LA FORCA FEBRUARY 2024 MONTHLY

CURRENT AFFAIRS

TABLE OF CONTENT
1) POLITY & GOvERNANCE
2) ECONOMICS
3) INTERNATIONAL NEwS
4) SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
5) ENvIRONMENT
6) SCHEMES IN NEwS
7) SECURITY
8) MISCELLANEOUS CURRENT AFFAIRS
AjMAL MIYAN KP
 I) POLITY & GOVERNANCE
1) ELECTORAL BOND SCHEME : On 15 February 2024, a five-judge
Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud
unanimously struck down the Union’s 2018 Electoral Bonds (EB)
Scheme. Amendment to Companies Act permitting unlimited
corporate contributions to political parties is arbitrary and violative
of Article 14
→Electoral Bond Scheme, by anonymising contributions, violates
the right to information traceable to Article19(1)(a) and thus, is
unconstitutional.
→Accordingly, amendments made by the Finance Act, 2017 to the
Income Tax (IT) Act 1961, the Representation of Peoples Act 1951,
and the Companies Act 2013, to allow donations through Electoral
Bonds have been held to be Unconstitutional
2) 75 YEARS OF THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA : Recently, the
Prime minister inaugurated the Diamond Jubilee celebration of the
Supreme Court of India on 28th January at the Supreme Court
auditorium in Delhi.
→According to Article 124(1) of the Indian Constitution, the
Supreme Court of India must have a Chief Justice of India (CII) and a
maximum of seven additional justices unless Parliament specifies a
higher number through a statute. Currently, the Supreme Court
comprises the Chief Justice and 33 other Judges.
3) NALSA (NATIONAL LEGAL SERVICES AUTHORITY) : NALSA,
or the National Legal Services Authority, is an apex organization
established under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. It
oversees the implementation of legal aid policies and programs and
monitors legal aid activities across India.
→The legal aid under it is applicable to Courts, tribunals, and other
bodies with judicial or quasi-judicial powers.
→The Chief Justice of India is the patron-in-chief of NALSA, while
the second senior most judge of the Supreme Court of India is the
Executive Chairman.
→Persons eligible for free legal services includes:
• Women and children
• Members of SC/ST
• Industrial workmen
• Victims of mass disasters, violence, flood, drought, earthquake,
and industrial disaster.
• Disabled persons.
• Persons in custody
• Persons whose annual income does not exceed Rs. 1 lakh (in the
Supreme Court Legal Services Committee the limit is Rs. 5,00,000).
• Victims of trafficking in human beings or beggars.
4) ARTICLE 142 : The Supreme Court recently nullified the outcome
of the Chandigarh Mayor election, exercising its power under Article
142 of the Constitution to ensure “complete justice”.
→The “idea of complete justice” is derived from the Article 142 of
the Constitution. It means to ensure justice by filling gaps in the law
and overriding legal provisions when necessary. This entails
interpreting and applying Laws considering broader constitutional
principles, societal needs, and evolving standards of justice.
→Article 142 , Enables the Supreme Court
•To exercise executive and legislative functions in specific
scenarios, including issuing guidelines, directives, or orders to
governmental bodies or other authorities.
•Permit the Supreme Court to intervene in matters concerning
public interest, human rights, constitutional values, or fundamental
rights, safeguarding them against any form of violation or
infringement.
•Elevates the Supreme Court’s role as the protector of the
constitution and ultimate interpreter of the law, serving as a catalyst
for judicial activism and innovation.
5) CASTE-BASED RESERVATION : The Maharashtra State
legislative assembly passed the Maharashtra State Reservation for
Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Bill, 2024, to provide
10% Reservation to the Maratha Community.
6) ANNUAL NESDA REPORT : Annual National e-Governance
Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) Way Forward Report, 2023.
→Report released by Department of Administrative Reforms and
Public Grievances (DARPG) highlights initiatives taken towards
enhancing e-Service delivery.
→Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Assam and Odisha provide 100% of
their services through their identified Single Unified Service Delivery
Portal.
→Jammu and Kashmir provides maximum (1117) number of e-
Services, across States/UTs
7) PORTALS FOR A ‘MODERNIZED MEDIA LANDSCAPE’ : The
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting launched 4 new media-
related portals to streamline media- related services under its
umbrella.

8) CORRUPTION PERCEPTIONS INDEX (CPI) 2023 Released

by the Transparency International
→India ranked 93 out of 180 countries on Corruption Perceptions
Index 2023.
→India was ranked 85 in 2022.
→Ranks countries and territories by their perceived levels of public
sector corruption, on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).
→In 2023, Denmark ranked first, followed by Finland, New Zealand,
and Norway.
 II) ECONOmICs
1) INSURANCE SECTOR IN INDIA : The Standing Committee on
Finance presented a report on the Performance Review and Regulation
of the Insurance Sector to the Lok Sabha.
→Insurance penetration: Insurance penetration increased from 2.71%
in 2001-02 to 4.2% in 2021-22
→Insurance density: Insurance density has increased from
$11.5 in 2001-02 to $91 in 2021-22
→Insurance business: India ranked 10th in the global insurance
business with a market share of 1.85% in 2021. Number of
insurers registered increased from 6 in 2000 to 70 in June 2023.
→Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India
(IRDAI): It is a statutory body, established under the Provisions
of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act,
1999
2) CARD NETWORKS IN INDIA : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has
ordered a certain card network to stop “unauthorised payments”
made using Business cards.
→The RBI said the card network was allowing businesses to make
payments to entities that were not authorized to accept card payments
and transactions did not comply with KYC norms..
→The intermediary in the above case pooled a large amount of funds
into an account that was not a designated account under the
Payments and Settlement System Act, 2007 (PSS Act).
→Card networks connect banks, merchants, and customers (card
users) so that transactions can be carried out Smoothly and securely
→Authorised card networks in India: Visa, Mastercard, RuPay, Diners
Club, and American Express.
•RuPay is India’s indigenous payment network launched by NPCI to
facilitate India’s entry into the global payments market.
•Debit card segment is dominated by RuPay which has around 700
million cards and a 65% market share
•Visa and Mastercard dominate the credit card market. Together they
own 90% of India’s credit card market
•The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is responsible for overseeing and
regulating payment systems in India, including card networks, under
the PSS Act, 2007
3) SMART CITIES MISSION (SCM) : Standing Committee on Housing
and Urban Affairs presented its report “Smart Cities Mission: An
Evaluation”.
→About Smart Cities Mission (SCM)
→Launch: Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched by Ministry of
Housing and Urban Affairs in 2015.
→Objective: To promote cities that provide core infrastructure, clean
and sustainable environment and give a decent & Quality of life to their
citizens through the application of 'smart solutions.
→Smart Cities: 100 cities have been selected for development as
smart cities. The timeline of five years for completion of the projects
was set between 2019 and 2023. However, the Mission is now
extended to June 2024
→Funding: Central Government gives financial support to the extent of
Rs.48,000 crore over 5 years i.e. on an average Rs.100 crore per city per
year.
→An equal amount on a matching basis is being provided by the
State/Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), apart from 13 Himalayan and North-
eastern States where the sharing ratio has been revised to 90:10.
4) PRADHAN MANTRI MATSYA KISAN SAMRIDHI SAH-YOJANA:
The Union Cabinet approved the “Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan
Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY)”.
→Central Sector Sub-scheme: The scheme is under the Central Sector
Component of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada (PMMS).
→Objectives: Gradual formalization of the unorganised fisheries
sector, Facilitating institutional finance to fisheries sector micro and
small enterprises & Providing a one-time incentive to beneficiaries for
purchasing aquaculture insurance
→Funding: Total outlay of 6000 crore rupees, of which 50% will come
from public finance including the World Bank and the AFD (French
Development Agency) external financing and, 50% will be contributed
by the beneficiaries from the private sector.
→Duration: The scheme will be implemented for 4 years from FY 2023-
24 to FY 2026-27 across all the States and UTs.
→Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana : It aims to bring
Blue Revolution through sustainable, responsible and holistic
development of fisheries sector including Welfare of fish farmers.
PMMSY was launched in September 2020 with an aim to double the
income of fish farmers and fishers in the country. It focuses on
sustainable development of India’s fisheries sector and is a part of the
Atmanirbhar Bharat scheme.
→It is an umbrella scheme with two separate Components namely (a)
Central Sector Scheme (CS) and (b) Centrally Sponsored Scheme
(CSS).
→PMMSY will be implemented in all the States and Union Territories for
a period of 5 (five) years from FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25
5) FDI IN SPACE SECTOR : Government recently relaxed rules to allow
100% foreign direct investment (FDI) in space sector.
→100% FDI is allowed in space sector in line with the vision and
strategy under the Indian Space Policy 2023. The liberalized entry
routes are aimed to attract potential investors to invest in Indian
companies in space.
6) RASHTRIYA UDYAMITA VIKAS PARIYOJANA (RUVP) : Ministry of
Skill Development and Entrepreneurship launched RUVP under Skill
India Mission.
→About RUVP:
•Tailored specifically for beneficiaries of PM SVANidhi (Street Vendors
AtmaNirbhar Nidhi) scheme.
•Offers individuals with comprehensive entrepreneurship training (over
a period of 22 weeks) combining theoretical knowledge with practical
exposure through experiential learning.
•Focuses on reskilling and upskilling employees to enhance their
competitiveness and adaptability.
•It will be piloted initially in selected districts, with focus on ensuring
40% women participation.
•Training will be conducted through offline, online and hybrid modes,
with certificates awarded upon completion.
7) STARTUPSHALA : Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal
Trade (DPIIT) launched ‘StartupShala’ – Startup India’s flagship
accelerator program.
→Launched in 2016, Startup India is a flagship initiative of DPIIT to
support entrepreneurs and build a robust startup ecosystem in India.
→StartupShala is Sector-specific initiative for existing entrepreneurs to
provide them access to knowledge, network, funds, and guidance
required to scale up.

8) SECURITIES TRIBUNAL (SAT) : Absence of a full bench is affecting

functioning of the SAT leading to delays and disruptions.
→It is a statutory body established under the provisions of Securities
and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Act, 1992.
→It hears and disposes appeals against orders passed by
SEBI
Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)
Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India (IRDAI)
The Presiding Officer and Judicial Members are appointed by the
Central Government in consultation with the Chief Justice of India or
his/her nominee while Technical members are appointed on
recommendation of a Search-cum-Selection Committee.
9) UNIFIED PAYMENT INTERFACE (UPI) : Prime Minister of India
jointly inaugurated UPI services with Mauritius and Sri Lanka and
also RuPay card services in Mauritius.
→This will boost digital transformation, promote tourism and
strengthen bilateral economies ties with both countries.
10) CODEX COMMITTEE ON SPICES AND CULINARY HERBS
(CCSCH) : 7th Session of the Codex Committee on Spices and
Culinary Herbs (CCSCH) Held at Kochi.
→In this session, quality standards for 5 spices, namely small
cardamom, turmeric, juniper berry, allpice and star anise were
finalised.
 III) INTERNATIONAL NEws :
1) FREE MOVEMENT REGIME WITH MYANMAR : Union Ministry of
Home Affairs has decided to scrap Free Movement Regime (FMR) between
India and Myanmar.
→FMR between India and Myanmar : It permits individuals residing within a
16 km radius of the border to traverse freely, without requirements of a visa
or other documentation. It was formalized in 2018 as part of India’s Act East
Policy.
2) EXPANSION OF BRICS : Recently, five new members namely Egypt,
Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have joined BRICS
as full time permanent. Members. However, Argentina has withdrawn.
→BRIC started functioning as a formal grouping on the margins of G8
Outreach Summit in 2006. First BRIC Summit was held in Yekaterinburg
(Russia) in 2009. BRIC became BRICS with the inclusion of South Africa in
2010.

3) INDIA-FRANCE RELATIONS : India and France have announced

Defense Industrial Roadmap for cooperation on defense production during
French President’s visit to India as Chief Guest at the Republic Day
celebrations.
→Roadmap is aimed at deepening the integration between the two
countries’ respective defense industrial sectors and to work together to
identify opportunities for co-design, co-development, and co- production
4) SOUTH ASIA SUB REGIONAL ECONOMIC COOPERATION
(SASEC) : PM laid the foundation stone of multiple projects in Assam as
part of the SASEC corridor connectivity.
→It includes projects worth over Rs 3400 crore, under which 43 roads
including 38 bridges will be upgraded.
5) ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES
(ECOWAS) : Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger announced their immediate
withdrawal from West African bloc ECOWAS.
→About ECOWAS (HQ: Abuja, Nigeria). It’s a Regional group of 15members
(including Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger) established in 1975 through Treaty of
Lagos.
→Other members: Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte D’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana,
Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sénégal and Togo.

6) THE WEIMAR TRIANGLE : Foreign Ministers of Germany, Poland, and

France have met recently to revive the Weimar Triangle.
→Weimar Triangle is a regional group created in 1991, to develop a shared
vision for Europe and forge closer ties between these three countries’
societies.
→The Triangle was initially the key forum for supporting German-Polish
reconciliation after World War II.
→The group takes its name from the city of Weimar, Germany, where the
initial meeting took place

7) MISSION ASPIDES : European Union launches ‘Mission Aspides to

protect Red Sea vessels from Iran-backed Houthi attackss.
→It aims to preserve freedom of navigation, provide maritime situational
awareness, accompany ships and protect them from possible multimodal
attacks at sea.
→Its area of operation will include Bab Al Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz, as
well as international waters in Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Gulf of
Oman and Arabian Gulf.
8) HENLEY PASSPORT INDEX (HPI) : India slipped to 85th position in the
recently released Henley Passport index for 2024.
 IV) sCIENCE ANd TEChNOLOGY

1) CRITICAL TECH SECTORS : The Ministry of Electronics and

Information Technology (Meity) recently unveiled draft road maps for Critical
Tech Sectors.
→Critical Technologies are those technologies identified by government as
‘Critical’ for a nation’s Future economic growth, National security, aan
Technological advancement.
→Draft Roadmaps were prepared by Centre for Development of Advanced
Computing (C-DAC), giving emphasis on indigenisation of software and
hardware in the critical sectors.
2) BRAIN-COMPUTER INTERFACE (BCI) : Neuralink, an Elon Musk
company has successfully installed a wireless brain-computer interface
(BCI) implant in a human patient.
→In 2023, Neuralink was granted permission by the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) for human trials. It aims to build a next-generation
brain implant with at least 100 times more brain connections than devices
currently approved by FDA.
→Initial results of trial showed promising neuron spike detection. Spike
refers to use electrical and chemical signals to send information around the
brain and to the body.
→About Brain-Computer Interface (BCI). It is a system that determines
functional intent the desire to change, move, control, or interact with
something in Our environment-directly from brain activity.
→In other words, BCIs allow controlling an application or a device using only
our mind. Using a BCI skips over the need to have voluntary control of your
muscles to interact with devices around you. It replaces the execution of a
physical movement.
3) SATYENDRA NATH BOSE : The eminent physicist 5.N.Bose was
remembered on his 50th death anniversary.
→About 5.N.Bose (1894-1974)
→Early life : Hailed from Nadia district of West Bengal, Joined the
Presidency college of Kolkata. His teachers included Prafulla Chandra Ray
and Jagadish Chandra Bose.
→Worked in the Physics department of University of Calcutta and Dacca
University.
→Rewards and Recognitions : Referred as “Father of the God Particle”. The
fundamental particle “Bosons’ were named after him. Awarded Padma
Vibhushan in 1954. Rabindranath Tagore dedicated his only book on science
‘Vishwa Parichay’ to SN Bose. Served as Vice-Chancellor of the Visva-
Bharati (1956-58)
→N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (Kolkata) was established in
1986 in his remembrance.

→Scientific Contributions of S.N Bose : Bose-Einstein Condensates (BEC): It

is a quantum phenomenon predicted by Bose and Einstein (1925). It is a
state of matter created when particles are cooled to near absolute zero (-
273.15 degrees Celsius/O Kelvin).
4) STREAMLINING FOOD REGULATIONS IN INDIA : The Food Safety
and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) endorsed multiple amendments
geared towards simplifying food safety regulations.
→Amendments approved by FSSAI : Elimination of multiple certifications:
Food businesses would not have to go to different authorities for mandatory
certification.
→Only FSSAI certification will be mandatorily required for food products.
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) or AGMARK certification will not be
required for food products.
→Presently, Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sale)
Regulations 2011 have prescribed mandatory certification under BIS Act and
AGMARK Scheme

✔BIS certification is mandatory for some food products e.g. infant formula,
packaged drinking water, milk powder etc.

✔AGMARK is mandatory for blended edible vegetable oils and fat spreads
5) INSAT-3DS WEATHER FORECASTING SATELLITE : ISRO
successfully launched the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MOES) funded INSAT-
3DS weather forecasting satellite.
→GSLV-F14 placed INSAT-3DS into the intended geosynchronous transfer
orbit and then to a Geo- stationary Orbit . It was launched from Satish
Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh)
→GSLV-F14 is 16th flight of India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
(GSLV) and 10th flight with Indigenous Cryogenic stage. GSLV is a three-stage
launch vehicle having a liftoff mass of 420 tonnes.
✓ First stage comprises a solid propellant motor.
✓ Second stage comprises earth-storable liquid propellants.
✓ Third stage is a cryogenic stage.
→GSLV can launch spacecraft capable of perfo communications,
navigation, earth res surveys, and any other proprietary mission.
→Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO): Transfer orbits are a special kind of
orbit used to get from one orbit to another.
6) PLANKTON, AEROSOL, CLIMATE, OCEAN ECOSYSTEM (PACE) :
SpaceX has recently launched NASA’s PACE satellite to monitor ocean,
atmosphere, and climate.
→PACE was placed in a sun-synchronous orbit, which means that it will
always be synced to the same position relative to the Sun.
→Objectives : Will help in understanding how the ocean and atmosphere
exchange carbon dioxide. Will reveal how aerosols might fuel phytoplankton
growth in the surface ocean. Will contribute to new global measurements of
ocean color, cloud properties, and aerosols.
7) WHO AWARDS COUNTRIES FOR ELIMINATING TRANS-FAT :
World Health Organisation (WHO) awards countries for progress in
eliminating industrially produced trans- fatty for first time.
→WHO has awarded first-ever validation certificates to Denmark, Lithuania,
Poland, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand in eliminating industrially-produced
trans- fatty acids ITFA.
→Total of 53 countries have now best practice policies in effect for tackling
ITFA in food, improving food environment for 46% of world’s population.
→Trans-fats are unsaturated fats produced from vegetable oils. There are
two forms of trans-fat i.e. Naturally- occurring trans-fats (dairy and meat
products), Industrially produced trans-fat (packaged foods, cooking oils
etc.)
→They are source of non-communicable disease and associated with
increased risk of heart attacks.
→WHO criteria for Best practices in ITFA elimination policies : Mandatory
national limit of 2 grams of ITFA per 100 grams of total fat in all foods,
Mandatory national ban on production or use of Partially Hydrogenated Oils
(PHO-major source of trans-fat) as an ingredient in all foods, Combination of
PHO ban and iTFA 2% limit.
→Steps taken to regulate TFA
→India : Eat Right India Movement by Food Safety and Standards Authority
of India (FSSAI). FSSAI made mandatory to declare TFA content on nutrition
label.
→Global: REPLACE initiative by WHO.
8) WHO LAUNCHED GLOBAL INITIATIVE ON DIGITAL HEALTH
(GIDH) : The GIDH will be a WHO Managed Network of stakeholders to
address challenges such as duplication of efforts and “products-focused”
digital health transformation.
→GIDH Secretariat will be hosted in WHO Headquarters (Geneva).

9) RHODAMINE-B : Sale of cotton candy has been banned in Tamil Nadu

after samples reveal use of toxic industrial dye (Rhodamine-B) as artificial
colouring agent. It is prohibited in the food industry by Food Safety and
Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
→Rhodamine-B: Rhodamine-B is an organic chloride salt used as a
colouring agent for dyeing in textile, paper, leather, and paint industry.
→Impact on human health:
✓ Immediate effect: Stomach fullness, itching, and breathing problems.
✓ Potential Chronic Health Effects: Liver dysfunction, Intestine cancers,
neurotoxicity, and Kidney failure
10) ΚALA AZAR : India hit target towards eliminating Kala Azar for
the first time in 2023 by reporting less than one case per 10,000
population across all blocks.
→About Kala Azar : It is also known as Visceral Leishmaniasis and
is a protozoan parasitic disease.
→Causing agent: Infected female phlebotomine sandfly.
→Symptoms: Irregular fever, weight loss, enlargement of the spleen
and liver, and anaemia.
→The disease is endemic in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and
West Bengal.
→Areas infected: Brazil, East Africa, and India
 V) ENVIRONmENT

1. CONSERVATION OF MIGRATORY SPECIES (CMS) : Fourteenth

Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the
Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP 14) held
in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
→About Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of
Wild Animals (CMS) or Bonn Convention :
•Intergovernmental treaty under the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP).
•Serves as a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use
of migratory animals and their habitats. Introduced in 1979 and came
into force in 1983.
•India is its member (since 1983).
→Conference of Parties (COP) to Convention on the Conservation
of Migratory Species :
•It is the principal decision-making body of the Convention.
•It meets once every 3 years and sets the budget and priorities
•of the following three years.
→About Migratory Species : A species of wild animals of which the
entire population or any geographically separate part of the population
cyclically and predictably cross one or more national jurisdictional
boundaries.
2. THE WATER (PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF POLLUTION)
AMENDMENT ACT, 2024 ; The Parliament recently passed the Water
(Prevention and Control of Pollution] Amendment Act, 2024.
→It amends the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974.
→Application: Currently, the Water Amendment Act 2024 will apply to Himachal
Pradesh, Rajasthan (both passed resolution to amend the Act) and the Union
territories
→Water is a state subject and its optimal utilization and management lies
predominantly within the domain of the States.
→However, Article 252 of Constitution empowers Parliament to legislate on any
matters with respect to which it lacks legislative power.
•Any Such Act by the Parliament shall apply to States passing such resolution
and to any other State by which it is adopted.
•Also, such Act could be amended or repealed only by the Parliament.
→About Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 : The Act
provides for the prevention and control of water pollution, and for the maintaining
or restoring of Wholesomeness of water in the country.
•The original Act is applicable in 25 States.
•This was amended twice in 1988 and 2003.
•Regulatory bodies: Creation of the Central Pollution Control Boards (CPCB) and
State Pollution Control Boards (SPCB).
•Approval: Mandatory for industrial units to get permission from their respective
State boards before setting up factories.
3. DEFINITION OF FOREST : Supreme Court (SC) recently directed the
Government to follow the definition of “forest” as laid down in the 1996
judgment in T.N Godavarman Thirumalpad v. Union of India.
4. BIODIVERSITY HERITAGE SITE : Recently, Gupteswar Forest in
Odisha’s Koraput district has been declared as the fourth Biodiversity-
Heritage Site (BHS) Of the state.
→About Biodiversity-Heritage Site (BHS) : BHS are well defined areas
that are unique, ecologically fragile ecosystems terrestrial, coastal and
inland waters and, marine having rich biodiversity comprising Richness
of wild, domesticated species, High endemism, Presence of rare and
threatened species, keystone species etc
→Under Section 37 of Biological Diversity Act, 2002, State Government
in consultation with local bodies may notify areas of biodiversity
importance as BHS.
→Also, State Government in consultation with Central Government
may frame rules for management and conservation of BHS.
→National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) advices the State Government
in the selection and management of heritage sites under section 37.
→NBA is an Autonomous and Statutory Body of MoEFCC. NBA
(Headquartered in Chennai) was established in 2003 by Central
Government to implement India’s Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
→As per National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), India has a total of 45
BHS as of February 2024
→Kerala has one Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS): Asramam Mangroves
in Kollam,
5. RAMSAR CONVENTION : India’s Ramsar Sites rose to 80, as 5
wetlands were added to the Global List of Wetlands of International
Importance under Ramsar Convention.
→About Ramsar Convention : Adopted in 1971
•An intergovernmental treaty under UNESCO.
•Provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands
and their resources.
•A wetland must meet at least 1 of 9 criteria such as regularly
supporting 20,000 or more water birds, or conserving biological
diversity etc.
•India ratified Convention in 1982 (Tamil Nadu has maximum number
of Ramsar sites)
6. STATUS OF LEOPARDS IN INDIA : Recently, Ministry of Environment,
Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) released the ‘Status of
Leopards in India, 2022 Report. Leopard population: Estimated at
13,874 with a 1.08% per annum growth compared to 2018.
→Fifth cycle leopard population estimation (2022) was carried out by
National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Wildlife Institute of
India.
7. METHANE EMISSIONS : Recently, ISRO scientists released a first-of-
its-kind comprehensive analysis paper on the methane emissions over
multiple Indian locations using satellite data.
→The study employed data from NASA’s Earth Surface Mineral Dust
Source Investigation (EMIT) and European Space Agency’s Sentinel-5P
TROPOMI.
→About Methane : Methane (CH4) is a hydrocarbon that is a primary
component of natural gas.
•It is also a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) responsible for
approximately a third of the warming being experienced today.
•It is a powerful and short-lived (GHG), with a lifetime of about a
decade and a Global Warming Potential about 80 times greater than
that of carbon dioxide (CO2) during the 20 years after it is released into
the atmosphere (IPCC). Methane emissions lead to ground-level ozone
pollution which causes approximately a million premature deaths Per
year globally, reduces crop productivity and harms ecosystems.
→The majority of human-driven methane emissions come from three
main sectors:
1) Agriculture (40%): Enteric fermentation from livestock rearing and
rice cultivation.
2) Fossil fuels (35%): Leakage from natural gas, oil and gas field,
mining, etc.
3) Solid waste and wastewater (20%): Dumpsites, landfills, etc.
8. SOLAR ROOFTOP POWER : Recently, Union Cabinet has approved PM
Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana for installing Rooftop Solar in one crore
households nationwide.
→About PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana
•Ministry: Ministry of New & Renewable Energy.
•Aim: To provide free electricity up to 300 units every month for one
crore households
•Subsidy structure: Central Financial Assistance for Residential
Rooftop Solar (RTS) up to:

•Loan for installation of residential RTS: Households can access

collateral-free low-interest loan products of around 7% for installation
of RTS systems up to 3 kW.
•Model Solar Village: It will be developed in each district of country to
act as a role model for adoption of rooftop solar in rural areas.
•Incentives to Local Bodies: Incentives for Urban Local Bodies and
Panchayati Raj Institutions for promoting RTS installations in their
areas.
9. NITI AAYOG LAUNCHES GROW REPORT AND PORTAL : NITI Aayog
unveiled the Greening and Restoration of Wasteland with Agroforestry
(GROW) report.
→Report emphasizes potential of converting wastelands into
productive agroforestry zones.

10. ATMOSPHERIC RIVER : California (the USA) has been hit by two
back-to-back Atmospheric River storms.
→Atmospheric Rivers indicate narrow, elongated corridors of
concentrated moisture transport associated with extra-tropical
cyclones.
→These are largest transport mechanisms of freshwater on Earth
 VI) sChEmEs IN NEws :

1. ANTYODAYA ANNA YOJANA (AAY) : Recently, the Union Cabinet

approved extending the sugar subsidy for AAY families through the Public
Distribution System (PDS) for two more years Le. till 2026.
→Objectives : Ensure food security and Create hunger-free India. Covers
the poorest of the poor in India by supply of food and other important
commodities for their daily needs at subsidized rates.
2. The Janani Yojana (ജനനി പദ്ധതി) under the Department of
Homeopathy is giving a smile of hope by defeating infertility. The free
treatment implemented by the government in the state as part of the
infertility prevention scheme has fulfilled the dreams of about a thousand
families.

3. Kerala Against Rare Diseases (KARE) (FEB 2024), the State’s initiative to
devise a comprehensive care strategy to prevent and manage rare diseases,
is a decisive step to go beyond mere care to look at rare diseases in a
holistic manner, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said.

4. The State Budget has proposed a new livelihood project under the
Kudumbashree umbrella in 2024-25 with the aim of increasing the income of
women members of the poverty alleviation and women empowerment
mission. Kudumbashree Livelihood Initiative for Transformation (K-LIFT)
will ensure livelihood for three lakh women, Minister for Finance K.N.
Balagopal said.

5. The higher secondary wing of the General Education Department has

launched We Help, a toll-free telephone help centre to alleviate the anxiety
and mental stress experienced by higher secondary students and their
parents against the backdrop of the year-end examinations.
 VII) sECuRITY :
1. US APPROVED SALE OF 31 PREDATOR DRONES TO INDIA : US Defense
Security Cooperation Agency notified US Congress for possible military sale
of MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones and related equipment to the Government of
India.

2. INS SANDHAYAK : first Survey Vessel Large (SVL) Ship, commissioned

into Indian Navy in Visakhapatanam.
→About INS Sandhayak : First in a series of four SVL ships.
→Equipped with state-of-the-art hydrographic equipment including Deep &
Shallow Water Multi- Beam Echo-Sounders, Autonomous Underwater
Vehicle, etc
3. PATRIOT MISSILE : Russia blamed the use of US-supplied Patriot missiles
for downing the plane carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war.
→PATRIOT (Phased Array Tracking Radar for Intercept on Target), is a theater-
wide surface-to-air missile defense system.
•It is considered one of the most advanced air defense systems in the U.S.
arsenal.
•It was also used in 1991 Gulf War and during the U.S. invasion of Iraq in
2003.
•It is usually equipped with powerful radar, a control station, a power
generator, a launch station, etc.

4. SADA TANSEEQ: It is a joint military exercise between India and Saudi

Arabia Inaugural edition will be held. From January 29 to February 10 in
Rajasthan.
MILAN 2024: MILAN 2024 is a multilateral naval exercise, hosted by India.
Exercise ‘DOSTI-16’: 16th biennial trilateral coast guard exercise between
India, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka started. Bangladesh is participating as an
observer.
Exercise Steadfast Defender 24: NATO started its largest military exercise
since the Cold War called Steadfast Defender 2024.
 VIII) mIsCELLANEOus CuRRENT AffAIRs
1)Malayali member of the 16th Finance Commission chaired by
Arvind Panagariya? →Annie George Mathew

2) Asia’s first private training center for astronauts Coming up in

→Navi Mumbai

3) Chosen by the Union Home Ministry as the best police station

in the state in 2023? → Kuttipuram, Malappuram

4) World Wetlands Day – February 2 → (2024 theme) : Wetlands

and Human Wellbeing)

5) The woman who presented the highest budget? → Nirmala

Sitharaman (6 times)

6) A portal to be developed to coordinate vaccinations in the

country and fully digitize the information? → U-win

7) Total number of snow leopards in India as per new survey in

February 2024? → 718

8) In February 2024, the political party launched by Tamil

superstar Vijay? → Tamil Vetri Kazhagam (TVK)
9) The memorial named after Mahakavi Ji Shankara kurup which
will be inaugurated in February 2024 is situated at Kochi

10) Malayali who won the Medal of the Order of Australia given
on the occasion of Australian National Day? → Dr. Kuruvila
Mathew

11) Growth of Kerala according to Economic Survey Report 2022-

23? →6.6%

12) World Cancer Day – 4th February 2024 theme : TOGETHER, WE

CHALLENGE THOSE IN POWER

13) Fastest Indian fast bowler to take 150 wickets in Test cricket?
→Jasprit Bumrah

14) Governor of Punjab who resigned in February 2024?

→Banwarilal Purohit

15) India’s first individual Olympic gold medalist to carry the

torch at the 2024 Paris Olympics? → Abhinav Bindra

16) The Russian cosmonaut who holds the record for the person
who has spent the longest time in space?--> Oleg Kononenko
(878 days)
17) First woman Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court?
→Justice Ritu Bahri

18) Soldiers in the Losing War’ is a documentary based on whose

life? →Sugathakumari

19) Kerala’s ‘Judicial City’ including the High Court will come
into being? → Kalamassery

20) 2024 Kadammanitta Ramakrishnan Foundation’s

Kadammanitta Award Winner? →Rafiq Ahmed

21) What brand of rice was launched by the central government

at the rate of Rs 29 per kg with the aim of saving the common
man from the price hike? → Indian rice

22) MP John Brittas has been selected as the best

parliamentarian for the Lokmat Parliamentary Awards 2023.

23) Which cities will host Khelo India Winter Games in 2024?
→Ladakh, Gulmarg

24) The first Indian born to be elected as a member of the Senate

in Australia? →Varun Ghosh
25) Venue of 11th World Government Summit in February 2024?
→Dubai

26) World Pulses Day – February 10

27) Former Prime Ministers of India eligible for Bharat Ratna

award in February 2024? -- > PV Narasimha Rao & Chaudhary
Charan Singh

28) Which country will host the general meeting of the

International Cricket Council this year? → Sri Lanka

29) New species of wasp found in Parambikulam Tiger Sanctuary

in February 2024? → Pumoidus indicus

30) Which state has India’s largest solar battery storage system?
→ Chhattisgarh

31) National Science Day → February 28 (2024 Theme:

Indigenous Technology for a Developed India)

32) The 13th Ministerial Conference of World Trade Organization

was held at? → Abu Dhabi
33) First woman Chief Minister of Punjab province of Pakistan?
→ Maryam Nawaz

34) The project implemented by Kannur District Panchayat with

the aim of preventing crime along with security? → Smart Eye

35) Country’s longest cable-stayed bridge dedicated to the

nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2024?
→Sudarshan Sethu

36) Expired satellite returned to Earth from space by ISRO in

February 2024? → Cartosat 2

37) Rice produced by Kerala as an alternative to Bharat rice?

→K Rice

38) World’s third largest economic power as of February 2024?

→Germany

39) Which country confirmed bubonic plague in February 2024?

→ America

40) Free bus travel allowed to transgenders in Delhi

41) Which state has been awarded by the Union Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare for best coordination of national
tuberculosis control activities in the private sector? → Kerala

42) In February 2024, the country introduced two years of

compulsory military service for young women and men?
→Myanmar

43) The world’s first mobile floating fire station came into Dubai