Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah launched ‘e-samridhi portal’, a Tur Dal Procurement portal for FarmersOn 4th January 2024, Union Minister Amit Shah, Ministry of Cooperation, launched the ‘e-samridhi portal‘, a platform for registration, purchase, and payment of tur dal producing farmers across India. the portal was launched during the national symposium on ‘Self-reliance in Pulses’ held in New Delhi, Delhi.
The portal was developed by National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Limited (NCCF).
Key People: Arjun Munda, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; Ashwini Choubey, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs , B. L. Verma, Minister of State for Cooperation and many other dignitaries were present during the event.
About e-samridhi portal:
i.The portal offers a unified platform in which farmers can register directly or through Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).
ii.NAFED will ensure seamless fund transfers directly into farmers’ mapped bank accounts, eliminating intermediary agencies.
iii.The multi-lingual portal will streamline the entire process for tur dal growers in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Karnataka and Jharkhand.
Points to note:
i.The portal will enable farmers to register themselves for selling the commodity to the NAFED and NCCF at the minimum support price (MSP) or market price, whichever is higher.
ii.The initiative to procure pulses at market price will be supported by the existing schemes of Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) and Price Support Scheme (PSS).
iii.The portal aims to reduce dependence on imports by purchasing 80% of the buffer stock directly from farmers.
Key Points:
Union Minister also transferred about Rs 68 lakh, via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), to 25 farmers towards payment for sale of tur dal using the portal.
Note: India has set target to become self sufficient (Atmanirbhar) in the pulses sector by 2027.

MeitY Secretary S Krishnan launches ERNET India’s web portal for Educational InstitutionsOn January 4, 2023, S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) and chairperson of the Executive committee of Education and Research Network (ERNET), India, launched integrated web portal (https://ernet.in/) of ERNET India for educational institutes in India.

• The portal was created using open-source software and advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML).
• He also inaugurated new conference hall of ERNET India.

Key Points:
i.The portal will offer domain registration, DNS (Domain Name System) and value-added services viz. Website as a Service (WaaS) and Learning Management as a Service (LMaaS).
ii.Users can choose templates available for schools, colleges, or universities, meeting their needs, to effortlessly create websites and Learning Management Systems.
ERNET India:
i.ERNET India, a not-for-profit autonomous scientific society under MeitY, is the exclusive registrar for education and research institutes’ domains with ac.in, edu.in, and res.in.
ii.It offers web accessibility, campus Wi-Fi, smart classrooms, and connectivity via Terrestrial and Satellite systems to educational and research institutes.
iii.It is also involved in establishing data centers.
About Education and Research Network (ERNET), India:
Chairperson(governing Council)– Union Minister of MeitY (Ashwini Vaishnaw)
Director General– Sanjeev Banzal
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi.

Overview of PM Modi’s visit to Tamil Nadu, Lakshadweep & Kerala on 2nd & 3rd January 2024 Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi visited Tamil Naidu(TN), Lakshadweep and Kerala from 2nd to 3rd January 2024.
i.During his visit to Tamil Nadu on 2nd January 2024, PM Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth more than Rs 20,000 crores in the Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) district of Tamil Nadu.
ii.PM inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth Rs 1150 crore at Kavaratti Island in Lakshadweep on 3rd January 2024.
iii.On 3rd January 2024, PM Modi held a mega roadshow in Thrissur during his visit to Kerala. He also addressed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s women’s conference “Sthree Shakti Modikkoppam” held at Thekkinkadu Maidan, Thrissur, Kerala.
About Tamil Nadu:
Chief Minister– M.K. Stalin
Governor– R.N. Ravi
Airport– Coimbatore International Airport, Chennai International Airport
National Parks– Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Aanamali Tiger Reserve

Three varieties of handloom Sarees in West Bengal & 7 Products from Odisha get GI tagi.The Geographical Indications Registry under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Chennai, has recently awarded geographical indication (GI) tags to 3 handloom sarees of West Bengal, namely Tangail, Korial and Garad received geographical indication (GI) tags under the goods of Textiles.
ii.The tangail sarees are woven in Nadia and Purba Bardhhaman districts, while korial and garad are woven in Murshidabad and Birbhum.
iii.The Geographical Indications Registry also awarded GI tags to 7 distinct products of Odisha. These include two local foods, three agricultural products and one each for Textile and Handicraft products viz. Lanjia Saura painting, Dungaria Kondh embroidered shawl, Gajapati Date Palm, Dhenkanal Magji, Mayurbhanj Kai Chutney, Nayagarh Kanteimundi Brinjal and Koraput Kalajeera Rice.
About Odisha:
Chief Minister– Naveen Patnaik
Governor– Raghubar Das
Stadium– DRIEMS Ground, Kalinga Stadium, Barabati Stadium

MoD Signs Contracts worth Rs 802 Cr with Jupiter Wagons Ltd & BEML for Military Equipment The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has inked 2 contracts worth Rs 802 crore for indigenous military equipment. The 1st contract, worth Rs 473 crore, was inked with M/s Jupiter Wagons Limited for the procurement of 697 Bogie Open Military (BOM) wagons.

• The 2nd contract, worth Rs 329.87 crore, was signed with M/s BEML Limited (Formerly Bharat Earth Movers Limited ) for the procurement of 56 Mechanical Minefield Marking Equipment (MMME) Mark II.
• The procurements were made under the Buy Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed, and Manufactured) category.

Note:
Both BOM Wagons and MMME Mark II will be produced using equipment and sub-systems from indigenous manufacturers.
About Bogie Open Military (BOM) wagons:
i.The BOM wagons, designed by Research Design and Standard Organization (RDSO) are specialist wagons used by the Indian Army for mobilization of the Army units.
ii.BOM wagons are used to transport light vehicles, Artillery Guns, BMPs, Engineering Equipment, etc. from their peacetime locations to operational areas.

• BMP stands for Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty, which is a Russian phrase that translates to “fighting vehicle of infantry”.

iii.Critical Rolling Stock ensures rapid and simultaneous deployment of units and equipment into operational areas during conflict and supports peacetime movements for military exercises and unit transfers.
About MMME-Mark II:
i.Marking of all minefields is a mandatory requirement under the amended Protocol-II of ‘the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons by United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA)’ to which India is a signatory.
ii.MMME is designed to operate cross-country with a full load of stores and carry out marking of minefields with minimal time and manpower employment.
iii.The equipment is based on an in-service High Mobility Vehicle leveraging advanced mechanical and electrical systems.

• This integration will reduce the timings for minefield marking during operations and will enhance the overall operational capability of the Indian Army.

Customer Complaints should be communicated in 30 days: RBI IO for RE Directions, 2023The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the Master Direction – Reserve Bank of India (Internal Ombudsman for Regulated Entities) Directions, 2023, as per which the regulated entities (REs) and their Internal Ombudsmen (IOs) should communicate a final decision to customers within 30 days of receiving a complaint.

• This directive aims to enhance consumer grievance redress and customer service standards within RE by facilitating a thorough review before the rejection of customer complaints by IO.
• IOs usually deal with customer complaints related to deficiency in service.

This directive by RBI is issued in exercise of its powers conferred by Section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, Section 45L read with 45M of the RBI Act, 1934, sub-section (1) of Section 11 of Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act, 2005 and Section 18 of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007,
Repeal of Existing Schemes:
With the issue of new Directions, the guidelines contained in Internal Ombudsman Scheme 2018 – Implementation by banks; Internal Ombudsman Scheme for Non-Bank System Participants, 2019; Appointment of IO by Non-Banking Financial Companies, 2021; and RBI (Credit Information Companies- Internal Ombudsman) Directions, 2022 stand repealed.
Key Guidelines:
i.REs must implement a fully-automated Complaints Management Software, escalating all partly or wholly rejected complaints by the internal grievance redress mechanism to the IO within 20 days for a final decision.
ii.If  Internal Ombudsman / Deputy Internal Ombudsman(DIO) appointments are contractual, it should not exceed 70 years before tenure completion.

• If IO/DIO tenure is fixed, it should not be less than 3 years and also should not exceed 5 years, with no eligibility for reappointment or extension in the same RE.

iii.The IO should report to the Competent Authority of the RE administratively, and to the Board of regulated entity functionally.
Applicability:
i.Applicable to banks (meeting specific criteria as per Directions) with 10 or more outlets in India, regardless of incorporation location.
ii.Applicable to NBFCs meeting specific criteria, including deposit-taking NBFCs with 10 or more branches and non-deposit taking NBFCs with an asset size of Rs 5,000 crore and above, having public customer interface.
iii.Applies to all Non-bank System Participants (NBSPs) with more than one crore Pre-paid Payment Instruments outstanding as of March 31, 2023, or thereafter.
iv.Mandatory for all Credit Information Companies.
v.REs with these thresholds must establish an IO framework within 6 months.

REC & BoB sign MoU to Finance Power, Infra and Logistics Projects          
REC Limited (formerly Rural Electrification Corporation Limited) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bank of Baroda (BoB) to jointly offer loans for power, infrastructure and logistics projects for a duration of three years (till 2026).
The MoU was signed in presence of Vivek Kumar Dewangan, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), REC Limited and Debadatta Chand, MD and CEO, Bank of Baroda
i.The MoU aims to catalyse transformative projects that will positively impact communities and drive socio-economic progress in India.
ii.The MoU integrates REC’s expertise in the power sector with BoB’s financial prowess.
Note: REC Limited is a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of Power (MoP).

Ola Electric Becomes First Indian e2W Company Eligible for PLI Scheme
Ola Electric Mobility Private Limited(Ola), has become the 1st Indian electric two-wheeler (e2W) company to get eligible for the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme after receiving approval from the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI).
i.The PLI certification offers Ola a financial benefit of Rs 15,000 to Rs 18,000 per unit.
ii.This financial incentives will help to increase the penetration of Electric Vehicles (EVs) across India.
iii.Ola Electric has fulfilled all the requirements outlined in the PLI Scheme, including a minimum of 50% domestic value addition to its vehicles.
About Ola Electric Mobility Private Limited:
Co-Founder– Bhavish Aggarwal (CEO) & Ankit Bhati
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka
Established in – 2017

MoYAS Announced Winners of ‘Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar’ 2023On 4th January 2023, the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports(MoYAS) announced the winners of ‘Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar’ 2023 which recognises the corporate entities and individuals for outstanding contribution in the area of sports promotion and development.

• The award will be presented by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, during a special event organised at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on 9th January 2024.

Winners of 2023 Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar:
The 2023 award was announced under 2 categories:

Succes Masra Appointed as Chad’s Prime MinisterSucces Masra, president of ‘The Transformers’ party and former opposition leader, was appointed as the Prime Minister (PM) of the Republic of Chad by transitional government under the presidentship of General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno  following a referendum.

• Succes Masra will replace Saleh Kebzabo who resigned from the post in December 2023.

About Succes Masra:
i.Succes Masra is a former Senior Economist at the African Development Bank (AfDB), and a former Senior Consultant at Ernst & Young Global Limited and BNP Paribas Bank Group (Paris, France).
ii.He started the Les Transformateurs (“The Transformers” in English) party in 2018.
iii.Masra’s appointment through a referendum (with 86% of the vote) paved the way to a new constitution and put an end to military rule.
iv.He was nominated for Chad Presidential election in 2021.
About Republic of Chad:
Prime Minister – Succes Masra
Capital – N’Djamena
Currency – Central African CFA Franc

Kuwait Emir Appoints Sheikh Mohammed Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah as PM of KuwaitSheikh Meshal al-Ahmad Al-Jaber al-Sabah, Emir of Kuwait, has appointed Sheikh Mohammed Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah as the Prime Minister(PM) of Kuwait and has been tasked to form a new cabinet.

• He succeeds Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, the son of late Emir Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who has been serving as the PM of Kuwait since 2022.

About Sheikh Mohammed Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah: 
i.Sheikh Mohammed was born in 1955 and is the fourth son of Sheikh Sabah Al Salem Al Sabah, the 12th Emir of Kuwait, who ruled Kuwait from 1965 until 1977.
ii.He served as the ambassador of Kuwait to the United States of America from 1993 to 2001.
iii.He has also served as the minister of state for foreign affairs from 2001 to 2003, and minister of foreign affairs from 2003 to 2011.
iv.He served as the deputy PM of Kuwait from 2006 to 2011.
v.He has served as the chairman of the Sabah Al Salem Al Sabah Foundation, named after his father.
About Kuwait: 
Emir(head of state/monarch)– Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad Al-Jaber al-Sabah
Prime Minister– Sheikh Mohammed Sabah al-Salem al-Sabah
Capital– Kuwait City
Currency– Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD)

Shashi Kumar Singh Elected as President of All India Rubber Industries AssociationShashi Kumar Singh, Director of Osaka Rubber Private Limited, was elected as the President of All India Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA) (2023-24), the apex body for rubber industries in India.

• He will succeed Ramesh Kejriwal, who served as the President of AIRIA from 2022-23.
• Prior to the appointment, Shashi Singh was serving as the senior vice president (VP) within AIRIA.

Other Appointments: 
The election of the new office bearers for 2023-24 was held during the Annual General Meeting on 23rd December 2023 in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
i.Zafar Ahmed, Managing Director of New India Rubber Works Pvt Ltd was elected as the senior vice-president of AIRIA for 2023-24.
ii.Indra Parekh, Director at RI Impex Private Limited has been elected as the vice president of AIRIA for 2023-24.
About Shashi Kumar Singh:
i.Shashi Kumar Singh is Director at various Industries Cement and construction based such as M/s. Chunar Churk Cement Limited, Hi-Span Developers Private Limited & Shree Salasar Developers Private Limited.
ii.He is also a member of the Governing Council of the Indian Rubber Manufacturers Research Association (IRMRA) & Governing Council of the Rubber Chemical & Petrochemical Skill Development Council (RCPSDC) under Skill India.
iii.He served as the Chief Convener for the Western Region,
About All India Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA):
President- Shashi Kumar Singh
Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established in – 1945

ISRO’s NSIL to launch GSAT-N2 Satellite onboard SpaceX’s Falcon-9NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is set to launch GSAT-20 (renamed GSAT-N2), a Ka-band high throughput satellite (HTS), onboard the Falcon-9 rocket of Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) in the 2nd quarter of 2024.

• This will be ISRO’s first partnership with SpaceX to launch the satellites.

About GSAT-N2:
i.GSAT-N2 is specifically designed to meet the broadband, In-flight and Maritime Connectivity (IFMC) and cellular backhaul service needs of remote/ unconnected regions.

• It offers 32 user beams in the Ka-Ka band having Pan-India coverage including Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep islands.

ii.GSAT-N2 weighing 4700 kg, offers an HTS capacity of nearly 48 Gigabytes Per Second(Gpbs).
iii.GSAT-N2 satellite will be fully owned, operated and funded by NSIL.
Background:
i.NSIL builds, launches, owns and operates satellites in “Demand-driven mode” to meet the service needs of the user.
ii.NSIL launched 1st demand-driven satellite mission, GSAT-24, in June 2022, in which the capacity onboard the GSAT-24 was fully secured by TataPlay.
iii.In line with this, GSAT-N2 is the NSIL’s 2nd Demand driven communication satellite mission.
About Falcon 9 rocket: 
i.Falcon 9 is a reusable, two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of people and payloads into Earth orbit and beyond. It is the world’s first orbital-class reusable rocket.
ii.As of 5th Jan’24, it has undertaken 286 launches, 244 landings, and 218 re-flights.
Relying on SpaceX:
Reason for relying on SpaceX rather than ISRO’s launch vehicles.
i.The communication satellites are launched into an orbit called the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
ii.The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) can only deliver around 2250 kg to GTO; the LVM3 can deliver a payload of 4000kg to GTO. Which can’t successfully lift the GSAT-N2 payload weight of 4,700 kg.
iii.Whereas SpaceX’s Falcon 9 has a payload capacity of 8,300 kg to GTO.
About NewSpace India Limited (NSIL):
NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) is a wholly owned Government of India company, under the administrative control of the Department of Space (DOS).
Chairman and Managing Director(CMD) – Radhakrishnan Durairaj
Headquarters – Bengaluru, Karnataka
Incorporated – 2019

GlobalSpace Technologies launches  ‘GoRoga’, India’s 1st Anti-Stress Wearable      
Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra) based GlobalSpace Technologies Limited has unveiled ‘GoRoga’ India’s first anti-stress wearable. The device uses non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) technology to reduce anxiety and promote mental wellness.
i.The device is manufactured and patented as RogaLife in the United States of America (USA) and the software is developed in India under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
ii.‘GoRoga’ is designed to activate cortisol(steroid hormone) by connecting to a phone and utilizing sticky pads on the ears.

Polygonum Chaturbhujanum: New Herbaceous Plant Species Discovered in Maharashtra’s Pench Tiger Reserve
A New Herbaceous Plant Species named “Polygonum Chaturbhujanum” was discovered at Gol Pahadi Island of the Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Nagpur Maharashtra. The new species was discovered during the floral survey carried out in Pench with technical support of the Forest Survey of India(FSI).
Note: This one of kind species belongs to the genus Polygonum which includes flowering plants in the knotweed and buckwheat family Polygonaceae.
About the Floral Survey in Pench:
The floral survey, carried out over 1 year in Pench, reported over 863 plant species belonging to 554 genera and 117 families.
i.Out of this, 46 species are indigenous to India, 32 plant species are of rare distribution and 6 plant species are endemic to the Indian subcontinent.

• The 6 endermic species are: Aegineta Indica; Boerhavia Crispa; Habenaria Gibsonii var Foetida; Iphigenia Pallida; Petalidium Barlerioides; and Gibson’s Barleria.

ii.294 species are herbs; 157 are natural trees; 131 are climbers; 131 belong to grasses; 52 are species of shrubs; the remaining are avenue trees and epiphytic plants.
Note: During this survey, most of the biodiversity found is of grass species, Pench does not have extensive grasslands and most grasses are under the canopy.
Key Points:
i.According to a flora study of Nagpur district (Maharashtra) in 1986, 1,136 plant species fall under 669 genera and 142 families.
ii.The floral diversity of Pench constitutes around 5.8% of India’s floral diversity.

• It comprises 45,000 plant species, representing about 7% of the world’s flora, including over 15,000 flowering plants.Released of book titled “Flowering Plants of Pench Tiger Reserve”:

Book after the Survey:
After the survey, Dr K Chandramohan and Dr D Ravivarma, who worked on the floral survey in Pench, authored a book titled ‘Flowering Plants of Pench Tiger Reserve’.  The book was edited by Dr. Prabhu Nath Shukla and Chaturbhuja Behera.
i.The book was released by Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister (Dy CM) of Maharashtra.
ii.The book provides popular names, families, key characters, global distribution, and medicinal importance of each species.
The Forest Survey of India (FSI) in its floral survey at Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Maharashtra discovered a new Herbaceous Plant Species Polygonum Chaturbhujanum, at Gol Pahadi Island of the PTR.
Note: The new species has been submitted for further research and an article will soon be published in a scientific journal.
Genus and Species:
Genus: Polygonum
Species: Chaturbhujanum
Polygonum is a genus of flowering plants in the buckwheat and knotweed family Polygonaceae

• It is one of the largest genera in the family of flowering plants.

Findings in the Survey:
i.The floral survey was carried out over 1 year in Pench during which 863 plant species belonging to 554 genera and 117 families were recorded.
ii.Out of the total number of species reported, 32 plant species are in rare distribution; 6 plant species are endemic to the Indian subcontinent; and 46 species are indigenous to India.
iii.Among these species, 294 are herbs; 157 are natural trees; 131 are climbers; 131 belong to grasses; 52 are species of shrubs; the remaining are avenue trees and epiphytic plants.
Note: During this survey, most of the biodiversity found is of grass species, Pench does not have extensive grasslands and most grasses are under the canopy.
6 Plant Species Endemic to India:
The 6 species found in Pench, which are only found in India, and are rare in the world are:

• Aegineta Indica; Boerhavia Crispa; Habenaria Gibsonii var Foetida; Iphigenia Pallida; Petalidium Barlerioides; and Gibson’s Barleria.

Key Points:
i.According to a flora study of Nagpur district (Maharashtra) in 1986, 1,136 plant species fall under 669 genera and 142 families.
ii.The floral diversity of Pench constitutes around 5.8% of India’s floral diversity.

• It comprises 45,000 plant species, representing about 7% of the world’s flora, including over 15,000 flowering plants.

About the Survey:
The survey was carried out through the technical support of FSI. Dr. K. Chandramohan; Dr. D. Ravivarma, and their team had been working on this survey for more than a year.
Book after the Survey:
i.After the survey, Dr. K. Chandramohan; and Dr. D. Ravivarma authored a book titled “Flowering Plants of Pench Tiger Reserve Maharashtra,” which was edited by Dr. Prabhu Nath Shukla and Chaturbhuja Behera.
ii.The book provides popular names, families, key characters, global distribution, and medicinal importance of each species.
iii.The book was released by the Deputy Chief Minister (CM) of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis.