Daily GK Update- 28th Jan, 2024

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Krutrim becomes India’s first $1 billion AI startup: Ola Krutrim, the artificial intelligence (AI) startup founded by serial entrepreneur Bhavish Aggarwal, has achieved unicorn status following a successful funding round that secured $50 million from prominent investors, including Matrix Partners India. The company proudly announced its newfound status as the first Indian AI startup to reach a billion-dollar valuation, a remarkable feat achieved within a month of unveiling a large language model. The startup, aptly named Krutrim, translating to “artificial” in Sanskrit, is not only focusing on advancing AI language capabilities but is also delving into the development of data centres. The ultimate goal is to create servers and supercomputers tailored to the evolving needs of the AI ecosystem.

 

2. Nirmala Sitharaman To Become 2nd FM To Present 6 Consecutive Union Budgets: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will set a record by presenting the sixth Budget in a row — five annual Budgets and one interim — a feat achieved so far only by former Prime Minister Morarji Desai. With the presentation of the interim Budget on February 1, Ms Sitharaman will surpass the records of her predecessors like Manmohan Singh, Arun Jaitley, P. Chidambaram, and Yashwant Sinha, who had presented five budgets in a row. Desai, as Finance Minister, had presented five annual Budgets and one interim Budget between 1959-1964. Former Prime Minister Morarji Desai who holds the tag of presenting 10 Budgets — the maximum by any finance minister — had presented six of them, including one interim, in a row.

 

3. 63rd Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) Meeting Convened In Bhopal: The 63rd gathering of the Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) took place in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.\ The meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Shri V.L. Kantha Rao, Secretary, Ministry of Mines. Shri Sanjay Lohiya, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Mines,Shri Janardan Prasad, Director General, GSI,senior functionaries of different Ministries, State Directorates of Mining & Geology, PSUs, representatives from private mining industry, Mining associations and other stakeholders attended thecrucial The proposed Annual Programme for the ensuing Field Season year 2024-25 was placed before the Board for discussion. During the ensuing year 2024-25 GSI has formulated about 1055 scientific programs for the year 2024-25, which include 392 Mineral Development projects (G2; G3; G4; and Offshore Explorations) that have the potential to generate auctionable mineral blocks in near future.

 

4. Nitish Kumar Back as Bihar CM for Record 9th Term: Researchers from the National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR) have discovered two new species of Congrid eels from the coasts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The species add to India’s marine biodiversity knowledge in relatively less studied fish groups ..

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. 26 January – International Day of Clean Energy: International Day of Clean Energy is observed every year on January 26. This day serves as a reminder of the critical role clean energy plays in combating climate change, reducing carbon emissions, and ensuring a healthier planet for future generations. Adopting clean energy is integral to the fight against climate change. For decades, science has shown that to limit climate change, we need to end our reliance on fossil fuels and invest in alternative sources of energy that are clean, sustainable, accessible, affordable, and reliable.

 

2. 27 January – International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust: January 27th marks a solemn occasion recognised globally as the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. This day serves as a poignant reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust and the enduring need to fight against hatred, bigotry, and racism in all its forms. In November 2005, the United Nations General Assembly designated January 27 as an “International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust”(Resolution 60/7). It reaffirmed that the Holocaust, which resulted in the murder of one-third of the Jewish people, along with countless members of other minorities, will forever be a warning to all people of the dangers of hatred, bigotry, racism, and prejudice. On January 27, 2006, the first worldwide International Holocaust Remembrance Day celebrated.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

DEFENCE

 

1. Joint military exercise – SADA TANSEEQ between India & Saudi Arabia to be held in Rajasthan: The inaugural edition of the Joint Military Exercise ‘SADA TANSEEQ’ between India and Saudi Arabia will be held from January 29 to February 10 in The exercise aims to enhance synergy, interoperability and jointmanship by learning and sharing best practices between the Armies of both nations. The joint exercise will focus on counter-terrorism operations under the United Nations Mandate. During the exercise, participants will engage in missions ranging from joint planning, operations, joint tactical drills, and will provide field commanders and troops an opportunity to interact with each other. Earlier in January, India and Saudi Arabia signed a bilateral agreement under which New Delhi has been allocated a quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims for the annual Haj pilgrimage in 2024.

 

2. Major Exercises in 2024 to Showcase Jointness: The Indian Air Force (IAF) will conduct three major exercises in 2024, emphasizing jointness across India’s defense forces as they work towards establishing theater commands. The key focus areas are integration and coordination in modern warfare. Vayu Shakti-2024 The first ..

 

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

 

1. INSAT-3DS Satellite Flagged Off: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has flagged off its advanced meteorological satellite INSAT-3DS to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota for an upcoming launch. The 2275 kg satellite has finished assembly, integration and testing at ISRO’s UR ..

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Four companies get SEBI’s nod to launch IPOs: Entero Healthcare Solutions, JNK India, Exicom Tele-Systems and Akme Fintrade (India) have received markets regulator SEBI’s approval to raise funds through initial public offerings. However, the Securities and Exchange Board of India has returned the IPO papers of Stallion India Fluorochemicals. These four firms, which had filed their preliminary papers with the markets watchdog between June and October, obtained observation letters on January 16-19, an update with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi). In Sebi’s parlance, obtaining observation letters means its go-ahead to launch an IPO.