Daily Current Affairs and GK | 30 January 2024

Topic: State News/ Nagaland

1. 4^th edition of the Orange Festival was inaugurated in Kohima District, Nagaland.

• The fourth edition of the annual Orange Festival was held at Rusoma village in Kohima district.
• This festival was inaugurated by the Minister for Women Resources & Horticulture Salhoutuonuo Kruse.
• The two-day festival was organized under the theme of “Organic Orange”.
• Rusoma is one of the most progressive Orange-producing villages in Nagaland.
• Live music performances, culinary, art exhibitions, and other activities were organized during this two-day festival.
• Department of Horticulture is also providing drip irrigation units to progressive orange growers of Rusoma.

Topic: National Appointments

2. Anil Kumar Lahoti has been appointed as the new chairman of TRAI.

• Former Railway Board chairman and CEO Anil Kumar Lahoti became the new chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
• After PD Vaghela's retirement on September 30, the post was vacant for four months.
• Anil Kumar Lahoti will assume the charge for three years from the date of assumption of charge of the post or until he attains the age of 65 years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
• During his 36-year career in railways, he worked in different posts in Central, Northern, North Central, Western and West Central Railways and in the Railway Board.
• Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI):
  • It was formed on 20 February 1997.
  • It is a regulatory body for the telecommunications sector in India.
  • It was established under Section 3 of the Telecom Regulator of India Act, 1997.
  • Its main objective is to provide a fair and transparent environment in the telecom sector of India.
  • It consists of a chairperson and not more than two full-time members.
  • Its headquarters is in New Delhi.

Topic: Personality News

3. The developer of India's first oral contraceptive pill, 'Saheli', Dr Nitya Anand, passed away at the age of 99 on 27 January.

• Anand served as the former Director of the Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) from 1974 to 1984.
• He has been a member of CDRI since its inception in 1951.
• He supervised over 100 PhD students, published over 400 research papers, and received over 130 patents.
• "Saheli" was the first and only weekly non-steroidal, non-hormonal oral contraceptive pill in history.
• In 2016, Saheli was included in India's National Family Program.
• It is still the only non-hormonal, non-steroidal contraceptive available worldwide.
• In 2012, the Indian government had awarded Anand the Padma Shri.

Topic: Important Days

4. Martyrs’ Day/ Shaheed Diwas: 30 January

• Every year on 30 January, India celebrates Martyrs' Day to honor the sacrifice of Mahatma Gandhi.
• On January 30, 1948, Nathuram Godse killed him at Birla House in New Delhi.
• This year the nation paid tribute to the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi on his 76th death anniversary.
• This day is celebrated as a day of non-violence and peace.
• This day is also celebrated as a day to remember all the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the country.
• On this occasion, a Sarva Dharma Prarthana Sabha held at his Samadhi Rajghat in the national capital.
• Mahatma Gandhi:
  • His full name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.
  • Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation, was a lawyer, political ethicist, activist, and writer.
  • He was born in Porbandar, Gujarat on 2nd October 1869.
  • He founded the Harijan Sevak Sangh in 1932.
  • Times Magazine named Mahatma Gandhi as the Man of the Year in 1930.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: Space and IT

5. 3 satellites launched by Iran into space amid ballistic missile concerns.

• On January 28, Iran claimed that it had successfully launched three satellites into space.
• The launch involved the successful use of Iran's Simorgh rocket, the state-run IRNA news agency said.
• This is the latest development in its program, which the West believes is improving its ballistic missiles.
• The three satellites launched were named Mahda, Kayhan-2, and Hatef-1.
• Mahda is a research satellite, while Kayhan and Hatef are nanosatellites focused on global positioning and communications, respectively.
• Expert analysis of the footage revealed that it was launched from the Imam Khomeini Spaceport in Iran's rural Semnan province.
• Simorgh rocket is a part of Iran's civilian space program.
• It is a two-stage, liquid-fueled rocket designed to launch satellites into low Earth orbit.

Topic: State News/ New Delhi

6. Kejriwal unveiled a new solar policy, which will help in reducing electricity bills to zero.

• On January 28, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal unveiled the Delhi Solar Policy-2024, under which generation-based incentives will be given to consumers who install solar energy panels on their rooftops.
• According to the government, by 2027, about 20% of Delhi's electricity consumption will come from solar energy.
• For the implementation of the policy, the government will spend ₹570 crore.
• This scheme will help in reducing the electricity bills of those households to zero if their electricity consumption is less than 200 units per month after adjusting against the electricity generated by them.
• CM said that if a household has consumed 400 units and generated 100 units of solar energy, it will be charged only 300 units.
• But if the total units after offsetting the solar energy produced is less than 200, the bill amount will be zero.
• Currently, households consuming up to 200 units of electricity per month are exempted from paying bills, while those consuming between 201 to 400 units get a 50% subsidy.
• A domestic consumer can earn ₹700-900 per month after installing rooftop solar panels, which will help recover the installation cost within four years.

Topic: National News

7. Ministry of Culture's Tableau won first prize at the Republic Day Parade 2024.  

• 'India: Mother of Democracy' was the Tableau theme. 
• The tableau was an amazing fusion of creativity and tradition.
• Its exquisite use of the anamorphic technology and its comprehensive presentation of Bharat's cultural legacy enthralled viewers.
• The tableau showcased the evolution of democracy from ancient India to modern times through 3-D electronic visualization technology.
• It displayed replicas of BR Ambedkar presenting the Constitution to India's first President Rajendra Prasad. 
• The Ministry of Culture said it takes immense pride in this achievement.

(Source: PIB)

Topic: Agriculture

8. Framework for Carbon Market in the Agriculture Sector has been launched by Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Arjun Munda.

• He launched the framework for the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) in the Agriculture Sector and the Accreditation Protocol of Agroforestry Nurseries.
• This framework has been prepared to promote the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) in the agriculture sector.
• The framework also aims to encourage small and medium farmers to avail benefits of carbon credit.
• He said introducing the farmers to the carbon market will accelerate the adoption of environment-friendly agricultural practices.
• He termed the framework as the first step in the field of carbon emission control.
• The Accreditation Protocol of Agroforestry Nurseries will strengthen the institutional arrangements for certification and production of planting material on a large scale.

Topic: State News/ Odisha

9. Odisha government launched the Laghu Bana Jatya Drabya Kraya Scheme.

• On 29th January, the Odisha government announced the launch of the Laghu Bana Jatya Drabya Kraya (LABHA) Scheme.
• It is a 100% State-funded minimum support price (MSP) scheme for minor forest produce (MFP).
• Under this scheme, a primary collector (a tribal person) will be able to sell the MFP at the procurement centres of the Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation Limited of Odisha (TDCCOL).
• The procurement centres will be managed by SHGs and any other notified agencies.
• This scheme will impact a large tribal population of Odisha, which is around 23% of the total population of the state.
• Now, every year, the MSP of minor forest produce (MFP) will be decided by the State government.
• Tribal Cooperative Marketing Federation of India fixes MSP for minor forest produce (MFP) but benefits are not reaching to tribal of Odisha.
• The LABHA Yojana will integrate the efforts with Mission Shakti’s Women SHGs (self-help groups).
• 62 distinct tribes, including 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) live in Odisha.
• 121 out of the 314 blocks in Odisha have been designated as Scheduled Areas.

Topic: MoUs /Agreements

10. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh signed a MoU with the Ministry of Jal Shakti to implement the Modified Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal-ERCP (Modified PKC-ERCP) Link Project.

• On 28 January, the MoU was signed by officials from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and the Union government.
• The project envisages integrating the Parbati-Kalisindh river link project with the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project.
• Under this Memorandum of Agreement (MoA), Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and the Centre will finalize terms related to sharing of water, exchange of water, sharing of costs and benefits, implementation mechanisms, etc.
• The integration of the Parbati-Kalisindh river link project with the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project was approved by the Special Committee for the Interlinking of Rivers in December 2022.
• Parbati-Kalisindh River Link Project:
  • The Modified PKC-ERCP is an inter-state river linking project.
  • It is one of the 30 links projects included in the National Perspectives Plan formed by the erstwhile Union Ministry of Irrigation (now Ministry of Water Resources) and the Central Water Commission in the year 1980.
• Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP):
  • Its main aim objective is the intra-basin transfer of water within the Chambal basin.
  • It will divert surplus monsoon water available in Kalisindh, Parvati, Mej and Chakan subbasins and divert it to the sub-basins of Banas, Gambhiri, Banganga and Parbati.

Topic: National Appointment

11. Preeti Rajak became the Indian Army's first woman, Subedar.

• On January 28, Havildar Preeti Rajak was promoted to the rank of Subedar in the Indian Army and became the first woman to hold this position.
• Subedar Rajak, who is a champion trap shooter, joined the Army in the Military Police Corps in December 2022.
• She was the first meritorious sportsperson enrolled in the Army as a Havildar in the shooting discipline.
• Rajak won a silver medal in the trap women's team event during the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China.
• She was awarded the first out-of-turn promotion to the rank of Subedar based on his exceptional performance.
• Currently ranked sixth in India in the Trap women's event, Subedar Rajak is training at the Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU) in preparation for the Paris Olympic Games 2024.
• Additionally, Padma Shri and Arjuna awardee Subedar Major and Honorary Lieutenant Jitu Rai were promoted to the rank of Subedar Major and Honorary Captain for their meritorious service.

Topic: National News

12. Diamond Jubilee celebration of the Supreme Court of India was inaugurated by PM Modi in Delhi on 28 January.

• On the occasion, the PM congratulated everyone on the beginning of the 75th year of the Supreme Court.
• He highlighted the important role of the Supreme Court in upholding the principles of liberty, equality, and justice enshrined in the Indian Constitution.
• He said the government has already disbursed more than Rs 7000 crore since 2014 to improve the physical infrastructure of the courts.
• He also informed about the approval of Rs 800 crore for the expansion of the Supreme Court building complex.
• In addition, PM Modi launched several citizen-centric information and technology initiatives during the event.
• It included the Digital Supreme Court Report (Digi SCR), Digital Court 2.0, and a new bilingual website for the Supreme Court.
• The aim of the Digital SCR initiative is to make the judgments of the Supreme Court available to citizens free of cost and in electronic format.
• The main features of the digital SCR are that all 519 volumes of Supreme Court reports covering 36,308 cases since 1950 will be available in digital format, bookmarked, user-friendly, and with open access.
• Under the e-Courts project, Digital Court 2.0 focuses on providing electronic court records to district court judges, incorporating AI for real-time transcription.
• Supreme Court of India:
  • On January 26, 1950, the Supreme Court of India came into existence. It is located at Tilak Marg, New Delhi.
  • On January 28, 1950, two days after India became a sovereign democratic republic, the Supreme Court began functioning.
  • The Supreme Court Judges are appointed by the President on the recommendations of a collegium which consists of four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court.

Topic: Indian Economy

13. India's economy is forecast to grow 7 per cent in FY 2024-25: Economic Review

• The ‘Indian Economy -- A Review’ has been prepared by the Economic Affairs Department.
• Chief Economic Advisor, V Anantha Nageswaran, wrote in the preface of the report that the Indian economy will achieve a growth rate of or above 7 per cent in FY24.
• This report is being considered as a mini Economic Survey.
• As per the report, skilling, learning outcomes, health, energy security, reduction in compliance burden for MSMEs, and gender balancing in the labour force will be the main areas for future reforms.
• The supply side has also strengthened due to investments in infrastructure – physical and digital.
• In the last three years, the domestic demand improvement has driven the economy to a 7 per cent plus growth rate.
• The report said India is likely to become a $7-trillion economy by 2030.
• According to the government's first advance estimates, India's economy is growing at 7.3 per cent in the current fiscal year.

Topic: State News/ Odisha

14. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the ‘SAMALEI temple project’ in Sambalpur.

• The SAMALEI (Samaleswari Temple Area Management and Local Economic Initiative) temple project has been inaugurated by Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik.
• The main aim is to comprehensively develop the Samaleswari Temple to provide a unique experiential experience to visitors and pilgrims.
• Peripheral development of the shrine, construction of a heritage corridor, amenities for pilgrims, improved access to the temple, and development of the Mahanadi riverfront are part of this project.
• More than Rs 200 crore has been spent on this project. The project was completed on more than 40 acres of land.
• The main focus of this redevelopment project is on infrastructure upgradation of the temple and the creation of amenities.
• Samaleswari Temple:
  • It is dedicated to the 'Samaleswari' goddess.
  • It is located in Sambalpur, Odisha on the bank of the Mahanadi River.