Highlights of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to IndiaEmmanuel Macron, President of France, paid a State Visit to India as the Chief Guest for the 75th Republic Day of India at the invitation of Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India.

• His two-day visit from 25th to 26th January 2024 marks his 2nd state visit to India. He arrived in Jaipur, Rajasthan on 25th January 2024.
• This is also the 6th visit by a French leader as Guest of honour for India’s Republic Day.

Highlights:
i.PM Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron adopted the Roadmap for Defence Industrial Partnership for collaboration in co-design, co-development and co-production of military hardware and space cooperation.
ii.TATA Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus Helicopters signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up a final assembly line (FAL) for H125 helicopters in India with a significant indigenous and localisation component.
About France:
President– Emmanuel Macron
Prime Minister– Gabriel Attal
Capital– Paris
Currency– Euro

MoE released AISHE 2021-22: Enrolment in Higher Education increases to 4.33 CroreOn 25th January 2024, the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education (MoE) released the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-22.

• This marks the 12th edition of AISHE and the 2nd survey done through web Data Capture Format (DCF) format.

Key Points:
i.In 2021-22, GER in Higher Education for the age group 18-23 years in India increased to 28.4 from 27.3 in 2020-21 and 23.7 in the base year 2014-15.
ii.The States/UTs with the highest Gross Enrolment Ratio(GER) are Chandigarh (64.8), Puducherry (61.5), Delhi (49), Tamil Nadu(TN) (47), Himachal Pradesh (43.1), Uttarakhand (41.8), Kerala (41.3) and Telangana (40).
iii.As per the survey, Uttar Pradesh (UP) has become the state with the highest number of colleges in India. the number of colleges in UP increased from  8,114 to 8,375 in 2021-22.
About the Ministry of Education (MoE):
Union Minister- Dharmendra Pradhan(Rajya Sabha- Madhya Pradesh)
Minister of State (MoS): Subhas Sarkar (Constituency- Bankura, West Bengal), Annapurna Devi Yadav (Constituency- Kodarma, Jharkhand), Rajkumar Ranjan Singh (Constituency- Inner Manipur, Manipur)

5 Indian Wetlands, 3 From Karnataka & 2 From Tamil Nadu Added to Ramsar list; Total Ramsar Sites Increased to 80On 1st February 2024, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change(MoEFCC) announced that 5 wetlands from India (3 from Karnataka and 2 from Tamil Nadu-TN) were designated as RAMSAR Sites – Wetlands of International importace.

• With this addition, the total number of RAMSAR sites in India has increased from 75 to 80.

5 New RAMSAR sites
i.Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve; Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve; and Aghanashini Estuary in Karnataka; and
ii.Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary; and Longwood Shola Reserve Forest in TN.
About Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC):
Union Minister– Bhupender Yadav (Rajya Sabha- Rajasthan)
Minister of State–  Ashwini Kumar Choubey (Constituency- Buxar, Bihar)

NHAI & GSI Collaborated to Develop a Robust National Highways Network
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Geological Survey of India (GSI) to enhance the quality of the National Highways (NH) network.

• As per the MoU, GSI will provide site-specific geotechnical consultancy services related to the preparation of geological maps and assist in analysing Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) from a geotechnical perspective.
• The MoU was signed in the presence of  Santosh Kumar Yadav, NHAI Chairman and Saibal Ghosh, Deputy Director General of GSI.

RBI revises norms for UCBs inclusion in second schedule, RBI Act, 1934; Allows TRQ Holders to make Advance Payment for gold import via IIBX i.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revised the eligibility norms for the inclusion of Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) in the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Act, 1934.  These instructions are issued under clause (a) of sub-section (6) of section 42 of the RBI Act, 1934.
ii.This move followed the release of the revised regulatory framework for UCBs in July 2022, aiming to improve their financial stability, governance, and strengthen the regulatory framework for UCBs.
iii.This revision will repeal the circular on UCBs for their inclusion in the 2nd Schedule to the RBI Act, 1934 issued in 2013.
iv.RBI has issued Guidelines on import of gold by Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) holders under the India-United Arab Emirates (UAE) Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) as notified by the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA).
v.RBI in exercise of its powers under section 35A of the Banking Regulation (BR) Act, 1949, directed Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL or the bank) to stop onboarding of new customers with immediate effect.
About Reserve Bank of India (RBI):
Governor – Shaktikanta Das
Deputy Governors – Swaminathan Janakiraman, Michael Debabrata Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, T. Rabi Sankar
Establishment– 1st April 1935
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

Ministry of Defence Honoured Best Marching Contingents & Tableaux Awards for Republic Day Parade 2024On 30 January 2024, Ajay Bhatt, Minister of State (MoS), Ministry of Defence honoured the best marching contingents and tableaux awards for the Republic Day (R-Day) Parade 2024. The awards were announced based on 2 separate results, one by a panel of judges and the other through an online public vote conducted by the MyGov platform.

• A total of 25 tableaux – 16 States and Union Territories (UTs) and 9 Ministries/Departments participated in the 75th R-Day Parade 2024 at Kartavya Path.

Note: A trophy representation ceremony was organised at RR Camp in Delhi Cantonment to honour the achievements.
About Ministry of Defence:
Union Minister- Rajnath Singh (Constituency: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State- Ajay Bhatt (Constituency: Nainital-Udhamsingh Nagar, Uttarakhand)

Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, Ruler of Johor, Sworn-In as 17th King of MalaysiaHis Royal Highness (HRH) Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar (Sultan Ibrahim), the Ruler of the southern Malaysian state of Johor, was sworn in as the 17th King of Malaysia, also known as Yang di-Pertuan Agong (YDPA) XVII, on 31st January 2024. He will be serving as the king for a term of 5 years (till 2029).

• He succeeded Al-Sultan Abdullah ibni Sultan Ahmad Shah (16th King), Ruler of Pahang state, who served as the 16th King since 2019.

Key People:
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister (PM) of Malaysia and Cabinet members.
Other Appointment: 
Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, also made deputy king, for the third time. He has been holding the post since 2016.
Background:
i.In October 2023, Sultan Ibrahim was elected by the Conference of Rulers during its 263rd (Special) meeting held at the National Palace(Istana Negara) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
ii.Sultan Iskandar Sultan Ismail, Father of Sultan Ibrahim, was the last Ruler of Johor to be appointed as the YDPA.

• He served as 8th King of Malaysia from 1984 to 1989.

About Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar:
i.Sultan Ibrahim enlisted and trained as a Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) officer for 3 months at the RMN base in Lumut (Malaysia), making him a fully trained army, navy, and air force officer.
ii.He served the State government in various offices among them the State Secretariat, the Treasury, Land Office, Town and Country Planning Department, etc.
iii.He ascended the throne of Johor in 2010 following his father’s death.
iv.He created history by gaining the Class 26 Train Driver’s License upon completing the 86-tonne locomotive round using a turn table device.
v.He also received acknowledgement from the Malaysia Book of Records (MBOR) as the first Malay Ruler to officially drive a train.
Additional info:
i.Under Malaysia’s rotational monarchy, the position of the king and his deputy are shifted among the rulers of nine of its 13 states.
ii.This system was adopted after the independence from British rule in 1957.
About Malaysia:
Prime Minister – Anwar Ibrahim
Capital – Kuala Lumpur
Currency – Malaysian Ringgit

DoT Secretary Dr Neeraj Mittal Launches Bharat 5G Portal at Bharat Telecom 2024Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Chairman of the Digital Communications Commission and Secretary of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications (MoC), launched the “Bharat 5G Portal– an integrated portal” during the ‘Bharat Telecom 2024 – An Exclusive International Business Expo.’

• The event, organized by the Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion Council (TEPC) in collaboration with DoT, took place from January 29-30, 2024 in Delhi.

Note: India has the 2nd largest telecom network in the world.
About Ministry of Communications:
Union Minister– Ashwini Vaishnaw (Rajya Sabha Odisha)
Minister of State– Devusinh Chauhan (Constituency: Kheda, Gujarat)

Agasthyagama edge: A New Species of Tiny Lizards Discovered in Kerala
A group of scientists from various institutions in India and abroad discovered a new species of tiny lizards called ‘Agasthyagama edge’ or the northern kangaroo lizard in the southern Western Ghats at Kulamavu in Idukki, Kerala.

• The findings have been reported in the Vertebrate Zoology, a scientific journal published by the Senckenberg Museum in Germany.

About Agasthyagama edge:
i.Agasthyagama edge belongs to the Agamidae family and Agasthyagama genus.
ii.This is the 2nd species of Agasthyagama genus after A. beddomii or Indian kangaroo lizard(discovered in Sivagiri hills, Tamil Nadu)
iii.Agasthyagama Edge has been named after the Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) programme of the Zoological Society of London which has supported various researchers including Dr. Das and co-author K.P. Rajkumar of Aranyakam Nature Foundation.

TATA Steel Chess 2024: China’s Wei Yi  Win Masters Title & India’s Leon Luke Mendonca wins Challengers titleGrandmaster (GM)Wei Yi of China won his first master title by defeating GM Gukesh D of India in the finals of the 86th edition of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament (2024) held from 12-28 January 2024 in Wijk aan Zee, The Netherlands.

• GM Leon Luke Mendonca (India) won the Challengers title by defeating International Master (IM) Divya Deshmukh (India) in the final round.

Key Points:
i.As per tournament regulations, the top four players of the group stages (totally 13 rounds) will compete for the top spot. The prize money was also split among the top four finishers.

• Gukesh D and Wei Yi won the semifinals by defeating GM Anish Giri(The Netherlands) and GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov(Uzbekistan) respectively.

ii.Wei Yi is the first player from China to win the masters title in this tournament since it began in 1938.
About the tournament:
i.The Tata Steel Chess Tournament has two events, masters and Challengers where the winner of the Challengers event will qualify to play in next year’s masters event.
ii.The Tata Steel Chess Tournament, “Wimbledon of Chess”, is the first super-tournament of the year 2024.
Note:
The previous edition (85th) was won by GM Anish Giri (The Netherlands) in 2023.
Praggnanandhaa becomes India’s No. 1 chess player Surpasses Viswanathan Anand
i.GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa became India’s No. 1 chess player after he defeated reigning world champion GM Ding Liren(China) in the fourth round of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2024 (Masters).
ii.He surpassed Viswanathan Anand in the FIDE (International Chess Federation) rating with 2748.3 points (As of 16 January 2024) which is 0.3 points ahead of Anand’s rating of 2748.
iii.As of February 1, 2024, Praggnanandhaa ranks 13th at the world level.

American Poet & Pulitzer Prize Winner, Navarre Scott Momaday Passed AwayNavarre Scott Momaday, a Pulitzer Prize-winning storyteller, poet, educator and folklorist, passed away in New Mexico, United States of America (USA). He was born on 27th February 1934, in Oklahoma, USA.
About Navarre Scott Momaday:
i.Navarre Scott Momaday is a member of the Kiowa tribe in the USA.
ii.Scott Momaday was the first Native American author to receive a Pulitzer Prize.

• His novel “House Made of Dawn,” published in 1968 by HarperCollins, won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction for the year 1969.

iii.He also made efforts to preserve Native American culture, including the oral tradition.
iv.He founded Buffalo Trust, a non-profit foundation, aiming to preserve, protect and restitute Native American culture and heritage.
Key Works:
i.He was a contributor to both the English and French editions of ‘The Alphabet of hope: writers for literacy’.

• It is a book published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2007.

ii.In 1969, he compiled ‘The Way to Rainy Mountain’,  a collection of Kiowa tales.
iii.He was the subject of a documentary film, ‘N. Scott Momaday: Words from a Bear’.
Recognition:
i.He was named an ‘Artist for Peace’ by UNESCO in 2004.
ii.In 2007, Scott Momaday was awarded the National Medal of Arts for his writings and his work on Native American art and oral tradition.
 iii.He also received awards such as the first Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas (1992), the Dayton Literary Peace Prize (2019) etc.

Indian Coast Guard Day 2024 – 1st February; ICG Celebrates 48th Raising DayIndian Coast Guard (ICG) Day is annualy observed across India on 1st February to mark the Raising Day of ICG, India’s maritime armed force operating under the Ministry of Defence.

• 1st February 2024 marks the observance of the 48th Raising Day of ICG.

i.The interim ICG was established on February 1, 1977, by the Coast Guard Act of 1978 of the Parliament of India.
ii.On 18 August 1978, the Indian Parliament officially declared the ICG Day to be observed on 1 February every year.
iii.ICG was formally inaugurated by the then Prime Minister (PM) Morarji Desai on 19th August 1978.
About Indian Coast Guard (ICG):
Director General Indian Coast Guard (DGICG)- Rakesh Pal, PTM, TM
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
Established on– February 1, 1977
Motto– Vayam Rakshamah (We Protect)

World Interfaith Harmony Week 2024 – 1-7 FebruaryThe United Nations (UN)’s World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW) is annually observed across the globe during the 1st week of February (1-7 February) to promote a culture of peace and nonviolence among people irrespective of their faith.

• WIHW 2024 is observed from 1-7 February 2024.

Background:
i.WIHW was first proposed at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on September 23, 2010, by H.M. King Abdullah II of Jordan.
ii.On 20 October 2010, UNGA adopted the resolution A/RES/65/5, declaring the 1st week of February as World Interfaith Harmony Week.
iii.The first-ever WIHW was observed on 1-7 February 2011.
About United Nations (UN):
Secretary-General– António Guterres
Headquarters– New York, USA
Established in– 1945