Current Affairs One - Liner : 20th January 2024

• National:
• The 9th edition of the Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival is currently underway in Seijosa, Pakke Kessang district, from January 18th to 20th, 2024. It's a fantastic event celebrating wildlife conservation and the unique culture of the Nyishi people in Arunachal Pradesh.

• On January 17, 2024, Shri S Krishnan, Secretary of MeitY, launched two programs in Kerala: Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Intelligent Internet of Things (IIoT) Sensors: A facility for the development of intelligent IoT systems. India Innovation Centre for Graphene (IICG): India’s first Graphene Centre for fostering R&D and innovation in Graphene and 2D material systems. These centers aim to create a complete ecosystem for startups in the area of IoT Sensors and Graphene & 2D Materials.
• The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) formed a panel on January 17, 2024, chaired by Hanif Qureshi, to examine the inclusion of more components in the Auto Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. The committee, comprising 11 members, will consider integrating more automotive components into the PLI scheme.
• Goa has indeed become the first state in India to launch a model for regenerative tourism. This initiative was unveiled by Rohan A. Khaunte, the state’s Tourism & IT Minister, on the sixty-second anniversary of the Liberation of Goa. The model is built on four pillars: spirituality, indigeneity, civilisational and cultural nationalism, and conscious tourism.
• The Ram temple in Ayodhya is indeed built in the Nagara style of temple architecture. This style originated around the 5th century CE in northern India and is characterized by its tall, pyramidal towers called shikharas. The temple typically includes a circumambulatory passage around the garbha griha (sanctum sanctorum), along with one or more mandapas (halls) on the same axis.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of 8 AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) projects on 19th January 2024 in Solapur, Maharashtra. These projects are worth around Rs. 2,000 crores. In addition to this, PM Modi dedicated more than 90,000 houses completed under PMAY-Urban in Maharashtra and 15,000 houses of Raynagar Housing Society in Solapur.
• India announced the launch of the “Alliance for Global Good- Gender Equity and Equality” at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting at Davos, Switzerland held from 15-19 January 2024. The Indian official delegation was led by Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, Union Minister of Women & Child Development and Minority Affairs. The primary objective of this new Alliance is to bring together global best practices, knowledge sharing, and investments in the identified areas of women’s health, education, and enterprise.
• The Ministry of Education’s guidelines for coaching centers aim to regulate these institutions by setting minimum standards and safeguarding student interests. They address issues like high fees, student stress, and safety concerns. The guidelines suggest that coaching centers should only enroll students who are at least 16 years old and have completed secondary school.
• International:
• Bernardo Arévalo was sworn in as Guatemala’s president on Monday, January 15, 2024. The inauguration took place minutes after midnight despite months of efforts to derail his inauguration, including foot-dragging and rising tensions right up until the transfer of power.
• Banking:
• DBS Bank India has indeed collaborated with StartupTN, the nodal agency of the Tamil Nadu government, to foster entrepreneurship in the state on 18th January 2024. This partnership is aimed at strengthening the ecosystem and driving innovation within the state by providing crucial support to startups, including knowledge sharing through various forums and facilitating connections with potential investors.
• Kotak Mahindra Bank reported an 8% YoY growth in net profit for Q3FY24, amounting to ₹3,005 crore. The increase was attributed to provisioning towards alternative investment funds and loss in the fixed income book. The results were announced on 20th January, 2024.
• Can Fin Homes reported a 32% increase in net profit for Q3 ending December 2023, amounting to Rs 200 crore. This was driven by a 27% rise in interest income. The company’s gross non-performing assets ratio was 0.91%. The results were announced on January 20, 2024.
• Mous:
• The Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) under the Ministry of Defence and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on January 10, 2024. The MOU was signed by DGAFMS Lt Gen Daljit Singh and Director of AIIMS, Professor M Srinivas. The objectives of this MOU include collaboration in areas of mutual interest, combined research, and academic activities addressing multidisciplinary scientific and technological issues.
• Science & technology:
• Japan’s spacecraft, the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM), successfully landed on the lunar surface on January 20, 2024. This made Japan the fifth country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon. However, the spacecraft might have survived for just a few hours due to a power failure.
• The second-generation Distress Alert Transmitter (DAT-SG) was inaugurated by ISRO Chairman S Somanath and ICG Director General Rakesh Pal on January 15 at INMCC, ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network, Bengaluru.
• Defence:
• The Indian Army has launched an operation titled 'Operation Sarvashakti on 15th January 2024’. This operation is a robust attempt to combat terrorism, specifically aimed at countering Pakistan’s attempts to revive terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The operation targets terrorists on both sides of the Pir Panjal mountain ranges in the Union Territory.
• Reports:
• The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2023, titled ‘Beyond Basics’, was indeed released on 17th january 2024. Facilitated by Pratham Education Foundation since 2005, ASER is a large-scale citizen-led household survey that aims to understand whether children in rural India are enrolled in school and whether they are learning. The report revealed that 85.6% of the cohort are enrolled in school or college. ASER 2023 provides valuable insights into the activities and preparedness of youth aged 14 to 18 for leading productive lives as adults.
• Sports:
• The Tata Group has secured the title sponsorship rights for the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the next five years, from 2024 to 2028. This deal was made with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for a record-breaking value of INR 2500 crore, which is the highest-ever sponsorship amount in the history of the league.
• Important Days:
• Penguin Awareness Day is celebrated every year on January 20. This day is dedicated to raising awareness about the plight of penguins and the challenges they face in their natural habitats.
• Awards & Honours:
• Skyways Air Services, a prominent player in the aviation industry, has indeed won the prestigious “Best Cargo Services Award” at the Wings India Awards. This recognition is a testament to the company’s unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation in the field of cargo services.
• Appointments:
• Veera Rana, a 1988-batch IAS officer, was appointed as the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh on January 18, 2024. She is the second woman to hold this position in the state’s history.
• Atul Mehra, the former joint managing director at JM Financial Services, has resigned from his position after a 33-year tenure. He is set to join Axis Capital as the managing director and chief executive.
• Obituaries:
• Ajit Singh Gill, Singapore’s oldest Olympian and a former national hockey player of Indian-origin, passed away at the age of 95. He competed in the 1956 Melbourne Games. He battled end-stage renal failure.

Questions:

Q.1 Which state in India has become the first to launch a model for regenerative tourism?
a. Kerala
b. Goa
c. Rajasthan
d. Himachal Pradesh
Q.2 What percentage of the cohort are enrolled in school or college according to ASER 2023?
a. 75.6%
b. 80.6%
c. 85.6%
d. 90.6%