Daily Current Affairs and GK | 23 February 2024

Topic: National Appointments

1. President has appointed A S Rajeev as Vigilance Commissioner.

• Former Bank of Maharashtra Chief Executive A S Rajeev has been appointed as Vigilance Commissioner.
• Under the CVC Act, the Central Vigilance Commission is a three-member body with a Central Vigilance Commissioner and two Vigilance Commissioners.
• Praveen Kumar Srivastava has been serving as Central Vigilance Commissioner since May 2023.
• Central Vigilance Commission:
  • It is an apex anti-corruption government body in India.
  • It was established in 1964 on the recommendation of the K. Santhanam Committee.
  • It was granted statutory status in 2003 under the Central Vigilance Commission Act 2003.
  • The CVC Act does not lay down specific "eligibility criteria" for the appointment of commissioners.

Topic: Indian Economy

2. Mineral Production rose by 5.1% in December 2023.

• In December 2023, mineral production has grown by 5.1% as compared to December 2022.
• For the period April to December 2023-24, the cumulative growth of Mineral Production was 8.5 per cent higher than the corresponding period of last year.
• Magnesite, Lignite, Limestone, Coal, Natural Gas, Zinc, Manganese, Lead, Copper and Bauxite have shown positive growth during December 2023.
• Production level of important minerals in December 2023 were: Coal 929 lakh, Lignite 40 lakh, Petroleum (crude) 25 lakh, Iron ore 255 lakh, Limestone 372 lakh tonnes.
• Petroleum (crude) (-1.0%), Gold (-29.9%), Chromite (-30.8%), Phosphorite (-31.2%) and Diamond (-74.4%) showed negative growth in December 2023.

Topic: State News/Uttar Pradesh

3. In Varanasi, Prime Minister Modi unveiled development initiatives valued at over 13,000 crore rupees.

• The main development projects are the silk fabric printing common facility center for weavers, and the Banas Kashi Sankul milk processing unit in UPSIDA Agro Park Karkhiyaon.
• The main developmental projects also include different infrastructural works at UPSIDA Agro Park Karkhiyaon.
• In Varanasi, he laid the foundation stone for the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and new medical college.
• Additionally, he laid the foundation stone for BHU's National Center of Ageing.
• He opened the District Rifle Shooting Range and Phase 1 of Sigra Sports Stadium.
• The Shivpur-Pulwaria-Lahartara Marg was inspected by PM.

Topic: International News

4. India and Denmark have decided to work together to explore new fields for mutual collaboration.

• These fields include new technology, security, and defense. 
• At the sidelines of Raisina Dialogue, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen met External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar.
• During their meeting, the two Ministers discussed issues of mutual interest that were bilateral, regional, and international.
• The two ministers launched a combined logo in honor of the 75th anniversary of India and Denmark's diplomatic relations in 2024.
• Ministers praised the noteworthy results achieved under the Indo-Danish Green Strategic Partnership.
• They decided that the Green Strategic Partnership's mid-term assessment will be completed as soon as possible in 2024.
• Additionally, both parties agreed to explore the potential for a Danish contribution to the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.
• They decided to work toward improving the Comprehensive Green Strategic Partnership's strategic perspective after the current Joint Action Plan ends in 2026.
• They signed a mobility and migration partnership agreement between India and Denmark.

Topic: Personality in News

5. Manohar Joshi passed away at the age of 86.

• He served as Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 1995 to 1999.
• He served as Lok Sabha speaker from 2002 to 2004.
• He was a Rajya Sabha member from 2006 to 2012.
• He served as Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises from 1999 to 2002.
• He was one of the important and famous leaders of the Shiv Sena.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

6. World's largest snake discovered by Scientists in the Amazon rainforest.

• In an unprecedented discovery, researchers have discovered an unknown species of giant anaconda in the Amazon.
• This anaconda can reach a length of up to 7.5 meters and weigh about 500 kilograms.
• The researchers collaborated with the indigenous Waorani community and conducted the study in the Baihuaeri Waorani region in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
• Anaconda is a group of large snakes of the Eunectes species.
• This new species holds the record of the largest and heaviest snake ever recorded.
• Earlier, only four species of anaconda were recognised, with the green anaconda being the world’s heaviest snake and among the longest.
• It is commonly found in tropical regions of South America, such as the Amazon, Orinoco, and Essequibo river basins.
• These anacondas are famous for their fast movements and suffocating methods of wrapping themselves around their prey and swallowing it whole.
• However, a recent study spanning several decades has shown that the green anaconda comprises two distinct genetic species.

Topic: Space and IT

7. The first private industry Commercial American spacecraft landed on the Moon.

• A Houston-based company has landed America's first spacecraft on the Moon in more than 50 years. Odysseus spacecraft is built by Houston-based Intuitive Machines.
• It is part of a new fleet of unmanned commercial robots, funded by NASA.
• Its purpose is to pave the way for astronaut missions later this decade.
• The aim of the mission is to explore the Moon's south pole, study environmental conditions, harvest ice for drinking water and rocket fuel, and contribute to the development of a broader lunar economy.
• Although flight controllers confirmed they had received a light signal, it is not clear whether the lander Odysseus is fully functional.
• The hexagon-shaped craft approached the moon's south pole at a slow speed of 4,000 miles (6,500 kilometers) per hour at 2323 GMT.
• Images from the external "EagleCam", which were to have been shot during the final seconds of the spacecraft's descent, may have been released.
• Odysseus was launched on February 15 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It has a new type of supercooled liquid oxygen, liquid methane propulsion system.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

8. Cabinet approves Flood Management and Border Areas Programme (FMBAP) for 2021-26.

• The Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation's proposal to continue the FMBAP with a total outlay of Rs 4,100 crore has been approved by the Union Cabinet.
• The Flood Management Programme (FMP) component and the River Management and Border Areas (RMBA) component are the two parts of the scheme.
• The State Governments would get central assistance for undertaking key works relating to flood control, anti-erosion, drainage development, and anti-sea erosion, under the FMP component of the FMBAP with an outlay of Rs 2940 crore.
• Under the FMBAP's RMBA component, erosion control and flood control on shared border rivers with neighboring nations will be taken up. It has an outlay of Rs 1160 crore.
• The work under the RMBA component will be completed with 100% central assistance.
• Primary responsibility of flood management lies with the State Governments.
• Union Government has decided to supplement the State Governments’ efforts in flood management.
• Under the Scheme, the States which implement flood plain zoning will be incentivized.
• Flood plain zoning is a non-structural measure for flood management.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

9. The Rashtriya Udyamita Vikas Pariyojana launched as part of the Skill India Mission by Dharmendra Pradhan.

• In Sambalpur, Odisha, Union Minister of Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan launched the Rashtriya Udyamita Vikas Pariyojana.
• Nine cities saw a virtual launch of the campaign. Bhopal, Kanpur, Indore, Varanasi, Bharatpur, Shillong, Silchar, Dibrugarh, and Guwahati are these cities.
• This National Entrepreneurship Development Project is designed exclusively for PM SVANidhi scheme participants.
• It emphasizes the government's unwavering dedication to supporting employment providers all over the country.
• Its goal is to give them thorough training in entrepreneurship.
• The aim of this project is to improve the competitiveness and adaptability of workers in an era of disruptive technologies by reskilling and upskilling them.
• Over the course of 22 weeks, complete training in entrepreneurship will be provided under the National Entrepreneurship Development Project.
• The training will be provided through offline, online and hybrid modes.
• The PM SVANidhi Yojana participants will benefit from the National Entrepreneurship Development Project.
• It will enable street vendors and small business owners advance their skills.
• Flipkart and the Indian government are working together to train small business owners and street vendors.
• Ten major cities' street vendors will receive training and a stipend as part of the pilot program to help them grow their businesses.
• The project will initially focus on ensuring 40% participation by women.

Topic: National News

10. Railway Ministry has launched the Annual Capacity Building Plan.

• Union Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, launched the Annual Capacity Building Plan for his Ministry.
• The annual plan has been drafted to ensure capacity building and holistic development of manpower.
• This capacity-building plan has been prepared in association with the Railway Board.
• The Annual Capacity Building Plan aims to enhance the skills and knowledge of railway employees. It will increase efficiency and improve service delivery. 
• This plan will focus on the development of organisational capabilities, including the implementation of new technologies, improving customer service, and promoting a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
• As of Feb 2023, Indian Railways has a strong workforce of over 11.75 lakh employees.

Topic: National News

11. India’s largest drone pilot training organisation has been launched by IIT Guwahati.

• IIT Guwahati, in collaboration with EduRade, launched India’s largest Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO).
• EduRade is a brand owned by RC HobbyTech Solutions Pvt. Ltd. and is incubated at IIT Guwahati Research Park.
• It is spread over 18 acres and boasts the capability to fly nine medium-class drones simultaneously.
• The main objective of this pilot training organisation is to promote drone technology in India.
• A DGCA-Certified Medium Class Drone Pilot Training Course will be introduced by the RPTO.
• It will help in enhancing the skills of youth in the North East and other regions of India.
• This Pilot Training Organization will also provide training to women from self-help groups (SHGs) engaged in agriculture and identified under the Namo Drone Didi Yojna.
• After completion of the course from this training organisation, students will get a Remote Pilot Certificate (RPC) sanctioned by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Topic: National Appointments

12. M R Kumar has been appointed as part time non official Director and non-executive Chairman of Bank of India (BOI).

• He has been appointed for the post in Bank of India for a term of three years. He is former LIC Chairman.
• Srinivasan Sridhar has been appointed as part time non official Director and non-executive Chairman on the Board of Indian Overseas Bank (IOB).
• Sridhar has been appointed for a term of three years. His appointment is subject to the condition that he resigns from the Board of Bank of Baroda.
• Aravamudan Krishna Kumar has been appointed as part time non official Director and non-executive Chairman on the Board of UCO Bank.   
• He has been appointed for a period of three years. His appointment is subject to his resignation from the Board of Suraksha Asset Reconstruction Limited.

Topic: State News/ Uttar Pradesh

13. Uttar Pradesh to establish its first ‘turtle conservation reserve' in Sarju river.

• Uttar Pradesh’s forest department is set to establish a turtle conservation reserve in the Sarju River.
• Sarju River, a tributary of Ghaghra, in the Gonda district is known for "rich turtle diversity".
• A 2 km stretch of river Sarju has been proposed for the reserve. It is also rich in species of plants, birds, fish, and water snakes.
• Sarju is the only river in India where nine turtle species are found. Eight of these are listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act.
• A management plan for an initial period of 10 years will be implemented for not only conserving turtles but also 30 species of fish and 50 species of birds.
• The management plan will also lay special emphasis on protecting the river stream from pollution.
• The population of the endangered crowned river turtle has decreased drastically in the past two decades.

Topic: Important Days

14. World Thinking Day: 22 February

• It is celebrated annually on February 22 to celebrate friendship, sisterhood, and empowerment of women.
• It provides a platform for raising funds for the development of 10 million Young Girl Guides and Young Lady Scouts globally.
• The theme of World Thinking Day 2024 is 'Our World, Our Thriving Future'.
• The theme is focused on creating a sustainable and inclusive world where girls have the potential to flourish.
• It is a day to honour the courage, strength, and determination of girls and women worldwide.