Current Affairs Quiz 20th and 21st January 2024 Quiz

Exp. PM Modi inaugurates Boeing’s India Engineering and Technology Center

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated Boeing’s new global engineering and technology centre campus near Bengaluru city.

Built at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore, the 43-acre Boeing India Engineering and Technology Centre (BIETC) campus is the plane-maker’s largest such investment outside the US.

The campus at Hightech Defence and Aerospace Park in Devanahalli on the city outskirts will become a cornerstone for partnerships with the vibrant startups, private and government ecosystem in India, and will help develop next-generation products and services for the global aerospace and defence industry.

PM also launched the ‘Boeing Sukanya Programme’ that “aims to support the entry of more girl children from across India into the country’s growing aviation sector.

The programme will provide opportunities for girls and women to learn critical skills in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) fields and train for jobs in the aviation sector.

For young girls, the programme will create STEM labs at 150 planned locations to help spark interest in STEM careers. It will also provide scholarships to women who are training to be pilots.

PM Modi in News

• PM Modi inaugurated the 27th National Youth Festival in Nashik, Maharashtra.
• PM Modi inaugurated & laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over 30,500 crore rupees in Maharashtra
• PM inaugurates Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands Submarine Optical Fibre Connection
• PM Modi inaugurates new terminal building at Tiruchirappalli airport
• PM Modi attend DGP conference at Jaipur

Exp. PM Modi released commemorative postage stamps, book on Ram Temple

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released a series of commemorative postage stamps dedicated to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and a book featuring stamps from around the world honouring the revered deity.

The intricate design of the stamps captures the essence of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir, with six distinct components. These include the Ram Mandir itself, the timeless Choupai ‘Mangal Bhavan Amangal Hari’, a radiant depiction of the sun, the sacred Saryu River, and sculptures found in and around the temple.

The six stamps within the collection represent key figures and elements from the Ramayana. These include the Ram Temple, Lord Ganesh, Lord Hanuman, Jatayu, Kevatraj, and Ma Shabri.

Each stamp is adorned with a touch of elegance, featuring a gold leaf of sun rays and the Choupai, adding a majestic touch to the entire miniature sheet.

Accompanying the Stamp Release is a 48-page book that sheds light on the international resonance of Lord Ram. The book showcases stamps issued by more than 20 countries, including the United States, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada, Cambodia, and even by international organizations such as the United Nations.

This collection aims to underline the universal appeal and influence of Lord Ram on diverse societies across the globe.

Exp. India, France to jointly fund science research projects

India and France have agreed to jointly fund scientific research projects in the fields of health, decarbonized hydrogen, marine sciences, and applied mathematics.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the Indo-French Joint Committee on Science and Technology (JCST) in the India International Science Festival.

The two sides also pointed out the key role of mobility and networking in preparing future cutting-edge scientific cooperation.

Recently India signed MoUs with others countries

• India and Mauritius collaborate on Rs 20 crore small satellite project
• India and Guyana signed MoU for Hydrocarbon Sector
• India and Malaysia sign an MoU for Cooperation in Broadcasting
• India and Italy signed Mobility and Migration Partnership Agreement
• India, Russia ink pacts on construction of future power generating units of Kudankulam nuclear plant, Tamil Nadu

Exp. Cabinet approves Coal India power projects through JVs

The Union Cabinet has approved setting up of two pithead thermal power plants through joint ventures by subsidiaries South Eastern Coalfields (SECL) and Mahanadi Coalfields (MCL) aimed at providing cheaper power.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Narendra Modi approved proposals to set up a 1×660 MW thermal power plant at Amarkantak Thermal Power Station in Chachai, Madhya Pradesh. The CCEA also approved a 2×800 MW Thermal Power Plant in Sundergarh, Odisha.

The plant at Amarkantak thermal power station will be set through a joint venture between SECL and MPPGCL. The proposal for equity investment at a capital of Rs 823 crore by SECL and 49 percent equity investment in JV company with an estimated project capex of Rs 5,600 crore has been approved.

For the Sundergarh project, a proposed equity capital of Rs 4,784 crore by MCL with an estimated project capex of Rs 15,947 crore through MBPL has been approved. The Cabinet gave its nod to MBPL, a special-purpose vehicle of MCL to set up the plant.

Coal India Limited the largest coal mining company in the world, will set up two Pithead Thermal Power Plants, through its subsidiaries, with a view to provide cheaper power to the country.

Exp. West Bengal CM inaugurates 47th International Kolkata Book Fair

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has inaugurated the 47th edition of the International Kolkata Book Fair.

The United Kingdom is the theme country for this year’s fair, which has about 1,000 stalls and is scheduled to run from January 18 to January 31 at Salt Lake’s Central Park here.

Nearly 20 countries were participating in this year’s book fair, which has become a big festival for Kolkata.

This year marks the U.K. as the theme country for the fourth time at the International Kolkata Book Fair. The U.K. pavilion is designed to immerse visitors in the essence of British culture, highlighting its modern contributions to education, the English language, and the arts.

A stall of The Hindu has also been put up at the fair after a gap of almost 15 years. Several special publications, including The Cholas, The Himalayas as well as The Hindu Book of Editorials are being displayed at the stall.

About West Bengal

• Capital – Kolkata
• Chief Minister – Mamata Banerjee
• Governor – C V Ananda Bose

Exp. Ministry of Tourism to organize “Bharat Parv” from 23-31 January

The nine-day extravaganza, part of the Republic Day celebrations, is set to unfold from January 23rd to January 31, at the Lawns and Gyan Path in front of the historic Red Fort in Delhi.

Since its inception in 2016, Bharat Parv has evolved into a grand celebration, bringing together the rich tapestry of India’s cultural heritage, citizen-centric initiatives, and vibrant traditions.

The event promises a captivating blend of Republic Day Parade tableaux, dynamic cultural performances, engaging presentations, and a feast of delectable delicacies from every corner of the country.

This year’s Bharat Parv showcases the participation of 26 Central Ministries and Departments, each highlighting citizen-centric schemes and government initiatives such as Mission Life, One District One Product, Viksit Bharat, Nari Shakti, and Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.

To enhance the cultural experience, thematic pavilions of more than 30 states and union territories have been set up, providing visitors with a glimpse of the diverse tourist attractions of the country. The event is not only a celebration of heritage but also a platform for local artisans to shine, with “Vocal for Local” being promoted through their participation in displaying and selling their products.

Statements

(i) The Finance Commission is a statutory body that gives suggestions on Centre-State financial relations. (Incorrect)

(ii) The Union Cabinet approved the creation of three posts at the level of Joint Secretary for the 16th Finance Commission.  (Correct)

(iii) In December 2023, Anoop Singh Pandey was named as the Secretary to the 16^th Finance Commission.  (Incorrect)

(ii) The 16th Finance Commission chaired by Arvind Panagariya. (Correct)

Exp. Cabinet approves creation of posts for 16th Finance Commission

The Cabinet has approved the creation of three officer-level posts for assisting the 16th Finance Commission, chaired by Arvind Panagariya.

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the creation of three posts at the level of Joint Secretary i.e. two posts of Joint Secretary and one post of Economic Adviser, for the 16th Finance Commission.

The newly created posts are required to assist the Commission in carrying out its functions. All other posts in the commission have already been created as per the delegated powers.

In December 2023, the government appointed the former vice chairman of Niti Aayog Panagariya as the chairman of the 16th Finance Commission. While, Ritvik Ranjanam Pandey was named as the Secretary to the Commission.

The Commission would submit its report to the President by October 31, 2025. The report would be for five years commencing April 1, 2026.

Besides suggesting tax devolution between the Centre and States and revenue augmentation measures, the Commission would review the present arrangements for financing disaster management initiatives with reference to the funds constituted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

The erstwhile 15th Finance Commission under N.K. Singh had recommended that States be given 41% of the divisible tax pool of the Centre during five-year period 2021-22 to 2025-26, which is at the same level as was recommended by the 14th Finance Commission.

As for the Fifteenth finance commission, it was chaired by N.K. Singh and members included Shaktikanta Das, Ashok Lahiri, Ramesh Chand and Anoop Singh.

About Finance Commission

• The Finance Commission was constituted in pursuance of Article 280 of the Constitution.
• The Finance Commission is a constitutional body that gives suggestions on Centre-State financial relations.

Exp. ICICI Bank Canada Launches ‘Money2India (Canada)’ Mobile Banking App

ICICI Bank Canada, a subsidiary of ICICI Bank Ltd., has launched the app Money2India, which allows customers of any Canadian bank to send money to any bank in India without an account with ICICI Bank Canada.

Customers can send money directly through the app via Visa or Mastercard.

Customers can send up to $22,446 in a single transaction and can set up recurring transfers. The app features two-factor authentication and a one-time password.

The introduction of the ‘Money2India (Canada)’ app reflects our commitment to providing users with a convenient and enriched experience.

Recent Facilities Launched in Banking & Insurance Sector

• IndusInd Bank launch Platinum Credit Card association with EazyDiner
• Yes Bank launched SmartFin supply chain powered by Veefin finance solution
• DLabs at ISB launches `Build for Billions’ jointly with RBI Innovation Hub, Union Bank of India
• SBI launched Green Rupee Term Deposit of 1,111 days, 1,777 days, and 2,222 days tenor for resident individuals, non-individuals, and NRI customers.
• Indian Bank launches ‘Indian Bank One Co-Branded Credit Card’

Exp. Daljit Singh Chaudhary appointed Director General of SSB

Senior IPS officer Daljit Singh Chaudhary has appointed as the Director General of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

Chaudhary, a 1990 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, is presently working as Special Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment as the DG, SSB for a period up to November 30, 2025..

The SSB guards India’s frontiers with Nepal and Bhutan.

Recent Appointment in Defence Sector

• Vice Chief of the Naval Staff – Dinesh K. Tripathi
• DG of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) – Nina Singh (first woman Director)
• DG of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) – Rahul Rasgotra (replace Anish Dayal Singh)
• DG of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) – Anish Dayal Singh
• DG of the Fire Service – Vivek Srivastava

Exp. Praveen Achuthan Kutty appointed as MD & CEO of DCB Bank

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the appointment of Praveen Achuthan Kutty as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of DCB Bank.

The appointment is for a period of three years with effect from April 29, 2024, the bank said in a regulatory filing. The term of the bank’s MD & CEO Murali Natrajan ends on April 28, 2024.

Praveen Achuthan Kutty has over 32 years of experience in all aspects of Retail & SME banking.

Recent Appointment in Banking & Insurance Sector

• Deputy Governor of RBI – Michael Patra (1 year extension)
• CEO of PhonePe For International Payments Division – Ritesh Pai
• Executive Director of SEBI – G Ram Mohan Rao (for 3 years)
• ‘Class C’ Director on Board of Directors of Federal Reserve Bank of New York – Rajiv Shah
• MD & CEO of National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL) – P Santhosh (replace Natarajan Sundar)

Exp. PepsiCo India appoints Jagrut Kotecha as new CEO

Jagrut Kotecha has been appointed as the CEO of Snacks and beverage major ‘PepsiCo India’.

He will succeed Ahmed El Sheikh, who will take over as CEO for the Middle East Business Unit, in March, after a seven-year stint in India.

Kotecha is currently Chief Commercial Officer for PepsiCo in Africa, Middle East, and South Asia (AMESA).

Recent Appointment

• As a member of the UPSC – Sheel Vardhan Singh
• MD of Bangalore Metro – Maheshwar Rao
• MD of Experian India – Manish Jain
• Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution – Bharat Harbanslal Khera
• Additional Secretary as well as Mission Director for the Dept of Drinking Water and Sanitation’s Jal Jeevan Mission – Chandra Bhushan Kumar
• Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation – Puja Singh Mandol

Exp. South Africa host ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup 2024

South Africa is hosting the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup 2024. The World Cup started on 19 January and will conclude on 11 February.

This 50-over tournament will feature 16 teams, with a total of 41 matches scheduled to be played.

The initial phase of the tournament organizes the teams into four groups, each containing four teams. This will be followed by the Super Six stage, comprising two groups of six teams each. This stage will be crucial in determining which teams advance to the semifinals and ultimately compete in the final.

The ICC U19 World Cup 2024 in India will be broadcast on Star Sports Network TV channels. The live streaming will be available on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website for free.

About International Cricket Council (ICC)

• The International Cricket Council is the global governing body of cricket.
• It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from Australia, England and South Africa.
• It was renamed as the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1987.
• Formation – 15 June 1909
• Headquarters – Dubai, UAE
• Chairman – Greg Barclay (New Zealand)
• Deputy Chairman – Imran Khwaja (Singapore)
• CEO – Geoff Allardice (Australia)
• General Manager – Wasim Khan
• Membership – 108 members

Exp. Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi to be honoured with ‘Assam Baibhav’ Award

Former Chief Justice of India and current Rajya Sabha MP, Ranjan Gogoi is to be honored with the prestigious ‘Assam Baibhav’ award, the highest civilian award in Assam.

This announcement was made by the Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, who highlighted Gogoi’s significant contributions to the field of justice and jurisprudence.

The award ceremony is scheduled to take place on February 10.

This is the third year on which the awards will be given. “In the first year, we gave the Assam Baibhav award to Ratan Tata and last year we gave the award to Tapan Saikia.

Ranjan Gogoi held the office of the 46th Chief Justice of India. During his tenure as CJI, the Supreme Court delivered its ruling on the long-pending Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute in 2019. This marked the conclusion of the decade-old controversial case.

Recent Awards

• Environment Officer Award by VSI – Deepa Bhandare
• Kuvempu Award 2023 – Shirshendu Mukyopadhyaya (Bengali Writer)
• M S Swaminathan Award – Prof. B.R. Kamboj
• First Indian Company to receive ISCC-Plus certification – Reliance Industries
• Conferred Honorary Doctorate By Japanese University – Devendra Fadnavis

Exp. EIL conferred with SCOPE Eminence Award

Engineers India Limited (EIL) has been conferred with the prestigious SCOPE Eminence Award in the category of Women Empowerment for the period 2019-20.

The award recognizes EIL’s exemplary commitment to fostering an inclusive & diverse work environment and celebrates the outstanding achievement of its women workforce.

The award was presented to EIL by the Vice-President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar and received by EIL’s Director (Finance) Sanjay Jindal and Director (Commercial) Atul Gupta, during an award ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

Statements

(i) President Droupadi Murmu presented the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar to 19 children for their exceptional achievements. (Correct)

(ii) The children comprise 10 boys and 9 girls. (Incorrect)

(iii) The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2024 is given in seven categories.  (Incorrect)

(iv) The award is given to children aged 10 to 18 years. (Incorrect)

Exp. President Murmu presented Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar

President Droupadi Murmu has presented the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar to 19 children for their exceptional achievements.

The children, comprising 9 boys and 10 girls, hail from 18 States and Union Territories, including two aspirational districts.

The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar, 2024 will be given in six categories — art and culture (7), bravery (1), innovation (1), science and technology (1), social service (4), and sports (5).

The Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar, a government initiative, aims to recognize and celebrate the exceptional achievements of children aged 5 to 18 years. Each awardee will receive a medal and a certificate.

Full list of winners-