Cabinet Approvals on 8th February 2024The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi approved the following schemes and initiatives on 8th February 2024
i.The cabinet approved the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY), a Central Sector sub-scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
ii.The Cabinet approved the extension of the Fisheries Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) for the next three years up to 2025-26 within the approved fund of Rs 7522.48 crore and budgetary support of Rs 939.48 crore.
iii.The Cabinet has approved the auction in eight spectrum bands for mobile phone services at a base price of Rs 96,317 crore to improve the quality of telecom services and coverage for consumers.
iv.The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by PM Modi has approved six railway projects worth Rs. 12,343 crores with 100% funding from the Central Government.
About Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying: 
Union Minister– Parshottam Rupala(Rajya Sabha- Gujarat)
Minister of State (MoS)– Sanjeev Kumar Balyan(Constituency- Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh); L. Murugan(Rajya Sabha – Madhya Pradesh)

GoI Launched SWATI, 1st-of its kind Portal for Women in STEMMOn 11th February 2024, Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India (GoI) launched ‘Science for Women: A Technology and Innovation (SWATI) Portal(https://swati.nipgr.ac.in/), India’s 1st-of-its-kind interactive online portal on Indian women in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Medicine).

• The portal was launched on the occasion of International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2024 at the Indian National Science Academy (INSA), New Delhi, Delhi.

About SWATI portal:
i.SWATI portal was developed, hosted and maintained by the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR).
ii.SWATI portal is an initiative by the Inter Academy Panel of India (IAP) on Women in STEMM.
iii.The portal was funded by Department of Biotechnology(DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology(MoST).
Note: IAP is constituted jointly by 3 science academies Indian Academy of Sciences (IASc)(Bengaluru, Karnataka); National Academy of Sciences India (NASI) (Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh) and INSA (New Delhi, Delhi).
Objective of SWATI:
i.To include every Indian Women in Science (WiS), career stages, subjects, spanning both Academia and the Industry.
ii.To enable a reliable and long term research on the issues of equality, diversity and inclusivity in India,
iii.To develop an active search engine and searchable database (Name, Affiliation, Area of Interest).
Key Points:
i.The portal will provide a platform to view the expertise and contributions of Indian Women in STEMM.
ii.The database of SWATI Portal will serve in policy making to address the challenges of Gender-gap.
Features:
i.The portal includes sections like Icons – Awardees (Padma / Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar / Stree Shakti Science Samman) & Directors, Secretaries Academy Presidents etc.,.
ii.At present, 3000 ‘WiS Data Cards’ are incorporated in the portal.
About the Event:
i.The event was organised with a focus on the importance of “Science for Women & Women in Science”.
ii.This offers a platform to discuss and evolve a roadmap for ‘Women in Science’ & ‘Science for Women’.
Key People: Subhra Chakraborty, Director of NIPGR; Quarraisha Abdool Karim, President of Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS); Balram Bhargava, President, NASI; Umesh V Waghmare President, IASc; Ashutosh Sharma, President, INSA participated in the event.

DARPG releases NeSDA Way Forward Annual Report for 2023The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions has unveiled the National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) Way Forward Annual Report 2023.

• The report showcases the substantial progress made by States, Union Territories (UTs) and seven sectors during 2023 in the mandatory e-Services and total e-Services under the NeSDA Framework.

About Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions:
Union Minister– Narendra Modi  (Constituency: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh)
Minister of State– Dr. Jitendra Singh (Constituency: Udhampur, Jammu and Kashmir)

Prabhaav: SIDBI unveils the CRISIL study on impact of Fund of Funds on Startup EcosystemOn February 9, 2024, the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has unveiled the CRISIL’s impact assessment report of the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS) namely ‘Prabhaav‘.
i.As of November 30, 2023, 129 Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) were sanctioned out of FFS across various segments.
ii.Investments of approximately 4 times the drawn amount, totaling Rs 17,534 crore, have been made in 938 startups, showcasing a significant multiplier effect of FFS.
About Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI):
Chairman & Managing Director– Sivasubramanian Ramann
Headquarter– Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Establishment– 1990

DEA & ADB Signed USD 200 Million Loan for FRERM Project in AssamThe Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) of Ministry of Finance (MoF) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a USD 200 million loan agreement (Ordinary Operations) for the ‘Climate Resilient Brahmaputra Integrated Flood and Riverbank Erosion Risk Management(FRERM) Project in Assam’. 
Signatories:
The loan agreement was signed by Juhi Mukherjee, Joint Secretary, DEA, MoF, for the Government of India (GoI), and Hoe Yun Jeong, Deputy Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission, for ADB.
About FRERM project:
i.The project to strengthen flood and riverbank erosion risk management along the 650-kilometer (km) long main stem of the Brahmaputra River in Assam.
ii.The Project activities will be led, managed, and coordinated by the Flood and River Erosion Management Agency of the Assam (FREMAA).
iii.The Water Resources Department of the Government of Assam will implement the works and the Assam Agroforestry Development Board will use nature-based solutions.
iv.This project will benefit around 1 million people and increase crop production in more than 50000 hectares.
About the Loan:
i.The Loan has a principal repayment period of 15 years.
ii.The interest of the loan will be the sum of Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) and 0.6% of Proceeds of the loan withdrawn & 0.10% of expenditure to be financed out of proceeds of the loan.

• These interest will be paid semi-annually on 15th March and 15th September annually.

iii.The closing date of the loan shall be 31st March 2030 or such other date agreed by ADB and GoI.
iv.The loan will be provided from ADB’s ordinary capital resource.
v.The loan was approved by ADB in October 2023.
About Asian Development Bank (ADB): 
President– Masatsugu Asakawa
Headquarters– Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Established in– 1966
Members – 68 members (49 from the region)

India Extends UPI Service in Sri Lanka and MauritiusNarendra Modi, Prime Minister (PM) of India, along with Mauritius PM Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, virtually launched India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in Mauritius and Sri Lanka.

• In addition to the UPI, the RuPay card service was also launched in Mauritius.
• The UPI and RuPay card projects were developed and executed by NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) along with partner banks / non-banks from Mauritius and Sri Lanka, under the guidance and support of the Reserve Bank of India..
• The list of countries that accept UPI payments are Bhutan, France, Mauritius, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates(UAE).

About National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI):
Managing Director (MD) & chief executive officer (CEO)– Dilip Asbe
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Incorporated in 2008

RBI raises wage ceiling for NEDs of banks to Rs 30 lakh; Permits Indian Banks in GIFT-IFSC for Bullion Exchange Trading and SCC StatusOn February 9, 2024, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in exercise of powers conferred by Section 35B of the Banking Regulation (BR) Act, 1949, has increased the remuneration ceiling of Non Executive Directors (NEDs) of banks from Rs 20 lakh per annum to Rs 30 lakh with immediate effect.
i.RBI has permitted the branches of Indian banks in GIFT–IFSC (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City  International Financial Services Centre) to act as a Trading Member/Trading and Clearing Member (TM/TCM) of India International Bullion Exchange IFSC Ltd (IIBX).
ii.On February 5, 2024, RBI, has cancelled the licence of Jai Prakash Narayan Nagari Sahakari Bank Ltd., Basmathnagar, Maharashtra. With effect from February 6, 2024, The bank ceases to carry on banking business as defined in Section 5(b) read with Section 56 of BR Act, 1949.
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

LIC Increases Its Stake in SBI Cards to 5.02%
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has increased its paid-up share in SBI Cards & Payments Services Limited to 5.02% from 4.99%.

• For this purpose, LIC has made Open Market Purchases of about 3,01,084 shares of SBI Cards with an average cost of Rs.716 per share.
• The total shares of LIC have increased to 47,711,794 from 47,410,710.

About SBI Cards & Payments Services Limited:
SBI Cards & Payments Services Limited is a Joint Venture(JV) between the State Bank of India (SBI) and Carlyle Group.
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Abhijit Chakravorty
Headquarters – Gurugram, Haryana
Established in – 1998

Mahindra Defence & Embraer Defense Collaborated for IAF’s MTA Project 
Mahindra Defence Systems Limited and Brazil-based Embraer Defense & Security have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) procurement project of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in New Delhi, Delhi.

• As per the MoU, both firms will be jointly developing C-390 Millennium multi-mission aircraft which will be procured by IAF.
• The C-390 Millennium is the most advanced military airlifter in the market which can carry a payload of about 26 tonnes
• It flies at a speed of about 870 km/h (470 knots).
• C-390 Millennium finds its application in areas such as transporting and dropping cargo and troops, medical evacuation, search and rescue, aerial firefighting, and humanitarian missions.
• In August 2023, Embraer held a C-390 Millennium Day in New Delhi, India to deepen engagement with the local aerospace industry.

Note: Mahindra Defence Systems Limited is completely owned by Mahindra & Mahindra Limited.

Trichoglossum Syamviswanathii: New Fungus Species Discovered in Kerala
Researchers from the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), Botanical Survey of India, and the University of Hyderabad have discovered a new fungus species, Trichoglossum Syamviswanathii in the moist soil of Bambusetum in Thrissur (Kerala) along the Western Ghats.

• The species belongs to the family Geoglossaceae (Ascomycota) and genus Trichoglossum.
• It is named after Syam Viswanath, renowned scientist and former director of KFRI.
• Trichoglossum is also known as “hairy earth tongues” fungus and plays a major role in the decomposition of organic matter.
• The discovery was published in the journal Persoonia: Molecular Phylogeny and Evolution of Fungi which was published by the National Herbarium of the Netherlands.

Australia Wins U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup by Defeating India at FinalsThe Australian Under-19 (U19) cricket team won the International Cricket Council (ICC) U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2024 title defeating India in the finals held in Willowmoore Park stadium in Benoni, South Africa.

• The 15th edition of U19 Men’s CWC held from 19th January to 11th February 2024 was hosted by South Africa.

Highlights of U19-CWC 2024:
i.This marks Australia’s fourth ICC U19 Men’s World Cup title. Austraila previously won the title in 1988, 2002, and 2010.
ii.The Indian U-19 team was captained by Uday Sahara, and the Australian team was captained by Hugh Weibgen.
iii.This also marks India’s fifth consecutive final appearance in the U19 Men’s CWC, including in 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024.
Awards:
i.Player of the Tournament – Kwena Maphaka(South Africa).
ii.Player of the Match(Final): Mahli Beardman(Australia).
iii.Leading run-scorer of the tournament – Uday Saharan (India) – 397 runs.
iv.Leading wicket-taker of the tournament – Kwena Maphaka (South Africa) – 21 wickets.
v.Highest score of the tournament – Snehith Reddy (New Zealand) – 147 runs against Nepal.
vi.Best bowling figures of the tournament – Taz Ali (England) – took 7 wickets & conceded 29 runs against Zimbabwe.
About U19 Cricket World Cup:
i.The first edition of the U19 Cricket World Cup event was held in 1988 as the Youth Cricket World Cup in Australia.
ii.TheICC U19 World Cup tournament has been conducted once every two years since its second edition in 1998.
iii.India has been the most successful team in the event, with five titles(2000, 2008, 2012, 2018, and 2022).

MoE & FIFA collaborates to Promote Football in Indian Schools
The Ministry of Education (MoE) has partnered with Fédération Internationale de Football Affiliation (FIFA) to promote football in schools across India by integrating football-related activities into the education system.

• The partnership aims to distribute 11 lakh footballs across India in a phased manner.
• Union Minister of  Education, Dharmendra Pradhan has distributed 6,848 footballs to schools in Odisha as part of the Footballs for Schools (F4S) programme.
• F4S is an ambitious programme run by FIFA, in collaboration with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
• The program is supported by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and implemented by the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2024- February 11 The United Nations (UN)’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science (IDWGIS) is annually observed across the globe on 11 February to promote full and equal access to and participation of women and girls in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
11 February 2024 marks the observance of the 9th International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

• The theme of IDWGIS 2024 is “Women and Girls in Science Leadership: A New Era for Sustainability”
• The subtheme of IDWGIS 2024 is “Think Science … Think Peace”.

Background:
i.On 22 December 2015, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/70/212 and proclaimed the 11 February of each year as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
ii.The 1st ever IDWGIS was observed on 11 February 2016.
About United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO):
Director-General– Audrey Azoulay
Headquarters– Paris, France
Establishment– 1945 (came into force in 1946)

World Unani Day 2024- February 11 World Unani Day is annually observed across the globe on 11 February to commemorate the birth anniversary of social reformer and renowned Unani scholar Mohammad Ajmal Khan better known as Hakim Ajmal Khan, widely regarded as the pioneer of Unani medicine in India.

• The Day focuses on promoting the Unani system of medicine into the mainstream and focuses on the strengths of Unani and its unique treatment principles.

The theme of Unani Day 2024 is, “Unani Medicine for One Earth, One Health.”
Background:
i.To recognise the contributions of Hakim Ajmal Khan, the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy (AYUSH), the Government of India declared his birth anniversary (11 February of every year) as World Unani Day.
ii.The 1st ever World Unani Day was observed on 11 February 2017 at the Central Research Institute of Unani Medicine (CRIUM) in Hyderabad, Telangana.

• CRIUM, Hyderabad has been upgraded to the National Research Institute of Unani Medicine in Skin Disorders (NRIUMSD).