Date-09/02/2024

1) Rajya Sabha Passes Tribal Affairs Amendment Bills 2024

-Rajya Sabha has passed the Constitution (STs) Order Amendment Bill
2024 and the Constitution (SCs and STs) Order Amendment Bill 2024,
presented by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

-This cleared the way for the addition of several new communities to
the STs List of Odisha and the inclusion of synonyms and phonetic
variations of existing tribes in the ST lists of both Andhra Pradesh and
Odisha.

-Seven Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) (a subset of STs)

– four in Odisha and three in Andhra Pradesh.

-In Odisha, the PVTG communities added are – Pauri Bhuyan and
Paudi Bhuyan as synonyms of the Bhuyan tribe; The Chuktia Bhunjia
as a synonym of the Bhunjia tribe; The Bondo as a sub-tribe of the
Bondo Poraja tribe; and The Mankidia as a synonym for the
Mankirdia tribe.

-In Andhra Pradesh, the PVTG communities included Bondo Porja and
Khond Porja as synonyms of the Porja tribe and the Konda Savaras as
a synonym for the Savaras tribe. These groups belong to PVTGs and
have been included in the scheduled list after 75 years of
independence.
According to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), India has 75
PVTGs, who are characterised by – Pre-agriculture level of
technology, Stagnant or declining population, extremely low literacy,
and Subsistence level of economy

2) Earth Records Hottest 12 Months Ever Copernicus Climate

Change Service

-A report by Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) says that the

world experienced unprecedented heat in 2023, breaking
temperature records and sounding the alarm on climate change.
2024 is on track to be even hotter.

-According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the 12

months from February 2023 to January 2024 saw warming of 1.52°C
above pre-industrial levels, crossing the critical 1.5°C threshold set
out in the Paris Agreement for the first time.

3) Protests Over Proposed Highway in Bannerghatta National

Park

-The government has proposed constructing a 6-lane elevated

highway through Bangalore’s Bannerghatta National Park, sparking
protests from environmentalists concerned about the impacts on
wildlife and habitat.

-Bannerghatta National Park is an important biodiversity hotspot

home to endangered Asian elephants, tigers, and other species.

4) Accessibility Guidelines for the Hearing and Visually

Impaired in Movie Halls

-The government has drafted new accessibility guidelines to make

watching movies in theaters more inclusive for people with hearing
and visual impairments.

-The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting published the draft

guidelines last month. They apply to commercial releases certified by
the Central Board of Film Certification.

-The focus is on providing information and assistive devices in

theaters for people with disabilities. The law requires measures to
promote accessibility to films under the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities Act 2016
 5) WWF Urges Romania to Protect Mahmudia WetlandDelta
ecosystem in Romania

-Eight years ago, it was restored into a thriving wetland habitat using
EU funds, transforming the area and providing livelihoods and
climate resilience for locals.

-Recent flooding in 2023 submerged nearly 1,000 hectares of nearby

farmland, reverting it back to a wetland area.

-The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has proposed that the Romanian
government grant the Mahmudia wetland the status of a “national
interest ecological restoration area” to protect it.

Date- 10/02/2024

1. Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY)

-The Union Cabinet approved the “Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan

Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY)”, a Central Sector Sub-scheme under the
Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada aimed at formalizing the fisheries sector and
supporting fisheries micro and small enterprises.

-The scheme will be implemented from FY 2023-24 to FY 2026-27 in all

States/Union Territories with an estimated outlay of Rs. 6,000 crore.

-50% of the investment will be public finance and 50% is expected from the
private sector.

2. International Arabian Leopard Day – 10th February

-The Arabian leopard is a subspecies of leopard found only on the Arabian
Peninsula. Weighing 25-40 kg, it is one of the smallest leopard subspecies.

-The UN General Assembly designated February 10th as the International Day

of the Arabian Leopard to highlight the endangered status of this iconic
species. The day aims to restore the leopard as a symbol for conservation
efforts and underscore the essential role of biodiversity in maintaining
ecosystem health.

3. World Pulses Day – Current Updates (February, 2024)

-World Pulses Day is observed every year on 10th February. The day originated
from the UN’s International Year of Pulses (IYP) in 2016.

-The IYP raised awareness about the merits of pulses globally.

-Following its success, the UN officially recognized World Pulses Day in 2019
based on a proposal from Burkina Faso.

-The day spotlights pulses’ role in achieving sustainable development goals.

4. What is DC-8 Flying Laboratory of NASA?

-NASA has begun conducting marathon research flights across Asia in order to
improve air pollution forecasting models. The flights aim to collect detailed
data on air pollution sources and behavior to enhance warning systems for the
public.

-The flights involve NASA’s DC-8 flying laboratory, the world’s largest aircraft
designed for airborne science missions
 5. Bharat Ratna conferred on Former Prime Ministers Narasimha Rao,
Charan Singh and Agricultural Scientist MS Swaminathan

-Former prime ministers P.V. Narasimha Rao and Charan Singh, along with
scientist M.S. Swaminathan will be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest
civilian honor. The awards recognize their monumental contributions to India’s
development and prosperity.

Date- 11/02/2024
1. Annual Death Penalty Report 2023

-According to the Annual Death Penalty Report 2023, appellate Courts in India
– SC and all the HCs together – confirmed only one death sentence in 2023
while the rest were either commuted or saw the prisoners acquitted
altogether.

-The Report (‘Death Penalty in India: Annual Statistics 2023’) was prepared by
Project 39A, a criminal justice programme linked with the National Law
University, Delhi.

2. 7th indian ocean conference

-The 7th IOC was held in Perth, Australia on February 9-10, 2024. The theme
was “Towards a Stable and Sustainable Indian Ocean.”

-It was organized by the India Foundation, S. Rajaratnam School of

International Studies (Singapore) and Perth-US Asia Centre (Australia)

3. Window year in China

-In Chinese culture, certain years are known as “Widow Years.” A Widow Year
is a lunar year that does not contain the traditional solar term “Spring
Commences” (Lichun), which marks the beginning of spring

-The upcoming Year of the Dragon is considered a Widow Year because it lacks
the Spring Commences solar term

4. Inaugural India-Saudi Arabia joint military exercise SADA TANSEEQ

-The inaugural India-Saudi Arabia joint military exercise ‘SADA TANSEEQ’

commenced on January
29th in Rajasthan.
The aim is to develop interoperability, camaraderie and friendship between
the troops. The exercise will continue until February 10.

5. Status report of snow leopard in India

-The Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender

Yadav, released India’s first nationwide snow leopard population assessment
report titled “Status Report of Snow Leopards in India”.

The assessment estimates 718 snow leopards in India based on systematic

surveys covering over 70% of their potential habitat from 2019-2023.
Date – 12/02/2024
1. Fentanyl Crisis in Mexico
In the Mexican border city of Tijuana, paramedics are increasingly responding
to suspected fentanyl overdoses, with two or three calls a night being common
and up to seven overdoses in one call.
The synthetic opioid, which is 50 times stronger than heroin, is being cut into
other recreational drugs like cocaine by Mexican cartels. As a result, users
often don’t know they’re taking fentanyl.
In the neighboring US city of El Paso, Texas, fentanyl was involved in 85% of
accidental overdoses.

2. Rajya Sabha Passes Tribal Affairs Amendment Bills 2024

Rajya Sabha has passed the Constitution (STs) Order Amendment Bill 2024 and
the Constitution (SCs and STs) Order Amendment Bill 2024, presented by the
Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

This cleared the way for the addition of several new communities to the STs
List of Odisha and the inclusion of synonyms and phonetic variations of existing
tribes in the ST lists of both Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

Date- 13/02/2024

1. SWATI (Science for Women- A Technology & Innovation) Portal

-In February 2024, the government has launched the SWATI (Science for
Women- a Technology & Innovation) portal, a database highlighting
accomplishments of Indian women in STEMM (Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics & Medicine) fields.
-The interactive portal was developed by the National Institute of Plant
Genome Research (NIPGR) to address the gender gap in sciences.

-The portal allows self-registration of profiles of women students, faculty and

scientists across levels capturing expertise, qualifications, publications etc.

2. Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF)

-The Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) is a financing mechanism

created to mobilize and accelerate investment in the conservation and
sustainability of wild species and ecosystems.

It was established at the 7th Assembly of the Global Environment Facility in

Vancouver, Canada in 2022.

The GBFF is managed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), an

international financing mechanism that has previously focused on mobilizing
funds for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, land degradation etc.

3. Law Commission Report Recommends Epidemic Plan and Standard

Operating Procedure (SOP)

-The 286th Law Commission Report, released recently, has recommended

creating an Epidemic Plan and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to address
future epidemics.

-It highlighted limitations of the colonial-era Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 (EDA)
which lacks guidelines on critical issues like division of powers between central
and state governments.
-This leads to uncoordinated responses during epidemics.

-The report sought amendments to EDA or a new law to address these gaps.

4. Gupteswar Forest in Odisha declared Biodiversity-Heritage Site

-The pristine Gupteswar Forest, adjacent to Gupteswar Shiva temple in

Odisha’s Koraput district has been declared as the fourth Biodiversity-Heritage
Site (BHS) of the state as per a recent government notification.

-Under Section 37 of India’s 2002 Biological Diversity Act, State Governments

may designate unique and fragile ecosystems as Biodiversity Heritage Sites
(BHS) in consultation with local governing bodies

5. What are climate tipping points?

-There is growing evidence that the climate is rapidly approaching critical

tipping points beyond which abrupt and/or irreversible changes could occur.

-A 2023 report identified at least 5 major climate tipping points that are
already at risk of being crossed.

-Climate tipping points refer to critical thresholds in the climate system that,
when exceeded, can cause abrupt and/or irreversible changes. For example,
continued global warming could trigger the collapse of ice sheets or the large-
scale dying off of coral reefs.
Date- 14/02/2024

1. NITI Aayog Launches Agroforestry Portal and Report

-The NITI Aayog has recently launched the ‘Greening and Restoration of
Wasteland with Agroforestry’ (GROW) report and portal.

-The GROW initiative by NITI Aayog utilizes remote sensing and GIS to assess
agroforestry suitability across all districts in India.

-It aims to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 and create an
additional carbon sink.

2. What are Dzuds in Mongolia?

-The ongoing “white and iron” dzud in Mongolia has reached a “critical” level,
with over 90 per cent of the country facing high levels of risk from the unique
weather phenomenon, according to a recent report by UN agencies.

-Dzuds are extreme winters unique to Mongolia characterized by freezing

temperatures, heavy snow and frozen ground that prevents animals from
reaching pasture.

-They often follow dry summers when livestock are unable to build up fat
reserves.

3. Ungalai Thedi, Ungal Ooril’ Scheme

-The government of Tamil Nadu has introduced guidelines for the “Ungalai
Thedi, Ungal Ooril” (Come Look For You, In Your Village) outreach program, an
initiative spearheaded by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin aimed at strengthening
public services and scheme implementation across the state.

_Collectors and senior district officials will spend 24 hours in one taluk (sub-
district) every month to inspect infrastructure, review project functioning, and
collect public feedback.

4. Maratha military landscape -UNESCO HERITAGE

_Maratha Military Landscapes of India

India has nominated the “Maratha Military Landscapes of India” for the
UNESCO World Heritage List in 2024-25.

-The nomination cites three criteria – exhibiting unique cultural tradition,

outstanding military architectural ensembles, and direct Maratha military
heritage. India currently has 42 World Heritage sites.

5. Codifying Traditional Medicine Terminology

-Most doctors practicing traditional Indian systems of medicine like Ayurveda,

Unani or Siddha follow their own style for naming diseases and treatments.

-This makes it difficult for patients to consult other doctors for follow-up care.

-The Ministry of Ayush, with assistance from the WHO, is working on codifying
the terminology related to diseases and treatments in these traditional
systems to address this issue.
Date – 15/02/2024

1. The rooftop solar scheme for free electricity has been launched.

-The scheme is named PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.

It has been launched with an investment of over Rs. 75,000 crores.

-The scheme aims to light up 1 crore households by providing up to 300 units

of free electricity every month.

-This scheme will provide subsidies directly into the bank accounts of the
peoplE.

2. AIIMS New Delhi and the University of Liverpool signed a collaboration

agreement for cancer research

-The University of Liverpool and AIIMS, New Delhi have collaborated on the
'AIIMS Liverpool Collaborative Centre for Translational Research in Head and
Neck Cancer - ALHNS'.

-Regarding the accomplishments of the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY and

Ayushman Arogya Mandir programmes, the Minister stated that over 6 crore
individuals have benefited from treatment under these programmes to date,
saving over 1 lakh 12 thousand crore rupees.

3. Defence Ministry signed a 2,269 crore contract with BEL for 11 Shakti
EW Systems for the Indian Navy.
-For the procurement of 11 Shakti Electronic Warfare Systems for the Indian
Navy, the Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with Bharat Electronics
Limited (BEL).

-The value of the contract is more than two thousand 269 crore rupees.

-The Shakti EW System is indigenously designed, developed, and

manufactured.

-It can intercept electronic emissions and implement countermeasures in

dense electromagnetic environments.

4. India Wins 9th GovTech Prize for Al-Powered Government Services

-At the World Government Summit 2024, India secured the prestigious 9th
GovTech Prize for endeavours in Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered
government services.

-The award has been presented to recognize the 'IRASTE' project of the
Ministry for Road Transport & Highways.

5. NITI Aayog unveiled the Greening and Restoration of Wasteland with

Agroforestry (GROW) report and portal

-To transform India's wastelands through agroforestry, NITI Aayog has

launched the GROW initiative.

-This initiative has been launched to boost efforts for environmental

conservation and sustainable land use across India.
-The report offers a comprehensive state-wise and district-wise analysis,
providing crucial insights to government departments and industries engaged
in greening and restoration projects.

-The Agroforestry Suitability Index (ASI) for national-level prioritization has

been also launched.

-The "Greening and Restoration of Wasteland with Agroforestry (GROW)-

Suitability Mapping" portal has been launched on 'Bhuvan' to promote
agroforestry initiatives by government bodies.

Date- 16/02/2024

1. President Approves New Anti-Cheating Law for Public Exams

On February 15 2024, President Droupadi Murmu granted her assent to the
Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024, clearing the
legislation for implementation after passage by both houses of Parliament in
the recently concluded Budget session.
Public examinations refer to examinations conducted by the Union Public
Service Commission, Staff Selection Commission, Railway Recruitment Board,
National Testing Agency, and Departments of the central government.
Unfair means include, unauthorised access or leakage of question paper or
answer key, assisting a candidate during a public examination, tampering with
computer networks, conducting fake examination, issuing fake admit cards and
offer letters.

2. UAE Launches New Generative AI Open-Source Foundation

The advanced Technology Innovation Institute (TII) of the United Arab Emirates
has launched the Falcon Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to
advancing open-source generative AI models.
Backed by $300 million funding from TII, its objective is to progress
development of open-source Generative AI models through collaborative
initiatives.
The Falcon Foundation will leverage TII’s homegrown Falcon AI models,
creating an open ecosystem for stakeholders, developers, academics, and
industry players to contribute and benefit.
The Foundation supports customizing Falcon models for specific sectors and
provides open computing resources for ongoing research and development.
This ensures the models’ adaptability across diverse applications and contexts.

3. Bharat Mart Launched in Dubai

On February 15th 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accompanied by
Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime
Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, laid the foundation stone for the
establishment of ‘Bharat Mart’ within the prominent Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone.
Bharat Mart is a joint initiative of DP World, a Dubai-based multinational that
specialises in logistics, port terminal operations and maritime services, and
India’s commerce ministry that is aimed at boosting exports by Indian small
and medium-sized enterprises.

4. Guidelines for Green Hydrogen Use in Transport sector

The Indian Government has come out with guidelines for undertaking pilot
projects for using Green Hydrogen in the transport sector. The Guidelines have
been issued by the New and Renewable Energy Ministry under the National
Green Hydrogen Mission.

The detailed guidelines were for undertaking pilot projects across different
vehicle segments like cars, buses and trucks using green hydrogen fuel cell
technologies, storage infrastructure and refueling protocols.
 5. Japan Loses Spot As Third Largest Economy to Germany
Japan’s economy slipped into a recession and Japan has dropped from being
the third to fourth largest economy globally, overtaken by economic
powerhouse Germany. With China further cementing second position, the US
remains the world’s largest economy.

Date- 17/02/2024

1. Supreme Court of India has ended the Electoral Bond Scheme.

- A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice D.Y.

Chandrachud has ended the electoral bond scheme.

- The Electoral Bond Scheme provided anonymity to the Donors of the political
parties.

- According to the Supreme Court, the electoral bond scheme violates voters’
right to information and political funding under Article 19 (1) (a) of the
constitution.

- The Electoral Bond Scheme was managed by the State Bank of India which
collected all the donations on behalf of all political parties.

2. Indian Coast Guard Ship Varah has made a port call at Mozambique.

- Indian Coast Guard ship 'Varaha' makes port call in Mozambique as a part of
their ongoing strategic overseas deployment to east africa.
- Indian Coast Guard ship 'Varaha’ is indigenously built offshore vessel to east
african countries shows India’s atmanirbhar bharat.

3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate Barsinagar Solar Power

Plant.

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday will lay the foundation stone of NLC
India's (NLCIL) 300 megawatt (MW) solar power plant in Barsingsar of Bikaner
district in Rajasthan.
- The lignite miner's plant is part of the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy's
(MNRE) CPSE Scheme.

4. RBI and Nepal Rastra Bank Sign Pact for UPI-NPI Linkage.

- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced a significant collaboration

with Nepal Rastra Bank, aiming to integrate the Unified Payments Interface
(UPI) of India and the National Payments Interface (NPI) of Nepal.

- This integration seeks to streamline cross-border remittances between the

two countries, facilitating instant and cost-effective fund transfers.

5. The economies of Japan and the UK slipped into recession.

- Japan and the UK are both officially in recession, according to figures

published Thursday, after Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell for two
consecutive quarters to close out 2023.

- After this recession, Germany replaced Japan as the third-largest economy in

the world.
Date- 18/02/2024