Daily GK Update- 17th Mar, 2024

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Navneet Kumar Sehgal appointed as new Prasar Bharati chairman: The Central Government has appointed retired bureaucrat Navneet Kumar Sehgal the new Chairman of Prasar Bharati for a period of three years. Navneet Sehgal has become the seventh president of Prasar Bharati. A. Surya Prakash retired in February 2020 after serving for two consecutive terms since 2014. The President of India appoints the chairman and the other Members, except the ex officio members, nominated members and the elected members.

 

2. India, ADB sign $23 million loan for Fintech Ecosystem Development: The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $23 million loan agreement to enhance access to quality fintech education, research, and innovation at the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT-City). GIFT City is an initiative of the Government of India and the State Government of Gujarat to foster India’s financial services and fintech ecosystem. The project is expected to establish an International Fintech Institute (IFI) to strengthen fintech education, boost start-up success rates, and drive fintech research and innovation. The ADB programme will support research on innovative solutions and technologies in climate fintech, regulatory technology, social inclusion, and gender equality in finance.

 

3. Shipping Ministry approves projects worth ₹645-crore in Assam to boost tourism: India’s Shipping Ministry has approved waterways projects worth ₹645 crore on Brahmaputra in Assam.

Projects, aimed at boosting river tourism, will be implemented with financial assistance from the Centre. Projects will involve the creation of slipways at strategic locations in Dhubri and Majuli, new passenger terminals at Ghagor in North Lakhimpur and Bahari in Barpeta district of Assam. There will be additional passenger terminals in Goalpara, Guijan, Kurua, Dhubri, Disangmukh & Matmora. Projects, which will be developed under the Sagarmala programme.

 

4. NHPC bags 200 MW capacity solar power project in Gujarat: State-run hydro power major NHPC has bagged a 200-megawatt (MW) capacity solar power project to be set up at the Gujarat State Electricity Corporation’s (GSECL) 1,125 MW RE Park in Khavda. NHPC will develop the project on a build-own-and-operate basis at a tentative development cost of about ₹847 crore.

The project was secured at a tariff of ₹2.66 per unit and will be completed in a period of 18 months. The project will generate about 473 million units (MU) in the first year of commissioning and the cumulative generation from the project over a period of 25 years would be about 10,850 million units.

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. India ranked 134 out of 193 countries on UN Human Development Index 2022: India’s ranking on the United Nations Human Development Index improved by one position in 2022 to 134 out of 193 countries ranked compared to 135 out of 192 countries ranked in 2021 on the back of a marginal increase in its HDI value to 0.644 compared to 0.633 in 2021. India, Bhutan and Bangladesh are all in the Medium Human Development category. Switzerland has been ranked number one. Nepal (146) and Pakistan (164) have been ranked lower than India. The HDI is a composite index computed based on three parameters – life expectancy, mean years of schooling and average incomes – in contrast to gross domestic product (GDP), which is a gauge only of incomes or output in an economy.

 

2. Mohammad Mustafa elected as new PM of Palestinian: President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority (PA) has appointed Mohammad Mustafa as the new Prime Minister. Mustafa, a U.S.-educated economist, is one of the leading Palestinian business figures with a track record of overseeing Gaza’s reconstruction efforts under Hamas’ rule. The previous prime minister, Mohammad Shtayyeh, resigned along with his government last month.

 

3. India-Seychelles Joint Exercise ‘LAMITIYE-2024’: In a significant step towards improving bilateral military ties with Indian Ocean island nations, an Indian Army contingent departed for Seychelles on March 17, 2024, to carry out a joint military exercise named ‘LAMITIYE-2024′ with the Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF). ..

 

OTHER UPDATES:

 

SPORTS

 

1. Max Verstappen triumphs at Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen clinched victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, starting from pole position. It marked Red Bull’s second consecutive one-two finish in the 2024 Formula One season. It was the first time Verstappen, winner of a record 19 of 22 races last year, has won the first two races of a season. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) finished at second and Charles Leclerc finished third for Ferrari. The victory was a ninth in a row for Verstappen, dating back to Japan last September, and the 56th of the 26-year-old Dutch driver’s career.

 

2. Mumbai Wins Ranji Trophy 2024 after beating Vidarbha: Mumbai has won the Ranji Trophy 2024 after beating Vidarbha by 169 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. It also happened to be their 42nd title for Mumbai, which showed why they are deemed as a brute force in Indian domestic cricket. Mumbai also ended their 8-year-long wait to win the championship after they last got their hands on the title back in the 2015-16 edition. In addition to the ₹5 crore prize money announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the Ranji Trophy champions, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has declared an additional ₹5 crore for the winning team. This means the Mumbai team will receive a whopping ₹10 crore as prize money for their triumph.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

 

1. Astrophysical Tau Neutrinos: Scientists from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory have announced a discovery of evidence for the elusive astrophysical tau neutrinos or ‘ghost particles’. Neutrinos are tiny subatomic particles that rarely interact with matter, making them challenging to detect. However, their ability to ..

 

AWARDS AND HONOURS

 

1. Greeshma and Ritika jointly won Chameli Devi Jain Award 2024: Chameli Devi Jain Award 2024 for Outstanding Woman Media Person of the Year has been given jointly to independent journalist Greeshma Kuthar, and Ritika Chopra of the Indian Express. The Chameli Devi Jain Award 2024 honours the exceptional work and contributions of Greeshma Kuthar and Ritika Chopra in the field of journalism. According to The Media Foundation, an independent jury comprising senior journalist and columnist Radhika Ramaseshan (Chair), award-winning journalist and author Mariyam Alavi, and Down to Earth managing editor Richard Mahapatra, selected the winners from more than 65 entries of women journalists.