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1st JANUARY, 2024
PM-Kisan Scheme
The government has launched an effort to boost the overall number of farmers benefiting from the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) program. The goal is to increase the current count of 8.12 crore farmer-beneficiaries to approximately 8.75 crore.
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India-South Korea relations
The Indian Army Chief visited South Korea in November 2023 to make the military connections between the two countries even stronger and to work together on common challenges in defense cooperation. Additionally, India and South Korea recently celebrated 50 years of being diplomatic buddies. Back in 2020, they agreed on a plan called the Roadmap for Defence Industries Cooperation to collaborate on defense-related industries. To encourage investments from South Korea into India, there’s a special initiative called Korea Plus. It’s all part of building a solid and lasting relationship between the two nations.
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2nd JANUARY, 2024
Radiocarbon Dating
Radiocarbon dating, a groundbreaking method that brought a reliable way to measure time to various scientific fields, making a big impact on our world. Radiocarbon dating helps determine the age of organic materials by checking the amount of carbon-14 they contain. This idea was developed by an American chemist named Willard Libby in the 1940s.
Here’s how it works: Carbon-14 is formed in the atmosphere when cosmic rays interact with nitrogen-14 and is taken in by living organisms. When an organism dies, it stops taking in carbon-14, and the isotope starts to break down at a consistent rate, with a half-life of around 5,730 years. By measuring the remaining carbon-14 in a sample, scientists can estimate the time when the organism died. This technique has transformed many scientific fields by providing a reliable way to determine the age of ancient materials.
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XPoSat Mission
The XPoSat Mission recently launched by ISRO. Black holes and neutron stars have been puzzling scientists for a long time. These celestial objects have super-strong magnetic fields, and because of that, they give off extremely energetic X-ray light. This special kind of light can help us understand more about these mysterious bodies.
To do this, on January 1st, 2024, ISRO’s PSLV rocket sent the XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) into space. It’s India’s first-ever space observatory designed to study the polarization of cosmic X-rays. In simple terms, it’s like having a space telescope that can help us learn more about the X-rays coming from black holes and neutron stars, helping us unravel some of the secrets of the universe.
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Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs)
The recent announcement from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) about the list of Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs). These are banks that, if something goes wrong with them, could seriously mess up the entire financial system. This could be because of the bank’s size, its activities across different areas, how complicated it is, the fact that there’s no easy replacement for it, and how connected it is with other parts of the financial system.
We call these kinds of banks Systemically Important Banks (SIBs), and they are often seen as “Too Big to Fail (TBTF).” This means that if they face big problems, it could have major consequences for the overall economy. The RBI came up with a plan for handling these Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) in 2014, and it became active in 2015. This framework helps manage and prevent potential issues with these important banks, making sure our financial system stays stable.
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3rd JANUARY, 2024
Maharishi Valmiki International Airport
Recently, the Prime Minister officially opened the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. This airport is dedicated to and named after Maharishi Valmiki, a highly respected sage known as the author of the oldest version of the Ramayana.
Inside the terminal building, you’ll find beautiful local art, paintings, and murals that tell the story of Bhagwan Shri Ram’s life. The Ayodhya Airport terminal is not just visually appealing; it’s also designed with sustainability in mind. It has features like insulated roofing, LED lighting, rainwater harvesting, and lovely landscaping with fountains.
Additionally, the airport is equipped with a water treatment plant, a sewage treatment plant, and a solar power plant. All these measures are in place to ensure that the Ayodhya Airport meets the high standards set by the five-star GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) ratings. It’s a step towards creating an environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing airport for everyone to enjoy.
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Railway Projects
Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed the upgraded Ayodhya Railway Station and introduced new Amrit Bharat and Vande Bharat trains. He inaugurated Phase 1 of Ayodhya Dham Junction Railway Station, equipped with modern amenities like elevators, escalators, and food plazas, making it ‘accessible for all’ and achieving an ‘IGBC certified green station building’ status. The IGBC Green Railway Stations rating system is India’s first comprehensive system addressing environmental sustainability in railway stations.
The Prime Minister also flagged off two new Amrit Bharat trains: Darbhanga-Ayodhya-Anand Vihar Terminal and Malda Town-Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminus (Bengaluru) Express. Additionally, he launched six new Vande Bharat Trains, covering routes like Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-New Delhi, Amritsar-Delhi, Coimbatore-Bangalore Cantt, Mangalore-Madgaon, Jalna-Mumbai, and Ayodhya-Anand Vihar Terminal.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Modi dedicated three railway projects, totaling Rs. 2300 crore, to regional rail infrastructure strengthening. These projects include the Rooma Chakeri-Chanderi third line, sections of Jaunpur-Ayodhya-Barabanki doubling, and Malhaur-Daliganj doubling and electrification.
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Savitribai Phule Jayanti 2024
January 3, 2024, marks the 193rd birth anniversary of Savitribai Phule. She was born on January 3, 1831, in the village of Naigaon in Maharashtra. Savitribai, a Dalit woman from the Mali community, played a crucial role alongside her husband Jyotirao Phule in establishing India’s earliest girls’ school in Bhidewada, Pune, in 1848. This broke societal norms and made her India’s first woman teacher and the first Indian headmistress. In 1873, the Phules founded the Satyashodhak Samaj, meaning the ‘Truth-seekers’ Society,’ which aimed at promoting social equity, welcoming people irrespective of their caste, religion, or class hierarchies.
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4th JANUARY, 2024
Chameleon Malware
Researchers in cybersecurity have found a potent version of the infamous ‘Chameleon Trojan’ malware, posing a serious risk to users of Android devices. This malware, known as Chameleon, is a Trojan program that can sneak into devices with little detection, disabling biometric security features like fingerprint and face unlock. Additionally, it can avoid detection by malware scanning apps.
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Desert Cyclone
A 45-member group from the UAE Land Forces has arrived in India for the first India-UAE Joint Military Exercise, called ‘DESERT CYCLONE.’ This exercise aims to enhance cooperation and interoperability between the two nations in Sub-conventional Operations, including Fighting in Built-Up Area (FIBUA) in desert/semi-desert terrain under Chapter VII of the UN Charter on Peacekeeping Operations. The primary goals are to achieve shared security objectives, strengthen bilateral relations, and foster a collaborative partnership by sharing best practices during Peace Keeping Operations.
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5th JANUARY, 2024
Green Deposits Framework
The RBI has recently issued updated guidelines to explain important provisions in the RBI’s Green Deposits Framework. Green deposits function like regular bank deposits, but the unique aspect is that banks pledge to use the funds from these deposits to endorse environmentally friendly projects.
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Prerana Program
The Ministry of Education introduced ‘Prerana: An Experiential Learning Program,’ aiming to instill leadership qualities in participants. This week-long residential program, open to students in grades IX to XII from any recognized school in the country, integrates heritage and innovation through hands-on and inspirational learning, incorporating advanced technology.
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Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar
The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has announced the ‘Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar’ for 2023. The President of India will honor the recipients at a special event held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. This award is given to corporate entities (both private and public sector), Sports Control Boards, NGOs, and sports bodies at the State and National levels that have played a significant role in promoting and developing sports. The scheme was introduced in 2009 and later revised in 2015.
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6th JANUARY, 2024
India’s Space Mission Plan for 2024
India’s space achievements, including the solar observatory Aditya-L1 and upcoming missions in 2024.
- Aditya-L1: Observes the solar atmosphere, contributing to space weather understanding from Sun-Earth Lagrange point 1.
- XPoSat: India’s first X-ray Polarimeter Satellite studies cosmic radiation and high-energy processes in stellar systems.
- Gaganyaan-1: Prepares for future manned spaceflights.
- Mangalyaan-2: Continues Mars exploration and research.
- NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar): Collaborates with NASA for Earth observation.
- Shukrayaan-1: Explores Venus, expanding knowledge of the solar system.
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India’s GDP Growth
- India’s expected real GDP growth for 2023-24 is 7.3%, slightly higher than the previous year’s 7.2%, according to the NSO.
- The country’s economic progress is noteworthy, with the nominal GDP projected to reach $3.5 trillion in 2024 and $7.3 trillion by 2030, as per the IMF.
- The estimated Real GDP in 2023-24 at constant prices is ₹171.79 lakh crore, compared to the Provisional Estimate for 2022-23 of ₹160.06 lakh crore released on May 31, 2023.
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Wetland City Accreditation scheme
- Indore, Bhopal, and Udaipur have been nominated by India for the Wetland City Accreditation (WCA) scheme under the Ramsar Convention.
- These are the first three Indian cities to be nominated for WCA, based on proposals from state wetlands authorities working with municipal corporations.
- Wetlands like Sirpur Wetland (Indore), Yashwant Sagar (Indore), Bhoj Wetland (Bhopal), and others in and around Udaipur are crucial for these cities.
- This nomination provides an opportunity for cities valuing their wetlands to gain international recognition.
- Currently, 43 cities worldwide are accredited as wetland cities under the Ramsar Convention, with 18 accredited in 2018 and 25 in 2022. However, India has not yet made it to this prestigious list.
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PRITHvi VIgyan (PRITHVI) Programme
- The Union Cabinet has approved the “PRITHvi VIgyan (PRITHVI)” scheme, a comprehensive earth observation satellite project with Mauritius.
- The scheme, running from 2021-26 with a total cost of Rs. 4,797 crore, addresses all components of the Earth system.
- It focuses on the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, cryosphere, and biosphere, improving understanding and providing reliable services.
- PRITHVI aims to integrate various disciplines in Earth sciences, promoting multidisciplinary research to tackle challenges in weather, climate, oceanography, cryosphere studies, seismology, and sustainable resource utilization.
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