February 2024 Current Affairs MCQ Questions and Answers

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) celebrated its 48th Raising
Day in New Delhi on 01 February 2024, commemorating its remarkable journey from a modest beginning in 1977
to becoming a formidable force in maritime security. With 152 ships and 78 aircraft in its arsenal, the ICG is on
track to achieve its targeted force levels of 200 surface platforms and 100 aircraft by 2030.

India’s first beachside startup fest, Emerge-2024, will be held from Feb 16 to 18 at Tannirbhavi Beach in
Mangaluru. Held under the banner of Tapasya beach festival (TBF), the event is aimed at fostering and
nurturing emerging startups.

PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz who is also the daughter of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has become the
first-ever woman Chief Minister of a province in Pakistan. She was elected to head the Punjab province on 26
February 2024.

Sanjay Malhotra was appointed as the new Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) developed an indigenous Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) system.

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Vidyarthi Suraksha Yojana’ to provide insurance coverage to students.

REC Ltd., a Maharatna central public sector enterprise, has signed agreements worth Rs 588 crore with the Damodar Valley Corporation to strengthen infrastructure and energy projects in the region. The agreements aim to strengthen their cooperation for the development of tubed coal mines and include a term loan agreement, an escrow agreement andhypothecation deeds.

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Kisan Kalyan Yojana’ to provide financial assistance to farmers.

The foundation stone for India’s first National Museum of Epigraphy was laid in Hyderabad.

ICAI Institute, which is the world’s largest accounting body, has initiated an exercise to develop a ‘Vision 2049’ document to position itself as a globally recognised leader in the accounting profession. This vision document will be prepared in collaboration with IIM Ahmedabad.

The Philippines, in collaboration with IRRI, introduced the ‘D4AgPH’ platform for data-driven decision-making in rice-based agri-food systems.

The Tamil Nadu government has declared 80,114.80 hectares of reserve forests in Bargur Hills in Erode district, as the Thanthai Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. This stretch of protected forests, links the Nilgiris Biosphere
Reserve with Cauvery South Wildlife Sanctuary, and has been notified as the 18th wildlife sanctuary in the State.

Rajasthan launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Shramik Yojana’ to provide financial assistance to construction workers.

The 66th Grammy Awards took place in Los Angeles on 05 February. Taylor Swift won album of the year for Midnights, which made her the first person to win that category four times. She also won Best Pop Vocal Album.
Meanwhile, Miley Cyrus won her first-ever Grammy for Best pop solo performance for Flowers.

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Kisan Kalyan Yojana’ to provide financial assistance to farmers.

The Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by Rajnath Singh, approved capital acquisition proposals worth Rs 84,560 crore to enhance the capabilities of the Armed Forces and the Indian Coast Guard. Amendments to the Defence Acquisition Procedure, 2020 were also approved.

Union Minister Parshottam Rupala of the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying (MoFAHD)
virtually began the project to deposit artificial reefs on the seabed in Vizhinjam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
The project intends to boost the fish population in Kerala waters, increasing fishermen’s revenue opportunities.

SECI, under the aegis of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, has successfully commissioned India’s largest BESS in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh. The energy would be purchased by the state of Chhattisgarh
to meet the peak energy demand of the state.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has launched the IIT Bhubaneswar Research and
Entrepreneurship Park’s ‘100 Cube Start-up initiative’ that aims at creating 100 startups with a valuation of Rs 100 crore each by 2036.

Bandhan Financial Holdings is in the final stages of taking control of Aegon Life Insurance. The holding company of
Bandhan Bank has received the final approval on the acquisition from the Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority (IRDAI).

An image of a polar bear sleeping on a small iceberg has bagged the 2023 Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice Award. As per reports, Nima Sarikhani, the winner, captured the image after searching for polar
bears for three days on Norwegian islands.

With an objective to facilitate farmers and traders in providing low interest rate loans, Warehousing Development Regulatory Authority (WDRA) signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Punjab & Sind Bank (PSB). The MoU was signed with the intent of
promoting awareness to fund against e-NWRs (electronic Negotiable Warehouse Receipt)

France became the first country in the world to ban advertisements for fossil fuels.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 22 announced the ‘Pradhan Mantri Suryodaya Yojana’, a government scheme under which one crore households will get rooftop solar power systems. The Pradhanmantri
Suryodaya Yojana intends to supply power household through solar rooftop installations while also providing
extra money for excess electricity output.

 Rajasthan launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Chiranjeevi Yojana’ to provide cashless treatment to families.

Colombia became the first country to grant legal personhood to an entire ecosystem.

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Krishi Saathi Yojana’ to provide financial assistance to farmers for crop production.

The United States became the first country in the world to launch a vaccine for the ‘Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).’

France became the first country to introduce a law banning the use of plastic in packaging.

Kaji Nemu (Citrus Limon) was declared as the State Fruit of Assam.

The ‘World Economic Outlook’ report for 2024 was launched by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Indian Navy has declared 2024 as ‘Year of Naval Civilians’ to improve administration, efficiency and well-being of Naval Civilians by addressing all facets of Civilian HR Management in a time bound manner. Major focus areas towards maximising administrative efficiency, digital
initiatives, generic and specific training programmes and welfare activities have been identified for implementation in 2024.

 The “Bapu Tower,” India’s first and largest copper-clad tower, has been completed in Patna.

The financial outlay for the extension of the ‘Poshan Abhiyaan’ scheme till 2026 is Rs. 3.29 lakh crore.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Indian community at the ‘AHLAN MODI’ event in the United Arab Emirates

The United States became the first country in the world to launch a vaccine for the ‘Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).’

An MoU was signed between Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Republic of India and the
Ministry of Communications of the Republic of Cuba on Cooperation in the field of Sharing Successful Digital
Solutions Implemented at Population Scale for Digital Transformation on 19 January 2024 in New Delhi.

The statue of Adiyogi Shiva near Noida International Airport will have a total height of 242 feet.

Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar recently took oath as Bihar Chief Minister for a record ninth time,
returning to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance just 18 months after he left it, in his fifth switch in
political loyalties since 2015.

 Rajasthan launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Shramik Yojana’ to provide financial assistance to construction workers.

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Swasthya Bima Yojana’ to provide health insurance to economically weaker sections.

Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) a premier public sector bank in the country, celebrated its 88th annual Foundation
Day in Chennai on 10 February 2024. IOB announced the opening of 88 new branches across the country and a 20
bps increase in interest rates on retail term deposits for the 444-day bucket, effective from February 10, 2024.

Centre For Development Of Telematics (C-DOT), the premier telecom R&D center of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee (IIT-R) signed an agreement for developing a 140GHz fully integrated transmitter and receiver module for 6G and beyond.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, during her Interim Budget 2024 speech, said that 40,000 normal rail bogies
will be converted to Vande Bharat standards. The Finance Minister further said that three major economic
railway corridor programmes– energy, mineral and cement corridors, port connectivity corridors, and high
traffic density corridors–will be implemented.

Two more Ramsar sites, Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary and Longwood Shola Reserve Forest, have been approved by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC). With this, the total number of Ramsar
sites in Tamil Nadu has increased to 16, the highest in the country.

Bihar introduced the ‘Mukhyamantri Old Age Pension Scheme’ to provide financial support to senior citizens.

Havildar Preeti Rajak, who is a champion trap shooter, has become the first woman to hold the rank of Subedar in the Indian Army after she was promoted in January 2024. Subedar Rajak joined the Army in the Corps of Military Police in December 2022.

Neuralink implanted a wireless brain chip named “Telepathy” in a human for the first time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 25 opened the Sudarshan Setu which is India’s longest cable-stayed bridge connecting Okha mainland and Beyt Dwarka island. It is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the country and is around 2.32 kilometers long.

YES Bank became the first Indian bank to execute an export finance transaction on the International Trade
Financing Services Platform (ITFS) of RXIL Global IFSC Limited (RXIL), a leading cross-border fintech company
registered under the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA).

Dr. Bina Modi, Chairperson of Modi Enterprises, was honoured with the ‘Outstanding Business Woman of the
Year – 2023’ Award by Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister of India. The award, presented to her at a prestigious
conference by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) on ‘Strengthening Indo-US Relationship in
Amritkal-Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.

The Multinational military exercise ‘Shanti Prayas IV’ was hosted by Nepal.

Secretary, Department of Land Resources, Nidhi Khare has rolled out National Generic Document Registration
System (NDGRS) throughout Assam along with the launch of Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) seeding of geo referenced cadastral maps. Special Chief Secretary, Government of Assam, Syedain Abbasi launched the Blockchain application in land records in Darrang district as a pilot.

Union Minister of State (MoS) for Electronics and IT, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajeev Chandrasekhar launched the “Digital India FutureLABS” at IIIT Delhi and delivered the keynote address at the
‘Digital India FutureLABS Summit 2024,’ focused on ‘Catalyzing the Next-generation Electronics System
Design through Digital India FutureLABS.’

Rajasthan launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Shramik Yojana’ to provide financial assistance to construction workers.

Telangana recently declared ‘Uranium’ as its state mineral.

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Vidyarthi Suraksha Yojana’ to provide insurance coverage to students.

HDFC Bank, India’s largest private sector bank, has announced the expansion of its small and medium-sized
enterprises (SME) payment solutions with the launch of its business range of credit cards. The credit cards are
available in four variants — BizFirst, BizGrow, BizPower, and BizBlack.

Mirae Asset Mutual Fund on February 12, 2023, launched “India’s first Multi factor-based ETF on Nifty Smallcap250
Index,” called Mirae Asset Nifty Smallcap 250 Momentum Quality 100 ETF. As a passive fund, it replicates the Nifty Smallcap 250 Momentum Quality 100 Total Return Index.

Bank of Maharashtra (BoM), a premier public sector bank in the country celebrated its 89th Business Commencement Day in Pune on 8th February, 2024. As Bank has undertaken Digital transformations in areas of digital journey, digital operations & digital compliance,
accordingly new 89 digital products and services were launched marking this occasion as “Maha Parivartan Diwas 2.0”.

New Delhi hosted the ‘National Street Food Festival 2024.’

The ‘Maa Bamleshwari Temple’ is located in Chhattisgarh.

SBI Life Insurance, one of most trusted private life insurers in the country, recently launched two products-
‘SBI Life – Saral Swadhan Supreme’ and ‘SBI Life – Smart Swadhan Supreme’, that not only provides a life cover but also benefit of return of premiums at maturity, to fulfil customer’s financial objectives.

Uttar Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Bal Seva Yojana’ to provide financial assistance to children orphaned due to COVID-19.

Comoros President Azali Assoumani has been re-elected for a fourth term in a poll disputed by the opposition as
“fraudulent”. He secured the win with 63% of the vote, the electoral body said. However, turnout was low amid
an opposition boycott – just 16% of people voted in the presidential election.

V.Anantha Nageswaran was appointed as the Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) of India.

Chhattisgarh declared ‘Narayanpur’ as its 29th district.

Gujarat launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Yuva Swavalamban Yojana’ to provide financial assistance for higher education to economically weaker sections.

The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) of the Ministry of Personnel, Public
Grievances, and Pensions has released the National eGovernance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) Way
Forward Annual Report 2023. In December 2023, States/UTs delivered a total of 16,487 e-services, compared to 11,614 in April 2023.

Tech giant Google has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Maharashtra to provide artificial intelligence (AI)-led
solutions across key sectors in the state. As a part of the collaboration, Google will leverage its AI capabilities to provide solutions in sectors like agriculture, healthcare, sustainability, education, and startups.

Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma on 08 February 2024 ceremonially launched the Logo, Anthem, Mascot, Jersey and Torch of Khelo India University Games – 2023, Ashtalakshmi in Guwahati in the presence of Nisith Pramanik, Union MoS for Youth Affairs & Sports and Home Affairs.

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Rojgar Guarantee Yojana’ to provide employment opportunities to unemployed youth.

Punjabi University, Patiala, introduced the “PURAN” system to enhance the typing experience of the Gurmukhi script on the internet.

National Rural Livelihood Promotion Society (NRLPS), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) signed an MOU with BRAC International, a Global South-led organisation with a mission to empower people and communities. The MoU has been signed for inclusion of the poorest of the poor under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), a flagship programme under MoRD.

Grandmaster (GM) Wei Yi of China earned his first master title by defeating GM Gukesh D of India in the
finals of the 86th Tata Steel Chess Tournament (2024), which took place from January 12-28, 2024 in Wijk aan
Zee, The Netherlands. GM Leon Luke Mendonca (India) won the Challengers title by defeating International Master (IM) Divya Deshmukh (India) in the final.

Uttar Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Balika Protsahan Yojana’ to encourage the education of girl children.

Hyderabad hosted the ‘National Women’s Parliament 2024.’

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Kisan Kalyan Yojana’ to provide financial assistance to farmers.

REC Limited, a Maharatna Central public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Power and a leading NBFC, has been bestowed with the prestigious Best
Green Bond-Corporate Award at The Asset Triple A Awards for Sustainable Finance 2024.

 The total outlay under the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) is Rs. 29,610.25 crore.

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Vidya Niketan Yojana’ to provide quality education to students from economically weaker sections.

The World Bank has approved INSPIRES program aimed at supporting the state of Sikkim in India. The project aims to train, upskill, and create jobs for 300,500 women and youth in high-growth and priority areas. The
International Bank of Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) will offer a $100 million loan with a 14-year
maturity and a five-and-a-half-year grace period.

Uttar Pradesh is planning to establish two centres of excellence (CoE) for research and innovation on green
hydrogen. It will be under the ambit of UP New and Renewable Energy Development Agency. Moreover, the
policy will lay emphasis on increasing hydrogen blending in regions where green hydrogen is consumed.

 PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the Integrated Sea Survival Training Centre in Goa.

Payal Kapadia became the first Indian filmmaker to win the Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival 2024.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released six special commemorative postage stamps dedicated to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh along with an album carrying similar stamps related to Lord Ram issued earlier in different countries
of the world was also released.

Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Joshi is the author of the book ‘Ek Samandar, Mere Andar’.

As per an official notification AU Small Finance Bank (SFB) has announced the appointment of Reserve Bank of
India’s former Deputy Governor Harun Rashid Khan as part-time chairman. It added that Raj Vikash Verma has
completed his tenure on 29 January, 2024 and will cease to be a part time chairman and independent director of
the bank with immediate effect.

The Centre will invite private companies to invest about $26 billion (₹2.16 lakh crore) in nuclear energy to increase the amount of electricity from sources that don’t produce carbon dioxide emissions. This is the first time the government is pursuing private investment in nuclear power, a non-carbon-emitting energy source that contributes less than 2% of India’s total electricity generation.

Isha Ambani, who heads Reliance Group’s retail venture Reliance Retail and is also a non-executive director on
the board of Jio Financial Services, received Maharashtrian of the Year 2024 for her valuable contribution to the business sector.

Anil Kumar Lahoti was appointed as the chairman of TRAI.

Bihar launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Vidya Dhan Yojana’ to provide financial assistance to students pursuing higher education.

Fintech startup LeRemitt and Yes Bank have partnered to introduce a cross-border platform that enables micro,
small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to conduct international transactions in key currencies, including US dollars and euro, according to an official statement.

Jay Shah, Secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), was reappointed President of the Asian
Cricket Council (ACC) for a third term. He took over as President of ACC in January 2021, after Nazmul Hassan,
President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

In 2024-25, the total receipts other than borrowings are estimated to be ₹ 30.80 lakh crore and the total
expenditure is estimated at ₹ 47.66 lakh crore. The tax receipts are estimated at ₹ 26.02 lakh crore. Union
Finance Minister said that, during 2024-25, gross and net market borrowings through dated securities are
estimated at ₹ 14.13 lakh crore and ₹ 11.75 lakh crore respectively

Havildar Varinder Singh was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal for designing the ‘Multipurpose Octocopter’ drone.

 France became the first country to introduce a law banning the use of plastic in packaging.

Telangana implemented Shallow Aquifer Management (SAM) pilot models under the AMRUT scheme to address groundwater depletion and flooding.

Former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously, the highest civilian honour in India. Popularly known as Jan Nayak (people’s hero), Thakur was widely respected for his integrity and dedication to the welfare of the common people.

The United States became the first country in the world to launch a vaccine for the ‘Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).’

The Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) portal has reached a historic milestone with over 1.45 crore registrations as
on 31.01. 2024. This has been possible due to the user friendly interface that allows registration to be completed within a few minutes

ISRO launched the Oceansat-3 satellite to monitor the Indian Ocean.

The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has unveiled the report ‘Prabhaav’ of the impact assessment of the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS), a key component of the startups. The third-party assessment of the scheme was undertaken by CRISIL, India’s premier analytics company and pioneer of AIF benchmarking in the country.

The apex body of chartered accountants, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), announced that Ranjeet Kumar Agarwal has been elected as its President
for the 2024-25 term, succeeding Aniket Talati. Agarwal, the 72nd President of ICAI, previously served as Vice President during the 2023-24 term.

The ‘National Cultural Festival 2024’ was hosted in New Delhi.

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Jan Kalyan Sambal Yojana’ to provide financial assistance to workers in the unorganized sector.

 Jio was recognized as India’s strongest brand in the Brand Finance’s 2024 Global 500 report.

Digital University Kerala introduced the silicon-proven Artificial Intelligence (AI) chip named “Kairali AI Chip.”

INS Nirupak was built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE), Kolkata.

The 2027 World Test Championship final is scheduled to be held in England.

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Jan Arogya Abhiyan’ to provide health insurance to economically weaker sections.

Uttarakhand launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Ghasyari Kalyan Yojana’ to provide fodder at subsidized rates to cattle owners.

The National Health Authority (NHA) is responsible for implementing the ‘Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).’

Greening and Restoration of Wasteland with Agroforestry (GROW) report and portal was launched by Prof Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog at NITI Aayog. This multi-institutional effort led by NITI Aayog utilized remote sensing and GIS to assess agroforestry suitability across all districts in India.

Kachchhi Kharek, the indigenous variety of dates of Kutch, has become the second fruit of Gujarat to get a
geographical indication (GI) tag from the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDT) of
India. Jubilant farmers of the semi-arid district have hailed the decision.

The index, which lists countries by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, ranked Denmark at the top,
followed by Finland, New Zealand and Norway. The index uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100
is very clean. While western Europe and the European Union remained the top-scoring regions, its regional
average score dropped to 65 this year, as checks and balances weakened and political integrity eroded, the report said.

Uttar Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Bal Seva Yojana’ to provide financial assistance to children orphaned due to COVID-19.

In a significant move to bolster renewable energy and infrastructure financing in India, REC Limited has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited (NIIFL). This collaboration aims to develop a suite of funding solutions for renewable energy projects and large-scale infrastructure projects across the country.

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan unveiled a book, ‘Artificial Intelligence and National Security’ at the Defence Literature Festival, “Kalam and Kavach,” in Pune. Chief Guest Gen Anil Chauhan, the CDS, inaugurated the event, marking a significant milestone in blending India’s rich cultural heritage with contemporary national security strategies.

The Indian Army has opened the ‘India Selfie Point’ near the Line of Control in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir,
officials said. The ‘India Selfie Point’ has been gifted by acclaimed artist Rouble Nagi, who has set up several such points elsewhere in Jammu and Kashmir, they said.

Karnataka became the first Indian state to implement the ‘National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.’

The UK capital London was the slowest city to drive through 2023 in the world, with an average speed of 14 kmph in rush hour, a report said. Two Indian cities, Bengaluru and Pune, were also on the list of cities with the worst traffic, the report by the Amsterdam-based location technology specialist TomTom showed.

The Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center hosted the second edition of the World Defence Show
(WDS 2024) from February 4th to 8th, 2024. The General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI), the regulator, enabler, and licensor for Saudi Arabia’s military sector, organized WDS 2024 with the theme “Equipped for Tomorrow”

On February 12, 2024, Federal Bank introduced its newest product, the Stellar Savings Account, aiming to
transform the banking sector by delivering exceptional benefits and innovative features. The Stellar Savings Account is currently accessible to both new and existing customers at all Federal Bank branches.

The government has given Exim Bank of India Rs 9,000 crore after some of the loans extended to foreign countries become non-performing assets (NPAs). The bank had to use the government guarantee on these loans, which were made to some African countries more
than a decade ago.

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad (Gujarat), has been ranked as one of the top government
MBA colleges in India by the Indian Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF) for 2024. Xavier Labour Relations
Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), has been ranked as one of India’s best private MBA colleges for
2024.

Gujarat launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana’ to provide subsidized food to the poor.

Madhabi Puri Buch was appointed as the Chairperson of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

New Delhi hosted the ‘National Street Food Festival 2024.’

India’s rank in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2023 has slipped to 93 out of 180 countries, with a score of 39. Transparency International points out that most
countries, including India, have made little progress in tackling corruption.

The World Bank approved a loan of USD 500 million for the “Green National Highways Corridor Project” in India.

The own revenues of Panchayats accounted for 1.1% of their total revenue during the period 2020-21 to 2022-23, according to RBI data

The ‘National Cultural Festival 2024’ was hosted in New Delhi.

 IIT Madras partnered with Munitions India Limited (MIL) to create India’s first indigenously-designed 155 smart ammunition.

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Bal Arogya Abhiyan’ to provide healthcare services to children.

A group of researchers from various institutes in India and overseas discovered a new species of tiny lizards
known as ‘Agasthyagama edge’ or the northern kangaroolizard in the southern Western Ghats near Kulamavu in
Idukki, Kerala. The findings were published in VertebrateZoology, a scholarly magazine released by the
Senckenberg Museum in Germany

Life Insurance Corporation of India’s (LIC) shareholding in SBI Cards and Payments Services crossed 5% with the insurer, as an investment function, acquiring recently a little more than three lakh shares in the non-banking
financial company at an average cost of ₹716 per share. The shareholding has increased from 4.99% to 5.02%
following the open market purchase, LIC said in a filing.

The sixth edition of the Khelo India Youth Games-2023, which took place over 13 days in four districts of Tamil Nadu, concluded on January 31 with Maharashtra winning 158 medals and taking first place, while Tamil Nadu, the host state, and Haryana finished second and third.

The Reserve Bank of India has approved state-run insurer Life Insurance Corporation of India’s (LIC) application to acquire a 9.99% aggregate holding of paid-up share
capital in HDFC Bank. According to the RBI’s regulations, LIC will have to acquire the 9.99% stake within the year, while ensuring that its holding never crosses the 9.99% mark.

Embraer Defense & Security and Mahindra announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with the objective of jointly fulfilling the acquisition of the C-390 Millennium multi-mission aircraft by the Indian Air Force in its upcoming Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) procurement project. The MoU was signed at the Embassy of Brazil in New Delhi.

The Fit India movement, a flagship initiative of the Government of India envisioned by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, takes a significant leap forward with the appointment of Narendra Kumar Yadav, Additional
Director GST as its newest brand ambassador.

A total of 12 forts have been included in the nomination of the “Maratha Military Landscapes of India” for UNESCO World Heritage recognition.

The Budget has more than doubled Sovereign Gold Bond (SGB) issuance for next fiscal to ₹3,500 crore against
₹1,500 crore logged in the financial year ended March 31, 2023. It has also retained the Budget estimate for this
fiscal at ₹1,500 crore against ₹402 crore raised last fiscal.

Apurva Chandra has been appointed as the Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare. Currently, Mr.
Chandra is the Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Sanjay Jaju will be the new Information and Broadcasting secretary.

Bhutanese voters have elected Tshering Tobgay to become Prime Minister for a second time after his party won nearly two-thirds of seats. Mr. Tobgay, head of the liberal People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who served as
prime minister of the Himalayan kingdom from 2013 to 2018, won 30 of 47 seats.

Online food delivery firm Zomato said its subsidiary Zomato Payments Pvt Ltd (ZPPL) has received authorisation from RBI to operate as an online payment
aggregator. The company had disclosed on August 4, 2021 about the incorporation of ZPPL, a wholly-owned
subsidiary, to carry out the business as a payment aggregator and issuer of pre-paid payment instruments.

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Vriddha Pension Yojana’ to provide financial support to senior citizens.

The ‘Maa Bamleshwari Temple’ is located in Chhattisgarh.

India is on its track to have 50% of its installed power generation capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030,
Union Minister R K Singh informed the Rajya Sabha. The country’s installed power generation capacity from nonfossil source is 186.46 gigawatt (GW), which is 43.82 per cent of its total installed capacity, the minister for new and renewable energy said.

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Smart Gram Yojana’ to develop model villages.

 Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Vriddha Pension Yojana’ to provide financial support to senior citizens.

A team of researchers have discovered a new species of damselfly named Cliffside Bambootail (Phylloneura
rupestris) at the Ponmudi hills in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. The Ponmudi hills are biodiversity-rich,
and this is the third species of damselfly discovered from the region.

The ‘PM GatiShakti Summit: Towards Logistics Efficiency and Integrated Infrastructure Planning’, organized by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), in collaboration with the Department for
Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) took place in New Delhi on 30 January 2024.

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Vidyarthi Suraksha Yojana’ to provide insurance coverage to students.

Actor Vijay recently launched the political party “Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).”

The world’s first Vedic clock, designed to showcase time according to the ancient Indian traditional Panchang, has been installed in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain district and is set for unveiling on March 1. The Vedic clock stands tall
on an 85-foot tower within Ujjain’s Jantar Mantar.

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Solar Pump Yojana’ to provide solar pumps to farmers.

Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh has been roped in as the brand ambassador of audio products brand boAt, the
company announced through an official statement. Ranveer Singh has also made an investment in the company.

India and Rwanda signed an agreement to establish the “India-Rwanda Innovation Growth Programme.”

Gujarat launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Yuva Swavalamban Yojana’ to provide financial assistance for higher education to economically weaker sections.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) launched the ‘World Wildlife Crime Report 2024.’

Canara HSBC Life Insurance introduced iSelect Guaranteed Future Plus, a comprehensive plan designed to deliver life insurance and assured benefits, ensuring the safeguarding of goals and providing peace of mind. The product encompasses a range of crucial features, including a life cover serving as a safety net for the policyholder and their loved ones, ensuring financial
security during uncertain periods.

Gujarat launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Yuva Swavalamban Yojana’ to provide financial assistance for higher education to economically weaker sections.

Private sector lender Federal Bank has launched NCMCintegrated debit cards. National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) is a feature introduced on RuPay contactless debit card that allows cardholders to make payments
across NCMC-enabled terminals at metro stations, buses, etc., in an offline mode within a fraction of a
second, just by tapping the card on the card reader.

The Defence Materials and Stores Research and Development Establishment (DMSRDE) developed the liquid Ramjet fuel for an advanced air-breathing engine.

The 2nd State Mining Ministers’ Conference was held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh on 23rd January 2024. Union
Minister of Mines, Coal and Parliamentary Affairs Shri Pralhad Joshi chaired the function. Dr. Mohan Yadav,
Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh was the Chief Guest of the Conference.

Taking a substantial step to enrich the array of financial solutions for customers, ESAF Small Finance Bank has officially declared a bancassurance collaboration with Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance. The partnership plays a
crucial role in ESAF Small Finance Bank’s strategy to broaden its range of offerings, demonstrating its commitment to providing financial security to a more extensive segment of the unbanked and under-banked
population.

Uttar Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Bal Seva Yojana’ to provide financial assistance to children orphaned due to COVID-19.

Josh Brown’s outstanding half-century and Spencer Johnson’s four-wicket spell with the ball helped Brisbane
Heat beat Sydney Sixers to the Big Bash League 2023-24 title. Heat became only the third team to win more than one championship in BBL history

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Vriddha Pension Yojana’ to provide financial support to senior citizens.

Max Financial Services has announced that it has received approval from Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) for capital infusion of Rs 1,612 crore by Axis Bank into the company’s material subsidiary, Max Life Insurance.

Coaching centres cannot enroll students below 16 years of age, make misleading promises and guarantee rank or good marks, according to new guidelines announced by the Ministry of Education. The guidelines for regulating
coaching institutes have been framed to address the need for a legal framework and manage the unregulated
growth of private coaching centres.

World Radio Day is marked annually on 13 February. The theme for the World Radio Day 2024 is “Radio: A century
informing, entertaining and educating”. The 2024 observance highlights the history of radio and its powerful impact on news, drama, music and sports.

Maharashtra recently declared ‘dand patta’ as the official state weapon.

Haryana launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Krishi Ayushman Yojana’ to provide health insurance to farmers.

Spain became the 99th member of the International Solar Alliance.

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Bal Suraksha Yojana’ to provide health insurance to children.

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Vriddha Pension Yojana’ to provide financial support to senior citizens.

Sports minister Anurag Thakur has handed over the Chess Olympiad Torch to Budapest, the Hungarian capital, which will host the 45th edition of the prestigious tournament this year. During a function at Major Dhyanchand National Stadium in New Delhi, Thakur handed over the torch to the FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich and representatives of the host city.

To strengthen bird conservation initiatives and to address the challenges posed by illegal hunting in the South Asian region, the Bihar government has brought out the ‘Patna Declaration’. As per the Patna Declaration, a task force on illegal killing, taking, and trade of migratory birds in the South Asian region will be established.

Five more Indian wetlands have been added to the global list of wetlands of international importance under the
Ramsar Convention, taking the total number of such highly recognised waterlogged ecosystems in the
country to 80, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said. Of the five wetlands added to the Ramsar list,
Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve, Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve, and Aghanashini Estuary are in Karnataka and Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary and Longwood Shola Reserve Forest are in Tamil Nadu.

The total length of the ‘T-50’ tunnel on the USBRL is 12.77 km.

Chess prodigy Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa made headlines by securing the number one spot among India’s chess players following his impressive victory over World champion Ding Liren at the 2024 Tata Steel Chess tournament. The 18-year-old defeated the reigning champion with the black pieces, and surpassed the legendary Viswanathan Anand to claim the top position in India.

Rajasthan launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Shramik Yojana’ to provide financial assistance to construction workers.

Under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, each household will receive 300 units of free electricity every month.

Shashi Tharoor was honored with the ‘Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur’ by France.

 The ‘World Energy Outlook 2024’ was launched by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr has been appointed as a goodwill ambassador for UNESCO’s Education for All initiative, UNESCO said. The international player of Brazil was appointed at a ceremony at his club’s training centre, becoming the second soccer player from his
country to serve as a UNESCO goodwill ambassador after Pele.

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Kisan Kalyan Yojana’ to provide financial assistance to farmers.

The ‘National Cultural Festival 2024’ was hosted in New Delhi.

India recently signed an agreement to participate in the WHO’s mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub.

VARNI, a premium electronics brand, has named Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja as its brand ambassador. VARNI
was formed in 2009 by Kishan Mali, who also serves as its Managing Director.

The ‘National Cultural Festival 2024’ was hosted in New Delhi.

The United Arab Emirates launched its domestic card “JAYWAN,” based on the digital RuPay credit and debit card stack.

Chhattisgarh declared ‘Narayanpur’ as its 29th district.

Nangolo Mbumba, former Vice President of the Republic of Namibia, took office as Namibia’s interim President on
February 4, 2024, following the death of outgoing President Hage Geingob. Nangolo Mbumba will occupy the position until the 2024 elections.

Rajasthan launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Anuprati Coaching Yojana’ to provide free coaching to underprivileged students.

Gujarat launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Shiksha Saathi Yojana’ to provide financial assistance to students for higher education.

France became the first country to introduce a law banning the use of plastic in packaging.

Sultan Ibrahim, the powerful billionaire ruler of southern Johor state, was sworn in as Malaysia’s 17th king. Sultan
Ibrahim took the reins from Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang state, whose tenure was marked
by challenging times, navigating through the complexities of Covid-19 lockdowns and a phase of political unrest.

Mio Oka has been appointed as the new Country Director for India by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

 Rajasthan launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Shramik Yojana’ to provide financial assistance to construction workers.

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Divyang Pension Yojana’ to provide financial assistance to disabled persons.

Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh signed an MoU with Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS), Government of India for
implementation of the ‘Modified PKC-ERCP’ (integration of original PKC with Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project of
Rajasthan), which is the second project under the national perspective plan of interlinking of rivers (ILR)
program of Government of India.

The United States launched the first-ever ‘Global Climate Change Fund’ to support climate action in developing countries.

Singapore became the first country to approve the use of cultured meat.

Feleti Teo, who is a Tuvaluan politician and lawyer was appointed as the 14th Prime Minister of Tuvalu. He was
elected to the Parliament of Tuvalu in the 2024 Tuvaluan general election after he was elected unopposed by the
parliament as Prime Minister on 26 February 2024.

The ‘Global Gender Gap Report 2024’ was released by the World Economic Forum (WEF)

The Indian Army inducted the indigenous ATAGS (Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System) under the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiative.

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance said that it has launched ICICI Prudential Guaranteed Pension Plan Flexi with
Benefit Enhancer. This product is being billed as the industry’s first annuity plan that provides customers with the option to receive a 100 per cent refund of premiums paid at any time starting from the date of purchase.

NITI Aayog has prepared a plan for the economic transformation of Mumbai, Surat, Varanasi, and Vizag.

Uttarakhand launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Ghasyari Kalyan Yojana’ to provide fodder at subsidized rates to cattle owners.

Two fintech startups Juspay and Decentro have received the final licence to operate as payment aggregators on February 6. Software as a service startup Zoho also got
the payment aggregator licence on February 2. Zoho is the first enterprise Saas player to get the payment
aggregator nod from the RBI.

Kuldeep Singh was appointed as the Director-General of the National Security Guard (NSG).

Jharkhand launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Krishi Ashirwad Yojana’ to provide financial assistance to farmers.

 Gujarat launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Yuva Swavalamban Yojana’ to provide financial assistance for higher education to economically weaker sections.

On January 27, 2024, the Chenab River was redirected through the diversion tunnels at Drabshalla in Kishtwar
district, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). This is a significant milestone for the 850 MegaWatt (MW) Ratle Hydroelectric Project on the Chenab River in Kishtwar, which is slated to be operational in May 2026.

Bihar introduced the ‘Mukhyamantri Old Age Pension Scheme’ to provide financial support to senior citizens.

Every year on February 2nd, the world celebrates World Wetlands Day, highlighting the crucial role these
ecosystems play in human health and well-being. The theme of the World Wetlands Day 2024 is ‘Wetlands and
Human Wellbeing’.

The ‘One Bharat Sari Walkathon’ will be organized in Kota, Rajasthan.

The State Bank of India, which is the largest public sector bank in the country, has said that users can use the selfsubscribing route to enroll for the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) schemes.

In a display of military cooperation, the Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully conducted Exercise Desert Knight
alongside the French Air and Space Force (FASF) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force on January 23. The joint exercise was hosted at the Al Dhafra air base in the UAE.

Chhattisgarh declared ‘Narayanpur’ as its 29th district.

Bayview Projects won the tender to develop the International Film City near Noida.

Chhattisgarh declared ‘Narayanpur’ as its 29th district.

The first Skill India Centre (SIC) was inaugurated by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Sambalpur, Odisha.

Fitch expects India’s fiscal deficit would be 5.4% of GDP in FY25, surpassing the government’s target of 5.1%. This estimate suggests that meeting budget consolidation
goals may be difficult, especially given increasing spending ahead of general elections.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) held the Vayu-Shakti 2024 demonstration exercise on February 17, 2024, at the
Pokhran Air-to-Ground Range near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The 2024 Vayu-Shakti exercise included joint operations with the Indian Army, demonstrating the perfect cooperation between the two arms of the
military.

The United States became the first country in the world to launch a vaccine for the ‘Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).’

President of India Droupadi Murmu has nominated educationist and the founder of Chandigarh University
(CU) Satnam Singh Sandhu as a member of the Rajya Sabha. Sandhu, son of a farmer, founded the Chandigarh Group of Colleges (CGC) at Landran in Mohali in 2001 and
Chandigarh University in 2012.

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Vidyarthi Suraksha Yojana’ to provide insurance coverage to students.

North Korea has tested a nuclear-capable underwater attack drone in response to joint naval exercises
involving South Korea, the United States and Japan. Pyongyang tested the Haeil-5-23 in waters off the east
coast as the US and its allies were “seriously threatening the security” of the country and “destabilising the
regional situation”, North Korea’s Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

The Ministry of Defence has signed contract with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), Mumbai on 24
January, 2024, for acquisition of 14 Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). The value of the contract is Rs 1070.47 cr. These multi role FPVs will be indigenously designed, developed and manufactured by MDL under Buy (Indian-IDDM) Category and will be delivered in total 63 months.

A small but powerful Chinese rocket capable of sending payloads at competitive costs delivered nine satellites into orbit on 03 February. The Jielong-3, or Smart Dragon-3, blasted off from a floating barge off the coast
of Yangjiang in southern Guangdong province. It was the third launch of the rocket, developed by China Rocket Co,
a commercial offshoot of a state-owned launch vehicle manufacturer, since December 2022.

Hyderabad hosted the ‘National Women’s Parliament 2024.’

The Group (Term) Insurance Scheme for Casual Paid Labourers provides an insured value of Rs. 10 lakh.

The ‘World Competitiveness Yearbook 2024’ was released by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD).

France became the first country to introduce a law banning the use of plastic in packaging.

Uttar Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Bal Seva Yojana’ to provide financial assistance to children orphaned due to COVID-19.

 The United States became the first country in the world to launch a vaccine for the ‘Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).’

 Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Kisan Kalyan Yojana’ to provide financial assistance to farmers.

The quality standards for five spices, small cardamom, turmeric, juniper berry, allpice, and star anise, were
finalized during the 7th Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs (CCSCH7) meet in Kochi, Kerala. CCSCH7, hosted by the Government of India, took place from January 29 to February 2, 2024.

The Financial Action Task Force (“FATF”) has removed the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) from its “grey” watchlist. FATF’s grey list pertains to countries that have deficiencies in anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing systems but are committed to actively addressing them.

The “India Bazaar” community welfare project was recently launched in the United States.