CURRENT AFFAIRS || 1st – 8th March, 2024
TRENDING
COUNTRY’S 1ST GREEN HYDROGEN PLANT
Inaugurated by: Union Steel Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia
It was launched in the Stainless-Steel Sector at Jindal Stainless Limited, Hisar. Haryana.
This plant will be the world’s first off-grid Green Hydrogen plant for the stainless-steel industry.
It will reduce carbon emissions by
around two thousand 700 Metric
Tonnes per annum.
Hydrogen is the simplest and smallest
element in the periodic table.
Green hydrogen is defined as hydrogen
produced by splitting water into
hydrogen and oxygen using renewable
electricity.
Haryana CM: Nayab Singh Saini,
Governor: Bandaru Dattatreya
INDIA’S FIRST UNDERWATER METRO
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has
inaugurated India’s first under-river metro
tunnel in Kolkata.
The metro tunnel has been built under
Kolkata’s Hooghly River.
It will connect Howrah Maidan to
Esplanade.
It is expected to zoom through a 520-metre
stretch under the Hooghly in just 45 seconds.
West Bengal CM: Mamata Banerjee, Governor:C. V. Ananda Bose
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NATIONAL
1. Poshan Utsav
Organized by: Ministry of Women and Child
Development
Aim: To promote good nutrition behavior.
The event featured the release of the ‘Poshan Utsav
Book’.
Union Minister of women and child development: Smriti Irani
2. India’s first indigenously built green hydrogen electrolyser:
Larsen and Tourbo has commissioned this at A
M Naik Heavy Engineering Complex in Hazira,
Gujarat.
Electrolysers use electricity to split water into
hydrogen and oxygen.
This technology is used for producing low-
emission hydrogen from renewable or nuclear
electricity.
L&T Headquarter: Mumbai, Founded: 1946
3. Indiramma housing scheme
Launched by: Telangana Government
Aim: To provide Rs 5 lakh financial assistance
to construct houses for those who already own a
housing plot.
A piece of land and Rs 5 lakh will be given as a
housing scheme to benefit those who do not
have the plot.
Telangana Governor: Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, Capital: Hyderabad
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4. Haj Suvidha Mobile App
Launched by: Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani at New Delhi.
She also released Haj Guide 2024.
Aim: To improve the Haj experience for the Indian Haj pilgrims.
Delhi LG: Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena, CM: Arvind Kejriwal
5. ADITI scheme
Launched by: Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh
Full Form: Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX (ADITI) scheme
Aim: To promote innovations in critical and strategic defence technologies.
DRDO Founded: 1958, Chairman: Sameer V Kamat
6. India’s First Govt-Backed OTT Platform: C Space
Inaugurated by: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi
Vijayan
The platform, called CSpace, is India’s first
government-backed OTT platform.
The OTT platform is managed by Kerala State
Film Development Corporation (KSFDC),
Kerala Capital: Thiruvananthapuram, Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan
7. World’s largest literary festival: ‘Sahityotsav’
To be organised by: Sahitya Akademi
Reason: To celebrate the establishemt of Sahitya
Akademi for 70 years.
Sahitya Akademi was inaugurated by the Government
of India on 12 March 1954.
Akademi gives 24 awards annually.
President: Sri Madhav Kaushik
3
APPOINTMENTS
1. Daljit Singh Chaudhary appointed as the director general (DG) of the National Security Guard
(NSG).
2. IPS officer Anurag Agarwal has been appointed as the head of Parliament security.
3. Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) has appointed Javelin Champion Neeraj Chopra as the
brand ambassador.
4. Sub-Inspector Suman Kumari has become the first woman
sniper of the Border Security Force (BSF).
AWARDS
1. First Indian to receive Honorary Knighthood from King Charles III:
Recipient: Sunil Bharti Mittal (Bharti Enterprises founder and Chairman)
The award grants Mittal the title of Knight
Commander of the Most Excellent Order of
the British Empire.
Previous Indian recipients: Ratan Tata (2009),
Ravi Shankar (2001), and Jamshed Irani
(1997), conferred by the late Queen Elizabeth
II.
2. National Youth Parliament Festival 2024 Awards:
Yatin Bhaskar Duggal from Haryana has won the first prize in the National Youth Parliament
Festival 2024.
Theme of Award: ‘Young Voices: Engage and Empower for Nation’s Transformation’.
It was held at New Delhi.
INTERNATIONAL
1. International IP Index for 2024:
India Rank: 42nd
Topped by: United States of America
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It is published by US Chamber of Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy Center’s.
Index evaluates the IP framework in each economy across 50 unique indicators.
2. First Spanish-speaking nation to recognize the Indian
Pharmacopoeia:
Nicaragua has become the first Spanish-speaking nation to
officially recognize the Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) or Indian
Pharma standards.
The legal significance of the IP within India, enshrined in the
Second Schedule of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940.
Nicaragua Capital: Managua, Currency: Nicaraguan Córdoba
3. First country to enshrine abortion rights in its
constitution: France
France has become the first country in the world to
enshrine abortion rights in its constitution.
The amendment states that there is a guaranteed freedom
to abortion in France.
The voluntary ending of pregnancy became legal in
France in 1975
France Capital: Paris, President: Emmanuel Macron
4. 97th member of the International Solar Alliance: Panama
Panama has officially become the 97th member of the
International Solar Alliance (ISA).
ISA is a brainchild of India and France.
ISA President: R. K. Singh
Panama Capital: Panama City, Currencies: Panamanian
Balboa, United States Dollar
5
SPORTS
1. Pro Kabaddi League Season 10:
Final won by Puneri Paltan.
It is their maiden title.
They Defeated Haryana Steelers.
Final was held at GMC Balayogi Stadium in
Hyderabad.
2. B Sai Praneeth Announces Retirement:
Indian shuttler has announced his retirement
from international badminton.
Reason: Continuous Injuries.
He has won a World Championships bronze
medal and represented India at the Tokyo 2020
Olympics.
SIGNIFICANT DAYS
1. 1 March: Zero Discrimination Day
Theme 2024: To protect everyone’s health, protect everyone’s rights
Objective: To promote inclusion, equality, and peace and raise awareness about the impact of
discrimination worldwide.
2. 1 March: World Civil Defence Day
This Day was first established in 1990 by the
International Civil Defence Organisation.
3. 3 February: World Wildlife Day
Theme 2024: Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife
Conservation.
4. 3 March: World Hearing Day
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Theme 2024: Changing mindsets: Let’s make ear and hearing care a reality for all.
Objective: To raise awareness about the importance of hearing health and the prevention of
deafness.
5. 4 March: National Safety Day
Theme 2024: Safety Leadership for ESG
Excellence.
6. 4 March: World Obesity Day
Theme 2024: Let’s Talk About Obesity
and…”
7. 8 March: International Women’s Day
Theme: ‘Invest in women: Accelerate Progress’.
TERMS TO KNOW
Basin Management
Basin management refers to the coordinated planning, development, and conservation of resources within a
specific geographic area known as a basin or watershed. This approach involves stakeholders such as
government agencies, communities, and industries working together to sustainably manage water, land, and
other natural resources to meet social, economic, and environmental needs. The goal of basin management is
to ensure the efficient and equitable use of resources while minimizing negative impacts such as pollution
and ecosystem degradation.
International Civil Defence Organisation
The International Civil Defence Organization (ICDO) is an intergovernmental organization whose objective
is to contribute to the development by States of structures ensuring the protection and assistance of
populations and safe-guarding property and the environment in the face of natural and man-made disasters.
These structures are generally known as civil protection, civil defence, civil safety and are all concerned with
the management of emergency situations. The ICDO federates the national structures established by States
for this purpose with the aim of favouring cooperation and mutual solidarity between them.
