PM Modi’s Visit to Haryana and Rajasthan on February 16, 2024On 16 Feb, 2024 Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi visited Haryana and Rajasthan. During the visit, he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various projects

During the visit to Haryana PM dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 9750 crores in Rewari, Haryana. The projects include sectors concerning urban transport, health, rail, and tourism. These are
i.Gurugram Metro Rail in Rewari, Haryana for Rs 5450 crores
ii.Foundation Stone of AIIMS Rewari in Haryana to be built for Rs 1650 crores
iii.Virtual inauguration of Mahabharata theme-based Jyotisar Anubhav Kendra, museum in Kurukshetra for Rs 240 Crores.
iv.Foundation stone and dedicated to the nation multiple railway projects.

PM visited Rajasthan to attend the ‘Viksit Bharat Viksit Rajasthan’ Programme and during the event, he unveiled and laid the foundation stone of Multiple development projects worth over Rs 17000 crore via video conferencing. The projects include

• Highway infrastructure Projects
• Railway development Projects
• Power transmission sector projects
• Jal Jeevan Mission in Rajasthan

About Haryana
Capital– Chandigarh
Chief Minister– Manohar Lal Khattar
Governor– Bandaru Dattatreya
About Rajasthan
Capital– Jaipur
Chief Minister- Bhajan Lal Sharma
Governor- Kalraj Mishra

MoHUA & UNDP Collaborates to Organise National Workshop on Urban LivelihoodsDeendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), collaborated with  United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to organise a 2-day national workshop on urban livelihoods from 15th to 16th February 2024 in Ranchi, Jharkhand.

• The workshop aimed to explore emerging trends and opportunities in urban livelihoods, with a special emphasis on strengthening resilience, and empowering women across urban India.

About the National Workshop:
i.The workshop offered a platform for states to exchange best practices among states for women-led urban livelihoods and facilitate peer learning for successful model replication.
ii.The workshop focused on “Enhanced Resilience – Empowered Women”.
Participants:
The workshop witnessed the participation of over 150 delegates from across India. This includes State Mission Directors of the State Urban Livelihoods Mission and officials from MoHUA.
Key Highlights:
i.The event featured multiple panel discussions focused on enabling strategies for women-led urban livelihoods, and emerging sectors in climate, services, retail, and manufacturing.
ii.It also explored the Multidimensional Poverty Index (NMPI), and the role of philanthropies in urban poverty through innovative financial investments.
iii.Rahul Kapoor, Joint Secretary, MoHUA, introduced the concept of urban care models, emphasising the significance of care infrastructure and services for the urban poor.
SDG 11- Sustainable Cities and Communities:
i.During the event, Isabelle Tschan, Resident Representative of UNDP India highlighted the importance of achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11: “Sustainable Cities and Communities.”

• SDG 11 specifically addresses the unique challenges faced by cities and promotes inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable urban development.

ii.National and State Urban Livelihood Missions play a critical role in advancing SDG 11, to ensure access to basic services, affordable housing, and improved living conditions for all urban residents, especially the marginalised and women.
iii.UNDP looks forward to collaborating with DAY-NULM to address urban poverty through livelihood promotion strategies and customised solutions for communities.
DAY-NULM:
It was initiated by the MoHUA on 24th September 2013, to reduce poverty and vulnerability among urban poor households by enabling them to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities.
About UNDP Inida:
UNDP has been working in India since 1951, collaborating with the Government of India and other partners in multifaceted human development areas.
Resident Representative(India)– Isabelle Tschan Harada (Switzerland)
Headquaters– New Delhi, Delhi

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Unveils 3 Commemorative Coins at 19th Foundation Day Celebrations of SPMCILUnion Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Ministry of Finance (MoF), released 3 souvenir coins, during the 19th Foundation Day celebrations of the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL), a wholly owned Miniratna Category-I Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) of the Government of India in New Delhi, Delhi through a hybrid mode.
3 Coins Includes:

• A Coloured souvenir coin on Endangered Animals of India – Greater One Horned Rhinoceros;
• A bi-metallic clad souvenir coin on the Enlightenment of Buddha; and
• Shree Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir Ayodhya (Coloured souvenir silver coin)

Points to Note:
i.SPMCIL is under the administrative control of the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.
ii.All 3 coins were launched by the India Government Mint, Kolkata (‘IGM, Kolkata’) in West Bengal.

• It is a unit of SPMCIL engaged in manufacture of circulation coins, commemorative coins, and medals such as Bharat Ratna, Padma Shri, military awards like Param Veer Chakra, etc.

iii.The souvenir products of SPMCIL are presented by the Government of India to dignitaries of other countries at international forums.
Coin on the Enlightenment of Buddha:
i.It is made up of Bi-Metal: Austenitic Stainless Steel on one side and Copper on the other side.
ii.It weighs 24 grams (gm) and is circular at 35 millimeters (mm) in diameter and 3 mm in thickness.
iii.It is a limited edition coin, and Buddha & Stupa images are oxidised with a Matte finish.
Coin on Endangered Animals of India:
i.The coloured souvenir coin on the theme, “Endangered Animals of India – Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros,” is the 1st of a special series of coins on Endangered animals in India.
ii.The coin weighs 32 gm with 44 mm in diameter, and the material composition of the coin is nickel–silver (Copper (Cu) – 60%, Nickel (Ni) – 20%, and Zinc (Zn) – 20%).
Shree Ram JanmbhoomiMandir Ayodhya (Coloured souvenir silver coin):
i.This both side colour souvenir coin, based on the theme of “Ram Lalla” is to mark the event of the consecration of Ram Lalla in the Shree Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh on January 22, 2024.
ii.It is a silver coloured souvenir coin with Ram Lalla’s pristine statue on the obverse and the Ram temple of Ayodhya on the reverse.
iii.This exquisite “Ram Lalla” coin features intricate stamping on both sides.
iv.The material used to make the coin is Fine Silver (999 purity) and it weighs 50 gm with 50 mm in diameter.
Production Portfolio of SPMCIL:
i.SPMCIL was formed in 2006 after the corporatisation of 9 units including:

• 4 India Government Mints; 2 Currency Note Presses; 2 Security Printing Presses, and 1 Security Paper Mill.

ii.SPMCIL has engaged in the manufacture/ production of Currency and Bank Notes; Circulation & Commemorative Coins; Medallions, etc.

GoI increased Authorised Capital of FCI to Rs 21,000 croreThe Government of India (GoI) has increased the authorised capital of Food Corporation of India (FCI) from Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 21,000 crore. The move aims to enhance the operational capabilities of FCI in fulfilling its mandate effectively.
Note:  FCI functioning under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution (MoCAF&PD) is the nodal agency that undertakes the procurement of foodgrains at a minimum support price (MSP) to protect the interest of farmers.
Points to note:
i.FCI opts for cash credit, short-term loan, ways and means to bridge the gap in fund requirement. This increase in authorised capital will reduce the interest burden, and decrease the economic cost. This will have a positive impact on government subsidy.
ii.This will empower FCI to modernise its storage facilities, improve transportation networks, and adopt advanced technologies. This will reduce post-harvest losses and ensure efficient distribution of food grains to consumers.
Key Points:
i.The GoI provides equity to the FCI for working capital requirements and the creation of capital assets.
ii.By leveraging the existing internal and external systems, FCI is undertaking a comprehensive initiative to create an integrated Information Technology (IT) system
iii.FCI is working towards implementing a paperless office culture by implementing its e-office.
Additional info:
i.Authorized capital, also known as registered capital or nominal capital, refers to the maximum amount of share capital that a company is legally allowed to issue to its shareholders.
ii.A company may increase or decrease the authorized capital as per the procedures laid down by the Companies Act..
About Food Corporation of India (FCI):
Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) – Ashok K. K. Meena
Headquarters –  New Delhi, Delhi
Established in – 1965

Dept of Fisheries & ONDC Join Hands to Promote Digital Marketing of Fishes
Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying (MoFAHD) signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to promote digital marketing of fishes and other aquatic produce.

• The MoU aims to help traditional fishermen, fish farmers producer organisations, entrepreneurs from fisheries sector to buy and sell their products through the e-market place.
• The MoU was signed in presence of Union Minister Parshottam Rupala, MoFAHD and Minister of State (MoS) L. Murugan, MoFAHD in New Delhi, Delhi.

IREDA & PNB Signed MoU to Promote Renewable Energy Initiatives
Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency(IREDA) and Punjab National Bank (PNB) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) focusing on    co-lending and loan syndication of Renewable Energy(RE) projects across the India.

• The MoU includes provisions aimed at enhancing support for RE projects.
• This includes joint lending, loan syndication and underwriting, management of Trust and Retention Account (TRA) for IREDA borrowers, and working towards competitive terms of sanction, including pricing on IREDA borrowings.
• Through this MoU and prior agreements other financial institutions, IREDA is set to fund large-scale RE projects, in line with India’s effort to achieve a 500 GW Non-Fossil-based electricity generation capacity by 2030.

Signatories: The MoU was signed by Dr. R. C. Sharma, General Manager of IREDA and Rajeeva, Chief General Manager of PNB at IREDA office in New Delhi, Delhi in the presence of  Pradip Kumar Das, Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of IREDA and Atul Kumar Goel, MD & CEO of PNB.
Note:  IREDA is a Mini Ratna (Category – I) Public sector Enterprise (PSE) under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

Mswipe Technologies received PA License from RBI
On 16th February 2024, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted Payment Aggregator (PA) license to Mumbai (Maharashtra) based Mswipe Technologies Private Limited. Mswipe received in-principle approval from RBI to operate as a PA in 2022.

• The license paves way for Mswipe to offer full-stack payment technology providing omni-channel solutions.
• The Certificates of Authorisation (CoA) for Setting up and Operating Payment System in India is issued by RBI under Section 7 of Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.

IEPFA Partners with DBS Bank for Investment Awareness
Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority (IEPFA) and Singapore based DBS Bank Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to spread awareness on investment and fraudulent schemes.

• As per the MoU, DBS Bank will be supporting IEPFA’s investor awareness activities by disseminating safety messages via its various digital platforms.
• The MoU was signed in New Delhi (Delhi) in the presence of Anita Shah Akella, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IEPFA & Joint Secretary of MCA.

Note:

• IEPFA was set up in 2016 under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) for administering the Investor Education and Protection Fund for making refunds of shares, unclaimed dividends, and matured deposits and debentures, among other things, to investors.
• DBS bank, formerly known as Development Bank of Singapore Limited, is a Singapore based multinational banking and financial services corporation.

MPA Honoured winners of 16th National Youth Parliament Competition for Universities/Colleges, 2019-20On 16th February 2024, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs(MPA) honoured the winners of the 16th National Youth Parliament Competition for Universities/Colleges (2019-20) during the Prize Distribution ceremony held at GMC Balayogi Auditorium, Parliament House Complex, in New Delhi, Delhi.

• The awards were presented by Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State(MoS), MPA.
• The students of the Central University of Punjab (Bathinda, Punjab) received the running shield and trophy for standing 1st at the National Level.

Winners of 16th National Youth Parliament Competition for Universities/Colleges, 2019-20:

• The 16th edition of the competition was organised among 36 universities/colleges across India.

ii.Youth Parliament Scheme aims to make the young generation acquainted with the practices and procedures of parliament, techniques of discussion and debate; and developing leadership qualities, among others.
Key People: 
Dr. Satya Prakash, Additional Secretary, MPA; Dr. Anil Bonde, Member of Parliament (MP) (Rajya Sabha – Maharashtra); and Bratin Sengupta, former MP (Rajya Sabha – West Bengal) were present during the event.

Urdu Poet Gulzar & Sanskrit Scholar Jagadguru Swami Rambhadracharya Named Winners of 58th Jnanpith Award58th Jnanpith Award (2023) has been awarded to Two personalities – Legendary Indian poet and lyricist Sampooran Singh Kalra (popularly known as Gulzar) for Urdu and Indian spiritual leader and scholar Jagadguru Rambhadracharya for Sanskrit.

• The award is being given for the 2nd time for Sanskrit language and for the 5th time for Urdu language.

About Jnanpith Award:
i.Jnanpith Award, India’s highest literary honour, has been annually presented by the Bharatiya Jnanpith since 1965. The award recognises the outstanding contribution towards literature in English and other Indian languages.
ii.The award carries a cash prize of Rs 11 lakhs, a bronze statue of Vagdevi(Hindu Goddess Saraswati) and a citation.
About Gulzar:
i.Gulzar was born on August 18, 1934, in the village of Dina in the Jhelum district of Punjab, British India (now in Pakistan).
ii.He is celebrated for his works in Hindi cinema and is considered one of the finest Urdu poets of this era.
iii.He wrote his first song ‘Mora Gora Ang Lai Le..’ for Bimal Roy’s film Bandini (1963).
iv.His noted works are featured in films like Anand (1970); Guddi (1971); Bawarchi (1972); Khamoshi (1969); and Safar (1970).
Awards:
i.He received the Academy Award (Oscar) for Best Original Song in 2009 for the song “Joi Ho” from the film Slumdog Millionoire. He shared the award with A.R. Rahman. Jai Ho was the first Hindi song to win an Oscar in the Best Original Score and Best Original Song categories.
ii.He also won the Grammy Award for Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media for the same song in 2010.
iii.He received the Sahitya Akademi Award for Urdu in 2002; the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2013; the Padma Bhushan in 2004 for Art.
About Jagadguru Rambhadracharya:
i.Jagadguru Rambhadracharya was born in 1950 in Khandikhurd village of Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh(UP).
ii.He is the founder and President of Tulsi Peeth in Chitrakoot, UP and one of the 4 Jagadguru Ramanandacharyas of the Ramananda sect. He is holding the postition since 1988.
iii.He is a polyglot who speaks 22 languages and he is also a poet and writer in several languages including Sanskrit, Hindi, Awadhi, and Maithili.
iv.He has authored more than 240 books and texts including 2 epics in Sanskrit and 2 in Hindi.
v.He was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan in 2015 for Literature and education.

Ilham Aliyev Re-elected as President of Azerbaijan for Fifth TermIlham Heydar oglu Aliyev (Ilham Aliyev) has been re-elected as the President of Azerbaijan for the fifth consecutive term following his win in the presidential election with 92 percent of the votes.

• He was sworn in as the President of Azerbaijan in 14th February 2024.

About Ilham Aliyev:
i.Ilham Aliyev’s father, Heydar Aliyev, was a president (non-elected) of Azerbaijan from 1993 to 2003 until his death.
ii.Ilham Aliyev was the first elected president of Azerbaijan in 2003, and he was re-elected in 2008, 2013, and 2018.
iii.His tenure will end in 2031 since Azerbaijan adopted constitutional amendments that extended the president’s term in office to 7 years from 5 in 2016.
Points to Note:
i.Nagorno-Karabakh is a disputed region between Azerbaijan and Armenia due to the ethnic Armenian majority in the region.
ii.It was governed by the unrecognised Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (Republic of Artsakh), and the region became part of Azerbaijan after it was formally dissolved on 1st January 2024.
iii.In 2017, President Ilham Aliyev appointed his wife Mehriban Aliyeva as the First Vice President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
About Azerbaijan:
Azerbaijan got its independence from the former Soviet Union after its dissolution in 1991.
President – Ilham Aliyev
Capital – Baku
Currency – Azerbaijani Manat

Ashish Vijayakar Appointed as MD & CEO of SBM Bank India Ashish Vijayakar has been appointed as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SBM Bank (India) Limited (SBM Bank India) for a period of 3 years, with effect from February 17, 2024.

• He succeeds Sidharth Rath, who resigned from the post of MD and CEO of SBM Bank India in November 2023.

About Ashish Vijayakar:
i.Ashish Vijayakar has worked at Standard Chartered Bank for more than 24 years.
ii.He worked in various roles before he resigned from Standard Chartered Bank as an MD and Co-Head of Client Coverage, Corporate, Commercial, and Institutional Banking (CCIB) till August 2023.
iii.He has expertise in the domains of business transformation, risk management, innovation, and managing changing business environment processes, among other areas of operations.
About SBM Bank (India) Limited (SBM Bank India):
i.It is the first bank to receive a universal banking license from the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) to set up and operate as a Scheduled Commercial Bank under Wholly Owned Subsidiary (WOS) mode, offering banking services in India.
ii.SBM Bank is a WOS of SBM Holdings – Mauritius (erstwhile State Bank of Mauritius).
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) – Ashish Vijayakar
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Established – 2018

Bengaluru Open Tennis: India’s Saketh Myneni and Ramkumar Ramanathan Wins Doubles TitleThe Indian tennis pair Saketh Myneni and Ramkumar Ramanathan won the men’s doubles title by defeating Constantin Bittoun Kouzmine and Maxime Janvier of France in the finals of the Bengaluru Open 2024.
Men’s singles Event:
i.Stefano Napolitano (Italy) won the men’s singles title by defeating Seongchan Hong (South Korea) in the finals.

• It marks Stefano Napolitano’s first Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Challenger title since 2016.

ii.India’s sole contender in the men’s singles, Sumit Nagal, lost to Stefano Napolitano in the semi-finals.

• The 2017 Bengaluru Open title winner, Sumit Nagal, is India’s top-ranked singles player at world No. 101 in the Pepperstone ATP ranking(As of 20th Feb’24).
• He recently won the men’s singles title at the Chennai Open 2024, which was held from 5th to 11th February 2024 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Key Points:
It was the second challenger title for the Myneni and Ramkumar pair in 2024 since they won the Chennai Open 2024 title by defeating Indian pair Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli and Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha in the finals.
About Bengaluru Open:
i.The Bengaluru Open 2024 was held from 12th to 18th February 2024 at the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) Tennis Stadium in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
ii.Bengaluru Open is part of the ATP Challenger 100 series and organised by the KSLTA.
iii.It was played on a hard surface, and the total prize money was USD 133,250.
iv.The event comprises of 32 players in the singles event and 16 teams in the doubles event.

Renowned Indian Chef & Padma Shri Awardee Imtiaz Qureshi Passed Away Mohammed Imtiaz Qureshi, a renowned Indian chef and Padma Shri Awardee, passed away at the age of 93 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He was born on 2nd February 1931 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh(UP).
Awards:
i.In 2016, Imtiaz Qureshi was conferred with the Padma Shri (Field: Others) for his significant contributions to the culinary arts.
ii.He was the first professional chef to be honoured with a Padma Shri award.
About Imtiaz Qureshi:
i.Imtiaz Qureshi is a descendant of Khansamas, the royal cooks of the Mughal rulers and nawabs.
ii.He joined Lucknow(UP) based Krishna Caterers which was serving the Indian Army during the Indo-China War in 1962.
iii.He joined the ITC Hotels in 1979 and retired as a Grand Master Chef of ITC Hotels in 2017.
iv.He was credited for reviving the Awadhi Dum Pukht cooking tradition (a method of slow cooking). He also created restaurant brands such as Bukhara (1977) and Dum Pukht(1989).

World Day of Social Justice 2024- February 20 The United Nations (UN)’s World Day of Social Justice is annually observed across the globe on 20 February to raise awareness about the need for social justice, particularly in areas such as poverty eradication, employment, gender equality, and access to education, healthcare, and social services.
The theme of World Day of Social Justice 2024 is “Global Coalition for Social Justice: Bridging Gaps, Building Alliances”.
Background:
i.On 26 November 2007, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at its 62nd session adopted the resolution A/RES/62/10 and proclaimed the 20 February of every year, starting from the 63rd session of the UNGA, as World Day of Social Justice.
ii.The first World Day of Social Justice was observed on 20th February 2009.
About International Labor Organization (ILO):
Director-General- Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo (Togo)
Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland
Established in- 1919
Member States- 187 member States