Daily GK Update- 23rd Jan, 2024

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. PM Modi launches new rooftop solar power scheme: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the ‘Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana’, a government scheme under which one crore households will get rooftop solar power systems. This isn’t the first scheme for promoting the installation of rooftop solar power systems, though. In 2014, the government launched the Rooftop Solar Programme that aimed to achieve a cumulative installed capacity of 40,000 megawatts (MW) or  40 gigawatts (GW) by 2022.

 

2. Final Electoral roll of J&K published with a total of 86.93 lakh voters: The final electoral roll of Jammu and Kashmir has been published with a total of 86.93 lakh voters. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Jammu and Kashmir Pandurang K Pole said that out of 86.93 lakh voters, 44.34 lakh are males and 42.58 lakh females. More than 2.31 lakh voters have been added to the roll. The release of the electoral roll paves the way for holding of various polls in the Union Territory.

 

3. Andhra CM Jagan Reddy unveils 125ft tall Ambedkar statue: Andhra Pradesh CM Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy unveiled the 206 feet tall statue of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar at Swaraj Maidan in Vijayawada. The statue, which stands atop an 81-foot pedestal at the Smriti Vanam, takes the total height of the monument to 206 ft, the tallest Dr Ambedkar structure ever built in the world.

It will be included in the list of top 50 tallest statues in the world. It is constructed using approximately 400 tons of steel.

 

4. Tripura, Manipur, and Meghalaya celebrate 52nd Statehood Day: Three northeastern states– Tripura, Meghalaya, and Manipur– on 21 January celebrated their 52nd Statehood Day.

With the introduction of the North-East Area (Re-organisation) Act 1971, Tripura, Manipur, and Meghalaya attained statehood on January 21, 1972. At the time of independence, the North East comprised the Assam plains, hill districts, and North Eastern Frontier Tracts (NEFT) of the North-Eastern border. Manipur and Tripura states were granted Union Territory status in 1949. Nagaland achieved statehood on December 1, 1963.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Namibian cheetah Jwala gives birth to three cubs at Kuno: A Namibian cheetah named Jwala gave birth to three cubs at Kuno National park in Madhya Pradesh, just weeks after another Namibian cheetah, Aasha, gave birth to three cubs. Jwala (Namibian name Siyaya) had given birth to four cubs last March. However, only one of them survived. Currently, there are a total of seven cubs being looked after by the Kuno park officials.

 

2. Japan becomes 5th Country to Land On the Moon: Japan became the fifth country in history to reach the moon when one of its spacecrafts without astronauts successfully made a soft landing on the lunar surface. The craft’s solar panel had failed to generate power, which could shorten its activity on the moon. The SLIM’s small rovers were launched as planned and that data was being transmitted back to Earth. SLIM’s solar battery wasn’t generating power and that it had only a few more hours of battery life.

 

3. India, Cuba signed an MoU on digital public infrastructure collaboration: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has signed an MoU with the Ministry of Communications of the Republic of Cuba on Cooperation in the field of Sharing Successful Digital Solutions Implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation in New Delhi. The MoU intends to promote digital transformation through capacity-building programs, exchange of best practices, and other collaborative activities to mutually benefit the digital ecosystems of both countries. India to assist Cuba in adopting Digital Public Infrastructure, fostering development partnerships for enhanced collaboration.

 

4. Arevalo sworn in as Guatemala’s president: Anti-corruption crusader Bernardo Arevalo was sworn in as Guatemala’s president. Guatemala’s attorney general, an ally of Giammattei, has made several attempts to hinder Arevalo’s transition to the presidency, including trying to strip Arevalo and his vice president of legal immunity, attempting to suspend his Semilla party and annul the election. Arevalo won August elections by a landslide and about 9 hours after his inauguration was scheduled to start, he took the oath as president, replacing conservative politician Alejandro Giammattei whose government has been engulfed in corruption scandals. Giammattei skipped the ceremony.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

DEFENCE

 

1. India-Kyrgyzstan Army drill starts in HP’s Bakloh: The 11th edition of India-Kyrgyzstan Joint Special Forces Exercise ‘Khanjar’ commenced at the Special Forces Training School in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh. It is an annual event conducted alternatively in India and Kyrgyzstan. The aim of the exercise is to acquaint both sides with each other’s operating procedures in the backdrop of special operations in desert and semi-desert terrain.

 

2. 23 January – Parakram Diwas: Parakram Diwas is observed every year on 23 January to mark the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, a prominent figure in India’s freedom struggle.

This day is celebrated to honour his indomitable spirit and invaluable contribution to India’s independence. This year nation observed the 127th edition of Parakram Diwas 2024. Parakram Diwas 2024 is a national event celebrated annually in India since 2021. The day serves as a reminder of the courage and determination of one of India’s most revered freedom fighters.

 

 

SPORTS

 

1. Tata Group to continue as IPL title sponsor until 2028: Tata Group will pay Rs 2,500 crore, the highest-ever sponsorship amount in the history of the Indian Premier League, as it won the title sponsorship rights of IPL, which has become a decacorn and is the richest cricket league in the world. Tata has won the rights for five years. The TATA Group earlier held the title sponsorship rights for the IPL in 2022 and 2023, paying Rs 670 crore for the two-year rights. Tata is also the title sponsor of the Women’s Premier League, the largest women’s T20 league globally. Tata retained title sponsorship rights from 2024 to 2028 by matching Aditya Birla Group’s (ABG) bid, sources had told ET earlier. Aditya Birla Group and Tata Sons were the only companies in contention for the title sponsorship rights of IPL.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. Yes Bank becomes first Indian bank to conduct export finance transaction: Yes Bank became the first Indian bank to execute an export finance transaction on the International Trade Financing Services Platform (ITFS) of RXIL Global IFSC Limited (RXIL), a leading cross-border fintech company registered under the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA).

This strategic partnership facilitates arranging credit for exporters and importers from both Indian and Global Institutions through Factoring, Forfaiting.

 

2. IREDA, Indian Overseas Bank ink pact to co-finance renewable energy projects: State-owned Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) has partnered with the Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) to co-finance renewable energy projects in India. The agreement was signed in the presence of IREDA CMD Pradip Kumar Das and IOB MD and CEO Ajay Kumar Srivastava in the national capital. The partnership aims to streamline loan syndication and underwriting processes, management of Trust and Retention Account (TRA) for IREDA borrowers, and work towards fixed interest rates over a 3-4-year period for IREDA borrowings. This collaboration builds upon IREDA’s successful partnerships with other prominent financial institutions, including Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Union Bank of India, India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited, and Bank of Maharashtra.

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Kachchhi Kharek of Gujarat got GI tag: Kachchhi Kharek, the indigenous variety of dates of Kutch, has become the second fruit of Gujarat to get a geographical indication (GI) tag. The presence of dates in Kachchh (Kutch) is believed to be around 400–500 years old. It has become the second fruit of Gujarat to get a geographical indication (GI) tag, after Gir kesar mango. A geographical indication or GI is used on products that have a specific geographical origin that are due to that origin.

 

2. Boman Irani to receive a special honour from British Parliament: Actor Boman Irani will be conferred with a special honour by the British Parliament for his contributions to Indian cinema.

The actor has also been invited as a featured speaker at Oxford University and The London School of Economics. Mr. Irani is known for ‘Munna Bhai’ franchise, ‘3 Idiots’, ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla’, and others.

 

3. Ravi Shastri Shubman Gill to be honoured at BCCI Awards: Ravi Shastri is set to receive the prestigious Lifetime Achievement award in the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) Awards, slated to take place in Hyderabad. Shastri is India's 1983 World Cup-winning member, and the former national head coach. Shastri, a veteran of 80 Tests and 150 ODIs, has been a committed servant of Indian cricket since his playing days. Indian opener Shubman Gill will also bag the men's cricketer honour for his outstanding run across formats in 2023.

 

4. Bangalore & Delhi Airports jointly bagged best airport award: Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia has presented the Wings India Awards 2024 at an event held in Hyderabad.

Bangalore and Delhi Airports have jointly bagged the best airport award for the year at the 4th edition of “Wings India Awards” in the Civil Aviation Sector. Vistara bagged the Best Airline of the Year award. Air India has been recognized for International Connectivity while Alliance Air has recognition for Regional Connectivity. Air India Express was declared a Sustainability Champion.

GMR Group has been honoured as the Best Aviation Service Provider while Skyways Air Services for cargo services, Indian Oil Skytanking Pvt. Ltd for Fuel Services, GMR for Aero Academy.