India Meteorological Department’s 150th Foundation Day – 15th January 2024 On January 15, 2024, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), celebrated its 150th Foundation Day commemorating 150 years of its establishment and service to the nation.
The inaugural ceremony celebration of 150th years of IMD’s establishment was held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, Delhi.
Key People: Jagdeep Dhankar, Vice President of India, graced the event as the Chief Guest and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, MoES was the Guest of Honour. Around 1,200 delegates from across India participated in the event.
Highlights of the event:
i.During the event, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar Released the theme song of IMD, highlighting its evolution and services provided for India and the international community in the principle of “Sarvajan Hitay Sarvajan Sukhay” i.e. “Commitment to work for the Welfare of All”.

• He also Launched the Souvenir on Evolution of IMD and its services since 1875.

About India Meteorological Department (IMD):
Director General of Meteorology– Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra,
Headquarters– Delhi
Establishment– 1875

Horticulture production in 2022-23 is estimated to be 2.32% higher to 355.25 Million TonnesOn January 18, 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW) released the Third Advance Estimate of Area and Production of Various Horticultural Crops for 2022–23.

• As per it, the estimation of total horticulture production for 2022–23 is 355.25 million tonnes, which is about 8.07 million tonnes more (an increase of 2.32%) than 2021–22 (final).
• The total area of horticulture also increased marginally in 2022–23 (the third advance estimate) to 28.34 million hectares from 28.04 million hectares in the 2021–22 (final) estimates.

Highlights:
i.The production of fruits, vegetables, plantation crops, spices, flowers, and honey is also estimated to increase as per the third advance estimate for 2022–23.
ii.Fruit production is projected to rise from 107.51 million tonnes (2021–22) to 109.53 million tonnes (2022–23).
ii.Vegetable production is estimated to increase from 209.14 million tonnes (2021–22) to 213.88 million tonnes (2022–23).
iii.Plantation crops are expected to grow from 15.76 million tonnes (2021-22) to 16.84 million tonnes (2022-23), indicating a 6.80% increase.
iv.Potato production is set to reach 60.22 million tonnes, up from 56.18 million tonnes in 2021-22.
v.Tomato production is anticipated at 20.37 million tonnes for 2022–23, slightly down from 20.69 million tonnes in 2021–22.
vi.Onion production is estimated to drop to 4.7% to 30.2 million tonnes in FY23.

• Rabi onion sowing decreased by up to 20% in key Maharashtra and Karnataka regions due to erratic rainfall and reduced reservoir levels affecting irrigation.
• Projected kharif and late kharif onion production for 2023–24 is 30.5 million tonnes, lower than the previous year’s estimate of 41.7 million tonnes.

MeitY Secretary launches India’s First Graphene Centre, IIoT CoE in Kerala The two flagship programs namely “Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Intelligent Internet of Things (IIoT) Sensors”and India’s first Graphene Centre in“India Innovation Centre for Graphene(IICG)” were launched by S Krishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in Kochi, Kerala.
About Innovation Centre for Graphene(IICG):
i.IICG aims to promote Research & Development (R&D), product innovation and capacity building in the area of Graphene and  two-dimensional (2D) material systems.
ii.IICG is funded by MeitY,Government of India (GoI), State Government of Kerala and Tata Steel Limited, in association with various industries.
iii.IICG is implemented jointly by the Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET), Digital University Kerala (DUK) (formerly known as Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management-Kerala, (IIITM-K)) and Tata Steel Limited.
CoE in Intelligent Internet of Things (IIoT):
i.CoE aims to bring together the complementary sensor research, development and applications expertise at C-MET and DUK.
ii.The application domains of the CoE will be developed with the support of industry partners, including start-ups at Maker Village(in Kerala) and Kerala Startup Mission ecosystem.
iii.IIOT is established by MeitY, GoI and State Government of Kerala.
Additional Info:
i.Maker Village’s annual flagship programme, Hardtech 2024, was also launched in Kerala.
ii.The program shall bring together leaders from Industries, Startups, Investors, Academia, R&D organizations in the field of electronics hardware design and manufacturing.
About Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY):
Union Minister – Ashwini Vaishnaw (Rajya Sabha – Odisha)
Minister of State (MoS) – Rajeev Chandrasekhar (Rajya Sabha Karnataka)

AFMS & AIIMS Signed MoU to Address Scientific and Technological Issues
Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) under the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, Delhi signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate in the field of mutual interest, combined research and academic activities addressing multidisciplinary scientific and technological issues.

• The MoU was signed by the Director General(DG) of AFMS, Lieutenant General Daljit Singh and the Director of AIIMS, Professor M Srinivas.

About the MoU:
i.The Mou aims to conduct joint research projects, common educational activities, and a faculty exchange program.
ii.The MoU also intend to form a five-member collaboration board to explore possible collaborations.

Brand Finance Global 500 2024 Report: Reliance Jio Becomes World’s 17th Strongest Brand; WeChat Tops the List GloballyAs per the 18th “Global 500 2024” annual report by Brand Finance, Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio continues to be India’s top and strongest brand, ranked 17th among the world’s strongest brands in 2024, with a brand strength index (BSI) of 88.9 out of 100.

• Globally, WeChat topped the list with a 94.3 BSI followed by YouTube (92.7), and Google (92.5) in the 2nd and 3rd positions respectively in the strongest brands of 2024.
• Tata Group tops the Global 500 – most valuable brands 2024 (compared among the Indian companies), ranking 64 with the value of  USD 28.6 billion. While Apple Inc. (Apple) of USA topped the list with USD 516.6 billion.

About Brand Finance:
Chairman and CEO– David Haigh
Headquarters– London, United Kingdom (UK)
Established in– 1996

Global Firepower’s 2024 Military Strength Ranking: India ranked 4th; USA TopsAccording to the 2024 Military Strength Ranking released by Global Firepower(GFP), India is ranked as the 4th most powerful military in the world. The United States of America (USA) tops the list followed by Russia and China in the 2nd and 3rd place respectively.
Note: The World’s top 4 military powers have maintained their positions since 2006.
About the ranking: 
i.The Military Strength Ranking of GFP evaluates the military capabilities based on over 60 factors like manpower, equipment, natural resources, finances, and geography across land, sea, and air.
ii.The factors determine the country’s PowerIndex (PwrIdx) Score. The lower PwrIdx indicates stronger military capabilities. 0.0000 is considered a perfect score.
iii.The 2024 ranking has reviewed a total of 145 world powers.
Top 5 on 2024 Military Strength Ranking:

Note:
i.The countries among top 10 include the United Kingdom(UK- 6th); Japan(7th); Türkiye(8th); Pakistan (9th) and Italy (10th).
ii.In the 2024 list, Bhutan has ranked (145th) as the least powerful military with a PwrIdx of 6.3704, after Moldova (4.2311), Suriname (3.9038), Somalia(3.9006) and Benin(3.8912).
Points to Note: 
i.According to the GFP analysis, the USA spends the most money on its military with a USD 831 billion defence budget followed by China with USD 227 billion, Russia with USD 107 billion and India with USD 74 million.
ii.The USA accounts for 63.3% of the total expenditure share.

IREDA & IOB Signed MoU for Co-lending Renewable Energy Projects The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) and Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a platform for co-lending and loan syndication for a wide range of renewable energy projects across India.

• The MoU encompasses provisions for co-lending and co-origination support for all Renewable Energy projects.
• The MoU was signed at IREDA’s Business Centre in New Delhi, Delhi.

Note: IREDA is a Mini Ratna (Category – I) Government of India Enterprise under the administrative control of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
Objective:
The partnership aims to streamline loan syndication and underwriting processes, and management of Trust and Retention Account (TRA) for IREDA borrowers.

• Aiming for stability, the collaboration works towards fixed interest rates over a 3–4 year period for IREDA borrowings.

Signatories:
The MoU was signed by Dr. RC Sharma, General Manager of IREDA and Ajay Kumar Srivastava, Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IOB.
About the Partnership:
i.It aims to provide robust financial support to a diverse range of Renewable Energy projects, fostering sustainability and environmental awareness.
ii.The collaboration aligns with the Government of India’s goal of achieving a 500 Gigawatt (GW) Non-Fossil-based electricity generation capacity by 2030.
iii.This collaboration adds to IREDA’s similar successful partnerships with other prominent financial institutions, including Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Union Bank of India, India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited, and Bank of Maharashtra.
About Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA):
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD)- Pradip Kumar Das
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
It is a Public Limited Government Company established as a Non-Banking Financial Institution in 1987.
Motto – Energy For Ever

Bank of Baroda Launched ‘BoB 360 Term Deposit Scheme’ with High-Interest Rates Bank of Baroda (BoB), one of India’s leading public sector banks launched a special retail short-term deposit scheme named Bob 360 Term Deposit Scheme. The scheme offers higher interest rates for Domestic Term Deposits to Residents/Non-Resident Ordinary (NRO) and Resident Senior Citizens for 360 days.
About Bob 360 Term Deposit Scheme:
i.It offers a high rate of interest of up to 7.60% per annum (for 360 days), which includes 0.50% per annum for senior citizens.
ii.These rates are applicable on retail deposits below Rs 2 crore and are effective from 15th January 2024.
iii.This scheme caters to depositors seeking higher returns on deposits with less than 1-year maturity.

• Among large banks, Bob 360 offers one of the most attractive rates for fixed deposits (FDs) with less than 1 year of maturity.

iv.As per Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines, this scheme is not available for Non-Residential External (NRE) Deposits.
Key Features:
i.Interest Rates: 7.10% per annum for the Residents/General public and NRO and 7.60% per annum for Senior citizens.
ii.The scheme allows minimum deposit amount of Rs 1,000 (and further in multiples of Rs 1) for Callable deposits (non-callable deposits are not applicable) and Maximum deposit amount upto Rs 2 crore.
iii.The Tenor of Deposit is 360 Days with nomination and an auto-renewal facility will be available.
About Bank of Baroda:
MD and CEO– Debadatta Chand
Headquarters– Vadodara, Gujarat
Founded on– 20 July 1908
Tagline– India’s International Bank

DBS Bank India Collaborates with StartupTN to Foster Entrepreneurship in Tamil NaduOn January 18, 2024, DBS Bank India Limited announced collaboration with StartupTN, a nodal agency of Tamil Nadu (TN) Government, to foster entrepreneurship in TN.
About the partnership:
i.This partnership will engage with over 1,000 early-stage startups in TN through StartupTN’s eight regionhost al hubs. The partnership focuses on startups in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
ii.The collaboration aims to foster innovation by offering vital support to startups by sharing knowledge in forums and connecting startups with potential investors.
iii.Under this, startups linked with StartupTN can utilize DBS Bank India’s extensive network of over 30 accelerators, incubators, and ecosystem enablers, thus benefitting from broader entrepreneurial community.
iv.DBS Bank India will also offer a range of value added services like trademark registration assistance to protect intellectual property through its partner network.
Points to note:
i.StartupTN promotes entrepreneurship and innovation.
ii.It presently supports 7,400 startups registered with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), across 30 sectors.

• It aims for 10,000 new startups by 2026

ii.DBS Bank India is a subsidiary of the financial services group DBS Singapore.

• In November 2020, Lakshmi Vilas Bank (LVB) was amalgamated with DBS Bank India Limited.

About DBS Bank India Limited:
Managing Director & CEO– Surojit Shome
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Establishment– 1994
Tagline– Live More Bank Less

MHI forms Panel to Examine Demands for Inclusion of More Components in Auto PLI; Chaired by Hanif QureshiOn January 16, 2024, the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has constituted a committee to examine the demand for including more components in the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Automobile and Auto Component Industry (PLI–AUTO).
Chairman– Hanif Qureshi, Additional Secretary in MHI
Members– 11 members including representatives from testing agencies like Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) and the auto industry.
Advisor– Industry veteran Pawan Goenka, former Managing Director(MD) of Mahindra & Mahindra(M&M).
Note: The announcement for the same was made by Union Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey, MHI on the sidelines of Auto PLI Conclave organized by MHI in New Delhi, Delhi on 16th January 2024.
Key Points:
i.This decision has been taken on the demand from stakeholders to include more (automotive) components in the scope of the PLI scheme.
ii.The 11-member committee will include industry experts from various stakeholders, including test agencies such as the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), and representatives from other industry bodies.
iii.Notably, MHI has extended the tenure of PLI Scheme for Automobile and Auto Components by one year and incentive will be provided for determined sales for a total of five consecutive financial years, starting from FY 2023-24 to 2027-28. Click Here to Read
About PLI-AUTO Scheme :
i.It is a government scheme that aims to boost the manufacturing of Advanced Automotive Technology (AAT) products.
ii.It was approved by the Union Cabinet on September 15, 2021, with a budgetary outlay of Rs 25,938 crore for a period of 5 years (FY2022-2023 to 2026-2027) while its disbursement is applicable in the subsequent financial year (from FY 2023-24 to FY 2027-28).
iii.The Scheme is focused on Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) i.e. Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) and Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle (HFCV).
iv.The aim is to promote localization with minimum Domestic Value Addition (DVA) of 50% and to attract investments and build large-scale manufacturing capacities.
v.The scheme surpassed its target, attracting Rs 67,690 crore against the expected Rs 42,500 crore over five years. As of December 2023, Rs 13,037 crore has already been invested.

Veera Rana Appointed as Chief Secretary of Madhya PradeshThe Government of Madhya Pradesh (MP) has appointed Veera Rana, a 1988-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, as the Chief Secretary(CS) of MP.

• She becomes the 2nd woman Chief Secretary of MP after Nirmala Buch, who served as the 1st woman CS of MP from 1991-1993.
• She was also given additional charge as Chairperson of MP Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE).

Points to note:
i.She has been serving as the Acting CS of MP succeeding Iqbal Singh Bains, who retired from the post in November 2023.
ii.Veera Rana is scheduled to retire in March 2024.
About Veera Rana:
i.Prior to the appointment as Acting CS of MP in 2023, she was serving as the Chairperson of the MPBSE and held additional charge of the MP’s agriculture production commissioner.
ii.She has previously served as the Collector of Vidisha, Jabalpur, and Mahasamund districts of MP and held various responsibilities in key departments.
Sanjay Bandopadhyay Appointed as Chairman of Employee Selection Board
The Government of MP has appointed Sanjay Bandopadhyay, a 1988-batch IAS officer of MP cadre, as chairman of the MP Employees Selection Board (MPESB)(earlier known as Vyapam). He is set to retire in August 2024.

• Prior to the appointment, he was serving as the Chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways(MoPS&W), since December 2021.

Note:
i.The Appointment Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has also approved the repatriation of Sanjay Bandopadhyay, Chairman of IWAI, to his parent cadre.
ii.Sunil Kumar Singh, Vice Chairman of IWAI, has been given additional charge as Chairman of IWAI.

Bernardo Arévalo Sworn in as President of Guatemala
César Bernardo Arévalo de León, an anti-corruption leader, was sworn in as President of Guatemala. He is the leader of the social democratic Movimiento Semilla Party.

• Bernardo Arévalo succeeded Alejandro Giammattei, a leader of the right-wing party Vamos.
• The Guatemala Presidential election was conducted in August 2023.
• Bernardo served as the Director of the Regional Office for Latin America; In 2005 he became Director of the Joint Programme Unit for United Nations (UN)/Interpeace Initiatives (JPU) – a unique partnership Interpeace has with the UN.

About Guatemala:
Guatemala is a Central American country, south of Mexico.
Capital – Guatemala City
Currency – Guatemalan Quetzal

ISRO develops Second-Generation Distress Alert Transmitter for Fishermen
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully developed ‘Distress Alert Transmitter – Second Generation’ (DAT-SG) for the fishermen at sea to send emergency messages from fishing boats.

• DAT-SG was inaugurated by Sreedhara Panicker Somanath, Secretary to the Department of Space (DOS) & Chairman of ISRO, in the presence of Rakesh Pal, Director General of  Indian Coast Guard (ICG) in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Working:
i.DAT-SG transmits distress messages(24×7) via communication satellite to the Indian Mission Control Centre (INMCC) in Bengaluru.
ii.This information is then forwarded to Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres (MRCCs) for search and rescue operations under ICG.
iii.DAT-SG also provides information about Potential Fishing Zones (PFZs) to fishermen.
iv.DAT has been operational since 2010 and more than 20000 DATs are deployed to date.

Ajit Singh Gill, Singapore’s Former Hockey Player & Olympian Passed AwayAjit Singh Gill, former national hockey player of Singapore who competed in the
1956 Melbourne Olympics, passed away at the age of 95 in Singapore. He was born on 21st March 1928 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and moved to Singapore in 1953.

• Ajit Singh Gill, a person of Indian origin, is the Singapore’s oldest and only Sikh Olympian.

About Ajit Singh Gill:
i.He played hockey and cricket for the Selangor Indian Association from 1948 to 1951 and for State of Selangor in 1950.
ii.He was a part of the Singapore National Hockey team that participated in the 1956 Summer Olympics held in Melbourne, Australia. It was the only time that Singapore had ever participated in hockey at the Olympics.
iii.He switched to cricket in 1960s and earned the nickname “big-hitting Sikh” for his outstanding performance.
iv.After retiring from coaching cricket and hockey in 1985, he played golf and race walk.
v.In 1990, he topped the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) Senior Amateur Golf Championship and in 2016, he won a gold medal in the 5,000-meter race walk at the Asia Masters Athletics Championships, held in Singapore.

19th National Disaster Response Force Raising Day – 19 January 2024National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Raising Day is annually observed across India on 19 January to commemorate the establishment of the NDRF, a distinguished, unique Force across India functioning under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

• 19 January marks the observance of the 19th NDRF Raising Day.

About National Disaster Response Force (NDRF):
Director-General– Atul Karwal
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
Motto– Sustained Disaster Response Service