Current Affairs One - Liner : 19th January 2024

• National:
• The 25T Bollard Pull Tug, Bhishm, was launched at M/s Titagarh Rail Systems Ltd, Kolkata on 14th January 2024. It’s part of a contract for six such tugs, built under the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” initiative. These tugs will assist in berthing, un-berthing, and firefighting for Naval ships and submarines, and can conduct limited Search and Rescue Operations.

• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy unveiled a 206-ft tall bronze statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in Vijayawada. This statue, known as the ‘Statue of Social Justice’, is the world’s largest-ever statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. The statue itself is 125 feet tall and stands atop an 81-ft pedestal at the Smriti Vanam.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the creation of three posts at the level of Joint Secretary for the 16th Finance Commission. These include two posts of Joint Secretary and one post of Economic Adviser.
• Central governments in India have generally shown fiscal prudence in election years, with lower fiscal deficits than in the preceding three years. The Indian government aims to reduce the fiscal deficit to 4.50% of GDP by the end of the 2025-26 fiscal year from 5.90% in the current year. The general elections in India are expected to be held between April and May 2024.
• On January 19, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Boeing’s new Global Engineering and Technology Centre in Bengaluru. The centre, built at a cost of ₹ 1,600 crore, is Boeing’s largest investment outside the US. It aims to develop next-generation products and services for the global aerospace and defence industry. The Prime Minister also launched the Boeing Sukanya Programme to support the entry of more girl children into India’s growing aviation sector.
• On 15th January 2024, The External Affairs Minister of India, S Jaishankar, announced that the Government of India has decided to include Farsi (Persian) as one of the nine classical languages in India under the New Education Policy. As of now, India recognizes six languages as classical, including Tamil (2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014).
• International:
• On 18th January 2024, The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved a Memorandum of Intent (MoI) signed between the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Government of India, and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, Kingdom of the Netherlands.
• Banking:
• Max Life Insurance has launched a unique Midcap Momentum Index Fund in the ULIP segment. This fund is based on the Nifty Midcap 150 Momentum 50 Index and is open for investment until January 29, 2024, at a unit price of Rs. 103. The fund aims to replicate the Nifty Midcap 150 Momentum 50 Index by investing in companies with similar weights as in the index.
• On 18th January 2024, The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) economic activity index indeed forecasted a GDP growth of 7% for the third quarter (October-December) of FY24. This prediction is higher than the previously projected growth of 6.5% stated in the Governor’s monetary policy statement.
• State Bank of India (SBI) has raised ₹5,000 crore through the issuance of additional tier-1 (AT-1) bonds on 18th January 2024, bolstering its long-term non-equity capital amid firm credit demand in the economy.
• FinAGG Technologies, a fintech startup, raised $11 million in a Series A funding round co-led by Tata Capital and BlueOrchard on January 18, 2024. The funds will be used for expansion, global outreach, and product innovation.
• India’s forex reserves increased by $1.634 billion to $618.937 billion for the week ended January 12. The foreign currency assets, a major component of the reserves, increased $1.859 billion to $548.508 billion. Gold reserves were down $242 million to $47.247 billion. The Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) were up $12 million to $18.31 billion. India’s reserve position with the IMF increased $6 million to $4.872 billion.
• Economy:
• In a nutshell, India harvested a record 355.35 million tonnes of fruits, veggies, spices, and flowers in 2023, up 2.3% from the previous year. This impressive feat, despite climate challenges, boosts food security and potentially fuels exports. ️
• Mous:
• On January 19th, 2024, in Gandhinagar, India, a landmark Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) at GIFT City, the Indian Gas Exchange (IGX), and Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC). This groundbreaking collaboration aims to establish the world's second global hydrogen trading mechanism, complete with a "Global Hydrogen Price Index" to benchmark market information and attract global participation.
• Science & Technology:
• On 17th January 2024, The remains of a human settlement dating back to 800 BCE were discovered in Vadnagar, Gujarat. This settlement is located in the native village of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The discovery was made by researchers from IIT Kharagpur, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and Deccan College.
• Defence:
• On January 18, 2024, Pakistan carried out military strikes on separatist targets in Iran, specifically the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF). This action was in response to a deadly attack on Pakistani soil by Iran. The operation, named “Marg Bar Sarmachar”, resulted in several militant casualties. The incident has escalated tensions between the two countries.
• Sports:
• On 17th January 2024, Indian captain Rohit Sharma indeed became the first player to score five centuries in T20 international matches. He achieved this feat during a match against Afghanistan, where he scored an unbeaten 121.
• Carlos Sainz won his fourth Dakar Rally title on January 19, 2024, driving the Audi RS Q e-tron. This victory marked Audi’s first-ever win at the Dakar Rally and made Sainz the race’s oldest winner at the age of 61.
• Important Days:
• Kokborok Day is celebrated on 19th January every year in the Indian state of Tripura. The day is dedicated to the Kokborok language, which is the native language of the Tripuri people in Tripura. The main aim of this day is to promote and preserve the Kokborok language and its rich cultural heritage. The theme for Kokborok Day 2024 seems to be centered around celebrating 'Tripuri Language Pride’.
• Awards & Honours:
• Aitana Bonmatí win Fifa best player awards for 2023. Aitana Bonmatí said she was “proud” to be part of a generation of women “changing the game and the world” as the Spain World Cup star claimed the title of the Best Fifa women's player for 2023 at a star-studded award ceremony in London.
• The ‘Wings India Awards 2024’ ceremony, where Delhi and Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) jointly won the ‘Best Airport of the Year’ award, was held on Thursday, 18th January 2024. The event took place at Hotel Taj Krishna in Hyderabad.
• Appointments:
• On 19th January 2024, Senior IPS officer Daljit Singh Chaudhary has been appointed as the Director General of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). He is a 1990 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre.
• PepsiCo India has announced the appointment of Jagrut Kotecha as their new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for India. He brings over three decades of experience and a strong background to his new role. His journey with PepsiCo began in 1994 when he joined the Sales and Marketing team in India. He will assume his new role as PepsiCo India CEO from March 2024.
• Books:
• Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar unveiled the book ‘Fertilising the Future: Bharat’s March Towards Fertiliser Self-Sufficiency’ written by Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya on January 17, 2024.

Questions:

Q.1 Where is Boeing’s new Global Engineering and Technology Centre located?
a. New Delhi
b. Mumbai
c. Bengaluru
d. Hyderabad
Q.2 Who won the Dakar Rally on January 19, 2024?
a. Lewis Hamilton
b. Carlos Sainz
c. Sebastian Vettel
d. Max Verstappen