Current Affairs March 19, 2024
National News
Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan Resigns as Lt. Governor of Puducherry and Governor of Telangana, Eyes General Elections
- Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan has submitted her resignation as Lt. Governor of Puducherry and Governor of Telangana.
- The resignation letter has been sent to the President of India, pending acceptance.
- She is anticipated to contest in the upcoming General Elections.
- Dr. Soundararajan will announce her future plans publicly after the acceptance of her resignation.
Telangana state:
- Capital: Hyderabad
- Chief minister: Revanth Reddy
- Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan
- Founded: 2 June 2014
PM Modi Inaugurates India’s First Integrated Oil Palm Processing Unit in Arunachal Pradesh
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurates India’s first integrated oil palm processing unit in Roing, Arunachal Pradesh, operated by 3F Oil Palm.
- The project aligns with Mission Palm Oil under the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP), contributing to India’s self-reliance in edible oils.
- The integrated processing unit marks a significant stride in India’s efforts to boost domestic production of edible oils and reduce dependency on imports.
Arunchal Pradesh:
- Capital: Itanagar (Executive Branch)
- Chief minister: Pema Khandu
- Governor: Kaiwalya Trivikram Parnaik
India Forms High-Level Committee to Oversee Ayushman Bharat Implementation
- The Narendra Modi government establishes a high-level committee, chaired by Dr. V.K. Paul, to review the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
- The committee will assess the roles and responsibilities of both central and state governments, monitor scheme progress, and evaluate various implementation methods.
- Focus areas include expanding the beneficiary base, ensuring financial viability, and exploring avenues for extending services and benefits under the scheme.
- The committee will be reviewing the roles of central and state government in the implementation of AB-PMJAY
- The committee will examine different implementation models (trust, insurance, hybrid) to execute the programme
About AB-PMJAY:
- PMJAY the world’s largest health assurance scheme aims to provide poor and vulnerable families with health cover of 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation
- It was launched by prime minister (PM) narendra modi on September 2018 in ranchi, Jharkhand
India’s E-Vehicle Manufacturing Promotion Scheme
- Aim: To position India as a prominent manufacturing hub for cutting-edge e-vehicles, attracting global investments and advancing technology adoption.
- Investment Requirement: Minimum investment of Rs 4150 Cr (approx. USD 500 Mn) with no maximum limit specified.
- Manufacturing Timeline: Companies must establish manufacturing facilities within 3 years, commence commercial production of e-vehicles, and achieve 50% domestic value addition (DVA) within 5 years at most.
- Benefits: Enhances access to latest technology for Indian consumers, supports Make in India initiative, fosters competition leading to increased production volumes and economies of scale, reduces dependence on crude oil imports, lowers trade deficit, mitigates urban air pollution, and contributes positively to health and environment.
Ranks and reports
New Delhi Continues to Top List as World’s Most Polluted Capital; Begusarai Ranked Most Polluted Metropolitan Area
- La. Ganesan maintains its position as the world’s most polluted capital city for the fourth consecutive year.
- Air Quality Report 2023 by IQAir reveals an increase in Delhi’s PM2.5 levels from 89.1 to 92.7 micrograms per cubic meter between 2022 and 2023.
- Bihar’s Begusarai emerges as the world’s most polluted metropolitan area, with an average annual PM2.5 concentrations of 54.4 micrograms per cubic meter.
About New delhi:
- Governor: Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena
- CM: Arvind Kejriwal
Banking News
Jaideep Hansraj Appointed Group President of Kotak Mahindra Bank
- Kotak Mahindra Bank appoints Jaideep Hansraj, current MD and CEO of Kotak Securities, as Group President – One Kotak, effective April 1, 2024.
- The appointment reflects a strategic move towards optimizing the Group’s financial conglomerate model and enhancing customer offerings through collaborative efforts across subsidiaries.
Kotak Mahindra bank:
- CEO: Ashok Vaswani (1 Jan 2024–)
- Founder: Uday Kotak
- Founded: 21 November 1985
- Headquarters: Mumbai
Award News
Indian Youths Uday Bhatia and Manasi Gupta Honoured with Diana Memorial Award
- Uday Bhatia and Manasi Gupta from India received the prestigious ‘Diana Memorial Award’ on March 14, 2024.
- The award, given every two years, honours exceptional youth for their social work or humanitarian services, in memory of Princess Diana.
- Established in memory of the late Princess of Wales, the Diana Award charity is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Diana memorial award:
- The Diana Award: Recognizes youth contributing to societal betterment.
- Established in 1999 by a board chaired by Gordon Brown.
- Named after Diana, Princess of Wales.
- Launched by former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown in her honor.
- 1st award winners
- Kanchan Amatya
- Georgina Lara Booth
- Asafa Powell
- Angelo Cardona
- Aishwarya Sridhar
Science and tech News
NASA’s Europa Clipper Mission to Explore Jupiter’s Moon for Signs of Life
- NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, scheduled for October, targets Jupiter’s moon Europa to search for signs of life, focusing on a potential salty lake beneath its icy crust.
- Scientists aim to unravel mysteries of Europa’s habitability and potential for extra-terrestrial life.
- A unique message will be sent to Europa as part of the mission, symbolizing human curiosity and creativity in exploring the universe.
NASA:
- Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States
- Founded: 29 July 1958, United States
- Head: Bill Nelson
SpaceX Launches MethaneSAT Satellite for Environmental Monitoring
- MethaneSAT, led by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), marks a milestone in environmental surveillance.
- Targeted at tracking methane emissions, MethaneSAT pledges to transform approaches to greenhouse gas management.
- Equipped with cutting-edge technology and global coverage, it verifies industry data autonomously and identifies methane sources.
- Aims to enable informed decision-making by stakeholders for effective mitigation strategies.
Spacex:
- Founders: Elon Musk, Tom Mueller
- CEO: Elon Musk (May 2002–)
- Headquarters: Hawthorne, California, United States
- Founded: 14 March 2002
Sports News
3rd North East Games 2024 Commences in Nagaland with Grand Opening Ceremony
- Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio inaugurates the 3rd edition of North East Games 2024.
- Chief Minister Rio emphasizes the potential of the Northeast in sports, highlighting the event’s role in promoting unity and sportsmanship in the region.
- Over 3000 athletes from eight North Eastern states participate in 15 disciplines across 12 venues in Chumoukedima, Dimapur, and Kohima.
- Various artists perform at the glittering opening ceremony held at the Regional Centre for Sporting Excellence, Sovima.
Nagaland:
- Capital: Kohima (Executive Branch)
- Chief minister: Neiphiu Rio
- Governor: La. Ganesan
Iga Swiatek dominates Indian Wells, securing her second title in three years with a commanding straight-set victory over Maria Sakkari.
- Iga Swiatek after winning her second Indian Wells title, two months after a third round loss at the Australian Open
- Sakkari’s valiant effort falls short in the final against Swiatek, yet she remains determined, expressing confidence in her ability to clinch the title at Indian Wells in the future
