Current Affairs 28 February 2024 & Test | Latest News & Updates

Current Affairs 28 February 2024 Test without Timer :

👇👇👇Change Language

1. The world’s first wooden satellite will be launched by NASA and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). What is his name?

1. TimberCraft Explorer
2. WoodStar Voyager
3. Lignosat Probe
4. EcoOrbit Splinter

Show The AnswerHide The Answer

2. Where was the 14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP14) held from 12 to 17 February 2024?

1. Samarkand – Uzbekistan
2. Geneva – Switzerland
3. Nairobi – Kenya
4. Rio de Janeiro – Brazil

Show The AnswerHide The Answer

3. Where has ‘Quad Bill’ been passed to increase cooperation between America, Australia, India and Japan?

1. India
2. Japan
3. Australia
4. America

Show The AnswerHide The Answer

4. When is World Pangolin Day celebrated?

1. 15 February 2024
2. 16 February 2024
3. 17 February 2024
4. 18 February 2024

Show The AnswerHide The Answer

5. Which festival has been organized recently at Kokuseki Temple complex in Japan?

1. Sakura Matsuri Festival
2. Gion Matsuri Festival
3. Sominsai Festival
4. Hanami Blossom Festival

Show The AnswerHide The Answer

6. Who has recently received the Best Film Award at the BAFTA Awards 2024?

1. Oppenheimer
2. Poor Things
3. The Holdovers
4. 20 Days in Mariupol

Show The AnswerHide The Answer

7. Who has recently installed the country’s first green hydrogen plant at the Indian airport in Kochi?

1. ONGC
2. RELIANCE
3. INDIAN OIL LTD
4. BPCL

Show The AnswerHide The Answer

8. Who is the current president of Asian Cricket Council?

 

1. Aantyo Patel
2. Virat Kohli
3. Jay Shah
4. Kumar Sangakkara

Show The AnswerHide The Answer

9. Where has the 16th conference of the World Social Forum started recently?

1. Paris
2. kathmandu
3. Buenos Aires
4. Sydney

Show The AnswerHide The Answer

10. Where is the headquarters of SAARC?

1. Islamabad
2. New Delhi
3. Colombo
4. kathmandu

Show The AnswerHide The Answer

👇👇👇Change Language

Some lines of current affairs 28 February 2024 news

NATIONAL

PM Modi addressed an event titled ‘Developed India, Developed Chhattisgarh’ and launched projects valued at more than Rs 34,400 crore in Chhattisgarh

On February 24, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the ‘Viksit Bharat Viksit Chhattisgarh’ program virtually. During the event, he inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for various development projects totaling Rs 34,400 crore in Chhattisgarh.

These projects primarily focus on power generation, coal mining, road infrastructure, railways, and solar energy.

• PM Modi dedicated the Lara Super Thermal Power Project, Stage-I (2×800 MW) of NTPC Limited in Raigarh district to the nation.
• He inaugurated three significant First Mile Connectivity (FMC) projects by South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) worth over Rs 600 crore in total.
• The Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) commissioned India’s largest Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) using solar energy in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh.

On the same day, PM Modi also inaugurated SECI’s 100MW Alternating Current (AC) Solar Photovoltaic (PV) project, along with a 40 MW/ 120 MWh BESS.

About Chhattisgarh:

• Chief Minister: Vishnu Deo Sai
• Governor: Biswabhusan Harichandan
• National Parks: Indravati (Kutru) National Park; Kanger Valley National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Badalkhol Wildlife Sanctuary; Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary

Summary of Maharashtra MSME Defense Expo 2024 in Pune

The Maharashtra MSME Defence Expo 2024 took place at the Pune International Exhibition and Convention Center (PIECC) in Pune, Maharashtra, from February 24th to 26th, 2024. The theme of the expo was “Inspire : Learn : Engage”. It was organized by the Government of Maharashtra and the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).

Highlights of the expo included:

• DRDO granted 23 Licensing Agreements for Transfer of Technology (LATOT) to 22 industries in areas like electronics, laser technology, combat vehicles, naval systems, and aeronautics.
• MoUs were signed between the Maharashtra Government and Max Aerospace and Aviation Pvt Ltd, SBL Energy Ltd. Additionally, a collaboration was formed between Nibe Ltd and Munitions India Limited.

About Munitions India Limited (MIL):

• Chairman & Managing Director: Ravi Kant (Maheshwari)
• Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra
• Establishment: 2021

Here are the key points from Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir on February 20, 2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Jammu & Kashmir on February 20, 2024. During his trip, he inaugurated projects worth Rs 32,000 crore at Maulana Azad Stadium in Jammu. The projects span various sectors such as health, education, transportation, petroleum, and infrastructure.

Highlights of the visit include:

• Inauguration of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Vijaypur, Samba, Jammu.
• Dedication of various educational institutes’ campuses to the nation.
• Laying the foundation stone for the new terminal building of Jammu Airport.
• Commencement of various road and rail projects in J&K.

Jammu and Kashmir:

• Lieutenant Governor: Manoj Sinha
• National Park: City forest (Salim Ali) National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuary, Limber Wildlife Sanctuary

PM Modi inaugurated and laid foundation stones for over 2000 railway infrastructure projects valued at approximately Rs. 41,000 crore

PM Narendra Modi recently inaugurated, laid foundations, and dedicated over 2000 railway projects worth approximately Rs 41,000 crores. Among these, he initiated the redevelopment of 553 railway stations across 27 States and Union Territories through the Amrit Bharat scheme. Additionally, PM Modi also unveiled and dedicated 1500 Road Over Bridges and Underpasses in 24 States and UTs. The Ministry of Railways is led by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, with Ministers of State including Danve Raosaheb Dadarao and Darshana Vikram Jardosh.

The Ministry of AYUSH and MoWCD signed an MoU to improve nutrition in adolescent girls using Ayurvedic methods

On February 26, 2024, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Ayush and the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) to improve nutrition for adolescent girls through Ayurvedic methods.

Key People

• The MoU signing took place in the presence of Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal from the Ministry of Ayush and Union Minister Smriti Irani from MoWCD at an event in Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.
• Notable figures present included Prof. Ravi Narayan Acharya from CCRAS and Dr. Rajeev Bahl from ICMR.

About the MoU:

• This joint initiative aims to address anemia among adolescent girls (aged 14-18) in five districts under Mission Utkarsh, using Ayurvedic interventions.
• The districts are Dhubri in Assam, Bastar in Chhattisgarh, Paschimi Singhbhum in Jharkhand, Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, and Dhaulpur in Rajasthan, where anaemia prevalence is high.
• The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) will coordinate the project.
• Various institutions including CARI in Guwahati, AIIA in New Delhi, CARI in Bhubaneshwar, Regional Ayurveda Research Institute in Nagpur, and NIA in Jaipur will execute the project.

Benefits:

• The initiative aims to benefit over 94,000 adolescent girls registered at 10,000 Anganwadi Centres over 12 months.
• Ayurvedic medicines like Drakshavaleha and Punarnavadi Mandur will be provided for three months to improve the nutrition and health of anaemic girls.

Additional Info:

• MoWCD will collaborate with the Ministry of Ayush and ICMR for interventions like Yoga in Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD) among adolescent girls.
• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is the apex body for biomedical research in India, established in 1949.
  • Director General: Dr. Rajiv Bahl
  • Headquarters: New Delhi

ECI has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) and the Department of Posts (DoP) to promote electoral awareness prior to the Lok Sabha elections

On February 26, 2024, the Election Commission of India (ECI) partnered with the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) and the Department of Posts (DoP) to increase voter outreach before the upcoming Lok Sabha (LS) polls. This extends ECI’s ongoing efforts to raise electoral awareness nationwide.

Key People:

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, Election Commissioner (EC) Arun Goel, Vineet Pandey Secretary of DoP, and Sunil Mehta, Chief Executive of IBA, among others, were present for the signing of the MoU.

What’s in the MoU?

• The MoU aims to promote voter education by involving IBA and DoP’s members and affiliated institutions to empower citizens with knowledge about their electoral rights.
• Voter education messages will be shared through websites and various social media channels.
• Office premises will display posters, flex, and hoardings with voter education messages.
• Voter Awareness Fora will be established at all member institutions under IBA and DoP to engage employees and customers in discussions about voter education.
• Training on Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP), the flagship program of ECI for voter education, will be included in the regular orientation programs of IBA & DoP employees.
• DoP will use a special cancellation stamp with voter education messages on postal articles.

About Indian Banks’ Association (IBA):

Established on September 26, 1946, IBA is an association of Indian banks and financial institutions headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Sunil Mehta serves as the Chief Executive.

MoPSW and IIM Shillong collaborate to establish India’s inaugural ‘Gati Shakti Research Chair’

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Shillong have agreed to establish India’s first ‘Gati Shakti Research Chair’ in Shillong, Meghalaya. This chair will focus on top-tier academic research in multimodal logistics, particularly concerning the development of India’s North-Eastern Region (NER). Additionally, it will foster partnerships with international experts and support research endeavors in multimodal logistics. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal from MoPSW was present at the MoU signing ceremony.

The Ministry of Finance (MoF) officially acknowledged Akasa Air as a designated Indian carrier

The Ministry of Finance (MoF) has designated SNV Aviation Private Limited (Akasa Air), based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, as an official Indian carrier for international flights.

This designation, granted under section 5(5) of the Central Sales Tax Act, 1956, permits Akasa Air to buy aviation turbine fuel tax-free for its international flights.

Akasa Air has announced its inaugural international flight from Mumbai to Doha starting March 28, 2024, marking it as the first Indian airline to commence international operations within just 19 months since its inception in August 2022.

INTERNATIONAL

Zoho Corporation Launches Zakya: A New Point-of-Sale Solution Revolutionizing Retail Operations

Zoho Corporation has launched a new point-of-sale (PoS) solution tailored for small and medium retail stores. This solution aims to simplify daily operations and enable easy monitoring from a centralized platform.

Zoho announced that their new product, Zakya, enhances inventory management, sales across various channels, and customer experience. Before its launch, Zakya conducted a survey with over 1,000 participants. The top three desired features were user-friendliness, affordability, and mobile billing. Presently, Zakya is used by over 170 stores across the country, with plans starting at ₹649 per month and a 15-day free trial. It also supports 10 Indian languages. Read More

BANKING & FINANCE

The RBI fined SBI, CUB, Canara Bank, and Ocean Capital Market Rs. 3 crore

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) fined the State Bank of India (SBI), Canara Bank, City Union Bank Limited (CUB), and Ocean Capital Market Limited over Rs 3 crore in total for breaking regulatory rules.

SBI, based in Mumbai, was fined Rs 2 crore for not following rules related to the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund Scheme, 2014.

Ocean Capital Market, located in Rourkela, Odisha, was penalized Rs 16 lakh for violating certain provisions regarding Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs).

Canara Bank, headquartered in Bengaluru, received a penalty of Rs 32.30 lakh for not complying with specific directives from the RBI.

CUB, based in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, was fined Rs 66 lakh for not following RBI’s directives regarding income recognition, asset classification, provisioning related to advances, and Know Your Customer (KYC) norms.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Vijay Shekhar Sharma steps down as chairman of Paytm Payments Bank: Board of PPBL undergoes changes

Vijay Shekhar Sharma, founder and CEO of Paytm Payments Bank Limited (PPBL), resigned from his role as part-time non-executive chairman and board member of PPBL. This move aligns with PPBL’s goal of having a board composed solely of independent directors (IDs) and executive directors (EDs). Consequently, OCL withdrew its nominee from PPBL’s board.

Reason for the Reshuffle:

PPBL, a subsidiary of One 97 Communications Limited (OCL), revamped its board to avoid liquidation due to persistent non-compliance with regulatory requirements, prompted by directives from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to cease operations by March 15, 2024.

Appointments:

PPBL appointed four new IDs to its Board of Directors (BoD)

• Srinivasan Sridhar: Former Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the Central Bank of India (CBI) and currently serves as an ID on multiple company boards.
• Ashok Kumar Garg: Retired ED of the Bank of Baroda (2018).
• Debendranath Sarangi: Retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS – 1977 batch) officer and current ID on various company boards.
• Rajni Sekhri Sibal: Retired IAS officer (1986 batch) serving as an Independent External Monitor in the public sector and an independent director in corporations.

Additional Info:

• The BoD comprises individuals elected by a company’s shareholders to oversee management and provide strategic direction.
• PPBL’s current board includes Arvind Kumar Jain (Independent Director), former ED of Punjab & Sind Bank, and Surinder Chawla, serving as PPBL’s Managing Director (MD) & CEO.

ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

HDFC Bank got the green light from RBI to sell 90.01% of its stake in HDFC Credila

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved HDFC Bank Limited to sell 90.01% of the issued and paid-up share capital in HDFC Credila Financial Services Limited (HDFC Credila), a wholly-owned subsidiary of HDFC Bank. HDFC Bank will retain a 9.99% stake in HDFC Credila.

Key Points:

• The approval follows a request made by HDFC Credila in February 2024.
• RBI granted approval under Chapter VI of the Master Direction – RBI (Non-Banking Financial Company – Scale Based Regulation) Directions, 2023.
• This move complies with RBI’s mandate issued in April 2023, requiring HDFC to reduce its holding in Credila to below 10% within two years of its merger with HDFC Bank.

Note:
HDFC Credila offers education loans for higher studies in India and abroad.

Background:

• In June 2023, HDFC Limited, HDFC Bank, and HDFC Credila proposed selling a significant stake in HDFC Credila to a consortium of private equity firms, including Kopvoorn BV, a part of BPEA EQT (formerly Barings Private Equity Asia), and ChrysCapital, at a transaction value of Rs 9,060 crore.
• In July 2023, HDFC Ltd was merged with HDFC Bank.

About the Firms:

• BPEA EQT: BPEA Private Equity Fund VIII managed by EQT AB, is a Netherlands-incorporated company and part of the global EQT investment group.
• ChrysCapital: Moss Investments Limited (Moss), Infinity Partners (Infinity), and Defati Investments Holding B.V. (Defati) collectively form the ChrysCapital Acquirers.

SPORTS

India clinched 14 medals at the Archery Asia Cup 2024 Stage I

During Stage I of the Archery Asia Cup 2024 in Baghdad, Iraq from February 20th to 25th, Indian archers secured 14 medals: 9 golds, 4 silvers, and 1 bronze. Here are the highlights:

• India won gold in all individual events, including men’s and women’s recurve and compound events.
• Deepika Kumari of India claimed the gold medal in women’s individual recurve, triumphing over Simranjeet Kaur of India.
• Dhiraj Bommadevara of India won gold in the men’s individual recurve, defeating Tarundeep Rai of India.
• In the men’s compound event, Prathamesh Samadhan Jawkar of India emerged victorious, defeating Kushal Dalal of India.
• Parneet Kaur of India secured the gold medal in women’s individual compound, defeating Fatemeh Hemmati of Iran.

BOOKS & AUTHORS

Abhay K translates the first Magahi novel, ‘Fool Bahadur,’ into English

Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, along with Ajay Singh, Press Secretary to the President of India, and Principal Secretary to the Government of Bihar, S Siddharth, launched the English edition of ‘Fool Bahadur’, the first novel translated from Magahi to English. The translation was done by Indian poet-diplomat, editor, and translator Abhay K, and the book was published by Penguin Random House India. Originally authored by Jayanath Pati in 1928 in Magahi, the book was launched in Patna, Bihar, at the 4th edition of the Grand Trunk Road Initiatives in 2024. Abhay K has previously received the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Literary Award in 2013 and the Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF) Poetry Book of the Year Award for 2020-2021.

IMPORTANT DAYS

NGO Day 2024 – February 27

World NGO Day, observed annually on February 27, honors non-governmental and nonprofit organizations worldwide for their ongoing contributions to society. It also recognizes the invaluable efforts of volunteers who support these organizations and acknowledges their missions and impacts.

The theme for the 2024 World NGO Day is “Building a Sustainable Future: The Role of NGOs in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

Key Points:

• February 27, 2024, marks the 11th edition of World NGO Day.
• The inaugural global event of World NGO Day was held on February 27, 2014, in Helsinki, Finland, hosted by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.

About the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS):

• An intergovernmental organization fostering cooperation and trust among countries in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR).
• Current Presidency: Finland (2023-2024).
• Headquarters: Stockholm, Sweden.
• Established: 1992.
• Members: 11, including 10 member states and the European Union.

 

National Protein Day 2024 was celebrated on February 27th

Every year on February 27th, people worldwide observe National Protein Day to promote the health benefits of protein in our diets and highlight its significance for growth and development. This day also showcases the variety of protein sources available to meet our dietary needs. The theme for World Protein Day 2024 is “Solve With Protein.” In India, February 27, 2024, marks the 5th National Protein Day. The initiative for National Protein Day started in 2020 by the Right to Protein (RTP) campaign, aiming to educate individuals about the importance of consuming enough protein for better nutrition and overall health. The inaugural National Protein Day was on February 27, 2020.