Current Affairs One - Liner : 19th March 2024

• National:
• The Government of India approved the transfer of the Air India building in Mumbai to the Government of Maharashtra for ₹1,601 crore on March 14, 2024. The Maharashtra government agreed to waive dues of ₹298.42 crore for this transaction. The building is expected to house the offices of the Maharashtra government.

• The National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAP-SE) was launched by the Union Health Ministry of India on March 12, 2024. The plan aims to reduce snakebite deaths by half by 2030. It includes measures like improving anti-venom availability, enhancing emergency care, and promoting inter-sectoral coordination.
• The Uniform Code for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices (UCPMP) 2024, released by the Department of Pharmaceuticals on March 12, 2024, is a set of guidelines aimed at curbing unethical practices in the pharmaceutical sector. Key provisions include transparency in medical education workshops, prohibition on foreign workshops, support for research, restrictions on gifts, and the establishment of an Ethics Committee for Pharmaceutical Marketing Practices.
• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) formed a 16-member committee on March 8, 2024, to review the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). The committee is chaired by Dr. V K Paul and includes members from various health and private sectors. The committee’s tasks include overseeing the progress of AB-PMJAY and suggesting measures to prevent fraud or misuse of the scheme.
• On March 16, 2024, the Jammu and Kashmir government made a significant decision to enhance social equity. They added 15 new castes to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) category. This move is part of a broader initiative aimed at providing historically marginalized communities with fair representation in government jobs and education.
• Google DeepMind launched its new AI gaming agent, SIMA, on March 13, 2024. SIMA, which stands for Scalable Instructable Multiworld Agent, is designed to follow natural language instructions to perform tasks in video game environments. It learns from user interactions and improves over time, making it better at understanding and fulfilling user requests.
• International:
• Pokhara was officially declared as the tourism capital of Nepal on March 17, 2024. This city is known for its natural beauty, cultural richness, and diverse recreational activities. The declaration aims to further promote its unique offerings to travellers worldwide.
• Banking:
• On March 14, 2024, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) agreed to acquire a 13.01% stake in Viacom 18 Media from Paramount Global for Rs. 4,286 crore. This acquisition will increase RIL’s equity stake in Viacom18 to 70.49%.
• Economy:
• As of March 8, 2024, India’s foreign exchange reserves have increased to $636.1 billion USD. This is a significant rise from the $617.23 billion USD reported on February 9, 2024. The reserves are composed of foreign currency assets, gold, special drawing rights, and the IMF reserve position.
• In February 2024, India’s goods exports increased by 11.86% YoY to $41.4 billion. Major contributors were Engineering Goods, Electronic Goods, Organic & Inorganic Chemicals, Drugs & Pharmaceuticals, and Petroleum Products. Agricultural products also showed growth. The overall trade deficit improved by 37.80% from April-February 2022-23 to April-February 2023-24.
• Apps & Portals:
• The ‘Know Your Candidate’ app was launched by the Election Commission of India on March 17, 2024. This app was introduced ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. It aims to promote transparency in the electoral process by enabling voters to check the criminal records of candidates standing for elections.
• Sports:
• On March 17, 2024, Carlos Alcaraz, the world number two, successfully defended his Indian Wells title at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California. He defeated Daniil Medvedev in straight sets, with a score of 7-6 (7/5), 6-1.
• Defence:
• The 5th and 6th ships of the ASW Shallow Water Craft (SWC) Project, ‘Agray’ and ‘Akshay’, were launched on March 13, 2024, at M/s GRSE, Kolkata. These ships are designed for anti-submarine operations in coastal waters, Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO), and Mine Laying Operations. The first ship of the project is planned to be delivered during the first half of 2024. The ASW SWC ships will have over 80% indigenous content.
• Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) received orders worth Rs 1,940.35 Crore on March 14, 2024. The orders include a contract with Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) for the supply of Communication and Electronic Warfare (EW) sensors and systems, and other orders for the supply of LRUs for T-70 & T-90 Tanks, Communication Systems for the Indian Navy, and other Spares and Services.
• The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Mid Life Upgrade (MLU) of 25 Dornier Aircraft of the Indian Navy. The contract, worth Rs. 2,890 crore, will enhance the operational capability of the aircraft for maritime surveillance, coastal surveillance, and other roles.
• Important Days:
• Global Recycling Day will be observed on March 18, 2024. The theme for this year is “#RecyclingHeroes”. The day is dedicated to educating people about the importance of recycling in protecting our environment.

Questions:

Q.1 What does SIMA stand for?
a. Simple Instructional Multiworld Agent
b. Scalable Instructable Multiworld Agent
c. Scalable Instructional Multi-Agent
d. Simple Instructable Multi-Agent
Q.2 Who won the Indian Wells title on March 17, 2024?
a. Daniil Medvedev
b. Novak Djokovic
c. Rafael Nadal
d. Carlos Alcaraz