NEWSVAULT

1 TO 10 FEB, 2024

For all Banking & Insurance Exams

i.e. RBI, SEBI, NABARD, IBPS, SBI etc.

NEWSPAPERS COVERED
ESI AND
FINANCE
 TYPE SECTION HERE
ESI AND
FINANCE

RBI CURBS TO RENDER PAYTM WALLET AND FASTAG INOPERATIVE

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed additional curbs on Paytm Payments Bank Ltd. (PPBL)
prohibiting it from operating its mobile wallet after February.
RBI penalized Paytm under- section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949
16TH FINANCE COMMISSION
Centre notified the appointment of three full-time members and one part-time member for the
panel, which is chaired by the first NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya.
Former Expenditure Secretary Ajay Narayan Jha, Annie George Mathew, former Special Secretary
in the Expenditure Department of the Finance Ministry, economist Niranjan Rajadhyaksha and
State Bank of India’s Group Chief Economic Adviser Soumya Kanti Ghosh (Part-time member)
were named as members
GST COLLECTION RISES 10% IN JAN TO OVER ₹1.72­LAKH CRORE
This is the second all-time highest collection and the third time in the current fiscal when
collection crossed ₹1.70­lakh crore.
FISCAL DEFICIT
Overall mop-up clocks over 11% y-o-y growth in 10-month period
The government’s fiscal deficit for the first nine months of the current fiscal stood at ₹9.82-lakh
crore or 55 per cent of the annual estimates, government data
CHINA SURPASSES INDIA AS TOP GOLD CONSUMER
The Budget had estimated fiscal deficit at 5.9 per cent of GDP or ₹17.87­lakh crore.
China surpasses India as the top gold consumer of the world in 2023, data by World gold council.
Demand for gold fell in India for jewellery but increased for investments.
World gold council HQ: London (UK)
BHARAT RICE
The govt. announced the retail sale of rice at Ru. 29/kg under ‘Bharat rice’ through 3
cooperatives.
This has been done to address the rise in rice price, the Bharat rice to sold through- NAFED, NCCF
and Kendriya Bhandar.
Food secretary: Sanjeev Chopra.
FITCH FORECASTS FISCAL DEFICIT FOR FY25 AT 5.4%
Fitch Ratings’ forecasts fiscal deficit to reach 5.4 percent of GDP in FY25, above the budget
target of 5.1%
RBI CONDUCTS 4-DAY VRRR AUCTION TO REDUCE LIQUIDITY IN THE BANKING SYSTEM
The Reserve Bank of India conducted a 4-day variable rate reverse repo auction (VRRR) auction.

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 Purpose: to suck out liquidity from the banking system in the backdrop of a sharp decline in
overnight money market rates and banks’ deployment of funds at the liquidity adjustment facility
(LAF) exceeding drawals.
• VRRR: the rate at which the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) borrows money from banks for a
variable period of time, usually ranging from 14 days to 56 days.
• How it is different from Reverse Repo- Reverse Repo is for Overnight or One day, Variable
Reverse Repo are for more than one day
• LAF: A LAF is a monetary policy tool used in India by the RBI through which it injects or absorbs
liquidity into or from the banking system. LAF has two components - repo (repurchase
agreement) and reverse repo.
UPI TRANSACTIONS TOUCH A NEW HIGH OF ₹18.4­LAKH CRORE IN JAN
Transactions worth ₹18.41lakh crore were processed during January, nearly 1 percent higher than
the previous record of ₹18.23­lakh crore in December 2023.
On-year growth has consistently remained over 40% in terms of value of transactions and above
50% for volume in 2023 and FY24 so far. Data released by- NPCI (National Payment corporation of
India)
MD and CEO of NPCI: Dilip Asbe.
LIC UNVEILS INDEX PLUS, OFFERS LIFE COVER, SAVINGS FOR PLAN TERM
The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has introduced LIC Index Plus, a unit linked, regular
premium, individual life cover policy.
UPI LAUNCHED AT ICONIC EIFFEL TOWER
India formally launched UPI at the iconic Eiffel Tower, that is acceptance of UPI in France.
Terming it as taking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “vision of taking UPI global.”
Unified Payments Interface is an Indian instant payment system developed by the National
Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) in 2016.
RBI IMPOSES RU. 5 LAKH PENALTY ON BAJAJ HOUSING FINANCE
Reserve Bank had imposed a penalty of Ru 5lakh on Bajaj Housing Finance for non-compliance
with certain regulatory provisions.
Reason for penalty? for contravention of certain provisions of the ‘Non-Banking Financial
Company — Housing Finance Company (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2021’
Company did not take prior written permission from RBI for change in management, resulting in
change in more than 30 per cent of the directors, excluding independent directors.
SEBI PLANS REMOVING 1% SECURITY DEPOSIT FOR IPOS
The markets regulator proposed to remove the requirement of 1 per cent security deposit for
public issues, such as rights and initial public offerings (IPOs).
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) proposed flexibility for certain Alternative
Investment Funds (AIFs) to pledge equity investments in the infrastructure sector to facilitate
debt raising by such companies.
• “Category I and II AIFs may create encumbrance on equity of an investee company only for
the purpose of borrowing by the said investee company, if the investee company is in the
business of development, operation or management of projects in the infrastructure
subsectors,”

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INDIA PLANS $1.7-BN MOP UP VIA ONLINE GAMBLING TAX IN FY25
The Union government expects to collect up to ₹140 billion ($1.7 billion) in Goods and Services
Tax (GST) next financial year by taxing online gambling companies.
Current GST on Online gambling- 28%
GROWTH PROJECTION:
Indian economy to grow at 6.7% between FY24 to FY31, said CRISIL
According to CRISIL the key contributor to this trend will be capital.
WINDFALL TAX ON DOMESTIC CRUDE OIL INCREASED
The government has hiked the windfall tax on domestically produced crude oil to ₹3,200 per
tonne from ₹1,700
The tax is levied in the form of Special Additional Excise Duty (SAED).
Windfall tax: imposed by governments when an industry unexpectedly generates substantial
profits, typically attributed to an unprecedented event
CANCER RISK FOR UNDER-75 IN INDIA 10.6%: UN AGENCY
Data by: IARC, 2022. (International agency for research on cancer)
Highlights:
Risk of person developing cancer before the age of 75 years in India is 10.6%. the figure for US-
34.4% and Canada- 32%.
Risk of dying is 7.2%, says IARC study.
IARC HQ: Lyon, France

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FIRM, PERSONAL GUARANTOR CAN NOW HAVE SAME RP (RESOLUTION PROFESSIONAL)
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has now allowed the same resolution
professional (RP) for the insolvency process of a company as well as its personal guarantor for a
better harmonisation and effective coordination of both processes
REBATE OF STATE AND CENTRAL TAXES AND LEVIES (ROSCTL) SCHEME ON EXPORTS AND MADE-UPS
Govt. approved extension of the scheme till March 31, 2026.
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Textile, Apparel Export Promotion council (AEPC)
CARGO MOVEMENT THROUGH WATERWAYS UP 700% IN 10 YEARS.
Data shows that freight transported through waterways increased to 126 Million tonnes in
2022-23 from 18 MT in 2013-14.
In the current financial year 100 MT cargo transported through inland waterways. Data by-
Ministry of shipping and waterway.

HIGHEST IN A DECADE, DIRECT TAX-TO-GDP RATIO TO TOUCH 6.6% IN FY24: CBDT CHIEF
Direct tax-to-GDP ratio will be 6.6 per cent in the current fiscal (2023-24), according to Nitin
Gupta, Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
According to the Asian Development Bank, the tax-to-GDP ratio indicates the total tax revenue
as a percentage of GDP which shows the share of a country’s output that is collected by the
government through taxes.
TERI’S GREEN SHIPPING PORTAL TO TRACK PORTS
The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri), one of India’s premier research bodies on sustainable
development, will launch a green-shipping portal.

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 Purpose: to track practices by ports across the country and collate information at national and
international levels on port and shipping practices.
Director general of TERI: Vibha Dhawan
GROWTH PROJECTION: OECD OUTLOOK
The OECD raised its 2024 world economic growth forecast, but warned that the West Asia
conflict posed a risk, with disruptions in Red Sea shipping threatening to increase consumer
prices.
The OECD now expects a 2.9% expansion, up from 2.7% (Globally)
India- for FY25 increased the projection to 6.2% (earlier 6.1%)
OECD:
• It is an international organisation of 38 countries committed to democracy and the market
economy
• Headquarters: Paris, France.
Other agencies projections for India:

INDIA’S BANK CREDIT GROWTH COULD MODERATE IN FY25: S&P

S&P Global Ratings said the strong credit growth of Indian banks could moderate to 12-14% in
the next fiscal
DATA ON GENDER INCLUSIVITY
Gender inclusivity is a distant dream in India Inc’s boardrooms
Between April 2018 and December 2023, ₹27 crore has been collected as fines from companies
for not appointing at least one woman to their boards
Data from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs show that 507 companies were penalised in that
period
CENTRE ISSUES GRADING RULES FOR FIVE PREMIUM NON-BASMATI RICE VARIETIES
Under the new rules, authorised packers have to either set up their own laboratory or use an
approved laboratory for testing the quality of rice varieties of West Bengal —Gobindabhog,
Tulaipanji, Kataribhog, Kalonunia and Radhunipagal.

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NUMBER OF FARMERS ENROLLED UNDER PMKMY (PRADHAN MANTRI KISAN MAANDHAN YOJANA)
Farmers enrolled under this scheme since inception in 2019 is 23.38 Lakh
Objective: meant for old age protection and social security of Small and Marginal Farmers
(SMFs).
Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture
INDIGENOUS CAR-T CELL THERAPY: ‘FIRST PATIENT IS CANCER-FREE’
Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell (CAR-T cell), CAR T-cell therapies use a patient’s own cells
Recently, IIT Bombay-incubated company Immuno Adoptive Cell Therapy (ImmunoACT) has
received Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSO) marketing authorisation approval
of the first Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell (CAR-T cell) therapy product called NexCAR19
NexCAR19: an indigenously developed CD19-targeted CAR-T cell therapy. CD-19 is biomarker for
B lymphocytes and can be utilised as a target for leukaemia immunotherapies.
Developed by: IIT Bombay and Tata Memorial Centre (TMC).
1st patient to receive treatment: V K Gupta, at Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Hospital.
DATA ON MGNREGA WAGES VIS-À-VIS INFLATION
The average wage rate was ₹207 in 2018-19, growing to ₹259 in 2023-24. this is a compounded
average annual growth rate of just 4.5 per cent in this period.
The increase in wage rate may be insufficient to meet the increase in cost of basic goods, which
have risen due to spike in inflation in the last few years.
PM-KISAN BENEFICIARIES DOWN 14% IN FY24
The Indian Government informed the Parliament that the number of beneficiaries under the
flagship Direct Benefit transfer (DBT) scheme, PM-Kisan has fallen 14 percent to 9.21 crore in
2023-24 from 10.73 crore last year.
Punjab saw maximum drop in beneficiaries, says Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda
AVERAGE FARMER’S INCOME JUMPED 59% IN 6 YEARS UNTIL 2018-19: MINISTER
Based on the Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of Agricultural Households, the average
monthly income has increased from ₹6,426 in 2012-13 to ₹10,218 in 2018-19, which is an
increase of 59 per cent.
RBI IMPOSES RU. 8.8 LAKH FINE ON PFC FOR LIQUIDITY VIOLATION
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday imposed a monetary fine of Ru. 8.80 lakh on state-
owned Power Finance Corporation for contravening Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) norms by
including ineligible high-quality liquid assets.
According to the RBI, PFC did not adhere to specific provisions of the RBI’s directives on
‘Liquidity Risk Management Framework for NBFCs and Core Investment Companies’.
NOTICE UNDER SECTION 206 OF COMPANIES ACT
Recently the Registrar of companies (RoC) has issued the notice to BharatPe under section 206
of companies act. Section talks about companies must furnish the information sought by the
registrar. It also give the ministry the power to inspect the books of a company or call for
enquiry.

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TATA GROUP 1ST IN INDIA TO CROSS RU. 30 TRILLION MARKET CAP
Tata group combined market capitalization crossed the Ru 30 trillion mark, making it first
Indian conglomerate to achieve the feat.
INSURANCE FOR ALL: IRDAI
IRDAI propose obligatory life, health and motor coverage in gram panchayats across India. In
order to achieve the objective of Insurance for all.
Minimum number of lives to be covered by all life insurers in all gram panchayats in the country
should be 30% in each gram panchayat subject to minimum 25,000 gram panchayats as driven
by lead insurer in the 1st year, IRDAI proposed.
This increases to 40% lives subject to a minimum 50,000 gram panchayats and 50-% lives subject
to a minimum of 75,000 gram panchayaat in year 2 and 3 respectively.
GOVT LISTS 11 FAIR PRICE SHOPS ON E-COMM PORTAL ONDC
In a first, the Centre has onboarded 11 fair price shops on the state-run e-commerce portal
Open Network Digital Commerce (ONDC), to extend consumer access to food items offered at
government-supported shops and to foster a more inclusive e-commerce ecosystem.
INDIA RANKS THIRD IN USGBC’S ANNUAL LEED LIST
India ranked third in the US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) annual list of top 10 countries
and regions in the world for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification
in 2023.
LEED is a green building rating system and the certification is a globally recognised symbol of
sustainability achievement and leadership.
JUSPAY, ZOHO AND DECENTRO GETS RBI’S EPAY AGGREGATOR TAG
2 fintech startups Juspay and Decentro gets the final licence to act as ePay aggregator. Software
as service startup Zoho also got the licence for the same.
RBI PROJECTS FY25 GDP AT 7%; CPI INFLATION AT 4.5%
The RBI has projected FY25 GDP growth and CPI inflation at 7.0 per cent and 4.5 per cent,
respectively.
The central bank had projected FY24 GDP growth and CPI inflation at 7.0 percent and 5.4 per
cent, respectively

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NATIONAL
AND STATE
 TYPE SECTION AND
NATIONAL HERE
STATE

WISTRON TO SET UP LAPTOP UNIT IN KARNATAKA

Taiwan’s Wistron Corp has signed a non-binding agreement to invest ₹1,500 crore ($180.7
million) in setting up a laptop manufacturing unit in the Indian state of Karnataka.
ANDHRA TOPS LIST OF ABHA ACCOUNTS, TN AT BOTTOM
Of the more than 529 million unique health IDs or Ayushman Bharat Health Account numbers
created, top of the list is Andhra Pradesh with 78 per cent of its population registered.

DGGI (DIRECTOR GENERAL OF GST INTELLIGENCE) TO HAVE 1 ST DIGITAL FORENSIC LAB IN GUJARAT
DGGI got its 1st digital forensic lab in Ahmedabad.
This will help in detecting instances of tax evasion more efficiently and ensure better recovery
backed by digital evidence.
CHEMTECH WORLD EXPO
The largest congregation of buyers and sellers for chemical and biopharma processing,
petrochemicals and climate action innovations.
Venue: Mumbai
APPLE NOW INDIA’S LARGEST SMARTPHONE BRAND BY REVENUE
iPhone had 23% revenue share in 2023, Apple dethroned Samsung as India’s largest smartphone
brand by revenue in 2023 for the 1st time ever.
Whereas Samsung leads the Indian market in terms of volume, holds 18% of market share.
KARNATAKA PLANS DIGITAL DETOX INITIATIVE WITH GAME DEVELOPERS, NIMHANS
The Karnataka government said it would launch a ‘Digital Detox’ initiative in collaboration with
the All India Game Developers Forum (AIGDF), with special emphasis on gaming and social
media.

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 The government of Karnataka will work with AIGDF and the National Institute of Mental Health
and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) to raise awareness about mindful technology.
SURAJ KUND INTERNATIONAL CRAFTS MELA
Edition: 37th edition.
Venue: Faridabad, Haryana.
Theme state: Gujarat.
Partner Nation: Tanzania
Cultural partner: North-Eastsern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation
FIRST WORLD ODIA LANGUAGE CONFERENCE, 2024
Venue: Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
PM TO INAUGURATE FIRST PHASE OF NLC’S TALABIRA PLANT
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of the 2400 MW coal-based thermal
power plant (TPP) of lignite miner NLC India (NLCIL) at Talabira in the Jharsuguda district of
Odisha
1318 STATIONS IDENTIFIED FOR REVAMP: RAILWAY MINISTER
The railway ministry has identified 1318 stations for development/ redevelopment under Amrit
Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS)
PLAN FOR 1000 MODERN RESTING FACILITY FOR TRUCK AND CAB DRIVERS
Prime minister announced a scheme to build 1000 modern resting facilities for truck and cab
drivers on national highways.
• According report by NITI Aayog, truck carry the bulk of India’s goods meeting 70% of the
domestic freight demand.
13 TH ANNUAL TRAFFIC INDEX
Published by: Dutch geolocation technology specialist, Tom Tom.
Highlights:
The report said, on average it took 21 Minutes, 40 sec to cover 10KM in cities in 2023.
Indian cities ranking- Delhi ranked 44th, Bengaluru-6th, Pune- 7th and Mumbai- 54th on the list
worldwide. Bengaluru remains most congested in India.
IN A 1 ST , IIT MADRAS INTRODUCES SPORTS QUOTA FOR UG ADMISSIONS
IIT Madras has become the IIT to introduce sports quota for UG admission and it will create 2
supernumerary seats in each course from 2024-25.
One of the seats will be reserved for females and other will be gender neutral under the ‘Sports
Excellence Admission’
SADAK SURAKHYA FORCE
Implemented by: govt. of Punjab. Purpose: vigilant on roads, traffic management and ambulance
facility.
ODISHA GOVT. TO COME UP WITH LANGUAGE POLICY FOR ODIA
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced to come up with a special language policy aimed at the
promotion of the Odia language

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CHHATTISGARH TO GIVE CASH TO MARRIED WOMEN FROM MARCH 1
Chhattisgarh will roll out the Mahatari Vandan Yojana — a monthly cash assistance scheme for
married women, Eligible beneficiaries will receive ₹12,000 per year, transferred to their bank
accounts in monthly installments of ₹1,000 under the scheme.
NITISH: DEVICE TO ALERT FARMERS ON FLOOD, LIGHTNING AND HEATWAVE
NITISH- novel initiative technological intervention for safety of human lives
Developed by: Bihar state disaster management authority in collaboration with IIT, Patna.
Device will alert user by sending voice message during disaster condition
DIGITAL INDIA FUTURE LABS INITIATIVE
Launched by: Ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY)
Launched in collaboration with tech firms like IBM, Mahindra among 22 tech firms in PPP (public
private partnership) mode.
Purpose: it will help startups and other companies to develop their own intellectual properties
(IP) and standards with support.
TATA CAPITAL LAUNCHES EDUCATION LOANS
Tata Capital has announced education loans tailored to support individuals seeking financial
assistance for higher education in destinations such as India, the US, Canada, the UK, Australia,
New Zealand, Germany, Singapore, and Dubai.
collateral-free loans with a cap of up to ₹75 lakh and secured loans extending up to ₹2 crore
CEO of tata capital: Rajiv Sabharwal
BRAND GUARDIANSHIP INDEX
Mukesh ambani placed top among Indians and 2nd globally in Brand guardianship Index 2024.
Index released by: Brand Finance.
Other Indians- Tata sons chairman, N Chandra shekaran placed 5th in the list.
Top placed in the index- Tencent’s Huateng Ma
NATIONAL CLEAN AIR PLAN LISTS 131 CITIES STRUGGLING TO MEET NORMS
National Clean Air Plan identified 131 cities that have failed to meet national standards.
DELHI GOVT. ANNOUNCED FREE BUS TICKET FOR TRANSGENDER
Delhi govt. announced the bus services for transgender will be free in the city- along the lines of
that for women
BIS, AGMARK NO LONGER MUST FOR FOOD PRODUCTS: FSSAI
No need for Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) or AGMARK certification for food products which
have FSSAI license with them.
This means that once a Food Business Operator (FBO), from a small seller to a big firm, has
received a FSSAI certification.
• FSSAI works under Ministry of Health and Family welfare, chairperson-
Sudhansh Pant.

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SBI MF (MUTUAL FUND) LAUNCHES INDIA'S FIRST ENERGY FUND
SBI Mutual Fund announced the launch of India’s first energy fund, which will invest in domestic as
well as international firms involved in the generation and distribution of energy—both traditional
as well as renewables.
SAMSUNG LEADS SMARTPHONE MARKET WITH 18% MARKET SHARE IN 2023
As per the data released by Cyber Media Research (CMR), Samsung leads the Indian market with
18% share.
AGRI STORAGE UNITS TO BE SET UP IN 65,000 VILLAGES
Govt. aims to establish 65,000 storage units at Primary agriculture credit societies (PACS) in
couple of years.
ONGC ADVANCED TRAINING INSTITUTE
The world class ONGC sea survival training institute is being dedicated to nation by Prime
Minister
Located at: Betul, Goa
IRCTC LAUNCHES RAMAYANA CIRCUIT TOURIST TRAIN SERVICE
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has designed a comprehensive tour
programme based on places of pilgrim importance as cited in the Ramayana.
NEW SCIENCE RESEARCH BOARD, ANRF, COMES INTO EFFECT
Provisions of the newly constituted research board, the Anusandhan National Research
Foundation (ANRF), had come into effect and announced the appointment of Abhay Karandikar,
Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, as interim CEO of the body
ANRF:
• It is a research funding organisation that will have a corpus of ₹50,000 crore with nearly
₹36,000 crore projected to come from the private sector.
• ₹2,000 crore has been provisioned for the ANRF for 2024-25. It subsumes the existing Science
and Engineering Research Board (SERB)
INDIANS CAN VISIT IRAN NOW VISA-FREE
The Iranian govt. has announced a visa-free travel regime for Indian tourist entering the country
by Air and staying for maximum period of 15 days
GUJARAT PASSES RESOLUTION TO TEACH BHAGAVAD GITA IN SCHOOLS
The resolution states that the scripture must be taught in schools to students from Classes 6 to 12
from the next academic year.
6 TH NBFC SUMMIT
Organized by: Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
Venue: Mumbai
Theme: NBFCs: growth with stability and responsibility.
President of CII: R Dinesh
NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ‘CURBING POST-HARVEST LOSSES TO ENABLE THE RESILIENT FOOD
SYSTEM’
Organized by: ASSOCHAM in association with Ministry of food processing industries.

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 Venue: New Delhi.
Theme: envisioning vibrant and viksit bharat @ 100
President of ASSOCHAM: Ajay Singh.
AWS (AMAZON WEB SERVICES) LAUNCHES 1 ST INDIAN SPACE TECH ACCELERATOR.
AWS launched the 1st space tech accelerator programme in India with support from T-Hub and
Minfy.
Purpose: it is a technical, business and mentorship opportunity designed to foster startups
focused on space technology and accelerate their development.
UTTARAKHAND BECOMES THE 1 ST STATE TO PASS UCC BILL
Uniform civil code bill has been passed by Uttarakhand, 1st Indian state to do so.
UCC- Article 44 of Indian Constitution, under part 4 (DPSP)
CENTRE TO SCRAP FREE MOVEMENT REGIME WITH MYANMAR
Union government has decided to scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the Myanmar
border for the sake of the country’s internal security and to maintain the demographics of north
eastern States
KRISHI RAKSHAK PORTAL, A LEARNING PLATFORM, LAUNCHED FOR FARMERS
Union minister of agriculture, farmers’ welfare Arjun Munda launched the centralized Krishi
Rakshak Helpline 14447 and Portal, Agri-Insurance Sand-box Framework Platform SARTHI and
Learning Management System (LMS) Platform for the farming community under the Pradhan
Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
CAR-T (CHIMERIC ANTIGEN RECEPTOR) CELL CANCER THERAPY BY APOLLO
The Apollo Cancer Centre announced that the hospital chain has successfully completed CAR-T
cell programme, claiming themselves to be the first private hospital to do so.
GHAR GHAR MUFT RATION
Scheme launched by: Govt. of Punjab
AADI MAHOTSAV
A celebration of tribal entrepreneurship, crafts, culture, cuisine and commerce.
Venue: Delhi.
It is organised by Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED)
under the aegis of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs
NEW DELHI WORLD BOOK FAIR 2024
Venue: New Delhi
Theme: Multilingual India: A Living Tradition
Hosted by the National Book Trust and ITPO, Saudi Arabia is the Guest of Honor
48 TH COAST GUARDS RAISING DAY
Celebrated every year on- 1st February, it started in 1977.
This was 48th edition
Chief of ICG (Indian Coast Guard) : DG Rakesh Pal

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INTERNATIONAL
 TYPE SECTION HERE
INTERNATIONAL

5 NEW MEMBERS JOINED BRICS

New full time member countries: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the UAE are now full
members
BRICS:
BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of the world’s leading emerging economies, namely Brazil,
Russia, India, China, and South Africa
In 2001, the British Economist Jim O’Neill coined the term BRIC to describe the four emerging
economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China
The grouping was formalized during the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers in 2006.
South Africa was invited to join BRIC in December 2010, after which the group adopted the
acronym BRICS.
The Johannesburg declaration,2023 issued after the summit, said Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran,
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had been invited to become full members from
January 1, 2024.
The BRICS (prior to expansion) represented 41% of the global population, 24% of the global GDP,
and 16 % of the global trade.

UK, FRANCE LEAD 35-NATION PACT ON CONTROLLING SPYWARE

Countries led by Britain, France and the United States and tech firms including Google,
Microsoft and Meta signed a joint statement recognising the need for more action to tackle
malicious use of cyber spying tools.

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 MOUs/
MERGERS &
ACQUISITION
 MOUs/ MERGERS
TYPE SECTION &
HERE
ACQUISITIONS

NTPC TO BUY RU 5,000 CR KSK MAHANADI POWER UNIT

NTPC is set to acquire the beleaguered KSK Mahanadi power station in Champa, Chattisgarh. one
of India’s largest single-site Greenfield projects with proposed 3,600 MW capacity.
1ST WOMEN OFFICER OF AMC (ARMY MEDICAL CORPS) CENTRE AND COLLEGE TAKES CHARGE.
Lieutenant general Kavita Sahay has become the 1st women officer to take charge as officer of
AMC (Army medical corps) centre and college takes charge.
Deputy Commandant of AMC- Maj Gen Samar Cheterjee.
ZUNO GENERAL INSURANCE TIES UP WITH NHCX
Digital Insurer Zuno General Insurance has announced the deployment and integration of the
Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) ID into Zuno's policy management system.
This move aims to streamline the onboarding process onto the National Health Coverage
Exchange (NHCX).
HDFC BANK, ICICI JOINTLY FORM COMPANY FOR RMBS (RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES)
MARKET
HDFC bank and ICICI bank jointly floated a company along with several other financial services
firms to promote the Residential mortgage-backed securities market.
2 banks have acquired a 7% stake each in a newly formed entity.
GOVT. OF ODISHA JAWAHARLAL NEHRU UNIVERSITY (JNU), NEW DELHI SIGNED A MOU
Purpose: establishment of biju patnaik special centre for odia studies at JNU, Delhi.
IIT-M AND MUNITIONS INDIA PARTNER FOR SMART AMMO
IIT Madras has partnered with Munitions India Ltd to develop India’s first indigenously designed
155 mm Smart Ammunition to achieve indigenisation in the defence sector.
IRMA, NCDX LAUNCH CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
Premier commodity exchange National commodity and derivatives exchange (NCDX) along with
Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) have launched Tribhuvandas Patel Centre of
Excellence for commodity markets in Anand, Gujarat.
Aim: providing support to commodity derivative markets in the areas of research and improving
the agriculture landscape.
CCAVENUE PARTNERS WITH IDFC FIRST BANK

Infibeam Avenues Ltd’s flagship payment brand, CCAvenue, has entered into a partnership with
IDFC First Bank to cover extensive credit card EMI solutions to the bank’s customers
nationwide.

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IGL SIGNS MOUS TO SET UP 19 CBG PLANTS IN FOUR STATES
Indraprastha Gas Ltd. (IGL) signed MoUs with two technology partners during ‘India Energy
Week 2024’ to establish Compressed Biogas (CBG) plants in Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and U.P.
YARA INDIA, UP GOVT INK MOU TO ENHANCE POTATO PRODUCTIVITY, QUALITY
Yara India, a subsidiary of global crop nutrition firm Yara International, has signed MoU with
the Uttar Pradesh government’s department of horticulture and food processing to help potato
farmers enhance crop productivity and quality.
ONGC, NTPC IN JOINT VENTURE FOR OFFSHORE WIND
ONGC and NTPC’s green unit signed a pact to form a joint venture to develop green energy
focused on offshore wind.
ONGC chairman: Arun Kumar Singh
NTPC chairman: Gurdeep Singh
JSW GROUP AND GOVT. OF ODISHA SIGNED A MOU
Purpose: developing integrated Electric Vehicle and factory in Odisha (Cuttak)

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 SCIENCE &
TECHNOLOGY
AND DEFENCE
 TYPE
SCIENCE SECTION HERE
& TECHNOLOGY
AND DEFENCE

NAVY TO INDUCT SURVEY VESSEL SANDHAYAK

The navy will commission its latest survey vessel at the naval dockyard in Visakhapatnam. Built
by: Garden reach shipbuilders and engineers, Kolkata.
Purpose of the vessel: conduct a full-scale hydrographic survey for ports, harbours, navigation
channels, coastal areas and deep seas.
Navy chief: ADMIRAL R HARI KUMAR
EXERCISE ‘VAYU SHAKTI’
Venue: Pokharan, Rajasthan. Conducted by Indian Air Force (IAF)
Purpose: demonstration of the IAF’s capability to deliver weapons with long range, precision
capability
Chief of Air Staff: Marshal VR Chaudhari
Vice Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal AP Singh
DUSTED APOLLO SIGHTED FOR FIRST TIME IN HIMACHAL’S CHAMBA
Dusted Apollo (Parnassius stenosemus), a rare high-altitude butterfly, has been sighted and
photographed for the first time in Himachal Pradesh
INDIA-MADE TYPHOID VACCINE EFFICACY LASTS FOR 4 YEARS: STUDY
The efficacy of the conjugated typhoid vaccine at the end of 4.3 years of median follow-up was
70·6% for children aged nine months to two years; the efficacy was over 79% in children above
two years
Name of the vaccine: Tybar, developed by: Hyderabad based Bharat Biotech.
RUSSIAN COSMONAUT SETS NEW RECORD FOR THE MOST TIME IN SPACE
Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko has broken the world record for the most cumulative time
spent in space, Russia’s space agency Roscosmos reported
INDIA’S FIRST PRIVATE LAUNCH PAD READIES FOR TAKE OFF
The Chennai headquartered space-tech startup Agnikul Cosmos for the maiden launch of India’s
first-ever private Launchpad and the second rocket launch by a private sector player.
Location of launchpad: satish dhawan space centre, Sri harikota, Andhra Pradesh
INDIAN WOMEN OFFICERS TO TAKE PART IN SAUDI DEFENCE SHOW
India has sent a 3 member delegation of women officers holding the frontline roles in the armed
forces to take part in the world defence show.
Venue: Saudi Arabi
Officers: Squadron leader Bhawana Kanth, colonel Ponung doming and Lt commander Anu
Prakash

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GOOGLE REBRANDS BARD CHATBOT AS GEMINI
Google renamed its Bard chatbot after the new artificial intelligence that is powering it, called
Gemini
HAPS: INDIA’S OWN UAV
National aerospace laboratories (NAL) in Bengaluru has successfully completed the 1st test of
solar-powered “Pseudo satellite”
HAPS- High altitude pseudo satellite, it can fly upto 20km altitude.
Significance: increase the surveillance and monitoring capability of India across borders.

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AWARDS
 TYPE SECTION HERE
AWARDS

BJP VETERAN ADVANI TO BE AWARDED THE BHARAT RATNA

Former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, helmsman of the Rath Yatra that catapulted the
movement for the Ayodhya Ram Temple to national prominence, will be given the Bharat Ratna,
India’s highest civilian honour.
7th Deputy Prime Minister of India from 2002 to 2004. He is one of the co-founders of Bharatiya
Janata Party
1 ST FROM ODISHA TO WIN NATIONAL AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR, SADHU MEHER PASSED AWAY
Won national award in 1974, for the movie Ankur (hindi)
GRAMMY AWARDS: 66 TH EDITION.
Tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain wins 3 awards; flautist Rakesh Chaurasia gets 2 prizes; singer
Shankar Mahadevan, violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan and percussionist S. Vinayakram bags one
each
Categories:
Shakti (fusion group) won the 2024 Grammy Award for best global music album for ‘This
Moment.’
Zakir hussain- the best global music performance for Pashto and best contemporary
instrumental album for As We Speak.
Rakesh Chaurasia- we speak and Pashto
The best global music performance category had eight nominees, including Abundance In Millets,
a song by Falu and featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi
SWIFT SETS RECORD WITH GRAMMY WIN
Taylor Swift won album of the year at the Grammy Awards for Midnights, breaking the record for
most wins in the category with four
SWAMINATHAN, RAO, CHARAN SINGH TO GET BHARAT RATNA
The Green Revolution pioneer and two former PMs join former Deputy PM L.K. Advani, former
Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur in the list of awardees this year, the longest ever announced in a year

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SPORTS
 TYPE SECTION HERE
SPORTS

BUMRAH 1ST INDIAN PACER TO TOP THE TEST RANKING

Jasprit Bumrah became the 1st Indian pacer to top the ICC test ranking
He achieved this in visakhapatnam against England.
He is also the 1st bowler to have topped rankings in all the formats.
Batters who achieved this are: Matthew Hayden, Ricky pointing and Virat kohli.
SPORTSTAR ACES AWARDS 2024

Category Winner
Men’s Relay Team
Sportsman of the Year (Track and Field)
Parul Chaudhary
Sportswoman of the Year (Track and Field)
Hardik Singh, Mohammed Shami
Sportsman of the Year (Team Sports)
Vandana Katariya
Sportswoman of the Year (Team Sports)
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty
Sportsman of the Year (Individual)
Rameshbabu Vaishali, Sift Kaur Samra
Sportswoman of the Year (Individual)
Sumit Antil
Sportsman of the Year (Parasports)
Thulasimathi Murugesan
Sportswoman of the Year (Parasports)
Rahul Dravid
Coach of the Year
Prathamesh Samadhan Jawkar
Young Achiever of the Year (Male)
Tilottama Sen
Young Achiever of the Year (Female)
Chandu Borde, Karnam Malleswari
Lifetime Achievement Award
Neeraj Chopra
Sportstar of the Year (Male)
Sheetal Devi
Sportstar of the Year (Female)
India Men’s Cricket Team
National Team of the Year
Saurashtra Cricket Team
Club/State Team of the Year
Sheetal Devi Hits the Bullseye
Moment of the Year
Muttiah Muralitharan
International Icon
Tamil Nadu
Best State for the Promotion of Sport
NTPC Ltd
Best PSU for the Promotion of Sport

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 Tata Steel Ltd
Best Corporate for the Promotion of Sport
SRM Institute of Science and Technology
Best University for the Promotion of Sport
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board
Sport for Social Good
Rohan Bopanna.
Ace of Aces Award

NEERAJ WAS HONOURED WITH A PLAQUE BY SWITZERLAND TOURISM.

India’s Olympic and world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has been honoured with a
plaque at the famous Ice Palace at Jungfraujoch, known as the ‘Top of Europe’, in Switzerland.
SAFF U19 WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
India and Bangladesh were declared joint champions of the SAFF U19 Women’s Championship
Venue: Dhaka, Bangladesh. SAFF- The South Asian Football Federation Championship

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APPOINTMENTS
 TYPE SECTION HERE
APPOINTMENTS

JAY SHAH REAPPOINTED ACC PRESIDENT

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah was appointed president of the
Asian Cricket Council (ACC) for a third consecutive term.
HQ of ACC: Dubai, UAE. Established in- 1983
CHAMPAI SOREN: NEW CM OF JHARKHAND
Senior JMM leader Champai Soren was named as successor of Hemant soren.
APURVA CHANDRA APPOINTED HEALTH SECRETARY; SANJAY JAJU IS THE NEW I&B SECRETARY
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved Mr.Chandra's appointment as
the Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare,
Sanjay Jaju has been appointed Information and Broadcasting Secretary
ADB’S COUNTRY DIRECTOR FOR INDIA
Asian Development Bank (ADB) appointed Mio Oka as country director for India.
She will succeed Takeo Konishi, who has been promoted as ADB director general for South Asia at
Manila Headquarters.
ADB:
• It is a multilateral development bank established on 19th December 1966
• Headquarters: Manila, Philippines.
• ADB's five largest shareholders are Japan and the United States (each with 15.6% of total shares),
the People's Republic of China (6.4%), India (6.3%), and Australia (5.8%)
LT GEN. DWIVEDI TO TAKE OVER AS ARMY VICE CHIEF
Northern army commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi will take over as army vice chief, replacing Lt
Gen Suchindra Kumar.
VENKATACHALAM APPOINTED TATA AIA LIFE MD & CEO
The board of Tata AIA Life Insurance has approved the appointment of President and Chief
Distribution Officer Venkatachalam H as MD and CEO.
RAVI KUMAR JHA APPOINTED MD & CEO OF LIC MF
LIC Mutual Fund Asset Management announced the appointment of Ravi Kumar Jha as its MD
and CEO.

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