Current Affairs 2024

Sweden becomes 32nd NATO member at ceremony in Washington [07 Mar 2024]

Sweden became the 32nd member of NATO with the handover of documents at a ceremony in Washington, a historic move that Secretary of State Antony Blinken said marked a "strategic debacle" by Russia.

Former Supreme Court judge A M Khanwilkar appointed new Lokpal chairperson [27 Feb 2024]

Former Supreme Court judge A M Khanwilkar was appointed as the chairperson of the anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal nearly two years after the post fell vacant. The Lokpal has been working without its regular chief after Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose completed his term on May 27, 2022. Justice Pradip Kumar Mohanty, a judicial member of the Lokpal, was the acting chairperson. President Droupadi Murmu is pleased to appoint Justice Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar as the chairperson of the Lokpal, according to a communique issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

L K Advani gets Bharat Ratna [03 Feb 2024]

Lal Krishna Advani, the BJP stalwart who catapulted the party into national reckoning with his Rath Yatra for Ayodhya's Ram Temple in the early 1990s, has been conferred with the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award. Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has announced about this development through his X post. In 2015, L.K. Advani was conferred with the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honour.

Anil Kumar Lohati appointed as new TRAI chairman [29 Jan 2024]

The government has appointed former chairman and chief executive officer of the Railway Board chairman, Anil Kumar Lohati, as the new chairperson of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) chairperson. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Shri Anil Kumar Lahoti, IRSE (1984) (Retd.), Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Railway Board, Ministry of Railways, Government of India as Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for three years from the date of assumption of charge of the post or until he attains the age of 65 years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Chief Guests at Republic Day Parade 2024 [26 Jan 2024]

French President Emmanuel Macron was the chief guest of Republic Day 2024. Chief Guest at Republic Day celebrations is the highest honour bestowed by a country in terms of protocol. The Chief Guest plays a central role in various ceremonial activities that have become an integral part of the event's fabric and lead-up.

Henley Passport Index: World's : Most Powerful Passports in 2024 [25 Jan 2024]

The Henley Passport Index has released its list for 2024. India has improved its ranking and moved up to the 80th position from the previous year's ranking of 84, allowing citizens to travel visa-free to 62 countries. France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, and Asia's Japan and Singapore share rank 1st in the list. The United States ranked at number 7. Ranking low on the index are Pakistan (101), Iraq (102), Syria (103) and Afghanistan (104).

Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar-2024 [23 Jan 2024]

For the year 2024, 60 Parachute Field Hospital, Uttar Pradesh, in the Institutional category, has been selected for the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar-2024 for its excellent work in Disaster Management. The Government of India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has instituted an annual award known as Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar to recognize and honour the invaluable contribution and selfless service rendered by individuals and organizations in India in the field of disaster management. The award is announced every year on 23rd January, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 51 lakh and a certificate in the case of an institution and Rs. 5 lakh and a certificate in the case of an individual.

Cabinet approves Ayodhya Airport as an International Airport [05 Jan 2024]

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal to declare Ayodhya Airport as an International Airport and naming it as "Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhyadham". Elevating Ayodhya Airport to international status is paramount for realizing Ayodhya's economic potential and its significance as a global pilgrimage site, opening doors to foreign pilgrims and tourists. The airport’s name, "Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhyadham," pays homage to Maharishi Valmiki, the sage attributed to composing the epic Ramayana, adding a cultural touch to the airport's identity. Ayodhya, with its deep cultural roots, is strategically positioned to become a key economic hub and pilgrimage site. The airport's potential to attract international pilgrims and businesses aligns with the city's historical prominence.

World Braille Day will be celebrated on 4th January [04 Jan 2024]

As the world prepares to celebrate World Braille Day on 4 January, a global commemoration is underway to acknowledge the significance of Braille as a vital medium of communication for blind and partially sighted individuals. This day holds special importance as it marks the birthday of Louis Braille, the visionary inventor of the Braille script, born in France in 1809. Recognizing the paramount role of Braille in education, communication, and social inclusion, the United Nations has designated 4 January each year as World Braille Day.

Braille, a universal code rather than a language, serves as a tool to write and read in various languages, including Sanskrit, Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Spanish, and many others. On this occasion, National Institutes and Composite Regional Centres under DEPwD organised a range of engaging programmes.

Raghuram Iyer Chief Executive of Indian Olympic Association [04 Jan 2024]

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) appointed Raghuram Iyer as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Raghuram Iyer, who was selected by the IOA Nomination Committee, has experience in sports management. He served as the CEO of Indian Premier League sides Rajasthan Royals, Lucknow SuperGiants and Rising Pune Supergiant Indian Super League side ATK Mohun Bagan and Table Tennis outfit RPSG Mavericks.

Dinesh K. Tripathi Vice Chief of Naval Staff [04 Jan 2024]

Vice Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi took over as Vice Chief of the Naval Staff on January 4, 2024. Prior to this, he served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command. He succeeded Vice Admiral Sanjay J. Singh. Vice Admiral Dinesh is an alumnus of Sainik School Rewa and the National Defence Academy. He joined the Indian Navy in 1985. He is a specialist in Communication and Electronic Warfare and has commanded INS Vinash, INS Kirch, and INS Trishul. Vice Admiral Tripathi has been Dinesh recognized with the Ati Vishisht Seva K.Tripathi Medal (AVSM) and Nau Sena Medal (NM) for his duties.

Randhir Jaiswal MEA Spokesperson [03 Jan 2024]

Randhir Jaiswal, who hails from Bihar, assumed charge as the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and succeeded Arindam Bagchi. Jaiswal has been serving as Consul General in New York since July 2020. He is a 1998 batch Indian Foreign Service Officer who served in Cuba, South Africa, Portugal, and at India's permanent mission to the United Nations in Randhir Jaiswal New York.

India - UAE joint military exercise ‘Desert Cyclone’ commences In Rajasthan [02 Jan 2024]

The UAE Land Forces contingent comprising 45 personnel arrived in India to participate in the 1st edition of the India - UAE Joint Military Exercise ‘DESERT CYCLONE’. The Exercise is scheduled to be conducted in Mahajan, Rajasthan from 2nd to 15th January 2024. The UAE contingent is being represented by troops from the Zayed First Brigade. The Indian Army contingent comprising 45 personnel is being represented mainly by a Battalion from the Mechanised Infantry Regiment. The Exercise aims to enhance interoperability in Sub-conventional Operations including Fighting in a Built-Up Area (FIBUA) in desert/semi-desert terrain under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter on Peace Keeping Operations. The Exercise will enhance cooperation and interoperability between both sides during Peace Keeping Operations. Drills planned to be rehearsed during Exercise ‘DESERT CYCLONE’ include the Establishment of a Joint Surveillance Centre, Cordon and Search Operation, Domination of Built-Up Area, and Heliborne Operations. The Exercise will also foster collaborative partnership and help in sharing best practices between the two sides. Exercise ‘DESERT CYCLONE’ signifies further strengthening of bonds of friendship and trust between India and the UAE. The Exercise aims to achieve shared security objectives and foster bilateral relations between two friendly nations.

Anish Dayal Singh Director General of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) [01 Jan 2024]

Anish Dayal Singh, a 1988 batch Indian Police Officer of Manipur cadre was appointed as the Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force up to December 31, 2024, which is the date of his superannuation. Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) chief Anish Dayal Singh was holding the additional charge of the CRPF following the retirement of incumbent S. L. Thaosan on November 30, 2023.

Rahul Rasgotra ITBP Chief [01 Jan 2024]

Indian Police Service officer of 1989-batch of the Manipur cadre Rahul Rasgotra took charge from outgoing DG Anish Dayal Singh as the new Director General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on January 1, 2024. Rasgotra served nearly three decades in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) as its special director. The primary task of ITBP is to guard the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China apart from rendering a variety of duties in the internal security domain.

Nina Singh First Woman Head of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) [29 Dec 2023]

Nina Singh, an Indian Police Service (IPS) Officer of the 1989 batch took over as the first woman Director General of the Central Industrial Security Force(CISF) . She served as Director General-in-charge of CISF after her predecessor Sheel Vardhan Singh retired on August 31, 2023. She will remain the Director General until July 31, 2024, the date of her superannuation.

INS Imphal Inducted into the Indian Navy [26 Dec 2023]

INS Imphal, a Project 15B stealth guided missile destroyer, was commissioned into the Indian Navy. INS Imphal is the third of the four 'Project 15 Bravo Visakhapatnam class' guided missile destroyers. The fourth will be named INS Surat. INS Imphal is among "the most technologically advanced guided missile destroyers in the world."

Sam Altman named Time's 'CEO of the Year' 2023 [07 Dec 2023]

Sam Altman has been recognized as Time magazine's 'CEO of the Year' 2023 for his remarkable impact on the tech industry. The announcement was made on December 6. The award underscores Altman's significant contributions as the CEO of OpenAI, a prominent research company specializing in artificial intelligence.

Taylor Swift named Time Magazine’s ‘Person of the Year’. [07 Dec 2023]

Taylor Swift has capped 2023 by being named Time’s ‘Person of the Year’. The 33-year-old singer-songwriter was described by Time Magazine as a 'rare person who is both the writer and hero of her own story.'

‘Garba Of Gujarat’ Declared as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO [06 Dec 2023]

'Garba of Gujarat' has been inscribed in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity by UNESCO, under the provisions of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage during the 18th meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage from 5th -9th December, 2023 in Kasane, Botswana. Garba of Gujarat is the 15th ICH element from India to join this list. This inscription underscores Garba’s pivotal role as a unifying force that fosters social and gender inclusivity. Garba as a dance form is entrenched deeply in ritualistic and devotional roots, involving people from all walks of life and it continues to thrive as a vibrant living tradition bringing communities together. The inscription further highlights the commitment and efforts of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India towards the safeguarding, promotion and preservation of our intangible cultural heritage.

Sadhna Nair becomes Second Woman Air Marshal [23 Oct 2023]

Sadhna S. Nair has become the second woman officer from the medical branch of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to be promoted to the rank of Air Marshal. Before her promotion, Air Marshal Nair was serving as Principal Medical Officer (PMO) at HQ Training Command, IAF the rank of Air Vice Marshal. She is now serving as the Director General of Hospital Services, Armed Forces. Air Marshal Padma Bandopadhyay, was the first woman to be promoted to the rank of Air Marshal in the medical branch of the IAF. Air Marshal Sadhna S. Nair joined the medical branch of IAF in December 1985. She has been a Senior Medical Officer (SMO) at three different Air Force stations. Her husband K.P. Nair is also a retired Air Marshal.

Ashok Vaswani appointed MD and CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank [21 Oct 2023]

Kotak Mahindra Bank announced the appointment of Ashok Vaswani as the new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer for three years. Ashok Vaswani will replace Kotak after the latter stepped down from the post in September 2023. Vaswani has a three-and-a-half-decade experience with City Group, and more recently with Barclays. At Barclays Bank, UK, he was associated as the Chief Executive Officer of their Global Consumer, Private, Corporate, and Payments business and a member of the group executive committee.

Arindam Bagchi appointed as the Permanent Representative in United Nations [16 Oct 2023]

Arindam Bagchi, presently Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, has been appointed as the next Ambassador/ Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva. He would be succeeding Indra Mani Pandey.

Renowned Tamil writer Sivasankari has been honoured with 'Saraswati Samman' 2022 [12 Oct 2023]

Eminent Tamil writer Sivasankari was conferred with the coveted 'Saraswati Samman' 2022 for her book of memoirs Surya Vamsam by former Union Minister M. Veerappa Moily in New Delhi. Surya Vamsam, a book of memoirs in two volumes published in 2019, not only presents the evolution of an innocent child into an acclaimed author but also unfolds the transformation society has undergone in these seven decades. Saraswati Samman instituted by the K.K. Birla Foundation in 1991 is recognized as one of the most prestigious literary awards in the country. It carries an award money of Rs.15 lakh, a Citation and a Plaque.

The Nobel Peace Prize 2023 [06 Oct 2023]

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize 2023 to Narges Mohammadi for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all.

This year's peace prize also recognises the hundreds of thousands of people who, in the preceding year, have demonstrated against Iran's theocratic regime's policies of discrimination and oppression targeting women. The mottoadopted by the demonstrators - "Woman - Life - Freedom" - suitably expresses the dedication and work of NargesMohammadi.

Narges Mohammadi is a woman, a human rights advocate, and a freedom fighter. Her brave struggle for freedom of expression and the right of independence has come with tremendous personal costs. Altogether, the regime in Iran has arrested her 13 times, convicted her five times, and sentenced her to a total of 31 years in prison and 154 lashes. Narges Mohammadi is still in prison.

The Nobel Prize in Literature 2023 [05 Oct 2023]

The Nobel Prize in Literature 2023 was awarded to Jon Fosse, "for his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable".

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2023 [04 Oct 2023]

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2023 was awarded to Moungi G. Bawendi, Louis E. Brus, and Alexei I. Ekimov "for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots".

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2023 [03 Oct 2023]

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2023 was awarded jointly to Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, and Anne L’Huillier "for experimental methods that generate attosecond pulses of light for the study of electron dynamics in the matter".

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2023 [02 Oct 2023]

The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded jointly to Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman "for their discoveries concerning base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19".

India wins bid to host 17th International Congress on the Chemistry of Cement [21 Sep 2023]

India has won the bid to host the prestigious International Congress on the Chemistry of Cement (ICCC) in New Delhi in 2027. India’s leading research and academic institutes, the National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCCBM) along with IIT Delhi successfully presented India’s bid before the Steering Committee members of the Conference during the ongoing 16th ICCC in Bangkok, Thailand. Besides India, other bidders were from Switzerland and the UAE. The decision was announced on 20 September 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand during the 16th ICCC. The Indian bid was presented by Dr. L P Singh, Director General, NCCBM, Dr. S K Chaturvedi, Joint Director, NCCBM, and Dr. Shashank Bishnoi, Professor (Civil Engg.), IIT Delhi. The International Congress on the Chemistry of Cement is the largest and most prestigious event of its kind which reviews the progress of research in the area of Cement and Concrete. The congresses have been held generally at intervals of four to six years since 1918, providing a strong and fruitful link between the academic world and the cement industry. The 9th Congress was organized in New Delhi in 1992 by NCCBM and the present 16th ICCC is being held in Bangkok, Thailand from 18-22 September 2023.

Career Opportunities in Fashion Designing

Fashion design is a dynamic and creative field that offers innovative career openings for those with a passion for style, creativity, and invention. This composition will explore the colorful job prospects in the fashion design assiduity, the original hires one can anticipate, and punctuate some o →

Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)

Foundation Date: December 8, 1991 Headquarters: The Republic of Belarus Executive Secretaries: Sergei Lebedev Member Countries: 12 Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was established on December 8, 1991, and the leaders of the Republic of Belarus, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine signed an a →

What is Bitcoin?

In 2009, an unknown programmer by the name of Satoshi Nakamoto put forward a whitepaper that proposed a creation of new form of digital currency - cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency functions the same way as regular currencies do in that its used as a means of exchange, unit of account and a store of va →

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)

Headquarter: New Delhi Function and Objective of the Organization: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)has been established under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which consolidates various acts & orders that have hitherto handled food-related issues in various Ministries →