Daily Current Affairs and GK | 6 February 2024

Topic: Reports and Indices/Ranking

1. Mukesh Ambani has secured the second rank in the Brand Guardianship Index 2024.

• Mukesh Ambani has secured the top position among Indians and second globally in the Brand Guardianship Index 2024.
• Mukesh Ambani with a score of 80.3 is ahead of Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, Sundar Pichai of Google, Apple's Tim Cook, and Tesla's Elon Musk.
• Huateng Ma of China-based Tencent with a BGI score of 81.6 has secured the top position in the ranking.
• The 2024 survey highlighted Ambani's leadership in the 'Diversified' conglomerates.
• N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons climbed from eighth to fifth place in the 2023 ranking.
• Anish Shah of Mahindra & Mahindra secured the sixth position while Salil Parekh of Infosys secured the 16th position.
• The Brand Guardianship Index recognises CEOs who effectively build business value while considering the interests of all stakeholders.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

2. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh honoured Dr. Bina Modi with the 'Outstanding Business Woman of the Year - 2023' Award.

• Dr. Bina Modi was presented with the award at a conference by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce.
• The conference was on 'Strengthening Indo-US Relationship in Amritkal-Aatmanirbhar Bharat'.
• The award recognizes Dr. Bina Modi’s remarkable contributions to the industry.
• Her contributions place her among the few women chairpersons of Fortune500 and ET500 India companies.
• Dr. Bina Modi is the chairperson of Modi Enterprises. 

Topic: Personality in News

3. Banwarilal Purohit resigned from the post of the Governor of Punjab and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh.

• He resigned due to personal reasons and certain other commitments.
• He sent his resignation letter to President Droupadi Murmu.
• He has held the post since August 2021. He has earlier served as the Governor of Tamil Nadu and Assam. He became a three-time MP from Nagpur. 
• Rajeev Verma, an AGMUT cadre officer, was appointed Union Territory Adviser by the Ministry of Home Affairs earlier this week.
• His term in Punjab was characterised by regular clashes with the AAP government, which is headed by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
• He kept on hold The Punjab Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023, to remove him as ex-officio Chancellor of universities in Punjab.
• He also kept on hold The Sikh Gurudwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and The Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

4. Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the two-day ULLAS Mela at the National Bal Bhavan of New Delhi.

• ULLAS Mela is being organised by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education from 6th-7th February, 2024.
• ULLAS Mela is being organised to showcase different National and State level activities under ULLAS-Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram.
• In this event, 700 participants from different States and UTs and over 100 dignitaries from the Ministry of Education and other organizations will take part.
• Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram or New India Literacy Program is being implemented by government of India for the period of FYs 2022-2027.
• It is a centrally sponsored scheme to achieve the target of 100% literacy by 2030.
• The scheme is popularly known as ULLAS: Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society.
• The scheme targets all non-literates of age 15 years and above.
• The scheme targets adults aged 15 and above, who could not go to school or attain formal education.

Topic: State News/ Maharashtra

5. Maharashtra Government decided to launch 'Mukhyamantri Vayoshri Yojana'.

• 'Mukhyamantri Vayoshri Yojana' is likely to benefit 15 lakh senior citizens who are suffering from any physical or mental disability.
• These citizens above 65 years of age will be screened, and those found eligible will be paid Rs 3,000.
• With a cost of approximately Rs 480 crore, this scheme will be implemented in all the districts.
• The government has announced a support scheme with an aim to increase the confidence of depositors in cooperative societies.
• The government will create an independent entity that will pay deposits up to Rs 1 lakh in case of bankruptcy of a non-agricultural cooperative society.
• While the government has announced an initial corpus of Rs 100 crore as its contribution for this unit, the cooperative societies will also have to contribute ten paise for every Rs 100 of deposits received.
• About three crore depositors are expected to benefit from this decision.
• During its meeting in Mumbai, the state cabinet further decided that there would be no increase in property tax for Mumbaikars.
• Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation will have to bear the burden of Rs 736 crore to provide relief to the citizens.
• The cabinet also approved plans to expand the Shirdi airport, seek salt pan land from the Center for the Dharavi redevelopment plan, and revise the retirement age for teachers in agricultural universities from 62 to 60 years.

Topic: Indian Polity

6. Center presented a new bill introduced in Lok Sabha to curb exam malpractice.

• On 5 February, a bill was introduced by the government in Lok Sabha that seeks to do away with malpractices and irregularities in competitive examinations, with provisions for a maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine up to ₹1 crore.
• Union Minister Jitendra Singh introduced the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024.
• The bill was introduced after the cancellation of a series of competitive exams.
• It includes the teacher recruitment exam in Rajasthan, CET for Group-D posts in Haryana, the recruitment exam for junior clerks in Gujarat, and the constable recruitment examination in Bihar, following question paper leaks.
• The Bill envisages bringing greater transparency, fairness, and credibility in public examination systems and assuring the youth that their honest efforts will be appropriately rewarded and their future is secure.
• Objective of the Bill:
  • The bill aims to take action against organized gangs, mafia elements, and people indulging in malpractices without targeting students. Government officials found guilty will also not be spared.
  • The Bill seeks to constitute a high-level National Technical Committee on Public Examinations which will make recommendations to make the computerized examination process more secure.
  • The committee will develop protocols for insulating digital platforms, formulate ways and means to develop foolproof IT security systems and ensure electronic monitoring of examination centers.
  • This also includes creating national standards and services for both IT and physical infrastructure to be deployed for the conduct of competitive examinations.
  • To prevent nefarious elements from using impersonation methods and indulging in paper leaks and other malpractices.

Topic: National News

7. PM Modi inaugurated India Energy Week 2024 in Goa.

• Around 17 Energy Ministers from different countries are expected to participate in the event.
• More than 35 thousand attendees and over 900 exhibitors are expected to take part in the event.
• India Energy Week 2024 is India’s largest and only all-encompassing energy exhibition and conference. 
• Saudi Aramco is a sponsor of the event. It is the national oil company of Saudi Arabia. 
• India Energy Week 2024 is being held from 6–9 February in Goa.
• It is organized by the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry under the aegis of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
• PM also inaugurated and laid foundation stone of projects worth more than 1,330 crore rupees in a public programme.
• He inaugurated the permanent campus of the National Institute of Technology, Goa.
• He dedicated to the nation the new campus of the National Institute of Watersports.
• He also laid the foundation stone for Passenger Ropeway, connecting Panaji and Reis Magos.
• He also distributed appointment letters to 1,930 new Government recruits across various departments under the Rozgar Mela.

Topic: National News

8. FSSAI has approved different amendments to streamline food safety and standards regulations.

• In the meeting held under the chairmanship of Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra, various amendments across different Food Safety and Standards Regulations were approved.
• In the meeting, the amendments were approved to do away with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) or AGMARK certification for food products.
• According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, food businesses would not be required to go to different authorities for mandatory certification after the amendments are finalized.
• After the amendments are finalized, only Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) certification will be mandatory for food products.
• The Ministry said other approvals include standards of Mead (Honey wine) and Alcoholic Ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, revision of standards of milk fat products, and standards for Haleem.
• The FSSAI has approved a comprehensive and first-of-its-kind manual of methods of analysis for ensuring regulatory compliance of food products.
• As part of standards for meat products, FSSAI will also set standards for Haleem. Haleem currently doesn’t have any set standards.
• Haleem is a dish made of meat, pulses, grains, and other ingredients.

Topic: State News/ Uttar Pradesh

9. UP government presented Rs 7.36 lakh crore budget for 2024-25.

• Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Khanna presented the annual budget of Rs 7.36 lakh crore for the fiscal year 2024-25 in the state Assembly.
• Out of the total outlay, ₹24,863.57 crore has been allocated to new schemes.
• Out of the total expenditure, ₹5,32,655.33 crore has been allocated for the revenue account and ₹2,03,782.38 crore for the capital account.
• For the next fiscal, total receipts are expected to be ₹7,21,233.82 crore. It includes revenue receipts estimated at ₹6,06,802.40 crore and capital receipts of ₹1,14,531.42 crore.
• This budget is also the 'Pink budget'- with a focus on 'Matri Shakti' and women-related schemes in the state.
• Main Highlights of the Budget:
  • The monthly payment to beneficiaries of the Destitute Women Pension Scheme has been raised from ₹500 to ₹1,000.
  • The budget aims to achieve a target of a 5.1 per cent growth rate for the agriculture sector in the state.
  • Three schemes were announced to boost the agriculture sector. These are as follows:
    • State Agricultural Development Scheme has been allocated ₹200 crore.
    • ₹200 crore has been allocated for the World Bank-assisted UP Agris Scheme.
    • ₹60 crore has been allocated to install automatic weather station-automatic rain gauges in blocks and panchayats.
  • ₹449.45 crore has been proposed for the implementation of PM Kusum Yojana.
  • UP government allocated ₹1,150 cr for Noida International Airport.
  • ₹150 crore has been proposed for expansion of Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya
  • Rs 2057 crore has been allocated for the Ganga Expressway project while Rs 2500 crore has been allocated for the preparation of Maha Kumbh Mela in the year 2025.
  • Rs 4000 crore has been allocated for the free distribution of tablets and smartphones to youth
  • Rs 200 crore will be spent for PM mega integrated Textile and Apparel Park in Lucknow-Hardoi.

Topic: Defence

10. DRDO successfully conducted flight trials of High-speed Expendable Aerial Target ‘ABHYAS’.

• Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted four flight trials of High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) – ABHYAS from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur in Odisha.
• Flight tests were conducted with four different mission objectives in the modified powered configuration. A single booster designed by Advanced Systems Laboratory, Hyderabad was used for this.
• The objectives like the safe release of the booster, launcher clearance and attaining the required end-of-launch velocity have been achieved.
• Various parameters like required endurance, speed, manoeuvrability, altitude and range were successfully validated during the flight trials.
• ABHYAS has been designed by DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE). It has been designed for autonomous flying with the help of an autopilot indigenously made by the ADE.
• It has a Radar Cross-section, Visual and Infrared augmentation system required for weapon practice.
• It has a laptop-based ground control system with which the aircraft can be integrated and perform pre-flight checks, in-flight data recording, post-flight replay and post-flight analysis.

Topic: International Appointment

11. Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill has been appointed First Minister of Northern Ireland.

• After two full years without a functioning government, The regional parliament has formally appointed Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill, Northern Ireland’s first minister.
• This is the first time an Irish nationalist is leading the United Kingdom territory’s devolved government.
• The DUP's Emma Little-Pengelly has been appointed Deputy First Minister.
• The return of power-sharing came after the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) ended its boycott over post-Brexit trade rules.
• Under power-sharing rules, the devolved government in Northern Ireland can only operate on a cross-community basis with the participation of both unionists and nationalists.
• The following held roles as ministers in the executive:

Topic: Space and IT

12. Before the ISRO's ambitious Gaganyaan mission, Woman Robot Astronaut 'Vyommitra' will fly into space.

• This will be India's first human-manned space flight carrying Indian astronauts into space.
• On February 4, Union Minister Jitendra Singh made this announcement while talking to media persons in Delhi.
• The uncrewed "Vyommitra" mission is scheduled for the third quarter of 2024, while a manned mission "Gaganyaan" is to be launched in 2025.
• Vyomamitra is a name derived from two Sanskrit words, namely "Vyoma" (meaning place) and "Mitra" (meaning friend).
• This female robotic astronaut module is equipped with the ability to monitor parameters, issue alerts and perform life support operations.
• It can perform tasks such as operating six panels and answering questions.
• The 'Vyommitra' astronaut has been designed in such a way that it can simulate human actions in the space environment and interact with life support systems.
• In preparation for the launch of India's first manned space flight 'Gaganyaan', the first test vehicle Udaan TV D1 was completed on October 21, 2023.

Topic: State News/ Kerala

13. Kerala finance minister KN Balagopal presented the budget for 2024-25.

• The State Budget for the 2024-25 fiscal presented by Kerala Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal in the assembly.
• The state government will bring over Rs 3 lakh crore worth of investment in the next three years.
• The government proposed a Minimum support price for rubber increased to Rs 180 from Rs 170 in the Kerala budget.
• Rs 8,000 crore will be allocated to the local self-government department for fiscal 2024-25.
• The government proposed Chinese-model special development zones (SDZ) for tapping the potential of the Vizhinjam seaport project.
• A new ‘assured’ pension system for government employees will be also introduced.
• The growth trend in tax revenues of the state government will continue in 2024-25.
• Kerala’s tax revenue is projected to grow by ₹7,845.21 crore and non-tax revenue, by ₹1,503.41 crore.
• In the 2024-25 Budget, revenue receipts were ₹1,38,655.16 crore.
• The fiscal deficit is estimated at ₹44,528.96 crores (3.4% of the GSDP) and the revenue deficit was ₹24,846.05 crores.
• 25 new private industrial parks will be cleared in 2024-25.

Topic: National Appointments

14. Pawan Kumar assumed the charge of Chief Adviser (Cost) in the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.

• Pawan Kumar assumed charge after approval from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
• Kumar is an officer of the Indian Cost Accounts Service under the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.
• Earlier, he was holding the charge of Additional Chief Adviser (Cost).
• He has played a key role in the development of a web-based Online Dashboard for the performance evaluation of CPSEs in the Department of Public Enterprises, Ministry of Finance.
• A leading think tank honoured this initiative with a gold award in the e-Governance category in 2022.