- National:
- The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), which is the world’s largest accounting body, has initiated an exercise to develop a ‘Vision 2049’ document to position itself as a globally recognized leader in the accounting profession. This vision document will be prepared in collaboration with IIM Ahmedabad.
- The Government of India announced on 23rd January 2024 that it will use the ‘Anuvadini’ app to make educational study materials available in all 22 languages listed in the Indian Constitution. This initiative aligns with the National Education Policy’s emphasis on mother tongue and local language. The aim is to enhance learning outcomes by allowing students to study in their own language.
- On January 20, 2024, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched the first pilot project in Pune to produce jet fuel from alcohol. The project, set up by Praj Udyog Group, aims to produce sustainable biological aviation fuel (SAF). This initiative is expected to meet the growing global demand for biofuel.
- The Government of India disinvested a 3.5% stake in NHPC Limited on January 18, 2024. The sale of over 25 crore equity shares at Rs 66 per share was expected to fetch about Rs 2,300 crore to the exchequer.
- The Jaisalmer Desert Festival 2024, also known as Maru Mahotsav, is scheduled to take place from 22nd to 24th February. This annual event is celebrated amidst the beautiful dunes of the Thar Desert in the Sam dunes, 42 kilometers from Jaisalmer. The festival showcases the traditional culture of Rajasthan with a complete picture of folk tunes, tinges, and twines framed in the sandy dunes.
- On January 23, 2024, Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Centre of Excellence in Digital Forensics at the National Forensic Science University in Gandhinagar. The centre aims to enhance investigation capabilities and contribute to capacity building.
- The AN-32 Kargil Courier Service has indeed started in Kargil, Ladakh. This service is provided by the Indian Air Force and is operated under a special arrangement during winter months when roads in the region remain cut off from the rest of the country. The first flight of this service started on January 22, 2024.
- The Madhika language, spoken by the Chakaliya community in Kerala, is on the brink of extinction. It’s now only spoken by two individuals. Influenced by multiple languages, it’s losing ground to mainstream languages like Malayalam. Social stigma and a lack of interest from the younger generation contribute to its decline.
- On January 21, 2024, five new galleries were inaugurated at the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad. These include galleries for Lamps & Chandeliers, European Marble, European Bronze, Indian Stone Sculptures, and Bidri Ware. These additions are part of the museum’s efforts to innovate and upgrade by reorganizing old galleries and adding new ones from collections with interesting potential of appeal to the public.
- International:
- An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 did hit the border region between Kyrgyzstan and Xinjiang, China on January 23. The quake struck Wushu county in Aksu shortly after 2 am. The seismic activity was not limited to the epicenter, as tremors were also felt in neighboring Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. In India, strong tremors were felt in Delhi-NCR.
- After 16 years of negotiations, Switzerland and India have reached a consensus on a free-trade agreement on 21st January 2024. The Swiss Economy Minister, Guy Parmelin, announced this development. The agreement was reached during Parmelin’s visit to India, following a last-minute invitation from his Indian counterpart, Piyush Goyal.
- Banking:
- The SEBI Chairperson launched two multi-lingual initiatives for CDSL on January 17. The first is ‘Apka CAS – Apki Zubaani’, allowing investors to receive account statements in their preferred Indian language. The second is a multi-lingual chatbot, ‘CDSL Buddy Sahayta 24*7’, on the CDSL website for investor support.
- As of January 23, India has indeed surpassed Hong Kong to become the world’s fourth-largest stock market by market capitalization. The combined value of shares listed on Indian exchanges reached $4.33 trillion. This is a significant milestone for India’s equity market, reflecting the country’s robust economic prospects and strategic reforms.
- Economy:
- The rating agency ICRA has projected that India’s GDP growth rate will slow down to below 6% in the third quarter of the fiscal year 2023-24. This is primarily due to a sharp fall in kharif crop output and weak progress in rabi sowing for some crops. In the July to September period, India had recorded a GDP growth rate of 7.6%.
- Science & Technology:
- Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) successfully launched the Sorayya satellite into a 750 km Low Earth orbit using the Qaem 100 satellite carrier. The launch took place on 20 January 2024. The main mission of the Sorayya satellite is to verify the performance of Qaem 100. This launch set a new record in Iran’s space program.
- Sports:
- On January 21, 2024, the Indian duo of Raiza Dhillon and Gurjoat Khangura won a bronze medal in the skeet mixed team event at the Asian Shotgun Championships 2024 held in Kuwait City. They defeated the local favorites Abdullah Alrashidi and Eman Al Shama with a score of 41-39. This was Raiza Dhillon’s third medal at the competition.
- Tai Tzu Ying, the former world number one from Chinese Taipei, won the India Open 2024 Women’s Singles title on January 21, 2024. The final match was held at the KD Jadhav stadium in New Delhi, India.
- Important Days:
- Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti is celebrated every year on 23rd January to commemorate the birth anniversary of Subhas Chandra Bose, one of India’s most prominent freedom fighters. This day is also officially known as Parakram Diwas or Day of Valour. The year 2024 marks the 127th Birth Anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The theme for Parakram Diwas 2024 is to commemorate the legacy of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and the Azad Hind Fauj.
- Awards & Honours:
- The ICC announced the Men’s and Women’s T20I Teams of the Year for 2023 on January 23, 2024. Suryakumar Yadav and Chamari Athapaththu were named captains of the men’s and women’s teams respectively.
- In the BCCI Awards 2023, Shubman Gill was named Cricketer of the Year and Ravi Shastri received the Lifetime Achievement Award. The event took place on January 23, 2024.
- The Bharat Ratna Award for the year 2024 has been conferred posthumously on Karpoori Thakur, a socialist leader and former Chief Minister of Bihar. Known affectionately as ‘Jan Nayak’ (people’s leader), Thakur is recognized for his lifelong commitment to the upliftment of underprivileged sections of society and his unwavering fight for social justice. He is the 49th recipient of the country’s highest civilian award.
- Books:
- Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, launched the book titled ‘Assam’s Braveheart – Lachit Barphukan’ on January 20, 2024. The book was released at the Srimanta Sankardeva International Auditorium in Guwahati, Assam. The book is authored by Arup Kumar Dutta and is an initiative of the Government of Assam.
Questions:
Q.1 Who was conferred the Bharat Ratna Award posthumously in 2024?a. Jawaharlal Nehru
b. Karpoori Thakur
c. Indira Gandhi
d. Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Q.2 Who is the author of the book ‘Assam’s Braveheart – Lachit Barphukan’?
a. Amit Shah
b. Narendra Modi
c. Arup Kumar Dutta
d. Srimanta Sankardeva
