- National:
- The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) set up a three-member Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) on January 1, 2024 to resolve disputes between solar and wind power developers, EPC contractors, and Renewable Energy Implementing Agencies (REIAs).
- The Jammu & Kashmir Police Grievance Redressal Portal ‘Awaam Se, Awaam Ke Liye’ was launched by DGP R.R Swain on January 1, 2024. The portal aims to address the issues of citizens and police personnel in a structured and decentralized manner. It also allows commanding officers to check the status of an application and forward it to the concerned department.
- The Aadhaar-based payment system (ABPS) became mandatory for the payment of wages to NREGS workers from January 1, 2024. The system was first made mandatory with effect from February 1, 2023, but through several extensions, the Centre allowed until December 31, 2023, the mixed route — of ABPS and NACH. With no extension granted to states beyond December 31, the ABPS became mandatory from January 1, 2024.
- The 'SMART 2.0' program, formally called Scope for Mainstreaming Ayurveda Research among Teaching Professionals, is a promising initiative launched by the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) in collaboration with the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM). This program aims to elevate Ayurveda research by empowering Ayurveda teaching professionals across India.
- The University Grants Commission (UGC) has launched the Annual Capacity Building Plan (ACBP) for the growth and skill development of its employees on 2nd January 2024. This initiative was officially launched by UGC Chairman, Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, in the presence of Dr. R Balasubramanium, Member HR, Capacity Building Commission.
- International:
- Queen Margrethe II of Denmark announced her abdication on New Year's Eve 2023, after reigning for 52 years. She will officially step down on January 14, 2024, which marks the anniversary of her ascension to the throne in 1972.
- Banking:
- LEO1, an edu-fintech startup, in collaboration with NSDL Payments Bank, has introduced prepaid ID cards for students and educational institutions. This card, supported by MasterCard, is devoid of traditional numbering, offering a secure and efficient payment solution to educational institutes and students.
- HDFC Bank has indeed executed transactions as part of the ‘UPI for secondary market’ facility. This facility was developed by the National Payment Corporation of India (NCPI) and went live on 1st January 2024. The move follows the markets regulator Sebi allowing the facility through the UPI app developed by NCPI.
- ICICI Venture, the alternative investment arm of ICICI Bank, has decided to sell its entire 42% stake in Theobroma Food Pvt Ltd. The 20-year-old patisserie chain, Theobroma, is expected to be valued at Rs 2,800 crore. The stake sale by ICICI Venture may fetch around Rs 1,200 crore. The deal is expected to take six to nine months as the company’s 2023-24 financials are yet to be released.
- The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the proposed acquisition of 100% shareholding of GVK Power (Goindwal Sahib) Limited by Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) on 2nd January 2024. PSPCL is a fully owned undertaking of the Government of Punjab.
- Govt. Schemes:
- Jammu and Kashmir has become the first Union Territory (UT) to implement the PM Vishwakarma Yojana (PMVY), an initiative that aims to empower and enhance the skills of the craftsman community. Jammu and Kashmir implemented the PM Vishwakarma Yojana on January 2, 2024. The inauguration of the training programme for the first batch of 30 trainees in ‘darzi craft’ was conducted at ITI Shopian. The scheme includes basic training of five to seven days, advanced training of 15 days or more, a stipend of Rs 500 per day, and a free modern toolkit worth Rs 15,000 for trained Vishwakarmas.
- Mous:
- The Indian Railways signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) to facilitate green initiatives on 4th January 2024, in Delhi. This MoU was signed in the presence of the Minister of State of Railways, Shri Suresh C. Angadi, Director General of CII Shri Chandrajit Banerjee, Member, Rolling Stock, Shri Rajesh Agarwal, and other Railway Board Officials. These initiatives aim to make Indian Railways more environmentally friendly and sustainable.
- Important Days:
- Global Family Day is celebrated every year on January 1. This day is also known as World Peace Day. The theme for Global Family Day 2024 is "Embracing Diversity, Strengthening Families". It aims to promote peace, unity, and brotherhood among people across nations and cultures.
- World Introvert Day is celebrated on January 2 every year. It was instituted by German Psychologist Felicitas Heyne in 2011 as a dedicated occasion for introverts post the festive period of Thanksgiving. The day is observed to recognize and celebrate introverts around the world.
- Awards & Honours:
- The ‘Nritya Kalanidhi’ award was indeed presented to Vasanthalakshmi Narasimhachari. This prestigious award was conferred on her at the inauguration of the Seventeenth Dance Festival of Music Academy in Chennai on 3rd January 2024.
- Hero MotoCorp’s manufacturing facility in Gurugram has indeed won the CII National Award for Excellence in Water Management. This award is in recognition of its innovation and excellence in water management at its Gurugram facility.
- Professor Adrian Michael Cruise, Emeritus Professor at the University of Birmingham, has been recognized with the prestigious Order of the British Empire for his significant contributions to space science.
- Appointments:
- The lenders of Future Enterprises Limited (FEL) have appointed PwC as the sale advisor on 3rd January 2024. The lenders have divided FEL into three clusters. The first cluster is the company’s stakes in its life and general insurance ventures with Italian partner Assicurazioni Generali S.p.A.
- Kia India has appointed Gwanggu Lee as the new Managing Director and CEO on 2nd January 2024. He will lead the company’s transformative journey with a focus on sustainable business growth. This appointment is effective immediately.
- Randhir Jaiswal has been appointed as the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), taking over from Arindam Bagchi. He assumed his new role on January 3, 2024. Jaiswal is a 1998-batch Indian Foreign Services (IFS) officer and has served in various capacities during his diplomatic career of more than two decades.
- Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited has announced a board reshuffle Karan Adani, who was the Chief Executive Officer of Adani Ports and SEZ Limited (APSEZ), was appointed as Managing Director on 4th January 2024.
- Ashwani Gupta has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited. This change is effective from January 4. Before this, Ashwani Gupta was the Chief Operating Officer at Nissan.
- Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh assumed the post of Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command on 4th January 2024, succeeding Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi. He has had a distinguished career in the Indian Navy, serving since July 1986.
- Justice Sanjiv Khanna has been appointed as the Executive Chairperson of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA). He replaced Justice S K Kaul. This appointment was made by President Droupadi Murmu.
Questions:
Q.1 Which Union Territory implemented the PM Vishwakarma Yojana (PMVY) first?a. Delhi
b. Ladakh
c. Jammu and Kashmir
d. Chandigarh
Q.2 Who has been appointed as the new spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)?
a. Arindam Bagchi
b. Randhir Jaiswal
c. S. Jaishankar
d. Harsh Vardhan Shringla
