CURRENT AFFAIRS

Current Affairs
❖Supreme Court in the Association for Democratic Reforms & Anr. v.
Union of India (UoI) & Ors., unanimously struck down the Electoral
Bonds (EB) Scheme.

❖ 75 YEARS OF THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA.

o Recently, the Prime minister inaugurated the Diamond
Jubilee celebration of the Supreme Court of India on 28th
January at the Supreme Court auditorium in Delhi.

❖ The Maharashtra State legislative assembly passed the

Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally
Backward Classes Bill, 2024, to provide 10% Reservation to the
Maratha Community.

❖ Annual National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment

(NeSDA) Way Forward Report, 2023.
o Report released by Department of Administrative Reforms
and Public Grievances (DARPG) highlights initiatives taken
towards enhancing e-Service delivery.
❖ India ranked 93 out of 180 countries on Corruption Perceptions
Index 2023.
o India was ranked 85 in 2022.
❖ India and France have announced Defense Industrial Roadmap
for cooperation on defense production during French President’s
visit to India as Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations.

❖ Five new members namely Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia,

and the United Arab Emirates have joined BRICS as full time
permanent members. However, Argentina has withdrawn.

❖ European Union launches ‘Mission Aspides to protect Red Sea

vessels from Iran-backed Houthi attacks.

❖ The Union Cabinet approved the “Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan

Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY)”.

❖ Government recently relaxed rules to allow 100% foreign direct

investment (FDI) in space sector.
o Existing FDI policy in Space sector: Earlier, FDI was permitted
in the establishment and operation of Satellites through the
Government approval route only.

❖ RASHTRIYA UDYAMITA VIKAS PARIYOJANA (RUVP).

 o Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
launched RUVP under Skill India Mission.
o About RUVP: Tailored specifically for beneficiaries of PM
SVANidhi (Street Vendors AtmaNirbhar Nidhi) scheme.
o Offers individuals with comprehensive entrepreneurship
training (over a period of 22 weeks)

❖ Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)

launched ‘StartupShala’ - Startup India’s flagship accelerator
program

❖ Prime Minister of India jointly inaugurated UPI services with

Mauritius and Sri Lanka and also RuPay card services in Mauritius.

❖ 7th Session of the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary

Herbs (CCSCH) Held at Kochi.
o In this session, quality standards for 5 spices, namely small
cardamom, turmeric, juniper berry, allpice and star anise
were finalised.

❖ INITIATIVES UNDER PMFBY.

o Union Government launched 3 new initiatives under
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
o PMFBY is comprehensive crop insurance from pre sowing to
post-harvest period.
 o Krishi Rakshak Portal and Helpline (KRPH) 14447: To
provide multilingual support, transparent communication
and real-time grievance resolution.
o Learning Management System (LMS) to train stakeholders
in efficient crop insurance and agricultural credit.
o SARTHI Portal: To extend coverage to health, life, home,
shop, agriculture implements, motor, and parametric
products.

❖ Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has unveiled the

'Sangam: Digital Twin' initiative.
o It aims at combining the prowess of Digital Twin and
Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, 5G, 6G, and next-
gen computational technologies.

❖ DIGITAL CREATOR ECONOMY

o Union Government Announces Inaugural Edition of National
Creators Award.
o Digital Creator Economy refers to a segment of the economy
driven by individuals who create content, products, or
services and monetize them through various digital
platforms

❖ NITI Aayog launched LNG as a Transportation Fuel in Medium

and Heavy Commercial Vehicle (M&HCV).
 o It is the outcome of NITI Ayog and the Embassy of
Netherlands bilateral cooperation for energy transition and
decarbonizing agenda.

❖ The Fourteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the

Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild
Animals (CMS COP 14) held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

❖ The Parliament recently passed the Water (Prevention and

Control of Pollution) Amendment Act, 2024.
o It amends the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution)
Act 1974.
o Application: Currently, the Water Amendment Act 2024 will
apply to Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan (both passed
resolution to amend the Act) and the Union territories.

❖ Gupteswar Forest in Odisha’s Koraput district has been declared

as the fourth Biodiversity-Heritage Site (BHS) of the state.

❖ The Climate and Clean Air Coalition's (CCAC) annual meeting, the
Climate and Clean Air Conference, recently took place in Nairobi,
Kenya.

❖ Union Cabinet has approved - PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana

for installing Rooftop Solar in one crore households nationwide.
❖ After 75 years, officials of the Forest Department confirmed the
presence of Indian Gharial in Greater Kaziranga.

❖ India announced an ‘Alliance for Global Good- Gender Equity,

and Equality’ at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual
Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

❖ Karnataka Government announced Digital Detox Initiative in

collaboration with All India Game Developers Forum (AIGDF) and
NIMHANS.
o Digital Detox is a period of time during which one
intentionally reduces amount of time spent online on
electronic devices, like mobiles, laptops, etc.

❖ Neuralink, an Elon Musk company has successfully installed a

wireless brain-computer interface (BCI) implant in a human
patient.

❖ A new crowdfunded phone called the Minimal Phone by the

Minimal Company features power-friendly monochrome E-Ink
display.
❖ SATYENDRA NATH BOSE.
o The eminent physicist S.N.Bose was remembered on his
50th death anniversary.

❖ ISRO successfully launched the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES)

funded INSAT-3DS weather forecasting satellite.

❖ WATER DISCOVERED ON ASTEROIDS.

o Asteroids named Iris and Massalia (rich in silicate) were
found to emit the unique wavelength that “unambiguously”
indicated the presence of water molecules.

❖ PLANKTON, AEROSOL, CLIMATE, OCEAN ECOSYSTEM (PACE).

o SpaceX has recently launched NASA’s PACE satellite to
monitor ocean, atmosphere, and climate.

❖ Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is organizing a special

program for School Children called "Young Scientist Programme"
or YUVIKA.

❖ World Health Organisation (WHO) awards countries for progress

in eliminating industrially produced trans fatty for first time.
 o WHO has awarded first-ever validation certificates to
Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand in
eliminating industrially-produced trans fatty acids iTFA.

WHO LAUNCHED GLOBAL 7.6.8. WHO AWARDS COUNTRIES FOR

ELIMINATING TRANS-FAT • World Health Organisation (WHO) awards
countries for progress in eliminating industrially produced trans fatty
for first time.

❖ WHO LAUNCHED GLOBAL INITIATIVE ON DIGITAL HEALTH

(GIDH).
o The GIDH will be a WHO Managed Network of stakeholders
to address challenges such as duplication of efforts and
“products-focused” digital health transformation.

❖ Sale of cotton candy has been banned in Tamil Nadu after

samples reveal use of toxic industrial dye (Rhodamine-B) as
artificial colouring agent.
o It is prohibited in the food industry by Food Safety and
Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
o Rhodamine-B: o Rhodamine-B is an organic chloride salt
used as a colouring agent for dyeing in textile, paper,
leather, and paint industry. Impact on human health
o Immediate effect: Stomach fullness, itching, and breathing
problems.
 o Potential Chronic Health Effects: Liver dysfunction, Intestine
cancers, neurotoxicity, and Kidney failure.

❖ India hit target towards eliminating Kala Azar for the first time in
2023 by reporting less than one case per 10,000 population across
all blocks
o About Kala Azar - It is also known as Visceral Leishmaniasis
and is a protozoan parasitic disease.

❖ C-BOT
❖ Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography has launched an
autonomous underwater vehicle called C bot.

❖ Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the Maa Kamakhya
Access Corridor in Assam.
o About Maa Kamakhya Access Corridor- It aims to boost the
tourism in the region by improving the ease of access and
comfort for the devotees.

❖ Maratha Military Landscapes will be India’s nomination for

recognition as UNESCO World Heritage List for the year 2024 25.
o About Maratha Military Landscapes- It was included in
Tentative List of World Heritage sites in 2021.
o Represent an extraordinary fortification and military system
envisioned by the Maratha rulers.
 o It is nominated in the category of cultural criteria.

❖ P.V. Narasimha Rao, Chaudhary Charan Singh, MS Swaminathan, L

K Advani, Karpoori Thakur received India’s highest civilian award
Bharat Ratna. About Bharat Ratna.
o It is India’s highest civilian award, granted by President to
individuals for outstanding service across any field,
irrespective of race, occupation, position, or gender.
o Recommendations: Made by the Prime Minister of India to
the President (No formal recommendations for this are
necessary)
o Recognition: Recipients receive a Sanad (certificate) signed
by the President along with a medallion. Notably, the award
does not come with any monetary grant.

❖ 200th anniversary of the Kittur or Kitturu Revolt, led by Rani

Chennamma, was commemorated.

❖ 200th birth anniversary of renowned social and religious

reformer Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati was commemorated
❖ PARUVETA UTSAVAM.
o Efforts are being made to get UNESCO to declare the
ongoing annual ‘Paruveta utsavam’ (mock hunting festival),
as an ‘intangible cultural heritage’.
o Festival starts annually on Makarasankranthi at Sri
Narasimha Swamy temple, Ahobilam in Andhra Pradesh and
lasts for about 40 to 45 days.

❖ Two persons from Kutia Kondh Tribe attended Republic Day

parade in New Delhi as special guests.
o About Kutia Kondh (Kutia Kandha) -They are Particularly
Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) from Odisha.

❖ The 58th Jnanpith Award for the year 2023 has been awarded to
Jagadguru Swami Rambhadracharya ji for Sanskrit and Shri
Gulzar for Urdu.
o Jnanpith Award o Instituted in 1961, the Award has been
given by Bharatiya Jnanpith annually since 1965 for
outstanding contributions to Indian literature.

❖ Stones bearing 11th century Grantham inscriptions and 16th

century Tamil inscriptions were discovered near Kangayam in
Tamil Nadu.
 o Grantha is the script used in Tamil Nadu for writing the
Prakrit and Sanskrit language.

❖ Parliament passed the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair

Means) Act (PEA), 2024.
o The Act deals with unfair means adopted or offences
committed by various entities involved in conducting public
examinations by the Central Government and its agencies.

❖ Government has launched the ‘NITI for States’ platform.

o It is a comprehensive digital initiative designed to empower
States/UTs in their pursuit of national development goals.

❖ DIGITAL CRIMINAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CCMS) CASE .

o Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) launches unique Digital
CCMS Platform.
o Newly developed Digital CCMS was designed by National
Investigation Agency (NIA).
o It is a user-friendly and easy-to-deploy, customizable,
browser-based software to help State Police forces in their
investigations and prosecution.
❖ The year 2024 marks 75 years since the creation of the modern
Commonwealth, with the signing of the London Declaration.
o About: It is a voluntary association of countries, most of
which are formerly British colonies, collaborating on
democracy, trade, and climate change.

❖ During his visit to Bhutan, the Prime Minister of India was

conferred the "Order of the Druk Gyalpo", the highest civilian
honor in Bhutan.
o The “Order of the Druk Gyalpo” award recognizes Indian
Prime Minister’s contribution to strengthening India Bhutan
friendship and his people centric leadership.

❖ India launched Operation Indravati to evacuate its nationals from

Haiti to the Dominican Republic.
o Haiti has been under a state of emergency after some armed
groups attacked the country's largest prison in Port-au-
Prince earlier this month.

❖ African Union established Africa Club [also known as Alliance of

African Multilateral Financial Institutions (AAMFI)] at its 37th
Summit.
o About Africa Club -Coalition of African Multilateral Financial
Institutions (AMFIs) to address shortcomings in global and
continental financial architecture.
❖ Darien Gap has emerged as one of the world’s most dangerous
and fastest-growing border crossings for illegal immigration.
o This route is taken when people migrate from South America
to North America.
o About Darien Gap -Connects northern Colombia and
southern Panama.

❖ United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released the

Human Development Report (HDR) 2023-2024 titled “Breaking
the Gridlock: Reimagining cooperation in a polarised world".

❖ The Ministry of Cooperation constituted the National Urban

Cooperative Finance and Development Corporation Limited
(NUCFDC), an Umbrella Organisation (UO) for UCBs.

❖ INDIA’S GRAIN STORAGE SYSTEM.

o The Prime Minister inaugurated pilot project of 'World's
Largest Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative Sector’, for 11
Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) across 11 States.

❖ The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) celebrated the

Golden jubilee year of establishment of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra
(KVK).
 o About Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK)- KVKs aims at assessment
of location specific technology modules in agriculture and
allied enterprises.
❖ Union Cabinet approved the Uttar Poorva Transformative
Industrialization Scheme, 2024 (UNNATI – 2024).
▪ Ministry: Central Sector Scheme under the Department
for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry
of Commerce and Industry.
▪ Objective: Development of Industries and generation
of employment in the states of North East Region.

❖ The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has introduced the Electric

Mobility Promotion Scheme 2024 (EMPS 2024) to accelerate the
adoption of Electric Vehicles in India.

❖ PRADHAN MANTRI SAMAJIK UTTHAN EVAM ROZGAR ADHARIT

JANKALYAN (PM-SURAJ) PORTAL.
o Prime Minister launched one-stop PM-SURAJ portal for
credit schemes for marginalized sections.
o About PM-SURAJ Portal
o Nodal Ministry- Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
(MoSJE).
 o Objective: Uplifting most marginalized sections of society
and supporting credit assistance to one lakh entrepreneurs
hailing from disadvantaged communities.

❖ Central banks unveiled Project Gaia to evaluate climate financial

risks. It is a collaboration between the Bank for International
Settlements Innovation Eurosystem Centre, Bank of Spain, etc.
o It leverages generative artificial intelligence (AI) particularly
Large Language Models(LLMs) to facilitate the analysis of
climate-related risks in the financial system.

NITI Aayog Launches ‘Vocal For Local’ Initiative Fostering Grassroots

Entrepreneurship and Self- reliance.

❖ Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution launches

‘e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi’.
o e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi is a Digital Gateway initiative of
Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority
(WDRA).

❖ INDIATEX LAUNCHED.
 o IndiaTex (Innovative Business Practices and Economic
Models in the Textile Value Chain in India) is launched at
BHARAT TEX 2024, one of the largest-ever global textile
events organized in India.

❖ World Economic Forum (WEF)’s Centre for Fourth Industrial

Revolution Hyderabad.

❖ PM inaugurated Sabroom Landport in Tripura located along

India-Bangladesh international border.
o About SLP- It is connected to Chittagong port of Bangladesh
through Maitree Bridge on River Feni.

❖ Prime Minister has inaugurated Sudarshan Setu in Gulf of Kutch.

o About Sudarshan Setu (Signature Bridge)- India’s longest
cable-stayed bridge with solar panels installed on upper
portions of the footpath, generating one megawatt of
electricity.
o Four-lane bridge connects Okha mainland and Beyt Dwarka
island in Gujarat.

❖ Prime Minister inaugurated strategically important Sela tunnel in

Arunachal Pradesh.
o About Sela tunnel o Constructed on road connecting Tezpur
in Assam to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh by Border Road
Organization’. Constructed using New Austrian Tunnelling
Method (NATM).