XAT Important Bullet Points PDF

XAT Important Bullet Points The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) introduced ‘SEVA,’ an AI-powered chatbot designed to assist investors with a range of functions. This initiative aims to enhance investor experience and accessibility to crucial mark...

XAT Important Bullet Points The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) introduced ‘SEVA,’ an AI-powered chatbot designed to assist investors with a range of functions. This initiative aims to enhance investor experience and accessibility to crucial market information. In a recent development, Zomato has approved the acquisition of Paytm’s entertainment and ticketing business for ₹2,048 crore in a cash deal. Cambodia’s Angkor Wat has been recognized as the most photogenic UNESCO World Heritage site in Asia by Times Travel. French cosmetics giant L’Oreal Paris has made a significant announcement, revealing that it has signed Alia Bhatt, one of Bollywood’s most prominent actresses, as its newest global brand ambassador. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has increased the transaction limits for tax payments using UPI (Unified Payment Interface), by allowing people to send 5 lakh in a single transaction. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has achieved Maharatna status, granting it enhanced operational autonomy and financial powers. This upgrade enables HAL to invest up to 15% of its net worth in projects and ₹5,000 crore in foreign ventures. To qualify, HAL demonstrated an average annual turnover exceeding ₹25,000 crore, a net worth of over ₹15,000 crore, and a net profit exceeding ₹5,000 crore over three years Noel Tata has been appointed as the chairman of Tata Trusts, which holds a significant 66% ownership of Tata Sons. Abhyuday Jindal, the Managing Director of Jindal Stainless, has been appointed as the president of the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC). India has set an ambitious target to achieve net zero emissions by 2070, as highlighted in the World Energy Outlook 2024 report. Nvidia has recently overtaken Apple to become the world's most valuable company, reaching a market value of $3.53 trillion, slightly above Apple's $3.52 trillion.  The Union Budget 2024-25 raised the Mudra loan limit under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh. This increase includes the introduction of a new "Tarun Plus" category, aimed at supporting entrepreneurs who have successfully repaid previous loans under the "Tarun" category. India has made significant progress in innovation, jumping to the 39th position in the Global Innovation Index (GII) of 2024, as reported by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The National Stock Exchange (NSE) commenced its trading operations on November 3, 1994, marking a significant milestone in India's financial landscape. To celebrate its 30th anniversary, NSE has expanded its accessibility by introducing its mobile app and websites in eight additional Indian languages. Under the leadership of MD and CEO Ashishkumar Chauhan, NSE continues to innovate and enhance its services. GAIL (India) Limited and VERBIO India have signed an MoU to develop projects that convert agricultural residue into compressed biogas (CBG). Airbus recently inaugurated its India and South Asia Headquarters and Training Centre in the National Capital Region (NCR), signifying a substantial investment in India's aerospace sector. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has secured a significant order from ITER for a nuclear fusion project based in France. Hindalco Industries, a leading player in the metals sector and part of the Aditya Birla Group, has joined the International Copper Association. Reliance Industries, led by Mukesh Ambani, has collaborated with Nvidia to establish a robust AI infrastructure in India, aligning with the Prime Minister's vision of self- sufficiency in AI development. Zydus Lifesciences has obtained in-principle approval from the World Health Organization (WHO) for its Typhoid Vi conjugate vaccine, ZyVac TCV. China has surpassed other nations to become India's largest import source between April and September 2024, with imports valued at USD 56.29 billion, marking an 11.5% increase from the previous year. DigiLocker has integrated with the UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) app to simplify access to various government services.  Adani Group launched India's largest hydrogen blending project, blending 2.2-2.3% green hydrogen in piped natural gas in Ahmedabad. This initiative aims to reduce emissions and align with net-zero goals. Amazon has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Posts to enhance logistics capabilities and expand parcel delivery services across India. Reliance Group has announced plans to invest in Bhutan's renewable energy sector through its new company, Reliance Enterprises. Hero MotoCorp collaborated with Thums Up, a popular soft drink brand by The Coca-Cola Company, to launch the limited-edition Mavrick 440 Thunderwheels motorcycle. Shankh Air, under Shankh Aviation, has been granted a No Objection Certificate by the Civil Aviation Ministry to commence its flight operations. The airline plans to operate Boeing 737-800NG aircraft and will focus on both inter- and intra-state routes, utilizing hubs in Lucknow and Noida. Mappls has partnered with Zoomcar to streamline travel planning and booking for users. Through the Mappls App, users can now directly book Zoomcar rides, enjoying features like no security deposit, unlimited kilometres, and flexible pick-up/drop-off. The TIME World's Best Companies of 2024 list features Apple at the top position with an impressive overall score of 97.75, recognizing its excellence in the IT, Electronics, Hardware, and Equipment industries. Paysharp, a rising fintech startup from Tamil Nadu, achieved a significant milestone by securing final authorization from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on August 30, 2024. FlixBus, a Germany-based travel-tech company, is expanding its operations into South India, connecting major cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai. With a focus on affordable, safe, and eco-friendly intercity travel solutions, FlixBus aims to connect 33 cities and 215 stops across India. Bharti Airtel has collaborated with Apple to offer exclusive content benefits to its customers in India. As part of this partnership, Apple TV+ will be integrated into Airtel's Xstream service for customers on premium Wi-Fi and postpaid plans. Air India has launched a new inflight entertainment service called 'Vista,' powered by Bluebox, to enhance the passenger experience across its fleet.  Royal Enfield and C.L.A.W Global have joined forces to launch a groundbreaking motorcycle expedition, Unlimit, on August 15. Matrix Cellular has launched India’s first eSIM services, offering a seamless travel experience with no need for physical SIM cards. Air India has partnered with Arrivia, enhancing its Flying Returns loyalty program, allowing members to earn Reward Points on cruise vacations with over 40 major cruise lines. Amazon India has partnered with Gentari Green Mobility India to expand its electric vehicle (EV) delivery fleet to 10,000 units by 2025. The Tata Group has recently launched a significant semiconductor assembly and testing facility in Assam, with an investment of ₹27,000 crore. Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) advanced two positions to secure the 86th spot in the 2024 Fortune Global 500 list. Rapido, a ride-hailing startup, raised $120 million in fresh funding led by WestBridge Capital in 2023, reaching a $1 billion valuation and achieving unicorn status. Aditya Birla Group, under the leadership of Chairman Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla, announced the launch of its jewellery retail business named 'Indriya' on July 30. IndianOil has introduced STORM-X, a high-octane gasoline designed specifically for racing cars. Infosys, a leading information technology company, has been recognized among the 100 most valuable global brands for three consecutive years. Adani Group has announced its intention to invest in wind energy projects in Sri Lanka, totalling over $1 billion. The investment will be directed towards establishing wind farms in Mannar and Pooneryn, with an added investment in infrastructure for electricity transmission. The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has approved the merger of Air India and Vistara, paving the way for the formation of one of the world's largest airline groups. This merger, announced in November 2022, is a significant development in the aviation industry.  Tata Group, renowned for its vast and diversified business portfolio, has been recognized in the “Titans” category of TIME’s list of Most Influential Companies, alongside Reliance Industries Limited (RIL). Reliance Industries is set to begin construction on India’s first Multimodal Logistics Park near Chennai in June. This project, valued at Rs 1,424 crore, aims to revolutionize the logistics landscape of the southern region and is strategically located in Tiruvallur district, 52 km from Chennai Port. Tata Group will acquire full control of Tata Play by purchasing Disney's 30% stake, valuing the company at $1 billion. This transaction aligns with Tata Group's strategy of expanding its presence in the media industry and consolidating its ownership of Tata Play. Swiggy collaborated with "SHIELD" to enhance its fraud prevention capabilities within its Delivery Partner ecosystem. PhonePe has partnered with LankaPay to enable UPI payments in Sri Lanka, allowing users to transact at LankaPay QR merchants. This initiative aims to provide a familiar and secure payment method for Indian tourists and business travellers, enhancing their convenience while travelling in Sri Lanka. Hero MotoCorp, India's leading two-wheeler manufacturer, has partnered with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to enhance digital accessibility for two- wheeler parts and accessories. The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) has been granted the prestigious 'Navratna' status by the government, enhancing its autonomy and investment capacity. This designation signifies IREDA's exceptional performance and its crucial role in promoting renewable energy development in India. Books and Authors 2024 Books Authors “From Oil to Lithium: Navigating the Future Kuldeep Gupta of Energy” India@100: envisioning tomorrow’s Prof. K V subramanian economic powerhouse 75 great revolutionaries of india Bhim Singh, MP Rajya Sabha The Prisoner of Bhopal Tim Walker Wings to Our Hopes Rajesh Kumar Source Code: My Beginnings Bill Gates A Fly on the RBI Wall Alpana Killawala The Idea of Democracy Sam Pitroda Just A Mercenary?: Notes from My Life and RBI governor Duvvuri Subbarao Career’ The Winner’s Mindset Shane Watson Four Stars of Destiny General Manoj Mukund Naravane An Uncommon Love: The Early Life of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni Sudha and Narayana Murthy Gandhi: A Life in Three Campaigns M.J. Akbar and K Natwar Singh The Gems of Indian Art Harish Khullar The Law and Spirituality: Reconnecting the Prof. Raman Mittal and Dr. Seema Singh Bond Heroes of the indian air force Air chief marshal VR chaudhari Mountain Mammals of the World M.K. Ranjitsinh War Veteran investigative journalist Bob Woodward LARA: The England Chronicles Brian Lara co-authored with Phil Walker children’s book, “Ed Finds a Home.” Actress Alia Bhatt autobiography titled ‘I Have the Streets: A Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and Kutti Cricket Story’ Sidharth Monga Tennis Grand Slams 2024 Winners Men’s Tournaments TOURNAMENT WINNER RUNNER-UP U.S. Open Jannik Sinner Taylor Fritz Wimbledon Carlos Alcaraz Novak Djokovic French Open Carlos Alcaraz Alexander Zverev Australian Open Jannik Sinner Daniil Medvedev Women’s Tournaments TOURNAMENT WINNER RUNNER-UP U.S. Open Aryna Sabalenka Jessica Pegula Wimbledon Barbora Krejcikova Jasmine Paolini French Open Iga Swiatek Jasmine Paolini Australian Open Aryna Sabalenka Zheng Qinwen  Important Geographical facts about India India covers 2.4% of the Earth’s surface. Total land area of India is 32,87,263 sq.km. Kanchenjunga is the highest mountain peak of India. Deccan Plateau is the largest plateau of India and the Ladakh plateau is the highest plateau of India. Andaman is the largest island of India and Majuli is the largest river island of world located in Assam, India. India has only one dessert which is the Thar dessert. It is located in the state Rajasthan. The longest Indian River is Ganga; its length is 2,640 km. The world’s largest delta, (in West Bengal) Sundarbans, is made by Brahmaputra and Ganga. Aravalli’s is the oldest mountain ranges of the India. Agriculture Agriculture in India: More than 50 percent of the area of the country is under the cultivation and about 64% of the Indian population is engaged in agriculture. There are two major crop seasons in India, viz.: (i) Rabi (ii) Kharif Rabi: It is sown in October or December and harvested in April or May. Major crops are: barely, wheat, peas, gram and mustard. Kharif: It is sown in June or July and harvested in September or October. Major crops are: bajra, cotton, jowar, rice and jute. Forests: India is covered about *24.1%* by forest area (as per Forest Survey Report 2015). Madhya Pradesh has the largest Forest cover in India among all other states. Gujarat has the longest coastline among all the states in India. Bangladesh shares maximum boundary with India.  India is divided into 29 states, 6 union territories, 1 national capital territory. Rajasthan is the largest state of India followed by Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, UP. UP is the most populous state of India followed by Maharashtra, Bihar, and West Bengal. Important Revolution in Agriculture and Other Sectors Black Petroleum Production Revolution Blue Fish Production Revolution Brown Leather, Cocoa Revolution Green Agriculture Production Revolution Grey Fertilizers Revolution Silver Egg Production Revolution White Dairy, Milk Production Revolution Yellow Oil Seed Production Revolution Round Potato Revolution  Highest Producing states Sugarcane: UP Jute: West Bengal Coffee, Gold, Silk: Karnataka Tea: Assam Rubber, Coconut: Kerala Cotton: Gujarat Ground Nut: Gujarat Saffron: Jammu & Kashmir Some crucial facts about the Census 2011 No of districts 640 Total population % in Urban & Rural 68.8% urban & 31.2% rural areas Child Sex Ratio 919 Sex Ratio 940 Density of population 382 Decadal population growth from 2001 17.64% to 2011 Literacy rate 74.04% India has total population of the world 17.5% The Union Territory of Lakshadweep is 64,429 persons the least populated 1. Kerala - 94.00 % Top 3 literate states 2. Lakshadweep - 91.85 % 3. Mizoram - 91.33 % 1. Kerala – 1084 Highest sex ratio (Top 3 states) 2. Pondicherry – 1037 3. Tamil Nadu - 996 1. Daman and Diu – 618 Lowest sex ratio (Top 3 states) 2. Dadra & Nagar Haveli – 774 3. Chandigarh - 818 1. Delhi - 11,320 Top 3 highly dense union territories 2. Chandigarh - 9,258 3. Pondicherry - 2,547 1. Bihar - 1,106 Top 3 highly dense states 2. West Bengal - 1,028 3. Kerala - 860 1. Uttar Pradesh - 199,281,477 (16.49%) Top 3 highly populated states in India 2. Maharashtra - 112,372,972 (9.28%) 3. Bihar - 103,804,637 (8.58%)  India’s rank in Different Indices 2024 Global Terrorism Index 2024 India’s rank: 14th Climate change performance index 2024 India’s rank: 7th World Happiness Index 2024 India’s rank: 126th Index of Economic Freedom 2024 India’s rank: 126th World Press Freedom Index 2024 India’s rank: 159th Logistics Performance Index 2024 India’s rank: 38th Global Gender Gap Report for 2024 India’s rank: 129th Henley Passport Index 2024 India’s rank: 83rd Energy Transition Index 2024 India’s rank: 63rd World Competitiveness Index 2024 India’s rank: 39th Global Peace Index 2024 India’s rank: 116th Global Hunger Index 2024 India’s rank: 105th  CEOs/chairman List 2024 SBI Chairman: Challa Sreenivasulu Setty ICICI CEO & MD: Sandeep Bakhshi HDFC CEO & MD: Sashidhar Jagdishan Punjab National Bank CMD: Atul Kumar Goel Axis bank CEO & MD: Amitabh Chaudhry Bank of Baroda MD & CEO: Debadatta Chand Flipkart: Kalyan Krishnamurthy Snapdeal: Kunal bahl Paytm: Vijay Shekhar Sharma Ola: Bhavish Aggarwal Oyo rooms: Ritesh Aggarwal Alibaba: Daniel Zhang Amazon: Andy Jassy Uber: Dara Khosrowshahi Amul: R.S. Sodhi Tata group: Natarajan Chandrasekaran Birla group: Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla Reliance industries: Mr. Mukesh Ambani ITC Ltd: Sanjiv Puri (CEO & MD) Wipro: Thierry Delaporte Infosys: Salil Parekh (CEO & MD) Apple: Tim cook Tesla motors: Elon Musk Google: Sunder Pichai Microsoft: Satya Nadella PepsiCo: Ramon Laguarta Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg Walmart: C. Douglas McMillan LinkedIn: Ryan Roslansky Twitter (X): Linda Yaccarino Mergers & Acquisitions 2024 Reliance-Disney: This $8.5 billion merger is expected to be finalized by the end of the year and is expected to change the media and entertainment industry.  Bharti Airtel-BT Group: Bharti Airtel acquired a stake in BT Group, a British telecom group, for $4.08 billion. Data Infrastructure Trust-ATC India: Data Infrastructure Trust acquired ATC India's assets for $2.5 billion. Ambuja Cement-Penna Cements: Ambuja Cement acquired Penna Cements for $1.3 billion. Gujarat Gas-Gujarat State Petronet: Gujarat Gas acquired Gujarat State Petronet for $3 billion. Tesla acquired a 20% stake in Tata Motors’ electric vehicle (EV) division for $2 billion. Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), one of India's largest conglomerates, completed its acquisition of Future Group’s retail, wholesale, logistics, and warehousing businesses. Infosys has completed the acquisition of Danske Bank’s IT centre in India. Hyundai Motor India signs agreement for acquisition of GM India Talegaon plant assets. Amgen acquired Horizon Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company that focuses on treatments for rare, autoimmune diseases, in a deal valued at approximately $26.4 billion. Gautam Adani's Group has completed the acquisition of major Indian cement players, Ambuja Cements and ACC. The Group has now become the second largest cement player in the country. Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd. (RRVL) has signed a joint venture with Alia Bhatt’s clothing brand of kids and maternity wear, Ed-a-Mamma for a 51% majority stake. Food delivery platform Zomato has agreed to acquire instant grocery startup Blinkit for ₹4,447 crore ($569 million) in an all-stock deal, as it seeks to exploit a fast- growing market for quick grocery delivery. Jio Platforms, owned by Reliance Industries, has completed the acquisition of Mimosa Networks, a US-based communication equipment maker, for $60m through its wholly-owned subsidiary Radisys Corporation.  Citigroup Inc announced that it would sell its Indian consumer businesses to Axis Bank for $1.6 billion, as the US bank exits retail operations in 13 markets. The transaction includes the sale of the consumer banking businesses of Citibank India. Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL) said it has acquired an 89% stake for RS 950 crore in Purple Panda Fashions Pvt. Ltd, which owns women innerwear and lounge wear brand Clovia. The Tata Group, which placed the highest bid of Rs 18,000 crore in the Air India disinvestment, took over the airline from the government on January 27. Reliance Industries has completed the Rs 3,567-crore acquisition of India's Sintex Industries, which had been agreed a year ago and approved by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in February. Fair-trade regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) on Monday approved the proposed merger of Jio Cinema OTT with Viacom18 Media.  Brand Ambassadors 2024 The French automaker Citroen appointed Cricketer MS Dhoni as its brand ambassador in India in May 2024. Senco Gold and Diamonds, one of the jewellery retail chains of India, has announced Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan as the brand ambassador for its men's jewellery range - Aham. Global apparel retailer Uniqlo has roped in Katrina Kaif as its first ever brand endorser in India. Huda El-Mufti, the Egyptian actress, has been chosen as a brand ambassador for the prestigious Italian luxury brand Bulgari. JSW Group, one of India’s fastest growing conglomerates, proudly announced Olympic and World champion, Neeraj Chopra as its official brand ambassador, thereby extending an already solid relationship with the javelin ace. Ranveer Singh, the first Indian actor ambassador for Ducati. Known for its timeless elegance and luxury, Tiffany & Co. chose Ranveer Singh as its ambassador, epitomizing the brand's modern sophistication and effortless style, adding a touch of glamour to every occasion. CashKaro, India’s cashback and coupons app has announced its collaboration with Indian actress, Genelia Deshmukh, as its brand ambassador. Fashion Alia Bhatt was chosen as the first Indian global ambassador for Gucci. Prescription lens brand Essilor has announced legendary cricketer and global sports icon Virat Kohli as its brand ambassador in India brand. Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar is the global brand ambassador for Bank of Baroda.. Myntra announces the appointment of Bollywood actor, Ranbir Kapoor, as its brand ambassador Bollywood actor Ananya Pandey has been named as the brand ambassador of the brand Esprit in India.  Iga Świątek and Rafael Nadal to the Infosys family as their global brand ambassador. Chinese smartphone maker Realme announced Shah Rukh Khan as its new brand ambassador in India. Actor Shahrukh Khan is a brand ambassador for Castrol India. Cricketer Rohit Sharma has joined pharmaceutical company, Glenmark Pharma as a brand ambassador for Candid Dusting Powder. Actress Kriti Sanon is the global brand ambassador for Pepe Jeans London. Star Sports, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company India, has appointed Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh as its brand ambassador. Ranveer Singh becomes the brand ambassador of Lavie Sport. Fastrack Smart has partnered with Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh as its brand ambassador. Actor Deepika Padukone has been appointed Louis Vuitton’s first ever Indian brand ambassador Zupee has announced the appointment of actor Salman Khan as brand ambassador. Pilgrim, a direct-to-consumer personal care brand has named actor Yami Gautam as its brand ambassador to endorse its hair care range. Fiama has announced the appointment of actor Rashmika Mandanna as brand ambassador. Epson India announced that film actress Rashmika Mandanna will be its brand ambassador in India. Swiss Watchmaker Rado appoints Katrina Kaif as Global Brand Ambassador. Puma ropes in Mohammed Shami as its Brand Ambassador. Shraddha Kapoor is the brand ambassador for the Japanese sportswear company ASICS in India. Apart from innerwear brand Dixcy Scott and tablet BlackBerry Playbook, Britannia's Tiger biscuits is the latest endorsement of Salman Khan.  UltraTech Cement, a flagship of the Aditya Birla Group, will acquire a 32.72% equity stake in India Cements for ₹3,945 crore. Shikhar Dhawan Becomes Brand Ambassador for MotoGP India List of Cabinet Ministers of India S. Cabinet Ministers Portfolios No. 1 Shri Raj Nath Singh Minister of Defence. 2 Shri Amit Shah Minister of Home Affairs; and Minister of Cooperation. 3 Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari Minister of Road Transport and Highways. 4 Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda Minister of Health and Family Welfare; and Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers. 5 Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; and Minister of Rural Development. 6 Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman Minister of Finance; and Minister of Corporate Affairs. 7 Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar Minister of External Affairs. 8 Shri Manohar Lal Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs; and Minister of Power. 9 Shri H. D. Kumaraswamy Minister of Heavy Industries; and Minister of Steel. 10 Shri Piyush Goyal Minister of Commerce and Industry. 11 Shri Dharmendra Pradhan Minister of Education. 12 Shri Jitan Ram Manjhi Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. 13 Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Minister of Panchayati Raj; and Lalan Singh Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. 14 Shri Sarbananda Sonowal Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. 15 Dr. Virendra Kumar Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment. 16 Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu Minister of Civil Aviation. 17 Shri Pralhad Joshi Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution; and Minister of New and Renewable Energy. 18 Shri Jual Oram Minister of Tribal Affairs. 19 Shri Giriraj Singh Minister of Textiles. 20 Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw Minister of Railways; Minister of Information and Broadcasting; and Minister of Electronics and Information Technology. 21 Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia Minister of Communications; and Minister of Development of North Eastern Region. 22 Shri Bhupender Yadav Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 23 Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Minister of Culture; and Minister of Tourism. 24 Smt. Annpurna Devi Minister of Women and Child Development 25 Shri Kiren Rijiju Minister of Parliamentary Affairs; and Minister of Minority Affairs. 26 Shri Hardeep Singh Puri Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas 27 Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Minister of Labour and Employment; and Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports. 28 Shri G. Kishan Reddy Minister of Coal; and Minister of Mines. 29 Shri Chirag Paswan Minister of Food Processing Industries. 30 Shri C R Patil Minister of Jal Shakti. 2024 Summer Paralympics Held in Paris, France Motto: Games Wide Open Mascot; The Phyrges. They are two anthropomorphic Phrygian caps, a symbol of France. Indian flag bearers at the Opening ceremony: Sumit Antil and Bhagyashree Jadhav Indian flag bearers at the Closing ceremony: Harvinder Singh and Preethi Pal Medals tally Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total 1. China 94 76 50 220  Great 2. 49 44 31 124 Britain 18. India 7 9 13 29 Name of Joint military exercises of India with other countries Surya Kiran: India and Nepal Mitra Shakti & SLINEX: India and Sri Lanka ‘Vajra Prahar’: India and the US Ajeya Warrior: India and the UK Indra: India and Russia Varuna: France and India Maitree: India and Thailand Simbex: India and Singapore VINBAX: India and Vietnam Harimau Shakti: India and Malaysia Lamitye: India and Seychelles AUSINDEX: India & Australia Venues of Some Important sports events Summer Olympics 2024: Paris, France 2028: Los Angeles, USA Cricket World Cup Men's One Day 2027: South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup: USA & West Indies FIFA Football World Cup 2026: USA, Mexico, Canada Commonwealth games 2026: Glasgow, Scotland Important schemes points PM Shri Yojana is launched to upgrade more than 14500 schools in country with modern infrastructure and technology. Its Full form: PM School for Rising India. PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana Type: Life insurance Age limits: 18-50 Premium: Rs. 436  Coverage: life covers of Rs. 2 lakhs PM Suraksha Bima Yojana Type: Accidental insurance Age limit: 18-70 Premium: Rs. 20 The risk coverage: Rs. 2 lakh for accidental death and full disability and Rs. 1 lakh for partial disability. The Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana Account can be opened in the name of a girl child, by her parents or legal guardians, any time before the girl child attains 10 years of age. Only one account per girl child is allowed. Amount deposited in Sukanya Samriddhi Account is tax free. The scheme is meant to meet the education and marriage expenses of a girl child. Minimum payment per year: Rs. 250 to account to keep it active. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana was launched by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 1 May 2016 to distribute LPG connections to women of Below Poverty Line families. Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) provides loans upto 10 lakhs to the non- corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises. Launch date: 8th April 2015. India at the 2024 Summer Olympics India competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, held from 26 July to 11 August 2024. The country made its debut at the 1900 Summer Olympics. Indian athletes have appeared at every edition of the Summer Olympic Games since 1920 and the Paris Games edition marked India's 26th appearance at the Summer Olympics. The Indian contingent consisted of 110 athletes who competed in 16 sports. P.V. Sindhu and Sharath Kamal were the flag-bearers for the opening ceremony. Manu Bhaker and P. R. Sreejesh carried the Indian flag during the closing ceremony. India won six medals including a silver and five bronze to be ranked 71st amongst the 206 NOCs that participated in the Olympics. This was India's third-best medal haul after the 2020 and 2012 respectively.  Manu Bhaker won two bronze medals in shooting and became the first Indian to win two medals in a single Olympics since India gained independence. Neeraj Chopra, who won a silver medal in the men's javelin throw event, became the first Indian individual medalist to win a gold and silver at the Olympics. Wrestler Aman Sehrawat, who won a bronze medal became the youngest ever Indian medal winner in the Olympics. Awards & Honours 2024 The French mathematician Michel Talagrand has been awarded the Abel Prize for 2024. Booker Prize winning Indian author and political activist, Ms. Arundhati Roy has been awarded the 2024 PEN Pinter Prize. The 1992 Nobel Peace Prize recipient from Guatemala, Ms. Rigoberta Menchú Tum has been conferred the Gandhi Mandela Award 2020 by the Gandhi Mandela Foundation. Indian President Smt. Draupadi Murmu was conferred the highest civilian award of Fiji. The Bollywood star Mithun Chakraborty has been chosen to be conferred the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke award for his contribution to Indian cinema. Miss Rhea Singha, The contestant from Gujarat, has been crowned Miss India Universe 2024 at the beauty pageant in Jaipur. The noted Malayalam poet and litterateur Prabha Varma has been chosen to be awarded the prestigious Saraswati Samman, 2023 for his verse novel Roudra Sathwikam by the KK Birla Foundation The Indian author Ruskin Bond, recipient of Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan, has been awarded the Sahitya Akademi Fellowhsip. 77th British Academy Film Awards 2024 Best Film: Oppenheimer Best Director: Christopher Nolan Best Actor: Cillian Murphy Best Actress: Emma Stone 66th Grammy Awards 2024 Record of the Year: Flowers by Miley Cirus Album of the Year: Midnights by Taylor Swift Song of the Year: What was I made for? by Billie Eilish O'Connell & Finneas O'Connell  Bharat Ratna Bharat Ratna have been awarded to the following persons by the Government of India Shri L.K. Advani, former Deputy PM and Home Minister of India Shri P.V. Narsimha Rao, former PM of India (posthumous) Shri Charan Singh, former PM of India (posthumous) Shri M.S. Swaminathan, renowned agricultural scientist (posthumous) Nobel Prizes 2024 Field Winners Contribution Victor Ambros Medicine for the discovery of microRNA Gary Ruvkun David Baker for computational protein design Chemistry Demis Hassabis for protein structure prediction John Jumper John Hopfield for foundational discoveries and inventions Physics that enable machine learning with artificial Geoffrey Hinton neural networks Nihon Hidankyo for its efforts to achieve a world free of Peace (Japanese nuclear weapons organisation) Daron Acemogly for studies of how institution are formed Economic Sciences Simon Johnson and affect prosperity James Robinson for her intense poetic prose that confronts Literature Han Kang historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.  Economy of India The economy of India has transitioned from a mixed planned economy to a mixed middle-income developing social market economy and largest South Asian economy with notable public sector in strategic sectors. It is the world's fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP and the third- largest by purchasing power parity (PPP). Maharashtra is the wealthiest Indian state followed by UP and Tamilnadu. In 2024, India's ten largest trading partners were the China, United States, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Iraq, Indonesia, Hongkong, South Korea. GDP: Gross Domestic Product GDP is the monetary value of all the finished goods and services produced within a country's borders in a specific time period. The service sector makes up 50% of GDP and remains the fastest growing sector, while the industrial sector and the agricultural sector employs a majority of the labor force. 3 sectors in Indian Economy Contribution of different sectors in Indian GDP: Primary sector (Agriculture): around 16.38% Secondary sector (Industry): around 29.34 % Tertiary sector (Service): around 54.27% There are 8 core industries in India- Electricity, Steel, Refinery products, Crude oil, Coal, Cement, Natural gas and Fertilisers. India has the world's fourth-largest natural resources, with the mining sector contributing 11% of the country's industrial GDP and 2.5% of total GDP. It is  also the world's second-largest coal producer, the second-largest cement producer, the second-largest steel producer, and the third-largest electricity producer. India is the world's largest manufacturer of generic drugs, and its pharmaceutical sector fulfils over 50% of the global demand for vaccines. Taglines: Tagline of Punjab National Bank: The Name You Can Bank Upon Tagline of Canara Bank: Together We Can Tagline of Indian Bank: Your Own Bank Tagline of Union Bank of India: Good People to Bank With First bank to introduce internet banking in India: ICICI bank First bank to introduce mutual fund in India: State Bank of India First bank to introduce credit card in India: Central Bank of India Which cards are known as plastic money– Credit Cards, debit cards etc The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) is known as– World Bank Minimum money transfer limit through RTGS: 2 Lakhs Maximum money transfer limit through RTGS: No Limit Minimum & Maximum money transfer limit through NEFT: No Limit NABARD was established in- July, 1982 Largest Public sector bank in India– SBI Largest Private sector bank in India– HDFC Bank First Indian bank to open branch outside India i.e. London in 1946: Bank of India First Bank to introduce ATM in India: HSBC in 1987, Mumbai SBI has the maximum number of overseas branches.  First bank established in India: Bank of Hindustan in 1770 First Indian bank got ISO: Canara Bank First India bank started solely with Indian capital investment is PNB. Founder of Punjab National Bank is Lala Lajpat Rai. RBI’s Too Big to fail list Banks: SBI, ICICI and HDFC 1st Payment Bank in India: Airtel payment Bank Payment Banks can’t issue Credit cards and can’t give loans. Rs. 1 Rupee Note bears the signature of Finance Secretary Fiscal Policy is the work of Finance Ministry Stock Exchange Note Some important Stock Exchange Index and Country (location) Nikkei, Pix = Japan Kospa = Korea Bove spa = Brazil NASDAQ, NYSE = USA Simex = Singapore Hang Seng = Hong Kong FTSE = England Bombay Stock Exchange is the oldest Stock Exchange in Asia. Full-form of SENSEX- Sensitive Index Bombay Stock Exchange is situated in Dalal Street. NASDAQ is the World’s First Electronic Stock Exchange. NASDAQ: National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has the nick name “Big Board”. It is situated in Wall Street.  List of Important Regulators in India Money market: RBI Foreign exchange: RBI Capital market: SEBI Insurance companies: IRDAI Chit funds: Respective state governments Cooperative banks and regional rural banks: NABARD Pension fund: PFRDA (Pension fund regulatory and development authority) Telecommunications: TRAI [Telecom regulatory authority of India] Current RBI Policy Rates Repo Rate 6.50% Reverse Repo Rate 3.35% Bank Rate 6.75% Marginal Standing Facility Rate 6.75% Standing Deposit Facility Rate 6.25% Cash Reserve Ratio 4.50% Statutory Liquidity Ratio 18.00% Repo Rate: It is the interest rate at which the central bank of a country lends money to commercial banks. Standing Deposit Facility: The standing deposit facility allows the RBI to absorb excess cash from the economy by sucking liquidity from commercial banks without giving government securities in return to the lenders. The RBI has fixed the SDF rate at 6.25 per cent. Under the SDF, the banks can place deposits with the RBI on an overnight basis. The RBI, however, retains the flexibility to absorb liquidity for longer tenors under the SDF with appropriate pricing, as and when the need arises.  Both SDF and reverse repo rate are used by the central bank to absorb liquidity in the system. The difference is that through reverse repo operations, the RBI needs to deposit collateral or government securities to borrow from commercial banks; while SDF does not require any such collateral. List of Mobile Banking Apps in India iMobile App: ICICI Bank HDFC MobileBanking App: HDFC Bank YONO App: State Bank of India PayZapp: HDFC Bank Baroda M-Connect Plus App: Bank of Baroda Axis Mobile App: Axis Bank Kotak- 811 & Mobile Banking App.: Kotak Mahindra Bank IDBI Go Mobile+ App: IDBI Bank Candi: Canara Bank PNB ONE: Punjab National Bank SBI Buddy: State Bank of India Cent Mobile: Central Bank of India  Different Bank accounts Savings Account As the name suggests, the savings accounts can be opened by an individual or jointly by two people with an aim to save money. The main benefit of opening a savings bank account is that the bank pays you interest for opening this type of account with them. The savings account holders can get an ATM/Debit/Rupay Card if they want to. Savings bank account is further divided into two types: Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account (BSBDA) and the other one is Basic Saving Bank Deposit Accounts Small Scheme (BSBDS) Current Account These accounts are not used for the purpose of savings. This type of bank account is mostly opened by businessmen. Associations, Institutions, Companies, Religious Institutions and other business-related works, the current account can be opened. Overdraft facility is available for current bank accounts. There is no interest that is paid on such accounts. Recurring Deposit Account Recurring Deposit account or RD account is a form of account wherein the account holder needs to deposit a fixed amount every month until it reaches the fixed maturity date. Any individual or an Institution can open a recurring deposit account either separately or jointly. The range of months for which an RD account can be opened varies from 6 months to 120 months. Fixed Deposit Account FD or a fixed deposit account is another type of bank account that can be opened in any Public or Private sector bank. It is a one-time deposit and one time take away account. Under this type of account, the account holder needs to deposit a fixed amount of sum (as per their wish) for a fixed time period DEMAT Account Shares and securities which can be held in electronic format constitute the DEMAT account. The DEMAT account also stands for Dematerialized Account. NRI Account NRO (Non-Resident Ordinary Rupees) Account – This shall allow you to transfer your foreign earnings easily to India. It can be opened in the form of an FD/RD/Current/Savings account. These accounts can be opened by an individual or jointly opened. NRE (Non-Resident External Rupees) Account When an Indian citizen moves abroad to work there, his/her account needs to be converted into an NRE account. This account can be jointly opened with an Indian resident. FCNR (Foreign Currency Non-Resident) Account  This type of account can be opened to manage an international currency. It can only be in the form of Term deposit and can be withdrawn after the maturity period only. Mortgages When property, land or any other commodity is used as collateral to borrow money or to take a loan from a lender, it is known as Mortgage Simple Mortgage: In such type of mortgage, the borrower needs to sign an agreement stating that if he/she is unable to pay back the borrowed amount in specified time duration, then the lender can sell the property to anyone to get his money back Mortgage by Conditional Sale: Under such mortgage, the lender can put a certain number of conditions which the borrower must follow in terms of repayment. These conditions may include the sale of the property if there is a delay in the monthly instalments, an increase in the rate of interest due to delay in repayment, etc. English Mortgage: In this type of mortgage, the borrower has to transfer the property in the name of the lender at the time of taking money, at a condition that the property would be transferred back to the borrower once the complete amount is paid back Usufructuary Mortgage: This kind of mortgage gives a benefit to the lender. The lender has the right over the property for the due course of the loan period, he can put the property on rent or use it for other purposes until the repayment of the amount. But the main rights lie with the owner himself. Reverse Mortgage: In this case, the lender lends money to the borrower on a monthly basis. The entire loan amount is divided into instalments and the lender gives the borrower that money in instalments Equitable Mortgage: In this type of mortgage, the title deeds of the property are given to the lender. This is a common phenomenon in the banking mortgage loans. It is done to secure the property List of Important Countries, Capital and Currency Countries Capital Currency Austria Vienna Euro Buenos Argentina Aires Peso Azerbaijan Baku Manat Bangladesh Dhaka Taka Belarus Minsk Ruble Belgium Brussels Euro Bhutan Thimphu Ngultrum Brazil Barsilia Real China Beijing Yuan Colombia Bogota Peso Croatia Zagreb Kuna Cuba Havana Peso Denmark Copenhagen Krone Egypt Cairo Pound Finland Helsinki Euro Hungary Budapest Forint Indonesia Jakarta Rupiah Iran Tehran Rial Iraq Baghdad Dinar Israel Jerusalem Shekel Italy Rome Euro Japan Tokyo Yen Jordon Amman Dinar Jamaica Kingston Dollar Kazakhstan Astana Tenge Kenya Nairobi Shilling Korea North Pyongyang Won Korea South Seoul Won Kuala Malaysia Lumpur Ringgit Maldives Male Rufiyaa Mauritius Port Louis Rupee Mexico Mexico City Peso Myanmar Nay Pyi Taw (Burma) (Rangoon) Kyat Nigeria Abuja Naira Norway Oslo Krone Portugal Lisbon Euro Qatar Doha Riyal Russia Moscow Ruble Saudi Arabia Riyadh Riyal Singapore Singapore Dollar South Africa Cape Town Rand South Sudan Juba Pound Spain Madrid Euro Sri Lanka Colombo Rupee Sweden Stockholm Krona Switzerland Bern France  Syria Damascus Pound Thailand Bangkok Baht Turkey Ankara Lira Uganda Kampala Shilling Ukraine Kyiv Hryvnia United Arab Emirates (UAE) Abu Dhabi Dirham Vietnam Hanoi Dong List of Public sector banks in India and their headquarters Banks Tagline Head Quarters Bank of Baroda India’s International Bank Baroda Bank of India Relationship Beyond Banking Mumbai Bank of Maharashtra One Family One Bank Pune Canara Bank Together We Can Bengaluru Central Bank of India Build A Better Life Around Us Mumbai Dena Bank Trusted Family Bank Mumbai IDBI Bank Banking for all / Aao Sochein Bada Mumbai Indian Bank Your Tech-Friendly Bank Chennai Indian Overseas Bank Good People to Grow With Chennai Punjab National Bank The Name You Bank Upon New Delhi Pure Banking Nothing Else, With You-All the State Bank of India Mumbai Way UCO Bank Honours Your Trust Kolkata Union Bank of India Good People to Bank With Mumbai List of Private Sector Banks in India & Their Headquarters Bank Name Headquarters Tagline AXIS Bank Mumbai Badhti Ka Naam Zindagi Trust and Excellence Citi Union Bank Tamilnadu since 1904 Catholic Syrian Bank Thrissur Support all the way Dhanlaxmi Bank Thrissur, Kerala Tann. Mann. Dhan DCB Bank Mumbai We Value You Your perfect banking Federal Bank Kerala partner We understand your HDFC Bank Mumbai world ICICI Bank Mumbai Khayaal Aapka IDFC Bank Mumbai Banking Hatke IndusInd Bank Mumbai We make money simple Your family bank across Karnataka Bank Mangalore India Kotak Mahindra Bank Mumbai Let’s make money simple Karur Vysya Bank Tamilnadu Smart way to bank The Changing Face of Lakshmi Vilas Bank Tamilnadu prosperity RBL Bank Maharashtra Apno ka Bank Experience next South Indian Bank Kerala generation banking Yes Bank Mumbai Life ko Banao Rich  Important Banking Terms ATM: Automatic Teller Machine Bonds: An instrument in which a person lends money to a corporate for a definite period of time at a fixed interest rate. Bank ombudsman: Bank ombudsman is the authority to solve the complaint of the customers against any banks. Bancassurance: Selling of the Different types of the insurance products as corporate agents by the banks through their branches. Bank Rate: It is a rate at which RBI lends money to commercial banks without any security. It is used for Long Term Borrowing. Balance of Payment (BOP): Balance of payments is statement of economic transactions of a country with rest of the world. Balance Sheet: Balance Sheet is a statement a company showing the assets and liabilities of the business on a particular date. Current Account: No interest is given in this account. Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR): CRR is a monetary policy instrument used by RBI to control the supply of money. Banks have to keep some percentage of NDTL with RBI this is known as CRR. Demat Account: Investor can buy or sell their shares by the help of demat account. Gross Domestic Product (GDP): Gross Domestic Product is the monetary value of the Goods and services produced within geographical Boundaries of the country during given period of time. Gross National Product (GNP): Value of the total goods and services produced by the citizens of a country during a given period of time is known as Gross National Product. Hedging: Hedging is a method or a strategy of reducing the risk of loss caused by price fluctuation in future.  IFSC: Indian Financial System Code (IFSC) which is an eleven alpha numeric character code. KYC Norms: KYC means “Know Your Customer”. It is a process by which banks obtain personal information of the customer. Monopoly: Monopoly is a condition where only one seller in the market. Mortgage: A mortgage is an agreement that allows a lender to seize property when a borrower fails to pay. Mixed Economy: An economic system which have the characteristics of both Private and Government Enterprises. India is a mixed economy country. Non-Performing Assets (NPA): A Non-Performing asset shall be a loan or an advance where Interest or installment of principal remain overdue for a period of more than 90 days in respect of a term loan. NBFCs: A Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) is a company registered under the Companies Act, 1956 engaged in the business of loans and advances, acquisition of shares/debentures etc. NBFCs cannot accept demand deposits. NEFT: National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) is a nation-wide electronic payment system Oligopoly: An oligopoly is an economic market whereby a small number of companies generate and control the entire supply of a good or service. Overdraft: It is a credit facility given by bank to an account holder. Overdraft facility provide excess withdraw to the account holder on a nominal charge. Plastic Money: Debit Cards, Credit Cards, ATM Cards are known as plastic money. Personal Identification Number (PIN): Personal Identification Number is a number which an ATM card holder has to use in before he is authorized to do any banking transaction. PIN is used for security purpose. Repo Rate: Repo rate is the interest rate which is charged by RBI when RBI lends money to commercial bank for short period of time. Recurring Deposits (R.D.): Recurring Deposit is a special type of deposit account which enables a customer to save by paying into the account an agreed fixed sum of  money monthly over a stipulated period. RTGS: The acronym 'RTGS' stands for Real Time Gross Settlement, which can be defined as the real-time settlement of funds transfers. The minimum amount to be remitted through RTGS is Rs. 2 lakh. There is no upper limit for RTGS transactions. Self Help Group (SHG): SHG is a committee 10-20 people usually in village area mainly for the purpose of deposits their savings into bank by their mutual agreement. Small loan is given to members of SHG for fulfilling their business needs if they want to start a small business. SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Inter-Bank Financial Telecommunication): It is international computerized telecommunication network. India became a SWIFT member in 1991. Each bank is given a unique code by SWIFT. Sarfaesi Act: The Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 (Sarfaesi Act). It allows banks and other financial institution to auction residential or commercial properties (of Defaulter) to recover loans. Sovereign Gold Bond: Sovereign Gold Bond is a government security issued by Reserve Bank of India on the behalf of Government of India. SCBs are substitutes for holding physical gold. Investors gets market value of gold at the time of maturity and periodical interest. Treasury Bills: Treasury Bills are short term (up to one year) borrowing instruments of the Government of India which enable investors to park their short-term surplus funds while reducing their market risk. They are auctioned by Reserve Bank of India at regular intervals and issued at a discount to face value Time Deposits (Fixed Deposits): Time Deposit is a deposit in the bank which is not allowed to withdraw before a fixed period. If account holder wants to withdraw deposit before the fixed time then banks may charge some amount of penalty on it. Universal banking: In Universal Banking Banks are allowed to do all types of activities related to banking like acceptance of deposits, giving loans, issue of debit and credit cards, selling of insurance products etc. Wholesale banking: In wholesale banking main focus is on providing financial assistance to the industries and other sectors. Basic Saving Bank Accounts (BSBA): These accounts are also known as Zero Balance Accounts. The account in which one don’t have to maintain a minimum balance.  Important appointments Important CMs Chief Minister of Haryana: Nayab Singh Saini Chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir: Omar Abdullah Chief Minister of Bihar: Nitish Kumar Chief Minister of Telangana: Sri A. Revanth Reddy Chief Minister of Chhatisgarh: Vishnu Deo Sai Chief Minister of Sikkim: Prem Singh Tamang Chief Minister of MP: Mohan Yadav Chief Minister of Maharashtra: Eknath Shinde Chief Minister of Uttarakhand: Pushkar Singh Dhami Chief Minister of Rajasthan: Bhajan Lal Sharma Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh: N. Chandrababu Naidu Important Governors Governor of Andhra Pradesh: S. Abdul Nazeer Governor of Rajasthan: Haribhau Bagade Governor of Telangana: Jishnu Dev Varma Governor of Assam: Lakshman Acharya Governor of Bihar: Rajendra Arlekar Governor of Chhattisgarh: Ramen Deka Governor of Uttarakhand: Gurmit Singh Governor of Maharashtra: Ramesh Bais Governor of Jharkhand: Santosh Gangwar Other Important Appointments Chairman of National Human Rights Commission: Arun Kumar Mishra 17th Finance Commission Chairman: Arvind Panagariya Finance secretary of India: Tuhin Kanta Pandey Home Secretary of India: Govind Mohan SEBI Chairman: Madhabi Puri Beach IRDAI Chairman: Debasish Panda Chairman of NABARD: Shri. Shaji K V National Stock Exchange: Mr. Ashish Kumar Chauhan (MD & CEO) Chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC): Sanjay Agarwal Chief Justice of India: Justice Sanjiv Khanna  Chairman of DRDO: Dr Samir V Kamat Chairman of ISRO: S Somnath Chairman of Lokpal: Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar Lok Sabha Speaker: OM Birla President of India: Droupadi Murmu Vice-President of India: Jagdeep Dhankhar President of FTII: R Madhavan NGT Chairman: Justice Prakash Shrivastava Chief Defence staff (CDS) of India: Lt Gen Anil Chauhan International appointments Prime Minister of Japan: Shigeru Ishiba President of Bangladesh: Mohammed Shahabuddin President of South Korea: Yoon Suk-yeol President of Venezuela: Nicolas Maduro President of France: Emmanuel Macron President of Syria: Bashar al asad President of Sri Lanka: Ranil Wickremesinghe Prime Minister of Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu Prime Minister of Italy: Giorgia Meloni Prime Minister of Greece: Kyriakos Mitsotakis Prime Minister of Britain: Keir Starmer Important 2024 Current Affairs Bullet Points Lahore, located in Pakistan's Punjab province, was recently recorded as the most polluted city globally, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 708. India's 72nd ranking in the AI Preparedness Index 2023 reflects its progress in embracing artificial intelligence. India has made significant progress in innovation, jumping to the 39th position in the Global Innovation Index (GII) of 2024, as reported by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The Civil Registration System (CRS) mobile app, launched by Home Minister Amit Shah, aims to simplify birth and death registration, providing access to local languages and digital certificates.  BEML, a state-owned company, has secured a significant contract worth ₹866.87 crore from the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) to design, manufacture, and commission India’s first indigenously built bullet trains. India ranks 105th out of 127 countries in the 2024 Global Hunger Index, falling under the "serious" hunger category with a GHI score of 27.3. The 38th National Games will be held in Uttarakhand from January 28 to February 14, 2025, as announced by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). Rajesh Kumar Singh, a 1989-batch IAS officer from the Kerala cadre, has been appointed as the Defence Secretary of India, succeeding Giridhar Aramane, a 1988- batch IAS officer from Andhra Pradesh who recently retired. India and the United States are conducting the 15th edition of the joint Special Forces exercise, VAJRA PRAHAR, from November 2-22, 2024, at the Orchard Combat Training Centre in Idaho, US. This bilateral exercise aims to enhance interoperability and sharing of expertise between the two nations' special forces. The VAJRA PRAHAR exercise is the second India-US Army exercise in 2024, following the YUDH ABHYAS 2024 held in Rajasthan in September. Praveena Rai has taken office as CEO and MD of MCX, bringing over 20 years of experience in banking, payments, and transaction management. DBS Bank India has been named one of the 'Best Companies for Women in India' (BCWI) for the ninth consecutive year and has earned a spot in the "Best Companies - Hall of Fame." This recognition highlights DBS Bank's commitment to gender equity, with women comprising 31% of its workforce. National Unity Day is celebrated on October 31 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who played a pivotal role in uniting India after independence. Ashok Chandra has been selected by the Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) to succeed Atul Kumar Goel as the MD and CEO of Punjab National Bank upon his retirement on December 31, 2024. Amitabh Chaudhry has been re-appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Axis Bank for a new term effective from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2027. Hong Kong's government has taken measures to enhance cybersecurity by prohibiting apps like WhatsApp, WeChat, and Google Drive from being installed on  official computers. This decision aims to mitigate potential risks, acknowledging the territory's relatively low cybersecurity awareness. Zimbabwe's cricket team achieved a historic milestone by posting a record-breaking total of 344/4 in a T20 International, surpassing Nepal's previous record of 314/3. Australia takes centre stage as the "Country of Focus" at the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), showcasing seven Australian films that highlight Indigenous and contemporary narratives. The Government of India launched the eShram – One Stop Solution in New Delhi to enhance access to social security schemes for unorganised workers. This innovative platform aims to streamline data from various government ministries and integrate important welfare schemes, including the One Nation One Ration Card and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Glasgow, Scotland, has been selected to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, marking the city's return as host after a 12-year hiatus. M.K. Ranjitsinh, a renowned conservationist from India, authored the book "Mountain Mammals of the World," published by Penguin Random House. With a career spanning decades, Ranjitsinh has been instrumental in shaping India’s wildlife conservation efforts, including his role in Project Tiger and protecting endangered species like the barasingha. Nikita Porwal from Madhya Pradesh was crowned Femina Miss India World 2024, earning the opportunity to represent India at the Miss World pageant. Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar has been appointed as the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW), becoming the 9th individual to hold this significant position. Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud has recommended Justice Sanjiv Khanna to succeed him as the 51st Chief Justice of India. Justice Khanna, who was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2019, has presided over significant cases, including those concerning the abrogation of Article 370 and granting interim bail to Arvind Kejriwal. Nayab Singh Saini was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Haryana for the second time, marking a significant achievement for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as they secured their third consecutive term in the state.  Partha Pratim Sengupta has taken the reins as Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Bandhan Bank, replacing founder Chandra Sekhar Ghosh who resigned on July 9, 2024. India ranks 105th out of 127 countries in the 2024 Global Hunger Index, falling under the "serious" hunger category with a GHI score of 27.3. Han Kang, a renowned South Korean author, has been honoured with the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature for her exceptional literary contributions. Her works are characterized by intense poetic prose, exploring historical traumas and the vulnerability of human existence. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has increased the wallet limit for UPI Lite transactions from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000. This enhancement allows users to store and transact larger amounts via UPI Lite, making it more convenient for everyday transactions. Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, two American scientists, have been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Medicine for their groundbreaking discovery of microRNA. Mumbai has clinched the Irani Cup title after a 27-year wait, marking a significant achievement for the team. Led by Ajinkya Rahane, the reigning Ranji champions drew the match against the Rest of India after taking a first-innings lead. 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Venue: United Arab Emirates Winners: New Zealand Runners-up: South Africa Player of the series: Amelia Kerr (New Zealand) 16th BRICS SUMMIT 2024 Venue: Kazan, Russia Chair: Russian President Vladimir Putin Participants: Russia, India, China, South Africa, Brazil, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, United Arab Emirates The Indian languages Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Bengali and Assamese have been conferred the status of Classical Language as approved by the Union Cabinet. Trachoma, The eye disease which India has eliminated as a public health problem becoming the third country in the South-East Asia Region to do so.  Shri Ratan Naval Tata, The Chairman of Tata Group and Tata Sons, recipient of Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan, passed away on 09 October 2024. Guwahati-based NorthEast United Football Club etched their names in Indian football history by clinching their maiden Durand Cup title. In a momentous achievement for Indian cricket, Jasprit Bumrah has become the 10th Indian bowler to reach the illustrious milestone of 400 international wickets. India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) appointed Manu Bhaker, the double Olympic medal winner, as a brand ambassador. French President Emmanuel Macron has made a significant political decision by appointing Michel Barnier, the former EU Brexit negotiator, as France’s new Prime Minister on September 5, 2024. Algeria has been officially authorized to join the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), as announced by the bank’s president, Dilma Rousseff, during the ninth annual meeting in Cape Town. Shigeru Ishiba, former defence minister, is poised to become Japan’s next prime minister after winning the Liberal Democratic Party’s (LDP) leadership vote. Jay Shah has been elected unopposed as the new Chair of the International Cricket Council (ICC), succeeding Greg Barclay. The Dutch Grand Prix witnessed a spectacular display of skill and determination as Lando Norris secured his second career win, outpacing championship leader Max Verstappen in a thrilling race. Hockey India (HI) has officially announced that retiring goalkeeper PR Sreejesh will be the new head coach for the Indian junior men’s hockey team. This decision follows India’s recent bronze medal victory at the 2024 Olympics. Novak Djokovic of Serbia secured his first Olympic gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Dr. Ram Narain Agarwal, a renowned Indian scientist and the driving force behind India’s missile program, passed away in Hyderabad at the age of 84. Ravi Agrawal, a 1988-batch IRS officer, has been appointed as the new chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). He succeeds Nitin Gupta, whose tenure ended on June 30, 2024. New Governors The following persons have been appointed as the new Governors of Indian states by the President of India. Rajasthan: Shri Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde Telangana: Shri Jishnu Dev Verma Sikkim: Shri Om Prakash Mathur Jharkhand: Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar Chhattisgarh: Shri Ramen Deka Meghalaya: Shri C H Vijayashankar Maharashtra: Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan Punjab: Shri Gulab Chand Kataria Assam and Manipur: Shri Lakshman Prasad Acharya Gautam Gambhir Appointed Head Coach of India Men’s Cricket Team Japan Introduces Holographic Technology in New Banknotes. 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Hosts: West Indies and United States Participants: 20 Final match Venue: Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados Winners: India (India won by 7 runs) Runners-up: South Africa Player of the series: Jasprit Bumrah (India) 2024 Women's Twenty20 Asia Cup Hosts: Sri Lanka Winners: Sri Lanka Runners-up: India Player of the series: Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka) New Chief Ministers N. Chandrababu Naidu: Andhra Pradesh Pema Khandu: Arunachal Pradesh Mohan Charan Manjhi: Odisha Prem Singh Tamang: Sikkim  Abbreviations Abbreviations Expansions NITI National Institution for Transforming India PRAGATI Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation HRIDAY Heritage Development and Augmentation Yojana Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban AMRUT Transformation UPI Unified Payment Interface JAM Jan Dhan, Aadhar and Mobile IRNSS Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System DAY Deen Dayal Upadhyay Antyodaya Yojana MUDRA MUDRA Bank Yojana DDUGJY Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana PMKSY Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana SHC Soil Health Card Scheme PMSBY Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana PMJJBY Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana APY Atal Pension Yojana SCM Smart Cities Mission NMCG National Mission for Clean Ganga PMFBY Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana SPMRM Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission PMUY Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana IDBI Industrial Development Bank of India IRBI Industrial Reconstruction Bank of India EXIM Bank Export – Import Bank of India SIDBI Small Industries Development Bank of India NABARD National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development APEC Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation ARCIL Asset Reconstruction Company of India Ltd ATM Automated Teller Machine ASHA Accredited Social Health Activist BIFR Board for Industrial And Financial Reconstruction CDMA Code Division Multiple Access CRR Cash Reserve Ratio DTAA Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement ECB External Commercial Borrowings ELSS Equity Linked Saving Scheme FEMA Foreign Exchange Management Act FERA Foreign Exchange Regulation Act FII Foreign Institutional Investors FRBM Fiscal Responsibility and Management Act FCCB Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds FIPB Foreign Investment Promotion Board FSDC Financial Stability Development Council International Bank for Reconstruction and IBRD Development (World Bank) ICICI Industrial Credit Investment Corporation of India IDBI Industrial Development Bank of India IIP Index of Industrial Production KYC Know Your Customer LIBOR London Interbank Offered Rate NFC Non-Banking Finance Companies NEFT Net Electronic Fund Transfer NPA Non-Performing Asset OPEC Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries PIN Personal Identification Number POS Point of Scale PPP Public Private Partnership RTGS Real Time Gross Settlement SAARC South Asian Association Regional Cooperation SLR Statutory Liquidity Ratio Securitization and Reconstruction Of Financial Assets SARFAESI And Enforcement Of Security Interest SWOT Strength Weakness Opportunities Threats Society for World Wide Inter Bank Financial SWIFT Telecommunication SDR Special Drawing Rights Important Appointments 1st chief election commissioner of India Sukumar Sen 1st vice president of India Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan 1st Chief Justice of India HJ Kania 1st Home minister of India Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel 1st Education Minister of India Abdul Kalam Azad 1st PM of India who did not face the Charan Singh Parliament 1st President of India Dr. Rajendra Prasad 1st Law Minister of India Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar 1st speaker of Lok Sabha GV Mavalankar 1st woman to become President ofIndia Pratibha Patil 1st woman Prime Minister Indira Gandhi 1st woman foreign Minister of India Sushma Swaraj 1st woman Governor of a state in free Sarojini Naidu India 1st woman to become speaker of Lok Meira Kumar Sabha 1st womanCM of an Indian State Mrs Sucheta Kripalani 1st woman Chief Justice of High Court Mrs Leela Seth 1st woman Judge in Supreme Court of Justice M. Fathima Beevi India  Important Static GK Bullet Points Supreme Court judge retires at 65 of age while high court judge retires at 62 years of age. Chief justice of India gives oath to President of India. Chief justice of High court gives oath to Governor. The state which has the highest no. Of Representatives in both the houses: UP Which high court has the largest jurisdiction in term of number of states: Guwahati high Court. Total high courts in our country are 25. Minimum age of President and vice-president is 35 years. Minimum age of PM: Complete 25 years of age if he is a member of the Lok Sabha or 30 years if he is a member of the Rajya Sabha Largest land locked country: Kazakhstan Africa has the greatest number of countries among all continents. Canada has the largest coastline among all the countries in the World. Deccan Plateau is the largest plateau of India and the Ladakh plateau is the highest plateau of India. Andaman is the largest island of India and Majuli is the largest river island of world located in Assam, India. The world’s largest delta, (in West Bengal) Sundarbans, is made by Brahmaputra and Ganga. Aravalli’s is the oldest mountain ranges of the India. Madhya Pradesh has the largest Forest cover in India among all other states. Gujarat has the longest coastline among all the states in India. Bangladesh shares maximum boundary with India.  Rajasthan is the largest state of India. UP is the most populous state of India. First Indian movie submitted for Oscar- Mother India First Indian to win Oscar - Bhanu Athaiya she got the coveted award for costume design for the Richard Attenborough directed film Gandhi. National Parks of India National Parks in Karnataka Kudremukh National Park Bandipur National Park National Parks in Uttarakhand Corbett National Park Nanda Devi National Park National Parks in Tamil Nadu Mukurthi National Park Mudumalai National Park National Parks in West Bengal Sundarbans National Park Neora Valley National Park National Parks in Rajasthan Ranthambhore National Park Keoladeo National Park Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary National Parks in Maharashtra Chandoli National Park National Parks in Assam Kaziranga National Park Manas National Park National Parks in Gujarat Gir National Park Gulf of Kuchch Marine National Park National Parks in Madhya Pradesh Bandhavgarh National Park  Satpura National Park Pench National Park Panna National Park Kanha National Park Kuno National Park National Parks in Manipur Keibul Lamjao National Park Important Inventions and Inventors Invention Inventor Aeroplane Wright brothers Balloon Jacques and Joseph Montgolfier Ball –Point pen C. Biro Bicycle K. Macmillan Cinematograph Thomas Alva Edison Computer Charles Babbage Diesel engine Rudolf diesel Dynamite Alfred Nobel Dynamo Michael Faraday Electric Iron H.W. Seeley Fountain Pen LE. Waterman Jet Engine Sir Frank whittle Lift E.G. Otis Microphone David Hughes Microscope Z. Jansen Photography (Paper) W.H. Fox Tablot Printing Press J. Gutenberg Radium Marie and Pierre Curie Radio G. Marconi Safety Lamp Sir Humphrey Safety pin William Hurst Steam engine (Piston) Thomas Newcome Steam engine James Watt (Condenser) Telephone Alexander Graham Bell Television John logie bared Watch A.L. Breguet X-ray Wilhelm Roentgen  Important days in a year World Press Freedom Day: 03 May International Day for Biological Diversity: 22 May World No Tobacco Day: 31 May World Environment Day: 05 June World Day Against Child Labour: 12 June International Day of Yoga: 21 June World Population Day: 11 July World Hepatitis Day: 28 July National Sports Day: 29 August The National Sports Day is celebrated on 29th August every year to mark the birthday of legendary hockey player Dhyan Chand. International Literacy Day: 08 September International Day for Preservation of Ozone Layer: 16 September World Tourism Day: 27 September World Habitat Day: 1st Monday of October (01 October) World Teacher's Day: 05 October World Food Day: 16 October United Nations Day: 24 October World Diabetes Day: 14 November International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women: 25 November National Farmers’ Day: 23rd December National Consumer Rights Day: 24th December Sports Neeraj Chopra (Javelin Throw) Aman Sehrawat and Vinesh Phogat (Wrestling) Lakshya Sen,Srikant Kidambi (Badminton) Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Jaspreet Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Tewatia,Sanju Samson (Cricket) Sunil Chhetri, Bala Devi (Football) Amit Panghal, Lovlina Borgohain (Boxing) Manu Bhaker, Rahi Sarnobat, Saurabh Chaudhary (Shooting) Dutee Chand, Hima das, Muhammad Anas (Sprinter) PR Sreejesh, Rani Rampal, Harmanpreet Singh (Hockey) Bhavani Devi (Fencing)  Important World Organizations and Their HQs World Bank: Washington DC, USA International Monetary Fund [IMF]: Washington DC, USA World Health Organization [WHO]: Geneva, Switzerland World Trade Organization [WTO]: Geneva, Switzerland International Labour Organization [ILO]: Geneva, Switzerland United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD): Geneva, Switzerland New Development Bank (BRICS Development Bank): Shanghai, China Asian Development Bank: Manila, Philippines United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF): New York, USA United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA): New York, USA United Nations Education Scientific & Cultural Organisation (UNESCO): Paris, France International Atomic Agency: Vienna, Austria Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC): Vienna, Austria Amnesty International: London, UK International Maritime Organisation: London. UK Commonwealth of Nations: London, UK South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC): Kathmandu, Nepal Association of South East Nations (ASEAN): Jakarta, Indonesia Food & Agricultural Organisation (FAO): Rome, Italy International Court of Justice: The Hague, the Netherland International Solar alliance: Gurugram, India Films and Television in India Doordarshan was founded in year- 1959 Film and Television institute of India is located in Pune and established in 1960 First Indian movie submitted for Oscar- Mother India First Indian to win Oscar - Bhanu Athaiya She got the coveted award for costume design for the Richard Attenborough directed film Gandhi. 1st in Films” 1st Indian film- Raja Harishchandra 1st Indian sound film- Alam Ara  1st Indian color film- Kishan Kanha 1st 3D animated film- Roadside Romeo 1st actor to win film fare award- Dilip Kumar Awards starting year: - Filmfare awards started in 1954 National film awards started in 1954 Satyajit Ray- won 32 national film awards in his life, he won Oscar in 1992 Father of Indian cinema- Dadasaheb Phalke Recent official entry to Oscars India's official entry to Oscars 2024: 2018 India's official entry to Oscars 2025: Laapataa Ladies Dadasaheb Phalke Award The first recipient of the award was actress Devika Rani. The recent Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner: Mithun Chakraborty Classical dance of India The classical dance forms recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and the Ministry of Culture are: Bharatanatyam, from Tamil Nadu. Kathak, from Uttar Pradesh. Kathakali, from Kerala. Kuchipudi, from Andhra Pradesh. Odissi, from Odisha. Sattriya, from Assam. Manipuri, from Manipur.  Mohiniyattam, from Kerala. Indian City and Industries they are famous for Bharuch (Gujarat): Petroleum, Petrochemicals Surat (Gujarat): Textiles, Diamond Rourkela (Orissa): Steel and Fertilizer Sivakasi (Tamil Nadu): Safety Matches, Fireworks Dibrugarh (Assam): Tea industries Bokaro Steel City (Jharkhand): Steel and Coal Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh): Auto Parts Firozabad (Uttar Pradesh): Glass and bangle works Panna (Madhya Pradesh): Diamond Mines Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh): Hand-loom Bhagalpur (Bihar): Silks Timeline of Indian Independence Year Event 1857 The Revolt of 1857 1875 Establishment of the Indian League 1885 Establishment of Indian National Congress 1897 Ramakrishna Mission was founded by Swami Vivekanand 1905 Partition of Bengal was announced by Lord Curzon 1906 All-India Muslim League Founded at Dhaka 1907 Surat Split of INC 1909 Minto-Morley Reforms or Indian Councils Act 1909 was passed 1916 Home Rule by Bal Gangadhar Tilak 1916 Lucknow Pact 1917 Champaran Satyagraha 1919 Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms 1919 Rowlatt Act Passed 13 April 1919 Jallianwala Bagh Massacre 1920-22 Non-Cooperation Movement 1922 Chauri-Chaura Movement 1922 -1923 Swarajya Party came into existence 1925 Kakori Conspiracy 1927 Establishment of Simon Commission 1928 Assassination of Saunders by Bhagat Singh, Nehru Report 1929 Purna Swaraj Declaration at Lahore Session Bhagat Singh & Batukeshwar Dutt bombed Central Legislative 1929 Assembly 1930 Dandi March 1930 1st Round Table Conference Gandhi - Irwin Pact 5 March 1931 Karachi Session of INC 7 September 2nd Round Table Conference 1931 Poona Act 1932 3rd Round Table Conference 1935 Government of India Act August 1940 August Offer by Lord Linlithgow 1942 Quit India Movement Cripps Mission 1942 Establishment of Indian Independence League. Formation of Azad Hind Fauj (1st September) Wavell Plan announced in 1945 Shimla Conference 1946 Cabinet Mission June 1947 Mountbatten Plan 14 August 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan 15 August 1947 India Gained Freedom From Colonial Rule String instruments and Indian musicians who play them Santoor: Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma, Bhajan Sopori Sarod: Ali Akbar Khan, Amjad Ali Khan Sitar: Pt Ravi Shankar, Anushka Shankar, Vilayat Khan, Mustaq Ali Khan Surbahar: Annapurna Devi, Sajjad Hussain  Veena: Zia Mohiuddin Dagar, Ayyagari Syamasundaram, Doraiswamy Iyengar Mohan Veena: Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhat (inventor of Mohan Veena) Sarangi: Shakoor Khan, Ustad Binda Khan Guitar: Braj Bhushan Kabra Mandolin: U Srinivas Shehnai: Bismillah Khan Flute: Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Pannalal Ghosh Tabla: Zakir Hussain, Pt. Kishan Maharaj Important dams and their locations Indira Sagar Dam: Narmada River, Madhya Pradesh Mettur Dam: Cauvery River, Tamil Nadu. Koyna Dam: Koyna River, Maharashtra. Maithon Dam: Barakar river, Jharkhand. Rihand Dam: Rihand River, Uttar Pradesh. Tungabhadra Dam: Tungabhadra River, Karnataka. Krishna Raja Sagar dam: Cauvery river, Karnataka Hirakund Dam: Mahanadi River, Odisha