Current Affairs One - Liner : 3rd January 2024

• National:
• Gujarat has indeed emerged as the ‘Petro Capital’ of India. This is largely due to the presence of the world’s largest grassroot oil refinery in Jamnagar and the ONGC Petro additions Limited (OPaL) petrochemical complex at Dahej in Bharuch district.

• India has become a part of the Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO), which is the world’s largest radio telescope project. The Pune-based National Centre for Radio Astrophysics and some other institutions in India have been involved in the development of SKAO since its inception.
• On January 1, 2024, Gujarat set a world record for the largest mass Surya Namaskar event. Over 50,000 people participated in this collective event at 108 locations across Gujarat. The event was organized by the Gujarat State Yoga Board at the historic Surya Mandir Modhera in the Mehsana district. The Guinness World Records adjudicator Swapnil Dangarikar officially announced the successful attempt.
• International:
• Félix Tshisekedi, the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has been re-elected for a second term. The election took place on December 20, and Tshisekedi won with more than 73% of the vote. His nearest challenger, Moise Katumbi, secured about 18% of the vote.
• Banking:
• Bank of India (BOI) has introduced a new term deposit bucket of 175 days offering an interest rate of 7.5%. This is a significant increase compared to their other short-term deposit rates. Please note that the rates are subject to change and it’s always a good idea to check the latest rates on the official BOI website or contact your bank for the most accurate information.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has increased the bulk deposit limit for Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs). For Scheduled Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks in Tier 3 and 4, the new limit is Rupees one crore. For all other Co-operative banks, the limit remains at Rupees fifteen lakh.
• Small Finance Banks (SFBs) launched a campaign called “Small Banks: Empowering Big Dreams” on 1st January 2024. The campaign aims to showcase the success of SFBs in meeting the financial needs of marginalized sections of society. It is also expected to help them attract low-cost current account, savings account (CASA) deposits and assist with capital raising. As of March 2023, high-cost term deposits made up about 68% of SFBs’ total deposits of Rs.1,91,372 crore, with the remaining 32% being CASA deposits.
• Tata Power has indeed acquired a 100% equity stake in Bikaner III Neemrana II Transmission Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) meant for a project. The acquisition process was completed on December 27, 2023, for a total consideration of Rs 18.6 crore.
• Economy:
• The GST collections for December 2023 in India dropped to a three-month low of Rs 1.64 lakh crore. Despite the drop, there was a year-on-year growth of 10.3% compared to December 2022. The slowdown in revenue collection was observed in several states. The average GST revenue collections during April-December 2023 were up 11.7% from the same period in 2022.
• The Finance Ministry expects India’s GDP growth rate for FY24 to comfortably exceed its earlier forecast of 6.5%. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revised its forecast for India’s GDP growth, projecting a growth rate of 7% for FY24. Furthermore, India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra) has revised upwards its GDP growth estimate for FY24 to 6.7% from 6.2%.
• In FY23, India’s gross household savings dropped to 10.9% of GDP, down from 11.1% in FY22. This was due to increased spending post-pandemic and a rise in liabilities. Net financial savings also hit a low of 5.1% of GDP in FY23, but the rate has been increasing since the first quarter of FY23. The RBI expects this upward trend to continue.
• Sports:
• Anahat Singh, a rising talent in Indian squash, indeed won the girls’ under-19 division at the 2023 Scottish Junior Open squash tournament in Edinburgh. She displayed an incredible level of ability and perseverance throughout the tournament. In the final, she defeated Robyn McAlpine with a score of 11-6, 11-1, 11-5.
• Awards & Honors:
• Prof. B.R. Kamboj, the Vice Chancellor of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, has been bestowed with the prestigious M.S. Swaminathan Award. This recognition comes in appreciation of his significant contributions as a scientist and extension specialist in the field of agronomy.
• Appointments:
• Durga Shanker Mishra has indeed been re-appointed as the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh. This is actually his third extension to the post, extending his tenure until June 30, 2024. On December 31, 2022, he received a second extension for another year. On December 31, 2023, the government granted him a further six-month extension, officially extending his term until June 30, 2024.
• Books:
• Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad launched a book named “Ram Mandir Rashtra Mandir Ek Sajhi Virast” at Rang Bhawan Auditorium, Delhi on December 31. Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) president Alok Kumar and Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Treasurer Govind Giri Maharaj and other dignitaries were also present at the event. This book is jointly written by Geeta Singh and Arif Khan Bharti.
• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin released a book titled ‘Maha Kavithai’ penned by the renowned poet Vairamuthu. The book launch event took place on Monday, January 1, 2024. The first copy of the book was given to senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram. 
• Obituaries:
• Professor Ved Prakash Nanda, a prominent Indian-American legal scholar, passed away on Monday, 1 January 2024. He was a professor of International Law at the University of Denver, Colorado. He was widely published, having authored or co-authored 24 books in various fields of international law.

Questions:

Q.1 Who has recently been awarded the prestigious M.S. Swaminathan Award for significant contributions in the field of agronomy?
a. Prof. B.R. Kamboj
b. Prof. M.S. Swaminathan
c. Prof. Chaudhary Charan Singh
d. Prof. Haryana Agricultural
Q.2 Who is the author of the book ‘Maha Kavithai’?
a. M.K. Stalin
b. P. Chidambaram
c. Vairamuthu
d. None of the above