Current Affairs 8th-16th February 2024 PDF

(USE OF THIS MATERIAL OUTSIDE ADHYAYAN ACADEMY IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED AND ILLEGAL AND AN INFRINGEMENT OF THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHT OF ADHYAYAN ACADEMY) Current affairs...

(USE OF THIS MATERIAL OUTSIDE ADHYAYAN ACADEMY IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED AND ILLEGAL AND AN INFRINGEMENT OF THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHT OF ADHYAYAN ACADEMY) Current affairs 8 to 16th February 2024 th  Union Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, launched the EdCIL Vidyanjali Scholarship Programme in New Delhi. Secretary, Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Shri K. Sanjay Murthy; Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Shri Sanjay Kumar; Executive Director, EdCIL, Dr. Chandrashekhar; and other dignitaries were also present at the event.  Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Shri Sports Anurag Singh Thakur kicked off BIMSTEC Aquatics Championships 2024 in New Delhi. The BIMSTEC Aquatics Championships is being held for the first time.  The Iranian government has approved a visa-free policy for Indian nationals. This policy will be only valid for tourism purposes.  India will become the largest source of global oil demand growth between now and 2030, while growth in developed economies and China initially slows and then subsequently goes into reverse in our outlook, a latest report ‘Indian Oil Market Outlook to 2030’ released at the second edition of India Energy Week 2024 in Goa by International Energy Agency (IEA).  India to fence entire 1,643-kilometre stretch of border with Myanmar. The India-Myanmar border spans 1,643 km and passes through four states – Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh.  Bihar State Disaster Management Authority NITISH device launches pendant-shaped device that will sound alert half-an- hour before lightning or flooding.  Max Financial Services has received approval from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) for a capital infusion of Rs 1,612 crore by Axis Bank into its subsidiary, Max Life Insurance. The deal will involve the issue of 14,25,79,161 equity shares. Max Life plans to use the capital infusion to support future growth and improve solvency margins.  'Outstanding Business Woman of the Year' Award from Rajnath Singh at an IACC conference- Dr. Bina Modi, Chairperson of Modi Enterprises.  ‘Lifetime Achievement’ award from the Sports Journalists Federation of India and the Delhi Sports Journalists Association- IOA president PT Usha  A crucial step in the country’s journey towards Atmanirbhar Bharat has been achieved with India’s first Hypervelocity Expansion Tunnel Test Facility successfully established and tested by Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK).  Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has partnered with Munitions India Limited, a Defence Public Sector Enterprise, to develop India’s first indigenously-designed 155 Smart Ammunition to achieve indigenisation in the defence sector.  National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day- 7th February. It was first observed in 1999.Theme 2024- Engage, Educate, Empower: Uniting to End HIV/AIDS in Black Communities  Telangana govt to set up a dedicated help desk for youth living in USA and other countries.  RBI’s MPC keeps repo rate unchanged at 6.5% to bring down inflation, support growth  Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announces free bus travel in Delhi for transgender community.  Prof. S P Singh Baghel and Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Ministers of State for Health and Family Welfare virtually launched the Kilkari programme, a Mobile Health (m-health) initiative for beneficiaries in local content in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Mobile Academy, a free audio training course designed to expand and refresh the knowledge of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and improve their communication skills via their mobile phones was also launched. Shri Rushikesh Patel, Health Minister, Gujarat was also present on the ocassion.  Logistics Performance Index (LPI) Report by the World Bank 2023:- India ranks 38th in the 139 countries index.  The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), the largest sovereign wealth fund in the UAE, is preparing to launch a substantial $4-5 billion fund aimed at investing in India through the tax-neutral finance hub in Gujarat, known as Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City)  Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Group’s e-commerce unit- Naveen Tahilyani  Niranjan Shah Stadium- Rajkot, New Name of Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) Stadium.  Veteran broadcaster, poet and Sahitya Akademi winner Mir Mohammad Farooq Nazki, Passes Away At 83  Poignant picture of sleeping polar bear wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year People's Choice Award  Divya Kala Mela 2024 inaugurated in Agartala, Tripura  India, Türkiye, and Qatar Named Guests of Honor at 2024 World Governments Summit in Dubai. 1  State Bank of India (SBI) has partnered with Flywire Corporation to revolutionize the landscape of international education payments for Indian students.  Life Insurance Corporation of India has launched the unit-linked, regular premium, individual life insurance plan “Index Plus”.  The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has appointed Ajay Kumar Choudhary as non-executive chairman of the Board and independent director for a period of three years.  Tata Trusts is set to launch India’s first state-of-the-art Small Animal Hospital in Mahalaxmi, Mumbai.  ‘Sarkar Gaon Ke Dwar’:- Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announces BDO office at Suranidivision of Jal Shakti department in Jawalamukhi and subdivision in Majheen.  World Pulses Day 2024- 10th February Theme-“Pulses: Nourishing Soils and People.”  The United Nations General Assembly has marked February 10th as the International Day of the Arabian Leopard.  India, Russia ink pacts on construction of future power units of Kudankulam nuclear plant. External Affairs Minister Jaishankar holds "comprehensive and productive" meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov on the bilateral economic cooperation.  MD & CEO Of LIC Mutual Fund-Ravi Kumar Jha  Lakshminarayana International Award-Pyarelal Sharma  China's New Antarctic Research Station- Qinling Station For Antarctic Scientific Study  Telangana Govt to set up a dedicated AI city, introduce internet as basic right  Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang of Sikkim announced the revival of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for state government employees hired on or after April 1, 2006, during the State Level Temporary Employees’ Convention.  With the Indian Air Force assessing its requirements for medium transport aircraft (MTA), Brazilian aerospace giant Embraer and Indian conglomerate Mahindra Group have announced a collaboration to work on C-390 Millennium aircraft.  International Day of Women and Girls in Science (IDWGIS)-February 11th  India's Olympic and world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has been honoured with a plaque at the famous Ice Palace at Jungfraujoch, known as the 'Top of Europe', in Switzerland.  The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $200 million loan to strengthen flood and riverbank erosion risk management along the 650 kilometers (km) long main stem of the Brahmaputra River in Assam, India.  Non-Executive Chairman Of The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) - Ajay Kumar Choudhary  With the Paris Olympic Games approaching, the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) hosted the “Road to Paris 2024: Championing Clean Sports and Uniting for Anti-Doping” Conference.  Official Sponsor Of CSK- Etihad Airways  The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the "Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY)", a Central Sector Sub-scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada for formalization of the fisheries sector and supporting fisheries micro and small enterprises with an investment of over Rs. 6,000 crores over a period of next four (4) years from FY 2023-24 to FY 2026-27 in all States/Union Territories.  IndianOil-Adani Gas Pvt Ltd will invest 25 billion rupees ($301.24 million) over four years as it looks to double gas sales to small industries and households in India, a company executive said on Friday. The company, an equal joint venture of refiner Indian Oil Corp (IOC).  India secures third place in US Green Building Council's (USGBC) LEED certification list for 2023. LEED, a recognized symbol of sustainability, promotes green building practices. Mainland China leads, followed by Canada. India's 248 certified projects cover 7.23 million square meters.  Union Agriculture Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh has laid the foundation stone of Gangatiri Cows’ Conservation and Development Center at Araji Line, Shahnshahpur in Varanasi. On the occasion, Shri Singh said that the State is known for its many native breeds like Mewati, Kehrigadh, Ponwar etc breeds of cow, buffalo breeds Bhadavri. In the absence of a central program on the protection and promotion of native species, the number of native breeds and their production capacity is no longer consistent.  Varkala’s Papanasham Beach of Kerala has achieved a significant milestone by securing a place among the world’s top 100 beaches in Lonely Planet’s renowned guidebook, “Best Beaches: 100 of the World’s Most Incredible Beaches.”  Joint winners of the SAFF Women’s Under-19 Football Championships- India and Bangladesh  Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated the World Sustainable Development Summit in New Delhi on Wednesday in the presence of Prime Minister of Guyana Mark Phillips and Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav.  Private steel major Tata Steel will jointly work with South Eastern Railway (SER) to develop sustainable rail infrastructure by utilising its slag-based aggregates.  Railway Protection Force (RPF) is set to host the 67th All India Police Duty Meet (AIPDM) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh from February 12th to 16th, 2024. Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology will be chief guest of opening ceremony on 12th February.  The Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has fixed 8.25% interest rate on provident fund deposits for 2023-24, the highest in three years. 2  2024 Nelson Mandela Award (NMA) by the World Health Organization (WHO) for Health Promotion- National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS)  In Ladakh, in a thrilling showdown at Khree Sultan Choo Ice Hockey Rink, Kargil, the Drass Warriors clinched victory in the 15th CEC Ice Hockey Cup Championship.  International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and When Conducive to Terrorism (PVE Day) - 12 February.  National Productivity Day -12 February. Theme 2024 – Artificial Intelligence (AI)- Productivity Engine for Economic Growth  PM Modi to inaugurate Cherlapally passenger terminal of Telangana.  president of Finland-Alexander Stubb  Sangeet Natak Akademi to set up Dakshin Bharat Sanskritik Kendra in Hyderabad. First of its kind Regional Centre of Sangeet Nataka Akademi to be set-up in Hyderabad.  Underwater Harbour Defence And Surveillance System Inaugurated In Andaman And Nicobar Command.  UPI payment services launched in Sri Lanka and Mauritius.  PM inaugurates 200th Jayanti celebrations of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati in New Delhi.  World Radio Day 2024 by UNESCO- 13th February Theme- “A century informing, entertaining and educating.”  World Unani Day- February 11 to commemorate the birth anniversary of social reformer and well-known Unani scholar Hakim Ajmal Khan, who is recognised as the man who brought Unani medicine to India.  The NITI Aayog has formulated an economic plan for the cities of Mumbai, Surat, Varanasi, and Vizag, aiming to transform them and help India become a developed economy by 2047. The Aayog plans to prepare economic planning for 20-25 more cities and is also working on a vision document for India to become a $30 trillion economy by 2047.  The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Kerala section conferred the 2024 K.P.P. Nambiar Award on Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S. Somanath.  First transwoman Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) of Southern Railway- Sindhu Ganapathy  Brand Ambassador of CSK for IPL 2024:- Katrina Kaif  Veteran Artist A Ramachandran Passes Away In Delhi  In a bid to catalyze innovation and research within the renewable energy domain, the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) and the Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar, formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The agreement is poised to bolster collaborative endeavors in innovation and research, facilitate technology transfer, and cultivate a thriving start-up ecosystem.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched multiple development projects worth about 7,300 crore rupees in Jhabua, the tribal-dominated district of Madhya Pradesh.  Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh unveiled a life-size statue of late General Bipin Rawat - the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) - at TonsBridge School, Dehradun in the presence of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami.  International Epilepsy Day has been observed on the second Monday of February every year since 2015. 2024- 12th February  India’s oldest Test cricketer and former captain Dattajirao Gaekwad passed away.  Odisha’s New Biodiversity Heritage Site-Gupteswar forest in Koraput district as its fourth Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS)  EAM Dr. S Jaishankar to address inaugural session of 7th Indian Ocean Conference in Perth, Australia.  World Water Award 2023-24 by The Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation, under the Union Water Ministry- Noida  Renowned litterateur Padma Shri Dr. Usha Kiran Khan passed away at a private hospital in Bihar's capital Patna.  Dubai to have world’s first air taxi, agreements inked at World Government Summit 2024  Trinidad and Tobago Declares National Emergency After Offshore Oil Spill in the eastern Caribbean.  The Assam government has announced that 'Kaji Nemu' (citrus lemon) has been recognized as the state fruit of Assam.  ICC Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month for January 2024- Shamar Joseph of West Indies and Amy Hunter of Ireland Respectively.  India has secured the prestigious 9th GovTech Prize for its pioneering endeavors in AI-powered government services, at the World Government Summit 2024 in UAE.  Greening and Restoration of Wasteland with Agroforestry (GROW) report and portal was launched today by Prof Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog at NITI Aayog. This multi-institutional effort led by NITI Aayog utilized remote sensing and GIS to assess agroforestry suitability across all districts in India. Using thematic datasets, an Agroforestry Suitability Index (ASI) was developed for national-level prioritization. The report provides state-wise and district-wise analysis, supporting government departments and industries for greening and restoration projects.  Dream of the Desert: Saudi Arabia is preparing to introduce its first luxury train, named the Dream of the Desert. It will be the first luxury train in the Middle East, offering travelers a journey through Saudi Arabia.  World Hippo Day- 15 February  International Childhood Cancer Day-February 15th  India, UAE ink eight pacts such as investments, electricity trade and digital payment platforms. The UAE is one of India’s closest strategic and energy partners in West Asia, and trade was boosted by the signing of a free trade agreement (FTA) in 2022. 3  Minister of Social Justice to launch a Vehicle under Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan for Delhi NCR in collaboration with Brahma Kumari’s  Chairman & MD of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC)-Mr. Sanjay Kumar Jain  Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur handed over the Chess Olympiad Torch to Budapest, Hungary, the official host of the 45th edition of the Chess Olympiad today in New Delhi.  IT major Wipro has acquired a 60 per cent stake in US-based insurtech Aggne Global for $66 million to strengthen its competitive advantage in the insurance sector, particularly in the property and casualty (P&C) insurance space.  The ‘Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director’ and the ‘Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration’, which are part of the National Film Awards, have been renamed on the recommendation of the Committee for Rationalisation of Film Awards.  ‘Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director’ ‘Best Debut Film of a Director’, and the award money be increased to Rs 3 lakh.  the ‘Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration’ ‘ Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values’.  NTPC Green Energy Ltd, a subsidiary of NTPC Limited, has commissioned 14 MW of capacity at its Ayodhya Solar Photovoltaic Project. The project is part of a larger 40 MW solar project being developed by NTPC Green Energy Ltd in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.  72nd President of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI)- Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal  ‘BAPS Mandir'- PM Modi inaugurates Abu Dhabi’s first Hindu stone temple, describes it as symbol of shared heritage of humanity  The Supreme Court has declared the electoral bonds scheme as “unconstitutional,” stating that anonymous corporate contributions to political parties are “violative of the right to information.”  The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in collaboration with the National Institute of Electronics and IT (NIELIT), is set to host the Future Skills Summit in Guwahati. The event will be inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar.  16th conference of World Social Forum 2024 commences in Kathmandu  Managing director of Boeing Defence India (BDI)- Nikhil Joshi  The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract on February 14, 2024 with Advanced Weapon Equipment India Ltd. (AWEIL), Kanpur for manufacturing & supply of a total of 463 indigenously manufactured 12.7 mm Stabilised Remote Control Guns (SRCG) for the Indian Navy & Indian Coast Guard at a total cost of Rs. 1752.13 crores, with Indigenous Content (IC) of more than 85%.  India's first Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS)- Uttarakhand  Large deposits of iron ore found in Rajasthan’s Karauli. According to preliminary indications, there are deposits of more than 840 million tonnes of iron ore in Khoda, Dadaroli, Todupura and Liloti near Hindon in Karauli.  Union Minister of Food Processing Shri Pashupati Kumar Paras inaugurates "SUFALAM":Start-Up Forum for Aspiring Leaders and Mentors Startup Conclave 2024"  Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has launched the ‘Van Mitra’ scheme and its portal to encourage community participation in tree planting activities in non-forest areas.  IIT Jammu Professor Dr. Karan Nathwani has developed Sound-Based Anti-Drone System at Rs. 4 Lakh 4