Daily GK Update- 28th Feb, 2024

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Former SC judge Khanwilkar is new Lokpal chairperson: The President of India has appointed former Supreme Court judge Justice AM Khanwilkar as the Chairperson of the Lok Pal. Justice Lingappa Swamy, Justice Sanjay Yadav and Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi are the judicial members. The Lokpal has jurisdiction over central government to inquire into allegations of corruption against its public functionaries including the PM, cabinet ministers, members of parliament, Group A officers of the CG and for matters connecting them.

 

2. PM Modi to unveil Deendayal Upadhyaya statue in Maharashtra: PM Narendra Modi will visit Maharashtra's Yavatmal district where he will address one lakh members of women's self-help groups. He will disburse Rs 825 crore funds for women's self-help groups in Maharashtra. He will also inaugurate a statue of Bharatiya Jana Sangh co-founder Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. He will also launch the Modi Awaas Gharkul Yojana for OBC category beneficiaries in Maharashtra.

 

3. Jaishankar to confer Acharya Lokesh Muni as 'Global Jain Peace Ambassador': EAM Jaishankar will honour Acharya Lokesh Muni as the 'Global Jain Peace Ambassador' during an event in Karnataka Acharya Lokesh Muni is the founder of Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti and the World Peace Center The honour will be conferred in recognition of Acharya Lokeshji's contribution to promoting peace and harmony globally. Acharya Lokesh Muni's multifaceted role as a writer, poet, thinker, and social reformer has significantly contributed to his legacy as a peace advocate.

 

4. PM Modi launches two major initiatives to uplift MSMEs in Indian automotive: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the TVS Open mobility platform at Madurai. He also inaugurated the Centre of excellence on employment and livelihood. The Prime Minister said that two crore two wheelers, ten lakh commercial vehicles and lakhs of other vehicles are produced in the Country and MSMEs played a major role in boosting the big industrial sector.

 

5. PM Modi laid foundation stone of Sikkim’s First Railway Station: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone for Sikkim’s first railway station at Rangpo. The design of the Rangpo railway station will draw inspiration from the rich culture, heritage and architecture of Sikkim. The station will be a part of the under-construction 45-km rail line from Sevoke near Siliguri in West Bengal to Rangpo in Sikkim. It will have 14 tunnels and 22 bridges. The track on the Sevoke-Rangpo section of the Northeast Frontier Railway will have the capacity to handle 25 ton and trains can run at a maximum speed of 110 kmph. There will be three stations between Sevoke and Rangpo — Riyang, Teesta and Melli, all in West Bengal.

 

 

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Amazon Web Services Collaborates with T-Hub and Minfy: Amazon Web Services (AWS) India announced its launch of an accelerator programme for space startups called AWS Space Accelerator: India. It is a technical, business, and mentorship opportunity designed to foster startups focused on space technology, and accelerate their development, with support from T-Hub and Minfy. This initiative follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between AWS, ISRO, and IN-SPACe in September the previous year.

 

2. WTO Implements New Regulations to Streamline Global Services Trade: The WTO has announced the enforcement of new regulations to streamline international services trade Following extensive negotiations, WTO members finalized the adoption of these rules on December 2nd, 2021 Over the subsequent year, each participating member obtained domestic approval, leading to the integration of these regulations into individual member schedules By establishing common rules and best practices, the WTO seeks to ensure that domestic policy objectives

 

3. Peru declares health emergency amidst Dengue surge: In Peru, the government has declared a health emergency due to the rapidly rising cases of dengue fever across the South American country. The health emergency was declared in 20 of Peru's 25 regions. Peru's Health Minister Cesar Vasquez said yesterday that more than 31,000 cases of dengue have been recorded till date, including 32 deaths. The move will enable the government to transfer funds more quickly to affected regions and more easily deploy doctors and nurses.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

DEFENCE

 

1. Daljit Singh Chaudhary appointed as new director general of NSG: Daljit Singh Chaudhary (1990 batch IPS officer), who is currently the DG of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), has been given the additional charge of heading the NSG. NSG is India’s counter terrorism force,trained to deal with specific situations and used only in exceptional circumstances as deemed by the government. NSG was founded on 16 October 1984, following Operation Blue Star, to combat terrorist activities and protect states against internal disturbances.

 

SPORTS

 

1. Bangladesh appoints new batting, bowling coach: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) appointed David Hemp as the national men's team batting coach for two-years. Andre Adams joined the team as the bowling coach. Hemp, who was the High-Performance Head Coach since May 2023, has already had a stint with the national side. Former New Zealand all-rounder Andre Adams has been appointed as the national team's bowling coach.

 

2. New Zealand speedster Neil Wagner retires from international cricket: New Zealand fast bowler Neil Wagner (37-years) has decided to bring the curtain down on his illustrious 64-Test career for the Black Caps, formally announcing his retirement from international cricket. Wagner leaves the Test arena as the fifth-highest wicket-taker in New Zealand's history. As the fifth-highest wicket-taker in New Zealand Test history, Wagner concludes his career with 260 wickets at an average of 27.

 

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

 

1. National Science Day 2024: February 28: National Science Day is celebrated across India on February 28 to honor the discovery of the Raman Effect by physicist Sir CV Raman in 1928. This year's theme, "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat," highlights the importance of homegrown innovations and scientific progress in India. The day aims to promote scientific temper, inspire youth towards careers in science, and celebrate India's rich scientific heritage.

 

2. PM Modi announces 4 astronauts for Gaganyaan: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has revealed the name of four astronauts who have been selected for the Gaganyaan Mission. The four Indian Air Force Officers will be the first Indians to go to space from Indian soil on an indigenous space vehicle. The four astronauts are Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan, Group Captain Ajith Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla. The four astronauts have undergone extensive training at Russia and the program is now underway in India at ISRO training facility.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. HDFC Bank Raises $300 Million through Inaugural Sustainable Finance Bond: HDFC Bank has raised $300 million in its maiden sustainable finance bond issue. The country's biggest private lender by market capitalisation priced its three-year sustainability bond at a yield of 5.196%. This is 95 basis points (bps) over the 3-year U.S. Treasury yield, sharply lower than the initial guidance of a 125-bps spread. The money raised is part of the $750 million bond-raise that will be listed on the GIFT City.

 

2. EPFO organizing its monthly district outreach programme Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0: Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) is organising its monthly district outreach programme Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0 in over 670 districts of the country. For the ease of EPS’95 pensioners, a special dedicated Pension Helpdesk will be set up wherein various pensioners-centric services like submission of Digital Life Certificates, Enquiries, and Pension Payment Order (PPO) handover on the day of retirement will be provided. Besides, a service kiosk will also be set up with a special focus on on-the-spot grievance redressal for employees, employers and pensioners and to share information with stakeholders. The locations of camps can be accessed from the EPFO website under the What’s New section.