Daily Current Affairs and GK | 6 March 2024

Topic: Banking System

1. Interoperability of digital payment systems for Internet banking will be launched in 2024.

• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das announced that the RBI will introduce interoperability for Internet banking in 2024.
• It will enable seamless transactions across various digital payment systems.
• Currently, online merchant payment transactions are processed through payment aggregators, which are not interoperable
• A bank is required to separately integrate with each payment aggregator of different online merchants.
• It will enable customers to pay through net banking, irrespective of whether their banks and the merchants’ payment aggregators are integrated.
• Due to the multiple payment aggregators, it is difficult for each bank to integrate with each payment aggregator.

Topic: State News/ Arunachal Pradesh

2. Keyi Panyor became the 26th district of Arunachal Pradesh.

• Keyi Panyor became the 26th district of Arunachal Pradesh by carving out the areas from Lower Subansiri.
• The headquarters of this district will be Ter Gapin-Sam Sarth.
• The formation of the Keyi Panyor district is the beginning of a new era of development and progress.
• This new district has been created on demand by the people of the Nyishi community.
• Arunachal Pradesh:
  • It is a state in northeast India that was formed from the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region.
  • It was declared a state on February 20, 1987.
  • Itanagar is its capital and largest town.
  • As per the 2011 census, Arunachal Pradesh has a population of 1,383,727 and an area of 83,743 square kilometres.

Topic: State News/ Kerala

3. Kerala launched India's first government-backed OTT platform.

• Kerala's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched a government-supported OTT platform at the Kairali Theatre.
• The CSpace OTT platform will provide a blend of informative and entertaining content, especially for the masses.
• It has been launched to deal with the growing imbalances and multifarious challenges in the OTT sector.
• CSpace is managed by Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC).
• It is a state-owned company for the promotion of Malayalam cinema and industry.
• This OTT platform has been released by the Department of Cultural Affairs of the Government of Kerala.
• A panel of 60 members will select and approve the content for this OTT platform.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

4. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated India’s first Small Scale LNG Unit of GAIL.

• This unit of Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) is situated at its Vijaipur LPG plant in Madhya Pradesh.
• Union Minister Puri also inaugurated 201 CNG Stations in 17 States.
• He inaugurated CNG stations through video conferencing at a function in New Delhi in the presence of Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Rameshwar Teli.
• GAIL’s 201 CNG stations are spread across 52 geographical areas.
• He reiterated that government’s vision is to raise the share of natural gas in the primary energy basket to 15 percent by 2030.
• He said that the establishment of a gas-based economy depends on the development of the National Gas Grid (NGG).
• It also depends on a widespread City Gas Distribution (CGD) network that links the supply and consumption centers.
• The Minister stated that by 2030, the nation will have around 120 million PNG connections and about 17,500 CNG stations, according to the Minimum Work Plan that CGD companies had submitted.

Topic: National News

5. The Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai has given Cuttack Rupa Tarakasi (Silver Filigree) a Geographical Indication (GI) Tag.

• The Odisha State Co-operative Handicrafts Corporation Limited submitted the application for this.
• Traditionally, intricate designs and exquisite craftsmanship have been linked to filigree in jewelry made in the classical style.
• According to archeological findings, filigree was first used in jewelry around 3500 BCE in Mesopotamia, where it is still used today in Telkari art.
• Historians speculate that the Tarakasi art may have come to Cuttack by sea trade from Persia via Indonesia around 500 years ago.
• Similar craftsmanship is found in both Indonesia and Cuttack.
• Banglar muslin, Narasapur crochet lace products and Kutch rogan craft have also got the GI Tag.
• One of Bengal's most well-known traditional handloom crafts is the Banglar muslin. Cotton is used to make this muslin.
• Crochet is a specialty of Narsapur in West Godavari region of Andhra Pradesh.
• Along with the Ambaji White Marble, the variety known as Ratlam Riyawan Lahsun (Garlic) has received the GI Tag.
• Ratlam Riyawan Lahsun is named after the Riyawan village in the Ratlam area of Madhya Pradesh.
• GI Tags have also been awarded to the Majuli Mask of Assam, the Tripura Risa Textile, the Hyderabad Lac Bangles, and the Assam Majuli Manuscript Painting.
• The Assamese Majuli masks are primarily classified into various groups.
• Face mask "Mukha bhaona" covers the face. "Lotokoi" hanging mask covers the chest. ‘Cho Mukha’ mask is a head and body mask.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

6. Tiger Woods has won Bob Jones Award.

• He has won 15 majors among his 82 career victories on the PGA Tour.
• Bob Jones Award is the highest United States Golf Association (USGA) honor.
• In 2022, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
• In 2019, he got the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump. He is a nine-time USGA champion.
• He will be honored on June 12 during the U.S. Open in North Carolina.
• Earlier winners include Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, Mickey Wright and Ben Hogan.

Topic: National News

7. PM Modi inaugurated India's first underwater metro service in Kolkata.

• He inaugurated India's first under-river metro tunnel in Kolkata.
• Metro will take 45 secs to cover 520 metre-stretch under the Hooghly River.
• The tunnel is part of the Kolkata Metro's East-West Metro corridor that links Howrah Maidan to Esplanade.
• PM Modi also inaugurated the Kolkata metro’s Kavi Subhash--Hemanta Mukhopadhyay and Taratala-Majerhat sections.
• The Howrah Metro Station is the deepest in India. It is 33 meters below the surface.
• The Majerhat Metro Station is an elevated metro station. It will also include a canal.
• PM also laid the foundation stone for the extension of the Pune Metro Rail project Phase 1 between Pimpri-Chinchwad Metro and Nigdi.
• He inaugurated and laid foundation stone for many connectivity projects worth Rs 15,400 crores in Kolkata.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

8. President Droupadi Murmu conferred Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards for 2022 and 2023 in New Delhi.

• She conferred these Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards for 2022 and 2023 to ninety-four eminent artists (two joint award).
• The awards have been given in the fields of music, dance, drama, folk and tribal arts, puppetry and allied theatre art forms.
• She also bestowed the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (Akademi Ratna) to seven artists.
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship is the highest honour, which is given to artists in the field of performing arts for their outstanding contribution.
• The Akademi Awards have been given since 1952.
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellows receive three lakh rupees. Akademi Award winners receive one lakh rupees.

Topic: International News

9. China and the Maldives signed a defence cooperation agreement.

• A defence cooperation agreement has been signed between China and the Maldives to foster stronger bilateral ties.
• After a diplomatic row with India, the Maldives is set to get free military assistance from China.
• This development has taken place after Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu set a deadline to withdraw the first group of Indian military personnel.
• The Defense Minister of the Maldives, Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon, and Major General Zhang Baoqun of China discussed ways to enhance defence cooperation.
• China has also gifted 12 eco-friendly ambulances to the Maldives.
• The ties between India and the Maldives have remained strained since Muizzu came into power in November 2023.

Topic: Corporates/Companies

10. After government intervention, Google temporarily reinstated all Indian apps.

• Google has temporarily reinstated all Indian apps in the ‘spirit of cooperation’.
• Google said that this temporary reinstatement is limited to companies that have moved to the Supreme Court.
• Many start-up companies like Bharat Matrimony, Shaadi, Kuku FM, Quack Quack, and Truly Madly had challenged the Madras High Court judgment that dismissed their plea against the Google Play Store payment policy.
• Google delisted several Indian apps from the Play Store on March 1 for not complying with the company's in-app payments and billing policy.
• Google said it will prepare a bill for its services and extend the payment timelines for these companies.

Topic: Sports

11. Puneri Paltan won the PKL Season 10 title.

• On March 1, Puneri Paltan won the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 final by defeating Haryana Steelers at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium.
• The win is the Pune-based team's first title.
• The Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the season awarded to Paltan captain Aslam Inamdar for his 142 raid points and 23 tackle points.
• The Best Defender award was given to Paltan vice-captain Mohammadreza Chianeh.
• The Best Raider trophy was given to Dabang Delhi’s Ashu Malik for his haul of 276 raid points.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

12. Digital Intelligence Platform and Chakshu Portal launched on Sanchar Sathi portal.

• On 4 March, the Digital Intelligence Platform and CHAKSHU - Report Suspected Fraud Communication Facility launched in New Delhi by Union Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnav to check cyber fraud.
• The Digital Intelligence Platform has been developed by the Department of Telecommunications.
• It aims to create coordination among stakeholders to prevent misuse of telecom resources in cyber crimes and financial frauds.
• Any person can report suspicious messages received on fraud calls, SMS, or WhatsApp on the Chakshu portal.
• This fraud is done in the name of completion of KYC or updating the bank account and switching off the mobile number by impersonating a government official.
• These two new initiatives will further strengthen the government's efforts in the fight against cyber fraud.
• After the launch of the Sanchar Sathi portal in May last year, more than one crore fake mobile connections have been stopped.
• This portal detects fake connections and re-verifies them. More than two and a half thousand fake connections are being closed every day.

Topic: Infrastructure and Energy

13. “Core Loading” has commenced at the Kalpakkam Nuclear Power Plant.

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi witnessed the commencement of "Core Loading" at India's first indigenous Fast Breeder Reactor (500 MW) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu.
• The reactor has been fully designed and constructed indigenously with the contribution of more than 200 Indian industries.
• Bhartiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd., (BHAVINI) was approved in 2003 by the government for constructing and operating India’s most advanced nuclear reactor-Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR).
• India’s most advanced nuclear reactor-Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) operation was approved in 2003.
• After the commencement, India will be the only country after Russia to have a commercially operating Fast Breeder Reactor.
• The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor is an advanced third-generation reactor. It produces very little nuclear waste.
• After completion of the core loading, the first approach to criticality will be achieved.
• The growth of the Indian nuclear power programme is to meet the goal of energy security and sustainable development.

Topic: Indian Economy

14. India has successfully brought down the rate of extreme poverty below 3% of its population: World Poverty Clock.

• The percentage of the population living in extreme poverty has decreased from 3.3% in 2022 to 2.4% in 2024.
• Compared to 4.69 crore in 2022, around 3.44 crore people live in extreme population in 2024.
• The World Poverty Clock provides real-time poverty estimates for nearly all countries in the world.
• It tracks progress with respect to ending extreme poverty, which is the UN’s first SDG.
• The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) provide funding for World Poverty Clock.
• The number of people living in extreme poverty globally is shown by the World Poverty Clock.
• The global rate of poverty elimination as of right now is indicated by the escape rate.
• The term "extreme poverty line" is frequently used to describe the $2.15 per day poverty limit.
• In some of the world's poorest nations, it represents the value of national poverty lines.
• The World Bank also monitors poverty, with $3.65 per day being the average for lower-middle-income nations and $6.85 per day being the average for upper-middle-income nations.