Latest Current Affairs - February 2024

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Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman Presented Interim Union Budget 2024-25 in Parliament (as 2024 is a general elections year), as her 6th Union Budget.
1. Nirmala Sitharaman is 2nd Finance Minister to present 6 union Budgets in a row (5 annual Budgets and 1 interim), after former PM Morarji Desai.
2. Interim budget will provide funding for the government for a part of the financial year until the main budget is passed after the general elections.
3. Details can be seen here.
Cabinet Approvals (Feb 01, 2024) -
1. MOUs -
  1. Approved signing and ratification of Bilateral Investment Treaty between India and UAE.
2. General -
  1. Approved continuation of Scheme for Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL) for export of Apparel/Garments and Made ups upto 31st March 2026 (2 years extension).
    1. This will enhance export competitiveness of garments and made-ups sectors, by providing a stable policy regime which is essential for long term trade planning.
  2. Approved determination of Marketing Margin on supply of domestic gas to Fertilizer (Urea) units for period May 1, 2009 to November 17, 2015.
    1. This will provide additional capital to Fertilizer Units for component of marketing margins paid by them on domestic gas procured during concerned period, based on rates already being paid from 18-11-2015 onwards.
    2. Marketing Margin is charged by gas marketing company from consumers over and above cost of gas for taking on additional risk and cost associated with marketing of gas.
  3. Approved continuation of Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF), to be implemented under Infrastructure Development Fund (IDF) with outlay of 29610 crores for another three years up to 2025-26.
    1. It will incentivize investments for Dairy/Meat processing and product diversification, Animal Feed Plant, Breed multiplication farm, Animal Waste to Wealth Management and Veterinary vaccine and drug production facilities.
    2. Govt will provide 3% interest subvention for 8 years (including 2 years of moratorium) for loan up to 90% from scheduled bank and National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), NABARD and NDDB.
    3. Govt will also provide credit guarantee to MSME and Dairy Cooperatives up to 25% of credit borrowed from Credit Guarantee Fund of 750 crores.
  4. Approved extension of scheme of sugar subsidy for Antyodya Anna Yojna (AAY) families distributed through Public Distribution Scheme (PDS), for 2 more years (upto March 2026).
    1. Under it, govt gives subsidy of 18.50 per kg per month of sugar to aprox 1.89 crore AAY families of participating States.
3 Researchers of Indian descent have been named among 9 honorees of UK's Blavatnik Awards For Young Scientists, that honors research in 3 categories - Chief Sciences, Physical Sciences & Engineering, and Life Sciences.
1. Indian honorees -
  1. Tanmay Bharat (Finalist, Life Sciences).
  2. Rahul R Nair (Laureate, Physical Sciences & Engineering).
  3. Mehul Malik (Finalist, Physical Sciences & Engineering).
2. About -
  1. In 2017, Blavatnik Awards launched a national competition across UK, modeled after US Faculty awards. A laureate and two finalists in each of three categories are chosen every year.
  2. Laureates are awarded £100,000 and finalists receive £30,000.
Feb 01 is Foundation day of Indian Coast Guard (ICG), which was established on 1 February 1977.
GST revenue collected in January 2024 stood at 172129 crores, as 2nd highest monthly GST collection ever (after 1.87 lakh crores in April 2023).
Punjab govt launched Sadak Surakhya Force (SSF), as a dedicated unit to enhance road safety across state, by delivering swift assistance to road accident victims.
Poetry collection Ek Samandar, Mere Andar, penned by Sanjeev Joshi (BrahMos Aerospace Deputy CEO) has been released.
Misc. Appointments (Feb 2024) -
1. Sharat Chauhan has been named Chief Secretary of UT of Puducherry.
2. Shambhu S. Kumaran has been named as India's new Ambassador to Austria.
3. Lochan Singh Pathania has been appointed as Chief Hydrographer to the Govt. of India.
  1. Chief Hydrographer to the Government of India is responsible for Indian Naval Hydrographic Department (INHD), nodal agency for hydrographic surveys and nautical charting.
4. Sanjay Verma has been named new Member in UPSC.
  1. UPSC has 1 Chairman (Manoj Soni Currently) & upto 10 members.
5. BCCI Secretary Jay Shah has been named President of Asian Cricket Council (ACC), for his 3rd consecutive term.
6. Asian Development Bank (ADB) appointed Mio Oka (Japan) as its new Country Director for India, succeeding Takeo Konishi who has been named ADB Director General for South Asia.
7. New Secretary Level Appointments -
  1. Sanjay Jaju - Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
  2. Apurva Chandra - Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
8. Rajasthan govt named Rajendra Prasad Gupta as new Advocate General of Rajasthan.
9. Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) named Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal as President and Charanjot Singh Nanda as Vice-President, for 2024-25.
10. Nand Kishore Yadav has been elected as Speaker of Bihar Legislative Assembly.
11. Anil Kumar Khandelwal has been named Member Infrastructure in Railway Board.
  1. Railway board consists of a chairman (Jaya Varma Sinha currently) and 4 members.
2023 Corruption Perception Index by Transparency International -
1. Top 3 - Denmark (1), Finland (2), New Zealand (3)
2. Bottom 3 - Somalia (180), Venezuala (179), Syria (178)
3. India ranked 93rd in list.
4. Neighbors - China (76), Pakistan (133), Bangladesh (149), Sri Lanka (115), Nepal (108).
Obituaries (Feb 2024) -
1. Rangachari Champakalakshmi - Noted historian, who specialized in study of early and pre-modern South Indian history.
2. Mike Procter - Former South African cricketer.
3. Sadhu Meher - Noted Padma Shri Awardee Hindi & Odia actor & director.
4. Farooq Nazki - Noted Sahitya Akademi Awardee Poet (J&K).
5. Achutan Ramachandran Nair - Noted Padma Bhushan awardee Artist (painter, from Kerala).
6. Kelvin Kiptum - Noted Kenyan long-distance runner and men's marathon world record holder.
  1. At the time of death, he held world record in Men's marathon (2:00:35), set by him at Chicago Marathon 2023.
7. Usha Kiran Khan - Noted padma shri awardee writer who worked in Hindi and Maithili languages (Bihar).
8. Dattajirao Gaekwad - Former Indian Cricketer.
9. Imtiaz Qureshi - Noted Padma Shri awardee Chef, known for reviving the Dum Pukht cooking tradition.
10. Fali Nariman - Noted Padma Bhushan Awardee Jurist.
11. Pankaj Udhas - Noted Padma Shri Awardee ghazal and playback singer.
12. Manohar Joshi - Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
13. Rituraj Singh - Noted Bollywood and TV actor.
14. Andreas Brehme - Noted German Footballer.
15. Kumar Shahani - Noted film director and screenwriter.
16. Shafiqur Rahman Barq - Former Samajwadi Party MP from Uttar Pradesh.
Filmfare Awards 2024 Winners -
1. Film - 12th Fail
2. Director - Vidhu Vinod Chopra (for 12th Fail)
3. Actor - Ranbir Kapoor (for Animal)
4. Actress - Alia Bhatt (for Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani)
5. Supporting Actor - Vicky Kaushal (for Dunki)
6. Supporting Actress - Shabana Azmi (for Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani)
7. Singer (Male) - Bhupinder Babbal (for Arjan Vailly – Animal)
8. Singer (Female) - Shilpa Rao (for Besharam Rang – Pathaan)
9. Lyricist - Amitabh Bhattacharya (for Tere Vaaste – Zara Hatke Zara Bachke)
10. Critics Awards -
  1. Film - Joram
  2. Actor - Vikrant Massey (for 12th Fail)
  3. Actress - Rani Mukerji (for Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway)
11. Special awards -
  1. Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award - David Dhawan
  2. Filmfare R. D. Burman Award - Shreyas Puranik
Misc. Sports News / Events (Feb 2024) -
1. Rajkot's Saurashtra Cricket Association stadium has been renamed after cricket administrator Niranjan Shah.
2. International Wushu Federation named India's Naorem Roshibina Devi as Female Athlete of the Year in Sanda category.
3. Indian boxer Mandeep Jangra won US based National Boxing Association's intercontinental super featherweight title, after defeating Gerardo Esquivel (US) at Toppenish City (Washington).
4. Pathum Nissanka became 1st Sri Lankan cricketer to score an ODI double century. He scored it against Afghanistan.
5. India hosted BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Aquatic Championship 2024 (1st edition) in New Delhi.
6. New Zealand cricketer Neil Wagner announced his retirement from international cricket.
7. Karnataka won IndusInd Bank Nagesh Trophy 2023 - 24 (Men's National T20 Cricket Tournament For The Blind), defeating Andhra Pradesh in final.
8. Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) and National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) banned Hammer thrower Rachna Kumari for 12 years, and Quarter-miler Nirmala Sheoran for 8 years, amid doping violations.
9. India’s Olympic gold medalist and world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has been honoured with a commemorative plaque at renowned Ice Palace in Switzerland.
  1. The Ice palace has been Carved into the heart of a glacier, in Jungfraujoch.
10. Indian cricketer R Ashwin became 2nd Indian (after Anil Kumble) and 9th bowler overall, to take 500 test wickets. It was achieved during series against England.
11. ICC banned UK cricketer Rizwan Javed from all cricketing activities for 17.5 years, amid Match Fixing charges.
12. Vidarbha First class cricketer Faiz Fazal announced retirement from Cricket. He had also played an ODI Game.
13. 8 yr old Indian Origin Singapore Chess Player Ashwath Kaushik became youngest chess player to defeat a grandmaster, after defeating Polish grandmaster Jacek Stopa.
14. Pakistan Cricketer Babar Azam became fastest batter to score 10000 runs in T20 cricket.
15. New Zealand Cricketer Neil Wagner announced retirement from international cricket.
16. Namibian Cricteter Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton scored fastest T20 International (T20I) century in 33 Balls (against Nepal).
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma released first edition of Political History of Assam (1947-1971) Volume 1, edited by historian Rajen Saikia.
1. The book will be completed in 3 three volumes by 2025, covering political events in Assam between 1947-2020.
Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar reconstituted Panel of Vice-Chairpersons, comprising eight members -
1. Members are - Ramilaben Becharbhai Bara, Seema Dwivedi, Amee Yajnik, Mausam Noor, Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar, Prabhakar Reddy Vemireddy, Manoj Kumar Jha and D P Vats.
Misc. Defence News / Events (Feb 2024) -
1. Indian Navy declared 2024 as Year of Naval Civilians, to improve administration, efficiency and well-being of Naval Civilians by addressing all facets of Civilian HR Management.
2. Trap shooter Preeti Rajak became first female to be promoted to rank of Subedar in Indian Army.
3. US approved sale of 31 MQ-9B armed drones to India, at estimated cost of $4 billion, to enhance India's maritime security and domain awareness capability.
  1. Of these High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAVs, Navy will get 15 SeaGuardian drones, while Army and Indian Air Force will get 8 each of the land version.
4. Indian Navy’s Annual Refit Conference 24 (ARC 24) and Annual Infrastructure Conference 24 (AIC 24) held at Naval Dockyard Mumbai.
5. Indian Air Force's (IAF) Sarang Helicopter Display Team participated in Biennial event Singapore Air Show 2024, consisting of 5 HAL Advanced Light Helicopters (known as Dhruv).
6. India announced replacement of its military personnel operating aviation platforms in the Maldives with competent Indian technical personnel, amid anti-Indian sentiment across The Maldives under recently elected president Mohamed Muizzu.
7. Turkey launched its first 5-generation fighter aircraft KAAN, Produced by Turkish Aerospace Industries with collaboration from UK's BAE Systems.
8. Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved acquisition of over 200 BrahMos extended-range supersonic cruise missiles for deployment on Navy warships, worth over 19000 crores.
9. Adani Group inaugurated South Asia’s Largest Ammunition and Missiles Complex in Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh).
10. DRDO conducted successful flight tests of Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missile, from Integrated Test Range Chandipur (Odisha).
  1. VSHORADS is a 4th generation man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) developed by DRDO's Research Centre Imarat (RCI). It is designed for anti-aircraft warfare and neutralising low altitude aerial threats at short ranges (upto 6 KM).
Misc. Economy / Financial News (Feb 2024) -
1. India's GAIL signed long-term deal to purchase 0.5 MTPA of LNG from UAE’s ADNOC & 1 MTPA of LNG from Singapore based Vitol Asia, to meet India's rising energy demand.
  1. GAIL will receive deliverables for a period of 10 years starting 2026.
  2. Notably, QatarEnergy and Excelerate Energy finalized 15-year LNG deal to provide upto 1 MTPA LNG to Bangladesh, from 2026 onwards.
2. Bank of Baroda’s subsidiary BOB Financial Solutions Limited has been renamed as BOBCARD Limited, with tagline Credit Reimagined.
3. RBI Cancelled banking license of -
  1. Jai Prakash Narayan Nagari Sahakari Bank (Basmathnagar, Maharashtra)
  2. Sumerpur Mercantile Urban Cooperative Bank (Sumerpur, Rajasthan)
4. Notable Penalties imposed by RBI -
  1. Bombay Mercantile Co-operative Bank - 63.30 Lakh
  2. State Bank of India - 2 Crore
5. Notable Competition Commission of India (CCI) Approvals -
  1. Acquisition of Majority (70%) stake in Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company, by Switzerland based Zurich Insurance Company, for approx 5560 crores.
6. Quality Council of India (QCI) and Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) launched DigiReady Certification Portal, to empower MSMEs and small retailers by enabling them to evaluate their preparedness to seamlessly onboard as sellers on ONDC platform, thereby expanding their digital capabilities and business potential.
7. Tata Group became first Indian conglomerate to cross combined market capitalisation of Rs 30 lakh crores.
8. Indian GDP Growth Forecasts (Feb 2024) -
  1. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) - 6.2 % for FY25 (2024-25) and 6.5% for FY26 (2025-26).
9. HDFC Bank and its group companies received RBI approval to acquire upto 9.50 % stake in 6 banks - ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, IndusInd Bank, YES Bank, Bandhan Bank and Suryoday SFB.
10. IndusInd Bank launched eSvarna, as India’s first corporate credit card on RuPay network, enabling IndusInd bank to become first to integrate UPI functionality with a corporate credit card.
11. Health & Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched AIIMS-SBI Smart Payment Card, to enable hassle free payments for treatment in AIIMS Delhi.
12. Paytm E-commerce has been renamed as Pai Platforms. It also acquired Bitsila, a seller platform operating within Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).
13. Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) became first Indian firm to surpass market capitalization of ₹20 lakh crores on Indian exchanges.
14. Payments solution provider PayU partnered with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), for rolling out Credit Lines on UPI feature, to enable merchants to access pre-sanctioned Credit Lines by banks through UPI.
15. SIDBI unveiled Prabhaav - An Impact Study of the Fund of Funds for Startups, a key component of Startup India Action Plan. The scheme is being managed by SIDBI on behalf of DPIIT.
16. LIC launched new insurance product named Amritbaal, as a strategic financial instrument designed to support educational and other significant needs of children.
  1. Notably, It facilitates accumulation of corpus through Guaranteed Addition of Rs 80 per thousand Basic Sum Assured throughout the Policy Term.
17. American payments firm PayPal registered its operations with Financial Intelligence Unit of India (FIU), after long protracted legal battle ensued between the two entities.
18. HDFC Bank received RBI approval for divestment of its 90% stake in education loan subsidiary HDFC Credila.
19. Reliance Industries signed agreement with Walt Disney Co to merge their media operations in India, named Viacom18 and Star India respectively.
20. Maharatna PSUs Coal India Limited (CIL) and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) formally signed joint venture agreement for setting up an ammonium nitrate plant through surface coal gasification (SCG) technology route, expected to Produce 2000 tons of Ammonium Nitrate per day.
Japan based automaker Toyota sold record 11.2 million vehicles in 2023, retaining its position as world's top-selling automaker for 4th straight year. Toyota was followed by Germany based Volkswagen (9.2 million).
Misc. MOUs signed (Feb 2024) -
1. Between National Rural Livelihood Promotion Society (NRLPS) an& BRAC International, to empower people and communities by including the poorest under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
2. Between India & Oman, to boost co-operation in defence sector.
3. Between IREDA and IIT Bhubaneswar, for Clean Energy Innovation.
4. Between Armed Forces Medical Services & IIT Roorkee, to foster research in improving combat medical support & patient care of serving personnel.
5. Between C-DOT & IIT Roorkee, for Developing a 140GHz Fully Integrated Transmitter & Receiver Module for 6G and Beyond.
6. Between C-DOT & IIT Kharagpur, for Developing Prototypes for 10-Gigabit-capable symmetric passive optical network (XGS-PON) optical line terminal (OLT) and optical network unit (ONU).
7. Between IIM Shillong, MDoNER & North Eastern Council, for continuing operation of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Centre for Policy Research and Analysis, which was set up in 2016, to assist development in North East states.
8. Between Brazil's Embraer (3rd largest manufacturer of commercial aircrafts globally) and India's Mahindra Group, to work on C-390 Millennium aircraft for Indian Air Force.
9. Between Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) & DBS Bank, to spread awareness on investment and fraudulent schemes.
10. Between NTPC Green Energy Limited and Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation, for setting up India's largest green hydrogen production facility on 1200 acres of land near Pudimadaka village of Atchutapuram Mandal in Visakhapatnam.
11. Between Power Finance Corporation (PFC) & Goa Govt, to support climate ambitions of the state of Goa.
  1. The support extended would be under Blended Finance Facility being set up by Government of Goa in partnership with World Bank.
12. Between Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) and DBS Bank, to spread awareness on investment and fraudulent schemes.
13. Between Nokia and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), to jointly research 6G technologies and 6G use cases that will have a direct societal impact in India.
14. Between Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) & Indian Institute of Management Shillong (IIM) to set up India’s first Gati Shakti Research Chair at IIM Shillong.
15. Between India and Colombia, for Cooperation in field of Sharing Successful Digital Solutions Implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation.
  1. It was signed during visit of Mauricio Lizcano (Minister of Information Technologies and Communications of Colombia).
Misc. Science News / Events (Feb 2024) -
1. Elon musk led Neuralink conducted first ever chip implant into a human brain, aiming to enable Telepathy (control over devices using just the power of thoughts).
2. India’s first Hypervelocity Expansion Tunnel Test Facility has been established at IIT Kanpur.
  1. Named S2, this facility is capable of generating flight speeds between 3-10 km/s, simulating the hypersonic condition.
3. New Centre of Excellence (CoE) on E-waste Management has been inaugurated at Hyderabad-based C-MET (Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology).
4. China inaugurated its new Antarctic research station named Qinling.
  1. Situated on Inexpressible Island near the Ross Sea, Qinling Station is China’s 5th scientific outpost and 3rd research station in Antartica.
5. Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko has set world record for most time spent in space, with 878 days in orbit. He Surpassed his compatriot Gennady Padalka's record.
6. Centre of Excellence on Smart Wearable Advanced nano Sensing Technologies in Healthcare ASICs (SWASTHA) project has been inaugurated at IIT Guwahati.
  1. Supported by MeitY, the Centre aims to revolutionize healthcare through advanced nanoelectronic theranostic devices, by delivering high-quality products and prototypes in micro/nano electronics and nanomaterials.
7. EPIC Foundation launched Milkyway, as India’s first AI-enabled tablet designed to address critical needs in India’s education sector.
8. IIT Jammu researchers developed a first-of-its-kind sound-based anti-drone system, which can aid the armed forces by detecting passing of birds and drones across international borders.
Misc. / Industrial Awards (Feb 2024) -
1. UAE granted Golden Visa to India's noted Mathematics educator Anand Kumar, best known for his Super 30 programme.
  1. UAE introduced Golden visa programme In 2019, enabling foreigners to establish their careers and educational pursuits in UAE, without the need for a local sponsor.
2. PT Usha (Noted former sprinter and President of Indian Olympic Association) has been honoured with Lifetime Achievement award by Sports Journalists Federation of India (SJFI).
3. Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) conferred 2024 K P P Nambiar Award on Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S Somanath.
4. B R Kamboj (Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University's Vice Chancellor) has been honoured with 14th M S Swaminathan Award, by Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS), for his contributions as a scientist and extension specialist in the field of agronomy.
5. Sarah Joseph has been honored with Federal Bank Literary Award 2023 for her novel Kara. It carries prize money of 1 Lakh.
Misc. Infra Projects (Feb 2024) -
1. 1st solar project of NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd (NTPC-REL) commenced operations at Chhattargarh (Rajasthan), with 70 MW capacity. With this, installed capacity of NTPC Group reached 73958 MW.
2. Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) commissioned India's largest Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), which stores energy using solar energy.
  1. 40 megawatts (MW)/120MWh BESS solar photovoltaic plant in Rajnandgaon (Chhattisgarh) has installed capacity of 152 megawatt hour (MWh) and dispatchable capacity of 100MW AC.

Feb 02 is observed by UN as World Wetlands Day. 2024 Theme is Wetlands and human wellbeing. It marks adoption of Convention on Wetlands on February 2 in 1971, when a small group of environmentalists signed an international agreement at Ramsar Convention in Iran.

On this occasion -

5 new sites from India have been added to List of Ramsar Sites (Wetlands of Internatinal Importance), taking number of Ramsar sites in India to 80.
Also, Tamil Nadu now has 16 ramsar sites, most among Indian states.

Newly added ramsar sites from India -

Site Name	State	Description
Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve	Karnataka	Human-made Village Irrigation Tank was built centuries back. Home to Painted Stork and Black-headed Ibis.
Aghanashini Estuary	Karnataka	Formed at the confluence of the Aghanashini River with Arabian sea.
Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve	Karnataka	Bar-headed goose winter here.
Karaivetti Bird sanctuary	Tamil Nadu	Home to Pin-tailed duck, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Eurasian Wigeon, Common teal and Cotton teal
Longwood Shola Reserve Forest	Tamil Nadu	Serve as habitats for Black-chinned Nilgiri Laughingthrush, Nilgiri Blue Robin and vulnerable Nilgiri Wood-pigeon.

Odisha govt approved tribal welfare scheme Laghu Bana Jatiya Drabya Kraya (LABHA), which will ensure 100 % state-funded minimum support price (MSP) for minor forest produce (MFP), which are primarily produced by tribals across state.
1. Cabinet also approved -
  1. Establishment of a Commission for Preservation and Promotion of 21 Tribal Languages of Scheduled Tribes of Odisha.
  2. Inclusion of 169 communities in Scheduled Tribes (ST) list of Odisha.
  3. Withdrawing earlier decision (November 2023) to allow tribals to handover their land to non-tribals by amending Odisha Scheduled Areas Transfer of Immovable Property (By Scheduled Tribes) Regulation.
Govt named Anil Kumar Lahoti (Former Railway Board Chairman) as chairman of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
Tamil Nadu govt launched Kalaignar Sports Kit scheme, to provide sports kits to youth in over 12600 villages across state.
1. It has been named after former CM Late M Karunanidhi.
AU Small Finance Bank named Former RBI Deputy Governor Harun Rashid Khan as its Non-Executive Chairman.
World Health Organization (WHO) issued its first-ever acknowledgement for advancements in eliminating trans fatty acids (TFA), both industrially produced and naturally occurring.
1. Five countries—Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand, have been commended for their efforts towards TFA elimination.

ISSF World Cup 2024 (Cairo (Egypt)) -

Medal Table -

Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
India	2	3	1	6
Great Britain	2	1		3
Germany	2		3	5
South Korea	2			2
Kazakhstan	1	1	2	4

Indian Gold Medalists -
1. Divyansh Singh Panwar (Men's 10m air rifle)
2. Rhythm Sangwan & Arjun Ujjawal (10m Air Pistol Mixed Team)

INS Sandhayak has been commissioned into Indian Navy service, at Naval Dockyard Visakhapatnam, as 1st ship of 4 Sandhayak-class survey vessels being built by GRSE for Indian Navy.
1. Other 3 ships in this class - Nirdeshak, Ikshak & Sanshodhak (All in Launched status).
Rajeev Chandrasekhar (Minister of State for Electronics and IT) launched Digital India FutureLABS at IIIT New Delhi, coordinated by C-DAC, to tap into opportunities presented by Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) sector.
1. It seeks to move up value chain, fortify domestic R&D, and create a collaborative ecosystem for development of IPs, standards, and next-generation Electronics System Design in country.
2. Govt will also soon establish India Semiconductor Research Centre, which will serve as a hub for semiconductor innovation spanning all spectrums.
11th edition of India-Kyrgyzstan Joint Army Special Forces Exercise KHANJAR held at Special Forces Training School in Bakloh (Himachal Pradesh).
India's digital Payments system UPI (Unified Payments Interface) has been formally launched in France, at iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris.
1. With this, France joined nations accepting India's UPI, also including Sri Lanka, Mauritius, UAE, Singapore & Bhutan.
Joint India-Egypt Army Special Forces exercise CYCLONE (2nd edition) conducted at Anshas (Egypt).

66th Annual Grammy Awards -

Grammy Awards (Earlier called Gramophone Award) are presented by US Based The Recording Academy to recognize achievements in music industry. Notable Winners in 2024 Edition -

Category	Winner
Album of the Year	Midnights (Taylor Swift)
Record of the Year	Flowers (Miley Cyrus)
Song of The Year	What Was I Made For? (Billie Eilish)
Best New Artist	Victoria Monét

Indian song Abundance in Millets, featuring a speech delivered by PM Narendra Modi was nominated in best global music performance category at 2024 Grammy Awards. It was Sung by Falguni Shah and Gaurav Shah.
India's Tabla Maestro Zakir Hussain won 2 Awards at Grammys 2024 -
1. Best Global Music Performance - Pashto - Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer & Zakir Hussain featuring Rakesh Chaurasia.
2. Best Contemporary Instrumental Album - As We Speak – Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer featuring Rakesh Chaurasia.

Notable points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Odisha and Assam -
1. Odisha -
  1. Launched NTPC Darlipali Super Thermal Power Station (2x800 MW) in Sundargarh district.
  2. Laid foundation stone of -
    1. NTPC Talcher Thermal Power Project Stage-III (2x660 MW) in Angul district.
    2. Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) Talabira Thermal power project (3 x 800 MW).
2. Assam -
  1. Laid foundation stone of Maa Kamakhya Divya Pariyojana (Maa Kamakhya Access Corridor), sanctioned under Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North Eastern Region (PM-DevINE) scheme. It will provide world class amenities to pilgrims visiting the Kamakhya temple.
Feb 4 is observed as World Cancer Day. Theme is Close the Care Gap (2022 - 2024).
1. Feb 4 is also observed by UN as International Day of Human Fraternity, observed since 2021.
As per Fortune Most admired companies list 2024 -
1. Top 5 - Apple (1), Microsoft (2), Amazon (3), Berkshire Hathaway (4), JPMorgan Chase (5)
Noted Composer Pyarelal Sharma (part of iconic composer duo Laxmikant-Pyarelal) has been felicitated with Lakshminarayana International Award, at Lakshminarayana Global Music Festival.
1. Notably, Pyarelal Sharma was also recently felicitated with Padma Bhushan award, at Republic day 2024 celebrations.
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released results of Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) for FY21 (2020-21) & FY22 (2021-22) -
1. Gross Value Added (GVA) grew by 8.8% in current prices in year 2020-21 over 2019-20, and by 26.6% in 2021-22 over 2020-21.
2. Among major states (in terms of GVA), Top 5 States -
  1. In 2020-21 - Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.
  2. In 2021-22 - Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.
  3. Top 5 states jointly contributed 53% of total manufacturing GVA of the country in 2020-21 & in 2021-22.
World Bank's Logistics Performance Index 2023 -
1. Top 3 - Singapore (1), Finland (2), Denmark (3)
2. Bottom 3 - Libya (139), Afghanistan (138), Somalia (137)
3. India ranked 38th in list.
4. Neighbors - China (19), Sri Lanka (73), Bangladesh (88).
Olzhas Bektenov has been named new prime minister of Kazakhstan.
Education Ministry launched APAAR (Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry) through Common Service Centres (CSCs) in remote villages across country, with objective of One Nation, One Student ID.
1. APAAR has been conceptualized under National Education Policy (NEP 2020) in which all college/university-going students are required to register on ABC (Academic Bank of Credits). ABC ID will be mandatory, to take admission to any college / university.
2. APAAR ID will remain with stuents for their entire life, eliminating need to give certificates anywhere.
Health and Family Welfare Ministry launched Kilkari programme, a Mobile Health (m-health) initiative for beneficiaries in local content in Gujarat and Maharashtra.
1. Mobile Academy was also launched, as a free audio training course designed to expand knowledge of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs).
2. Kilkari centralized interactive voice response (IVR) based mobile health service will deliver free, weekly 72 audio messages about pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare directly to families’ mobile phones, from second trimester of pregnancy until child is one year old.
Maharashtra govt introduced Chief Minister Vayoshree Yojana, to benefit 15 lakh senior citizens who suffer from some physical or mental disability.
1. Citizens above age of 65 years will be screened and those found eligible will be paid Rs 3000.
Govt announced to fence entire 1643 km long India-Myanmar border, aimed at bolstering border security.
Upendra Dwivedi has been named new Vice Chief of Indian Army.
Brand Guardianship Index 2024 by Brand Finance -
1. Top 5 -
  1. Huateng Ma (Tencent)
  2. Mukesh Ambani (Reliance)
  3. Jensen Huang (NVIDIA)
  4. Tim Cook (Apple)
  5. Natarajan Chandrasekaran (TATA Sons)
Book Artificial Intelligence and National Security Hardcover authored by Vijay Khare & Amit Sinha has been released.
Feb 1-7 is observed by UN as World Interfaith Harmony Week.
Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak has been named new Prime Minister of Yemen (West Asia).
Michelle O'Neill has been named as First Minister of Northern Ireland, while & Emma Little-Pengelly has been named deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland.
1. First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland are joint heads of government of Northern Ireland.
2. Notably, United Kingdom (UK) is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Uttarakhand Assembly passed Uniform Civil Code bill, becoming first state to implement UCC.
1. It seeks to replace religious personal laws that govern marriage, relationship and inheritance.
2. Notably -
  1. It makes it compulsory to register live-in relationships, completely bans child marriages and introduces a uniform process for divorce.
  2. Code provides equal rights to women of all religions in their ancestral property.
  3. Bill has fixed minimum age for marriage in all communities - 18 for women, 21 for men.
Chhattisgarh govt launched Mahtari Vandana Yojana, under which Rs 12000 assistance will be provided annually to women (21-60 years age) in state.
India's Ministry of External Affairs organized 7th edition of Indian Ocean Conference in Perth (Australia), in association with India Foundation. 2024 theme is Towards a Stable and Sustainable Indian Ocean. It was attended by External affairs minister S Jaishankar.
Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda launched several farmer friendly initiatives under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), including Kisan Rakshak Helpline 14447 / Portal, Agri-Insurance Sandbox Framework Platform SARTHI and Learning Management System (LMS) Platform.
Notable Points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Goa -
1. Inaugurated India Energy Week 2024, as 2nd edition of India’s largest energy sector exhibition. During the exhibition -
  1. NITI Aayog and The Netherlands jointly released report LNG as a Transportation Fuel in Medium and Heavy Commercial Vehicle, exploring barriers for LNG adoption in India and recommends a roadmap of actionable solutions.
2. Inaugurated ONGC Sea Survival Centre, to advance Indian sea survival training ecosystem to global standard, by training 10000-15000 personnel annually.
Cabinet Approvals (Feb 08, 2024) -
1. General -
  1. Approved auctions in 8 spectrum bands for mobile phone services at a base price of 96317.65 crores.
    1. All the available spectrum in 800, 900, 1800, 2100, 2300, 2500, 3300 MHz and 26 GHz bands will be put on auction. Total 10,523.8 Mhz spectrum will be auctioned.
  2. Approved extension of Fisheries Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) for another 3 years upto 2025-26.
    1. To address infrastructure requirement for fisheries sector, govt during 2018-19 created FIDF with funds size of 7523 crores. Under it, govt provides interest subvention up to 3% per annum for repayment period of 12 years (with moratorium of 2 years) for providing concessional finance by Nodal Loaning Entities, at interest rate 5% per annum or above.
  3. Approved Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY), a Central Sector Sub-scheme under Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana.
    1. It aims to formalize the fisheries sector and support fisheries micro and small enterprises, with investment of over 6000 crores over 4 years (FY24 to FY27).
    2. It will include creation of a National Fisheries Digital Platform, to provide 40 lakh small and micro-enterprises work based identities.
2. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) Approvals -
  1. Approved 6 projects of Ministry of Railways, aimed at easing operations and reducing congestion on busiest sections across Indian Railways. Cost of projects is 12343 crores, with 100% funding from Central Government.
    1. 6 projects covering 18 Districts in 6 States - Rajasthan, Assam, Telangana, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Nagaland will increase existing network of Indian Railways by 1020 Kms.
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) scrapped Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar, to ensure internal security of India and to maintain demographic structure of India’s North Eastern States bordering Myanmar.

Govt announced to confer India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, on 5 new awardees -

Name	State	Known for
Karpoori Thakur	Bihar	Served two terms as Chief Minister of Bihar. In 1978, he introduced reservation policy in state government jobs.
L. K. Advani	Delhi	Noted Politician and Former Deputy Prime Minister of India. He is one of co-founders of Bharatiya Janata Party, and is credited for advancing Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Movement.
P V Narasimha Rao	Telangana	9th prime minister (1991 to 1996). He is known for introducing various liberal reforms to India's economy.
Charan Singh	Uttar Pradesh	5th prime minister on India (1979 to 1980), known as a pro farmer leader. He founded political party Lokdal in 1980.
M S Swaminathan	Tamil Nadu	Noted Indian agronomist and a major architect of green revolution in India.

With this, number of Bharat Ratna awardees so far has gone up to 53.
About -
1. Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of India, was Instituted on 2 January 1954. 1st recipients included C Rajagopalachari (former Governor-General of India), Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (2nd President of India) and noted physicist C V Raman.

1st edition of India-Saudi Arabia Joint Army Exercise SADA TANSEEQ held at Mahajan (Rajasthan).
Feb 10 is observed as World Pulses Day, by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of UN (since 2019). 2024 theme is Pulses: Nourishing Soils and People.
1. Feb 10 is also observed annually by India's Health Ministry as National Deworming Day, aimed at deworming all children across nation in age group of 1 to 19.
2. Feb 10, 2024 is also observed b UN as First-ever International Day of the Arabian Leopard.
Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched EdCIL Vidyanjali Scholarship Programme, in alignment with National Education Policy 2020.
1. It aims at enhancing opportunities for quality education and access to higher education institutions, by extending financial support for meritorious Navodaya Vidyalaya students who lack means.
Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal launched sale of Rice under Bharat brand, at MRP of Rs 29/kg (5Kg and 10Kg packs).
1. Bharat Rice will be available at outlets of Kendriya Bhandar, National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF).
2. Earlier, govt had launched sale of Bharat Atta (@Rs 27.50 per Kg in 5Kg and 10 Kg packs) and Bharat Dal (chana dal) (Rs 60 per kg for 1kg pack and Rs 55 per kg for 30 kg pack).
Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched Maritime Single Window and Mercantile Maritime Department, on Sagar Setu (NLP-M) platform.
1. MSW module enables electronic submission, processing, and exchange of maritime-related information and documents between stakeholders involved in international maritime trade.
2. MMD module provides vessel detention and vessel release status information.
General News / Events (Feb 1-10, 2024) -
1. Tamil actor Vijay announced formation of his political party, named Tamilaga Vetri Kazham.
2. Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA) – Commonwealth Attorneys and Solicitors General Conference (CASGC) 2024 held at Vigyan Bhawan (New Delhi), focusing on Cross-Border Challenges in Justice Delivery.
3. Civil Aviation Ministry approved installation of 242 feet high statue of Adiyogi Shiva near upcoming Noida International Airport in Jewar (Uttar Pradesh), to be established by Isha Foundation.
4. Surajkund International Crafts Mela 2024 (37th edition) held at Surajkund (Haryana).
5. Uttar Pradesh govt launched EV Upyog portal, as a platform to facilitate EV-related activities in state.
6. World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) 2024 (23rd edition of annual flagship event of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)), held in New Delhi.
  1. During the meet, Power and Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh announced setting up of a Centre for Energy Transition, as a collaborative initiative between Central Govt and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
7. Central govt approved establishment of IIT Indore's Ujjain satellite campus, as India's First Research IIT Satellite Campus.
8. Military-led govts in african nations Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced to leave Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
9. India’s first-of-its kind mobility exhibition Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2024, held at Bharat Mandapam (New Delhi).
10. Bharat Telecom 2024 organized by Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion Council (TEPC) and DoT, at New Delhi.
  1. During the event, Bharat 5G Portal was launched, as a one-stop solution for all quantum, IPR, PoCs/Pilots, 5G, and 6G-related works. It also features Future Tech-Experts registration portal in collaboration with PANIIT USA.
11. Annual National Chilika Birds Festival hosted at Chilika Lake (Odisha).
  1. Chilika Lake is largest brackish water lagoon in Asia and second largest coastal lagoon in world (after New Caledonian barrier reef), spread over Puri, Khordha and Ganjam districts of Odisha (covering area of over 1100 square KMs).
12. Telangana govt established a dedicated help desk, to respond to growing safety concerns among Telangana citizens residing abroad.
13. Jaipur Literature Festival 2024 (17th edition) held in Jaipur, with theme Stories Unite Us.
14. Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi launched C-CARES portal of CMPFO (Coal Mines Provident Fund Organisation).
15. Tourism and Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy laid foundation stone for India’s first National Museum of Epigraphy at Salar Jung Museum (Hyderabad).
16. Assam govt carried out Gunotsav 2024, as a state-wide exercise to evaluate performance of approx 40 lakh students across state.
17. Iran govt announced visa-free travel regime for Indian tourists, allowing stay for upto 15 days once in every 6 months.
18. 120 feet high Bapu Tower has been installed in Patna (Bihar), dedicated to M K Gandhi.
19. India Energy Week 2024 (2nd edition) held in Goa, as India’s largest and all-encompassing energy exhibition.
Interim Budget Session 2024 of Parliament held Between Jan 31 - Feb 10, 2024.
1. During the Session, Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman Presented Interim Union Budget 2024-25 in Parliament (as 2024 is a general elections year), as her 6th Union Budget.
  1. Nirmala Sitharaman is 2nd Finance Minister to present 6 union Budgets in a row (5 annual Budgets and 1 interim), after former PM Morarji Desai.
  2. Interim budget will provide funding for the government for a part of the financial year until the main budget is passed after the general elections.
  3. Details can be seen here.
2. Notable info disseminated during the session -
  1. To boost clean mobility in country, Ministry of Heavy Industries enhanced outlay for FAME India scheme Phase II from 10000 crore to 11500 crores.
  2. As per UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG) report -
    1. MMR (Maternal Morality Ratio) of India declined from 384 in 2000 to 103 in 2020, whereas Global MMR has declined from 339 in 2000 to 223 in 2020.
    2. Average annual rate of reduction in global MMR during 2000-2020 period was 2.07%, while India’s MMR declined by 6.36% annually, during same period.
  3. GHAR - GO Home and Re-Unite (Portal for Restoration and Repatriation of Child) Portal has been launched by NCPCR (National Commission for Protection of Child Rights), to track restoration and repatriation of children as per protocols under Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015.
  4. Under PM Young Achievers’ Scholarship Award Scheme for a Vibrant India (PM YASASVI) scheme for OBC, EBC and DNT Students -
    1. Students can avail Pre-Matric Scholarship from Class 9 to 10 and Post Matric Scholarship for their higher studies at post-matriculation or post-secondary stage.
    2. Scheme components -
      1. Pre-Matric Scholarship for OBC, EBC and DNT Students.
      2. Post-Matric Scholarship for OBC, EBC and DNT Students.
      3. Top Class School Education for OBC, EBC and DNT Students.
      4. Top Class College Education for OBC, EBC and DNT Students.
      5. Construction of Hostel for OBC Boys and Girls.
3. Bills passed during the session -
  1. Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill 2024 -
    1. Bill amends Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974, that establishes central and state pollution control boards to prevent and control water pollution.
    2. Bill will initially apply to Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and UTs. Other states may pass resolutions to extend its applicability to their states.
    3. Consent exemptions for establishing industries -
      1. As per the Act, prior consent of SPCB is required for establishing any industry or treatment plant, which is likely to discharge sewage into a water body/sewer/land. Bill specifies that central govt in consultation with CPCB, may exempt certain categories of industrial plants from obtaining such consent. Bill adds that central govt may issue guidelines for grant, refusal, or cancellation of consent granted by SPCB.
      2. Bill penalises tampering with monitoring devices used in determining whether any industry or treatment plant can be set up, with penalty upto 15 lakh.
    4. Chairman of State Board - Under the Act, chairman of an SPCB is nominated by state government. Bill adds that central govt will prescribe the manner of nomination and terms of service of the chairman.
    5. Bill removes imprisonment provisions for violations related to Discharge of polluting matter in water bodies. It instead imposes a penalty upto 15 lakh for concerned violations.
    6. Bill allows central govt to appoint adjudication officers to determine penalties under the Act. Officer must be of level of a Joint Secretary to central govt, or of Secretary to state govt.
      1. Appeals against orders passed by the adjudicating officer may be made before the National Green Tribunal, after depositing 10% of the penalty levied.
      2. Penalties imposed by adjudicating officer will be credited to Environment Protection Fund established under Environment (Protection) Act 1986.
    7. As per the Act, a court may take cognizance of an offence if a complaint is made by CPCB/SPCB, or a person who has given a notice of the complaint to the Boards. Bill adds that cognizance may also be taken if a complaint is made by adjudicating officer.
    8. Under the Act, the head of a department will be deemed guilty for offences committed by govt departments, provided that they prove due diligence was carried out to avoid such contravention. Bill specifies that head of a department will have to pay penalty equal to one month of their basic salary, if the department violates any provision of the Act.
  2. Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill 2024 -
    1. Bill seeks to prevent use of unfair means in public examinations, conducted by UPSC, SSC, Railway Recruitment Board, National Testing Agency, Institute of Banking Personnel Selection, and Departments of central Govt and their attached offices.
    2. Bill defines several offences in relation to public examinations. It prohibits collusion or conspiracy to facilitate indulgence in any unfair means. Offences will be punishable with imprisonment between three and five years, and a fine up to Rs 10 lakh.
    3. In event of violation of provisions of the Bill, service providers must report to the police and the concerned examination authority.
      1. Failure to report such incidents will be an offence. In case, the service provider themselves commit an offence, the examination authority must report it to the police.
      2. Bill prohibits service providers from shifting the exam centre without permission from the examination authority.
      3. An offence by a service provider will be punishable with a fine of up to one crore rupees. They will also be barred from conducting public examinations for 4 years.
    4. Bill specifies a higher punishment for organised crimes.
      1. An organised crime is an unlawful act committed by a person / group of persons to further a shared interest for wrongful gain in relation to public examinations.
      2. Persons committing an organised crime will be punished with imprisonment between 5-10 years, and a fine of at least 1 crore rupees.
      3. If an institution is held guilty of committing an organised crime, its property will be attached and forfeited, and proportionate cost of exam will also be recovered from it.
    5. All offences under the Bill will be cognisable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable.
      1. An officer not below the rank Deputy Superintendent or Assistant Commissioner of Police will investigate the offences under the Act.
      2. Central Govt may transfer the investigation to any central investigating agency.
  3. Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill 2024 -
    1. Bill amends 3 laws applicable in erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) - J&K Panchayati Raj Act 1989, J&K Municipal Act 2000 and J&K Municipal Corporation Act 2000.
    2. Reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) -
      1. Under the 3 Acts, seats in certain institutions in J&K are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). Institutions are panchayats, municipalities, municipal corporations, block development councils and district development councils.
      2. Reserved seats are proportional to the population of these groups in the area covered by the respective institution. One-third of such seats are reserved for women.
      3. Bill extends reservation to OBCs as well. OBCs are groups notified as weak and under-privileged by Government of UT of J&K.
    3. Mandate of State Election Commission -
      1. Currently, under J&K Panchayati Raj Act 1989, State Election Commission in J&K prepares electoral rolls and conducts elections for panchayats, block development councils and district development councils. These responsibilities are discharged by Chief Electoral Officer in case of municipalities and municipal corporations.
      2. Bill designates said election-related responsibilities to State Election Commission for all mentioned institutions.
    4. Terms of Service of a State Election Commissioner -
      1. J&K Panchayati Raj Act 1989 states that State Election Commissioner will be ineligible for appointment / re-appointment to any state or central govt office in India. Bill removes this provision.
      2. The Act states that salary of a State Election Commissioner will be prescribed. Bill amends this to provide that salary and other conditions of service will be determined by Lieutenant Governor (LG) of J&K by Rules.
      3. Act states that State Election Commissioner can only be removed from his office through an order passed by Lieutenant Governor. Bill amends this to provide that a State Election Commissioner can only be removed in the same manner and on the same grounds as a High Court judge.
    5. Under J&K Panchayati Raj Act 1989, a person can be removed from electoral list if he is below 18 years of age or declared to be of unsound mind. Bill allows State Election Commission to provide additional grounds for removal of a person from the electoral roll.
  4. Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill 2024 -
    1. Bill seeks to amend Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order 1950, in relation to Andhra Pradesh. The Order lists tribes deemed to be Scheduled Tribes in states/UTs.
    2. Bill adds following to list of Scheduled Tribes in Andhra Pradesh - Bondo Porja, Khond Porja, and Konda Savaras.
  5. Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Amendment) Bill 2024 -
    1. Bill amends Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 and Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order 1950, to modify list of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Odisha.
    2. Bill adds following communities to list of STs in Odisha - Muka Dora, Mooka Dora, Nuka Dora, Nooka Dora, and Konda Reddy, Konda Reddi.
    3. Bill removes Tamadia and Tamudia communities from list of SCs in Odisha, and instead adds them to the list of Scheduled Tribes.
    4. Bill also adds synonyms or phonetic variations for certain communities in list of STs in Odisha.
  6. Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill 2023 -
    1. Bill amends Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order 1956. The Order lists castes deemed to be SC in UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
    2. Bill adds Valmiki community as a synonym of Chura, Balmiki, Bhangi, and Mehtar communities. The synonym will apply only in UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
  7. Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill 2023 -
    1. It amends Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order 1989, to create separate lists for ST for UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
    2. Bill also adds 4 communities to list of ST in Jammu and Kashmir- Gadda Brahmin, Koli, Paddari Tribe, and Pahari Ethnic Group.
  8. The Finance Bill 2024 - Gives effect to tax proposals of the central government for the year 2024-25.
  9. The Appropriation (Vote on Account) Bill 2024 - Authorises expenditure from Consolidated Fund of India for the part of the financial year 2024-25.
  10. The Appropriation Bill 2024 - Authorises additional expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of India for the financial year 2023-24.
  11. The Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation Bill 2024 - Authorises additional expenditure from Consolidated Fund of UT of Jammu and Kashmir for financial year 2023-24.
  12. The Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation (No.2) Bill 2024 - Authorises expenditure from Consolidated Fund of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir for part of the FY 2024-25.
Feb 11 is observed by UN as International Day of Women and Girls in Science, with 2024 Theme Women in Science Leadership: A New Era for Sustainability.
1. On this occasion -
  1. Ajay Kumar Sood (Principal Scientific Advisor to govt of India) launched Science for Women-A Technology & Innovation (SWATI) Portal, as a unified portal representing Indian Women and Girls in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Medicine). It will be maintained by National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR).
2. Feb 11 is also observed as World Unani Day, to mark birth anniversary of India's noted Unani scholar and social reformer Hakim Ajmal Khan. He was one of the founders of the Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi.
2024 ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup (15th edition, hosted in South Africa) -
1. Australia won the title (their 4th), defeating India in Final.
2. Player of the series - Kwena Maphaka (South Africa)
Govt approved 8.25 % rate of interest to EPF (Emplopyee Provident Fund) subscribers for FY24 (2023-24), highest in 3 years.
1. EPF interest rates were 8.1 % in FY22 (2021-22) and 8.15 % in FY23 (2022-23).
Alexander Stubb has been elected as new Presidet of Finland.
1. Notably, He is a former Prime Minister of Finland.
Maharashtra govt announced awardees for Maharashtra Bhushan award for 2023 & 2024.
1. 2023 - Noted Marathi and Hindi actor Ashok Saraf.
2. 2024 - Pradeep Mahajan (founder of StemRx Hospital and Research Centre), for his work in regenerative medicine.
3. About -
  1. Maharashtra Bhushan is highest civilian award presented annually by Maharashtra govt (since 1996), carrying 25 Lakh prize money.
PM Narendra Modi launched Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius via video conferencing, along with Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth.
1. RuPay card services were also launched in Mauritius.
Feb 12 is observed as National Productivity Day in India, with National Productivity Week observed between February 12-18 every year. It marks foundation day of National Productivity Council.
1. February 12 is also observed globally as Darwin Day, to commemorate birth anniversary of Charles Darwin (father of evolutionary biology).
2. Feb 12, 2024 is also 200th birth anniversary of noted social reformer Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati, who founded Arya Samaj, a reform movement of Vedic dharma.
  1. Notably, on 12th Feb 2023, PM Narendra Modi had inaugurated year long celebrations commemorating 200th birth anniversary of Shri Dayanand Saraswati.
Odisha govt hiked monthly pension amounts under Madhu Babu Pension Yojana, to provide relief to approx 37 lakh beneficiaries of social security schemes in state.
1. New monthly amounts are set at 1000 for individuals aged up to 79 and 1200 for those aged 80 and above.
2. MBPY was introduced in 2008, to provide financial assistance to destitute, elderly, and disabled individuals in state.
Odisha govt named Gupteswar Forest as 4th Biodiversity-Heritage Site in state.
1. Spread over 350 hectares, it lies adjacent to Gupteswar Shiva temple in Odisha's Koraput district.
NITI Aayog launched Greening and Restoration of Wasteland with Agroforestry (GROW) report and portal, providing state/district wise analysis, for supporting govt / industries in greening and restoration projects.
1. Using remote sensing and GIS to assess agroforestry suitability across all districts, an Agroforestry Suitability Index (ASI) was developed for national-level prioritization.
2. Currently, agroforestry covers 8.65% of India's total geographical area, totalling 28.42 million hectares.
3. GROW initiative aligns with national commitments, aiming to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030 and create an additional carbon sink of 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
Feb 13 is observed by UNESCO as World Radio Day.
Feb 13 is observed as National Women's Day in India, marking birth anniversary of Sarojini Naidu. She is known as sobriquet Nightingale of India (Bharat Kokila). She was born on February 13, 1879.
1. After India's independence in 1947, She was appointed as governor of the United Provinces (present-day Uttar Pradesh), making her India's first female governor.
2. She also became second woman President of Indian National Congress in 1925 (First was Annie Besant).
3. Her daughter, Padmaja Naidu, is longest-serving female governor in India, with 11-year tenure in West Bengal.
2024 Chennai Open Challenger Men's Tennis -
1. Singles - Sumit Nagal (India)
  1. With this, Sumit Nagal made his ATP top 100 debut, becoming 10th Indian to be ranked inside top 100 in ATP singles rankings.
2. Doubles - India's Saketh Myneni & Ramkumar Ramanathan
Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying Minister Parshottam Rupala launched realigned AHIDF (Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund), to be implemented for another 3 years.
1. Notably, Cabinet had earlier Approved continuation of Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF), to be implemented under Infrastructure Development Fund (IDF) with outlay of 29610 crores for another three years up to 2025-26.
  1. It will incentivize investments for Dairy/Meat processing and product diversification, Animal Feed Plant, Breed multiplication farm, Animal Waste to Wealth Management and Veterinary vaccine and drug production facilities.
  2. Govt will provide 3% interest subvention for 8 years (including 2 years of moratorium) for loan up to 90% from scheduled bank and National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), NABARD and NDDB.
  3. Govt will also provide credit guarantee to MSME and Dairy Cooperatives up to 25% of credit borrowed from Credit Guarantee Fund of 750 crores.
To address issue of promotional/unsolicited commercial calls received by consumers, Department of Consumer Affairs constituted a committee, headed by Rohit Kumar Singh (Secretary, DoCA).
Notable Points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to UAE & Qatar -
1. UAE -
  1. Inaugurated BAPS Temple in Abu Dhabi, as UAE’s first Hindu temple. It has been built by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.
    1. In 2019, UAE govt gifted 27 acres of land for construction of the temple.
    2. It has been constructed from pink sandstone from northern Rajasthan and marble from Italy.
  2. Attended World Government Summit 2024 in Dubai, as Guest of Honour.
    1. WGS is annual global gathering held in Dubai since 2013, to discuss ways to tackle pressing global issues. 2024 theme is Shaping the Future Governments.
    2. India, Türkiye, and Qatar were named guests of honor at the summit.
    3. During the summit -
      1. World’s 1st air taxi service was unveiled in Dubai, centered around electric-powered Joby Aviation S4 aircraft.
      2. India was honoured with 9th GovTech Prize, for India’s iRASTE project, that utilizes artificial intelligence to transform road safety.
  3. Attended honorary event AHLAN MODI at Zayed Sports City stadium in Abu Dhabi.
  4. Laid foundation stone of Bharat Mart in Dubai, to be built by DP World.
    1. Bharat Mart aims to promote exports of Indian MSMEs, by enabling them to reach out to international buyers in Gulf, West Asia, Africa, and Eurasia.
  5. Virtually addressed International Energy Agency's Ministerial Meeting (also marking 50th IEA Anniversary), hosted in Paris.
  6. Agreements signed during visit -
    1. Bilateral Investment Treaty - A key enabler for further promoting investments in both countries. Notably, India earlier signed Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with UAE.
    2. Inter-governmental Framework Agreement concerning Cooperation for Empowerment and Operation of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor.
    3. Cooperation Protocol between National Library and Archives of UAE and National Archives of India.
    4. MOUs -
      1. Cooperation in field of electricity interconnection and trade, Digital Infrastructure Projects.
      2. Development of National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal (Gujarat).
      3. Interlinking of instant payment platforms - UPI (India) and AANI (UAE)
      4. Inter-linking domestic debit/credit cards - RuPay (India) with JAYWAN (UAE)
        UAE's domestic card, JAYWAN, has been built upon digital RuPay credit and debit card framework.
2. Qatar -
  1. This was PM Narendra Modi's 2nd visit to Qatar (after 1st in June 2016).
  2. Qatar announced releasing 8 former Indian naval officers, who were earlier handed over death sentence, on charges of spying for Israel.
Book Maha Swaapnikudu (A Great Visionary) authored by P Vikram has been released, based on career of former Andhra CM N Chandrababu Naidu.
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) named Ajay Kumar Choudhary as its new non-executive chairman.
Sikkim govt announced restoration of Old Pension System, for state govt employees appointed on or after April 1, 2006. It makes Sikkim first North-eastern state to restore OPS.
1. Other than Sikkim, OPS has been restored earlier in Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Punjab.
Telangana Govt announced to introduce internet as a basic right, to make it accessible to everyone.
1. State govt will also develop an AI City, on 50-100 acres of land.
Tamil Nadu govt launched Smart Cards for startups, offering products and services at subsidised rates, specially tailored to meet needs of early-stage startups.
Department of Telecommunications (DoT) unveiled Sangam: Digital Twin initiative, aimed at creating virtual replicas of physical assets, allowing for real-time monitoring, simulation and analysis for experimental iterations.
1. It aims at a collaborative leap towards reshaping infrastructure planning and design, combining prowess of new age computational technologies with collective intelligence of public entities, infrastructure planners, tech giants, startups, and academia.
PM Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated 2 notable Solar Projects in Bikaner district of Rajasthan -
1. Inaugurated 300 MW Nokhra Solar Project of NTPC Green Energy Ltd. It will ensure green power to state of Telangana.
2. Laid foundation stone of 300 MW Barsingsar Solar Power Plant of NLC India Limited.
Assam govt officially declared kaji nemu (Citrus limon), a variety of lemon unique to the region, as the State Fruit.
Supreme Court ruled electoral bonds scheme as unconstitutional, citing it as arbitrary and violative of the Constitution.
1. The scheme was notified in Jan 2018. It provided blanket anonymity to political donors, and several legal amendments allowed rich corporations to make unlimited political donations.
2. Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dr D Y Chandrachud stated that the scheme, and preceding amendments made to Representation of the People Act, the Companies Act, and Income Tax Act, violated the voters’ right to information about political funding under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.
3. SC ordered State of Bank of India to stop issuance of electoral bonds herewith.
Inflation and Trade Data for January 2024 -
1. Inflation -
  1. Wholesale price Index (WPI) based (wholesale inflation) -
    1. WPI based inflation decreased to .27 % in January 2024.
    2. WPI Inflation in last 12 months -
      1. December 2023 - 0.73 %
      2. November 2023 - 0.26 %
      3. October 2023 - (-) 0.52 % (Negative)
      4. September 2023 - (-) 0.26 % (Negative)
      5. August 2023 - (-) 0.52 % (Negative)
      6. July 2023 - (-) 1.36 % (Negative)
      7. June 2023 - (-) 4.12 % (Negative) (lowest in 8 years)
      8. May 2023 - (-) 3.48 % (Negative)
      9. April 2023 - (-) 0.92 % (Negative)
      10. March 2023 - 1.34 %
      11. February 2023 - 3.85 %
      12. January 2023 - 4.73 %
  2. Consumer Price Index (CPI) Based (retail inflation) -
    1. CPI-based inflation rate for January 2024 decreased to 5.1 %.
    2. CPI Inflation in Last 12 Months -
      1. December 2023 - 5.69 %
      2. November 2023 - 5.55 %
      3. October 2023 - 4.87 %
      4. September 2023 - 5.02 %
      5. August 2023 - 6.83 %
      6. July 2023 - 7.44 % (15 Month High)
      7. June 2023 - 4.81 %
      8. May 2023 - 4.25 % (25 Month Low)
      9. April 2023 - 4.7 %
      10. March 2023 - 5.66 %
      11. February 2023 - 6.44 %
      12. January 2023 - 6.52 %
2. Trade -
Notable points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Rewari (Haryana) -
1. Laid foundation stone of Gurugram Metro Rail project, to be developed at cost 5450 crores.
  1. With length of 28.5 Kms, it will connect Millennium City Centre to Udyog Vihar Phase-5 and merge in existing metro network of Rapid Metro Rail Gurugram at Moulsari Avenue. It will also have a spur at Dwarka Expressway.
2. Laid foundation stone of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rewari, to be developed at village Majra Mustil Bhalkhi, under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
  1. Notably, 20 AIIMS are Currently operational across India, while 5 others are expected to become operational by 2025.
3. Inaugurated newly built Anubhav Kendra Jyotisar at Kurukshetra, as an experiential museum that will vividly bring epic narrative of the Mahabharata and teachings of the Gita to life.
  1. Jyotisar, Kurukshetra is the sacred site where Lord Shri Krishna imparted the eternal wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna.
Germany surpassed Japan as 3rd largest economy, with a GDP of $4.5 trillion (compared to Japan's $4.2 trillion).
1. Top 5 - US ($25.5 trillion), China ($18 trillion), Germany (S4.5 trillion), Japan ($4.2 trillion), India ($3.42 trillion).
2. Notably, IMF stated that India will become 3rd largest by 2027, by surpassing Japan in 2026 and Germany in 2027.
Haryana govt launched Van Mitra scheme, which aims to empower local communities to play an active role in expanding state's green cover, thereby enhancing the survival rate of newly planted trees and promoting planting of trees outside traditional forest zones.
1. The scheme extends an invitation to members of families with annual income under 1.80 lakh, to participate in this green initiative.
2. It allows each Van Mitra to plant up to 1000 saplings, offering a structured incentive program that rewards care and growth of these plants over time.
Prabowo Subianto has been elected as new president of Indonesia (South East Asia).
Uttar Pradesh Govt increased grant given in 6 categories on birth of a girl child, under Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana, from ₹15000 to ₹25000.
1. Rs 5000 to be given at time of birth (earlier 2000).
2. Rs 2000 for completion of all vaccinations in one year (earlier 1000).
3. Rs 3000 on admission to first class (earlier 2000).
4. Rs 3000 on admission to 6th class (earlier 2000).
5. Rs 5000 on admission to 9th class.
6. Rs 7000 on enrollment in at least two-year diploma course or graduate degree.
Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted biennial Exercise Vayu Shakti-24 at Pokhran Air to Ground Range (Rajasthan).
1. Notably, SAMAR (Surface-to-Air Missile for Assured Retaliation) air defense missile system of Indian Air Force was demonstrated for the first time during Vayu Shakti-24.
ISRO launched Satellite INSAT-3DS, onboard launch vehicle GSLV-F14, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh).
1. INSAT-3DS will augment India's meteorological services, with presently operational INSAT-3D and INSAT-3DR in-orbit satellites.
Feb 17 is observed by UN as Global Tourism Resilience Day, observed since 2023.
As per report by Delhi-based think tank Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICSSR), India is now 3rd largest digitalised country, after US & China.
1. Also, UK & Germany acquired 4th and 5th places.
Lebanon's Nawaf Salam has been elected as president of Hague (The Netherlands) based International Court of Justice (ICJ), succeeding US Judge Joan Donoghue.
2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships (Malaysia) -
1. India women's team won Gold, while Thailand won silver.
2. Men's Gold was won by China, while Malaysia won silver.
Kerala Govt conferred Swaraj Trophy awards for 2022-23, honoring best performing district panchayat, block panchayat and municipalities across state.
1. Notably, Thiruvananthapuram district panchayat was named best district panchayat, followed by Kollam.

2024 World Aquatics Championships (Doha, Qatar) -

Medal Table -

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	China	23	8	2	33
2	United States	9	6	8	23
3	Australia	7	12	5	24
4	Netherlands	5	4	0	9
5	Great Britain	4	5	9	18

India did not win any medal at the events.

MSME Minister Narayan Rane launched a special scheme for informal micro enterprises (IMEs), which are exempted from Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, to access collateral-free loans up to Rs 20 lakh under government’s Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE).
1. Under this, up to 85 % guarantee cover will be provided to lenders for unsecured loans up to Rs 20 lakh to IMEs registered on the Udyam portal.
US House of Representatives (lower house of the US Congress) passed the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) bill, which instructs US Govt to establish a Quad Intra-Parliamentary Working Group, to facilitate closer cooperation between Quad Nations (US, Australia, India and Japan).
ISRO announced 4th edition of its special programme for School Children called YUva VIgyani KAryakram (YUVIKA), to impart basic knowledge on Space Science, Space Technology and Space Applications to the younger students.
1. Students studying in Class 9 as on January 1, 2024, are eligible to apply for ISRO Young Scientist Programme (YUVIKA).
2. YUVIKA 2024 will run as a two-week program between May 13-24, 2024.
Feb 19 is Birth anniversary of Great Maratha Warrior King Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (Born 19 February 1630), who belonged to Bhonsle Maratha clan, with roots from Sisodia Dynasty of Mewar. Shivaji carved out an enclave from declining Adilshahi sultanate of Bijapur that formed genesis of Maratha Empire.
1. Feb 19 is also observed as Soil Health Card Day. On Feb 19 in 2015, PM Narendra Modi launched Soil Health Card Scheme at Suratgarh in Rajasthan. It aims at issuing soil health cards to farmers every two years so as to provide a basis to address nutritional deficiencies in soil.
Japan's 1000 year old traditional festival Sominsai concluded its final celebration, as a revered event held at the Kokuseki Temple.
Noted Hindu spritual leader Shri Rambhadracharya (Sanskrit) & Lyricist Gulzar (Urdu) have been jointly named winners of 58th Jnanpith Award (for 2023).
1. Jnanpith Awards, India’s highest literary honour is bestowed on writers for their outstanding contribution to the Literature. It includes cash prize of 11 lakh.
Book Dabbling in Diplomacy: Authorised & Otherwise, Recollections of a Non-Career Diplomat by S D Muni has been released.
ICICI Bank named Pradeep Kumar Sinha as its Non-Executive Part-time Chairman, succeeding G C Chaturvedi.
Odisha Govt launched Swayam Yojana, that provides interest-free loans of up to Rs 1 lakh to young people aged between 18-35 years, to help them start businesses in rural areas.
As per Data from Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) -
1. Karnataka has most number of public charging stations (5059), followed by Maharashtra (3079), Delhi (1886) & Kerala (958).
Feb 20 is statehood day of northeastern states of Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.
1. Arunachal Pradesh became a state on 20th February 1987.
2. Mizoram was formed on 20th February 1987 (earlier part of Assam).
Feb 20 is observed by UN as World Day of Social Justice.
Tamil Nadu Assembly adopted two resolutions that challenge Central govt’s proposals on One Nation, One Election and post-2026 delimitation process.
1. About -
  1. One nation One election means electing members of Central Govt / State Govts in a single election process.
    1. Earlier in Sep 2023, Law Ministry had constituted One Nation One Election committee, headed by Ram Nath Kovind (former President of India) as chairman and seven other members.
      1. Members included Amit Shah (Home Minister), Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (INC Leader), Ghulam Nabi Azad (Former J&K CM), NK Singh (Chairperson of 15th Finance Commission), Subhash C. Kashyap (former Secretary-General of Lok Sabha), Harish Salve (Former Solicitor General) and Sanjay Kothari (Former Central Vigilance Commissioner).
      2. Committee will examine and recommend specific amendments to the Constitution and any other laws which would require amendments for purpose of holding simultaneous elections for Central / State Govts.
  2. Delimitation of constituencies for Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies is to be carried out on the basis of the first Census after 2026.
    1. Delimitation means fixing number of seats and boundaries of territorial constituencies in each State for Lok Sabha and Legislative assemblies, after each census. It also includes determining seats to be reserved for SC/ST in these houses. It is stated under Article 82 and 170 of Constitution.
    2. Background -
      1. Such exercises were carried out after 1951, 1961 and 1971 Census. Notably, 2021 Census was originally postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic.
      2. Govt had suspended delimitation in 1976 until after 2001 census, so that states' family planning programs would not affect their political representation in Lok Sabha. This led to wide discrepancies in size of constituencies, with largest having over three million electors, and smallest less than 50000.
General News / Events (Feb 11-20, 2024) -
1. Culture Ministry's Regional Centre of Sangeet Natak Akademi in Hyderabad has been inaugurated, to be known as Dakshin Bharat Sanskritik kendra.
  1. Foundation stone for Bharata Kala Mandapam auditorium was also laid.
2. Food Processing Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras inauguratied SUFALAM: Start-Up Forum for Aspiring Leaders and Mentors Startup Conclave 2024, in New Delhi.
3. PM Narendra Modi laid foundation stone of Shri Kalki Dham Temple in Sambhal district (Uttar Pradesh).
4. Annual Aadi Mahotsav – National Tribal Festival held in New Delh.
5. National Conference on Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission (G) held in Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh).
6. India's first Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) has been launched in Uttarakhand, to be stationed at AIIMS Rishikesh. It will airlift accident victims within 150 km to the medical facility.
7. New Delhi World Book Fair 2024 held at Pragati Maidan (New Delhi) with theme Multilingual India: A Living Tradition and Saudi Arabia as Guest Country.
8. Ruchira Kamboj (India's Permanent Representative to United Nations) chaired 62nd session of UN Commission for Social Development, at UN headquarters in New York (USA).
  1. Earlier, India was elected as Chair of UN Commission for Social Development, that serves as a vital platform to enhance international cooperation on social development matters.
9. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), through National Institute of Electronics and IT (NIELIT) hosted 1st FutureSkills Summit in Guwahati (Assam), to deliberate on strategies for Shaping the Future of Talent in India.
  1. Notably, Under expanded Digital India programme, 6.25 lakh IT professionals are to be re-skilled and up-skilled under FutureSkills Prime Programme.
2024 Argentina Open Men's Tennis -
1. Singles - Facundo Díaz Acosta (Argentina)
2. Doubles - Italy's Simone Bolelli & Andrea Vavassor
Feb 21 is observed by UN as International Mother Language Day.
INDUS-X Summit has been organized in New Delhi, by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) under Ministry of Defence.
1. India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) was launched in June 2023 during State Visit of PM Narendra Modi to US. It aims to enhance collaboration between India and US in defence innovation.
77th British Academy Film Awards 2024 (BAFTA) Winners -
1. Best Film - Oppenheimer
2. Best Director - Christopher Nolan (for Oppenheimer)
3. Best Actor - Cillian Murphy (for Oppenheimer)
4. Best Actress - Emma Stone (for Poor Things)
5. Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Robert Downey Jr. (for Oppenheimer)
6. Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Da'Vine Joy Randolph (for The Holdovers)
7. Best Animated Film - The Boy and the Heron
8. Outstanding British Film - The Zone of Interest
9. Best Film (Other than English) - The Zone of Interest
10. Facts -
  1. Oppenheimer received most nominations (13) and won most awards (7).

Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival 2024 Awardees -

Category	Winner
Best Film	Jawan
Best Actor	Shah Rukh Khan (Jawan)
Best Actress	Rani Mukerji (Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway)
Best Director	Sandeep Reddy Vanga (Animal)
Best Actor In A Supporting Role	Anil Kapoor (Animal)
Best Actress In A Supporting Role	Dimple Kapadia (Pathaan)
Best Playback Singer (Male)	Varun Jain and Sachin Jigar (Tere Vaste)
Best Playback Singer (Female)	Shilpa Rao (Besharam Rang)
Outstanding Contribution in Film Industry	Moushumi Chatterjee
Outstanding Contribution in Music Industry	KJ Yesudas
Best Web Series	Farzi
Best Music Director	Anirudh Ravichander (Jawan)
Best Lyricist	Javed Akhtar (Nikle The Kabhi Hum Ghar Se from Dunki)
Best International Feature Film	Oppenheimer

Notably, Concerned Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival awards are different from Dadasaheb Phalke Award, which is India's highest award in field of cinema and is presented annually at National Film Awards ceremony by Directorate of Film Festivals (Ministry of Information and Broadcasting).

Cabinet Approvals (Feb 21, 2024) -
1. CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs) Approvals -
  1. Approved Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of Sugarcane for Sugar Season 2024-25 at Rs 340/quintal (8% higher than last year), with basic recovery rate of 10.25%.
    1. With each increase of recovery by 0.1%, farmers will get additional price of ₹ 3.32 while the same amount will be deducted on reduction of recovery by 0.1%. However, ₹ 315.10/quintal is minimum price of sugarcane which is at recovery of 9.5%. Even if sugar recovery is lesser, farmers are assured of FRP @ ₹ 315.10/quintal.
2. General -
  1. Approved continuation of centrally sponsored Scheme Flood Management and Border Areas Programme (FMBAP) for 15th Finance Commission period (2021-22 to 2025-26), with outlay of 4100 crores. Components include -
    1. Under Flood Management Programme (FMP) component, 2940 crores will be provided to State govts for critical works related to flood control, anti-erosion, drainage development and anti-sea erosion, etc. Pattern of funding will be 90% (Centre) : 10% (State) for Special Category States (NE and Hilly States) and 60% (Centre) :40% (State) for other States.
    2. Under River Management and Border Areas (RMBA) component, 1160 crores will be used for taking up flood control and anti-erosion works on common border rivers with neighbouring countries.
  2. Approved amendment in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy on space sector, which divides satellites sub-sector into 3 different activities with defined limits for foreign investment in each such sector.
    1. Under amended FDI policy, 100% FDI is allowed in space sector. Liberalized entry routes under amended policy are aimed to attract potential investors to invest in Indian companies in space.
    2. Entry route for the various activities under the amended policy are as follows -
      1. Upto 74% under Automatic route : Satellites-Manufacturing & Operation, Satellite Data Products and Ground Segment & User Segment. Beyond 74% these activities are under government route.
      2. Upto 49% under Automatic route : Launch Vehicles and associated systems or subsystems, Creation of Spaceports for launching and receiving Spacecraft. Beyond 49% these activities are under government route.
      3. Upto 100% under Automatic route : Manufacturing of components and systems/ sub-systems for satellites, ground segment and user segment.
  3. Approved further modification of National Livestock Mission by including additional activities -
    1. Establishment of entrepreneurship for horse donkey, mule, camel with 50% capital subsidy up to 50 lakhs will be provided. Also, state govts will be assisted for breed conservation of horse, donkey and camel. Central govt will provide 10 cr. for establishment of semen station and nucleus breeding farm for horse, donkey and camel.
    2. Establishment of entrepreneurs for Fodder seed processing Infrastructure with 50% capital subsidy up to 50 lakhs.
    3. For increasing fodder cultivation areas, state govt will be assisted.
    4. Livestock Insurance programme has been simplified.
      1. Beneficiary share of the premium for farmers has been reduced and it will be 15% as against current beneficiary share of 20%,30%, 40% and 50%.
      2. Remaining amount of premium will be shared by Centre and State (60:40 for all states and 90:10 for hilly/NE States).
      3. Number of animals to be insured has also been increased to 10 cattle unit instead of 5 cattle unit for cattle sheep and goat.
  4. Approved continuation of implementation of Umbrella Scheme on Safety of Women, at cost 1178 crores during period 2021-22 to 2025-26.
    1. 886 crores will be provided by MHA from its own budget and 294 crores will be funded from Nirbhaya Fund.

Khelo India Winter Games 2024 (4th edition) -

Medal Table -

Rank		Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Army	10	5	6	21
2	Karnataka	9	2	0	11
3	Maharashtra	7	8	7	22
4	Himachal Pradesh	4	3	9	16
5	Uttarakhand	3	3	1	7

Notably -
1. Games were conducted in two phases - 1st in Leh (Ladakh) & 2nd in Gulmarg (Jammu and Kashmir). Snow leopard named Sheen-e She was mascot of the games.
2. A new Khelo India Centre of Excellence has been announced in UT of Ladakh. It will serve 3 sports - athletics, archery and boxing.

Feb 22 is observed globally as Scouts' Day or Guides' Day. It marks birthday of Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scout Movement.
7th Astra Film Awards (Earlier called Hollywood Critics Association Film Awards) -
1. Notable awardees -
  1. Best Film - Barbie
  2. Best Director - Christopher Nolan (for Oppenheimer)
  3. Best Actor - Paul Giamatti (for The Holdovers)
  4. Best Actress - Lily Gladstone (for Killers of the Flower Moon)
  5. Best Supporting Actor - Ryan Gosling (for Barbie)
  6. Best Supporting Actress - Da'Vine Joy Randolph (for The Holdovers)
2024 Qatar Open Men's Tennis -
1. Singles - Karen Khachanov (Russia)
  1. Notably, Russian Athletes have to participate as independent athletes, as Russia has been suspended from most sports federations due to war in Ukraine.
2. Doubles - Jamie Murray (UK) & Michael Venus (New Zealand)
9th Edition of Raisina Dialogue, India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geo-strategy, held in New Delhi.
1. Kyriakos Mitsotakis (Prime Minister of Greece) was chief guest at the event, held with theme Chaturanga: Conflict, Contest, Cooperate, Create.
2. Notably, Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen also attended the event.
Notable Points from PM Narendra Modi's Visit to Uttar Pradesh & Gujarat -
1. Gujarat -
  1. At Navsari, Initiated work for construction of PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Park in Navsari.
    1. Govt had earlier approved 7 sites for PM MITRA Parks - Tamil Nadu (Virudhnagar), Telangana (Warangal), Gujarat (Navsari), Karnataka (Kalaburagi), Madhya Pradesh (Dhar), Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow) & Maharashtra (Amravati).
  2. At Dwarka, Launched Sudarshan Setu connecting Okha mainland and Beyt Dwarka island, as longest Cable-stayed bridge in India (2.32 Km length).
  3. At Rajkot, Dedicate to the nation 5 All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Rajkot (Gujarat), Bathinda (Punjab), Raebareli (Uttar Pradesh), Kalyani (West Bengal) and Mangalagiri (Andhra Pradesh).
  4. Launched 2 new Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) at Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS) Unit 3 and Unit 4, Built by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) at cost 22500 crores.
    1. KAPS-3 and KAPS-4 have cumulative capacity of 1400 (700*2) MW and are the largest indigenous PHWRs.
    2. These reactors will produce 10.4 billion units of clean electricity per year.
  5. Through video conferencing -
    1. Inaugurated National Institute of Naturopathy named ‘Nisarg Gram’ at Pune (Maharashtra).
    2. Launcheed Stage-I (2x800 MW) of NTPC’s Lara Super Thermal Power Station and laid foundation stone of Stage-II (2x800 MW), in Raigarh district of Chhattisgarh.
2. Uttar Pradesh -
  1. Laid foundation stone of -
    1. National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Varanasi, as 19th NIFT in India.
    2. National Centre of Ageing at BHU Varanasi, as 3rd NCA in India.
President named Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar as chairperson of Lokpal.
1. 6 new members have also been named in Lokpal -
  1. Judicial Members - Lingappa Narayana Swamy, Sanjay Yadav & Ritu Raj Awasthi
  2. Non-Judicial Members - Sushil Chandra, Pankaj Kumar & Ajay Tirkey
2. Notably, as per The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013, Lokpal consists of one Chairperson and a maximum of 8 other members.
5 Lok Sabha MPs (Members of Parliament) have been named winners of Sansad Ratna Awards 2024 -
1. Sukanta Majumdar (BJP, West Bengal)
2. Kuldeep Rai Sharma (INC, Andaman and Nicobar Islands)
3. Sudhir Gupta (BJP, Madhya Pradesh)
4. Amol Ramsing Kolhe (NCP, Maharashtra)
5. Shrikant Shinde (Shiv Sena, Maharashtra)
6. About -
  1. Sansad Ratna Awards are presented annually to top-performing parliamentarians. The awards were set up by Chennai-based non-profit charitable trust Prime Point Foundation on the suggestion of former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam.
PM Narendra Modi launched multiple key initiatives for Cooperative sector at Bharat Mandapam (New Delhi) -
1. Inaugurated pilot project of World's Largest Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative Sector’, which is being done in 11 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) of 11 States.
2. Inaugurated project for computerization of 18000 PACS across country.
  1. Notably, govt aims to digitize all 65000 PACS across country by August 2024.
3. Laid foundation stone for additional 500 PACS across country for construction of godowns & other agri infrastructure under this initiative.
PM Narendra Modi laid foundation stone for redevelopment of 553 railway stations under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, to be redeveloped at over 19000 crores.
1. These stations will act as ‘City Centres’ integrating both sides of the city, with several modern passenger amenities.
2. Notably, foundation stone for Sikkim’s first railway station at Rangpo was also laid.
Feb 23 is observed as World Peace And Understanding Day, by UNESCO Body & Mind Wellness Club. This Day honours founding of Rotary International (established on Feb 23, 1905).
1. Notably, similar sounding International Day of Peace is observed by UN annually on Sep 21.
Feb 24 is observed in India as Central Excise Day. It commemorates legislation of Central Excise and Salt act, on 24 February in 1944.
1. Notably, Tamil Nadu govt observes birth anniversary of former CM Jayaram Jayalalithaa on February 24 as State Girl Child Protection Day.
An MOU has been signed Between International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology (iCreate), Microsoft and Ministry of Electronics & IT, to boost AI startups in India.
1. Under this, iMPEL-AI (iCreate-Microsoft programme for Emerging Leaders in Artificial Intelligence) program has been launched, to empower India’s AI Innovators to create solutions for India and World.
2. The program will screen 1100 AI innovators across India to become AI Most Valuable Players (MVPs) and focus on priority themes of Healthcare, Financial Inclusion, Sustainability, Education, Agriculture, and Smart Cities.
3. In 2nd stage, program will select and scale 100 startups across India to build with Azure OpenAI, and top 25 will receive go-to- market support from Microsoft’s Global Network to develop advanced, globally competitive products.
Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated India's first Skill India Centre in Sambalpur (Odisha), to upskill 1200 students by offering industry-specific courses.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar (Minister of State for Electronics and IT) launched Investor Information and Analytics Platform developed by IIT Madras, as a one-stop shop for startups to seamlessly access Venture Capitalists (VCs) and investors networks, Govt schemes and several other components of startup landscape for all stakeholders.
1. It has been developed in association with YNOS Venture Engine.
Japan committed Official Development Assistance loan of JPY 232 billion (1.5 Billion USD) for 9 projects in India in various sectors.
1. Notable Projects Include -
  1. Climate Change Response and ecosystem Services Enhancement in Rajasthan (USD 170 Million)
  2. Promoting Start-up and Innovation in Telangana (USD 150 Million)
  3. Improvement of Urban Water Supply System in Uttarakhand (USD 100 Million)
  4. Promoting Sustainable Horticulture in Haryana (Tranche I) (USD 100 Million)
  5. Establishment of the Medical College Hospital at Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Kohima (USD 65 Million)
Payments Firm PhonePe launched Indus Appstore as a made-in-India Android app marketplace, aiming to rival Google Play Store and Apple App Store. It hosts over 2 Lakh apps across 45 categories.
Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched Rashtriya Udyamita Vikas Pariyojana, Tailored specifically for beneficiaries of the PM SVANidhi scheme.
1. It will equip individuals with comprehensive entrepreneurship training for 22 weeks, with certificates to be awarded upon completion.
2. In pilot phase launched across 10 cities, the project will be implemented through 20 Centres of Noida based National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) and 10 Centres of Guwahati based Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE).
US Consulate Mumbai launched first-ever US-India Cyber Security Initiative, in partnership with Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA). It aims to boost IT ties between US and India, and further advance cyber security efforts.
As per Survey on household consumption expenditure for 2022-23, released by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementatio (MOSPI)'s National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) -
1. Average monthly per capita household consumption expenditure (MPCE) in rural India in 2022-23 was Rs 3773, and in urban India it was Rs 6459. It has more than doubled since 2011-12.
2. Among states, MPCE is highest in Sikkim for both rural and urban areas (Rural – 7731 and Urban – 12105). It is lowest in Chhattisgarh (Rural – 2466 and Urban – 4483).
3. Survey indicates that poverty across India has came down to 5 % of population.
Noted Author and Congress politician Shashi Tharoor has been honored with Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour), France’s highest civilian honour.
Environment Ministry released Status of Leopards in India report 2022 (5th cycle) -
1. It estimates leopard population in India to be 13874, up from 12852 in 2018 and 7910 in 2014.
2. Top 3 States with leopard population - Madhya Pradesh (3907), Maharashtra (1985), Karanataka (1879).
Maharashtra Cabinet approved a draft bill to extend 10 % reservation to Maratha community in both educational institutions and government jobs.
Malta (Southern Europe) became 119th member of India-led International Solar Alliance (ISA).
1. Gurugram (Haryana) based International Solar Alliance (ISA) is First India-based treaty-based international organisation.
2. It aims to promote solar power as a sustainable transition to a carbon-neutral future, and aims to unlock US$ 1 trillion of investments in solar by 2030.
Book Sculpted Stones: Mysteries of Mamallapuram, by Ashwin Prabhu has been released.
Arunachal Pradesh govt signed MoU with National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to establish state’s first Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF).
1. The new force comprising 336 personnel will be deployed across state's 3 tiger reserves at Namdapha, Kamlang, and Pakke.
Indian, Sri Lankan & The Maldives coast guards organized Dosti 16 exercise in Maldives, joined in by Bangladesh as an observer.
Feb 27 is observed as World NGO Day. Other observations on Feb 27 -
1. Feb 27 is also observed as Marathi Language Pride Day, observed since 2023. Note that similar sounding Marathi Language day is observed on May 1.
2. National-level public health initiative Right To Protein observes Protein Day on Feb 27, to raise awareness about health benefits of protein.
Govt appointed A S Rajeev as a Vigilance Commissioner in Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).
1. Notably, Central Vigilance Commission has 1 Central Vigilance Commissioner (currently Praveen Kumar Srivastava) and 2 Vigilance Commissioners (A S Rajeev & Arvinda Kumar).
Govt named new Chairman in several Public Secor Banks (PSBs) -
1. M R Kumar - Bank of India. He is former LIC Chairman.
2. Srinivasan Sridhar - Indian Overseas Bank.
3. Aravamudan Krishna Kumar - UCO Bank.
Indian economist Geeta Batra has been appointed as Director of Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) of World Bank’s Global Environment Facility (GEF).
Haryana govt launched Savera program, which aims at early detection and prevention of breast cancer in women. It has been Developed in collaboration with Medanta Foundation.
Reliance Foundation launched Vantara (Star of the Forest) programme, an umbrella initiative to focus on rescue, treatment, care and rehabilitation of injured, abused and threatened animals.
1. Spread over 3,000 acres within the Green Belt of Reliance’s Jamnagar Refinery Complex in Gujarat, Vantara aims to be one of the leading contributors to conservation efforts globally.
Book Basic Structure and Republic, written by Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai has been released.
Pankaj Kumar Chatterjee has been honored by Romain Rolland Book Prize 2024 for his translation of Jean-Daniel Baltassat’s Le Divan de Staline into Bengali as Staliner Divan.
1. The award was started in 2017, to honor best translation of a French title into any Indian language.
Notable Points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra -
1. Kerala -
  1. Inaugurated 3 notable space sector projects - PSLV Integration Facility at SDSC Sriharikota (Anhtra Pradesh), Semi-cryogenics Integrated Engine and stage Test facility at ISRO Propulsion Complex Mahendragiri (Tamil Nadu) and Trisonic Wind Tunnel at VSSC Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala).
    1. Notably, New PSLV Integration Facility (PIF) will help boos frequency of PSLV launches from 6 to 15 per year.
    2. On this occasion, PM Narendra Modi declared India’s plan to establish its own space station by 2035.
  2. Laid foundation stone for India's second spaceport at Kulasekharapattinam, a coastal village in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district.
    1. ISRO has operated Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh) as its primary launch site since 1971.
      1. Its location on Bay of Bengal provides a good launch corridor and ensures safety through rockets launched over the ocean. However, it is inefficient for smaller rockets carrying payloads to a polar orbit, since Sri Lanka is directly to South of Sriharikota.
      2. To avoid risk of flying over another country, payloads for polar orbits are launched towards East and follow a curved path to the South to avoid Sri Lanka's landmass, known as Dogleg maneuver.
    2. It utilizes significant fuel for smaller rockets, such as SSLV. To avoid this, ISRO is developing the Kulasekharapatnam Spaceport for launching payloads to polar orbits.
      1. Given its location, launches from Kulasekharapatnam can be launched directly South over the Indian Ocean without crossing any landmass for thousands of miles.
    3. On this occasion, Rohini Sounding Rocket RH200 was launched from newly established launch complex.
      1. RH200 rocket, developed by VSSC, has a long-standing reputation for reliability, with this launch marking its 1928th successful mission.
2. Tamil Nadu -
  1. In Madurai, launched 2 initiatives to uplift automotive MSMEs - TVS Open Mobility Platform and TVS Mobility-CII Centre of Excellence.
  2. Laid foundation stone of Outer Harbor Container Terminal at VO Chidambaranar Port.
  3. Launched India's first indigenous green hydrogen fuel cell inland waterway vessel under Harit Nauka initiative. The vessel is manufactured by Cochin Shipyard Limited.
3. Maharashtra -
  1. Launched Modi Awaas Gharkul Yojana for OBC category beneficiaries in Maharashtra, envisaging construction of 10 lakh houses upto FY 2025-26.
Indian Navy hosted 12th edition of biennial Multinational naval exercise MILAN at Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), with participation of over 50 countries. 2024 theme is Forging Naval Alliances for a Secure Maritime Future. It was held under aegis of Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command.
1. During MILAN 2024, International Maritime Seminar was also held.
Sangeet Natak Akademi honored 6 eminent personalities in field of performing arts as Akademi Fellows (Akademi Ratna), which is biggest honour conferred by Sangeet Natak Akademi, and is restricted to 40 at any given time. It comprises of prize money of Rs 3 Lakh.
1. The Akademi also selected -
  1. 92 artists for Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for 2022 & 2023. It comprises of prize money of Rs 1 Lakh.
  2. 80 young artists for Sangeet Natak Akademi Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for 2022 and 2023. It comprises of prize money of 25000.
Feb 28 is observed as National Science Day in India. 2024 Theme is Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat.
1. It commemorates discovery of ‘Raman Effect’ by Sir C V Raman for which he was awarded Nobel Prize in 1930. India designated 28 February as National Science Day (NSD) in 1986.
US Based firm Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lander touched down at Moon’s south polar region, making it United States’ first lunar landing since Apollo 17, as well as first successful commercial lunar landing mission.
Philippines became first Asian country (38th overall) to ratify Violence and Harassment Convention 2019 of International Labor Organization (ILO).
1. The convention addresses workplace violence and harassment comprehensively, marking a crucial step towards ensuring safe and respectful work environments globally.
As per report by Kaspersky, India is 80th most targeted country worldwide in cybercrime.
Outcomes of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Plenary Meet 2024 -
1. Removed Barbados, Gibraltar, Uganda and UAE from grey list, signaling significant progress in efforts made by these countries to combat illicit financial activities.
2. Added Kenya and Namibia from Grey List, makign them Jurisdictions to be put under increased monitoring.
3. FATF named Elisa de Anda Madrazo (Mexico) as new FATF President for 2 years term.
4. Notably, no changes were to FATF Black List (known as Call for action). Current Black list consists of Iran, North Korea & Myanmar.
Harish-Chandra Research Institute (Prayagraj) Professor Aditi Sen De has been selected for 33rd GD Birla Award for Scientific Research, by K K Birla Foundaton. She is the first woman to receive this award, conferred for her contributions to quantum technologies and physics.
1. Instituted in 1991 by K K Birla Foundation, this award recognises eminent Indian scientists below age of 50 years, for their outstanding contributions to science / technology. It carries cash prize of 5 lakh.
2. All Awards Institited by K K Birla Foundation in 1991 -
  1. Saraswati Samman - For literary work in any Indian language
  2. Vyas Samman - For prose/poetry work in Hindi
  3. Bihari Puraskar - For prose/poetry work in Hindi/Rajasthani, only authors from Rajasthan are eligible
  4. Shankar Puraskar - For a work in Hindi concerning Indian philosophy, culture and/or art.
  5. Vachaspati Puraskar - For any work in Sanskrit.
  6. G.D. Birla Award for Scientific Research
International IP Index (IP Index) released by US Chamber of Commerce -
1. Top 3 - US (1), UK (2), France (3)
2. India ranked 42nd in list.
3. Neighbors - China (24), Pakistan (52).
Govt formed an expert committee headed by Finance Secretary T V Somanathan, to make recommendations on uniform Know Your Customer (KYC) norms.
New Zealand repealed world-first law banning tobacco sales for future generations.
1. Set to take effect from July 2024, the toughest anti-tobacco rules in the world would have banned sales to those born after Jan 1, 2009.

Cabinet Approvals (Feb 29, 2024) -

General -

Approved proposal of Department of Fertilizers for fixing Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) rates for KHARIF Season 2024 (01-04-2024 to 30-09-2024) on Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers and inclusion of 3 new fertilizer grades under NBS scheme.
1. Tentative budgetary requirement for Kharif season 2024 would be 24420 crores.
Approved establishment of International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) with headquarters in India.
1. One-time budgetary support of 150 crores has been alloted, for 5 years (2023-24 to 2027-28).
2. IBCA will aim to boost International conservation efforts for protecting Seven big cats species including Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Puma, Jaguar and the Cheetah. Out of these, 5 are found in India - Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard and Cheetah.

Approved amendment of 2nd Schedule to Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act 195, for specifying rate of royalty in respect of 12 critical and strategic minerals - Beryllium, Cadmium, Cobalt, Gallium, Indium, Rhenium, Selenium, Tantalum, Tellurium, Titanium, Tungsten and Vanadium.

This completes rationalisation of royalty rates for all 24 critical and strategic minerals.
1. Earlier in Oct 2023, govt had notified royalty rate of 4 critical minerals - Glauconite, Potash, Molybdenum and Platinum Group of Minerals and of 3 critical minerals - Lithium, Niobium and Rare Earth Elements.
Recently, Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act 2023, had listed 24 critical and strategic minerals in Part D of First Schedule of MMDR Act.
1. The amendment provided that mining lease and composite licence of these 24 minerals shall be auctioned by Central govt.
2. Current cabinet approval for specification of rate of royalty will enable govt to auction blocks for these 12 minerals for the first time in country.

2nd Schedule of MMDR Act provides royalty rates for various minerals. It provides that royalty rate for minerals whose royalty rate is not specifically provided therein shall be 12% of Average Sale Price (ASP), which is considerably high as compared to other critical and strategic minerals. Thus, it is decided to specify a reasonable royalty rate as below -

Beryllium, Indium, Rhenium, Tellurium:	2% of the ASP of relevant metal chargeable on the relevant metal contained in the ore produced.
Cadmium, Cobalt, Gallium, Selenium, Tantalum (produced from ores other than Columbite-tantalite), Titanium (produced from ores other than occurring in Beach Sand Minerals): (i) Primary (ii) By-product	4% of the ASP of relevant metal chargeable on the relevant metal contained in the ore produced. 2% cent. of the ASP of relevant metal chargeable on the relevant by-product metal contained in the ore produced.
Tungsten:	3% of the ASP of Tungsten Trioxide (WO3) on contained WO3 per tonne of ore on pro rata basis.
Vanadium: (i) Primary (ii) By-product	4% of the ASP of Vanadium Pentoxide on contained V2O5 per tonne of ore on pro rata basis. 2% of the ASP of Vanadium Pentoxide on contained V2O5 per tonne of ore on pro rata basis.

Approved creation of one post at level of Scientist H (in pay level 15) as Director of National Institute of One Health (Nagpur) who will also serve as the Mission Director for multi-Ministerial and multi-sectoral National One Health Mission for integrated disease control and pandemic preparedness. It will have annual financial implications of 35.59 lakhs.
Approved PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana with outlay of 75021 crores for installing rooftop solar and providing free electricity up to 300 units every month for 1 Crore households.
1. The scheme provides Central Financial Assistance (CFA) of 60% of system cost for 2 kW systems and 40% of additional system cost for systems between 2 to 3 kW capacity. The CFA will be capped at 3 kW. At current benchmark prices, this will mean 30000 subsidy for 1 kW system, 60000 for 2 kW systems and 78000 for 3 kW systems or higher.
2. Households will be able to access collateral-free low-interest loan products of around 7% at present for installation of residential RTS systems up to 3 kW.
3. A Model Solar Village will be developed in each district of country to act as a role model for adoption of rooftop solar in rural areas.
4. The scheme provides a component for payment security for renewable energy service company (RESCO) based models as well as a fund for innovative projects in Rooftop Solar .
5. The scheme will result in addition of 30 GW of solar capacity through rooftop solar in residential sector, generating 1000 BUs of electricity and resulting in reduction of 720 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions over 25-year lifetime of rooftop systems.
6. Households can register themselves on https://pmsuryaghar.gov.in to avail benefits under the scheme.
Approved establishment of 3 semiconductor units under Development of Semiconductors and Display Manufacturing Ecosystems in India. All units will start construction within 100 days. Approved 3 semiconductor units are -
1. Semiconductor Fab with 50,000 wfsm capacity -
  1. Tata Electronics Private Limited will set up a semiconductor fab in partnership with Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (PSMC), Taiwan.
  2. This fab will be constructed in Dholera (Gujarat), with Investment of 91000 crores.
  3. Segments covered will be High performance compute chips with 28 nm technology, Power management chips for electric vehicles (EV), telecom, defence, automotive, consumer electronics, display, power electronics, etc.
2. Semiconductor ATMP unit in Assam -
  1. Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test Pvt Ltd will set up a semiconductor unit in Morigaon (Assam), with investment of 27000 crores.
  2. Segments covered will be Automotive, electric vehicles, consumer electronics, telecom, mobile phones, etc.
  3. Capacity will be 48 million per day.
3. Semiconductor ATMP unit for specialized chips -
  1. CG Power, in partnership with Renesas Electronics Corporation (Japan) and Stars Microelectronics (Thailand) will set up a semiconductor unit in Sanand (Gujarat), with investment of 7600 crores.
  2. Segments covered will be chips for consumer, industrial, automotive and power applications.
  3. Capacity will be 15 million per day.

Loans approved by ADB (Asian Development Bank) for India in Feb 2024 -
1. $200 million - To strengthen flood and riverbank erosion risk management along 650 km long main stem of Brahmaputra River in Assam.
2. $23 million - To enhance access to quality fintech education, research, and innovation at the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT).
Visits from India (Feb 2024) -
1. V. Muraleedharan (Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs) visited Brazil, to attend G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meet held in Rio de Janeiro (Under Brazil's G20 Presidency in 2024). Notably -
  1. India had earlier held G20 Prseidency in 2023.
  2. South Africa will hold G20 Presidency in 2025, and USA will hold it in 2026.
2. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Germany, to attend Munich Security Conference 2024.
3. Raksha Rajya Mantri Ajay Bhatt visited Saudi Arabia, to attend World Defence Show 2024 held in Riyadh.
Visits to india (Feb 2024) -
1. Hasan Mahmud - Foreign Minister of Bangladesh.
2. Mark Phillips - Prime Minister of Guyana (South America).
3. Pierre Schill - Chief of French Army.
4. David Proctor - New Zealand Navy Chief.
5. Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Thailand.
6. Kyriakos Mitsotakis - Prime Minister of Hellenic Republic (Greece).

State Govt Budgets FY25 (2024-25) -

Budget Summary (amount in Lakh crores) -

State	GSDP	Expenditure	Receipts
Assam	6,43,089	1,36,699	1,14,165
Bihar	9,76,000	2,56,333	2,27,238
Chhattisgarh	5,61,736	1,47,441	1,26,050
Delhi	10,14,000	71,086	64,521
Gujarat	27,90,000	2,99,362	2,47,445
Haryana	12,16,044	1,55,832	1,22,198
Himachal Pradesh	2,27,136	52,965	42,181
Jharkhand	4,70,104	1,20,400	1,10,900
Karnataka	28,09,063	3,46,409	2,63,428
Meghalaya	52,974	25,574	23,545
Mizoram	48,038	13,786	12,420
Nagaland	48,375	19,485	18,035
Punjab	8,02,701	1,35,051	1,04,586
Uttar Pradesh	24,99,076	6,96,632	6,10,101
Uttarakhand	3,94,675	70,094	60,677
West Bengal	18,80,000	3,04,689	2,36,438

Policy Highlights -
1. Assam -
  1. Mukhya Mantri Nijut Moina: One-time incentives of Rs 10,000, Rs 12,500, and Rs 15,000 will be paid to 10 lakh girl students for joining class 11, graduation (first year), and post-graduation (first year), respectively. This will be available for students taking admission in government colleges and institutions.
  2. Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyamita Abhiyaan: A minimum amount of Rs 47,500 will be provided to each woman member of self-help groups in rural and urban areas. This will be provided by a combination of grant, subsidy, and loan.
  3. Mukhya Mantri Awaas Yojana (Gramin): Under this, 13000 houses each will be allocated to eligible beneficiaries from tea garden communities and poorest of poor beneficiaries who were not included under the socio-economic caste census.
  4. Rooftop solar: All new private and public buildings constructed in Assam will have to mandatorily install rooftop solar facility.
  5. Farm mechanisation: The state government will distribute power tillers, tractors, threshers, and other farm equipment to support agricultural activities.
2. Bihar -
  1. Women self-help groups: Jeevika will be expanded to provide for women self-help groups in urban areas.
  2. Support to students from backward classes: More exams will be covered under the scheme to provide a one-time cash transfer upon clearing the preliminary round of competitive examinations.
  3. Grants to small entrepreneurs: To improve financial situation of poor households, a scheme to provide a grant of 2 lakh rupees for setting up a small business has been approved, with outlay of 1000 crores for 2024-25.
3. Chhattisgarh -
  1. Under Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Ayushman Health Scheme, BPL households will be provided health services up to five lakh rupees, and above poverty line households up to 50000.
  2. Mahtari Vandan Yojana will be introduced to provide married women with annual assistance of 12000.
  3. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Landless Labourers Welfare Scheme will be introduced to provide beneficiaries with annual assistance of 10000.
4. Delhi -
  1. Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana - 1000 per month will be provided to every adult woman excluding those paying income tax, covered under existing pension schemes, and government employees.
  2. Work on Phase-4 of Delhi metro will commence, which will have 45 stations over 65 KMs.
  3. Under Business Blasters Senior scheme, seed money and support will be provided to university students for startups.
5. Gujarat -
  1. Namo Laxmi Scheme - Govt will provide scholarships to girls studying in secondary and higher secondary schools, with assistance of 50000 over four years.
  2. Namo Saraswati Scheme - Assistance of 25000 will be provided to students from low and middle income households enrolling in the science stream in classes 11 and 12.
  3. Namo Shri Scheme - Pregnant women belonging to specified categories (such as SC, ST, and BPL) will be provided a one-time financial assistance of 12,000.
  4. Anganwadi 2.0 Scheme - 8000 new anganwadis will be built, and 20,000 anganwadis will be provided with IT connectivity.
  5. Suposhit Gujarat Mission - It will provide for adequate nutrition to children, adolescent girls, and women.
  6. Nirmal Gujarat Abhiyan 2.0 - Arrangements will be put in place for collection, segregation, and suitable disposal of dry and wet waste.
6. Haryana -
  1. Families earning less than one lakh rupees annually will be entitled to 1,000 km of free travel per year on Haryana Roadways buses.
  2. Govt will provide additional assistance of Rs 50,000 to 1 lakh households installing rooftop solar under the PM Suroydaya Yojana. Families with monthly consumption under 200 units and annual income under 1.8 lakh will be eligible.
  3. CHIRAYU-Ayushman Bharat scheme will be expanded to include families with income of above 3 lakh rupees. These families may avail benefit by paying annual contribution of upto 5000.
  4. Charges levied for the use of canal water will be stopped from April 2024, as a relief to farmers.
7. Himachal Pradesh -
  1. Rajiv Gandhi Prakritik Kheti Start-up Yojana - Under first phase, 10 farmers from every panchayat will be encouraged to take up chemical free farming. Grains from these farmers will be purchased at minimum support price.
  2. By 2026, an Integrated Public Health Lab with all test facilities will be established in each district. State govt will bear transportation cost for children in areas with no primary schools within a five-kilometre radius.
  3. Mukhya Mantri Sukh Shiksha Yojana - State will bear educational expenses of children of widows with an annual income of less than one lakh rupees.
  4. Daily wages under MGNREGA will be increased by Rs 60. Widows, single, and destitute women MGREGA workers will be provided assistance up to 3 lakh for building houses.
8. Jharkhand -
  1. Under agricultural loan waiver scheme, loans up to 2 lakh rupees will be waived, this threshold was previously set at 50000. Defaulted loans will also be covered.
  2. Manki Munda Scholarship scheme will be launched to encourage female participation in technical education. Scholarship of 15000 per annum will be provided to diploma students and 30000 per annum for degree students.
  3. A scheme will be launched to provide craft entrepreneurs with machines, working capital and assistance at subsidised rates.
9. Karnataka -
  1. New legislation will be enacted to establish a Marketing Development Assistance Fund, for the development of financially stressed Agricultural Produce Market Committees. A new scheme, the Karnataka Raitha Samruddhi Yojane, will be started to support farmers by consolidating existing schemes.
  2. 2 dedicated economic corridors will be developed between: (i) Mangaluru port and Bengaluru, and (ii) Bidar and Bengaluru.
  3. Pragati Path Scheme - Road network of 9450 km will be developed across 189 rural constituencies.
  4. New legislation will be introduced to provide livelihood security for platform-based gig workers, by levying a cess on certain online transactions.
  5. Installed power generation capacity will be increased from 32,000 MW to 60,000 MW over next 7 years.
10. Meghalaya -
  1. State will create an Invest Meghalaya Authority, which will be empowered to undertake all investment promotion and facilitation activities.
  2. A 3 year mission will be launched to revamp all health facilities in state.
  3. A new scheme will be launched for development of infrastructure at all tourism spots. Communities managing tourist sites will be provided grants up to Rs 25 lakh.
  4. A framework to notify eco-tourism zones will be created. The zones will have a defined capacity and charge a higher ‘green fee’ from tourists.
11. Mizoram -
  1. Stamp duty is proposed to be increased from 1% of the market value of property to 3%. A concession will be provided to widows at 2.5%.
  2. Hand-holding policy (Bana Kaih) - The policy provides assistance to people engaged in agriculture and industry. In 2024-25, various programmes, initiatives, and central government schemes will be converged under this policy, to benefit those in agriculture and industry.
12. Nagaland -
  1. An integrated business hub will be established in Dimapur.
  2. Chief Minister’s Life Insurance Scheme will provide insurance coverage of 2 lakh rupees upon the death or accident of a family’s breadwinner. Accidental insurance coverage will be provided for 3 other family members as well.
  3. A Skill Training Centre will be set up for the construction sector.
  4. An e-stamps system is proposedto replace the use of physical stamps.
13. Punjab -
  1. Mission Samrath will be launched to impart essential skills to primary and upper primary students.
    1. 118 government schools will be transformed into Schools of Eminence, and a further 100 government senior secondary schools will be upgraded into Schools of Brilliance.
    2. For skill development, School of Applied Learning will be set up.
  2. A new Malwa canal project will be started, which will provide irrigation coverage to around 1.78 lakh acres in the districts of Bathinda, Faridkot, Ferozepur, and Muktsar.
  3. Punjab Horticulture Advancement and Sustainable Entrepreneurship scheme will be launched to develop horticulture clusters in major production zones.
  4. Human Wildlife Conflict Mitigation Scheme will be launched.
14. Uttar Pradesh -
  1. Under Swami Vivekananda Youth Empowerment Scheme, smartphones and tablets will be distributed.
  2. A target to increase forest cover and tree cover by 15% by 2030 has been set.
  3. 3 new schemes will be launched to promote agriculture in gram panchayats. These are: State Agriculture Development Scheme, World Bank Assisted UP Agri Scheme, and Automatic Weather Station- Automatic Rain Gauge Scheme.
  4. Under Chief Ministers’ Urban Expansion/New Cities Initiative, 3000 crores has been allocated for developing townships.
15. West Bengal -
  1. Financial assistance under Lakshmir Bhandar scheme will be increased to 1200 per month for women from SC/ST communities and to 1000 per month for women from other categories.
  2. Karmasree scheme - Govt will provide at least 50 days of work to MGNREGA job card holders under the scheme from May 2024 onwards.
  3. For promoting modern farm machinery, 2000 farm machinery hubs and custom hiring centres will be set up at the gram panchayat level in 2 years.
  4. Taruner Swapno - One-time assistance of 10000 will be provided for students in class 11 for purchasing smartphones or tablet computers.

Newly elected Telangana CM Revanth Reddy (INC) launched Gruha Jyothi Scheme in state, to provide up to 200 units of free electricity per month to eligible households in state.
1. It is under 6 Poll guarantees promised by Indian National Congress for Telangana Elections. others are -
  1. Mahalakshmi -
    1. Monthly assistance of Rs 2500 to women and Gas cylinders at subsidized rate of 500, along with free bus travel for women across Telangana.
    2. It was launched in Dec 2023.
  2. Rythu Bharosa -
    1. 15000 per acre for farmers / tenant farmers every year.
    2. 12000 per year for agriculture labour.
    3. Bonus of 500 per year for paddy crop.
  3. Indiramma Indlu -
    1. 250 sq yards plot for all Telangana movement fighters.
    2. House site and 5 lakh for people not having their own house.
  4. Yuha Vikasam -
    1. Vidya Bharosa card worth ₹5 lakh for students.
    2. Setting up Telangana International Schools in every mandal.
  5. Cheyutha -
    1. 4000 monthly pension for a diverse range of beneficiaries, including widows, single women, elderly, beedi workers, stone cutters, handloom artisans, disabled individuals, dialysis / filaria / AIDS patients.
    2. 10 lakh medical insurance under Rajiv Arogyasri insurance.
    3. It was launched in Dec 2023.
Newly appointed chief justices in several High courts -
1. Karnataka - Nilay Vipinchandra Anjaria
2. Meghalaya - S Vaidyanathan
3. Orissa - Chakradhari Sharan Singh
4. Rajasthan - Manindra Mohan Shrivastava
5. Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) - Arun Bhansali
6. Gauhati (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland) - Vijay Bishnoi
7. Chandigarh (Punjab and Haryana) - Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia (Acting)
8. Uttarakhand - Ritu Bahri
4th edition of Khelo India University Games (KIUG) 2023 held across 7 North Eastern states, featuring 20 sports.
1. Top 3 - Chandigarh University, Lovely Professional University, Guru Nanak Dev University (all from punjab).
Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation's National Statistical Office released Estimates of GDP growth for Quarter Oct-Dec 2023-24 (Q3 FY24) -
1. Real GDP or GDP at Constant (2011-12) Prices -
  1. GDP estimated at 43.72 lakh crores in Q3 FY24 (2023-24), as against 40.35 lakh crore in Q3FY 23 (2022-23), showing growth of 8.4 %.
    1. GDP Growth for earlier 6 Quarters -
      1. Q2 FY 24 (2023-24) - 7.6 %
      2. Q1 FY 24 (2023-24) - 7.8 %
      3. Q4 FY 23 (2022-23) - 6.1 %
      4. Q3 FY 23 (2022-23) - 4.4 %
      5. Q2 FY 23 (2022-23) - 6.3 %
      6. Q1 FY 23 (2022-23) - 13.5 %
2. Nominal GDP or GDP at Current Prices -
  1. GDP Growth in Q3 FY24 (2023-24) came to be 10.1 %.
3. Other Notable data -
  1. First Revised Estimates for GDP growth rate for FY23 (2022-23) - 7.0 %
  2. Second Revised Estimates and Final Estimates for GDP growth rate for FY22 (2021-22) - 9.7 %
Feb 29, 2024 is observed as Rare Disease Day, observed annually on Last day of February.
General News / Events (Feb 21-29, 2024) -
1. Biennial Sammakka Sarakka Jathara (Medaram Jathara) held at Medaram village of Tadvai Mandal in Warangal district of Telangana, as largest tribal religious congregation in India.
2. Madhya Pradesh govt launched bag-less school policy, to be implemented once a week from 2024-25. Also, school students' bag weight limits have been set upto 4.5 kg.
3. 50th ediiton of Khajuraho Dance Festival held in Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh).
4. Uttar Pradesh's first Turtle conservation reserve will bee set up in Sarju river (Ghaghra tributary) at Gonda district, in coordination with Turtle Survival Alliance Foundation .
5. World’s third-largest mosque (and Africa’s largest) has been opened in Algeria. Named the Great Mosque of Algiers , it features world's tallest minaret, measuring 265 metres.
6. 11th International Puppet Festival held at at Tagore Theatre (Chandigarh).
7. Arunachal Pradesh became first North Easten state to achieve 100% implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) programme.
8. Dubai (UAE) introduced 5-year multiple-entry visa to boost travel between India and UAE.
9. 8th Asia Economic Dialogue 2024 held at Pune International Centre, with theme Geo-economic Challenges in an Era of Flux.
10. Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched SWAYAM Plus platform, as a free E-Learning Platform designed to achieve 3 principles of Education Policy - Access, Equity and Quality. It covers School/Vocational, Under-Graduate, Post Graduate, Engineering and Other Professional Courses.
11. Bharat Tex 2024 textile mega event has been organised in New Delhi, by a consortium of 11 Textile Export Promotion Councils and supported by Ministry of Textiles. It is scheduled from February 26-29, 2024.
12. 7th North East Youth Festival held at Agartala (Tripura).
13. Indian Electrical & Electronics Manufacturers’ Association (IEEMA) will hold 16th edition of ELECRAMA in New Delhi in Feb 2025, as world’s largest electrical show. It will have theme Reimagining Energy for Sustainable Future.
14. MWC Barcelona 2024 (formerly Mobile World Congress) annual trade show dedicated to mobile communications industry held in Barcelona (Spain).
Agriculture Ministry released 2nd Advance Estimates of Major Agricultural Crops (Kharif & Rabi Season) for 2023-24.
1. From last agricultural year, summer season has been segregated from Rabi season and therefore this year Second Advance Estimate includes only two seasons - Kharif and Rabi season.
2. As per estimates, Kharif foodgrain production is estimated at 1541.87 LMT, and Rabi foodgrain production is estimated at 1551.61 LMT.

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Latest Current Affairs - February 2024

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