Daily GK Update 31st Jan, 2024

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India’s employable youth up from 33.9% in 2014 to 51.3% in 2024: DEA: The Department of Economic Affairs, in its January 2024 review of the economy, said there is ample scope to mainstream skilling into education curriculum and upskilling a large chunk of the existing workforce into future-relevant skills on the back of a transformative journey in skill development in India in the last decade. According to the report, the push to mass skilling since 2014 has begun to pay dividends. “The employable percentage of final-year and pre-final-year students increased from 33.9% in 2014 to 51.3% in 2024,” it said citing the findings of the online Wheebox National Employability Test. Further, the across-the-board progress in skilling has manifested in India’s rising position in WorldSkills Competitions, from 39 in 2011 to 11 in 2022.

 

2. Sharat Chauhan appointed as Puducherry’s New Chief Secretary: Sharat Chauhan (Principal Commissioner, Finance, Planning and Investment Department, Arunachal Pradesh) is the new Chief Secretary of the Union Territory of Puducherry. The outgoing Chief Secretary, Rajeev Verma, has been posted as Adviser to the Administrator in Chandigarh. Chauhan belongs to the 1994 AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory) cadre. Chauhan has also served as an Executive Officer to the Regional Director of the World Health Organisation (WHO), South East Asia Region.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. International Zebra Day:31st January: Each year on January 31st, International Zebra Day is observed to bring attention to the conservation and well-being of zebras, shedding light on the difficulties these iconic animals encounter. With their distinct stripe patterns and fascinating social behaviours, zebras remain captivating creatures that spark curiosity and admiration. Zebras are highly social animals that form tight-knit groups called harems.

 

2. Corruption index: India ranks 93 out of 180 countries: India ranked 93 out of 180 countries on the corruption perceptions index (CPI) for 2023, according to the latest report released by Transparency International. The index, which lists countries by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, ranked Denmark at the top, followed by Finland, New Zealand and Norway. In 2023, India’s overall score was 39 while in 2022, it was 40.

 

3. IMF upgrades India’s GDP growth rate to 6.7 per cent for current financial year: International Monetary Fund (IMF) has increased its GDP growth estimate for India to 6.7 per cent for the current financial year. It is 40 basis points higher than its previous forecast of 6.3 per cent. In its latest World Economic Outlook report, IMF also raised India’s upward medium-term GDP growth to 6.5 per cent for 2025 and 2026.

 

4. 31 January – International Zebra Day: International Zebra Day is observed annually on January 31. Objective – To raise awareness about the conservation of zebras. These unique animals, easily recognizable by their black and white stripes, are an integral part of Africa’s wildlife and ecosystem. According to the African Wildlife Foundation, their population has decreased by approximately 54% over the past three decades.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

DEFENCE

 

1. India nominates ‘Maratha Military Landscapes’ for 2024-25 UNESCO WHL: The Ministry of Culture announced that India is nominating the 'Maratha Military Landscape' for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List for the 2024-25 cycle, with a total of 12 components included in this nomination. Suvarnadurg Fort is a part of the historic 'Maratha Military Landscape'. The 'Maratha Military Landscapes' represents extraordinary fortification and military system envisioned by the Maratha rulers, showcasing the vibrant history of India.

 

SPORTS

 

1. Indian boxer Mandeep Jangra wins intercontinental title in U.S.: Indian boxer Mandeep Jangra has won the U.S.-based National Boxing Association’s intercontinental super featherweight title after defeating American Gerardo Esquivel at Toppenish City, Washington. Undefeated in his professional career so far the 30-year-old, who trains under former Olympic silver-medallist Roy Jones Jr, dropped down from his previous 75kg weight class to compete for this title. Before the win against Esquivel, Jangra, who made his professional boxing debut in 2021, registered knockout wins in four out of his six fights.

 

2. Divyansh Singh Panwar Clinches ISSF World Cup Gold In 10m Air Rifle Event: 21 years old, Divyansh Singh Panwar has securing his fourth World Cup gold in the 10m air rifle event. This latest triumph adds to his impressive collection, which includes victories in Munich, Beijing, and Delhi since 2019. The former world no. 1, Olympian Divyansh qualified in style by topping the field with 632.4. He beat Danilo Sollazzo of Italy by 1.9 points for the gold. The earlier world record of 253.3 for the men’s final was achieved by Sheng LIhao of China in the Asian Games last year in Hangzhou. Sheng’s qualification world record stays at 637.9

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. IMF upgrades India's GDP growth rate to 6.7 percent for current FY: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has increased its GDP growth estimate for India to 6.7 percent for the current financial year.  It is 40 basis points higher than its previous forecast of 6.3 percent. In its latest World Economic Outlook report, IMF also raised India's upward medium-term GDP growth to 6.5 percent, a 20 basis point upgrade from its October 2023 forecast, for years 2025, 2026.

2. Mahila Samman Savings Certificate collected over ₹14,500 crore in 9 months: Over 22.5 lakh accounts have been opened under the Mahila Samman Saving Certificate Scheme (MSSCS) in the first nine months of the fiscal with a deposit of over ₹14,500 crore. The scheme was announced in the budget 2023. The scheme was notified on March 31 and made available through 1.6 lakh post offices from April 1. Data shows, Maharashtra circle leads in opening accounts under MSSCS with over 4.5 lakh accounts and deposits of over 2,800 crore followed by Tamil Nadu circle (around 3.5 lakh accounts, around ₹1,600 crore of deposits), Odisha circle (over 2.5 lakh accounts, over ₹1,000 crore of deposits), Karnataka circle (around 1.7 lakh accounts, around ₹1,200 crore of deposits) and Andhra Pradesh circle (over 1.3 crore accounts, over ₹600 crore of deposits).

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Naorem Roshibina crowned Female Wushu Athlete of the Year: Two-time Asian Games medallist Naorem Roshibina Devi (Manipur) has been named International Wushu Federation’s (IWUF) female athlete of the year in the sanda category after a month-long public voting. The 23-year-old Roshibina, who won a bronze and a silver in the 2018 and 2022 Asian Games respectively, polled 93545 votes to beat Shahrbano Mansouriyan Semiromi (88179) of Iran and Wu Xiaowei (46753) of China. After the IWUF Athletes Committee’s preliminary evaluation, 45 candidates from 23 countries and regions entered in the public voting in various categories. The Manipuri also won a bronze medal in the 2016 World Junior Wushu Championships. She was conferred with the Arjuna Award this year.

 

2. NTPC Limited gets certified as a Top Employer 2024 in India: The 2024 Top Employers of the Top Employers Institute have been announced and NTPC Limited has been certified as a Top Employer in India by the institute. NTPC completed the following steps in order to qualify for the certification: HR Best Practice Survey, Validation and Audit. NTPC’s performance score was rated against an international standard and NTPC has achieved Top Employer status. NTPC Limited, formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation, is an Indian central Public Sector Undertaking under the ownership of the Ministry of Power and the Government of India, which is engaged in the generation of electricity and other activities.