Daily Current Affairs and GK | 13 March 2024
Main Headlines:
- 1. Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar inaugurated India’s 1st FutureLABS center at C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram.
- 2. India's industrial output growth declined to 3.8% in January.
- 3. No Smoking Day 2024: 13 March
- 4. After winning Georgia, and Mississippi primaries, Joe Biden secures Democratic nomination.
- 5. Inflation remained stable at 5.09% in February compared to 5.1% in January.
- 6. India remained the world's largest arms importer.
- 7. Haryana's new chief minister, Nayab Singh Saini, was sworn in.
- 8. Amitav Ghosh has won the Erasmus Prize 2024.
- 9. Kempegowda International Airport has been recognised as the best airport for arrivals globally.
- 10. SEBI notified the regulations for small and medium real estate investment trusts.
- 11. From March 7 to March 10, the Gorsam Kora Festival is celebrated at Zemithang in the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
- 12. On March 11, Shri Kishore Makwana took over as Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) in New Delhi.
- 13. PM inaugurated ‘One Station One Product’ (OSOP) stalls at 205 railway stations.
- 14. Dhanaraj T has been appointed as the Executive Director of Indian Overseas Bank.
Happy Diwali get 35% Off
Use Coupon code DIWALI24
Topic: National News
1. Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar inaugurated India’s 1st FutureLABS center at C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram.
- The “Centre for Semiconductor Chips & Systems for Strategic Electronics” has been inaugurated at C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram.
- It will play a critical role in catalyzing an ecosystem for next-generation chip design, manufacturing, and research.
- C-DAC (T) and the Ministry of Railways collaborated for the development of electric locomotive technologies.
- C-DAC (T) and Tata Power signed a MoU for the development and deployment of microgrid technologies.
- The announcement has been also made for the transfer of technology of the electric vehicle wireless charger developed by C-DAC (T) and VNIT Nagpur to BelRise Industries Limited.
- The idea of FutureLABS is a partnership between CDAC and industry, students, startups, and academia.
(Source: PIB)
Topic: Indian Economy
2. India's industrial output growth declined to 3.8% in January.
- It accelerated to 4.24% in December. Growth in the manufacturing sector dropped to 3.2% from 4.5% in December.
- For the second time in the last three months, consumer non-durables output declined.
- Output of consumer non-durables decreased by 0.3%.
- The production of electricity and mining both increased to 5.6% and 5.9%, respectively.
- The production of consumer durables increased by 10.9%.
- Production of consumer durables increased due to base effect.
- The output of capital goods increased by 4.1% in January.
- The growth rate for intermediate products increased to 4.8% in January.
- But in January, the growth rate for primary commodities decreased to 2.9%.
- The construction and infrastructure goods growth rate decreased to 4.6% in January.
- Out of the 23 manufacturing segments that are tracked by the National Statistical Office to compute the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), eight have shown decline in January.
- Computers, electronics and optic products recorded the steepest fall of 11.9% in January.
- On the other hand, other transport equipment segment grew 25.3% in January.
Topic: Important Days
3. No Smoking Day 2024: 13 March
- No Smoking Day is organised on each second Wednesday of March.
- This year, No Smoking Day falls on 13 March.
- It aims to increase awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco use.
- In India, there are over 26 crore tobacco smokers, and diseases linked to tobacco use claim the lives of over 10 lakh people annually.
- Passive smoking often leads to asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia.
- The observing of No Smoking Day started in United Kingdom in 1984.
Topic: International News
4. After winning Georgia, and Mississippi primaries, Joe Biden secures Democratic nomination.
- In the Democratic primary for the 2024 election, US President Joe Biden won the nomination.
- Having won the presidential contests in Georgia, Mississippi, and the Northern Mariana Islands, he was nominated.
- He collected over 1,968 pledged delegates.
- There are 4,672 delegates allocated to the Democratic Party. This figure represents the total number of delegates.
- The official announcement of the nomination will take place in August during the Democratic National Convention scheduled in Chicago.
- In addition, the Democratic presidential candidate must receive the votes of the majority of delegates at the Democratic National Convention in order to be formally nominated.
- After the Hawaii Republican Caucus, it is anticipated that Donald Trump would receive the Republican nomination.
Topic: Indian Economy
5. Inflation remained stable at 5.09% in February compared to 5.1% in January.
- Measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), India's benchmark inflation number remained stable between January and February.
- The headline retail inflation number came in at 5.09% in February compared to 5.1% in January 2024.
- This modest easing comes amid efforts by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), with the government ordered to maintain retail inflation at 4%.
- Inflation in February 2023 stood at 6.44%, indicating a significant decline from the previous year.
- Food inflation in the CPI basket rose slightly to 8.66% in February from 8.3% in the previous month, National Statistics Office data showed.
- This is largely a reflection of the sharp rise in prices of eggs, fish, and meat, inflation in this category rose from 1.6% in January to 5.7% in February.
- Inflation of vegetables also increased to 30.3% in February from 27.1% in January.
Topic: Defence
6. India remained the world's largest arms importer.
- Despite ongoing efforts to strengthen its defence-industrial base, India retained the title of the world's largest arms importer.
- India's share in total global arms imports between 2019 and 2023 stood at 9.8%.
- Recent data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) shows that India's arms imports have increased by 4.7% between 2014-18 and 2019-23.
- This increase has been partly attributed to emergency purchases made in response to the prolonged military standoff with China.
- However, Russia remained India's main arms supplier, accounting for 36% of its arms imports.
- Specifically, SIPRI highlighted that the period between 2019-23 was the first five-year period since 1960-64 where Russian deliveries comprised less than half of India's arms imports.
- France and the United States are emerging as India's major suppliers, collectively accounting for 46% of its arms imports.
- This includes India's procurement of 31 armed MQ-9B Sky Guardian drones from the US and 26 Rafale-M fighters from France.
- India (9.8%) ranks as the top arms importer, followed by Saudi Arabia (8.4%), Qatar (7.6%), Ukraine (4.9%), Pakistan (4.3%), Japan (4.1%), Egypt (4%), Australia (3.7%), South Korea (3.1%), and China (2.9%).
- Among the top arms exporters, the United States leads with a 42% share, followed by France (11%) and Russia (11%).
Monthly Current Affairs eBooks | |
---|---|
February Monthly Current Affairs 2024 | January Monthly Current Affairs 2024 |
December Monthly Current Affairs 2023 | November Monthly Current Affairs 2023 |
Topic: Indian Polity
7. Haryana's new chief minister, Nayab Singh Saini, was sworn in.
- He is a leader of the BJP. He represents Kurukshetra as an MP.
- Governor Bandaru Dattatreya of Haryana administered the oath to him.
- In addition, five MLAs were sworn in as ministers. Four of them are BJP members and one is an independent.
- As ministers, Independent MLA Ranjit Singh Chautala and BJP members Kanwar Pal, Mool Chand Sharma, Jai Prakash Dalal, and Banwari Lal took an oath of office.
- They were all members of the Khattar cabinet that resigned earlier.
- Anil Vij, the former home minister, has not, however, been included in the new cabinet.
- The assembly elections are scheduled in October. Khattar's second tenure as chief minister was to end in October.
- Along with the other thirteen members of the BJP-led council of ministers, Khattar had earlier given resignation to the governor.
- The deputy chief minister in the Khattar-led government was Dushyant Chautala. He is the leader of the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP).
- The JJP now has 10 MLAs in the 90-member assembly. At present, the BJP has 41 MLAs in the 90-member assembly.
Topic: Awards and Prizes
8. Amitav Ghosh has won the Erasmus Prize 2024.
- Amitav Ghosh is a Kolkata-born eminent writer.
- Utrecht-based Praemium Erasmianum Foundation announced he has won the award for his contribution to the theme “imagining the unthinkable”.
- According to the foundation, he has been awarded for his contribution to the theme in which an unprecedented global crisis, climate change, takes shape through the written word.
- Other recipients of the prize include famous filmmakers Ingmar Bergman and Charles Chaplin.
- The work of Amitav Ghosh include novels such as The Shadow Lines, The Hungry tide and the Ibis Trilogy.
- The Great Derangement is his non-fiction work. He won Jnanpith award in 2018.
- Erasmus Prize:
- It was started in 1958. It is given annually. The prize includes a cash prize of 150,000 Euros.
- It is given to persons or institutions who made an exceptional contribution to the humanities, the social sciences or the arts, in Europe and beyond.
Topic: Awards and Prizes
9. Kempegowda International Airport has been recognised as the best airport for arrivals globally.
- In the Airports Council International’s (ACI) Airport Service Quality Awards 2023, Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru has been recognised as the best airport for arrivals.
- Kempegowda International Airport has shared this honour with two other airports — Thiruvananthapuram International Airport in Kerala, and the Zayed International Airport – Terminal A in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
- 31 airports — 27 airports from Asia-Pacific and four from the Middle East received ACI Airport Service Quality Awards.
- A total of six Indian airports have been recognised by the ACI Airport Service Quality Awards.
- In the category of over 40 million in the Asia-Pacific region, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai and Indira Gandhi International Airport have been recognized as the best airports.
- In the 15 to 25 million passengers category in the Asia-Pacific region, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad has been recognised as the best airport.
- Chandigarh airport is recognized as the best airport in the 2 to 5 million passenger category in the Asia-Pacific region.
Topic: Banking System
10. SEBI notified the regulations for small and medium real estate investment trusts.
- The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) issued guidelines for the creation of Small and Medium Real Estate Investment Trusts.
- SEBI issued regulations to amend the REIT Regulations 2014. The investment managers of such REITs should have a minimum net worth of ₹20 crore.
- SM REIT is allowed to gather funds starting from ₹50 crore by issuing units to a minimum of 200 investors.
- These funds will be used for acquiring and managing real estate assets. The ownership of these assets will be structured through one or more schemes.
- The minimum subscription amount for an SM REIT's initial offering is ₹10 lakh per investor.
- The investment manager is mandated to retain a minimum of 5% of the total outstanding units in each scheme.
- SM REIT schemes may raise funds from Indian and foreign investors through the issuance of units.
Topic: Art and Culture
11. From March 7 to March 10, the Gorsam Kora Festival is celebrated at Zemithang in the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
- The festival symbolizes the enduring friendship between India and Bhutan and highlights the cultural richness of the region.
- The local community organized the festival with the cooperation of civil authorities and the Indian Army.
- With the theme ‘Zero Waste Festival’, the festival was celebrated this year, and members of the Further and Beyond Foundation organized a cleanliness drive.
- In the four-day event, the chanting of sacred mantras and traditional Buddhist rituals by monks were featured at Gorham Church.
- In the festival, the pilgrims and lamas from Bhutan, Tawang, and neighbouring areas participated.
- The festival featured captivating performances by local cultural troupes and Indian Army bands and also included martial performances such as Mallakhamb and Jhanj Pathaka.
Topic: National Appointment
12. On March 11, Shri Kishore Makwana took over as Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) in New Delhi.
- He assumed office after being appointed by the President of India.
- Mr. Makwana has served as the joint spokesperson of the Gujarat unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
- He is also a journalist and has been the author of more than 33 books. He has written 9 books on Dr. Ambedkar.
- It includes the ‘Samajik Kranti na Mahanayak Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’ (great hero of the social revolution – Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar), ‘Swami Vivekananda’, ‘Safalta no Mantra’ (Mantra of Success), etc.
- In addition, Shri Luv Kush Kumar also assumed charge as a member of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC).
Topic: National News
13. PM inaugurated ‘One Station One Product’ (OSOP) stalls at 205 railway stations.
- The ‘One Station One Product’ (OSOP) scheme promotes the ‘Local for Vocal’ vision of the Government of India.
- It provides a market for local products and generates income for the marginalised sections of the society.
- 10 new Vande Bharat Express trains have been flagged off by PM Modi on 12th March.
- Goods shed with warehousing facilities have been also inaugurated at Singaperumal Koil, Gangaikondan, Theni, Pattukottai, Thiruthuraipoondi and Valliyur.
- Prime Minister inaugurated Jan Aushadi Kendras at Dindigul, Erode, Tiruchi and Palakkad railway stations.
- A rail coach restaurant has been also inaugurated at Chennai Central.
- Two air-conditioned EMUs were allotted for Southern Railway and its service will start in May or June.
Topic: National Appointments
14. Dhanaraj T has been appointed as the Executive Director of Indian Overseas Bank.
- He has been appointed for three years, effective from 10 March.
- Before joining the Indian Overseas Bank, he served as the Chief General Manager at Indian Bank.
- Indian Overseas Bank is a nationalized bank headquartered in Chennai.
- It is a government-owned bank. Ajay Srivastava J is its MD and CEO.
Comments