HEADLINES

 Mumbai Wins Ranji Trophy 2024 After Beating Vidarbha

 Gyanesh Kumar, Sukhbir Sandhu appointed as Election Commissioners
 Centre to provide cashless treatment for road crash victims
 Centre, ADB sign $23 million loan agreement to strengthen fintech ecosystem
 Fitch raises India's FY25 GDP forecast to 7 % from 6.5% earlier, sees 50 bps rate cut from RBI
 Electoral Bonds. At ₹6,060 crore, BJP No 1 beneficiary of poll bonds
 Arya.ag partners Shivalik Bank for commodity financing
 Reliance acquires Paramount’s 13 per cent stake in Viacom18 for ₹4,286 crore
 India ranks 134th in global human development index - UNDP report
 PM Modi Launches PM-SURAJ Portal To Empower Marginalized Communities By Extending Credit Support
 International Day of Action for Rivers 2024 – March 14
 India Jumps 14 Ranks In Gender Inequality Index (GII) 2022: UNDP Report
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  Renowned Artisan and Padma Awardee Kapildev Prasad Passes Away
 I&B Minister Anurag Thakur Releases Book Titled Israel War Diary Written By Vishal Pandey
 Heavy Industries Ministry Announces Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme 2024
 I&B Ministry blocks 18 OTT platforms: No obscene content on OTT
 Max India’s subsidiary partners with IIT Delhi for Senior Citizens
 Anurag Singh Thakur launches PB-SHABD
 The agreement was signed between Bureau of Energy Efficiency ,India and Government of Bhutan
 RBI bars Federal Bank, South Indian Bank from issuing co-branded credit cards
 Agray and Akshay ships launched to augment Indian Navy operations
 Defence minister Rajnath singh has approved a proposal to increase strength of National Cadet Corps(NCC)
 World Consumer Rights Day 2024 – March 15
 Breakthroughs in generative AI have surprised the digital world".
 Senior bureaucrat Rahul Singh becomes the new Chairman of CBSE
 India likely to start free trade deal talks with Eurasian Economic Union(EaEU)

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 Mumbai Wins Ranji Trophy 2024 After Beating Vidarbha
 Mumbai won the Ranji Trophy 2024 after beating Vidarbha by 169 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
 This was their 42nd Ranji Trophy title, showcasing their dominance in Indian domestic cricket.
 Chasing a daunting 538-run target Vidarbha put up a commendable fight with skipper Akshay Wadkar scoring a hundred
but Mumbai spinners ensured Vidarbha were bowled out for 368.
 This was Mumbai’s first title victory eight years after winning the title under Aditya Tare in 2015-16 season. Vidarbha, on
the other hand, playing their third Ranji final, tasted defeat for the first time in a summit clash.
 Youn upstart Musheer Khan was the star performer for Mumbai with a brilliant second innings century of 136 runs from
326 balls while Shreyas Iyer played his part with a 95, which was the bedrock for Mumbai’s second innings total of 418,
helping Mumbai set Vidarbha a mammoth target of 538 runs.
 Player of the match: Musheer Khan
 Player of the Series: Tanush Kotian
 About Ranji Trophy: The Ranji Trophy is named after one of India’s first test cricketers, Ranjitsinhji, who played for
England and Sussex.
 The first match of the competition was held on 4 November 1934 between Madras and Mysore at the Chepauk ground in
Madras (Now Chennai).
 Mumbai (Bombay) has won the tournament the most times with 42 wins including 15 back-to-back wins from 1958–59 to
1972–73.
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 Gyanesh Kumar, Sukhbir Sandhu appointed as Election Commissioners
 The government has appointed former IAS officers Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu have been appointed as
the new Election Commissioners.
 Gyanesh Kumar served as the Secretary of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and later as Secretary of the Ministry of
Cooperation.
 Sukhbir Sandhu has served as the Chief Secretary of Uttarkhand.
 Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu have been appointed in the place of Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel.
 Pandey had demitted office on February 14 on attaining the age of 65 years, while Goel resigned suddenly in a move that
surprised many.
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 Centre to provide cashless treatment for road crash victims

 The government announced a pilot project to provide cashless treatment of up to ₹1.5 lakh to all victims of road
accidents.
 The pilot programme was announced by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways through a press statement.

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  The pilot will be undertaken in Chandigarh to establish an “ecosystem for providing timely medical care to the victims of
road accidents, including during the golden hour".
 Victims will be entitled to cashless treatment of upto ₹1.5 lakhs per person for a maximum period of seven days from the
date of accident.
 The pilot scheme will be applicable to all victims of road accidents, which involves a motor vehicle, that occurred on any
category of road.
 The packages for trauma and polytrauma offered under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana will also be co-opted under
the scheme.
 Claims raised by hospitals for providing treatment will be reimbursed from the Motor Vehicle Accident Fund.
 The golden hour is the one-hour period following a traumatic injury during which there is the highest likelihood of
preventing death by providing prompt medical care, according to the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act, 2019.
 The amendment also provided for “a scheme for cashless treatment of road accident victims” as well as a Motor Vehicle
Accident Fund.
 The National Health Authority will be the implementing agency for the pilot programme, and will co-ordinate with police,
hospitals and State Health Agency.
 The implementation will rely on an IT platform which will use data from the Road Ministry’s Integrated Road
Accident Database (iRAD) where police personnel enter data on road accidents along with photos and videos.

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 Centre, ADB sign $23 million loan agreement to strengthen fintech ecosystem

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  The Centre 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).
 The signatories to the loan agreement for Promoting Research and Innovation through Development of Fintech Institute at
GIFT-City Project were Juhi Mukherjee, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, for the
Government of India, and Rajesh Vasudevan, Officer-in Charge of ADB’s India Resident Mission, for ADB.
 GIFT City is an initiative of the Centre and the State Government of Gujarat to foster India’s financial services and fintech
ecosystem.
 This project will 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.
 The project will help establish a state fintech readiness index and develop new solutions to emerging technologies.
 About ADB:
 Headquarters: Mandaluyong, Philippines
 Founded: 19 December 1966
 President: Masatsugu Asakawa
 Membership: 68 countries (49 of which are from the Asia and Pacific region).

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 Fitch raises India's FY25 GDP forecast to 7 % from 6.5% earlier, sees 50 bps rate cut from RBI
 Rating agency Fitch revised India's FY25 growth forecast upward to 7% from the 6.5% projected earlier.
 The rating agency also expects the RBI to go for a 50 bps rate cut from July to September, adding that it sees the
country's CPI declining by 4% by end of 2024.
 It now expects growth to reach 7.8% in the fiscal year ending March 2024 and 7% IN FY 2024-25.
 With GDP growth having exceeded 8% for three straight quarters, the agency said it expects an easing in the growth
momentum in the final quarter of the current fiscal year, implying an estimate of 7.8% growth in FY23-24.
 The development comes amid calls of upgrade after India's recent estimate-beating 8.4% growth in the third quarter.

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 Electoral Bonds. At ₹6,060 crore, BJP No 1 beneficiary of poll bonds
 The Election Commission of India (ECI) published on its website the details of the electoral bond data it received from
State Bank of India.
 The data clearly show that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has encashed bonds worth ₹6,060 crore from April 12,
2019 to January 11, 2024 - benefited most from the controversial scheme.
 As a national party Congress came in a distant third with ₹1,422 crore, behind Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress
that has encashed bonds worth ₹1,609 crore.
 The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) tally of encashment stood at ₹1,214 crore and the Aam Aadmi Party got ₹66 crore. The
Biju Janata Dal got ₹775 crore, the DMK ₹639 crore and the AIADMK ₹6.05 crore.

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 Arya.ag partners Shivalik Bank for commodity financing
 Grain commerce platform Arya.ag has partnered with Shivalik Small Finance Bank to assist farmers, agro-processors, and
micro-enterprises financially.
 Through this partnership, Arya.ag acts as a business correspondent for the bank to facilitate over ₹200 crore in warehouse
receipt financing in the current financial year.
 This partnership offers assurance to financial institutions and creates a more inclusive ecosystem for small agri-
stakeholders.
 The initiative will help expand the bank’s reach, bringing essential funding to the agricultural ecosystem across India.
 Partnerships like these democratise access to financial services, ensuring equitable pricing and a consistent supply of
credit for farmers and Agri MSMEs.
 About Shivalik Small Finance Bank: Shivalik became the first Small Finance Bank in India to transition from an Urban
Co-operative bank namely Shivalik Mercantile Co-operative Bank (SMCB).
 Founded in 1998.
 Anshul Swami, Managing Director and CEO of Shivalik Small Finance Bank
 Anand Chandra, Co-founder of Arya.ag

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 Reliance acquires Paramount’s 13 per cent stake in Viacom18 for ₹4,286 crore
 Paramount Global will exit Viacom18 by selling its remaining 13.01% stake to Reliance Industries for ₹4,286 crore, a
deal that will value the Indian media company at about ₹33,000 crore.
 With this Reliance Industries stake in Viacom18 will increase from 57 per cent to 70 per cent.
 In separate regulatory filings, the US media and entertainment major and the Mukesh Ambani-led Indian conglomerate
have said the transaction is subject to the satisfaction of certain customary conditions, including receipt of applicable
regulatory approvals.
 Paramount began investing in India nearly two decades ago. MTV Networks, a unit of Paramount, founded Viacom18 in
2007. Years later, Paramount Global formed a joint venture with TV18, another media company in which Reliance
eventually acquired a controlling stake.

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 India ranks 134th in global human development index - UNDP report
 India has moved up a rank on the global Human Development Index (HDI), according to the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) report ‘Breaking the gridlock: Reimagining cooperation in a polarised world’
released on March 13.
 The report stated that while India ranked 135 in 2021, it had moved up to 134 in 2022.
 A total of 193 countries were ranked in 2022 and 191 countries in 2021.
 India’s southern neighbour Sri Lanka has been ranked much ahead at 78, while China is ranked 75, both categorised
under the High Human Development category.
 India also ranks below Bhutan that stands at 125 and Bangladesh, which is in the 129th position. 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.
 India’s life expectancy at birth has slightly improved from "67.2 years
in 2021 to 67.7 years in 2022".
 There is an overall increase (5.88%) in expected years of schooling
(EYS) from 11.9 years to 12.6 years, leading to an improvement of 18
places when the EYS aspect was considered.

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 PM Modi Launches PM-SURAJ Portal To Empower Marginalized Communities By Extending
Credit Support
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the ‘Pradhan Mantri Samajik Utthan and Rozgar Adharit Jankalyan’
(PM-SURAJ) national portal during an event organized by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
 The launch ceremony, graced by PM Modi as the Chief Guest, emphasized the government’s commitment to extending
credit support to one lakh entrepreneurs from disadvantaged communities.
 The PM-SURAJ portal symbolizes the ministry’s dedication to placing the underprivileged at the forefront of development
initiatives.
 During the event, PM Modi personally interacted with beneficiaries from various states who have availed themselves of
schemes like NAMASTE, VCF-SC, VCF-BC, and ASIIM.
 These schemes cater to individuals from Scheduled Castes, backward classes, and Safai Mitras, providing them with
essential support for economic upliftment.
 Additionally, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment distributed Ayushman health cards and Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE) kits to sewer and septic tank workers (Safai Mitras) under the National Action for Mechanized
Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) program.

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 International Day of Action for Rivers 2024 – March 14
 Every year on 14th March, we celebrate the "International Day of Action for Rivers".
 This day serves as a global call to action that unites communities around the world in raising awareness about the vital
role rivers play in our lives and demanding their protection.
 The International Day of Action for Rivers is a day of both "celebration and concern".
 This day is celebrated to understand the importance of rivers as they sustain ecosystems, provide freshwater, and nourish
civilisations.
 The theme for the International Day of Action for Rivers 2024 is "Water for All". This theme highlights the importance
of ensuring equitable access to clean water resources and advocating for water rights.

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 India Jumps 14 Ranks In Gender Inequality Index (GII) 2022: UNDP Report
 The Gender Inequality Index 2022 has been released on the 13th March 2024 by UNDP in their Human Development
Report 2023/2024.
 On the Gender Inequality Index (GII) 2022, India stands at rank 108 out of 193 countries with a score of 0.437. India
stood at rank 122 out of 191 countries with a score of 0.490 in the Gender Inequality Index 2021.
 This shows a significant jump of 14 ranks on GII 2022 vis-à-vis GII 2021.
 Over the last 10 years, India’s rank in GII has become consistently better, indicating progressive improvement in
achieving gender equality in the country. In 2014, this rank was 127, which now has become 108.
 This is an outcome of the decisive agenda set by the Government for ensuring women’s empowerment through policy
initiatives aimed at their long-term socio-economic and political development.
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  Government’s initiatives have spanned across women’s lifecycle including large scale initiatives for girls’ education, skill
development, entrepreneurship facilitation and safety in the workplace. Policies and legislations in these areas have been
driving the Government's ‘women-led development’ agenda.
 About UNDP:
 The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was formed by combining two earlier programs - the United
Nations Expanded Programme of Technical Assistance (established in 1949) and the United Nations Special Fund
(established in 1958).
 The UNDP we know today was officially created by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1966.
 Index released by UNDP:
 Human Development Index (HDI),
 Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI),
 Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI),
 Gender Inequality Index (GII),
 Gender Development Index (GDI),
 Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI (PHDI) and
 Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI).

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 Renowned Artisan and Padma Awardee Kapildev Prasad Passes Away
 Kapildev Prasad, a renowned artisan and Padma awardee for his contributions to the handloom industry and the revival of
Bababuti sarees, passed away in Basavanbigha village, Bihar Sharif.
 He distributed the skills learned from his ancestors among the people and developed this art as a form of employment.
 Very few people were aware of Bawan Booti in the market of machine made garments but with the Padma award, it is
now being discovered all over the country.
 Bawan Booti is basically a kind of weaving art. It is called Bawan Booti because 52 similar motifs are stitched by hand on
cotton or tasar cloth.
 The symbols of Buddhist religion and culture are
used in very fine workmanship in the boots.
 Symbols like lotus flower, Bodhi tree, bull, trident,
golden fish, wheel of religion, treasure, vase,
parasol and conch are mostly found in Bawan
Booti. Bawan booti sarees are in highest demand.
Kapil Dev Prasad’s grandfather Shanichar Tanti
had started it.

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 I&B Minister Anurag Thakur Releases Book Titled Israel War Diary Written By Vishal Pandey
 Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur has released a book titled Israel War Diary written by
Vishal Pandey at a function in New Delhi.
 Mr Thakur said that every country should refrain from war as war is not a solution, dialogue is the only solution.
 India is strengthening its defence capabilities for its own security, it has never committed aggression against others.
 Mr Thakur also highlighted that this book will give insight to the people about India’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war.
 It will provide a detailed overview of the war between Israel and Hamas. the Government has set a target to achieve
Defence exports worth 40 thousand crore rupees.
 The country has its defence production worth one
lakh crore rupees and it exported defence
equipment worth 16 thousand crore rupees last
year.

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 Heavy Industries Ministry Announces Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme 2024
 The Heavy Industries Ministry has announced the Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme 2024 to accelerate the adoption of
Electronic Vehicles (EVs) in India.
 A total outlay of 500 crore rupees will be implemented for four months under the scheme. It will run from 1st of the next
month until July.
 It added that only electric two-wheelers (e-2W) and electric three-wheelers (e-3W) will be eligible under the scheme,
including registered e-rickshaws, e-carts and L5 automobiles.
 Furthermore, only EVs fitted with advanced batteries will be subject to incentives to encourage the growth of advanced
technologies.
 The Ministry has estimated that the scheme will help over 3 lakh 72 thousand EVs.
 The Ministry hopes it will promote faster adoption of electric vehicles and provide further impetus to the green mobility
and development of the EV manufacturing eco-system in the country.
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 I&B Ministry blocks 18 OTT platforms: No obscene content on OTT
 The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) has taken a decisive step in collaboration with various
intermediaries, cracking down on 18 OTT platforms accused of disseminating obscene, vulgar, and pornographic
content.
 This action comes in response to growing concerns about the proliferation of inappropriate material on digital platforms.
 As part of this crackdown, 19 websites, 10 apps (7 on Google Play Store, 3 on Apple App Store), and 57 associated social
media accounts have been blocked for public access in India.
 Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur, has consistently stressed the responsibility of
digital platforms to refrain from promoting obscenity and vulgarity under the pretext of creative expression.
 This recent decision was executed under the provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000, in consultation with
various Ministries/Departments of the Government of India, and domain experts specialising in media and entertainment,
women's rights, and child rights.
 The content hosted on these platforms was found to be
offensive, demeaning towards women, and in violation of
several legal statutes including Section 67 and 67A of the IT
Act, Section 292 of the IPC, and Section 4 of the Indecent
Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986.

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 Max India’s subsidiary partners with IIT Delhi for Senior Citizens
 Max India Ltd reported that its wholly owned subsidiary, New Delhi based Antara Assisted Care Services Limited,
an integrated service provider for senior care needs, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi).
 This partnership aims to develop offerings tailored specifically for the senior demographic.
 The company reported, in response to India’s growing elderly population and the accompanying challenges of mobility-
related disabilities, the company with IIT Delhi will conduct research and design solutions aimed at enhancing the
quality of life for seniors.
 The collaboration will span various projects,
including the development of mobility-assisting
products and cognitive enhancement games to
combat age-related issues like Dementia.

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 Anurag Singh Thakur launches PB-SHABD
 Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur launched "Prasar-Bharathi Shared Audio
Visuals for Broadcast & Dissimination(PB-SHABD)", a news sharing service from Prasar Bharati and websites of DD
News and Akashvani News as well as updated news on Air mobile app at an event in National Media Centre, New Delhi.
 The information and broadcasting sector of the country “Over the
years, Prasar Bharti has cultivated an elaborate network of news
gathering from as well as news delivery to every corner of the
country in every regional language.
 The Minister further added that the news organisations will be
provided with clean feed and will not have to carry the logo of
Doordarshan. “This feed will curate content from all corners of the
country in various languages.
 This will revolutionise the news industry and will massively
support the smaller news organisations that do not have the benefit
of an extensive network for content gathering.”

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 The agreement was signed between Bureau of Energy Efficiency ,India and Government of
Bhutan
 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the signing of the Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between India and Bhutan on extending cooperation in the field of Energy Efficiency and Energy
Conservation Measures.
 The MoU was signed between the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Power, Government of India, and the
Department of Energy, Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Government of Bhutan.
 This MoU has been prepared by the Ministry of Power in consultation with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and
the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

 This will help in exchange of information, data, and technical

experts related to energy efficiency and energy conservation
between the two countries.
 About Bhutan
 Capital: Thimphu
 Prime minister: Tshering Tobgay
 Currency: Bhutanese ngultrum

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 RBI bars Federal Bank, South Indian Bank from issuing co-branded credit cards
 Federal Bank and South Indian Bank have stopped issuing co-branded credit cards following regulatory changes in credit
card rules.
 Federal Bank has three co-branded credit cards with partnerships with OneCard Scapia Technology Pvt. Ltd and FI
Brand Pvt Ltd They are – Federal Onecard, Federal Scapia, Federal FI.
 The bank said it is in the process of rectifying the areas that are deficient and will seek regulatory clearance prior to
resumption of new issuance.
 South Indian Bank has one co-branded credit card in partnership with State Bank of India (SBI), which is available in
two variants SimplySAVE and Platinum.
 South Indian Bank said that it will not onboard new customers on their co-branded credit cards until it is fully compliant
with directions under RBI Master Direction on Credit Card and Debit Card issuance.
 About RBI
 Established year: 1st April 1935
 Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
 Governor: Shakthikantha Das(25th )
 Committee: Hilton young Commission (Royal
Commission)

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 Agray and Akshay ships launched to augment Indian Navy operations
 On 13th March 2024, a significant milestone was achieved in the Indian Navy’s shipbuilding program with the launch of
‘Agray’ and ‘Akshay’, the 5th and 6th ships of the 08 x ASW (Anti- Submarine Warfare) Shallow Water Craft (SWC)
Project.
 These ships are being built by M/S Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata for the Indian Navy.
 The launch ceremony was presided over by Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari, Chief of the Air Staff, Indian Air Force.
 In keeping with maritime tradition, Mrs. Neeta Chaudhari, President AFFWA (Air Force Wives Welfare Association),
performed the ceremonial launch of the ships, accompanied by invocations from the Atharva Veda.
 The ships ‘Agray’ and ‘Akshay’, named after the erstwhile Abhay Class Corvettes of the Indian Navy.
 About Indian Navy:
 Navy Day: 4th December
 Navy chief: R. Hari kumar

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 Defence minister Rajnath singh has approved a proposal to increase strength of National Cadet
Corps(NCC)
 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved expanding the National Cadet Corps (NCC) to a sanctioned strength of 2
million cadets. This will be done by adding 300,000 new cadet vacancies to the existing 1.7 million.
 Starting from just 20,000 cadets on its rolls when it was formed in 1948, the NCC would have expanded hundred-fold
when it reaches its sanctioned strength of 2 million. This will make it the world’s largest uniformed youth organisation.
 The defence budget usually sees a steady increase in funds to the NCC. The allocation for Financial Year 2024-25
(FY24-25) is Rs 2,740 crore, a substantial rise over the allocation of Rs 1,883 crore for FY20-21.
 NCC is popular amongst school and college students across the country. It involves military instructors teaching students
drill, weapons firing, first aid, adventure training, camping and other military subjects.
 About National Cadet Corps (NCC):
 NCC Day: 26th November
 Director General of NCC: LG. Gurbirpal Singh.

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 World Consumer Rights Day 2024 – March 15
 World Consumer Rights Day is marked on 15 March of every year.
 The day is observed for creating awareness about the rights of all consumers against fraud, discrimination, and other
such practices.
 On March 15, 1962, President John F. Kennedy addressed the US Congress and spoke on consumer rights, This incident
denoted the first time that a world leader discussed consumer rights.
 The theme for World Consumer Rights Day 2024 has been chosen by Consumers International as "Fair and responsible
AI for consumers:
 Breakthroughs in generative AI have surprised the digital
world".
 In 1983, United Nations declares the first World Consumer
Rights Day .
 National Consumer Rights Day - 24th December

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 Senior bureaucrat Rahul Singh becomes the new Chairman of CBSE
 Senior bureaucrat Rahul Singh has been appointed chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), as
part of a senior-level bureaucratic with effect from 15 march 2024 .
 He is currently serving as Additional Secretary of Department of Personnel and Training.
 He will succeed Nidhi Chhibber, who has been named as advisor of NITI Aayog in the rank and pay of Additional
Secretary by temporarily upgrading the post and extending her central deputation tenure by one year beyond March 24,
2024.
 Rajeev Kumar Mital, Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor in the Department of Atomic Energy, has been
appointed as Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
 Gyanesh Bharti will be Additional
Secretary in the Ministry of Women and
Child Development and Deepak Narain has
been named as Additional Secretary &
Financial Advisor, Ministry of Information
& Broadcasting.

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 India likely to start free trade deal talks with Eurasian Economic Union(EaEU)
 India and the five-member Eurasian Economic Union (EaEU), led by Russia, are likely to soon begin negotiations on a
free trade agreement (FTA) .
 This agreement is expected to boost New Delhi’s exports to the region, particularly in areas such as engineering goods,
electronics and agriculture, making trade more balanced.
 An agreement with the bloc will open the lucrative Central Asian consumer market to Indian goods.
 It will also entrench the expansion of Indian products in Russia, which has suffered a flight of Western brands and goods
after Russia attacked Ukraine early last year.
 The EEU is an economic union of five post-
Soviet states — Armenia, Belarus,
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia - with
an integrated single market. Coming into
force in 2015, the EEU currently consists of
183 million people and a gross domestic
product of over $2.4 trillion.

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