ONGC Gets MoPNG’s Approval to Form Green Energy Subsidiary
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) has received the approval from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) to establish a wholly-owned subsidiary company for green energy and gas business. The approval was received on 5th December 2023.

• The proposed name of the subsidiary is “ONGC Green Limited” subject to the approval of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs(MoCA).

Note: ONGC is a Maharatna central public sector undertaking(CPSU) under MoPNG.
About the Green Energy subsidiary:
The wholly-owned subsidiary will focus on diverse energy value chains, including: Green Hydrogen production; Hydrogen blending; Renewable Energy (Solar, Wind, and Hybrid); Bio-fuels/Bio-gas; and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) operations.
Formation of a JV by ONGC and NTPC Green Energy Limited
During the ONGC Board Meeting held on 23rd January 2024, the board granted in-principle approval for formation of a Joint Venture Company (JVC) either directly by ONGC or through its Affiliate/Subsidiary with NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL) a wholly owned subsidiary of NTPC Limited.
i.The JVC will be engaged in the business of Offshore Wind Energy and other Renewal Energy.
ii.The formation of the JVC is subject to necessary Government/ regulatory approvals including from NITI Aayog(National Institution for Transforming India), Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) (Ministry of Finance).
About Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC):
ONGC was established as the Oil & Natural Gas Commission on 14th August 1956 and is an Indian central public sector undertaking under the MoP&NG.
Chairman and CEO– Arun Kumar Singh
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi

9th India International Science Festival held in Faridabad, Haryana
The 9th edition of India International Science Festival (IISF 2023) was held from 17th to 20th January 2024 at Faridabad, Haryana. The festival aims to celebrate the achievements of India in the frontier areas of science and technology.

• IISF 2023 is held under the central theme – ‘Science and Technology Public Outreach in Amrit Kaal’.

About IISF 2023:
i.Venue: Campus of Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) and Regional Centre for Biotechnology (RCB) of Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology (MoST), in Faridabad.
ii.Organiser: Department of Science and Technology (DST), MoST.
Inaugural & Closing Ceremony:
i.Union Minister of State (MoS) (Independent Charge) Dr Jitendra Singh, MoST graced the inaugural ceremony of IISF 2023 on 17th January 2024.
ii.Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister (CM) of Haryana, graced the closing ceremony of IISF 2023 as Chief Guest.
About Haryana:
Governor– Bandaru Dattatreya
Capital– Chandigarh
National Parks– Kalesar National Park, Sultanpur National Park

India’s ACME and Japan’s IHI Corporation Signs pact to supply Green Ammonia from India to Japan
On January 23, 2024, India’s ACME Group (aka ACME Cleantech Solutions Pvt. Ltd. ) and Japan’s IHI Corporation signed a term sheet agreement to supply 0.4 Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum (MMTPA) of green ammonia from Odisha on long term basis.

• This agreement is a crucial move in lowering global greenhouse gas emissions, set to offset 54 million tons of Carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent over its lifecycle.

Signatories:
The term sheet, signed by ACME’s Founder and Chairman Manoj Upadhyay and Hiroshi Ide, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IHI Corporation in the presence of Union Minister Raj Kumar Singh, Ministry of Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE), Secretary MNRE Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, and the Japanese Ambassador to India Hiroshi Suzuki.
Key Points:
i.The agreement represents a significant milestone in ACME’s Gopalpur project in Odisha, aiming for a 1.2 MMTPA capacity in phased implementation. Initial production is expected to commence by 2027.
ii.This is one of the first agreements in Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia of this scale in the world.

• The total investment of the project costs around USD 5 billion.

iii.This agreement will contribute to both India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission as well as Japan’s Net Zero commitment.
About ACME Group (ACME Cleantech Solutions Pvt. Ltd.):
Chairman & MD- Manoj Upadhyay
Headquarters– Gurugram, Haryana

5th International and 44th All India Criminology Conference of NFSU held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat
On 23rd January 2024, Union Minister Amit Shah, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) inaugurated and addressed the 5th International and 44th All India Criminology Conference at National Forensic Science University (NFSU) at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

• The conference on “Behavioural Forensics: Reintegrating expanding contours of Criminology and Criminalistics” was organised by NFSU and Indian Society of Criminology (ISC),
• Union Minister also inaugurated the Centre of Excellence in Digital Forensics at NFSU to support capacity building and investigation.

Key People: The event was attended by Judges, Legal Officers, Police Officers, Criminologists, Scholars and other stakeholders from across India.
About the Conference:
The Conference was organized in collaboration with National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), National Commission for Women (NCW), National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and Gujarat State Human Rights Commission.
Themes of the conference:
i.Criminology and Behavioural forensics: Transdisciplinary Foundations
ii.Contours of Victim Support, Justice and Challenges
iii.Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice System
iv.Forensic Algorithms in Justice Delivery System
Click here to know more
About National Forensic Science University (NFSU):
NFSU is a institute of national importance and it is the world’s first and only university dedicated to forensic, behavioral, cybersecurity, digital forensics and allied sciences.
It was established by the Government of India through NFSU Act 2020.
Location– Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Ex Cyclone II: 2nd edition of the India-Egypt Joint Special Forces Exercise commenced in Egypt 

“Exercise Cyclone II”, the 2nd edition of the India-Egypt Joint Special Forces Exercise, commenced on 22nd January 2024 in Anshas, Egypt.

• The exercise is scheduled to be conducted from 22nd January to 1st February 2024.

Aim: To develop bilateral military cooperation and strengthen the bond between the Indian Army (IA) and the Egyptian Army (EA) through each other’s operating procedures in the backdrop of Special Operations in desert/semi-desert terrain under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.
Participants:
i.The Indian contingent is represented by troops from The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces).
ii.Egyptian contingent of 25 personnel is represented by the Egyptian Commando Squadron and Egyptian Airborne Platoon.
About Cyclone II Exercise:
i.The Exercise will involve the planning and execution of special operations in the sub-conventional domain.
ii.It will also act as a platform to conduct discussions and rehearsal of tactical military drills thereby achieving shared security objectives.
3 Phases:
i.The first phase will include Military Exhibitions and Tactical Interactions
ii.The second phase will focus on training on Improvised Explosive Device (IED), counter IED and Combat First Aid.
iii.The third phase will encompass a Joint Tactical Exercise based on Fighting in Built-up Areas and Hostage Rescue Scenarios.
About Exercise Cyclone:
i.Cyclone is an annual exercise held alternatively in India and Egypt.
ii.The first edition of the exercise was held in January 2023 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
About Egypt:
President – Abdel Fattah El-Sisi
Capital – Cairo
Currency – Egyptian Pound

19th NAM Summit held in Kampala, Uganda; EAM S Jaishankar led Indian Delegation
Union Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) led the Indian delegation at the 19th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Heads of State and Government Summit held in Speke Resort Convention Center, Munyonyo in Kampala, Uganda, on 19-20 January 2024.

• During the summit, Uganda assumed the NAM chairmanship for 2024-2027. Uganda took over the leadership from Azerbaijan (2019-2023).
• President of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni was elected as the chair of the 19th NAM Summit and took over from H.E Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan.

Theme of 19th NAM summit: ‘Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence.’
Participation: The summit witnessed the participation of more than 120 developing countries like India, Nepal, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Iran, among other.
Note: The NAM summit usually takes place once every three years. The 18th NAM summit was held in Baku, Azerbaijan on October 25–26, 2019
Key Points:
i.The Summit was preceded by deliberations at the Ministerial and Senior Official levels. Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Minister of State(MoS), MEA represented India at the NAM Foreign Ministers’ meeting.
ii.On the sidelines of the Summit, External Affairs Minister(EAM) Dr Jaishankar held meeting with the Ugandan leadership and counterparts from NAM Member states.
iii.He met with Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer to exchange views on the ongoing high-level talks regarding the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from Maldives.
About Non-Aligned Movement (NAM):
i.The idea of  Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) originated during the 1st large-scale Asian–African or Afro–Asian Conference (popularly known as the Bandung Conference), held on 18th–24th April 1955 in Bandung, Indonesia.
ii.NAM was formally established at the First (I) Summit held on 1st–6th September 1961 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
iii.NAM is the largest grouping of states worldwide after the United Nations(UN).
Members: 120 Member States (Africa (53); Americas and Caribbean (26); Asia and Pacific (39); and Europe (2); 18 Observer countries; and 10 Observer Organisations.
Additional info: V. Muraleedharan, MoS, MEA particiapted in the G-77 Third South Summit held in in Kampala, Uganda on January 21-22.

SBI Life has Launched ‘Saral Swadhan Supreme’ and ‘Smart Swadhan Supreme’
SBI Life Insurance Company Limited (SBI Life) has launched two new products ‘SBI Life – Saral Swadhan Supreme’ and ‘SBI Life – Smart Swadhan Supreme’. 

• These products caters the insurance needs of individuals and  fulfills their financial commitments.

Features:
i.Premium Flexibility – Regular premium payments or limited premium payment term options of 7, 10, or 15 years.
ii.Flexible Policy Term- Ranging from 10 to 30 years.
iii.Minimum sum assured- Rs.25 lakh for both policies.
iv.Maximum sum assured – For Saral Swadhan Supreme the maximum sum is capped at Rs.50 lakh whereas for Smart Swadhan Supreme there is no upper limit for the maximum sum assured.

SBI Life – Saral Swadhan Supreme
A person with minimum age of 18 years and maximum (max) age of 50 years can enroll for the insurance product. And 65 years would be the max age for its maturity.
SBI Life – Smart Swadhan Supreme
A person with minimum age of 18 years and max age of 60 years can enroll for the insurance product. And 75 years would be the max age for its maturity.
Key Points:
i.Policyholders receive 100% of total premiums paid (excluding extra premiums, rider premiums, and taxes) upon maturity.
ii.These plans also offer a lump sum benefit when the policyholder passes away during the policy term.
iii.These plans provide the flexibility to choose premium payment terms, policy duration, premium payment frequency etc.
iv.The policyholders are eligible for tax benefits as per the prevailing norms under the Income Tax Act, 1961.
About SBI Life Insurance Company Limited:
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Amit Jhingran
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Incorporated in – 2000
Tagline – Apne Liye. Apno Ke Liye

BCCI Awards 2024: Shubman Gill and Deepti Sharma Win Best International Cricketers of 2022-23Shubman Gill won the best men’s international cricketer (Polly Umrigar Award) of 2022-23 in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Awards(Naman Awards) 2024 held in Hyderabad, Telangana.

•  Deepti Sharma won the best women’s international cricketer of 2022-23.
• Former India all-rounder and coach Ravi Shastri and former Indian wicket-keeper batsman Farokh Engineer were awarded the Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Kashvee Gautam won the Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy for the Best Women Cricketer (Jr Domestic) of 2019-20 . She was the most expensive cricketer in the history of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) after Gujarat Giants Bought her for Rs 2 Crore.
• The BCCI Awards was started in 2006-07 as an annual felicitation ceremony to honour standout performers from the preceding years.

About Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI):
President – Roger Binny
Secretary – Jay Shah
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established – 1928

Japan’s Softbank Sold Another 1.95% Stake in Paytm
Japan-based Softbank Group Corp has sold another 1.95% of paid-up share capital in Paytm’s parent company One97 Communications for approximately Rs 950 crore. This reduced Softbank’s share in Paytm to 5.06% from 7.01%.
Key Points:
i.For this purpose, SVF India Holdings (Cayman) Limited a subsidiary of Softbank, sold a total of 12.7million equity shares of Paytm through open market transactions.
ii.According to the Regulations 29(2) of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations, 2011 any firm holding more than 5% of shares or voting rights in a company must disclose to SEBI about the change in shareholding or voting rights, provided such change exceeds 2%.

HDFC Bank Disposes 2.01% stake in CAMS for Rs.252.34 Cr
HDFC Bank Limited has sold 2.01% of the paid-up share capital in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) based Computer Age Management Services Limited (CAMS) for all cash consideration of  Rs.252.34 crore.

• This reduced the HDFC Bank’s shareholding in CAMS to 3.94% from 5.95% between 25th August 2023 and 23rd January 2024.
• The disposal happened through the secondary market route on BSE Limited (formerly Bombay Stock Exchange) and National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE India).
• The HDFC Bank sold 9,86,315 shares with an average sale price of Rs.2,558.43 per share.

Sony Terminates Merger Agreement with Zee Entertainment
Culver Max Entertainment Private Limited (CME), formerly known as Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited (SPNI) has officially terminated its USD 10 Billion merger agreement with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL).

• The amalgamation agreement was signed between Sony and Zee in December 2021, but the merger remained incomplete due to regulatory investigation and legal suits.
• The partnership aimed to establish India’s largest entertainment company, to compete against global giants like Netflix Inc. and Amazon.com Inc.

Note: CME is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation, Japan.

Cameroon became the First Country to Roll Out Malaria Vaccine in Child Immunization Program
The Republic of Cameroon, a Central African country, has become the first country in the world to incorporate a malaria vaccine into its routine national immunization program.

• Cameroon uses a RTS,S/AS01(Mosquirix) vaccine, the only vaccine that has demonstrated it can significantly reduce malaria in young children
• Cameroon will offer the vaccine free of charge to infants up to six months old, requiring a total of four doses.
• World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended two malaria vaccines – the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine in 2021 and the R21/Matrix-MTM vaccine in 2023, to prevent malaria in children.

About Republic of Cameroon:
President – Paul Biya
Capital – Yaounde
Currency – Central African CFA Franc

India Won Eight Medals in Asian Shotgun Championships 2024
The Indian contingent won 8 medals(1 Gold, 3 Silver, and 4 Bronze) in the Asian Shotgun Championships 2024 held at the Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Olympic Shooting Complex in Kuwait City, Kuwait from 12-22 January 2024.

• India ranked fifth in the medal tally with 8 medals while China secured first position with 13 medals(5 Gold, 6 Silver, and 2 Bronze).

Indian Medal Winners:

• Two Indian shooters  Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Raiza Dhillon qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics from this tournament.
• These were India’s first quotas in the men’s and women’s skeet events for the Paris Olympics. As of January 2024, Indians secured 19 Olympic quotas in shooting.

ii.India’s only gold medal at the Asian Shotgun Championships 2024 won by the women’s skeet team comprising Ganemat Sekhon, Maheshwari Chauhan, and Raiza Dhillon.
Additional Info:
i.The Asian Championships for rifle and pistol shooters 2024 were held in Jakarta(Indonesia) from 5 to 18 January 2024.
ii.Indian shooters won 26 medals (14 gold, 7 silver, and 5 bronze) and obtained four Olympic quotas.

Canadian Filmmaker & Producer Norman Jewison Passed Away
Renowned Canadian director and producer Norman Jewison Passed away at the age of 97 in Los Angeles, the United States of America (USA). He was born on 21 July 1926 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
About Norman Jewison:
i.He initially worked as a writer and actor for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in London, United Kingdom.
ii.Later he worked as a director for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Toronto, and in Columbia Broadcasting System, New York, USA.
iii.In 1962, he directed his first feature film “40 Pounds of Trouble” for Universal Studios.
iv.In 1988, he founded the Canadian Film Center, a film school and institution in Toronto.
v.He has also served as the chancellor of Victoria University in the University of Toronto, Canada from 2004 – 2010.
Noted Works:
i.Oscar nominations: He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director 3 times for “In the Heat of the Night” (1967); “Fiddler on the Roof” (1971); “Moonstruck” (1987).
ii.This other renowned works includes F.I.S.T. (1978); In Country (1989); The Hurricane (1999); and The Statement (2003).
Awards/Honours:
i.He won the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award 1998 at the 71st Academy Awards(Oscar).
ii.In 2003, Canada honoured him with the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award.
iii.He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Directors Guild of America in 2010.

National Girl Child Day 2024 – January 24
National Girl Child Day (NGCD) is annually observed across India on 24th January to promote awareness about the rights of a girl child and to promote the importance of their education, health, and nutrition.

• The day addresses issues like child marriage, discrimination and violence against girls.
• 24th January 2024 marks the observance of 17th NGCD.

Background:
i.NGCD was established in 2008 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD).
ii.The first ever NGCD was observed on 24th January 2008.
About Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD):
Union Minister – Smriti Zubin Irani (Constituency- Amethi, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State(MoS) – Munjpara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai (Constituency- Surendranagar, Gujarat)

International Day of Education 2024- January 24
The United Nations (UN) International Day of Education (IDE) is annually observed across the globe on 24 January to celebrate the role of education in peace and development.

• 24 January 2024 marks the 6th observance of the International Day of Education.

The 2024 theme of IDE is, “Learning for Lasting Peace.”

• As the specialized UN agency for education, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) facilitates the annual observance of IDE in close collaboration with main education actors.

Background:
i.On 3 December 2018, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/73/25 proclaiming 24 January of every year as International Day of Education.