NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. India's first indigenously manufactured UAV ‘Drishti
10 Starliner’ flagged: Adani Defence and Aerospace introduced the Drishti 10
Starliner Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for the Indian Navy, manufactured
within the country. The commencement ceremony, overseen by Admiral R Hari
Kumar, the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) of the Indian Navy, took
place in the presence of 75 Navy personnel. The UAV embarked on its journey
from Hyderabad to Porbandar, marking its induction into naval maritime
operations.
2. Nitin Gadkari inaugurates and lays foundation stone of
12 National Highway projects in Kerala: Union
Minister Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated and lays foundation stone of
12 National Highway projects with a total length of 105 km worth over Rs 1464
Crore in Kerala. The proposed projects aim to enhance seamless connectivity
between Tamil Nadu and Kerala, ensuring swift and trouble-free transportation. This
initiative holds the promise of reducing overall transportation costs.
Furthermore, a focus on eliminating black spots on National Highways is
anticipated to contribute to a significant decrease in road accidents. The
undertaking is poised to generate substantial employment opportunities, both
directly and indirectly, fostering socio-economic growth in Kerala.
3. Indian Railways Electrifies 6,577 Route Kilometers in
2023: Indian Railways has
achieved 6,577 route kilometers electrification in the calendar year 2023.
Till December 2023, 61,508 route Kms have been electrified, which is 93.83
percent of total Broad-Gauge route of 65,556 kms. With a vision of providing an
eco-friendly, faster and energy-efficient mode of transportation, Indian
Railways is marching ahead towards 100 per cent electrification of Broad-Gauge
tracks. The Indian Railways has set a target to become the world’s largest
green railway by 2030.
4. Seema Kumar takes charge as Member of Railway Board: Seema Kumar has taken over the charge of
the post of Member (Operations & Business Development), Railway Board.
Prior to this, Ms Seema Kumar was Additional Member (Tourism & Catering),
Railway Board. She also held the additional charge of Additional Member
(Traffic), Additional Member (Marketing & Business Development) and also of
Chairman & Managing Director of IRCTC at various intervals.
Seema
Kumar joined Indian Railways Traffic Service (IRTS) in 1988. She is a Gold
Medalist in M.Sc. (Physics) from Meerut University and an M. Tech. from IIT
Delhi.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. PM Modi inaugurates Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in
Gandhinagar: Prime Minister Narendra
Modi inaugurated the 10th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global
Summit in Gandhinagar. The three-day event is witnessing the participation
of 34 partner countries and delegates from over 130 countries. It will also
celebrate ‘20 years of Vibrant Gujarat as the Summit of Success’. The concept
of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit was started in 2003 under the leadership
of PM Modi when he was the CM of the state.
2. Indra Mani Pandey will be the next Secretary General
of BIMSTEC: Indramani Pandey, a senior Indian diplomat
has assumed the post of Secretary General of BIMSTEC for three years. He replaced
Bhutan's Tenzin Lekfel. Prior to this, Indramani Pandey had been
India's permanent representative to the United Nations. BIMSTEC (established
in the year 1997) is an international organization of South Asian and Southeast
Asian countries.
3. India's Representative to the World Trade Organization
(WTO): Senthil Pandian (IAS
officer -2002 of the Uttar Pradesh cadre) has been appointed as India's
ambassador to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva. The Appointments
Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved Pandian's appointment for a three-year
term, effective from the date of assuming charge. The appointment comes as the
tenure of Brajendra Navnit, India's current ambassador to the WTO, concludes on
March 31, 2024.
4. India to chair, host UNESCO's World Heritage Committee
in 2024: In a first, India is set to
chair and host UNESCO's World Heritage Committee in New Delhi. As
UNESCO's official statement, “At its 19th extraordinary session (UNESCO, 2023),
the World Heritage Committee decided that its 46th session will take place in
India. The dates & venue of the 46th session have been announced: 21st to
31st July, 2024 in New Delhi (India).
5. World Hindi Day 2024: 10th January: Every year, World Hindi Day is
celebrated on January 10. In 1949, Hindi was spoken for the first time in the
United Nations General Assembly. In 2006, the first Vishwa Hindi
Diwas was observed by the then Prime Minister of the country – Dr.
Manmohan Singh. Since then, January 10 has been observed as World Hindi Day
everywhere.
London is world's slowest city to drive in: London is the world's slowest city for
drivers owing to 20mph speed limits, a study suggests. A journey of 10km in
central London took an average of 37 minutes and 20 seconds last year, location
technology company TomTom said- making it the longest time among 387 cities in
55 countries which were analysed. This also marks the second year in a row that
London tops the slowest city ranking. Top five slowest cities
include Dublin, Toronto, Milan and Lima.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. DRDO launches ‘Ugram’, indigenous assault rifle for
armed forces: The DRDO launched Ugram developed and
manufactured in collaboration with a private industry partner The assault rifle
has been designed for the operational requirements of armed forces,
paramilitary and state police entities The rifle has an effective range of 500
m and weighs less than four kilograms and has been developed by DRDO's
Pune-based facility Armament Research and Development Establishments (ARDE) in
collaboration with Dvipa Armour India Private Limited.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. Microsoft launches AI Odyssey to skill 1 lakh
developers in India: Microsoft has launched an initiative
that aims to skill one lakh developers in India in the latest AI
technologies and tools. The program offers a comprehensive learning experience
that helps developers acquire and demonstrate relevant skills needed to execute
critical projects using AI technologies that align with business goals and
outcomes. Through programs like AI Odyssey, Microsoft is offering
opportunities for developers to build solutions for India’s growth and showcase
their talent to solve real-world problems, said the company. The month-long
program is open to all AI enthusiasts in India, regardless of experience level
or background. The program has two levels that participants need to complete by
January 31, 2024.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Politically Exposed Persons' Term to Meet FATF Norms: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) updated Know Your
Customer (KYC) norms for politically exposed persons (PEPs) who transact
with regulated entities (REs), seeking to comply with the recommendations of
the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). In the amended KYC master direction,
the central bank defines PEPs as individuals who have held or are currently
entrusted with prominent public functions by a foreign country.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
1. Odisha's red ant chutney gets GI tag: In Odisha's Mayurbhanj district, red weaver ants are used to
make a chutney or a watery semi-solid paste known as "Kai Chutney." This chutney
is renowned in the region for its medicinal and nutritional properties. This
distinctive savoury chutney was awarded the geographical indication (GI) tag.
2. Divyakriti Singh Becomes 1st Indian Woman Arjuna Awardee for Equestrian Sports: 23-year-old Divyakriti Singh Rathore of Rajasthan received the prestigious Arjuna Award from President Droupadi Murmu for her remarkably outstanding stint in Equestrian sports. Singh, the first Indian female to receive the Arjuna in the Equestrian sport, has mastered the tricks of the sport after rigorous practice over the years. It was a proud moment not only for Divyakriti Singh but also for her home state of Rajasthan, as she stands as the sole representative to receive an Arjuna Award not only this year, but for the past five years.
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