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• 1^st February : This day is celebrated as the Indian Coast Guard Day commemorating its foundation on this day, 1977 by the Coast Guard Act. Indian Coast Guard is a maritime paramilitary force that has jurisdiction over India’s territorial waters.
• The number of Ramsar Sites in India has gone up to 80 from 75 after inclusion of five new Ramsar Sites into the list. Three of them are from Karanataka – namely Magadi Kere Conservation Rserve,  Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve, Aghanashini Estuary – and two of them are from Tamil Nadu, namely – Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary, and Longwood Shola Reserve Forest.
  • An international treaty for the conservation and wide use of wetlands was signed on February 2, 1971 in Ramsar, Iran. India ratified it in February 1, 1982.
  • First Ramsar Site in India – Chilika Lake (Odisa), Keoladeo NP (Rajasthan).
  • Most Ramsar Sites in India – Tamil Nadu.
• Corruption Perception Index 2023:
  • Published by – Transperancy International
  • India’s Rank  – 93 out of 180. (8 place slip from 2022)
  • Neighbours’ Ranks – Pakistan (133), Sri Lanka (115), Bangladesh (149), China (76).
  • Topper in Asia – Singapore – 5^th
  • Top 3 : Denmark > Finland > New Zealand
  • Bottom 3: Somalia (bottom most) < Venezuela < Syria.
• 4^th Khelo India Winter Games started in Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh:
  • Inaugurated by – J& K Lt. Gen Manoj Sinha and Ladakh’s Lt. Gen Dr. B.D. Mishra.
  • First portion – In Ladakh from Feb 2-6, Second Half – Gulmarg from Feb 21- 25.
  • Mascot – Snow Leopard (‘Sheen – e – She’(Shan)).
• Malaysia, which practices a unique rotational form of Monarchy as its State Polity, welcomes its new King Sultan Ibrahim.
• After assuming Presidency in July 2022, President Draupadi Murmu , for the first time addresses the joint sitting of Parliament ahead of the Union Budget presentation. Article 87 of Indian Constitution deals with provisions pertaining to holding joint sitting of both the houses by the President.
• The Union Government of India has appointed members of its 16^th Finance Commission. Three of them – Ajay Narayan Jha, Annie George Matthew and Dr. Nilanjan Rajadhyaksha – are appointed as its full time members and Dr. Soumya Kanti Ghosh has been appointed as its part time member. Ex- ceo of NITI Aayog, Dr. Aravind Panagaria was appointed as the  the Chairman of 16^th Finance Commision.
  • The Finance Commision is constituted  by the President of India under Article 280 of the Constitution mainly to give its recommendations on devolution of Tax revenues between the Centre and the states. The 16^th Finance commission that was constituted on 31^st December 2023, will formulate its recommendations under October 31, 2025 and they will be implemented 5 years onward starting from 1^st April, 2026.
• Union Home Minister and Union Minister for Co-operative Societies, Amit Shah has computerization scheme for the offices of Agricultural and Rural Development Banks (ARDBs) and Registrar of the Cooperative Societies (RCSs) of the states. An financial out lay of Rs. 225 Cr has been earmarked for its implementation with an aim to enhance the operations, efficiency, accountability and transparency of ARDBs.
• For a third successive year, Jay Shah has been reappointed as the Chairman of the Asian Cricket Council.
• Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2024 is going to be held at New Delhi from February 1 to February 3 at the Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan. This will be India’s first Global Mobility Expo.
• Eravikulam National Park of Keala – the home to the “Neelakurunji” flower that blooms once in every 12 years – is going to be stay closed from Feb 1 ahead of the calving season of the Nilgiri Tahr.
  • Nilgiri Tahr, an endangered species according to the IUCN, is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.
• Scientist have discovered a new species of Kangaroo Lizard, Agastyagama edge from the Western Ghats at Kulamavu in Idukki, Kerala.
• New Space India Limited (NSIL), the commercial wing of ISRO has signed an MoU with its French counterpart Arianespace for a long-term partnership to support satellite launch missions. NSIL was set up in March 2019 by the Government of India as a Central Public Sector Undertaking.
• 2^nd February: This day is celebrated as World Wetlands Day commemorating the day in 1971 when the signing of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance took place in Ramsar, Iran.
  • Theme of 2024: Wetlands and Human Wellbeing.
• Khelo India 2023 completed in Tamil Nadu:
  • The game took place from January 19 – 31, 2024 in four cities of Tamil Nadu – Chennai, Madurai, Trichy and Coimbatore.
  • Maharashtra has topped the medal tally with 158 medals, consisting 57 gold medals.
  • Tamil Nadu Came in Second position with 98 medals followed by Haryana.
• Tamil Nadu Youth Welfare and Sports Minister Udayanbidhi Stalin has launched ‘Kalaignar Sports Kit’ scheme to foster sports talents at village level. Under this scheme sports equipment will be distributed in 12000 village panchayats to mark former CM M. Karunanidhi’s  birth centenary.
• After defeating Malaysia in the finals, Netherlands became the winner of the inaugural FIH Men’s Hockey 5s World Championship. The tournament was held in Muscat, Oman and Netherlands has also won in the Women’s Category.
• Tamil Nadu gets its 18^th Wild Life Sanctuary as the Thanthai Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in Bargur Hills in Erode.
• After  Hemant Soren resigned from the post of CM in Jharkhand, Champai Soren has been as the new CM  of the state.
• After Justice Varale was elevated to the Supreme Court, there created an interregnum in the post of Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court. The Collegium has named Justice Dinesh Kumar as the new Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court.
• Preeti Rajak who joined the army as an Havildar by virtue of her topnotch performance in Trap Shooting has become the first Women to be promoted to the rank of Subedar after her stellar performance in the 19^th Asian Games 2022, Habngzhou where she clinched silver medal.
• President of India Draupadi Murmu has appointed Sanjay Verma as the new member of the UPSC. His oath was administered by the Chairman of  the UPSC Dr. Manoj Soni.
• Indian Navy has declared 2024 as the ‘Year of Naval Civilians’. Naval Civilians constitute almost one third of the Navy’s Total Work Force.
• Under Section 35-A of the Banking Regulation Act of 1949, Reserve Bank of India has forbidden Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL) from accepting deposits, credit transactions and top ups after February 29,2024 due to Non-Compliance and Supervisory concerns.
• Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) has been awarded the title of the ‘Deemed to be University’ by the Union Education Ministry.
• Union Minister of Coal, Mines, and Parliamentary Affairs Prahlad Joshi has launched C-CARES, the web portal for Coal Mines Provident Fund Organization (CMPFO).CMPFO was established in 1948.
• ‘World Interfaith Harmony Week’ is celebrated every year in the first week of February (1-7) by the United Nation General Assembly (UNGA).
  • The theme for 2024 has been :  “Uniting for Peace”.
• February 2^nd was celebrated as the World Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Day. It is an inflammatory disease that affects the joints.
• Former Railway Board Chief Anil Kumar Lahoti has been appointed as the chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). He has replaced PD Vaghela who had vacated the post in November 2023.
• Vice Admiral Lochan Singh Pathania has assumed his charge as the Chief Hydrographer to the Government of India. Hydrographer is a person who measures water depth and searches for shoals, rocks & wrecks that could be hazardous to the movement of the vessels.
• After receiving India’s largest ever survey vessel – built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata – Indian Navy has commissioned INS Sandhayak  at Naval Dockyard, Vizag on 3^rd February.
• After rumours about her passing away actress and model Poonam Pandey has ensured her well-being in a public appearance.
• President Draupadi Murmu has inaugurated not only India, but World’s largest crafts fair – the 37^th edition of Surajkund Crafts Mela in Surajkund, Faridabad District of Haryana. It will be celebrated form 2^nd -18^th February 2024.
  • This year the theme state has been Gujarat and the Partner Country is Tanzania.
• The Drass Winter Carnival – 2024 also known as Jashn – E – Fateh has commenced in Kargil, Leh from February 1 – 6, 2024.
  • Theme: “Celebrating Life in the second coldest inhabited place in the world”.
  • Drass being the second, Russia’s Omyakon is the coldest inhabited place on Earth.
• On the occasion of International Wetlands Day – 2^nd Feb –, an International Conference was organised at Sirpur Pond , a Ramsar site in Indore.
  • India has nominated three cities, Udaipur (Rajasthan), Bhopal (MP) and Indore (MP) for Wetland City Accreditation under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
• Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan has launched MoE- AICTE Investor Network by AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) and the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell (MIC)  to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in the education sector. Its objective is to empower educational institutions to become innovation hubs by providing crucial financial support, mentoring and strategic guidance to early-stage students of faculty-led start-ups.
• Union Minister for AYUSH Dr. Sarbananda Sonowal has inaugurated the National Aarogya Fair 2024 at New Delhi that is scheduled between Feb 1^st and Feb 4.
  • WHO has established the first  UN outpost for traditional medicines in a developing nation as Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Jamnagar of Gujarat.
  • Theme: “Cross Border Challenges in Justice Delevery”.
• The Indian Air Force is to hold its mega domestic exercise Vayu Shakti 2024 at the Pokhran Range in Jaisalmer on 17^th February.

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• Tamil Nadu has launched “Ungalai Thedi, Ungal Oori” scheme to the delivery of various services and expedite implementation of schemes.
• Researchers have identified a new species of burrowing frog Sphaerotheca varshaabhu in the urban Bengaluru.
• 4^th February: This day is celebrated as World Cancer Day. The theme for 2024 is “Together we challenge those in power.” Cancer is the second largest cause of death worldwide.
• 4^th February 2024 is also the 76^th Independence Day of Sri Lanka. In February 4, 1948, Sri Lanka gained political independence from the British. The Theme for this year’s Independence Day celebration is “Let’s Build A New Country”.
  • Indian Navy’s INS Karanj, a Kalvari Class Submarine visits Colombo on this occasion symbolizing the strengthened maritime relations.
• 6^th February: This day is celebrated as ‘The International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation’ to spread awareness and educate people about the consequences and problems that females face due to genital mutilation.
  • Theme 2024: ‘Her Voice. Her Future.’
• 6^th February this day is also celebrated as ‘the Safer Internet Day’. This year the theme is : “Together for a better future”.
• Governor of Punjab and Haryana and the Administrator of Chandigarh UT, Banwarilal Purohit resigns from his post on the grounds of personal reasons.
• The 66^th Grammy Awards 2024:
  • Venue: Los Angeles, California.

Category	Winner
Song of the Year	Billie Eilish – What Was I Made For? from Barbie
Album of the Year	Taylor Swift – Midnights (First Person to win in this category four times)
Record of the Year	Miley Cyrus – ‘Flowers’
Best Global Music Album	Indian Musicians Shankar Mahadevan and Zakir Husain’s fusion band “Shakti’s” ‘This Moment’
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album	‘As We Speak’ by Bela Fleck,  Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer ft. Rakesh Chaurasia (nephew of Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia)
Best Global Music Performance	“Pashto” by Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyers and Zakir Hussain featuring Rakesh Charasia.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that ace BJP veteran LK Advani is to be conferred with the 50^th Bharat Ratna award. Born in November 8, 1927, Karachi, it is under his guidance and vigilance after BJP’s foundation in 1980s that BJP came to light as a National Party challenging the monopoly of Congress. In 1990, he organised the historical Rath Yatra from the Somnath Temple, Gujarat to Ayodhya, UP. It is assumed that after this campaign BJP gained momentum in the national vote share. He is the longest serving President of the Bharatiya Janata Party since its inception. Apart from serving as the 7^th Deputy PM under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee govt from 1998 -2004, he also served as the Leader of the Opposition during the 10^th & 14^th Lok Sabha.
  • Lal Krishna Advani was conferred with Padma Vibhusan in 2015.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to lay the foundation stone of the Talabira Thermal Power Project of the Neyveli Lignite Corporation India Limited in Sambalpur, Odisha.
  • NLC (Neyveli Lignite Corporation) India Limited: It is Navaratna CPSU incorporated under the Ministry of Coal. CMD – M Prasanna Kumar.
• The President of Namibia, its first Prime Minister and the Chief Architect of the Namibian Constitution, Hage Geingob passes away.
  • Namibia:
    • Capital: Windhoek.
    • Currency : Namibian Dollar.
    • The Great Namib Desert is in Namibia. It is a cold and arid coastal desert.
• Actor Carl Weathers, renowned for his iconic role as Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” movies  has passed away.
• Justice Ritu Bahri has taken her oath as the first women Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court. The oath ceremony was administered by Uttarakhand Governor Lt. General Gurmeet Singh.
• Abhinav Bindra, the first Indian to clinch an individual Olympic Gold Medal in the Olympics 2008 of Beijing, China , has been selected as the torch bearer  for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
• Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar during his visit to the Surajkund Crafts Fair, at Faridabad, Haryana, has released a new book “9 Incredible Years of the Haryana Government: Emergence of A New and Vibrant Haryana”.
• “Vyommitra”, India’s  first spacefaring robot is scheduled to fly into space ahead of the upcoming Gaganyaan Mission in the third quarter, this year.
  • In Sanskrit, “Vyoma” means “Space” and “Mitra” means ‘Friend’. This female robot astronaut is equipped with the capability to monitor module parameters, issue alerts and monitor life-support operations. It can also perform tasks such as operating six panels and responding to queries.
  • The Gaganyaan Mission is India’s on-going project to send a 3 day manned mission to the lower earth orbit of 400 km with a crew of 3 members and bring them safely back to the Earth. It is scheduled in 2025.
• The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has unveiled ‘The Kamakhya Temple corridor Project’ worth ₹11,600 Cr in Assam.
• The Uttarakhand Cabinet has given its nod to the final draft of the Universal Civil Code (UCC) that the state is going to implement. After ratification form the state legislature, Uttarakhand will become the first state in Independent India to have implemented the UCC.
  • Goa is the only state to follow the UCC since its Potugese colonial days. The Uniform Civil Code aims to establish a uniform legal framework for all citizens, regardless of their religion. Article 44 of the Indian Constitution states that “The State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India.”
• FIFA has released the World Cup Schedule for 2026. It will be hosted in the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to 19^th July. The opening ceremony will be hosted at Estadio Azteca on June 11 and the final match will be played in New York New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on July 19.
  • President of FIFA: Gianni Infantino.
• Mukesh Ambani has topped theBrand Guardianship Index2024among all Indians compiled by Brand Finance.Huateng Ma of China’s Tencent has ranked first in the index.
  • The Brand Guardianship Index is a global recognition of the CEOs who are building business value in a sustainable manner by balancing the needs of all the stake-holders.
• The Rural Electrification Corporation Limited , A Maharatna CPSU , has won the prestigious best green bond – corporate award at The Asset Triple A Awards for Sustainable Finance 2024. CMD of REC Ltd – Vivek Kumar Dewangan.
• India’s Space Telescope, Astrosat, that was launched in 2015 by PSLV – C30 rocket, has detected X-ray Polarisation from the Cygnus X – 1 black hole, one of the first confirmed blackhole of our galaxy.
• Lt. General Upendra Dwivedi is going to take charge as the Army Vice Chief  from February 15. He is currently posted in charge of the Northern Army Command .
  • After the retirement of current Army Chief Manoj Pandey on 31^st May 2024, Upendra Dwivedi will be appointed as the Army Vice Chief on seniority basis.
  • The Northern Command will be swapped by him with the current Army Vice Chief MV Suchindra Kumar.
  • There are seven commands of Indian Army throughout the country:
    • Eastern Command – HQ: Kolkata, West Bengal
    • Central Command – HQ: Lucknow, UP
    • Training Command – HQ: Shimla, HP
    • Northern Command – HQ: Udhampur, J&K
    • Western Command – HQ: Chandimandir, Haryana
    • South Western Command – HQ: Jaipur, Rajasthan
    • Southern Command – HQ: Pune, Maharashtra
• Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria has appointed Justice Vijay Bishnoi as the new Chief Justice of Guahati High Court.       
  • Article 217 of the Indian Constitution says that the President shall appoint the Chief Justice of a High Court after consultation with the Chief Justice of India and the Governor of the State Concerned.
• Veteran broadcaster, poet and Sahitya Academy winner Mir Mohammad Farooq Nazki of Kashmir passes away,
  • In 1995 he was awarded the Sahitya Academy award for his poetry book Naar Hyutun  Kanzal  Wanas ( Fire in the Eyelashes).
• Union Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy has laid the foundation stone for the country’s  first digital National Museum of Epigraphy at the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad under the Archaeological Survey of India. It will be developed under the BharatSHRI (Bharat Shared Repository of Inscriptions) programme of the centre.
• Prime Minster Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 2^nd edition of the India Energy Week in Goa  organised by the Federation of Indian Petroleum (FIP) under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas . The highlights of the address of the PM’s speech are:
  • With a robust economic growth rate above 7.5%, India will become the third largest economy of the world very soon.
  • In the next 5-6 years, total investment amount in the energy sector of India will be close to $67 Billion.
  • India’s solar installed capacity has increased by above 20 folds.
  • Ethanol Blending has surged from 1.5% to over 12%.
  • India is the third largest oil consumer and the third largest LPG consumer. Along with it, we are the fourth largest importer of LNG, fourth largest refiner and the fourth largest automobile market.
  • India’s Carbon emission share is only 4% globally, still we are taking multifaceted and swift measures to achieve Net Zero by 2070.
• PM Narendra Modi inaugurates the Integrated Sea Survival Training Centre at OMGC Institute, Goa to advance the Indian sea survival training ecosystem to global standards.
• Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Piyush Goyal has launched “Bharat Rice” at a subsidised rate of ₹29 per KG. It will be available in 5kg and 10 kg packets, also in the e-commerce sites.
• Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan has launched EdCIL Vidyanjali Scholarship Programme extending financial support of the meritorious students of the Navodaya  Vidyalaya Samiti.
• The Rajya Sabha has passed two bills piloted by Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda concerning modification in the  SC and ST lists of Odisha And Andhra Pradesh.
  • The Bills are Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order Amendment Bill, 2024 and Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Oder Amendment Bill, 2024.
  • The first bill modifies the list of the STs in Andhra Pradesh and the second bill modifies the list of the SCs and the STs in Odisha.
• Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) Act, 2023 comes into effect from 5^th February, 2024. It has set up “Anusandhan National Research Foundation” under the office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India.
  • Its aim is to :
    • Be a research funding organisation.
    • Provide strategic direction for research, innovation and entrepreneurship in several fields of science.
  • The ANRF Act was passed by the Parliament in 2023.
  • The Prime Minister will be the Ex-Officio Chairperson of the  Board.
  • Its interim CEO is – Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology.
  • The Union Minister of Science and Technology and the Union Minister of Education will be the ex-officio Vice President of the Body.
• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) carries out successful test flight of the new High Speed Expendable Areal Target, ABHYAS off the coast of Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha.      
  • It is developed and designed by DRDO’s Areonautical Development Establishment (ADE).
  • The Production Agencies of this HEAT ABHYAS are – Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Defence.
  • Chairman of DRDO – Dr Samir V Kamat.
• 25T Bollard Pull Tug, MAHABALI  has been delivered to the Indian Navy in Kochi.
  • The Tug Boat will assist naval ships and submarines during berthing and un-berthing, turning and placing in confined waters.
• India and the US has signed a ₹3.99 billion deal under which 31 MQ-9B armed drones  will be sold to India. These are High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAVs.
  • The Navy will get 15 SeaGuardian Drones and the Army and the Airforce each will get 8 of the land versions- SkyGuardian.
  • An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) a.k.a Drone, is an aircraft that can carry no human pilot or passengers.
• Union Sport Minister Anurag Singh Thakur Kicks off the 1^st edition of the BIMSTEC Aquatics Championships. Competitions will be held for Under 20 age category in three sporting events – Swimming, Water Polo and Diving Events.
  • BIMSTECC:
    • Full Form – Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral  Technical and Economic Cooperation.
    • HQ – Dhaka, Bangladesh.
    • Estd – June 6, 1997 in Bangkok
    • Members: Myanmar, Bangadesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, India, Nepal and Thailand.
    • Secretary General  – Indra Mani Pandey.
• Legendary Sprinter and Indian Olympic Association President, PT Usha  has been honoured with Life Time Achievement Award by the Sports Journalists Federation of India (SJF) and Delhi Sports Journalist Association at the National Sports Club of India.
• Hyderabad is going to host the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier between India and Kuwait on June 6, 2026.
• Actor Ranveer Singh has invested in Aman Gupta’s boat and has been appointed as its brand ambassador.
• First ever three days long ‘World Odia Language Conference’ (Biswa Odia Bhasa Sammilani) has been hold in Bhubaneshwar to strengthen, celebrate and popularise the language.
  • Odia is one of the six classical languages in India, listed in the eighth schedule of the Constitution of India.
  • Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has conferred linguist Prasanna Patnaik with the first World Odia Language award.
  • On this occasion two other Odia Jnanpith Awardees were also felicitated – Padma Vibhusan Sitakanth Mahapatra and Padma Bhusan Pratibha Roy.
  • Naveen Patnaik has also brought out a coffee table book “Shree Jagannatha, Lord of the Universe” in the Conference.
• Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs hosts the inaugural “The Great Indian Board Reboot : Road Show 2024” in Mumbai at the NSE Headquarters for setting new benchmarks in discussing around corporate governance in India.
• The Telangana State Board for Wildlife has approved a proposal by the Forest Department to declare the corridor area between Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (Maharashtra) and the Kawal Tiger Reserve (Telangana) as a conservation reserve.
• First ever tri-state vulture survey  has been commenced at the seven protected areas in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka –
  • Findings of the Survey:
    • A total of 320 individual vultures were counted in the seven protected areas including 51 individual vultures in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary,  spread over Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
    • The sighting of the  Himalayan Griffon is only reported from thr Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • The seven protected areas are-
    • Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala.
    • Bandipur Tiger Reserve,  Nagarhole Tiger Reserve, Satyamangalam TR and Bilgiri Ranganathan Swamy Temple Tiger Reserve in Karnataka.
    • Nellai Forest Division and Mudumalai TR in Tamil Nadu.
• Nima Sarikani has bagged the prestigious “Wildlife Photographer of the Year”  People’s Choice Award for the picture “Ice Bed”  – an image of a polar bear sleeping on a small iceberg. Each year this competition is organised by Natural History Museum.
• Yemen has appointed Finance Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak as its new Prime Minister.
• France becomes the first country to issue paperless Digital Schengen Visas in the Euro Zone.
• Norway’s Telecom company Telenor has opened world’s southernmost mobile phone station in Antarctica ensuring 4G services in the remote continent.
• HDFC Bank Group gets the approval of the Reserve Bank of India to acquire 9.5% stake each in six banks- Axis Bank, Survoday Smalll Finance Bank, ICICI Bank, Bandhan Bank, YES Bank and IndusInd Bank. The approval is valid for only one year.
• 9^th February : This day is the Death Anniversary of Indian Social activist, Lawyer and Environmentalist Baba Amte. Born on December 16, 1914 in Maharashtra, Baba Amte was a leading freedom struggle and nationalist during the national movement days. Later he got into the headlines for his stand in the Narmada Bachao Andolan in 1990.
• 9^th February is also the 150^th Birth Anniversary of Spiritual Guru Srila Prabhupada. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has addressed the programme commemorating the birth anniversary of Srila Prabhupada at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
  • Acharya Srila Prabhupada was the founder of the Gaudiya Mission that has played a significant role in propagating the teachings of the 15^th century saint Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Vaishnavism and it is the centre of the Hare Krishna movement.
• In independent India, Uttarakhand Assembly becomes the first legislature to pass the Uniform Civil Code that aims to establish a uniform legal framework for all citizens regardless of their religion.
  • The Bill that imposes common rules for all – except the STs of Uttarakhand – on marriage, divorce, inheritance and live – in relationships, was formulated by a UCC committee headed by retired SC Judge Ranjana Prakash Desai.
  • What is Banned?              
    • Marriage and divorce practices that come under Muslim Personal Law such as Halala, Iddat, triple talaq.
    • Child Marriage and Polygamy.
  • What is Uniform?
    • Adoption Rights, Legal age for marriage for women (18) and men (21), equal inheritance rights for men and women across all religions.
  • What is Unique?
    • All live in relationships must be registered within a month or else, both the partners are liable to Rs.25,000 fine and/or three months in jail.
    • All children born out of live in relationships will be considered to be legitimate and will receive legal inheritance rights.
  • Who is excluded?
    • Uttarakhand’s schedule tribes which make up to 3% of the state’s population , are outside of the purview of the UCC bill.
    • Also Hindu Undivided family has not been touched for succession and inheritance.
  • Article 44  in the Directive Principles of the State Policy  in the Part IV of the Indian Constitution sates that “The State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India.”
  • On the other hand, the implementation of the UCC also violates the Fundamental Rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution, including Article 25 (Freedom to Profess, Practice and Propagate one’s religion) and Article 29 (right to have a distinct culture).Besides it also contradicts the provisions granted under the Article 371 to the states to protect their unique cultural and tribal identities.
  • Before Uttarakhand, Goa had the UCC but it had been in practice since the time of the Portugese.
• United Arab Emirates has granted Golden Visa for famous mathematician, educationist and the founder of Super 30, Padma Shri Sri Anand Kumar.
  • The UAE Golden Visa, introduced by the UAE in 2019, is a long-term residence visa that allows foreign residents and expatriates to live, work, and study in the UAE for 5 to 10 years and it is usually granted to exemplary investors and individuals in the fields of Science, Knowledge, Culture and Art.
  • Stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Sanjay Dutt also holds UAE Golden Visa.
• After his blitzkrieg performance in the India – England Test, Visakhapatanam where he claimed a match winning figure of 9/91, Jasprit Bumrah becomes the first Indian Pacer to reach No.1 in Mens’ ICC Test Bolwing Rankings replacing Ravichandran Ashwin.
  • He also becomes the first Indian bowler to reach No.1 rankings in all the three formats in his career.
• Three day Tawangchu Tides International Kayaking Championship 2024 begins in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang District. The championship that aims to position Arunachal Pradesh as a global hub for Kayaking, with the aspirations to hold future World Championships, has been organised by an organisation called “SWYTCH” from February 7 to 9.
• In presence of the Prime Minister of Guyana Mark Phillips and Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar inaugurates World Sustainable Development Summit 2024 – organised by ‘The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)’.
• 7^th Edition of the Indian Ocean Conference is being held in Perth, Australia on 9-10 February, 2024, where Minister of External Affairs Dr. S Jaishankar will be addressing the inaugural session.
  • Theme 2024: “Towards a Stable and Sustainable Indian Ocean”.
• A Mobile Health Service ‘Kilkari’ and a Mobile Academy was launched in Maharashtra and Gujarat to strengthen Public Health Infrastructure. The Kilkari Programme was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW)  in 2016 to encourage new and expectant mothers to make healthier choices for their new borns.
  • Mobile Academy is a free audio training course designed to expand and refresh the knowledge of the ASHAs via mobile phones.
• Union Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced that the government will roll out satellite based GPS toll collection system on the national highways soon under which the toll will be deducted from the bank accounts directly with the identification of the vehicle number plate based on the actual length of the highway traversed by the vehicle.
  • The new system will involve every vehicle registering for the Global Navigation Satellite System of toll collection to be equipped with an on-board unit (OBU) that will be linked to a constellation of satellites. This will replace Fastags  and will help in removing the existing toll plazas and ease travel on the national highways.
• Indian Government has decided to construct impenetrable fence along the entire 1643 km Indo-Myanmar border spanning over four North-Eastern states – Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Nagaland (215 km), Manipur (398 km) and Mizoram (510 km). This fencing of the border will put an end to the existing 16km Free Movement Regime (FMR).
• At the February meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), the RBI has kept the Repo  rate unchanged at 6.5% for the sixth consecutive time. It has also predicted the GDP growth rate for the FY25 at 7%.Retail Inflation continues to be above its target of 4%.Inflation based on the Consumer Price Index is at 5.4% in the current fiscal year.
  • The RBI will introduce offline eRupee transaction soon with limited Internet connectivity on the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot project via e-Rupee wallet very soon.
• Kazakhstan gets its new Prime Minister as Olzhas Bektenov.
  • Kazakhstan: Capital – Astana                        Currency – Kazakhsatni Tenge
• Former Chile President Sebastain Pinera dies in a chopper crash.
  • Chile:  Capital – Santiago                                Currency – Chilean Peso.
• El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has win his re-election  in the country. El Salvador, which is known as the land of volcanoes, is the only central American country that doesn’t share its boundary with the Caribbean Sea.
  • Capital: San Salvador                                      
• NASA has launched  the most advanced mission ever launched to study ocean biology – PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem) with SpaceX’s Falcon rocket. This satellite which is capable to see in 200 colours will allow the scientists to identify the types of algae in the types of particles in the air, will spend at-least three years studying the oceans as well as the atmosphere.

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Current Affairs              23rd -31st January