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Smartkeeda presents
Full-Length Current Affairs MockDrill Series
March 2024
Daily CA PDF - 21
(PDF in English)
DOWNLOAD:
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INDEX
National & States Affairs …..…………………………………………………………………………………. 5
Banking, Finance, Insurance & Economic Affairs …….…………………………………………….. 7
Defence Affairs ………….……..…………………………………………………………………………………. 7
Sports & Games ………….……..………………………………………………………………………………… 8
Science & Technology ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8
Appointments & Resignations …………..…………………………………………………………………. 8
Awards, Rewards, Recognition & Prizes ……………………………………………………………….. 10
Schemes & Initiatives ….……..……………………………………………………………………………….. 11
Meetings, Conferences and Summits ……………………………………………………………………. 12
Ranks, Reports & Surveys ……..……………………………………………………………………………. 12
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National & States Affairs
1. On March 20, Grid Controller of India Limited (GRID-INDIA) has been
designated the status of ‘Miniratna’ Category-I Central Public Sector Enterprise
(CPSE) by the Ministry of Power. GRID-India was formerly known as Power
System Operation Corporation Limited (POSOCO). Established in 2009, GRID-
INDIA holds the crucial mandate of overseeing the seamless and uninterrupted
operation of the Indian Power System, ensuring the efficient transfer of electric
power within and across regions. It comprises 5 Regional Load Despatch Centres (RLDCs) and the National Load Despatch
Centre (NLDC). GRID-INDIA also manages the All India Synchronous Grid, one of the world’s largest and most intricate
power systems. Category I CPSEs should have made profit in the last 3 years continuously, the pre-tax profit should have
been Rs 30 crore or more in at least one of the 3 years and should have a positive net worth. {Read more}
Smart Points:
Ministry of Power – designated GRID-INDIA (POSOCO) with status of ‘Miniratna’ Category-I CPSE
GRID-INDIA comprises NLDC & 5 RLDCs & also manages All India Synchronous Grid
Category I CPSEs should have made profit in last 3 yrs, with pre-tax profit of Rs 30 Cr or more in at least one of 3 yrs
HQs of GRID-INDIA – New Delhi | Chairman – S.R. Narasimhan | Established in – 2009
Minister of Power: Raj Kumar Singh | Constituency – Arrah, Bihar
MoS in Ministry of Power: Krishan Pal Gurjar
2. Odisha government has announced to establish a “State Water Informatics Centre (SWIC)” for the coordination,
collection and dissemination of water resources data. It will be set up with the support and guidance of the National
Water Informatics Centre (NWIC). The SWIC will provide a comprehensive repository of hydro-meteorological data for the
state. The centre will have a proficient team well-versed in water resource management, data handling, and information
technology. It will act under the purview of the Water Resources Department. {Read more}
Smart Points:
Odisha – to establish ‘SWIC’ for coordination, collection & dissemination of water resources data
SWIC – State Water Informatics Centre | To be set up with support of – National Water Informatics Centre (NWIC)
Odisha: Capital – Bhubaneswar | CM – Naveen Patnaik | Governor – Raghubar Das
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Universal Acceptance Day – scheduled to take place on March 28, 2024, in Belgrade, Serbia
HQs of NIXI – New Delhi | CEO – Dr Devesh Tyagi | Founded in – 2003
Minister of Electronics & Information Technology: Ashwini Vaishnaw | Constituency – Odisha
MoS in Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology: Rajeev Chandrasekhar
4. Uttar Pradesh police has launched the “Trinetra App 2.0”, a cutting-edge digital
platform that promises to transform the landscape of crime prevention and
investigation. The app is developed by AI solutions company Staqu Technologies. This
app can be used by all police personnel of Inspector and above rank as per requirement.
With over 9.32 lakh criminal records now digitized within Trinetra’s database, frontline
officers will possess the capability to swiftly identify suspects during security checks.
Trinetra 2.0 facilitates the identification of criminals based on voice samples which will
further benefit in probes of cases pertaining to cybercrime where they have only ‘voice
of the criminal’. Trinetra 2.0 also facilitates the search for missing individuals through photograph linking and facial
recognition technology. Prashant Kumar is the acting DGP of Uttar Pradesh. {Read more}
Smart Points:
UP police – launched “Trinetra App 2.0” to transform landscape of crime prevention & investigation
App is developed by – Staqu Technologies (Gurgaon, Haryana)
It facilitates:
- identification of criminals based on voice samples
- search for missing individuals through photograph linking & facial recognition technology
UP: Capital – Lucknow | CM – Yogi Adityanath | Governor – Anandiben Patel
5. The government has approved inclusion of wheat and rice under its Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) after it started selling
‘Bharat’ atta and rice as part of its retail intervention strategy to control inflation. The fund is used to build up India’s
buffer stock of key food commodities and strategically release these in the market when prices rise. So far, only onions,
potatoes, tomato and pulses have been part of the PSF. Now, the government will give a payout to the Food Corporation
of India (FCI) for supplying Bharat atta and rice to the central procurement agencies National Agricultural Cooperative
Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF). The FCI will
get a subsidy of Rs 435 for a quintal of wheat and Rs 200 per quintal of rice supplied to NAFED and NCCF for processing
these and then selling under the ‘Bharat’ brand. The government already sells Bharat atta (flour) and rice at a subsidized
price of Rs 27.50 and Rs 29 per kg. The PSF was set up in 2014-15 with a corpus of Rs 500 crore to maintain a strategic
buffer stock. During FY15-FY23, the Centre spent Rs 27,489 crore under the scheme. Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food
and Public Distribution manages the fund. {Read more}
Smart Points:
Govt approved inclusion of wheat & rice under its Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) to control inflation
PSF – used to build India’s buffer stock of key food commodities & release these in market when prices rise
FCI will get a subsidy of Rs 435 for a quintal of wheat & Rs 200 per quintal of rice supplied to NAFED & NCCF
Govt already sells Bharat atta (flour) & rice at a subsidized price of Rs 27.50 & Rs 29 per kg
PSF – set up in 2014-15 with a corpus of Rs 500 Cr to maintain a strategic buffer stock & is managed by MoCAFPD
So far, only onions, potatoes, tomato and pulses have been part of the PSF
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6. During the “IESA International Conference on Stationary Energy Storage India
(SESI) 2024” in New Delhi, GoodEnough Energy announced plans to build India’s
largest BESS Gigafactory in Jammu & Kashmir with an initial capacity of 7 GWh.
The project will require a total investment of over Rs 450 crore for this
ambitious project. It will significantly reduce over 5 million tonnes of CO2
emissions annually. Scheduled to commence operations by October 2024, the
Gigafactory will play a pivotal role in enhancing grid stability and empowering
various industries to adopt advanced Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).
Additionally, GoodEnough Energy plans to expand the Gigafactory’s capacity to 20GWh by 2026. Akash Kaushik is the
Founder of GoodEnough Energy. {Read more}
Smart Points:
“IESA International Conference on Stationary Energy Storage India (SESI) 2024” – held in New Delhi
GoodEnough Energy – announced to build India’s largest BESS Gigafactory in J&K with initial capacity of 7 GWh
Financial outlay of project – Rs 450 Cr | It will significantly reduce over 5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually
GoodEnough Energy – plans to expand Gigafactory’s capacity to 20GWh by 2026
HQs of GoodEnough Energy – Greater Noida, UP | Founder – Akash Kaushik | Founded in – 2023
Defence Affairs
8. In March 2024, Indian Navy has rescued the hijacked Bulgarian ship “MV Ruen” and 17
crew members from Somali Pirates. The operation involved INS Kolkata, a patrol ship, an
Indian Air Force C-17 transporter, a naval drone, a reconnaissance drone and a P-8
surveillance jet. Spanish, Japanese and Indian warships had tracked this Malta-flagged,
Bulgarian-managed bulk carrier or Merchant vessel (MV). Bulgaria is an East European
Country in the Balkan region of Europe. Rumen Radev is President of Bulgaria. {Read more}
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Smart Points:
Indian Navy – rescued hijacked Bulgarian ship “MV Ruen” & 17 crew members from Somali Pirates
Operation involved – INS Kolkata, a naval drone, a reconnaissance drone & a P-8 surveillance jet
Bulgaria – Sofia – Lev | President – Rumen Radev | Acting PM – Galab Donev
HQs of Indian Navy – Delhi | Chief – Admiral R. Hari Kumar | Vice Chief – Vice-Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi
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Smart Points:
Kumar Venkatasubramanian – appointed as new CEO of P&G India (succeeding - LV Vaidyanathan)
P&G India comprises 4 separate entities, including two large companies - Gillette India + P&G Hygiene & Health Care
P&G India – announced plans to invest Rs 2,000 Cr to set up new personal healthcare manufacturing facility in
Gujarat
HQs of P&G India – Noida, UP | CEO – Kumar Venkatasubramanian | Founded in – 1964
12. IPS officer Anurag Agarwal has been appointed as the head of Parliament Security. Currently an
IG in CRPF, the 1998-batch IPS Agarwal, has been appointed as Joint Secretary (Security) for three
years. The post of JS (Security) had been lying vacant since October 20 after the then joint secretary
Raghubir Lal went back to his cadre. {Read more}
Smart Points:
Anurag Agarwal – appointed as Joint Secretary (Security) of Parliament Security for 3 years
13. An IFS officer of 1992 batch, Vinay Kumar, has been appointed as the next ambassador of India to
Russia. Kumar is currently India’s ambassador to Myanmar and has also served in the past as ambassador
to Afghanistan. Apart from Vinay Kumar, recently, there were some appointments of other ambassadors
as well. Ms. Abhilasha Joshi is appointed the Indian ambassador to Chile. While, Soumendu Bagchi is
appointed the Indian ambassador to Iraq. Moreover, T. Armstrong Chan is appointed as the Indian ambassador to Cuba.
The President of India appoints India’s ambassador to any foreign country. {Read more}
Smart Points:
President of India appointed ambassadors of India to other countries:
- Vinay Kumar – to Russia
- Abhilasha Joshi – to Chile
- Soumendu Bagchi – to Iraq
- T. Armstrong Chan – to Cuba
14. President Droupadi Murmu has given additional charge of the Ministry of Food Processing
Industries to Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, in addition to his existing portfolio. The move came after the
resignation of Pashupati Kumar Paras. Kiren Rijiju is an Indian politician from Arunachal Pradesh who
is currently the Cabinet Minister of Earth Sciences. While the Union Cabinet is headed by the Prime
Minister, it is appointed by the President of India. The cabinet is a smaller body of 15 to 20 ministers
that is part of the Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers is made up of three categories: Cabinet Ministers,
Ministers of State, and Deputy Ministers. The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. {Read
more}
Smart Points:
Kiren Rijiju is given additional charge of MoFPI – after the resignation of Pashupati Kumar Paras
Union Cabinet is headed by – Prime Minister | Cabinet Minister is appointed by – President of India
Council of Ministers is made up of 3 categories: Cabinet Ministers, Ministers of State & Deputy Ministers
Minister of Food Processing Industries: Kiren Rijiju | Constituency – Arunachal West
MoS in Ministry of Food Processing Industries: Shobha Karandlaje
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Awards, Rewards, Recognition & Prizes
15. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been honoured with the prestigious
“Aviation Week Laureates Award” for its achievements of the historic Chandrayaan-3 mission.
The award was received on behalf of ISRO by Sripriya Ranganathan, Deputy Ambassador at the
Indian Embassy in the US. The Aviation Week Laureates Award, given by the New York-based
Aviation Week Network (AWN), is renowned for recognising extraordinary accomplishments
within the aerospace industry. Chandrayaan-3 didn’t just land; it confirmed the presence of
water in the lunar South Pole. The mission’s lander, ‘Vikram’, equipped with the Chandra’s
Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE), provided valuable data on the lunar surface temperature. {Read more}
Smart Points:
ISRO – honoured with “Aviation Week Laureates Award” for its achievements of Chandrayaan-3 mission by AWN
The mission’s lander, ‘Vikram’, was equipped with – Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE)
HQs of ISRO – Bengaluru, Karnataka | Director – S. Somanath | Formed on – August 15, 1969
16. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari (Chief
Guest), has presented the 17th “Ramnath Goenka Awards for Excellence
in Journalism” for the years 2021 and 2022 at a ceremony held in New
Delhi. The winners of 44 awards across print, broadcast and digital
mediums were felicitated. Indian Express Group instituted the Ramnath
Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards as part of centenary year
celebrations of its founder, Ramnath Goenka. The award is given by the
Ramnath Goenka Memorial Foundation. The awards acknowledged and
honoured the best of journalism, showcasing outstanding contributions from print, digital and broadcast journalists across
13 categories including investigative journalism, sports, politics and government, books, feature writing and regional
languages. Viveck Goenka is the Chairman of The Indian Express Group. Some of the winners include - Zoya Hassan of TRT
World who was awarded under ‘Investigative Journalism’ category for 2022, while Devesh Kumar & Arun Godana of Lok
Satta were awarded under the same category for the year 2021. Anand Choudhary (India Today Magazine) was awarded
under ‘Print (Hindi)’ for 2022, while Kiriti Dubey (BBC News Hindi) was awarded the same award for 2021. ‘The Life and
Times of George Fernades’ book of Rahul Ramagundam was awarded under ‘Books (Non-Fiction)’ category for 2022, while
the same for 2021 was awarded to ‘The Long Game’ book of Vijay Gokhale. {Click here for the list of all winners}
Smart Points:
Nitin Gadkari – presented 17th “Ramnath Goenka Awards for Excellence in Journalism” for 2021 & 2022 in New Delhi
Indian Express Group – instituted ‘Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards’
Award is given by – Ramnath Goenka Memorial Foundation in 13 categories
Some important awardees:
- ‘Investigative Journalism’: 2022 – Zoya Hassan (TRT World) | 2021 – Devesh Kumar & Arun Godana (Lok Satta)
- ‘Print (Hindi)’: 2022 – Anand Choudhary (India Today Magazine) | 2021 – Kiriti Dubey (BBC News Hindi)
- ‘Books (Non-Fiction)’: 2022 – ‘The Life and Times of George Fernades’ by Rahul Ramagundam
- ‘Books (Non-Fiction)’: 2021 – ‘The Long Game’ by Vijay Gokhale
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Schemes & Initiatives
17. Ministry of Jal Shakti, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, has introduced the
“Swachhata Green Leaf Rating (SGLR)” initiative to revolutionize sanitation practices in India’s
burgeoning tourism industry. Bison Resorts, in Narmadapuram, Madhya Pradesh, has
obtained the first 5 Leaf (5 Star) rated “Swachhata Green Leaf Rating” Certificate of
Recognition. Besides, the launch of the “National Pilot on Swachhata Green Leaf Rating in
Hospitality Facilities” was done at Pahalgam district, Jammu & Kashmir, and Kaziranga
National Park, Assam. The SGLR initiative seamlessly aligns with the “Travel for LiFE (TFL)”
program under Mission LiFE, fostering awareness about sustainable tourism. {Read more}
Smart Points:
Ministry of Jal Shakti + Ministry of Tourism = introduced “Swachhata Green Leaf Rating (SGLR)” initiative
Aim: To revolutionize sanitation practices in India’s burgeoning tourism industry
Bison Resorts (Narmadapuram, MP) – obtained first 5 Leaf rated “Swachhata Green Leaf Rating” Certificate
‘National Pilot on SGLR in Hospitality Facilities’ – launched at Pahalgam (J&K) & Kaziranga National Park (Assam)
Minister of Jal Shakti: Gajendra Singh Sekhawat | Constituency – Jodhpur, Rajasthan
MoS for Jal Shakti – Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Minister of Tourism: G. Kishan Reddy | Constituency – Secunderabad, Telangana
MoS in Ministry of Tourism: Shripad Yesso Naik & Ajay Bhatt
18. On the sidelines of the 13th Ministerial Conference that took place in Abu
Dhabi, UAE, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Trade
Centre (ITC) launched a $50 million Women Exporters in the Digital Economy
(WEIDE) Fund to assist women in accessing opportunities in international
trade and the digital economy. The UAE allocated $5 million to the Fund as its
first donor. The Fund will help women-led businesses and women
entrepreneurs in developing economies and least-developed countries adopt
digital technologies and expand the online presence of their enterprises. {Read more}
Smart Points:
WTO + ITC = launched a $50 million ‘Women Exporters in the Digital Economy (WEIDE) Fund’
The fund will assist women in accessing opportunities in international trade and the digital economy
UAE allocated $5 million to the Fund as its first donor
HQs of WTO – Geneva, Switzerland | 7th DG – Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Nigeria) | Members – 164 | Founded – 1995
HQs of ITC – Geneva, Switzerland | Executive Director - Pamela Coke-Hamilton (Jamaica)
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Meetings, Conferences and Summits
19. South Korea has hosted the 3rd ‘Summit for Democracy’ in Seoul under the theme of
“Democracy for Future Generations” from 18-20 March, 2024. This Summit was started by
American President Joe Biden in 2021 to address the emerging challenges to democracy from
authoritarianism and defend and promote human rights. Representatives of over 30 countries
attended the 3rd summit, with Pakistan and China not invited. {Read more}
Smart Points:
South Korea – hosted 3rd ‘Summit for Democracy’ in Seoul
Theme – “Democracy for Future Generations” | Pakistan & China – aren’t invited to this summit
The Summit was started by Joe Biden in 2021
South Korea – Seoul – Korean Republic won | President – Yoon Suk-yeol
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A GLIMPSE OF SOME GENUINE TESTIMONIALS
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A GLIMPSE OF SOME GENUINE TESTIMONIALS
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ippines – Manila – Peso | President – Ferdinand Marcos Jr
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