February 2024 Current Affairs MCQ Questions and Answers

Shubman Gill and Deepti Sharma have won the BCCI awards for best men’s and women’s international cricketers of 2022-23. Gill won the men’s award, named after the former India captain Polly Umrigar, for the first time in his career, while Deepti won the women’s award for the second time – she also won it for the 2019-20 season.

The ‘Maa Bamleshwari Temple’ is located in Chhattisgarh.

The World Government Summit 2024 will be held in Dubai, where PM Narendra Modi will address as the “guest of honour.”

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.

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

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

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.

Naorem Roshibina Devi from India was recognized as the Female Athlete of the Year 2023 by the International Wushu Federation in the sanda category.

PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the new campus of the National Institute of Water Sports in Panaji.

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

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

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).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bharat Mart at the Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone in Dubai will be built by DP World.

Uncia Technologies has announced the go-live of Uncia Chain, its state-of-the-art Supply Chain Finance platform,
at Unity Small Finance Bank Limited (Unity Bank), a newage, digital-first bank. Unity Bank is a scheduled
Commercial Bank, offering digital first banking solutions.

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

Chhattisgarh declared ‘Narayanpur’ as its 29th district.

The inaugural edition of “Vividhta ka Amrit Mahotsav: A cultural odyssey unveiling the richness of Northeast
India” was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan from the 8th to the 11th February, 2024. The Mahotsav features 320 stalls, each dedicated to showcasing the unique handicrafts, handlooms, and agro products of the eight culturally rich states.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) asked general insurance companies to have board-approved policy guidelines for AYUSH coverage and give policyholders an option to choose a treatment of their choice. The guidelines will be effective from April
1, 2024.

The 2nd World Defence Show (WDS) 2024 was held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The United Kingdom launched the “India-UK Green Growth Equity Fund” to promote green investments.

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.

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

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

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.

The President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu has conferred the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar, 2024 to 19 exceptional children in an award ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan on 22nd January, 2024. Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi interacted with Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar awardees on 23rd January, 2024.

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.

Budapest, Hungary, will host the 45th edition of the Chess Olympiad in 2024.

The ‘Maa Bamleshwari Temple’ is located in Chhattisgarh.

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.

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

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

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

The ‘Global Report on Food Crises 2024’ was launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

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

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

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

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

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

The Defence Ministry said the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for various capital acquisition proposals amounting to ₹84,560 crore. The approvals accorded by the DAC,
which is chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, lay special emphasis on the procurement of various equipment from Indian vendors, the Defence Ministry said.

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

Brazil became the first country to approve the use of a genetically modified (GM) mosquito for controlling disease.

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.

The Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Advanced Weapon Equipment India Limited, Kanpur, for 463 indigenously manufactured 12.7 mm Stabilised Remote Control Guns (SRCG).

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.’

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

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

The CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) developed the REJUPAVE road construction technology used by BRO.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

 The ‘Shivaji Maharaj Memorial’ was inaugurated in Maharashtra.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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

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

 Uttar Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana’ to provide financial assistance to girl children.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

 Chandigarh has the highest gross enrolment ratio (GER) as per the AISHE report 2021-22

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.

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.

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).

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 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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Hyderabad hosted the ‘National Women’s Parliament 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.

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

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

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

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.

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

 India was ranked 93rd in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2023 by Transparency International.

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.

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.

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

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

Aiming to transition all payments to digital mode and enhance patient convenience, the All India Institute of
Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, launched the AIIMS-SBI digital patient care card service. The digital patient care or smart card facility was inaugurated by Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya in the presence of Dr M Srinivas, Director of AIIMS New Delhi, and SBI General Manager Manjeet Singh.

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.

Lebanese-born Judge Nawaf Salam has been elected as the new President of the International Court of Justice
(ICJ). He will hold this prestigious position for a threeyear term, taking over from Judge Joan E. Donoghue of
the United States, who was elected on February 8, 2021.

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.

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

The 11th India-Kyrgyzstan Joint Special Forces Exercise, “Khanjar 2024,” began on January 22, 2024, at the Special Forces Training School in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh. The exercise is scheduled from January 22nd to
February 3rd, 2024.

The 9th edition of the India International Science Festival
(IISF) 2023 was held at Faridabad, Haryana from January 17th-20th, 2024. India’s mega Science Fair was held at
the Campus of Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) and Regional Centre for
Biotechnology (RCB) of Department of Biotechnology in Faridabad.

Beijing, China, will host the 2029 World Aquatics Championships.

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

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has proposed an interim Budget of Rs 1.18 lakh crore for fiscal 2024-25 for
the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. According to Sitharaman, the crucial reforms undertaken in 2019 enabled “path-breaking” measures by the Union Territory Government to decentralise governance structure, promote inclusive development,

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

Canada launched its first nationwide carbon pricing scheme.

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.

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

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

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

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”

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Ladli Laxmi Yojana’ to promote the education and well-being of girls.

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

Chhattisgarh declared ‘Narayanpur’ as its 29th district.

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

Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi has been appointed as the new Army Vice Chief as of February 15. He replaced Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar, who would be his successor at the Northern Army Command in Udhampur. Lt Gen. Kumar has been the Vice Chief for around a year after he was promoted to the rank of Army
Commander. He served as the 16 Corps commander earlier and has served in multiple command and staff roles.

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

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

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

The ‘Maa Bamleshwari Temple’ is located in Chhattisgarh.

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

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

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

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.

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.

In a significant political reshuffle, Kazakhstan’s president, Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev, has appointed Olzhas Bektenov as the new Prime Minister. Bektenov, who previously served as Toqaev’s chief of staff and led the AntiCorruption Agency, succeeds Alikhan Smaiylov.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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 ‘Maa Bamleshwari Temple’ is located in Chhattisgarh.

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

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

India’s largest defence equipment exhibition, Defence Expo was organized from 24 to 26 February by the Industries Department of the Maharashtra government at the International Exhibition and Convention Center at Moshi near Pune. More than 1,200 companies presented their capabilities at the Expo

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

The ‘Maa Bamleshwari Temple’ is located in Chhattisgarh.

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

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’.

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.

In a significant stride towards fostering digital inclusion in the MSME sector, the Quality Council of India (QCI) and Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has announced the launch of the DigiReady Certification (DRC) portal. For the initiative, QCI, in conjunction with ONDC, aim to assess and certify digital readiness of MSME entities.

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

Japan launched the “India-Japan Digital Partnership” initiative with India to enhance cooperation in the digital sector.

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’.

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.

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.

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.

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

 Malta became the 119th country to sign the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Framework Agreement.

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

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.

The government expects fiscal deficit to be 5.1 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) for the financial year 2024-2025 (FY25), Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
said in her Budget 2024 speech on February 1. The finance minister also revised the fiscal deficit target for
FY24 to 5.8 per cent of GDP.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated BAPS Mandir in Abu Dhabi in a festive consecration ceremony
attended by Hindu and Muslim leaders and thousands of spectators. Built across 27 acres of land gifted by United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated BAPS Mandir in Abu Dhabi in a festive consecration ceremony
attended by Hindu and Muslim leaders and thousands of spectators. Built across 27 acres of land gifted by United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

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.

West Bengal recently declared ‘Kaliachak’ as its 23rd district.

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 City of London Corporation presented the “Freedom of the City of London” Award to Ajit Mishra, an Indianborn lawyer in the United Kingdom (UK), for his contributions to improving the City of London-India
commercial connection. He received the honors at the Chamberlain’s Court in Guildhall, London, United Kingdom.

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

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

 ISRO partnered with Japan for the launch of the “Anubhuti” satellite.

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

Telangana recently declared ‘Uranium’ as its state mineral.