Current Affairs One - Liner : 10th & 11th March 2024

• National:
• On 11th March 2024, Union Minister Narayan Rane laid the foundation stone for the MSME-Technology Centre in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra. The center, costing Rs 182 Crores, will focus on General Engineering and Food Processing, providing advanced training and creating growth opportunities for local MSMEs.

• The latest survey estimates the population of the endangered golden langur in India to be around 7,396. This is an increase from the 2008-09 estimation of 6,000 individuals. The population is divided into two major sub-populations – a northern extended population (5,566 individuals) and a southern fragmented population (1,830 langurs).
• Sudha Murthy, a renowned author and philanthropist, was nominated to the Rajya Sabha by President Droupadi Murmu on International Women’s Day. This nomination is a recognition of her significant contributions to social work, philanthropy, and education. She has been awarded the Padma Shri in 2006 and the Padma Bhushan in 2023.
• The Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, launched the “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain” campaign on 9th March, 2024. The campaign emphasizes the role of women in water conservation and management. It will be implemented from 9th March, 2024 to 30th November, 2024 across all districts in the nation.
• Banking:
• On March 11, 2024, L&T Finance, L&T Infra Credit, and five other non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) surrendered their certificates of registration to the Reserve Bank of India. The other five NBFCs are Marudhar Food & Credit, Creative Intra, Jinvani Trading & Investment, Manjushree Fincap, and Shruti Financial Services. Following this, the central bank cancelled their Certificate of Registration (CoR) as they ceased to be a legal entity after amalgamation, merger, dissolution or voluntary strike-off.
• Mous:
• The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and HLL Lifecare Limited, a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on March 8, 2024, in New Delhi. The collaboration aims to strengthen the Incident Management System on the National Highways and provide immediate assistance to accident victims.
• Important Days:
• The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Raising Day is celebrated every year on March 10th to commemorate the establishment of the CISF. The CISF is a paramilitary security force in India that provides security to various industrial installations, government infrastructure projects, and public sector undertakings.
• Appointments & Resignations:
• Devendra Jhajharia, a three-time Paralympic medalist in javelin throw, was elected as the President of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) on March 9, 2024. He has taken over the post from Deepa Malik, a Paralympic silver medalist athlete.
• Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora is a prominent Sikh figure in Pakistani politics. He made history in 2013 by becoming the first Sikh to be elected as a Member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab. On March 6, 2024, he became the first Sikh to be appointed minister in the Punjab government. He currently serves as the Provincial Minister of Punjab for Human Rights and Minorities.
• Election Commissioner Arun Goel has resigned from his position, leaving Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar as the sole member of the Election Commission. This comes just before the announcement of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Questions:

Q.1 What is the estimated population of the endangered golden langur in India according to the latest survey?
a. 6,000
b. 7,396
c. 5,566
d. 1,830
Q.2 Who was elected as the President of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) on March 9, 2024?
a. Deepa Malik
b. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore
c. Abhinav Bindra
d. Devendra Jhajharia