Current Affairs Quiz 15th February 2024 Quiz

Exp. Wipro acquires Aggne for $66 mn to boost capabilities in insurance sector

IT major Wipro has acquired a 60 per cent stake in US-based insurtech Aggne Global for $66 million to strengthen its competitive advantage in the insurance sector, particularly in the property and casualty (P&C) insurance space.

Founded in 2019, Aggne is incorporated in the US and India, with offices in Tampa, Florida, and Hyderabad, India.

The company has 230 employees based in India and the United States.

With this investment, Wipro becomes a majority shareholder in Aggne, which brings to Wipro a unique set of capabilities and intellectual property (IP) in the P&C insurance space.

‘The combined capabilities of Wipro and Aggne will help deliver enhanced value, faster speed-to-market, and differentiated services to clients in the P&C sector.

Exp. Odisha govt to give interest-free loans to youth under ‘Swayam’ scheme

Odisha government has decided to provide interest-free loans up to Rs 1 lakh to youth of the state under the new government scheme ‘Swayam.’

Under the scheme ‘Swayam’ to create self-employment for youth, 1 lakh eligible rural and an equal number of urban youth in the age group of 18-35 years will receive interest-free loans of up to Rs 1 lakh for starting a new business.

Further, all rural unemployed youth or those with no outstanding loan for the same purpose from any central or state government-supported schemes in the age group of 18-35 years (18-40 years for a special category) desirous of starting a new business or expanding their existing business will be provided an interest-free bank loan for project costs up to Rs. 1 lakh.

The scheme will be operational for two years and Rs 672 crore will be spent from the state’s coffers.

About Odisha

• Capital – Bhubaneswar
• Chief Minister – Naveen Patnaik
• Governor – Raghubar Das (26^th)

Recent Scheme in News

• CM Vayoshree Yojana (Maharashtra) – For senior citizens who suffer from some physical or mental disability
• Mahtari Vandan Yojana (Chhattisgarh) – To provide Rs 1,000 financial assistance for married women.
• Yuva Nidhi Scheme (Karnataka) – To provide aid for Jobless Youth
• Yogyasree Scheme (West Bengal) – To provide free training modules for SC & ST Students

Exp. Dharmendra Pradhan Inaugurates National Conference on APAAR: One Nation One Student ID Card

Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan has inaugurated the national conference to mark the creation of 25 crore ‘APAAR: One Nation One Student ID Card.’

“One Nation, One Student ID” has been envisioned in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and the conference will deliberate on creating a seamless educational landscape, facilitating academic mobility, and ensuring data security and privacy for students.

The Education Ministry has proposed a deadline of 2026-27 for 100% integration of the education records of all students through the ID.

About APAAR

• The Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry (APAAR) stands as a transformative initiative in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020 and the National Credit and Qualifications Framework (NCrF).
• Its objective is to streamline and unify the academic journey of students throughout India by issuing a distinct and permanent 12-digit ID to each student. This ID serves to centralise their academic accomplishments, providing easy access to their educational records.
• Additionally, he emphasised the significance of the seamless integration of APAAR IDs, Academic Bank of Credit, and Digilocker, streamlining operations. Furthermore, he referenced other vital digital resources such as Swayam and DIKSHA.

Exp. Assam declares ‘Kaji Nemu’ as state fruit

The Assam government has announced that ‘Kaji Nemu’ (citrus lemon) has been recognized as the state fruit of Assam.

With its unique aroma and antioxidant properties, Assam lemon has enriched our local cuisines.

Kaji Nemu has already received a GI tag in 2016.

Kaji Nemu is a highly prized fruit for its culinary and medicinal properties. It has a distinctively strong and sour flavour, which adds a zesty flavour to a variety of dishes.

As per reports, it is also known for its digestive and anti-inflammatory properties. Kaji Nemu is a popular ingredient in traditional Assamese cuisine.

About Assam

• Capital – Dispur
• Chief Minister –Himanta Biswa Sarma
• Governor – Gulab Chand Kataria
• State Fruit – Kaji Nemu

Exp. Government Names of ‘Indira’ and ‘Nargis’ Dropped From National Film Awards

The ‘Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director’ and the ‘Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration’, which are part of the National Film Awards, have been renamed on the recommendation of the Committee for Rationalisation of Film Awards.

The committee recommended that the ‘Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director’ be renamed as ‘Best Debut Film of a Director’, and the award money be increased to Rs 3 lakh.

It also recommended that the ‘Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration’ be renamed as ‘Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values’. This award carries a Rajat Kamal to the director and the producer with Rs 1.5 lakh each.

The committee recommended that it be clubbed with ‘Best Film on Social Issues and Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation’. The award amount has been increased to Rs 2 lakh each to the director and producer.

Dadasaheb Phalke Award has increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh.

Exp. CIAL partnered with BPCL to set up first green hydrogen plant at Cochin airport

Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) for setting up a green hydrogen plant in the premises of Cochin Airport.

This collaborative effort will result in the world’s first green hydrogen plant and fueling station located within an airport setting, CIAL said in a statement on Wednesday.

Green hydrogen, produced from water using renewable energy sources, is recognized as a future fuel and aligns with zero-carbon energy strategies.

Exp. ICAI elects new President, Vice President

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has elected Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal as its new President.

He has assumed charge as the 72nd President of ICAI.

A graduate of Calcutta University, Agarwal has been a practicing Chartered Accountant for last 24 years. He is also a Company Secretary and DISA from ICAI. He was elected to the 23rd, 24th and 25th Central Council of ICAI three times in a row.

Additionally, Charanjot Singh Nanda has been elected as Vice President for the Year 2024-25.

Earlier, Nanda was appointed as a Central Council Member of ICAI India.

Recent Appointment in Banking & Insurance Sector

• CEO of Sundaram Asset Management Company – Anand Radhakrishnan (replace Sunil Subramaniam)
• MD & CEO of LIC Mutual Fund – Ravi Kumar Jha
• Non-executive Chairman of NPCI Board – Ajay Kumar Choudhary (replace Biswamohan Mahapatra)
• MD & CEO of Tata AIA Life Insurance – Venkatachalam H (replace Naveen Tahilyani)
• Consumer lending and mortgages head of Bandhan Bank – Santosh Nair (Shantanu Sengupta)

Exp. Former PM Alexander Stubb wins Finland Presidential election

Former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb secured victory in Finland’s presidential runoff against ex-Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto.

Stubb of the National Coalition Party secured 51.6% of the votes, while independent candidate Haavisto received 48.4%.

The former leader of the National Conservative Party’s bid for the office was prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

About Finland

• Capital- Helsinki
• Currency- Euro
• Prime Minister- Petteri Orpo
• President – Alexander Stubb

Newly Appointed Prime Minister & President

• Prime Minister of Kazakhstan – Olzhas Bektenov
• Prime Minister of Yemen – Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak
• President of El Salvador – Nayib Bukele (2^nd time)
• Sultan of Malaysia – Ibrahim Iskandar  

Exp. India’s WPI inflation eases to three-month low of 0.27 per cent in January

India’s wholesale price index-based inflation eased further to 0.27 per cent in January 2024 on an annual basis, as against 0.73 per cent in December, stated provisional data from the Commerce Ministry

The month-on-month change in WPI index for January witnessed a contraction of (-)0.33 per cent from a contraction of (-)1.12 per cent in the preceding month.

Positive rate of inflation in January 2024 is primarily due to increase in prices of food articles, machinery & equipment, other manufacturing, minerals, other transport equipment etc.

Earlier this week, India’s retail inflation data was released which showed that it has eased to 5.10 per cent on an annual basis as against a four-month high of 5.69 per cent in December, data released by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation showed.

Recent WPI-based Wholesale inflation in India

• August 2023 – (-) 0.52%
• September 2023 – (-) 0.26%
• October 2023 – (-) 0.52%
• November 2023 – 26%
• December 2023 –73%

Exp. NTPC commissioned 14 MW unit of Ayodhya solar project

NTPC Green Energy Ltd, a subsidiary of NTPC Limited, has commissioned 14 MW of capacity at its Ayodhya Solar Photovoltaic Project.

The project is part of a larger 40 MW solar project being developed by NTPC Green Energy Ltd in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

With this commissioning, the total installed and commercial capacity of the NTPC Group now stands at 73,888 MW.

About Uttar Pradesh

• Capital – Lucknow
• Chief Minister – Yogi Adityanath
• Governor – Anandiben Patel

Exp. India Wins 9th GovTech Prize for AI-Powered Government Services at World Government Summit 2024

India has secured the prestigious 9th GovTech Prize for its pioneering endeavors in Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered government services, at the World Government Summit 2024.

The annual award is instituted by the government of the UAE and is presented to government entities, central or local, worldwide, to recognize creative and innovative solutions.

The accolade recognizes the remarkable efforts of the Ministry for Road Transport & Highways, Government of India, for its transformative project known as iRASTE.

It is a collaborative initiative involving the government, industry, and academia, is revolutionizing road safety through the integration of AI technology.

Recent Awards

• KPP Nambiar Award for 2024 – ISRO Chairman, S Somanath
• WHO Nelson Mandela Award for health promotion – National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS)
• A Plaque at Jungfrau’s Ice Palace by Swiss tourism – Neeraj Chopra
• Lakshminarayana International Award – Pyarelal Sharma (For My Name Is Lakhan)
• Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award – Stunning Sleepy Polar Bear (Ice Bed) clicked by Nima Sarikhani.

Exp. Shamar Joseph and Amy Hunter awarded ICC Players of The Month for Jan 2024

International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the winners of the ICC Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month for January 2024.

West Indies’ Joseph has become the first West Indian to win the Men’s ICC Player of the Month award for his heroics in the Australia Test series.

While, Ireland’s explosive young batter Amy Hunter claimed the honour in the women’s category after her dominance against Zimbabwe.

ICC Men’s Player of the Month

• September 2023 – Shubman Gill (India)
• October 2023 – Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand)
• November 2023 – Travis Head (Australia)
• December 2023 – Pat Cummins (Australia)

ICC Women’s Player of the Month

• September 2023 – Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka)
• October 2023 – Hayley Matthews (West Indies)
• November 2023 – Nahida Akter (Bangladesh)
• December 2023 – Deepti Sharma (India)

Exp. Defence Ministry Signs Rs 2,269 Crore Contract with BEL

The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for the procurement of 11 Shakti Electronic Warfare Systems for the Indian Navy.

The contract is worth 2,269 Crore Rupees.

The Shakti EW System will be installed on-board capital warships of the Indian Navy. The project will generate employment of two and half lakh man-days over a period of four years with the participation of more than 155 industry partners including MSMEs, thus furthering the vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.

About Shakti EW System

• The Shakti EW System is indigenously designed, developed and manufactured.
• The Shakti EW System is capable of accurately intercepting electronic emissions and implementing countermeasures in dense electromagnetic environment.

Exp. 15 February – International Childhood Cancer Day

International Childhood Cancer Awareness Day is observed every year on 15 February.

It is a global campaign aimed at raising awareness about childhood cancer and its difficulties.

It also serves as a reminder of the need for better support for children, adolescents, and their families as they battle this devastating disease.

This day was first established by Childhood Cancer International in 2002.  

Exp. 15 February – World Hippo Day

World Hippo Day is celebrated on 15 February every year.

Objective – To raise awareness about the plight of hippos, which are one of the most endangered large mammals on the planet.

Today, the hippo population is estimated to be between 115,000 and 130,000, with the decline being attributed to poaching, loss of access to fresh water, mechanised farming, and urbanization.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed them as a vulnerable species in 2006 after establishing that the hippo population had declined by as much as 20% within the previous two decades.

What is Hippo?

• Hippos are semiaquatic mammals, native to sub-Saharan Africa, and weigh up to 2,000 kg, making them the third-largest land mammal after elephants and rhinos.
• They are mostly found in rivers, lakes, and mangrove swamps, and have adapted to a semiaquatic lifestyle.
• Their diet consists mostly of leaves, roots, and stems, supported by a robust digestive system that is adapted to conserve nutrients.