NRLPS Signs MoU with BRAC International for Economic Inclusion & Social Protection of Poor National Rural Livelihood Promotion Society (NRLPS), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with BRAC International, for the inclusion of the poorest of the poor under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
Note: DAY-NRLM is a flagship poverty alleviation program under MoRD.
Signatories:
The MoU was formalised by Charanjit Singh, Additional Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NRLPS; and Ms. Shweta S Banerjee, Country lead for India, BRAC International.
Strategic Partnership for Inclusive Mobilisation:
i.DAY-NRLM dedicated to universal and inclusive mobilization, has already mobilised 100 million rural poor households.
ii.Now, the focus is on uplifting ‘lakhpati didis’ through Samaveshi Aajeevika, an inclusive livelihood program.
iii.It also aims to ensure the inclusion of the most marginalised in the Self-Help Group (SHG) movement.
Samaveshi Aajeevika Program:
i.It aims to build self-confidence, social inclusion, and prosperity through inclusive livelihoods at the last mile.
ii.The program will introduce holistic productive inclusion strategies to improve the lives of excluded populations.
iii.It will adapt the globally tested and proven “Graduation approach” to the DAY-NRLM program to reach households facing difficulties benefiting from the SHG net.
Points to Note:

• BRAC International is a Global South-led nonprofit organisation with a mission to empower people and communities in situations of poverty, illiteracy, disease, and social injustice.
• It was originally founded in 1972 as the Bangladesh Rehabilitation Assistance Committee, later it was known as the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee.

About Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD):
Union Minister– Giriraj Singh (Constituency: Begusarai, Bihar)
Ministers of State– Faggan Singh Kulaste (Constituency: Mandla, Madhya Pradesh); Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti (Constituency: Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh)

Indian Navy Declared Year 2024 as ‘Year of Naval Civilians’ The Indian Navy has declared 2024 as the ‘Year of Naval Civilians‘ with a focus on enhancing administration, efficiency, and the well-being of its civilian workforce.

• This strategic initiative focuses on addressing key aspects of Civilian Human Resource (HR) Management within a defined timeframe.

Key Focus Areas for 2024:
The major focus areas identified for implementation in 2024 include maximising administrative efficiency; digital initiatives; generic and specific training programs; and welfare activities.
Naval Civilian Personnel:
i.Naval civilian personnel, constituting about one-third of the Indian Navy’s workforce, play a pivotal role in operational effectiveness across diverse domains.
ii.The role of Civilian personnel impacts the overall performance of Indian Navy’s Command Headquarters, Dockyards, Material Organisations, Naval Armament Inspectorates, etc.
Past Initiatives and Future Outlook:
i.Several initiatives have been previously undertaken to enhance organisational efficiency and satisfaction levels among civilian personnel.
ii.It continued emphasis on administration, training, welfare, and more to ensure that the Indian Navy maintains its status as a combat-ready, credible, cohesive, and future-proof force.
About Indian Navy:
Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) – Admiral R Hari Kumar
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
Motto– “Sam no Varunah”, meaning: “Be auspicious unto us Oh Varuna”.

MNRE Issues Guidelines for Pilot Projects for Utilizing Green Hydrogen in the Shipping & Steel SectorOn 1st February 2024, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) released the guidelines of the “Scheme of Pilot Projects on Use of Green Hydrogen in the Shipping Sector” under the National Green Hydrogen Mission(NGHM).

• The total budget outlay for the implementation of the scheme till the financial year(FY) 2025-26 is Rs 115 crore.

On 2nd February 2024, MNRE released guidelines for the “scheme for pilot projects on the use of Green Hydrogen in the steel sector” under NGHM.

• The total budget outlay for the implementation of the scheme till the FY 2029-30 is Rs 455 crore.

Note: Under the NGHM, MNRE will undertake pilot projects in the shipping sector and steel sector to replace fossil fuels and fossil fuel-based feedstock with Green Hydrogen and its derivatives (like green ammonia, green methanol).
About the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE):
Union Minister– Raj Kumar Singh (Constituency- Arrah, Bihar)
Minister of State(MoS)– Bhagwanth Khuba (Constituency- Bidar, Karnataka)

MHA instituted Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak by Merging Four MedalsOn 1st February 2024, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has instituted a new medal named ‘Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak’ by merging four existing medals

• Union Home Minister’s Special Operation Medal
• Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation
• Asadharan Assuchana Kushalata Padak
• Union Home Minister’s Awards for Meritorious Service in Forensic Science

About Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak:
i.The medal will only be awarded for the successful conduct of significant operations with a direct impact on the security of the State/union territory (UT), region, or country, in areas such as Counter-Terrorism, Border Action, Arms Control, Left Wing Extremism, Prevention of Narcotics Smuggling, and Rescue Operations.
ii.Personnel of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), Ministry of Finance (MoF) may also be considered for award under the area of “Prevention of Narcotics Smuggling”.
Features:
i.The medal shall be circular in shape with 38 mm in diameter, and 3 mm in thickness.
ii.The medal will be made up of Silver gold gilt and the riband will be half blue and half red.
Design:
On Obverse:
i.Centre: Embossed symbol of “face of Sardar Patel“
ii.Below: “Jai Bharat” (Hindi)
iii.Upper edge: “Rashtra Prahari” (Hindi)
iv.Lower edge: “Sentinel of the Nation” (English)
On the reverse:
i.Centre: Embossed symbol of “Ashoka Chakra”
ii.Below: “Satya Seva Suraksha” (in Hindi)
iii.Upper edge: “Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak” (in Hindi)
iv.Lower edge: “Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak” (in English)
Note: The Hindi and English inscription will be separated by a small Star appearing on either side.
Bar of Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak:
Deed worthy of recognition by the medal perfomed by a person who has already received the award will be recognised by a Bar attached to the riband. For each bar a small silver rose with gold gilt will be added to the riband when worn alone.

Chennai Metro Becomes the First Metro Service to join ONDC
Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) launched its ticketing services on Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) network and became India’s first metro rail service to join ONDC. 

• The passengers of Chennai Metro can purchase their journey tickets through buyer applications on the ONDC Network such as Rapido, Namma Yatri, and redBus.
• Yaary became the first seller-side technology partner for CMRL.

IRDAI released Guidelines to Insurance Companies on Covering AYUSH in Health Insurance policiesThe Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has issued guidelines mandating general and health insurance companies to cover Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) treatments in their health insurance policies with effect from 1st April 2024.

• The circular was issued in terms of Section 14(2)(b) of the IRDA Act,1999.
• For this purpose, the Ministry of Ayush(MoA) constituted a ‘Core Group of Experts for the Insurance Sector’ in 2023.

Board Approved Policy:
i.As per the circular, insurers are mandated to have a Board-approved policy for providing AYUSH coverage.
ii.Such policy should outline the insurer’s approach in treating AYUSH procedures in a similar way as other treatments.
iii.The policyholders should also be provided with an option to choose AYUSH treatments of their choice.
iv.Additionally, the policy must specify the procedures for enrolling AYUSH Hospitals/Day Care Centers as network providers, facilitating cashless facilities.
Product Modification:
Insurers are required to modify existing products that impose limitations on AYUSH treatments, ensuring compliance with the new guidelines.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOP):
Insurers must establish adequate controls and SOPs for enrolling hospitals into their network, incorporating necessary clauses in health service agreements with AYUSH Hospitals/Day Care Centers, implementing standard treatment protocols, and addressing potential fraud and abuse within the system.
Additional Info:
The guidelines don’t apply to the insurance cover offered by ECGC Limited (formerly known as Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India Limited)  and Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited (AIC).
About Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI):
Chairperson – Debasish Panda
Headquarters – Hyderabad, Telangana
Established in – 1999 (Incorporated in 2000)

India’s UPI was Launched at Eiffel Tower in Paris, France
The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) was formally launched at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. For this purpose, NPCI International Payments (NIPL), the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), partnered with Lyra Network, a French e-commerce and proximity payment platform, to facilitate the acceptance of UPI payments in Europe.

• Indian tourists can use UPI to purchase their tickets to visit the Eiffel Tower
• The announcement was made in the 75th Republic Day Reception Event organised in Embassay of India, Paris by M Jawed Ashraf, the Ambassador of India to France and Monaco.

ESAF SFB & Edelweiss Tokio Life partners to offer Life Insurance Products
Thrissur (Kerala) based ESAF Small Finance Bank(SFB) announced a bancassurance partnership with Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance Company Limited to offer life insurance products to a wider range of customers, particularly those in underserved communities.

• By leveraging ESAF’s strong presence in rural areas, the partnership aims to make life insurance more accessible to people who might not have considered it before.

Note- Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance is a joint venture(JV) between Edelweiss Financial Service Limited and Tokio Marine Holdings Inc. of Japan.

Fitch Ratings on India’s Interim Budget 2024-2025: Forecasts FY25 Fiscal Deficit at 5.4% of GDPFitch Rating, an internatinal credit rating agency, stated that the interim Budget of 2024-2025 by the Government of India does not change the sovereign credit profile of India.

• Fitch Ratings estimates that India’s fiscal deficit for financial year 2024-2025 (FY25) to reach 5.4% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which is above the budget target of 5.1%.

Note: Fitch Ratings is a leading provider of Credit Ratings, Research, and Analysis for the global financial markets.
Key Points:
i.Trgeting of 5.1% of GDP deficit in FY25 demonstrates that the government’s commitment to reduce the deficit and achieve the deficit target of 4.5% by FY26 while maintaining a critical focus on infrastructure development.
ii.The government revised the FY24 fiscal deficit to 5.8% from 5.9% budgeted for the year.
Government’s Fiscal Strategy:
i.The fiscal deficit and government debt ratio in India are notably high compared to peer medians.
ii.The government’s emphasis on deficit reduction aims to stabilize the debt ratio over the medium term.
Growth Outlook:
i.Fitch Ratings anticipates continued emphasis on capital expenditure (capex) to support India’s growth outlook in FY25.
ii.Real GDP growth of 6.5% is expected in FY25, reflecting the positive impact of sustained capex investments.
iii.The government plans to spend Rs 11.11 lakh crore on capex in FY25, marking a 16.9% increase compared to FY24’s revised estimates.
Long-Term Debt Projections:
i.Fitch Ratings projects India’s government debt-to-GDP ratio to be stable, slightly above 80% for the next 5 years.
ii.The stability is attributed to gradual deficit reduction oath and robust nominal growth, estimated at around 10.5% of GDP.
Fitch Ratings’ Perspective:
i.The presented budget aligns with Fitch Ratings’ expectations, with a slightly accelerated deficit reduction pace maintaining the ‘BBB-‘ rating with a Stable Outlook in January 2024.
ii.BBB ratings (Good credit quality) classified as investment grade, indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low.

• The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

Modi Enterprises Chairperson Bina Modi honoured as ‘Outstanding Business Woman of the Year 2023’Union Minister, Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Defence(MoD) honoured Dr Bina Modi, Chairperson of Modi Enterprises, KK Modi Group, with the “Outstanding Business Woman of the Year – 2023′ Award. The award recognised her contributions to the industry.
The award was presented during the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) conference held in New Delhi, Delhi.
About Dr Bina Modi: 
i.Dr Bina Modi is also the President and Managing Director(MD) of Godfrey Phillips India and Chairman and MD of Indofil Industries Limited (agro-chemical manufacturer).
ii.Some of the brands that she created include Bina Fashions, Ego Thai, Ego Italian, and luxury and lifestyle businesses.
iii.Award-

• Dr. Bina Modi has been awarded the “Women of the Decade in Business & Leadership 2018” by Women Economic Forum
• She has also featured on India’s Most Powerful Women, a book by Prem Ahluwalia (2016).

Note: Modi enterprise oversees around 12 brands.
IACC Conference: 
i.The IACC conference on “Strengthening Indo-US Relationship in Amritkal-Aatmanirbhar Bharat” witnessed the participation of the Ambassador of the United States of America (USA) to India Eric Garcetti and representatives of IACC.
ii.The conference was chaired by Dr. Lalit Bhasin, former National President of IACC & Managing Partner, Bhasin & Co., Advocates.
About Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC): 
It is the apex bi-lateral Chamber synergizing India-US Economic Engagement.
National President– Pankaj Bohra
Established in 1968
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra

Champai Soren sworn in as CM of Jharkhand; Hemant Soren ResignedOn 2nd February 2024, Champai Soren (67), leader of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) party, was sworn in as the Chief Minister (CM) of Jharkhand.

• Jharkhand Governor C. P. Radhakrishnan administered the oath of office and secrecy at the Raj Bhavan complex in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
• Champai Soren succeeded Hemant Soren (JMM party), who resigned from the post on 31st January 2024.

Note: Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a land fraud case. He became the first sitting CM of Jharkhand to be arrested in a corruption case.
Key Points:
i.Champai Soren is a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Seraikella Constituency of Jharkhand.
ii.Before the appointment as CM, he was serving as the Minister of Transport, Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Welfare of Jharkhand
iii.Other Appointments: Alamgir Alan (Indian National Congress-INC) and Satyanand Bhogta(Rashtriya Janata Dal- RJD) also took oath as ministers.
Floor Test*:
i.Champai Soren had been given 10 days to prove his government’s majority. (Majority mark: 41)
ii.The majority alliance has 47 MLAs — JMM 29, Congress 17 and RJD 1 in the 81 member Jharkhand Assembly.
iii.The BJP has 26 members and the AJSU Party has 3. The NCP and CPI (ML) have one lawmaker each, apart from two Independents.
*Floor test is a measure to determine wheather a government has the confidence of the legislature. This is also terms as “trust vote”.
About Champai Soren:
i.Champai Soren, popularly known as “Jharkhand’s Tiger”, is one of the founding members of the JMM party.
ii.He was first elected as MLA from Saraikela constituency in 1991
iii.He served as a cabinet minister in the government led by Arjun Munda from 2010 to 2013.
iv.He has also served as Jharkhand’s Minister of Food, Civil Supplies and Transport from 2013-14 under the leadership of Hemant Soren.
About Jharkhand:
Chief Minister – Champai Soren
Governor – C. P. Radhakrishnan
National Park – Betla National Park
Wildlife Sanctuary – Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary, Lawalong Wildlife Sanctuary

US State Dept Approves USD 4 billion sale of 31 MQ-9B Armed Drones and Equipments to IndiaThe United States(US) Department of State has approved the sale of 31 MQ-9B Armed Drones and other related equipments to India. The estimated cost of the deal is around USD 3.99 billion (Rs 33060 crore).

• The Defence Security Cooperation Agency of the United States of America(USA) issued the required certifications.

Key Point: 
i.The acquisition of MQ-9B will help the US-India Strategic relationship and support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the USA.
ii.This will also improve the capabilities of India to address the threats by enabling unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance patrols in sea lanes of operation.
iii.These 31 drones will be utilised by the Indian Army, Navy and the Air Force.

• The Indian Navy will get 15 SeaGuardian drones and the Army and the Air Force will get eight each of the land version of the drones – SkyGuardian.

About MQ-9B: 
i.MQ-9B, manufactured by the USA-based General Atomics Aeronautical, has 2 variants – Sky Guardian and Sea Guardian.
ii.It is a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) used for offensive missions, reconnaissance, surveillance and intelligence operations.
iii.MQ-9B, termed as High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) drone, can fly up to 40+ hours.
iv.It can carry laser-guided four Hellfire Missiles and 450kg bombs.
Other Related Equipments and Missiles:
The USD 3.99 billion deal also includes  161 Embedded Global Positioning & Inertial Navigation Systems (EGIs), 170 AGM-114R Hellfire missiles, 16 M36E9 Hellfire Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM),etc.
Background: 
i.During his visit to the USA in 2023, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi announced India’s proposal to purchase 31 MQ-9B Predator (“Reaper”) drones.
ii.The USA government headed by President Joe Biden approved this in a government-to-government deal.
iii.India’s Defence Acquisition Council accorded the Acceptance of Necessity for the acquisition of the MQ-9B drones from the USA under the foreign military sale route.
About the United States of America(USA): 
President– Joseph Robinette Biden Jr (Joe Biden)
Capital– Washington, D.C.
Currency– United States dollar(USD)

Padma Shri Awardee Dr Nitya Anand, Developer of India’s 1st Oral Contraceptive Pill, Passed AwayPadma Shri Awardee Dr Nitya Anand, the developer of India’s 1st oral contraceptive pill ‘Saheli‘ passed away at the age of 99 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh(UP). He was born on 1st January 1925, at Layallpur, West Punjab (now in Pakistan). He was a renowned Medicinal Chemist and Scientist.

• He was honoured with the Padma Shri for Medicine in 2012.

About Dr. Nitya Anand:
i.On 27th March 1951, he joined the Medicinal Chemistry Division of the Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) in Lucknow as Scientist.
ii.He served as the Head of the Medicinal Chemistry Division (1963-1974) and served as the Director of CDRI from 1974-1984.
iii.He worked with the Government of India (GoI) for nearly forty years, helping to design various drug policies.

• He was a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet of the GoI (1981-83); and
• Chairman of the Indian Pharmacopoeia Committee of the GoI since 1978.

Innovation:
i.He played a vital role in the discovery of ‘Saheli,’ scientifically known as Centchroman (Ormeloxifene), the 1st non-steroidal oral contraceptive pill anywhere in the world.
ii.This innovation marked the world’s first non-steroidal once–a–week oral contraceptive drug that gave women the freedom to decide about pregnancy.

• This is the only anti-implantation agent approved for clinical use in the world.

Note: The pill ‘Saheli’ was launched in 1995 under the National Family Welfare Programme.  In 2016, the GoI of India reintroduced Saheli as part of the National Family Planning program

Padma Shri Awardee & Veteran Odia Actor Sadhu Meher Passed AwayRenowned Odia actor-director and Padma Shri Awardee Sadhu Meher passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra at the age of 84. He was born on January 1, 1940, in Boudh district of Odisha. He was also a writer and producer.
Awards/Honours:
i.In 1974, he won the National Award for Best Actor for his performance in Shyam Benegal’s debut film Ankur (The Seedling).

• He was the 1st Odia Actor to be honoured with National Award.

ii.In 2011, the Odisha government felicitated him with Jaydev Samman for his lifetime contribution.
iii.He was awarded the Padma Shri for Art in 2017.
About Sadhu Meher:
i.He started his career as an actor in Hindi movies and later acted in Odia movies. He is also recognised as a prominent filmmaker in both Hindi and Odia film industries.
ii.In the Hindi, he dubted in the “Bhuvan Shome” (1969), directed by Mrinal Sen, which won the 3 national awards (for Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actor) in 1970.
iii.He also starred in “Icchapuram” (1970), the only children’s film directed by Mrinal Sen based on a story by Rabindranath Tagore.
iv.He also acted in several episodes of Doordarshan’s popular detective series Byomkesh Bakshi.
v.He worked in the Odia film industry, acting in nearly 38 films, and directed 5 movies namely – Abhimaan (1977), Aparachita (1980), Abhilasha (1983), Gopa Re Badhhuchhi Kala Kanhei (1994) and Babula (1985)
Notable Movies: “Nishant” (1975) and “Manthan” (1976); “Hum Aapke Dil Mein Rehte Hai” (1999).