March 2024 Daily News Current Affairs

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Mar 31, 2024
1. Loans approved by ADB (Asian Development Bank) for India in Feb 2024 -
  1. $181 million - To build quality infrastructure and services toward improving urban livability and mobility in peri-urban areas of Ahmedabad city in Gujarat.
  2. $23 million - To enhance access to quality fintech education, research, and innovation at the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT).
2. Visits From India (Mar 2024) -
  1. President Droupadi Murmu visited Mauritius.
    1. University of Mauritius conferred Honoris Causa Degree of Doctor of Civil Law on Visiting Indian President Droupadi Murmu.
  2. PM Narendra Modi Visited Bhutan -
    1. PM Narendra Modi was conferred the Order of the Druk Gyalpo, Bhutan’s highest civilian decoration.
      1. Notably, PM Modi is first foreign leader to be given this prestigious award by Bhutan.
    2. MOUs signed during visit -
      1. MoU on general supply of Petroleum, Oil, Lubricants (POL) and related products from India to Bhutan.
      2. Agreement for recognition of official control exercised by Bhutan Food And Drug Authority (BFDA) by Food Safety and Standards Authority Of India (FSSAI).
      3. Coperation in field of Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservation measures
      4. Coperation in field of Sports and Youth
      5. Cooperation concerning sharing reference standard, pharmacopoeia, vigilance and testing of medicinal products
      6. Joint Plan of Action on Space Cooperation
      7. Renewal of MoU on Peering Arrangement between National Knowledge Network of India (NKN) and Druk Research And Education Network of Bhutan
    3. Inaugurated Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuk Mother and Child Hospital built with Indian Assistance in Bhutanese capital Thimphu.
3. Visits to India (Mar 2024) -
  1. Dmytro Kuleba - Foreign Minister of Ukraine.
  2. Sergei Aleinik - Foreign Minister of Belarus.
  3. Winston Peters - Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of New Zealand.
  4. Dasho Tshering Tobgay - Prime Minister of Bhutan.
4. Mar 31 is observed as International Transgender Day of Visibility.
5. General News / Events (Mar 21-31, 2024) -
  1. India and Caribbean nation Dominican Republic signed Protocol for establishment of Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO), which was approved earlier in Jan 2024.
  2. Thailand’s Parliament Passesd law to legalise Same sex marriage. Upon, approval by Senate and King Rama X, Thailand will become first in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.
  3. Gujarat govt launched online learning platform Shiksha Reform, as a move towards modernizing education in state.
  4. French Parliament approved a bill to enshrine abortion rights in France's constitution, making France 1st country to explicitly guarantee a woman’s right to voluntarily terminate a pregnancy.
  5. Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda inaugurated Agriculture Integrated Command and Control Centre at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi, to empower farmers by equipping them with information, services and facilities.
  6. Maharashtra became first state to purchase land in Jammu and Kashmir to construct a facility for tourists and officials who visit J&K, named Maharashtra Bhawan.
  7. Nepal govt named Pokhara as its tourism capital.
  8. Jammu and Kashmir police initiated Operation Kamdhenu to curb issue of cattle smuggling in UT.
Mar 30, 2024
1. Mar 30 is observed by UN as International Day of Zero Waste, observed since 2023.
  1. Notably, Humans generate an estimated 2.24 billion tons of municipal solid waste annually, of which only 55 % is managed in controlled facilities. Every year, around 931 million tons of food is lost or wasted and up to 14 million tons of plastic waste enters aquatic ecosystems.
  2. Mar 30 is also statehood day of State of Rajasthan, established on Mar 30, 1949.
2. Adani Group began first phase of its Kutch Copper unit at Mundra (Gujarat), as world’s largest single-location copper manufacturing plant, to help cut India’s dependence on imports and aid energy transition.
  1. 1st phase will produce 0.5 million tonnes a year, expected to achieve full-scale 1 million tonne capacity by FY29 (March 2029).
3. Book Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI, by Indian-British journalist Madhumita Murgia has been shortlisted for inaugural Women's Prize for Non-Fiction.
  1. Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction is a prize for non-fiction writing by women, as a sister prize to Women's Prize for Fiction. It will first be awarded in 2024, with prize money of £30000.
4. French mathematician Michel Talagrand has been named winner of Abel Prize 2024.
  1. It is awarded annually by King of Norway to outstanding mathematician(s), regarded as mathematics world's Nobel Prize equivalent.
  2. Named after Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel, it carries monetary award of 7.5 million Norwegian kroner (Approx .7 USD).
5. Himachal Pradesh govt announced to launch Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojna, to provide monthly financial support of Rs 1500 to women aged between 18 to 60 years.
Mar 29, 2024
1. Expert Committee on developing Gujarat International Finance Tech-City International Financial Services Centre (GIFT IFSC) as Global Finance and Accounting Hub has submitted its report to IFSCA Chairperson.
  1. It was headed by Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal (President of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India).
2. India and USA held Bilateral Tri-Service Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Amphibious Exercise Tiger Triumph 2024.
  1. Harbour Phase of the exercise was held at Visakhapatnam, with Sea phase held later.
3. Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) received $24.5 million grant from Green Climate Fund (GCF) for its anchored project Avaana Sustainability Fund (ASF), valued at $120 million.
  1. Incheon (South Korea) based GCF is a pivotal component of Paris Agreement, as world's largest climate fund.
  2. GCF was established within framework of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to assist developing countries with climate change adaptation and mitigation activities.
4. Tamil Nadu govt launched Neengal Nalama initiative (meaning Are you fine? in English), as a beneficiary outreach program aimed at reviewing implementation of govt's flagship schemes and addressing grievances of the public.
5. IndusInd Bank launched contactless payments wearables named PayWear, as India's first All-in-One tokenizable wearables for debit / credit cards, on Mastercard platform.
  1. It will allow users to tokenize their credit / debit card onto a chip-enabled wearable device, to facilitate swift transactions at any contactless Point-of-Sale (PoS) terminal across globe.
  2. The three versatile wearables, i.e. ring, watch clasp, and stickers, cater to diverse preferences of customers, with price ranging 499 to 2999.
Mar 28, 2024
1. Biennial India-Seychelles Joint Army Exercise LAMITIYE-2024 (10th edition) hosted by Seychelles.
  1. LAMITIYE means Friendship in Creole language.
2. Mar 28 is observed globally as Universal Acceptance (UA) Day, with 2024 flagship event held at Belgrade (Serbia).
  1. It was first observed by Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and Universal Acceptance Steering Group (UASG) on Mar 28, 2023.
  2. On this occasion, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) launched BhashaNet portal, aimed at advancing digital inclusion and promoting Universal Acceptance across India.
3. Bassirou Diomaye Faye has been elected as new president of Senegal.
4. Govt appointed new chiefs in several security agencies -
  1. Sadanand Vasant Date - National Investigation Agency (NIA).
  2. Piyush Anand - National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
  3. Rajeev Kumar - Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D).
  4. Nalin Prabhat - National Security Guard (NSG).
5. Bloomberg announced inclusion of Indian G-Securities in its Emerging Market (EM) Local Currency Government Index and related indices from January 31, 2025. It will bring down borrowing costs for the government.
  1. Indian Fully Accessible Route (FAR) bonds will be included in the Bloomberg EM Local Currency Government indices, with an initial weight of 10 % of their full market value. This is likely to result in inflows of around USD 3 billion into domestic debt.
  2. More inflows will come into debt market due to inclusion of G-Secs by JPMorgan in its Government Bond Index-Emerging Markets (GBI-EM) from June 2024.
Mar 27, 2024
1. Mar 27 is observed as World Theatre Day.
2. Harish Khullar’s collection of 20th century Indian modern and contemporary art, The Gems of Indian Art, has been released.
3. Bank of Baroda launched Earth Green Term Deposit Scheme, to raise deposits deployed towards financing eligible environment-friendly projects and sectors, with interest rates up to 7.15 %.
4. 2024 Indian Wells Open Tennis (Indian Wells, California, USA), Also called BNP Paribas Open -
  1. Men's singles - Carlos Alcaraz (Spain)
  2. Women's singles - Iga Świątek (Poland)
  3. Men's doubles - Wesley Koolhof (Netherlands) & Nikola Mektić (Croatia)
  4. Women's doubles - Hsieh Su-wei (Chinese Taipei) & Elise Mertens (Belgium)
5. Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur inaugurated Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) in Chandigarh, Aimed at school children between 9-18 years.
  1. This nation-wide scheme will aim to hunt talent from across country, and to use sports as a tool to curb addiction towards drugs and other gadgetry distractions.
  2. KIRTI has been launched across 50 centres in India, with 10 sports in first phase.
Mar 26, 2024
1. As per RBI Data, India's current account deficit (CAD) narrowed to 1.2 % of GDP in Q3 of FY24 (October-December 2023).
  1. India's CAD in Q3FY24 stood at $10.5 billion, compared with $11.4 billion (1.3 % of GDP) in preceding quarter (Q2FY24).
  2. CAD was $16.8 billion (2 % of GDP) in year-ago period (Q3 of FY23).
2. India's NTPC signed loan pact with Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) for USD 200 million, under JBIC's Global action for Reconciling Economic growth and Environment preservation (GREEN) initiative, to be utilized by NTPC for funding capex requirements for Flue Gas Desulphurization (FGD) which substantially reduces SOx emission in flue gases of thermal power stations.
3. Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) designated 3 insurers as Domestic Systemically Important Insurers (D-SIIs) for 2023-24, namely Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re), and New India Assurance Co Ltd (retaining their D-SII status from previous year).
  1. D-SIIs are insurers of significant size and market importance whose distress or failure could disrupt the domestic financial system.
  2. Likewise, RBI also maintains list of Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs), which currently includes SBI, ICICI Bank, and HDFC Bank.
4. Noted Banker S. Raman’s autobiography titled From A Car Shed To The Corner Room & Beyond has been released. He had served as Former CMD of Canara Bank and a full-time Member of SEBI.
5. Luis Montenegro has been appointed as new prime minister of Portugal.
Mar 25, 2024
1. Stanford University Professor Teresa Meng (Taiwanese-American) has been named winner of Marconi Prize 2024, for technical and commercial contributions to all-CMOS Wi-Fi technology.
  1. Marconi Prize is an annual award recognizing achievements and advancements made in field of communications, awarded by Marconi Society. It carries monetary grant of 1 Lakh USD.
2. Allahabad High Court’s Lucknow bench declared UP Board of Madarsa Education Act of 2004 as unconstitutional.
  1. Bench stated it to be in violation of principle of secularism, as well as several articles of Constitution (including Articles 14, 21, and 21-A). Additionally, court found that the act also contravened Section 22 of the University Grants Commission Act of 1956.
  2. The court, considering the large number of madarsas and madarsa students in state, directed the state government to accommodate these students in regular schools recognised under the primary, high school and intermediate education boards of the state.
  3. The ruling will affect 16513 madarsas in state recognised by the UP Board of Madarsa Education formed by the 2004 Act.
3. Govt announced to allocate 6212 crores to Regional Rural Banks as part of the recapitalization scheme, aimed at supporting RRBs to maintain minimum prescribed capital-to-risk (Weighted) assets ratio of 9 %.
  1. RRBs are commercial banks owned by govt, operating at regional level across various states.
  2. RRBs were established in 1975 to provide basic banking and financial services to rural areas.
4. As per Hurun Global Rich List 2024 -
  1. World Added 167 Billionaires in 2023, to Take Total to 3279, with combined wealth of USD 15 Trillion.
  2. Top 5 in terms of number of Billionaires -
    1. China (814)
    2. USA (800)
    3. India (271)
    4. UK (146)
    5. Germany (140)
  3. Top 3 Richest -
    1. Elon Musk (US$231 BN)
    2. Jeff Bezos (US$185 BN)
    3. Bernard Arnault (Us$175 BN)
  4. India's Mukesh Ambani (Reliance) Kept Title of Richest Person in Asia and 10th globally (with wealth of 115 Bilion USD).
  5. Top 3 cities in terms of number of Billionaires -
    1. New York, USA (119)
    2. London, UK (97)
    3. Mumbai, India (92)
      1. Notably, Mumbai Overtook Beijing to Become Asia’s Billionaire Capital for First Time, and Break Into World’s Top 3.
5. Bharti Enterprises Founder and Chairperson Sunil Bharti Mittal has been conferred Honorary knighthood by King Charles III of United Kingdom.
  1. Mittal became first Indian to receive the Knighthood from King Charles, after he was made a Knight Commander of Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
  2. The Knighthood is one of the highest civilian awards bestowed by the British sovereign. Foreign nationals receive it as an honorary award.

Mar 24, 2024

2024 Swiss Open Badminton -
1. Men's singles - Lin Chun-yi (Chinese Taipei)
2. Women's singles - Carolina Marín (Spain)
3. Men's doubles - England's Ben Lane & Sean Vendy
4. Women's doubles - Indonesia's Lanny Tria Mayasari & Ribka Sugiarto
Mar 24 - World Tuberculosis Day.
1. Notably, UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to end TB epidemic by 2030, while India aims to end TB by 2025.
2. Mar 24 is also observed as International Day for Achievers.
Arunachal Pradesh Govt formed Bichom as 27th district of the state, carving it out of West Kameng and East Kameng districts.
Noted American Golfer Tiger Woods has been honored with Bob Jones Award, the highest honor from USGA (United States Golf Association).

Ferrari's Spanish F1 Racer Carlos Sainz Jr. won Australian Grand Prix 2024.

F1 Season 2024 -

Round	Grand Prix	Winner	Race date
1	Bahrain Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)	2 March
2	Saudi Arabian Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)	9 March
3	Australian Grand Prix	Carlos Sainz Jr. (Spanish)	24 March
4	Japanese Grand Prix		7 April
5	Chinese Grand Prix		21 April
6	Miami Grand Prix		5 May
7	Emilia Romagna Grand Prix		19 May
8	Monaco Grand Prix		26 May
9	Canadian Grand Prix		9 June
10	Spanish Grand Prix		23 June
11	Austrian Grand Prix		30 June
12	British Grand Prix		7 July
13	Hungarian Grand Prix		21 July
14	Belgian Grand Prix		28 July
15	Dutch Grand Prix		25 August
16	Italian Grand Prix		1 September
17	Azerbaijan Grand Prix		15 September
18	Singapore Grand Prix		22 September
19	United States Grand Prix		20 October
20	Mexico City Grand Prix		27 October
21	São Paulo Grand Prix		3 November
22	Las Vegas Grand Prix		23 November
23	Qatar Grand Prix		1 December
24	Abu Dhabi Grand Prix		8 December

Mar 23, 2024
1. European Space Agency (ESA)’s Gaia space telescope discovered 2 streams of stars in Our Milky Way Galaxy that formed and wove together over 12 billion years ago.
  1. The two streams have been named Shakti and Shiva, which helped form Milky Way, as they were likely formed before even oldest parts of our present-day galaxy’s spiral arms and disc.
2. Mar 23 is observed as World Meteorological Day, to mark establishment of World Meteorological Organization on Mar 23, 1950. 2024 theme is At the Frontline of Climate Action.
  1. On this occasion, METOC (Meteorological and Oceanographic) seminar Meghayan-24 was conducted by School of Naval Oceanology & Meteorology (SNOM) and Indian Naval Meteorological Analysis Centre (INMAC) at Southern Naval Command.
  2. Mar 23, 2024 was also observed as Earth Hour, as a worldwide movement organized by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
    1. This Event is held annually by encouraging turning off non-essential electric lights for one hour (8:30 to 9:30 p.m.), on a specific day towards end of March, as a symbol of commitment to the planet.
3. Mar 23 is Obvserved As Martyr's Day (Shaheedi Diwas) in India. It marks death anniversary of Great Freedom Fighters Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru. They were executed on 23 March 1931, in Lahore (Pakistan).
  1. Notably, In India, apart from Mar 23, there are 5 otherd days declared as Martyrs' Day-
    1. Jan 30 - Date of Assasination of M K Gandhi by Shri Nathuram Godse, is Observed as Martyr's Day.
    2. May 19 - Bengali Language Movement of Barak Valley in Assam was a protest against decision of Government of Assam to make Assamese only official language of state, even though significant proportion of population were Bengali. Main incident, in which 15 people were killed by state police, took place on 19 May 1961. 19 May is thus designated Bhasha Shahid Divas ("Language Martyrs Day").
    3. 21 October is Police Martyrs' Day. On this date in 1959, a CPRF patrol at Indo-Tibetan border in Ladakh was ambushed by Chinese forces.
    4. Odisha observes 17 November, death anniversary of Lala Lajpat Rai as Martyr's Day.
    5. Birthday of Rani Lakshmibai, 19 November is observed as Martyrs' Day in Maharashtra.
4. Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) named new CMDs for -
  1. New India Assurance - Girija Subramanian
  2. United India Insurance - Bhupesh Sushil Rahul
5. 3rd North East Games 2024 held in Sovima (Nagaland) -
  1. Top 3 States -
    1. Manipur (130 Medals, with 52 Gold)
    2. Nagaland (134 Medals, with 48 Gold)
    3. Assam (140 Medals, with 43 Gold)
Mar 22, 2024
1. Mar 22 is observed by UN as World Water Day. 2024 Theme is Water for peace.
  1. Notably, As per a report by UNESCO, 2 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water and 3.6 billion lack access to safely managed sanitation.
2. Mar 22 is observed as Bihar Diwas, marking formation of state of Bihar.
  1. On 22 March 1912, Bihar and Orissa divisions of Bengal Province were separated to form Province of Bihar and Orissa in British India.
3. M V Rao (Central Bank of India MD & CEO) has been elected as Chairman of Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).
4. RBI issued finalised Omnibus Framework for recognising Self-Regulatory Organisations (SRO) for its Regulated Entities.
  1. Earlier in Oct 2023, a draft framework was released in this regard.
  2. The framework contains several parameters for grant of recognition, which will be common for any SRO proposed to be recognized by RBI. Other sector-specific guidelines shall be issued separately by the respective departments of RBI wherever a sectoral SRO is intended to be set up.
  3. An SRO will operate with credibility and objectivity under oversight of the regulator, to improve regulatory compliance for healthy and sustainable development of the sector to which it caters.
5. Supreme Court formed an expert committee to address issue of urgent need to protect the endangered Great Indian Bustard population from danger caused by collisions with high-powered power cables in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Mar 21, 2024
1. Mar 21 is observed as -
  1. International Day of Forests (UN). 2024 Theme is Forests and Innovation.
  2. World Down Syndrome Day (UN).
  3. International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (UN).
  4. World Poetry Day (UNESCO).
  5. World Puppetry Day.
2. Noted Malayalam poet and author Prabha Varma has been selected for 33rd Saraswati Samman, by K K Birla Foundaton.
  1. Instituted in 1991 by K K Birla Foundation, this award honors outstanding prose or poetry literary works in any of the 22 languages of India listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution. It carries cash prize of 15 Lakh.
  2. All Awards Institited by K K Birla Foundation in 1991 -
    1. Saraswati Samman - For literary work in any Indian language. Prize Money is 15 lakh.
    2. G.D. Birla Award for Scientific Research. Prize Money is 5 lakh.
    3. Vyas Samman - For prose/poetry work in Hindi. Prize Money is 4 lakh.
    4. Bihari Puraskar - For prose/poetry work in Hindi/Rajasthani, only authors from Rajasthan are eligible. Prize Money is 2.5 lakh.
    5. Shankar Puraskar - For a work in Hindi concerning Indian philosophy, culture and/or art. Prize Money is 1.5 lakh.
    6. Vachaspati Puraskar - For any work in Sanskrit. Prize Money is 1 lakh.
3. Google's DeepMind launched Genie AI model, capable of crafting interactive 2D video games from a single image prompt or text description, as a leap forward in realm of artificial intelligence.
4. Nagaland Assembly adopted a resolution urging Central govt to reconsider its decision to fence the Indo-Myanmar border and scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) with Myanmar, amid security concerns.
5. Singapore based DBS Bank announced lending commitment of USD 250 million for new-age start-ups in India.
Mar 20, 2024
1. Mar 20 is observed by UN as International Day of Happiness.
  1. On this occasion, UN released World Happiness Report 2024 -
    1. Top 5 - Finland (1), Denmark (2), Iceland (3), Sweden (4), Israel (5)
    2. Bottom 3 - Afghanistan (143), Lebanon (142), Lesotho (141)
    3. India ranked at 126th place (same as last year). India is ranked amongst top 20 unhappy nations.
    4. Neighbors - China (60), Pakistan (108), Bangladesh (129), Sri Lanka (128).
  2. Other observations on Mar 20 -
    1. French Language Day (UN).
    2. World Sparrow Day.
    3. World day of theatre for children and Young People.
    4. World Oral Health Day.
2. Indian naval vessels INS Tir and INS Sujata participated in India Mozambique Tanzania (IMT) Tri-Lateral Naval Exercise (2nd edition), hosted by Mozambique.
3. General News/Events (Mar 11-20, 2024) -
  1. Global Spirituality Mahotsav 2024 held in Hyderabad (Telangana).
  2. Under Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK), Ministry of Minority Affairs approved establishment of -
    1. Centre for Advanced studies in Buddhist Studies at University of Delhi.
    2. Centre of Jain Manuscriptology at Gujarat University.
  3. Jal Shakti Ministry launched 5th edition of nationwide Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain campaign, with theme Nari Shakti se Jal Shakti.
  4. Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025 shall be organized in January 2025, at 3 venues: Bharat mandapam, Yashobhoomi Dwarka, and India Expo Center Greater Noida.
    1. Notably, India’s first-of-its kind mobility exhibition Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2024, was held at Bharat Mandapam (New Delhi) in Feb 2024.
  5. World’s first temple designed in iconic Om shape has been inaugurated in Jadan village, Pali district of Rajasthan.
  6. Cultural festival Chapchar Kut held across Mizoram state.
  7. Maharashtra govt renamed Ahmednagar district as Ahilya Nagar, in honor of 18th-century Maratha queen Ahilyabai Holkar.
4. Govt appointed Nidhu Saxena as MD & CEO of Bank of Maharashtra.
5. UN named India's Kamal Kishore as Assistant Secretary-General and Special Representative of Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, to lead United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).
6. As per UN Human Development Report 2023 -
  1. Top 3 - Switzerland, Norway, Iceland
  2. Bottom 3 - Somalia (193), South Sudan (192), Central African Republic (191)
  3. India ranked 134th in List.
    1. India's ranks in other metrices -
      1. Gender Inequality Index - India ranks 108th, compared to 122 in 2021 report.
  4. Neighbors - China (75), Pakistan (164), Sri Lanka (78), Bangladesh (129), Nepal (146)
Mar 19, 2024
1. President Draopadi Murmu appointed C P Radhakrishnan (Governor of Jharkhand) to discharge additional duties of Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, after resignation of Tamilisai Soundararajan from concerned posts.
2. Noted carnatic musician T M Krishna has bean chosen for Madras Music Academy's Sangita Kalanidhi award 2024.
  1. Other notable awardees -
    1. Sangita Kala Acharya award - Parassala Ravi (mridangam artist) and Geetha Raja (musician)
    2. TTK Award - Vocalists Thiruvayyaru Brothers and violinist H K Narasimhamurthy
    3. Nritya Kalanidhi - Neena Prasad
    4. Musicologist - Margaret Bastin
3. Kotak Mahindra Bank acquired Sonata Finance Private Limited for approx 537 crores, to expand presence in microfinance sector.
4. English translation of first Magahi novel, Phool Bahadur has been been launched, with translation done by Abhay K.
  1. Phool Bahadur was written by Jayanath Pati and published in 1928.
5. International Astronomical Union named an asteroid after Indian Professor Jayant Murthy, a distinguished scientist known for his work on the interstellar medium, ultraviolet astronomy, and space missions.
  1. The asteroid, previously catalogued as 2005 EX296, has been officially designated as (215884) Jayantmurthy.
Mar 18, 2024
1. Mar 18 is observed as Ordnance Factory Day in India, to commemorate establishment of first Ordnance Factory in India at Cossipore near Kolkata in 1801.
  1. Mar 18 is also observed as Global Recycling Day.
2. Vladimir Putin has been re-elected as President of Russia, for his 5th term (for 6 years).
3. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been named among winners of Aviation Week Laureates Award 2024, for its achievements with Chandrayaan-3 mission.
4. As per UK-based consultancy Skytrax -
  1. For 6th year in a row, Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has been declared best airport in South Asian region, and ranked 36th globally.
  2. Top 3 -
    1. Hamad Airport (Doha)
    2. Changi Airport (Singapore)
    3. Incheon Airport (Seoul)
5. New Zealand Cricket Awards 2024 -
  1. Sir Richard Hadlee Medal for Cricketer of The year - Rachin Ravindra
  2. Men's Test Player of the Year - Kane Williamson
  3. Men's T20I Player of the Year - Mitchell Santner
  4. Men's ODI Player of the Year - Daryl Mitchell
  5. From 2023, Onwards, New Zealand Cricket introduced Debbie Hockley Medal, to annually honor New Zealand's most outstanding female cricketer of the year. Amelia Kerr was 1st recepient of this honour. This year also, this award has been given to Amelia Kerr.
  6. Women's T20I Player of the Year - Amelia Kerr
  7. Women's ODI Player of the Year - Amelia Kerr
  8. Bert Sutcliffe Medal for Outstanding service to cricket - Trudy Anderson
6. Indian Army established new Signals Technology Evaluation and Adaptation Group (STEAG), as an elite unit dedicated to researching and evaluating futuristic communication technologies like 6G, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and quantum computing for military applications.
Mar 17, 2024
1. Women's Premier League (TATA WPL 2024, 2nd edition) -
  1. Royal Challengers Bangalore won the Title (their 1st), defeating Delhi Capitals in final.
  2. Notable Players -
    1. Player of the series - Deepti Sharma (UP Warriorz)
    2. Most runs - Ellyse Perry (RCB)
2. As per Global Terrorism Index 2024 -
  1. Top 3 most affected nations - Burkina Faso (1), Israel (2), Mali (3), Pakistan (4), Syria (5).
  2. India ranks 14th, among nations most affected by terrorism.
3. World Inequality Lab (WIL) and Sciences Po’s Center for Research on Social Inequalities (CRIS) jointly announced winners of 1st edition of Global Inequality Research Award (GiRA).
  1. 2024 GiRA Prize is jointly awarded to Bina Argawal (Indian Origin professor at University of Manchester, UK) and James K. Boyce for their groundbreaking work in field of social and environmental inequalities.
  2. The GiRA awards shall be conferred every 2 years.
4. As per Global Trade Update (March 2024) by UNCTAD (UN Trade and Development) -
  1. Global trade in 2023 amounted to approx US$31 trillion, down by 3 % compared to record high of 2022. Trade in goods dropped by 5%, while trade in servivces grew by 8%.
  2. For India, Imports came down by 7% in 2023, while exports came down by 6%.
5. Federal Bank launched Flash Pay in collaboration with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), to enable RuPay smart key chain facilitating contactless NCMC (National Common Mobility Card) payments.
6. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar inaugurated India’s first dolphin research centre in Patna, as National Dolphin Research Center (NDRC) .
  1. It stands on banks of the Ganges inside Patna University campus, to help researchers understand behaviour of freshwater dolphins.
7. Vaughan Gething has been elected as new leader of the Welsh Labour Party (First Minister of UK Constituent country Wales), making him first-ever Black person to lead a European country.

Mar 16, 2024

Mar 16 is observed annually as National Vaccination Day, (also National Immunization Day), observed since 1995.
1. In 1995, India had started Pulse Polio Programme and first dose of Oral Polio Vaccine was given.

Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare released Final Estimates of 2022-23 and First Advance Estimates of 2023-24 of Area and Production of various Horticultural Crops -

Total Horticulture	2021-22	2022-23 (Final Estimates)	2023-2024 (1st Adv. Est.)
Area (in Million Ha)	28.04	28.44	28.77
Production (in Million Tonne)	347.18	355.48	355.25

India signed Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) with European Free Trade Association (EFTA).
1. EFTA was set up in 1960 for promotion of free trade and economic integration for the benefit of its four Member States (Switzerland, Iceland, Norway & Liechtenstein).
2. Notable Features -
  1. TEPA includes binding commitment of $100 billion investment and 1 million direct jobs, in next 15 years. Such legal commitments have been made for the first time in history of FTAs, about promoting target-oriented investment and creation of jobs.
President Droupadi Murmu awarded President's Standard to 45 Squadron and 221 Squadron, and President's Colours to 11 Base Repair Depot and 509 Signal Unit of Indian Air Force.
1. Award of President's Standard and Colours is the highest honour that can be bestowed upon any military unit in India.
As per Brand Finance Insurance 100 Report -
1. Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) retained its position as strongest insurance brand globally, with a steady brand value of $9.8 billion, a brand strength index score of 88.3, and an associated AAA brand strength rating.
2. Cathay Life Insurance is 2nd strongest brand ($4.9 billion), followed by NRMA Insurance ($1.3 billion). India's SBI Life is at 6th place.
As per DHL Global Connectedness Report 2024 -
1. Top 5 - Singapore, Netherlands, Ireland, Luxembourg & Malta.
2. Bottom 3 - Guinea-Bissau (181), Yemen (180), São Tomé and Príncipe.
3. India ranked 62nd in list.
4. Neighbors - Pakistan (115), China (80), Sri Lanka (97), Bangladesh (133).
Former Tata Sons chairman Ratan Tata has been honored with PV Narasimha Rao Memorial Award, for his notable philanthropic contributions.

Mar 15, 2024
1. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated Indian Navy's newly-constructed Headquarters at Delhi Cantt, named Nausena Bhawan.
2. Mar 15 is observed as World Consumer Rights Day. 2024 Theme is Fair and Responsible AI for Consumers.
  1. Mar 15 is also observed by UN as International Day to Combat Islamophobia. 2024 is 2nd observance of this day.
3. Digital exhibition Subhash Abhinandan based on life of Subhash Chandra Bose has been organized by National Archives of India, on its Foundation Day (established on 11 March, 1891).
4. Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto has been named winner of Pritzker Architecture Prize 2024.
  1. Founded in 1979 by Jay A. Pritzker, the award is funded by Pritzker family and sponsored by Hyatt Foundation.
  2. It is referred to as Nobel Prize of architecture. The recipients receive US$100,000.
5. Inflation and Trade Data for February 2024 -
  1. Inflation -
    1. Wholesale price Index (WPI) based (wholesale inflation) -
      1. WPI based inflation decreased to .20% in February 2024.
      2. WPI Inflation in last 12 months -
        
        January 2024 - 0.27 %
        
        December 2023 - 0.73 %
        
        November 2023 - 0.26 %
        
        October 2023 - (-) 0.52 % (Negative)
        
        September 2023 - (-) 0.26 % (Negative)
        
        August 2023 - (-) 0.52 % (Negative)
        
        July 2023 - (-) 1.36 % (Negative)
        
        June 2023 - (-) 4.12 % (Negative) (lowest in 8 years)
        
        May 2023 - (-) 3.48 % (Negative)
        
        April 2023 - (-) 0.92 % (Negative)
        
        March 2023 - 1.34 %
        
        February 2023 - 3.85 %
    2. Consumer Price Index (CPI) Based (retail inflation) -
      1. CPI-based inflation rate for February 2024 decreased very marginally to 5.09 % %.
      2. CPI Inflation in Last 12 Months -
        
        January 2024 - 5.1 %
        
        December 2023 - 5.69 %
        
        November 2023 - 5.55 %
        
        October 2023 - 4.87 %
        
        September 2023 - 5.02 %
        
        August 2023 - 6.83 %
        
        July 2023 - 7.44 % (15 Month High)
        
        June 2023 - 4.81 %
        
        May 2023 - 4.25 % (25 Month Low)
        
        April 2023 - 4.7 %
        
        March 2023 - 5.66 %
        
        February 2023 - 6.44 %
  2. Trade -
Mar 14, 2024
1. Mar 14 is observed by UNESCO as International Day of Mathematics.
  1. Note that Dec 22 is observed as National Mathematics Day in India, to commemorate birth anniversary of Legendary Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.
  2. Also, Mar 14 is also observed as -
    1. International Pi (π) Day.
    2. International Day of Action for Rivers.
2. Sahitya Akademi approved selection of 24 books for Sahitya Akademi Translation Prize 2023, carrying Prize money of 50000.
  1. Awardees can be seen here.
3. BJP's Nayab Singh Saini has been named new Chief Minister of Haryana, after resignation of his predecessor Manohar Lal Khattar.
4. Govt approved a scheme to promote India as a manufacturing destination, to enable manufactuing of e-vehicles with latest technology, by attracting investments by reputed global EV manufacturers.
  1. Notable Policy features -
    1. Minimum Investment required - 4150 Crores. No limit on maximum Investment.
    2. Timeline for manufacturing - 3 years for setting up manufacturing facilities in India, and to start commercial production of e-vehicles, and reach 50% domestic value addition within 5 years at maximum.
    3. Domestic value addition during manufacturing: A localization level of 25% by the 3rd year and 50% by the 5th year will have to be achieved.
    4. Customs duty of 15% would be applicable for 5 years.
    5. Vehicle of CIF value of USD 35,000 or above will be permissible.
    6. Number of EV allowed for import would be determined by total duty foregone or investment made, whichever is lower, subject to a maximum of 6484 Crores (equal to incentive under PLI scheme).
    7. Not more than 8000 EVs per year would be permissible for import under this scheme. The carryover of unutilized annual import limits would be permitted.
    8. Investment commitment will have to be backed up by a bank guarantee in lieu of custom duty forgone, which will be invoked in case of non-achievement of DVA and minimum investment criteria.
5. Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu have been named Election Commissioners in Election Commission of India.
  1. Election Commission of India consists of a Chief Election Commissioner (Rajiv Kumar currently), and 2 Election Commissioners.
6. Mumbai won Ranji Trophy 2024 domestic cricket title, after beating Vidarbha. It is 42nd Ranji title for Mumbai.
Mar 13, 2024
1. High level Committee on Simultaneous Elections constituted under Chairmanship of Ram Nath Kovind ( former President of India) has submitted its Report to President Droupadi Murmu.
  1. Committee was formed in Sep 2023, with Members - 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. After due consideration of all suggestions, Committee recommends a two-step approach to lead to the simultaneous elections in Country.
    1. As first step, simultaneous elections will be held for House of the People (Lok Sabha) and State Legislative Assemblies.
    2. In second step, elections to Municipalities and Gram Panchayats will be held, within 100 days of elections to House of the People (Lok Sabha) and State Legislative Assemblies.
2. Cabinet Approvals (Mar 13, 2024) -
  1. MOUs -
    1. Bhutan -
      1. Co-operation in field of Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservation Measures
      2. Co-operation in field of Food Safety
      3. General Supply of Petroleum, Oil, Lubricants (POL) and related products from India to Bhutan
    2. UAE - Cooperation for empowerment and operation of India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor
  2. General -
    1. Approved 2 new corridors of Delhi Metro's Phase-IV project - Inderlok - Indraprastha (12.377 km) & Lajpat Nagar - Saket G Block (8.385 km)
      1. Project cost of these 2 corridors will be 8399 crores.
3. PM Narendra Modi launched Pradhan Mantri Samajik Utthan and Rozgar Adharit Jankalyan (PM-SURAJ) portal, set up by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
4. Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur launched Prasar Bharti - Shared Audio Visuals for Broadcast and Dissemination (PB-SHABD), as a news sharing service from Prasar Bharati.
  1. PB SHABD platform has been designed to provide daily news feeds in video, audio, text, photo and other formats to subscribers from media landscape. It is being offered free of cost for the first year as an introductory offer and will provide news stories in all major Indian languages across 50 categories.
5. MSME Ministry approved setting up of 2 centers at National Institute for MSME Hyderabad (NIMSME) -
  1. Export Acceleration and Experience Centre (EAEC) will empower MSMEs towards boosting exports and align with Atmanirbhar Bharat for promotion of exports.
  2. Centre of Excellence for MSME Enablement of Technology (COMET) is being set up, in collaboration with IIT-Hyderabad, to facilitate MSMEs with inter-disciplinary, design-focused technologies that would enable them to be global players with indigenous technology development.
Mar 12, 2024
1. As per Swedish Think Tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Data -
  1. Largest arms importers during 2019-23 - India (1), Saudi Arabia (2), Qatar (3), Ukraine (4), Pakistan (5).
    1. India's arms imports increased by 4.7 % between 2014-18 and 2019-23, while Russia remaining India's top arms supplier.
  2. Largest arms exporters during 2019-23 - USA (1), France (2), Russia (3), China (4), Germany (5).
    1. Exports by Russia went down by 53 %. France moved ahead of Russia to become world’s second largest arms exporter.
2. NITI Aayog launched Vocal for Local initiative under its Aspirational Blocks Programme, to boost local economies and foster grassroots entrepreneurship.
  1. It aims to encourage spirit of self-reliance among citizen of Aspirational Blocks, propelling them towards sustainable growth and prosperity.
  2. As a part of this initiative, indigenous local products from 500 Aspirational Blocks have been mapped and consolidated under Brand name Aakanksha.
  3. Notably, NITI Aayog has also prepared a plan for economic transformation of 4 highly industrialized cities - Mumbai, Surat, Varanasi and Vizag.
3. Tri-services firing and maneuver exercise Bharat Shakti held at Pokhran (Rajasthan).
4. PM Narendra Modi virtually laid foundation stone of 3 semiconductor projects across country, during India’s Techade: Chips for Viksit Bharat.
  1. The projects worth approx 1.25 lakh crores, were recently approved by cabinet.
  2. Projects are -
    1. Semiconductor fabrication facility at Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR) will be set up by Tata Electronics Private Limited (TEPL), under Modified Scheme for setting up of Semiconductor Fabs in India. With investment of 91,000 crore, it will be first commercial semiconductor fab in the country.
    2. Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility in Morigaon (Assam) will be set up by Tata Electronics Private Limited (TEPL) under Modified Scheme for Semiconductor Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging (ATMP), and with investment of 27000 crores.
    3. Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) facility in Sanand (Gujarat), will be set up by CG Power and Industrial Solutions Limited under the Modified Scheme for Semiconductor Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging (ATMP), with investment of 7500 crores.
5. Team Rest of India won Irani Cup 2023-24 domestic cricket trophy, by defeating Saurashtra in final.
Mar 11, 2024
1. RBI released Annual Report of the Ombudsman Scheme for period April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023.
  1. This is first full-year report after launch of Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS) in 2021, by integrating 3 erstwhile Ombudsman Schemes -Banking Ombudsman Scheme 2006, Ombudsman Scheme for Non-Banking Financial Companies 2018, and Ombudsman Scheme for Digital Transactions 2019.
  2. Intiially, it included all Banks/NBFCs. Credit Information Companies (CICs) were brought under ambit of the Scheme from Sep 1, 2022.
  3. Under RB-IOS 2021 -
    1. 703544 complaints were received (increase of 68.24% over last year). Of these, Approx 33 % complaints were handled by 22 Offices of RBI Ombudsman (ORBIOs), whereas remaining were closed by Centralised Receipt and Processing Centre (CRPC) as non-complaints / non-maintainable complaints.
2. PM Narendra Modi unveiled 125-foot bronze statue of Ahom general Lachit Borphukan in Assam's Jorhat, named Statue of Valour.
  1. Lachit Borphukan was a legendary army commander of the Ahom kingdom, known for his leadership in Battle of Saraighat (1671) that thwarted a drawn-out attempt by then mighty Mughal forces (led by Jaipur King Raja Ramsingh-I), to take back Assam.
  2. Also, Nov 24 is observed as Lachit Divas in Assam, maring birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan.
3. DRDO conducted first successful flight test of indigenously developed Agni-5 missile with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-Entry Vehicle ( MIRV) technology, under Mission Divyastra.
  1. It was carried out from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha.
4. President appointed AS Rajeev as Vigilance Commissioner in Central Vigilance Commission.
  1. Central Vigilance Commission consists of one Central Vigilance Commissioner and 2 Vigilance Commissioners.
  2. Presently, Central Vigilance Commissioner is Praveen Kumar Srivastava and Arvinda Kumar, A S Rajeev are Vigilance Commissioners.
5. Devendra Jhajharia (two-time Paralympic gold medalist) has been elected as President of Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), succeeding Deepa Malik.
6. Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notified Citizenship Amendment Rules 2024, that would enable implementation of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) passed by Parliament in 2019.
  1. It amends Citizenship Amendment Act 1955, making two key changes to facilitate citizenship to undocumented migrants belonging to six non-Muslim communities - Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, who entered India on or before December 31, 2014 .
  2. It also reduces period to qualify for citizenship from existing 11 years to 5 years.
  3. Rules mandate applicants to provide 6 types of documents, and specify date of entry in India.
7. Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) conducted simultaneous launch of Agray and Akshay, as 5th & 6th of 8 ships being built for Indian Navy, by GRSE under Project ASW Shallow Water Craft.
  1. Under this project, 8 ships are being made by each of Cochin Shipyard (CSL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE). Ships under this project will have over 80% indigenous content.
  2. Ships being made under the project -
    1. By Cochin Shipyard (CSL) -
      1. Launched - Mahe, Malwan, Mangrol
      2. Under Construction - Malpe, Mulki
      3. Other 3 ships are yet to be named.
    2. By GRSE -
      1. Launched - Arnala, Anjadip, Amini, Androth, and now Agray & Akshay.
      2. Other 2 ships are yet to be named.
      3. Notably -
        
        Androth has been claimed to be most silent ship in Indian Navy.

Mar 10, 2024

India-US Joint Coast Guard Exercise Sea Defenders 2024 held off the coast of Port Blair (Andaman and Nicobar Islands).
2024 French Open Badminton -
1. Men's singles - Shi Yuqi (China)
2. Women's singles - An Se-young (South Korea)
3. Men's doubles - India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy & Chirag Shetty
4. Women's doubles - China's Chen Qingchen & Jia Yifan
5. Mixed doubles - China's Feng Yanzhe & Huang Dongping

96th Academy Awards (Oscars 2024) -

Awardees -

Category	Winner
Best Picture	Oppenheimer directed by Christopher Nolan
Best Actor in a Leading Role	Cillian Murphy for Oppenheimer
Best Actress in a Leading Role	Emma Stone for Poor Things
Best Direction	Christopher Nolan for Oppenheimer
Best Supporting Actor	Robert Downey Jr for Oppenheimer
Best Supporting Actress	Da'Vine Joy Randolph for The Holdovers
Best Original Screenplay	Justine Triet and Arthur Harari for Anatomy of a Fall
Best Original Song	What Was I Made For? from Barbie
Best Animated Feature Film	The Boy and the Heron
Best International Feature Film / Foreign Language Film	The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom) directed by Jonathan Glazer
Best Documentary Feature Film	20 Days in Mariupol
Best Cinematography	Hoyte van Hoytem for Oppenheimer
Best Film Editing	Jennifer Lame for Oppenheimer

Facts -
1. Oscars are most prestigious honour in Film Industry globally.
2. Hosted at Dolby Theatre Hollywood, California (USA)
3. Most awards this year - Oppenheimer (7)
4. Most nominations - Oppenheimer (13)
5. Other Notable Awards -
  1. Academy Honorary Awards -
    1. Angela Bassett
    2. Mel Brooks
    3. Carol Littleton
  2. Hersholt Humanitarian Award
    1. Michelle Satter

Mar 10 is observed by UN as International Day of Women Judges, since 2022.
1. Mar 10 is also observed as foundation day of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which was set up on Mar 10, 1969.
14th edition of Exercise Cutlass Express (sponsored by US Africa Command (AFRICOM) and conducted by US Naval Forces Africa) held in Seychelles, as AFRICOM’s largest naval training exercise in Indian Ocean.
1. Indian Navy's INS Tir participated in this multinational Naval exercise.
General News / Events (Mar 1-10, 2024) -
1. Uttarakhand govt approved an ordinance mandating that losses incurred from damage to public and private property during riots be recovered from rioters themselves.
  1. Apart from recovering losses, the ordinance also has provisions for fines up to 8 lakh to be levied on the rioters.
2. International Gita Mahotsav 2024 (5th edition) held in Colombo (Sri Lanka).
3. Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched Project ODISERV, to prepare young graduates of Odisha for employment opportunities in financial services sector.
4. Uttar Pradesh police deployed Trinetra app 2.0, as a digital platform to speed up crime prevention and investigation in state.
5. Cultural Festival Tawi held in Jammu, highlighting skills and creativity of local artisans.

Mar 09, 2024

Notable Points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Several States -
1. Assam -
  1. Unveiled 125-foot bronze statue of Ahom general Lachit Borphukan in Assam's Jorhat, named Statue of Valour.
    1. Lachit Borphukan was a legendary army commander of the Ahom kingdom, known for his leadership in Battle of Saraighat (1671) that thwarted a drawn-out attempt by then mighty Mughal forces (led by Jaipur King Raja Ramsingh-I), to take back Assam.
    2. Also, Nov 24 is observed as Lachit Divas in Assam, maring birth anniversary of Lachit Borphukan.
2. Arunachal Pradesh -
  1. Attended Viksit Bharat Viksit North East programme in Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh), during which -
    1. Launched new Industrial Development Scheme for North East, UNNATI (Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization Scheme).
      1. It will strengthen industrial ecosystem in North East, with budget of 10372 crores.
      2. The scheme will provide incentives for capital investment, interest subvention and a manufacturing & services linked incentive to approved units.
  2. Inauguarated Sela Tunnel, which will provide all weather connectivity to Tawang across Sela pass on Balipara -Chariduar- Tawang Road in Arunachal Pradesh.
    1. It has been constructed using the new Austrian Tunnelling Method and incorporates safety features of the highest standards.
  3. Laid foundation stone of Dibang Multipurpose Hydropower Project in Lower Dibang Valley district of Arunachal Pradesh, to be built at cost 31875 crores.
    1. It will be highest dam structure in country.
  4. Inaugurated newly developed Sabroom Land Port (Tripura), located along border between India and Bangladesh.
    1. It will facilitate movement of passengers and cargo between Indian and Bangladesh. Through this new port, one can move directly till Chittagong port of Bangladesh which is 75 Kms away, as opposed to moving to Kolkata/Haldia Port in West Bengal which is 1700 Kms away.
3. Uttar Pradesh -
  1. Inaugurated Light House Project (LHP) in Lucknow and Ranchi under which over 2000 affordable flats have been built with modern infrastructure. Earlier, PM had inaugurated similar Light House Projects in Chennai, Rajkot and Indore.
  2. Disbursed first instalment under Mahatari Vandana Yojana, as a to women empowerment in Chhattisgarh.
    1. The scheme has been launched in Chhattisgarh to provide financial assistance of Rs 1000 per month to eligible married women of state.
4. Gujarat -
  1. Inaugurated 2 new sections of Dedicated Freight Corridor between New Khurja to Sahnewal (401 Rkm) section of Eastern DFC and New Makarpura to New Gholvad section (244 Rkm) of Western DFC.
  2. Launched 51 Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminals across Nation, to promote seamless movement of goods between different modes of transportation.
  3. Inaugurated redeveloped Kochrab Ashram, which was first Ashram established by M K Gandhi after coming to India from South Africa in 1915.
5. Haryana -
  1. Inaugurate 19 km long Haryana section of Dwarka Expressway, to ease congestion between Delhi and Gurugram.
    1. Dwarka Expressway (NH 248-BB) is a 27.6 km long elevated grade separated expressway connecting Dwarka (Delhi) to Gurgaon (Haryana).
6. West Bengal -
  1. Virtually inaugurated a Kolkata Metro extension (Howrah Maidan-Esplanade) featuring India’s first underwater metro transportation tunnel under any major river (Hooghly).
7. Tamil Nadu -
  1. Attended Core Loading at Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) in Kalpakkam, signifying near completion of India’s first indigenous PFBR, constructed by Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI).
    1. With commissioning of 500 MWe PFBR, India will become 2nd country after Russia to operate a commercial Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR).

Red Bull's Dutch-Belgian F1 Racer Max Verstappen won Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024.

F1 Season 2024 -

Round	Grand Prix	Winner	Race date
1	Bahrain Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)	2 March
2	Saudi Arabian Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)	9 March
3	Australian Grand Prix		24 March
4	Japanese Grand Prix		7 April
5	Chinese Grand Prix		21 April
6	Miami Grand Prix		5 May
7	Emilia Romagna Grand Prix		19 May
8	Monaco Grand Prix		26 May
9	Canadian Grand Prix		9 June
10	Spanish Grand Prix		23 June
11	Austrian Grand Prix		30 June
12	British Grand Prix		7 July
13	Hungarian Grand Prix		21 July
14	Belgian Grand Prix		28 July
15	Dutch Grand Prix		25 August
16	Italian Grand Prix		1 September
17	Azerbaijan Grand Prix		15 September
18	Singapore Grand Prix		22 September
19	United States Grand Prix		20 October
20	Mexico City Grand Prix		27 October
21	São Paulo Grand Prix		3 November
22	Las Vegas Grand Prix		23 November
23	Qatar Grand Prix		1 December
24	Abu Dhabi Grand Prix		8 December

5th edition of Joint India-Japan Army Exercise DHARMA GUARDIAN Held at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan.
Czech Republic's Krystyna Pyszková won Miss World 2023 beauty pageant held at Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai.
1. It was earlier to be held in Srinagar (J&K). India was represented by Sini Shetty (Winner of Miss India World 2022), who made it to top 8 shortlist.
Services won Santosh Trophy National Football Championship 2023-24 (as their 7th title), beating Goa in final.

Mar 08, 2024
1. Mar 8 is observed by UN as International Women's Day. 2024 Theme is Invest in women: Accelerate progress. It is observed since 1977. On this occasion -
  1. Govt announced reduction of Rs 100 in LPG cylinder prices, to ease financial burden on households across country.
2. India has been honored with Measles and Rubella Champion Award by The Measles and Rubella Partnership at American Red Cross Headquarters in Washington DC (USA), In recognition of India’s efforts to combat Measles and Rubella.
3. Department of Science and Technology (DST) and start-up ecosystem enabler T-Hub partnered to set up a Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Technology Hub (MATH) in Hyderabad (Telangana).
4. Sudha Murthy (Former chairperson of Infosys Foundation) has been nominated to Rajya Sabha.
  1. Notably, 12 members are nominated to the Rajya Sabha by President of India, for a six-year term for their contributions towards arts, literature, sciences, and social services.
5. Sweden has been formally inducted as new (32nd) member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).
  1. Brussels (Belgium) based NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance of 32 member states - 30 European and 2 North American, Established in aftermath of World War II. NATO is a collective security system, mandating its member states to defend each other against attacks by third parties.
6. Uttar Pradesh govt approved state's green hydrogen policy, and a proposal for setting up 2 units of 800 MW in Anpara (Sonbhadra district) in collaboration with NTPC at cost 8624 crores.
  1. Policy aims to produce 1 million metric tonne of green hydrogen annually, by 2028.
7. Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy launched Rythu Nestham program, which will help connect farmers with agriculture experts from over 2600 Rythu Vedikas (farmer centres), to help farmers on crops to cultivate and advanced farming techniques.
8. Newly elected Telangana CM Revanth Reddy (INC) launched Indiramma Indlu Scheme in state, as a housing scheme for the poor.
  1. It is under 6 Poll guarantees promised by Indian National Congress for Telangana Elections. They are -
    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. Gruha Jyothi -
      1. 200 units of free electricity per month to eligible households in state.
      2. It was launched in Feb 2024.
    4. 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.
      3. It was launched in Mar 2024.
    5. Yuha Vikasam -
      1. Vidya Bharosa card worth ₹5 lakh for students.
      2. Setting up Telangana International Schools in every mandal.
    6. 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.
Mar 07, 2024
1. Cabinet Approvals (Mar 07, 2024) -
  1. General -
    1. Approved Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization Scheme 2024 (UNNATI), to stay in effect for 10 years, along with 8 years for committed liabilities, at cost 10037 crores.
      1. It was proposed by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (Ministry of Commerce and Industry), as a Central Sector Scheme.
      2. The scheme will incentize investors for setting up new units or undertaking significant expansion of existing units, in North East Region states.
      3. It will be divided into two parts. Part A caters to incentives to eligible units (9737 crores) and Part B is for implementation and institutional arrangements for scheme. (300 Crores).
      4. Features -
        
        Industrial unit will be allowed to apply for registration from the date of notification up to 31-03-2026.
        
        All applications for registration shall have to be disposed of by 31-03-2027.
        
        All eligible Industrial Units to commence their production or operation within 4 years from the grant of registration.
        
        Districts are categorized in two zones: Zone A (Industrially Advanced Districts) & Zone B (Industrially Backward Districts).
    2. Approved allocation of over 10372 crores for IndiaAI Mission, to catalyse various components of IndiaAI Mission over next 5 years.
      1. Notable components include IndiaAI Compute Capacity, IndiaAI Innovation Centre (IAIC), IndiaAI Datasets Platform, IndiaAI Application Development Initiative, IndiaAI FutureSkills, IndiaAI Startup Financing, and Safe & Trusted AI.
      2. Notably -
        
        IndiaAI compute pillar will build a high-end scalable AI computing ecosystem to cater to increasing demands from India’s AI start-ups and research ecosystem. The ecosystem will comprise AI compute infrastructure of 10,000 or more Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), built through public-private partnership.
    3. Approved proposal of Ministry of Law & Justice for introduction of Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill 2024 in Parliament. Features of the bill include -
      1. It empowers Census Commissioner to ascertain and determine population of Scheduled Tribes in Goa, as per population figures of Scheduled Tribes as per Census 2001.
      2. It empowers Election Commission to make necessary amendments in Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order 2008, to give proper representation to Scheduled Tribes in Legislative Assembly of Goa
      3. Election Commission shall take into consideration revised population figures of Scheduled Tribes and readjust Legislative Assembly constituency having regard to provisions of articles 170 and 332 of Constitution and Delimitation Act 2002.
    4. Approved release of an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners w.e.f. 01-01-2024, with increase of 4% over existing rate of 46% of Basic Pay/Pension.
      1. Impact will be 12869 crore per annum, to benefit about 49.18 lakh Central Government employees and 67.95 lakh pensioners.
    5. Approved continuation of targeted subsidy of 300 per 14.2 kg cylinder (and proportionately pro-rated for 5 kg cylinder) for up to 12 refills per year to be provided to over 10 crore beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) during FY 2024-25.
      1. It will cost Expenditure of 12000 crore for FY25 (2024-25).
  2. CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs) approvals -
    1. Approved Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for Raw Jute for 2024-25 season, at 5335 per quintal (up from 5050 last year).
      1. It will ensure return of 64.8 % over all India weighted average cost of production.
2. Mar 7 is observed as Janaushadhi Diwas, with Mar 1 - 7 observed as Janaushadhi Week. 2024 is 6th observerance of Janaushadhi Diwas.
3. India's payments system UPI has been made operational in Nepal, enabling UPI users to scan QR codes for payments while travelling to Nepal.
  1. For this, India's NPCI International Payments Ltd partnered with Nepal's Fonepay Payment Service Ltd.
  2. Earlier in Feb 2024, RBI and Nepal Rastra Bank had signed Terms of Reference for integration of India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Nepal's National Payments Interface (NPI).
4. Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog and Meta jointly launced Frontier Technology Labs (FTLs).
  1. FTLs will be set up in schools of strategic importance to ensure that students will have equal opportunities to learn and engage with frontier technologies.
  2. FTLs will be an advanced version of Atal Tinkering Labs, to empower students to innovate using technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Augmented & Virtual Reality, Blockchain, Cybersecurity, Robotics, 3D Printing, and Internet of Things.
  3. So far, AIM has established 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) in schools across 722 districts in India.
5. MEITY Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched NITI Aayog’s NITI For States platform, as a cross-sectoral knowledge platform designed to become a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Policy and Good Governance.
  1. Viksit Bharat Strategy Room at NITI Aayog was also inaugurated.
Mar 06, 2024
1. Mar 6 is observed as National Pharmacy Education Day in India, commemorating birth anniversary of M L Shroff (father of Pharmacy Education of India).
2. Indian Navy commissioned newly inducted MH 60R Seahawk (a maritime variant of Blackhawk helicopter) multi-role helicopter into service, at INS Garuda (Kochi).
  1. The Seahawks squadron has been commissioned in Indian Navy as INAS 334.
  2. The helicopters are a part of 24-aircraft FMS contract signed with US, in Feb 2020.
3. INS Jatayu Naval Base has been commissioned into Indian Navy Service, at Minicoy island (Lakshadweep).
  1. It has been set up by converting Naval Detachment Minicoy (setup in 1980s) into a full-fledged naval base.
  2. INS Jatayu is 2nd Naval base in Lakshadweep after INS Dweeprakshak in Kavaratti.
4. Shehbaz Sharif has been elected as new Prime Minister of Pakistan, for his 2nd consecutive term.
  1. Also, Asif Ali Zardari has been elected as Pakistan’s new President.
5. Notable points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Telangana & Tamil Nadu -
  1. Telangana -
    1. Launched / Laid Foundation stone for various energy projects, which notably include -
      1. Launched -
        
        NTPC’s 800 MW (Unit-2) of Telangana Super Thermal Power Project in Peddapalli (Telangana).
        
        Based on Ultra-Supercritical Technology, the project will have highest power generation efficiency of 42% among all power stations of NTPC in India.
        
        660 MW (Unit-2) of North Karanpura Super Thermal Power Project in Chatra (Jharkhand), as India's first Supercritical Thermal Power Project.
      2. Laid foundation stone -
        
        Singrauli Super Thermal Power Project Stage-III (2x800 MW) in Sonbhadra (Uttar Pradesh).
        
        Bundelkhand Saur Urja Limited’s (BSUL’s) 1200 MW Jalaun Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Park in Jalaun (Uttar Pradesh).
        
        TUSCO's 600 MW Lalitpur Solar Power Project in Lalitpur district of UP.
    2. Inaugurated Civil Aviation Research Organization (CARO) centre at Begumpet Airport (Hyderabad), to upgrade Research and Development (R&D) activities in civil aviation sector.
  2. Tamil Nadu-
    1. Initiated core loading of India’s indigenous Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor(PFBR) of 500 MWe capacity at Kalpakkam (Tamil Nadu), developed by BHAVINI (Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited).
      1. Core loading consists of loading of reactor control subassemblies, followed by blanket subassemblies and Fuel sub-assemblies which will generate power.
      2. India has adopted a 3-stage nuclear power program with a closed fuel cycle. In PFBR, marking 2nd stage of nuclear program, spent fuel from the first stage is reprocessed and used as fuel in FBR. A unique feature of this sodium cooled PFBR is that it can produce more fuel than it consumes, thus helping in achieving self-reliance in fuel supply.
Mar 05, 2024
1. Mar 5 is Observed by UN as International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness.
2. India and Japan Armies participated in Exercise Dharma Guardian 2024 (5th edition), at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan.
3. Book The Conspiracy to Oust Me from the Presidency written by Former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has been released.
4. Kotak Life Insurance launched non-linked participating product called GAIN, with long-term income.
  1. Minimum annual premium payable to avail the product is 50000.
  2. Entry age ranges between 90 days - 50 years for a premium payment term of 8 years, or 55 years for PPT 10 & 12 years.
  3. Maturity Age ranges between 40-85 years.
5. National Youth Parliament Festival 2024 (5th edition) concluded in New Delhi, with theme Young Voices: Engage and Empower for Nation’s Transformation.
  1. Under it, District Youth Parliaments were conducted across country, followed by State Youth Parliament attended by top 2 position holders at District level. Winners of State Youth Parliament (SYP) attended finals held at national level in New Delhi.
  2. Overall, Yatin Bhaskar Duggal (Haryana) won National first prize.
Mar 04, 2024
1. Mar 4 is observed as National Security / Safety Day in India, as a tribute to all security forces of country. National Safety Council was set up on 4 March 1966.
2. Nepal hosted multinational Army exercise Shanti Prayas IV in Kathmandu, involving army representatives from 19 countries involved in UN Peacekeeping missions.
  1. Exercise was co-hosted by Nepali Army and US Indo-Pacific Command.
3. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh launched Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX (ADITI) scheme, to promote innovations in critical and strategic defence technologies.
  1. Under this, start-ups are eligible to receive grant-in-aid of up to Rs 25 crore for their research, development, and innovation endeavours in defence technology
  2. It was launched during DefConnect 2024, organized by Department of Defence Production's Innovations for Defence Excellence-Defence Innovation Organisation (iDEX-DIO) at Manekshaw Centre (New Delhi).
4. Uttar Pradesh govt announced to launch Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan (MYUVA) scheme, to nurture entrepreneurship among state's youth.
5. Goa's regional airline Fly91 acquired Air Operator Certificate (AOC) by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), paving way for Fly91 to commence its commercial operations.
6. Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal launched e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi of Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA).
  1. It will enable farmers to obtain post-harvest loan from banks by pledging their Electronic Negotiable Warehouse Receipts (e -NWRs) for the stocks held in WDRA registered warehouses.
7. American space exploration firm SpaceX launched MethaneSAT as an American-New Zealand joint space mission, aboard SpaceX's Transporter 10 rideshare mission.
  1. It is an Earth observation satellite that will monitor and study global methane emissions in order to combat climate change.
  2. Jointly funded by American NGO Environmental Defense Fund & New Zealand Space Agency, it is New Zealand's first space science mission.
Mar 03, 2024
1. Mar 3 is observed by UN as World Wildlife Day. 2024 Theme is Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation.
  1. Mar 3 is also observed by WHO as World Hearing Day.
2. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan launched CSpace, as India’s inaugural government-backed OTT platform.
3. She Research Network India (SheRNI) has been launched by University Grants Commission’s Information and Library Network Centre (INFLIBNET), designed to achieve equal representation of women scientists across various research areas.
  1. SheRNI website will connect over 80000 profiles of Indian women involved in science and research fields.
4. Chhattisgarh-based Coal India subsidiary South Eastern Coalfield Limited’s Gevra mine became largest coal mine in Asia (surpassing Indonesia's Sangatta mine), after it has been granted environmental clearance to expand production capacity to 70 million tons per annum from current 52.5 million tons
5. Jharkhand CM Champai Soren launched Vidhwa Punarvivah Protsahan Yojana in state.
  1. As first such govt backed initiative in India, it intends to encourage widows to begin on a new path of companionship, by offering a Rs 2 lakh financial incentive to those who wish to remarry.
6. Researchers discoverd 3 new moons in Solar System - 1 of Uranus and 2 of Neptune.
  1. This brings number of moons of Uranus to 28. Provisionally named S/2023 U1, the new moon will be named after a character from a Shakespeare play, in keeping with naming conventions for outer Uranian satellites.
  2. Two new Neptune Moons (total 16 now) have been provisionallly named S/2002 & S/2021. They will both receive permanent names based on the 50 Nereid sea goddesses in Greek mythology.

Mar 02, 2024

Red Bull's Dutch-Belgian F1 Racer Max Verstappen won season opening Bahrain Grand Prix 2024.

F1 Season 2024 -

Round	Grand Prix	Winner	Race date
1	Bahrain Grand Prix	Max Verstappen (Dutch-Belgian)	2 March
2	Saudi Arabian Grand Prix		9 March
3	Australian Grand Prix		24 March
4	Japanese Grand Prix		7 April
5	Chinese Grand Prix		21 April
6	Miami Grand Prix		5 May
7	Emilia Romagna Grand Prix		19 May
8	Monaco Grand Prix		26 May
9	Canadian Grand Prix		9 June
10	Spanish Grand Prix		23 June
11	Austrian Grand Prix		30 June
12	British Grand Prix		7 July
13	Hungarian Grand Prix		21 July
14	Belgian Grand Prix		28 July
15	Dutch Grand Prix		25 August
16	Italian Grand Prix		1 September
17	Azerbaijan Grand Prix		15 September
18	Singapore Grand Prix		22 September
19	United States Grand Prix		20 October
20	Mexico City Grand Prix		27 October
21	São Paulo Grand Prix		3 November
22	Las Vegas Grand Prix		23 November
23	Qatar Grand Prix		1 December
24	Abu Dhabi Grand Prix		8 December

Notable Points from PM Narendra Modi's visit to Jharkhand, West Bengal and Bihar -
1. Jharkhand -
  1. Launched Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Ltd (HURL)'s Sindri Fertiliser Plant, developed at cost over 8900 crores.
    1. The plant will add 12.7 LMT per annum indigenous urea production in country.
    2. It is 3rd fertiliser plant to be revived, after revival of fertiliser plants at Gorakhpur and Ramagundam.
  2. Launched Unit 1 (660 MW) of North Karanpura Super Thermal Power Project (STPP) at Chatra, developed at cost over 7500 crores.
2. West Bengal -
  1. Laid foundation stone of Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station Phase II (2x660 MW) located at Raghunathpur in Purulia district.
3. Bihar -
  1. Laid foundation stone of Unity Mall in Patna, envisioned as a state-of-the-art facility, encompassing international design practices, technology, comfort, and aesthetics.
    1. It will have 36 large stalls for States/ UTs and 38 small stalls for each district of Bihar, to promote local manufacturing.
  2. Dedicated First Oil from ONGC Krishna Godavari deepwater project (KG Basin), aimed at reducing India's dependence on energy imports.
  3. Inaugurated Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Ltd (HURL)'s Barauni fertiliser plant, developed at cost over 9500 crores.
    1. The plant will add 12.7 LMT per annum indigenous urea production in country.
    2. It is 4th fertiliser plant to be revived, after revival of fertiliser plants at Gorakhpur, Ramagundam & Sindri.
  4. Launched Bharat Pashudhan digital database for livestock animals in country, developed under National Digital Livestock Mission (NDLM).
    1. It utilises a unique 12-digit Tag ID allocated to each livestock animal. Under this, out of estimated 30.5 crore bovines, about 29.6 crore have already been tagged and their details are available in database.
    2. Also Launched 1962 Farmers App, which records all data and information present under Bharat Pashudhan database, which can be utilised by the farmers.
Home Minister Amit Shah launched National Urban Co-operative Finance and Development Corporation Limited (NUCFDC), the Umbrella organization for Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) across country.
1. NUCFDC will aim to strengthen UCB Sector in India, by ensuring specialized services to cooperative banks, facilitate communication between banks and regulators and address challenges faced by UCBs.
2. NUCFDC has been granted Certificate by RBI to operate as a Non Banking Finance Company (NBFC). It will also be allowed to operate as a Self-Regulatory Organization (SRO) for the sector.
3. NUCFDC will also set up a platform that can be shared by all UCBs, enabling them to widen their range of services at a relatively lower cost.
4. Presently, there are over 1500 UCBs in India with number of branches exceeding 11000 and deposit size over 5.33 lakh crores.
13th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference (WTO MC13) held in Abu Dhabi (UAE).
1. 2 least developed countries (LDCs) Comoros (Africa) and Timor-Leste (Southeast Asia) joined WTO, bringing total WTO membership to 166.
2. India was represented at the event by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.
The Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 (Hosted in London (UK) -
1. The Best FIFA Player -
  1. Men's - Lionel Messi (Argentina)
  2. Women's - Aitana Bonmatí (Spain)
2. The Best FIFA Coach -
  1. Men's - Pep Guardiola (Spain)
  2. Women's - Sarina Wiegman (The Netherlands)
3. The Best FIFA Goalkeeper -
  1. Men's - Ederson (Brazil)
  2. Women's - Mary Earps (England)
4. FIFA Puskás Award - Guilherme Madruga (Brazil)
5. The Best FIFA Special Award - Marta (Brazil)
6. FIFA Fair Play Award - Brazil
Tamás Sulyok has been elected as New president of Hungary.
Spain won 2023–24 UEFA Women's Nations League Football title (their 1st), defeating France in final.

Mar 01, 2024
1. RBI observed Financial Literacy Week (FLW) 2024 between February 26 to March 1, 2024 on theme Make a Right Start – Become Financially Smart.
  1. FLW has been observed every year since 2016, with aim of promoting financial literacy.
2. Mar 01 is observed as Zero Discrimination Day annually by UNAIDS (Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS).
  1. Other observances on Mar 1 -
    1. World Seagrass Day, observed by UN. 2023 marks first observance of World Seagrass Day, with theme Healthy seagrass, healthy planet.
    2. Civil Accounts Day in India.
    3. World Civil Defence Day.
3. GST revenue collected in February 2024 stood at 168337 crores. It includes CGST 31785 crores, SGST 39615 crores, IGST 84098 crores & cess 12839 crores.
4. Joint India-Malaysia Navy Exercise Samudra Laksamana held at Visakhapatnam (3rd edition).
5. PM Narendra Modi virtually inaugrated world’s first Vedic Clock in Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh), at city’s Jantar Mantar.
  1. Vedic clock transcends the conventional role of displaying time, offering comprehensive information relevant to Vedic Hindu Panchang.
6. World Bank approved $452 million loan for Assam Resilient Rural Bridges Program, which aims to strengthen resilience and management of roads and bridges in 1739 distant villages in Assam.
7. Misc. Economy / Financial News (Mar 2024) -
  1. RBI barred IIFL Finance Ltd from sanctioning or disbursing new gold loans.
  2. RBI sanctioned Scheme of Amalgamation of Fincare Small Finance Bank with AU Small Finance Bank. Under it, All branches of Fincare Small Finance Bank will function as branches of AU Small Finance Bank, from April 01, 2024.
  3. Tata Group firm Tata Motors approved demerger of its Commercial Vehicles and Passenger Vehicles businesses into two separate listed companies.
  4. Indian GDP Growth Forecasts (Mar 2024) -
    1. Morgan Stanley - 6.8 % for FY25 (2024-25).
    2. S&P Global - 6.8 % for FY25 (2024-25).
    3. Fitch Ratings - 7 % for FY25 (2024-25).
    4. Crisil Ratings - 6.8 % for FY25 (2024-25).
  5. Notable Penalties put by RBI -
    1. Bank of India - 1.4 Crore.
    2. Tamilnad Mercantile Bank - 1.32 crore.
  6. Rate of interest on Government of India Floating Rate Bond 2033 (GOI FRB 2033) applicable for half year (March 22 to September 21, 2024) has been fixed at 8.34 % per annum.
    1. Also, Ways and Means Advances (WMA) for first half of FY25 (2024-25) (April to September 2024) will be ₹1,50,000 crore.
  7. Finance Ministry's Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) imposed penalty of 5.49 Crore on Paytm Payments Bank, under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002.
    1. Action was taken after finding substantial proof of money generated from illegal activity being routed through accounts held by some entities with the bank.
  8. Software Technology Parks of India (STPI under MEITY) launched its 24th Center of Entrepreneurship (CoE) named FinGlobe at Gujarat's Gandhinagar (GIFT City), dedicated to fostering innovation and growth in financial technology sector.
  9. Notable Competition Commission of India (CCI) Approvals -
    1. Approved merger of fintech firm Garagepreneurs Internet Private Limited with North East Small Finance Bank.
    2. Approved Adani Power's acquisition of Lanco Amarkantak Power Limited, a coal based thermal power project located at Pathadi village in Korba district in Chhattisgarh.
  10. Ministry of Power PSU Grid Controller of India Limited (GRID-INDIA) has been conferred with status of Miniratna Category-I.
  11. Income tax department imposed penalty of ₹564.44 crores on Bank of India, for various disallowances made during assessment year 2018-19.
  12. Insurance and financial services firm PolicyBazaar established new subsidiary named PB Pay, to specialize in payment aggregation services.
  13. SBI Cards launched co-branded credit card in collaboration with Titan Watch Company, named Titan SBI Card.
  14. Axis Bank introduced digital US dollar fixed deposits (FDs) for NRI customers at IFSC Banking Unit (IBU) at GIFT City (Gujarat).
  15. Reliance Industries acquired 26 % stake in Mahan Energen Ltd (MP Based power project of Gautam Adani-led Adani Enterprises), under a pact to use plants' 500 MW of electricity for captive use.
    1. This is first such collaboration between India's two noted business houses - Reliance and Adani Enterprises.
  16. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) acquired 95% stake in Odisha's Gopalpur Port for equity value of 1349 crores, to boost its east coast presence.
    1. APSEZ will be acquiring 56 % stake in Gopalpur Port from real-estate conglomerate Shapoorji Pallonji Group (SP Group) and 39 % stake from Orissa Stevedores.
    2. The port can handle around 20 MMTPA.
  17. RBI Barred Federal Bank and South Indian Bank to halt issuance of new co-branded credit cards.
  18. Aditya Birla Capital announced to merge with Aditya Birla Finance, to simplify group's structure and form a larger formidable non-banking finance company (NBFC).
8. United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) adopted resolution on sustainable lifestyles submitted by India, during its 6th Session held in Nairobi (Kenya ). The resolution was adopted by all participating Member States.
  1. Notably, India had earlier launched Misson LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) in Oct 2022, aimed to promote adoption of environment-friendly lifestyles and practices.
9. Misc. MOUs (March 2024) -
  1. Between Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Bank Indonesia (BI), for establishing a framework to promote use of local currencies (Indian Rupee and Indonesian Rupiah) for cross-border transactions.
  2. Tripartite peace agreement signed between Central govt, Tripura govt and Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance/TIPRA (known as Tripra Motha).
  3. Department of Food and Public Distribution signed 2 MoUs with National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), to transform Fair Price Shops (FPSs) in India.
  4. Between Indian Navy and IIT Kharagpur, to promote technology development, innovative solutions and joint R&D.
  5. Between Ministry of Rural Development & IIT Delhi, to formalize partnership in applications of geospatial technology and artificial intelligence.
  6. Tripartite MoU signed between Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) under Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Prasar Bharati and DPIIT 's Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), to proliferate affordable and accessible digital services across country.
  7. Between Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI), to launch a credit assistance program for Jan Aushadhi Kendras.
  8. Between Ministry of Jal Shakti & Indian Institute of Science Bangalore (IISC), for Establishment of International Centre of Excellence for Dams (ICED), to Provide Solutions To Emerging Challenges In Dam Safety Through Scientific Research.
  9. Between REC Power Development and Consultancy Limited (RECPDCL) & Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL), for joint development of utility scale Renewable Energy Projects across country, through forming a dedicated Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).
  10. Between Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) & US-Based Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA), to launch India's Amul milk in USA.
  11. Between SatCom Industry Association (India’s space association) and ABRASAT (Brazil’s Satellite Communications Association), to enhance cooperation in space sector of both countries.
  12. Between National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) under Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) and ISRO's National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), to facilitate Urban Frame Survey (UFS) in a digital mode using modern Geo ICT tools and techniques using Bhuvan Platform.
  13. Between Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL), to collaborate in establishing public charging stations across India.
  14. Between Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and IIT Delhi, to collaborate on applied research.
  15. Between Airbus and IIM Mumbai, to provide aviation education to professionals, through Airbus Beyond programme.
  16. Between Karnataka govt and World Economic Forum (WEF), to set up a Centre for Artificial Intelligence in state, which will be part of WEF Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) Network, a global platform focused on inclusive technology governance and responsible digital transformation.
10. Misc. Sports News / Events (March 2024) -
  1. Puneri Paltan won 2023–24 Pro Kabaddi League as their 1st Pro Kabaddi League title, defeating Haryana Steelers in final.
    1. Notably, Iran's Mohammad reza Shadloui Chiyaneh became most expensive player ever at Pro Kabaddi League auction, after he was brought by Puneri Paltan for 2.35 crore.
  2. Indian table tennis player Sathiyan Gnanasekaran became first Indian to clinch a men's singles title at a WTT Feeder Series event, held in Beirut (Lebanon). He defeated India's Manav Thakkar in final.
    1. Also, India's Sreeja Akula won women's singles title at the same event, defeating Luxembourg's Sarah De Nutte.
  3. Kenyan Cricketer Collins Obuya announced retirement from International cricket.
  4. Sharfuddoula became first Bangladeshi umpire to be appointed to ICC Elite Panel of Umpires.
  5. International Hockey Federation (FIH) named former Indian men’s hockey team captain and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh and Chile’s Camila Caram as co-chairs of FIH Athletes Committee.
  6. Virat Kohli became first Indian cricketer to score 12000 runs in T20 format.
  7. Noted Indian badminton player B Sai Praneeth announced his retirement.
  8. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurated India’s first indoor athletics centre, at Kalinga Stadium (Bhubaneswar).
11. Misc. Defence News / Events (Mar 2024) -
  1. UAE hosted joint military exercise named Desert Flag 9, with participation of Army and Air Force from 10 countries (not including India).
  2. Ministry of Defence signed contracts worth 8073 crores with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Bengaluru, for acquisition of 34 Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) Dhruv Mk III (25 for Army and 9 for Coast Guard), under Buy (Indian-IDDM - Indigenously Designed, Developed & Manufactured) category.
  3. Ministry of Defence approved expansion of National Cadet Corps (NCC) with addition of 3 lakh cadet vacancies, taking sanctioned strength to 20 lakh cadets.
    1. Notably, NCC is largest uniformed youth organisation in world.
  4. India launched Operation Indravati to evacuate Indian nationals from Haiti, Against backdrop of new attacks being launched by armed gangs in Haiti.
  5. Joint Naval exercise of China, Iran and Russia held near Gulf of Oman, named Security Belt 2024.
  6. India approved Line of Credit (LOC) Agreement of USD 23.27 million for Guyana, to enable Guyana to purchase 2 Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) manufactured Dornier-228 aircraft.
  7. Britain successfully test fired its high precision DragonFire laser directed energy weapon (LDEW), that can take down targets with pin-point accuracy and at very less cost.
  8. Indian Army's Aviation Corps raised its first squadron of AH-64E Apache attack helicopters at Jodhpur (Rajasthan), named 451 Aviation Squadron.
    1. Notably, Army will receive first batch of three Apaches in May and another 3 in July, under a contract signed during US President Donald Trump's visit to India in 2020.
12. Misc. Appointments (Mar 2024) -
  1. New Indian Ambassadors Appointed -
    1. Sita Ram Meena - Niger (West Africa)
    2. Abhay Thakur - Myanmar (Southeast Asia)
    3. L. Prashant Pise - Slovenia (Central Europe)
    4. Soumendu Bagchi - Iraq (Middle East)
    5. Abhilasha Joshi - Chile (South America)
    6. Vinay Kumar - Russia
  2. Kiren Rijiju has been assigned additional charge of Ministry of Food Processing Industries, in addition to his existing portfolio of Ministry of Earth Sciences.
  3. Kishor Makwana has been named Chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC).
  4. Naveen Jindal (Chairman of Jindal Steel) has been elected as President of Indian Steel Association.
  5. RBI Named S. Ravindran as part-time chairman of Tamilnad Mercantile Bank.
  6. Bihar govt appointed Brajesh Mehrotra as new chief secretary of Bihar.
  7. Oceanic Island Nation Tuvalu named Feleti Teo as its new prime minister.
  8. Mohammad Mustafa has been named as new Prime Minister of Palestinian Authority.
  9. Rahul Singh has been named chairperson of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
  10. Navneet Kumar Sehgal has been named chairperson of Prasar Bharati Board.
  11. Raj Kumar Chaudhary has been named CMD of PSU NHPC Limited.
13. Misc. Science News /Events (Mar 2024) -
  1. Rajeev Chandrasekhar (Minister of State for Electronics and IT) inaugurated India’s first FutureLABS center in C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram, namely Centre for Semiconductor Chips & Systems for Strategic Electronics.
  2. Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched ETHANOL 100 automotive fuel, to be available at 183 Indian OIL retail outlets across 5 states – Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi and Tamil Nadu.
    1. ETHANOL100 is a greener alternative to gasoline, boasting lower emissions of greenhouse gases and pollutants, aiding in combating climate change. With its high-octane rating (between 100-105), ETHANOL100 will be ideal for high-performance engines.
    2. Notably, India aims to achieve target of 20% ethanol blending by 2025-26.
  3. Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched -
    1. Department of Telecommunications (DoT)’s Digital Intelligence Platform, to curb misuse of telecom resources in cyber-crime and financial frauds
    2. Chakshu facility on Sanchar Saathi portal, to empower citizens to proactively report suspected fraud communication.
  4. Union Minister Jitendra Singh laid foundation stone of first Science Experience Centre and an exclusive Biofuel Centre in premises of Hyderabad based CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT).
  5. Steel and Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurated India's 1st Green Hydrogen Plant in Stainless Steel Sector, at Jindal Stainless Limited (Hisar).
  6. Ecuador Researcher discovered a new species of anaconda named Eunectes Akiyama, which split from its closest relatives 10 million years ago.
    1. The new species, dubbed as northern green anaconda, weighs up to 200 kilograms and can be upto 20 feet long.
  7. Researchers discovered a new species of deep-sea isopod off the Kollam coast, naming it Brucethoa ISRO, to honor Indian Space Agency ISRO's successful space missions.
    1. The new species belongs to genus Brucethoa.
  8. Iran’s 1st space exploration satellite Pars 1 has been launched by Russia from the Vostochny Cosmodrome.
  9. Researchers discovered a large volcano named on Mars, named Noctis Volcano. It stands 29600 feet high, with approx 450 KM width.
  10. ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) developed Space-borne Assistant and Knowledge Hub for Crew Interaction (SAKHI) app, to help astronauts onboard India's upcoming Gaganyaan manned space flight mission in carrying out several tasks.
  11. Zoological Survey of India named a new marine species of head-shield sea slug with ruby red spot which was discovered from West Bengal and Odisha coast after President Droupadi Murmu. It has been named Melanochlamys droupadi.
14. Obituaries (Mar 2024) -
  1. Louis Gossett Jr - Noted American Actor and first Black man to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
  2. Lakshmi Narayanan Seshu - Noted Tamil Actor.
  3. Arun Sharma - Noted Padma Shri Awardee Archaeologist. He was part of team that excavated Ram Janmabhoomi site in Ayodhya.
  4. Aziz Qureshi - Former Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Mizoram.
  5. Martin Brian Mulroney - Former prime minister of Canada.
  6. Laxminarayan Ramdas - Former Indian Navy Chief.
  7. Kapildev Prasad - Noted Padma awardee Artisan, known for his contributions to handloom industry and revival of Bababuti sarees.
  8. Sadi Mohammad - Noted Bangladeshi Rabindra Sangeet singer.
15. Misc. / Industrial Awards (Mar 2024) -
  1. India's Srinivasan Swamy has been awarded IAA Golden Compass Award at International Advertising Association (IAA) World Congress 2024 in Penang (Malaysia).
  2. India's Uday Bhatia (founder of Uday Electric) and Manasi Gupta (founder of Huesofthemind Foundation) are among 20 worldwide recipients of Diana Legacy Awards, celebrating 25th anniversary of the Diana Award charity set up in memory of the late Princess of Wales.
  3. Ritika Chopra (Indian Express) and independent journalist Greeshma Kuthar have been jointly awarded Chameli Devi Jain Award 2024 for Outstanding Woman Media Person of the Year, by The Media Foundation.
  4. Airports Council International (ACI) awarded Delhi Airport the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Award, recognizing it as Best Airport handling over 40 Million Passengers in the Asia-Pacific region for 2023 (6th consecutive year).

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