Daily GK Update- 6th Mar, 2024

 

NATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. PM Modi inaugurates India's first underwater metro service in Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates India's first under-river metro tunnel in Kolkata. The Kolkata Metro extension, especially the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade Metro section, features the country's first tunnel under a major river, while the Howrah Metro Station is the deepest (33 meters below the surface), one of its kind in the country. PM Modi also inaugurated the Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay and Taratala-Majerhat sections of the Kolkata metro.

 

2. Cuttack Rupa Tarakasi, Banglar muslin get GI tag: The famous Cuttack Rupa Tarakasi (Silver Filigree) has been given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai. The application for this was filed by the Odisha State Co-operative Handicrafts Corporation Limited and was facilitated by the Department of Textile and Handicrafts, Government of Odisha. Filigree has been traditionally associated with fine craftsmanship and luxurious design in classical jewellery.

 

3. India’s first indigenous Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated India’s first indigenous Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) (500 MWe) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu. In line with the true spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, PFBR has been fully designed and constructed indigenously by BHAVINI with significant contribution from more than 200 Indian industries including MSMEs. Once commissioned, India will only be the second country after Russia to have commercial operating Fast Breeder Reactor.

 

4. India’s unemployment rate in 2023 dropped to 3.1%: NSO: India’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.1 per cent in 2023 from 3.6 per cent in the preceding year, reflecting continued improvement in the labour markets, revealed the latest employment-unemployment indicators report released by the National Statistical Office. During the calendar year 2023, the unemployment rate in both rural and urban areas declined to 2.4 per cent and 5.2 per cent, respectively, from 2.8 per cent and 5.9 per cent in 2022.

 

5. CM Yogi launched ‘MYUVA Scheme’ for Young Entrepreneurs in UP: Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath has launched an initiative to support young entrepreneurs called “Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan (MYUVA).” The government aims to prepare one lakh young entrepreneurs every year through this initiative. The scheme offers interest-free loans to young entrepreneurs for projects valued up to Rs 5 lakh. The scheme promotes digital transactions in business operations and provides grants to encourage the adoption of digital payment methods.

 

 

INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:

 

1. Donald Trump wins Colorado ballot disqualification case in Supreme Court: The US Supreme Court delivered a significant victory to Donald Trump, overturning a judicial decision that had barred him from Colorado's ballot. This exclusion was based on a constitutional provision related to incitement and support for the 6th of January, 2021, Capitol attack. Mr Trump is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden in the 5th November  U.S. election.

 

2. France become first country to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution: France has become the first country in the world to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution. French lawmakers from both houses of the Parliament, in a special session, voted 780 to 72 in favor of the move to amend the Constitution. The amendment states that there is a guaranteed freedom to abortion in France. France has a long history of supporting abortion rights. The voluntary ending of pregnancy became legal in France in 1975 with a law named after Simone Veil, the health minister who supported it.

 

3. 6 March – Ghana Independence Day: On 6th March 1957 Prime Minister of Ghana, Dr Kwame Nkrumah declare de country free from British Colonial rule. Ghana set record as the first country to gain independence from colonial rule after de long fight for freedom. In 1957, on this day, Ghana became the first African country in sub-Saharan Africa to officially become a free nation.

Ghana was the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to become independent from European colonial rule. This day marks the declaration of Ghanaian independence from the British colonial rule.

 

OTHER UPDATES:

DEFENCE

 

1. Indian Navy Conducts Twin-Carrier Operations: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh embarked at sea to witness the Indian Navy’s ability to conduct ‘twin-carrier operations’. The demonstration was held as part of the first edition of the Naval Commanders’ Conference which is being held in hybrid form this time. During the inaugural session, both the aircraft carriers showcased their ability to safeguard India’s maritime interests.

 

2. SI Suman Kumari makes history as BSF’s First Female Sniper: Sub-Inspector Suman Kumari has etched her name in history as the first woman sniper of the Border Security Force (BSF). Her recent completion of an eight-week intensive sniper course at the Central School of Weapons and Tactics (CSWT) in Indore not only showcases her exceptional abilities but also her pioneering spirit. Suman achieved the prestigious ‘instructor grade’, a testament to her proficiency and expertise.

SPORTS

 

1. Sports Ministry revokes suspension of Paralympic Committee of India: The Sports Ministry has revoked the suspension of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) with immediate effect The Sports Ministry said in a letter to the Paralympic Committee of India that the main ground for suspension is being addressed and PCI will be hosting the 2024 World Shooting Para Sport World Cup from 6th March to 15 March, 2024 at New Delhi The Ministry in February 2024, had suspended the government recognition of PCI due to delay in holding the election.

 

2. Shahbaz Nadeem retires from international and India’s domestic cricket: Spinner Shahbaz Nadeem has retired from all forms of international cricket. Now, he wants to play in T20 leagues worldwide. Nadeem took 542 wickets in his first-class career and played two Tests for India. His Test debut was in 2019 when he was 30 years old. The Jharkhand spinner was called in place of Kuldeep Yadav. During the Ranchi Test against South Africa, Shahbaz took 2 wickets for 22 in the first innings and 2 wickets for 18 in the second innings.

 

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

 

1. India’s IN-SPACe Inaugurates Satellite & Payload Technical Centre in Ahmedabad: Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh has inaugurated the IN-SPACe Technical Centre at the headquarters of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) in Bopal area of Ahmedabad. Our target is to take the space economy from 2 per cent to 10 per cent by 2030, which will be a five-fold increase. We have mentioned 15 per cent by 2047 as per our vision document. The IN-SPACe Technical Centre will help develop rockets and not just satellites. The IN-SPACe offers a range of facilities including the Climate Simulation Test Facility (CSTF), Thermal and Vacuum Environment Simulation Facility (TVAC), Vibration Test Facility (VTF), the Space Systems Assembly Integration Testing and Checkout Laboratory, the RF and Opto-Electronics Laboratory and Clean Rooms for AIT activities.

 

BANKING AND FINANCE

 

1. State Bank of India Achieves Landmark of 500 Million Customers: The State Bank of India (SBI) has announced that it has crossed the significant milestone of having over 50 crore customers. Dinesh Khara, the Chairman of SBI, expressed gratitude to the bank's customers for their trust and support. In addition to the customer milestone, SBI surpassed IT giant Infosys to become the 5th most valued firm in the country by market valuation. Top 5 most valued firms, Reliance Industries,Tata Consultancy Services, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, SBI

 

2. RBI appoints S. Ravindran as TMB’s part-time chairman: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the appointment of S Ravindran as the part-time chairman of Tuticorin-based Tamilnad Mercantile Bank (TMB) till August 2, 2026. Currently, Mr. Ravindran is an independent director on the boards of NSE, LTIDPL Invit Services, Shriram Finance and Bandhan AMC. TMB Ltd is a private sector scheduled bank with a base in south India.

 

3. PNB ties up with EaseMyTrip to launch travel credit card: Public sector bank Punjab National Bank (PNB) has partnered with online travel tech platform EaseMyTrip to launch a co-branded travel credit card “PNB EMT Credit Card”. This co-branded travel credit card is aimed at mass to premium segments. Users can earn rewards in a variety of categories, including flights, hotels, and holiday packages. Furthermore, this new credit card includes a wallet for contactless payments. PNB EMT credit card comes with an annual membership fee of Rs 2000 and can be used across 100 countries.