Current Affairs One - LIner : 13th March 2024

• National:
• The Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on March 6, 2024, to establish an International Centre of Excellence for Dams (ICED) at IISc Bangalore. The MoJS will provide a grant of Rs 118.05 Crore to ICED.

• Bichom was inaugurated as the 27th district of Arunachal Pradesh on March 8, 2024. The district was carved out of West and East Kameng and its headquarters are at Napangphung. The new district’s responsibilities have been handed over to Deputy Commissioner Akriti Sagar and SP Sudhanshu Dhama.
• On March 12, 2024, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar inaugurated India’s first FutureLABS center at C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram. The center aims to catalyze an ecosystem for next-generation chip design, manufacturing, and research. Several collaborations were also announced during the inauguration.
• The Gorsam Kora Festival is a four-day event celebrated from March 7 to March 10 at Zemithang in the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh. It features traditional Buddhist rituals, cultural performances, and a cleanliness drive. The festival attracts pilgrims and lamas from Bhutan, Tawang, and neighboring regions.
• International:
• President Joe Biden has secured the Democratic nomination for the 2024 election after winning primaries in Georgia and Mississippi. On the other hand, former President Donald Trump has clinched the Republican nomination. This sets up a rematch between Biden and Trump.
• Economy:
• India’s industrial output growth slowed to 3.8% in January 2024, mainly due to a slowdown in the manufacturing and mining sectors. The manufacturing sector’s output grew by 3.2%, down from 4.5% in the same month of the previous year. The eight core industries that contribute around 40% of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) include coal, refinery products, crude oil, natural gas, fertilizers, steel, cement, and electricity.
• India was the world’s top arms importer from 2019-23, with a 4.7% increase in imports compared to 2014-18. Russia supplied 36% of these imports. The Defence Ministry’s budget for 2024-25 is ₹6.2 lakh crore, with ₹1.72 lakh crore allocated for new procurements. Efforts are underway to build a strong defence-industrial base in India.
• The inflation rate has remained relatively stable. A slight decrease from 5.1% in January to 5.09% in February indicates a marginal deflationary trend. However, this change is very small and it’s too early to predict if this will continue. Economists will monitor various factors like monetary policy, supply chain issues, and global economic conditions to forecast future inflation trends.
• Defence:
• The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) of India approved a project worth Rs 15,000 crore to develop the fifth-generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) on March 7, 2024. The AMCA is a stealthy multirole fighter jet aimed at bolstering the Indian Air Force’s combat fleet. The project is led by the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) under the DRDO. The first flight of the AMCA is expected within four and a half to five years.
• Sports:
• The Indian men’s cricket team won the Anthony de Mello Trophy 2024 by defeating England in a five-match test series. The series was held from January 25th to March 9th, 2024, in India. India won the series 4-1. The standout performers were Yashasvi Jaiswal and Kuldeep Yadav.
• Appointments:
• Nayab Singh Saini, the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Haryana, was sworn in as the 11th Chief Minister of Haryana on March 12, 2024. He succeeded Manohar Lal Khattar. He has previously served as a Member of Parliament and a member of the Haryana Legislative Assembly.
• Deepak Ballani, with over 25 years of experience in public policy and government affairs, was appointed as the Director General of the Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) on March 12, 2024.
• Awards & Honours:
• Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru was awarded ‘Best Airport at Arrivals globally for the year 2023’ by the Airports Council International (ACI) World. This is the second consecutive year they’ve received this recognition. The award was announced on March 11, 2024.
• Buyofuel, an international startup, was recognized in the Clean Energy & Storage category for the SET Award 2024 on March 13, 2024. This is their second consecutive year of achieving this recognition.
• President Droupadi Murmu awarded the “President’s Standard and Colours” to four units of the Indian Air Force (IAF) at Hindan Air Force Station. The units are 45 Squadron, 221 Squadron, 11 Base Repair Depot, and 509 Signal Unit. This is the highest military honor for any armed forces unit and the first time four units have received it together.
• Srinivasan Swamy, a prominent figure in the marketing and advertising industry, received the IAA Golden Compass Award 2024 on March 8, 2024. He is the first Indian to receive this prestigious honor. The award was presented at the 45th IAA World Congress in Penang, Malaysia.
• On March 12, 2024, the University of Mauritius conferred an honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree on the President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu. This occurred during her state visit to Mauritius, where she was the chief guest at the National Day celebrations. She also announced a special provision for 7th generation Mauritians of Indian origin to be eligible for the OCI card.

Questions:

Q.1 Who was conferred an honorary Doctor of Civil Law degree by the University of Mauritius on March 12, 2024?
a. Prime Minister of India
b. President of Mauritius
c. President of India
d. Prime Minister of Mauritius
Q.2 Where is the FutureLABS center located?
a. C-DAC Thiruvananthapuram
b. C-DAC Hyderabad
c. C-DAC Bangalore
d. C-DAC Pune