal.
o The rules necessitate reporting and registration of the possession, transfer, birth,
and death of animals listed in CITES and Schedule IV within specified timelines to the
State Chief Wild Life Warden.
• Prime Minister visited Jammu and Kashmir, launching the "Viksit Bharat Viksit Jammu
Kashmir" program, focusing on agricultural and tourism development.
o Launched the "Holistic Agriculture Development Programme" worth Rs 5000 crores,
aiming to enhance agri-economy and establish 2000 Kisan Khidmat Ghars.
o Announced 42 tourist destinations under the CBDD Scheme for sustainable and
competitive tourism, alongside launching "Dekho Apna Desh People’s Choice 2024" for
public engagement in tourism development.
o Started "Chalo India Global Diaspora Campaign" to leverage over 3 crore overseas
Indians in promoting India as a tourist destination.

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• The Union Cabinet approved the IndiaAI Mission, aiming to bolster AI innovation across
sectors, with a budget of Rs.10,371.92 crore over five years, under the Ministry of
Electronics & IT, executed by the IndiaAI IBD under DIC.
o Key components include IndiaAI Compute Capacity, IndiaAI Innovation Centre, IndiaAI
Datasets Platform, IndiaAI Application Development Initiative, IndiaAI FutureSkills,
IndiaAI Startup Financing, and Safe & Trusted AI.
• National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 Enhancements: Rs 9000 crore investment to
upgrade 613 District Institutes into DIETs of Excellence, launch of National Professional
Standards for Teachers, National Mission for Mentoring, National Vidya Samiksha Kendra,
and expansion of PMeVidya Initiative with 200 TV channels.
• 5th Edition of Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain 2024: Themed "Nari Shakti se Jal
Shakti," focuses on women's role in water conservation, from March to November, with
water conservation measures, Jal Shakti Kendras, afforestation, and awareness
campaigns.
• Nyaya Sahayak Program Launch: In 500 Aspirational blocks, as part of "Hamara
Samvidhan – Hamara Samman" event, focusing on community-based legal service
delivery.
• Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) with EFTA: Enhances trade between
India and EFTA (Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland), covering non-agricultural
products, processed agricultural products, service sector commitments, excluding certain
investments and maintaining duty on gold.
• Right to Repair Portal India: Launched on National Consumer Rights Day, 2022, offering
product information for maintenance and repair, including manuals, videos, pricing,
warranty details, service center locations, and third-party repair services.
• Updated Merger Filings Thresholds under Competition Act, 2002: Ministry of Corporate
Affairs raised thresholds by 150%, setting 'de-minimis' exemption at ₹450 crore for assets
and ₹1,250 crore for turnover, effective for 2 years.
• Postal Ballot Eligibility Age Raised: Election Commission increased minimum age to 85
years for senior citizens, facilitating voting through postal ballots for those unable to visit
polling stations.
• Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) January 2024: Reflects the performance of key sectors
like Coal, Natural Gas, Crude Oil, Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel, Cement, and
Electricity, constituting 40.27% of IIP, released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
• Bloomberg to Include Indian FAR Bonds: In its Emerging Market Local Currency
Government Index from January 2025, with India set to become the 3rd largest country
by weight after full inclusion.
• RBI's Interoperable Payment System: Approved for implementation by NPCI Bharat BillPay
Ltd (NBBL), part of Payments Vision 2025 for accessible and affordable e-payment
options.
• RBI's UDGAM Portal for Unclaimed Deposits: Centralizes search with participation from
30 banks, offering a unique reference number for privacy and claims, covering 90% of
deposits in the DEA Fund.
• SEBI Amends REIT Regulations for SM REITs: Allows fundraising from ₹50 crore with a
minimum of 200 investors. SM REITs must invest 95% in revenue-generating properties,
with specific restrictions and requirements for investment managers.

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• National Action Plan for Snakebite Envenoming (NAP-SE): Launched by the Union Health
Ministry to halve snakebite deaths by 2030, includes a helpline, state-specific plans, and
focuses on ASV availability, capacity building, and public education.
• Adopt a Heritage 2.0 Initiative: Aimed at preserving monuments with corporate CSR
funds. Implemented by ASI under the 'Virasat Bhi, Vikas Bhi' vision, introduces 'Monument
Mitras' for a 5+5 year tenure, and includes technology use for better access.
• Pradhan Mantri Samajik Utthan evam Rozgar Adharit Jankalyan (PM-SURAJ) Portal:
Supports credit for entrepreneurs from disadvantaged communities, offering a one-stop
platform for loan applications and tracking.
• FSSAI's Anti-Microbial Resistance (AMR) Action Plan: Focuses on awareness,
surveillance, and the development of 'Healthy and Hygienic Food Streets', with training for
11 lakh food handlers.
• National Curriculum for Early Childhood Care and Education: Launched for children aged
3 to 6, alongside a framework for children 0-3 years, focusing on cognitive and emotional
development, supported by Anganwadi Centres.
• 'ETHANOL 100' Fuel Introduced: By the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, aiming for a
20% ethanol blend by 2025-26, available in Maharashtra, Karnataka, UP, New Delhi, and
Tamil Nadu.
• High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections Report: Recommends aligning State
Assembly elections with Lok Sabha for simultaneous polling, suggesting a presidential
notification to start a new electoral cycle.
• Panama Joins International Solar Alliance (ISA): Becoming the 97th member, with ISA
supporting 9.5 GW of solar energy projects globally.
• Private Banks Increase Share in Bank Deposits: To 34% by December 2023, while public
sector banks' share declined from 66% to 59%, due to competitive interest rates and
customer service.
• USD 120 Million Avaana Sustainability Fund (ASF): First project anchored by SIDBI,
focusing on sustainability.
• Vadodara's Green Municipal Bond: Asia's first, raised INR 1 billion (USD 12.07 million) for
sustainable projects.
• Union Cabinet approved Inter-Governmental Framework Agreement between India and
the United Arab Emirates, to explore potential joint investments and collaborations for
developing the IMEC.
• NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) and Fonepay Payment Service (Nepal) have
partnered to enable QR-code-based UPI transactions in Nepal.
• Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has launched a pilot program in Chandigarh
for cashless treatment of road accident victims, offering up to Rs. 1.5 lakhs per person
per accident for up to 7 days, implemented by the National Health Authority under the
Motor Vehicles Act.
o The Motor Vehicle Accident Fund, established under the Motor Vehicles Amendment
Act, 2019, supports this initiative, comprising 3 accounts for insured, uninsured, and
hit-and-run accidents to facilitate cashless treatment and compensation.
• National Dental Commission Act 2023 replaces the Dentists Act of 1948, establishing
the National Dental Commission to elevate dental education and professional standards in
India, with a structure including a chairperson, 8 ex-officio, and 24 part-time members
selected through a merit-based process.

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 o It mandates the creation of an Online National Register for licensed professionals and
the establishment of State Dental Councils or Joint Dental Councils within a year to
enhance the regulatory framework and governance.
• Ministry of Home Affairs has notified rules under the Citizenship Amendment Act
(CAA), introducing religion as a criterion for acquiring Indian citizenship, specifically
excluding Muslims and reducing the residence requirement for eligible migrants'
naturalisation from 12 to 6 years.
o CAA will not apply to regions under the 6th Schedule and areas covered by the Inner
Line Permit system.
• SEBI introduced an optional T+0 settlement cycle alongside the existing T+1 cycle,
starting with a beta version for a select set of 25 scrips and brokers, aimed at increasing
market liquidity and efficiency.
• SEBI proposes integrating bilingual audio-visual presentations into public issue
documents to improve investor comprehension, with each presentation limited to 8
minutes to detail key aspects like risk factors and financial information.
• 5 PSUs, including Bank of Maharashtra and IOB, aim to reduce government stakes
below 75% to align with SEBI's Minimum Public Shareholding (MPS) norms, targeting a
25% public float.
o As of now, 7 out of 12 Public Sector Banks have met the 25% MPS requirement, with
SEBI granting an extension until August 2024 for compliance.
• National Highways Infra Trust (NHIT) successfully raised over Rs. 16,000 crore in "InvIT
Round-3", marking a historic monetization effort by NHAI in the Indian road sector.
o Established in 2021 and sponsored by NHAI, NHIT aims to bolster the Government of
India's National Monetization Pipeline, leveraging Public Private Partnerships for road
sector development.
• GRID-INDIA, established in 2009, has been awarded Miniratna Category-I status by the
Ministry of Power, recognizing its significant role in overseeing India's power system
operations.
• 4th SCO Startup Forum took place in New Delhi, focusing on fostering startup
collaboration, innovation, and entrepreneurship across SCO Member States.
o A Special Working Group for Startups and Innovation was established, with India playing
a leading role and set to host future meetings and the 5th Startup Forum.
• 41st Steering Committee Meeting of the International Partnership for Hydrogen and
Fuel Cells in the Economy (IPHE) was initiated in New Delhi, focusing on global
advancement in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.
o Established in 2003, IPHE facilitates collaboration among 23 member countries and the
European Commission, hosting biannual meetings for knowledge exchange and policy
development.
o South Africa currently chairs IPHE, with the European Commission set to host the
next meeting during European Hydrogen Week in November 2024.
• National Cancer Grid (NCG) secures Rs 100 crore from Axis Bank to enhance cancer care,
research, and digital health initiatives over a 5-year partnership.
• Indian government announces its borrowing plan for H1FY25, targeting ₹7.5 lakh crore
or 53.08% of the total ₹14.13 lakh crore, including the issuance of treasury bills, ₹12,000
crore in green bonds, a new 15-year security, and ₹67,000 crore in 50-year bonds, with
provisions for a greenshoe option.

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• UN General Assembly approved its first non-binding resolution on AI, sponsored by the
USA and 123 countries, aiming to achieve U.N.'s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
• Government e-Marketplace (GeM) recorded a GMV of ₹4 lakh crore in FY24, marking a
significant increase from FY23, with half of the total GMV since its 2016 inception
benefiting MSMEs and startups, making it the world's second-largest e-marketplace in
GMV and the largest in user engagement and transactions.
• Expert Committee chaired by ICAI President Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal submitted a report
on making GIFT IFSC a 'Global Finance and Accounting Hub'.
• SEBI has directed international mutual fund schemes to halt fresh investments into
schemes investing in overseas ETFs, citing a near breach of the $1 billion ETF
investment cap.
• India attracted the highest foreign funds flow in Asia since December 2023 in March,
with domestic institutions also making significant investments of around Rs 52,500 crore,
the highest since 2020.
• IRDAI has reaffirmed LIC, GIC Re, and New India Assurance as Domestic Systemically
Important Insurers (D-SIIs) for 2023-24.
• IRDAI approves 8 new regulations for protecting policyholder interests, consolidating
existing regulations into 6 and introducing 2 new ones, including the launch of the Bima
Sugam Marketplace to democratize insurance access by 2047.
o Introduces relaxed surrender value norms offering a proportional return based on
policy years, mandates electronic insurance policies from April 2024, and establishes a
vision of "Insurance for all by 2047."
o Sets new rural and motor third-party obligations for insurers, introduces Galaxy
Health as a new health insurer, and mandates a single e-Insurance Account for
policyholders to manage their insurance documents digitally without cost.
• Indian government allocated ₹6212.03 crore for the recapitalization of Regional Rural
Banks (RRBs) to ensure financial stability and support rural banking, achieving a record
CRAR of 13.83% and the highest consolidated net profit and Credit-Deposit ratio in
recent years.
• C-Vigil app, launched in 2018, enables voters to report election violations, with 73% of
complaints about illegal hoardings.
o It features a user-friendly interface, real-time reporting with geo-tagging, anonymous
complaints, and a 100-minute response time, but is active only during election periods
in election-bound states.
• International Year of Millets 2023 concluded in Rome, initiated by India and backed by
72 countries to highlight millets as sustainable superfoods.
o Millets, recognized as Nutri-Cereals by India in 2018, encompass major, minor, and
pseudo-millets, emphasizing their nutritional benefits.
• Ministry of Women and Child Development has organized Poshan Pakhwada (Nutrition
Fortnight) 2024 under the Poshan Abhiyaan.
• Patent Office has granted over one lakh patents in the last one year.

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