Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2024

Notes:
The NPCI has set the daily payment limit for UPI transactions to a maximum of Rs. 1 lakh starting from January 1, 2024. However, RBI raised the transaction limit for UPI payments to hospitals and educational institutions to Rs 5 lakh on December 8, 2023, to broaden the use of UPI payments.

Notes:
Dr. Arvind Panagariya has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Finance Commission of India. The Finance Commission is a constitutional body that gives recommendations on center-state financial relations. Dr. Panagariya is an eminent economist who has served as the first Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog. He will now head the 16th Finance Commission, which will suggest the tax devolution formula between the centre and states for 5 years starting 2026-27. The appointment comes after the President established a new Finance Commission through a notification dated December 31, 2023.

Notes:
Doctors at Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Centre have indigenously developed Prevall, the first chemotherapy drug in India to be available as a syrup formulation. The oral suspension of 6-mercaptopurine can precisely dose children fighting acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Liquid forms were unavailable in developing countries earlier. Prevall effectively tackles challenges like flexibility in pediatric dosing, palatability and tolerability compared to tablets.

Notes:
Students can enroll in APAAR, the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry, through the Digilocker portal. During the registration process, students are required to provide basic details such as their name, age, date of birth, gender, and a photograph. This online enrollment process facilitates ease of access and simplifies the procedure for students across India, allowing them to seamlessly monitor their academic journey and take advantage of the various benefits offered by the APAAR system. The integration of APAAR with the Academic Bank Credit (ABC) account further enhances the digital management of academic credits, reducing reliance on physical documents and improving academic tracking.

Notes:
‘Aasha’ the female cheetah named by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave birth to a litter of three cubs inside Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. This momentous event marks a major milestone for the cheetah restoration project in India. Authorities are closely monitoring Aasha and the cubs to ensure their healthy growth and development.

Notes:
Megha Engineering & Infrastructures contributed ₹87 crore, the highest among corporates, to electoral trusts in political funding during 2022-23 followed by Serum Institute of India at ₹50.25 crore as per the ADR report. Top 10 donors comprised 90.66% of total corporate contributions received by such trusts.

Notes:
ArcelorMittal has partnered with IIT-Madras to construct Asia’s first testing facility for Hyperloop pods and systems which enable magnetic levitation of pods through vacuum tubes for high-speed transportation of goods and people.

Notes:
The Himachal Pradesh government made two major decisions on January 1st, 2024 – all government offices have been prohibited from purchasing petrol or diesel vehicles since January 1st. This decision has been taken to make Himachal Pradesh a clean and green energy state by March 31, 2026. The government will now only purchase electric vehicles. This shows the state government’s commitment to environmental protection.

Notes:
Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi recently took on the significant role of Vice Chief of the Naval Staff. His illustrious career in the Indian Navy began on July 1, 1985, and he has since held various pivotal positions, including serving as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command before his current appointment. Vice Admiral Tripathi is recognized for his specialization in Communication and Electronic Warfare and has been instrumental in various operational and strategic capacities within the Navy. His appointment as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff marks another milestone in his distinguished service.

Notes:
The 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement is to be held from January 17 to 20 in Kampala, Uganda, with a preceding foreign ministers’ meeting from January 15. The summit is a significant event for India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who will be attending and focusing on priorities for the Global South and outreach to Africa. The NAM, consisting of a diverse membership from across various continents, is a critical platform for global cooperation and solidarity, and Uganda’s chairmanship is seen as an opportunity for advancing common goals among the member countries. Uganda is set to chair the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) for the period 2024-2027.